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UN Daily News
Friday, 16 December 2016
Issue DH/7308
In the headlines:
• ‘Aleppo now synonym for hell,’ Ban warns in final
• Myanmar's handling of northern Rakhine lesson in
• Possibility of genocide in South Sudan is ‘all too
• Israelis and Palestinians must ‘rebuild trust in each
• UN refugee agency chief launches appeal to
• UN rights chief urges Gambian leader to respect
•
• Ban condemns deadly attack on military post in
press conference as UN chief
real,’ Ban warns in opinion piece
other,’ Ban tells Security Council
support thousands displaced in Lake Chad Basin
results of presidential election
General Assembly calls on Member States to
support new UN approach to cholera in Haiti
northern Burkina Faso
• Security Council adjusts mandate of UN mission in
South Sudan to deter sexual violence, monitor hate
speech
• Iraq: UN refugee agency steps up response as
how to make 'bad situation worse' – UN rights chief
• Philippines: UN expert rejects Governmentimposed conditions on fact-finding mission
• Gender equality is ‘critical ingredient’ in fight
against poverty and hunger – UN agriculture chief
Mosul conflict displaces nearly 100,000
‘Aleppo now synonym for hell,’ Ban warns in final press
conference as UN chief
16 December – In his last press conference as United Nations
Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon today delivered stark warnings on
two issues at the forefront of international concern: that “the carnage
in Syria remains a gaping hole in the global conscience;” and that
South Sudan faces a risk of genocide as the country leaders have
“squandered a peace agreement.”
“Aleppo is now a synonym for hell,” Mr. Ban said at UN
Headquarters in New York, bidding farewell to the UN press corps.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) addresses a press conference,
his last at United Nations headquarters, as his term of office draws to
a close at the end of the year. At his side is his Spokesperson, Stéphane
Dujarric. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
“We have collectively failed the people of Syria. Peace will only
prevail when it is accompanied by compassion, justice and
accountability for the abominable crimes we have seen,” he added.
On another front, he noted that this week will mark the third year of
conflict in South Sudan, and he deplored that “the country’s leaders
have betrayed their people’s trust, and squandered a peace agreement.”
“Most immediately, my Special Adviser [on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng] has warned of the risk of
genocide,” he said, urging the UN Security Council to take more concerted action, including through punitive measures.
For information media not an official record
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16 December 2016
Mr. Ban will complete his 10-year service as the world’s top diplomat on 31 December, passing the baton to his successor
António Guterres, who was sworn in this past Monday.
In his last press conference as United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon today delivered stark warnings on two issues
at the forefront of international concern: Syria and South Sudan. Mr. Ban said “the carnage in Syria remains a gaping hole in
the global conscience,” and that South Sudan faces a risk of genocide as the country's leaders have “squandered a peace
agreement.”
"The carnage in Syria remains a gaping hole in the global conscience,” and South Sudan faces a risk of genocide as the
country's leaders have “squandered a peace agreement”, said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his last
press conference, delivering stark warnings on two issues at the forefront of international concern.
“This has been a decade of unceasing test,” he said. “But I have also seen collective action change millions of lives for the
better.”
He expressed continued support for the global momentum behind the Paris Agreement on climate change.
“Climate action means jobs, growth, cleaner air and better health. Leaders from across the globe and on every front
understand this – from Fortune 500 CEOs [Chief Executive Officers] to Governors and Mayors,” he said. “The Paris
Agreement on climate change is a precious achievement that we must support and nurture. There is no turning back.”
“Difficult as it may sometimes be, international cooperation remains the path to a more peaceful and prosperous world,” he
said, pledging to continue to spare no effort to urge world leaders, long-standing or newly-minted, to recognize and embrace
that preeminent 21st-century fact.
Mr. Ban stressed that journalists have an important job to do – informing the world about the work of UN – when it makes
progress and when it falls short. “I deeply believe in your mission,” he said, underlining his efforts to be the defender of
their safety and press freedom.
South Sudan has faced ongoing challenges since a political face-off between President Salva Kiir and his Vice-President
Riek Machar erupted into full blown conflict in December 2013. The crisis has produced one of the world's worst
displacement situations with immense suffering for civilians.
