[AfricaRealities.com] Fwd: UN DAILY NEWS DIGEST - 11 August

 

UN DAILY NEWS from the
UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE
11 August, 2015
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WITH POLITICAL WILL, LIBYAN PARTIES CAN REACH SETTLEMENT BY MONTH'S END – UN ENVOY

With Libya's disparate factions starting to coalesce around United Nations-backed proposals on a comprehensive settlement and a unity government, UN special envoy Bernardino León previewed the latest round of talks opening in Geneva today, telling reporters that with political will, the parties could wrap up "this very difficult process" with an agreement by the end of August.

"We will work in coming days on the basis of timetable which necessarily has to be short. Libya is facing huge challenges," said Mr. León, who is the UN Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in the strife-torn country, known as UNSMIL.

"We are proposing the parties to work on the coming three weeks and to try to have agreement on the important two points, by the end of August," he said, referring the draft political proposal he presented to the parties in mid-June, which includes several annexes and outlines the parametres of a unity government.

He said that the "nomadic process" – the UN-sponsored dialogue that began earlier this year in Geneva, has travelled to Morocco, Algeria and Libya itself dealing with different parties and tracks, including civil society representatives, political parties and political leaders, as well as militias – was always intended to converge, "and this is what we are doing today."

"On the one hand we are starting a new round of talks [focused on] the annexes and unity government, and starting a convergence of tracks by bringing political parties, and in the coming days we intend to do the same with the other tracks."

Mr. León stressed that that the security track – participation and input from the militias and those who are on the ground, "has been important to reaching where we are now; to stabilizing the situation in the west. And of course we are looking forward to having more interaction with the army and to different actors in the eastern part of the country."

He acknowledged that in the past weeks, there have been "serious problems" in the south of the country. "It is very important that the situation there also be stabilized. This process is about the whole of Libya; East, West and South should be a part of the effort to bring about stability and security in line with the agreement," he declared.

Mr. León said that if the parties stick to the timeline and follow the path set out in the agreement – "and this will very much depend on the political will, creativity and wisdom of the parties to put…good proposals on the table" – then the endorsement and final voting and signing of the agreement could happen in the first week of September, so that the final conclusion of this process can be achieved before the opening of the substantive session of the UN General Assembly in mid-September.

"This would be the ideal scenario. But we know that we are in a very difficult process; many actors, many challenging issues," he said and added, in response to a question: "I hope all the Libyan actors will…expedite the talks and to reach an agreement very soon."

"I think it is extremely risky to reach October without an agreement, because we will be in a more chaotic situation. This is why it's important to have this timeline and to finalize these discussions in the coming three weeks and then to expedite also the endorsement and voting of the agreement."

To this end, he said UNSMIL has been pleased to see that all actors will be around the table and although there had been a delay in resumption of the talks, the delay was worthwhile in order to bring everyone to the table.

But whether they will stay of whether it will be possible to go to the stage of discussing the annexes and the government will very much depend on the will of the parties, noted Mr. León. "But UNSMIL, the international community, and I would say even all the Libyans involved in the process, have done everything possible to have all the parties around the table. This is the inclusion principle that is so important to this process; together with consensus and balance."

Telling reporters that the latest round of dialogue will be a new chance to provide a "big drive" for the political process, he said that listening to the concerns of all the parties has been reason for the "limited success we have had so far with an agreement, where most parties are converging. So we will continue to listen to all parties. This process will only be successful if we can reassure everyone. And it is possible to reassure everyone."

"So we will continue to listen and work with all of them and we hope that [the parties] will give the process the benefit of the doubt to see what the 'final picture' will be at the end of the day. If that final picture [emerges] with detailed annexes and a unity government in which all Libyans feel represented, then I am sure…that will be reassuring," said Mr. León.


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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: BAN 'DISMAYED' BY ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE BY UN 'BLUE HELMETS'

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his consternation regarding a number of allegations concerning the conduct of United Nations peacekeepers deployed to the Central African Republic (CAR), a spokesperson for the Organization has confirmed.

