UN political chief to focus on transition process during visits to Egypt and Tunisia

Under-Secretary-General B. Lynn Pascoe

15 July 2011 – 

The United Nations political chief is set to visit Egypt and Tunisia for discussions on how the world body can assist with the democratic transitions under way in the two North African nations following the revolutions earlier this year.B. Lynn Pascoe will travel to Egypt from Istanbul, Turkey, where he representedSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon at today’s meeting of the International Contact Group on Libya.
While in Egypt, Mr. Pascoe will hear from Government and non-governmental groups, including youth, about the state of the democratic transition and discuss “how the UN can support further progress,” UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky told reporters.
The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs will then travel to Tunisia for discussions on the democratic transition in that country and UN assistance, including on elections, the spokesperson added.
Popular uprisings, first in Tunisia and then in Egypt, led to the ouster of long-standing regimes in both nations earlier this year and sparked similar pro-democracy movements across North Africa and the Middle East.
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UN and national police launch anti-crime operation in Haitian capital

MINUSTAH peacekeepers stand guard in Citi Soleil

15 July 2011 – 

The United Nations and the Haitian National Police (HNP) have launched a joint security operation to crack down on criminal activity in key areas of the capital, Port-au-Prince.“Operation Phoenix” was launched yesterday in the neighbourhoods of Bel Air, Cité Soleil and Martissant, according to a news release issued by the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).
The mission sent more than 2,100 peacekeepers into the three neighbourhoods as part of the operation, which is designed to help the Haitian authorities provide security and stability for the residents of Port-au-Prince.
“We want to show the population that MINUSTAH, according to its mandate, remains determined to fight against crime in Haiti, in support of Haitian authorities,” Major-General Luiz Ramos, the mission’s Force Commander, underscored.
Once the security operations are completed, he noted, MINUSTAH will undertake a number of civil and military cooperation activities along with the residents such as clearing debris and garbage from the streets, setting up dental and medical clinics, engineering projects and road improvements.
“This will be a multi-day operation that is designed to provide long-term presence in these neighbourhoods to reinforce trust and confidence between the residents, HNP and MINUSTAH,” said Maj.-Gen. Ramos.
MINUSTAH, with over 12,000 military and police personnel currently deployed around the country, has been on the ground since mid-2004 after then president Jean-Bertrand Aristide went into exile amid violent unrest.

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UN reports progress towards poverty alleviation, urges increased support for the poorest

 

7 July 2011 –

Some of the world’s poorest countries have made impressive gains in the fight against poverty, but the least developed countries still lag in efforts to improve living standards, the United Nations said today in a report showing significant overall progress towards achieving the global targets against extreme poverty. Giving examples of achievements, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Report – prepared by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) – says that Burundi, Madagascar, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Togo and Tanzania attained or are nearing the goal of universal primary education, one of the targets.
Considerable progress has also been made in Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique and Niger, where net enrolment ratios in primary school increased by more than 25 percentage points from 1999 to 2009.
Sub-Saharan Africa, with an 18 percentage point gain in school enrolment between 1999 and 2009, is the region with the best record of improvement, according to the report.
Despite significant setbacks caused by the global economic crisis that plunged much of the world into recession in 2008 and 2009, and the high food and energy prices, the world is still on track to achieve the MDGs, according to the report.
“Despite these declines, current trends suggest that the momentum of growth in the developing world remains strong enough to sustain the progress needed to reach the global poverty-reduction target,” the report says. “Based on recently updated projections from the World Bank, the overall poverty rate is still expected to fall below 15 per cent by 2015, indicating that the Millennium Development Goal target can be met.”
The number of deaths of children under the age of five declined from 12.4 million in 1990 to 8.1 million in 2009, which means nearly 12,000 fewer children die each day. Increased funding and intensive control efforts have cut deaths from malaria by 20 per cent worldwide – from nearly 985,000 in 2000 to 781,000 in 2009, the reports notes.
Increased funding from various sources has also expanded key programmes, such as treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS.
The report, however, stressed that efforts need to be intensified especially among the most vulnerable members of the global population who continue to be marginalised as a result of sex, age, ethnicity or disability. Disparities in progress between urban and rural areas also remain significant, according to the report.
The document point out, for example, wide gaps remain in women’s access to paid work in at least half of all regions and following the job losses in 2008 and 2009, the growth in employment during the economic recovery in 2010, especially in the developing world, was lower for women than for men.
“The poorest of the world are being left behind. We need to reach out and lift them into our lifeboat,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said during the launch of the report at the meeting of the High-level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). “Now is the time for equity, inclusion, sustainability and women’s empowerment,” he added.
Being poor, female or living in a conflict zone also increased the probability that a child will be out of school, the report notes.
The report also highlights the fact that as a result of concerted efforts to achieve the MDGs, new HIV infections have been on a steady decline. In 2009, some 2.6 million people were newly infected with HIV – a 21 per cent drop since 1997, when new infections peaked. The number of people receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV or AIDS increased 13-fold from 2004 to 2009, thanks to increased funding and expanded programmes.
An estimated 1.1 billion people in urban areas and 723 million people in rural areas gained access to an improved drinking water source between 1990 and 2008.
Progress has, however, been uneven, the report notes, highlighting the large gaps between and within countries. The poorest children made the slowest progress in terms of improved nutrition and survival, and nearly a quarter of children in the developing world were underweight in 2009, with the poorest children most affected.
Advances in sanitation has also often bypassed the poor and those living in rural areas, with more than 2.6 billion people still lacking access to toilets or other forms of improved sanitation. In Southern Asia, for example, sanitation coverage for the poorest 40 per cent of households hardly increased between 1995 and 2008.
The MDGs were agreed at the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000, with eight targets for reducing extreme poverty and hunger, improving health and education, empowering women and ensuring environmental sustainability by 2015.
Last year, world leaders attending a summit at UN Headquarters reaffirmed their commitment to the goals and called for intensified collective action and the expansion of successful approaches. A Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health was also launched, attracting over $40 billion in pledges.

