In a statement released on Saturday, Mr. Guterres announced that he had full confidence in the UN system in Burkina Faso, as well as in Ms. Manzi’s commitment and professionalism.
For years, Burkina Faso has suffered from political instability, and saw two military coups in 2022 alone. This year also saw a continuation of the deadly terrorist attacks that have long blighted the country: at least 79 were killed in an attack on a town in the north of the country in June and, on Monday, a minibus reportedly hit a landmine, killing around 10 people.
Amid this lack of security, Burkina Faso is facing a huge humanitarian crisis, with more than a million people in Burkina Faso displaced from their homes, victims of ongoing conflict and poverty.
In November, in a blog published by UN News, Ms. Manzi described the vulnerability of education and health services to terror groups, many of which have been forced to close, exacerbating the crisis.
According to media reports, the Burkina Faso Foreign Ministry cited Ms. Manzi’s decision to withdraw non-essential staff from the capital, Ouagadougou as its justification for declaring her persona non grata.
However, as Mr. Guterres pointed out in his statement, the doctrine of persona non grata does not apply to United Nations officials.
“Under Article 100 and 101 of the United Nations Charter, United Nations staff members are appointed by the Secretary-General, responsible only to the Organization, and United Nations Member States undertake to respect their exclusively international character”, the UN chief declared.
The statement went on to explain that UN staff members have the right to remain in Burkina Faso in order to perform their functions on behalf of the Organization, and that only the UN Secretary-General, as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Organization, has the authority to withdraw any United Nations official.
Mr. Guterres reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to continue to engage with the transitional authorities in Burkina Faso, and to support the country and its people.
In a statement issued on Friday, Stéphane Dujarric said that in addition to the deaths of the male and female peacekeepers in Timbuktu town earlier in the day, four other blue helmets from the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were injured.
Possible war crime
Attacks targeting UN peacekeepers “may constitute war crimes” under international law, the statement continued.
The UN chief called on the Malian authorities to “spare no effort in identifying and swiftly bringing the perpetrators of these heinous attacks to justice”.
He offered his deepest condolences to the bereaved families, the Government, and people of Nigeria and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
“The Secretary-General reiterates the United Nations continued support to, and solidarity with, the people of Mali”, said Mr. Dujarric.
Call to Transitional Government
At the same time, the Security Council issued a statement condemning the attack “in the strongest terms” and paid tribute to “all peacekeepers who risk their lives”.
They called on the Transitional Government of Mali to “swiftly investigate” the attack with the support of MINUSMA and promote accountability by bringing the perpetrators to justice.
The ambassadors reminded Mali officials to keep the relevant troop-contributing country informed of the progress consistent with the Security Council resolutions on the safety and security of peacekeepers (2518) and accountability for any violence against them (2589).
They underlined that involvement in planning, directing, sponsoring, or conducting attacks against MINUSMA peacekeepers “constitutes a basis for sanctions”.
UN Photo/Gema Cortes
A member of the Search and Detect Team serving with the UN Stabilization Mission in Mali surveys a road in Menaka in the northeast of Mali.
Combat terrorism
The responsibility of UN personnel safety rests with host States, the statement continued, highlighting the importance of communications between MINUSMA and Mali’s Transitional Government.
The Council reaffirmed that terrorism constitutes “one of the most serious threats to international peace and security”, describing it as “criminal and unjustifiable”, regardless of the motivation.
They emphasized the need to “bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice” and for all States to combat terrorism in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
Greater Sahel region
While reiterating its full support to MINUSMA and other security presences in the Sahel region, the Council expressed concern over the security situation in Mali and the transnational dimension of terrorism in the Sahel region.
“Lasting peace and security in the Sahel region will not be achieved without a combination of political, security, peacebuilding and sustainable development efforts benefiting all regions of Mali, as well as the full, effective and inclusive implementation of the Agreement”, they said.
UN Photo/Harandane Dicko
Senegalese peacekeepers serving with MINUSMA secure the route that their convoy must travel on to Ogoussagou to ensure safety for its personnel.
Standing with Mali
The Council further stressed the importance of MINUSMA having the necessary capacities to fulfil its mandate and promote the safety and security of the blue helmets.
These “heinous acts” will not undermine the peacekeepers determination to continue to support the peace and reconciliation process in Mali, the statement concluded.
Friends in need
The day before the attacks, a new Group of Friends to Promote Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers initiative was launched at UN Headquarters in New York to improve the safety and security of blue helmets.
During the event, peace operations chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix reminded that Mali was one of three countries that shouldered 84 per cent of peacekeeping fatalities since 2013.