As the Syria crisis enters its sixth year, civilians continue to bear the brunt of a conflict marked by unparalleled suffering,
destruction and disregard for human life. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA), 13.5 million people require humanitarian assistance, including 4.9 million people in need trapped in besieged and
hard-to-reach areas, where they are exposed to grave protection threats.
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Possibility of genocide in South Sudan is ‘all too real,’ Ban
warns in opinion piece
16 December – Given the scale of the disaster in South Sudan, the
United Nations Security Council, regional organizations and the
international community must step up to their responsibility to the
help the country’s people, who have suffered through three years of
bloody conflict, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today in an
opinion piece published by Newsweek.
The UN chief recalled that following decades of war, South Sudan
became the world’s newest country five years ago and when he
attended the 2011 independence celebrations in the capital, Juba,
“hopes were high that the long-suffering people of the oil-rich country
would finally see the fruits of a peace dividend after a prolonged civil
war. Instead, the people of South Sudan now face a more dismal
anniversary.”
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) line up early in the morning for a
general food distribution at the UN Protection of Civilians Site,
Malakal, South Sudan. Photo: IOM/Bannon
South Sudan has faced ongoing challenges since a political face-off
between President Salva Kiir and his Vice-President Riek Machar erupted into full blown conflict in December 2013. The
crisis has produced one of the world's worst displacement situations with immense suffering for civilians.
Despite the August 2015 peace agreement that formally ended the war, conflict and instability have also spread to
previously unaffected areas in the Greater Equatoria and Greater Bahr-El-Ghazal regions of South Sudan.
Mr. Ban said tens of thousands have been killed, the country’s social fabric has been “shattered,” the economy is ruined,
millions have fled their homes, and hunger and poverty prevail. More than six million people are in need of life-saving aid.
“Meanwhile,” he wrote, “restrictions imposed by the Government of South Sudan on the UN Mission in the country,”
known as UNMISS, and humanitarian organizations continue to tighten.
He also pointed to the ways in which the Government has betrayed its people’s trust: “President Salva Kiir has pursued an
ethnically-based strategy to suppress dissent, muzzle the media, exclude significant South Sudanese actors in the peace
process, and unilaterally implement an agreement to reach elections.”
Other leaders in the country have intensified the conflict by “manipulating ethnicity for political gain.”
He warned that “the risk of these mass atrocities, which include recurring episodes of ethnic cleansing, escalating into
possible genocide is all too real.”
Stakeholders in the region and the UN Security Council have been in a deadlock on how to respond to the conflict, despite
the fact that thousands continue to die and suffer horrendous crimes. Mr. Ban insisted that the international community must
meet its responsibilities, and noted that while leaders such as the former Malian President Alpha Oumar Konaré (the African
Union High Representative for South Sudan) had made important strides, far greater action is required.
While the Secretary- General has taken important measures to improve UNMISS, he noted that the conflict would not be
resolved simply by reinforcing the peacekeeping Mission. He called for a cessation of hostilities and an authentically
inclusive political process and that if it were to not happen immediately, the Security Council should impose an arms
embargo along with targeted sanctions to elicit peaceful cooperation from all parties. He added that perpetrators of crimes
must be held accountable at all levels.
Noting that as the rainy season ends and both sides are gearing up for “another vicious cycle of violence,” Mr. Ban said
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16 December 2016
swift action is critical and all leaders within the country are responsible for the restoration of inclusive dialogue.
“If they fail,” he concluded, “the international community, the region, and the Security Council in particular, must impose
penalties on the leadership on both sides. We owe this to the people of South Sudan, who have suffered far too much, for far
too long.”
UN refugee agency chief launches appeal to support thousands
displaced in Lake Chad Basin
16 December – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
Filippo Grandi, launched today a multi-million dollar inter-agency
appeal to provide support to nearly 500,000 people who have been
affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, including those in Niger,
Chad, and Cameroon, as well as Nigerian refugees.
“This is one of Africa’s largest displacement crises and the world
cannot afford to brush it under the carpet,” said Mr. Grandi before a
ceremony in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, where he announced
the Nigeria Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP).
