“I am here in a visit of solidarity to underscore the commitment of the United Nations to support Iraq in the consolidation of its democratic institutions and advancing peace, sustainable development and human rights for all Iraqis,” Mr. Guterres told journalists in Baghdad, after touching down late on Tuesday.
After “decades of oppression, war, terrorism, sectarianism and foreign interference” in Iraq’s affairs – just days ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 2003 invasion – Mr. Guterres acknowledged that the challenges the country faces could not be brushed aside.
Opportune moment
And amid reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani continues to face potential political obstacles in reviving national fortunes, the UN chief, in a joint press encounter with Mr. Al-Sudani, expressed his hope that Iraq “can break cycles of instability and fragility”.
He added: “I applaud the Prime Minister for his commitment to address the most pressing challenges facing the country head on – including combatting corruption, improving public services, and diversifying the economy to reduce unemployment and create opportunities, especially for young people.
“Such structural change requires systemic reform, stronger institutions, greater accountability and better governance at all levels – and the United Nations stands ready to support these important efforts.”
Referencing reported divisions over the sharing of Iraqi oil revenues between central government in the capital and provincial government in the north, Mr. Guterres encouraged all parties to build on “recent positive steps” between Baghdad and Erbil. “Sustainable agreements” and dialogue should be the long-term objective the UN Secretary-General said.
UNAMI/Sarmad Al-Safy
UN Secretary-General António Guterres meets Iraq’s Minister of Foreign Affairs on his arrival in Baghdad, Iraq.
Dignity of Iraq’s displaced
In earlier comments just after touching down, Mr. Guterres also spoke of his “enormous admiration” for the Iraqi people, highlighting how he had witnessed the courage of those displaced inside the country several times, on previous visits.
The UN Secretary-General also highlighted how Iraqi refugees in Jordan and in Syria had shown that they were able “to live in solidarity with each other, to help each other in the spirit that, in my opinion, is the best hope for the future of the country”.
Iraq’s efforts to repatriate its citizens from northeast Syria – including from the infamous Al Hol camp – had been “exemplary”, Mr. Guterres said, before noting Prime Minister Al-Sudani’s commitment to allowing the safe and dignified return of ethnic Yazidis to their homes in northern Iraq, after suffering genocide at the hands of Daesh in 2014.
Water emergency
Addressing another key challenge for Iraq, namely water scarcity, Mr. Guterres noted that the issue required international attention, before flagging the UN 2023 Water Conference from 22-24 March in New York.
The mighty Tigris and the Euphrates rivers were now running dry and the impact on agriculture has been dramatic, the UN chief said, adding that “it breaks my heart” to see farmers who have been forced to abandon lands where crops have been grown for thousands of years.
Iraq is one of the countries worst hit by climate change, which has driven displacement, threatened food security, destroyed livelihoods, fuelled conflict and undermined human rights, Mr. Guterres maintained.
When coupled with a volatile security situation and governance challenges, “it can put stability at risk… so now is the time for the international community to support Iraq in tackling its environmental challenges, diversifying its economy, and harnessing its potential for sustainable growth,” the Secretary-General insisted.
Speaking only days since a large majority of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the UN chief stressed that Russia’s decision to go to war against its neighbour on 24 February 2022 had unleashed “widespread death, destruction and displacement”.
Also present at the opening of the 52nd session of the Geneva-based Council, the President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, issued a stark warning that Russia’s actions had “effectively paralyzed” the Security Council in New York, the primary international forum tasked with maintaining peace and security.
The Security Council, like the General Assembly, was at a crossroads, he said.
Many countries are still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and more than 70 countries are in debt distress amid a global cost of living crisis, Mr. Kőrösi continued, with women and girls “systematically marginalized” in many countries.
Amid such “unprecedented…interlocking” crises, the General Assembly President said that nothing less than a fundamental shift in the global response was needed, especially on tackling climate change, which is already an existential threat for many communities.
Confirmed abuses in Ukraine
In addition to “terrible suffering” caused by repeated shelling of Ukrainian cities and key infrastructure, Mr. Guterres added that dozens of cases of conflict-related sexual violence against men, women and girls, had been documented in Ukraine in the last year.
“Serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law against prisoners of war and hundreds of cases of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions of civilians” have been uncovered in the past 12 months, the UN Secretary-General told Human Rights Council Member States, as they gathered for an unprecedented marathon near six-week session in Geneva.
The probe was set up in March last year, after Member States adopted a resolution on the situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression. The work of the three Commissioners complements that of the existing UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), which gathers together testimonies of possible war crimes, among other tasks.
UN Photo/Violaine Martin
The 52nd Regular Session of the Human Rights Council gets underway in Geneva.
Universal truths
Highlighting the enduring value of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – adopted 75 years ago by the international community after the Second World War to avoid a repeat of that catastrophe – Mr. Guterres warned that although it should be humanity’s common blueprint, some governments “use it as a wrecking ball”.
Leading a call to “stand on the right side of history”, the UN chief insisted that now was the time “to stand up for the human rights of everyone, everywhere”. All of us should “revitalize” the Universal Declaration which sets out everyone’s right “to life, liberty and security; to equality before the law; to freedom of expression; to seek asylum; to work, to healthcare and education”, he said.
Linking a century of progress on human rights to “remarkable leaps” in human development, Mr. Guterres noted that in 1900, 80 per cent of people around the world lived in poverty, but that figure had fallen to less than 10 per cent by 2015.
And although the average lifespan in the last 100 years ago has increased from 32 years to more than 70, the UN chief warned that numerous 21st century challenges confront us today.
“Extreme poverty and hunger are rising for the first time in decades. Nearly half of the world’s population, 3.5 billion people, live in climate hotspots…Just yesterday, yet another horrific shipwreck in the Mediterranean claimed the lives of scores of people seeking a better future for themselves and their children,” the UN Secretary-General said, as he warned that antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, the persecution of Christians, racism and white supremacist ideology were all “on the march”.
UN rights chief’s call to nations
Echoing the Secretary-General’s strong appeal to all nations to stand by the Universal Declaration, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk insisted that people’s fundamental rights are far better understood today than ever.
Nonetheless, “oppression…can return, in various disguises”, the UN rights chief continued, as he pointed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as representative of “old destructive wars of aggression from a bygone era with worldwide consequences”.
Modern-day opportunities provided by digital innovation should be harnessed “to tackle our biggest challenges: poverty, climate change, and inequality, Mr. Türk insisted. “If there was ever a moment to revitalise the hope of human rights for every person, it is now.”
The very survival of humankind “depends on finding our way back to that common language”, the UN rights chief continued, as he urged Member States “to address your people’s rights to freedom from want and to freedom from fear on an equal footing”.
