un daily news 18 may 2016

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Issue DH/7161 Wednesday, 18 May 2016

In the headlines:

• UN deputy chief calls for greater integration efforts

to meet challenges of refugees in urban areas

• Decent jobs deficit, economic woes threaten to

undo poverty reduction gains – UN report

• ‘The Earth is not flat; it is urban,’ says UN report,

urging new agenda for resilient, sustainable cities

• In Niger, UN relief chief urges focus on civilians

impacted by Boko Haram violence

• ‘Nobody Left Outside’ campaign launched as UN

warns of dire shelter conditions for refugees

• In phone call, Ban and Kenyan President discuss

government's decision to close refugee camps

• UN health agency foresees low to moderate risk of

Zika virus spread in Europe

• UN humanitarian coordinator calls on Israeli

authorities to stop destruction of aid supplies

• Ban appoints Mexican diplomat to head UN climate

change framework

• UN human rights experts urge Singapore not to

execute Malaysian national

• In call with Republic of Congo President, Ban

expresses concern about security operations in

country’s southeast

• Mauritania: Ban welcomes release of human rights

activists

UN deputy chief calls for greater integration efforts to meet challenges of refugees in urban areas

18 May – More than half of the world’s refugees live in urban areas, and often in fragile cities with high levels of inequality, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said today, stressing the importance of integration efforts that enable refugees to benefit from the opportunities cities offer so that they can ultimately have a dignified life.

Speaking at a high-level event on ‘Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants: Critical Challenges for Sustainable Urbanization’

held at UN Headquarters in New York this afternoon, Mr. Eliasson said that among the issues that must be addressed include the causes of forced displacement; the safety of migrants and refugees as they cross international borders; and support for host countries to integrate newcomers into their communities.

“There is much for us to do,” the Deputy Secretary-General said. “Every day, millions of refugee children are unable attend

school. Every day, the dignity and well-being of millions of people is compromised due to lack of basic services and job opportunities.”

Mr. Eliasson noted that while it is true that many refugees, especially in Africa and the Middle East, reside in camps, many

A view of an IDP camp in Al-Jamea, Baghdad, where 97 families from

Anbar Governorate have found temporary shelter. Photo: ©UNICEF

Iraq/2015/Khuzaie

UN Daily News

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UN News Centre • www.un.org/news

UN Daily News 18 May 2016

more settle and work in host communities. In fact, he said, just one-quarter of all refugees live in camps, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“While most of the humanitarian assistance goes to refugees living in camps, the ‘urban refugees’ – if you allow that expression – are largely overlooked,” he said.

“They often end up living in slums or informal settlements on the fringes of the cities, in overcrowded neighbourhoods and in areas prone to flooding, sanitation hazards and disease,” he added.

Mr. Eliasson highlighted that in 2009, UNHCR changed its policy and practice towards refugees in cities and towns, and is now working closely with national authorities, municipalities and local communities and authorities to protect urban refugees, respecting their refugee status.

In that vein, he said that the report of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, prepared for a summit on refugees and migrants

being convened by the General Assembly on 19 September, draws attention to the important role of local authorities, which are at the forefront in providing refugees access to housing, education, health care and employment.

“We should bear in mind that refugees and [internally displaced persons] IDPs often are just a small proportion of those who are swelling the ranks of cities, while the speed of urbanization is getting faster,” the Deputy Secretary-General said.

He noted that it is also important to remember that, even if cities struggle to accommodate large flows of migrants, they also largely benefit from their presence and work, since in many countries in the world, immigrants often take up low-paying jobs and provide services in areas like domestic work, agricultural labour and home care.

“As migrants and refugees continue to arrive – and there are no signs that these flows will diminish any time soon – we must resolve to uphold and implement the principle of every human being’s equal value,” Mr. Eliasson stressed. “This is a fundamental human right, never to be compromised.”

The international community, for its part, must be concerned about political rhetoric that stigmatizes refugees and migrants, and do “everything possible to counter this false and negative narrative,” the Deputy Secretary-General said.

“We must dispel the myths about migrants and migration which tend to poison the public discourse,” he added.

“Let us build our policies on the realization of the value that migrants bring to our societies: economic and demographic growth, development, not least through remittances, and I want to add: the beauty of diversity in our nation states,” Mr. Eliasson said.

