пятница, 30 ноября 2018 г.

Full transcript of UN Secretary-General's press encounter in Buenos Aires ahead of G20 Leaders' Summit [English and Spanish]




Buenos Aires

29 November 2018




Buenas tardes a todos. Es un gran placer estar aquí en Buenos Aires. Si me permiten yo no hable español, hablo portuñol, y es muy difícil hacer la intervención en portuñol, entonces, iré a hacer algunas afirmaciones en inglés, pero después estoy disponible para contestar a las preguntas que sean hechas en español.

I believe many people would ask, in a moment of such high level of lack of confidence within the international community, of high level of confrontation, even, between powers, be it in the security dimension or in the trade dimension – does it make sense to have the G20 meeting? And my answer is clear; it is exactly because of the lack of confidence, it is because of the risk of confrontation and escalation that it is absolutely essential to have a forum like this working.

I want to express my deep appreciation to President Macri and to the Government of Argentina for the engagement, the commitment and the persistence that they have put in order to organize this meeting in the complex situation in the international community that we all know.

From the point of view of the Secretary-General of the United Nations there are two main concerns - I would say two main messages – that I would like to convey during this meeting.
The first is related to the level of mistrust that I spoke about, because it is not only mistrust among States; there is a very high level of mistrust between peoples in general and institutions – their governments, their parliaments – but also international organizations.

Globalization and technological change have of course produced enormous benefits to humankind: growth of the global economy, growth of the global trade, improvement, even at the level of reduction of extreme poverty. But at the same time, we see everywhere those that are the losers of globalization, those that were left behind – people, regions, sectors – that feel angry, that feel frustrated, that many times consider that there was not enough effort from their government, or from international organizations like the UN, in order to attend their problems, to attend their difficulties in the rustbelts of this world. I think it is very important to come together, the different countries around the world, and to have a common strategy for a fair globalization, which means a globalization that leaves no one behind. This is exactly the purpose of the Agenda 2030 that was approved in a summit in New York in the United Nations with the Sustainable Development Goals aiming at the eradication of poverty, enormous efforts in education, health, preserving the oceans, addressing climate change, addressing governance problems around the world, and it is my hope that this meeting will allow leaders to assume a very strong commitment to support the Agenda 2030, to support the Sustainable Development Goals, and that support is more needed than ever. Because, if one looks at the present trends, and if one looks at the goals of what is established for 2030, if we go on at the present level, we will only reach halfway, which means we need increased commitment by governments, we need increased commitment by the private sector, we need increased mobilization of resources both with the support of developed world to the developing world but also mobilization of resources within the developing world, and that requires a strong political commitment and I believe the G20 is – with the presence of the largest economies in the world – the right place to ask for that commitment.

The second message is related to climate change. Climate change is running faster than we have, and we are facing an extremely difficult situation.

When one looks at what is happening on the ground, when we see the temperature of the ocean rising faster than the predictions, when we see the way the Arctic ice cover is reducing every summer to unprecedented levels, where we see glaciers receding, corals bleaching, and when we see the multiplication of natural disasters that are becoming more intense, more dramatic, with more tragic humanitarian consequences, it is clear that the reality is more dramatic than the forecasts that were made. Things are getting worse than it was expected, everywhere. We estimate that the cost of keeping things as they are, just in relation of natural disasters around the world, would be – up to 2030 – something of the order of US$21 trillion. So, it is my deep belief that this needs to be taken very seriously by the international community. The truth is that after the Paris Agreement, with predictions becoming not only very [inaudible] but realities being even worse than what was predicted, there has been a certain fading of political will, and it is absolutely necessary to restore that political will – at the level of government; at the level of cities; at the level of business communities; at the level of civil societies everywhere in the world – if we do not want to lose that race, which would be absolutely tragic for humankind.

It is now clear, that the Paris Agreement needs to be fully met. But it’s not enough to meet the commitments that were made by countries in the Paris Agreement; the objective is, as you know, to make sure that the growth in temperature until the end of the century will be below two degrees and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees. Recent scientific evidence demonstrates that it’s really needed to get close to 1.5 degrees. Now, with the commitment made in Paris we will still reach an increase of more than three degrees at the end of the century, which means that we need to fully – fully – implement what was agreed in Paris, and we are not yet doing so, and at the same time increase our ambition.

This G20 meeting is very important because it precedes the Katowice COP24, the Conference of the Parties related to climate change, where it is absolutely essential to move forward in relation to the Work Programme of the Paris Agreement – the rule book – and where it’s also clear that people must be reassured in relation to the financial perspectives for climate change, the $100 billion that were promised from 2020 onwards, and at the same time, that countries are ready to accept an increased ambition in relation to climate targets.

It is my belief that this is possible. It is my belief that technology is on our side – we see renewable energy now cheaper and more competitive than fossil fuels, we see the green economy becoming the best economy, and I have no doubt that those that will not bet on the green economy will have a grey future, and will not have a positive position in the global economy in the decades to come, but political will is lacking. That is why it’s so important to come here and to express to political leaders how important it is for everybody to understand that this is a make it or break it moment in relation to guaranteeing that the Paris Agreement is implemented and that we are able, and I’m convening the Climate Summit for September next year, that we are able to increase our ambition and to assume in 2020, when the engagement will be reviewed, a much more ambitious programme of action in order to be able to tame climate change and in order to be able to guarantee that we will be able to live in a healthy planet.

Spokesperson: OK, por favor su nombre y el medio al que representan, y por favor utilicen el micrófono. Empezamos por acá, Tais.

Question: Voy a hablar en español ¿puede ser? Soy Tais Gadea Lara, del Canal de la Ciudad. Mi pregunta sigue en torno a lo que dijo sobre cambio climático. Usted describió muy bien la situación del impacto del cambio climático pero, al mismo tiempo, la falta de voluntad política y el fracaso que hubo. Mi pregunta gira en torno a cómo desde Naciones Unidas se va a tratar de impulsar para que las políticas realmente sean más ambiciosas y urgentes en torno a lo que el planeta necesita, y si va a aprovechar el contexto del G20 para pedirles a los gobiernos que presenten propuestas concretas y ambiciosas en la Cumbre de septiembre del próximo año.

Secretary-General: Estamos haciendo consultas en todo el mundo, incluso en la preparación de la COP24 de la que hablé. Estamos pidiendo a todos, en primer lugar, un sentido constructivo de compromiso para evitar una división Norte-Sur que sería dramática en Katowice. Es necesario un compromiso sobre el programa de trabajo del acuerdo de París; y al mismo tiempo, la convocatoria de la Cumbre para septiembre es, exactamente, para pedir a los Estados que aumenten su nivel de ambición, que sean capaces de plantear en 2020 compromisos sobre los niveles de emisión y otras medidas complementarias capaces de reconducir el mundo a la perspectiva de un incremento de temperatura limitado a 1.5 grados al final del siglo, lo que no está aconteciendo ahora, ¿no?. Entonces, es necesario mucha más ambición y también es necesario tomar un conjunto de medidas que están andando muy lentamente. Seguimos con subsidios a los combustibles fósiles, ya el problema no es de necesitar, de ser necesario subsidiar a la energía renovable para que sea competitiva: las energías renovables ya son competitivas, pero siguen políticas de subsidios a los combustibles fósiles. Para mí es una anécdota que es muy conocida: la edad de la piedra no había terminado porque no había más piedras; había muchas piedras, pero el mundo ha descubierto que había maneras mejores de solucionar sus problemas. Y la edad de los combustibles fósiles no va a terminar cuando terminen los combustibles fósiles: creo que hay que invertir en las alternativas que permiten una mejor solución de nuestros problemas. Por otro lado, el impuesto a las emisiones de carbono es algo que sólo se cobra en el 20 por ciento de las emisiones. Hay decisiones políticas muy importantes que los Estados, que los grupos de Estados, tienen que tomar si queremos vivir en un planeta habitable en el futuro.