The "troubling" allegations – revealed today by the human rights group Amnesty International – concern actions by UN 'blue helmets' serving with the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

Addressing the regular press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York earlier this afternoon, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that the Secretary-General remained "personally dismayed and disappointed" by the latest reports as well as the allegations of recent months relating to both the period before UN peacekeepers were deployed in the CAR and since.

"We would like to emphasize once more that no misconduct of this nature can be tolerated and that every allegation will be taken extremely seriously and investigated vigorously and thoroughly," Mr. Dujarric added.

The latest allegations come on the heels of another series of sexual abuse claims from earlier this year surrounding a deployment of foreign military forces in the CAR.

Deployed in early 2014, MINUSCA's presence in the CAR is currently aiming to defuse sectarian tensions across the country. More than two years of civil war and violence have, in fact, displaced thousands of people amid ongoing clashes between the mainly Muslim Séléka alliance and anti-Balaka militia, which are mostly Christian. In addition, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) continues to operate in the south-eastern part of the country.

The situation of deep instability is further exacerbated by a growing humanitarian crisis. The UN estimates that some 450,000 people remain displaced inside the country while thousands of others have sought asylum across the borders. Meanwhile, overall some 2.7 million people in the CAR remain in direct need of urgent humanitarian assistance.


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MALI: UN ALARMED AT RELEASE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSERS; WARNS DE FACTO AMNESTY CONTRARY TO INTERNATIONAL LAW

The United Nations human rights office expressed deep concern over the reported release of detainees in Mali suspected of involvement in, or formally charged with, serious abuses, including war crimes, terrorist acts and gross human rights violations.

Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said: "We understand that a number of those released on 16 July 2015 were implicated in such crimes and are concerned that further releases may be imminent."

Any measure that would, de facto, amount to amnesty would be contrary to international law, and in violation of the commitment by the parties to the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement.

"We emphasize the critical importance of the fight against impunity and the need to investigate and prosecute all gross violations of human rights, to ensure accountability," she underscored.

Amnesties that prevent the prosecution of individuals who may be legally responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and gross violations of human rights are inconsistent with States' obligations under various sources of international law.

"We urge the Government to ensure that any releases made in the context of confidence-building measures are in full conformity with international law, and to take all measures to ensure the investigation and prosecution of all serious crimes under international law," the spokesperson continued.

"The judicial authorities in Mali should pursue the investigation and prosecution of all alleged perpetrators of war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and other gross violations of human rights, and ensure that the rights of victims to an effective remedy are promoted and protected."

OHCHR also condemned the atrocious attacks on civilians in the Byblos hotel in Sevaré in Central Mali between Friday and Saturday last week.

"Such attacks, which appear designed to provoke a state of terror and intimidate, are in violation of national and international law. We call on the international community and neighbouring states to give all possible assistance to Mali in its ongoing efforts to restore peace, security and the full respect for human rights," Ms. Shamdasani concluded.


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YEMEN: AMID FOOD CRISIS, UN EXPERT WARNS OF DELIBERATE STARVATION OF CIVILIANS

As Yemen plunges deeper into conflict, which has left millions in need of humanitarian aid and wrecked healthcare systems, the country now finds itself in the midst of a major food crisis, a United Nations expert said today as she expressed concern over possibly deliberate starvation of civilians.

"As the conflict continues to escalate, over 12.9 million people in Yemen are now surviving without adequate access to basic food supplies, including six million who are deemed severely food insecure," warned Hilal Elver, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, in a press release issued earlier this morning.

The situation facing children in the country is particularly alarming, she stressed, with reports suggesting that 850,000 of them face acute malnutrition – a figure that is expected to rise to 1.2 million over the coming weeks, if the conflict persists as its present level.

