UN Daily News Issue DH/7543 Friday, 24 November 2017

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1 UN News For the latest news updates and alerts, visit us at UN Daily News Issue DH/7543 Friday, In the headlines: Mediterranean crossing still world s deadliest for migrants UN report Egypt: UN chief and Security Council condemn attack on Sinai mosque Conditions in Myanmar's Rakhine not in place to enable safe returns UN refugee agency Four peacekeepers killed in two deadly attacks against UN mission in Mali In Iran, UN aid chief expresses readiness to support post-quake relief efforts Situation on Australian offshore processing facility at risk of further deterioration, UN warns UN expo to highlight vital role of South-South cooperation in achieving Global Goals UN rights expert calls on Mexico to investigate killing of state-level Ombudsperson UN experts urge China to immediately and unconditionally release human rights lawyer UN forum explores ongoing discrimination faced by people of African descent More stories inside Mediterranean crossing still world s deadliest for migrants UN report 24 November Crossing the Mediterranean to Europe is by far the world s deadliest journey for migrants, with at least 33,761 reported to have died or gone missing between 2000 and 2017, a United Nations report finds. The report, released Friday from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), notes the highest number of fatalities, at 5,096, was recorded in 2016, when the short and relatively less dangerous route from Turkey to Greece was shut, following the European Union- Turkey deal. Shutting the shorter and less dangerous routes can open longer and more dangerous routes, thus increasing the likelihood of dying at sea, said Professor Philippe Fargues of the European University Institute, who authored the report, Four Decades of Cross-Mediterranean Undocumented Migration to Europe. Risking their lives to reach Europe from North Africa, a boatload of people, some of them likely in need of international protection, are rescued in the Mediterranean Sea by the Italian Navy. Photo: UNHCR/A. D Amato The report reviews available evidence on trans-mediterranean irregular migration to Europe along various routes going back to the 1970s, particularly on the magnitude of the flows, the evolution of sea routes to Southern Europe, the characteristics of migrants, the extent to which one can separate between economic and forced movements, and mortality during the sea journey. For information media - not an official record

2 UN Daily News More than 2.5 million migrants have crossed the Mediterranean in an unauthorized fashion since the 1970s. Irregular sea journeys started rising in those years in response to the introduction, by Western States grappling with rising levels of unemployment during the 1973 oil crisis, of visa requirements for people who until then had been exempted most of them temporary labour migrants from North Africa and Turkey. These policies encouraged those who were already in Europe to stay, increased irregular migration of family members to join their relatives in Europe and gave way to the smuggling business, the report states. The report also highlights differences between the modern pattern of migration from Africa to Italy, mostly via Libya, and that from the Middle East to Greece via Turkey. Arrivals to Italy from North Africa largely originate across sub-saharan Africa in response to deep migratory pressures population growth coupled with limited livelihood opportunities, high unemployment and poor governance and political and economic instability. Arrivals to Greece from Turkey since 2009 have been primarily of nationals from origin States affected by conflict and political instability, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. Noting the limitations of available data on irregular migration, the report says the numbers of deaths at sea may grossly underestimate the real number of people who die or go missing while crossing the Mediterranean, as they are based on numbers of bodies found and survivors testimonies. Egypt: UN chief and Security Council condemn attack on Sinai mosque 24 November Secretary-General António Guterres and the United Nations Security Council have condemned in the strongest terms the attack on al-rawdah Mosque during Friday prayers in the town of Bir al-abed in North Sinai, Egypt, that left scores of people dead and wounded. The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Egypt and wishes a swift recovery to those who have been injured, his spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said in a statement. The Secretary-General calls for those responsible for today s horrific attack to be swiftly brought to justice, he added. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas In a statement issued to the press by Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi of Italy, which holds the presidency of the Security Council for November, the 15-member body also strongly condemned the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack which reportedly left at least 235 people dead and over 100 injured. Council members reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice.

