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UN Daily News
Issue DH/7084

Friday, 29 January 2016

In the headlines:
Syria: UN-sponsored talks get under way; relief
agencies amplify calls for access to besieged
civilians

At African Union Peace and Security Council, Ban

discusses Burundi, South Sudan and counterterrorism

UN experts urge US to address legacies of the past,

police impunity and crisis of racial injustice

UN officials cite countries whose troops are accused

Waves of violence by rebels in eastern DR Congo

forces thousands to flee UN

Paris Agreement decisive turning point on climate

change, says new UN senior adviser

Security Council urges Haitian parties to refrain

from actions that could further disrupt electoral
process

UN allocates $100 million in emergency funds to

assist vulnerable people in nine neglected crises

of sexually abusing minors in Central African

Republic

Syria: UN-sponsored talks get under way; relief agencies

amplify calls for access to besieged civilians
29 January - With United Nations-mediated talks on ending the five-year crisis in Syria
getting under way today as scheduled, UN relief agencies and their partners are reiterating
their appeal for unhindered access by relief workers to more than four million desperate
people spread across 18 besieged areas in the war-torn country.

Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura (left)

meets with Syrias Ambassador to the UN
in New York Bashar Jaafari at the IntraSyrian Geneva Talks 2016. UN
Photo/Jean-Marc Ferr

Speaking to reporters in Geneva after the first set of intra-Syrian talks, which today featured
only a Government delegation headed by the Permanent Representative of Syria to the
United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura said that as
was standard practice, a preparatory meeting had been held to get an idea about what the
next steps will be.

Now the issue is obviously that any type of ceasefire discussions, which is obviously
something that we are aiming at, apart from substantive discussions on the future of Syria, need two interlocutors [] that is
why for us it is very important to have an indication of where we are on the presence of the High Negotiations Committee
(HNC) he said, referring to the ongoing discussions among the opposition about attending the Geneva talks.
One of their key concerns he said, included the desire to see a gesture from the government authorities regarding some type
of improvement for the people in Syria during the talks, for instance release of prisoners, or for instance some lifting of
sieges.
While noting that this particular issue is part of a UN Security Council resolution on the situation in Syria, Mr. de Mistura
said that we have been strongly suggesting to them that the best way to actually discuss the implementation of such type of
discussion and there after improvement is to be done here and to do it with us, as proxy talks or directly; whatever the
format.

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29 January 2016

At the same time, he said that he expected his talks with the delegation of the Syrian opposition could begin on Sunday.
I have good reasons to believe that they are actually considering that very seriously. And therefore to be in a position to
probably Sunday to actually start the discussions with them in order to be able to proceed with intra-Syrian talks," he said,
adding, that while there has been no official confirmation of the opposition attending the talks, as you can imagine Ive
been hearing a lot of rumours and information already [] I have reasons to believe, but I will only react when I have a
formal indication of that, but that is a good signal."
Responding to questions, Mr. de Mistura said that tomorrow, depending on if and when we have the arrival of an additional
delegation, and based on that, I will decide whether we have, like we had with the Government, a specific introduction
meeting [] or whether there would be something on Sunday.
Meanwhile, on the humanitarian front, speaking to reporters at the regular bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva earlier today,
Bettina Luescher, for the UN World Food Programme (WFP), said there are an estimated 4.6 million people were besieged
in 18 areas.
WFP is appealing that all humanitarian actors be given access to those areas so that they can deliver life-saving aid, she
said, referring to the town of Madaya and the similarly besieged areas of Zabadani, Foah and Kefraya, flagged by the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the
Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) as being in dire need of food, medical supplies and other aid.
As for the situation in Madaya the most widely known of Syrias besieged towns, coming to the worlds attention after
reports of people dying of starvation or being killed trying to flee she said there was nothing new to report as far as
humanitarian access to the more than 40,000 people remaining there.
It is a very complicated and bureaucratic process, and only a very small number of permissions have been given access to
besieged areas, where tens of thousands of families are still waiting for aid, said Ms. Luescher, adding: This is why
putting an end to the fighting is paramount. WFP is talking to all sides, but an agreement has to be made on the ground.
She went on to stress that it is also important to think of all the places which might not be in the headlines today, where men,
women and children are desperate and in need of urgent help.
Asked if WFP has considered air-dropping supplies, Ms. Luescher said this was a very hard thing to pull off, requiring a
safe airspace as well as a secured area on the ground, where large packages could land safely. There also had to be people on
the ground to distribute those goods. That is not possible under the current situation. Trucks are the safest way to deliver aid
at the moment, she explained.

