Informal workers who live day to day urgently need cash support from their governments to survive the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the head of the UN labour agency said on Friday.
An upsurge in military action against armed groups in West Africa’s vast Sahel and Lake Chad regions has prompted the United Nations refugee agency to call on all warring parties to protect people caught up in the violence.
The COVID-19 pandemic is creating opportunities for cooperation that Israelis and Palestinians must embrace to sustain Middle East peace efforts and bring an end to decades of conflict, the United Nations’ top envoy in the region said on Thursday.
I would like to extend my best wishes to everyone in Yemen, at the start of the Holy month of Ramadan.
To the people of Yemen: I wish Ramadan brings you its gifts of peace, reconciliation and joy. I hope you will continue to raise your voices to demand peace and to defend your right to a better future.
To the parties to the conflict, I say: be guided by the spirit of the Holy month and put an end to the suffering of your people. Put...
Mister President,
Members of the Security Council,
I brief you today as the Middle East continues to confront the monumental challenge of containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 23 March, the Secretary-General launched an appeal for an immediate global ceasefire. On 11 April, my fellow Envoys to the Middle East and I echoed the Secretary-General’s call and restated our firm commitment to preventive diplomacy, to assisting all efforts to respond to the health...
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
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MESSAGE ON THE BEGINNING OF RAMADAN
I extend my warmest wishes as millions of Muslims around the world begin observing the holy month of Ramadan.
This will, of course, be a very different Ramadan. Many community...
In Libya, ongoing heavy fighting has raised concerns yet further, about the likely devastating impact of the new coronavirus on people there, particularly those repeatedly forced to flee violence.
Mogadishu – Today, the United Nations and partners in Somalia launched the Somalia COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan (CPRP) to address the immediate humanitarian impact and socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
“The impact of COVID-19 is bound to be devastating,” said Mr. Adam Abdelmoula, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia. “The priority now is to avert large-...
Sweeping preventative measures seem to be curbing the spread of COVID-19 in the Great Lakes region of Africa, but the economic impact of the global pandemic threatens hard-won gains made along the long road back to peace and stability, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the region said on Wednesday.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
I would like to thank the co-sponsors for convening this meeting on climate and security risks, particularly on Earth Day.
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has commanded much of our attention of late. However, we cannot let up on our efforts to address the climate emergency – another global phenomenon with far-reaching implications, including on peace and security.
The recent report by the World Meteorological Organization on the State of the Global Climate underlines the magnitude of the challenge. We have the highest concentration of greenhouse gas emissions in three million years and ocean levels are at record highs. The last decade was the hottest on record. These effects have impact not just on the natural world but on the daily lives of people, communities and nations. They often hit hardest in already fragile contexts.
While climate change is rarely the main driver of conflict, it multiplies existing risks and exacerbates factors that we know can lead to insecurity. The manifestation of these linkages is highly specific to context.
In Sudan, for instance, the convergence of climatic pressures on agriculture and pastoralism with ethno-political factors contributed to the escalation of violence in Darfur and made the conflict harder to resolve. In Syria and Iraq, Da’esh exploited increasing competition over natural resources and weaponized water by controlling access and diverting rivers. In Central America and the Caribbean, the destruction wrought by extreme weather events has devastated critical infrastructure and displaced populations, and in some places, has been linked to a spike in crime rates.
The risk of a vicious cycle of climate disaster and insecurity is real. It is no coincidence that among the 20 countries most vulnerable to climate change according to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative, half are also dealing with violent conflict.
Excellencies,
The Secretary-General has repeatedly warned that the far-reaching effects of climate change are a danger to peace.
We have seen how climate change undermines our core objectives of conflict prevention and sustaining peace.
In Somalia, for instance, climate stressors are a leading cause of large-scale displacement, which reduces the coping capacity of communities and undermines livelihoods. This in turn lowers the opportunity cost of negative coping strategies, such as recruitment into terrorist or criminal groups, and hampers efforts to build peace.
Climate security is about re-examining our underlying assumptions of prevention and sustaining peace, understanding how climate change affects our mandates and working with partners to find innovative solutions.
I would like to highlight four areas of focus for the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs as we address climate-related security risks.
1) We are strengthening our capacity for integrated risk analysis.
