Fwd: UN DAILY NEWS DIGEST - 3 December

UN DAILY NEWS from the
UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE
3 December, 2014
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DAILY HIGHLIGHTS from the UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE
3 December, 2014
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UNESCO CHIEF CALLS FOR 'PROTECTED CULTURAL ZONES' IN WAR-TORN IRAQ, SYRIA

Denouncing the persecution of minorities, attacks on cultural heritage and illicit trafficking in cultural properties in Iraq and Syria as "part of a strategy of deliberate cultural cleansing of exceptional violence," the head of the United Nations cultural agency today urged the creation of "protected cultural zones" around heritage sites in the two crisis-riven countries.

"It is not too late to take action," Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said, adding "there can be no purely military solution to this crisis. To fight fanaticism, we also need to reinforce education, a defence against hatred, and protect heritage, which helps forge collective identity."

Opening an international conference at UNESCO's Paris headquarters on threats to cultural heritage and diversity in Iraq and Syria, Ms. Bokova suggested a start could be made with the city of Aleppo, and especially the Umayyad Mosque, a highly iconic site located in the World Heritage Syrian city of Aleppo.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said Ms. Bokova's call to place cultural diversity at the heart of humanitarian and peace building efforts in Syria and Iraq was strongly endorsed by the UN, adding that "the protection of cultural heritage is a security imperative."

Both Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria, and Nikolay Mladenov, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), emphasized the need to integrate education and culture into emergency measures, along with humanitarian aid, to protect human rights and vulnerable civilian populations.

Mr. de Mistura argued that protected cultural zones could be created through a "bottom up plan of action," building on the fact that the people of Syria have had their fill of violence, bloodshed, and suffering, while Mr. Mladenov denounced terrorists who resort to genocide, the enslavement of women, with blatant disregard for human lives and human rights as they seek to destroy the State of Iraq. He said that cultural diversity need to be preserved not only for peace building but also for the whole development and stability in the region.

The Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Humam Hamoudi, said Iraq's "soul" was the heritage of its successive and diverse cultures, which had made a tremendous contribution to humanity over more than 6,000 years. He urged the international community to help Iraq resist its enemies and pledged his Government's support for cultural diversity and pluralism.

Among other issues discussed by the 500 decision-makers, experts and representatives from both Iraq and Syria, were the need to implement the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its additional protocols, as well as to end impunity against deliberate attacks on cultural heritage – a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Participants expressed a strong support to the proposal of an international ban on the trading of antiquities from Syria, in line with the recommendation by the Sanctions Monitoring Team to the UN Security Council.


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ON WORLD DAY, BAN SPOTLIGHTS HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN IMPROVE LIFE FOR 1 BILLION PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

More than one billion people – or approximately 15 per cent of the world's population – live with some form of disability and have generally poorer health, lower education achievements, fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities, the United Nations highlighted today on its International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Observing the Day, marked annually on 3 December, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that persons with disabilities face limitations and hardships largely due to the lack of services available to them.

"Through adaptive, assistive and inclusive technology, persons with disabilities can make the most of their potential in their communities and in the workplace," said Mr. Ban.

The UN Chief also emphasized how employers can harness technology to create environments for persons with disabilities to find productive work and fully use their skills and capacities.

"Technology can also help persons with disabilities caught up in natural disasters by making sure that critical information reaches them," Mr. Ban added.

This year's International Day, on the theme Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology will look at this issue in the context of the post-2015 development agenda.

"Let us spare no effort to ensure that policies, programmes, guidelines and 21st century technologies are accessible to persons with disabilities, and sensitive to their perspectives and experiences," Mr. Ban said.

The UN defines disability as a condition or function judged to be significantly impaired relative to the usual standard of an individual of their group. The term is often used to refer to individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment, mental illness, and various types of chronic disease.

As it stands now, 80 per cent of all people with disabilities live in a developing country and 50 per cent of them cannot afford health care. More than 100 million disabled persons are children and children with disabilities are almost four times more likely to experience violence than non-disabled children.

People with disabilities are also at higher risk of violence include stigma, discrimination, and ignorance about disability, as well as a lack of social support for those who care for them.

Evidence shows that when barriers to their inclusion are removed and persons with disabilities are empowered to participate fully in societal life, their entire community benefits.

Barriers faced by persons with disabilities are, therefore, a detriment to society as a whole, and accessibility is necessary to achieve progress and development for all.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) – signed by 159 Member States and adopted by the General Assembly in 2006– recognizes that the existence of barriers constitutes a central component of disability.