At African Union Peace and Security Council, Ban discusses

Burundi, South Sudan and counter-terrorism
29 January - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today, in an address to the
African Union Peace and Security Council, spotlighted three topics high on the regional
bodys agenda counter-terrorism, and the ongoing crises in both South Sudan and
Burundi all of which require urgent attention at the continental-level and from the wider
international community.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (3rd left)

speaks during a meeting of the Peace and
Security Council in Addis Ababa. UN
Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Burundi has descended into a deep political crisis in the past nine months. The country
now stands perilously close to the brink, said Mr. Ban, addressing the Council at the start
of his three-day visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to attend the African Union (AU) Summit.

Commending the leadership of the AU the East African Community for the steps taken so
far to prevent a further escalation of the violence, the Secretary-General said: You have already made an important
difference.

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29 January 2016

Moreover, by authorizing deployment of the prevention and protection mission known by the acronym, MAPROBU, this
Council has sent a strong signal to the entire continent and the world that you will not stand by while the violence escalates
and human rights abuses continue unpunished.
Now we must do everything we can to put in place an inclusive political process. We will work with our partners to support
dialogue and find ways to prevent a further deterioration of the situation, through my Special Adviser, Mr. Jamal Benomar,
and his team, and the rest of the UN presence on the ground, said the UN chief, noting that 15 years ago, the commitment
of regional governments and the support of the international community led to the Arusha Agreement, which ended decades
of terrible violence in Burundi.
Today, I am convinced that Burundi can be brought back from the brink. But we must all urgently direct our efforts in the
same spirit and towards that same goal, he said.
Turning to the situation in South Sudan, the Secretary-General said he was deeply disappointed that the signatories to the
peace agreement had failed to meet the 22 January deadline for the formation of the Transitional Government of National
Unity.
I call on all parties urgently to resolve the disputes that are preventing the establishment of the government. The parties
must place the interests of their young nation and its people, who have suffered long enough, above their own, said Mr.
Ban, adding that it is critical that AU member States and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), hold
the signatories accountable for following through on their commitments.
He went on to say that Terrorism and violent extremism are a growing threat on the continent. Indeed, Al-Shabaab, Al
Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Boko Haram, and the Lords Resistance Army had established a presence and expanded their
activities across borders. Terrorism is also impacting peace operations, particularly in Mali and Somalia. The radicalization
and recruitment of young men and women is a cause for great concern.
I commend the African Unions efforts to strengthen its counter-terrorism efforts by coordinating its activities. Subregional initiatives are another welcome development, he continued, noting that the new programmes make the need for
coordination and partnership between the AU and the UN even more urgent, across a broad spectrum of activities.
As I have said before, bullets may stop terrorists, but only development, good governance and respect for human rights can
prevent terrorism, he underscored, recalling that he had recently launched a UN Plan of Action to Prevent Violent
Extremism which provides more than 70 recommendations to Member States and the United Nations System.
It recommends that Member States consider adopting their own national plans, and that regional organizations cooperate on
border security, kidnapping and terrorist financing. I hope the African Union will back a consensus resolution to support
the Plan in the General Assembly, which will convey a strong message of unity in the face of violent extremism. African
Governments must be at the forefront of this effort, said Mr. Ban.
Among his other activities today, the Secretary-General met with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the AU
Commission. They discussed UN-AU cooperation and committed to deepening the strategic partnership in conflict
prevention, management and resolution, as well as continue to seek ways to find flexible, predictable and sustainable
funding to AU operations authorized by the Security Council. They also discussed the situations in a number of countries
where the UN and AU are cooperating, including Burundi, Libya, South Sudan and Somalia.

