6-й отряд миротворческой полиции Китая в Южном Судане вернулся домой

2018-02-28   00:53:58丨Russian.News.Cn




6-й отряд миротворческой полиции Китая в Южном Судане вернулся домой. (Синьхуа)

Ханчжоу, 27 февраля /Синьхуа/ -- 6-й отряд миротворческой полиции Китая в Южном Судане завершил годовую миротворческую миссию и приземлился в международном аэропорту Сяошань города Ханчжоу провинции Чжэцзян /Восточный Китай/.

6-й отряд миротворческой полиции Китая в Южном Судане в составе семи человек был отдельно сформирован Управлением общественной безопасности провинции Чжэцзян. Отряд с февраля прошлого года выполнял задачи в южносуданской столице Джубе и районе Вау.

За время миротворческой миссии 6-й отряд выполнял задачи по патрулированию в лагерях беженцев, сопровождению гумпомощи и охране общественного порядка. Он продемонстрировал высокую профессиональную компетентность китайской миротворческой полиции.

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Ирак проведет выборы в органы власти провинций в декабре этого года

2018-02-28 10:53:58丨Russian.News.Cn

Багдад, 28 февраля /Синьхуа/ -- Ирак проведет выборы в провинциальные органы власти 22 декабря 2018 года. Об этом во вторник сообщило иракское правительство.

Официальный представитель канцелярии премьер-министра Ирака в интервью государственному телевидению отметил, что премьер-министр страны Хайдер аль-Абади во вторник на заседании кабинета министров принял решение провести выборы в органы власти провинций 22 декабря.

12 мая этого года в Ираке состоятся парламентские выборы. Выборы в органы власти провинций должны были пройти одновременно с парламентскими, однако парламентарии-сунниты потребовали отсрочки парламентских выборов и выборов в органы власти провинций, чтобы дать время лишившимся крова мирным суннитам вернуться в свои дома и принять участие в голосовании.

Верховный федеральный суд Ирака 21 января вынес решение, отказав в изменении даты парламентских выборов, установленной в соответствии с Конституцией. После этого парламент страны предложил, чтобы парламентские выборы состоялись в ранее намеченный срок, а выборы в органы власти провинций были перенесены.


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Афганский Избирком готовится к выборам нового главы секретариата

28.02.2018 Кабул. 28 февраля. АфТАГ - В течение недели Независимая избирательная комиссия Афганистана (НИК) начнет прием заявлений от кандидатов на пост главы секретариата, передает Афганское телеграфное агентство (АфТАГ). 

Об этом сообщил накануне официальный представитель Избиркома Маазулла Давлати. Напомним, прежний глава секретариата Имам Мохаммад Варимач был отправлен в отставку в октябре прошлого года по инициативе президента Ашрафа Гани. 

По некоторым данным, основанием для его смещения с поста послужили обвинения о коррупции и неэффективной работе. На протяжении нескольких месяцев Варимач по-прежнему исполнял обязанности главы секретариата, поскольку в то время распоряжение президента не было оформлено официально. 

Недавно пресс-секретарь НИК заяивл, что в скором времени комиссия будет готова к рассмотрению кандидатур на пост главы секретариата, сообщил телеканал «Толо». В настоящее время НИК также готовит список претендентов на посты руководителей отделений комиссии в каждой из провинций страны – ожидается, что данный процесс также будет завершён на следующей неделе. 

Стоит отметить, что на рубеже 2017 – 2018 годов затянувшиеся кадровые перестановки в составе комиссии вызвали серьезные опасения афганской общественности. 

Напомним, что в ноябре по решению президента был отправлен в отставку председатель НИК, и лишь к концу января комиссию возглавил Гуладжан Абдулбади Сайяд. 

В прошлом новый глава Избиркома уже предупреждал общественность о том, что период работы комиссии в неполном составе может привести к переносу выборов. 

Тем не менее, на данный момент НИК продолжает работу в надежде компенсировать потерю времени и провести выборы в срок. 

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США ввели санкции против ячеек ИГ в пяти странах

27 февраля 2018, 19:57




© Стоп-кадр видео

Министерство финансов США ввело санкции против ячеек «Исламского государства» (запрещенная в РФ террористическая группировка) в пяти странах.

Как сообщается на сайте ведомства, в «черный список» внесены ячейки ИГ в Бангладеш, Египте, Сомали, Тунисе и на Филиппинах, а также в Западной Африке.

Кроме того, под санкции попали два физических лица из Нигерии и Сомали.

Ранее глава Минфина США Стивен Мнучин также анонсировал новые санкции в отношении России — они будут введены в течение 30 дней.


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With proposed reforms, UN closer than ever to a development system that is ‘fit for purpose’

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Participants at the opening of the annual Operational Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

27 February 2018

There are serious threats to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations, especially its development system, must be effectively reformed in order to be able to limit the impact of those threats Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday.

In his address to the opening of the annual operational segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Mr. Guterres warned that the world is facing a crisis of legitimacy, confidence and trust, rooted in legitimate fears

And while the benefits of globalization should be clear to all, “too many are being left behind.”

