New York, 30 June 2020
The International Day of Parliamentarism is a timely occasion to honour the pivotal role of Parliaments in giving people a voice and influence to shape policy.
As a former Parliamentarian, I am deeply conscious of the responsibility and privilege of representing people and delivering on their aspirations.
Parliaments have a special duty...
Thank you, Mr. President.
The Blue Nile, which contributes approximately 85 per cent of the main Nile volume when it merges with the White Nile in Khartoum, is an important transboundary water resource, critical for the livelihoods and development of the people of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Republic of the Sudan.
The construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a major hydropower project located on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region, began in April 2011. Through the generation of hydroelectricity, the GERD will significantly boost Ethiopia’s energy sources, allowing it to increase electrification, accelerate industrialization, and export excess electricity to the region.
Recognizing the need for cooperation on the GERD to fully realise its benefits and mitigate potential negative effects on the downstream countries, the Blue Nile riparian countries have undertaken several commendable initiatives over the past decade. These include the establishment of an International Panel of Experts in 2012 to examine the design and construction plans of the GERD; a follow-up Tripartite National Committee in 2014; and the 2015 Declaration of Principles on the GERD.
The Declaration takes note of the rising demand on the transboundary water resources of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. The three countries committed to several principles, including cooperation, equitable and reasonable utilization, security, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
In 2018, the three countries formed a National Independent Research Study Group, which was to discuss the filling and operation of the GERD. Trilateral discussions at the Ministerial level, as well as among the Heads of State and have been assisted by the United States and the World Bank since 2019. A draft text was discussed, but the three riparian states were not able to reach agreement on the text presented in February 2020.
Sudan, therefore, under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr Abdullah Hamdok, took the initiative earlier this month, to seek to narrow the differences on this issue. We understand that 90 per cent of the technical issues have already been settled.
Following the inconclusive negotiations in February, the three countries agreed to appoint observers to the talks, including the Republic of South Africa, the United States and the European Union. Their representatives have been observers to the recent meetings.
On 26 June, South Africa as Chair of the African Union, convened the Bureau of the African Union Heads of State. President Sisi, Prime Minister Abiy and Prime Minister Hamdok attended the session and agreed to an AU-led process aimed to resolve outstanding issues. The parties will meet over the next two weeks for this purpose.
I commend the parties for their determination to negotiate an agreement and applaud the African Union’s efforts to facilitate a process to this end. The remaining differences are technical and legal in nature. They include the binding nature of an agreement, the dispute resolution mechanism and the management of water flow during droughts.
Mr. President,
While the United Nations has not participated in the negotiations on the GERD, the Secretary-General is fully seized of this matter. I reiterate the Secretary-General’s statement of 19 May urging the parties to peacefully resolve all outstanding differences.
These differences can be overcome, and an agreement can be reached, should all the parties show the necessary political will to compromise in line with the spirit of cooperation highlighted in the 2015 Declaration of Principles.
The United Nations stands ready to assist, through technical and expert support, as appropriate and as requested by the three countries. This includes any support that may be required by the AU-led process.
Transboundary water cooperation is a key element in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. I would like to emphasize that climate change, combined with projected demographic growth and socio-economic changes, will increase water management challenges worldwide, not only for Blue Nile riparian countries.
Mr. President,
Cooperation is not a zero-sum game. It is the key to a successful collective effort to reduce poverty and increase growth, thus delivering on the development potential of the region. We firmly hope that Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan will persevere with efforts to achieve an agreement on the GERD that is beneficial to all.
Thank you, Mr. President.
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
COVID-19Somalia – UN Envoy calls for continued support to help Somalia’s COVID-19 fightSupport provided by international partners has enabled Somalia to provide facilities for patient care in the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but more international assistance is needed to help the federal government in critical response areas, Special Representative and Head of UNSOM James Swan said during a visit to De Martini Hospital in Mogadishu on 21 June. “As friends and partners, we have been honored to help you and to stand by your side and to provide support. The core work and leadership has been yours, but it has been our privilege to offer some assistance through the World Health Organization, the International Organization for Migration, through the United Nations Children’s Fund and through many other UN entities that have contributed since the beginning of this pandemic,” he said. Read more here Iraq – Special Representative salutes immense bravery and sacrifice of health workers
Colombia - UN Mission continues to transport humanitarian aid
Meeting of Peacebuilding Fund Advisory Group For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and its impact, please visit:
Security CouncilMladenov: “Annexation could irrevocably alter the nature of Israeli-Palestinian relations”
Lyons: “By working together, we can overcome COVID-19” |
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Call for global ceasefireNew policy note explores challenges and opportunities
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Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org
New York, 26 June 2020
Mr. President of the General Assembly,
Excellencies,
I send my warmest greetings to “we the peoples”.
