[afrocarpus] UN DAILY NEWS from the UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE

 

UN DAILY NEWS from the
UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE
27 May, 2016
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UN REFUGEE AGENCY BEGINS DELIVERING SUPPLIES TO FAMILIES ESCAPING BESIEGED FALLUJAH

The United Nations refugee agency said today that it is delivering emergency relief supplies to families who managed to escape the besieged Iraqi city of Fallujah over the past few days.

In a press briefing in Geneva earlier today, Melissa Fleming, chief spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) noted that more than 800 people have fled Fallujah, mostly from outlying areas, as the Government continues its military offensive to re-take control of the city, around 60 kilometres west of the capital, Baghdad.

"Families have told UNHCR and its protection partners harrowing tales of their escape, travelling on foot for hours at night, moving across fields and hiding in disused irrigation pipes. Others have lost their lives trying to leave the city, including women and children," Ms. Fleming said.

Several people, including women and children, have been killed trying to escape, she noted.

Fallujah was the first city to be taken by extremist groups in January 2014. Since then, more than 3.2 million people have been displaced across Iraq, the spokesperson said.

Ms. Fleming underscored that some 50,000 civilians still remain trapped inside Fallujah, prevented from escaping by extremist forces as the city continues to come under heavy bombardment by Iraqi forces.

In December, routes out of the city were cut off and civilians prevented from leaving. Since then, food has been in short supply, people are relying on expired rice and dried dates, and several starvation-related deaths have been reported, the spokesperson said.

In addition, families have had to rely on unsafe water sources, including drainage water from irrigation canals. Health facilities and medications are not available in the area, leading some families to reportedly use herbal medicine for the purpose of treatment, Ms. Fleming said.

UNHCR and its partner, Muslim Aid, will distribute emergency relief items to families who have escaped Fallujah and are sheltering in one camp it has helped to set up in Amiriyat al-Falluja, in Anbar governorate.

The agency plans to open two new camps next week in Habbaniyah Tourist City, which will be able to accommodate 500 newly displaced families. The number of families who have escaped, however, is still very small, given the tens of thousands of people still trapped in the besieged city, Ms. Fleming noted.

Inside Fallujah, there have been reports of a dramatic increase in the number of executions of men and older boys refusing to fight on behalf of extremist forces. Other reports say a number of people attempting to depart the city have been executed or whipped, and one man's leg was reportedly amputated, the spokesperson said.

In addition, many people are reported to have been killed or buried alive under the rubble of their homes in the course of ongoing military operations.

"It is vital that safe routes are opened, allowing civilians access to safety and live-saving assistance," Ms. Fleming said.

She added that UNHCR and its partners have built extra shelters that are ready to assist newly displaced families and will distribute emergency supplies to provide them with some essential daily items.


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UN CHIEF WELCOMES REGION-LED MEETINGS OF POLITICAL DIALOGUE FOR BURUNDI

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the meetings of the political dialogue for Burundi, held in Arusha, from 21 to 24 May under the auspices of the Facilitator of the East African Community (EAC), Benjamin William Mkapa, former President of Tanzania.

Commending Mr. Mkapa's decision to convene further meetings including those stakeholders who were not present in Arusha, the Secretary-General, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, stressed that a solution to the year-long political crisis in Burundi can only be found through an inclusive dialogue process that upholds the Constitution of Burundi, as well as the principles of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Burundi, of which the UN and the region are guarantors.

Mr. Ban in his statement fully supported regional efforts aimed at fostering a peaceful settlement to the crisis and reiterated the readiness of the UN to provide technical and substantive backing to the Facilitation, as mandated by the UN Security Council.


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WORLD HERITAGE SITES AT RISK FROM CLIMATE CHANGE – JOINT UN REPORT

Some 31 natural and cultural World Heritage sites in 29 countries across the world are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, a new report released by the United Nations has found.

The World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate report documents climate impacts including increasing temperatures, melting glaciers, rising seas, intensifying weather events, worsening droughts and longer wildfire seasons, at iconic tourism sites such as Venice, Stonehenge and the Galapagos Islands.

It also covers other World Heritage sites such as South Africa's Cape Floral Kingdom; the port city of Cartagena, Colombia; and Shiretoko National Park in Japan, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a press release.

"World governments, the private sector and tourists all need to coordinate their efforts to reduce carbon emissions and to protect the world's most treasured cultural and natural resources from the impact of tourism activities," said Elisa Tonda, head of UNEP's Responsible Industry and Value Chains Unit.

"Policies to decouple tourism from natural resource impacts, carbon emissions and environmental harm will engage a responsible private sector and promote change in tourists' behaviour to realize the sectors' potential in some of the world's most visited places," she added.