Question: Patrick Gillespie with Bloomberg news. Two questions in English. Do you see a specific timetable for a potential ceasefire in Yemen? My second question is, the United Nations prides itself in maintaining dialogue during difficult times, are you concerned that the US President and the Russian President will not be meeting here at the G20 as they previously planned?

Secretary-General: In relation to Yemen, we are making all efforts, I’ve already been in contact this morning with Martin Griffiths, he’s been shuttling between Sana’a, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. I don’t want to raise too many expectations, but we’re working hard in order to make sure that we can start meaningful peace talks still this year. But as you know there have been some setbacks in the sense that bombardments have gone on, that there was a new set of missile attacks from the Houthi side to Saudi Arabia so a number of setbacks are taking place, so we are working hard to create the conditions for those peace talks to start, hopefully this year. But I don’t want to raise too many expectations because as you know when we raise to many expectations, we sometimes do not contribute to the success of our endeavours.

On the other hand, I see with a lot of concern the recent escalation in relation to the situation that occurred close to the Sea of Azov. I hope that that escalation can be contained. It is clear that the territorial integrity of the Ukraine must be respected, and obviously I understand the level of tension that exists in this moment but I hope that there will be a capacity of the international community to avoid this situation to escalate, and to pave the way for the mechanism that exists and a lawful meaningful dialogue in relation to the situation, namely, that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine can avoid the worst and, if possible, come into a more positive direction.

Spokesperson: Siguiente pregunta, ahí atrás.

Question: Quiero volver sobre el tema de Yemen. Quería saber, porque se habló ayer de esta posibilidad, si usted va a tener una reunión con el príncipe saudita Mohammed sobre el tema de Yemen.

Secretary-General: Nuestro programa aún no está totalmente definido, pero es obvio que hay un interés vital en tener conversaciones con las partes del conflicto, para garantizar que los obstáculos que aún existen sean removidos y un diálogo para la paz que termine el más trágico conflicto desde el punto de vista del impacto humanitario, pueda terminar. Yo estoy completamente disponible para discutir con todas las autoridades sauditas, a todos los niveles, lo que sea necesario; incluso también con los otros protagonistas de la crisis, para que una solución sea encontrada. Naturalmente, si hay condiciones para hacerlo aquí, aquí va a ser.

Question: Mr. Secretary-General, Alan Fisher from Al Jazeera English. Can I ask you how concerned you are that this G20 meeting will be overshadowed by the international row over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, over what has happened in Ukraine over the last few days, over the continued row between the US and China, how do you expect countries to work together rather than adopt a me-first attitude?

Answer: That’s exactly what I would like to ask you [laughter]. That’s exactly the objective. That’s exactly the difficulty. But one thing is clear. We are facing global challenges. Terrorism, climate change, the lack of capacity of managing the migration phenomenon without international cooperation, and it is clear that there is no way global challenges can be address in isolation, country by country. It is clear we need global responses to global challenges and so even with all the problems, even with all the difficulties, even with all the contradictions, I do believe that the only way we can produce results is through bringing people together for international cooperation. This is an occasion where an opportunity exists and as I said, I praised the government of Argentina for their strong commitment to make it happen and hopefully to allow for some progress to take place.

Question: Are you worried though, that these events, such as the Jamal Khashoggi killing, other events…

Answer: It is clear that all the events that you mentioned do not facilitate a G20 meeting in which people can concentrate more effectively in addressing the problems of the global economy, the problems of climate change and others. It is obvious - but we should never stop addressing the central problems of our time just because other things are happening that of course are troubling and are creating serious concerns to many of us.

Spokesperson: Vamos a tomar dos preguntas más. A ver, nombre y medio.

Question: soy Natalia Kidd de la Agencia EFE. Volviendo al tema de Yemen, en las últimas horas se habló sobre la posibilidad de una reunión, de conversaciones en Estocolmo la semana próxima. ¿Está completamente descartado o hay todavía una ventana de oportunidad de iniciar la semana que viene?

Secretary-General: No creo que sea necesariamente la semana que viene, porque como dije hay algunos obstáculos aún que tienen que ser removidos, pero estamos totalmente comprometidos para hacer todo lo posible para que empiecen lo más temprano posible efectivas negociaciones intra-Yemen para solucionar el problema. Es peor anunciar cosas que después no se verifican. Estamos totalmente determinados, pero no quiero dar garantías de cosas que aún no están efectivamente garantizadas.

Question: Alicia Rinaldi de la Agencia Italiana ANSA. Puntualmente quería consultarlo por la situación de los centroamericanos en México que pretenden cruzar a Estados Unidos. Van aumentando, se está hablando ya de unas diez mil personas. ¿Qué se puede hacer antes de que este problema se agrande y pueda terminar en una tragedia humanitaria? Y, concretamente, si Estados Unidos ha violado el debido proceso, dado el reclamo de asilo y ante la situación de violencia que sufren estas personas.

Secretary-General: En este momento hay un diálogo entre las agencias de Naciones Unidas que son responsables por esta área: el Alto Comisionado para los Refugiados y la Organización Internacional de Migraciones con las autoridades de todos los países de la región estamos cooperando con todas ellas. El objetivo, naturalmente, es crear condiciones para que haya un respeto de la legislación internacional sobre refugiados y, al mismo tiempo, una posibilidad de encontrar soluciones humanas para un problema muy complejo. Naturalmente reconocemos que todos los Estados tienen el derecho de definir sus propias políticas migratorias y de manejar de forma responsable sus fronteras, pero también que deben hacerlo con preocupaciones de protección, sobre todo para los más vulnerables.

SG Spokesperson: Última...

Question: Virginia Solana de la Agencia Télam. Sobre la crisis migratoria en Venezuela, ¿qué opina de la respuesta que dieron los líderes regionales y, si no está de acuerdo, qué sugiere?

Secretary-General: Estamos cooperando muy activamente con todos los países de la región. El ACNUR y la OIM han creado un mecanismo de coordinación, todas las agencias de Naciones Unidas están involucradas. Hay un coordinador global, que es el antiguo vicepresidente de Guatemala... Se está trabajando muy activamente con todos los Estados para dar una respuesta a un flujo muy, muy dramático de venezolanos que están llegando a Colombia, sobre todo, pero a los distintos países de la región. Creo que en este momento estamos con un programa de acción de todos los Estados en curso y vamos a hacer un llamado internacional para garantizar los fondos necesarios para poder ser usados en el asilo humanitario a los venezolanos.

Spokesperson: Muchas gracias.

https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/press-encounter/2018-11-29/full-transcript-un-secretary-generals-press-encounter-buenos
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Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 30 November






UNSCOM inspectors take mustard agent samples from 155-mm mustard agent artillery projectiles, which have been wrapped in plastic to minimize contamination, Iraq, 1991. UN Photo/Shankar Kunhambu


The Conference of the States Parties at its 20th Session decided that a memorial Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare would be observed on 30 November each year or, when appropriate, on the first day of the regular session of the Conference.


This commemoration will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the elimination of the threat of chemical weapons, thereby promoting the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism.