Those first three words of our founding Charter, adopted 75 years ago today, give the United Nations its vision and its mission.
We exist to serve people -- and we work as one...
New York, 25 June 2020
Seafarers are among the world’s unsung heroes.
The International Day of the Seafarer is a time to honour the world’s two million seafarers whose dedication and professionalism keep the vast majority of world trade moving safely, delivering vital goods – including food, fuel and medical...
New York, 25 June 2020
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome. We mark tomorrow’s 75th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Charter at a time of colossal global upheaval and risk. From COVID-19 to climate disruption, from racial injustice to rising inequalities, we are a world in turmoil. At the same time, we are an international community with an enduring vision – embodied in the Charter – to guide us...
New York, 24 June 2020
Today we face a global pandemic.
Worldwide, people rightly raise their voices against racism.
Confronting problems is a start. But we also have to solve them.
We have a timeless guide to tackle our...
New York, 23 June 2020
As the world continues to grapple with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, public servants have been on the frontlines of the crisis response.
They are the nurses, doctors and paramedics who provide life-saving care;
The sanitation workers who disinfect and clean public spaces;
The transportation...
New York, 20 June 2020
Nearly 80 million women, children, and men around the world have been forced from their homes as refugees or internally displaced people. Even more shocking: ten million of these people fled in the past year alone.
On World Refugee Day, we pledge to do everything in our power to end the conflict and persecution that drive these appalling numbers.
...This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
COVID-19Afghanistan: Young Afghans speak out for peace – voluntarism in context of the COVID-19 pandemic Peacebuilding Commission meeting on The Gambia DiCarlo: “Our works goes on despite challenging conditions”
For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and its impact, please visit:
Security CouncilPedersen calls for action on the release of detainees and abductees
La Lime: “reform of the Constitution is required to break the circle” BoliviaNew agreement between the Government and the UN |
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Colombia'Mountain Honey,' a contribution to peace
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Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org
New York, 19 June 2020
Sexual violence in conflict is a brutal crime, mainly perpetrated against women and girls, but also affecting men and boys.
It reverberates throughout communities and societies, perpetuating cycles of violence and threatening international peace and security.
...
New York, 19 June 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world of work upside down.
Every worker, every business and every corner of the globe has been affected.
Hundreds of millions of jobs have been lost.
...The new report – Gender, Climate & Security: Sustaining Inclusive Peace on the Frontlines of Climate Change – by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN Women, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (UNDPPA) reveals the close links between gender, climate, and security, and shows that women on the frontlines of climate action are playing a vital role in conflict prevention and sustainable, inclusive peace.
Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
First, I would like to thank, His Excellency, Ambassador Mohammed Hussein Bahr Aluloom, for convening this meeting.
I would also like to thank the co-facilitators of this agenda item, Finland and Mexico, for their continued support to special political missions.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the Fourth Committee during these challenging times and would like to focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for our special political missions.
The impact of the pandemic is truly multidimensional. The unprecedented health crisis is rapidly expanding humanitarian needs across the globe.
The economic impact of the virus is devastating as jobs have disappeared and businesses have suffered; it has increased poverty and marginalization; it is exacerbating various human rights challenges.
The pandemic is also a peace and security crisis. It has already led to social unrest in some countries and could potentially trigger violence that would both greatly undermine our ability to fight the disease and reverse the fragile gains for peace we have achieved over the last few years. It could also increase the suffering of vulnerable populations of refugees and forcibly displaced persons.
As the Secretary-General stated in his briefing to the Security Council on 9 April, we face multiple risks, including: an erosion of trust in public institutions if populations perceive that authorities have not addressed the pandemic effectively; an escalation of violence by conflict actors - including violent extremist groups - that think the confusion caused by the pandemic may give them a tactical advantage; and the rise of stigma and hate speech against various groups.
Across all of these areas, women too frequently bear the brunt of the social, economic and security consequences of the pandemic. As the Secretary-General has pointed out, the rise in domestic violence since the outbreak of COVID-19 has been particularly worrying.
Mr. Chairman,
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every facet of our work, at Headquarters and for our special political missions in the field.
There has already been some impact on the operational capabilities of our missions, largely due to measures taken to limit the spread of the virus. Some peace processes have stalled, as the world responds to COVID-19. Our good offices and mediation engagements have felt the impact. Restrictions on movement may continue to affect the work of various confidence-based mechanisms, as well as our ability to engage in crisis diplomacy to de-escalate potential conflicts.