The high-level event was co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Italy, the New York Office of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization, in collaboration with United Cities and Local Governments, the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UN-Women, the International Labour Organization, Network 11 and the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

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Decent jobs deficit, economic woes threaten to undo poverty reduction gains – UN report

18 May – The global deficit in quality jobs and deteriorating economic conditions in a number of regions threatens to undo decades of progress in poverty reduction, warns a new report by the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO).

Along with these challenges, the ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook 2016: Transforming jobs to end poverty notes

that relative poverty in developing countries is on the rise. Indeed, it finds that more than 36 per cent of the emerging and developing world lives in poverty – on a daily income of less than $3.10 purchasing power parity (PPP).

Noting that some $600 billion a year – or nearly $10 trillion in total over 15 years – is needed to eradicate extreme – and moderate –

poverty globally by 2030, the report concludes that the problem of persistent poverty cannot be solved by income transfers alone; more and better jobs are crucial to achieving this goal.

“If we are serious about the 2030 Agenda [...] then we must focus on the quality of jobs in all nations," said Guy Ryder,

ILO Director-General in a press release on the report, which estimates that while almost a third of the extremely or moderately poor in developing economies have jobs, their employment is vulnerable in nature: they are sometimes unpaid, concentrated in low-skilled occupations and, in the absence of social protection, rely almost exclusively on labour income.

Moreover, among developed countries, more workers have wage and salaried employment, but that does not stop them from falling into poverty. To that end, the report finds that the incidence of relative poverty has increased by one percentage point in the European Union, since the start of the global economic and financial crisis.

Further, recent deterioration of economic prospects in Asia, Latin America and the Arab region and natural resource rich countries has begun to expose the fragility of employment and social progress. In some of these countries income inequality has begun to rise after decades of declines, raising the possibility that progress on poverty might be at risk.

“Clearly, the Sustainable Development Goal of ending poverty in all its forms everywhere by 2030 is at risk,” Mr.

Ryder continued.

“Right now, while 30 per cent of the world is poor, they only hold 2 per cent of the world’s income,” said Raymond Torres, ILO Special Advisor on Social and Economic Issues. “Only through deliberately improving the quality of employment for those who have jobs and creating new decent work will we provide a durable exit from precarious living conditions and improve livelihoods for the working poor and their families.”

The study also finds that high levels of income inequality reduce the impact of economic growth on poverty reduction. “This finding tells us that it is past time to reflect on the responsibility of rich nations and individuals in the perpetuation of poverty. Accepting the status quo is not an option,” adds Mr Torres.

The report concludes with a number of recommendations to address the structural challenges to providing quality jobs and a concomitant reduction in poverty. They include, among others: tackle low-productivity traps, which lie at the heart of poverty; strengthen rights at work and enable employer and worker organizations to reach the poor; reinforce governments’ capacity to implement poverty-reducing policies and standards; and boosting resources and making the rich aware of their responsibility.

Workers in Colombia’s palm oil sector. Photo: ILO

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‘The Earth is not flat; it is urban,’ says UN report, urging new agenda for resilient, sustainable cities

18 May – While cities have emerged over the past 20 years as the world’s economic platforms for production and innovation, helping millions escape poverty through better jobs and improved quality of life, mass urbanization has also led to overcrowding, deepened inequalities and triggered a raft of environmental and health challenges, according to a new United Nations report.

The dramatic shift towards urban life has profound implications for energy consumption, politics, food security and human progress, says

the inaugural edition of the World Cities Report, compiled by the

UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), which stresses that although some of this change is positive, poorly planned urbanization can potentially generate economic disorder, congestion, pollution and civil unrest.

On the theme, ‘Urbanization and Development: Emerging Futures,’ the report presents an analysis of urban development of the past 20 years and reveals, with compelling evidence, that there are new forms of collaboration and cooperation, planning, governance, finance and learning that can sustain positive change.

While noting that two-thirds of the global population is expected to live in cities by 2030 and produce as much as 80 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP), the report unequivocally demonstrates that the current urbanization model is unsustainable in many respects.

In the run up to HABITAT III – shorthand for the major global summit formally known as the UN Conference on Housing

and Sustainable Urban Development, set to be held in Quito, Ecuador, on 17-20 October 2016 – the report conveys a clear message that the pattern of urbanization needs to change to better respond to the challenges of our time, to address issues such as inequality, climate change, informality, insecurity, and unsustainable forms of urban expansion.