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New UN report calls for end to injustices faced by millions of women worldwide

Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet addresses news conference at UN Headquarters

6 July 2011 –

Millions of women worldwide continue to experience injustice, violence and inequality in their homes, the workplace and public life, according to a new United Nations report that calls on governments to take urgent action to ensure real equality between the sexes. “Progress of the World’s Women: In Pursuit of Justice” is the first major report by UN Women, the agency launched earlier this year to spearhead the world body’s efforts towards gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The flagship report “aims to inspire bold action by governments and civil society to meet their commitments and also accelerate the achievement of women’s rights worldwide,” Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women, told a news conference at UN Headquarters.
She said the focus on women’s access to justice stems from the recognition that laws and justice systems that work well are the foundation of gender equality. Although the rule of law is a cherished principle and the cornerstone of democratic governance worldwide, “in too many countries still the rule of law rules women out,” she added.
The report states that the past century has seen a “transformation” in women’s legal rights, with countries in every region expanding the scope of women’s legal entitlements. “Nevertheless for most of the world’s women, the laws that exist on paper do not translate to equality and justice,” it adds.
It also points out that while 139 countries and territories now guarantee gender equality in their constitutions, women continue to experience injustice, violence and inequality in their home and working lives.
“With half the world’s population at stake, the findings of this report are a powerful call to action,” said Ms. Bachelet. “The foundations for justice for women have been laid: in 1911, just two countries in the world allowed women to vote – now that right is virtually universal.
“But full equality demands that women become men’s true equals in the eyes of the law – in their home and working lives, and in the public sphere,” she stated.
UN Women calls on governments to take a number of steps to end the injustices that keep women poorer and less powerful than men in every country in the world.
These include repealing laws that discriminate against women; employing more female police, judges, legislators and activists on the “frontline of justice delivery;” and investing in “one-stop shops” where women can access justice, legal and health services in one place.
Among the findings of the report is that while domestic violence is now outlawed in 125 countries, 603 million women worldwide live in countries where it is not considered a crime. Also, women are still paid up to 30 per cent less than men in some countries, and some 600 million women are employed in vulnerable jobs that lack the protection of labour laws.
The report also finds inadequate enforcement of existing laws across the board. Many women, says UN Women, shrink away from reporting crimes due to social stigma and weak justice systems.
The prohibitive costs and practical difficulties of seeking justice, from travel to a distant court to paying for expensive legal advice, leads to high drop-out rates in cases where women seek redress, especially on gender-based violence, the agency notes.
“By changing laws and giving women practical support to see justice done, we can change society and ensure women and men enjoy real equality in the future,” concludes the report.

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World cereal prices drop slightly but still steeply higher than last year – UN

 

7 July 2011 –

Cereal prices dropped slightly in the world markets in June, but were still 71 per cent higher than a year ago, with the fall attributable to improved weather conditions in Europe and the lifting of Russia’s export ban, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today. The FAO Cereal Price index averaged 259 points in June, down one per cent from May.
The maize market, however, remained tight because of low 2010 supplies and continued wet conditions in the United States. Prices of rice were mostly up in June, reflecting strong import demand and uncertainty over export prices in Thailand, the world’s largest rice exporter.
Overall, the FAO Food Price Index rose one per cent to 234 points last month, 39 per cent higher than in June last year, but four per cent below its all-time high of 238 points in February this year. A strong rise in the price of sugar in the international markets drove up the index.
The FAO Sugar Price Index rose 14 per cent from May to June, reaching 359 points, 15 per cent below its January record. Production in Brazil, the world’s biggest sugar producer, is forecast to fall below last year’s level.
The agency’s Dairy Price Index averaged 232 points in June, largely unchanged from 231 points in May, while the Meat Price Index averaged 180, marginally up from May with poultry meat rising three per cent and climbing to a new record, while pig meat prices declined.
After two consecutive revisions to the US crops and planting prospects for 2011, FAO’s latest forecast for world cereal production for 2011-2012 stands at nearly 2,313 million tons, 3.3 per cent higher than last year and 11 million tons above FAO’s last forecast on 22 June.
World cereal use for 2011-2012 is forecast to grow by 1.4 per cent from 2010-2011, reaching 2,307 million tons, just five million tons under forecast production.
World cereal stocks at the close of the crop season in 2012 are now expected to stand six million tons above their opening levels. While wheat and rice inventories are expected to become more comfortable, coarse grains stocks, especially maize, would remain tight, according to FAO.