He also drew attention to four MINUSMA personnel from Chad who were killed on 10 October as a result of improvised explosive device in Tessalit, the Kidal Region.
Mr. Bauer believes that Haiti is facing an unprecedented crisis, which could get even worse. For this reason, he says, there is no time to waste.
“It’s difficult to believe that a mere two hours’ flight from Miami, a staggering 4.7 million people – half of Haiti’s population – are in the throes of a food crisis. In the Cité Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 19,000 people are suffering in the ‘catastrophe’ level on the global scale for measuring food insecurity.
In the 1980s, I used to visit Haiti on family trips; my mother fled to the US in the 1960s and I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC. The country was very poor then but able to feed itself. Now as I witness its struggle, coordinating the World Food Programme’s response, I cannot deny feeling affected on a deeply personal level.
I speak Creole. I grew up eating djon djon rice and joumou soup. I’ve always been acutely aware of Haiti’s rich history.
UNDP Haiti/Borja Lopetegui Gonzalez
‘A succession of disasters’
In the 1990s there was a series of coups and a trade embargo; people risked their lives to leave on boats. Free market policies ruined Haiti’s smallholder farmers and left the country heavily reliant on food imports. A succession of disasters followed, including the 2010 earthquake and cholera outbreak, hurricane Matthew in 2016, and the Southern earthquake of 2021.
Things are now at a breaking point. This crisis will not pass – it needs renewed and robust humanitarian assistance.
I am often asked why things are in fact so bad, so close to my family’s adopted home. I answer that Haiti is starving because gangs have taken control of ports and roads. This cut off communities from both the farms that feed them and from essential humanitarian aid. In the past year, food and fuel prices have skyrocketed.
In September, protests and widespread looting erupted. Roadblocks brought the country to a standstill, what Haitians call a peyi lok (lockdown). The peyi lok that began on 12 September felt a lot like the ones that occurred worldwide during the early months of the Covid pandemic – except that people were now forced to stay home by fear and violence, rather than by a dangerous disease.
Armed groups had seized the main fuel import terminal, blocking flows of diesel, the economy’s lifeblood. Humanitarians also came under attack; two of WFP’s warehouses were looted, depriving thousands of essential food assistance. For WFP staff, making it to the office meant navigating roadblocks and weathering threats.
During the peyi lok, panic-buying broke out. Supermarkets shelves grew thinner as the days went by. I recently met a group of women in Cité Soleil as they waited for much-needed food from WFP. They said work is hard to come by, that they simply can’t afford to buy the food they need. They were drinking rainwater, they said. For dinner, they sometimes boil water and add salt because there’s simply nothing else to eat. As we talked, shots rang out and bullets flew overhead. Sadly, the people of Haiti have become conditioned to violence and hunger.
Against this backdrop, WFP and its partners have provided food to over 1 million Haitians this year – including over 100,000 people since the lockdown. The only safe way to get in and out of Port-au-Prince is by air. The WFP-managed UN Humanitarian Air Service has helped ferry vital cargo for the cholera response. But while emergency rations and airlifts will keep people alive, they won’t offer a future.
Armed groups are no longer in control of the Varrreux fuel Terminal but still hold swathes of the city. Their stranglehold on Haitian society must stop. The UN sanctions that placed on those who support them are a step in the right direction. But humanitarian work in Haiti needs a change of tack.
WFP Haiti/Theresa Piorr
Helping Haiti to feed its people
Above all, we must help Haitian farmers feed their own people. WFP is working with 75 farming cooperatives to provide meals to schoolchildren.
Thanks to this programme, on any given school day, 100,000 children receive a locally-sourced school meal. But social unrest is keeping children away from schools and farmers from markets. The peyi lok must end, so that rebuilding Haiti’s shattered food systems can resume.
What Haiti is experiencing now is not merely a bout of instability that will subside as part of some regular cycle the world is inured to. Haiti is experiencing a crisis on an unprecedented scale that can only worsen – unless we act fast and with greater urgency from us all.”
Mr. Guterres has strongly condemned the attacks, which occurred on 29 and 30 November in the villages of Kishishe and Bambo, located in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu province, in the volatile eastern part of the country
At least 131 civilians were killed, including 17 women and 12 children, and eight others were injured.
Support for investigations
“The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a swift recovery to the injured,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement on Friday.
“He welcomes the decision of the Congolese authorities to investigate these incidents with a view to bringing those found responsible to justice.”
Meanwhile, the UN’s human rights office in the DRC, and its peacekeeping operation there, MONUSCO, will continue to support the Government in these efforts.