3 UN Daily News Conditions in Myanmar's Rakhine not in place to enable safe returns UN refugee agency In this photo taken in mid-october 2017, Rohingya refugees that have fled Myanmar s Rakhine state, cross into Bangladesh at Palong Khali in the Cox s Bazar district. UNICEF/LeMoyne elements of lasting solutions in place, he stressed. 24 November Amid reports of an agreement between the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar on return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, the United Nations refugee agency has underscored that the returns must be voluntary, and take place in safe and dignified conditions. At present, conditions in Myanmar's Rakhine state are not in place to enable safe and sustainable returns. Refugees are still fleeing, and many have suffered violence, rape, and deep psychological harm, Adrian Edwards, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told journalists at a regular media briefing in Geneva Friday. It is critical that returns do not take place precipitously or prematurely, without the informed consent of refugees or the basic Over the past three months, widespread inter-communal violence in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state resulted in some 622,000 people fleeing into neighbouring Bangladesh. Prior to this latest crisis, Bangladesh was already hosting well over 200,000 Rohingya refugees as a result of earlier displacements. According to the UN refugee agency, some of those who fled witnessed the deaths of family and friends, and most have little or nothing to go back to with their homes and villages destroyed. Deep divisions between communities remain unaddressed, added Mr. Edwards, underscoring that progress towards addressing the root causes of flight, including lack of citizenship for members of the Rohingya community, as recommended by the Rakhine Advisory Commission, will also be crucial. Furthermore, humanitarian access in northern Rakhine state remains negligible. At the briefing, the UNHCR spokesperson also noted that the UN agency looks forward to seeing details of the agreement between the two countries, and that it stands ready to help both governments work towards a solution for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh that meets international refugee and human rights standards. Refugees have the right to return [and] a framework that enables them to exercise this right in line with international standards, will be welcome, he said.

4 UN Daily News Four peacekeepers killed in two deadly attacks against UN mission in Mali A convoy of MINUSMA vehicles drives through the streets of Menaka in northern Mali. UN Photo/Marco Dormino 24 November Four United Nations peacekeepers and a member of the Malian armed forces were killed and 21 others were wounded on Friday in what Secretary-General António Guterres called outrageous attacks against the UN mission in the country. Mr. Guterres joined his Special Representative for Mali, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, and the Security Council in strongly condemning the attacks against the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) in the Ménaka and Mopti regions. The Secretary-General conveys his deepest condolences to the Governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger and his profound sympathies to the families of the victims. He wishes a swift recovery to the injured, his spokesperson said in a statement. He pays tribute to the dedication of the brave women and men of MINUSMA for implementing and defending the Mission s mandate as well as to the members of the Malian armed forces, despite the increasingly challenging security environment. In a statement issued to the press, the 15-member Security Council underlined that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. The Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed, reaffirming the need for all States to combat, by all means, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. It further stressed the importance of MINUSMA having the necessary capacities, including combat convoy companies, to fulfil its mandate and promote the safety and security of the UN peacekeepers. In Iran, UN aid chief expresses readiness to support post-quake relief efforts 24 November Concluding a two-day visit to Iran, the top United Nations humanitarian official said the Organization is ready to fill any gaps in the relief efforts following the devastating earthquake on 12 November that struck the Iran-Iraq border. I commend the Government s efforts to save lives and alleviate the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people in the earthquake zone, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said Thursday. During my visit, I also reiterated the UN s readiness to support the Government by providing humanitarian aid if it is required to fill any gaps in the response. Mark Lowcock, new UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. UN Photo/Mark Garten In his meetings with senior officials, Mr. Lowcock discussed the promotion of emergency preparedness efforts, international cooperation in disaster response, enhancing the capacity of the urban search and rescue teams, and exchange of technical expertise and knowledge with Iran.

5 UN Daily News He welcomed the Getting Airports Ready for Disasters exercise which will take place in Iran at the end of November. Mr. Lowcock s discussions with the Government also covered major humanitarian crises, including in Syria and in Yemen, and the situation of the Rohingya refugees. He urged the Iranian Government to help facilitate response efforts, assistance and protection for the crisis-affected people, and humanitarian access. Among those he met with were Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif and Deputy Minister of Interior Shojaei KIasari. Meanwhile, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has scaled up its emergency response to meet the needs of women and girls in Iraq, in the wake of the 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which struck an area 30 km southwest of Halabja. Access to essential, life-saving reproductive health services was also disrupted, with three health facilities damaged in Darbandixan and Halabja alone. To provide natural delivery services around the clock, UNFPA has deployed a mobile gynaecology clinic to the Shahid Azadi Mama Alaa primary health clinic, the only functioning health facility in Darbandixan, the area that has suffered the most serious damage. UNFPA is also distributing medicines, reproductive health kits, and dignity kits, which contain essential hygiene supplies including soap and sanitary napkins. In addition, the agency is providing much-needed psychosocial support in Darbandixan and plans to conduct psychosocial sessions in Halabja as well. Situation on Australian offshore processing facility at risk of further deterioration, UN warns Offshore processing centre for asylum seekers on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. Photo: Australian Government DIBP 24 November Stating that the beating of refugees and asylumseekers at the former regional processing centre on Manus Island by uniformed officers is both shocking and inexcusable, the United Nations refugee agency has urged the Australian Government to take immediate action to ensure their safety and protection. The situation still unfolding on Manus Island presents a grave risk of further deterioration, and of further damage to extremely vulnerable human beings, said Thomas Albrecht, the Regional Representative for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Australian capital, Canberra, in a news release. [We] renew [our] call for all Australian parliamentarians and leaders to take immediate action to provide protection and safety for all refugees and asylum-seekers transferred to Papua New Guinea, he added. According to the news release, the beatings including with metal poles has been seen on footage released today. UNHCR staff have also received reports that several men remaining inside the regional processing centre have been seriously injured. Limited access, however, has hampered the UN agency s officials from gaining a better picture on the ground and the agency is seeking additional information from the Governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Medical treatment for all refugees and asylum-seekers who require it is of paramount importance, said UNHCR in the release.