Earlier the week, Mr. Grandi visited refugees and internally displaced
people in Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. He will visit those in Nigeria
in the coming days.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in Baga Sola,
Chad, with refugee children in a classroom in Dar es Salam camp.
Photo: UNHCR/Ibrahima Diane
“The suffering and desperate conditions in the Lake Chad region are
among the harshest I have seen. Refugees, returnees and host communities who have survived violence and trauma by the
Boko Haram insurgency urgently need help,” he said.
The United Nations and its partners are seeking $241 million over the next year to support some 460,000 people through the
2017 Nigeria RRRP. More than half of the funds ($154.29 million) will be allocated to refugees in Niger, with $67.25
million for operations in Cameroon and $19.61 million for those in Chad. The request for 2017 is a $43 million increase
from this year’s plan.
While security in the host countries has improved, refugees remain insufficiently protected, lack durable shelter, food, and
health care, are facing malnutrition, and need access to water, sanitation, and hygiene as well as education and a means of
livelihood. Environmental damage is also an issue throughout the host countries.
Stepped up funding from the international community is essential, particularly because the situation remains unpredictable
and there are no immediate prospects of a resolution or an opportunity for return.
Meanwhile, the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is urging the international community to invest in
development programmes for refugees and the host communities. During his field visits, Mr. Grandi noted the innovative
development taking place to benefit both groups of people, including gas distribution projects in Diffa, Niger, and boats for
fishing communities in Baga Sola, Chad.
Throughout 2016, refugees faced continued conflict, displacement, and suffering in an area already facing extreme poverty,
harsh climatic conditions, disrupted economic activity, and limited or destroyed infrastructure. The UNHCR is therefore
urging humanitarian aid agencies to work with governments in order to reach more people in need and calling for urgent
funding so that such work can continue.
Separately, aid groups in the region are seeking more than $1 billion from donors in order to support some 1.8 million
people within Nigeria.
A full report of the plan is available online.
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16 December 2016
General Assembly calls on Member States to support new UN
approach to cholera in Haiti
16 December – Recognizing the moral responsibility of the United
Nations to the victims of the cholera epidemic in Haiti, the General
Assembly today welcomed the new UN approach to tackling the
disease – formally launched earlier this month by Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon – and called on all 193 of the world body’s Members
States to provide the two-track plan their full support.
As part of joint efforts between the UN and the Government of Haiti
to fight cholera, water filter systems are distributed in Cité Soleil,
Port au Prince. Photo: UN/MINUSTAH/Logan Abassi
Adopting a consensus resolution, the Assembly called upon “all
Member States, relevant UN bodies and other international
governmental and non-governmental partners to provide their full
support to [the new UN approach], in particular to intensify their
efforts to respond to and eliminate cholera and to address the suffering
of its victims, including by providing material assistance and support
to communities and those Haitians most directly affected by cholera,”
Costing an estimated $400 million over the next two years, the
approach, detailed in a report of the Secretary-General entitled A new approach to cholera in Haiti, will centre on two
different elements, known as ‘Track One’ and ‘Track Two.’
‘Track One’ consists of a greatly intensified and better-resourced effort to respond to and reduce the incidence of cholera,
through addressing Haiti’s short- and longer-term issues of water, sanitation and health systems and improved access to care
and treatment.
‘Track Two’ of the approach is the development of a package of material assistance and support to those Haitians most
directly affected by cholera, centred on the victims and their families and communities. It is expected that it will also involve
affected individuals and communities in the development of the package.
The United Nations General Assembly today adopted, by acclamation, a resolution on the new approach to cholera in Haiti.
Outlined by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the new approach intensifies the efforts to respond to and eliminate cholera,
and to address the suffering of its victims.
Haiti has been dealing with a cholera outbreak since October 2010, some nine months after it suffered a devastating
earthquake. The outbreak has affected an estimated 788,000 people and claimed the lives of more than 9,000. Concerted
national and international efforts, backed by the United Nations, have resulted in a 90 per cent reduction in the number of
suspected cases.
Briefing the Assembly on the new approach in early December, Mr. Ban apologized to the people of Haiti, expressing deep
regret for the loss of life and suffering caused by the country’s cholera epidemic, and said: “The United Nations and its
Member States have the power to recognize and respond to that suffering […] let us step up in solidarity to our moral duty
and do the right thing for the Haitian people and our United Nations.”