The Third Review Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Convention held 8-19 April 2013 in the Hague, the Netherlands, adopted by consensus a political declaration that confirms the “unequivocal commitment” of the States Parties to the global chemical weapons ban, and a comprehensive review of CWC implementation since the last Review Conference in 2008 that also maps out the OPCW’s priorities for the coming five years.



http://www.un.org/en/events/chemwarfareday/
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Madagascar: UN chief commends nation on first round of peaceful elections










UNDP Madagascar

A walk organized by women in Madagascar for peace and democracy. (file)


29 November 2018


Peace and Security


The results of the first round of voting to choose Madagascar’s next President were announced on Wednesday, prompting the UN chief to commend the peaceful nature of the vote, which now moves to a second round run-off next month.


The two candidates who came top of the poll held on 7 November, which does not include the incumbent according to news reports, will now face the voters again on 19 December.


In a statement issued through his spokesperson, Secretary-General António Guterres praised the institutions of the island nation, which lies off the south-east coast of Africa, particularly the National Independent Electoral Commission and the High Constitutional Court, “for their leadership and professionalism throughout the electoral process”.


He also welcomed the Government’s role in ensuring “an environment conducive to holding of the poll.”


On 7 September, then-president Hery Rajaonarimampianina resigned in a message to the nation and Rivo Rakotovao, President of the Senate, was appointed acting president of the country.


According to news reports, the High Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that former President Marc Ravalomanana garnered 35.35 per cent of the vote in the first round and the man who overthrew him in a 2009 coup, Andry Rajoelina, got 39.23 per cent.


“The Secretary-General appeals to all stakeholders to exercise restraint in the lead up to the run-off election on 19 December and remains confident that any potential disputes related to the electoral process will be addressed peacefully through the appropriate legal channels,” said the statement.


“The Secretary-General will continue to follow the next steps of the electoral process through his Special Adviser, Abdoulaye Bathily,” the statement continued, “who is working in close coordination with the African Union and the Southern African Development Community Special Envoys.”


“The United Nations, through the Country Team, will continue to support the people of Madagascar in the consolidation of democracy and sustainable development,” the statement concluded.



https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/11/1026961
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New Syria fighting represents ‘giant powder keg’, warns aid veteran, as he leaves UN stage




Violaine Martin

Jan Egeland, Special Advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Syria briefs the press during Intra-Syrian talks, Geneva.


29 November 2018
Humanitarian Aid


It is unclear if rockets fired into the Syrian city of Aleppo last weekend contained chemical toxins, a senior humanitarian adviser to the UN said on Thursday, adding that if they did, it would constitute a war crime.


“We as the UN do not know who sent in the mortars in western Aleppo that may have included chemical agents,” said Jan Egeland, co-chair of the International Syria Support Group's Humanitarian Access Task Force

“Therefore, the OPCW, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, will investigate; the World Health Organization

Mr. Egeland’s comments coincide with an escalation of fighting in Idlib in northern Syria, which is home to opposition militants and around three million civilians.


All hell was let loose on them and no one was willing and able to shield and protect them - Jan Egeland reflects on the plight of Syrian civilians

The escalation was a “giant powder keg” in a heavily populated area, he warned, adding that airstrikes had resumed after two months of relative calm.

“What is true is that a number of groups have sent a number of grenades out of the zone,” Mr. Egeland said, “and that Government and other forces have sent – as I see it, equal numbers of grenades - into the zone.”

A fragile ceasefire between Government forces and opposition fighters has held in Idlib for 10 weeks, guaranteed by Russia, Turkey and Iran, who re-committed to the deal at talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Thursday.

Mr. Egeland, who welcomed the original deal, warned at the time that the alternative – clashes between opposition and Government forces – would cause massive bloodshed and destruction similar to that inflicted on other major cities, including Homs, Aleppo, and Raqqa.

In his last press encounter as co-chair of the humanitarian task force before stepping down, Mr. Egeland offered insight into the difficulties of achieving the mechanism’s two main aims since it was established in early 2016: securing aid access and protecting civilians.

Among its challenges were the fact that towns and villages had been besieged, hundreds of thousands of people had died and 12 million had been driven from their homes during the more than seven-year war, he noted.

Turning to the 23 countries that attended task force meetings in Geneva, Mr. Egeland insisted that “too few acted courageously” to hold back the warring parties’ worst excesses against civilians.

“All hell was let loose on them and no one was willing and able to shield and protect them,” he said, adding nonetheless that “what happened here in Geneva helped cause some of the few really achievements, also in the protection of civilians”.

The task force’s successes included securing aid deliveries to the majority of people in besieged areas in 2016, Mr. Egeland said, compared with only two per cent a year earlier, and organizing the first high-altitude air-drops of aid to besieged people in Deir Ez-Zor in eastern Syria.
'No tangible progress' at latest talks to end Syria war

In a joint statement released on Thursday from Astana – where regular meetings have been held since January 2017 – Iran, Russia and Turkey reiterated their support for the UN-backed launch of a Constitutional Committee for Syria in Geneva “that would enjoy support of the Syrian parties…at the soonest possible time”.

Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy for Syria, who has been leading efforts to form a Constitutional Committee, noted on Thursday that the Astana meeting had achieved “no tangible progress” in resolving a 10-month stalemate on its composition, as had been outlined in Sochi in January this year.




https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/11/1027011
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Armed groups threaten every child in Central African Republic, UNICEF warns










UNICEF/Gilbertson V


In November 2018, 1.5 million children require humanitarian assistance n the Central African Republic.


29 November 2018


Humanitarian Aid


A new study released by the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, shows that the deteriorating crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR), five years into the latest civil conflict to hit the country, has left practically every child needing protection from armed groups, which now control four-fifths of the country’s territory.


The report, “Crisis in the Central African Republic: In a neglected emergency, children need aid, protection – and a future”, finds that life has become harsher and more dangerous for children: thousands are trapped within armed groups, with thousands more, subject to sexual violence.


Beyond the direct threats associated with the conflict, the country is suffering from a severe humanitarian crisis: 1.5 million children now require humanitarian assistance, an increase of 300,000 since 2016; over 43,000 children below five years old are projected to face an extremely high risk of death due to severe acute malnutrition next year; and one in four children is either displaced or a refugee.


In addition, the number of attacks against aid-workers more than quadrupled – from 67 incidents in all of 2017, to 294 in just the first eight and a half months of 2018: “This crisis is taking place in one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, and one of the most dangerous for humanitarian workers,” said Christine Muhigana, UNICEF’s Representative in the Central African Republic. “Conditions for children are desperate.”


Civilians bear the brunt of the armed conflict in CAR, which is driven largely by fighting between a dozen or so armed groups over cattle routes and lands rich in diamonds, gold and uranium.


The warring parties attack health and education facilities and their staff, together with mosques and churches, as well as sites where displaced people have taken shelter. Consequently, almost 643,000 people – at least half of whom are children – were displaced across CAR, and over 573,000 had sought refuge in neighboring countries as of September.


Displaced children are being hit by a malnutrition crisis, many with extremely limited access to health care, safe water and sanitation and - for children forced into the bush - conditions are even more dire.


CAR has the world’s second-highest newborn death rate and maternal mortality ratio, fewer than three out of five children make it through primary school, and almost half the population has no access to clean water. The country ranks 188 out of 189 countries on the UN’s Human Development Index, a composite indicator measuring life expectancy, income and education.


Despite the difficult and dangerous conditions in which its staff are operating, UNICEF is working to reach children in desperate need, in a variety of ways.


These include providing lifesaving food to 890,000 women and children to stave off malnutrition, immunizing children from deadly disease, providing emergency education and recreation, and aiding the recovery of children brutalized by armed groups.