“Women are still far less likely to participate in the labour market – and gender pay gaps remain a global concern. Youth unemployment is at alarming levels. And inequalities are rampant – stretching the fabric of societies to the breaking point and undermining the social compact,” he stated, pointing out that “a handful of men hold the same wealth as half of humanity.”

Mr. Guterres underscored that exclusion resulted in frustration, alienation and instability.
“All of this compels us to do all we can to achieve inclusive and sustainable development – a goal in its own right, but also our best form of prevention against all kind of risks,” Mr. Guterres stressed.

An economic and social model that drives exclusion and environmental destruction cause deaths, missed opportunities, division and future conflicts.

“We need a global economy that works for all and creates opportunities for all,” he asserted.

According to the UN chief, the 2030 Agenda is crucial to rebuild the trust needed for fair globalization.

The Secretary-General flagged poverty eradication as the UN’s top priority, with the 2030 Agenda acting as its roadmap and the goals and targets its tools to get there.

He saw the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as outlining the Organization’s commitment to expand dignity and opportunity for all on a healthy planet by empowering women, meaningfully including young people, reducing climate risk, creating decent jobs and mobilizing clean investments for inclusive growth.

“Finance is pivotal,” espoused Mr. Guterres, pointing to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda as stressing the importance of upholding Official Development Assistance commitments.

He underscored the need to support countries’ efforts to mobilize domestic resources, which must be accompanied by the international community’s commitment to fight tax evasion, money laundering and illicit financial flows, which threaten development.

“We are focused on building a system that is demand-driven, oriented around achieving results at scale, and accountable in providing support to achieve the 2030 Agenda,” Mr. Guterres said, mentioning a proposed a set of global adjustments to make operations on the ground “more cohesive, effective and efficient.”

He encouraged all present to take inspiration from the 2030 Agenda to forge the future we want.

“We are now closer than ever to repositioning sustainable development at the heart of the organization and to having a development system that is an even stronger partner as we seek to deliver for people,” said the UN chief.

“Together, let us make good on our shared promise to humanity – a future of prosperity, peace and dignity for all,” he concluded. 

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Secretary-General António Guterres (centre) and Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the UN and Vice-President of the UN Economic and Social Council (centre right) address the Council’s operational activities for development, by UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Development system ‘fit for purpose’

Opening the meeting, Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations and Vice-President of ECOSOSC said that repositioning the UN’s development system would be a unique opportunity to create a more integrated, effective, efficient and accountable system that matches the world’s commitments.

In short, he said, a development system that is “fit for purpose.”

He referred to the 2030 Agenda as demonstrating the commitment of Member States to promote peaceful, just and inclusive societies based on human rights, gender equality, empowerment of all women and girls, and free from poverty and fear and violence.

Mr. Pecsteen recalled the Secretary-General’s vision and concrete proposals to realign and reinvigorate the UN development system, which is necessary for the adequate and timely response Member States expect from the UN in the 21st century to help deliver on the 2030 Agenda promises.

He thanked Mr. Guterres for his leadership, vision and determination “to take on a challenge that is not easy,” adding that it was now up to the Member States to be “as bold in their desire to transform the system.”

He detailed that the ECOSOC Segment for Development will lay the groundwork for the consensus that will be forged in the coming weeks.

Panelists include senior government representatives from capitals, board chairs, UN leaders and key partners in the system.

Also addressing the meeting, Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, reiterated the importance of utilizing the opportunities offered by the 2030 Agenda to address the myriad challenges facing the world as well as to seize the momentum offered by it to ensure that the Organization is “fit to support” national efforts to realize the global goals.

In that context, she highlighted the important role that UN Resident Coordinators have to play.

“We know that if we want to strengthen our ability to support the 2030 Agenda in a cohesive, effective, accountable and efficient manner – then we must strengthen the Resident Coordinator system,” underscored the deputy UN chief, noting that a “reinvigorated” Resident Coordinator system is at the core of the proposals to reposition the UN development system.

“And it is at the centre of the mandate of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review,” she added.

The Policy Review is the mechanism through which UN Member States assess the effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and impact of UN development work. It also provides policy orientations for development cooperation at country level.

In her remarks, Ms. Mohammed also stated that strengthened Resident Coordinator system would ensuring a more accountable UN development system on the ground, one that is more responsive to national needs and more capable to deliver meaningful results.

“A system that can draw on the expertise across all entities – including non-resident entities, DESA [the Department of Economic and Social Affairs] and the regional economic commissions – to respond to country priorities,” she added.



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UN peacekeeping chief wraps up three-day visit to Lebanon

Photo: Pasqual Gorriz/UN

UNIFIL Sector East Commander, General Romero, briefs the head of UN Peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, along the Blue Line in south Lebanon.

    

    

27 February 2018

Peace and Security

The head of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations has wrapped up a visit to Lebanon with a call on leaders from Lebanon as well as Israel to take advantage of the role UN peacekeeping can play in finding political solutions to conflict.