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16 December 2016
Security Council adjusts mandate of UN mission in South Sudan
to deter sexual violence, monitor hate speech
16 December – Approving a one-year extension of the United Nations
Mission in South Sudan, the Security Council today demanded an end
to the fighting in the war-riven country, and decided that the mission,
known as UNMISS, shall “use all necessary means” to “deter and
prevent” sexual violence within its capacity, and “monitor, investigate
and report incidents of hate speech.”
The Security Council votes unanimously to extend the mandate of the
United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) through 15
December 2017. UN Photo/Manuel Elias
Through a unanimously adopted resolution, the Security Council
extended the mandate of UNMISS through 15 December 2017,
maintaining its core functions, while also maintaining a troop ceiling
of 17,000, including a 4,000-strong Regional Protection Force
(approved in mid-August), and increasing the police ceiling to 2,101
police personnel, and 78 corrections officers, and requesting the
Secretary-General “to take the necessary steps to expedite force and
asset generation.”
South Sudan has faced ongoing challenges since a political face-off between President Salva Kiir and his Vice-President
Riek Machar erupted into full blown conflict in December 2013. The crisis has produced one of the world's worst
displacement situations with immense suffering for civilians.
Despite the August 2015 peace agreement that formally ended the war, conflict and instability have also spread to
previously unaffected areas in the Greater Equatoria and Greater Bahr-El-Ghazal regions of South Sudan.
Through the text adopted today, the Council demanded that South Sudan’s leaders implement the permanent ceasefire
declared in the peace agreement and respective ceasefires, but also expressed grave concern at the findings of the UN
Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict [Zainab Hawa Bangura] of the systematic and widespread use of
sexual violence as a tactic by parties against the civilian population, particularly against the country’s women and girls.
To this end, the Council decided that UNMISS would “use all necessary means” to deter and prevent sexual and genderbased violence within its capacity and areas of deployment, and “monitor, investigate, verify and report specifically and
publicly on violations and abuses committed against children and women.”
Further expressing deep concern at the possibility that what began as a political conflict could transform into an outright
ethnic war, as noted by the Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, the Council condemned the use
of media to broadcast hate speech and transmit messages instigating violence against a particular ethnic group, a practice
that has the potential to play a significant role in promoting mass violence.”
As such, today’s resolution, the Council tasked UNMISS with monitoring, investigating and reporting on incidents of hate
speech and incitement to violence in cooperation with the UN Special Adviser.
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16 December 2016
Iraq: UN refugee agency steps up response as Mosul conflict
displaces nearly 100,000
16 December – With the number of people displaced from Mosul
approaching 100,000 since the military operation to oust terrorists
from the Iraqi city began three months ago, the United Nations
refugee agency is bolstering its capacity to host and support civilians
fleeing the fighting.
“We have been stepping up winter distributions, providing thermal
blankets and quilts to 11,200 people around Mosul, and we plan to
step up distributions in coming days to reach an additional 5,000
families,” Adrian Edwards, spokesperson for the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees, told reporters in Geneva.
Hundreds of people arrived at the Khazer 2 camp for displaced Iraqis
after fleeing fighting in eastern districts of Mosul, December 2016.
Photo: UNHCR/Ivor Prickett
According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), 96,864 people have so far been displaced since October
17, when a military campaign began in order to oust terrorists from
the city.
The bulk of new arrivals – 57,000 people – are currently being sheltered in UNHCR-supported camps in the area. UNHCR
has six camps receiving people from Mosul, with another three under construction. The nine sites would have a capacity for
102,000 people.
Significant numbers have also been fleeing Hawija in Kirkuk ahead of an offensive. In Kirkuk, additional camps are hosting
people mainly displaced from Hawija.
UNHCR’s Mosul emergency response fund, set at $196.2 million, is 57 per cent funded. The largest funding gap is for the
winter programme and the agency is urging donors to help close the shortfall to prepare for possible additional displacement
and help offset the miserable living conditions.
