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UN DAILY NEWS from the
UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE
25 June, 2008 =========================================================================
UN URGES BETTER PROTECTION FOR WOMEN IN FIGHT AGAINST TORTURE
Despite a strong international legal framework outlawing torture, much more needs to be done to end this scourge, United Nations human rights officials have stressed, adding that special attention be given to ensuring better protection for women.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, provided for the first international prohibition of torture, and successive human rights treaties have built on this provision.
However, six decades later, greater efforts are needed to prevent torture, punish the perpetrators and ensure adequate assistance for the victims, six UN entities that deal with the issue stressed in a statement marking the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, observed annually on 26 June.
They noted that women fall victim to torture in different ways, as highlighted by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s global campaign to end violence against women, launched in February of this year.
“Certain forms of gender-specific violence perpetrated by State actors, as well as by private individuals or organizations, clearly amount to torture, and it is now recognized that gender-specific violence falls within the definition of torture in the Convention against Torture,” they stated.
They called for strengthening the global campaign to end violence against women, by ensuring a broader scope of prevention, protection, justice and reparation for victims, including access to international assistance, than currently exists.
In addition, they appealed for increased contributions to the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture – which distributes funds to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and treatment centres to assist those subjected to this horrific practice and their families – so that more torture victims can receive the help they need.
“We call on all States, in particular those which have been found to be responsible for widespread or systematic practices of torture, to contribute to the Voluntary Fund as part of a universal commitment for the rehabilitation of torture victims,” they stated.
The signatories of the statement are UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour; the UN Committee against Torture; the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture; the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its cause and consequences; and the Board of Trustees of the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
Also marking the Day, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called for all allegations of torture in the strife-torn nation to be properly investigated.
UNAMA’s chief human rights official, Norah Niland, called for those responsible for such abuse to be brought to account. “Torture, without exception, is unacceptable. UNAMA will support and work with the Afghan authorities to help ensure the Government’s commitment to prohibit and inhibit torture is properly upheld as laid out in the Constitution,” she said.
“As Afghanistan moves towards greater democratisation, while continuing to suffer the effects of armed conflict, it is important to re-iterate that it is the duty of the state to prevent, prohibit, investigate and penalise all acts of torture and other forms of ill-treatment,” she added.
Ms. Niland stressed that all parties to the conflict, including international actors engaged in detention in Afghanistan, should observe international legal standards and allow for outside scrutiny, adding that the prohibition on torture applies equally to anti-government elements.
UNAMA has been working closely with the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission to enhance the protection of civilians, advance the rights of women and girls, improve access to justice, help safeguard freedom of expression, and support implementation of the transitional justice agenda.
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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: BAN SAYS POLITICAL AND SECURITY SITUATION IS ‘FRAGILE’
The overall political, security and economic situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) remains fragile and is characterized by widespread poverty, insecurity and a disturbing cycle of human rights violations and impunity, according to the latest report submitted by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the Security Council.
The current situation on human rights “victimizes innocent civilians and leaves those responsible within the defence and security forces, rebel movements and highway bandits, free to commit even more crimes,” Mr. Ban stressed.
However, the Secretary-General also praised intensified efforts in the country to promote dialogue and welcomed a peace agreement that was concluded between the Government of CAR and the Armée populaire pour la restauration de la democratie (APRD) rebel movement on 9 May. Mr. Ban said that the country had seen a decrease in the intensity of conflict between Government forces and rebel groups in the north of the country, but added that acts of lawlessness and indiscipline by defence and security forces, especially in relation to the general public, were on the increase. The report also noted that a new zone of tension had emerged in the southeast of the country, where suspected renegade elements of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group had reportedly infiltrated into CAR from their bases in southern Sudan.
Despite efforts by Government forces, the LRA elements had continued to operate relatively unfettered, burning and vandalizing villages as well as stealing goods and property, Mr. Ban reported.
Increased activities by highway bandits, known as zaraguinas, or coupeurs de route, mainly in the northwest of the country, had resulted in the emergence of self-defence vigilante groups which no longer hesitate to openly confront the bandits, Mr. Ban said.
He added that, of the 100,000 people who have fled their homes in the northwest, around one third were driven out by organized banditry, rather than by political conflict between the Government and rebel groups.
The first six months of 2008 had also been a challenging period for humanitarian workers, who suffered several attacks by armed groups and highway bandits, the Secretary-General said, while calling for unhindered access to populations in need.
