un daily news - 15 april 2016

8/18/2019 UN Daily News - 15 April 2016

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Issue DH/7138 Friday, 15 April 2016

In !e !eadlines"

• Yemen at ‘critical crossroads,’ Security Council toldaead o! !ace-to-!ace peace tal"s

• Te ne#t UN Secretary-$eneral% &ssem'ly(resident says ‘ne) standard o! transparency’esta'lised

• Central &!rican Repu'lic passes *critical milestone*to)ards lastin+ peace UN peace"eepin+ cie!

• UN report ur+es ri+ts-'ased approac to reduce./ in!ections amon+ dru+ users

• 0i"a% UN ealt a+ency launces data'ase on)orld)ide virus researc

• UN.CEF, World 1an" ur+e +reater investment inearly cildood development

• UN a+ency 'oosts e!!orts to detect and preventspread o! dama+in+ )eat rusts

• Ri+ts e#perts ur+e UN to compensate displacedRoma poisoned in camps in 2osovo

• UN a+ency and $oo+le colla'orate on satellite datatools to mana+e natural resources

• ‘Re!u+ees ave a ri+t to asylum not 'ias and'ar'ed )ire,’ 1an says in Wasin+ton

#e$en a %&rii&al &rossroads,' (e&uriy )oun&il old a!ead o**a&e+o+*a&e pea&e als

15 April – Yemen is now at a critical crossroads, the United NationsSecurity Council heard today from the UN special envoy for thecountry, with one path leading to peace while the other can onlyworsen the security and humanitarian situation.

“his !riefing comes on the eve of the ne"t round of face#to#face tal$sin %uwait, where & hope the parties will come to an agreement on aclear way to end the violence and devastation in Yemen,' &smail (uldChei$h )hmed, the UN Special *nvoy for Yemen, told the +#mem!er Council.

“he cessation of hostilities !egan at midnight on +- )pril and & hopeit will provide a conducive environment for the upcoming tal$s, offerthe opportunity for e"panded humanitarian assistance and provide arare ray of hope for Yemenis longing for a return to peace,' headded.

he tal$s will commence on +/ )pril and aim to reach a comprehensive agreement, to end the conflict and allow theresumption of inclusive political dialogue in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 00+1 20-+3 and otherrelevant resolutions.

4eanwhile, in the last round of peace tal$s which too$ place in Swit5erland, a committee was esta!lished – the 6e#escalation and Coordination Committee 26CC3 – to prevent further violations and avoid any military escalation.

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Secretary General’s Special Envoy

for Yemen, briefs the Security Council !" #hoto$%anuel Elias

UN Daily News


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UN Ne)s Centre 4 )))5un5or+6ne)s

UN 7aily Ne)s 89 &pril 3:8;

“he agreement on the cessation of hostilities also created local levels of support. he 7overnment of Yemen and )nsar)llah have nominated local committees in militarily contested areas to wor$ with the 6CC and ensure !etter compliancewith the cessation of hostilities,' the envoy indicated, adding that unfortunately, most of the local committees are not yetfully functional !ut should !e in the coming days.

6espite a discerni!le decrease in the level of military violence in most parts of the country during the first days of thecessation of hostilities, 4r. (uld Chei$h )hmed told the Security Council there have also !een a worrying num!er of

serious violations particularly in al#8awf, )mran, 4are! and ai5.

“9ighting in ai5 continues to cause civilian casualties and & am concerned that a spiral of escalation could threaten thesuccess of the peace process,' he warned. “:owever, the recent events over the last wee$s at the same time have given mehope. & would li$e to ac$nowledge the courage displayed !y the %ingdom of Saudi )ra!ia and )nsarallah !y accepting tosettle !order disputes.'

:e said !oth parties confirmed that these agreements pave the way for the general cessation of hostilities in Yemen. “he%ingdom of Saudi )ra!ia has supported !oth the government of Yemen and the :outhis to sign a landmar$ agreementaimed at supporting the cessation of hostilities and the wor$ of the 6e#*scalation, Coordination Committee and ;ocal 6e#*scalation Committees and supports the role of the United Nations.'

Calling on all parties to support the important wor$ which humanitarian agencies are carrying out, 4r. (uld Chei$h )hmedunderlined that humanitarians will continue doing their !est to deliver assistance to those in need and negotiate sustainedaccess to hard#to#reach areas.

-,--in?ured. She said displacement has spi$ed, with some 0./ million people now forced from their homes.