In addition to UNEP, the report was prepared by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

Because World Heritage sites must have 'Outstanding Universal Value,' the report recommends that the World Heritage Committee consider the risk of prospective sites becoming degraded by climate change before they add them to the list.

In particular, the report highlights the urgent need to identify the World Heritage sites that are most vulnerable to climate change, and to implement policies and provide resources to increase resilience at those sites.

In addition, the report urges increased global efforts to meet the Paris Agreementclimate change pledges in order to preserve World Heritage sites for future generations.

"Globally, we need to better understand, monitor and address climate change threats to World Heritage sites," said Mechtild Rössler, Director of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre. "As the report's findings underscore, achieving the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global temperature rise to a level well below 2 degrees Celsius is vitally important to protecting our World Heritage for current and future generations."

The report also recommends engaging the tourism sector in efforts to manage and protect vulnerable sites in the face of climate change, and to educate visitors about climate threats.

"Climate change is affecting World Heritage sites across the globe," said Adam Markham, lead author of the report and Deputy Director of the Climate and Energy Program at UCS.

"Some Easter Island statues are at risk of being lost to the sea because of coastal erosion. Many of the world's most important coral reefs, including in the islands of New Caledonia in the western Pacific, have suffered unprecedented coral bleaching linked to climate change this year. Climate change could eventually even cause some World Heritage sites to lose their status," he added.

The report includes a complete list of World Heritage sites that are at risk.

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UN RELIEF CHIEF CALLS FOR MORE ASSISTANCE FOR 'DISTRESSING AND DIRE' SITUATION OF SYRIANS

Following a visit to Hatay in southern Turkey, the top United Nations humanitarian official has called for greater assistance for Syrians in need, both inside the country and across the region, warning that the humanitarian situation for millions of people remains "unrelentingly distressing and dire."

"The people of Syria continue to suffer. The violence, fear and deprivation force Syrians to make the impossible choices of leaving their homeland for a tolerable life in another part of the country or across the border or continent," Stephen O'Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said in a press release issued ahead of his briefing to the UN Security Council in the afternoon.

"Our challenge is both to scale up assistance to reach every person in need, and to support the efforts of those trying to bring the crisis to an end. We need to give Syrians real hope of a better future," he added.

Mr. O'Brien noted some 6.5 million people are internally displaced, and some five million people have fled for safety in other countries. The UN estimates that 13.5 million Syrians across the region are in need of some form of humanitarian and protection assistance.

"The humanitarian situation for millions of Syrians across the region remains unrelentingly distressing and dire" he stressed.

Mr. O'Brien, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, visited an orphanage in Reyhanli, meeting Syrian children who are provided both education and a sense of normality in the classroom.

"I heard first-hand the hopes of these children and the harrowing stories of many families' escape to safety," he said. "There is a clear need for psycho-social support."

He also met a young doctor who was injured during the deadly airstrike on the al-Quds Hospital in Aleppo this past month and is now in urgent need of medical assistance abroad.

Mr. O'Brien underscored that cross-border aid operations from Turkey into Syria are vital, reaching some four million people who cannot be reached via other routes.

In addition, he said he visited the zero-point near the Bab al Hawa border crossing.

"I paid tribute to the Turkish, Syrian, and international NGOs who continue to work tirelessly to provide critical and life-saving assistance in a dangerous and volatile environment. We must do everything we can to support them," he said.

Mr. O'Brien noted that he discussed the progress and challenges in delivering aid with the Governor of Hatay, and representatives of international and local non-governmental organizations.

Despite significant progress in reaching millions of Syrians with life-saving assistance, many programmes remain critically underfunded, he said, urging donors to fulfil their pledges and fund the critical aid and protection activities designed to help the most vulnerable people throughout 2016.

Visiting Hatay immediately after the World Humanitarian Summit, which wrapped up Tuesday in Istanbul, Mr. O'Brien spoke of the commitments made by world leaders to put people affected by conflict and disaster at the centre of humanitarian action, and to alleviate suffering.

"At the Summit, we heard strong words about sharing responsibility for refugees, safeguarding their rights, and working to secure the financing we need to save lives. We must now demand that these words are turned into meaningful action. It must start here in Hatay," he stressed.

In his briefing to the Council, Mr. O'Brien underscored that he had promised to carry the stories of the people he had met during his trip to the 15-member body in order to highlight – once more the "tragic and ever-worsening" situation in Syria.

"But truth be told, I have run out of words to fully explain how the actions of the parties to the conflict have led to the devastation of a country and its people," he stressed. "As the war continued, it is innocent civilians and children who continue to be subjected to even greater levels of suffering and misery than could ever have been imagined five years ago."

