UN Daily News · Aamir Khan spotlights battle against malnutrition • Emotional family reunions highlight need for ... led government to resume its work in Gaza

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Issue DH/7267 Wednesday, 19 October 2016

In the headlines:

• In turbulent Middle East, UN envoy warns against

‘sleep-walking into another violent conflict’

• UN relief wing and partners ready to rush in aid

once pause in Yemen fighting begins

• Reforesting Kilimanjaro could ease East Africa's

severe water shortages – UN

• UN mission in Afghanistan reports 'worrying' rise in

child casualties

• Millions more children will have access to ‘5-in-1’

vaccine through UNICEF supply agreement

• In Bhutan, UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador

Aamir Khan spotlights battle against malnutrition

• Emotional family reunions highlight need for

psychosocial care for all girls abducted by Boko

Haram

• UN, African Union partnership to foster job

opportunities for African rural youth

• UN Assembly marks fiftieth anniversary of key

human rights covenants, ‘bedrock of sound

governance’

• INTERVIEW: 'A surge in the diplomacy for peace

would be my priority' – UN Secretary-General-

designate

• UN experts concerned about Mauritania’s hostility

to jailed anti-slavery activists

• DR Congo: Ban notes conclusion of national

dialogue, urges active engagement with all

stakeholders

More stories inside

In turbulent Middle East, UN envoy warns against ‘sleep-walking into another violent conflict’

19 October – The absence of progress towards a two-state solution has led to growing anger and frustration among Palestinians and profound disillusionment among Israelis, the top United Nations Middle East envoy warned today: “We must all avoid the risk of sleep-walking into another violent conflict at a time when the region as a whole needs moderate forces” to stand up to rising radicalization.

“Allow me to also be abundantly clear to those who build tunnels, fire rockets, smuggle military materiel, profit from the black market or seek to create confrontation: their actions are dangerous and irresponsible,” the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, told the Council via videoconference.

Expressing concern at recent violence in East Jerusalem and the ensuing “glorification” of the attack by Hamas and other groups, the Special Coordinator further noted that a long-term solution to the

On large screen: Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace

Process Nickolay Mladenov briefs the Security Council on the

situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question. UN

Photo/Kim Haughton

UN Daily News

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UN News Centre • www.un.org/news

UN Daily News 19 October 2016

issues in the region could only be reached through negotiations, not violence.

He reported that Israel continues its settlement planning, including recent promotion of an initial 98 out of 300 housing units in Shilo, located deep in the occupied West Bank, noting that if implemented, this plan would “drive a wedge” between north and south in the West Bank and jeopardize the contiguity of a future Palestinian state.

Mr. Mladenov also reiterated the position of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that settlements are illegal under international law and undermine the two-state solution.

The Special Coordinator also expressed concern at postponement of local council elections in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, noting that the resulting political disputes, accusations, legal challenges and counter-challenges have left the people of the two enclaves feeling more apart. He also expressed concern at recent calls by Hamas legislators in Gaza for the Hamas-led government to resume its work in Gaza.

“Such a step would seriously undermine the Palestinian Government of National Consensus and would also make the reconciliation almost impossible,” Mr. Mladenov warned.

Further reiterating the joint position of Russia, the United States, the European Union (EU) and the UN Secretary-General, as stated in the recent report issued by the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East peace process, that the illicit arms build-up and militant activity in Gaza must be terminated, Mr. Mladenov cautioned that such actions increase the risk of a new escalation of hostilities and keep thousands of people on both sides of the border under a constant threat of attack.

Such a step would seriously undermine the Palestinian Government of National Consensus and would also make the reconciliation almost impossible He further added that the militant threat, however, should not serve as “an excuse” for Israel to indiscriminately harm civilians in Gaza. “In addition to the continuing severely restrictive closures, I am concerned by persistent incursions and the almost daily firing and shelling by Israeli forces into Gaza along the fence and at sea,” said the UN official.

He also informed the 15-member body of his recent visit to Gaza and the significant slowdown of reconstruction projects due to import limitations and revoking of projects and urged all parties to the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism to recommit to ensuring its smooth operation. “Failing to do that will put in question the viability of the mechanism and undermine the precarious calm in Gaza today,” he said.

Concluding his briefing, Mr. Mladenov reminded the Security Council that Gaza’s future is intricately linked to the future of the Palestinian people. He added: “The longer its population continues to suffer under the intolerable weight of Gaza’s current dynamics, the further Palestinians are from realizing that objective, and the closer we are to the next major escalation.”

For his part, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien highlighted that humanitarian needs continue to be high and that nearly every resident in the occupied Palestinian territory is recognized as being affected by the protection crisis.

“In Gaza, humanitarian needs stem from nearly 10 years of closures and restrictions imposed by Israel following the military takeover by Hamas,” said Mr. O’Brien, adding that the situation has been exasperated by successive rounds of hostilities between Hamas and Israel, internal Palestinian political divisions and Egypt’s near complete closure of its border crossing with Gaza.

He added that such events had left half of Gaza’s households with severe food insecurity, and lacking clean water and reliable electricity.

The worst sufferers, Mr. O’Brien said, were the children. “A 10-year-old child today has already experienced three rounds of conflict in her short life. Nearly 230,000 children continue to be in need of psychosocial support and an estimated 250,000 children require mine risk awareness, due to the prevalence of explosive remnants of war. Israeli children along the Gaza border have been impacted as well and continue to live in fear.”

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A 10-year-old child today has already experienced three rounds of conflict in her short life

Recalling his earlier briefing this year to the Council, Mr. O’Brien, also the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and the head of UN humanitarian wing (OCHA), underlined the need for collective action address the humanitarian needs.

“We must move towards decisive action that will reduce humanitarian needs, secure respect for international law and bring to Palestinians and Israelis alike the hope and reality of a stable, peaceful and prosperous future,” he said.

Mosul: Though no large-scale displacement, concerns remain for 1.5 million civilians

Further in his briefing, the UN humanitarian chief updated Council members on the humanitarian situation in Iraq, particularly in light of the military operation to recapture Mosul. He reported that military activities remain concentrated in less populated areas, with no large-scale civilian displacement recorded at this stage.

However, he expressed deep concerns over the safety of up to 1.5 million people living in the city as hostilities intensify and progress towards densely populated areas.

“We believe families in Mosul will be at great risk during this operation, of getting caught in cross-fire or directly targeted by snipers as they foraged for food,” he said, expressing worry that civilians may be used as human shields or be forcibly expelled and become trapped between front lines.