UN-Habitat Executive Director, Dr Joan Clos, said: “In the twenty years since the Habitat II conference, the world has seen

a gathering of its population in urban areas. This has been accompanied by socioeconomic growth in many instances. But the urban landscape is changing and with it, the pressing need for a cohesive and realistic approach to urbanization.

“A ‘New Urban Agenda’ is required to effectively address the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities offered by urbanization,” said Mr. Clos. As the urban population increases, the land area occupied by cities is increasing at a higher rate. It is projected that by 2030, the urban population of developing countries will double, while the area covered by cites could triple.

Such urban expansion is wasteful in terms of land and energy consumption and increases greenhouse gas emissions. The urban centre of gravity— at least for megacities, has shifted to the developing regions. In 1995, there were 22 large cities and 14 megacities globally; by 2015, both categories of cities had doubled, with 22, or 79 per cent of the megacities located in Latin America, Asia and Africa. The fastest growing urban centres are the medium and small cities with less than one million inhabitants, which account for 59 per cent of the world’s urban population.

Noting that urbanization provides a great opportunity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the report

warns that while in some cities, for some people, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “urban renaissance” is occurring, for most of the world this is absolutely not the case.

“Urban policy failure has been spectacular in its visibility and devastating in its impacts on men, women and children in many cities,” says the report, stressing that there are too many people living in poor quality housing without adequate infrastructure services such as water, sanitation, and electricity, without stable employment, reliable sources of income, social services, or prospects for upward social mobility.

Families enjoying an afternoon in Simon Bolivar Park in Bogotá,

Colombia. Photo: World Bank/Dominic Chavez

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“Prosperity was once described as a tide that raised all boats, but the impression today is that prosperity only raises all yachts,” the report underscores, setting out the key elements of a comprehensive approach to a ‘New Urban Agenda’ which must be bold, forward looking, and tightly focused on problem-solving with clear means of implementation.

For the new Agenda to take hold, governments, international organizations, bilateral aid and civil society must recognize the transformative power of cities and their unique capacity to generate new forms of economy, with greater sensitivity to the environment, culture, and social life. Moreover, the report argues that for governments, “adopting urban policies means that they accept that the world consists not just of national macro-economies, but also of urban areas, with many different sizes, forms and characters.”

“This is why today we stand at a Galilean moment. The Earth is not flat. It is urban. If we do not recognize that the settlement down the road is related to where we live, we shall all suffer, and unnecessarily so,” warns the report’s final chapter, urging global political leaders to recognize that the world is very different than it was 30 years ago – that the challenges facing our cities “are footprints of our future, warning us of the world to come and imploring us to do better.

“It is for the Habitat III conference to steer the ‘emerging futures’ of our cities on to a sustainable, prosperous path,” the report concludes.

In Niger, UN relief chief urges focus on civilians impacted by Boko Haram violence

18 May – Wrapping up a two-day mission to Niger, the top United Nations humanitarian official has called for greater attention to the crisis unfolding in the country's Diffa region, where violence at the hands of Boko Haram has forced more than 240,000 people out of their homes on both sides of the border with Nigeria.

“I am appalled by reports of killing of civilians, looting of villages, and other abuses perpetrated by Boko Haram in the countries around the Lake Chad Basin, including Niger,” Stephen O'Brien, Under-

Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said in a press release.

“Adherence to international humanitarian law and norms is fundamental in conflict and it applies to all parties, without exception,” he said.

In the Diffa region, Mr. O'Brien visited the Assaga site, which hosts more than 15,000 people, including refugees, returnees and internally displaced people who had been recently forced out of their homes due to Boko Haram attacks. Two out of three people in the region have experienced displacement.

“This morning I met a family in Diffa hosting 30 people who had fled violence caused by Boko Haram both in Nigeria and in Niger. As the first to respond, the solidarity and generosity of families in Diffa who have shared their scarce resources with those in need are an example and inspiration to us all,” noted Mr. O'Brien, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.

He also met with the President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou; Prime Minister Brigi Rafini; Minister of the Interior, Mohamed Bazoum; Niger's first Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Laouan Magagi; and several other senior Government officials.

Mr. O'Brien said they discussed ways to step up the humanitarian response for people affected by Boko Haram, as well as the challenges that Nigerians continue to face despite the Government's commitment to build people's resilience to recurrent food insecurity and malnutrition crises.