The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, concluded on Tuesday the Lebanon leg of his wider Middle East tour to visit UN missions, including the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and high-ranking government officials in the region.

While in Lebanon, Mr. Lacroix met with President Michel Aoun and other senior officials, and saw first-hand the crucial work done by UNIFIL, in close coordination with the national armed forces.

UNIFIL was established in 1978 following Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon after the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) carried out a deadly attack on its territory.

Today, some 10,500 peacekeepers from 41 countries are serving in its area of operations and at sea as UNIFIL is complemented by a six-vessel Maritime Task Force: the first and only one of its kind in UN peacekeeping.

Mr. Lacroix praised the Lebanese Government’s continuous support and cooperation in implementing the UNIFIL mandate, which includes monitoring the cessation of hostilities in the wake of the July 2006 conflict.

The UN peacekeeping chief also underlined the need for the parties to work together to build on the years of relative calm since then.

“It is important for the leaders on both sides to take advantage of the window of opportunity that UNIFIL has helped provide to work towards a permanent ceasefire and long-term solution to the conflict as envisaged in UN Security Council resolution 1701,” he said. “A peacekeeping operation helps create the space for political solutions.”

Security Council resolution 1701, adopted in August 2006, called for an end to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in south Lebanon.

It mapped out steps for a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution to the conflict.

Mr. Lacroix toured the UNIFIL area of operations and the Blue Line, a border demarcation established in June 2000 to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon following another invasion in June 1982.

“I am impressed with the work of UNIFIL and its high tempo of patrolling both during the day and at night as well as their activities to maintain stability, especially along the Blue Line,” he said.

Mr. Lacroix expressed appreciation for the UN force’s efforts to de-escalate tensions through its participation in a forum bringing together senior Lebanese and Israeli officials which was chaired by UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Michael Beary.



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Syria: ‘Actions, not words’ needed to save lives in East Ghouta – UN humanitarian wing

UNICEF/Amer Al Shami
A family flees an active conflict neighbourhood in eastern Ghouta, Syria, using a cart to carry their belongings.


27 February 2018
Peace and Security


Following Sunday’s military operations in Syria’s east Ghouta, which claimed 30 lives, including women and children, reliable reports indicate that fighting continued and that shelling between East Ghouta and Damascus was ongoing in both directions, the United Nations humanitarian wing reported Tuesday.


“The UN is ready to move convoys into East Ghouta, and to evacuate hundreds of casualties, as soon as security conditions permit,” Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told reporters at Tuesday’s regular press briefing in Geneva.

“In the current situation, that is not possible,” he added.

Responding to questions, Mr. Laerke said that what people in East Ghouta and throughout Syria urgently needed is “the immediate implementation of the 30-day ceasefire, in accordance with the recent Security Council resolution,” calling on all sides involved of the conflict to abide by its terms.

“Actions, not words, are needed to save lives in East Ghouta” he stressed. “Only a change in the situation on the ground will enable lifesaving programmes to be implemented.”

Mr. Laerke maintained that if the Security Council-mandated ceasefire is not observed by all the warring parties, there can be no genuine cessation of hostilities.

At the same time, Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the UN Information Service in Geneva, said the Organization was ready to act but “had to be sure that there were no obstacles, physical or administrative standing in its way.”

She echoed Mr. Laerke in saying that a ceasefire required the full implementation of the Council’s resolution, reminding the press that it had been passed unanimously and needs to be fully implemented.

For his part, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Tarik Jašareviæ said that a medical evacuation plan for East Ghouta had been drawn up in 2017, noting that “if and when the plan was implemented, the Syrian Red Crescent Society would be taking the leading role.”

In response to a question, Mr. Jašareviæ said that more than 1,000 names had been listed of potential evacuees from East Ghouta – some 600 of whom had been classified as moderate or severe cases.

Mr. Laerke, added that Syrian government authorities would be involved when the evacuations took place.

Responding to a question on the safety of persons being evacuated, Mr. Laerke said that all humanitarian actors agreed that the only way to guarantee their safety was for all sides in the fighting to accept the terms of the ceasefire.

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South Sudan: UN peacekeeping review urges emphasis on supporting political process

UNMISS

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) provides protection to civilians fleeing recent violence in Wau (August 2016).

27 February 2018

Peace and Security

A latest review of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in South Sudan has found that reaching a political solution to the ongoing conflict is the most effective way to protect civilians, a senior UN official said Tuesday, urging a renewed focus on supporting the political process.

“A sustainable political resolution of the conflict is also the only avenue to chalk out a viable exit strategy” for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita told the Security Council.

UNMISS was established in 2011 as a capacity building tool to assist a Government that lacked the capability to deliver services to its people, she said.

However, following the December 2013 outbreak of violence, UNMISS evolved into a Mission where protection of civilians, including from national security institutions, has become the main focus.

“This requirement unfortunately, remains valid,” she said, noting that tens of thousands of civilians are estimated to have been killed since the conflict began in December 2013 while over four million have been displaced, half of which are now refugees in neighbouring countries.

