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UN Daily News
Thursday, 9 October 2014
Issue DH/6754
In the headlines:
• Central African Republic: UN condemns fatal attack
• On World Day, UN spotlights need to usher postal
• Ban urges international community to escalate
• Ebola crisis ‘permeates every aspect of people’s
• In Washington, UN, World Bank chiefs rally support
• Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan,
against “blue helmets”
Ebola response amid worsening outbreak
‘to build a healthy Haiti’
•
Bollywood star shines bright for UNICEF’s South
Asia child nutrition campaign
services into changing communication landscape
lives’ in Guinea, UN warns
UN’s Ban urges calm, dialogue
• Yemen: Ban condemns ‘heinous’ suicide attacks,
urges peace pact implementation
• DR Congo: UN officials urge justice for grave
• Malta must accelerate efforts towards preventing
• World must continue to strive for abolition of death
• UN’s fiscal health depends on Member States
crimes committed by M23
penalty, says senior UN official
ill-treatment of detainees – UN experts
meeting obligations, senior official reports
More stories inside
Central African Republic: UN condemns fatal attack against
“blue helmets”
9 October - The top United Nations official in the Central African Republic (CAR) today
condemned a deadly ambush against peacekeepers serving there that left one “blue helmet”
dead, one severely wounded and seven others slightly injured.
According to reports, a UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR
(MINUSCA) convoy was attacked on the outskirts of Bangui, CAR’s capital, in the evening
hours of 9 October, in the latest bout of violence to ripple through the war-torn country.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of MINUSCA, Babacar Gaye,
strongly condemned the attack in a statement, calling it an “unacceptable” crime and
vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Babacar Gaye, Special Representative
and head of MINUSCA, speaks to the
press in Bangui (July 2014). UN
Photo/Catianne Tijerina
“The United Nations is a non-partisan Organization, and we will work with all actors to fulfil our aims, to promote peace
and reconciliation in the Central African Republic,” he declared.
“But we will continue to take robust action against criminal elements who threaten civilians.”
Thousands of people are estimated to have been killed in CAR, and 2.2 million, about half the population, need
humanitarian aid in a conflict which erupted when mainly Muslim Séléka rebels launched attacks in December 2012. The
violence has since taken on increasingly sectarian overtones.
For information media not an official record
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9 October 2014
Lieutenant General Gaye also paid tribute to MINUSCA’s military and police units, who, he said, were “preventing a very
difficult situation from spiralling out of control” and expressed his deepest condolences to the family of the fallen
peacekeeper and his Government.
Ban urges international community to escalate Ebola response
amid worsening outbreak
9 October - The international community must “step up” its response to the Ebola outbreak
in West Africa before it gets much worse, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
stressed today , adding that a range of measures – from extra financing to increased medical
assistance – were essential in helping the countries afflicted by the disease.
With funds from the World Bank Group,
UNICEF delivers essential supplies to
Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola
outbreak. Photo: World Bank/Francis
Ato Brown
In remarks made at a special meeting focusing on the Ebola virus and held at the World
Bank in Washington, D.C., the Secretary-General noted that while dozens of countries are
providing life-saving contributions and forming the “building blocks for a global response
coalition,” cases of the disease are “growing exponentially,” as are fears about its spread
outside West Africa.
“The best antidote to fear is an effective and urgent response. We need a 20-fold resource
mobilization,” Mr. Ban told those gathered, as he called for more mobile laboratories, vehicles, helicopters, protective
equipment, trained medical personnel and medevac capacities to be provided in order to stay Ebola’s advance.
In particular, he urged the global community to set five specific priorities, including stopping the outbreak, treating those
infected, providing essential services, preserving stability, and preventing outbreaks in non-affected countries.
On that note, he also applauded the World Bank for approving $400 million in grants and loans for the affected countries as
well as the medical and support personnel working on the ground to save lives.
Commenting on the wider UN response, the Secretary-General noted the steady ramping up of the UN Mission for Ebola
Emergency Response (UNMEER), with the UN World Health Organization (WHO) at its centre. Yesterday, he convened a
UN system-wide meeting with WHO chief, Dr. Margaret Chan participating and Dr. David Nabarro, Special Envoy on
Ebola, and Tony Banbury, the head of UNMEER, also participating.
The outbreak of Ebola, a highly contagious and fatal virus transmitted through close contact with the infected, has spread
rapidly across West Africa since early cases were detected in March, leaving thousands of sick and dead in its wake and
sowing panic among local communities.