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29 January 2016

UN experts urge US to address legacies of the past, police

impunity and crisis of racial injustice
29 January - The legacy of slavery, post-Reconstruction Jim Crow laws and racial
subordination in the United States remains a serious challenge as there has been no real
commitment to recognition and reparations for people of African descent, a United Nations
expert panel said today in Washington D.C., at the end of its second official visit to the
country.

Protestors in New York City demonstrate

in the wake of the verdict in the case of
the police shooting of Missouri teenager
Michael Brown (24 November 2014).
Photo: Jacques Baudrier

Despite substantial changes since the end of the enforcement of Jim Crow and the fight for
civil rights, ideology ensuring the domination of one group over another continues to
negatively impact the civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental rights of
African Americans today, said human rights expert Mireille Fanon Mendes France, who
currently heads the group of experts, who added that: We understand these changes are
part of a larger effort to pass criminal justice reforms now pending in Congress, and a lot

more needs to be done.

Indeed, the experts found that contemporary police killings and the trauma it creates are reminiscent of the racial terror and
lynching of the past. Impunity for state violence has resulted in the current human rights crisis and must be addressed as a
matter of urgency, they said.
From 9 to 29 January, a delegation of the UN Working Group of experts on people of African descent visited Washington
D.C., Baltimore, the town of Jackson, Mississippi, Chicago, and New York City, to address current concerns, and assess
progress made in the fight against racial discrimination, Afrophobia, xenophobia, and protecting and promoting the human
rights of African- Americans.
The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, visiting delegation, which also included human rights experts
Sabelo Gumedze and Ricardo A. Sunga III, welcomed various efforts undertaken by the Government to address the issue,
like a ban on solitary confinement for juveniles in the federal prison system announced this week.
The Group noted that the US has a growing human rights movement which has successful advocated for social change.
Following the epidemic of racial violence by the police, civil society networks calling for justice together with other
activists are strongly advocating for legal and policy reforms and community control over policing and other areas which
directly affect African Americans.
However, the experts expressed serious concerns about the police killings, the presence of police in schools, and violence
targeting the African American community with impunity, and racial bias in the criminal justice system, mass incarceration
and the criminalization of poverty which disproportionately affects African Americans.
During its 11-day mission, the Working Groups delegation heard from civil society, researchers and families of victims of
police killings about racial discrimination and Afrophobia.
The persistent gap in almost all the human development indicators, such as life expectancy, income and wealth, level of
education, housing, employment and labour, and even food security, among African Americans and the rest of the US
population, reflects the level of structural discrimination that creates de facto barriers for people of African descent to fully
exercise their human rights, Ms. Mendes France stressed.
The human rights experts met representatives of the Government at the federal and the state levels, and the US Congress and
Senate, as well as hundreds of civil society organization representatives, lawyers and human rights activists from more than
20 states who had gathered in the different cities.
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The Working Group regretted however that it did not receive access according to the terms of reference for special
procedure mandate holders to visit Mississippi State Penitentiary Parchman. It also regretted that it was not possible to meet
with all of the high-level state and local-level authorities requested.
Among other activities, they also promoted the International Decade for People of African Descent , which runs from 2015
to 2024 and aims both to highlight the contribution of people of African descent to societies and strengthen national,
regional and international cooperation to ensure the human rights of people of African descent are respected, promoted and
fulfilled.
The Working group will present a report containing its findings and recommendations to the Geneva-based UN Human
Rights Council in September 2016. Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the Council to examine and
report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN
staff, nor are they paid for their work.