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Mass rapes in DR Congo could be crimes against humanity – UN report

 

Poster in Goma, eastern DRC, warning of the penalties for rape

6 July 2011 –

The rapes of hundreds of people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last year could be considered crimes against humanity and war crimes, according to a new United Nations report, which urges the Government to bring the perpetrators to justice. The report concluded that about 200 combatants from two rebel groups, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the Mayi Mayi Sheka, “systematically attacked civilians” in 13 villages in Walikale territory in North Kivu province between 30 July and 2 August 2010, and “looted most of these villages, raped hundreds of civilians, mostly women, but also men and children, and abducted more than a hundred people who were subjected to forced labour.”
“By using rape as a weapon of war, as a mean of terror and to ensure the enslavement of civilians,” the armed groups breached the Geneva conventions, according to the report, co-authored by investigators from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO).
“Due to the fact that these attacks were well-planned in advance and carried out in a systematic, targeted manner, the exactions committed could constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes,” which are under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the report noted.
The team said that only one person has been arrested, despite the fact that some 150 of the more than 387 rape victims have been interviewed by local authorities.
“The security situation in the targeted villages prior to the launching of the attacks makes it clear that the weakness of the State authority in Walikale territory has been one of the causes of the proliferation of the armed groups which have monopolized control over the mining industry and are trafficking arms in the region, thus causing increasing insecurity for the civilian population,” the report said.
Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said “the lack of progress in official investigations and in legal action against the perpetrators poses a severe obstacle to deterring future violations,” according to an OHCHR press statement.
“Since the attacks in Walikale there have been many other instances of rape and other types of sexual violence being systematically used as weapons of war and reprisal by armed groups,” Ms. Pillay said. “The Government should pursue its efforts to bring perpetrators to justice and ensure that victims and witnesses are protected, given the high risk of reprisals.”
Roger Meece, the head of MONUSCO and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the DRC, said that “the anger and frustration of the people, including victims of horrific crimes, who continue to live in these areas in a situation of grave insecurity, must serve as a call to action.”
“Since the violations were committed, MONUSCO has increased the number of operational bases in the affected areas and significantly improved its logistics and interaction with the civilian population there,” OHCHR noted.
Today’s report from OHCHR and MONUSCO is separate from an investigation under way by an assessment mission that has confirmed that Government troops in the DRC committed mass rape and acts of pillaging in several remote villages in the country’s east last month.

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Ban inaugurates modern UN communications hub in Valencia, Spain

 

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre) and Crown Prince Felipe of Spain inaugurate the UN Support Base in Valencia. Mrs. Ban is at right

6 July 2011 –

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today inaugurated a new United Nations information and telecommunications facility in the Spanish city of Valencia, saying the centre will enhance the world body’s capacity to respond in an agile and efficient manner to crises around the world. “Valencia will strengthen the ability for all our personnel to stay connected 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Mr. Ban said. “By providing that certainty in communications links, the Valencia base will significantly enhance safety and security for people on the ground.”
He said the base, to be known as UNSB-V, was an integral part of the UN Global Field Support Strategy and the organization’s overall information and telecommunications plan. It will work in conjunction with the existing UN Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy (UNLB).
The two bases will ensure the safety of data in the event of a catastrophic incident and provide information and communications technology support to more than 100,000 field personnel deployed around the world.
The Valencia hub is crucial in an age when information is ever more vulnerable to extreme weather, natural disasters, political crises and other disruptive events, the Secretary-General added.
“And as is plain for any visitor, this is more than just functional space. The state-of-the-art design is both visually striking and environmentally friendly. There are 700 solar panels, with more on the way. The design reduces the need for heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.
“In every sense, this is a 21st century facility which will help the United Nations deliver to the most vulnerable places on Earth,” said Mr. Ban.
He thanked the Government, the city of Valencia and people of Spain for their contribution towards the construction of the facility, saying it was a demonstration of their commitment to advancing the goals of the UN.
“You are pivotal supporters of our global mission – from tackling climate change to combating chronic poverty from promoting cross-cultural understanding to contributing troops to peacekeeping operations around the world.”
Mr. Ban had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, during which they discussed the Middle East peace process. They also exchanged views on Syria and Libya, where calls for political reform have violent.
Mr. Ban and Mr. Zapatero also discussed the need to support democratic transitions in North Africa and the Middle East, including Egypt and Tunisia. Their discussions also touched on Western Sahara and Afghanistan. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), global sustainability and food security also come up for discussions.
At a separate meeting Mr. Ban and Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez discussed the situation in the Middle East, Libya, Cyprus and Western Sahara.