Mr. O'Brien told the Council that he remained particularly concerned at the upsurge in violence across various parts of the country and its impact on civilians.

"Indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure – including schools and hospitals, mosques and public markets – continue with impunity and total disregard for international humanitarian law," he said.

Emphasizing that the continued use of "siege and starvation as a weapon of war is reprehensible," Mr. O'Brien said he was continually monitoring the situation on the ground throughout Syria and, based on the latest information, estimates indicated that some 592,700 people were currently living in besieged areas.

That figure includes 452,700 people besieged by the Government of Syria in various locations in rural Damascus as well as in the Al Wa'er area of Homs city, an area he had visited just a few months ago but which had been closed off since March.

Elsewhere, he noted that 110,000 people were besieged by ISIL in Deir ez-Zor city; 20,000 people by non-State armed groups and the Nusrah Front in Foah and Kefraya in Idlib; and 10,000 besieged by the Government of Syria and non-State armed groups in Yarmouk in Damascus.

"These figures are shocking as they underscore the sharply deteriorating situation for civilians even while the cessation of hostilities is in place," he said.

"The punishment of civilians through besiegement tactics must stop immediately," he continued, stressing that the primary responsibility lies with the party who maintains the siege, and "routinely and systematically denies people the basic necessities of life and freedom of movement."

The humanitarian chief said that the humanitarian and protection situation in many hard-to-reach areas also remained critical, including in some that are on the brink of besiegement. He remained extremely concerned about the conditions for the hundreds of thousands of civilians in northern rural Homs, specifically in the towns of Rastan, Talbiseh and Taldo, as well as in the adjacent area of Habarnafse in rural Hama.

He said the situation across Aleppo governorate also remains alarming for civilians, while in Aleppo city, fighting had continued to affect civilians over the past few weeks also impacted humanitarian operations.

Deliberate interference and restrictions by the parties, most notably the Government of Syria, continued to prevent effective aid delivery, Mr. O'Brien said.

A plan for June, requesting to reach 1.1 million people in 34 besieged, hard-to-reach and other priority cross-line locations, including all those places that could not be reached in May, had been recently submitted, Mr. O'Brien noted.

"I call on the Syrian Government to approve this plan in full and to remove any and all conditionalities, not least as to the amount or type of aid that can be delivered," he said.

"Sieges need to be lifted once and for all – and immediately. They only exist today because of a lack of will to end them," he concluded.


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FEATURE: SPEAKING WITH UN PEACEKEEPERS IN LIBERIA, SOUTH SUDAN AND CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Dr. Catherine Buzmion-Cheong, a United Nations peacekeeper, was working in Liberia when the first case of Ebola was confirmed in the West African nation.

"The Ebola epidemic was unprecedented," Dr. Buzmion-Cheong told the UN News Centre from the capital, Monrovia, which is the headquarters for the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). "Initially, the lack of training and supplies, plus the stigma and the fear attributed to the Ebola virus disease hampered a lot of the critical intervention."

The highly contagious and fatal virus raced through Liberia – and the neighbouring countries of Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone – killing thousands of people and resulting in the first ever emergency health mission being deployed by the UN, known by its acronym UNMEER.

"As a Medical Officer, my primary goal is the health and well-being of each staff member in the Mission," Dr. Buzmion-Cheong said. Her team was responsible for making sure each UN peacekeeper know about the disease and how it spread. "Still when staff member heard any news about Ebola, they panicked."

Her family back in the Philippines was also concerned about her safety – and theirs – when she visited them from the frontlines of the epidemic, before the country was declared Ebola-free on 9 May 2015.

"The stigma in my home country that I was subjected to […] even my colleagues were scared of my presence, because I am in the medical profession," she recalled.

"It was difficult to convince my family that I was safe working in Liberia," said Dr. Buzmion-Cheong, who has been with UNMIL since 2005 and working with the Mission in support of national efforts to stabilize the country and assist its people.

Dr. Buzmion-Cheong is one of more than 124,000 military, police and civilian personnel deployed in 16 peacekeeping operations around the world.

They are all being honoured as "heroes", the theme of this year's the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, marked annually on 29 May. The Day also pays tribute to the more than 3,400 "blue helmets" killed in the line of duty, 128 of whom died in 2015.

"They manifest the best attributes of global solidarity, courageously serving in dangerous environments to provide security to some of the world's most vulnerable," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon marking the Day.

South Sudan: Protecting civilians and preventing human rights abuses

In April and May of 2015, South Sudan's Government forces and allied militia launched a violent campaign in Unity state against an area that was temporarily under the control of the rebel group. In fighting each other, the opposing forces targeted civilians, including through rape and killing, destroying towns and villages and pillaging what they wanted.

