UN Daily News Issue DH/6613 Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Transcription

1 For updates and alerts, visit UN NEWS CENTRE at UN Daily News Issue DH/6613 Wednesday, In the headlines: Ban heads to Russia and Ukraine amid rising tensions; Security Council briefed on latest events Urgent action needed to tackle food crisis in strifetorn Central African Republic UN No Syrian child should be left behind UNESCO chief says during Jordan trip UN officials urge Security Council to allow for effective post-2015 peacebuilding tools Somalia: UN envoy welcomes progress in regaining key towns from insurgents Targeted action needed to address plight of world s deprived minorities UN expert Security Council imposes sanctions on illicit crude oil exports from Libya Ban heads to Russia and Ukraine amid rising tensions; Security Council briefed on latest events Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) leaving UN Headquarters and heading to Russia and Ukraine. UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras 19 March - With Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon headed to Russia and Ukraine as part of his diplomatic efforts to de-escalate current tensions, the Security Council heard senior United Nations officials in New York urge adherence to fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including respect for Ukraine s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and ensuring respect for the human rights of all. It is in the spirit of the UN Charter that [the Secretary-General] now embarks on his mission to Moscow and Kiev, said Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, who, alongside UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonovic, briefed the Council on the latest events in the crisis-torn region. Mr. Ban s first stop will be the Russian capital, where he will meet on Thursday with President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other senior officials, according to the Secretary-General s spokesperson. On Friday, the UN chief will travel to Kiev, where he will hold talks with Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and other officials. While in the Ukrainian capital, he will also meet with members of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission and representatives of civil society. Mr. Eliasson said that since his own mission to Ukraine at the beginning of the month, the crisis has continued to deepen [and] tensions in Crimea and in eastern Ukraine continue to rise we are now faced with risks of a dangerous further escalation that could have ramifications for international peace and security and have serious significance for this Council and for the United Nations. Laying out a succinct timeline of the fast-moving and serious events, he told the Council: Crimean authorities had announced that close to 97 per cent of those who voted in Sunday s referendum did so in favour of secession from Ukraine; subsequently, Crimea declared its independence, which in turn was recognized by Russia; Monday the European Union and the United States moved to apply targeted sanctions against Russian and Crimean officials. For information media - not an official record

2 UN Daily News Further: President Putin has signed a treaty to make Crimea part of the Russian Federation; the Government in Kiev meanwhile has committed to never accept Crimea s independence or annexation, stating that Crimea is an integral part of Ukraine; and yesterday, Ukraine's Prime Minister expressed concern that the conflict in the Crimean peninsula is shifting from a political to a military stage. This followed reports that a Ukrainian officer was killed in front of a Ukrainian military base on the outskirts of Simferopol, Mr. Eliasson continued, noting that after this incident, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister planned to travel to Crimea today. In turn, the Crimean leadership has allegedly stated that Ukraine's officials would be turned back. This underscores the dire need for the immediate opening of direct dialogue between Moscow and Kiev. He said that reports are emerging today that two Ukrainian naval bases in Crimea have been taken over by pro-russian forces or unidentified groups. While initial reports suggest that the seizures of bases have so far occurred without bloodshed, such developments obviously carry grave risks. The Secretary-General has constantly underlined the importance of avoiding further provocative actions and of refraining from incitement, said Mr. Eliasson. These latest events have heightened tensions and added new layers of complexity to an already precarious situation. Mr. Eliasson noted that in a wider perspective, all should recall that Russia and Ukraine remain neighbours, with close, often complex, historic, cultural, economic and political ties. It is our view that it is in the interest of all of us that these two nations have positive ties, with each other and with the broader region. But the first step in that direction has to be based on immediate de-escalation and restraint in the present crisis. Echoing some of the Secretary-General s key recent messages, Mr. Eliasson said: It is clear that we are at a crossroads. If positions continue to harden and rhetoric continues to sharpen, there is great risk of a dangerous downward spiral. The focus must be to engage in direct dialogue between Moscow and Kiev aimed at agreeing on specific measures that will pave the way towards a diplomatic solution. I only wish to add that our primary diplomatic tool is constructive dialogue on the basis of the chapter in the Charter on pacific settlement of disputes, said the UN Deputy chief, adding that the Organization will continue to play its role of promoting dialogue for a peaceful and joint resolution of this crisis, which now has become more serious than ever. Months of political unrest in Ukraine led to the removal by Parliament of President Viktor Yanukovych in February, followed by increased tensions in the country s autonomous region of Crimea, where additional Russian military were recently deployed and a secession referendum was held on Sunday. Throughout the crisis, the Secretary-General and senior UN officials have consistently called for a solution that is guided by the principles of the UN Charter and that respects Ukraine s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Urgent action needed to tackle food crisis in strife-torn Central African Republic UN 19 March - A senior United Nations relief official today stressed the need to act quickly to assist people suffering from food insecurity and malnutrition in the Central African Republic (CAR), after witnessing the alarming situation first-hand during a visit to the strife-torn nation. Today I heard harrowing stories from ordinary women and children of losing their families in the violence and traumatic attacks that forced them to flee, Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), said after a visit to the north-western town of Bossangoa. I am humbled by their strength in these desperate times. We simply cannot deny them the A mother's smile: a woman and her child pick up vital food rations from WFP in the Central African Republic (CAR). Photo: WFP