End hostilities now
“The Secretary-General urges the M23 and all other armed groups immediately cease hostilities and disarm unconditionally,” the statement continued.
Mr. Guterres also called on all parties to facilitate humanitarian access to affected communities and to ensure the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law.
He also underlined the UN’s ongoing commitment to support the Congolese Government and people in their efforts to bring about peace and stability in the east of the country.
The attacks are the latest in a series of violence inflicted on civilians by armed groups in eastern DRC.
MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita briefed the UN Security Council in New York on Friday.
She told ambassadors that the security situation in eastern DRC “has deteriorated dramatically” in the past weeks.
The evidence, collected in 16 peer-reviewed studies, shows that peacekeepers – or ‘blue helmets’ as the moniker goes – significantly reduce civilian casualties, shorten conflicts, and help make peace agreements stick.
In fact, the majority of UN Peacekeeping missions succeed in their primary goal, ultimately stabilizing societies and ending war.
“If we look systematically across the record – most of the time peacekeeping works.” That’s the verdict of Professor Lise Howard of Georgetown University, in Washington D.C. Her recent book Power in Peacekeeping is based on extensive field research across different UN peacekeeping missions.
Significant success
“If we look at the completed missions since the end of the Cold War, two thirds of the time, peacekeepers have been successful at implementing their mandates and departing,” Professor Howard says in an interview with UN Video.
“That’s not to say that in all of those cases, everything is perfect in the countries. But it is to say that they’re no longer at war.”
“Peacekeepers reduce the likelihood that civil wars will recur,” she continues. “They also help to achieve peace agreements. Where there’s a promise of peacekeepers, we are more likely to see a peace agreement and peace agreements that stick.”
UN Photo/GJ
Millions of lives saved
Above all, UN peacekeepers save lives: Professor Howard says that millions of lives have been spared since the creation of peacekeeping in 1948.
The concept of using soldiers, not to fight wars, but to help keep the peace, was born during negotiations in the Middle East in 1948, when the newly-founded state of Israel was in conflict with its neighbours.
One of peacekeeping’s main creators was Dr. Ralph Bunche, an American diplomat who was a senior official with the UN.
“This idea was an innovation in human history – that troops would deploy impartially, so they would not take sides. They would deploy with the consent of the belligerents, so the belligerents would actually ask peacekeepers to help them implement peace agreements.”
For helping negotiate an armistice between Egypt and Israel in 1948, Dr. Bunche was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950.
UN Photo/M. Grant
Case study: Namibia
One of Professor Howard’s case studies is Namibia. In 1989, a UN Peacekeeping mission helped end a civil war and supported the first free and fair elections in the country’s history. That was far from an easy task.
“Namibia is a country that has experienced tremendous hardship,” Professor Howard says. “It’s had multiple colonial rulers. It had a genocide. It’s been victim of a regional war, of civil war. But surprisingly Namibia has not fallen victim to this tremendously difficult history.”
Today, Namibia is a stable, upper-middle-income country, with a functioning democratic system – an extraordinary achievement, given that historical background.
The UN mission in Namibia was innovative for its time. 40 per cent of its personnel were women. And Professor Howard argues that UN peacekeeping is most effective, when it is not simply relying on force of arms.
Power of persuasion
“The main form of power they exercised was persuasion. Peacekeepers were there to help reform the political system. Nobody had ever voted in an election before. Peacekeepers were helping to inform citizens of their rights and what it means to elect their own leaders.”
In the complex missions in civil wars, peacekeepers are not only monitoring cease-fire lines, they are also helping to rebuild the basic institutions of the State.
They help demobilize troops. They help reform judicial and economic systems, so that when disputes arise, people don’t have to resort again to violence, to resolve them.
Another key task is protecting civilian lives. During the civil war in South Sudan, UN peacekeepers opened their compounds to hundreds of thousands, providing sanctuary amid intense violence.
Sexual Abuse
There have been times when UN peacekeepers have caused immense harm to civilians – the very opposite of protecting them. A small minority has sexually exploited and abused vulnerable citizens.
The UN has taken measures to prevent peacekeepers from committing acts of sexual violence. Entire battalions have been sent home and there are mechanisms to make sure that victims feel safe to report peacekeeper sexual abuse and exploitation.
The UN has also raised more than $4 million to support victims of sexual abuse and exploitation in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti and Liberia. The Trust Fund helps Member States assist victims and children born of sexual exploitation and abuse.