“;ivelihoods have !een ravaged,' 4s. %ang warned. “Some +=.+ million people now need help accessing ade@uatehealthcare as a result of a year of intensified conflict. ;ac$ of supplies, medicines, electricity, fuel for generators, and staffor e@uipment, have caused health services to decline across the country. *ntire governorates have !een engulfed in relentlessviolence.'

his includes locations such as ai5 where intensified fighting in and around ai5 city since mid#4arch has left scores of people dead and wounded, and also significantly hampered relief wor$.

“his paints a very !lea$ picture, !ut there is some cause for very cautious optimism,' she continued. “he cessation ofhostilities is !ringing calm to many areas of the country, reducing the crippling violence that has devastated thesecommunities.'

:umanitarian organi5ations have also !egun to respond in areas that were previously difficult to access, !ut despite theseefforts, 4s. %ang told the Council that vital operations continue to !e hampered !y a variety of !ureaucratic impediments,

principally !y the authorities on the ground.

Concluding her remar$s, she said (C:) maintains the hope that the parties to this conflict will choose the only path to asolution – negotiation and dialogue – “no matter how challenging that path may seem.'


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-!e ne (e&reary+eneral" Asse$ly residen says %newsandard o* ransparen&y' esalis!ed

15 April – hree days of informal !riefings came to an end yesterday,after nine candidates for the position of the ne"t United NationsSecretary#7eneral answered all together some /-- @uestions from theUN mem!ership and the pu!lic on how, if selected, they would leadthe world !ody.

“Ae have esta!lished a new standard of transparency and inclusivityfor the appointment process, !ut it has the potential also to influencethe final outcome of the selection of the Secretary#7eneral,' UN7eneral )ssem!ly Bresident 4ogens ;y$$etoft told reporters at theconclusion of the unprecedented pu!lic dialogues.

Starting on uesday, each candidate was given a two#hour televisedand we!cast timeslot. Brior to opening up the floor for @uestions fromUN delegates and civil society representatives as well as from the

pu!lic through social media, candidates gave short oral presentations – their “vision statements' – addressing challenges and opportunities facing the UN and the ne"t Secretary#7eneral.


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Aith more candidates possi!ly ?oining the current nine, more informal !riefing could !e held in the coming wee$ andmonths. 4r. ;y$$etoft noted that he was inspired !y the interest the pu!lic has shown in this selection process, with morethan 00H,--- people from 0-J different countries and territories having visited his we!site.

)enral A*ri&an 4epuli& passes &rii&al $ilesone owards

lasing pea&e pea&eeeping &!ie*15 April – *"pectations are high for the Central )frican Depu!licKsnew 7overnment to restore dura!le peace and improve peopleKs livingconditions, the United Nations peace$eeping chief said today,stressing that the first hundred days will !e decisive.

- 4arch.

“he promulgation of the new constitution !y the outgoing :ead of

State of the ransition on the day of the inauguration sym!oli5ed areturn to constitutional order and mar$ed an important milestone afterthree years of crisis,' he said.

(n >+ 4arch, the country held the second round of legislativeelections. he final results of this round were announced on )pril, and the Bresident has since moved @uic$ly on theformation of a new 7overnment.

he new ca!inet is leaner than the previous one, with some 0> ministerial posts, including four women and four mem!ers ofthe 4uslim community. Ahile the new government includes representatives from all +1 prefectures, no armed grouprepresentatives are among the new ca!inet mem!ers, he said.

he new Bresident vowed pu!licly to respect the newly#promulgated Constitution – including the two term limit for presidential mandates – and wor$ towards national unity. “he Bresident shared with me that his priorities for the countrywould !e to re#esta!lish security and to further reconciliation, economic and social development and good governance,' said4r. ;adsous.

Exemplary local reconciliation processes underway

he 4uslim and Christian communities in


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he UN stands firmly !ehind the victims that showed courage in coming forward and continue to wor$ to ensure that theyreceive the assistance and ?ustice they deserve, he said.