In a call for global solidarity and underscoring the Secretary-General’s observation that the Universal Declaration reflected the wisdom expressed in ancient texts, including the Hindu Vedas, the Ancient Chinese Analects of Confucius, the Bible and the Koran, High Commissioner Türk insisted that it “not only voices ancient wisdoms from all cultures but will ensure our survival”.
Mr. Guterres praised the many African Union (AU) initiatives aimed at bringing about this vision for the continent – including Agenda 2063 a blueprint for the Africa of the future, and the Decade of Women’s Financial and Economic Inclusion – and the decision to focus on the African Continental Free Trade Area at the Summit which, he said, represents a “truly transformative pathway to job creation and new sources of prosperity for Africans, especially for the youth”.
Tests on every front
Nevertheless, the UN chief did not underestimate the “enormous tests” Africa is facing, crises that are “greater than any in our lifetimes”, and demanded action.
On the economic front, Mr. Guterres called for more financial support for a continent that is, he said, being hit by a dysfunctional and unfair financial system, inequalities in the availability of resources for the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and a cost-of-living crisis exacerbated by the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The financial system, declared the UN chief, routinely denies African countries debt relief, and charges extortionate interest rates, starving them of investment in vital areas, such as health, education, and social protection.
The answer, according to Mr. Guterres, is a radical transformation of the international financial system, centred on the needs of developing countries.
Ensure a just transition to clean energy
Moving to the climate crisis, Mr. Guterres acknowledged that a transition to a clean energy future must address issues of energy access and development challenges, on a continent rich in fossil fuel sources, where millions are without electricity.
He said that, in order to decarbonize and develop, African countries need wider access to technologies such as battery-storage systems, components, and raw materials.
A “tidal wave of support” from developed countries is needed, he said, to match the leadership shown by several countries on climate issues; he cited Kenya’s green economy strategy, efforts to protect the tropical forests of the Congo, South Africa’s Just Transition Energy Partnership, and the AU’s ambitious Green Stimulus Programme.
This support, continued Mr. Guterres, must include delivering on a fund for the losses and damage caused by the crisis, a doubling of adaptation finance, and ensuring that every country has early warning systems in place, affording protection from extreme climate shocks.
Africa needs peace
On the subject of peace and security, Mr. Guterres noted that the UN’s role is becoming more complex each year, with more conflicts, terrorism, and insecurity. He called for a more flexible and efficient system, as outlined in the UN New Agenda for Peace, which is aimed at reinforcing the Organization’s peace missions.
This new agenda, explained the Secretary-General, needs to link peace to sustainable development, climate action, and human rights, with a greater participation of women and youth.
Mr. Guterres concluded by expressing his hope that the Twenty-First Century could be Africa’s century, and the determination of the UN to work with each African country, in order to free the continent’s enormous potential, and overcome the obstacles that are blocking its path.
“Peace is not just about signing an agreement,” said Miroslav Jenča, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas, who briefed members during a meeting requested by the Russian Federation – as the one-year mark nears, since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Mr. Jenča stressed that turning words on paper into action on the ground is particularly important given the current complexity of the situation in Ukraine, as well as its implications for the future of Europe’s security architecture “and the international order itself.”
Ceasefire on paper
The Minsk accords – also known as the Minsk II agreement – were signed in February 2015 by representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Russia, Ukraine and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic.
The agreement laid out a series of political and military steps to end the fighting between Government forces and separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Among other provisions, the Minsk accords committed signatories to an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions – an element that is widely viewed as never having taken effect.
Mr. Jenča reminded the Security Council on Friday that the UN has played no formal role in any mechanism related to the peace process in Ukraine, over the last eight years.
It was not invited to be a participant in the various negotiations in Minsk, or to the 2014 and 2015 agreements themselves, and it was not involved in the implementation efforts led by the OSCE’s Trilateral Contact Group – made up of representatives of three parties.
However, the UN has consistently supported its implementation, including through the Security Council’s unanimously adoption of resolution 2202 (2015) on 17 February 2015.
The Organization has also offered support, where requested and appropriate, and provided expert support to the OSCE’s now-defunct Special Monitoring Mission in eastern Ukraine.
At the same time, said Mr. Jenča, the UN stands firm in its principled support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
‘Profound shock and disappointment’
Also briefing the Council was Martin Sajdik, who served as Special Representative of the OSCE for the Minsk negotiations from 2015 to 2019.
Apart from Minsk II, he provided an overview of other diplomatic strides and setbacks during his tenure, agreeing that many provisions lacked the political will needed to become reality on the ground.
Spotlighting the OSCE’s focus on the safety and needs of civilians on both sides of the contact line, he said the number of civilian victims had dropped significantly in the years before the present outbreak of fighting.
Among other successes, water management and conditions at border crossing points had improved by 2019, a year that saw – for the first time since the onset of fighting in 2014 – not a single child killed as a result of the hostilities.
Against the backdrop of those hard-won gains, Mr. Sajdik expressed his “profound shock and disappointment” over the spiralling violence that has rocked Ukraine since 2022.
Johannes Fromholt is currently near the frontline in Donetsk Oblast and has been describing the support the UN is providing.
“I am currently in Kurakhove, which is close to the frontline. We see heavy fighting, which has intensified even in the past week. We came here as part of a UN interagency humanitarian convoy, to provide communities with humanitarian assistance.
Of course, there is extensive damage; some towns in this area are 80 to 90 per cent damaged, some even more. So actually, you could say they don’t even exist anymore. Even on the way to Kurakhove a missile strike occurred in a nearby city, which killed three people and injured 12.
It’s important that we continue supporting, as much as possible, the frontline locations with humanitarian assistance. In Kurakhove where I currently am, there are approximately 12,000 people in need. This humanitarian convoy is the first of twelve convoys going to front line locations in the next five days.
In total across the country, there are nearly 18 million people, that’s almost 40 per cent of the Ukraine population in need of humanitarian assistance. And this includes the western parts of Ukraine, to a lesser extent, the center and north, but mainly in the southern and eastern parts of Ukraine, where we also have the frontline at the moment.
A woman walks past a destroyed apartment block in western Ukraine.
There are 5.3 million IDPs, internally displaced persons, within Ukraine and we know that around eight million people have also fled to neighboring countries.
Milder winter
Luckily, it’s been a somewhat mild winter compared to Ukrainian standards, but people still need to stay warm. They have been provided with basic humanitarian assistance such as food, hygiene items, winter clothes, solar lamps, as people are really staying down in the bunkers, especially in the areas where there’s shelling on a daily basis.
These bunkers and basements are, of course, cold as there’s no electricity in these frontline locations.
There has been a massive scale-up in needs for generators, water pumps and water systems in the last two or three months since the Russians started attacking and destroying critical infrastructure, which we have supported.
And there are people with incredible humanitarian needs on the other side of the frontline in Russian-held territory. At the moment, the UN has not been able to access these areas.