Climate-related security risks are the product of interactions between climate stressors and pre-existing socio-economic, political and demographic factors. Successful prevention and response strategies depend on an understanding of the context. We must be careful to avoid blanket assertions and template approaches.
Consider the Lake Chad Basin, where a complex web of environmental degradation, socio-economic marginalization and intercommunal tensions has eroded the resilience of 45 million people and created a multidimensional crisis.
To further our understanding of climate risks, DPPA has launched a joint initiative with the UN Development Programme and the UN Environment Programme – called the Climate Security Mechanism. With the aim of building capacity and strengthening partnerships, the mechanism has developed guidance to promote the systematic analysis of climate-related security risks and support response.
I want to stress that gender sensitivity forms a critical part of our analysis. Women often carry a disproportionate burden as inequalities and discrimination increase their vulnerability and undermine their coping capacity. At the same time, as providers of water, food and fuel for cooking, women often possess unique knowledge that may allow them to protect livelihoods. They bring a different perspective to the climate security discourse.
2) We are integrating a climate lens into our efforts at mediation and preventive diplomacy.
As climate change affects resource availability and forces large-scale socio-economic and political transitions, the motivations and calculations of conflict actors may change. Partnering closely with national and regional actors, where possible, we are working to ensure our peacemaking and mediation strategies take these effects into account.
In West Africa and the Sahel, where climate change exacerbates competition over natural resources, our regional office – UNOWAS – leads UN efforts to find peaceful solutions to the increasingly deadly conflicts between pastoral and farming communities. Working with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), it has identified good practices for local conflict prevention and dispute resolution that factor in climate trends, promote inclusivity, strengthen intercommunal consultation committees, and conduct targeted advocacy.
3) We are investing in peacebuilding programmes to help strengthen the resilience of States and communities to cope with climate-related security risks.
Integrated peacebuilding and climate adaptation programming can reduce vulnerabilities and increase resilience, charting a path of escape from the vicious cycles of climate disaster and conflict.
We count on women and youth as partners and leaders in this regard. As climate change alters traditional gender roles, power relations and livelihood patterns, new entry points for engaging women in conflict prevention and peacebuilding emerge.
For example, where environmental degradation forces men to migrate seasonally in search of livelihood options, women often assume greater responsibility in households and communities.
In the cross-border area of Mali and Niger, for instance, the Peacebuilding Fund aims to reduce conflicts related to natural resources through strengthening the active participation of women in decision-making processes and supporting their economic empowerment.
4) We are committed to working with and learning from our partners.
Communities all over the world have for centuries effectively adapted to the changing environment in peaceful ways. Local knowledge provides a critical foundation for community-based adaptation and peacebuilding.
In parts of the world affected particularly hard by climate change, regional organizations often lead the charge against the negative consequences for peace and security.
The Pacific is on the front lines of climate change and in the Boe Declaration laid out a comprehensive framework to address the implications for regional security. The UN is supporting the Pacific Islands Forum and other partners to operationalize the Declaration and enhance regional capacity to address climate-related security risks.
Further, we welcome efforts by the African Union to integrate climate change into the African Peace and Security Architecture and look forward to continuing our collaboration on climate security in the context of the AU-UN Joint Task Force.
Excellencies,
Climate-related security risks already form part of reality for millions of people around the world. Science tells us that without decisive action, climate change will further accelerate, with compounding implications for peace and security.
The Covid-19 pandemic reminds us that we live in an interconnected world. The notion of a distant, isolated crisis is an illusion. Peace and security risks brought on by climate change in one part of the world could have broader implications beyond that region.
Knowing what we know, the need for our collective action is urgent.
Thank you.
New York, April 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency — but it is far more.
It is an economic crisis. A social crisis. And a human crisis that is fast becoming a human rights crisis.
...A World Health Organization (WHO) worker has been killed while driving a vehicle carrying COVID-19 samples in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, the United Nations country office confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.
New-York, 22 April 2020
On this International Mother Earth Day, all eyes are on the COVID-19 pandemic – the biggest test the world has faced since the Second World War.
We must work together to save lives, ease suffering and lessen the shattering economic and social consequences.
The impact of the coronavirus is both immediate and dreadful...
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, continues his meetings with Resident Coordinators of the United Nations System in the countries of the sub-region.
These meetings are part of the work of UNOWAS with regional and international partners to assess the impact of COVID-19, and effectively coordinate United Nations...