In a recent update, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported 8,033 cases and 3,879 deaths from Ebola based on
information provided by the Ministries of Health of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The agency notes that the upward
epidemic trend continues in Sierra Leone and most probably also in Liberia. By contrast, the situation in Guinea appears to
be more stable, though, in the context of an Ebola outbreak, a stable pattern of transmission is still of a very grave concern,
and could change quickly.
The health agency noted that 375 health care workers are known to have developed Ebola (67 in Guinea, 184 in Liberia, 11
in Nigeria, and 113 in Sierra Leone), and 211 of them have died as a result (35 in Guinea, 89 in Liberia, five in Nigeria, and
82 in Sierra Leone).
Two countries, Nigeria and Senegal, have now reported a case or cases imported from a country with widespread and
intense transmission. In Nigeria, there have been 20 cases and eight deaths. In Senegal, there has been one case, but as yet
there have been no deaths. The disease has also been tracked to the United States and Spain.
The Secretary-General warned that “things will get worse before they get better” but observed that how much worse was up
to the international community and its effectiveness in stepping up to the challenge posed by the disease.
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9 October 2014
“It’s a matter of action,” Mr. Ban urged. “We need to act.”
In Washington, UN, World Bank chiefs rally support ‘to build a
healthy Haiti’
9 October - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined global partners,
including the head of the World Bank, at a high-level conference in Washington, D.C., to
combat water borne diseases like cholera in Haiti and, raise commitments to provide clean
water, improved sanitation and health services in cholera endemic areas over the next three
years.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim pledged $50 million ahead of the high-level
conference on “Haiti: Clean Water, Improved Sanitation, Better Health” , co-hosted with
the UN Secretary-General to substantially improve water and sanitation coverage in Haiti,
and strengthen health services.
The French Red Cross provides water,
sanitation and toilets for 11,000 IDPs at
the Centre d'Hebergement Provisoire
Automica Dahaitsu in Port-au-Prince,
Haiti. Photo: MINUSTAH
“We have made significant progress in controlling the cholera epidemic in Haiti, but too
many people are still getting sick, mainly because they don’t have access to clean water and lack sanitation systems. Cholera
remains endemic and water borne diseases are one of the leading causes of infant mortality in Haiti,” said Mr. Kim.
“Expanding coverage of safe water and sanitation is possible. We cannot ignore this opportunity to prevent thousands more
Haitian children from dying from waterborne diseases,” he added.
The high-level conference is being chaired by Mr. Kim and the Secretary-General, who invited leading partners to join in an
effort to substantially improve water and sanitation coverage in Haiti, and strengthen health services.
“For decades, water and sanitation have been neglected in Haiti, with serious consequences for public health, said Mr. Ban,
explaining that without safe water and adequate sanitation, people die from preventable waterborne illnesses, including
diarrhoea Malnutrition rates worsen, stunting not only a child's development but that of the country itself. Children,
especially girls, stay out of school.
“We now need to catch up. We must help the Haitian people. We must bring access to water, sanitation and healthcare
within reach of every Haitian,” the Secretary-General declared, emphasizing that the Haitian Government is “fully
mobilized” and all UN agencies in the country will continue to support the Government’s efforts.
The UN chief went on to say that Dr. Paul Farmer, his Special Adviser for Community-based Medicine and Lessons from
Haiti, and Pedro Medrano, the UN Senior Coordinator for Resource Mobilization for Haiti Cholera Elimination, have been
tracking pledges and disbursements towards the country’s national action plan.
“As of today, the $2.2 billion, 10-year National Plan is just 10 per cent funded. While a lot has been done, there is clearly
much more to do,” said the Secretary-General.
“I call on all of Haiti’s partners to step up, sustain the recent momentum, and help build a healthy Haiti underpinned by
clean water and improved sanitation,” said Mr. Ban, adding that the Haitian people expect their Government and the
international community to deliver. “If we all do our part, we can help Haitians to realize a healthier, more prosperous
future.”
As for the “Total Sanitation” initiative he launched with Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe when he visited Haiti in
July 2014, Mr. Ban said: “I had an emotional visit to Haiti in July, when I heard first-hand how cholera has affected
families. I also saw what communities can do…and how resilient people were. With a little bit of help, we can help address
the underlying risks and make them free of disease.”
That campaign targets an initial 20 commune covering 3 million people in the next five years, according to the latest UN
fact sheet on Haiti.
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9 October 2014
The campaign will strive for zero open defecation, increased access to water and sanitation infrastructure in primary and
secondary schools, as well as in health centres. And it will also encourage greater household investments in durable,
hygienic latrines.
New costing analysis conducted by the World Bank and Haiti’s Department of Health and National Department for Water
and Sanitation (DINEPA) estimates that $310 million investment in water, sanitation and health is needed to save lives and
prevent cholera in high prevalence zones over the next three years.
