Nearly 200,000 people were displaced by fighting inside Sudan over the past week, the UN reported on Tuesday, citing new figures released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Nearly 200,000 people were displaced by fighting inside Sudan over the past week, the UN reported on Tuesday, citing new figures released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The UN Secretary-General addressed the Security Council on Tuesday, emphasizing the potential of artificial intelligence to accelerate human development while also cautioning against the malicious use of what is revolutionary new technology.
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL ROSEMARY A. DICARLO’S
REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
UKRAINE
New York, 17 July 2023
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Over 500 days since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, life in Ukraine remains a “living hell”, as the Secretary-General characterized it. According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), 9,287 civilians have been killed and 16,384 injured, most under Russian armed forces fire.
This figure includes 537 children killed and 1,117 injured. And these are only confirmed figures. The actual number of victims is likely considerably higher.
Children have been particularly hit hard by the conflict.
Ukraine was the country with the highest number of children killed and maimed in 2022. It was also the country with the most attacks on schools and hospitals.
Nowhere is safe in Ukraine. On 27 June, Russian missiles hit the city of Kramatorsk, reportedly killing 11 people, including 14-year-old twin sisters. At least 60 others were injured.
On 6 July, bombardments hit Kyiv, Odesa and Lviv, which are far from the front lines.
On 8 July, Russian artillery shelling reportedly killed at least eight civilians and wounded 13 in Lyman.
Communities in the Sumy region continue to be under constant Russian shelling.
Civilians in areas under Russian control also face mortal danger. On 9 July, four civilians were killed and many more injured while receiving humanitarian aid in the town of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia region.
Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure – wherever they may occur - are indefensible and strictly prohibited under international law. They must cease immediately.
Mr. President,
As the Secretary-General has consistently underlined, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law.
The United Nations remains fully committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, in accordance with relevant General Assembly resolutions.
The parties involved bear the responsibility to avoid actions that could further escalate tensions.
In particular, any threat to use nuclear weapons is utterly unacceptable. So is jeopardizing the safety and security of nuclear power plants and other critical infrastructure.
In recent days, experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency have heard a series of explosions apparently taking place some distance away from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. They are a stark reminder of potential nuclear safety and security risks facing the facility during the military conflict in the country.
Mr. President,
The United Nations and humanitarian partners continue to respond to the dire consequences of the war, having reached over five million people with aid so far this year. There have been over 65 inter-agency convoys this year to frontline areas.
Unfortunately, the continuing lack of humanitarian access to Russian controlled areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions deprives an estimated 3.7 million people of much needed assistance.
We continue to engage with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv to secure access and urge Russia to fulfill its international obligations to grant humanitarian access to territories it controls.
Access is also an issue in the wake of the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. The incident has devastated local communities along the Dnipro River and continues to have broad, long-term environmental consequences.
The flooding affected local ecosystems, exposed military and hazardous waste and shifted landmines. The UN is undertaking a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) to determine the wider impact in support of a comprehensive recovery strategy.
Displacement throughout Ukraine remains a serious concern.
Currently, more than 6.3 million Ukrainians are refugees, and an estimated 5.1 million people are internally displaced.
According to the International Organization for Migration, an estimated 4.76 million displaced people have returned to their communities since the beginning of the war, including 1.1 million refugees.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that while most of the remaining refugees and IDPs want to return to their places of origin, voluntary return in safety and dignity may not be possible for many given the security situation.
Indeed, Ukraine has become one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.
As part of our support to the Government of Ukraine for the reconstruction and repair of critical infrastructure, the UN is assisting the country’s emergency services to remove over half a million landmines and pieces of unexploded ordnance, enabling four million people to return home.
Mr. President,
OHCHR has documented a harrowing record of human rights violations, including arbitrary deprivation of life, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment, and conflict-related sexual violence.
According to the latest OHCHR report, the Russian Federation arbitrarily detained 864 individuals. Many cases amounting to forced disappearance.
It is deeply disturbing that more than 91 per cent of civilian detainees held by the Russian Federation were reportedly subjected to torture or ill-treatment, including sexual violence.
More than 26 per cent of the detainees were transferred to other locations in violation of international law, either in Ukraine under Russian control, or to the Russian Federation itself.