In 2016, humanitarian partners and the Nigerien Government plan to assist two million food insecure people and 1.5 million

In Diffa, Niger, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs

and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien (second left,

seated) meets with a family who fled when Boko Haram attacked.

Photo: UN OCHA

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people threatened by malnutrition, including 1.2 million children.

“Displacement or malnutrition alone causes great human suffering. A combination of the two is too much for people to bear. Together, we must help them now with urgent supplies and services,” Mr. O'Brien stressed.

The humanitarian community has launched a Humanitarian Response Plan for 2016 targeting 1.5 million people with a budget requirement of $316 million. So far, only 25 per cent has been received, which is “clearly insufficient” to meet the immediate needs, the Under-Secretary-General said.

Mr. O'Brien will travel from the Lake Chad Basin region to Istanbul to participate in the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit being held on 23 and 24 May.

“The Summit will be a critical opportunity for me to tell the stories of the people I met, who have been affected by the Boko Haram violence,” he said.

“An event on the Lake Chad Basin region will help us draw global attention to the increasing vulnerability of the communities of the region, who are facing the converging events of climate change, high poverty levels, violent extremism and population growth,” he added.

Mr. O'Brien noted that a comprehensive approach is urgently needed to ensure greater collaboration between the political, security, development, environmental and humanitarian efforts to maximize scarce resources and to ensure no one is left behind. “A big, compounded crisis needs a big, compounded response,” he concluded.

In related news, the Under-Secretary-General, speaking via phone to reporters at the daily press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York, reiterated that he had specifically decided to visit the Lake Chad Basin region ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit to bring attention to the “chronic and endemic” life conditions for millions of people as a result of the six-year “brutal campaign” by Boko Haram.

He noted that it was clear from the stories of the people he had met that the humanitarian effects have been escalating, notwithstanding some security progress, and that it was “absolutely vital” to see a “very sharp example of everything that will come together” at the Summit.

“That's why we have deliberately come here, to recommit and get the political will that will propel us to deliver to those most in need,” he said.

The emphasized that the Summit will help to ensure that all humanitarian actors work in a way “that can give confidence to everyone across the whole of the humanitarian ecosystem,” not just in meeting immediate needs also in helping people's lives to thrive and not be left in vulnerability.

Asked his reaction to reports earlier today that one of the more than 250 schoolgirls who were kidnapped more than two years ago from Chibok, Nigeria, had been found, Mr. O'Brien said that there was “at last a sense of confidence of a first step that things can be better.”

Noting that the international community was both focused on and very concerned by the reports, the Under-Secretary-General stressed that it is vital to continue every effort to find all of those who have been abducted.

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‘Nobody Left Outside’ campaign launched as UN warns of dire shelter conditions for refugees

18 May – A half-billion-dollar shortfall in funds for sheltering refugees is severely undermining efforts to tackle the biggest global displacement crisis since World War II, the United Nations refugee agency warned today, as it launched a new campaign that calls on the private sector to contribute funds for shelter solutions for two million refugees.

“Shelter is the foundation stone for refugees to survive and recover, and should be considered a non-negotiable human right,” stressed Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in a

press release issued by his Office (UNHCR). “As we tackle

worldwide displacement on a level not seen since World War II, no refugee should be left outside,” he added.

The Nobody Left Outside campaign is aimed at individuals, companies, foundations and philanthropists worldwide.

At the launch of the campaign, UNHCR underscored that forced displacement, most of it arising from war and conflict, has risen sharply in the past decade, largely as a result of the Syria crisis, but also due to a proliferation of new displacement situations and unresolved old ones.

Worldwide, some 60 million people are forcibly displaced today, the agency said. Of that figure, almost 20 million people are refugees who have been forced to flee across international borders, while the rest are people displaced within their own countries.

“A shelter – be it a tent, a makeshift structure or a house – is the basic building block for refugees to survive and recover from the physical and mental effects of violence and persecution,” UNHCR emphasized. “Yet around the world, millions are struggling to get by in inadequate and often dangerous dwellings, barely able to pay the rent, and putting their lives, dignity and futures at risk.”

Humanitarian funding is failing to keep pace

The campaign aims to raise funds from the private sector to build or improve shelter for 2 million refugees by 2018, amounting to almost one in eight of the 15.1 million under UNHCR’s remit in mid-2015. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) cares for the remaining Palestinian refugees.