The new $50 million World Bank pledge will contribute to the implementation of a project that will reach about 2 million
people in cholera hot spots of rural Haiti.
According to the World Bank, about 38 per cent of Haitians lack access to safe drinking water, and only 24 percent of
Haitian families has access to improved sanitation. Evidence shows that for every dollar invested in water and sanitation,
seven dollars are gained in healthcare savings and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean. This new initiative calls
for concerted push for water and sanitation will help save lives and improve people’s health.
The conference is taking place as significant progress has been made in the fight against cholera, but at the same time, more
than 30 people get infected every day and water borne diseases remain one of the leading causes of child mortality.
The United Nations has developed a two-year support plan to the Haitian National Plan to eliminate cholera and which
focuses on four pillars: epidemiological surveillance; health promotion; medical treatment; and water, hygiene and
sanitation.
Bollywood star shines bright for UNICEF’s South Asia child
nutrition campaign
9 October - Bollywood legend Aamir Khan has become the UN Children’s Fund’s
(UNICEF) latest Ambassador to South Asia, the Organization announced today, adding that
the award winning Indian actor, director, and producer would work to promote the right of
the region’s children to nutrition, with a focus on ending stunting.
“I am delighted to become an Ambassador for UNICEF in South Asia. I hope my messages
on the importance of children’s nutrition will urge parents, families, and leaders at all levels
to support and adopt proven services and nutrition practices that will help children grow
and develop to their full potential,” Mr. Khan told a news conference in the Nepalese
capital of Kathmandu, where he took part in the launch of a national nutritional campaign.
UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador
Aamir Khan (centre) is flanked by
UNICEF Regional Director Karin
Hulshof (left) and UNICEF Nepal
Representative Tomoo Hozumi. Photo:
UNICEF/Narendra Shrestha
“Child stunting remains one of the greatest development challenges to South Asia. Stunted
children have stunted bodies, stunted brains, and stunted lives. Compared with children
who are not stunted, stunted children have poorer cognitive development, often enrol later in school, complete fewer grades,
and learn less well – leading to reduced productivity and income-earning in adult life” he added.
After sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia is the region with the highest number of deaths of children under the age of five. An
estimated 2.3 million children under the age of five perished in 2011 alone. At the same time, 38 per cent of children under
the age of five in South Asia suffer from stunted growth due to chronic under nutrition while an estimated 28 per cent of
children are born with low birth weight, largely due to women’s poor nutrition during and before pregnancy.
“With the immense respect that Aamir Khan commands across South Asia, we are convinced that Aamir will make a lasting
difference in the fight against child stunting, potentially the biggest threat to children’s growth and development in this part
of the world,” said Karin Hulshof, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia.
During his visit to Nepal, Mr. Khan also took part in the launch of the “1,000 Golden Days” national nutrition campaign.
According to UNICEF, the most crucial time to meet a child’s nutritional needs is during the 1,000 days from conception to
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the child’s second birthday. Proven and effective interventions during this time can prevent malnutrition and drastically
reduce the prevalence of stunting in young children.
DR Congo: UN officials urge justice for grave crimes committed
by M23
9 October - Senior United Nations officials appealed today for justice for crimes
committed by the March 23 Movement (M23)in parts of the North Kivu province in the
Democratic Republic of the Council (DRC), on the heels of a new UN- backed report citing
a raft of grave rights abuses committed by the armed group between April 2012 and
November 2013.
In a report published today by the Joint Office of the UN for Human Rights in the DRC
(JHRO) revealed that during this period, when M23 had effective control of parts of North
Kivu, serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law – which could
constitute international crimes as well as crimes under the Penal Code Congolese – were
committed by the group.
Armed group of M23 make their
withdrawal from the city of Goma, DRC.
Photo: MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti
“I congratulate the Congolese authorities for prosecution of such cases against some members of the M23 and I encourage
them to continue their efforts to ensure that those responsible for serious violations of human rights and international
humanitarian law are held to account to justice as soon as possible,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid
Ra’ad Al Hussein, in a statement issued by his Office in Geneva.
The High Commissioner added that justice for the victims is fundamental to “finally stop the cycle of impunity that have
undermined efforts for peace in the DRC for too long.”
According to the UN Human Rights Office, more than 116 people have been victims of violations of the right to life. Some
351 suffered violations of the right to physical integrity, including 161 rapes. The group also committed 296 violations of
the right to liberty and security of person, including abduction and forced recruitment. In addition, 50 cases of damage to
property rights were also committed by elements of the M23, the report said.