As IOM, we are supporting both the war affected communities and the people staying behind. But we also supporting especially the IDPs in regions further away from the frontlines.
So far, we have supported 102 collective centers with various types of relief to improve living conditions inside the centers.
We have provided emergency shelter kits for people staying in damaged apartments or houses. We have also been distributing cash to over 70,000 people who are very close to the frontline locations. This is actually an approach that the government would like other humanitarian actors to use.
Psychosocial support
One other concern is supporting mental health services and psychosocial support, especially for people in the frontline locations, but also people who are on the move following the outbreak of war broke.
People are resilient and try to adapt, but after some time, of course they need support to talk about their emotions and feelings. And this not only includes IDPs, but also veterans and the families coming back from the war.
One year into the war, it’s important that we try to end it as quickly as possible.
Mr. Guterres described terrorism as an affront to humanity as it undermines the values that bind us together.
Terrorism also threatens collective efforts to promote peace and security, protect human rights, provide humanitarian aid, and advance sustainable development.
Fertile ground for hate
“We must be more vigilant than ever,” he said, noting that “terrorist and violent extremist groups are finding fertile ground on the internet to spew their vicious venom.”
He said neo-Nazi, white supremacist movements are becoming more dangerous by the day and now represent the top internal security threat in several countries, as well as the fastest growing.
Prevention and inclusion
Countries must act to confront the challenge through prevention, and by addressing the underlying conditions that drive terrorism in the first place.
He highlighted the importance of inclusion and ensuring that counter-terrorism strategies reflect a wide array of voices — especially minorities, women, and young people.
Human rights must be at the core of all counter-terrorism policies, he added.
“Today and every day, let us work together to build more peaceful, inclusive, and stable societies in which terror and violent extremism have no home,” said the Secretary-General.
The report entitled, Journey to Extremism in Africa: Pathways to Recruitment and Disengagement, underscores the importance of economic factors as drivers of recruitment.
Desperation factor
Lack of income, the lack of job opportunities and livelihoods, means that “desperation is essentially pushing people to take up opportunities, with whoever offers that”, said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, speaking at the report launch.
He added that around 25 per cent of all recruits cited a lack of job opportunities as the primary reason, while around 40 per cent said they were “in urgent need of livelihoods at the time of the recruitment”.
Sub-Saharan Africa has become the new global epicentre of violent extremism with almost half of global terrorism deaths recorded there in 2021.
The report draws from interviews with nearly 2,200 different people in eight countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Nigher, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan.
In their own words
More than 1,000 of those interviewees are former members of violent extremist groups, both voluntary and forced recruits.
A quarter of those who volunteered said the main factor was unemployment – a 92 percent increase from the last UNDP study of violent extremism in 2017.
Around 48 per cent of voluntary recruits told researchers that there had been “a triggering event” leading to them signing up.
Abuses driving recruitment too
Of that figure, some “71 per cent cited human rights abuses they had suffered, such as government action”, said Nirina Kiplagat, main author of the report and UNDP’s Regional Peacebuilding Advisor.
Fundamental human rights abuses such as seeing a father arrested, or a brother taken away by national military forces, were among those triggers cited.
According to the report, peer pressure from family members or friends, is cited as the second more common driver for recruitment, including women who are following their spouses into an extremist group.
Religious ideology is the third most common reason for joining up, cited by around 17 percent of interviewees. This presents a 57 percent decrease from the 2017 findings.
OCHA/Franck Kuwonu
Families from Nigeria who have fled attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria, are shelteing in Diffa, Niger
Development-based remedies
The new report is part of a series of three, analysing the prevention of violent extremism. It highlights the urgent need to move away from security-driven responses to development-based approaches focused on prevention, said UNDP.
It calls for greater investment in basic services including child welfare, education and calls for an investment in rehabilitation and community-based reintegration services.
Mr. Steiner said a “toxic mix” was being created of poverty, destitution, and lack of opportunity, with so many citing the “urgent need to find livelihoods”. It is tantamount to a society “no longer having a rule of law, turning to some of these violent extremists’ groups to provide security.”
Security-driven counter-terrorism responses are often costly and minimally effective, said the UNDP Administrator, and investments in preventive approaches to violent extremism are inadequate.
Terrorist groups such as ISIS, Boko Haram or Al-Qaeda emerge due to local conditions, but then begin to amass weapons and secure financing – in the case of the Sahel, allowing other cells to resource themselves independently.
No surprises
“The geopolitical dimension should not surprise anyone”, said Mr. Steiner, where States are no longer able to provide the rule of law or meaningful national security, “then the opportunity for other actors to become part of this drama grows exponentially, we have seen it in Mali, we have seen it in Libya, we have seen it at the Horn of Africa”.
Based on the interviews, the report also identified factors that drive recruits to leave armed groups, such as unmet financial expectations, or a lack of trust in the group’s leadership.
Medicines, roofing repair kits, bottled water and solar lamps were offloaded, highlighting the desperate plight of many thousands of people who are unable or unwilling to leave their homes, amid “regular” shelling attacks.
On Thursday, a five-lorry inter agency convoy reached the town of Hulyaipole in the Zaporizhia region – home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant – where around 3,000 people remain close to the front line.
They include the elderly, people with limited mobility and families with children who are “exposed to regular shelling” and unable to access basic services, said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for OCHA, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
“Because there’s no power, water facilities cannot operate and water has to be delivered in bottles, or pumped from the wells,” he told journalists in Geneva.
In the firing line
Since March last year, residents of Hulyaipole and some 30 nearby communities have had no electricity, after energy infrastructure was damaged by fighting. Repairs are urgently needed to keep the “savage” winter at bay, but this is impossible while the violence continues, Mr. Laerke added.
Dnipro lifeline
On Tuesday, also departing from Dnipro, a six-truck convoy reached the town of Toretsk, around 10 kilometres from the front line in Donetsk oblast, with water, medicine, emergency shelter materials and other supplies from the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
The convoy was also carrying trauma and emergency surgery kit supplies for the approximately 15,000 people who live in and around Toretsk, which was originally home to 75,000, before Russia’s full-scale invasion begain on 24 February last year.
No-go zones
More than 30 inter-agency convoys have reached vulnerable communities in Ukraine’s eastern oblasts in the last 11 months, but none has yet reached territory controlled by Russian forces or their affiliates.
“We have a humanitarian notification system where we inform the parties to the conflict where we are going and with what material,” explained Mr. Laerke. “It is just to remind them that they have an obligation to protect such movements and ensure that it can be done safely.”
The OCHA spokesperson added that “a number of notifications” had been sent to reach areas under the control of the Russian military, but “we have not been given adequate assurances of security to go to these areas”.
WHO: We’re here to stay
WHO’s latest data on attacks on healthcare issued on Thursday, shows that since invasion began nearly a year ago, there have been 764 attacks, which caused 101 recorded death, and 131 injuries.