“The elderly, the disabled, and pregnant women, may be unable to move to safety without assistance and on past evidence the so called Islamic State’s practices cause the greatest concern for protection issues,” he added.

According to OHCA estimates, some 200,000 people may be displaced over the coming weeks, with up to one million displaced in the course of the operation in a worst-case scenario. Of these, it is estimated that 700,000 will require shelter and emergency assistance.

Shelter has so far been prepared for 60,000 people in camps and emergency sites, and preparation of sites for a further 250,000 people is accelerating. Emergency supplies are being pre-positioned close to displacement sites; mobile clinics, health, and protection teams are prepared; and food trucks are on standby.

UN relief wing and partners ready to rush in aid once pause in Yemen fighting begins

19 October – Following a month that saw civilians continuing to bear the brunt of the conflict in Yemen, a 72-hour halt to fighting set to take effect later today is welcome, but not nearly enough time, according to a senior United Nations relief official, who appealed for more predictable access to be able deliver aid to hard-to-reach communities caught up in the crisis.

“By having just access for 72 hours you interrupt your planning by diverting attention somewhere else. But if we can have those areas open at all times and we can plan differently and we can supply better,” said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, speaking to UN Radio by phone from the Yemeni capital, Sana’a.

This past Monday, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, announced a plan for the resumption of a comprehensive cessation of hostilities in the war-torn Gulf nation. According to his Office, the Special Envoy has received assurances from all Yemeni parties of their recommitment to the Terms and Conditions of the Cessation of Hostilities of 10 April 2016, which will re-enter into force at midnight tonight

UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick briefs

the press. Photo: UN OCHA Yemen

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Yemen time, for an initial period of 72 hours, “subject to renewal.”

Yemen is one of the poorest countries on earth and the 18-month-old conflict has had a terrible effect on its people, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which estimates that nearly half the population – or just over 12 million people – are now in need of some form of assistance. The UN-facilitated peace talks between a Yemeni Government delegation and a delegation of the General People's Congress and Ansar Allah ended on 6 August.

The pause in the fighting cannot come soon enough for the people of the country and Mr. McGoldrick stressed today that one of the key priorities will be to getting aid to people in the city of Taiz, which has been hard-hit amid clashes between Government forces and Houthi rebels.

Some 600,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in the central Yemeni city, the UN says, in a plea for funding from the international community. Other places that need urgent help include Marad and the capital Sana’a, where airstrikes were reported on Wednesday.

Getting that aid into Yemen continues to be a huge challenge, with one of the country’s main ports, Hodeidah, still crippled from airstrikes that damaged its huge cranes that used to offload ships.

“What that means is that many ships spend a lot of time trying to offload […] and we’ve seen reports of goods being kept on the open sea for too long and by the time they get to shore the foodstuffs have actually been spoiled,” explained Mr. McGoldrick.

The lack of food coming into Yemen is insufficient to satisfy the needs of the population, and this has led to widespread malnutrition.

According to the UN, nearly three million people – mainly children under five – need food aid and 1.3 million youngsters are acutely malnourished.

To help counter this, the UN has called for $1.63 billion from the international community. To date, this appeal is less than 47 per cent funded.

In addition to the violence, Yemen now faces the threat of cholera, with the country’s Health Ministry on 6 October, having confirmed 15 cases – 11 cases in Sana’a and four cases in Al Bayda, according to OCHA.

Reforesting Kilimanjaro could ease East Africa's severe water shortages – UN

19 October – There is a need to reforest Africa’s highest mountain to help protect vital water supplies that are under threat across large parts of East Africa, a UN Environment report urged today.

The loss of Mount Kilimanjaro’s forests could trigger water crisis as rivers begin to dry up, notes the report, entitled Sustainable Mountain Development in East Africa in a Changing Climate, which was launched at the World Mountain Forum in Uganda today.

The report stresses that climate change has already destroyed 13,000 hectares of the mountain’s forests since 1976 – equivalent to cutting off a year’s supply of drinking water for one million people.

According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Mt. Kilimanjaro’s forests are a vital source of water for the surrounding

towns and the wider region. Water from the mountain feeds one of Tanzania’s largest rivers, the Pangani, providing food,

Aerial view of the dwindling ice on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

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fuel and building materials to much of East Africa.

The report notes that higher temperatures as a result of climate change have increased the number of wildfires on the mountain and thus accelerated the destruction of forests. Because there are now fewer trees to trap water from clouds, the annual amount of dew on the mountain is believed to have fallen by 25 per cent.

As an example of the dire impact of this situation, UNEP notes that the town of Moshi, which is located in the foothills of Kilimanjaro, is already experiencing severe water shortages as rivers begin to dry up, starving farmland of water in an area already struggling to cope with a dramatic drop in rainfall.

The report urges Tanzania to protect Mt. Kilimanjaro’s water catchment area by reforesting the mountain, investing in early warning systems and making climate adaptation a top priority.

Protecting East Africa’s mountain ecosystems will also help safeguard the region’s vital tourism industry, which is worth $7 billion to East Africa. Mt. Kilimanjaro, for example, contributes over one third of Tanzania’s total revenue from tourism, the report adds.

Furthermore, the disastrous impact of climate change on East Africa’s mountains can be seen in the loss of its glaciers. Since the 1990s, the surface area of glaciers in the region has decreased by 80. These glaciers are expected to vanish completely within a few decades as temperatures increase, notes the report.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), East Africa can expect an average increase in annual temperature of 3.2 degrees Celsius by 2080.

The mountains of East Africa are not only highly productive agricultural areas: the rivers they feed also have significant, but largely unexploited, hydropower potential for a region crippled by a lack of electricity.

Rivers in the Nile Basin, for example, could generate 20 gigawatts of electricity while the Mau Forest could generate a further 508 megawatts – enough to meet half of Kenya’s capacity.

The World Mountain Forum is taking place in Mbale, Uganda from 17-20 October under the theme ‘Mountains for our Future.’

Today’s report was co-authored by UNEP, GRID-Arendal, East African Community, the Albertine Rift Conservation Society and Nature-RIDD and is part of the Mountain Adaptation Outlook Series, which was launched by UNEP at the climate summit in Paris last year.

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UN mission in Afghanistan reports 'worrying' rise in child casualties

19 October – Even though overall conflict-related civilian casualty numbers in Afghanistan fell by one per cent in the first nine months of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015, child casualties saw a marked increase of 15 per cent, the United Nations mission in the country said today.