We are also gravely concerned about the alleged summary execution of 77 civilians while they were arbitrarily detained by the Russian Federation, as reported by OHCHR.
OHCHR has also documented 75 of arbitrary detention by Ukrainian security forces, mostly of persons suspected of conflict-related criminal offences. In 57 per cent of the cases, OHCHR documented the use of torture and ill-treatment.
We call for the arbitrary detention of civilians to stop and for the immediate release in conditions of safety of all persons held arbitrarily. Victims must be provided with effective remedies.
We also urge the Russian Federation to guarantee independent monitors, including those of OHCHR, regular unimpeded and confidential access to all detainees.
All victims of human rights violations deserve justice and accountability, whichever side of the frontline they come from. Impunity must not be allowed to stand.
Mr. President,
The Ukraine Recovery Conference in London last month was a demonstration of international solidarity, raising over $60 billion US dollars in pledges towards Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.
The UN will continue to support national and international partners in ongoing recovery efforts, following ‘Building Back Better’ and ‘Leaving No One Behind’ principles.
Globally, in 2023, it is projected that 345 million people across 79 countries, where the World Food Programme (WFP) is operational and data is available, will experience acute food insecurity.
Up to 40.4 million people across 51 countries face severe hunger emergencies and are one step away from falling into famine if they do not receive immediate assistance.
The Black Sea Initiative enabled the safe export of some 33 million metric tons of foodstuffs from three Ukrainian ports, including more than 725,000 metric tons of wheat transported by WFP, helping to relieve hunger in Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and Yemen.
The initiative helped bring down global food prices.
The Memorandum of Understanding on Russian food and fertilizer exports also delivered concrete results over the past year.
As the Secretary-General stated this morning, the decision of the Russian Federation to terminate the Black Sea Initiative will strike a blow to people in need everywhere.
The Secretary-General also stated that this decision will not stop our efforts to facilitate the unimpeded access to global markets for food products and fertilizers from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
Mr. President,
We knew well before 24 February 2022 that the world was at an inflection point.
We understood that we needed to take urgent action to deal with an overwhelming set of crises that, collectively, threaten our very existence. International cooperation and respect for the rule of law were more important than ever.
Today it is clear that, in addition to causing unconscionable death and destruction, the war in Ukraine has greatly diminished our ability to face an uncertain future.
It has heightened tensions in different regions, and risks triggering a global arms race.
The war threatens to undermine the very structures that prevented a third global conflagration and helped us resolve multiple conflicts over the last 80 years.
The longer this war continues, the more dangerous its consequences, including the possibility of a wider conflict.
For the sake of the Ukrainian people and for the sake of our global community, this senseless, unjustified war must stop.
Thank you, Mr. President.
The UN Political Affairs chief appealed on Monday for an end to the “unjustified” war in Ukraine, which this month passed the 500-day mark.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday that he deeply regrets Russia’s decision to terminate the Black Sea Initiative, in effect ending a “lifeline” for hundreds of millions worldwide facing hunger and spiralling food costs.
For 96 hours, the orders kept coming. By the end, 287 people were dead, 387 women and children had been raped, and 13 villages in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had been robbed of any sense of normalcy.
Warring factions in Sudan must respect international law, protect civilians, and stop targeting relief and aid workers, the United Nations top humanitarian official urged on Saturday, as the conflict reached its three-month mark.
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The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday said it was very concerned over reports of police in Kenya using excessive force to quell protests this week which have left dozens dead and injured.
The international community must act now to protect future generations from the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence, the UN’s advocate on the issue, Pramila Patten, told the Security Council on Friday.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL KHALED KHIARI’S
REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
NON-PROLIFERATION/DPRK
New York, 13 July 2023
Mr President,
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched its Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile on 12 July.
This was the DPRK’s second launch of its new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. As we have previously briefed, solid-propellant missiles do not need to undergo fuelling prior to launch and thus can be launched more quickly than liquid-propellant missiles.
The missile was launched on a lofted trajectory from the Pyongyang area at 10:00 am local time and reportedly flew around 1,000 km and to an altitude of around 6,600 km before falling into the sea, inside the Russian Federation’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The flight was reportedly around 74 minutes, potentially making it the DPRK’s longest ballistic missile flight duration.
The systems the DPRK tested on 12 July, 13 April, 16 March, 18 February this year, as well as on five occasions last year, can reach most points on Earth.