In a press conference in Kyiv earlier in the week, WHO in Ukraine told journalists that the organization was “here to stay and continues to deliver lifesaving medicines and supplies in coordination with its partners.”
The envoy was addressing ambassadors at what he called a “unique juncture” in the efforts to promote lasting peace and security in the West African country.
“Mali is ushering in a critical year in terms of returning to constitutional order,” he said, with several votes scheduled starting in March.
Work in progress
Mr. Wane heads the UN mission in Mali, known by the French acronym MINUSMA, established nearly a decade ago following insecurity in the north and a military coup.
While much has been accomplished in that time, “the objectives that were set by the Council are yet to be fully achieved, and the context has witnessed significant changes,” he said.
“As the Council considers the recommendation of the Secretary-General, it is worth keeping in mind that stabilizing Mali is critical not only for the country itself but also for the entire region,” he added, referring to an internal review of MINUSMA, launched last year.
‘Complex’ security situation
Mr. Wane last briefed the Council in October, reporting on progress in restoring civilian rule in Mali in the wake of the August 2020 military coup, ongoing insecurity and rising humanitarian needs.
Since then, the security situation remains “complex”, particularly in the centre of the country and in the tri-border region with Burkina Faso and Niger.
Due to the activities of extremist groups, internal displacement remains high. In December, the figure amounted to some 412,000 people.
Overall, 8.8 million people require humanitarian assistance, a 17 per cent increase since the beginning of 2022. Two million children under five remain affected by acute malnutrition.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
El-Ghassim Wane, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in Mali.
Humanitarian operations affected
“The armed forces have stepped up their efforts that in certain regions have allowed a reduction in the number of security incidents. However, extremist groups retain the capacity to undertake complex, coordinated operations,” said Mr. Wane.
Meanwhile, humanitarian personnel have also come under fire. Last year, some 124 incidents were recorded against them, and five aid workers were killed in the Kayes, Ménaka and Ségou regions.
The need for additional support to humanitarian operations also remains high, as a $686 million response plan is less than 40 per cent funded.
Mandated to protect
“In the last quarter, MINUSMA has continued to make a sustained effort to protect civilians. It’s done so despite the difficult environment in which it operates and the gaps in capacity, which are significant,” said Mr. Wane.
Looking ahead, he said MINUSMA has the capacity to more effectively contribute to improving security.
This will depend on several factors, including getting the tools they need to better protect themselves, timely replacement of troops serving at the mission, and increased coordination with the Malian defense and security forces.
The UN envoy also highlighted the “absolute pivotal need” to respect freedom of movement, in line with the Status of Forces Agreement.
Constitutional referendum ahead
Addressing the transition and peace process, he noted that in less than two months, Mali will hold a constitutional referendum that will mark the first of a series of polls towards the planned restoration of constitutional order in March 2024.
The authorities continue to demonstrate commitment to hold the polls on time, as evidenced by developments such as the establishment of a new independent electoral management body and a preliminary draft constitution.
Yet, several challenges remain, as the new electoral management body is required to set up local offices across the country, and the ongoing constitutional review process must be finalized.
Support inclusion efforts
Mali’s transitional authorities have convened a series of consultations with political parties and civil society to discuss various aspects of the preparation of the constitutional referendum and other elections.
“These initiatives must be encouraged and supported, for inclusion and consensus are crucial for the overall success of the Transition process,” said Mr. Wane.
Two other aspects are also critical, namely the availability of financial and logistical resources and “the evolution of the security situation”, he added, while underlining the importance of UN support.
2015 Peace Agreement
Mr. Wane also updated the Council on momentum surrounding the 2015 Peace Agreement, signed by the authorities and two armed group coalitions, in the wake of instability in the north several years prior.
Recent months have seen disagreements over the level of Government participation in the committee monitoring the deal, and the signatory movements have suspended their participation in the peace process.
MINUSMA, Algeria and other members of the international community have been promoting dialogue in the interim.
“I encourage the parties to spare no efforts to overcome the current difficulties and achieve decisive progress in the implementation of the peace agreement,” said Mr. Wane.
“The ongoing transition offers a unique opportunity to advance the agreement: an opportunity that cannot and should not be squandered.”
According to news reports, the incident happened in the Neve Yaakov district in the middle of the evening local time. Israeli police said the attacker, identified as a Palestinian from the Shu’fat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem, had been “neutralized” at the scene.
In a statement issued by his Spokesperson, António Guterres extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed, and wished a prompt recovery for those injured.
‘Abhorrent’ assault, on Holocaust Memorial Day
“It is particularly abhorrent that the attack occurred at a place of worship, and on the very day we commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day”, the statement said.
No excuse for terror
“There is never any excuse for acts of terrorism. They must be clearly condemned and rejected by all.”
Friday’s incident followed on from a worrying escalation in violence in recent months, and the deaths of nine Palestinians, militants and well as several civilians, at a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin on Thursday, following an Israeli raid targeting what they said was an active group of Islamic Jihad militants.
Palestinian militants in Gaza launched rockets into Israel in response, which Israeli forces met with air strikes on the Palestinian enclave.
‘Utmost restraint’ needed
“The Secretary-General is deeply worried about the current escalation of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory”, said the statement. “This is the moment to exercise utmost restraint.”
The Security Council met behind closed doors to discuss the escalating crisis on Friday afternoon in New York.
The High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), Miguel Ángel Moratinos, who is tasked with building bridges between faiths and fighting antisemitism, also issued a statement strongly condemning what he described as an “horrific terrorist attack” on Jewish worshippers, after Friday Sabbath prayers.
“The High-Representative stresses that such a heinous crime is unjustifiable whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed”, the statement added.
Jens Laerke from UN aid coordinating office, OCHA, said that three trucks had been granted access to the heavily disputed city in the Donbas region, which has been an intense battleground, as Russian forces seek to advance on the strategically important town of Bakhmut.
He told journalists at Friday’s briefing in Geneva that the convoy consisted of food, water, hygiene kits, medicines and other medical supplies, provided by UN agencies.
“It is intended for 800 people who remain in this area”, he said, “which has seen its fair share of hostilities and of widespread destruction. So, people are in dire need of aid there, so we are happy that this convoy has indeed reached (it’s destination).”
More convoys are expected in the days ahead and OCHA Spokesperson Laerke said that the UN and its partners are striving to increase inter-agency relief operations to areas close to the frontlines in Ukraine, where needs are acute.
IAEA ‘expanding and intensifying’ nuclear safety efforts
On another key front and a source of international concern over the battle for Ukraine, the head of UN-backed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, briefed President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday, on the agency’s “expanding and intensifying activities…to help Ukraine ensure nuclear safety and security at its nuclear facilities”.
He told the Ukrainian leader that several permanent IAEA expert missions had been established across the country this week, according to a press release issued on Friday.