According to the latest figures released by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), of the total 8,397 casualties (2,562 deaths and 5,835 injured), 29.3 per cent or 2,461 casualties were children (639 deaths and 1,822 injured).

“Increased fighting in densely populated areas makes it imperative for parties to take immediate steps to ensure all feasible precautions are being taken to spare civilians from harm,” the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA,

Tadamichi Yamamoto, said today in a news release issued by the mission.

Of particular concern, UNAMA noted in the release, was the continued rise in child casualties. In the first nine months of this year, 2,461 child casualties (639 deaths and 1,822 injured) were document, a 15 per cent increase over the same period in 2015. Ground engagements caused more than half of all child casualties in 2016 and some 84 per cent victims of unexploded ordnance were children.

Emphasizing the need to protect children, UNAMA Human Rights Director Danielle Belle stressed: “All parties must systematically track, mark and clear unexploded ordinance in order protect current and future generations of children from harm.”

The mission also noted a total of 877 women civilian casualties (240 deaths and 637 injured). This number had dropped 12 per cent from last year, primarily due to fewer women casualties from suicide and complex attacks, as well as from improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

In terms of actors causing the casualties, the mission said that anti-Government elements caused about 61 per cent (5,143) of the total casualties, including 1,569 deaths and 3,574 injured. About 23 per cent (1,897; 623 deaths and 1,274 injured) of all casualties were attributed to pro-Government forces. 11 per cent of civilian casualties resulted from ground fighting between anti-Government elements and pro-Government forces where the responsible party could not be identified and unattributed unexploded ordnance caused the majority of the remaining civilian casualties (5 per cent).

While UNAMA noted significant decreases in civilian casualties caused by IEDs (by 22 per cent) and targeted killings (by 30 per cent), it also found that ground engagements between pro-Government forces and anti-Government elements (accounting for 39 per cent of all civilian casualties) had increased by 18 per cent compared to the same period in 2015.

Notwithstanding these decreases, attacks conducted by anti-Government elements directly targeting civilians or in areas with a large civilian presence also continued. One sobering incident was the 23 July suicide attack against a crowd of peaceful demonstrators in Kabul that killed 85 persons and injured more than 400. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or Da'esh) had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The mission also documented a number of conflict-related incidents targeting health-care and educational facilities, as well as humanitarian de-miners, polio vaccinators, and those providing humanitarian aid. Since 1 January, there have been 75 such attacks including a suicide attack at the American University of Afghanistan on 24 August, which killed 13 civilians and injured 48.

Members of a family sit outside their simple home in northern

Afghanistan's Faryab province. Photo: UNHCR/S. Sisomsack

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In the news release today, UNAMA underscored that attacks directly targeting civilians may constitute war crimes and called on all parties to the conflict to abide by international humanitarian law.

During the reporting period, UNAMA also documented 1,897 civilian casualties (623 deaths and 1,274 injured) caused by pro-Government forces, a 42 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2015. The majority of these occurred in the context of ground fighting between pro-Government forces and anti-Government elements.

Furthermore, civilian casualties caused by aerial strikes by pro-Government forces (292 civilian casualties, including 133 deaths and 159 injured) rose by almost 72 per cent. One third of these casualties were caused by international military forces, said the mission.

Millions more children will have access to ‘5-in-1’ vaccine through UNICEF supply agreement

19 October – With a price drop to below $1 a dose, UNICEF has successfully secured a five-in-one vaccine for children at half the price the agency currently pays, which will allow it to buy 450 million doses for 80 countries over the next three years.

The vaccine, pentavalent, protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B, all of which are potentially deadly infections. The doses will be distributed to transitioning countries and those supported by Gavi, the international organization that works with public and private sectors to bring vaccinations to children living in the world’s poorest countries.

Since 2001, a strong collaboration between the Gavi Alliance Partners, which includes UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Health Organization (WHO), has generated great success.

Pentavalent will now be available for about $0.84 a dosage, a price that is also available to governments that self-finance the procurement. The new pricing is expected to generate more than $366 million in savings for donors and governments.

According to Shanelle Hall, Director of UNICEF’s supply and procurement headquarters, as many as 90 per cent of children under the age of five who die from vaccine-preventable diseases are currently living in countries where donors are no longer fully funding vaccination supplies. “For the most vulnerable children in the world, pricing can make a difference between life and death,” she stated in a news release.

Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, says that the organization estimates about 5.7 million deaths will be avoided between 2011 and 2020, thanks to the pentavalent vaccine. “The market for five-in-one vaccines is now a lot healthier than it was just a few years ago thanks to our collective efforts to grow a base of vaccine supplies,” he said. He reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to improving vaccine markets in order to “ensure immunization investments and efforts are sustainable for all.”

According to UNICEF, milestones such as these demonstrate the power of collaborative engagement to make vast improvements to children’s health. Between 2001 and 2015, UNICEF’s supply of pentavalent increased from 14.5 million to more than 235 million doses, due to an increase in demand from Gavi-supported countries. By carefully monitoring supply and demand in vaccine markets and engaging in consultations with vaccine manufacturers, experts have been able to determine how to maintain sufficient production levels and efficiencies of scale.

The statement issued by UNICEF also acknowledged that broadening the supplier bases reduces a risk of supply shortages and other market constraints. The collaboration between UNICEF, Gavi, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation led to higher levels of donor funding, multi-year supplier contracts, better demand forecasts, and special contract terms that grew the pentavalent supplier base from one to six over the past 15 years. Prices have dropped as a result.

An Auxiliary Nurse Midwife prepares vaccine inside Anganwadi

centre in Begusarai, Bihar, India. Photo: UNICEF/Dhiraj Singh

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Competition continues to grow as additional manufacturers become interested in supplying vaccinations to UNICEF. Since 2011, the organization has made available the prices of all of its vaccines, allowing manufacturers to see what their competitors charge; this in turn has brought about better offers. As of 2016, the price for donor-funded and government self-funding pentavalent vaccines was an average of $1.65 a dose.

This year, UNICEF launched a phased approach to tendering, thanks to the competitive market and excess supply. First, the organization invited suppliers to submit a price proposal. After accepting the most competitive bids, it then launched a second request, which brought about improvements to the initial offers. This process allowed UNICEF to secure the current price of $0.84 a dose, the lowest ever pricing, while at the same time maintaining a healthy market supply over the long-term.

Ms. Hall lauded today’s announcement, saying that it demonstrated “that partnerships can bring affordability and price sustainability to the table in supplier discussing, and this is transforming health outcomes for children.”

