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For updates and e-mail alerts, visit UN NEWS CENTRE at www.un.org/news UN Daily News Wednesday, 5 November 2014 Issue DH/6773 In the headlines: • South Sudan: Security Council strongly condemns • Burundi: UN officials urge vigilance, transparency • UN warns of economic hardship in Ebola-hit • Darfur: amid allegations of mass rape, UN voices • Humanitarian system ‘scrambling’ to meet • UN official calls for economic diversification for outburst of deadly violence, urges peace countries as World Bank agrees finance package skyrocketing needs, warns UN refugee agency chief • DR Congo: UN mission says police arrest more than 200 suspected of recent attacks • UN conference adopt ambitious 10-year action plan for world's landlocked developing countries as elections near profound concern, begins investigation Asia’s landlocked developing countries • UN rights panels outline States' obligation to prevent harmful practices on women, girls • Burkina Faso: UN chief calls for country’s quick return to democratic process • UN conference aims to ‘bring women’s voices to the fore’ of climate change solutions South Sudan: Security Council strongly condemns outburst of deadly violence, urges peace 5 November - The United Nations Security Council this evening voiced alarm and outrage at the eruption of hostilities in South Sudan over the past week which left numerous civilians dead and injured and placed increasing pressure on the country’s already overwhelming humanitarian crisis. In a statement to the press issued in New York, the Council “condemned in the strongest terms” a series of clashes between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and Opposition forces in South Sudan’s Unity and Upper Nile states between 26 October and 2 November, adding that the deadly fighting had violated cessation of hostilities agreements and demonstrated “an absence of commitment by both sides to peace and the political process.” Refugees await unloading at a site in Upper Nile state, South Sudan. Photo: UNHCR/Jake Dinneen The Council’s statement comes on the heels of yesterday’s briefing by UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General in South Sudan, Margrethe Løj, on the already tenuous situation in the young country. South Sudan has experienced several bouts of violence over the past few months, including an incident in which the UN base in Bentiu came under fire resulting in the wounding of one child. Meanwhile, a prior attack caused hundreds of people to seek shelter at the nearest airport. Approximately 340 civilians took shelter with UN Mission in the country (UNMISS) troops, and then were escorted to safety. Political in-fighting between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar, started in mid-December 2013 and subsequently turned into a full-fledged conflict that has sent nearly 100,000 civilians fleeing to UNMISS bases around the country. The crisis has uprooted some 1.5 million people and placed more than 7 million at risk of hunger and disease. For information media not an official record UN Daily News -2- 5 November 2014 In their statement, the 15-member Council voiced “grave concern” that the UN base near Bentiu – where 49,000 internally displaced persons are currently sheltering – had once again been within proximity of the hostilities and that the new fighting was “magnifying an already serious humanitarian crisis” in the country. The members “strongly demanded an immediate end to all violence and reiterated their demand to end human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law.” In addition, they called on both President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar to reach agreement through the ongoing IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in South Sudan. The Council also reiterated its “steadfast support” for UNMISS and its “vital mission” in the country while condemning the recent detentions of three UNMISS personnel and the kidnappings of two UN-affiliated personnel. “The members of the Security Council demanded their immediate and safe release, and called upon the Government of South Sudan to swiftly investigate these incidents and to ensure that justice is served,” the statement added. UN warns of economic hardship in Ebola-hit countries as World Bank agrees finance package 5 November - As the United Nations warned today that the Ebola outbreak is deepening the socio-economic challenges faced by the hardest hit countries in West Africa, the World Bank's private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), announced a package of some $450 million in commercial financing that will enable trade, investment, and employment in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The announcemnt by the IFC/World Bank Group also noted that if the virus continues to surge in the three worst-affected countries and spreads to neighbouring States, the two-year regional financial impact could reach $32.6 billion by the end of 2015. General Community Health Volunteers (GCHVs), who conduct contact tracing, active case finding, and general Ebola awareness, walking through West Point in Monrovia, Liberia. Photo: UNDP/Morgana Wingard The UN Development Programme (UNDP), meanwhile, also warned that the Ebola outbreak is impairing the ability of the governments of the frontline countries to raise revenues, increasing their exposure to domestic and foreign debts and may make them more dependent on aid. In just six months, the outbreak has led to severe loss in household incomes, totalling 35 per cent in Liberia, 30 per cent in Sierra Leone and 13 per cent in Guinea. The UN World Health