Sieges in a number of governorates, including Aden, Al Dhali, Lahj and Taiz, have been preventing staple food items, such as wheat, from reaching the civilian population, while airstrikes have reportedly targeted local markets and trucks laden with food items.

"The deliberate starvation of civilians in both international and internal armed conflict may constitute a war crime, and could also constitute a crime against humanity in the event of deliberate denial of food and also the deprivation of food sources or supplies," Ms. Elver continued. "The right to food does not cease in times of conflict, indeed it becomes more crucial as a result of the acute vulnerabilities in which individuals find themselves."

The UN expert explained that in a country that relies on imports for 80 per cent of its food intake, current restrictions have resulted in steep price hikes, which, combined with increases in the price of diesel by some 47 per cent, are having a "devastating impact" on food security.

In addition, she said that both "an immediate and unconditional" humanitarian pause in hostilities and a boost in relief funding would be needed to prevent "a deepening national catastrophe in Yemen."

"I call on the international community to do everything possible to provide on an emergency basis the necessary funding as well as essential aid," concluded Ms. Elver.

According to the latest data released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the ongoing conflict in Yemen has taken a heavy toll on civilians, more than 1,895 of whom have been killed by fighting since March. Half of the population does not have enough food to feed their families, while more than 15 million people are deprived of access to basic healthcare.

The health system in Yemen is indeed continuing to suffer, leaving civilians without access to critical, life-saving health care, World health Organization (WHO) Representative Tarik Jašarevic explained during a press briefing in Geneva.

"Almost 23 per cent of all health facilities in Yemen are currently non-functional or partially functional as a direct result of on-going violence, and additional facilities continue to close down week by week," he said.

While WHO had asked for $151 million to meet the health needs of internally displaced people until the end of 2015, it had received so far $23 million, resulting in a funding gap of 85 per cent.

"Without the funds, many critical healthcare services would be forced to shut down," warned Mr. Jašarevic.

So far, he added, WHO had supported the Ministry of Health of Yemen and partners with over 181 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies for more than three million people, including trauma care, non-communicable diseases and laboratory and blood banks.


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WORLD MUST INVEST IN NEW SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA, UN OFFICIAL STRESSES

It is vital that countries make the necessary investments to carry out the new sustainable development agenda that will be formally adopted next month, says a senior United Nations official, warning that the world can ill afford the costs of not doing so.

"For the first time, we're not putting a band-aid on the problem. We're looking at the root causes. And unless we make the investments to look at those root causes, we are going to continue to have the conflicts escalate, we're going to continue to see the damage in the environment, and more and more people are going to be excluded," said Amina J. Mohammed, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning.

In a recent interview with the UN News Service, Ms. Mohammed stressed that the resources needed to investment in this new agenda already exist and it is just a matter of unlocking them. "We can find the tools and the instruments that we need to make those monies work in the longer term and in the shorter term for humanity."

On 2 August, the UN's 193 Member States agreed to an ambitious agenda that features 17 new Sustainable Development Goals that aim to end poverty, promote prosperity and people's well-being while protecting the environment by 2030, concluding a negotiating process that has spanned more than two years and which featured the unprecedented participation of civil society.

The Sustainable Development Goals, which world leaders will formally adopt at a special summit to be held in New York from 25 to 27 September, succeed the eight anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which wrap up at the end of 2015.

"Unlike the Millennium Development Goals, this has been a process that's been the most open, transparent, broad, deep one that we've had in the United Nations ever," Ms. Mohammed noted.

"Often people say, 'well you know, aren't these too many goals? Can't we just have a neat set of 8 or 10? Why do we need to have 17?' The truth of the matter is that the world is not in such a neat shape that could be reflected in a neat set of goals. It's in a pretty big mess and what these do is address that, address it in a much deeper way."

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets contained in the new agenda aim at tackling key systemic barriers to sustainable development such as inequality, unsustainable consumption and production patterns, inadequate infrastructure and lack of decent jobs.

