12 March 2014 – The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports increasing difficulties in implementing its mandate due to growing restrictions of movement, and calls on all parties to respect the work done by UN staff and the inviolability of the Organization’s assets and premises. Such restrictions of movement are in violation of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which establishes the rights and privileges of foreign personnel in a host country in support of a larger security arrangement, under which the Mission operates. Meanwhile, UN workers are facing challenges related to inclement weather and the approach of…
Author: UN News
12 March 2014 – The United Nations Security Council today regretted the lack of progress in implementing a two-year-old agreement between sudan and South sudan on security, the common border and economic relations, and called on both Governments to renew their commitment to the aims of the accord, particularly regarding the status of the long-contested Abyei area. Speaking to reporters following closed-door consultations, Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, which holds the Council’s presidency for the month, said members of the 15-nation body had also expressed concern about the lack of results in the recent round of political negotiations between…
13 March 2014 – The United Nations and Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria today appealed to the Security Council to assist him in pressing for a possible new round of negotiations bringing together the Syrian Government and opposition groups to end three years of bloodshed in the country. “We would very much like to continue this Geneva process, but we would like the help of the Council and of all those who can help to make sure that if, and when, we have the third round, it will be a little bit more productive than the second round,”…
12 March 2014 – A group of independent United Nations human rights experts today expressed alarm at the ongoing spike in executions in Iran, including the recent hanging of a former child bride amid questionable circumstances. At least 176 persons have reportedly been hanged in Iran this year alone, as part of what appears to be “a steadily increasing rate” since the summer of 2013, the experts stated in a news release. Most of these executions were carried out for drug-related offenses, in violation of international legal provisions limiting the permissibility of capital punishment to the ‘most serious’ crimes. “The…
12 March 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that the international community cannot afford to lose focus or turn away from war-torn Syria, and called for renewed political efforts to end what is now, after three years of bloodshed, the biggest humanitarian and security crisis in the world. “The Secretary-General deeply regrets the inability of the international community, the region and the Syrians themselves to put a stop to this appalling conflict,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement marking three years since fighting began between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and various opposition groups seeking his ouster. Syria is…
12 March 2014 – The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom today stressed that decisive action must be taken to ensure the safety of media workers in Iraq, following the recent killing of two cameramen. Muthanna Abdul Hussein and Khaled Abed Thamer, cameramen for Al-Iraqia TV, were killed in a suicide bomb blast at a checkpoint at the city of Hilla on 9 March, according to a news release issued by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “I condemn the killing of Muthanna Abdul Hussein and Khaled Abed Thamer,” UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova…
12 March 2014 – The rampant destruction of Syria’s cultural heritage – including ancient cities, houses and temples – is deepening hatred in the war-torn country and must stop, United Nations and Arab League officials warned today, stressing that the protection of Syria’s ancient history is inseparable from the protection of its people. “Destroying the inheritance of the past robs future generations of a powerful legacy, deepens hatred and despair and undermines all attempts to foster reconciliation,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director General, Irina Bokova, and UN and League of Arab States Joint…
12 March 2014 – The United Nations said today that in addition to logistical challenges that hindered Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights IvanŠimonović from traveling to the autonomous Ukrainian region of Crimea this week, he was informed by authorities that he could not be received there. “The reasons given were the complex situation on the ground as well as the impossibility of providing security for his delegation,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York. Mr. Šimonović, who was dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to continue the UN’s high-level engagement with the country and to assess the human rights…
11 March 2014 – Senior United Nations official Ivan Šimonovic is meeting with local authorities in Kharkiv, Ukraine, today to discuss human rights-related measures that can be taken to help de-escalate tensions in the country. “He is also raising with the authorities the allegations regarding human rights violations, and meeting with a range of pro-Russian as well as pro-Ukrainian civil society representatives,” Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters in Geneva. Mr. Šimonovic, the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, is in Ukraine to stress the “paramount” importance of ensuring…
10 March 2014 – With tensions and mistrust growing in Ukraine, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged the international community to help the key actors calm the situation and work toward a durable and fair political solution, ahead of closed-door Security Council consultations on the crisis. “I am increasingly alarmed by the developments in Ukraine,” Mr. Ban said in a statement, urging all sides to refrain from hasty actions and provocative rhetoric. “Recent events in Crimea in particular have only served to deepen the crisis,” he added. “Since the beginning of this crisis, I have appealed to all parties…