Case study: Lebanon
The UN mission in Lebanon is another example of peacekeeping succeeding by using other means than military force. The mission, called UNIFIL, is in a highly volatile area, near the border between Israel and Lebanon. On one side, are the Israeli Defense Forces. On the other, Hezbollah and other armed actors.
One of UNIFIL’s main tasks is to help preserve the peace and diffuse tensions between the Israeli Defense Forces and the Lebanese Army. But, Professor Howard says, the primary form of power that peacekeepers use today, is inducement.
“UN peacekeepers help to keep the peace, not because anyone fears them, but they do see the advantage of having UN peacekeepers inducing people to move toward peace.”
Professor Howard observed peacekeepers in Lebanon first-hand during her field research.
Foot patrols
“In southern Lebanon we often see peacekeepers patrolling on foot. They walk around the local communities. They visit the markets. They talk to people. They’ll talk to the imam. They’ll talk to other local leaders. They’ll set up a medical clinic or provide dentistry services. They also provide a lot of employment in southern Lebanon.”
In other words, UN peacekeepers provide a conduit for talks and for the reduction of tensions. They get to know the local communities and they also provide services. They demonstrate the advantages of peace and stability.
Moving from war to peace
Professor Howard argues that UN peacekeeping is most successful when using persuasion and inducement, rather than direct military force. But whatever the theory behind the success, the data from extensive, systematic studies, shows that the UN’s peacekeeping missions are effective most of the time.
“If we look systematically across the cases, peacekeepers are helping people, in their everyday lives, move from a situation where there’s war and violent conflict to a situation where there is more peace.”
“Over the past weeks, the security situation in eastern DRC has deteriorated dramatically”, said Special Representative Bintou Keita, noting that since October, the M23 rebel group had resumed hostilities and extended its control in North Kivu province.
Bolstering support
In response, MONUSCO has continued to provide operational, logistical, and tactical support both to the Congolese armed forces and national police in confronting M23 and other armed groups.
Robust patrols have been conducted in and around Goma to protect civilians and deter M23 from advancing further towards the city, she said.
And the Mission added more community alert networks in vulnerable areas.
Heinous crimes
The MONUSCO chief described “gravely concerning” allegations of human rights abuses by M23 combatants in Kishishe and Bambo, Rutshuru territory, and in North Kivu, in which at least 102 men, 17 women and 12 children were “either shot dead or killed by bladed weapons”.
Moreover, she continued, M23 combatants raped at least 22 women, destroyed four schools and occupied two others.
“I call on this Council to condemn these crimes with the utmost severity…[and] demand the immediate release of the survivors that were prevented from leaving the area by the M23”, she underscored.
“Those responsible for these and other atrocities against the civilian population must be prosecuted nationally or internationally”.
Crimes impact UN operations
The deteriorating security situation also poses risks for MONUSCO operations.
The senior UN official referred to an armed attack on the Mission’s base in Minembwe, South Kivu, that took the life of a peacekeeper in September.
“I condemn this attack, the perpetrators of which must be prosecuted with the greatest firmness”, she spelled out.
MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti
M23 fighters head towards Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ongoing humanitarian crisis
Ms. Keita cited armed groups as a major reason why DRC hosts the highest number of internally displaced persons in Africa.
“An estimated additional 370,000 people have been uprooted and forced from their homes in the latest round of hostilities, involving the M23”, she continued, adding that inter-communal violence in the western provinces have also led to the displacement of over 50,000, mostly women and children.
“In this dangerous environment, and despite persistent access constraints…humanitarian actors continue to deliver indispensable aid and lifesaving services”, the MONUSCO chief continued, urging partners to “actively continue supporting” the Humanitarian Response and North Kivu response plans.
Diplomacy at work
The senior UN official updated on intensified regional initiatives supporting the Luanda Roadmap as well as progress made in the context of the Nairobi Process.
“Since April 2022, the Mission has provided political, technical, and logistical support to the joint DRC-Kenya Secretariat” to hold consultations between the Government and Congolese armed groups, she said.
Mini Summit
Ms. Keita informed the ambassadors of a Mini Summit held last month in Luanda, during which an agreement was made on measures to address the situation in eastern DRC that envisions an operational role for MONUSCO, in coordination with the East African Community (EAC) Regional Force and the ad hoc verification mechanism.
“First and foremost, the M23 must cease all hostilities and withdraw from occupied areas in accordance with the roadmap set out in the Final Communiqué of the Luanda Mini Summit”, she said, adding that the DRC Government had formally requested MONUSCO’s involvement in implementing the communiqué.