“I renew my appeal to all armed groups to lay down their weapons and work towards the restoration of sustainable peace and stability,” Mr. Ban added.
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UGANDAN REBEL GROUP ALLEGEDLY STILL RECRUITING CHILDREN – UN REPORT
Although the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) does not seem to be recruiting children in Uganda, women and children are still present in its ranks, and the rebel group is allegedly enlisting young people from neighbouring countries, according to a United Nations report released today.
The LRA, which has fought a civil war with the Ugandan Government since the mid-1980s, became notorious during the conflict for abducting as many as 25,000 children and using them as fighters and porters. The children were often subject to extreme violence shortly after abduction, with many girls allocated to officers in a form of institutional rape.
“Owing to the apparent absence of LRA from Ugandan territory, there have been no recent cases of recruitment and use of Ugandan children, or other grave violations against children attributable to LRA,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes in a new report to the Security Council.
“However, children and women are still present in the LRA ranks, and there has been no movement on their release,” he adds.
In addition, he notes there are reports alleging that the group has been recruiting children from southern Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR).
In one case, three boys from the Sudan and the CAR who escaped from the LRA reported that they had been forced to work for the group as porters. They also reported that girls were present in the ranks, and that they were regularly subjected to gender-based violence, including rape.
On 23 April, authorities in Dungu in eastern DRC reported that 13 people, including four students, were abducted from a primary school following LRA attacks.
“These allegations are being reported while the peace talks between LRA and the Government of Uganda are stalled, notably because of the refusal by the LRA leader, Joseph Kony, to sign the final peace agreement,” Mr. Ban writes.
Last July the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict called on the LRA to unconditionally release children used in their ranks, and underlined the absence of any concrete signs in this regard.
The Group also noted the International Criminal Court indictments against five senior members of the LRA – the leader Joseph Kony, and the commanders Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo, Dominic Ongwen and Raska Lukwiya – on a number of charges, including the enlistment of children through abduction.
The rebel group has maintained that it had released all children and women abducted or forcibly conscripted some time ago and that those who remained in the bush were women and children related to LRA members.
Mr. Ban says that this information cannot be independently verified because of the absence of any direct contacts between the UN and the LRA leadership.
The Secretary-General urges the LRA to provide a complete list of names and ages of the women and children remaining in its ranks for verification and to carry out their immediate release.
In addition, he says the UN Task Forces on Monitoring and Reporting in Uganda, the CAR, the DRC and the Sudan, in cooperation with the UN missions in the DRC and Sudan, should develop a strategy to increase monitoring and reporting on cross-border recruitment and use of children by the LRA.
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RESETTLEMENT OF MYANMAR REFUGEES FROM THAILAND TOPS 30,000 – UN AGENCY
The number of Myanmar refugees that have left Thailand to begin new lives in third countries since January 2005 topped 30,000 this week, marking a major milestone in the world’s largest resettlement operation, the United Nations refugee agency said today.
Almost all of the 30,144 men, women and children that have left since the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) began the resettlement programme were living in nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border after fleeing fighting and oppression in their homeland.
“Some of the refugees have been here for nearly two decades. Some were born in refugee camps, grew up there and are now raising their own families in refugee camps,” said UNHCR Regional Representative Raymond Hall. “For them, resettlement offers a way out of the camps and the opportunity for a fresh start in life.”
The majority of those that have left – 21,453 – have gone to the United States, while Australia has received 3,405 and Canada 2,605. The rest have gone to Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
“We are very grateful to resettlement countries for making it possible for so many refugees to get a new chance at building productive lives,” Mr. Hall said.
UNHCR noted that some 300 Myanmar refugees leave Thailand every week for resettlement, and nearly 8,000 more could leave by the end of this year.
Nearly 124,000 refugees and asylum-seekers remain in the nine camps along the border.
Meanwhile, relief efforts are continuing in the wake of the deadly cyclone which battered Myanmar in early May and left as many as 2.4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that a joint relief and early recovery assessment team, involving 250 staff from UN agencies, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and 18 Government ministries, has confirmed the need for continued relief efforts to cover unmet needs.
One component of the survey – the Village Tract Assessment – showed that nearly three quarters of households do not have enough food to last more than a week, and nearly half are dependent on humanitarian aid to eat. “Considering that 42 per cent of all food stocks were destroyed, continued food assistance is required,” the team noted.