Despite these constraints, special political missions continue to fulfill their mandates. They are guided by four key objectives:
(1) to support national authorities in their response to COVID-19;
(2) to protect our personnel and their capacity to continue critical operations;
(3) to ensure that our own personnel are not a contagion vector; and
(4) to help assist vulnerable communities and continue to implement mission mandates.
For example, in Colombia, the UN Verification Mission, along with the UN Country Team, helped distribute sanitation kits to areas where former combatants are located.
In Somalia, UNSOM provided prefabricated buildings to be used for isolation facilities, and together with WHO, a testing laboratory in Mogadishu.
In Guinea Bissau, UNIOGBIS and the UN Country Team have established a Communication Task Force to support national communication efforts for COVID-19 response, particularly geared towards women as well as vulnerable groups.
Mr. Chairman,
SPMs are increasingly using technology to remain actively engaged with parties to peace negotiations and other stakeholders. Technology has also allowed us to reach out to communities while maintaining physical distancing rules.
Last week, with the support of the DPPA Innovation Cell, the Office of the Special Envoy for Yemen carried out a first of its kind large-scale interactive virtual dialogue with hundreds of Yemenis on the opportunities and challenges for peace in the country. The consultation allowed over 500 Yemenis to express their thoughts on the prospect of a nationwide ceasefire, expectations for the peace process, and key humanitarian and economic measures that are needed, including to improve the country’s response to the pandemic.
Mr. Chairman,
Recognizing the urgency of the crisis, on 23 March, the Secretary-General called for a global ceasefire, urging warring parties to silence their guns to help create conditions for the delivery of aid and to open up space for diplomacy.
The response to the appeal was initially positive. Support came from every corner of the globe, including world leaders, regional partners, civil society and religious leaders. A number of conflict parties responded to the appeal and took first steps to stop fighting.
However, early gestures of support have not translated into concrete change on the ground. Some of the initial ceasefires have not been extended. Many conflict parties do not yet see the impact of the pandemic; some are even using it to press their advantage.
Special political missions are playing a key role in operationalizing the Secretary-General’s ceasefire call. Our SRSGs and Envoys continue to engage with their interlocutors to urge them to put their differences aside to combat COVID-19. On some occasions, their interaction is through virtual means.
The acting Special Representative in Libya, for example, is in close contact with the warring parties to work on a de-escalation of hostilities and facilitate ceasefire talks, which have recently resumed virtually. In Yemen, the Special Envoy is in dialogue with the parties to build trust and move towards a ceasefire and resumption of the political process. And in Afghanistan, our new Special Representative is engaging in support of the launch of intra-Afghan negotiations.
Our SPMs will continue to work to make the Secretary-General’s global ceasefire call a reality. This will require a collective effort, including by Member States, in order to regain momentum and allow the space for dialogue.
Mr. Chairman,
In addition to the above measures taken by the SPMs, various bodies of the UN have been playing their role to support their efforts. The Security Council has been holding virtual meetings and has approved mandates of SPMs to ensure the smooth running of their operations. The Peacebuilding Commission has been playing a critical convening role by bringing together national governments, SPMs, International Financial Institutions and other actors to support national and regional COVID-19 response measures.
In this regard, the ongoing review of the peacebuilding architecture is a critical process, as peacebuilding and sustaining peace are integral components of the work of special political missions.
For the third time since the creation of the UN peacebuilding architecture, Member States have the opportunity to strengthen the work of the UN in supporting conflict-affected countries. The review allows us to take stock of our support to nationally owned and led peacebuilding.
It has been a broad and inclusive process, guided by the Peacebuilding Commission, and informed by meetings open to all Member States, as well as regional and thematic consultations held around the world. Many of these consultations were conducted online due to the pandemic.
We are currently finalizing the report of the Secretary-General on peacebuilding and sustaining peace – which was consulted widely and will be the main input into the review. The report will take stock of the achievements we have made so far – working better together, breaking silos, and strengthening coherence and cross-pillar coordination. It will also point to enduring challenges and address how the UN can maximize its impact to promote a sustainable peace.
We look forward to working closely with Member States through the appropriate mechanisms to ensure that the review of the peacebuilding architecture reaches a successful outcome.
Mr. Chairman,
In closing, I would like to once again express my deep appreciation to Member States for their continued support to special political missions. Your support is indispensable for the missions to discharge their mandates.
I would also like to pay tribute to all our staff serving in special political missions, often in difficult conditions and under significant personal sacrifices, in order to help contribute to conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacebuilding – and to assist the people we serve.
Thank you.
New York, 17 June 2020
The health of humanity depends on the health of the planet.
Today, our planet is ailing.
Land degradation affects some 3.2 billion people.
Seventy 70 per cent of the world’s land has been transformed by human activity.
We can reverse this trend and bring solutions to a wide...