“Without a major increase in funding and global support, millions of people fleeing war and persecution face homelessness or inadequate housing in countries such as Lebanon, Mexico and Tanzania,” UNHCR said. “Without a safe place to eat, sleep, study, store belongings and have privacy, the consequences to their health and welfare can be profound.”

The agency emphasized that as it continues to face high levels of shelter needs and with limited funding available, operations often face the difficult decision to prioritize emergency shelter for the maximum number of people of concern, over an investment in more durable and sustainable solutions. Outside of camps, refugees rely on UNHCR support to find housing and pay rent in towns and cities across dozens of countries bordering conflict zones.

These operations are expected to cost US$724 million in 2016. Yet only US$158 million is currently available, a shortfall

Newly-arrived family in Tanzania’s Nduta camp. Burundi refugee

Perrie fled her home with her three children in December 2015.

Photo: UNHCR/Sebastian Rich

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that threatens to leave millions of men, women and children without adequate shelter and struggling to rebuild their lives.

UNHCR noted that the private sector is one of its increasingly important donor sources, contributing more than 8 per cent of its overall funding in 2015.

“There is an important role for the private sector with its know-how, energy and money to act in a spirit of solidarity to shelter refugees from war and persecution,” said Mr. Grandi.

“Proper shelter for everyone is central to social cohesion. Good homes make good neighbours,” he added.

According to UNHCR, the regions most in need of assistance are sub-Saharan Africa ($255 million needed, $48 million available) and the Middle East and North Africa ($373 million needed, $91 million available). Asia requires $59 million, with $8 million available, while Europe requires more help ($36 million needed, $10 million available) as it faces a continued influx of refugees.

In phone call, Ban and Kenyan President discuss government's decision to close refugee camps

18 May – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke today by telephone with President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya following the Kenyan Government's recent decision to close the Dadaab refugee camps, expressing deep appreciation for the country's decades of generosity to asylum seekers.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban expressed deep

appreciation to President Kenyatta and the people of Kenya for decades of generous hospitality to significant populations of asylum-seekers and refugees.

“The Secretary-General assured President Kenyatta that he appreciated the enormous task and responsibility involved in hosting large numbers of refugees, amidst daunting security challenges,” the statement said, noting that Mr. Ban also urged the President to continue to use the 2013 Tripartite Agreement, signed with Somalia and the Office of the UN high Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as a basis for the voluntary return of Somali refugees in safety and dignity.

Mr. Ban in the statement went on to express the United Nations support to Kenya, including the proposal by the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, that a high-level bilateral review on the refugee situation in Kenya be conducted by the Government of Kenya and UNHCR.

In the phone call, the Secretary-General mentioned that the Deputy Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Refugees would visit Kenya at the end of May.

“They look forward to discussing this issue forward with the Government of Kenya, and will underline the readiness of the United Nations to garner the support of the international community in addressing Kenya's refugee challenges, with consideration for the host communities in Kenya as well as the sub-regional security concerns, the statement concluded.

On 6 May, Kenya's Ministry of Interior said that the Government had disbanded its Department of Refugee Affairs and was working on a mechanism for the closure of the country's refugee camps – a decision that could affect as many as 600,000 people, according to UNHCR.

A group of displaced Somali women residing at the Ifo 2 Refugee

Camp in Dadaab, Kenya, which is supported by the United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). UN Photo/Evan

Schneider

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UN health agency foresees low to moderate risk of Zika virus spread in Europe

18 May – The overall risk of a Zika virus outbreak across Europe is low to moderate during late spring and summer, according to a new risk assessment published today by the World Health Organization (WHO), with a varying risk across the region that is higher in countries where Aedes mosquitoes are present.

“The new evidence published today tells us that there is a risk of spread of Zika virus disease in the European region and that this risk varies from country to country,” said Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO

Regional Director for Europe, in a press release.

“With this risk assessment, we at WHO want to inform and target preparedness work in each European country based on its level of risk. We call particularly on countries at higher risk to strengthen their national capacities and prioritize the activities that will prevent a large Zika outbreak,” she added.

Results of the risk assessment

WHO assessed the risk of an outbreak in Member States in the European region and Lichtenstein, based on the likelihood of Zika virus spread and existing national capacity to prevent or rapidly contain local transmission.

The assessment found that the likelihood of local Zika virus transmission, if no measures are taken to mitigate the threat, is moderate in 18 countries in the European region and high in limited geographical areas such as the island of Madeira and the north-eastern coast of the Black Sea.