Meanwhile, 60 per cent of households say their access to clean water is inadequate, and many are now depending on rainwater since ponds are full of salt water. In addition, while there has been no major disease outbreak to date, preliminary data show that open defecation has more than doubled, posing serious risks for the spread of diseases.
The assessment will be used to revise the humanitarian appeal, which is set to be issued in early July. The $201 million appeal launched following the cyclone is currently 66 per cent funded.
More than 134,000 people are dead or missing as a result of Cyclone Nargis and the subsequent tidal wave which struck the South-East Asian nation, causing the greatest damage to Ayeyarwady Delta area and Yangon, the country’s most populous city.
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GUINEA-BISSAU’S EFFORTS AGAINST DRUG TRADE MUST CONTINUE – SECURITY COUNCIL
Applauding recent efforts by Guinea-Bissau to bring drug traffickers to justice, the Security Council today urged the West African country’s Government to strengthen its international and regional cooperation to fight the narcotics trade and organized crime.
In a statement to the press after an open meeting today, Council members voiced concern over what they described as “the acute threat posed by drug trafficking and organized crime to the peace consolidation process.”
The Secretary-General’s latest report on Guinea-Bissau, released earlier this week, also warned of the danger that the illicit drug trade represents to a country struggling to make political and economic progress.
Council members noted the Government’s recent efforts to implement an anti-narcotics operation plan and called on the international community to enhance its support for this, according to the press statement, read out by Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff of the United States, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month.
The statement also welcomed Cape Verde’s decision to host an upcoming regional conference on drug trafficking and organized crime.
Earlier this year it was announced that legislative elections are being scheduled for 16 November, and Council members welcomed the preparations so far.
“They commended the international partners for their pledges in support of the elections and they urged the international community to continue to provide technical, material and financial resources in order to fill the current gaps and ensure effective and timely elections,” the statement said.
The 15-member Council received briefings today from Shola Omoregie, the Secretary-General’s Representative for Guinea-Bissau and head of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office (UNOGBIS) there and from Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
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SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR UN FACT-FINDING TEAM TO VISIT DJIBOUTI-ERITREA BORDER
The Security Council has called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to send a fact-finding mission to the border between Djibouti and Eritrea, where several days of fighting earlier this month led to several deaths and dozens of wounded.
Council members also reiterated their call to the two countries, especially Eritrea, to withdraw their forces to the status quo, according to a statement to the press read out late yesterday by Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff of the United States, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month.
In the statement the Council also voiced regret that Eritrea has not answered the calls it made in a presidential statement on 12 June, in which the 15-member panel urged maximum restraint and cooperation with diplomatic efforts to resolve the matter peacefully.
The Council, which also commended regional peace efforts, said Djibouti and Eritrea must facilitate the work of the Secretary-General’s fact-finding mission and that Mr. Ban should report back on its work, if possible within two weeks.
Yesterday’s debate in the Council follows Eritrean military action against Djibouti in Ras Doumeira and Doumeira Island earlier this month.
Joao Honwana, Director of the Department of Political Affairs’ (DPA) Africa Division, said the situation along the joint border was calm but tense, with military regrouping occurring on both sides and a de facto ceasefire continuing to hold.
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UN-SUPPORTED INITIATIVE AIMS TO REINTEGRATE 180,000 SUDANESE EX-COMBATANTS
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will be supporting the reintegration of 180,000 Sudanese ex-combatants as they return to civilian life under an agreement signed today with the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan.
Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) is an important component of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan.
The agreement signed today builds on the achievements of the disarmament and demobilisation pilot phase launched in 2006. The beneficiaries will include some 24,000 members of the Sudan Armed Forces and 26,000 others pre-registered by the Popular Defence Forces. Nearly 5,300 women associated with armed forces and groups, and 17,500 disabled combatants are also eligible.
Under the four-year programme – which will be led and implemented by the DDR Commissions of North and South Sudan, with support from UNDP – ex-combatants will receive social, economic and psychological support as they make the transition back into civilian life and begin anew in their communities.
“We welcome the Government of Sudan’s leadership in taking forward the DDR programme, and aim to assist the building of national and local capacities to support national ownership of the process,” said UNDP Associate Administrator Ad Melkert.
“The dividends of peace are long overdue. Employment generation and re-integration of former combatants is key to this process,” he added.
The agreement was signed at a DDR Donor Conference in Geneva, co-chaired by UNDP and the Government of Japan, at which donors reiterated their full support to the Sudan DDR programme, requiring $430 million over a four-year period.