As documented once again by the Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry which published its report last Friday, human rights violations and abuses, including horrific incidents of sexual violence, have reached alarming levels, and impunity for these crimes remains the norm, Ms. Keita said. Moreover, over 200,000 internally displaced peoples continue to be protected on UNMISS bases, with the assistance of humanitarian partners.

The review found that largely over 50 per cent of the Mission’s uniformed personnel are currently devoted to protecting these sites.

These sites only represent a fraction of the South Sudanese civilians in need of protection.

“There are no easy answers to this dilemma. There will never be enough troops to protect both the ‘protection of civilians’ sites and extend UNMISS’s protection footprint to other areas of large displacements, in a country as large as South Sudan,” she said.

OCHA/Charlotte Cans

People at a Protection of Civilians Camp in Malakal, South Sudan, peacefully demonstrating and carrying signs, waiting on the side of the road for a UN convoy to pass by. (file
Increasing the effectiveness of protection efforts beyond these sites will need to continue being a major priority of the Mission, notably through the development of an integrated and ‘people focused’ system-wide protection approach, aimed at filling existing gaps, generating synergies and removing duplication and thus possible wastage of resources.

Since the Security Council decision in August 2016 to deploy the Regional Protection Force (RPF), the security conditions in Juba, have changed substantially. Today, while the risk of instability and violence remains, the threat of military conflict in the capital has considerably diminished.

The current environment of Juba, therefore, may call for some adjustment of the RPF mandate as currently scripted, Ms. Keita said.

Following the review, the Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operation has ordered a military and police capability study to explore how less troops can be dedicated to the ‘Protection of Civilians’ sites, and more are projected throughout the country to protect other civilians under imminent threat of violence.

This capability study will also need to address the configuration of the RPF.

South Sudan came into being with extremely limited institutional capacity in all areas of governance and government services, with the exception of military forces. This situation has not improved in subsequent years.

Poor governance and economic collapse have compromised already weak rule of law institutions. In the current political and security environment, the review found that a full-scale return to capacity-building rule of law institutions is not warranted.

“It is our considered judgement that the most effective way to protect civilians in a sustainable way is to reach a political solution to this conflict,” she said.

The four-pillared mandate of UNMISS remains valid, but the focus of the Council and the region should undoubtedly be on its fourth pillar, which is to support the political process, she said.

“Without progress on the political process, the Mission is likely to have to be deployed for a considerable amount of time, at a considerable cost to the international community,” she concluded.

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UN agencies helping Rohingya refugee camps brace for potentially devastating rains in southern Bangladesh

UNHCR/Roger Arnold

A view of the Kutupalong Extension refugee camp spanning over 3,000 acres in Cox’s Bazar, southern Bangladesh.

    

27 February 2018
Humanitarian Aid

Against the backdrop of the fast approaching wet season in Bangladesh, United Nations relief agencies are working flat out to strengthen vital infrastructure and boost resilience among hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees living in rudimentary shelters as well as for local communities hosting them.

Assessments by the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) and partners indicate that at least 100,000 refugees and vulnerable families in the local community in Cox’s Bazar – one of the world’s biggest refugee settlements – face life-threatening risks from landslides and floods, and thousands more are at risk of disease and being cut off from assistance.

“With emergency situations inevitable when the rains hit, it is crucial we work together now to limit disaster as much as possible before it occurs,” Manuel Marques Pereira, the IOM Emergency Coordinator in Cox’s Bazar, said in a news release Tuesday

“We need to be able to respond swiftly and effectively during crisis events.”

Preparation efforts include providing search and rescue training; setting up emergency medical centres; establishing bases for work crews and light machinery; and upgrading shelters to mitigate disasters. Work is also ongoing to improve roads and drainage, stabilize slopes (to prevent landslides and erosion) and setting up early warning systems.

In addition, IOM has created disaster risk reduction safety committees to warn refugees of what to expect and how to prepare for the wind and rain that are expected to bring deadly floods and landslides.

“It is vitally important to support members of the refugee and local communities with training and information in advance, so they are ready to respond and protect themselves and others when the worst conditions arrive,” added Mr. Marques Pereira.

But given the scale of the challenges, including the sheer size of the refugee population, limited suitable land, and harsh environmental conditions, it will be impossible to move everyone at risk, and therefore rapid emergency response action will be critical to save lives.

To improve response, an emergency drill is being conducted on Thursday (1 March) to develop rapid and coordinated operations, which is being attended by IOM, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), humanitarian partners and Government agencies.

Since late August 2017, some 700,000 members of Myanmar’s minority Muslim Rohingya community have been driven from their homes due to brutal and widespread violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine province, joining some 200,000 Rohingya refugees displaced earlier.

Together with local host communities, the number of persons in need of humanitarian assistance in the region is estimated to number over a million.

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UN can help, but Yemen’s warring parties must make concessions, commit to peace – outgoing UN envoy

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Yemen, briefs the Security Council.