Assistance items distributed to the newly arrived families in camps include blankets, mattresses, stoves, plastic sheets,
kitchen sets, quilts, insulation sleeping mats, tent insulation kits and heaters.
In response to questions, Mr. Edwards confirmed that the figure he had quoted, 96,864 people, was the number of people
that UNHCR had registered as displaced.
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16 December 2016
Myanmar's handling of northern Rakhine lesson in how to make
'bad situation worse' – UN rights chief
16 December – Expressing concern over the situation in Myanmar's
northern Rakhine, the top United Nations human rights official
warned that the Government's “short-sighted, counterproductive, even
callous” approach to the handling of the crisis could have grave longterm repercussions for the country and the region.
In a news release today, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said that he was deeply disappointed that
access by his Office (OHCHR) to some of the worst areas in northern
Rakhine had still not been approved, particularly given numerous
alarming allegations of rights violations, including killings, rapes and
the burning of Rohingya homes.
Residents of the Thet Kae Pyin camp for displaced people in Sittwe,
Rakhine State, Myanmar. (file) Photo: OCHA/P.Peron
“The repeated dismissal of the claims of serious human rights
violations as fabrications, coupled with the failure to allow our
independent monitors access to the worst affected areas in northern Rakhine, is highly insulting to the victims and an
abdication of the Government's obligations under international human rights law,” Mr. Zeid said.
“If the authorities have nothing to hide, then why is there such reluctance to grant us access? Given the continued failure to
grant us access, we can only fear the worst,” he added.
Noting that the country's handling of the crisis in northern Rakhine “is a lesson in how to make a bad situation worse,” Mr.
Zeid called on the authorities to reflect on the best approach towards a durable resolution to the long-standing grievances of
different communities in northern Rakhine.
Further in the release, he also strongly condemned attacks on border police posts in early October by armed assailants as
well as the killing of a senior army officer on 12 November.
“These are serious crimes for which the individual perpetrators and their masterminds must be brought to account with full
respect of their right to due process,” the High Commissioner stressed.
“But accounts we have received suggest that security forces may have imposed collective punishment on an entire
community, with reprisals against already vulnerable Rohingya Muslims continuing more than two months after the border
post attacks, causing some 27,000 people to flee across the border into Bangladesh,” he added.
“Sadly, the world today is full of examples where States have responded to security breaches with heavy-handed military
responses, with little or no regard for the root causes. The results have been catastrophic, with mass displacement, the
nurturing of violent extremism, and everybody ultimately losing,” he cautioned.
He also urged the Government to accept the international community's offer of support to help resolve the crisis as well as
by his Office to provide training and assistance to authorities in improving the human rights situation for all the people of
Myanmar.
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16 December 2016
Israelis and Palestinians must ‘rebuild trust in each other,’ Ban
tells Security Council
16 December – While the international community must spare no
effort revive waning support for the long-sought two-state solution for
Middle East peace, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the United
Nations Security Council today that “ultimately, it is up to the Israelis
and the Palestinians to make peace,” and called on the two sides to
“rebuild trust in each other.”
Halamish, an Israeli settlement, stands in the northern West Bank,
near the Palestinian village of Nabih Saleh. Photo:
UNICEF/Mouhssine Ennaimi
“Despite early optimism, attempts at reaching a final resolution failed
to make headway and were upended with the eruption of conflict in
Gaza in December 2008. Further attempts at peace in 2010 and 2013
were equally eclipsed by renewed hostilities [and] the summer of
2014 saw the most devastating conflict in Gaza to date,” said Mr. Ban,
recalling the situation in the region when he assumed office in 2006.
“We are fast approaching a precipice as a direct result of the actions
of those seeking to destroy the prospects for peace,” he cautioned.
Calling on both sides to implement the recommendations put forward by the so-named diplomatic Quartet on the Middle
East peace process in its recent report to break the deadlock, he added: “This would demonstrate that Israelis and
Palestinians are serious about building trust and laying the foundations for meaningful negotiations that will end the
occupation […], establish a viable, independent Palestinian state and resolve all final status issues.”
He also expressed concern over Israel’s settlement activity beyond the 1967 line as well as a bill currently under discussion
at the parliament which risks the “regularization” of more than 50 outposts and thousands of housing units built on private
Palestinian land in the West Bank.