Adequate funding will be key to ensuring the sustainability of the programme which is designed to help foster peace and security in Sudan.
“It must be seen in a broader context of support to peace and national reconciliation, post–conflict stabilization, peace building and conflict reduction,” said Ameerah Haq, UNDP Resident Representative in Sudan. “The reintegration programme will thus complement existing Government and UN programming that focuses on building peace at the community level.”
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GOVERNMENTS ASKED TO RATIFY TREATY PROTECTING UN HUMANITARIAN PERSONNEL
The head of the United Nations staff union and the top UN legal official today called on governments to join a legal instrument designed to protect humanitarian personnel around the world.
At a ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York, Staff Union President Stephen Kisambira and UN Legal Counsel Nicolas Michel presented a certificate to diplomats from the 14 countries that have ratified the Optional Protocol to the 1994 Convention on the Safety of UN and Associated Personnel.
The countries are Austria, Botswana, Gabon, Germany, Kenya, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Tunisia.
“Your ratification was a significant step,” Mr. Kisambira said. “It will enhance security of staff worldwide. I encourage all Member States to follow your lead. Security of UN personnel is a global responsibility.”
The 2005 Optional Protocol provides legal protection to staff delivering emergency humanitarian assistance and to those providing political and development assistance in peacebuilding. It extends the legal protection offered by the 1994 Convention, which only applies to personnel engaged in peacekeeping operations. The Convention has been ratified by 84 Member States, or 43 per cent of the UN membership.
The Optional Protocol is not yet in force, as eight ratifications are still required for its coming into effect.
“Rather than focusing only on Member States that did not ratify, I would like to value and appreciate those that did,” Mr. Michel said. “The Optional Protocol is important because it reflects the evolution of realities on the ground. It acknowledges the role of staff who work on the ground, often in very dangerous circumstances.”
“Do a little boasting, and tell your colleagues in the General Assembly that it would be a good idea to join in,” he said, thanking the diplomatic community in New York for its role, “because of course the capitals follow what is happening here, but you are the ones who take the lead.”
The ceremony was organized by the UN Staff Council Standing Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service.
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IMPROVING WEATHER SERVICES WILL ALSO STRENGTHEN FOOD SECURITY, UN AGENCY SAYS
Upgrading and improving weather services will play an important role in helping ensure food security in poorer countries at risk from the impact of climate change and natural disasters, the head of the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says.
Speaking at a round-table discussion on food security yesterday at the Global Humanitarian Forum in Geneva, WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said enhanced preparation and awareness of meteorological problems and challenges would allow policymakers to respond better once a disaster strikes.
Mr. Jarraud said WMO was working, through its regional climate centres and other agencies, to improve prevention and preparedness measures, including risk assessment, early-warning systems and emergency planning.
Natural disasters such as floods and droughts are among the biggest causes of what is known as “transitory hunger,” compared to poverty-induced “chronic hunger.” Although natural hazards cannot be avoided, capacity-building and prevention measures can greatly reduce their impact and ensure that people have enough food stocks to last them through a crisis.
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SECURITY COUNCIL HOPEFUL ABOUT PROGRESS ON ISSUES PENDING SINCE 1990 GULF WAR
The Security Council today said that recent identifications of human remains provided reason to hope for further progress in determining the fate of Kuwaitis and other nationals missing since Iraq’s 1990 invasion, but lamented the lack of progress in finding the Kuwaiti national archive.
“Members of the Council noted that the total number of positive identifications of human remains by the Kuwaiti authorities had increased since the last report and were encouraged and hopeful about the possibility of further progress in the repatriation of remains,” according to a statement read out to the press by Ambassador Alejandro Wolff of the United States, which holds the body’s rotating presidency for June.
The number of Kuwaiti and third-country nationals whose remains have been identified has reached 235 – two more since the Council was last briefed on the issue in December 2007.
At the same time, Council members “noted with regret that there had been no further progress on the fate of the Kuwaiti national archive,” and called on anyone who may have information about these documents to help clarify the matter.
Earlier today, the Council was briefed on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the issue by High-level Coordinator Gennady Tarasov, who was appointed to his post in April following the death of former envoy Yuli Vorontsov last December.
Council Members were pleased to note the Secretary-General’s observation that the Iraqi Government had shown “sensitivity and understanding as well as its sincere intention to assist in resolving the outstanding cases,” and were confident that all parties, in particular Iraq and Kuwait, could work towards a “satisfactory solution.”