6 UN Daily News The UN agency further added that it had unequivocally advised Australia and Papua New Guinea prior to closure of the regional processing centre that comprehensive, intensive support for refugees and asylum-seekers is critical. Despite this, medical care remains inadequate, and caseworkers, interpreters, and torture and trauma counselling are completely unavailable, it said, adding that similar concerns have also been raised by the authorities in Papua New Guinea, who lack the means and infrastructure to provide such services without further resources. Recognized refugees still being offered enticements to voluntarily return UNHCR Also in the release, UNHCR voiced particular concern that recognized refugees are still being offered enticements to voluntarily return to their home countries. According to the news release, these places include countries where human rights conditions have significantly deteriorated in the past 12 months. Severely inadequate services and conditions may now further coerce refugees with a well-founded fear of persecution to nevertheless return to their countries of origin, said the UN agency. It added that it is aware, for example, of a refugee who recently returned to his home country, despite the precarious situation there, given fears for his safety and health in Papua New Guinea. Having been attacked by machete, and unable to get required medical treatment for a serious existing medical condition that had then been exacerbated, he felt he had no choice but to go back, it noted. According to the UNHCR, Manus Island (located some 320 kilometres or 200 miles off the northern coast of Papua New Guinea) has been the focus of Australia s off-shore processing policy. Of the approximately 3,000 refugees and asylum-seekers forcibly transferred by Australia to facilities in Nauru and Manus, some 1,200 remain in Nauru and 900 in Papua New Guinea. UN expo to highlight vital role of South-South cooperation in achieving Global Goals 24 November A United Nations expo next week in Turkey is set to highlight the critical role of South-South cooperation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in light of the vast array of knowledge, skills, expertise and resources that is, and can further be, shared among developing countries. The meeting, which will take place in Antalya from 27 to 30 November, will provide an opportunity to showcase share solutions, initiatives and success stories, as well as explore new avenues for collaboration and partnership. It is about sharing with the spirit of solidarity and with the spirit of finding solutions to similar problems, said Jorge Chediek, the Secretary-General s Envoy on South-South Cooperation and Director of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). Mongolian farmers harvest carrots as part of an FAO South-South Cooperation Programme between China and Mongolia. Photo: FAO In an interview with UN News ahead of the Global South-South Development Expo 2017 (GSSD), Mr. Chediek added that South-South cooperation can contribute to the achievement of the SDGs through enhancing productive capacity, facilitating trade and investment, and sharing contextually-appropriate technologies. At the same time, he stressed that the SDGs require a global alliance with the engagement of all countries.

7 UN Daily News South-South should not be seen as a replacement but as a complement to North-South cooperation. It will be an important one because it can produce and it can generate more relevant experiences and more relevant practices for other developing countries. More than 1,100 participants are expected at the Expo, which will feature over 50 exhibits highlighting cost-effective and replicable solutions to the challenges faced by developing countries. We have representatives from over 120 countries that will participate in over 35 events and there will be the possibility of establishing lots of partnerships, as a demonstration of the importance South-South cooperation has in the context of the achievement of the Agenda 2030, said Mr. Chediek. UN rights expert calls on Mexico to investigate killing of statelevel Ombudsperson 24 November Strongly condemning the attack on a state-level Ombudsperson and his family in Mexico, the United Nations expert on human rights defenders has called on the authorities to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. Silvestre de la Toba Camacho, the Ombudsperson in Mexico s Baja California Sur state, along with his son died in the 20 November attack and his wife and daughter were seriously injured. I condemn the killing of Silvestre de la Toba Camacho in the strongest possible terms, and am equally outraged by the assault on his family, said Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, in a news release issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst. Photo: MINUSTAH I call on the state and federal authorities to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted and the perpetrators are brought to justice. Earlier this year, at the end of his mission to Mexico, Mr. Forst had underscored that ending the country s current cycle of impunity was one of its biggest challenges. The best way to ensure the safety of human rights defenders is by bringing those who attempt to harm them to justice, the rights expert added in the news release today. Further, Mr. Forst also underscored the importance of the role of national human rights institutions in the protection of human rights and stressed that governments should put in place protection schemes to ensure that persons who work for them are able to perform their functions in a safe and autonomous manner. In particular, he urged the Government of Mexico to set up protection mechanisms for defenders at risk, including people working in national human rights institutions. UN Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