Under the Convention, disability is an evolving concept that "results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others."

At UN Headquarters, the Day will be marked with several panel discussions on disability-inclusive sustainable development goals, inclusive disaster risk reduction and emergency response, and enabling work environments as well as film screenings and a musical performance.

Organized by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA), the events will be attended by representatives from Member States, civil society, as well as the private sector.

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities was established following an adoption of a General Assembly resolution in October 1992, to promote awareness and mobilize support for critical issues pertaining to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society and development.


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EBOLA: UN SPECIAL ENVOY APPEALS TO LIBERIANS TO REMAIN VIGILANT, SUSTAIN RESPONSE

The United Nations Special Envoy on Ebola, Dr. David Nabarro, today took his message directly to the people of Liberia, applauding them for the progress made so far in combating the virus, but cautioning that "the most dangerous time is actually when it looks as though you are near a point where the disease is coming under control because people relax and stop being vigilant."

While congratulating the Government and people of Liberia for the progress made so far as reflected by "clear evidence" that new cases of Ebola were reducing, Dr. Nabarro said in an interview with UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) radio, in Monrovia: "The disease has not gone away."

"You have to stay alert, vigilant and sustain the response until every last person with Ebola infection is able to be treated and then the virus goes away," he said. "That continued alert and vigilance is absolutely essential, otherwise things will get worse again like they were in August and September."

During his visit, he met with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, as well as staff at the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response's (UNMEER) office in Monrovia, and key Ebola response partners in the country.

In his radio interview, Dr. Nabarro urged Liberians to "to work at county level to continue to find people who are suspected to having Ebola and make sure they are properly assessed and diagnosed, and then treated."

"In all disease control efforts, we see that the most dangerous time is actually when it looks as though you are near a point where the disease is coming under control because people relax and stop being vigilant," he said. "And so we need to have the money, commitment and the people until every last case is under treatment."

He also encouraged Liberians to "work with other countries in the region so they too can move into direction you have."

Meanwhile, World Bank Group President, Jim Yong Kim, who is also in the region, travelled today from Guinea to Sierra Leone, where he pledged his organization will stay "until it gets to zero Ebola cases," boost economic development and open doors for businesses in the West African country.

Mr. Kim said in remarks to reporters in Conakry however, that the Bank did not "need to wait until we get to zero cases to start working on the economic recovery, so our second area of support is agriculture."

"We are concerned that agricultural production has dropped significantly as a result of this Ebola epidemic," he said. "We will help farmers recover from this crisis by boosting agriculture productivity, enhancing the skills of workers, as well as by promoting regional trade integration. We must make sure that the Ebola epidemic is not followed by a food security crisis."

The UN World Health Organization today released its latest figures on the outbreak, which showed that 17,145 reported cases with 6070 reported deaths. WHO also reported that new cases were slightly increasing in Guinea, stable or declining in Liberia, and "may still be increasing in Sierra Leone."

"Response activities in the three intense-transmission countries continue to intensify in line with the UNMEER aim to isolate and treat 70 per cent of cases, and safely bury 70 per cent Ebola-related deaths by 1 December, with the ultimate goal of reaching 100 per cent by 1 January," the WHO report said.

Meanwhile today, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has established an Ebola isolation centre in the refugee camp in Kouankan, Guinea hosting more than 5,000 refugees, UNMEER reported, adding that no Ebola cases have yet been registered in the camp.


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ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN CALLS FOR LEGALLY BINDING GLOBAL STANDARD – UN EXPERT

More than half-way through an international campaign to end violence against women, a top United Nations expert on the issue is calling for a binding international legal standard that holds Member States accountable in fighting this widespread human rights violation.

According to UN estimates, one in three women worldwide is a victim of violence.

"With global estimates reaching epidemic proportions, it is deplorable that combatting violence against women has not yet attracted the same level of focus, commitment and resources as non-gendered crimes," Ms. Rashida Manjoo, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women said today in a statement.

"The time has come to move beyond awareness-raising campaigns and the highlighting of statistics," she urged.

The absence of a legally binding agreement at the international level is one of gravest obstacles to the promotion and protection of women's rights and gender equality.

Last week, the UN commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which was also the start of a 16-days-of-activism.

The Orange Your Neighbourhood campaign is a global call of action to end violence against women, critical for women's participation in political, economic, civil and cultural spheres of their communities. The campaign runs through 10 December, which marks the annual global celebration on Human Rights Day.

