UN Daily News. Together we can pull Ukraine back from the brink, UN political chief tells Security Council

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1 For updates and alerts, visit UN NEWS CENTRE at UN Daily News Issue DH/6609 Thursday, In the headlines: Together we can pull Ukraine back from the brink, UN political chief tells Security Council Syria: UN-Arab League envoy says Security Council must push for productive peace talks Child trafficking, exploitation on the rise, warns UN expert Central African Republic: Ban meets religious leaders, urges support for their efforts to unite communities Intellectual property applications broke records in 2013, UN agency reports Human Rights Council: UN envoy details grave violations against children in conflict areas UN review of global drug problem kicks off with calls for more effective, humane action Together we can pull Ukraine back from the brink, UN political chief tells Security Council 13 March - The United Nations continued efforts on multiple fronts to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine, with a senior human rights official holding meetings today in the capital, Kiev, while in New York, the Security Council met in its sixth urgent session on the crisis, hearing the UN political chief stress that the path to a peaceful resolution is still open let us seize it. Map of Crimea. Source: UN Cartographic Section, DFS The Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN requested the Council to convene urgently due to the deterioration of the situation in the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea, Ukraine, which threatens the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Chairing the meeting was Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg, which holds the Council's presidency for the month. The session was briefed by Jeffrey Feltman, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and also heard a statement from Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. The meeting came as senior UN officials have been appealing to all parties for weeks to de-escalate tensions and to engage in direct and constructive dialogue to forge a peaceful way forward in Ukraine, which has been witnessing unrest for several months. Tensions heightened last week as lawmakers in Crimea, where additional Russian troops and armoured vehicles have recently been deployed, voted to join Russia and to hold a referendum on 16 March to validate the decision. In his briefing, Mr. Feltman noted that this is the sixth time the Security Council has met on the situation in Ukraine since 1 March, even as multiple multilateral and bilateral diplomatic efforts remain under way, all aimed at seeking a peaceful resolution of the crisis. Yet, the frequency of the deliberations is also a reflection of the fact that as an international community we have not yet been able to deliver on our obligation to contribute to the de-escalation of tensions in accordance with the provisions of the For information media - not an official record

2 UN Daily News UN Charter, he said. Mr. Feltman said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon s concern continues to deepen regarding the deterioration of the situation in Crimea and rising tensions in eastern Ukraine. In Crimea, the seizure and blockade of Ukrainian military bases, as well as of the majority of State Border Service facilities continues. There have been reports that a military hospital has been taken over by unidentified military personnel, he said, noting other reports that Crimean authorities closed the airspace over the peninsula to all commercial flights except those travelling to and from Moscow, citing the need to keep provocateurs out of the area. The scheduled referendum has further complicated an already difficult and volatile situation, Mr. Feltman continued, saying that he regretted to report that local authorities have denied UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonovic, access to Crimea, citing the lack of readiness to receive him and inability to provide security. As for the situation on the ground we will have to rely on, among others, reports from residents, foreign diplomats based in Crimea, and international non-governmental organizations, with whom Mr. Šimonovic has been in contact. Given the vast divergence in reports about what is actually happening on the ground in Crimea, we would have much preferred that [Mr. Šimonovic] had been able to collect first-hand accounts himself. He went on to say that the monitoring mission established by the Office for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is set to become operational in Ukraine by Monday, and, in light of the unpredictable situation, which could affect human rights, the Secretary-General has asked Mr. Šimonovic to extend his mission in the country. In the highly charged atmosphere in Ukraine, exacerbated by the lack of trust and by fear, the potential for intentional or unintentional escalation or miscalculations is very real, he said, reiterating the Secretary-General s recent calls for resolving the crisis in a manner that respects Ukraine s territorial integrity and which paves the way for constructive, rhetoric-free dialogue. All sides must avoid unilateral actions that could further raise tensions and make de-escalation difficult. It is high time for constructive engagement instability in Ukraine is in no one s interest and will have dire consequences for the region and the world, said Mr. Feltman, emphasizing that the United Nations is convinced that with genuine concerted efforts by the international community we can together pull Ukraine back from the brink. Later in the day, the Secretary-General s spokesman issued a readout of a meeting between the UN chief and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk and acting Foreign Minister, Andrii Deshchytsia. The Secretary-General expressed his increasing concern about developments in Ukraine, including his particular alarm at the rapidly evolving crisis in Crimea and reports of rising tensions in eastern Ukraine, said the note. The Secretary-General underscored that he had intensified diplomatic efforts over the past days and weeks but that all parties must de-escalate the situation, tame the rhetoric and find a peaceful solution to the crisis. He urged the Prime Minister and acting Foreign Minister not to relent on their efforts to engage in direct dialogue with Russia and commended their restraint thus far during this difficult time in Ukraine s history, said the readout, adding that Mr. Ban stressed the need for the Prime Minister to govern Ukraine in a spirit of inclusivity and to promote a country of unity and opportunity for all, including minorities. The officials also discussed the ongoing visity of Mr. Šimonovic in Ukraine. Further to the readout, Mr. Ban underscored that the UN Charter has to be the guiding instrument for collective efforts toward a peaceful solution to the crisis in Ukraine. The Charter s principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes and full respect for human rights, must prevail. Meanwhile, according to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, Mr. Šimonovic continued his mission in Ukraine today,