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Sports as a tool for changing perceptions

 

27 June 2011, New York

One billion people or about 15 per cent of the world’s population live with some sort of disability according to the World Disability Report. Highlighting the importance of seeing disabled persons as citizens with a strong capacity to empower communities towards development, Ms. Daniela Bas, Director for DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development opened a panel discussion on “Sports for Inclusive Development” on 27 June.
Arranged by the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN, the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN and DESA, in collaboration with the Achilles Foundation International, the discussion revolved around the rights of access to sports for persons with disabilities, how this should be addressed in all policies and viewed as a need to express capacities and abilities.
It was also pointed out that this action will continue blurring the line between “them” and “us”, giving priority to sports as a point of junction in reaching development goals.
Mr. Joao Qunitaes of the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN, made a reflection on how sports are deeply rooted in the Brazilian culture as an opportunity to gain an improved position, helping people to get better access to health and education. Ms. Ann Cody of the International Paralympic Committee, also remarked, “Sport with its universal popularity and the physical, social and economic development is a very strong tool for inclusion”.
All panelists agreed that upcoming events with large audiences, like the Parapanemarican Games 2011 in Mexico, will continue to be an opportunity for disabled people to have access to more positive settings.
It was also stressed that sport increases opportunities of inclusion and well being of persons with disabilities in various ways; by changing the perception in the community, by abolishing stereotypes and by changing how they look at themselves. The panelists concluded by emphasizing that sport for persons with disabilities is part of recovering their life.

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Listening to youth in armed conflict

 

23 June 2011, New York

The world is still a dangerous place for children. It is estimated that approximately 300,000 armed children and youths are living in conflict zones, half of them girls and the most vulnerable. These children are victims, forced to live in constant violation of their rights by being subjected to recruitment, mutilation, abduction, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of necessary humanitarian aid.
Within the context of the International Year of Youth, a briefing session on Youth and Armed Conflict was held on 23 June, hosted by the UN Programme on Youth (UNPY) in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN and the Office of the Special Representative to the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and moderated by Chantale Walker from the Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN.
The session stressed the importance of the development of strategies before, during and in post-conflict, focusing on rehabilitation; education as a key factor for the inclusion of children into communities; building networks; and peacebuilding operations.
The global importance and priority of the protection of children in armed conflicts within the Security Council and in the international community was also recalled. The event also highlighted accomplishments, efforts and results achieved so far including the strengthening of legal protection and standards, the role of reports of missions on decision-making and resolutions.
The speakers agreed that protection, education and the inclusion of these children in building their communities, are essential for the promotion of peace. Grace Akallo, former child soldier and founder of United Africans for Women and Children Rights, spoke with a voice representing thousands, insisting on “the importance of education, care and protection from member states to save children and youth from conflict”.
Many challenges remain to be resolved and there was agreement for the necessity in achieving long-term programs to re-integrate former child soldiers into society and the need of major efforts in implementation and in mobilizing the international community.

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Call to integrate social and economic policies

 

22 June 2011, Geneva

“The economic crisis reminds us that it is essential for people to be healthy, educated, adequately housed and well fed to be more productive and better able to contribute to society,” said Jomo Kwame Sundaram, DESA’s Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development. “Social policy should be an integral part of economic policy.”
The Report on the World Social Situation: The Global Social Crisis, published by DESA and released today, reveals that many goverments are not paying enough attention to the social implications of their economic policies geared towards recovery from the economic crisis.
There is a special emphasis on how the disconnection between social and economic policies often have dire consequences for the population in reference to health, nutrition and education, negatively affecting economic growth.
According to the report, recovery has been uneven and continues to be fragile, with a wide range of negative social impacts lingering from the economic downturn. Poverty and unemployment have for instance been linked to crime, gender-based violence, substance abuse and mental illness.
The report also states that the effects of the crisis in areas including health and education, will be fully evident in the long term. The increased levels of poverty, hunger and unemployment due to the global crisis is expected to continue, affecting billions of people for years to come.
It moreover stresses that social protection must be looked upon as an ongoing investment to promote sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth. Cutting social expenditures may worsen and prolong negative impacts from the crises. The importance of creating jobs is also underscored.
“There is renewed realization that social policy considerations, especially productive employment, must be given greater importance within economic policy,” Mr. Jomo said. “The disconnect between economic policies and their social consequences can create a vicious circle of slow growth and poor social progress”.