In addition, the Council welcomed the news that Iraq has now formally invited Mr. Tarasov to the country to discuss outstanding issues, “early progress on which would help cement the existing friendly relations between Iraq and Kuwait.”
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UNICEF GOODWILL AMBASSADOR JACKIE CHAN VISITS TIMOR-LESTE
The action film star and kung fu expert Jackie Chan is on a three-day visit to Timor-Leste to promote the use of martial arts for peace, as part of his duties as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Mr. Chan is taking part in a performance by over 3,500 martial arts students in the capital Dili and is meeting young people across the country.
The tiny South-East Asian country saw an upsurge in violent clashes in 2006 and then attacks earlier this year that left the Timorese president wounded.
Mr. Chan has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 2004.
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UN AGENCY APPLAUDS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE DURING WARS
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has welcomed the Security Council’s call for an immediate end to all acts of sexual violence against women and girls in conflict situations.
Calling the resolution, adopted unanimously last week, “a historical achievement,” the Fund’s Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said it would go a long way to protect the dignity of women and girls.
“While sexual violence against women in conflict has often been ignored and considered a marginal concern, it in fact cuts to the very core of the existence of the women who are victims of this crime.”
The resolution, which says sexual violence against civilians is often a tactic in war, demands all parties to conflicts take concrete measures to prevent and respond to violence, such as by training troops and upholding military discipline procedures.
It also says sexual violence crimes should be excluded from any amnesties reached at the end of conflicts, and calls on States to strengthen their judicial and health-care systems to better assist victims.
Ms. Obaid said the resolution is “a strong reminder to the international community to recognize the need to address sexual violence in a quick and efficient manner, and to realize that as long as women and girls are threatened by such violence, there can be no real chance for peace and security.”
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UN-AFRICAN UNION MISSION CHIEF IN DARFUR WARNS OF MISSION SHORTFALLS
The United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has serious troop and equipment shortfalls, six months after coming into being, and local support for the operation is being stretched thin, the mission chief warned today.
In an op-ed column published in The Wall Street Journal, Joint AU-UN Special Representative for Darfur and UNAMID chief Rodolphe Adada said the mission currently has fewer than 10,000 troops and police officers, compared to the 26,000 mandated for full deployment.
He stressed that “we are not sitting on our hands waiting for the troops and material to arrive,” adding that the number of monthly patrols across Darfur – an arid and impoverished area in western Sudan that is roughly the size of Texas – now tops 600.
“We are working to build the infrastructure needed to cope with our increasing troop strength. Our plan is ambitious: we aim to have deployed 80 per cent of our forces by the end of the year.”
Mr. Adada said UNAMID faced a daunting task given it is trying to “keep a peace that doesn’t exist,” with the rebel movements splintering into more and more factions, the peace process stalling and widespread violence, civilian displacement and insecurity.
“There is no simple solution to Darfur,” he wrote, noting that the imminent appointment of a new UN-AU mediator should give renewed vigour to the peace process.
“We will work to empower civil society, because the best hopes for peace lie with the traditional tribal leadership. We will expect the government in Khartoum to honour its responsibilities to protect all the citizens of Sudan, and to cooperate fully with UNAMID. We will engage the [rebel] movements, pushing them to commit to a peaceful settlement. Finally, we will encourage the international community to demonstrate equal resolve.”
Mr. Adada underscored that UNAMID, the first hybrid UN-AU mission of its kind, cannot afford to fail.
“Patience is running thin here and local trust – essential for our mission to succeed – is on the line,” he said, urging the international community to fully support the mission.
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GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS WITH OFFICIALS IN LIECHTENSTEIN
United Nations reform, climate change and the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) topped the agenda during talks today between General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim and senior officials in the tiny European principality of Liechtenstein.
Mr. Kerim met with Prince Alois, Prime Minister Otmar Hasler and Foreign Minister Rita Kieber-Beck in Vaduz, the capital. It was the first visit to the country by a General Assembly President since it became a UN member in 1990.
A spokesperson for Mr. Kerim said the discussions also focused on Liechtenstein’s work with the UN and other priority issues for the current Assembly session, including financing for development.
The Assembly President praised Liechtenstein for raising its official development assistance (ODA) to 0.6 per cent of its gross domestic product.
Liechtenstein is the second leg of a five-country visit by Mr. Kerim that started earlier this week in Switzerland. He heads to Austria tomorrow for a series of meetings with senior officials in Vienna and later travels to Italy and the United Arab Emirates.
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