"People were hiding in swamps," said Jeffrey Buenger, who worked as the Senior Protection Adviser at the UN Mission in the country (UNMISS) and also headed the Protection of Civilians Unit.

Mr. Buenger had worked in South Sudan prior to officially arriving there in 2013, after stints with the UN Mission in Mali and more than seven years working in the Balkans on human rights abuses.

"Accepting the position was one of the hardest things I could do because this was not a scenario where you could ever be quote-unquote 'successful'," he recalled, agreeing because he wanted to be part of an effort where peacekeeping is not just protecting civilians from human rights abuses but aiming to ease tensions and prevent the conflicts from starting in the first place.

At the time he arrived, UNMISS was struggling to protect 30,000 civilians, which then grew to 200,000 at the conflict's peak and remains at 180,000.

In his professional capacity, Mr. Buenger works closely with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the Mission – who is usually the top UN official in the country – as well as with the Force Commander, who oversees the uniformed peacekeepers, and other senior officials to protect civilians when the Government cannot or is unwilling to do so.

"We started to try to come up with more creative ways to see how we could interact with the UN peacekeeping force to get them further out," he said, "and working also with UN civilian affairs on a more grassroots level so that they could support conflict mitigation to reduce tensions at a local level."

By June 2015, civilians from Leer and the neighbouring counties were fleeing for three or four days to reach the UNMISS Protection of Civilians site in Bentiu.

The UN peacekeepers – who were from the Mongolian battalion at that time – were finally able, in response to the events and after significant efforts across the Mission, to establish a so-called "austere operating base," which basically consisted of tents and a fence, from which they would proactively patrol several counties seven days a week.

The additional visibility was in itself deterrence, but it also gave the UN peacekeepers wider scope to reach civilians and to open corridors for delivery of humanitarian aid.

"We saw significant reductions in reports of violence," Mr. Buenger said. The numbers of people saved are difficult to quantify since "you cannot prove that this number of people would have been dead had the Force not patrolled. But we saw a shift in Unity State."

"Both parties on the ground eventually appreciated our presence because they saw that it was impartial," he continued. "It was to protect civilians regardless of who they were. We are not interested in civilians allied with this side or that side. It's to ensure that the civilian populace is safe – particularly women, children and the elderly."

Central African Republic: UN Police working with women, children in the communities
In the Central African Republic (CAR), Captain Evelyn Borbor is a UN police officer working with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission there, known by it's French acronym, MINUSCA.

"The best part is me as a woman here, serving here in a mission and then trying to help my fellow women have a durable peace, be liberated economically and then to be able to help them solve their own problem in this country," said Ms. Borbor, who is the Gender Focal Point within UNPOL.

A former Deputy Superintendent of Police in her native Ghana, Ms. Borbor was previously in Cote d'Ivoire where she would do outreach to communities, explaining what UN Police do and how they work with the Government.

She would also motivate the women to work together in their communities.

"Be united as the twigs of a broom. Together they are strong. But alone, the twig can do nothing and breaks easily," she told villagers.

In CAR, the best part of her job, Ms. Borbor said, is meeting women and children: "To give them my experience and to help them have the peace that we are all looking for in this country.

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GUINEA-BISSAU: BAN URGES ALL POLITICAL STAKEHOLDERS TO AVOID ESCALATION AFTER OUTBREAK OF PROTESTS

In the wake of protests in Guinea-Bissau, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged all political stakeholders and their supporters to act responsibly, refrain from violence and avoid an escalation of the situation by settling their concerns through dialogue.

The Secretary-General is "deeply concerned" over the situation in Guinea-Bissau following the President's decision to appoint a new Prime Minister and the subsequent protests in opposition to that move, said a statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson.

According to the statement, the UN chief noted that the prolonged political crisis in Guinea-Bissau is gravely affecting the functioning of the country's institutions and undermining prospects for socio-economic development.

"He calls on all political stakeholders to urgently bring the ongoing impasse to an end in the interests of the people of Guinea-Bissau on the basis of the country's constitution," said the statement, adding that the Secretary-General welcomes the professionalism of the national armed forces in the fulfilment of their duties and urges them to continue to act responsibly.


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UN AGENCY URGES GREECE TO FIND ALTERNATIVES FOR REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS AT 'SUB-STANDARD' SITES

"Seriously concerned" by what it termed sub-standard conditions at several sites in northern Greece where refugees and migrants were evacuated this week from the makeshift site at Idomeni, the United Nations refugee agency today urged the Greek authorities, with the financial support provided by the European Union (EU), to quickly find better alternatives.