Mr. Ban also called on Palestinian authorities take “brave and concrete steps” to address incitement and violence. “Acts and
statements that glorify terror are unacceptable. I have repeatedly and strongly denounced incitement and all acts of terror.
Stabbings, vehicle rammings and other attacks by Palestinians do nothing to advance their dream of statehood,” he said.
He also noted the failure to hold Palestinian general elections remained one of the clearest signs of disunity as well as of the
fragile Palestinian democratic process.
“The division between the West Bank and Gaza can be overcome only with the formation of a single, legitimate, inclusive
Palestinian government, on the basis of PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] principles,” he said.
Recalling his trips to Gaza, Mr. Ban cautioned that Gaza is a “tinder box”.
“It is almost certain to explode unless movement and access restrictions are lifted and humanitarian needs are addressed;
unless rocket attacks, tunnel construction and smuggling stop; unless progress is made on establishing a Palestinian state,
with Gaza an integral and peaceful part,” he said.
Looking to the future, Mr. Ban urged the Security Council to “reaffirm without reservations that there is no alternative to the
two-state solution.”
He called on the international community to not give up on the right of Palestine to exist, just as it must protect the right of
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16 December 2016
Israel to exist in peace and security with its neighbours, he urged Council members to explore the potential of incentives and
begin immediately to develop, in consultation with the parties, an agreed framework for advancing a final resolution to this
conflict on the basis of direct negotiations.
“For ten years, I pressed Israelis and Palestinians to start believing in a common future, bound by their undeniable historic,
religious and national connection to the land. These aspirations have not been fulfilled,” he said.
“Ultimately, it is up to the Israelis and Palestinians to make peace – we cannot do it for them. They must rebuild trust in
each other, as the only way to address the fears and suspicions that have led to the deep polarization we see today. At the
same time, we all can and must contribute to building trust, so sorely needed in the Middle East and the world today,”
concluded Secretary-General Ban.
UN rights chief urges Gambian leader to respect results of
presidential election
16 December – The increased military presence deployed across
Gambia since President Yayha Jammeh rejected the election result
risks heightening the current climate of intimidation and harassment
in the country, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights warned today.
“This is deeply worrying, given the record of human rights violations
in The Gambia, including excessive use of force against
demonstrators, arbitrary detention and deaths in custody, as well as
allegations of torture and ill-treatment of detainees,” Zeid Ra'ad Al
Hussein said.
Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré
The High Commissioner also urged the Gambian authorities to allow
people to exercise their rights to peaceful assembly, association and
freedom of expression. “All those responsible for human rights
violations must be held accountable.”
President Jammeh, who initially accepted his loss in the elections, later rejected the results published by the Independent
Electoral Commission (IEC) and filed a petition with the Supreme Court.
Mr. Zeid urged the President and all political parties to respect the result of the elections, the democratic process and the
independent status of the IEC, whose premises were taken over by the army on Tuesday and officials ordered to leave.
“All parties should conduct themselves in a manner that contributes to a peaceful atmosphere during this crucial period and,
in particular, avoid using inflammatory language. We urge all sides to reaffirm their commitment to democracy and to work
to ensure that there is a peaceful handover of the presidency by 18 January in line with the freely expressed desire and will
of the Gambian people,” the High Commissioner stressed.
“President Jammeh and his Government should avoid resorting to threats or acts of intimidation, including against Mr.
Barrow and his supporters, and members of the IEC,” he added.
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16 December 2016
Ban condemns deadly attack on military post in northern
Burkina Faso
16 December – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has
condemned today's attack against a military post in Nassoumbou,
province of Soum in the north of Burkina Faso, in which Burkinabè
soldiers were killed and injured.
A statement issued by his spokesperson said Mr. Ban wishes a speedy
and full recovery to those injured in the attack, which was near the
border with Mali, and sends his deepest condolences to the families of
the victims, to the Government and people of Burkina Faso.
The statement reiterated that the UN will remain committed to
sustaining peace and reinforcing security in Burkina Faso, while also
continuing its cooperation with the countries in Sahel region, as well
as the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali
(MINUSMA).