27 February 2018

Peace and Security

A destructive pattern of zero-sum politics has plunged Yemen into ever deeper poverty and desolation, the United Nations envoy for the war-torn country said Tuesday, emphasizing that while the UN and the wider international community can try to bring about a favourable environment for a path to peace, Yemeni decision-makers must stop the fighting and bloodshed.

“Conflict has gradually destroyed the economy, healthcare services, housing, roads and schools – everything that Yemenis need in order to live and prosper,” said the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, briefing the Security Council a final time before he steps down at the end of the month.

“I call on the parties to cease hostilities, reactivate negotiations aimed at a peaceful settlement,” he urged.

Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the country was already embroiled in conflict when he took up his post in April 2015, and he said that as the conflict deepened, so did the socio-economic misery, making Yemen the world’s largest man-made humanitarian crisis, which has claimed thousands of lives and driven many times more from their homes.

Across the country, more than three-fourths of the population – over 22 million persons are in need of humanitarian assistance, including more than 8.4 million who are severely food insecure.

Prices of essential commodities in the country have skyrocketed, the value of the currency has dwindled, salaries have not been paid in months and in some cases, years, and the country’s health, water and sanitation, basic services and education system are in tatters, with money which could have been used to maintain such services and stimulate economy being used to fund the war.

Worst affected are Yemen’s women, who remain at a heightened risk of sexual and gender-based violence and have seen their rights “shrink by the day,” added Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

“I heard many Yemeni women saying that they ‘live in a big prison’ where their freedom of speech is restricted. Those who do speak up face a constant threat of persecution and violent attempts to silence them,” he expressed.

The UN Special Envoy concluded by saying that a roadmap for peace in Yemen exists but the parties to the conflict need to build confidence among themselves and launch it.

“The only part missing is the commitment of parties to make concessions and give priority to the national interest,” he said, wishing Martin Griffiths – a seasoned former diplomat and humanitarian worker, appointed by the UN Secretary-General as his new Special Envoy for Yemen – every success in his efforts.

UN Photo/Manuel Elias
John Ging, Director of Operations at the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) briefs the Security Council on the situation in Yemen.

Also briefing the 15-member Security Council today, John Ging, the Director of Operations at the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, also underscored that an end to hostilities and “meaningful” engagement of the parties is vital to ensure a lasting political solution.

However, until that happens, humanitarian response is critical to save lives.

“Securing full funding for [the $2.96 billion Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan] is a top priority,” he said, noting that the Central Emergency Response Fund recently allocated $50 million to humanitarian efforts in the country.

Mr. Ging also underscored the need to ensure unhindered, safe and secure humanitarian access into as well as within the country to allow resources be delivered to those in need. At the same time, allowing and maintaining free flow of commercial imports is imperative, as is ensuring that Government employees and civil servants are paid their salaries.

“Finally, it remains important to emphasize that protection concerns remain at the centre of the response,” urged the senior UN aid official, reiterating that all parties to the conflict are obligated to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure in military operations.



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ЕС торопит с перемирием в Сирии

26/02/2018

Евросоюз поторопил стороны конфликта в Сирии с выполнением резолюции СБ ООН. Она требует прекратить боевые действия для оказания гуманитарной помощи населению. Эта тема была главной на встрече в Брюсселе министров иностранных дел ЕС.



Евросоюз призвал к немедленному выполнению сторонами конфликта в Сирии принятой в субботу резолюции Совета Безопасности ООН. Она требует прекратить боевые действия по меньшей мере на 30 дней для оказания гуманитарной помощи населению. Эта тема была главной на встрече в Брюсселе министров иностранных дел под председательством Верховного представителя ЕС по внешней политике и безопасности.

"Пусть прекращение огня начнётся как можно скорее, - сказала Федерика Могерини. - За каждую минуту промедления умирают люди, дети, женщины. Гуманитарная ситуация ухудшается".

Глава европейской дипломатии обещала направить письма странам - гарантам астанинского процесса - России, Турции, Ирану - с призывом способствовать выполнению этой резолюции о перемирии. Участники встречи министоров иностранных дел ЕС назвали назвали ситуацию в сирийском районе Восточная Гута позорной и напоминающей средневековье.


http://ru.euronews.com/2018/02/26/eu-syria-ceasefire
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В Афганистан прибывает спецподразделение военных инструкторов США

Кабул. 26 февраля. АфТАГ - США начали отправку в Афганистан нового подразделения военных инструкторов для консультирования и оказания помощи афганским силам безопасности, передает Афганское телеграфное агентство (АфТАГ).

Как сообщает американское издание “Stars and Stripes”, в минувшую среду руководство нового подразделения прибыло в Кабул, где его встретил командующий ВС США и НАТО в Афганистане генерал Джон Николсон.

Ожидается, что в ближайшее время в Афганистан будут направлены более 800 американских военнослужащих в рамках подготовки к новому боевому сезону, который ежегодно начинается в весенний период.

По данным издания, новые военные инструкторы США будут находиться в непосредственной близости к линии фронта и обучать персонал батальонного уровня.