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High-level meeting of UN Economic and Social Council to focus on education

1 July 2011 – Making education accessible for all will be the focus of a United Nations conference in Geneva next week that will bring together representatives from governments, international organizations, civil society and academia to discuss ways of ensuring everyone has an opportunity to acquire knowledge. Delegates at the High-level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will discuss how to accelerate progress towards achieving the goal of education for all and look into ways of promoting sustained and inclusive economic growth, while exploring policies that governments can pursue to achieve those objectives.
“The perspectives of different regions are very different. In Africa… their concerns are around the problem of access to those who are marginalized,” Nikhil Seth, the Director of ECOSOC’s Office for Support and Coordination, said in an interview with the UN News Centre.
“In Latin America and the Caribbean, the problems are of a totally different nature. There it is a struggle for equality… a struggle of not essentially looking at primary education, but looking at ways in which you can enhance secondary and tertiary education to ensure higher quality of learning and learning outcomes,” he added.
“We trying to bring in all these regional perspectives for a process by which we can share this information and best practices can be learned and shared with everyone.”
He noted that 67 million children of school age were out of school globally, according to 2008 statistics, with an estimated 10 million youngsters dropping out of school every year in sub-Saharan Africa. About 17 per cent of the world’s adults, or almost 800 million people, lacked basic literacy skills.
“At the meeting we will of course have some legislative outcomes in the form of a ministerial declaration where we hope that all the preparations that we have done will help accelerate progress by bringing all the stakeholders in collective action for achieving the goals that we have set for ourselves in education,” said Mr. Seth.
“On the issue of understanding the state of the world economy and of promoting sustained inclusive growth, we hope ECOSOC will come up with a better understanding of what are the sensible policies governments should pursue to make growth inclusive,” he added.
Eleven countries – Bangladesh, Belarus, Germany, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Pakistan, Qatar, Senegal, Turkey and Venezuela – will outline in presentations to the ECOSOC High-level conference – their experiences in trying to expand education opportunities, including lessons learned and difficulties encountered in their development policies.
“The meeting will enable a better understanding of how we assess where we are, not only in the state of the world economy, but also what are the sensible policies that the UN would like to recommend in having inclusive and equitable growth,” said Mr. Seth.
“We hope that the participation of a large number of policy-makers and other stakeholders will help policy-makers at the national level bring these lessons back into national policy because at the end of the day it’s countries and their national policies which determine their responses to all these crises,” he said.
“There is action of course at the global level and there is action at the national level and we hope that ECOSOC will help in better understanding of all these issues.”

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UN speaks out against pending execution of Mexican national in United States

High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay

1 July 2011 – The top United Nations human rights official has appealed to a state governor in the United States to commute the death sentence of a Mexican national scheduled to be executed for murder next week, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported today. The plea from Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is also supported by two UN rights experts who have urged the US Government to stop the execution for the same reason: the convicted murderer was not granted access to a Mexican consular official at the time of his arrest.
Ms. Pillay wrote directly to Texas Governor Rick Perry asking him to order a life sentence for Humberto Leal Garcia, who was condemned to death for the 1994 murder of a 16-year-old girl, according to Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for OHCHR.
“Over and above the normal UN position opposing the death penalty, this case raises particular concerns, as Mr. Leal Garcia was not granted consular access, which, as a foreign national, is his right under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” Mr. Colville said.
“The lack of consular assistance and advice raises concerns about whether or not Mr. Leal Garcia’s right to a fair trial was fully upheld,” he said.
“We understand that Mr. Leal Garcia is due to be executed next Thursday, 7 July, but that the Governor of Texas has the power to commute the sentence to life imprisonment. The High Commissioner has written to him directly requesting him to do so.”
The spokesperson said that the case also “raises questions” regarding compliance with a 2004 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that the US breached its obligations under an international convention to 51 Mexicans on death row in US jails when it did not inform them of their right to contact their consular representatives “without delay” after their arrests.
In that judgment the ICJ ruled that, as a remedy for the violations of Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the US must provide “review and reconsideration” of Mr. Leal Garcia’s conviction and sentence, Mr. Colville said.
Meanwhile, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan Méndez, called on the US Government to cancel the execution.
“If the scheduled execution of Mr. Leal García goes ahead, the United States Government will have implemented a death penalty after a trial that did not comply with due process rights,” Mr. Heyns said. “This will be tantamount to an arbitrary deprivation of life.”
“Conditions in death row during those 17 years are such that they amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment according to well-established standards in international law,” Mr. Méndez said.
Mr. Heyns and Mr. Méndez are independent, non-paid specialist reporting to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

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UN team confirms mass rapes occurred in remote villages in eastern DR Congo

The Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, South Kivu is one of the few referral centres for sexually violated women

1 July 2011 – A joint United Nations assessment mission has confirmed that Government troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) committed mass rape and acts of pillaging in several remote villages in the country’s east last month. Residents of Nyakiele in the province of South Kivu told UN staff that troops serving with the Congolese armed forces, known as the FARDC, raped at least 121 women and subjected villagers to cruel and degrading treatment during the attacks, which took place around 11 June.
The troops were led by a former commander of the rebel Mayi Mayi group, who reportedly deserted from an integration camp of the FARDC.
The troops – who attacked at least one other village in the area, which is covered in thick forest – also stole the equivalent of about $90,000 in cash and gold, as well as 157 goats, and forced some of the villagers to transport the looted goods for them.
An assessment team comprising UN human rights and humanitarian officials, as well as provincial authorities and a staff from a non-governmental organization (NGO), travelled to Nyakiele after reports emerged of the attacks.
Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters today in Geneva that more in-depth investigations will now take place to further verify the details and identify the perpetrators.
He voiced outrage at the attacks, echoing the recent remarks of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallström.

