“The villagers knew that the military kidnapped [indigenous] people and brought them here and tortured them. While alive, they were forced to dig their own graves. Some would be buried in the ground, here, still half alive.” The chilling words of Rosalina Tuyuc Velásquez, a member of an indigenous group in Guatemala.
Organized by the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and the Small Island Developing States, and hosted by the Mission of New Zealand to the United Nations, some 50 participants from national governments, the UN and academia took part on 6 May 2019 in a workshop on Climate Change, Conflict Prevention and Sustainable Peace: Perspectives from the Pacific. The aim of the workshop was to better understand the climate-security nexus in the Pacific, share country and regional experiences, review efforts to develop a toolkit for climate-security risk assessment frameworks, and explore how the United Nations system can respond to climate-security challenges threatening the Pacific. This document contains a summary of and the recommendations from the workshop.
Wrapping up this week, our top stories are: how new technologies are a "vector for hope" and "source of fear", according to UN chief Guterres; new members at the Security Council; the plight of migrants in Libya; war rules violations in Syria; human rights in Australia and the Philippines.
This Week in DPPA aims to keep you abreast of developments and events on the agenda of the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, at UN HQ and in the field, and especially those that sometimes "fly under the radar".
New YorkRegional security and integration in Central Africa under threat, Security Council warned Five new members elected to the UN Security Council Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Viet Nam were elected by the General Assembly as new non-permanent members of the Security Council on 7 June. The countries will take up their seats in the Council on 1 January 2020. Read more about the newly elected council members and their priorities in Politically Speaking.
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African UnionDPPA partners convene in Addis Ababa
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Now in its fifth day, a crackdown by the military authorities in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, with dozens reported killed, has prompted a “gravely concerned” UN human rights office (OHCHR) to propose the “rapid deployment” of a monitoring team to look into allegations of serious rights violations.
Under the auspices of His Excellency, Mr. Felix Antoine TSHISEKEDI TSHILOMBO, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Head of State, the National Oversight Mechanism (NOM) of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region (“PSC Framework”) convened on 5-6 June 2019 a meeting of the Chiefs of the Intelligence and Security Services of Burundi, the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, supported by the...
New firsthand reporting by UN staff in Syria reveals “increasingly horrific brutality” by all parties in the de-escalation area of the country’s northwest, causing “significant civilian causalities” and hundreds of thousands displaced, a senior humanitarian official said on Thursday.
In a world where international relations have become "more chaotic," world leaders must avoid a new Cold War, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told delegates attending the International Economic Forum, in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg on Thursday.
Recurrent and often deadly clashes between pastoralists and farmers in several countries in Central Africa continue to cause “serious concern”, threatening “regional security and integration”, a senior UN official warned the Security Council on Tuesday.
Mr. President,
Distinguished members of the Council,
Thank you for the opportunity to brief you on the situation in Central Africa and the activities of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA).
Since my last briefing, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has made noticeable progress with regard to its reform process. Following the finalization of the reform documents in January, the ECCAS Council of Ministers is expected to convene on 21 June to validate these documents. It is our hope that the Assembly of ECCAS Heads of State and Government would endorse the documents before 2020. This reform process should contribute to the transformation of ECCAS into a more effective organization for regional integration, conflict prevention and resolution, as well as peacebuilding. UNOCA remains committed to help enhance these capacities, building on the valuable expertise already available. The reform should also provide the organization with a more adequate mandate and tools, as well as means to carry out such mandate. I appeal to ECCAS member States to enhance their support to this process, so as to ensure its timely completion and the launch of a reformed ECCAS for the benefit of regional peace, stability and integration.