The total number of victims could be much higher to the extent that staff JHRO faced various challenges as part of its
investigation into these violations of human rights, the report adds.
The Special Representative of the Secretary General in the DRC, Martin Kobler, also insisted that the perpetrators of human
rights accountable for their actions in court, and took note of the new amnesty law in the DRC which would grant amnesty
to many members of M23 and allow their return to the country.
He urged Congolese authorities to ensure strict enforcement of the law so that members of M23 “who are guilty of serious
crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes cannot be pardoned.”
World must continue to strive for abolition of death penalty,
says senior UN official
9 October - As long as the death penalty exists, there will be a need to advocate against it,
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonović, declared today at the
launch of a new United Nations publication aimed at raising awareness on the abolition of
capital punishment.
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré
Speaking at the Geneva presentation of Moving away from the Death Penalty, Arguments,
Trends and Perspectives, released by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights (OHCHR), the Assistant Secretary-General celebrated what he said was “worldwide
accelerating progress” made towards abolition since the 1948 Universal Declaration of
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Human Rights.
“Back then, 66 years ago, only 14 countries had abolished the death penalty, the majority in South America,” Mr. Šimonović
explained, adding that currently around 160 countries around the world had abolished the death penalty in law or in practice.
“The support for abolition resonates across regions, legal systems, traditions, customs and religious backgrounds,” he
continued. “Year after year, more countries are turning away from the death penalty.”
Recently, Equatorial Guinea, Pakistan, and the states of Washington, Maryland and Connecticut in the United States,
decided to establish a moratorium or suspend executions while last April, El Salvador, Gabon and Poland acceded to the
Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – an international agreement aimed at
abolition. These countries join the more than 160 other Members States who have already either eliminated capital
punishment or do not practice it.
But, noted Mr. Šimonović, amid all the successes there have also been setbacks, with some States resuming executions after
decades and others reintroducing it for certain offences.
“In 2013, after many years of slow, but consistent moving away from the death penalty, we have had a 12 per cent increase
in the number of executions when compared to 2012, and the number of executing states increased by one,” he told those
gathered.
“Exactly for this reason, we need to continue our advocacy for the universal abolition of the death penalty.”
The Assistant Secretary-General highlighted three specific reasons for abolition which he said were clearly delineated in the
OHCHR publication, such as the need to avoid executing those subjected to wrongful convictions; the lack of statistical
evidence pointing to the death penalty as a useful deterrent; and the higher rate of execution among those from marginalized
communities, including people with mental or intellectual disabilities.
He added that while some advocated capital punishment as retribution, research appeared to show the exact opposite –
victims and their families “do not want revenge but prefer justice without revenge or retribution.”
“Victims want to be heard; to share their recounts of loss and grief but also ways in which they have begun to recover some
equilibrium in their lives and ways to honour the memory of their lost family members,” the Assistant Secretary-General
said, adding that “one day” people will look back and wonder how it was possible that the death penalty had ever existed in
the first place.
“I hope that ‘one day’ is not far away from us,” Mr. Šimonović concluded. “Abolition will undoubtedly enhance the rights
of all humankind, starting with our most sacred right of all, the right to life.”
On World Day, UN spotlights need to usher postal services into
changing communication landscape
9 October - Marking World Post Day, the head of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) said
that for postal services to flourish in a globalized and ever-evolving communication
landscape, electrical and Internet connectivity is essential, especially in developing
countries, where only 32 per cent of the population has access to the Internet.
Universal Postal Union Director General
Bishar Hussein addresses ceremony in
Geneva on the occasion of the 140th
anniversary of the Universal Postal
Union. Photo: UPU/Pierre Alboulay
“Today, Posts are poised to play a very important role in a new wave of globalization being
ushered in by the Internet, which calls for greater inclusion of citizens everywhere,” said
Bishar A. Hussein, Director General of the UPU, the United Nations agency which focuses
on regulations, standards, new technologies, innovation and business diversification of the
industry.
In his message for the World Day, which is celebrated on 9 October, the anniversary of the
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establishment of the UPU in 1874, Mr. Hussein noted how postal services stimulate the global economy and improve
livelihoods.
This year, 2014, is a milestone year as it also marks the 140th anniversary of the UPU, whose establishment helped postal
services pave the way to globalized trade and commerce.
There are currently more than five million postal employees around the world and 663,000 post offices. And annually postal
services process and deliver an estimated 368 billion letter-post items and 6.4 billion parcels. The hope is that with further
investment, these services could reach rural communities as well.
“With half of the world’s population living in rural areas, the postal network is well placed to reach them. In Sub-Saharan
Africa, for example, 80 per cent of post offices are located in smaller cities and rural areas, where the majority of people
live,” said Mr. Hussein.