In Bhutan, UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador Aamir Khan spotlights battle against malnutrition

19 October – After a visit to Bhutan yesterday, actor and director Aamir Khan, a UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador, praised the country’s progress to end malnutrition and recognized young mothers’ efforts to safeguard their children’s health despite high levels of stunting.

“While Bhutan has made amazing progress in areas of health and nutrition, there’s still work to be done and every child is yet to be reached,” said the Goodwill Ambassador.

A 2015 National Nutrition Survey revealed that although 98 per cent of households in Bhutan have access to food, 88 per cent of children between the ages of six and 23 months are not receiving the nutrition that they need. Throughout South Asia, an estimated 38 per cent, or 64 million children under the age of five are affected by stunted growth, which leads to cognitive and physical limitations. In Bhutan, one in five children is stunted.

Mr. Khan met with women and their children at the Drukgyel Basic Health Unit in Paro, including Namgay Zam, who gave birth 20 days before. His visit brought attention to the efforts of the UN Children’s (UNICEF), the Royal Government of Bhutan, and their partners to improve nutrition among young children and women throughout their pregnancies.

“We are delighted that Aamir Khan is here in Bhutan to help us shine a light on the impact of undernutrition and to show how by working together we can reduce stunting in children across the country,” remarked UNICEF Bhutan Representative Rudolf Schwenk.

In a press release, UNICEF called South Asia the “epicentre of the global child stunting crisis, compromising the future of the whole region.”

Stunting is caused by poor diet during the first two years in life, as well as inadequate nutrition before and during pregnancy, and poor sanitation conditions in households and communities. It has long-term effects on a child’s wellbeing and is an important indicator of social inequalities.

South Asian countries have endorsed global targets to reduce the number of stunted children by 40 per cent by 2025. In order to achieve this goal, UNICEF urges South Asian governments to invest in programs specifically designed to target childhood stunting.

UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador and film actor and director

Aamir Khan (centre) in Bhutan to help advocate against malnutrition.

Photo: UNICEFROSA/2016/PBrown

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Emotional family reunions highlight need for psychosocial care for all girls abducted by Boko Haram

19 October – After more than two years of being held hostage by Boko Haram, in northeast Nigeria, Chibok girls have finally been reunited with their families, however, their return emphasizes the necessity of urgent and intensive psychosocial care, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Gianfranco Rotigliano, Representative of UNICEF Nigeria, stated that the release of the girls is very good news, and it is nice to see them reunite with their families, however, “we must keep pressing for all the women and children held by Boko Haram to be freed.”

He also stressed that those who have been victims of Boko Haram, still have a long road to recovery, and a difficult process of rebuilding their lives after the trauma they have suffered.

UNICEF estimates that Boko Haram has abducted thousands of women and girls, including more than 200 Chibok girls in April 2014. The agency has made efforts to support hundreds of the girls and women who have been released or escaped from Boko Haram.

Many of the girls have been subjected to rape, forced marriages, beatings, and starvation, resulting in a significant number of them returning pregnant or with babies. In addition, those who return to safety are often ill, traumatized, exhausted, and in need of psychological and medical attention.

UNICEF reports that not only is it hard for the women and girls to get back to normal life, upon returning to their families, but they are also being feared of within their communities. People are scared that these girls have been indoctrinated by Boko Haram, and may be used as suicide bombers. Their children, if born as a result of sexual violence, are also very likely to face rejection and abandonment.

UNICEF has partnered up with International Alert, and for the past 10 months, has been providing psychological support to the female victims of Boko Haram’s violence, as well as promoting acceptance and addressing negative perceptions that these women and girls endure within the affected communities.

The agency’s reintegration assistance programme became possible through funding from the Swedish International Development Agency and the United Kingdom Department for International Development, providing an opportunity to help more than 750 women and girls subjected to Boko Haram-related sexual violence.

However, the issue of women and girls facing violence while being held by Boko Haram has not been eliminated yet, so the long-term provision of essential support remains heavily underfunded, according to UNICEF.

After more than two years of being held hostage by Boko Haram, in

northeast Nigeria, one of the Chibok girls recounts the horrific

conditions they experienced. Photo: UNICEF Nigeria

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UN, African Union partnership to foster job opportunities for African rural youth

19 October – The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has partnered with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to generate job and business opportunities for young people in rural Benin, Cameroon, Malawi, and Niger, thanks to a $4 million grant from the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund.

A new agreement was signed today by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA) Chief Executive Officer Ibrahim Assane Mayaki that will enable the four countries to create and implement policies in support of enterprise development in rural areas.

“This joint effort seeks to promote decent rural youth employment and entrepreneurship in agriculture and agribusiness, and it represents another important example of an African-led cooperation initiative that seeks to safeguard food security and livelihoods on the continent,” said Mr. Graziano da Silva.

NEPAD’s Mr. Mayaki added that the Africa Agenda 2063, the 50-year agenda to build a prosperous and united Africa, is largely dependent upon “the transformation of rural areas supported by capacitated young entrepreneurs along the food chain.”

Over the next three years, funds from the project will be used to ensure that young people, and especially women, have better access to the rural economy, which includes decent job creation in farming and non-farming sectors through public and private investments.

Through the project, Benin, Cameroon, Malawi and Niger will adopt national action plans on youth employment and skills development for people in rural economic value chains. More broadly, the project seeks to foster policy dialogue among countries, regional organizations, development and resource partners.

NEPAD is an economic development programme of the African Union, adopted in 2001 in Lusaka, Zambia. It aims to provide an overarching vision and policy framework for accelerating economic co-operation and integration among African countries.

FAO and NEPAD’s partnership also supports the 2014 Malabo Declaration, a promise by African Union leaders to achieve certain agricultural sector goals by 2025. Among these is a commitment to improve youth employment in Africa’s rural regions by 30 percent, especially by strengthening agricultural value chains. Another is to prioritize opportunities for women and rural youth.

The project launch comes just after the International Day of Rural Women, on which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the need to secure rural women’s rights and opportunities in order to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Women at work preparing the field for the next rainy season by

escaving mid-moon dams to save water – Niger. Photo: FAO/Giulio

Napolitano

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UN Assembly marks fiftieth anniversary of key human rights covenants, ‘bedrock of sound governance’

19 October – With violent extremism on the rise and waves of intolerance and hate targeting minorities, migrants and the most vulnerable, the international community must renew efforts to uphold its human rights treaties, the United Nations General Assembly heard this morning.