7 March 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today emphasized the need for peace and stability in Ukraine’s Crimea region, where the announcement of a referendum on joining russia constitutes a “worrying and serious” development. Lawmakers in the autonomous Ukrainian region of Crimea voted yesterday to join russia and to hold a referendum on 16 March to validate the decision. The move comes amid rising tensions in the region, where additional Russian troops and armoured vehicles have recently been deployed, and against the backdrop of the protests and violence that have plagued Ukraine since last November. “The recent announcement by the…
6 March 2014 – Describing strife-torn Ukraine as “a country on edge”, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson today called for an end to the “provocative rhetoric” that was stoking tensions there, and stressed the readiness of the United Nations to facilitate meaningful dialogue among all the key parties to help ease the crisis. “While the situation in Kiev is stable, there have been disturbing reports from some parts of the country, primarily Crimea,” Mr. Eliasson said, briefing the Security Council by video from Kiev, where he has been since Monday after having been sent by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on an…
12 March 2014 – The United Nations refugee agency announced today that the family visit flights between Sahrawi refugees living in camps near Tindouf, Algeria, and their families in the territory of Western Sahara are set to resume next month. “I am pleased that following intensive negotiations a breakthrough was achieved which enables separated families to see each other again,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres. “It is vital that these visits continue as they increase trust and understanding in one of the world’s longest-standing refugee situations. I urge all the concerned parties to remain committed to this…
11 March 2014 – As more and more markets in Pacific Island countries fill their shelves with imported processed foods, healthier locally produced items are being priced out of the market, warned the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today, encouraging local governments to adopt measures and regulations to help reverse that trend. Calling for a concerted effort, FAO emphasized that this shift is beginning to negatively affect the health of Pacific islanders, in a discussion paper presented at its 32nd Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific. It says that “in to restore a viable market for local…
10 March 2014 – The United Nations today stressed that Governments in Asia and the Pacific – which has more hungry people than all the other regions of the world combined – should take some major decisions soon about ways to increase food production and address undernourishment. While the Asia-Pacific region is making good progress in reducing under-nutrition, it is still home to more than 550 million hungry people, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “The region as a whole needs to improve food production systems and delivery to consumers or face significant food security problems within the…
10 March 2014 – Noting the positive results of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) response programme in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan, the agency’s chief today committed to long-term support for farming and fishing communities, earlier today during a visit to the region. Four months after the landfall of a typhoon that claimed over 6,000 lives and displaced millions, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva is traveling with Filipino Secretary of Agriculture Proceso Alcala, and FAO Philippines Permanent Representative Ambassador Virgilio Reyes, personally distributing bags of fertilizer and tools to affected farmers and fishermen. “We are committed…
10 March 2014 – United Nations Secretary-General today expressed concern about the situation in the Maldives following the decision of the Supreme Court to remove the Chair and the Vice Chair of the Elections Commission and to sentence the Chair for contempt of court. “The Secretary-General underlines the importance of respect for the principle of separation of powers, the rule of law, and the independence of constitutionally established bodies,” Mr. Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson in New York. “He commends the Elections Commission for its professionalism and tireless efforts to ensure credible and transparent elections,” the…
11 March 2014 – As the fighting continues in South Sudan, United Nations humanitarian agencies warned today that the approach of the rainy season is a major concern for the 706,000 people displaced since the beginning of the crisis in December 2013, 77,000 of which are seeking refuge at UN Mission in South sudan (UNMISS) bases. On Friday 7 March, the first major rainstorm of the season caused flooding and destroyed or damaged hundreds of tents in a UNMISS base in Juba. Though the tents were able to be fixed and there were no reports of injured civilians, the International…
11 March 2014 – The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today warned rebel fighters in the country to ‘surrender without delay’ and join the disarmament process or face consequences. In a statement from the mission, known by its acronym MONUSCO, Special Representative Martin Kobler spoke directly to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda known as FDLR. “I urge all FDLR rebels to immediately break away from their leaders who are being prosecuted by justice, otherwise they will be forcibly disarmed,” he said, urging rebels to join the disarmament,…
11 March 2014 – The best hope for peace and stability in Somalia, the Horn of Africa and beyond remains a united, secure and federal Somalia, the top United Nations official in the country told the Security Council today, warning that after a series of attacks against high-profile targets in Mogadishu, insecurity in the capital city poses challenges for Somalis and their international partners. “2014 is a crucial year… marked by security and political challenges, which will be overcome if the Federal Government of Somalia and international partners remain united and if both accelerate delivery of their mutual commitments,” Special…