They also continued discussion to set up a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Europe’s largest, which has repeatedly come under fire in recent months, triggering deepening nuclear safety and security concerns.
Mr. Grossi stressed that the zone was essential for preventing a severe nuclear accident and said he would press ahead with his efforts to make it happen.
“Everybody agrees that the plant – located on the frontline in an active combat area – needs to be protected, but these are very complex negotiations. I will not stop until the much-needed zone is a reality. I will continue my intensive consultations with both Ukraine and the Russian Federation in the coming days and weeks,” he said.
‘Daily dangers’ at Zaporizhzhya
“This major nuclear power plant continues to face daily dangers. Our team there continues to hear explosions close to the site, including two on Thursday,” he added.
“Across Ukraine – from north to south – this week has seen a major expansion in the IAEA’s on-the-ground support for the country’s efforts to prevent a severe nuclear accident during the war. At Ukraine’s request, the IAEA flag is now flying at these important nuclear facilities.
“For the first time, we will have our top experts permanently present at all of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants as well as the Chornobyl site. Their vital work will help reduce the very real nuclear dangers the country is facing,” Director General Grossi said.
In the next few days, an IAEA expert team will also be stationed at the Khmelnitsky plant, west of the capital Kyiv.
IAEA, ‘here to stay’
With IAEA teams permanently present at all of Ukraine’s NPPs and the Chornobyl site, the Agency will have at least 11 nuclear safety and security experts simultaneously in the country, an unprecedented undertaking by the organization.
“We are determined to do everything in our power to reduce the risk of a nuclear catastrophe during this tragic war”, said the IAEA chief. “This week was an important step forward in our efforts in this regard. But the work is far from over. The IAEA is here to stay, for as long as we are needed”.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights acknowledged on Thursday that addressing the violent legacy of intercommunal relations in Northern Ireland from the 1960s to the 1990s was “hugely complex and sensitive”.
‘Conditional immunity’
But he warned against plans to give conditional immunity from investigation and prosecution to those accused of serious human rights violations and other international crimes, other than sexual offences.
Such an amendment to the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill would be incompatible with the UK’s international human rights obligations, which calls for accountability, Mr. Türk explained.
There are also concerns about whether the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, which the Bill would establish, would be able to work independently and undertake human rights-compliant reviews and investigations.
Justice essential
In an appeal for the rights of victims, survivors and their families to be respected, the High Commissioner (OHCHR) insisted that their search for justice and reparations were “essential for reconciliation”.
The draft Bill risked obstructing these rights, he said, also noting that the text had only been made public one week before it was due to be examined in the Upper House of Parliament, the House of Lords.
“This gives the public and relevant stakeholders, including victims and survivors, insufficient time to scrutinize the amendments and participate meaningfully in this hugely significant legislative process,” the High Commissioner said.
Obstruction risk
“Concerns remain that the Bill would obstruct the rights of victims, survivors and their families to effective judicial remedy and reparations, including by prohibiting most criminal prosecutions and civil actions for Troubles-related offences,” he added.
The Bill is set for further review at the House of Lords committee stage on 24 and 31 January.
The OHCHR chief urged the UK to “reconsider its approach and engage in further meaningful and inclusive consultations on how best to advance a human rights-centred way to address the legacy of the Troubles”.
Rosemary DiCarlo reiterated the view of the Secretary-General, in reminding that Russia’s invasion of 24 February, was a violation of the UN Charter and international law.
“It has created a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe, traumatized a generation of children, and accelerated the global food and energy crises”, she told ambassadors.
“And yet, this grave damage could pale in comparison with the consequences of a prolonged conflict”.
Deadly holidays
Many Ukrainians spent the Orthodox holiday season in bomb shelters and mourning the loss of loved ones, she said.
At year’s end, Russian forces targeted Dnipro, Kherson, Kirovohrad, and Kyiv – with multiple strikes reported in Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv, Zhytomyr, and the capital.
By New Year’s Eve all administrative regions were under air raid warnings, continued the peacebuilding chief.
And the attacks continued in January, threatening all remaining civilians in Kherson, Bakhmut and Soledar.
Following the most recent fighting, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, verified 18,096 civilian casualties since the invasion began.
“This total includes 6,952 people killed and 11,144 injured”, said Ms. DiCarlo, adding that “the actual figures are likely considerably higher”.
Attacks on health
Purposeful, systematic targeting of critical civilian infrastructure, including energy and healthcare facilities, has pushed some 5.91 million women and girls to flee internally.
And 745 recorded attacks on healthcare facilities as of 4 January, were a record for any conflict currently taking place.
“Reportedly 15 per cent of facilities are either partially or completely non-functional, and up to 50 per cent in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Kharkiv”, she said.
‘Invisible scars’
“The war is also leaving invisible scars”, she continued, pointing to the long-lasting impacts that the destruction and closing of schools will have on youth.
An estimated 5.7 million students have been directly affected, including 3.6 million shut out of educational institutions early in the conflict.
Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), Ms. DiCarlo said that “nearly a quarter of the population is reportedly at risk of developing a mental health condition because of this war”.
Hundreds of displaced and local children in Ukraine celebrated the new year at Kharkiv’s Spilno Child Spot, run by UNICEF and partners.
Life-saving aid effort
Meanwhile, as of 5 January, humanitarian partners have provided food and critical healthcare support to almost nine million people.
Around 7.3 million have received clean water and hygiene products and over three million uprooted people have received emergency shelter or critical household items.
Since the war began, almost 14 million people have received assistance from over 740 partners, including one million in areas not under Ukrainian Government control.
However, severe access constraints hamper the humanitarian response.
“In line with international humanitarian law, parties must facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for all civilians in need”, said the senior UN official.
Grave rights violations
Turning to allegations of grave human rights violations, OHCHR has documented over 90 cases of conflict-related sexual violence since last February.
Of those, men have been predominantly affected by torture and ill-treatment in detention, while women and girls in areas under Russian control have been sexually violated, including gang rape.
“It is imperative that all perpetrators of human rights violations are held accountable”, spelled out the senior UN official.
Since May, the International Criminal Court (ICJ) has continued working inside- the country, focusing on the unlawful transfer and deportation of civilian objects and people from Ukraine to Russia, including children.
A doctor takes care of patients at a hospital in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Black Sea Grain Initiative
Despite challenges, the Black Sea Grain Initiative meanwhile continues to make a difference, including by helping to lower global food prices.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reported a continued decline of its Food Price Index.
Ms. DiCarlo said that more than 17 million metric tons of food have now been moved under the initiative to some 43 countries, roughly 20 per cent of which is for countries under the World Bank category of low-income or lower-middle-income economies.
The UN also continues to work towards removing remaining obstacles to Russian food and fertilizer exports as “key to keep prices down and mitigate food insecurity”.