To date, the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa (UNSAC) remains the primary platform where ECCAS member States meet regularly to discuss peace and security issues in Central Africa and recommend actions to address threats to regional stability. I have just arrived from Kinshasa, where the Committee held its 48th ministerial meeting on 31 May, which focused on the political and security situation in Central Africa. Members of UNSAC took note of the holding of elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on 30 December 2018, which enabled the country to experience a peaceful alternation of power. They also welcomed the signing of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic (CAR) and expressed their support for efforts to advocate for the complete lifting of the arms embargo. They took note of efforts by the Government of Cameroon to find a lasting solution to the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions, and encouraged the Government to pursue dialogue to that end. Following a closed session on the financing of regional institutions and crossborder transhumance, the members of UNSAC, inter alia, (i) invited the ECCAS General Secretariat to conclude the process of drafting a community regulation on pastoralism and transhumance; (ii) called for the holding of a high-level conference on this issue; (iii) encouraged ECCAS member States to participate in meetings dedicated to the reform of the organization; and (iv) emphasized the importance of setting up mechanisms to ensure the regular payment of financial contributions.
Recurrent and often deadly clashes between pastoralists and farmers in several countries continue to be a source of serious concern and a threat to regional security and integration. Recent inter-communal tensions in eastern Chad opposing nomadic herders and sedentary farmers, as well as the attacks against villages in the Central African Republic on 21 May, remind us of the urgency of addressing the issue of pastoralism and transhumance. I am pleased that this is receiving increasing attention in Central Africa, and I welcome the conclusions of the workshop organized on 27 and 28 May in Kinshasa, which finalized a draft regulation instrument on pastoralism and transhumance. UNOCA will continue to support ECCAS efforts in this area and, working with UNOWAS, to promote cooperation and exchange of good practices between Central, East and West Africa on the issue, given the inter-regional dimension of the phenomenon.
Monsieur le Président,
Boko Haram a intensifié ses attaques sur le Cameroun et le Tchad depuis fin 2018, tuant près d’une centaine de civiles et membres des forces de défense et de sécurité. Malgré les efforts louables des pays affectés et la Commission du bassin du lac Tchad, le groupe terroriste représente toujours une menace sécuritaire pour l’Afrique centrale et au-delà. Cette situation impose le renforcement de la coopération et un meilleur partage d’expériences et des leçons apprises entre les pays affectés et la Force multinationale mixte, ainsi qu’une assistance internationale plus soutenue et plus importante pour vaincre Boko Haram, répondre aux besoins humanitaires des populations affectées, et s’attaquer aux causes profondes du conflit. La Stratégie régionale en faveur de la stabilisation, du redressement et de la résilience des zones du bassin du lac Tchad touchées par Boko Haram, adoptée en août 2018, est donc source d’espoir pour les populations de ces zones. Je continue de travailler main dans la main avec le Représentant spécial Chambas de l’UNOWAS, pour sensibiliser les partenaires au besoin de rester engagé dans la lutte contre Boko Haram. Je saisis cette opportunité pour appeler, une fois de plus, les Etats concernés à intensifier leurs efforts pour la mise en oeuvre de la Stratégie régionale au niveau national, et j’appelle les partenaires internationaux à soutenir ces efforts.
Je note que l’Armée de résistance du seigneur (LRA) constitue toujours une menace à la paix et la sécurité en Afrique centrale, en particulier en RCA et en RDC. J’encourage les gouvernements de la sous-région, ainsi que les membres du Conseil de sécurité, à appuyer les efforts de la Commission de l’Union africaine dans la mise en place de mécanismes de sécurité alternatifs pour l’élimination de la LRA, dans le cadre de la coopération régionale et la Force africaine en attente.