UN officials cite countries whose troops are accused of sexually

abusing minors in Central African Republic
29 January - Two senior United Nations officials today disclosed the names of some of the
countries whose troops are accused of sexually exploiting and abusing minors in the Central
African Republic (CAR), including both non-UN and UN forces tasked with maintaining
peace and security in the conflict-torn nation.
I think its hard to imagine the outrage that the people working for the United Nations and
for the causes of peace and security feel when these kinds of allegations come to light.
Particularly involving minors, its so hard to understand said Anthony Banbury, the UN
Assistant Secretary-General for Field Support, in an emotional address to reporters in New
York.

Assistant Secretary-General for Field

Support Anthony Banbury discusses the
latest allegations of sexual exploitation
and abuse. UN Photo/Mark Garten

Fighting back tears, Mr. Banbury said the UN is doing everything it possibly can to assist victims, to bring accountability
and justice for them, and to prevent these cases from recurring.
He announced that a new website will soon feature a report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on special measures to
combat sexual exploitation and abuse, expected to be released next month. For the first time, it will identify the countries
involved in the cases and provide granular information about individual allegations, the status of investigations, as well as
on any disciplinary action taken.
Highlighting that transparency is an important part to combatting this incredibly difficult scourge, the UN peacekeeping
official today named some of the countries involvedall of which are UN-forces: Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC), Morocco, Niger, and Senegal.
He noted that all victims in these cases were minors at the time of the alleged abuses, perpetrated by a total of 10 people
from these 5 countries. He also indicated that the UN has launched its own investigation in the cases involving the DRC and
Niger, as the countries did not respond to the UNs request to take the lead on the matter.
Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today said he is extremely alarmed at continuing allegations by
members of foreign military forces.
The alleged crimes mostly took place in 2014, but only came to light in recent weeks. A joint UN team in CAR recently
interviewed a number of girls who said they had been sexually exploited or abused by foreign soldiers.
These are extremely serious accusations and it is crucial that these cases are thoroughly and urgently investigated, High
Commissioner Zeid Raad Al Hussein said in a news release.
According to his Office (OHCHR), four of the girls said their abusers were attached to contingents operating as part of the
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European Union operation (EUFOR/CAR). Two of the girls interviewed said they were raped by EUFOR soldiers, and the
two other girls said they were paid to have sexual relationships with other EUFOR soldiers.
While the nationalities of some of the soldiers remain unclear, three of the girls said they believed their abusers were
members of the Georgian EUFOR contingent. The four girls were aged between 14 and 16 at the time of the alleged abuse.
UN human rights staff also interviewed a girl and a boy, aged seven and nine respectively when they were allegedly abused
in 2014 by French Sangaris troops. The girl said she had performed oral sex on French soldiers in exchange for a bottle of
water and a sachet of cookies. Both she and the nine-year-old boy said that other children were abused in a similar fashion in
repeated incidents involving several French soldiers.
All six cases involving non-UN foreign military forces took place in, or near, the MPoko camp for displaced people next to
the airport in the capital, Bangui.
High Commissioner Zeid last week raised the cases with the European, Georgian and French authorities, as well as with
another country on a similar allegation for which additional corroboration is needed. All four authorities have promptly
responded to the High Commissioner and stated that they have already begun investigations or referred the cases to relevant
judicial authorities in their respective countries.
I am heartened at the initial responses we have received from the countries concerned, as well as from the European Union,
which show they take these terrible allegations very seriously, said the High Commissioner, noting that his Office will
continue to closely follow up on these cases and any others which emerge as the UN team on the ground continues its
investigations.
Far too many of these crimes continue to go unpunished, with the perpetrators enjoying full impunity. This simply
encourages further violations. States have an obligation to investigate, prosecute and ensure that the victims receive the
redress to which they are entitled. As more and more cases emerge, implicating more and more national contingents, it is
also clear that all foreign military forces, whether UN or non-UN, must employ much stronger and more effective actions to
prevent further abuse and exploitation and not just in CAR, he stated.