3 UN Daily News visiting Lviv, a city in the western part of the country, where he met with the head of the regional council and discussed the hosting of displaced people from Crimea now living in the Lviv region. He also held talks with the regional Ombudsperson. The spokesperson said that Mr. Šimonovic then met with representatives of local non-governmental organizations, including Crimean Tatars, and they discussed the human rights situation in Ukraine. He also had a meeting with the originator of a grassroots campaign to speak Russian in Lviv for one day in solidarity with Russian speakers in Ukraine alarmed by the decision of the country s Parliament to repeal the language law. Mr. Šimonovic returned to Kiev today, where he will meet with ministers and other officials. He is scheduled to hold a press conference in Kiev tomorrow, said the spokesperson. Syria: UN-Arab League envoy says Security Council must push for productive peace talks Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint Special Representative of the UN and the League of Arab States for Syria, briefs reporters. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe 13 March - The United Nations and Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria today announced that he has appealed to the Security Council to assist him in pressing for a possible new round of negotiations bringing together the Syrian Government and opposition groups to end three years of bloodshed in the country. We would very much like to continue this Geneva process, but we would like the help of the Council and of all those who can help to make sure that if, and when, we have the third round, it will be a little bit more productive than the second round, Lakhdar Brahimi told journalists in New York after briefing the 15-nation body. Two rounds of talks earlier this year, the first in January followed by a second round in February, saw both sides sticking to their positions and yielded only modest cooperation on a humanitarian issue related to aid access in the long-besieged Old City of Homs. The basis of the talks is full implementation of an action plan adopted in the so-called Geneva Communiqué of 2012, the first international conference on the conflict, which calls for a transitional government to lead to free and fair elections. In a statement yesterday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spotlighted the inability of the international community, the region and the Syrians themselves to put a stop to the three-year old conflict. Both Mr. Ban and Mr, Brahimi are expected to brief the General Assembly tomorrow on the situation in Syria. He appealed in particular to the Russian Federation and the United States, as the initiating States of the Geneva Conference, to take clear steps to reenergize the process. Well over 100,000 people have been killed and an estimated 9 million others driven from their homes. In addition, there are currently more than 2.4 million refugees registered in the region: some 932,000 in Lebanon; 574,000 in Jordan; some 613,000 in Turkey; 223,000 in Iraq; and about 134,000 in Egypt, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

4 UN Daily News Child trafficking, exploitation on the rise, warns UN expert 13 March - In an increasingly interconnected world, children are more at risk that ever of being sexually exploited or sold, a United Nations independent expert warned today, calling for decisive steps at the global level to stop crimes such as child prostitution and trafficking. Millions of girls and boys worldwide are victims of sexual exploitation. Photo: UNICEF/NYHQ Giacomo Pirozzi, Philippines 2011 Millions of girls and boys worldwide are victims of sexual exploitation, even though this issue in recent years has gained increased visibility, said Najat Maalla M jid, the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, as she presented her final report to the 25th session of the Human Rights Council, which opened last week and is to wrap on 28 March. Social tolerance and impunity, persistent demand and the lucrative aspect of this trade for global criminal networks are only some of the factors that make children increasingly vulnerable, she said, adding that the ongoing development of new technologies has made access to children in all parts of the world easier and increased exploitation. The availability of child pornography online is growing. Child victims of online sexual exploitation are younger and younger, and the images are more and more horrific, explained Ms. Maalla M jid, whose report provides an overview of the main issues and trends relating to her six-year long mandate. The Special Rapporteur stressed that certain forms of sexual exploitation are increasing such as trafficking of children for sexual and economic purposes, child sex tourism and online child sexual exploitation, but noted that the true scope of the problem was not clear due to inadequate legislation, lack of reliable data, and under-reporting. The clandestine nature of such exploitation, the fear of reprisals and stigmatization, as well as the lack of child-sensitive complaints mechanisms, also hampers our understanding of these crimes, she said. The destinations for child sex tourism are continually changing, as perpetrators tend to choose countries with weak legislation and controls, noted the UN expert. In her presentation, Ms. Maalla M jid drew attention to the serious and long-lasting physical, psychological and social effects, not only for the girls and boys who are the direct victims, but also for their families and communities, regretting that this impact is not sufficiently understood and taken into account when addressing recovery, remedies and compensation. Despite significant efforts and reiterated global commitments, much still needs to be done to protect, rehabilitate and reintegrate victims, provide reparation to children for the damage they have suffered, sanction those responsible, change certain social norms, and to ultimately prevent such exploitation, the expert said, urging the international community to establish a global response, through a global legal framework and sustainable transnational co-operation. In addition, Ms. Maalla M jid called for close co-operation with the private sector, and for strong corporate social responsibility among internet service providers, telecommunications, tourism and travel industry, media and financial institutions. Children must also be involved in assessing the scale of the problem and developing solutions, she added. As the world reflects on universal development goals for the post-2015 era, bearing in mind the strong connections between economic, social, and political development and child protection issues, child-sensitive protection must be included in the post-2015 development agenda, the Special Rapporteur concluded. Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