3 UN Daily News assistance they need, especially after all they have endured. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed, and 2.2 million, about half the population of CAR, need humanitarian aid as a result of the conflict that began in December 2012, when mainly Muslim Séléka rebels launched attacks. More than 650,000 people are still internally displaced, and over 290,000 have fled to neighbouring countries in search of refuge from the conflict, which has taken on increasingly sectarian overtones as mainly Christian militias known as anti- Balaka (anti-machete) have taken up arms. The entire population, not only the displaced, is affected and live in a precarious food situation, said Ms. Cousin. The people of CAR particularly women and children need us now. We must act before the rains exacerbate the tragic situation. We must not wait until pictures of skeletal, severely underweight children document our failure and neglect. The Executive Director took part in a joint seeds and food distribution programme with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). If we miss the planting season, starting in April, the families will have no harvests because they have run out of food. We must provide food, so that families are not forced to eat the seeds to survive. So far this year, despite immense logistical and security challenges, WFP has provided food to more than 250,000 people per month in CAR, including specialized nutritious foods to help prevent malnutrition among children. But the scale of the disaster requires deeper engagement from the international community, the agency stressed. In the coming weeks most roads will become impassable with the rainy season. The rains will also increase the risk of diarrhoea and illness for tens of thousands of displaced people in unsanitary, makeshift camps. With only 35 per cent of funding secured for its CAR emergency operation through August, WFP has been unable to preposition stocks required for life-saving assistance during the rains and the annual lean season when food from the last harvest runs out. The agency noted that insecurity along the road corridor from Cameroon to Bangui, the capital of CAR, forced WFP to airlift 1,800 metric tons of rice. With the escort of the African-led peacekeeping mission, MISCA, the flow of food supplies by road has resumed but may be interrupted should security deteriorate. Security is the major concern. The international community must step up to help the government of CAR end violence, said Ms. Cousin, adding that humanitarian access is a priority. WFP also warned that it is facing, along with other humanitarian agencies, a funding shortage that may force it to disrupt food assistance to CAR refugees in Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo if new contributions are not received. No Syrian child should be left behind UNESCO chief says during Jordan trip 19 March - Young Syrian refugees in Jordan need the support of the country s population, said the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), during a visit to the country to examine the challenges faced both by the Syrian and Jordanian youth since the arrival of hundreds of thousands displaced families. Director-General Irina Bokova (standing), visiting UNESCO education and communication projects supporting Syrian refugees in Jordan. Photo: UNESCO/Abed Arslan Irina Bokova, UNESCO s Director-General, went to Zainab Bint El Rasoul public girls school located in Ramtha, five kilometres from the Syrian border, where a UNESCO project is helping Syrian refugee girls cope with the uprooting from their country and the loss of their homes, friends and teachers. UNESCO works closely with the Government and the European Union to support the