Monsieur le Président,
Concernant la situation dans les régions du Nord-Ouest et du Sud-Ouest du Cameroun, nous avons noté plusieurs visites de haut niveau dans le pays et une série de déclarations publiques de la part de partenaires clés qui ont tous exprimé leurs préoccupations sur les questions de protection des populations et appelé à un dialogue inclusif et sincère. Le 9 mai, le Premier Ministre Joseph Dion Ngute a annoncé que le Président Paul Biya était prêt à s’engager dans le dialogue sur toutes questions, sauf celles touchant à la "séparation" et la "sécession", afin de trouver une solution durable à la crise. Ceci est un pas encourageant dans la bonne direction. Dans une déclaration sur la situation sociopolitique au Cameroun publiée le 28 mai, le Gouvernement a rappelé les efforts consentis jusqu’ici pour gérer la situation humanitaire et engager le dialogue avec toutes les parties prenantes. Il a aussi souligné son engagement à coopérer avec les membres du Conseil des droits de l’homme, les autres Etats membres, les organismes du système des Nations Unies et autres acteurs bilatéraux. Je voudrais rappeler la déclaration du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies sur l’importance de faire prévaloir l’unité et l’intégrité territoriale du Cameroun. Il est également important de souligner que la recherche de solutions à la crise doit être guidée par le Gouvernement. Conduire un dialogue inclusif est le meilleur moyen de préserver la stabilité du pays, stabilité qui est vitale pour toute la sous-région. J’encourage les autorités camerounaises à poursuivre leurs efforts de dialogue et à faire avancer le processus de décentralisation. Je réitère la disponibilité des Nations Unies à travailler avec le Cameroun dans cette tâche essentielle ainsi que d’autres, comme le désarmement, la démobilisation et la réintégration et la consolidation de la paix, à travers le Fonds des Nations Unies pour la consolidation de la paix, entre autres sources de financement.
Malgré ces avancées positives, la situation sur le terrain continue de se détériorer avec des affrontements fréquents entre les groupes armés secessionistes et les forces de défense et de sécurité nationales. Les civiles demeurent les principales victimes du conflit. Plusieurs ont perdu leurs vies tandis qu’environ 530.000 sont des déplacés internes dans les régions du Nord-Ouest, du Sud-Ouest et du Littoral, et plus de 30.000 ont trouvé refuge au Nigéria. Les populations affectées ont un besoin urgent d’assistance, alors que l’accès humanitaire dans les régions du Nord-Ouest et du Sud-Ouest reste un défi à cause des problèmes de sécurité. En outre, le Cameroun a accueilli 278.000 réfugiés de la République centrafricaine et 104.000 réfugiés nigérians dans la région de l’Extrême-Nord. Je salue la fourniture d’aide humanitaire par le Gouvernement et relève que seulement 13 pour cent du Plan de réponse humanitaire des Nations Unies a été financé à ce jour. J’appelle les partenaires internationaux à envisager une aide financière afin de permettre la fourniture de toute l’assistance humanitaire dont les populations vulnérables ont tant besoin.
Même si la mise en oeuvre de l’Accord politique pour la paix et la réconciliation en République centrafricaine soulève plusieurs défis, cet Accord reste un instrument efficace pour contribuer à l’instauration d’une paix durable dans le pays. Il est crucial que la sous-région et les Etats membres de la CEEAC jouent leur rôle en vue de la réussite de cet Accord. A cet effet, je me réjouis de la réactivation de la commission mixte entre le Cameroun et la République centrafricaine à Bangui, le mois dernier. J’encourage la République centrafricaine et les autres Etats voisins à réactiver leurs commissions mixtes bilatérales, ce qui devrait faciliter les discussions sur la gestion des frontières et les défis sécuritaires communs.
Je salue l’annonce du Fonds montéraire international (FMI), le 9 mai, indiquant qu’une mission du FMI a achevé les discussions avec la République du Congo et "est parvenue à un accord, ad référendum, qui pourrait être soutenu par un programme au titre de la Facilité Elargie de Crédit." Cette évolution favorable intervient après deux années de négociations.
Au Gabon, le FMI a récemment noté une stabilisation de la situation macro-économique. Entre-temps, le Président Ali Bongo Ondimba récupère à Libreville de ses problèmes de santé. Depuis mai, il a reçu les visites des Présidents Faure Gnassingbé du Togo, Alassane Dramane Ouattara de Côte d’Ivoire, et Macky Sall du Sénégal, ainsi que la Secrétaire générale de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Madame Louise Mushikiwabo. D’autres chefs d’Etat sont attendus dans les prochains jours.