According to the World Bank, post offices are the cheapest providers of remittance services, ahead of banks and money
transfer operators. Posts are also the second biggest contributors to financial inclusion after banks, with one billion people
holding a postal account.
“The global postal network is a tremendous asset for extending this digital reach – not only for the benefit of citizens and
businesses, but also for governments, development agencies and other stakeholders looking for solutions to many of the
challenges our world is grappling with,” said Mr. Hussein.
By modernizing postal services and investing in national in postal networks, governments can ensure that post offices make
a major contribution to efforts to bring communication, financial, social and economic services to rural populations.
World Post Day was declared by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969. Since then, countries across the world
participate annually in the celebrations, including by introducing and promoting new postal products and services.
Ebola crisis ‘permeates every aspect of people’s lives’ in
Guinea, UN warns
9 October - Urgent support is needed to avert an “economic meltdown” in Guinea, where
the Ebola crisis is destroying lives, jobs and essential services, leaving exports of fruits and
vegetables down 90 percent, the airport two-thirds empty and container traffic to its key
port down by a third, according to the United Nations.
In Guinea, UNDP supports a volunteer
programme where local youths go into
neighborhoods of Conakry,
demonstrating hygiene practices. Photo:
UNDP/Nicolas Douillet
“The health crisis in Guinea, one of the three most seriously affected countries, now
permeates every aspect of people’s lives,” said Magdy Martínez-Solimán, Director of
Policy at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
He said that while Ebola is crippling health services, it is also shutting down businesses,
disrupting the production, sale and export of essential foodstuffs, and affecting schooling at
all levels.
“We can avoid a paralysis if we act now to make sure years of development efforts are not wiped out,” he added, concluding
his official visit to the capital, Conakry.
He said the Ebola crisis in West Africa has already affected every sector of the economy and could be felt 10 years after the
crisis has ended.
After prolonged political instability, economic growth in Guinea had picked up. The country was beginning to forge ahead
in its efforts to fight poverty and create a better future for Guinean women and men.
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But now container traffic in the port of Conakry is down by a third, while the airport is two-thirds empty. In the Northeast,
exports of fruit and vegetables to neighbouring countries have been down 90 percent, according to a UNDP press release.
The agricultural and mining sectors have also been hit hard. Fewer farmers are tending the fields, threatening to reduce food
yields in the harvesting period, while mining companies have asked workers to stay home.
Mr. Martínez-Solimán is on a 10-day visit to the three most-affected countries, together with Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, UNDP’s
Deputy Director for Africa. The trip will include site visits to Ebola treatment centres and UNDP project sites as well as
meetings with Government authorities and other agencies and institutions involved in halting the spread of the disease.
UNDP said it will collaborate closely with the new UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) and will work
at the global level as part of the wider UN response to mobilize funds and additional support to combat the epidemic and its
consequences.
Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, UN’s Ban
urges calm, dialogue
9 October - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern today about the escalation of
violence along the border dividing India and Pakistan, which has seen both countries
exchange gun and mortar fire in recent days.
“The Secretary-General is concerned about the recent escalation of violence along the Line
of Control between India and Pakistan,” a UN spokesperson told reporters today at
Headquarters in New York.
Peacekeepers from the UN Military
Observer Group in India and Pakistan
(UNMOGIP) at the Line of Control that
separates the two countries. UN
Photo/Evan Schneider
“He deplores the loss of lives and the displacement of civilians on both sides.”
The hostilities between India and Pakistan began over a week ago and have steadily
intensified with media reporting an estimated 20 casualties and thousands displaced by the
fighting.
In his statement, Mr. Ban encouraged the Governments of India and Pakistan to resolve all differences through dialogue and
“to engage constructively to find a long-term solution for peace and stability in Kashmir.”
The UN has long maintained an institutional presence in the contested area between the two countries. According to the
Security Council mandate given in resolution 307 of 1971, the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan
(UNMOGIP) observes and reports on ceasefire violations along and across the Line of Control and the working boundary
between the South Asian neighbours in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as reports developments that could lead to ceasefire
violations.
UNMOGIP currently comprises 40 military observers and a number of civilian staff members.
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Yemen: Ban condemns ‘heinous’ suicide attacks, urges peace
pact implementation
9 October - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today strongly condemned the
terrorist attacks that took place in two separate incidents in Yemen, resulting in the death of
more than 60 people, including children, and injuring many dozens.
“These heinous criminal acts cannot be justified by any means,” said Mr. Ban in a
statement read out by his spokesperson at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.
The two attacks occurred in Sana'a, the capital, and in the city of Mukalla in the eastern
province of Hadramawt.