Despite the major upsurge in fighting and displacement, only 44 per cent of UNICEF’s US$56.5 million funding appeal for 2018 had been met as of the end of October. “The children of the Central African Republic have been abandoned for too long,” Muhigana said. “They need attention and help now, and they will need it for the long run.”




https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/11/1027051
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четверг, 29 ноября 2018 г.

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 29 November





Palestinian flag raised at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. © UNESCO



“The Question of Palestine is inextricably linked with the history of the United Nations and is one of the longest unresolved issues on the Organization’s agenda. Seventy years since the adoption of General Assembly Resolution 181, a sovereign and independent State of Palestine has yet to emerge alongside the State of Israel. I remain convinced that the two-state solution recognized by that resolution is the only premise for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”

- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres

In 1977, the General Assembly called for the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (resolution 32/40 B). On that day, in 1947, the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine (resolution 181 (II))


In resolution 60/37 of 1 December 2005, the Assembly requested the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Division for Palestinian Rights, as part of the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on 29 November, to continue to organize an annual exhibit on Palestinian rights or a cultural event in cooperation with the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the UN.


The resolution on the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People also encourages Member States to continue to give the widest support and publicity to the observance of the Day of Solidarity.



http://www.un.org/en/events/palestinianday/
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Саломе Зурабишвили побеждает на выборах президента Грузии


9:09, 29 ноября 2018





CA-NEWS (CA) - Независимый кандидат в президенты Грузии Саломе Зурабишвили набирает на выборах 59,56% голосов, об этом свидетельствуют данные центральной избирательной комиссии страны после подсчета 99,7% бюллетеней.

Как передает РИА Новости, оппозиционный кандидат Григол Вашадзе по предварительным итогам получил 40,44% голосов. Оппозиция планирует 29 ноября заявить о дальнейших планах, а Зурабишвили и ее сторонники уже празднуют победу.

Второй тур президентских выборов прошел в Грузии 28 ноября. Зурабишвили поддержали более 1,14 миллиона избирателей, Вашадзе — 778 тысяч человек. Предварительная явка составила 56,23%. В это число не входят избиратели за границей.

Всего ЦИК организовал 3703 избирательных участка, в том числе 55 за рубежом. Общее число избирателей составляет 3 528 658 человек. На территории России участки не открывались из-за отсутствия между странами дипломатических отношений. В целом, по данным МВД и ЦИК, выборы прошли в спокойной обстановке, несмотря на некоторые нарушения.

Срок полномочий президента составит шесть лет. Это последние выборы путем прямого голосования, в будущем главу государства будут назначать 300 делегатов.



http://ca-news.org/news:1483395
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На конференции в Женеве представлена дорожная карта афганского мирного процесса

28.11.2018  17:26




КАБУЛ, 28 ноября. В среду президент Афганистана Мохаммад Ашраф Гани, выступая на международной конференции в Женеве, представил дорожную карту мирного процесса, разработанную правительством страны.

Глава государства представил ряд условий ведения переговоров, в частности, соблюдение прав всех граждан страны, в том числе женщин, признание Конституции Афганистана и возможность внесения в неё поправок предписанным в законодательстве путём, а также работа сил обороны, правоохранительных структур и гражданских служб в соответствии с законом.

Ещё одним условием присоединения группировок к мирному политическому процессу был назван их отказ от связей с транснациональными террористическими и другими преступными организациями, а также негосударственными и государственными силами, стремящимися к получению власти в Афганистане.

Президент доложил о формировании группы для ведения переговоров с запрещённым в России движения «Талибан». По словам Гани, в её состав вошли 12 человек, как мужчин, так и женщин, при этом руководителем группы был назначен глава президентской администрации Салам Рахими.


Также глава государства сообщил о завершении формирования консультативного совета по вопросам примирения, состоящего из 9 структур, а именно комитетов политических лидеров, политических партий, улемов, глав провинций, гражданского общества и культуры, частного сектора, беженцев и диаспор, а также комитетов по делам женщин и по делам молодёжи, передаёт телеканал «Толо».


В соответствии с представленным планом, преобразования также ожидают Высший совет мира, деятельность которого будет ограничена разработкой программ к осуществлению после восстановления мира, общественным освещением вопросов примирения, а также совещательной ролью.


По словам главы государства, разработка программы стала результатом нескольких месяцев консультаций с представителями афганского общества, по итогам которых готовится открытие «новой главы в мирном процессе».




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Central American migrants must be protected, urge UN experts




IOM/Rafael Rodríguez

Central American migrant caravan passing by Chiapas, Mexico. 2018.

28 November 2018

Human Rights

Migrants who have made, or who are making the journey to the United States border in caravans confront increasing threats to their lives, liberty and security, United Nations independent experts said on Wednesday, calling for their full protection.

Nine UN experts pointed out that the migrants are seriously vulnerable, facing challenges such as shortages of healthcare, water, sanitation, food, and shelter. They are also at increased risk of trafficking and sexual exploitation.

“Rather than fueling tensions with hate speech and threats, Governments should work together to tackle inequality, poverty, social exclusion, violence, insecurity, environmental degradation and persecution as the main drivers of migration in Central America,” they underscored.

Since mid-October, between 12,000 and 14,000 migrants have passed through the Guatemalan and Mexican borders heading to the US. While most are from Honduras, increasing numbers are joining from Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador – including a significant number of families; single mothers with children under age five; some 100 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons (LGBTI); and people with disabilities.

On Sunday, US government agents on the Mexican border used tear gas on a crowd of migrants who made a desperate attempt to cross over, in the city of Tijuana, during a protest march. Hundreds have been sheltering in the city since arriving, hoping to seek asylum.

“Rather than fueling tensions with hate speech and threats, Governments should work together to tackle inequality – UN experts

Those caravans will not be the last ones unless the situation from which the migrants are fleeing, which for many includes extreme human rights violations, is considerably improved,” the UN experts said, adding that cooperation between Central American States “is urgently required to develop more accessible, regular, safe and affordable migration channels.”

In separate letters to the Governments of Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the United States, the UN experts voiced their concerns and called on them to abide by international law.
Hatred and xenophobia

The UN experts also raised the alarm over racist and xenophobic language, and US practices in terms of border control, which they say, fly in the face of international human rights equality and non-discrimination standards.

In addition to violating international law, the experts accused the US of stigmatizing migrants and refugees, by accusing them of importing crime and disease, fueling a climate of intolerance, racial hatred and xenophobia.

“This has detrimental effects on the right to mental health not only of migrants, but of the general public,” warned the experts. “It is of particular concern that such rhetoric is expressed by high-level authorities, leading to the escalation and normalization of hate speech, incitement to hatred and discrimination in the political and public sphere.”

The experts also voiced concern over sending military personnel to secure the US border.

“Experience shows that when armed forces are used to perform tasks that they are not trained to do, this usually leads to serious violations of human rights,” they stressed.

In addition to the considerable risks the migrants face on their way to the US, upon arrival they must confront legal and asylum obstacles, as well as being possibly returned to face prosecution in their native country.

Asserting that origin countries should take measures to tackle the root causes of the mass migrations that links to violence and socio-economic insecurity, they argued that “threats to cut aid to the countries of origin of the migrants is counterproductive, as this may only worsen the living conditions from which these migrants were fleeing in the first place.”


The UN experts are:

Obiora C. Okafor - Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity.
Dainius Puras - Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
Leilani Farha - Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in .this context.
Michel Forst - Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
Felipe González Morales - Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.
E. Tendayi Achiume - Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
Nils Melzer - Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Maria Grazia Giammarinaro - Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children.
Ivana Radačić - Chair of the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice.