5 UN Daily News Central African Republic: Ban meets religious leaders, urges support for their efforts to unite communities 13 March - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was honoured to meet at Headquarters with three religious leaders from the Central African Republic (CAR), whom he described as a powerful symbol of their country s longstanding tradition of peaceful coexistence. The UN chief thanked the religious leaders Mgr. Dieudonne Nzapalainga, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bangui, Imam Oumar Kobine Layama, President of the Islamic Council in the Central African Republic, and Reverend Nicolas Guérékoyame-Gbangou, President of the CAR s Evangelical Alliance and warned that their legacy of peaceful coexistence stands under threat. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets with religious leaders of the Central African Republic. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe The country has been war-torn since December 2012 following attacks by Séléka rebels. The conflict has taken on increasingly sectarian overtones as mainly Christian militias known as anti-balaka (anti-machete) have taken up arms. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed, and 2.2 million, about half the population, need humanitarian aid. Let me be clear, said the Secretary-General: the conflict in the Central African Republic is not about religion, insisting that religious and ethnic affiliations are being manipulated for political purposes. Mgr. Nzapalainga, Mr. Layama, and Rev. Guérékoyame-Gbangou refuse to be enemies, he stressed. The international community must support their efforts. Mr. Ban explained that CAR needs more more aid to save lives and more troops and police to protect civilians, and urged the Security Council to act quickly on those recommendations for a United Nations peacekeeping operation. The United Nations must stand with the people of the Central African Republic for peace, reconciliation, justice and accountability, he concluded. Intellectual property applications broke records in 2013, UN agency reports Nono-Y the robot was one of the highlights of the 2012 Geneva Inventions Fair. Photo: WIPO/Emmanuel Berrod 13 March - The United States and China drove international patent filings to a record level last year with applications for the first time surpassing the 200,000 mark, the United Nations intellectual property agency today reported, with record highs also reached for trademark and design applications. The new records in international IP filings attest to the importance of intellectual property in the global innovation ecosystem, said Francis Gurry, Director General of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The US accounted for 56 per cent of patent filings, with Chinese applicants filing 29 per cent of the 205,300 applications for intellectual property under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) System. Under this system, applicants can simultaneously seek protection for an invention in 148 countries throughout the world by filing one international application. According to WIPO, the overall 2013 figure represents a 5.1 per cent growth in applications compared with 194,400 the previous year, when figures still trailed growth seen prior to the global financial crisis in The Madrid System, which registers trademarks, saw a 6.4 per cent rise in applications to 46,829 in 2013, the highest number ever recorded.