Organization (WHO), in its most recent statistics on the crisis, reported 13,042 cases in Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Spain and the United States, as well as in two previously affected countries, Nigeria and Senegal. WHO said the death toll now stood at 4,818. The agency noted that all districts in both Sierra Leone and Liberia have now been infected and that “in Sierra Leone, the weekly incidence continues to rise, while in Liberia it appears to be declining.” Cases and deaths continue to be underreported in this outbreak, according to the UN health agency. Spain – where all 83 contacts of the health-care worker infected in Madrid have completed the 21-day follow-up period – “will therefore be declared free of EVD [Ebola Virus Disease] 42 days after the date of the second negative test if no new cases are reported,” WHO said. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group, said “Ebola is a humanitarian crisis first and foremost, but it's also an economic disaster for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. That's why in addition to our emergency aid we will do all we can to help support the private sector in these countries to build back their businesses." The IFC initiative includes a program begun in October to reach 800 small and medium enterprises in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone to help ensure business continuity during the crisis. The program will provide medical and hygiene supplies; related literature; and training on preventive measures. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news UN Daily News -3- 5 November 2014 The World Bank Group said it is mobilizing nearly $1 billion for the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola crisis. "The fear swirling around Ebola has the potential to do long-term harm to businesses globally, and especially in the Ebolaaffected countries,” Mr. Kim said. “Our private sector arm – IFC – will find ways to help boost trade and investment in West Africa, which will be essential to ensure that private companies continue to operate and sustain employment under difficult circumstances,” he said. Commenting on the UNDP study, Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, UNDP Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa, warned: “We need to make sure that the Ebola outbreak does not lead to socio-economic collapse.” Because of Ebola, government expenses have risen by about 30 percent in all three countries and fiscal deficits are rising, according to the study. Liberia has had to sacrifice $20 million-worth of infrastructure development and Sierra Leone $16 million, since the beginning of the crisis. Guinea has just revised its budget to reflect the new reality imposed by the outbreak of the virus. Exports of fruit and vegetables from the Northeast of Guinea to neighbouring countries have been down 90 per cent. The UNDP study also urges governments and national and international partners to continue investing in development activities and make sure every dollar spent on tackling the emergency is an opportunity to invest back in the community and economy for the long haul. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone had experienced encouraging rates of economic growth over the past 10 years – at 2.8, 10 and 8 percent respectively – sustained by mining, forestry, agriculture and services. Also today, WHO announced the nomination of Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, of Botswana, as the next WHO Regional Director for Africa. Speaking after her nomination, Dr. Moeti pledged to work for and with every member State to address the health challenges facing Africa. She is scheduled to take up her new post on 1 February 2015. Humanitarian system ‘scrambling’ to meet skyrocketing needs, warns UN refugee agency chief 5 November - The global humanitarian system has reached its limits in dealing with the upward trend in forced displacement due to mounting pressures from conflicts and persecution around the world, the head of the United Nations refugee agency warned today, calling on the humanitarian community to “think out of the box” when it comes to funding emergency response. In a briefing to the UN General Assembly’s main social, humanitarian and cultural body (Third Committee), António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said that at the end of 2013, more than 51 million people were in displacement due to multiplying conflicts, climate change, population growth, urbanization, food insecurity and water scarcity, and events indicate that this number will be even higher by December of this year. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonió Guterres. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré “The humanitarian community is scrambling to respond, but every new crisis clearly shows that the system has reached its limits,” he stressed. “To those who trigger and prolong conflicts, leaving humanitarians to clean up the mess, it is time to stay that this must stop. We can no longer pick up the pieces,” he added. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news UN Daily News -4- 5 November 2014 Presenting his agency’s report, Mr. Guterres said that one of the reasons for the system reaching its limits is that humanitarian funding is close to bankruptcy. While funding has increased, the needs have grown much faster, causing the gap to widen. To address the growing shortfall, measures must include continuing the strong investments already being made in building partnerships with emerging donors, as well as further expanding opportunities with the private sector and reviewing the relationship between humanitarian and development funding. “It is also essential to think out of the box and be more creative when it comes to funding emergency response,” he said, noting that, in the future, humanitarian response should be able to rely partially on assessed contributions. Such action could minimize the dramatically increasing gap between needs and available resources in humanitarian response, he said. Under the leadership of Valerie Amos, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is now commissioning a study to explore how this might work. The total international humanitarian budget reaches just 10 per cent of what is available globally for development cooperation, Mr. Guterres continued. In the current global context, development funds are not accessible quickly enough in many situations where they are needed, forcing humanitarian actors to act as substitutes for the absence of structural assistance. “Humanitarian assistance only gets a fragment of the resources, but it often has to cover things it really should not,” he said. As such, development agencies, donors and international financial institutions should work together to increase flexibility and complementarity between short and longer-term interventions, as well as be present on the ground from the very beginning of a crisis. “It is in our common interest, and our collective responsibility, to ensure that ‘bridging the gap’ is more than a slogan. But this requires strong political leadership to change the objectives, the priorities, and, above all, the organizational culture of development cooperation,” he stressed. Another factor is the need to building an effective universal partnership for humanitarian action, Mr. Guterres said, expressing hope that the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul can be used to work towards a universal approach to humanitarian values and principles. “The present multilateral humanitarian system is essentially a Western creation,” he said. “But today, what is needed is a truly universal partnership that can draw on the totality of efforts and resources to meet humanitarian needs,” he added. There was some encouraging progress in Africa, Mr. Guterres noted, including the recently launched voluntary return operation of some 30,000 former Angolan refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In the Americas, a comprehensive initiative for Colombian refugees is being implemented in Ecuador, combining improved livelihood opportunities, resettlement and facilitated labour mobility in the region. Mr. Guterres concluded his address by emphasizing that the most important way in which the humanitarian system must change course to avoid a complete failure of humanitarian response in the future is conflict prevention. Conflict prevention and conflict resolution should always be led by the countries affected, although countries require stronger international support, including in mediation and stabilization efforts, he said. “This extends far beyond the realm of humanitarian action, and essentially comes down to a question of international political resolve to address the root causes of displacement,” he said. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news UN Daily News -5- 5 November 2014 DR Congo: UN mission says police arrest more than 200 suspected of recent attacks 5 November - The United Nations stabilizations mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced today that more than 200 people have been arrested in relation to the recent attacks against civilians around the town of Beni in the long-restive eastern part of the vast African country. A MONUSCO APC is greeted by FARDC soldiers on their way back from the front line in the Beni region of the DRC where the UN is backing the FARDC in an operation against ADF militia. Photo: MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti The announcement came just hours before the UN Security Council adopted a Presidential Statement that “strongly condemned the recent attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Beni territory, brutally killing over 100 civilians, mostly women and children.” The Security Council also expressed its deep concern over the lack of progress of the voluntary disarmament process of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), recalling the 2 January 2014 end date set and calling on the DRC government, in coordination with the UN mission known as MONUSCO, “to immediately undertake military action against those leaders and members of the FDLR who do not engage in the demobilization process and who continue to carry out human rights abuses.” In addition, the Council, in the three-page comprehensive statement, expressed its “grave concern” at the decision of the DRC government to expel the head of the UN joint Human Rights Office and recent threats made against other staff members in that office. Earlier today, according to an announcement on Radio Okapi, created by the UN mission known by its French acronym MONUSCO, and the Swiss non-governmental organization Fondation Hirondelle, MONUSCO spokesman Charles Bambara said among those arrested were members of the Ugandan-based ADF rebel group who are believed to be responsible for the attacks in and around Beni. Weapons, ammunitions, bombs, radio sets and other military equipment were seized in the operations, according to Mr. Bambara. He said more than 200 people had been arrested in the operations carried out by the National Police and MONUSCO police, while UN mission forces are also intensifying their patrols in the region. Briefing the Security Council in New York last month, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the DRC and the head of MONUSCO, Martin Kobler, underlined the need for a “proactive, not reactive” response in countering the country's rebel groups and boosting protection for civilians. Mr. Kobler noted that despite initial hopes that “the seeds of peace” would spread throughout the DRC's eastern regions, recent outbursts of violence in villages in and around the city of Beni in North Kivu reminded the world “just how fragile those hopes can be.” He was referring to a series of massacres committed by ADF rebels between 2 October and 17 October. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news UN Daily News -6- 5 November 2014 UN conference adopt ambitious 10-year action plan for world's landlocked developing countries 5 November - A United Nations conference under way in Vienna, Austria adopted a 10 year action-plan aimed at accelerating sustainable development in the world’s 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States Gyan Chandra Acharya. UN Photo/Amanda Voisard The Programme of Action adopted by the Second UN Conference on LLDCs contains six clearly defined priorities and encapsulates a unified stance by the international community on a broad array of crucial issues – from concrete steps toward the structural transformation of LLDC economies and infrastructure development, to improving international trade and bolstering regional integration and cooperation. “We are strongly committed to the implementation of the [Programme of Action] to address, in a holistic manner, the special development needs and challenges of landlocked developing countries arising from their…remoteness and geographical constraints,” proclaimed the Declaration that culminated the three-day Conference, attended by more than 1,000 participants in the Austrian capital. The 23-page outcome document was described by Gyan Chandra Acharya, Secretary-General of the Conference, as an important milestone in promoting the development agenda of LLDCs. The document, for example, expresses an unambiguous commitment by all governments to ensure greater emphasis on reducing transit time, promoting infrastructure development and maintenance, ensuring trade facilitation measures in an accelerated manner, besides linking them with the promotion of economic diversification, structural transformation, connectivity to global value chains and regional integration. This holistic approach together with a clear call to ensure coherence with the global processes is expected to enable the LLDCs to achieve sustained and sustainable economic growth and ensure their meaningful integration into the global economy. “The Vienna conference has come out with a holistic, forward looking and action oriented program and I clearly see that in the document that has been adopted,” said Mr. Acharya in his closing remarks. He added that the text was “holistic” in that it takes up transit, trade, and infrastructure issues together with the regional cooperation, structural transformation and coherence with the global processes in a pronounced manner as priorities. Further stressing that while recognizing the special challenges and vulnerabilities of LLDCs, Mr. Acharya said Member States in the outcome document underscored that the landlocked countries have to transform themselves into land linked countries in order to reap full benefits from regional cooperation and globalization. The outcome document is action-oriented, as governments clearly spelled out tangible actions to be taken by LLDCs, transit countries and development partners in each of the six priority areas identified together with clear national, regional and global level implementation, monitoring and review, explained Mr. Acharya, who is also, the UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. Mr. Acharya highlighted that the outcome document stresses renewed and strengthened partnerships between the LLDCs, transit countries and development partners within the context of north-south as well as south-south and triangular cooperation. Yet he added that while the action-plan “recognizes that LLDCs have the primary responsibility for their own development” the group of countries requires support “to effectively mobilize adequate domestic and external resources for UN News Centre • www.un.org/news UN Daily News -7- 5 November 2014 effective implementation of the Programme of Action.” A recurring theme throughout the Conference has been that while the LLDCs have seen incremental economic gains over the past decade, this progress has not made a meaningful dent in the rate of poverty among this group of countries and that the progress remained fragile in many of the LLDCs. Nine of the 15 countries at the bottom rung of the development ladder are landlocked and the vast majority continue to lag behind their maritime neighbours in socio-economic development. To remedy this, the Vienna outcome calls for support “in a more coherent manner”, which would “contribute to an enhanced rate of sustainable and inclusive growth, which can contribute to the eradication of poverty.” The meeting saw a flurry of activity with four high-level interactive thematic round-tables and 18 side events organized by various stakeholders in the margins of the meeting on a wide-range of issues relevant to the LLDCs, transit transport development, trade capacity enhancement and further integration into the regional and global markets. The events gathered Heads of State, Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Sam Kutesa, President of the General Assembly, and Heads and senior representatives from international organizations who shared their views and experiences on how to enhance