Напомним, в рамках новой стратегии Дональда Трампа в Афганистане США планируют расширить свой контингент в стране и увеличить участие в боевых операциях.



http://aftag.info./news/detail.php?ID=602199
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По поручению Путина в Восточной Гуте вводится ежедневная гуманитарная пауза

26 февраля 2018, 17:10




Президент РФ Владимир Путин и министр обороны Сергей Шойгу© Фото с сайта минобороны.рф

Ежедневная гуманитарная пауза вводится в пригороде Дамаска Восточная Гута. Об этом, как сообщает РИА Новости, заявил глава Минобороны РФ генерал армии Сергей Шойгу.

«Позавчера было принято решение Совета Безопасности ООН № 2401. По поручению президента РФ в целях исключения жертв среди мирного населения Восточной Гуты с 27 февраля, то есть с завтрашнего дня, с 09:00 до 14:00 ежедневно вводится гуманитарная пауза», — сказал он.

Ранее пресс-секретарь президента РФ Дмитрий Песков уточнил, что «террористы, которые находятся в Восточной Гуте, не складывают оружие, они держат местное население в заложниках, и это является причиной весьма напряженной ситуации». Он обратил внимание на «предупреждение, которое было озвучено по линии Минобороны России, о том, что имеющиеся данные говорят о возможности использования химических веществ в качестве провокации со стороны террористов, которые укрываются в Восточной Гуте».



http://www.rosbalt.ru/russia/2018/02/26/1684918.html
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Россия заблокировала в Совбезе ООН резолюцию по поставкам Ираном оружия в Йемен

27 февраля 2018, 01:31

Заседание Совета безопасности ООН© Фото с сайта mfa.gov.ua

Россия наложила вето на британский проект резолюции Совета Безопасности ООН, предусматривающий меры в отношении Ирана и обвиняющий страну в незаконных поставках оружия хуситам в Йемене в нарушение эмбарго, передает «Интерфакс».

За документ, представленный Великобританией, проголосовали 11 государств, против — Россия и Боливия, воздержались Китай и Казахстан.

Сразу после этого члены Совбеза ООН единогласно приняли российскую резолюцию о техническом продлении санкционного режима в отношении Йемена.

Российский и британский проекты предусматривали продление режима санкций против Йемена и оружейного эмбарго на год, до 26 февраля 2019 года. При этом в тексте резолюции Великобритании выражается озабоченность по поводу нарушения Ираном эмбарго на поставки оружия в Йемен, предусматриваются меры в отношении Ирана, ссылаясь на доклад экспертов, где Иран назван «нарушителем».

http://www.rosbalt.ru/world/2018/02/27/1685014.html

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Amid ongoing political tensions, situation in Burundi ‘not suitable’ for credible elections – UN official

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe Michel Kafando, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Burundi, briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in Burundi.

26 February 2018

Urgent efforts are needed to keep the “hard-won” gains in Burundi from eroding, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Monday, noting that while the security situation is calm, there is still the potential for volatility as political tensions persist.

The overall political situation, along with the Government’s decision to revise the Constitution, has hampered economic development, said Michel Kafando, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Burundi.

At the same time, though Burundi has made some progress, human rights violations are still being reported and the humanitarian situation remains a worry.

The environment is “not suitable” for the conduct of credible elections, planned for 2020, he added.

Presenting the Secretary-General’s latest report on the situation in the country, Mr. Kafando highlighted the efforts made at the inter-Burundian dialogue and said the region had decided to continue those talks, with strong commitments from the African Union and other regional partners.

“Dialogue remains indispensable, as the process sought to bring Burundians closer together with a view to building a strong nation,” he added.

Also at the Security Council meeting, Jürg Lauber (Switzerland), the Chair of the Burundi Configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, said that the Configuration would align its work with subregional, regional and international efforts, focusing on the East African Community’s mediation initiative, a path to peaceful elections, socioeconomic dialogue with the Government and partners, as well as humanitarian and national reconciliation initiatives.

Noting that he would visit Burundi in the coming weeks, Mr. Lauber pledged to focus on five key issues: mediation efforts of the East African Community; the path leading to the conduct of free, fair and democratic elections in 2020; socioeconomic dialogue with the Government and its international partners; the humanitarian situation; and efforts towards national reconciliation.

He also informed the 15-member Security Council that the Peacebuilding Fund had approved three new projects for Burundi worth $6.5 million and outlined several conclusions based on the Configuration’s recent work, which underscored the importance of the regionally-led dialogue, the 2020 elections, humanitarian efforts, improving socioeconomic development, the swift signing of Memoranda of Understanding – both between the Government and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and between the Government and the African Union – and the deployment of observers to provide a more accurate picture of human rights and civil society developments in Burundi.



https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/02/1003622
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Syrian refugee children in Jordan deprived of the most basic needs – UNICEF

UNICEF/Lucy Lyon

Two Syrian refugees, a brother and sister, in Jordan. (file)

    

26 February 2018

Migrants and Refugees

Eighty five per cent of Syrian refugee children in Jordan are living below the poverty line and a staggering 94 per cent of those under five in “multidimensional” poverty,  meaning that they are deprived of some of the most basic needs such as education, health or protection, an assessment by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed.