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Regional drought causing ‘alarming’ overcrowding at Kenyan refugee camp: UN

30 June 2011 – The United Nations humanitarian agency reported today that the numbers of new arrivals of Horn of Africa drought victims at an already overcrowded refugee camp in north-eastern Kenya is growing “at alarming rates.” The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said: “The overcrowded Dadaab refugee camp in Garissa continues to receive new arrivals at alarming rates. The current number of registered refugees – 353,921 – is four times its capacity. Twenty thousand people have arrived in the last two weeks alone.”
The site is the largest refugee camp in the world.
Earlier this week OCHA estimated that 10 million people across the Horn of Africa are facing a severe food crisis following a prolonged drought in the region, with some areas of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Uganda, experiencing their worst drought conditions in 60 years.
The Kenyan Government has declared the drought situation a national disaster, with malnutrition mortality rates in northern Kenya exceeding emergency thresholds, OCHA reported.

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Ban calls for stepped-up action against attackers of children in armed conflicts

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) and Amb. Peter Wittig of Germany at panel discussion on children and armed conflict

30 June 2011 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reiterated his concern over the growing number of attacks on schools and hospitals and threats to children in armed conflicts around the world, stating that the United Nations is considering targeted measures against those who commit such crimes. “Beyond naming and shaming, we have a further tool we can consider employing to safeguard schools and hospitals in conflict,” said Mr. Ban at a panel discussion organized by Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and Germany’s Ambassador to the UN, Peter Wittig, ahead of next month’s general debate on the issue in the Security Council.
“The threat of targeted measures against repeat violators – especially non-State actors – is credible and effective,” the Secretary-General said.
He said the protection of schools and hospitals is central to the UN’s work to protect children from those who seek to deny them education and health care.
“Let us resolve to keep up the pressure on all who violate the rights of children in conflict, whether it is in conscripting child soldiers or threatening schools and hospitals,” said Mr. Ban.
He welcomed in efforts to negotiate a Security Council resolution that will add attacks on schools and hospitals as a listing criteria in his annual reports on children and armed conflict.
The Secretary-General noted that initiatives by the UN, governments, civil society and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on previous listed violations, such as the recruitment and use of children in conflict, have yielded positive results.
“These efforts – and the ‘action plan’ concept laid out in Security Council resolution 1539 and later resolutions – have led to the signing of 15 action plans covering nine conflict arenas,” he said. Under the resolution, parties named in the Secretary-General’s reports on children and armed conflict are obliged to prepare concrete time-bound action plans to halt recruitment and use of children.
Mr. Ban commended Chad for undertaking to separate all children associated with its security forces. Once Chad’s action plan is implemented, the country will be removed from the “list of shame.”
“I encourage the governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myanmar and Sudan, as well as the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia, to follow suit,” Mr. Ban added.
The panellists at today’s discussion included Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and Martin Mogwanja, the Deputy Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Consort of the Emir of Qatar and UNESCO’s Special Envoy on basic and higher education, gave the keynote speech.

READ MORE - Ban calls for stepped-up action against attackers of children in armed conflicts

UN agency welcomes safe return of two missing staff in Ethiopia

WFP food convoy

30 June 2011 – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed today that two Ethiopian staff members who went missing after a deadly incident in mid-May have been safely recovered. “WFP confirms that the staff members have been brought to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, where they are receiving medical treatment and stress counseling and being reunited with their families,” the Rome-based agency said in a press statement.
The two staff members went missing on 13 May after the convoy in which they travelling on a monitoring mission in Ethiopia’s Somali region was attacked by assailants.
One member of the convoy, the driver Farhan Hamsa, was killed in the attack, and another staff member was injured.
WFP said it had worked closely with national and regional authorities to ensure the safe return of the two staff members.
“This incident underscores the need to ensure the safety and security of UN staff,” the statement stressed.

READ MORE - UN agency welcomes safe return of two missing staff in Ethiopia

UN official appeals for resources to help millions facing hunger in Horn of Africa

A growing number of people in the Horn of Africa are in need of food assistance in the wake of a hard drought and ongoing conflict in Somalia