A demonstration in the Yemeni capital,
Sana’a. Photo: IRIN/Adel Yahya (file)
The Secretary-General underscored the importance of rapidly implementing the recently signed Peace and National
Partnership Agreement and its Annex.
The Yemen Government and its opponents reached a peace pact last month, welcomed by the UN Security Council, which
called for its full its full and immediate implementation, and an immediate end to all attacks and threats, and the rapid
formation of a new government.
Yemen has recently emerged from a complex UN-backed transition, but the past few months have been marked by violence
and unrest in some parts of the country, with thousands of Houthi people from the north descending on Sana’a.
Malta must accelerate efforts towards preventing ill-treatment
of detainees – UN experts
9 October - The Government of Malta has made strides towards preventing the torture and
ill-treatment of people in detention, a group of independent United Nations rights experts
confirmed today, but added that more needed to be done for the island nation to comply
with its international obligations.
Photo: UN/MINUSTAH/Victoria Hazou
“We acknowledge the first step the Maltese authorities have taken towards preventing
torture and ill-treatment by ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention against
Torture and designating two monitoring bodies,” said Mari Amos, who headed the
delegation from the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture.
“But through our meetings with different stakeholders, we have seen that significant work needs to be done to make these
bodies fully independent and effective in line with the Optional Protocol and other relevant international standards,” she
added.
The Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture was established in 2002 and has a mandate to visit all places where persons
may be deprived of their liberty, including police stations, prisons (military and civilian), detention centres, and mental
health and social care institutions while ensuring that States are in compliance with their obligations as delineated under
Optional Protocol.
Appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, the group of independent experts regularly examines and
reports on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. Ms. Amos’ delegation – which included Hans-jorg Viktor
Bannwart, June Lopez Paguadan and Aneta Stanchevska – visited Malta from 6 to 9 October to provide advice and technical
assistance to the local authorities on the management of their National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) – the national
monitoring bodies established by the Optional Protocol.
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During its visit, the SPT delegation held capacity-building exercises with the two bodies designated by the Government as
NPMs – the Board of Visitors of the Prisons and the Board of Visitors for Detained Persons – and conducted a number of
joint visits to places of detention.
“A key way to increase the independence and effectiveness of monitoring is to raise awareness of what [the Optional
Protocol] requires regarding the role and functioning of NPMs,” Ms. Amos continued. “Such awareness-raising should take
place among different sectors, including the authorities and the members of these bodies themselves.”
As required by its mandate, the SPT will communicate its recommendations and observations to the Maltese authorities in a
confidential report.
UN’s fiscal health depends on Member States meeting
obligations, senior official reports
9 October - With its limited cash reserves, the financial health of the United Nations is
“totally dependent” on how quickly and how much Member States pay towards
Organization’s operations, the top UN management official told journalists in New York
today.
Under-Secretary-General for
Management, Yukio Takasu, briefs the
press on the financial situation of the
Organization. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
Mr. Yukio Takasu, Under Secretary General for Management, this morning briefed the
General Assembly’s main administrative and budgetary body – known as the “Fifth
Committee” – on the Organization’s financial situation.
Cash positions are positive for all categories except in connection with the Organization’s
regular budget, Mr. Takasu said referring to the four main assessment areas: the regular
budget; peacekeeping operations; international tribunals and the Capital Master Plan (CMP).
Although there are increases in the number of Member States paying in full their obligations to international tribunals and
the CMP, there have been decreases in payments for the regular budget and peacekeeping operations.
On the cash front, the regular budget currently has a stockpile of $35 million in “cash on hand” – 20 million dollars less
compared to this time last year, Mr. Takasu said, calling the decrease “alarming.”
While, CMP cash will be exhausted in November, the Working Capital Fund and the Special Account will be used to bridge
CMP cash flow needs.
While the financial situation of the Organization is “generally good,” the annual regular budget, which currently stands at
$2.6 billion, has a gap of close to one billion.
Unpaid regular budget assessments remain at a significant level and continue to be highly concentrated with France, the
United States and Italy leading in outstanding payments. Mr. Takasu also noted that some 29 Member States have paid in
full as of today.
About 40 per cent of the annual regular budget (2.6 billion) remains unpaid, while around 44 per cent of the peacekeeping
budget (5.8 billion) has yet to be met compared to a lower 31 per cent of the total tribunal budget (196 million).
On the flip side, the United Nations is outstanding in its payments to Member States who contribute troops and other
personnel to peacekeeping missions. The Organization plans to bring that figure down to $500 million by the end of the
year.