Military logic
In closing, the political chief reiterated that there is no sign of an end to the fighting, and that the prevailing logic “is a military one, with very little, if any, room for dialogue right now”.
“But all wars end, and so too will this one”.
“Ukraine, Russia, the world cannot afford for this war to continue”, she underscored, reminding that the Secretary-General is ready to assist the parties to “end this senseless, unjustified conflict”, on the basis of the UN Charter and international law.
Addressing a private meeting of the Council, Roza Otunbayeva reiterated to ambassadors that Taliban decisions including the ban on girls attending high school, preventing women from going to university, and barring them from doing humanitarian work, are all “grave violations of fundamental rights”, according to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
He told reporters at the noon briefing in New York that the Taliban had also “contradicted assurances” given, following their nationwide takeover of Afghanistan, about the role women would play in the country under their fundamentalist rule.
Aid deliveries thwarted
“The Special Representative also outlined the potential negative impact of such decisions, including, most immediately, on the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Afghans in desperate need”, said Mr. Dujarric. “She stressed the need for Council unity in the face of these decisions.”
Following the ban on women from working for non-governmental organisations or other aid sector jobs last month, many NGOs suspended their lifesaving operations, on the grounds that it would be impossible to distribute aid and staff operations, without local women’s participation.
Distributions ‘severely impacted’
The UN aid coordination office (OCHA) in Afghanistan, tweeted on Friday that humanitarian partners were providing winterization support to families there, including heating and cash for fuel and warm clothes as temperatures dip towards -35C, “but distributions have been severely impacted” by the ban on female aid workers.
The UN Spokesperson noted that the Council was also briefed by the Executive Director of UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, “who focused her briefing on the situation of girls and children in Afghanistan.”
Ahead of the meeting, the Security Council members who are signatories and supporters of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, issued a statement “to express grave concern regarding the critical situation of women and girls in Afghanistan.”
Measures must be immediately reversed
The 11 nations urged the Taliban “to immediately reverse all oppressive measures against women and girls”, adhere to commitments made to the Security Council, respect women and girls’ rights, “and their full, equal and meaningful participation and inclusion across all aspects of society in Afghanistan, from political and economic, to education and public space.”
The statement delivered outside the Council chamber by current president for the month of January, Japanese Ambassador Kimihiro Ishikane, underlined that women are “central and critical” to humanitarian operations and have “unique expertise” to access populations that male colleagues cannot reach.
The WPS group also reaffirmed their strong support for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, “not least in their valuable contribution to gender equality”.
The statement reiterated the demand for full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian actors, “regardless of gender”.
Condemnation of deadly ISIL attack
On Thursday, the Security Council issued a statement condemning “in the strongest terms”, the attack near the Afghan Foreign Affairs ministry on 11 January, which was claimed by the ISIL or Da’esh terrorist group, which news reports – quoting Taliban sources – said resulted in at least 20 deaths, with dozens more wounded.
Council members “underline the need to hold perpetrators, organisers financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable, and bring them to justice.”
News reports said that a suicide attacker blew himself up outside the ministry in Kabul, after he failed to gain access to the building.
In a statement released on Friday, Mr. Türk said that the decision by the authorities to investigate the deaths was encouraging, but he added that it should be “prompt, thorough, impartial and transparent”. “I have sent a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs underlining this exact message”, declared the High Commissioner. “The victims and their loved ones are owed no less.”
The 28 bodies were found in the north-western town of Nouna, in the Kossi Province, in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. According to local sources, the victims, who were all men, were killed when members of the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP), armed auxiliaries to the defence and security forces, descended on the town, in apparent retaliation for an earlier attack on the group’s military base the previous night by suspected members of the Jamāʿat nuṣrat al-islām wal-muslimīn (JNIM) armed group.
Burkina Faso has been in the grip of political instability for several years, and its people have suffered a series of deadly terrorist attacks. The country’s severe humanitarian crisis has seen more than a million people displaced from their homes, victims of ongoing conflict and poverty.
In launching its investigation on 2 January, the Burkina Faso transitional government declared that it is “fundamentally opposed to any form of abuse or human rights violations on any grounds” and reiterated its commitment to protect all civilians without any distinction.
Mr. Türk has previously raised concerns directly with the authorities regarding the potential human rights risks linked to recruitment, arming and deployment of auxiliaries in Burkina Faso.
The statement noted that there is an urgent need to strengthen their vetting procedures, pre-deployment training on international human rights and humanitarian law, their effective supervision by the security and defence forces and to ensure inclusion and transparency during their recruitment.
The breakthrough was announced on 1 January by the first-ever leftist president of the South American nation, Gustavo Petro, who tweeted that he was seeking “total peace”, in the light of continuing violence, following the historic UN-supported peace deal with the leadership of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) militant group in 2016.
That pact ended decades of conflict with FARC, but did not include other dissent factions, who failed to demobilize as a result of the peace agreement.
President Petro said that the bilateral ceasefire deal, including ELN rebels, the Second Marquetalia, the Central General Staff, the AGC group and the Self Defence Forces of the Sierra Nevada, would run for six months, through to the end of this June, with the possibility of extending it “depending on progress”.
He said there would be a “national and international verification mechanism” to monitor and ensure the new ceasefire agreement.
Building confidence
“The Secretary-General trusts that adherence to these commitments will reduce violence and the suffering of conflict-affected communities”, said the statement from António Guterres, “while helping to build confidence in ongoing dialogues.”
The Secretary-General also reaffirmed “the support of the United Nations to Colombia’s efforts to achieve full and lasting peace.”
President Petro – a former rebel fighter himself who has been in democratic politics since the early 1990s – was elected to the presidency last June, pledging to kickstart negotiations to make the comprehensive peace deal a reality.
UN Photo/Cia Pak
President Gustavo Petro Urrego of Colombia addresses the general debate of the UN General Assembly’s 77th session.
“I am certainly confident that Colombia can demonstrate to the world, once again, that there is no better alternative to ending conflicts than through dialogue”, he told ambassadors.
He also welcomed the Government’s commitment to bolstering the Comprehensive System for Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition, and its support for the mechanism established for investigating missing persons.
Despite the demobilization of FARC fighters and entry into democratic politics in 2017, news reports suggest around 10,000 militants from other armed groups, have continued to be locked in deadly disputes, destabilizing the entire country.
The ELN, leading the last recognized insurgency in the country, according to reports, has been negotiating with the Government since November. It announced a short-term unilateral ceasefire in mid-December.
In a tweet on Sunday, Mr. Massieu welcomed President Petro’s announcement, saying the UN supported “all efforts” to reduce violence, that would protect vulnerable communities still affected by conflict, and help build a lasting peace.
Secretary-General António Guterres said he had learned of his passing, “with great sadness”, describing him as a “humble man of prayer and study.”