Waves of violence by rebels in eastern DR Congo forces

thousands to flee UN
29 January - The cycle of misery is continuing in eastern Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) three years after a major rebel offensive was defeated by United Nations and
Government forces in North Kivu, as now, armed militia and rebel groups are again
targeting the region for violence and putting thousands of civilians on the run, the UN
refugee agency reported today.

Children at a displacement camp in

Goma, North Kivu, Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DRC). Photo:
OCHA/Naomi Frerotte

In the latest major forced mass movement, more than 21,000 people had fled from Miriki
village and surrounding areas in North Kivus Lubero Territory on 7 January after the
killing of at least 14 people in a night raid by suspected Democratic Forces for the
Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), Leo Dobbs, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told journalists in Geneva during a briefing.

According to Mr. Dobbs, recent waves of violence by Mai Mai militias and rebel groups, such as the FDLR and the Allied
Democratic Forces (ADF) of Uganda, have forced large numbers of people to flee, which only adds to a cycle of misery in
an area rich in minerals but lacking in law and order.
Since November, at least 15,000 people have sought shelter in sites for the displaced run by UNHCR or the International
Organization for Migration (IOM). Tens of thousands more are estimated to be living with local families while others have
returned to their homes.
UNHCR is calling on the authorities to ensure security in the areas of return and to facilitate humanitarian access, said Mr.
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29 January 2016

Dobbs, also underscoring the importance for the authorities to address growing tensions in eastern DRC and scale up
support to the newly-displaced.
While the battle between the FDLR and Mai Mai groups has forced thousands to flee home, the ADF, meanwhile, continues
to wage a campaign of terror and sporadic attacks and ambushes against the local population and Congolese armed forces in
the north of the province.
The UN refugee agency is now providing support by running 31 displacement sites, providing shelter materials,
coordinating protection and advocating for their rights.
Mr. Dobbs cited the continuing violence in the DRC as very much a neglected story, and noted that the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) earlier this month estimated that 7.5 million people in DRC, or nine per cent
of the population, are in need of food and other humanitarian aid after decades of crises.

Paris Agreement decisive turning point on climate change,

says new UN senior adviser
29 January - Less than two months after 196 parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted the Paris Agreement, the global
community is already seeing signs of it being a decisive turning point, according to a senior
UN official dealing with climate issues.
A month and a half since 196 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted the Paris Agreement, the global community is already
seeing signs of it being a decisive turning point, according to a senior UN official dealing
with climate issues.

Senior Adviser to the Secretary-General

on Climate Change Janos Pasztor. UN
Photo/Mark Garten

Much has been happening since Paris the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
confirmed that 2015 was the hottest year on record, not just by a little but by a lot, Janos Pasztor, who was today appointed
as Senior Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Change, told reporters at a briefing in New York.
For the past year, Mr. Pasztor had been leading the UNs climate change efforts as Assistant Secretary-General on Climate
Change, working towards last Decembers 21st United Nations climate change conference (COP21).
Recalling that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has invited world leaders to a signing ceremony on 22 April which
coincides with International Mother Earth Day the climate advisor noted that it will be the first day the Agreement is open
for formal signatures.
He said Mr. Ban is urging countries to quickly ratify the agreement so it can enter into force as soon as possible, adding that
the event will also be an opportunity to discuss efforts to implement national climate plans, known as INDCs, and to
generally maintain the momentum of the action agenda.
Meanwhile, he underlined the Secretary-Generals recent call for a doubling of investments in clean energy by 2020, which
he said was greeted very positively by many investors.
The Paris Agreement sent a clear message to markets and investors that its time to get serious about climate change. Were
now seeing evidence that the signal has been received loud and clear, Mr. Pasztor stressed.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the UN Spokespersons Office, Mr. Ban expressed his deep gratitude for Mr. Pasztors
dedicated service and leadership over the past quarter of a century with the world body on the key global challenges of
climate change, energy and sustainability.
In his new role as Senior Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Change, Mr. Pasztor will support efforts of the
Secretary-General to mobilize world leaders and all sectors of society to implement the landmark Paris Agreement, the
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statement indicated.