"It's about behaviour. It's about livelihoods. It's about lifestyles. It's about how we consume and we produce because clearly we can no longer continue to test the planet the way that we do," said Ms. Mohammed.

"The one thing about this wonderful planet that we have, the home that we have, is that it can exist without us; we cannot exist without it."

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UNICEF OFFERS SUPPORT TO PAKISTAN AUTHORITIES AS CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has offered its support to Pakistani authorities as they open an investigation into emerging reports of widespread abuses against children in the country's district of Kasur, an agency official has confirmed.

In a statement released earlier this morning, Philippe Cori, UNICEF's Regional Deputy-Director for South Asia, described the recent reports of children being sexually abused over a period of several years in the Kasur district as "appalling" and called for the affected children and families to immediately receive any necessary care and protection.

"No child should suffer violence, abuse or exploitation. The horrific crimes in Kasur underline how we must all do more to protect children from such abuses," Mr. Cori declared. "UNICEF is ready to expand its work with local and national authorities to increase such efforts, so that no child has to suffer these terrible horrors."

Mr. Cori's appeal comes as Pakistani authorities continue their investigation into allegations that a gang of men reportedly abused more than 200 children in a series of criminal acts beginning in 2006.

"UNICEF is working closely with the authorities in Pakistan to prevent and respond to such issues affecting children, including sexual violence and abuse," the UNICEF official continued.

"We welcome efforts in Pakistan to tackle the issue of child abuse – including Pakistan signing, along with many other countries, the 'We Protect' statement of action to end on-line child sexual exploitation."


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UN BODY STRESSES VITAL ROLE OF GEOSPATIAL DATA TO ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Geographic information about people and the planet is critical to making better decisions and using resources more wisely, and will be vital to achieving the new Sustainable Development Goals that countries have recently agreed on, according to a United Nations expert on the issue.

"There's a recognition of the need and the benefit that can be realized from this kind of activity," Tim Trainor of the United States, one of three co-chairs of the Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), said in an interview during the body's fifth session held last week at UN Headquarters.

Geospatial – or geographic – information shows where social, environmental and economic conditions occur. It helps answer questions such as: where are people at risk of rising sea levels? How do we protect the people living there? Where is disease occurring? How do we contain it? How many hectares are forests are there? Are we managing them sustainably?

Such data is indispensable for advancing the global development agenda, particularly the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that world leaders will formally adopt next month in New York with the aim of ending poverty, and promoting prosperity and people's well-being while protecting the environment, by 2030.

"If you look at the Sustainable Development Goals… all of them deal with information and all of that information has some relationship to where those events or where those activities are happening on the Earth," Mr. Trainor explained. "In order to make the Sustainable Development Goals really meaningful, they have to know where these events are happening."

Efforts to increase the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data, disaggregated by geographic location, will be critical, he stressed.

"The whole notion of this Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management is really attempting to alert leaders of the world about the importance of geospatial information so that they can make better informed decisions… so they can answer those questions and understand better the condition of their populations, or the condition of their economy, or the condition of their natural resources and environment and so forth.

"By making them aware and by promoting the notion of the importance of geospatial information within their country, they can make better informed decisions."

Although it is probably not as well-known as some other UN committees, the Committee of Experts formulated the first geospatial resolution adopted by the General Assembly in February this year. This landmark resolution recognized the global importance of location and positioning for many areas of development.

This year's session of the Committee brought together over 290 participants consisting of ministers, heads of national mapping agencies, geospatial information management authorities and industry observers from over 85 countries.

Twenty countries participated for the first time, signalling – according to the Committee – the increasing global reach of the body and the growing awareness of the use and value of geospatial information to underpin economic growth and as a vital part of sustainable development.

Among the issues discussed at its three-day session last week were guidelines to assist Member States in implementing and adopting international geospatial standards and best practice, as well as the application of geospatial information to land administration and management.

"The monitoring of the Millennium Development Goals over the past 15 years taught us that data are an indispensable element of the development agenda," Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Wu Hongbo told the Committee during its session.