Defender of human rights
“Principled in his faith, tireless in his pursuit of peace, and determined in his defence of human rights, he was a spiritual guide to millions across the world and one of the leading academic theologians of our time.”
Ascending to the papacy following his election in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI, formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, became the first pope to step down in six centuries. The Vatican announced that the celebrated German theologian’s funeral will take place in St. Peter’s Square.
His successor, Pope Francis, told a New Year’s Eve service in the Vatican that Benedict would be fondly remembered “with emotion, we remember his person, so noble, so kind. And we feel in our hearts so much gratitude.”
Visit to UN Headquarters
In his statement, Mr. Guterres recalled the former pontiff’s 2008 visit to UN Headquarters, and his appeal for “building international relations in a way that allows every person and every people to feel they can make a difference.”
The UN chief said his “powerful calls for solidarity with marginalized people everywhere and his urgent appeals to close the widening gap between rich and poor are more relevant than ever.”
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Pope Benedict XVI Meets United Nations Staff during his visit to the United Nations Headquarters in April 2008. (File Photo).
‘Tenacious commitment to non-violence’
The Secretary-General offered his deepest condolences to all Catholics “and others around the world who were inspired by his life of prayer and tenacious commitment to non-violence and peace.”
According to news reports, Benedict’s body will be laid in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday, allowing the Catholic faithful the opportunity to file past and pay their respects.
Benedict was ordained in 1951 and became archbishop of Munich and Freising in 1977. Four years later he took on the powerful job of enforcer in the Vatican, defending church orthodoxy, as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
When he resigned in 2013, citing his ailing health, he said that he had done so freely “for the good of the church”, and retired to live out his days in a monastery that lay within the ground of the Vatican.
February saw a furious round of diplomacy at the UN, as it became increasingly clear that Russia was intent on invading Ukraine, a crisis which UN Secretary-General António Guterres said was testing the “entire international system”.
“We need restraint and reason. We need de-escalation now,” spelled out the UN chief, urging all sides to “refrain from actions and statements that would take this dangerous situation over the brink”. These calls were in vain, however, and the war, which Russia described as a “special military operation,” began.
Global ramifications of Ukraine war : from food and fuel, to nuclear threat
The conflict took on a significance far beyond its effect on Ukraine and Russia. Global fuel and food prices soared, and the UN trade body UNCTADidentified the war as the main contributing factor to projections of a global economic downturn, in a world still reeling from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dark memories of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion in 1986 were revived, when the Zaporizhzhia plant in southeastern Ukraine, the largest in Europe, came under Russian military control.
The UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) warned of potentially catastrophic consequences, expressing concern at the alarming conditions of the plant, and the shelling that took place not far from the reactors. Fighting in the vicinity of a nuclear plant was, said IAEA chief Rafael Grossi in November, “playing with fire”.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
UN grain deal a ‘ray of hope to ease human suffering’
An highlight of UN diplomacy this year was undoubtedly the successful implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which saw exports resume from Ukrainian ports in July, and paved the way for Russian food and fertilizer to reach global markets, helping to slow the vertiginous rise in the price of grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertilizer across the world.
The delicately balanced deal involved the establishment of a Joint Coordination Centre in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with representatives from Ukraine, Russia and Türkiye, to monitor the onloading of grain at the three ports.
Ukrainian pilot vessels guide the ships through the Black Sea, which is mined, after which they head out through the Bosphorus Strait along an agreed corridor.
Perhaps more impressive, given the lack of trust between Ukraine and Russia, and no prospect of a ceasefire in sight, is that the deal was renewed for a further 120 days in November. By then more than 11 million tonnes of essential foodstuffs had been shipped from Ukraine, and food prices began to stabilize.
MINUSMA/Gema Cortes
Africa: Hope for peace in Sudan and Ethiopia, conflict grinds on in DRC and Mali
UN peacekeepers in several African countries found themselves in harm’s way this year, whilst carrying out their role protecting civilians from violence.
Over the course of the year, Mali’s reputation as the world’s most dangerous posting seemed to be borne out: nearly every month saw an attack that killed or wounded peacekeepers, amid reports of civilian massacres, and a deteriorating security situation.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was riven by attacks from militant groups and intercommunal violence which displaced thousands of people. Hundreds of civilians were killed throughout the year, and peacekeepers again made the ultimate sacrifice. In one attack, in July, the UN Mission’s base in the restive North Kivu region was hit during violent demonstrations, killing three peacekeepers.
There was better news from Sudan, which began the year embroiled in political unrest, following a military coup in 2021. Protestors against the regime continued to be targeted, and the UN condemned an excessive use of force, which saw several of them killed.
By December, however, Mr. Guterres was able to hail a peace agreement between civilian and military leaders, and the UN team in Sudan announced that they would ensure a package of support during the transitional period.
In Ethiopia, which has seen fierce fighting centred on the Tigray region, efforts to defuse the conflict led to a ceasefire in March. This did not end the violence, however, or the humanitarian crisis resulting from the unrest, but a peace deal, which was finally signed in November, was described by Mr. Guterres as a “critical first step” towards ending the brutal two-year civil war.
Middle East: No end in sight for many long-running conflicts
In March, Mr. Guterres called for the international community not to fail the Syrian people, as the country entered the eleventh year of a brutal civil war, in which 307,000 civilians have died.
The year ended with signs of military escalation, and no prospect of a peace deal, but the UN Special Envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, continued to meet with a host of key Syrian and international stakeholders, in pursuit of an eventual political solution to break the deadlock.
Yemen is now in the seventh year of its catastrophic conflict, which again exacted a vicious toll on its people. Hopes were raised in April, when the UN brokered a nationwide truce, the first in six years. However, the truce came to an end in October, leading to fresh uncertainty.
Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, told the Security Council in October that he believed a peace agreement could still be achieved: “With the stakes this high, it is critical that we do not lose this opportunity. The parties need to demonstrate the leadership, compromise and flexibility required to urgently reach an agreement”.
Little progress was made in relations between Israel and Palestine, during a year in which more than 150 Palestinians and over 20 Israelis were killed in the West Bank and Israel.
UN Middle East Envoy Tor Wennesland expressed deep concern at the sharp increase in violence against civilians on both sides which, he said, undermined a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Mr. Wennesland called on Israel to cease advancement of all settlement activities as well as the demolition of Palestinian-owned property, and to prevent possible displacement and evictions. “The deepening occupation, the increase in violence, including terrorism, and the absence of a political horizon have empowered extremists and are eroding hope among Palestinians and Israelis, alike, that a resolution of the conflict is achievable,” he warned.
Americas: Haiti ‘on verge of abyss’, Colombia closer to lasting peace
It’s hard to overstate the extent to which the security situation in Haiti collapsed in 2022. Practically nowhere in the capital, Port-au-Prince, could be deemed safe, as rival gangs fought over territory, terrorizing increasingly desperate citizens, already struggling to survive a humanitarian catastrophe.