Security Council urges Haitian parties to refrain from actions

that could further disrupt electoral process
29 January - Expressing strong concern regarding the indefinite postponement of the final
round of elections in Haiti scheduled for 27 December but postponed, for the second time,
to January 24 the United Nations Security Council today reiterated its condemnation of
any attempt to destabilize the electoral process, and urged all parties and political actors to
refrain from violence.
In a press statement, the members of the Security Council expressed their concern that the
delay in elections may undermine Haitis ability to address the security, economic and
social challenges it faces.

Casting a ballot in the second round of

senatorial and parliamentary elections
and the first round for a new president in
Haitis capital Port au Prince, 25 October
2015. Photo UN/MINUSTAH/Logan
Abassi

As such, the Council strongly encouraged the Executive, the Parliament, and the relevant
political actors to come to an agreement by 7 February, providing a Haitian-led and owned
roadmap for the swift conclusion of the current electoral cycle to allow the Haitian people
the opportunity to vote for their elected representatives in a free, fair, inclusive, and transparent contest.

The members of the Council commended the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and the Haitian National
Police for their efforts to contain the violence and protect the civilian population.
Reiterating strong condemnation of any attempt to destabilize the electoral process, in particular by force, the Council urged
all candidates, their supporters, political parties and other political actors to remain calm, refrain from unlawful violence or
any action that can further disrupt the electoral process and political stability, resolve any electoral disputes through
established legal mechanisms, and to hold those responsible for such violence accountable.
Further to the statement, the Council welcomed the continued efforts of the UN, other multilateral agencies, regional
organizations, and UN Member States in supporting Haitis critical needs. Council members expressed their intention to
continue to follow closely the situation in Haiti.

UN allocates $100 million in emergency funds to assist

vulnerable people in nine neglected crises
29 January - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today released $100 million
from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for severely underfunded aid
operations in nine neglected emergencies.
The funds will enable life-saving help for millions of people forced from their homes in
Central and Eastern Africa, those affected by conflict and food insecurity in Libya and
Mali, and the most vulnerable and at risk of malnutrition in the Democratic Peoples
Republic of Korea.

Women and children arrive in the Bentiu

Protection of Civilians site for internally
displaced people, in Unity State, South
Sudan. Photo: UNICEF/Sebastian Rich

I am allocating $100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to meet critical
humanitarian needs in nine underfunded emergencies, said Mr. Ban in a press release.
This funding is a lifeline for the world's most vulnerable people. It is a concrete demonstration of our shared commitment
to leave no one behind.

According to the UN, CERF is one of the fastest and most effective ways to support rapid humanitarian response. The Fund
pools donor contributions into a single fund so money is available to start or continue urgent relief work anywhere in the
world at the onset of emergencies and for crises that have not attracted sufficient funding.

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Today, some $64 million from the CERF allocation will allow humanitarian partners to respond to the displacement crises in
Central and Eastern Africa caused by conflict and violence in South Sudan, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. Urgently needed funds will help an estimated 1.7 million refugees, internally displaced people and host communities
in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
A further $28 million will help relief agencies address the humanitarian needs of up to 350,000 people affected by conflict
and food insecurity in Libya and in Mali, where an estimated 300,000 people will be assisted, especially in the North.
An allocation of $8 million will support urgent life-saving humanitarian assistance for more than 2.2 million vulnerable
people in DPR Korea, including 1.8 million children who need urgent nutrition assistance.
With so many crises competing for attention around the world many people in need are forgotten, said the UN Emergency
Relief Coordinator, Stephen OBrien.
These CERF grants will help sustain life-saving assistance and protection in emergencies where the needs of the most
vulnerable communities are alarmingly high but the resources enabling us to respond remain low, he added. A strong and
well-resourced CERF will help us focus on addressing the most critical needs.
Since 2006, 125 UN Member States and observers, private-sector donors and regional governments have supported the
Fund. To date, CERF has allocated almost $4.2 billion for humanitarian operations in 94 countries and territories.

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)