In spite of the significant milestones achieved in advancing women's rights and gender equality, at the national, regional and international levels, Ms. Manjoo highlighted the continuing and new sets of challenges that hamper efforts to promote and protect the human rights of women.

"Transformative change requires that the words and actions of States' reflect an acknowledgement that violence against women is a human rights violation, in and of itself."

A different set of legally binding standards with a specific monitoring body negotiated by all UN Member States is urgently needed to ensure effective examination and accountability of States' responses to the systemic and pervasive human rights violation experienced largely by women and girls.

"Violence against women has to be acknowledged as a barrier to the realization of all human rights, and consequently to the effective exercise of citizenship rights," Ms. Manjoo said.

The international community must adopt a "holistic approach that addresses individual, institutional and structural factors that are a cause and a consequence of violence against women."

Ms. Manjoo also mentioned her latest reports presented to the UN Human Rights Council and General Assembly recently, calling for the adoption of different norms and measures to fight violence against women.

"I will continue to raise the matter of the normative gap under international law as regards violence against women," she pledged.


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2014 SET TO BE HOTTEST YEAR ON RECORD, WARNS UN WEATHER AGENCY

The United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) today announced that 2014 is on track to becoming the hottest year ever recorded due to a combination of record-breaking global sea temperatures and record-high greenhouse gas emissions, amid wider warnings that the ravaging effects of climate change continue to impact the planet unabated.

"What we saw in 2014 is consistent with what we expect from a changing climate," WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud explained today in a press release. "Record-breaking heat combined with torrential rainfall and floods destroyed livelihoods and ruined lives. What is particularly unusual and alarming this year are the high temperatures of vast areas of the ocean surface, including in the northern hemisphere."

High sea temperatures, the UN agency said, have contributed to exceptionally heavy rainfall and floods in many countries and extreme drought in others. Twelve major Atlantic storms battered the United Kingdom in early months of 2014, while floods devastated much of the Balkans throughout May. The monthly precipitation over the Pacific side of western Japan for August 2014, meanwhile, was 301 per cent above normal – the highest since area-averaged statistics began in 1946.

At the same time, crippling droughts have struck large swathes of the continental United States while Northeast China and parts of the Yellow River basin did not reach half of the summer average, causing severe drought.

Adopting an alarming tone, the WMO press release noted that fourteen of the fifteen warmest years on record have all occurred in the 21st century. If December continues along its current path, it added, then 2014 will likely be the hottest on record, ahead of 2010, 2005, and 1998.

"There is no standstill in global warming," Mr. Jarraud declared. "Record-high greenhouse gas emissions and associated atmospheric concentrations are committing the planet to a much more uncertain and inhospitable future."
 
In a message from Lima, Peru, where she is presiding over a critical UN climate conference, Christiana Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said that the changing climate would directly impact billions of people around the world as the risks of extreme weather events inevitably grew. But, she added, the international community appeared committed to reverse the damaging effects of climate change and set the world on a more sustainable path towards a safer future.

"Fortunately our political climate is changing too with evidence that governments, supported by investors, business and cities are moving towards a meaningful, universal climate agreement in Paris 2015 – an agreement that keeps a global temperature rise below 2 degrees C by putting in place the pathways to a deep de-carbonisation of the world's economy and climate neutrality or 'net zero' in the second half of the century," Ms. Figueres stated.

According to the conference's agenda, countries will put forward what they propose to contribute to the planned 2015 agreement in the form of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) by the first quarter of 2015, in advance of the December 2015 conference scheduled in Paris, France, where the new universal UN-backed treaty on climate change will be adopted.

Over the course of the next two weeks, delegates will attempt to hammer out the new universal treaty, which would enter force by 2020.


* * *

UN HEALTH AGENCY ISSUES NEW GUIDELINES ON TREATING, PREVENTING CERVICAL CANCER

Cervical cancer is responsible for some 270,000 deaths annually worldwide with nearly nine out of 10 occurring in developing countries, but it is the most easily preventable form of cancer for women, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

WHO revealed these findings in the newest version of the Comprehensive Cervical Cancer Control: A guide to essential practice, launched at the World Cancer Leaders' Summit in Melbourne, Australia.

"WHO's updated cervical cancer guidance can be the difference between life and death for girls and women worldwide," Dr Nathalie Broutet, a leading WHO expert on cervical cancer prevention and control, said.