We, the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID), recalling our statement from 31 March, and in the spirit of the call of UN Secretary General Guterres, strongly urge all the GID participants to set aside differences and to refrain from actions that could lead to increased tension.
The focus should be on collaboration, for the good of all people in the region and against the common threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reported erection of signs along the South Ossetian dividing line today predictably contributes to a tense atmosphere on the ground and rids the local people of their livelihoods.
In the face of the current global challenge of COVID-19, requiring joint approaches and co-operation amongst all, we hereby repeat our call on all participants to avoid provocative measures and focus on improving the situation of the conflict-affected population.
New York – April 17, 2020. Members of the Security Council reiterated their full and unanimous support for the peace process in Colombia, and reaffirmed their commitment to working closely with Colombia to progress in implementation of the Final Peace Agreement. They welcomed both parties’ continued commitment to this end, and strongly supported complementary efforts by the United Nations Verification Mission and Country Team. They stressed the importance of the...
The head of the UN children’s fund UNICEF warned on Friday that 250 million children around the world living in the “waking nightmare” of conflict desperately need warring parties to stop fighting as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads.
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
Donor Support for DPPADPPA launched its Annual Report under the Multi-Year Appeal (MYA) this week. The report showcases how voluntary contributions made a difference in 2019, allowing the Department to be more operational and seize opportunities to prevent violence and defuse tensions in mission and non-mission settings such as Bolivia, El Salvador, Papua New Guinea-Bougainville, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen. For the fourth consecutive year, the MYA surpassed its resource mobilization target last year. Against $30 million requested in 2019 to cover its six priority areas, DPPA successfully mobilized $35.3 million in contributions from 30 donors (Appeal 118 per cent funded).Read more here COVID-19Middle East - Joint appeal to end hostilities
Mladenov: “If current trends continue, the damage to the Palestinian economy will be substantial” The Special Coordinator met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on 16 April and thanked him for his engagement with the UN during the pandemic. “Now is the time for all to reach across divides and help fight the common enemy. Israelis and Palestinians can and must work together to tackle the health, social and economic effects of COVID-19, Mr. Mladenov tweeted after the meeting. For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and its impact, please visit:
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Security CouncilRuiz Massieu: Coronavirus pandemic is having a profound impact on Colombia, and the peace process will undoubtedly feel its effects
Griffiths “An opportunity has emerged to bring peace to Yemen” Please see the Security Council website for an updated program of work.
AfghanistanVoices from Afghanistan heard in biggest-ever global conversation on world’s future
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Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org
With the COVID-19 pandemic threatening to deepen suffering in Yemen, now is the time for rival parties to commit to ending their conflict, UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on Thursday, during an informal meeting via videoconference.
While political actors in Colombia are uniting to confront COVID-19, they must also work together to fight “the epidemic of violence” against civil society leaders, human rights defenders and former combatants, the head of the UN mission in the country said on Tuesday during a Security Council meeting held by videoconference.
DPPA is pleased to present its Annual Report under the Multi-Year Appeal (MYA), showcasing how voluntary contributions made a difference in 2019, allowing us to be more operational and seize opportunities to prevent violence and defuse tensions in mission and non-mission settings such as Bolivia, El Salvador, Papua New Guinea-Bougainville, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen.
Thanks to the confidence donors placed in us, and for the fourth consecutive year, the MYA surpassed its resource mobilization target. Against $30 million requested in 2019 to cover its six priority areas, DPPA successfully mobilized $35.3 million in contributions from 30 donors (Appeal 118 per cent funded).
We hope that this support will continue to enable us to respond to the challenges to peace and security that the current COVID-19 pandemic is posing. DPPA and the rest of the UN system are looking closely at the implications of the spread of COVID-19 worldwide, including where our Special Political Missions are deployed and active. The Department has been quick to expand its analytical lens to include COVID-19 along other “stressors” that can trigger conflict or violence. Our political analysis is widely shared and contributes to shaping UN responses.
MYA funding helps us support initiatives by SRSGs and Special Envoys in promoting and following up on the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire. The MYA, with its Rapid Response window, is designed to support new opportunities and crisis-related needs at short notice. DPPA continues to deploy its tools - mediation, electoral assistance, inclusive political analysis -to provide political, technical and operational support to its partners. Demand for our services might take a different form this year but is likely to remain high.