This means that the areas in the region with the presence of Aedes aegypti, the primary Zika vector, have a high likelihood of local Zika virus transmission.

Specifically, 18 countries (33 per cent) have a moderate likelihood, owing to the presence of Aedes albopictus, a secondary Zika vector, while 36 countries (66 per cent) have a low, very low or no likelihood, owing to the absence of Aedes mosquitoes and/or suitable climatic conditions for their establishment.

Capacity and risk

The results of a questionnaire on capacity – how fast and well a country would respond to Zika virus spread – from 51 Member States in the region and Liechtenstein indicate that 41 countries (79 per cent) have good and very good capacity, although specific capacities varied substantially, WHO noted.

Combining the likelihood and capacity results provided the estimated level of risk of a Zika virus outbreak. The results show that across the WHO European region the risk is low to moderate during late spring and summer.

For countries with high and moderate likelihood of local Zika virus transmission, WHO recommends strengthening vector-control activities to prevent the introduction and spread of mosquitoes, and reduce their density (particularly for areas with Aedes aegypti); and equipping health professionals to detect local transmission of Zika virus early and to report the first case of local transmission, as well as complications from infections, within 24 hours of diagnosis.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that can carry Zika as well as Dengue and

Chikungunya viruses. Photo: IAEA/Dean Calma

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The agency also recommends ensuring that the skills and capacity to test for Zika virus or protocols to ship blood samples abroad are in place, and encourages communities to reduce mosquito breeding sites.

“We stand ready to support European countries on the ground in case of Zika virus outbreaks,” said Nedret Emiroglu, Director of the Communicable Diseases and Health Security Division, WHO Regional Office for Europe. “Our support to countries in the region to prepare for and respond to health risks such as Zika is a key aspect of the reform of WHO's work in emergencies.”

To address the risk of Zika virus spread in the European region, WHO is scaling up efforts to provide guidance on vector control in coordination with other sectors; facilitate the shipment of samples to WHO reference laboratories or deliver diagnostic tools for local testing; and advise on risk communication and community engagement.

In addition, WHO will convene a regional consultation in Portugal from 22 to 24 June to examine the conclusions of the risk assessment and identify countries' needs, strengths and gaps in relation to preventing and responding to Zika virus disease.

UN humanitarian coordinator calls on Israeli authorities to stop destruction of aid supplies

18 May – The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory today condemned the demolition and confiscation of donor-funded humanitarian assistance by the Israeli authorities in the Palestinian community of Jabal al Baba.

In a press release, the UN Office for the Coordination of

Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that on 16 May, the authorities demolished seven homes and confiscated materials for three others, resulting in nine Palestine refugee families – comprising a total of 49 members, 22 of them children – being left without shelter.

“Despite the obligation on Israel under international law to facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of relief to those who need it, humanitarian relief to vulnerable communities like Jabal al Baba is increasingly under attack,” said Robert Piper, UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid and Development Activities for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The materials were part of a humanitarian aid package for vulnerable Palestinian Bedouin families, provided by the UN’s Humanitarian Pooled Fund earlier this year.

Jabal al Baba, located to the east of Jerusalem in an area planned for the expansion of the Ma’ale Adumim settlement (the E1 plan), is one of 46 communities in the central West Bank considered at high risk of forcible transfer, OCHA said.

“The destruction of homes and of livelihoods creates pressures on households to move, exacerbating the risk of forcible transfer which would be considered a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention,” OCHA said.

Already in 2016, more than 600 structures have been demolished or confiscated across the West Bank, far exceeding the total for all of 2015, OCHA said. In their wake, more than 900 people have been displaced from their homes and a further 2,500 have seen their livelihoods affected.

“Once again, we call on Israel to respect the rights of these vulnerable communities and to leave these households in peace,” said Mr. Piper.

A boy in the Bedouin refugee community of Um al Khayr in the South

Hebron Hills where large scale home demolitions by Israeli

authorities took place. Photo: UNRWA

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Ban appoints Mexican diplomat to head UN climate change framework

18 May – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appointed Patricia Espinosa Cantellano of Mexico as Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

In a statement released by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said the appointment of Ms. Espinosa Cantellano – who will succeed Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica – was made after consultation with the Conference of Parties to the Convention through its Bureau.

Since 2013, Ms. Espinosa Cantellano has been serving as Ambassador of Mexico to Germany, a position she also held from 2001 to 2002. She previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico from 2006 to 2012, and has more than 30 years of experience at highest

levels in international relations, specializing in climate change, global governance, sustainable development, gender equality and protection of human rights.