The DPRK did not issue airspace or maritime safety notifications for this launch. As recently reiterated by the International Civil Aviation Organization as well as the International Maritime Organization, the DPRK’s unannounced launches represent a serious risk to international civil aviation and maritime traffic.
Mr President,
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the DPRK’s launch of yet another ballistic missile of intercontinental range.
He reiterates his calls on the DPRK to fully comply with its international obligations under all relevant Security Council resolutions and to resume dialogue without preconditions leading to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Mr President,
The DPRK’s official news agency said that the latest launch of the Hwasong-18 ballistic missile was to quote “deter the dangerous military moves of the hostile forces” end quote. The DPRK also said that the country would strengthen its so-called nuclear deterrent in line with its five-year military development plan unveiled in January 2021. That plan provided for the development of specific capabilities, many involving the DPRK pursuing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.
The DPRK significantly increased its missile launch activities in 2022 and 2023, including more than 90 launches using ballistic missile technology.
As we have previously briefed, the DPRK attempted to launch its first military satellite with what it described as a“new-type carrier rocket” using ballistic missile technology on 31 May. The DPRK has reported on the failure and reiterated that it would conduct a second launch as soon as possible. While it is the right of any sovereign state to launch a satellite and to benefit from peaceful space activities, the relevant Security Council resolutions expressly prohibit the DPRK from conducting any launches using ballistic missile technology.
Mr President,
Key peace and security issues, such as the situation on the Korean Peninsula, must be an area for cooperation.
We welcome the Security Council’s commitment, as expressed in resolution 2397 (2017), to a peaceful, comprehensive, diplomatic, and political solution to the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The status quo is alarming and unsustainable.
Mr President,
In a fortnight, we will observe the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement. It is a tragic reality that tensions persist and remain unresolved even after seven decades.
As we have previously briefed, there are several practical measures that can be taken to reduce tensions, reverse the dangerous dynamic, and create space to explore diplomatic avenues. While I won't reiterate them, I do emphasise the importance of re-establishing communication channels, particularly those between military entities, and exercisingmaximum restraint. It is critical to avoid an unintended escalation.
In addition, pending the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it is imperative that the DPRK maintains the highest level of safety at its nuclear facilities.
Mr President,
I would like to highlight once more our concerns regarding the humanitarian situation in the DPRK. The United Nations is ready to assist the DPRK in addressing basic needs of its vulnerable populations.
Given the positive advancements in vaccines and treatments and the declaration by the World Health Organization Director-General on 5 May that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of international concern, we urge the DPRK to allow the unimpeded re-entry and rotation of the international community, including our staff and the United Nations Resident Coordinator.
This collective return will yield a positive impact in supporting the people, bolstering relations, and, importantly,fortifying communication channels.
Diplomacy - not isolation - is the only way forward.
In this respect, I would like to acknowledge the participation of the Permanent Representatives from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as well as the Republic of Korea in this meeting.
Let me close by stressing that the unity of the Security Council on the DPRK is essential to ease tensions and overcome the diplomatic impasse. The primary responsibility for international peace and security rests with this Council.
Thank you, Mr President.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Thursday called for a swift investigation into the killing of 87 civilians in Sudan following the discovery of a mass grave in West Darfur.
Unity on the Security Council in the face of missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is essential to ease tensions across the whole Korean Peninsula, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for political and peacebuilding affairs for the region said on Thursday.
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Thursday that he is investigating fresh allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region, including the recent killings of 87 members of the ethnic Masalit community, reportedly carried out by the Rapid Security Forces and its militia.
The heads of the European Commission and the United Nations upheld the importance of international cooperation in an increasingly polarized world during a joint press conference in Brussels on Thursday.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday launched an emergency seed distribution campaign in Sudan, ensuring farmers and their families have the necessary resources to meet food production needs amid the on-going conflict between rival military forces.
The 58th round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID), as mandated by the six-point agreement of 12 August 2008 and implementing measures of 8 September 2008, took place on 11-12 July 2023. As usual, this round was held in two working groups meeting in parallel on security and humanitarian issues.
This was the second round held this year in a continued highly challenging regional and geopolitical environment. The participants reaffirmed their commitment to the process and key role played by the GID as the only platform where the conflict consequences are addressed. The Co-Chairs expressed appreciation for this shared commitment.