Briefing reporters in Geneva, Melissa Fleming, spokesperson of the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the agency agreed that the makeshift site at Idomeni on the Greek border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, where refugees had been staying in abysmal conditions, needed to be evacuated, and noted that this had been completed without the use of force.

"[However], the conditions of the some of these sites to which the refugees and migrants are transferred fall well below minimum standards," she said, noting that some of the refugees and migrants who had been living in Idomeni had been moved into derelict warehouses and factories, inside which tents are been placed too tightly together, and where air circulation is poor, and supplies of food, water, toilets, showers, and electricity are insufficient.

Refugees transferred by bus from Idomeni received little information about conditions at the new sites and the duration of their stay there. The last few refugees departing on Thursday told UNHCR they did not know where they were being taken or whether the conditions in the new sites would be any better.

In addition, the agency said that several refugees expressed doubt over promises they would receive adequate shelter, food, and access to medical care after receiving smartphone photos and messages from friends and relatives already transported.

"UNHCR remains concerned about families being separated during their transfer," Ms. Fleming added.

According to the agency, today, refugees standing outside the gate of an abandoned warehouse-turned-accommodation site expressed shock at their new living conditions. More than 1,400 people sleep all together in a high-ceilinged room filled with long rows of canvas tents.

Though all windows and doors are kept open, the air is humid and smells of human waste. Electricity is only available for a few hours per day, refugees said, and at night the warehouse is pitch-black.

UNHCR said that Syrian refugee Asmah Al-Hasan, a 53-year-old mother travelling with her husband and three grown children, said she never could have imagined conditions worse than Idomeni, but at least their basic needs were fulfilled there.

"Here we have not enough water, and no toilets," said Al-Hasan, who fled earlier this year from Yarmouk in Damascus. "We can't sleep at night because it is too loud. We have no home here and no door. I don't walk around at night because it is too dark and I am afraid […] At least in Idomeni we had toilets and showers."

Spontaneous arrivals of refugee families, some of whom left Idomeni on foot, have been reported at a number of the sites, which are already overcrowded, UNHCR said. Poor conditions at these sites are compounding the already high level of distress felt by refugee families, fuelling tensions within refugee populations and complicating efforts to provide required assistance and protection.

UNHCR is in close contact with the Alternate Minister of Interior in charge of Migration Policy and proposes that the improvements it had suggested for some of the sites envisaged could be made as a matter of priority.

"UNHCR will continue to assist the Greek authorities to provide emergency assistance and urgently improve conditions at these sites where possible. Where it is not possible to bring conditions up to minimal humanitarian standards, alternatives need to be found and made ready to accommodate refugees," Ms. Fleming stated.

UNHCR renewed its call for the immediate identification and establishment of new sites commensurate with the needs, and in full compliance with basic humanitarian requirements. While such emergency temporary sites are necessary at present, the agency at the same time continues to increase the number of accommodation places through apartments and other reception facilities.

Meanwhile, bulldozers and tractors drove through the abandoned site at Idomeni, clearing a field that once contained thousands of small camping tents and rub halls. Aid workers gathered trash and dismantled their facilities, UNHCR noted.


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SOUTH SUDAN: NEW TEAM OF EXPLOSIVE DETECTION DOGS ARRIVES AT UN MISSION

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in South Sudan said today it will receive 37 new explosive detection dogs as part of an increase in the presence of such dogs throughout the country.

In a press release, UNMAS said the explosive detection dogs regularly support UN Police (UNPOL) to conduct searches of protection of civilians sites, cargo and entry points, to detect prohibited or hazardous items, all of which are swiftly removed by UNPOL so that internally displaced people and others under the protection of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) remain safe from harm.

Currently, UNMAS has six explosive detection dog teams that focus on entry point control and cargo searches in Juba. In 2015, 19,781 vehicles, 13,587 bags and 970 buildings were searched using these teams.

Upon arrival, the dogs will be transferred to temporary kennels in Gumbo, Juba, where they will be acclimatized and paired with their future handlers. Once the dogs are settled they will be paired with expert handlers who will complete additional training tailored specifically to South Sudan, UNMAS said.

While some of the dogs will remain in Juba to work at the UN Thom Ping Base, UN House, the protection of civilians sites and the UN airport, many will be transferred to Bentiu, Bor and Malakal.

UNMAS emphasized that the dogs are working animals and have been specially trained to perform the roles they will undertake. They are safe and friendly animals and have been screened for illness and disease and received the necessary vaccinations.

"The welfare of the dogs is of prime importance to UNMAS, as is the safety of the communities within which they will be working," UNMAS said.