LLDCs' economic diversification and competitiveness through strengthened investments and policy measures in the areas of transport, infrastructure development and trade facilitation, sustainable energy and sustainable transport, through partnerships on vocational training, through increased regionalization of aid for trade, and particularly for landlocked least developed countries, through effective implementation of the Enhanced Integrated Framework. “We have come a long way but the real work begins now,” Mr. Acharya said. “We must now move ahead to deliver with determination the [Programme of Action] that we have agreed here with understanding, solidarity and support of all. The international community has to deliver on these commitments to the 440 million people living in the landlocked developing countries.” UN conference aims to ‘bring women’s voices to the fore’ of climate change solutions 5 November - Aiming to develop more gender-sensitive services, a United Nations-led conference kicking off in Geneva today is spearheading a drive to ensure that weather and climate services reduce women’s vulnerability to disasters and climate change, and help them realize their potential as champions of community resilience. Hosted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Conference on Gender Dimensions of Weather and Climate Services, which takes place from 5 to 7 November 2014, hopes to produce concrete actions to empower women to produce and use weather and climate services. The impact of disasters is different for women and men due to social constructs. Empowering women builds important capacities for disaster response and climate resilience. Photo: WMO Women, especially in developing countries, are often more exposed to the risks of extreme weather because they can be less mobile than men, lack access to traditional means of communication, and are more vulnerable to associated risks such as under-nutrition and water-borne diseases, according to the WMO. For instance, in the 1991 cyclone disasters that killed 140,000 people in Bangladesh, 90 per cent of victims were women. Explanations for this include the fact that more women than men are homebound, looking after children and property. In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis came ashore in Myanmar. Among the 130,000 people dead or missing in the aftermath, 61 per cent were female. “We have made great progress in improving weather forecasts and climate services such seasonal outlooks to help protect lives and livelihoods,” said the head of the WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud in a press release. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news UN Daily News -8- 5 November 2014 “But if we are to help communities cope with long-term climate change and the anticipated increase in hazards like floods and heat-waves, then we need to do more to reach out to women with gender-sensitive services,” he added. The gathering is co-sponsored by a wide range of partners including the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO), among others . Speakers at the conference were set to include Irina Bokova, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General; Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Lakshmi Puri, UN Women Deputy Executive Director; Margareta Wahlström, UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR); and Maria Neira, Director of Public Health and Environment Department at the World Health Organization (WHO). Other speakers include former Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Samoan Minister of Courts and Justice, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa. “We have the opportunity and the responsibility to bring women’s voices to the fore of climate change solutions...Women with the knowledge we hold and the ability to get things done are a valuable resource but traditionally under-utilized,” said Ms. Figueres ahead of the meeting. Hence, it is important to empower women to be included in designing services that meet their needs and encourage women to get involved in science related careers. As a global average, only one-third of professionals in meteorology and hydrology are women. During the conference, a high-level panel on Women and Careers in Weather, Water and Climate will examine how to attract and promote more female scientists. “There is a need to encourage and create a conducive environment for young girls who have vision of being great future scientists to realize their vision," said Dr. Agnes Kijazi, Director-General of the National Meteorological Service of Tanzania, a conference co-sponsor. Conference outcomes will feed into the post-2015 development agenda, the disaster risk reduction future framework, and other future climate action, and Beijing+20 platform on gender equality. Among UN agencies, conference participants include meteorological and hydrological experts, academic institutions and civil society representatives, national authorities, and national and international women’s rights advocates. Burundi: UN officials urge vigilance, transparency as elections near 5 November - Noting the current stability in Burundi’s security situation, two United Nations officials briefing the Security Council today urged vigilance, but expressed confidence that the Government would continue on a path towards peace in the run-up to elections in 2015. “This cannot be overemphasized: the Government should continue to do everything in its power to preserve peace and stability and to consolidate democracy,” Parfait OnangaAnyanga, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office in Burundi (BNUB) told the Council. The police in Bujumbura, Burundi, have increasingly broken up opposition party gatherings. Photo: IRIN/Desire Nimubona “It [the Government] should avoid any posture that could lead to a reversal of the gains achieved so far. I have all confidence they will,” he added. Along those lines, Ambassador Paul Seger of Switzerland, Chair of the Burundi configuration of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), noted the “paramount importance” of elections next year. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news UN Daily News -9- 5 November 2014 “I am confident that Burundi will continue on its path towards peace consolidation and will cross the point of no return, leaving behind its conflictual past once and for all,” he said. “But until then, sustained vigilance is required, including by this Council, and I will try to continue to play my part in this endeavour as well,” he added. In his address, Mr. Onanga-Anyanga noted that from a monthly average of 10 between this January and July, the number of incidents associated with the youth of the ruling party documented by BNUB fell to 7 in August and 3 in September. Regular calls by the President of the ruling party warning perpetrators of individual consequences seem to have been heeded, he said. These incidents include the banning or disruption of public meetings, or threats against and/or physical assaults on members of opposition parties. However, he emphasized, no significant progress has been made in the fight against impunity, including the cases of extrajudicial killings that BNUB has documented since 2011. Moreover, justice reform has been slow, especially regarding the “key issues” of the independence of the judiciary, said Mr. Onanga-Anyanga. However, he noted that the process to select the Commissioners for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been initiated. In addition, he said that progress towards BNUB’s end of activities have proceeded as per the Joint Transition Plan, which was presented to the Council in May. The office’s activities will end on 12 December with the lowering of the UN flag from its headquarters, the envoy said. Calling on the Council and Member States to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated for the new stand-alone office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which was approved by the Government in August, Mr. OnangaAnyanga said that Burundi will continue to need strong support from all of its partners. For his part, Mr. Seger noted in his briefing that tensions still persist in the country, internally between the ruling party and the opposition parties, as well as externally, between the Government and its main international partners. Emphasizing the importance of inclusivity, he said that responsibility falls primarily with the Government. “I therefore call on it to approach the elections with the confidence of a country that [is going] through this kind of democratic exercise for the third time since emerging from its bloody past, but with the vigilance of a country that is aware of the ongoing fragility of its peace consolidation process and the responsibility that comes with it,” he stressed. On the other hand, he urged the opposition parties to participate in the electoral process, and to not repeated mistakes committed in 2010. “Their stated goal must be to become a part of the country’s political governance in order to consolidate democratic process and work jointly with others towards Burundi’s prosperous future,” he said. In that vein, the focus should be on a medium- and long-term vision, rather than on short-term political considerations, he said. “Burundi is given a historical chance to show the international community that it has overcome its hurtful past and that it is embarking on a more prosperous future based on strong democratic institutions and focused on improving the living standards for its population, not least for the youth,” he said. “We as international community have the responsibility to help Burundi achieve this vision.” Burundi was the first country, along with Sierra Leone, to be put on the agenda of the PBC when it was set up in 2006, to ensure that countries once ravaged by war do not relapse into bloodshed. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news UN Daily News - 10 - 5 November 2014 BNUB was set up, also in 2006, following a ceasefire between the Government and the last remaining rebel force to support peace consolidation, democratic governance, disarmament and reform of the security sector. In April, the Security Council agreed that BNUB would wrap up at the end of this year, and transition to a UN country team (UNCT). Darfur: amid allegations of mass rape, UN voices profound concern, begins investigation 5 November - The African Union-United Nations hybrid mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has expressed its “deep concern” about allegations circulating in local media over the mass rape of 200 women and girls in a town in the region’s North, declaring that it is conducting a thorough investigation into the veracity of the claims. In a press statement today, the Mission cited reports of the alleged mass rape in the town of Tabit, located 45 kilometres south-west of El Fasher, in North Darfur. A UNAMID verification patrol was immediately dispatched to conduct an investigation but upon reaching the outskirts of the town was denied access by Sudanese military at a checkpoint. “The Mission leadership is calling on authorities of the Government of Sudan to grant UNAMID’s unhindered access to all Darfur, especially to areas where alleged incidents affecting civilians have been reported,” the