"There are no magic bullets, but the combination of more effective and affordable tools to prevent and treat cervical cancer will help release the strain on stretched health budgets, especially in low-income countries, and contribute drastically to the elimination of cervical cancer," he added.

The main elements to prevent and control cervical cancer are to: vaccinate 9 to 13-year-old girls with two doses of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; use HPV tests to screen women for cervical cancer prevention; and communicate more widely, according to WHO.

"The disease is one of the world's deadliest – but most easily preventable – forms of cancer for women, responsible for more than 270 000 deaths annually, 85 per cent of which occur in developing countries," the UN health agency said. "An estimated 1 million-plus women worldwide are currently living with cervical cancer."

Girls in more than 55 countries are protected by routine administration of the vaccine and encouragingly, a growing number of low- and middle-income countries are introducing the vaccine in the routine schedule, WHO said.

As for the testing to screen for the virus, once a woman has been screened negative, she should not be rescreened for at least 5 years, but should be rescreened within 10. "This represents a major cost saving for health systems, in comparison with other types of tests," WHO said.

The new guidance, known as the "Pink Book," provides a comprehensive cervical cancer control and prevention approach for governments and healthcare providers and underlines recent developments in technology and strategy for improving women's access to health services to prevent and control cervical cancer.


* * *

UN AGENCY LAUNCHES SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO BRING URGENT FOOD AID TO SYRIAN REFUGEES

Two days after it was forced to suspend food assistance to millions of Syrian refugees due to lack of funding, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today an ambitious fundraising campaign to drum up support and financing for its life-saving efforts in the war-ravaged country and surrounding region.



"Even one dollar can make a difference. We're saying to people: 'For you, it's a dollar, for them, it's a lifeline,'" said WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin in a news release on the initiative.



The appeal follows the WFP's announcement on Monday that it will halt a food voucher programme targeting 1.7 million destitute Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. The refugees use the electronic vouchers to purchase food in local shops and without them many families would simply go hungry. As many of them already live in very precarious conditions, the agency warns that the consequences of halting food assistance will be "devastating."



Through its 72-hour campaign, the UN agency hopes to pull in $64 million to be immediately implemented during the month of December and is urging donors and members of the public to follow the WFP's link wfp.org/forsyrianrefugees to donate online. In addition, the agency said, donors will be asked to swap their profile pictures on social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook with a badge representing the 𔄙 Dollar for Syrian Refugees" campaign.



"We know that people care – and we're asking them to show it, by giving even this small amount to Syrians in need. All it takes is $1 from 64 million people," Ms. Cousin continued.



Since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, WFP has succeeded in meeting the food needs of both refugees and millions of displaced people inside Syria, despite the fighting and problems of access.



This has been possible because of long-term donor funding for WFP operations and cooperation between WFP staff, partner organizations and host governments in the region. The agency has stressed that it is critical for this funding and cooperation to continue.


* * *

AT 'CROSSROADS,' HUMANITARIAN SYSTEM MUST ENGAGE EARLIER, MORE SYSTEMATICALLY – UN DEPUTY CHIEF

With needs rising faster than the world's capacity to meet them, humanitarian actors must grapple with the challenge of working in partnership to ensure people's needs are met as quickly and efficiently as possible, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said today, opening the Third Annual Global Humanitarian Policy Forum in Geneva.

"Working together remains a key challenge, a central task and a humanitarian imperative," he told the Forum, convened by Policy Analysis and Innovation Section of the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stressing the importance of inter-operability, "we can no longer afford to operate separately or in parallel with one another in silos, we have to work horizontally."

Mr. Eliasson, speaking during a public, high-level Symposium discussing the concept of humanitarian interoperability, pointed to the current year as "a loud warning signal" the international community ought to heed, with humanitarian crises, protracted conflicts and natural disasters "seriously testing the limits and response capacities of individuals, organisations, governments and the United Nations" and three times as many people now in need of humanitarian assistance compared to 10 years ago.

"Over the past ten years, the amount requested through humanitarian appeals has risen nearly 600 per cent—from $3 billion at the start of 2004 to $17.9 billion today," he noted, pointing out the increasing difficulties faced when trying to raise funds. An acute lack of finances led to suspension by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) of its support to 1.7 million Syrian refugees and with winter approaching the situation there was becoming even more critical.

It was time to recognize the fact that the UN and its partners in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee were just some of those involved in crisis response, and it was vital to stay aware that each partner – whether a business, a local authority or a military – brought its own individual strengths and comparative advantages to the table.