Aith 4&NUSC)Ks mandate set to e"pire on >- )pril, the Secretary#7eneral has recommended a technical roll#over of itsmandate to allow the Secretariat to fully consult the new Central )frican authorities !efore ma$ing recommendations to theSecurity Council for the missions new operating procedures, he noted.

repor urges rig!s+ased approa&! o redu&e HI in*e&ionsa$ong drug users

15 April – )head of ne"t wee$s 7eneral )ssem!ly special session ondrugs, the United Nations agency leading the worlds :&FM)&6Sresponse has released a new report, which warns that many countriesare failing to reduce new :&F infections due to the a!sence of health#and rights#!ased approaches, particularly as regards drug use.

he report, 6o no harm health, human rights and people whouse drugs, which was issued !y the 8oint UN Brogramme on:&FM)&6S 2UN)&6S3, shows that !etween 0-+- and 0-+=, the failureof many countries to adopt people#centred approaches resulted in noreduction in the glo!al num!er of new :&F infections among peoplewho in?ect drugs.

)nd the world missed the 7eneral )ssem!lys target set in 0-++ toreduce :&F transmission among people who in?ect drugs !y - percent !y 0-+.

“


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he UN)&6S 9ast#rac$ approach has a set of targets for 0-0- that include reducing new :&F infections to fewer than--,---. &t also calls on countries to ensure that J- per cent of the more than +0 million people who in?ect drugs worldwidehave access to com!ination :&F prevention services, including needle–syringe programmes, opioid su!stitution therapy,condoms and access to counselling, care, testing and treatment services for tu!erculosis and !lood!orne viruses such as :&Fand hepatitis < and C.

)chieving these targets will !e a significant step towards ending the )&6S epidemic as a pu!lic health threat !y 0->-.

he UN 7eneral )ssem!lys speical session on the world drug pro!lem will run at :ead@uarters from +J to 0+ )pril.

ia" !eal! agen&y laun&!es daaase on worldwide 9irusresear&!

15 April – he Aorld :ealth (rgani5ation 2A:(3 and the Ban)merican :ealth (rgani5ation 2B):(3 have launched a new Ii$aDesearch Bro?ects ;ist, a data!ase that lists and categori5es allscientific studies on the Ii$a virus worldwide.

&n a press release, the agencies said that B):( has systematicallyidentified and collected !asic information on all investigations relatedto Ii$a, !oth those already pu!lished and those on trac$ to !e

pu!lished. he data!ase includes the title, authors, and a direct lin$ tothe article.

*ach study has !een categori5ed in the areas of virus, vectors andreservoirs epidemiology disease pathogenesis and conse@uences ofIi$a infection clinical management pu!lic health interventionshealth systems and services response research and productdevelopment and causality.

Users can also search the data!ase !y pu!lication type pu!lished articles, protocol and pu!lication of preliminary results.

he agencies said the search mechanism was created after a group of e"perts from around the world met in 4arch to discussa regional agenda to prioriti5e and coordinate research on Ii$a. )t that meeting, researchers concluded that efforts must !eincreased to e"plore un$nown factors a!out microcephaly and other congenital malformations that may !e lin$ed toinfection !y the Ii$a virus.

*"perts analy5ed and mapped the gaps in scientific $nowledge a!out the virus, how it affects people, its implications for pu!lic health in the )mericas, and the )edes aegypti mos@uito, the vector that transmits the disease, the agencies said.

o date, Ii$a virus is circulating in >= countries and territories in the )mericas. &t is transmitted !y the !ite of an )edesmos@uito, and now has !een found to !e se"ually transmitted. Ii$a has !een associated with congenital malformations suchas microcephaly, and neurological complications such as 7uillain#


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I):F, ;orld


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*arly childhood development is also an investment in economic growth. *vidence suggests that an additional dollar investedin @uality early childhood development programmes yields a return of !etween O1 and O+H.

Early childhood development included in global development goals

Decogni5ing the growing understanding of *C6Ks importance, the Sustaina!le 6evelopment 7oals 2S67s3, adopted lastyear !y UN 4em!er States, include an early childhood development target, the first time it has !een e"plicitly included in

glo!al development goals. he target is to increase the percentage of children under five years of age who aredevelopmentally on trac$ in health, learning and psychosocial well#!eing.

)lthough early childhood development falls under 7oal = of the S67s, it provides a natural lin$ to other goals, including poverty reduction, health and nutrition, women and girlsK e@uality, and ending violence.

agen&y ooss e**ors o dee& and pre9en spread o*da$aging w!ea russ

15 April – he United Nations 9ood and )griculture (rgani5ation29)(3 said today it is e"panding a partnership to inhi!it the ongoing

spread of wheat rusts, a group of fungal plant diseases that !loc$ the production of the staple grain and other crops, which is raisingconcern in Central )sia and the 4iddle *ast.