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Increasingly under attack, women human rights defenders need better back up








UN Women/Dzilam Mendez


In Mexico City, an artistic installation consisting of a number of signs of Venus, representing women, stresses the magnitude of femicidal violence. (March 2018)

28 November 2018

Human Rights

A group of United Nations human rights experts issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling on States to live up to their commitments to protect women human rights defenders, as they come under increasing attack, and with inadequate protection.


Marking International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, 29 November, the statement said that the current global context of “unchecked authoritarianism” along with “the rise of populism, of corporate power and of fundamentalist groups” have contributed to closing the space for civil society.


“This is being done through the enactment of laws and practices that effectively impede human rightswork, including the misapplication of certain laws such as counter-terrorism and public assembly laws,” they explained.


The experts pointed out that women human rights defenders also face the additional barriers of economic and other structural discrimination, and “unique challenges driven by deep-rooted discrimination against women and stereotypes entrenched in patriarchal societies related to gender and sexuality.”


Moreover, sexual violence, defamation and intimidation, including against their family members, are being used as a deterrence. In 2017, Front Line Defenders recorded that 44 women human rights defenders were killed; an increase from 40 in 2016 and 30 in 2015.


They are at heightened risk of attacks and violence when working in areas such as sexual and reproductive health, and often challenged by fundamentalist groups during conflict and post-conflict situations.


“Situations of armed conflict, and the subsequent break down of the rule of law, create a dangerous environment for women and girls,” the UN experts underscored.


“Women human rights defenders are pivotal in promoting sustainable peace, yet they are constantly excluded from peace processes and politics, often criminalized, and they experience gender-based violence, which hampers their participation in decision-making processes,” the experts spelled out.

On International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, UN human rights experts express thanks and admiration for their work, calling for:


Public recognition by the highest State authorities of the importance and legitimacy of their work, and a commitment to protect them against violence or threats.


Repeal of any State legislation or elimination of any measures to penalize or obstruct their work.


State institutions safeguarding their work to be strengthened.


Investigating and punishing any form of violence or threat against them.


Due diligence of States to protect women human rights defenders that are threatened by non-State actors.


They flagged that women human rights defenders promote international human rights law; mobilize society in identifying human rights violations; and contribute to developing solutions with a gender perspective.


According to the UN experts, these defenders call for gender equality and an end to gender-based violence by taking to the streets, airwaves and the internet, “bringing to light truths that are too often buried in darkness.”


They often challenge social and cultural norms that limit women’s human rights, taking the necessary but often unpopular route of passionate activism for their cause.


The UN experts concluded their statement by condemning all attacks on women human rights defenders.


“We are particularly concerned regarding those who have suffered reprisals for their efforts to work with the United Nations and regional bodies. Participation in the work of the international human rights system is in itself a right and must never be met with intimidation or attacks,” they stressed.




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World cannot be transformed without ‘ingenuity of the countries of the South’: UN Chief










UN Photo/Manuel Elias


Delegates at the South-South Cooperation meeting at UN Headquarters in New York discuss poverty eradication and livelihood recovery. (28 November 2018)

28 November 2018

Economic Development

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the plan to transform the world agreed at the UN by 193 countries, cannot happen without “the ideas, energy, and tremendous ingenuity of the countries of the South,” said UN chief António Guterres on Wednesday, speaking at the opening session of the 2018 Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo), alongside María Fernanda Espinosa, President of the General Assembly, and other senior UN officials.

The event, taking place between November 28 and 30 at UN Headquarters in New York, is the only expo offered by the UN system solely for the “Global South”, or Southern Hemisphere nations, benefiting from the support and participation of all UN specialized agencies, as well as strong support and partnership of other inter-governmental organizations and entities of the South.


Mr. Guterres pointed to several positive economic indicators which showcase “the enormous opportunities emanating from the countries of the South”: Southern countries have contributed to more than half of all global growth in recent years; Intra-South trade is at a record high, accounting for more than a quarter of all world trade; and the South represents one-third of all global outflows of foreign direct investment.


Furthermore, he said, innovative forms of Southern-led knowledge sharing, technology transfer, emergency response and livelihood recovery are transforming lives, and new financial institutions have helped generate infrastructure and sustainable development projects around the world.


Ms. Espinosa added that south-south exports far outpaced total world exports between 1995 and 2016, growing at an average rate of 13 percent – compared to the global rate of eight percent – with the value of south-south trade increasing almost sevenfold, from $0.6 trillion to $4 trillion, over the same period.


However, Mr. Guterres pointed out that there remain many challenges to overcome: 10 percent of the world’s population still live in extreme poverty, and more than 700 million people are unable to meet their basic needs, problems which are exacerbated by climate change and rising inequalities.


The 2018 GSSD Expo is one of the last major opportunities for stakeholders – including Member States, UN entities, academia and civil society – to come together before a High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation, due to be held in Buenos Aires in March 2019, which will focus on the role of South-South cooperation in relation to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.


For Ms. Espinosa, the Buenos Aires conference will be “crucial to renew the foundations of international cooperation and reaffirm that south-south cooperation complements traditional cooperation, without substituting for it.”


Describing the expo as a chance to take stock, review lessons and identify new ways to advance the 2030 Agenda, Mr. Guterres urged delegates to seize the opportunity to “share the real, lasting changes taking place in the South,” and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.



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Afghanistan can rely on international support along harrowing road to peace, and beyond



UNHCR/Andrew McConnell

Afghan refugees, who have made the difficult decision to voluntarily return home to Afghanistan, some after decades living in Pakistan, here pictured at UNHCR's voluntary repatriation centre in Peshawar, which provides administration and services to help them go home.


28 November 2018
Peace and Security


Afghanistan has undertaken significant reforms which the international community will continue to support long after peace is secured in the war-torn country, a top UN official pledged on Wednesday.


Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at the end of the Geneva Conference on Afghanistan, Mr. Tadamichi Yamamoto, head of the UNAMA Assistance Mission and UN Special Representative in the country, confirmed that the issue of an end to extremist violence had been discussed in depth.

“Perhaps this was the first ministerial meeting when the issue of peace has been taken up with so much weight in addition to the regular issues which are development, growth, social issues and reforms,” he said.


It’s time for the Taliban now to come forward to see if they are serious about ending the conflict...and play a constructive role in Afghanistan society - National Security Adviser, Hamdullah Mohib

“This also sends a message to various actors, of course to the Afghan people but also to the insurgents- the Taliban - that even when they join, or when they are part of the Government, that the international community will continue to assist Afghanistan.”

Mr. Tadamichi’s comments follow the Afghan Government’s pledge earlier this year to hold unconditional talks with Taliban groups.

Extremists have been held responsible for innumerable deadly attacks on civilians in the country, including one earlier on Wednesday in Kabul, reportedly targeting the premises of a private security company.

Also in Geneva, Afghanistan’s National Security Advisor, Dr. Hamdullah Mohib, insisted that the people of Afghanistan were “ready for peace."

The Taliban were ready too, he suggested, owing to increased military pressure on them throughout Afghanistan and the fact that they had “lost their legitimacy” in the eyes of citizens.

“We have put our step forward,” he said. “It’s time for the Taliban now to come forward to see if they are serious about ending the conflict and wanting to see and play a constructive role in the Afghanistan society.”

Those comments came at the end of a high-level conference on Afghanistan at the UN in Geneva attended by 67 countries, 34 international organizations and representatives from civil society and the private sector.