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NEW STAMPS FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY OF UN PEACEKEEPERS UNVEILED AT UN

Ahead of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers – celebrated annually on 29 May – the UN Postal Administration (UNPA) today announced the issuance of a set of six new stamps for the occasion.

"On this day, we continue to honour the memory of those who gave their lives to the cause of peace, and pay tribute to all men and women who carry on their legacy by serving in the field," the association said. "UNPA is proud to issue stamps that feature images of the important work of UN peacekeepers around the world."

The stamps will be issued jointly with the Austrian Post on Sunday, and a pre-launch ceremony will be held tomorrow at the World Stamp Show in New York, UNPA said.

The UNPA said the stamps can be purchased at unstamps.org, as well as at UNPA stamp shops in New York, Geneva and Vienna.

The International Day of UN Peacekeepers was established by the General Assembly in 2002 in tribute to all the men and women serving in peace operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage, as well as to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

The Assembly designated 29 May as the Day because it was the date in 1948 when the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), the world body's first peacekeeping mission, began operations in Palestine.

The 2016 observance of the Day marks the eighth successive year in which the Organization has honoured more than 100 "Blue Helmets" who lost their lives in the previous year while serving the cause of peace.

While the official Day is on 29 May, UN Headquarters in New York this year celebrated on 19 May, under the theme Honouring Our Heroes.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presided over a wreath-laying ceremony in honour of the nearly 3,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag. He also presided over a ceremony during which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal was awarded posthumously to the 129 military, police and civilian personnel who lost their lives while serving in peacekeeping operations during 2015.

In addition, Mr. Ban led an inaugural ceremony to award the "Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage. The first such medal was presented to the family of the late Captain Diagne, who saved hundreds of lives in 1994 while serving as a peacekeeper in Rwanda before succumbing to fatal injury incurred while on duty.

In his message to mark the Day, the Secretary-General stressed that the confidence the world places in UN peacekeeping is reflected in its "massive growth" in recent years, in terms of both numbers and complexity.

He noted that 15 years ago, the Organization had fewer than 40,000 military and police personnel. Today, more than 105,000 uniformed personnel from 124 troop- and police-contributing countries serve under the blue flag, alongside 18,000 international and civilian staff and UN volunteers.

"They manifest the best attributes of global solidarity, courageously serving in dangerous environments to provide security to some of the world's most vulnerable," the Secretary-General said.

UN offices, alongside Member States and non-governmental organizations, hold solemn events throughout 29 May to honour fallen peacekeepers.

UN peacekeeping operations mark the Day each year by strengthening bonds with the local populations on whose behalf they serve. They hold sporting events, visits to schools and orphanages, art and essay competitions, photo exhibits, neighbourhood clean-ups, tree plantings, concerts, and conferences and workshops on peace issues.

The events held around the world can be tracked under the hashtag #Together4Peace.


* * *

SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVES TWO-MONTH EXTENSION FOR AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN SOMALIA

The United Nations Security Council today approved a two-month extension of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), allowing adequate time for the 15-member body to consider the outcome of its recently-concluded visit to the Horn of Africa country.

Adopting a new resolution today, the Council, recognizing the importance of consultation with the relevant stakeholders during the recent Security Council mission to Somalia, authorized the member States of the African Union (AU) to maintain the deployment of AMISOM until 8 July 2016.

The Security Council also requested Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to continue to provide logistical support in accordance with its resolution 2245 (2015).

Council members concluded a one-day visit to Somalia on 19 May by reaffirming the UN body's solidarity with the country's people and Government and reiterating their calls to the Federal Parliament to legalize the 2016 electoral model as soon as possible.

"Somalia's security in its broadest sense is a common concern of the international community and the whole region, and that is why such importance has been placed by the Security Council in a legitimate transfer of power later this year," said Michael Keating, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Somalia, in a briefing to reporters at the conclusion of the Council's visit.

"The message of the Security Council is very clear: the international community looks forward to elections in August 2016 and will do everything possible to support them being free and fair and on time. But it urges immediate action to legalize the electoral model so that practical preparations can begin as quickly as possible," he added.

The Council delegation was led by the body's current President, the Permanent Representative of Egypt, Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta, and the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom, Matthew Rycroft.

The officials held a series of high-level meetings with the Federal President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, regional presidents, civil society members, humanitarian organizations and senior UN and African Union officials.


* * *

UN OFFICIAL ACCLAIMS 2016 CRIME COMMISSION SESSION FOR ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

As the week-long annual session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) came to a close in Vienna today, the head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) highlighted that bonds had been strengthened between efforts in crime prevention and criminal justice and work undertaken to promote sustainable development.

"Our mission has never been clearer, or better articulated," UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov told participants at the CCPCJ's closing ceremony.