“We live in times when people across our world are being denied their most fundamental human rights,” said Peter Thomson, the body’s President, as the Assembly marked the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Warning against greater restrictions on rights and freedoms, he urged Member States to work together to uphold the basics: the right to life, liberty and security; to equality before the law; to gender equality,

education and health; to freedom of expression, worship and association; and to freedom from discrimination, torture, slavery and hunger.

In his remarks, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said that half a century ago, the Assembly adopted the two international human rights covenants, “marking the beginning of a global constitution of human rights protection.”

“The adoption galvanized the consensus view that the protection and realization of human rights is fundamental to building resilient, inclusive and peaceful societies,” he added.

According to Mr. Eliasson, the Covenants have inspired international human rights instruments and influenced national constitutions the world over. They have guided national and regional courts and provided a normative foundation for the work of national independent human rights institutions.

“They have confirmed a common universal language of human rights – at the heart of which remains the right to life,” continued the Deputy Secretary-General, adding “the abolition of the death penalty has advanced significantly. But we must step up our efforts towards ending this inhumane practice of executions once and for all.”

The deputy UN chief explained that the goal of universal ratification of the Covenants includes the right of petition under their Optional Protocols and their full and effective realization for all people.

“Regrettably,” he lamented, “serious human rights violations remain a huge challenge. And here I think of all human rights – political, civil, economic, social and cultural.”

Elaborating, Mr. Eliasson specifically mentioned: civil liberties protection in fighting terrorism and violent extremism; preventing famine; upholding social protection, even during troubled economic times; respecting religious freedom, tolerance and freedom from discrimination for all, including migrants; shielding everyone from all forms of violence, especially women and children; and creating space for free speech, for free media and for human rights defenders to act without intimidation.

Wide view of the General Assembly Hall during the commemoration

of the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the International Covenant

on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

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“In a world of widespread suffering, war, poverty and discrimination, the fiftieth anniversary is an appropriate moment to rally around the Covenants’ principles and vision,” he emphasized.

Pointing out how the Covenants remind all that carnage stemming from conflict and blatant disrespect of human rights and humanitarian law is “utterly inexcusable,” he said that they admonish us to “never accept extreme poverty, intolerance, inequality and injustices.”

“More than ever,” Mr. Eliasson added, “we have the knowledge and the tools – and even resources.” Indeed, the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda provides a global blueprint to implement the Covenants in a broader and deeper sense. The Covenants, in turn, support stronger accountability of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In parallel, the UN Human Rights Up Front Initiative aims to enhance the UN system’s ability to prevent and respond in a timely fashion to serious human rights violations before they turn into mass atrocities, as has been apparent in so many cases.

Also speaking today, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, underlined the importance of the two Covenants and said that they have been a “lifeline” for millions of women, men and children in the last half century.

“These are not empty words, but rights. Every State represented in this room has sworn to be accountable to its people in ensuring these rights are respected,” said High Commissioner Zeid in his remarks at the special commemorative event, adding: “They have helped to shape constitutions of many nations represented in this chamber, and they are deeply grounded in your laws.”

He further noted that the Covenants, through the work their respective treaty-monitoring bodies, continue to guide States and also assist individuals seeking remedies for rights violations.

Underscoring the importance of the treaty-body mechanism, Mr. Zeid encouraged all members of the General Assembly to act on the recommendations made by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his report to ensure the bodies can provide the most effective possible support.

The High Commissioner also noted that even 50 years after their establishment, the Covenants continue to bear fruit, as illustrated in the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change that draw deeply from the human rights instruments to end discrimination on any grounds, and to build governance that is grounded in civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.

“The fiftieth anniversary of the Covenants must be an occasion to reaffirm our commitment to the International Bill of Rights – the great tripod of principle and commitment that is formed by the two Covenants and the Universal Declaration [of Human Rights],” said the UN rights chief, adding: “These texts are the bedrock of sound governance. In them lives the world’s hope for peace.”

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INTERVIEW: 'A surge in the diplomacy for peace would be my priority' – UN Secretary-General-designate

19 October – On 13 October 2016, the UN General Assembly appointed, by acclamation António Guterres, as the next United Nations Secretary-General, to succeed Ban Ki-moon when he steps down on 31 December.

Mr. Guterres, aged 67, was Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015.

Adopting a consensus resolution put forward by its President, Peter Thomson, the Assembly acted on the recommendation of the UN Security Council, which on 6 October forwarded Mr. Guterres’ name to the 193-member body as its nominee for UN Secretary-General for a five-year period, ending 31 December 2021.

He will become the world’s top diplomat on 1 January 2017, and hold that post for the next five years.

Speaking about his appointment, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said Mr. Guterres was “a wonderful choice to steer this Organization as we build on the progress of the past decade, while addressing the insecurity and uncertainties of today’s world.”

The UN News Centre caught up with Mr. Guterres soon after his appointment, and first asked what his most pressing or urgent priorities will be, when he assumes office in January.

UN Secretary-General-designate: If you allow me before answering your question, I would like to express – as this is UN Media – to express my deep solidarity with all UN staff. I had the privilege to be a colleague during 10 years of service in UNHCR and I am thrilled with the possibility of becoming a colleague again on the first of January, and I want to say that I am looking forward to working with all UN staff everywhere in the world.

And now coming back to your question: I think the first priority is with relation to peace. The lack of peace is the most dramatic problem we are facing in today’s world. We have seen a multiplication of new conflicts; old conflicts never die. Look at Somalia or Afghanistan or Democratic Republic of Congo; and the world has changed. There is a feeling of impunity and unpredictability and the international community has lost much of its capacity to prevent conflicts and to solve them. And so a surge in the diplomacy for peace would be my priority. I know that that depends a lot on Member States, and that the Secretary-General has a limited capacity, but acting as a convener, a catalyst, an honest broker, I hope it will be possible to bring more and more Member States together. And understand that in today’s world, the wars that we are having have become so nasty, the suffering of people is so terrible, but worse than that, the impact of those wars in our collective security became so dangerous that indeed, it’s high time for all those attached – involved in the conflicts or have an influence on the parties to the conflicts – it’s high time to come together and understand that the common interest for global security is much more important than the eventual divisions that might exist between them.

UN News Centre: So do you believe peace, or the lack of it, is the main reason behind most of the world’s crises: with

the refugees, financial, armed conflict, and terrorism?

UN Secretary-General-designate: It is clear that all this is interlinked, and it is clear that a surge in diplomacy for peace is the best way to, at the same time, help us limit human suffering in all dimensions. And the refugee dimension is, of course, one of the most dramatic ones.