Its outcomes included the adoption of the Geneva Mutual Accountability Framework (GMAF), a list of commitments for the Government and international community to achieve by the end of next year.

These include enhancing inclusive economic growth, reducing poverty, creating employment, fighting corruption, empowering women more, and improving governance, rule of law and human rights.

Continuing with an ambitious reform programme is key to Afghanistan’s economic self-reliance, sustainable development and peace, Mohammad Qayoumi, Minister of Finance of Afghanistan, insisted. “I think in the past four years we have passed more than 390 legislations...I don’t think we have done that much in the prior 100 years.”

He added: “As we look towards the next five years, our hope is how we can move from a donor-based economy to an environment where we will be self-reliant and the focus will be on private sector investment, because no country has been able to move from poverty to prosperity through granting aid.”

Afghan millenials have 'risen up' to claim torch of leadership

Earlier in the day, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani acknowledged that his country had received considerable support from the global community, having been the focus of 11 similar meetings in recent years, from Tokyo to London.

Since the turn of the century, much had changed for the better, he insisted, not least the fact that Afghan men and women had voted on 20 October in parliamentary elections, despite the actions of armed extremists intent on spoiling the poll.

“There is no better demonstration of the emergence of the active citizen than the long line of voters we witnessed on October 20 who defied threats of violence and rocket attacks to cast their ballot in the Parliamentary elections,” he said.

People were increasingly “embracing and appropriating the values of the Constitution," President Ghani continued, before noting that young men and women – the “most educated and socially engaged generation ever," were helping to secure Afghanistan’s peaceful future.

“We are seeing both women and men of the millennium generation take their rightful place at the table of leadership and management and government, society and politics,” he said. “The torch is not so much being passed to them, but they have risen up and claimed it.”
'Notable improvements': UN pledges to continue peace, development partnership

Echoing those comments, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaffirmed the organization’s partnership with the Government and people of Afghanistan “for peace, inclusive growth and sustainable development."

In a message delivered to the Geneva conference by Under-Secretary-General Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Mr. Guterres noted how Afghanistan had “rebuilt” its political system, state institutions, infrastructure and economy since 2001.

These changes had brought “notable improvements” for ordinary citizens too, he added.

Considerable progress had also been made in women’s rights, the UN chief continued, not least in increased legal protection for them and their participation in politics and the economy.

Such inclusion “is essential to helping Afghanistan reach self-reliance," he said, before declaring that he was “heartened by the courage and determination shown by the millions of Afghan women and men who turned out to vote” in last month’s parliamentary elections.

In 2016, donors pledged more than $15 billion to help Afghanistan achieve those objectives over four years, and the conference provided an opportunity to take stock of Government-led reform at local and national level, across all regions.

Nonetheless, “serious challenges of insecurity, poverty and the rule of law persist” in Afghanistan, the UN Secretary-General said, adding that finding a political solution to the violence there “is more urgent than ever."




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Africa Forum aims to boost business, reduce costs, help countries trade out of poverty




UNCTAD

Participants at the African Forum for National Trade Facilitation Committees, 2018, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

28 November 2018

Economic Development

Better transport, logistics and foreign investment are essential to smooth the way for the African continent to reduce trade hurdles, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).


“Africa faces a moment when the market access gains that have been negotiated over the past two decades can be severely eroded unless we address the challenges of trade facilitation”, said UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi on Tuesday, at the start of a three-day forum taking place at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.


The First African Forum for National Trade Facilitation Committees aims to implement the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) February 2017 Trade Facilitation Agreement and tackle fast-shifting patterns of global commerce to help drive down trade costs.


Amidst new momentum provided by March’s landmark African Continental Free Trade Agreement(AfCTA), Mr. Kituyi emphasized that Africa’s competitive labour advantage must be accompanied by quality transport hubs, more efficient cross-border goods and services movements, better port procedures and predictable logistics management.


“If Africa is going to trade with itself, we have to make sense of what main roads and railways are to be built to connect African producers and consumers,” Mr. Kituyi argued, stressing the need for well-functioning trade committees, infrastructure and investment.


The WTO calculates that current trade costs for developing countries are equivalent to a staggering 219 per cent tariff on their international trade.


According to WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo, the reduction of trade costs with the Trade Facilitation Agreement is “striking.”


“It could add 2.7 percentage points per year to world trade growth and more than half a percentage point to world GDP [gross domestic product],” he stated. “The biggest benefits would accrue to developing countries.”


If Africa is going to trade with itself, we have to make sense of what main roads and railways are to be built to connect African producers and consumers -- UNCTAD Secretary-General


He revealed that African estimates indicate that by fully implementing the agreement, trade costs could be reduced by an average of 16.5 per cent, potentially delivering “a huge economic boost for the continent.”


This level of trade would open new opportunities for smaller businesses, especially for women-led businesses and younger entrepreneurs while enhancing transparency and reducing corruption.
African solutions


The deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission, Thomas Kwesi Quartey, stressed that the continent needs real vision to make an African common market a reality.


“To trade, you must first produce, and to be able produce and leverage science and technology in this production, you need education training and planning,” he said.


On behalf of UNECA’s Executive Secretary, Ingrid Cyimana said that Africans were doing just that by taking steps to integrate their economies using the new Free Trade Agreement and by establishing trade facilitation committees.


“Our projections show the value of intra-African trade to be between 15 to 25 per cent higher in 2040, compared to a situation with no AfCTA,” she stated.


The forum supports the WTO’s agreement, which besides boosting trade also addresses improved revenue collection and security compliance controls.



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Negotiated two-State solution still ‘the only option’ for Palestine: Guterres



UNRWA/Marwan Baghdadi

The rubble of demolished Palestinian homes in Beit Hanina, East Jerusalem overlooking Pisgat Ze’ev settlement.


28 November 2018
Peace and Security


A two-State solution where Israel and Palestine live side-by-side as sovereign nations is still “the only option” for lasting peace, and “containing the situation is not sufficient,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday, marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.


The Assembly adopted Resolution 181 on the partition of Palestine in 1947, but an independent and sovereign state has yet to be realised.

Mr.Guterres called on Palestinian and Israeli leaders “to restore faith in the promise of Resolution 181, of two States living side-by-side in peace and security, fulfilling the legitimate national aspirations of both peoples, with borders based on the 1967 lines and Jerusalem as the capital of both states – East Jerusalem being the capital of the Palestinian state.”

This, he said, was “the only way to achieve the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.”

President of the General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa highlighted the role of the United Nations in the peace process.

She reminded the committee and others in attendance of the theme of the 73rd session of the General Assembly: “Making the United Nations Relevant to All.”

“I would like to emphasize this point, ‘relevant to all,’” she said. “Our solidarity with the Palestinian people must not be rooted just in sympathy. As worthy as that is, the Palestinian people are entitled to more than that.”

Part of the UN pledge to leave no one behind, Mrs. Espinosa said, means doing “everything in our power to end their current nightmare.”

She said it was “not enough” to advocate on behalf of the Palestinian people, “if we don’t exercise the political will needed to make the stand count.”

Calling on world leaders, the Assembly President declared the need for an urgent response to the longstanding and complex humanitarian crises arising from the decades of conflict and mistrust.

“The state of the Palestinian people remains a scar on our collective conscience,” she said, “and we all have a responsibility to press the urgency of the need for an expeditious resolution.”



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‘Global trust’ declining, ‘our world needs stepped-up global leadership’



Press Encounter with the Secretary-General António Guterres, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, on 28 November 2018.