statement read, adding that UNAMID remained “determined to obtain crucial information and leads.” UNAMID commanders from Rwanda and Ethiopia exhange duties in Tabit, North Darfur, to escort a convoy of World Food Programme (WFP) trucks travelling from El Fasher to Shangil Tobaya. Photo: UNAMID/Albert González Farran As a result, the statement continued, a UNAMID integrated mission was dispatched to Zamzam camp for internally displaced people earlier today with the purpose of assessing and determining possible displacements from Tabit resulting from any violence which may have occurred but failed to find any evidence. In addition, the Mission said, UN human rights officers met with the Chief Prosecutor of North Darfur who stated that “not a single complaint about any rape incident was received from Tabit.” Tensions have been simmering across Darfur over the past few months. In October, an attack on UNAMID peacekeepers by armed militants claimed the lives of three peacekeepers. The UN estimates that some 385,000 people have been displaced by the conflict between the Government of Sudan and armed movements in Darfur since the start of 2014. The world body has repeatedly called on all sides to join negotiations aimed at achieving a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive peace for the people of Darfur, which has witnessed fighting since 2003. UN official calls for economic diversification for Asia’s landlocked developing countries 5 November - Asia’s landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) need a stable investmentfriendly and competitive macro-economic policy framework, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said Tuesday, calling for action to promote economic diversification in order to reduce volatility of economic and export growth. ESCAP Executive Secretary Shamsahd Akhtar. Photo: UNESCAP/Christian Dohrmann “Policies must maintain a competitive exchange rate, neutralizing tendencies towards appreciation and a stable macroeconomic environment with favourable credit conditions for the promotion of new economic activities,” said Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary of ESCAP, during the launch of the Economic Diversification in Asian LLDCs: Prospects and Challenge report at the Second UN Conference on LLDCs, which wraps up today in Vienna, Austria. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news UN Daily News - 11 - 5 November 2014 Ms. Akhtar underscored that ESCAP’s research revealed that the more diversified the economy, the higher it’s gross domestic product and the lower the competition it faces in global markets. Results in the new report show that diversification moves in short steps, rather than large jumps, and that diversification is a path-dependent process, so that what a country produces today influences what sectors can emerge or develop in the immediate future. “Some pathways can lead to new products, further diversification and improvement in a country’s productive capacity, whilst other paths spin off relatively fewer opportunities, providing less potential for economic growth and diversification,” she explained. Recognizing these challenges, ESCAP has mapped the diversification paths to support policymaking in promoting economic diversification, Ms. Akhtar said. In particular, ESCAP’s report shows policymakers how to identify paths to diversification, as well as offers a methodology for identifying diversification opportunities. Specifically, ESCAP’s analysis identifies the top export markets for potential new products from Asian LLDCs, along with new sectors to increase chances for success in diversification. Most product diversification opportunities for Asian LLDCs exist in five industries: base metals, chemicals, machinery and electrical equipment, plastic and rubber, and textiles, she noted. While trade links with Europe and North America remain very important, Dr. Akhtar emphasized that the Asia-Pacific region also offers about a quarter of the export opportunities for potential new products of these sectors. In terms of industrial policy, ESCAP recommends that new economic activities be promoted with the appropriate intervention, including industrial estates and economic zones. ESCAP also calls for Asian LLDCs to create a diversified, well-regulated and inclusive financial system that provides access to a variety of services and products in support of private investment for new economic activities. The Second UN Conference on LLDCs, which opened on 3 November, brings together business leaders, government officials from LLDCs and transit countries, development partners and senior officials from international organizations to exchange views on the challenges and opportunities faced by LLDCs and develop a new strategic framework for the next 10 years. UN rights panels outline States' obligation to prevent harmful practices on women, girls 5 November - For the first time, two United Nations human rights committees have joined forces to issue a comprehensive interpretation of the obligations of States to prevent and eliminate harmful practices inflicted on women and girls, such as female genital mutilation, crimes committed in the name of so-called honour, forced and child marriage, and polygamy. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) released today the Joint General Recommendation/General Comment, which also highlights other harmful practices such as virginity testing, binding, widowhood practices, infanticide, and body modifications including fattening, neck elongation and breast ironing. Ruth Dureng (second left, with friends in Monrovia, Liberia) was abused at home and had to leave after refusing a forced marriage. Photo: UNICEF/Glenna Gordon “Harmful practices are frequently justified by invoking social or religious customs and values often embedded in patriarchal cultures and traditions” said Violeta Neubauer, from CEDAW, the UN expert body that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, known informally as the “CEDAW convention.” “[These acts] are deeply rooted in attitudes that regard women and girls as inferior to men and boys. They are also often used as a means of 'protecting' the honour of women, children and their families and as a way of controlling women's choices and expressions, in particular their sexuality,” Ms. Neubauer added. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news UN Daily News - 12 - 5 November 2014 The objective of the General Recommendation/General Comment is to clarify the obligations of States parties to CEDAW and to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by providing authoritative guidance on legislative, policy and other appropriate measures that must be taken to ensure full compliance with their obligations under the two Conventions to eliminate harmful practices. The Committees also pay attention to practices such as women and girls undergoing plastic surgery to conform to social norms of beauty. “Harmful practices are found across the world. They have become increasingly common in some countries where they did not used to exist, mainly as a result of migration, while in some regions, especially those affected by conflict, they had declined but are now re-emerging,” said Hiranthi Wijemanne from the Committee on the Rights of the Child. “It is time to examine harmful practices from a human rights perspective. Children have a right to be protected from practices that have absolutely no health or medical benefits but which can have long-term negative effects on their physical or mental well-being,” said Ms. Wijemanne. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child both contain provisions under which harmful practices constitute human rights violations and obliging States to take steps to prevent and eliminate them. “Prevention is vital, and that requires the design of measures aimed at changing existing social norms and patriarchal cultures. Very often, the parents who decide to marry their girl-child or agree to female genital mutilation being performed on her do so in the belief that they are doing what is best for their daughter in a given community,” said Ms. Neubauer. “We also need to recognize that boys also suffer from harmful practices and men and boys have a key role in eliminating them,” Ms. Wijemanne said. The Committees' recommendations to States on ensuring their full compliance with their legal obligations detail the criteria for determining the causes and manifestations of harmful practices. They call for a holistic approach, backed by appropriate legislation, political will and accountability, to tackling them. Strategies should be coordinated at local, regional and national level and across sectors such as education, health, justice, social welfare, law enforcement, immigration and asylum. Communities, including traditional and religious authorities, should be involved in challenging and changing attitudes that underlie and justify harmful practices. The joint General Recommendation/General Comment reflects the common effort to ensure respect for the rights of women and children, and has been adopted as the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women marks its 35th anniversary and the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the relevant treaty mark their 25th anniversary. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news UN Daily News - 13 - 5 November 2014 Burkina Faso: UN chief calls for country’s quick return to democratic process 5 November - As a joint United Nations and African diplomatic mission continues its consultations with Burkinabé stakeholders amid a constitutional crisis in the West African country, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reiterated his call for dialogue and voiced hope for Burkina Faso’s speedy return to a democratic process, a United Nations spokesperson has confirmed. Oil and soap from locally-grown palm date on sale in the town of Dori, northen Burkina Faso. Photo: UNDP Burkina Faso/Laetitia Ouoba “The Secretary-General reiterates his call for inclusive dialogue to continue, and encourages all parties to reach an agreement for a peaceful and civilian-led transition as soon as possible,” said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing the press at UN Headquarters this afternoon. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa, Mohammed Ibn Chambas, arrived in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital, on 31 October as part of a joint mission that also includes the President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs. In addition, Mr. Dujarric noted the Secretary-General’s appreciation for the mission undertaken by President John Mahama of Ghana, President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and President Macky Sall of Senegal, who arrived in the Burkinabé capital today to join mediation efforts by the joint UN, African Union and ECOWAS delegation. “The joint UN-AU-ECOWAS mission is continuing its consultations with all the parties and other forces to ensure a democratic and civil-led transition in Burkina Faso,” continued the spokesperson. “And it will continue its efforts to help resolve the crisis in line with the national constitution.” 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)
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