In October, the UN Special Representative in the country, Helen La Lime, welcomed the sanctions regime adopted by the Security Council, which targets gang leaders and their backers. She told the Security Council that even if a political solution could be found, it would not be sufficient to address the crisis.
Ms. La Lime indicated her support for the mobilization of a specialized military force, whilst the US Permanent Representative to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the Security Council in October that the US and Mexico are working on a resolution which will authorize a “non-UN international security assistance mission”, which would help in the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid.
There were positive signs that Colombia, which suffered decades of civil war, may be on the verge of achieving a lasting peace.
Six years on from the historic peace accord signed between the Colombian government and FARC rebels, the country was still beset by outbreaks of fighting in 2022 and, in July, the UN human rights office called on the incoming administration to tackle rising violence, particularly in rural areas.
By October, the head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, felt confident enough to brief the Security Council that expectations were running high for progress towards the full and final implementation of a lasting peace deal: “I am certainly confident that Colombia can demonstrate to the world, once again, that there is no better alternative to ending conflicts than through dialogue”.
UNAMA/Iason Nikolas Foounten
Asia: Korean nuclear tension, scores attacked in Afghanistan
Much of the focus on Afghanistan has centred on the steady erosion of women’s rights under the Taliban, the de facto rulers of the country, but security has been increasingly challenging.
The Afghan people were rocked by waves of deadly terror attacks, from blasts at schools in April, to the bombing of a mosque in August, claimed by the so-called Islamic State group, also known as Da’esh. The group also carried out attacks against the Russian and Pakistani embassies, and a hotel hosting many Chinese nationals.
The top UN official in Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, announced in December that the UN is keeping dialogue open with the leaders of the Taliban, despite their differing positions. Whilst the Taliban face little to no political opposition, they are unable to satisfactorily address terrorist groups operating in the country, she reported.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), more commonly known as North Korea, continued to test missiles in 2022, provoking condemnation from the UN, and fears that the country was attempting to develop its nuclear weapons capability.
António Guterres declared that a long-range test in March was in violation of Security Council resolutions, and called an October launch over Japan a “reckless act”.
In a Security Council briefing in November, Rosemary Di Carlo, the head of UN Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), said that DPRK had reportedly launched its “largest and most powerful missile, capable of reaching all of North America”.
Overall, said, Ms. Di Carlo, DPRK had launched some 60 ballistic missiles. She reiterated calls on the country to “desist from taking further provocative actions and to fully comply with its international obligations under relevant Security Council resolutions”.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
A new UN peace agenda
The wider issue of peace is likely to figure more highly on the UN agenda in 2023, when the UN chief, António Guterres, delivers A New Agenda for Peace, to Member States.
Addressing the Security Council in December, Mr. Guterres explained that the document will articulate the Organization’s work in peace and security; set out a comprehensive approach to prevention; link peace, sustainable development, climate action, and food security; and consider how the UN adapts to cyberthreats, information warfare, and other forms of conflict.
“The challenge ahead is clear,” said Mr. Guterres “To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, with a revitalized multilateralism that is effective, representative and inclusive”.
UNMISS, the African Union mission, regional bloc IGAD, the so-called Troika (United States, United Kingdom, and Norway), the European Union, and the body overseeing the peace agreement signed by the warring parties in South Sudan (R-JMEC), issued a statement on Wednesday, saying they were “gravely concerned about the escalating ongoing violence, loss of life and reports of alleged use of heavy weaponry”.
News reports quoting a local official said youths from the Nuer community had attacked members of the Murle ethnic group in Greater Pibor.
The fighting began when armed youths attacked the village of Lanam, according to Greater Pibor’s information minister. He told news outlets that members of both groups suffered fatalities, with 17 Murle community members among those injured.
The information minister for Jonglei state also reportedly condemned the fighting and called on young fighters from the state, to immediately end the violence, and return home. Both senior local officials called for central Government intervention to end the violence, according to news reports.
The world’s youngest country has been mired in violence which escalated not long after gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, between Government forces led by President Salva Kiir, and fighters loyal to his rival Riek Machar.
Ultimatum
The statement from the UN and partners urged combatants and supporters “to immediately cease hostilities, exercise restraint and respect human rights.”
They called on South Sudanese leaders “to urgently intervene to stop the fighting and ensure the safety and security of civilians as well as unimpeded humanitarian access to people affected by the fighting.”
They emphasized the need to investigate and hold all perpetrators of violence to account, “including those who are instigating and inciting violence and those responsible for the abduction of women and children.”
Dialogue, not fighting
The statement also strongly encouraged national politicians and traditional leaders to persuade young fighters to stop the violence and pursue “a dialogue-based approach that focuses on restoring calm and peacefully resolving the root causes of the conflict.”
While the primary responsibility for protecting civilians lies with the national Government, UNMISS and international partners reiterated that they are ready to provide all necessary support to protect civilians in affected areas.
UN Photo/Isaac Billy
Peacekeepers serving with UNMISS, the UN mission in South Sudan, patrol Central Equatoria.
Stepping up patrols
“UNMISS is intensifying patrols in conflict hotspots and closely monitoring the situation, noting that such fighting has in the past led to significant loss of life and large-scale civilian displacement.”
The statement also noted that the “uncalled for violence” posed a serious risk to the peace and stability of all South Sudanese, and called on the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, to investigate, urging the parties to the conflict, to facilitate access.
“Every New Year is a moment of rebirth”, said António Guterres. We sweep out the ashes of the old year and prepare for a brighter day. In 2022, millions of people around the world literally swept out ashes.”
The impact on civilians, meant that over 100 million people found themselves fleeing violence, wildfires, droughts, poverty and hunger, the UN chief said.
Let’s make 2023 a year when peace is restored to our lives, our homes, and our world
“In 2023, we need peace, now more than ever. Peace with one another, through dialogue to end conflict. Peace with nature and our climate, to build a more sustainable world.”
Living with dignity
Peace was also needed inside families and homes, “so women and girls can live in dignity and safety”, added Mr. Guterres, as well as peace on streets that too often have seen violent reprisals from security forces in response to peaceful protest.
Demonstrators and whole communities, need “the full protection of human rights”, he said, and for those with religious belief, there needs to be peace in places of worship, together with greater tolerance of other faiths.
Living free from hate
There also needs to be peace online, he added, so instead of disinformation, and conspiracy theories, all societies can enjoy the Internet “free from hate speech and abuse.”
In 2023, let’s put peace at the heart of our words and actions”, said the Secretary-General.
“Together, let’s make 2023 a year when peace is restored to our lives, our homes, and our world.”
UN Photo/Mark Garten
Secretary-General António Guterres visits a refugee centre in Chișinău, in the Republic of Moldova.