28 November 2018


SDGs


On the eve of the G20 international forum in Argentina, and ahead of next week’s COP24 climate conference in Katowice, Poland, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for global leadership to be stepped up, “at a time of declining global trust.”

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Mr. Guterres said that the meetings, both of which he is attending, come at a crucial moment: “Our world is obviously facing a crisis of confidence. Those left behind by globalization are losing trust in governments and institutions,” he told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York.

“Inequality is pervasive and increasing, especially within nations. Trade disputes are escalating. And an undercurrent of geopolitical tensions is adding further pressure to the global economy.”

The UN Chief outlined some examples of the stark, climate-related challenges the world is facing, such as Tuesday’s UN Environment report – calling for a five-fold increase in climate action to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century – and the World Meteorological Organization’s announcement that carbon dioxide levels have increased to levels not seen in 3 million years.


Mr. Guterres made a passionate call for immediate action, pointing out that the social, economic and environmental costs of climate change dwarf the costs of acting now: “Failure to act means more disasters and emergencies and air pollution that could cost the global economy as much as US$21 trillion by 2050.”

“On the other hand,” he added, “ambitious climate action will not only slow temperature rise, it will be good for economies, for the environment and for public health. Climate solutions represent opportunity, and technology is on our side. They are wise investments in an equitable, prosperous and sustainable future. Green business truly is good business.”


Turning to the funding needed for climate change mitigation and adaptation, the Secretary-General recalled the pledge to mobilize $100 billion per year for climate action in support of the developing world by 2020, and welcomed Germany’s Wednesday announcement to donate $1.5 billion to the Green Climate Fund: “the members of the G20 (group of industrialized nations) are responsible for more than three-quarters of greenhouse emissions. Yet it is equally true that G20 members have the power to bend the emissions curve. They also have the resources to provide the financing needed for both mitigation and adaptation.”

Ahead of the opening of the G20 on Thursday in Buenos Aires, Mr. Guterres has sent a letter to the Heads of State of the 20 nations taking part, in which he warns of the “increasingly acute” threats to human prosperity posed by climate-change and rising inequality, and underlines the need to preserve and renew multilateralism in order to “redirect globalization towards sustainable development for all.”

To achieve the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, the UN’s blueprint to transform the world for the better, the Secretary-General outlines 7 areas for G20 leaders to prioritize: Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Financing for Sustainable Development, Climate Action, Sustainable Food Future, Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, The Future of Work, and Migrants and Refugees.

The letter ends with an appeal to the leaders to conclude with an ambitious communiqué that “responds to the challenges of our time and upholds the spirit of cooperation."



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среда, 28 ноября 2018 г.

В Грузии стартовал второй тур выборов президента


28 ноября 2018, 08:00


© CC0


В Грузии началось голосование во втором туре президентских выборов. В нем участвуют два кандидата — Саломе Зурабишвили, которую поддерживает правящая партия «Грузинская мечта», и Григол Вашадзе от оппозиционного «Единого национального движения».

В первом туре участвовали 25 кандидатов, ни одному из которых не удалось набрать больше половины голосов. Лучших результатов добились Зурабишвили (38,6%) и Вашадзе (36,7%).

По информации грузинских СМИ, в среду открылись 3703 избирательных участка, в том числе 55 избирательных участков в более 30 зарубежных странах. В выборах могут принять участие около 3,5 млн избирателей.

Как отмечается, избирательные бюллетени напечатаны на грузинском, армянском и азербайджанском языках.

Действующий президент Грузии Георгий Маргвелашвили пришел на участок для голосования пешком.


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UN chief highlights action across borders for ‘stable and prosperous Eurasia’



UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Secretary-General António Guterres speaks at the high-level UN-SCO event, at UN Headquarters, in New York.


27 November 2018
Peace and Security


Challenges such as climate change, violent extremism, illegal drugs and people trafficking, all require countries to work together across borders, to formulate creative and coordinated solutions, the United Nations Secretary-General said on Tuesday.


Addressing a high-level meeting between the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional bloc in Eurasia, Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the complementary approaches between the two bodies, including preventive diplomacy, to address complex issues in the region.

He said the UN was “committed to work closely with the SCO towards a stable and prosperous Eurasia region where people can enjoy peace, sustainable development and respect for human rights – the fundamental values that led to the development of the United Nations,” he said.

One of the key shared priorities, highlighted Mr. Guterres, is greater inclusivity, particularly through greater engagement and participation of women and young people, especially in peace building.

“Women must have a meaningful role in all peace processes,” said the UN chief, noting that women’s participation, at all levels, has “proven essential” to sustainable peace and resilient societies.

Youth, he continued, have “great potential” to promote peace and tolerance and champion innovation, recalling Youth2030, the UN Youth Strategy, which he launched in September.

“The empowerment of women and young people, in the broader context of a vibrant civil society, is a solid basis for peace and human security,” added the UN chief.

Mr. Guterres also spoke of partnership between SCO and the Turkmenistan-based UN Regional Centre for Preventative Diplomacy (UNRCCA), contributing to peace and stability in Central Asia, including in counterterrorism and prevention of violent extremism.

The close cooperation, extend beyond peace and security as well as the sub region, he added, as shown by the close cooperation on economic and social matters between the UN regional commission for the Asia-Pacific region, ESCAP, and SCO as well as other parts of the UN system, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Tourism Organization.

“This demonstrates the vitality of our interaction and the very close coordination of our common strategy,” he said.

Established in 2001, the SCO is a political, economic, and security alliance of countries in the Eurasia region. Its membership includes China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In addition, Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Monglia are SCO observer states.



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Suffering of thousands of war-affected Syrian children ‘unprecedented and unacceptable’







UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0218/Romenzi


Syrian children shelter in the doorway of a house, amid gunfire and shelling, in a city affected by the conflict.

27 November 2018

Peace and Security

Well over 7,000 child casualties in Syria’s brutal armed conflict have been verified over the last five years, but this is just “the tip of the iceberg,” the United Nations Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the crisis lamented on Tuesday, with thousands more cases likely going unreported.

Referencing the Secretary-General’s recent country report on children and armed conflict in Syria as an eighth year of civil war looms, Panos Moumtzis said the findings reveal “a devastating increase in grave violations against children each year by all parties to the conflict,” and outside of the report, “overall numbers are considered to be much higher.”


Between November 2013 and June 2018, the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) on grave violations, established by the Security Council, cited the following key statistics for Syria:
More than 7,000 children killed or maimed by the conflict.
More than 3,300 children have been recruited or used in some fashion by armed groups.
Of Syria’s 6.2 Million displaced people, 2.6 million are children, roughly 42 percent.
One quarter of recruited children are under the age of 15, a violation of International Humanitarian Law.


Mr. Moumitzis explained the devastating humanitarian toll of the conflict on children.


“I am particularly concerned about ongoing reports of attacks on hospitals and medical facilities or personnel,” he said, highlighting that the Syria MRM verified dozens of such attacks within the first six months of 2018 alone.


“In some parts of Syria, entire education and health systems have been under attack, depriving children of their life-saving and life-sustaining protective environment.”


During the reporting period, the United Nations verified 12,537 grave violations against children, including gruesome deaths by stone-throwing and crucifixion.

Parties to the conflict


Since conflict flared up in March 2011, the battlefield has grown ever-more complex, involving regional opposition forces and foreign actors, further perpetuated by climate challenges.


Reported recruitment and use of children in armed conflict continue to increase, said Mr. Moumtzis, adding that 90 per cent of young boys or girls forced into service, end up in a combat role.