"Knowing where people and things are, and their relationship to each other, is essential for informed decision-making, and to measure and monitor outcomes."

Over the next 12 months, one of the major objectives of the Committee will be to ensure that geospatial information is included in the preparation of the indicators to measure the new Sustainable Development Goals.


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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: UN RELEASES FUNDS FOR HUMANITARIAN AID AMID ONGOING CRISIS

The United Nations has allocated over $13 million dollars for the immediate distribution of life-saving assistance targeting those affected by the ongoing violence in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Organization's relief arm reported today.

According to a press release issued by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN's Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) in the CAR has released $13.2 million to help support local aid agencies deliver clean water, education, healthcare, livelihoods support, nutrition, protection, and shelter to people displaced by violence, returnees, refugees and vulnerable host communities.

"Thanks to donors who have contributed in 2015, this CHF allocation allows humanitarian partners to continue helping thousands of displaced people and host families," said Aurélien Agbénonci, the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator in the African country. "However, it is only three per cent of the $415 million we still need by the end of the year if we are to save more lives and reach all people in acute need in 2015."

More than two years of civil war and sectarian violence have displaced thousands of people in CAR amid ongoing clashes between the mainly Muslim Séléka alliance and anti-Balaka militia, which are mostly Christian. In addition, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) continues to operate in the south-eastern part of the country.

"Our goal is to make sure aid gets to those who need it the most and as quickly as possible," Mr. Agbénonci continued.

The UN official praised the allocation of funding as "necessary," noting that the financing would ultimately help those "worst affected by violence, disease and displacement." But, he added, more and more funds would still be required to continue to meet affected people's needs over the coming months.

The UN estimates that some 450,000 people remain displaced inside the country while thousands of others have sought asylum across the borders. OCHA confirmed, however, that overall some 2.7 million people in the CAR remain in direct need of "urgent humanitarian assistance."


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FREE VOICES ARE VITAL 'PARTNERS NOT THREATS,' UN RIGHTS EXPERT TELLS GOVERNMENT AFTER MYANMAR VISIT

Expressing concern over curbs to free expression and possible voter disenfranchisement in Myanmar ahead of upcoming elections in November, a United Nations human rights expert today urged the Government to "reconsider its fear and opposition to critical and independent voices," which are "partners" not "threats."

"Civil society actors, journalists and ordinary citizens exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association are not threats; instead they are the voice of different communities and interests in Myanmar," Yanghee Lee, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, highlighted highlighted in her end-of-mission statement.

As a key milestone in Myanmar's transition to democracy, at the end of her 4 to 8 August visit to the country, Ms. Lee said that the forthcoming elections will be an opportunity to reaffirm and consolidate the reform process.

However, the possible disenfranchisement of civil society actors, refugees living in conflict zones, and previous temporary registration cards holders is of great concern, the human rights expert noted during her visit.

"To be truly free and fair, the elections must be inclusive and must truly reflect the will of the people," said Ms. Lee, adding that "they play a vital role in contributing to and sustaining a robust democracy, and in advocating for the promotion and protection of human rights."

As the ongoing conflict is holding off inclusive and peaceful elections, Ms. Lee emphasized the significance of fully integrating human rights issues, as well as engaging women in all stage of the peace process.

While regretting not being granted access to Rakhine state, where, she said "some serious human rights violations have occurred," the expert raised particular concern over restrictions on the freedom of movement of the Muslim community, such as lacking access to basic health care, education and livelihoods.

"More must and can be done to address the legal status of the Rohingya and the institutionalized discrimination faced by this community," she said, adding that improving education opportunities and access to higher education is a priority.

Ms. Lee's visit was reduced by the Government from 10 days to five, with sudden cancelations of some requested meetings and visits. Despite her frustration on the changes, the human rights expert recommitted her engagement with the Government and all stakeholders.

Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based 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.


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The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.
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