Mr. Fedotov noted that UNODC's activities on terrorism, wildlife crime, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, building partnerships with organizations such as INTERPOL, and tackling trafficking in cultural property were linked, through Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 and other goals, to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

He stressed that "the Crime Commission's bold work provides a solid platform for UNODC's own activities in the areas of crime prevention and criminal justice."

"Thanks to the Crime Commission, UNODC has the necessary tools to play a key role in the UN's much wider work of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," he added.

The Crime Commission regularly brings together around 1,000 delegates drawn from Member States, civil society and academia.

At this year's session, six resolutions were passed, including on restorative justice, legal aid and mainstreaming youth crime prevention.

Almost 50 side events were held during the five days of the session, as well as numerous exhibitions on crime prevention and criminal justice matters.


* * *

IN JAPAN, BAN CALLS ON G7 TO BACK GLOBAL GOALS, CLIMATE ACTION, UN HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE EFFORTS

Addressing world leaders at an event on the side lines of the G-7 meeting currently under way in Nagoya, Japan, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the gathering to remain focused on key UN and global priorities: climate change; humanitarian action, refugees and migrants; global health; and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Having arrived in Nagoya just after the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit, which he convened in Istanbul, Turkey and which wrapped up this past Tuesday, Mr. Ban, thanked German Chancellor Angela Merkel for participating and hailed the Summit as "a major advance in our collective thought and action in relation to humanitarian crises," in light of the rising challenges the world faces and the resultant up tic in the cost of humanitarian response.

He recalled that 15 years ago the cost of responding to such needs was around $2 billion a year. "Now it is nearer $25 billion a year – that's a 12 fold increase. The UN system lacks the capacity to respond to this level of need," said the UN chief, reporting that the more than 9,000 delegates at the Summit conference, who were joined by some 177 government representatives had shown "much support" for the different elements within his Agenda for Humanity.

Indeed, he noted that many commitments were made at the Summit, including on new funds for education in crises and more efficient provision of assistance by major agencies. "I count on rich and powerful nations – including those of the G7 – to follow the example of Ms. Merkel and support my Agenda for Humanity. I count on them to invest more in the prevention of conflicts and building resilience […] in ways that align with the 2015 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction," he stressed.

On climate change, the Secretary-General recalled that some 175 countries had signed the Paris Agreement in new York last month, and that overall, world leaders have shown extraordinary commitment to take climate action, noting particularly that 17 countries had already ratified the landmark accord.

"The target is that 55 countries reflecting at least 55 per cent of global emissions ratify [the Paris Agreement] before 31 December 2016. I understand that 42 countries reflecting 49 per cent of emissions expect to have ratified by the end of the year," reported Mr. Ban, urging all G7 nations and all leaders of European Union nations to "do all they can to ratify as soon as possible" and maintain the momentum of implementation.

Turning next to refugees and migrants, the Secretary-General said leaders of many nations are struggling as they respond to the inflows of millions of people for areas affected by conflict or climate change. "A global approach will help nations to respond more effectively to this challenge, he said, noting that the UN will convene a global summit on migration on 19 September.

As for global health, Mr. Ban noted that several leaders and the World Bank had spoken today about the generosity of the world's nations in response to health crises – particularly the recent Ebola outbreak. Such contributions have been greatly appreciated. The UN had also developed an exceptional arrangement – the UN's first ever public health mission – as our novel contribution for the Ebola response.

"In 2015, I established a High Level Panel, chaired by former President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania. The work was completed in January 2016 and has yielded 27 helpful recommendations. Most of them will be implemented: only a few are not practicable right now," said Mr. Ban, noting that some are relevant for responding to the current Zika virus outbreak, and that he is setting up arrangements to monitor progress with implementation of the recommendations and to review their impact.

Finally, the UN chief commend Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for setting up Japan's centre for promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across Government and under his direct authority.

"I hope that all leaders will take full ownership of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: I encourage them to establish small high-level bodies to oversee cross-government implementation of the SDGs," he said, adding that many governments had informed him that they will reflect the Agenda in all their investments, and that they are creating incentives for private finance to be spent towards those aims.


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UN RIGHTS OFFICE WARNS OF SEVERE LACK OF FUNDING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS BODY FOR THE AMERICAS

The United Nations human rights office today said it is disturbed by the severe financial crisis the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is facing, warning that the Commission's capacity to respond to victims of rights violations across the Americas may be seriously diminished if it doesn't receive the necessary funding in the coming weeks.

In a briefing note to reporters in Geneva earlier today, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said the Commission's pioneering work as an agent of constitutional, legislative and policy reform has had a strong impact on human rights in the region and beyond.