“The protection of children must be included in future peace negotiations and stabilization efforts,” declared Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba.


“I call on all parties and those who can influence them to use this information, often verified at high- risk by our colleagues, in their efforts to bring a political solution to this terrible conflict,” she urged.


The UN has convened eight rounds of intra-Syrian talks on governance, election reform, and counter-terrorism tactics, while successfully dispatching aid convoys delivering food and vaccines to millions on the ground last year.


In February 2017, following dialogue with the United Nations, the Government of Syria released a national work plan to prevent and respond to underage recruitment, the report states.


Mr. Moumtzis said the “unprecedented and unacceptable” suffering endured by children begs the commitment of all parties to the conflict to “put children before politics.”



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Despite violence, ‘tremendous hunger’ for peace in Afghanistan: top UN official


UN Geneva/Daniel Johnson
Toby Lanzer in the UN studio where he said that 2019 would be “make or break” for Afghanistan, amid nearly 40 years of violence, poverty and drought.


27 November 2018
Peace and Security


A high-level international conference on Afghanistan got underway at the UN in Geneva on Tuesday to show solidarity for the war-torn country’s people and help strengthen Government efforts to promote development, along with wider peace and security.


Speaking to journalists at the start of the two-day meeting at the Palais des Nations, senior UN official Toby Lanzer, Deputy Special Representative for the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said that everyone he had met wanted a solution to stop the violence.

The UN would do what it could to help them, with the support of the international community, he insisted, noting that the question of peace would be “quite naturally” a component of discussions.


“2019 will mark the 40th anniversary – four decades of instability - in Afghanistan,” he said. “For the vast majority of the country, they have grown up knowing conflict and nothing else, so there is a tremendous – and you will know this better than me - there is a tremendous hunger for peace. I have only met people in Afghanistan who want the violence to end so the United Nations will be doing what it can and offering its support in that regard.”

One of the aims of the conference - which is being attended by Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, its Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, together with numerous foreign ministers, including from Russia, Turkey and the EU – is to emphasise the importance of development to securing peace and security.

The Geneva meeting will also provide an opportunity to measure what has been achieved in Afghanistan after the international community committed $15.2 billion to the country as part of a four-year plan, in 2016.

“Whether it’s peace, whether it’s security, whether it’s development, whether it’s trade, things need to be Afghan-owned and Afghan-led,” Mr Lanzer said, before noting that progress had been “quicker and better” than might have been expected – not least in reform of the Government security sector.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) benchmarks “have not only been met, they’ve been exceeded”, the UNAMA official continued, before listing a series of areas where reform could be assessed, from investing in “the basic services” of health and education, to enabling the private sector by passing key legislation and combating corruption.

Current humanitarian needs in the country are at emergency levels for millions of people, the result of one of the worst droughts in living memory that has destroyed crops and livestock, hitting the mainly rural population hardest.

With 3.6 million living with chronic food insecurity, Mr. Lanzer said that “to be clear, it’s one step away from famine. That’s how hard this drought has struck during 2018.”

In addition to delivering food to those in need, providing shelter to people who have been displaced by the famine - or who are returning to Afghanistan – remains among the most urgent humanitarian challenges in the country, before winter sets in.

“This year so far, 675,000 people have returned from Iran to Afghanistan”, Mr. Lanzer said. “And at the same time, half a million people have been forced from their homes in the country. Why? Because of ongoing violence and because of the drought.”
Elections on course for April

Amid reports that Afghanistan’s 2019 presidential election may be postponed, the UN official said that no change in date had been conveyed to him by the country’s Independent Election Commission (IEC).

“We are working on the information that we have which is that presidential elections are currently scheduled to take place on 20 April (2019)”, he said, “and that’s the date that we’re still discussing with the authorities.”

Mr. Lanzer noted that the recent Parliamentary elections marked an important moment because they took place “without massive organizational support from the international community”.

It was also very significant at the end of February this year that the Government of Ashraf Ghani had said it was ready for “talks without preconditions” with Taliban armed groups without preconditions, the UN official explained.

This new approach has been accompanied by a “more concerted effort by the international community to lend a hand to that process”, Mr. Lanzer added, making this “an apt moment to get together to reaffirm our commitments and support to Afghanistan”.



https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/11/1026671
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Migration deal U-turns ‘reflect poorly’ on countries concerned: UN Special Representative




UN Photo/Mark Garten
Louise Arbour, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for International Migration.


27 November 2018
Migrants and Refugees


In an exclusive interview with UN News, Louise Arbour, the UN Special Representative for International Migration, said on Tuesday that the stated intention of several countries (including Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria) to pull out of the Global Compact for migration reflects poorly on them, and has seriously affected the spirit of multilateralism.


Ms. Arbour pointed out that the text was agreed following extensive negotiations – involving all Member States apart from the United States – that lasted for months, in which each country advanced their own interests and extracted concessions from others, and added that it was disappointing to see countries reverse their decision to sign up to the compact so soon after the text had been agreed by all participating parties.

On Sunday, Slovakia’s Prime Minister became the latest national leader to announce their withdrawal of support for the Compact, according to news reports.

However, she said that the vast majority of States are still signed up to the initiative: a cooperative non-binding document which is designed to set clear objectives to make migration safe, orderly and regular. It sets out to address the concerns of signatory governments while reinforcing national sovereignty; and recognizes the vulnerabilities faced by migrants.

Ms. Arbour says that, once implemented, it would allow migrants and Member States to prosper: “There is no question that we would see an increase in harvesting the benefits of migration and, very importantly, reducing some of its negative aspects such as irregular migration, with people moving in chaotic, dangerous ways,” she said.

“We would see a great improvement on the development aspects, the humanitarian aspect, and all the economic benefits that migration is capable of producing, if it's well managed, in a cooperative way,” added the former High Commissioner for Human Rights, and senior Canadian judge.

Addressing the often-negative discourse surrounding migration, Ms. Arbour said that governmental policies need to be data-driven, and connect with reality: “There are many, many countries in the world today that will need to import a part of their workforce. The demographics are suggesting that if they want to maintain their current economic standards or even grow their economy, they're going to have to receive well-trained foreigners to meet the labour market demands in their countries,” she said, adding that “to foster a culture of exclusion in such a case, is entirely counterproductive.”

The compact is due to be formally adopted at a conference in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh in December, where Ms. Arbour said that she expects to hear Member States express their intentions to implement the parts that are particularly significant to them, share their commitments, innovative ideas, and forge more partnerships.

The conference will also see the launch of the Migration Network, by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. This body, coordinated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), will oversee the implementation of the Global Compact for migration, and will involve all UN agencies that include a migration aspect as part of their mandate.



https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/11/1026791
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На встречу в Астане пригласят представителей ООН по делам беженцев и МККК

14:42   19.11.2018






АСТАНА, 19 ноя — РИА Новости. Представители управления Верховного комиссара ООН по делам беженцев и Международного комитета Красного Креста будут приглашены на встречу по Сирии в Астане, сообщил в понедельник руководитель пресс-службы МИД Казахстана Айбек Смадияров.


На встрече по Сирии в Астане обсудят освобождение задержанных

Встреча по Сирии в Астане пройдет 28-29 ноября.


"С учетом обсуждения профильной проблематики беженцев и насильственно удерживаемых лиц соответствующие приглашения (на 28-29 ноября) получат представители управления Верховного комиссара ООН по делам беженцев и Международного комитета Красного Креста", — сказал Смадияров на брифинге.

Развитие ситуации — в спецпроекте РИА Новости "Война в Сирии" >>



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