)s part of its efforts, the UN agency is developing its colla!orationwith the &nternational Center for )gricultural Desearch in the 6ry)reas and the University of )arhusK 7lo!al Dust Deference Centre to

provide training on surveillance, resistance and management.

Country surveys and sample analysis are also planned to !etterunderstand and manage the spread of the menace to wheat production

– which, in addition to Central )sia and the 4iddle *ast is posing athreat in the worldKs ma?or wheat#producing areas.

“Under conducive conditions, up to /- per cent or more of a farmerKs yield can !e lost due to rust infections, so !uildingcountriesK capacity to detect them and !etter understand the ways the various strains of the disease spread is crucial to

preventing epidemics and limiting losses,' said 9a5il 6usunceli, a Blant Brotection (fficer at 9)(, in a press release.

highly mobile plant iller

Aheat rust comes in three types – yellow, stem and leaf rusts – with yellow and stem rusts spreading widely in recent years.he rusts have the capacity to turn a healthy loo$ing crop that is only wee$s away from harvest into a tangle of yellowleaves or !lac$ stems and shrivelled grains at harvest.

he plant plague is highly mo!ile, spreading rapidly over large distances !y wind, and can wrea$ havoc on crops if nottac$led properly when first detected.

he most well#$nown strain is UgJJ, a highly potent form of stem rust first detected in Uganda in +JJJ and which has sincespread to +> countries, some as far as Yemen and &ran. &t has the potential to affect the ma?ority of wheat varieties grownworldwide. 4ost recently it has !een detected in *gypt, one of the 4iddle *astKs most important wheat producers, the UNagency said.

)lso cause for concern is a new strain of yellow rust, called Aarrior, which has made its way from northern *urope tour$ey, affecting various countries along the way.

!p to 8 percent or more of a farmer’s yield can be lost due to rustinfections, makin& early detection crucial to reventin& epidemics and

limitin& losses #hoto: 5AO$%arco 'on&ari


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!uilding countries" capacity to counter the threat

9)( said that along with the &nternational Center for )gricultural Desearch in the 6ry )reas and ur$eyKs 7eneral6irectorate of )gricultural Desearch &nternational 4ai5e and Aheat &mprovement Center, it is colla!orating with theUniversity of )arhus and the / mem!ers of the Doma, )sh$ali and *gyptiancommunities in %osovo who were initially placed in three &6B camps – Qit$ovac, Resmin ;ug and %a!lare – after the Doma4ahala 2neigh!ourhood3 had !een destroyed in South 4itrovica in +JJJ.

/oma civilians are on the move in search of safety in Bosovo !"#hoto$!"1C/$/o&er 'e%oyne


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“& am glad that ?ustice is !eing now delivered to one of the most deprived communities who had to suffer conflict,displacement and negligence,' the human rights e"pert added. “he opinion of the UN Banel e"presses a !reach ofinternational o!ligations !y the UN4&% and & hope that the UN will see it as an important opportunity to hold itselfaccounta!le.'

he Banel recommends UN4&% to pu!licly ac$nowledge, including through the media, its failure to comply with applica!lehuman rights standards in response to the adverse health condition caused !y lead contamination in the &6B camps, and to

compensate victims for !oth material and moral damage.

he Special Dapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Chalo$a , stated “& hope that a pu!lic apology will !e made to the complainants andtheir families and that swift action will !e ta$en to provide redress to victims, to demonstrate that the UN does fully promoteand ensure respect for human rights of all, particularly those of internally displaced persons involved.'

:e also welcomed the Banel advice that its findings and recommendations on this case !e shared with UN !odies wor$ingwith refugees and &6Bs as a guarantee of non#repetition.

he Banels opinion recogni5es that despite the fact that UN4&% had commissioned a report in 0--- which found e"tremelyelevated !lood lead levels of the affected community mem!ers living in the &6B camps, UN4&% did not ma$e the report

pu!lic and failed to ta$e sufficient action to address the ris$s of lead e"posure in the camps.

)ccording to the Banel, the Aorld :ealth (rgani5ation 2A:(3 had warned in 0--= a!out the chronic irreversi!le effects oflead on the human !ody, urging UN4&% to immediately evacuate children and pregnant women from the camps, !ut nosu!mission or documentation was provided !y UN4&% indicating what specific actions were ta$en in response to A:(sfindings and recommendations.

he e"perts appeal has also !een endorsed !y the UN Special Dapporteur on the implications for human rights of theenvironmentally sound management and disposal of ha5ardous su!stances and wastes,


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he initial focus of the colla!oration is in the forestry sector, where 9)( said that national e"perts can, after a short training,use its software and 7oogles accessi!le geospatial data archives to conduct – in a few hours – mapping and classificatione"ercises that used to ta$e wee$s or months.