“Seven years into [the Syria] crisis, we need to collectively continue to do all that we can to support vulnerable refugee children and their families that are struggling to meet their basic needs,” Robert Jenkins, the head of UNICEF programmes in Jordan, said in a news release Sunday.

Based on responses from the refugees, the assessment also showed that close to 65 per cent of Syrian refugee families are either food insecure or on the verge of becoming food insecure – meaning they do not have enough for an adequate diet.

UNICEF teams also reported parents stating that that they skip meals to allow their children to sufficiently eat.

Furthermore, nearly half the children in the 0-5 age group do not have access to proper health services including vaccinations and disability services, and 16 per cent do not have a birth certificate, exposing them to additional risks as they grow up.

In all 38 per cent of Syrian children are not in school; while for children aged 6-17 years, child labour and violence continue to be key challenges.

Responding to the crisis, UNICEF is working with the Government of Jordan as well as donors and partner organizations to provide targeted support and youth to positively engage in their communities and transition to meaningful employment, continuing education and training opportunities.

However, its efforts have been severely affected by a funding crunch. The UN agency currently faces a funding shortfall of $145.7 million to meet the needs of all vulnerable children in Jordan this year.

“With the unparalleled massive scale of Syria crisis and its prolonged nature, Jordan needs continued support in order to manage the impact of this crisis and meet the needs of vulnerable children,” added Mr. Jenkins.

According to estimates, there are about 660,000 Syrian refugees in the country. Slightly over half that number are children aged 17 or below.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/02/1003531

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In Cameroon, UN deputy aid chief urges assistance as insecurity deepens in Lake Chad basin

OCHA/Eve Sabbagh

The UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ursula Mueller, visits Zamai sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Minawao refugee camp in the Far North region of Cameroon.

26 February 2018

Amid growing insecurity in Lake Chad, a senior United Nations relief official on Monday said the international community and the Government of Cameroon must step up support for humanitarian action in the country, which is most affected by regionwide violence sparked by Boko Haram.

“The Lake Chad crisis and violence in the sub-region are far from over said Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Ursula Mueller as she wrapped up a four-day visit to Cameroon.

“The international community cannot spare any effort,” she added. “Violent attacks by armed groups, mostly affiliated to Boko Haram, have increased over the past year and I have seen its direct impact and growing humanitarian needs in the Far North of Cameroon.”

In Cameroon, Ms. Mueller met with the minister of External Relations and the governor of the Far North.

Visiting the Zamai internally displaced people (IDP) site and Minawao refugee camp, she saw first-hand the impact of the deteriorating security situation in the Lake Chad basin.

In the region, Cameroon is most affected by the Boko Haram conflict, which started in Nigeria’s northeast nine years ago.

More than 60 suicide attacks were conducted in the Far North in 2017 – a 50 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

Ms. Mueller recounted the story of a family in the Zamai IDP camp, in which the mother, Sara, and her baby had been kidnapped by and escaped from Boko Haram, saying that she had no idea of her husband’s whereabouts nor whether he was even still alive.

“We need to be able to provide food, water and other life-saving assistance, as well as protection, to women and men like Sara and her ten-month-old baby,” explained Ms. Mueller. “The response to increased forced recruitment and violent attacks should also be increased solidarity with those affected by crises.”

She underscored that this area needs greater attention, including from donors.

“Security and access are major challenges but the lack of funding remains, by far, the main impediment to humanitarian aid reaching those most in need,” flagged Ms. Mueller.

Currently, the Humanitarian Response Plan proposed by the UN and its partners have only received five per cent of the $305 million required.

In Cameroon, 3.3 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance. In the Far North, one-out-of-three people, or 1.5 million people, are now food insecure at crisis and emergency levels.

Between an increased influx of refugees from the Central African Republic and socio-political tensions in the northwest and southwest regions, the Deputy Relief Coordinator’s visit also provided an opportunity to discuss other crises facing the country.

She emphasized that UN’s deep concern about the situation in Cameroon, including in the south- and north-west.

“We are again calling on all parties to avoid further escalation of violence and to protect civilian populations,” said Ms. Mueller.

“Further fact-finding missions will be taking place as early as next week and we are putting into place assistance to the internally displaced persons, who are estimated in the tens of thousands,” she concluded.


https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/02/1003602
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South Sudan: A year after averting famine, ‘food insecurity outlook has never been so dire,’ UN warns

FAO/Stefanie Glinski

A mother giving sorghum porridge to her children. A growing number of children in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap have only one meal per day.

    

26 February 2018

Humanitarian Aid

One year after famine was declared in parts of South Sudan, three United Nations agencies warned on Monday that without sustained humanitarian assistance and access, more than seven million people in the crisis-torn country– almost two-thirds of the population – could become severely food insecure in the coming months.

“The situation is extremely fragile, and we are close to seeing another famine. The projections are stark,” said Serge Tissot, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Representative in South Sudan.