António Guterres, Secretary-General-designate, speaks to journalists

at the General Assembly stakeout following his appointment by

acclamation to serve as the next Secretary-General of the United

Nations. UN Photo/Kim Haughton

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UN News Centre: When you think about your new job, what are the main worries or challenges that come into

mind?

UN Secretary-General-designate: I think that the main challenge at the present moment is to make sure that we are more effective in relation to the diplomacy for peace that I mentioned. But there are huge challenges in relation to the reform of the organization; to make it more effective and more able to deliver in relation to the people we care for all over the world. And there are challenges to make sure that those important achievements that were possible in the recent past, thanks largely to the initiative of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, namely, the Agenda 2030 and the Climate Change Agreement, to make sure that those landmark decisions are effectively implemented, that there’s an effective follow-up. And then all the questions of making sure that human rights are assumed as a common responsibility of mankind and of all Member States.

UN News Centre: For the first time in the process of selecting a UN Secretary-General, we have seen several female

candidates step forward and be considered. I’d like to ask about your thoughts on the role of women in senior

positions.

UN Secretary-General-designate: First of all, I fully recognize the symbolic value of having a woman as Secretary-General of the United Nations, or as head of state in any country around the world. But there’s nothing I can do about it. I am not a woman, I am sorry. What I can do, is to make sure that for the Organization, first of all in everything we do around the world, the empowerment and protection of women and girls is a central priority, and second, that we are working inside the organization to reach parity between men and women at all levels in the nearest possible future. As I said, I cannot do anything about my gender, but I can have a very strong commitment to gender equality in everything related to the United Nations.

UN News Centre: So would you consider having a woman as your DSG?

UN Secretary-General-designate: I think it’s an absolute necessity. Parity means that if the Secretary-General is a woman, then the Deputy Secretary-General should be a man, and if the Secretary-General is a man, that the Deputy Secretary-General should be a woman.

The UN Secretary-General-designate, Antonio Guterres has pledged to make "a surge in diplomacy for peace" his priority.

But as he prepares to take the mantle from Ban Ki-moon, the next UN chief told UN News Services that he wishes to

continue the work that his predecessor had begun, especially implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

and enforcing the Paris Agreement for Climate Change. He also acknowledges the challenges that lie ahead for him and the

organisation, including reforming the organisation and a greater push for respect for human rights.

UN News Centre: You were the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for over 10 years. How will you use your

expertise in this area in your new capacity as Secretary-General to address the needs of refugees and migrants?

UN Secretary-General-designate: I have to say that I was very worried in the recent past to see a serious deterioration of refugee protection in the world; and such high levels of hostility with populist and xenophobic approaches in relation to migration to many parts of the world. I hope that recent summits that happened in relation to refugees and migration would help change these trends, and I will do everything I can to reverse these trends, for refugee protection to be assumed as a global responsibility, as it is. And it’s not only the refugee convention. It’s deeply rooted in all cultures and all religions everywhere in the world. You see in Islam, you see in Christianity, you see in Africa, in different religions, in Buddhism and Hinduism, there is a strong commitment to refugee protection. So to make sure that countries are able to respect, not only international law, but to assume their full solidarity with those in need of protection that are fleeing those horrible conflicts that we are witnessing, will of course be a priority, but also to look into migration from a humane point of view, and recognizing that migration is part of the solution of global problems. It only needs to be effectively regulated. It only needs to be based on the cooperation among states, not to have people dying and at the same time those smugglers and traffickers or criminal gangs prospering because there is no effective cooperation between countries of origin, countries of transit, countries of destination, and migration is not considered as one of the natural elements in which the world solves its problems.

UN News Centre: The job of the UN Secretary-General has been described by many people as an impossible job.

Now, how are you going to turn the impossible into the possible?

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UN Secretary-General-designate: I’ll do my best. That’s the only thing I can tell. I’ll put everything I have in my capacity at the service of the noble cause and noble values of the UN and the UN Charter.

UN experts concerned about Mauritania’s hostility to jailed anti-slavery activists

19 October – Voicing serious concern over recent intensified crackdown by the Mauritanian Government on the imprisoned anti-slavery activists, a group of United Nations human rights experts today urged the authorities to ensure a fair hearing and provide needed medical treatment for the detainees.

The human rights defenders were sentenced in August to prison terms ranging from three to 15 years. Thirteen of them are from the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA), a leading Mauritanian civil society organization fighting against slavery.

“The Mauritanian Government is hostile to civil society groups that criticize its policies, and is especially hostile to groups like IRA, whose members are drawn from the Haratine minority and advocate for an end to slavery,” the experts said in a news release, recalling that the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, visited Mauritania in May and met with IRA members.

According to the experts, there were credible indications that IRA members were tortured while in detention, family members and supporters of the accused were attacked by the police when they tried to attend the trial and there were procedural irregularities in the court proceedings.

“We are concerned that the IRA has also been targeted by the Government as a reprisal because its members met with the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights during his country visit,” said the experts.

The special rapporteurs further pointed out that the conviction of the activists fits a pattern of crackdown on dissent by the ruling party in a country in which one ethnic minority dominates the two other major ethnic groups.

While the date for an appeal will be set later this week by the Appeals Court in Nouadhibou, its procedural irregularities seem to have persisted over the appeal phase.

The jailed IRA members were transferred on 28 September from the capital Nouakchott to a detention centre in Zouérate, about 700 kilometres away and 17 hours by car from Nouadhibou, according to the news release.

“There seems to be no legal basis or justification for the transfer of the detainees,” the experts underlined, adding that “this is yet another indication that these legal proceedings are politically motivated and intended to suffocate groups and individuals that promote human rights and oppose Government policies.”

Therefore, the experts urged the authorities to ensure that the activists be transferred back to Nouakchott and afforded “a fair hearing by a competent, independent and impartial court in accordance with international human rights law.”

Moreover, the experts expressed concern about the serious health conditions of some detainees, reiterating Mauritania’s obligation to protect their right to health and provide them with the urgent and adequate medical care needed, regardless of their legal status.

“It is vital to ensure that human rights defenders can exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms free from intimidation or fear of reprisals. Anti-slavery activism cannot be a crime,” the experts stressed.

Photo: UNODC (file)

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Independent Experts and Special Rapporteurs, are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

DR Congo: Ban notes conclusion of national dialogue, urges active engagement with all stakeholders

19 October – Taking note of the wrap-up of the African-Union mediated national dialogue in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged the Government to remain actively engage with all political stakeholders, and called on political actors not involved in the talks to resolve their difference peacefully.