29 June 2011 – The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today voiced concern over the plight of nearly 10 million people facing severe food shortages as a result of a prolonged drought in the Horn of Africa, adding that resources for the relief effort in the region are dwindling at a time when assistance needs to be stepped up. “The World Food Programme is aiming to feed more than 6 million of the most vulnerable, but resources are thin and at the very moment that we should be ramping up operations, we have been scaling back some programmes in Ethiopia and Somalia,” said Josette Sheeran, the WFP Executive Director.
She said delivery of emergency food assistance is a vital part of the Horn of Africa Action Plan the humanitarian community developed last year to strengthen the resilience of communities affected by the drought emergency and to protect assets such as farming tools and livestock.
“It is essential that we move quickly to break the destructive cycle of drought and hunger that forces farmers to sell their means of production as part of their survival strategy.”
Ms. Sheeran said conflict in Somalia also continues to force civilians from their homes, with an estimated 10,000 people arriving each week at crowded refugee camps in Kenya. The number of malnourished children receiving supplementary or therapeutic feeding in the camps has tripled this year, an indication of the seriousness of the problem and the need for swift international action.
“A slowly evolving regional hunger crisis may not have the immediate impact of a mega-emergency like the Haitian earthquake, or Pakistan floods, but the drought and rising malnutrition in the Horn affects more people and its effects are equally devastating,” said Ms. Sheeran.
Those in need of assistance include 3.2 million people in Ethiopia, 3.5 million in Kenya, 2.5 million in Somalia, an estimated 600,000 residents of north-eastern Uganda and some 120,000 people in Djibouti, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Mark Bowden, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia told a news briefing that the situation in that country was “rapidly deteriorating.”
“If we are not able to respond to it rapidly and effectively, there will be many more lives lost as a result of malnutrition,” he said.
Mr. Bowden said “the basic root cause” of the crisis is the price of food, which he said has risen by 270 per cent since last year.
Noting that an appeal for Somalia has been only 40 per cent funded, he said: “Currently our resources are woefully inadequate… We find ourselves in a position where we are able to do more, but don’t have the resources.”

READ MORE - UN official appeals for resources to help millions facing hunger in Horn of Africa

Two killed as Kenyan police try to quell riot in packed refugee camp – UN

New Somali refugee arrivals wait for registration at a camp in Dadaab, Kenya

1 July 2011 – Two refugees were killed when Kenyan police tried to quell a riot that broke out in the world’s biggest refugee camp where the number of mostly Somali residents has swelled to more than 370,000, spawning overcrowding problems, the United Nations reported today. The unrest erupted yesterday when residents of Dagahaley refugee camp, one of the three that comprise the Dadaab complex of camps in Kenya’s North-eastern province, gathered to protest an attempt to demolish illegal structures around a food distribution point, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Adrian Edwards, told reporters in Geneva.
Police initially used tear gas in an effort to disperse the crowd but reportedly resorted to live ammunition later, killing the two refugees and wounding about a dozen others.
“Sadly, this incident is symptomatic of the pressures at the camp amid overcrowding compounded by the very high number of arrivals we have been seeing recently from Somalia,” said Mr. Edwards.
More than 61,000 Somalis fleeing violence and severe drought in Somalia have sought safety and succour in Kenya since the beginning of the year.
“As of 6 June, we had opened three emergency centres in Dadaab, [and] since then a further 27,000 people have approached the reception centres at these sites,” said Mr. Edwards, adding that the total number of refugees in Dadaab surpassed 370,000 last week.
Somali refugees have also been moving into Ethiopia, with 55,000 have arrived since the start of the year. Twenty-six per cent of the newly arrived people are malnourished, with the malnutrition rate among children estimated at three in five. UNHCR has introduced a blanket feeding programme for young children and additional funding is required to keep the nutrition programmes going.
The two established refugee camps in Ethiopia’s south-east – Bokolmanyo and Malkadida – which were opened in April 2009 and February last year respectively, accommodate more than 70,000 refugees and have reached their full capacity. A new camp was opened last Friday at Kobe and 7,500 Somalis had been transported to the site by yesterday, according to Mr. Edwards. Ethiopia hosts a total of 130,000 Somali refugees.
Kenya is itself facing a humanitarian crisis as a result of the severe drought ravaging large swathes of the Horn of Africa. In drought-affected areas, monthly hospital admissions for severe malnutrition are 78 per cent higher than last year, Marixie Mercado, a spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), told reporters in Geneva.
In Turkana district in the northwest, acute malnutrition rates are the highest ever recorded in the area, at 37.4 per cent.
Mr. Edwards cited aid agencies inside Somalia as saying they remain concerned about landmines and other security threats which are making access extremely dangerous.
“We are also receiving reports that people displaced by drought, lack of food and insecurity in the Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions [of Somalia] are arriving in Mogadishu in search of food and other humanitarian assistance,” he added.
Humanitarian conditions in Somalia, particularly the southern region, are at their worst in a decade. A total of 2.85 million people, or one in three Somalis, are said to be experiencing food crisis and in need of other forms of assistance, including water, sanitation and health care, according to Ms. Mercado.
UNHCR has also distributed shelter materials, blankets, mattresses, basic household goods and hygiene items, to people displaced by fighting in the Belet Hawo area in Gedo region.
In total, there are more than 750,000 Somali refugees in countries in the wider region, mostly in neighbouring Kenya (which hosts 405,000), Yemen (187,000) and Ethiopia (130,000). Another 1.46 million people are displaced within Somalia.