8 UN Daily News UN experts urge China to immediately and unconditionally release human rights lawyer 24 November Voicing concern that the trial of a human rights lawyer leading to his imprisonment fell short of international standards, a group of United Nations rights experts has appealed to the Government for the lawyer s immediate and unconditional release. According to a news release issued Thursday by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the lawyer, Jiang Tianyong, was jailed for two years after being found guilty of inciting subversion of the State s power. Mr. Jiang s trial clearly fell short of international standards and his conviction represents an unfair and arbitrary punishment of a human rights lawyer and defender, whose only crime was to exercise his rights to free speech and to defend human rights, the experts said in the release. Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva. (file) UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré Domestic judicial procedures should be in compliance with China s international human rights obligations, they added. According to the news release, Mr. Jiang, whose wife and daughter are in exile in the United States, was an outspoken defender of his fellow human rights lawyers who were arrested in an unprecedented crackdown in July On Tuesday, 21 November, he was found guilty of the incitement charge by the Changsha Intermediate People s Court after a supposed confession in August, the release noted, adding that the UN experts had previously expressed concern that his confession may have been coerced by the use of torture, in contravention of the Chinese Criminal Procedures Law and international human rights standards. Those adding their voice to the call on the Government are Philip Alston, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Michel Forst, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; David Kaye, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; José Antonio Guevara Bermúdez, the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. The release also noted that last August, during a visit to China, Mr. Alston had met with Mr. Jiang, and, in December, expressed concern that Mr. Jiang s enforced disappearance may have occurred, at least in part, in reprisal for the lawyer s cooperation with the UN during his visit. The rights experts have been in contact with the Chinese Government on several occasions to raise their concern, it added. UN Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

9 UN Daily News UN forum explores ongoing discrimination faced by people of African descent Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights with Opal Tometi, Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter and Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration during the International Decade For People of African Descent. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré racial discrimination, said the High Commissioner. 24 November Participants from Europe, Central Asia and North America gathered this week at a United Nations forum in Geneva to explore ways to combat racial discrimination and to ensure effective promotion and protection of the human rights of people of African descent. Speaking at the opening of the two-day meeting, held on 23 and 24 November, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said that people of African descent continue to endure pervasive discrimination in law as well as in practice, extending from neighbourhoods and schools to workplaces, political representation and justice. Whether they are descendants of the victims of slavery brought to North America and Europe against their will, or more recent migrants, people of African descent are frequently denied rights and experience exclusion, humiliation and impoverishment as a result of In particular, he raised concern over practises of racial profiling and patterns of police violence in the United States, as well as the disproportionate imposition of capital punishment on people of African descent and other racial minorities. He also voiced concerns over systemic anti-black racism in the Canadian criminal justice system, including evidence of extensive patterns of racial profiling by law enforcement, as well as under-representation of people of African descent in political spheres across many countries in Europe. We all human beings are equal; and therefore should enjoy an equal right to dignity, he added, noting that just and peaceful societies for all can be created only when nobody is subjected to prejudice and segregation. The meeting was held as part of the awareness-raising campaign for the International Decade for People of African descent ( ). Also speaking at the occasion, Sabelo Gumedze, the Chairperson of the Working Group of Experts on people of African descent, stated that the International Decade is an important instrument to address the common issues facing people of African descent, such as racial discrimination, xenophobia, Afrophobia and related intolerance; underrepresentation in political and judicial sectors; and inequality access to quality education, health services and housing. Underscoring the need to combat extreme violence, racial bias and hate speech which people of African descent continue to face, he called for urgently addressing the root causes of racial discrimination in an honest debate about history and its connection to modern day racism. Other key speakers at the meeting included Opal Tometi, the Co-founder of Black Lives Matter and Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration; Anastasia Crickley, Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; and Rokhaya Diallo, French journalist and activist. The meeting also saw three panel discussions on the themes of recognition, justice and development. Organized by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the meeting is one of five regional meetings that focus on trends, priorities and challenges at the national and regional levels to effectively implement the Decade s Programme of Activities.