"Looking back to the Philippines' most recent natural disaster, for example, how can the UN best support the Government when it gathers its resources to respond to a devastating typhoon?" he asked.

"How can we today work with mobile phone and Internet companies in West Africa to help stop the spread of Ebola? How can we harness the power of community groups, the media, international and national NGOs [non-governmental organizations] in Iraq, so that displaced people and host communities get the help including information, they so desperately need?"

While recalling progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), on tackling sovereign debt, and on establishing international humanitarian and human rights law frameworks, the "toxic interplay" of various global trends and shocks led to significant uncertainty and serious questions about the future and painted a "sombre picture."

Humanitarian assistance efforts and staff deployments needed to be more focused and coordinated and better organization was needed within the humanitarian community, and with colleagues working development and human rights.

He also highlighted the need for better preparedness, with better anticipation of risks and strengthening of the resilience of people and communities, as well as an increased focus on addressing the underlying causes of crises.

"Humanitarian aid cannot be used to fill the development funding gap or be a substitute for political solutions that are so desperately needed," he said, stressing that humanitarian organizations still need to work more closely with development partners.

"We are at a crossroads. The trajectory is unsustainable," he stated. "We must change the way we work and chart the road ahead."


* * *

AT UN-BACKED CONFERENCE, BAN URGES GREATER INDUSTRIAL SAFETY STANDARDS AGAINST ACCIDENTS

The threat of industrial accidents continues to remain a clear and present danger for all nations, including those with stringent safety standards, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, as he urged the international community to do more to prevent such accidents from occurring.



In a video message to the Conference of the Parties to the UN Economic Commission for Europe Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, which opened today in Geneva, Mr. Ban warned that the consequences of such accidents can be "severe and are often deadly."



In particular, the increasing probability of extreme weather events caused by climate change may pose new risks to industrial safety, he noted.



The UNECE Convention supports countries in preventing industrial accidents, and in mitigating their effects if they occur. It focuses particularly on cross-border cooperation between countries in this regard. Through the Convention's Assistance Programme, countries in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia are improving their industrial safety standards.



Nevertheless, Mr. Ban stated, while the Convention has been successful thus far, "more needs to be done."



The meeting of the Conference of the Parties – which ends on 5 December – has brought together over 100 representatives of governments, industry, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations.



The start of the meeting coincides with the 30th anniversary of the largest chemical accident in human history, which occurred in Bhopal, India, when the release of highly toxic gas from the Union Carbide pesticide plant killed thousands of people and injured hundreds of thousands more.



"I hope you will be inspired to do even more to protect people and the planet, and help to build a safer future for all," the Secretary-General told delegates.


* * *

SOUTH SUDAN SHAKEN BY 'SUSTAINED' FIGHTING AS POLITICAL CRISIS CONTINUES – UN

An outburst of heavy fighting between Government and opposition forces in South Sudan represents the most sustained hostilities between the two parties since May, a United Nations spokesperson said today.

In a briefing to journalists in New York, UN spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, cited reports received yesterday from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), documenting clashes between the two sides in Fangak County, Jonglei State, in the country's north.

The fighting reportedly resulted in the displacement of approximately 4,000 civilians, the spokesperson added.

"UNMISS [the UN Mission in South Sudan] continues to provide protection and logistical support to the monitoring and verification teams that are deployed in South Sudan as part of the UN Mission's mandate," said Mr. Dujarric.

In addition, he noted, UNMISS had also received reports of an attack last Friday in Western Equatorial State by suspected members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), in which a 13-year-old girl is reportedly missing. The UN Mission is looking into the incident, he said.

Political in-fighting between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar, started in mid-December 2013 and subsequently turned into a full-fledged conflict that has sent nearly 100,000 civilians fleeing to UNMISS bases around the country. IGAD has been mediating peace talks between the rival sides.


* * *

ICONIC IMAGE SPOTLIGHTING PLIGHT OF PALESTINE REFUGEES, ILLUMINATES UN HEADQUARTERS

To mark the climax of the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, an iconic image from the newly digitized photo archives of the UN agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East was projected yesterday onto buildings in eight cities around the world, including the Organization's iconic Headquarters complex in New York.

The huge photograph, originally taken in 1983 and featuring a UN Relief and Works Agency in the Near East (UNRWA) school girl, was visible for six hours and was also displayed on buildings in Bangkok, Beirut, Dubai, Jakarta, Seville, Tokyo, Marrakesh, and Vienna as part of the agency's Building Solidarity campaign, which seeks to highlight the unresolved political plight of Palestinian refugees.