"It has provided a vital recourse for victims of human rights violations in the region and has played an important role in advocating for the rights of vulnerable groups," the spokesperson said.

The Commission is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States whose mission is to promote and protect human rights in the American hemisphere. Created in 1959, it has headquarters in Washington, D.C., and is composed of seven independent members who serve in a personal capacity.

Ms. Shamdasani noted that the Commission is also a strategic partner for the UN Human Rights Offices in the region and a point of reference for the development of human rights standards worldwide.

Emphasizing that in recent years, the Commission has faced "undue pressure from a number of States," the spokesperson urged States to reaffirm their commitment to human rights by providing the Commission with the required resources to fulfil its crucial mandate and, indeed, to strengthen the institution.

"The Commission's robust defence of human rights in the region should be encouraged – not punished," the spokesperson said.


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LDCS: UN CONFERENCE ON LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES OPENS IN TURKEY TO ASSESS PROGRESS MADE SINCE 2011

A United Nations conference focused on the world's least developed countries (LDCs) kicked-off today in Antalya, Turkey, to assess these 48 States' progress over the past five years, and to find ways of accelerating their path towards sustainable development.

"Least developed countries have seen significant progress and are a major human and natural resource potential for the world, but more needs to be done to support them," said Gyan Chandra Acharya, the UN High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, speaking in the Turkish coastal city.

"This event is a major opportunity for the international community to come together and reaffirm global commitments that were made in 2011 to ensure that the world's poorest nations are at the forefront of efforts to build an inclusive and sustainable future for the world," he added.

Five years ago, UN Member States met in Turkey and adopted the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA), a ten-year plan to give impetus to economic and social development in some of the world's most vulnerable States.

The opening session of the Midterm Review of the IPoA, co-organized by Mr. Acharya's Office (OHRLLS) and the Government of Turkey, brought together high-level representatives and over two thousand stakeholders from governments, international and regional organizations, civil society, the private sector, foundations, think tanks and the media.

The three-day event will focus on how LDCs have experienced some progress in areas including poverty reduction, child mortality, gender parity and access to internet and mobile networks. Economic growth has also been strong even though its pace has been more volatile and below the average of the last decade. There has also been an increase in the number of countries fulfilling criteria which will lead towards graduation from their status as an LDC.

Countries that demonstrate the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development – typically high infant mortality rates and low life expectancy rates, among others – are considered LDCs. A country is classified as an LDC if it meets three criteria:

Poverty – adjustable criterion based on Gross National Income (GNI) per capita averaged over three years. As of 2015 a country must have GNI per capita less than US $1,035 to be included on the list, and over $1,242 to graduate from it.

Human resource weakness (based on indicators of nutrition, health, education and adult literacy); and

Economic vulnerability (based on instability of agricultural production, instability of exports of goods and services, economic importance of non-traditional activities, merchandise export concentration, handicap of economic smallness, and the percentage of population displaced by natural disasters)

According to the UN, Samoa is the only country to have graduated since 2011. Equatorial Guinea, Vanuatu and Angola are scheduled to graduate, and seven other LDCs – Bhutan, Kiribati, Nepal, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu – have reportedly met the criteria as of March 2015. Only Botswana, Cape Verde and Maldives graduated before 2011.

"This is an important opportunity to focus on the special needs of LDCs, and to assess the status of implementation of the IPoA, taking into account last year's important global agendas, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," said Helen Clark, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), at the opening plenary.

"Despite important progress, however, significant challenges remain: 51 per cent of the population of LDCs live in extreme poverty, and 18 million children of school age are not in school. Despite LDCs having 12.5 per cent of the world's population, their exports account for only 1.1 per cent of the global total," she noted.

The category of least developed countries (LDCs) was officially established in 1971 by the UN General Assembly to attract special international support to disadvantaged members of the UN family. The current list includes 34 in Africa, 13 in Asia and the Pacific, and one in Latin America. The newest to have joined is South Sudan.

"We cannot accept that in the next 15 years there will not be a reduction in the number of LDCs," said Mogens Lykketoft, the President of the 70th session of the General Assembly, in an interview with the UN News Service.

"We have to make sure that there is enough growth in their economies so that there will be many, many, of the LDCs moving out of that category. It has been all too few up until now," he lamented, noting that many are still least developed because of conflict, which if left uncontained, will impede efforts to end underdevelopment, poverty and hunger.

Speaking at a press conference, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, said the global community should never forget that humanitarian and social development is "indispensable" for sustainable development.

"We will continue to bring the challenges of least developed countries to the agenda of G-20," he stressed, noting that Turkey's official development aid was about $1 billion in 2010, and increased to $3.9 billion in 2015.

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