4 UN Daily News Jordanian education system and ensure that Syrian children can continue their schooling alongside their Jordanian peers. Commending the work done by the teachers to welcome the displaced children, Ms. Bokova stressed that no Syrian child should be left behind adding that this is particularly true for girls, because they are most vulnerable. Quality education keeps girls in schools, fights poverty and carries hugely positive benefits for families and communities and I want to assure that we will continue to support you. During her visit, the Director-General also stopped by the Amman-based Farah al-nas community radio station, and addressed the Kingdom s youth in a new programme titled Syrian Hour which provides vital information to Syrian refugees, promoting access to information, freedom of expression and serving as a tool for mutual understanding and social inclusion. Radio is the most powerful medium that exists to get messages across and to reach young people who are carrying the burden of this crisis, stressed Ms Bokova. The programme provides a much needed platform for dialogue between Syrian refugees in Jordan and Jordanian youth on issues of shared concern. UNESCO s Director-General ended her visit with a meeting with Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdallah, as well as Dr. Ibrahim Seif, Jordan s Minister of Planning and International Cooperation. UN officials urge Security Council to allow for effective post peacebuilding tools 19 March - Inclusivity, institution-building and international/regional support are the three key ingredients to long-lasting post-conflict peace, United Nations officials said this morning as they called on the Security Council to help shape a more effective UN peacebuilding architecture. Peacebuilding encompasses a variety of political and developmental actions by United Nations peacekeeping operations, special political missions, country teams, and other factors. It lies at the very heart of UN aspirations in countries emerging from conflict, said UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, as he briefed the Council alongside UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark, and Peacebuilding Commission Chair, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota. Ceremony marking closure of the Sierra Leone Peacebuilding Office held in the capital Freetown on 5 March UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe Mr. Eliasson drew attention to cases of Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste, where peacebuilding operations had prevented relapse into violence and facilitated those countries post-conflict development. He also highlighted the unpredictable and risky nature of peacebuilding environments, as experienced recently in the Central African Republic and in South Sudan, which are currently suffering from upsurges of violence. That is why we must always be prepared to adapt and seek new approaches based on experience and evidence, he insisted. The Deputy Secretary-General explained that peacebuilding can only succeed if inclusive. National ownership, national leadership and national political commitment are indispensable ingredients for durable peace, he said, emphasizing the need for the participation of women and youth in peace processes. He recalled that to respond to the frequent relapse into violence of countries emerging from armed conflict, Member States created in 2005 a new peacebuilding architecture. Given its diverse composition, the Peacebuilding Commission is well placed to help ensure coherence of efforts and sustained attention in support of peace, said Mr. Eliasson, adding the corresponding Peacebuilding Fund is now widely recognized for its usefulness and flexibility. But questions remain as to where and how the Commission can be most helpful and relevant, he said,, and while the body and its country configurations are working hard to play a useful advisory role to the Security Council and to bring to bear the collective weight of Member States in support of peacebuilding priorities, the Commission is nevertheless a subsidiary organ of the Council and can only be of optimal use if the Council empowers it and utilizes its potential.

5 UN Daily News With that in mind, he appealed to the Council to take advantage of the upcoming review of the peacebuilding architecture in 2015 to shape the kind of Peacebuilding Commission that will be relevant, catalytic and effective, not least from the perspective of the Security Council and, of course, the interests of those States that are affected. Echoing many of Mr. Eliasson s points, Mr. de Aguiar Patriota stressed that that while sustaining peace is a central objective of UN peace and security architecture, we face the systemic challenge of the short span of attention and commitment from the international community to the complex and long-term challenges to sustainable peace. The Peacebuilding Commission was indeed mandated to extend the period of attention given by the international community to post-conflict recovery. Along with highlighting the importance of inclusivity, institution building, and sustained international support and mutual accountability, he underscored the need for gender parity in peacebuilding. While women and youths endure the tragic consequences of violent conflicts, they are also the main agents or societal transformation and emancipation in post-conflict societies, he insisted. For her part, Miss Clark stressed the need for a sustained presence at the local level to understand and respond to immediate and longer term needs of communities, including on issues of livelihoods, basic social services, provision of security and justice to victims, highlighting the 2013 collaboration between the UN and local authorities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in the investigation of various crimes. She highlighted the recent example of Somalia, where the UN enabled local governments and municipalities to collect property and business taxes, the revenue of which is now used to fund elections, waste collection and road-building across the country. The third and last essential ingredient for effective peacebuilding is predictable and sustained international support, based on clear and focused proprieties and mutual accountabilities, said Miss Clark, adding that by setting clear and realistic goals which cover the whole peacebuilding spectrum, including building inclusive politics, security, justice, livelihoods, and social service delivery, and then agreeing on how to deliver on these goals, we can help strengthen the credibility of peace processes and peacebuilding, and ensure effective delivery and results. The challenges are many, concluded Mr. Eliasson. The challenges are serious and the challenges are urgent in countries like Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Mali, and Somalia. I am confident that the Governments and people of these countries could gain considerably from an efficient and broadly anchored UN peacebuilding architecture. Somalia: UN envoy welcomes progress in regaining key towns from insurgents 19 March - The United Nations envoy for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, has welcomed progress made by the national army and the African Union peacekeeping mission in regaining control of key towns from Al Shabaab insurgents. In a news release issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), Mr. Kay congratulated the Somali National Army (SNA) and the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on their efforts in south-central Somalia. He added that the UN will continue support the joint operations, and stressed the importance of ensuring that international humanitarian law and human rights are fully respected during these operations. The SNA and AMISOM have been pursuing a renewed offensive against Al Shabaab insurgents, who in 2011 were forced to retreat from the capital, Mogadishu. African Union troops guard a bridge over the Juba river near the town of Burdubow which they regained control of from Al Shabaab insurgents on 9 March 2014 during a joint operation with Somali National Army troops. Photo: AU/UN/IST/Mahamud Hassan In a briefing to the Security Council last week, Mr. Kay, the Secretary-General s Special Representative for Somalia, noted that the new offensive is the most significant and geographically extensive military advance since AMISOM was created in 2007.