6 UN Daily News Germany filed 6,822 applications, followed by the US with 6,043 and France with 4,239 in The Swiss pharmaceutical company, Novartis, heads the list of top applicants, with 228 applications. International industrial design applications filed under the Hague System increased to 2,990 filings in 2013, also another record, representing growth of 14.8 per cent. Switzerland, with 662 applications, overtook Germany, with 643 applications, as the largest user of the system. Swatch AG of Switzerland, with 113 applications, continued to be the largest individual filer. In line with growing investments in research and development, the automobile industry has seen a sharp increase in international patent filings over the last three years, WIPO reported. Human Rights Council: UN envoy details grave violations against children in conflict areas 13 March - Armed conflicts have intensified recently in Syria and other countries, making such places increasingly hazardous to grow up in, a top United Nations child rights official warned the Human Rights Council today as she pledged to keep reaching out to conflict parties and mobilizing the international community to better protect children. In Syria, South Sudan, Central African Republic, but also in other countries, thousands of children are recruited, killed, maimed, raped and kidnapped, Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict told the Genevabased Council. The survivors are often deprived of lifesaving humanitarian assistance and denied their basic human rights, she added. SRSG Leila Zerrougui on a field mission to Syria in December Photo: Children and Armed Conflict Noting that yesterday, the Syrian crisis marked the end of its third year, Ms. Zerrougui stressed that grave violations against children are being committed by Government forces and opposition groups. I urge all parties to respect international humanitarian law and put an end to all violations against children, including - but not limited to - the killing and maiming of children, recruitment and use of children, as well as to cease all attacks on schools and hospitals and allow unimpeded humanitarian access, she listed in her statement. Noting that the number of children affected by the Syrian conflict has more than doubled over the past year, she said that Syria has become one of the most dangerous places to be a child. Six and a half million people in Syria are internally displaced, and half of the 2.5 million refugees are children, she noted. Of particular concern is the use of education facilities in the country, as well as in several other places, for military purposes. In 2013, we have witnessed an increasing and worrying number of attacks on schools in countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Nigeria, said Ms. Zerrougui. We have to join forces, we must ensure that the essential role of education in emergencies is fully recognized and that children s right to education is protected even in times of conflict. In addition, the office of the Special Representative is preparing to launch guidelines on monitoring and reporting of attacks against schools and hospitals. This will contribute to improve the accountability of perpetrators, in line with Security Council resolution 1998 on attacks against schools and hospitals adopted in Last week, the Special Representative and the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) launched, and the Security Council endorsed, the Children, Not Soldiers campaign to end the recruitment and use of children by Government armed forces in Afghanistan, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen by

7 UN Daily News The Governments of these countries have committed to the campaign, and Ms. Zerrougui today asked Member States, UN and NGO partners in Geneva to also support the efforts. UN review of global drug problem kicks off with calls for more effective, humane action Today marks the start of the High-Level segment of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) 57th session at the UN headquarters in Vienna. Photo: UNODC 13 March - The world community must do more, and do better, to tackle the global drug problem, senior United Nations officials stressed today in Vienna, kicking off a two-day review of efforts to address a scourge that poses a serious threat to human life and undermines development. The cultivation, manufacture, trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs continue to pose a major threat to the health of people everywhere; and to the stability and sustainable development of a number of countries and entire regions, Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said at the opening of the review. It is my hope that this high-level debate will help you to find common ground and come up with a powerful message that will enable us to strengthen our cooperation, and to address the world drug problem in a balanced, humane and effective way, based on the international conventions. The High-Level Review of the implementation of Political Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the Commission in 2009 to counter the world drug problem brings together over 1,500 representatives of Member States, civil society organisations and the media. The Plan of Action has three focuses: demand reduction, supply reduction, and countering money-laundering and promoting judicial cooperation to enhance international cooperation. Mr. Fedotov noted that there have been successes in implementing the plan: the global cocaine market has shrunk; the delivery of treatment has improved; and international cooperation has been strengthened. And yet there have been serious setbacks, he added. Among these is the increase in opium poppy cultivation, which reached record levels in Afghanistan last year; an expanding illicit market for synthetic stimulants; and an alarming increase in new psychoactive substances. We have learned that sustainable success requires a balanced, cooperative, comprehensive and integrated approach, addressing both supply and demand, the Executive Director said. A balanced approach relies on evidence-based responses, with an emphasis on public health, he added. Also, any public health response should also consider alternatives to penalization and incarceration of people with drug use disorders, as well as measures focusing on prevention, treatment, and social rehabilitation and integration, he maintained. In his remarks to the opening, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said the response of the UN family to the drug problem is firmly rooted in the fundamental principles of the three international drug control conventions, namely the protection of the health and welfare of humankind as well as the promotion and protection of human rights through the rule of law. Globally, however, the implementation of the international drug control conventions has been uneven and incomplete, he stated. We can all do better, individually as nations and collectively through international cooperation. The three international drug control conventions are the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 and the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic

8 UN Daily News Substances of The three Conventions are the legal basis for our work. But let us remember that Member States also can take action on the basis of these Conventions to promote public health, prevention, treatment and economic and social progress, Mr. Eliasson said. The two-day review also marks the start of the 57th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, which will run through 21 March and discuss issues such as regional efforts to reduce the supply of illegal drugs, implementation of the international drug control treaties and the challenges posed by new psychoactive substances. The review also marks a milestone on the road towards the special session to be convened in 2016 by the UN General Assembly on the world drug problem. The UN Daily News is prepared at UN Headquarters in New York by the News Services Section of the News and Media Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)