Speaking in front of UN Headquarters, UNRWA's Deputy Commissioner-General Margot Ellis stressed the importance of showing solidarity with the Palestinian people.

"UNRWA has been doing this for 65 years through the delivery of basic services such as education and health, which have successfully led to the human development of the Palestine refugee community," she said, adding, "we also have extensive emergency programmes in all five areas of our operations, which include Jordan, Lebanon and the West Bank."

She noted that five million people, many of whom were very poor, are still waiting for a resolution of their plight after six decades. Calling for "renewed political action in the peace process," she underlined the importance of the Agency in providing human development, hope and prospects for a dignified future.

"Humanitarian action by UNRWA is vital though it is certainly not a substitute for full rights, employment and dignity without which refugees will remain in a state of extreme vulnerability," she said.

Ms. Ellis was in New York for the annual UNRWA donor pledging conference and she underlined the need for sustained international support for UNRWA's programmes, particularly in the context of the recent conflict in Gaza and the ongoing war in Syria entering its fourth year.

Despite such growing needs, as well as larger numbers of refugees and deepening poverty, financial support for UNRWA has not kept pace and the agency's General Fund, which supports core activities and is 97 per cent reliant on voluntary contributions and has a current deficit of $56 million.

Through the Building Solidarity campaign, UNRWA has digitized more than 300,000 of its nearly half a million images, dating from as far back as 1948 and the original displacement of Palestinians. The archive has been recognized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with "Memory of the World" status and will be available on line to journalists, writers, scholars and anyone interested in the long and still unresolved question of Palestine refugees and the development of UNRWA's services over six decades.


* * *

UN TORTURE PREVENTION BODY HIGHLIGHTS STATES' DUTY TO ALLOW ACCESS DETENTION CENTRES

Countries that have ratified a key legal protocol that allows United Nations experts unannounced and unhindered access to places of detention are obliged to co-operate with such visits, the world body's Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) has reminded today.

"From time to time we have experienced some difficulties in carrying out our mandate, so we are clarifying and reaffirming the obligations States parties have, and how we and they can address any such difficulties," said SPT Chair Malcolm Evansin a statement released by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The main thing is that States continue to co-operate with the SPT to prevent torture and ill-treatment," Mr. Evans added.

When a State ratifies the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) it is agreeing to a range of obligations, including unannounced and unhindered access to all places where people are deprived of their liberty, the Chair noted.

"The obligations also include sharing all the necessary information and documentation that the SPT requests, both before and during the visit and allowing private interviews with detained persons," Mr. Evans said.

States are also obliged to establish a national independent body known as a National Preventive Mechanism (NPMs) to monitor places of detention. There are currently more than 50 States with NPMs worldwide.

"It is rare that a State does not co-operate with us and fulfil its obligations under OPCAT. But when this does happen, it can seriously undermine our work. Visiting places of detention is an essential and unique part of the SPT's mandate," he stressed.

Since the Optional Protocol came into force in 2006, the SPT has visited 31 countries, with a further nine visits planned for 2015.

"We welcome the reception we generally receive but we felt it was necessary to stress how important engagement and cooperation with us is to carry out the important work of preventing torture and ill-treatment of persons deprived of their liberty."


* * *

SOMALIA: UN 'OUTRAGED' BY DEADLY TERRORIST CAR BOMB ATTACK IN MOGADISHU

The United Nations Security Council and Secretary-General expressed outrage today over an Al-Shabaab terrorist attack in Mogadishu this morning that damaged a convoy of UN vehicles and killed and injured several Somali bystanders and security personnel.

. "There can be no justification for terrorism or such attacks," the UN chief said in a statement issued by his spokesman. The Secretary-General also reaffirmed the UN's strong commitment to working with the people and Government of Somalia to help rebuild peace and prosperity for all Somalis.

In a statement to the press issued later in the day, the members of the Security Council strongly condemned the attack, reaffirming that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, wherever and whenever and by whomsoever committed.

The Council also reiterated its determination to combat all forms of terrorism, underlining the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of such reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice. Underlining their support and gratitude to all UN staff in Somalia, they also reiterated that this or any other attack by Al Shabaab would not dent their resolve to support the people of Somalia

According to the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), no staff were injured in the attack, which took place at approximately 9:40 am, and investigations into the bombing continue, with no group as yet claiming responsibility.

In other news from Somalia, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, welcomed the inauguration of Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan as the head of the newly formed Interim South West Administration.


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