6 UN Daily News Noting that fighting has affected civilian populations, the envoy said today that the UN and international partners have begun addressing humanitarian needs where access is possible and needs are assessed. Somalis living in areas now under Government control should quickly receive what they need: better security and justice, services such as health and education and a decent livelihood. He welcomed contributions made by international partners to the Government s efforts to ensure Somalis benefit from peace and stability, and called for more international support. This is a turning point in Somalia s struggle to bring lasting peace to all its people. Its friends and partners need to act quickly and generously. He added that the UN is supporting the stabilization efforts, including by immediately making available $3 million from its Peacebuilding Fund, which provides financing to jump-start rebuilding projects in countries emerging from conflict. After decades of factional fighting, new Somali national institutions emerged in 2012, as the country ended a transitional phase toward setting up a permanent, democratically-elected Government. Targeted action needed to address plight of world s deprived minorities UN expert 19 March - With greater international and national attention to their plight, disadvantaged minorities often among the world s most economically, politically and socially marginalized communities can break free of their left behind status to participate in and benefit from the post-2015 development process, a United Nations human rights expert stressed today. Millions of people belonging to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities are trapped in a cycle of discrimination, exclusion, poverty and underdevelopment from which they cannot break free without targeted attention being given to their situations, said UN Independent Expert on minority issues, Rita Izsák, during the presentation of her latest report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. The Rohingya, an ethnic, linguistic and religious minority in Myanmar. Photo: IRIN/David Swanson Disadvantaged minorities should be among the first targets of development strategies, yet too often they have been among the last, she insisted, challenging States and development actors to do more to ensure that the new post-2015 development goals and strategies respond to the situation of the most deprived minorities. Ms. Izsák s report singles out lack of attention to the situation of minorities as one of the most serious deficiencies of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of targets agreed by world leaders at the start of the new century to drastically diminish the number of people affected by a raft of poverty, health and development challenges by The rise of inequality has severely undermined the achievements in many States, she warned. Future development goals must include dedicated attention to minorities to contribute to closing the inequality gap. It is crucial to establish specific targets for States on the inclusion of minorities and specific indicators upon which to measure progress within the framework of a strong equality-focused post-2015 development goal or goals, Ms. Izsák noted among her recommendations to the Council. The participation of minorities should be ensured and increased in all phases of planning, implementation and evaluation of new development goals, she underscored. Ms. Izsák also reminded the Council that growing inequalities together with poor governance seriously endanger the peace and stability of societies. She noted the impact on minorities of new and ongoing conflicts, including in Central African Republic, Myanmar, South Sudan and Syria, and pointed to factors including the impact of the global financial crisis on

7 UN Daily News minorities. The report presents data from various regions, highlighting the disproportionate impact of poverty on minorities. In education, for example, in 2009, of the world s 101 million children out of school, an estimated per cent were from minorities or indigenous peoples. People belonging to minorities frequently die younger, suffer from higher rates of disease and struggle more to access health services compared to the rest of the population. Disadvantaged minorities experience greater food insecurity and often lack adequate water and hygiene facilities or constant and affordable energy, Ms. Izsák warned. When natural disaster strikes, reports suggest that minorities may be more deeply affected, have weaker coping strategies, and have sometimes been neglected or excluded from humanitarian responses. Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the 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. Security Council imposes sanctions on illicit crude oil exports from Libya Oil pumps. Photo: World Bank/Gennadiy Kolodkin (file) 19 March - The Security Council today unanimously adopted a resolution condemning attempts to illicitly export crude oil from Libya and imposing sanctions on vessels involved in such efforts. The resolution requested that Libya inform the Security Council committee overseeing the arms embargo, travel ban and assets freeze imposed on the country by resolution 1970 known as the 1970 committee of any vessels transporting crude oil illicitly exported from Libya. It also decided that the 1970 committee would designate those vessels for some or all measures authorized in the resolution on a case-by-case basis for a period of 90 days. These include actions by Member States to prohibit the vessels from entering ports and requiring their nationals not to engage in any financial transactions with respect to crude oil from Libya aboard vessels designated by the committee. The measures also require the flag State of the designated vessel to take the necessary measures to direct the vessel not to load, transport or discharge such crude oil from Libya. Further, the resolution authorizes Member States to inspect on the high seas vessels designated by the committee, and to use all measures commensurate to the specific circumstances to carry out such inspections and direct the vessel to take appropriate actions to return the crude oil to Libya. Earlier this month, the Morning Glory, a Democratic People s Republic of Korea (DPRK)-flagged vessel, reportedly loaded crude oil belonging to a joint venture between the Libyan National Oil Company and some United States companies at the rebel-held port of Sidra in eastern Libya. The vessel, reportedly carrying an estimated $20 million in cargo, was later seized by the US Navy in international waters off the coast of Cyprus at the request of both Libya and Cyprus. 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)