Non-use of force / international security arrangements, as one of the key items of the GID, were discussed in detail. All participants actively engaged on the issue, but without reaching a common understanding on the way forward. Discussions will continue in future rounds.
The humanitarian situation on the ground was broadly reviewed. The issue of internally displaced persons and refugees could not be fully covered as per the agenda due to a walkout by some participants.
It was agreed to hold the next GID round in December 2023.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL KHALED KHIARI’S
REMARKS AT THE OHCHR-DPPA-DPO JOINT EVENT
"UNITING FOR PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS:
THE 75TH ANNIVERSARIES OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS,
PEACEKEEPING, AND SPECIAL POLITICAL MISSIONS"
New York, 12 July 2023
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
All of you know that the Count Folke Bernadotte was deployed as the United Nations Mediator in Palestine in May 1948. The first peacekeeping operation United Nations Truce Supervision Organization [UNTSO] was established a few weeks later. And in December, the General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Few could have foreseen how important these innovations would be. Yet, they continue to shape the work of the United Nations 75 years later.
Special political missions have accompanied Member States through historic times of change: from supporting the decolonization and independence processes in Africa and Asia in the 1960s to assisting Central America in ending its civil wars and building peace in the 1990s, from facilitating the Bonn Agreement on Afghanistan in 2001 to aiding Nepal in its transition to peace and democracy; from accompanying Sierra Leone's remarkable peace consolidation process in the early 2010s to helping Colombia implement the peace agreement that ended the longest civil war in the Americas - with the most gender provisions in a peace agreement to date.
I also want to highlight the close cooperation between special political missions and peacekeeping operations, allowing them to bring together their respective expertise and build on their complementary roles to help advance peace in several complex situations.
Dear Colleagues,
The work of special political missions – to reduce risks, prevent conflict, broker peace agreements, and build sustainable peace – is a critical part of the human rights agenda. In Yemen, for example, the truce brokered by the United Nations has resulted in a remarkable 90 per cent reduction in conflict-related casualties.
The same is true of the work of special political missions in promoting inclusion and the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and marginalized groups in political processes. These are not only central, normative human rights agendas for the UN but also pragmatic steps to ensure that political solutions are more durable. We cannot hope to address structural inequalities and other underlying causes of conflict if we do not work to shift the power structures that underpin our economies and political and social systems to advance the participation, protection, and rights of women and other marginalised groups.
These are not abstract notions but have been put into practice by every one of our missions on the ground. This includes the 7 SPMs with dedicated human rights mandates and capacities and the whole spectrum of Special Political Missions.
Human rights can also strengthen the quality and effectiveness of mediation at different stages, opening space for political negotiations, strengthening ongoing processes, and reinvigorating stalled efforts. DPPA and OHCHR have jointly collaborated on a project to show precisely how this can be done, with the dual objectives of fostering new creative approaches by mediation teams and closer collaboration between mediators and human rights practitioners.
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
The Secretary-General's Call to Action for Human Rights has brought the United Nations system closer together around a simple yet powerful idea: that the human rights agenda remains indispensable in our efforts to build a more peaceful, just, and equitable world for all.
This is particularly crucial in a world facing a complex peace and security environment. Protracted civil wars, rising inequalities, shrinking civic space, the pervasive implications of new technologies, and the climate emergency are all issues that need to be tackled with inclusive peace and security and human rights lens at their core.
These challenges also require multilateral cooperation. However, at a time when urgent and united action is needed to address these interlocking crises, the world is growing more dangerously divided.
Next week, the Secretary-General will launch his policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace, which seeks to lay out how, in this emerging new era, fragmented and fractious as it may be, Member States can and must find avenues for cooperation towards shared interests and maintaining peace.
Special political missions, along with peacekeeping operations and international human rights instruments, will remain crucial tools in this endeavour, to advance multilateral action for peace and deliver for the people we serve.
Thank you.
The event is a joint event of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and the Department of Peace Operations (DPO).