Mr. Takasu also stressed the need to finalize and approve a budget for the new UN Mission on Ebola Emergency Response
(UNMEER) recently deployed to West Africa. Earlier this week, the Fifth Committee earmarked $50 million for UNMEER
to be provided until the end of December.
UN News Centre • www.un.org/news
UN Daily News
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9 October 2014
Republic of Korea: UN rights experts urges adoption of antidiscrimination law
9 October - An independent United Nations human rights expert has urged the Republic of
Korea to enact a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, saying it is essential for the
Government to address the issue of racism and xenophobia in view of the country’s history
of ethnic and cultural homogeneity.
“As Korean society becomes more exposed to foreigners and migrant workers living in the
country, it is important to continue addressing the issue of racism, xenophobia and
discrimination,” the UN Special Rapporteur on racism, Mutuma Ruteere, said in a news
release issued today.
Special Rapporteur on racism Mutuma
Ruteere. UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Mr. Ruteere, who completed his first official visit to the country earlier this week, noted that comprehensive antidiscrimination legislation would allow the appropriate institutions to play a more significant role in receiving complaints
from victims, investigate and issue relevant recommendations for the Government to follow up.
“Although I have not been informed of racist or xenophobic discourse and practices at the institutional level, I have been
made aware that at the individual level, there have been isolated incidents of private acts of racism, racial discrimination and
xenophobia,” he said.
The expert recalled how a naturalized Korean woman was refused access to a public bath, as well as cases of taxi drivers
turning in to the police customers who do not look Korean, and of shop attendants expressing derogatory attitudes to foreign
customers.
“Although these incidents may be isolated cases, it is essential for the Government to address the issue of racism and
xenophobia through better education and awareness-raising,” he stressed.
He also pointed to xenophobic groups that advocate the abolition of policy of support for multicultural families and who
claim that the multicultural policy enacted by the Government discriminates against Koreans, as they are not entitled to
similar social benefits and programmes.
“After verification, I confirmed that no such discrimination exists and that ethnic Koreans are offered the same social
benefits under the regular social scheme,” Mr. Ruteere said. “It is however important for the Government to dispel these
myths and clarify the situation in order to prevent the proliferation of racist and xenophobic movements.”
He encouraged the South Korean authorities to fight racism and discrimination through better education, as well as ensuring
that the media is sensitive and conscious of the responsibility to avoid racist and xenophobic stereotypes and that
perpetrators are punished where appropriate.
He also called on the Government to improve legislation on employment in order to offer a better protection to migrant
workers and their families, and encouraged the authorities to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the
Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
Independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a
specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.
Mr. Ruteere will present a final report on his visit to the Republic of Korea to the Geneva-based Council in 2015.
UN News Centre • www.un.org/news
UN Daily News
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9 October 2014
UN force commanders brief Security Council on challenges
facing ‘blue helmets’
9 October - From Mali to the Golan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, United
Nations peacekeeping missions are facing increasing challenges as they operate in some of
the most difficult security environments around the world, senior UN military officials told
the Security Council today as they weighed field strategy for the world body’s “blue
helmets.”
In his opening address to the Council, the UN Military Adviser, Lieutenant General
Maqsood Ahmed, remarked that the Organization’s Force Commanders are managing more
than 90,000 soldiers in the world’s trouble-spots and suggested that the number of deployed
troops is “likely to grow in the coming period.”
UN peacekeepers from Chad patrol the
area outside their base in Tessalit,
northern Mali. UN Photo/Marco Dormino
“The Force Commanders are operating in failing or failed States, where, frankly, there is no – or hardly – a peace to keep,”
Lieutenant General Ahmed stated, noting that the growing Ebola crisis had added yet another dimension of complexity to
the UN military presence on the ground in Africa.
Underlining the difficulties and dangers facing the “blue helmets,” he also cited Mali as a case in point, and reminded the
Council that the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has “suffered maximum
casualties” this year.
On 7 October, a number of unidentified assailants launched approximately six mortar rounds at the MINUSMA camp in
Kidal, in the country’s northeast, resulting in the death of the Senegalese peacekeeper.
This latest attack came just four days after an ambush killed nine Nigerien MINUSMA peacekeepers in Mali’s Gao region,
bringing the total number of fatalities suffered by the UN mission to 31 peacekeepers killed and 91 wounded since it first
deployed on 1 July 2013.
In his remarks, Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Cruz, the Force Commander of the UN Organization
Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), told the Council that amid a dynamic and
rapidly changing peacekeeping environment, the protection of civilians remained “a moral obligation.”
“I am absolutely convinced that the best way to protect civilians is being pro-active rather than reactive,” he affirmed.