Should this happen, it will be the highest-ever number of food insecure people in South Sudan.

“If we ignore them, we’ll be faced with a growing tragedy. If farmers receive support to resume their livelihoods, we will see a rapid improvement in the country’s food security situation due to increased local production,” he added.

The period of greatest risk will be the lean season, between May and July.

FAO, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that progress in preventing hunger-related deaths could be undone, and more people than ever could be pushed into severe hunger and famine-like conditions during May-July unless assistance and access are maintained.

Particularly at risk are 155,000 people, including 29,000 children, who could suffer from the most extreme levels of hunger.

“We are alarmed as the lean season, when the harvest runs out, is expected to start this year much earlier than usual. Unless we can pre-position assistance rather than mount a more costly response during the rains, more families will struggle to survive,” said Adnan Khan, WFP Representative and Country Director.

“The situation is deteriorating with each year of conflict as more people lose the little they had,” he elaborated.

In January, nearly half the population struggling to find enough food each day were in “crisis” or “emergency” levels of food insecurity – according to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report released Monday.

This represents a 40 per cent increase in the number of severely food insecure people compared to January 2017.

The report comes one year after famine was declared in parts of South Sudan last February.

Despite improved access and a massive humanitarian response in containing and averting famine later last year, the food insecurity outlook has never been as dire as it is now.

“We are preparing for rates of severe malnutrition among children never before seen in this country,” said Mahimbo Mdoe, UNICEF’s Representative in South Sudan.

“Without an urgent response and access to those most in need, many children will die. We cannot allow that to happen,” he warned.
A growing tragedy

Protracted conflict, the result of a political dispute that erupted between South Sudanese leaders and their rival factions in 2013, has led to reduced food production and disrupted livelihoods, has caused hunger levels to rise.

This was further exacerbated by and economic collapse that rendered markets and trade unable to compensate for the local food production decrease.

Prolonged dry spells, flooding and continued pest infestation also had a damaging impact.

In areas like Unity, Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria, riddled by reoccurring outbreaks of violent conflict and displacement, the proportion of people suffering from extreme food insecurity ranges from 52 to 62 per cent – more than half the states’ combined population.

The number is expected to increase unless people find the means to receive, produce or buy their own food.

Projections for February-April reveal 6.3 million people in “crisis,” “emergency” or “catastrophe” levels of food insecurity, including 50,000 people in the latter.

The May-July forecast put 7.1 million in those same levels, including 155,000 people in “catastrophe.” Moreover, 1.3 million children under age five risk acute malnutrition.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/02/1003552

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In Geneva, UN chief urges new push to free world from nuclear weapons

UN Photo/Elma Okic
High Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament, Palais de Nations, Geneva.

26 February 2018

Peace and Security

Warning that nuclear weapons pose catastrophic risks to human life and the environment, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called on the international community to make a reinvigorated push to rid the world of such weapons.

“Countries persist in the mistaken idea that nuclear weapons make the world safer,” said the Secretary-General, addressing the UN Conference on Disarmament, in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday.

“At the global level, we must work together towards forging a new momentum on eliminating nuclear weapons,” he urged.

Outlining a new initiative to give greater impetus and direction to the global disarmament agenda, Mr. Guterres said the world must respond to the dangers of the over-accumulation and proliferation of weapons, and reinforce the need to integrate disarmament into the UN efforts on preventive diplomacy and peacemaking.

Side-by-side, a focus is needed on the impact of conventional weapons on civilians as well as on the link between disarmament and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular the resources lost to excessive military spending – resources that could have been used to spur development activities.

“My initiative will strive to offer a new perspective on traditional priorities; and a clear vision for the future; and also, practical and implementable actions,” he said, noting that while the challenges are enormous, “history shows that it has been possible to reach agreement on disarmament and arms control even at the most difficult moments.”

The UN chief also welcomed the completion of reductions by the United States and Russia under the New START Treaty (the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), and urged that the “courageous initiatives” taken by the Republic of Korea during the recent Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games be translated into lasting improvements, based on the central objective of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and sustainable peace in the region.

“We must work together towards our common goal: a world free of nuclear weapons,” underscored the Secretary-General.

Speaking alongside Mr. Guterres, the President of the General Assembly, Miroslav Lajčák, stressed that Conference on Disarmament – which was established in 1979 but whose last decision was in 1996 – remains as critical as ever as the demand for disarmament has only risen, not fallen.

“The Conference on Disarmament has been deadlocked since the agreement on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, more than two decades ago,” he said.

“We have to address this reality […] the Conference is the world’s foremost multilateralism forum on disarmament. It should be producing global frameworks and policies. It should be driving discussions and decisions, around the world. It should have the loudest voice of all,” he stressed.

The Conference on Disarmament, established as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community, is not formally a UN body but reports annually, or more frequently as appropriate, to the UN General Assembly.

Currently, the consensus-based body focuses primarily on the following issues: cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament, prevention of nuclear war, including all related matters, prevention of an arms race in outer space and effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon states against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/02/1003632

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