We have witnessed the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on women and girls, particularly those living in fragile and conflict-affected countries. Together with the wider UN system and its partners, DPPA continues to support women’s participation in politics and all matters of peace and security.
DPPA is currently undertaking an assessment of its MYA projects to re-prioritize and re-purpose unspent programme funds in consultation with Headquarters and the field. We will communicate our new funding target once we have greater clarity on how operations can be conducted in the field. We will strive to keep our partners regularly informed through the Donor Group and other forums.
With competition for resources intensifying, the MYA is more important than ever for our work. We hope to be able to count on support from our donors this year to continue delivering on our mandate as fully and effectively as possible. For any information on the MYA, please contact: dppa-donorrelations@un.org
DPPA is pleased to present its Annual Report under the Multi-Year Appeal (MYA), showcasing how voluntary contributions made a difference in 2019, allowing us to be more operational and seize opportunities to prevent violence and defuse tensions in mission and non-mission settings such as Bolivia, El Salvador, Papua New Guinea-Bougainville, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen.
Thanks to the confidence donors placed in us, and for the fourth consecutive year, the MYA surpassed its resource mobilization target. Against $30 million requested in 2019 to cover its six priority areas, DPPA successfully mobilized $35.3 million in contributions from 30 donors (Appeal 118 per cent funded).
We hope that this support will continue to enable us to respond to the challenges to peace and security that the current COVID-19 pandemic is posing. DPPA and the rest of the UN system are looking closely at the implications of the spread of COVID-19 worldwide, including where our Special Political Missions are deployed and active. The Department has been quick to expand its analytical lens to include COVID-19 along other “stressors” that can trigger conflict or violence. Our political analysis is widely shared and contributes to shaping UN responses.
MYA funding helps us support initiatives by SRSGs and Special Envoys in promoting and following up on the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire. The MYA, with its Rapid Response window, is designed to support new opportunities and crisis-related needs at short notice. DPPA continues to deploy its tools - mediation, electoral assistance, inclusive political analysis -to provide political, technical and operational support to its partners. Demand for our services might take a different form this year but is likely to remain high.
We have witnessed the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on women and girls, particularly those living in fragile and conflict-affected countries. Together with the wider UN system and its partners, DPPA continues to support women’s participation in politics and all matters of peace and security.
DPPA is currently undertaking an assessment of its MYA projects to re-prioritize and re-purpose unspent programme funds in consultation with Headquarters and the field. We will communicate our new funding target once we have greater clarity on how operations can be conducted in the field. We will strive to keep our partners regularly informed through the Donor Group and other forums.
With competition for resources intensifying, the MYA is more important than ever for our work. We hope to be able to count on support from our donors this year to continue delivering on our mandate as fully and effectively as possible. For any information on the MYA, please contact: dppa-donorrelations@un.org
11 April 2020 - On 23 March, the Secretary-General launched an appeal for an immediate Global Ceasefire, urging all warring parties to pull back from hostilities, put aside mistrust and animosity, and silence their guns. Many parties have responded positively to the Secretary-General’s appeal, but more needs to be done to translate these words into actions.
Too many in the Middle East have endured conflict and deprivation for far too long. Their suffering is now...
“I am concerned about the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 health crisis on the Palestinian people, particularly vulnerable communities in Gaza.
In addition to the public health implications of the pandemic, the negative shock to the Israeli and Palestinian economies will have profound implications for public welfare, employment, social cohesion, financial and institutional stability.
...In a joint appeal issued on Saturday, the five UN envoys to the Middle East urged warring parties in the region to work towards an immediate end to hostilities, in line with the Secretary-General’s recent call for a global ceasefire during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Joint Appeal by the UN Secretary-General’s Envoys to the Middle East
11 April 2020
On 23 March,...
Religious leaders of all faiths are being urged by the UN Secretary-General to join forces and work for peace around the world and focus on the common battle to defeat COVID-19.
On 23 March, the Secretary-General launched an appeal for an immediate Global Ceasefire, urging all warring parties to pull back from hostilities, put aside mistrust and animosity, and silence their guns. Many parties have responded positively to the Secretary-General’s appeal, but more needs to be done to translate these words into actions.
Too many in the Middle East have endured conflict and deprivation for far...