“Only an active force with a proactive, robust posture is able to neutralize and defeat the threats to the civilian population
that the UN is mandated to protect. On the other hand, the simple presence of peacekeepers for prolonged periods without
action, whilst violence is being committed, leads to a weakening of the reputation of the UN.”
In his message to the Council, Lieutenant General Iqbal Singh Singha, Force Commander of the UN Disengagement
Observer Force (UNDOF), noted some of the key challenges facing the Mission in the Golan where, largely due to ongoing
fighting in Syria, “an upward spiralling of violence” has seen troops come under fire, been abducted, hijacked, had weapons
snatched and offices vandalized. In addition, troop contributing countries, such as Austria, have pulled out their forces as the
conflagration in neighbouring Syria has continued to rage.
He said that in the most recent incident, in August, some 45 Fijian peacekeepers were detained by armed members of the
Syrian opposition, and radical forces also surrounded another 72 peacekeepers from the Philippines.
“The process of adapting and carrying out the mandate differently during these trying times was not in a graduated manner,
UN News Centre • www.un.org/news
UN Daily News
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9 October 2014
but all concerns were addressed simultaneously, to achieve significant cohesion in moving ahead and continuing to retain
our relevance,” Lieutenant General Singha explained.
“We adjusted to the situation very quickly and continue to evolve in the face of dynamically changing threats.”
He noted that while UNDOF was required to reduce its footprint, it continued to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and
Syria for which the mission was mandated, occasionally fired back in self-defence when fired upon by radical elements, and
remained proactive despite the consistent challenges posed by the security situation in the vicinity.
“UNDOF still skilfully maintains its mandate in a modified manner and has ensured that two traditional adversaries are kept
away from a conventional war,” Lieutenant General Singha added.
The meeting was also addressed by Major General Jean Bosco Kazura, Force Commander of MINUSMA.
Good harvests, abundant inventory continue to drive
international food prices down – UN
9 October - Food markets are more stable and prices for most agricultural commodities are
sharply lower than they have been in recent years, according to the latest edition of the
biannual Food Outlook report released today by the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO).
According to a statement released by the Rome-based FAO, bumper harvests and abundant
stockpiles are key factors helping drive down international food prices.
FAO says Good harvests and ample
stockpiles continue to drive international
food prices down. Credit: FAO
World wheat production in 2014 is forecast to reach a new record while world cereal
production in 2014 is anticipated to reach 2.5 billion tonnes – with stocks set to hit their
highest level in 15 years by the end of the cropping season in 2015.
Global output of oilseeds is also forecast to exceed last season's record due to further expansion of soybean production.
Meanwhile, world production of cassava – a staple crop for millions – looks to be on track to achieving another record high,
driven by sustained growth in Africa.
Meat production is set to grow moderately, but not enough to ease prices from their current high levels, while milk
production continues to grow steadily in many countries. Production of fish is also on the rise, driven largely by aquaculture
and less-than-expected El Niño impacts.
The FAO Food Price Index (FPI) for September, also released today, registered its sixth consecutive monthly drop – the
longest period of continuous decline in the value of the index since the late 1990s – averaging 191.5 points in September
2014.
The FPI is a trade-weighted index that measures prices of five major food commodities on international markets.
In September it found that, sugar and dairy fell most sharply, followed by cereals and oils, while meat prices remained
steady. Meat prices are at a historic high, but registered only a slight increase over August (0.3 of a point) after months of
steady hikes.
High meat prices as well as large trade volumes for products in the animal protein category, including meat, dairy and fish,
mean that countries importing foodstuffs will surpass $1 trillion again this year, for the fifth year in a row.
To help spot food price spikes affecting consumers in the developing world, particularly in low-income food-deficit
countries (LIFDCs), FAO recently launched a new website that reports abnormally high prices of staple foods in markets in
85 different countries.
UN News Centre • www.un.org/news
UN Daily News
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9 October 2014
Also published today, the Organization’s quarterly report Crop Prospects and Food Situation that monitors food security in
developing countries, highlighted several hot-spots of particular concern.
It says that the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has disrupted markets, farming activities
and livelihoods, seriously affecting the food security of large numbers of people. And irregular rains in the Sahel belt will
result in mixed production prospects.
While crop production in the Central African Republic is up from 2013, it still remains well below average due to the impact
of widespread civil insecurity. And food prices in Somalia and the Sudan are at a record high.
Drought conditions in Central America have reduced harvest in key producing countries. Drought has also been a problem
in the Near East, leading to a below-average cereal harvest for the region, while the conflicts in Syria and Iraq continue to
degrade food security.
The UN Daily News is prepared at UN Headquarters in New York by the News Services Section
of the News and Media Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)