Je note les efforts des autorités tchadiennes pour la tenue d’élections législatives avant la fin de l’année, et j’appelle tous les acteurs nationaux et internationaux à contribuer à l’organisation d’élections crédibles, inclusives et pacifiques dans les délais envisagés.
Monsieur le Président,
Distingués membres du Conseil,
Face aux défis précités, l’UNOCA reste fermement attaché au renforcement des capacités régionales de prévention et gestion des crises et conflits, y compris en appuyant la CEEAC et ses Etats membres. Nous sommes confiants que les conclusions de la revue stratégique de l’UNOCA en cours contribueront à renforcer l’efficacité du Bureau et son rôle en tant qu’outil essentiel des Nations Unies pour la diplomatie préventive et la consolidation de la paix, en coopération étroite avec les entités des Nations Unies concernées. Nous continuerons à ne ménager aucun effort pour améliorer la cohérence et la coordination entre ces entités, notamment en matière de paix et sécurité.
Je vous remercie de votre attention et de votre appui constant.
Against a backdrop of challenges in implementing the peace process in Colombia, six independent UN human rights experts condemned on Tuesday the killing of a former member of the FARC-EP guerilla movement, which they said constitutes a “violation” of the guarantees made by the Government in the 2016 peace agreement.
Examples of the UN's conflict prevention and mediation work in Africa.
Security forces in Sudan fired on pro-democracy protesters in the capital Khartoum on Monday, leaving a number of dead and many more injured, prompting the United Nations chief’s condemnation and an appeal for “peaceful dialogue” to resume.
Since the suicide bombings in Sri Lanka on April 21, there have been concerns for the safety of refugees and asylum seekers living in the country: in the immediate aftermath, there were reports of refugees being targeted and forced from their homes by angry mobs threatening reprisals for the Easter Sunday attacks which targeted Christian churches, as well as upscale hotels.
This Week in DPPA aims to keep you abreast of developments and events on the agenda of the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, at UN HQ and in the field, and especially those that sometimes "fly under the radar".
New York“No military solution to the conflict in Syria”
Senior Leadership TravelAssistant Secretary-General Jenča visits KosovoFrom 26 – 28 May, Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča visited Kosovo to meet with local stakeholders. In Pristina, the ASG met with the Kosovo Assembly President and the Minister of Local Government and Administration. He met with woman leaders to hear more about their work on gender equality, violence against woman and implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on woman, peace and security. In Gracanica monestary, he discussed the importance of dialogue, tolerance, reconciliation, and protection of religious sites with Bishop Teodosije.
UN AU office inks partnership with think tank |
Guinea-BissauCommunity outreach programme to remote parts of Guinea-Bissau
Great LakesSpecial Envoy participates at Presidential inauguration in South Africa
Central AfricaHigh-level roundtable on human rights in Central Africa
AfghanistanGrave concern about accounts of Taliban ill-treatment of detainees
IraqTraining on national and international fair trial rights
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Amid the world’s largest humanitarian crisis still unfolding in Yemen, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has gained access to the rebel-held northern district of Nihm, for the first time since the war between Houthis and the Saudi-backed Government coalition escalated in 2015.
A marked escalation in fighting has put tens of thousands of children in northwest Syria at “imminent risk of injury, death and displacement”, the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) chief warned on Thursday.
With the post-world war international institutions eroded and under threat, a “strong and united Europe” standing alongside the United Nations, has never been more essential, said UN chief António Guterres in Germany on Thursday.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday that much greater protection for educational facilities was needed across Afghanistan where attacks against schools have increased three-fold in just one year. The call coincides with the third International Conference on Safe Schools, taking place this week in Mallorca, Spain.