9or e"ample, easily accessi!le and rapidly updated remote sensing data ena!le a shift in forest management from inventoryreports to ta$ing the almost real#time pulse of forests, thus opening a host of new policy prospects and further opening thedoors of scientific perception, the agency said.

9)( stressed that opportunities for future colla!oration are “vast,' and may lead to innovation in a range of issues fromdietary nutrition and pest control to water management and climate change.

“he more people involved, the !etter it wor$s,' said 4r. 7ra5iano da Silva. “Understanding the effects of climate change, planning the improvements in the efficiency of production and distri!ution of food, and monitoring progress towards theSustaina!le 6evelopment 7oals re@uire more fre@uent and precise data on the environment and its changes,' he added.

#sing technology to change $uture generations

9)( said that the com!ination – in which 7oogle ma$es data and processing power easily accessi!le while 9)( devisesways to e"tract useful information – has already moved into innovative territory, nota!ly with a 7lo!al 6ryland )ssessment,

in which national e"perts, university researchers, partner institutions and 9)( com!ined forces in an open#sourced e"ercise.Desults will !e pu!lished later this year.

“Bartnerships li$e this !ring our products into actual use,' said De!ecca 4oore, 6irector of 7oogle *arth, *arth *ngine and*arth (utreach.

he partnership with 9)( is a way “we can each !ring our uni@ue strengths to ma$e a change for future generations,' shesaid.

9)(s ;ocust Control Unit has used *arth *ngine to improve forecasts and control of desert locust out!rea$s. Satellitescannot detect the dreaded insects themselves, !ut can accelerate identification of potential !reeding areas and ma$e groundinterventions more effective.

(ther prospective applications for the technology may reduce crop losses yields and enhance plant health. 9orest covermonitoring has proven useful in Costa Dica, as trees provide ha!itat for !irds that predate on the coffee !erry !orer !eetle,which can ravage up to H per cent of a coffee farmers crop.

9urther innovative uses will emerge as more people learn how to use 9)(s (pen 9oris and Collect*arth tools. &n late 4ay,a team from N)S), the United States National )eronautics and Space )dministration, will !e visiting Dome to study howto use these tools, 9)( said.

Seeing both the $orest and the trees

Satellite imagery cannot replace the local $nowledge and e"pertise – often du!!ed “ground truth' – !ut it can !oost the

efficiency, @uality, transparency, credi!ility and, a!ove all, the timeliness and efficacy of data collection and the validationof e"isting glo!al mapping products.

9or e"ample, !y 5ooming in to highly granular local plots, researchers and officials may distinguish !etween temporary lossof tree cover due to harvesting and deforestation driven !y land use change, an important technical difference in terms ofcar!on se@uestration.


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his past 6ecem!er, 9)( and 7oogle 4aps agreed to wor$ together, under a three#year partnership, to ma$e geospatialtrac$ing and mapping products more accessi!le, providing a high#technology assist to countries tac$ling climate change andmuch greater capacity to e"perts developing forest and land#use policies.

%4e*ugees !a9e a rig! o asylu$ no ias and ared wire,'


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- 8< -UN 7aily Ne)s 89 &pril 3:8;

Te Daily ews is prepared at UN eadAuarters in Ne) Yor" 'y te Ne)s Services Section

“4ar$ets must play a central role in managing climate ris$s,' the UN chief said. “Ae must put a price on pollution, and provide incentives to accelerate a low car!on pathway.'

4ar$et prices, mar$et indices and investment portfolios can no longer continue to ignore the growing cost of unsustaina!le production and consumption !ehaviours on the health of our planet, he said.

:ailing the &naugural )ssem!ly as an “important step' in consolidating the gains made in the Baris )greement, the

Secretary#7eneral said he was “very encouraged' to see that !usinesses view car!on pricing as an efficient, cost#effectivemeans of reducing emissions.

“4omentum is !uilding. :owever, we must ensure the provision of timely and meaningful assistance to developing andvulnera!le countries for their mitigation efforts. Bromises made must !e $ept,' 4r.

un daily news - 15 april 2016

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