Date: 12 July 2023, 1:15pm – 2:30 pm (ET)
Venue: UN Headquarters, Conference Room 1
WebTV link: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1l/k1ll6uyj41
Background:
2023 marks three concurrent 75th anniversaries for the United Nations: in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly, the General Assembly mandated the deployment of the first special political mission, the United Nations Mediator in Palestine, and the Security Council established the first peacekeeping mission by deploying military observers to the Middle East. All three anniversaries mark the beginning of the UN’s efforts to materialize the vision of peaceful coexistence and social progress set out in the Charter:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNHR) makes a significant contribution to peace by establishing a framework that promotes and protects the fundamental rights and dignity of every individual grounded in key principles of equality, justice, and non-discrimination, which are essential to address the key drivers of the conflict. In that sense, it helps prevent conflicts, protect individuals, empower marginalized groups, and establish international norms and standards. UDHR's contribution to peace lies in its recognition of the inherent dignity and rights of every individual.
Peacekeeping is critical in maintaining peace and stability in regions affected by conflicts. It involves the deployment of multinational forces to help monitor, observe, and facilitate the implementation of peace agreements. peacekeeping contributes to peace by preventing and managing conflicts, protecting civilians, supporting peace processes, building local capacities, promoting the rule of law and human rights, and fostering regional and international cooperation. Through their presence and actions, peacekeeping missions help create the conditions necessary for sustainable peace, stability, and development in conflict-affected regions.
Special political missions are civilian missions authorized by the General Assembly or the Security Council under the Chapter VI of the Charter to assist Member States and support them in preventing and resolving conflicts and promoting sustainable peace. They constitute one of the most important mechanisms for operationalizing the work of the United Nations in peace and security. Operating in complex operational environments, including many that are characterized by volatile security situations and fragile political contexts, special political missions are essential mechanisms for implementing a range of mandates that contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, including engaging in preventive diplomacy, supporting the implementation of peace agreements, protecting and promoting human rights, enhancing the meaningful participation of women, as well as advancing the engagement of youth in political and peace processes, and strengthening partnerships with regional and sub-regional organizations.
These are essential tools the United Nations has at its disposal to play a greater prevention role. The collective celebration of the 75th anniversary reaffirms that each of us has a role to play in building and maintaining peace. Celebrating the 75th anniversaries of UDHR, special political missions and peacekeeping together is an opportunity to recognize their interdependence, honor their historic significance, amplify their impact, and inspire collective action towards a future where human rights are upheld, conflicts are resolved, and global peace is achieved.
These anniversaries provide an opportune moment to reflect on the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned over the past seven and a half decades. By commemorating them together, we can deepen our understanding of the interconnectedness between human rights, peacekeeping, and peacemaking, and chart a path forward for a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Objectives:
Programme:
Moderator: Ms. Karin Landgren, Executive Director, Security Council Report
13.15 – 13.30 Opening remarks
13.30 – 14.25 Panel incl. Q&A
Panelists:
14.25 – 14.30 Closing remarks
Efforts towards building peace in Colombia following decades of conflict are bearing fruit but the threat of renewed violence still looms, the head of the UN Mission in the country told the Security Council on Wednesday.
The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned an attack on a UN peacekeeping patrol in the northeast Central African Republic (CAR) on Monday which left one Rwandan ‘blue helmet’ dead.
UN-appointed independent human rights experts on Tuesday called for the Government of Bangladesh to end all harassment against representatives of the human rights organisation, Odhikar, and to ensure respect for due process in legal proceedings.
Life-saving assistance to millions in northwest Syria is at risk after the UN Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt either of two competing resolutions to extend cross-border aid delivery from Türkiye.
As conflict continues to rage in Sudan, UN humanitarians expressed alarm on Tuesday at a surge in the number of people fleeing across the border to Chad.
Transfer of crude oil from the dilapidated tanker Safer stranded off the coast of Yemen, is expected to start early next week, a senior United Nations humanitarian official told the Security Council on Monday.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the air strike in the Sudanese city of Omdurman on Saturday which reportedly killed at least 22 people.
Senior UN officials and donor partners on Sunday visited the Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin, where they witnessed the “shocking” damage sustained during the Israeli incursion this past week.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the airstrike in the Sudanese city of Omdurman on Saturday which reportedly killed at least 22 people.
Alexander Lobov, a military engineer and mine action expert with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), has worked in hotspots from Afghanistan to Somalia, but never imagined using this experience in his native country, Ukraine, now one of the world’s most heavily mined places since Russia’s full-scale invasion of February 2022.
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
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The UN deplored the horrendous civilian cost of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which reached the 500-day mark on Friday.