Villagers in Kore, Burkina Faso, collect water at a water point. Photo:
UNICEF/Adel Sarkozi
Finally, the Secretary-General in his statement expressed his appreciation for Burkina Faso’s contribution to the stabilization
and peace efforts in Mali, and encouraged the authorities to launch an investigation to bring the perpetrators of this attack to
justice.
Philippines: UN expert rejects Government-imposed conditions
on fact-finding mission
16 December – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on summary
executions urged the Government of the Philippines to lift a series of
preconditions it has imposed on her planned visit to investigate the
alleged extra-judicial killings of suspected drug dealers, since
President Rodrigo Duterte took office.
According to a news release from the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), estimates by the
authorities themselves suggest that close to 6,000 people have been
killed since the beginning of President Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
Of these, 2,086 were allegedly killed in police operations and 3,841 in
other circumstance, including vigilante-style killings.
Agnes Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial
summary or arbitrary Executions. UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Agnes Callamard encouraged the Philippines Government to respect
the Special Rapporteurs’ Code of Conduct, adopted by the UN Human
Rights Council.
“I deeply regret the Government’s position and urge the authorities to reconsider their demands,” said Ms. Callamard,
adding that she proposed an alternative, which comply with the Human Rights Council’s code of conduct governing country
visits by Special Rapporteurs.”
Ms. Callamard’s visit was aimed at investigating the rising death toll in the context of President Duterte’s ‘war on drugs.’
Despite media reports, the Government claims it did not cancel the visit, insisting, however, that the Special Rapporteur will
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have to comply with the conditions imposed by the president in order to visit the country.
So far, the specific demands are: that the Special Rapporteur holds a public debate with President Duterte; that the president
can put forward his own questions to “whoever he deems appropriate, including the Special Rapporteur,” and that the
Special Rapporteur takes an oath before answering questions from government officials and the President.
“It is crucial for the effective implementation of the mission that the UN terms of reference are fully accepted by
governments and that the code of conduct is respected,” stressed Ms. Callamard, adding that these are essential guarantees
which ensure that the mission delivers on its outcomes, to the benefit of all those involved.
Gender equality is ‘critical ingredient’ in fight against poverty
and hunger – UN agriculture chief
16 December – The fight against extreme poverty, hunger and
malnutrition is not possible without gender equality and women
empowerment, José Graziano da Silva, the Director-General of the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said today in Rome, where
he called for more efforts to ensure that rural women, “the backbone
of our work in agriculture,” enjoy a level playing field.
Speaking at a high-level event co-organized by FAO, the European
Commission and the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the
European Union in collaboration with the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme
(WFP) and UN Women., Mr. Graziano da Silva said achieving gender
equality is the “critical ingredient” to ending poverty and hunger .
Women in Pakistan build their knowledge and skills at an FAOsupported rural livelihoods school. Photo: FAO/Farook Naeem
“Women are the backbone of our work in agriculture,” and they also
comprise 45 per cent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries, including up to 60 per cent in parts of Africa
and Asia, said Mr da Silva.
The Director-General also emphasized that rural women play a key part in the efforts to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), and especially Goal 2 on eliminating hunger and malnutrition worldwide.
"It's all about opportunity. Evidence shows that when women have opportunities, the yields on their farms increase – also
their incomes. Natural resources are better managed. Nutrition is improved. And livelihoods are more secured."
Women own less than 20 per cent of agricultural land, yet, almost half the world’s agricultural labour force is female, and 60
per cent of chronically hungry people on the planet are women or girls.
“When you invest in a man, you invest in an individual. When you invest in a woman, you invest in a community,” noted
Kanayo Nwanze, the President of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
“We see time and time again that gender equality opens doors for entire communities to strengthen their food and nutrition
security and to improve their social and economic well-being,” he continued, adding: “Empowering rural women is indeed
empowering humanity.”
Maria Noel Vaeza, Director of Programs at UN Women, said: “Closing the gender gaps in agriculture can provide multiple
development dividends, including gender equality for rural women, food security and poverty reduction, improved climate
management and peaceful societies.”
The UN Daily News is prepared at UN Headquarters in New York by the News Services Section
of the News and Media Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)