“[The Secretary-General] commends Edem Kodjo, the African Union Facilitator for the dialogue, as well as participants to the talks for their work and commitment towards a peaceful solution to the crisis in the context of the electoral process,” said a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.

According to media reports, the negotiators reached a decision on the holding of elections in 2018.

The statement went on to say the UN chief hopes that the implementation of the agreement will contribute to a more conducive climate for the respect of fundamental rights and freedoms essential to political debate and credible elections.

“He urges the Government to remain actively engaged with all political stakeholders, including through continued confidence-building measures,” including, in particular, the further release of political prisoners and respect for the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, the statement said.

Mr. Ban went on to call on political groups who were not part of the national dialogue to seek to resolve their differences peacefully.

“The Secretary-General reiterates the crucial importance of peaceful and credible elections for the stabilization and consolidation of constitutional democracy in the DRC, in keeping with the Constitution and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance,” the statement concluded.

Last week, in abriefing to the UN Security Council, Maman Sidikou, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the country, known by the French acronym MONUSCO, expressed deep concern about the impasse in the electoral process and rising political tensions there. He underlined the primary responsibility of the Government and all stakeholders “to preserve the hard-won gains made in recent years.”

African Union facilitator Edem Kodjo (left) addresses the meeting of

the preparatory committee to the national dialogue in the Democratic

Repiblic of the Congo (DRC). Photo: MONUSCO/Theophane Kinda

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UN calls for protecting civilians as fighting, though reduced, continues in north-west Myanmar

19 October – Even though fighting between security forces and a group, identified by the Government as the Aqa mul moujahideen, in some villages on the outskirts of Maungdaw township in Myanmar’s Northern Rakhine province appear to have reduced in severity, an atmosphere of fear and tension continues to grip the local population, a spokesperson for the United Nations said today.

“While deploring the attacks on the security forces and noting their sober response to these attacks, we continue to underline the importance of caution to avoid any loss of innocent lives or damage to properties of the local population from the continuing operations against the attackers,” UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told journalists during the daily press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.

“We also note the strong commitment expressed by the Government in upholding the rule of law, proceeding against the perpetrators in accordance with proper judicial process and guarding against any looting, provocation or hatred among the people or incitement to communal violence,” he added.

According to an update issued Monday by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), border posts in the region were attacked on 9 October resulting in the displacement of several hundred people. Some 1,200 people are confirmed to have taken shelter in a school at Buthidaung (a town located in the far-west of Myanmar, about 25 kilometres from Maungdaw, near the country’s border with Bangladesh).

At the briefing, Mr. Dujarric also reported that tight movement restrictions in the “operation zone” continue to be imposed, thereby blocking access to the UN and other international partners as well as for local Muslim villagers.

OCHA too had reported that its response had been hampered by movement restrictions.

Since the day of the attack, almost all humanitarian activities have been suspended and many international non-governmental organizations continue to have national staff members stuck in the affected areas, Mr. Dujarric said.

Bangladesh has also sealed its borders with Myanmar to deny the attackers an easy escape and has handed over two suspects to the Government authorities.

“The UN hopes that this situation can be resolved quickly so that Rakhine state can be restored to normalcy so that its people can move forward towards a peaceful, prosperous and harmonious future,” added Mr. Dujarric.

Rohingyas who were displaced by violence in 2012 stand outside their

newly-rebuilt home in the village of In Bar Yi, Rakhine State,

Myamar. Photo: Julia Wallace/IRIN

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India: UN experts urge release of prominent human rights defender after month-long detention

19 October – A group of United Nations human rights experts today called on the Government of India to immediately release a prominent human rights defender who was arrested last month while on his way UN human rights meetings in Geneva, and has since remained under preventive detention.

“[Khurram Parvez’s] continued detention following his arrest just a few days before his participation in the UN Human Rights Council, suggests a deliberate attempt to obstruct his legitimate human rights activism,” the experts said in a news release issued today by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

According to the news release, On 14 September, while on his way to Geneva to attend the 33rd session of the Human Rights Council, Mr.

Parvez was prevented from traveling out of India by airport authorities in the national capital, Delhi.

He was then detained on 16 September under sections 107 and 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code, released on 20 September, and detained again the same day.

The human rights defender remains in preventive detention, under the “highly controversial” Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, the release noted.

According to the UN rights experts, Mr. Parvez, who is the coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCSS) as well as the chairperson of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), is a well-known and outspoken human rights defender with a longstanding and positive engagement with the UN human rights mechanisms.

The news release further noted that the rights experts conveyed their concerns to the Government of India, but the official information received so far did not provide clear details on the exact nature of the charges against Mr. Parvez, which, the release said “seem to rely mainly on vague accusations of alleged ‘anti-India’ activities, aimed at disrupting the public order.”

“We are concerned at the use of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act against Mr. Parvez, which permits administrative detention without judicial intervention for up to two years,” highlighted the experts, adding that they had “received allegations of this law often being arbitrarily applied to target human rights defenders.”

They also noted alarm at the lack of clarity as to why Indian authorities deemed it necessary to address this case outside the country’s ordinary laws.

The release added that on 13 October, a petition challenging Mr. Parvez’s detention under the Public Safety Act was listed before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, yet the case has only been listed for hearing until 25 October.

“In a democratic society, the open criticism of Government is a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression of every person,” the experts stressed.

“We are seriously concerned that the arrest of Mr. Parvez may represent a direct retaliation for his legitimate activities as a human rights defender and the exercise of his fundamental freedoms, including freedoms of expression and association”,

Photo: UNHCR/V. Tan

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they concluded.

The UN human rights expressing concern in the statement included:

• UN Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances;

• Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; • Sètondji Adjovi, Chair-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention;

• Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association;

• David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression;

INTERVIEW: 'Implementation of the 17 SDGs is the core of my work’ – UN General Assembly President Peter Thomson

19 October – On 13 June 2016, the United Nations General Assembly elected Peter Thomson of Fiji to serve as President of its seventy-first session, which runs from September 2016 to September 2017.

Mr. Thomson, who had had been serving as the Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations until his appointment, announced that the theme of the 71st session will be ‘The Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform our World.’

In his inaugural speech on 13 September 2016, he noted that this session will be special because his office will have the experience of working with two Secretaries-General: Ban Ki-moon, whose term ends on 31 December 2016, and Antonio Guterres, who was appointed by the UN General Assembly as his successor, on 13 October 2016.

Emerging from a busy period that saw him chair multiple high-level meetings – including the GA’s annual General Debate – Mr. Thomson spoke to the UN News Centre, describing what it was like being on the podium of the General Assembly Hall, where the annual Debate takes place.