READ MORE - Two killed as Kenyan police try to quell riot in packed refugee camp – UN

UN chief calls for specific steps to close gender gap in parliaments

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with Margot Wallström, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict

30 June 2011 – Mr. Ban told a high-level forum on women and democracy, held in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, that it was time for “faster and wider progress” in promoting the participation of women at all levels of society. “When women are included, democracies thrive. And when women take their rightful leadership roles, all of society benefits,” he said in a message to the forum delivered by Margot Wallström, his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Mr. Ban noted that although more and more women are taking their place in governments, fewer than 10 per cent of the world’s countries have a female head of State or government, and fewer than 30 countries have met the UN target of having women comprise at least 30 per cent of their lawmakers in national parliaments.
“We need to take specific steps to close this gender gap. Experience shows that the democratic ideals of inclusiveness, accountability and transparency are only achieved through laws, policies and special measures that address inequalities.”
The Secretary-General stressed that women’s participation should be supported at all times, and not just during legislative elections.
“Our work to ensure gender equality must start with girls getting the food, health care and education they deserve, equal to boys. It must continue through all stages of life. And it must cover all realms, from the world of business to the halls of government and beyond.”
He noted that the UN is working on several fronts to promote women in democracy-building activities, whether through the new agency UN Women or through individual projects financed by the UN Democracy Fund.

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UN’s global network of biosphere reserves grows by 18 new sites

Sea life in the reefs of Baa Atoll, Maldives

30 June 2011 – The United Nations today added 18 new sites to its global list of biosphere reserves, bringing the total to 581 in 114 different countries, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported. The International Coordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), meeting in the German city of Dresden, added sites in Lithuania, Maldives, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Togo for the first time to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
Biosphere reserves are places recognized by MAB where local communities are actively involved in governance and management, research, education, training and monitoring at the service of both socio-economic development and biodiversity conservation. They are thus sites for experimenting with and learning about sustainable development, UNESCO said.
UNESCO said the new sites are:

• Bras d’Or Lake, in Nova Scotia, Canada, which encompasses a saltwater estuary watershed “inland sea” with three passages to the Atlantic Ocean.
• Mao’er Mountain in China, which features a mountain landscape of exceptional scenery, with peaks reaching more than 2,000 metres above sea level.
• Corredor Biológico Nevados de Chillán-Laguna del Laja in Chile, which is located in the northern part of the Patagonia region and is a global biodiversity hotspot.
• Songor, Ghana, which is characterized by a unique combination of brackish/estuarine, freshwater and marine ecosystems with mangroves, islands and small patches of community-protected forests.
• Mujib, Jordan, which is part of the Dead Sea basin and Jordan Rift Valley landscape.
• Zuvintas, Lithuania, which includes lakes, wetlands, mires, peat bogs, and pine tree stands.
• Baa Atoll, Maldives, which harbours globally significant biodiversity in its numerous reefs.
• Berlangas archipelago, Portugal, which includes the Berlangas, a group of small islands and rocks, and the city of Peniche on the mainland.
• Volga-Akhtuba floodplain in the Russian Federation, which represents a mosaic structure of different landscapes, with high-yielding floodplain meadows, spawning grounds, oak groves and internationally important wetlands.
• St. Mary’s, Saint Kitts and Nevis, which comprises cloud forests, mangroves and coral reefs.
• Blekinge Archipelago in Sweden, which includes most of the coastal areas and archipelagos of Blekinge, containing a variety of islands and islets.
• Nedre Dalälven River Landscape in Sweden, which covers 308,000 hectares with a mixture of wetlands, rivers, lakes, flood plains and productive forests.
• Oti-Keran/Oti-Mandouri in Togo, which encompasses various ecosystems, including shrubland, savannas, forest galleries and grasslands.
• Roztochya, Ukraine, which covers a total area of 74,800 hectares with agriculture, stock-breeding and fish farming as its main economic activities.
• Bura’a, Yemen, which is a rugged mountainous area intersected by several deep valleys rich in rare, vulnerable and endemic plant species.
• Santana Madeira, Portugal, which is the first biosphere reserve in the Madeira Archipelago. Despite an active tourist industry, agriculture dominates the economy of local communities.
• Ramot Menashe in Israel, which encompasses a mosaic of ecological systems that represent the Mediterranean Basin's version of the global “evergreen sclerophyllous forests, woodlands and scrub” ecosystem types.
• Trifinio Fraternidad Biosphere Reserve, which stretches over parts of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. It is home to many endemic species that inhabit the tropical humid forest.

Meanwhile, Cat Tien is the new name of the former Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve in Viet Nam, which was designated in 2001. Two new core zones have been added to the site, bringing its total area to 966,563 hectares, UNESCO said.
Australia also withdrew Macquarie Island from the WNBR because it is uninhabited by humans and human presence is a criterion for inclusion in the network.

READ MORE - UN’s global network of biosphere reserves grows by 18 new sites