As Mexico’s representative on multilateral bodies and international organizations in Vienna, Geneva and New York, Ms. Espinosa Cantellano has been engaged as a leader in the global challenge to address climate change and its consequences,

notably as Chair of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC leading to the adoption of the Cancun Agreements.

“Named by the UN Secretary-General to the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post 2015 Development Agenda, she is a tireless supporter of multilateralism as a way to improve conditions for development in all regions of the world,

understanding the inextricable link between the aims of the Paris Climate Agreementand the Sustainable Development Goals,” the statement said.

Patricia Espinosa Cantellano. UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz

UN human rights experts urge Singapore not to execute Malaysian national

18 May – Two United Nations human rights experts on summary executions and on torture today urged the Government of Singapore not to carry out the execution of Kho Jabing, a Malaysian national who was sentenced to death in 2010 after being found guilty of unintentional murder.

In a press release, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for

Human Rights (OHCHR) said that at the time the sentence was issued against Mr. Jabing – who is 31 years old – Singaporean legislation imposed the mandatory death sentence for all murder convictions. But based on the Penal Code Amendment Act, passed in 2013, he was re-sentenced to life imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane in 2013.

However, in January 2015, the Court of Appeal re-imposed his death sentence, and his execution was scheduled for 20 May, despite the fact that the Penal Code Amendment Act keeps the

Photo: UNODC

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mandatory death penalty for intentional murder only, while giving the courts the possibility to impose life imprisonment and caning in cases where there was no intention to cause death.

“Mr. Kho Jabing’s actions do not meet the threshold of ‘most serious crimes’, making his execution a violation of the right to life,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on summary executions, Christof Heyns.

“International law only allows the death sentence for premeditated and deliberate acts with lethal consequences. I urge the Government to immediately halt its plans to execute Mr. Kho Jabing,” he added.

The Special Rapporteur also expressed concern that, despite recent reforms, Singaporean legislation still foresees a mandatory death sentence for intentional murder.

“This is incompatible with international law, so the Government must pursue legal reform that will put an end to mandatory death sentences, in line with international human rights and fair trial standards,” he noted.

“Reinstating the death penalty, based on the facts in this case, is appalling and amounts to mental cruelty,” added the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan E. Méndez.

The experts also expressed alarm by reports that four persons were executed (three of them for drug-related crimes, which do not meet the threshold for ‘most serious crimes’) in Singapore in 2015, and appealed the Government to reinstate the official moratorium declared in 2011.

In call with Republic of Congo President, Ban expresses concern about security operations in country’s southeast

18 May – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, speaking by phone today with the President of the Republic of the Congo, Denis Sassou N’Guesso, expressed concern about the Government’s ongoing security operation in the south-eastern Pool region of the country and its impact on the civilian population.

“[Mr. Ban] urged President Sassou N’Guesso to ensure that humanitarian and other relevant actors are granted access to the

affected areas,” said a statement issued by the Secretary-General’s

spokesperson, which said the UN chief also called on the President to ensure that the security forces show restraint in the use of force and comply with the Republic of the Congo’s obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law.

Underscoring the need for political dialogue to foster national unity following the recent elections, Mr. Ban in the statement emphasized

the importance of President Sassou N’Guesso’s personal engagement and reaffirmed the United Nations’ readiness to support the Government and people of the Republic of the Congo in this regard.

“The Secretary-General thanked President Sassou N’Guesso for his engagement with the Central African Republic and looked forward to his continued support in the post-transition period,” the statement said.

A child plays in a wheelbarrow while her family collects water into

jerrycans in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo. Photo:

UNICEF/Christine Nesbitt

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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)

Mauritania: Ban welcomes release of human rights activists

18 May – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the release of human rights activists Biram Dah Abeid and Brahim Ould Bilal on 17 May in Mauritania, following a Supreme Court decision.

“The Secretary-General commends efforts by the Mauritanian authorities to strengthen the rule of law and urges the judicial authorities to carefully investigate the circumstances that led to the

arrests of the activists,” said a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s

spokesperson in New York.

The statement went on to say that the UN chief also encourages the Mauritanian Government to pursue its efforts to promote national unity and social cohesion.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. UN Photo/Evan Schneider (file)

un daily news 18 may 2016

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