Mr. Thomson: Well, this wasn’t the first time for me – I was a vice president back in 2011, and an acting PGA (President of the General Assembly) back then, so I had sat up there many times before. But it was just such a deep honour for my country really and the Pacific Island region, to find myself up there as the President of the General Assembly – the first time in history that that had been so for our region – so I was, I must say, proud from that point of view.

UN News Centre: What were the highlights of the high level week for you?

Mr. Thomson: It is all something of a blur now. I can say that because I think I had something like 80 to 100 bilateral meetings with the heads of state or heads of government or ministers of foreign affairs, and made over 40 speeches – it’s something I am going to have to read at my leisure, I think, one of these days, but I don’t remember too much of it right now to tell you the truth.

UN News Centre: How is it possible for one person to juggle all of that?

Mr. Thomson: I think you have to build up to it and I’ve been here 6 1/2 years now, and presided over a lot of boards and chaired the G77 and such things. You have to not be awed by the situation; you have to know that there’s a process that must be properly managed.

Peter Thomson, President of the seventy-first session of the General

Assembly, speaks to journalists, following the opening meeting of the

session. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

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UN News Centre: You’ve met some pretty high level diplomats and heads of state during this week, any highlights

there?

Mr. Thomson: Well it was obviously a great privilege to meet President Obama on his last visit to the United Nations as president, and we had a 15-minute session together back in the greenroom behind here that will be memorable for me.

UN News Centre: What did he tell you?

Mr. Thomson: That is off the record; but I do remember thanking him on behalf of good and ethical people around the world for the example that he set as a good and ethical man, and I did say to demonstrate the limits of what a good and ethical man can do as well in this world – but it was a memorable meeting.

UN News Centre: Was there any low points of the week?

Mr. Thomson: No, and to say that with such authority is because I’ve just written a letter to my team at the office and I’m seeing the Department of Conference Management this evening to congratulate both of them because it was seamless for me. I just basically went and did what I was told by them, and they just managed it superbly.

UN News Centre: And of course you had your two grandchildren here up on the podium, and that must have been

quite an experience for them.

Mr. Thomson: Yes- they weren’t overawed by it; funny enough, I was on Skype with them saying, “How is it now that you’re back at home, everybody asking you about being up here?” And they were very nonchalant about it. My reason for getting (my grandchildren) up here was that I have the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda at my heart, and I am very conscious of the fact when those grandchildren of mine get to the year 2030, they will be young adults. So, I wanted to make that point to everybody because everybody has either children coming or children now who will be in the same position, that the stakes are so high for them that we have to all be committed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, for their sake.

UN News Centre: Now you’re the man with the gavel – I think you had to use it several times to keep some of the

rowdy delegates in line.

I have led with my chin and said that the 71st session and my leadership of it can be judged as a failure if we don’t have movement on all 17 goals.

Mr. Thomson: That partly comes from experience. I have observed over the years how the General debate, which is the high point of the United Nations’ year, when heads of state and heads of government come here from the 193 countries and debate amongst themselves the state of the world; I have observed over the years how there is not enough respect shown to the General Debate. Not only was there the rowdiness, which I think I controlled effectively this year, but there is the fact that the hall is often a quarter full, I would say – three-quarters empty – when a head of state is coming to make an address. It’s not good enough, and I want to address that in the 71st session: how we can show respect for the General Debate.

UN News Centre: What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

Mr. Thomson: The core of the work for me is the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and I have given my team – headed by Ambassador Williams of Grenada – the month of October to finalize our strategy and we will get rolling in November on how we can get the wheels turning on every one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, between now and the end of the session. I have led with my chin and said that the 71st session and my leadership of it can be judged as a failure if we don’t have movement on all 17 goals.

“The stakes are so high” for future generations, hence the need to commit to the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable

Development (SDGs). That is according to Peter Thomson, President of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly. In a

recent interview, Mr. Thomson spoke about why he invited his two grand-daughters onto the stage at the commencement of

this GA session, hoping to make a strong case for the 2030 Agenda.

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The UN Daily News is prepared at UN Headquarters in New York by the News Services Section

of the News and Media Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)

UN News Centre: How will you measure that movement? What are you expecting?

Mr. Thomson: That is a very good question and it’s one that I will be able to give you the answer to in the end of October after the strategy is finished, because we are putting in place something measurable for each of the 17 goals.

UN News Centre: Your predecessor, Mogens Lykketoft, of Denmark, was very keen on transparency within the

General Assembly, especially in the selection of the next Secretary-General, what’s your position on that?

Mr. Thomson: On transparency, I very much want to continue the level of transparency which he has exercised. I want it, by the end of the 71st session, to be just a way of doing business here at the United Nations. For example, I have had meetings with the president of the Security Council today, the president for October – which is Russia – and I’ve had a meeting with the president of the ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) today. Now there will be summary memos of both those meetings; what we discussed, that will be circulated to all 193 missions.

UN News Centre: But for all the good intentions ultimately the PGA and the rest of the members actually are pretty

powerless in terms of their inputs into the decision, aren’t they?

Mr. Thomson: I don’t think we are powerless, what has been demonstrated through the process this year is that the GA has an opinion on all these candidates. We have exposed their strengths and perhaps weaknesses through Q & A and we have had a very useful role to play in that regard. So I think we influence the process in a big way. And every Security Council member that I speak to has acknowledged that.

UN News Centre: So can you give me some of your highlights?

Mr. Thomson: Well, there were some very important meetings which took place apart from the General Debate, when you think of the high level meeting on refugees and migrants; the outcome of that – the New York declaration on refugee and migrants – was ground breaking. I really do think that we stepped up our humanitarian response to both the refugee and migrant category and we will be working on that in the 71st session, in preparation for what is going to happen in 2018 on the migrants compact. And also worthy of mention was the meeting on the right to development; very important for developing countries in particular; also the anti-microbial summit, where we would have to increase world awareness, given the fact that antibiotics will no longer be working in the near future, and we will have to have a new area of medical research as a result. So together with the fact that we had that very inspiring SDG moment at the beginning of the General Debate just to remind everybody what is at the core of our work going forward. My thanks to people like Richard Curtis who put that together and Andrea Bocelli for that fantastic spirit-lifting rendition of Nessun Dorma and to Forest Whitaker and his companion who walked us through the SDG videos; very inspiring stuff. And I hope that all will continue to be done at the beginning of every General Debate between now and the year 2030, to remind us all what our main task is.

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