Although the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to make headway thanks to the determination of health workers on the ground, insecurity is still hampering the response, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. This has led the UN to establish a new coordination structure in the hopes that access to at-risk areas can be improved.
After eight years of deadly air strikes and terrorist attacks that have left hundreds of thousands of Syrians dead and millions of others injured, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Ursula Mueller asked the Security Council on Tuesday, the hard-hitting question: “Can’t this Council take any concrete action when attacks on schools and hospitals have become a war tactic that no longer sparks outrage”?
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis welcomes the Cabinet’s endorsement of the 2019 draft State budget and hopes that following a thorough review by the Parliament it will be adopted as quickly as possible. “The adoption of the 2019 budget creates an opportunity to take initial measures to reduce the deficit. It is also an opportunity to start introducing necessary reforms in a politically -, economically - and socially-sustainable way as a part of the broader effort...
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis welcomes the Cabinet’s endorsement of the 2019 draft State budget and hopes that following a thorough review by the Parliament it will be adopted as quickly as possible. “The adoption of the 2019 budget creates an opportunity to take initial measures to reduce the deficit. It is also an opportunity to start introducing necessary reforms in a politically -, economically - and socially-sustainable way as a part of the broader effort...
Nowhere is safe in Yemen, the head of the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF said, after an attack in the city of Taiz claimed the lives of 12 civilians, including seven youngsters – the latest victims of the country’s more than four-year war.
The town of Kitchanga, in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), hosts the highest concentration of internally displaced people in the country, and has been one of the regions most affected by clashes between local communities, made up of Tutsis and Hutus, especially in terms of accessing land. Today, however, thanks to a UN initiative, many disputes over land in Kitchanga are resolved through dialogue instead of violence, and families can cultivate, rent and make a profit from their land.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed “grave concern” on Sunday over “credible accounts” it has been given that Taliban militants have been mistreating prisoners, which in some cases “may amount to torture”.
But for the selfless bravery of the UN ‘blue helmet’ who dragged him to safety during a firefight against Congolese militiamen, it is unlikely that Corporal Ali Khamis Omary would be alive to tell the tale. The man who saved him, Malawian peacekeeper Chancy Chitete, was not so lucky.
Friday's main stories include: Honouring UN peacekeepers; landmark conference to combat sexual and gender-based violence in crises; Kenya upholds LGBT ban; UNICEF’s plea for Afghani children; Brazil’s bid to compensate tobacco smokers; Water shortages in Bangladesh
This Week in DPPA aims to keep you abreast of developments and events on the agenda of the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, at UN HQ and in the field, and especially those that sometimes "fly under the radar".
New York“Libya is on verge of descending into a civil war”, SRSG Salame tells Security Council Senior Leadership TravelAssistant Secretary-General Jenča visits Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkey for high-level meetings African UnionUNOAU Newsletter
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AfghanistanWe must seize this opportunity for peace, say Helmand community leaders On 22 May, Richard Bennett, human rights chief at UNAMA, visited the Pul-i-Charki Prison outside Kabul. He met with prison authorities and prisoners, both male and female. Monitoring detention facilities is essential for preventing ill-treatment of prisoners and improving their conditions.
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Ever since the UN deployed the first of its 72 peacekeeping missions back in 1948, more than 3,800 peacekeepers have lost their lives, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday, at a wreath laying ceremony in honour of those “brave men and women” who serve.
In Afghanistan, children suffering from the most serious form of malnutrition may die, unless $7 million in funding is found within weeks, UNICEF said on Friday.
Thursday’s main stories include: Better safeguards to protect civilians in conflict; UN ramps up coordination to beat Ebola in DR Congo; Obstetric fistula continues to afflict women; UN mission condemns attack in Central African Republic
Thursday’s main stories include: Better safeguards to protect civilians in conflict; UN ramps up coordination to beat Ebola in DR Congo; Obstetric fistula continues to afflict women; UN chief strongly condemns attack in Central African Republic