“I reiterate the Mission’s readiness to leverage the capabilities at its disposal in support of the regional peace initiatives underway…[and] look forward to engaging further with the DRC Government and regional partners to define the Mission’s role in efforts to translate the decisions taken in the framework of the Luanda and Nairobi into reality on the ground”, she concluded.
“States have the primary obligation for preventing genocide, but religious and community leaders, civil society, the private sector and the media – including social media platforms, play an essential role,” he said.
Re-examine failure to prevent
For the Secretary-General, the International Day is an opportunity to remember and pay tribute to the victims and survivors of genocides across the world.
“It is a day to reexamine our collective failure to prevent this crime in the past, and to redouble prevention efforts for the present and the future,” he added.
Yet, more than 70 years after the international community adopted a convention on genocide prevention and punishment, “the threat of genocide remains present in many places around the world,” he warned.
‘Early warning signs’ increasing
“Discrimination and hate speech, the early warning signs of genocide, are on the rise everywhere,” he said.
“We must do more to promote strong political leadership and resolute action against these dangerous trends. We must do more to live up to our commitment to liberate humanity from the scourge of genocide.”
Prevention and elimination
Mr. Guterres recalled that last month he visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh.
He met survivors of horrors committed during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, whose moving testimony was a forceful reminder of the individual suffering, pain and horror of genocide and atrocity crimes.
“I call on every Member State to take concrete steps to protect communities at risk, including minorities, and address discrimination and persecution,” said Mr. Guterres.
“On this International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide, I urge all stakeholders to use all means at their disposal to prevent and end this crime.”
The power of sports
The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Nderitu, also underscored the need for global action.
She addressed a commemorative event in New York that examined the role of sports in atrocity prevention.
Ms. Nderitu said history has shown the dangers of hate speech, and its impact if left unchallenged.
“Hate speech can be both an indicator of risk and a trigger of the atrocity crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity,” she said.
“We saw this in the lead up to the Holocaust, the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and in Srebrenica where the narrative of ‘the other’ was used to dehumanize and vilify, contributing to exclusion, stigmatization, discrimination, isolation, hate crimes and in the most serious instances atrocity crimes, including genocide.”
GAME PLAN against hate
The event also saw the launch a Plan of Action to counter Hate Speech through engagement with sports.
Known as the GAME PLAN, it is the result of two years of consultations by the Special Adviser and a Working Group composed of representatives from major sports leagues in the United States and beyond.
The initiative has its genesis in the Eradicate Hate Global Summit organized by community leaders in the US city of Pittsburgh following the October 2018 assault on the Tree of Life Synagogue – the deadliest antisemitic attack in the nation’s history.
One of the co-chairs of the UN-Summit Sport Working Group is Michele Rosenthal, a former head of community affairs for the Pittsburgh Steelers football team, whose two brothers were killed in the attack.
UN General Assembly President, Csaba Kőrösi, who also addressed the event, highlighted how sports can help to make the world a better place.
“In sports everyone speaks the same language, across boundaries, cultures and religions,” he said. “Sports can develop a sense of understanding and awareness of diversity, it can combat stereotypes and hate speech.”
In its new report, What works to prevent online violence against children, WHO focuses on ways of curbing the grooming of youngsters via the Internet, sexual image abuse – and cyber aggression and harassment in the form of cyberbullying, cyberstalking, hacking and identity theft.
What works also showcases strategies and best practices to better protect children.
“Our children spend more and more time online; as such, it is our duty to make the online environment safe”, noted Etienne Krug, Director of the WHO Department of Social Determinants of Health.
Collective action essential
The report highlights the importance of implementing educational programmes directed at children and parents to prevent online violence.
Studies have shown their effectiveness in reducing levels of victimization, curbing abusers, and associated risk behaviors such as alcohol and drug abuse.
“This new document provides for the first time a clear direction for action by governments, donors and other development partners, showing that we must address online and offline violence together if we are to be effective”, added Mr. Krug.
Wide-ranging strategies
The report recommends implementing school-based educational programmes, promoting interaction among youth, and engaging parents.
It also underscores the importance of training young people in assertiveness, empathy, problem-solving, emotion management and seeking help, among other skills.
WHO pointed out that educational programmes are more successful with multiple and varied delivery formats such as videos, games, posters, infographics and guided discussions.
What works, argues that comprehensive forms of sex education can reduce physical and sexual aggression – particularly in dating online, reducing partner violence, and tackling homophobic bullying.
The effectiveness of sex education has been confirmed in countries across the whole development spectrum.
‘Stranger danger’ overemphasized
Improvements must be made in several areas, according to the report.
Given the overlap of problems and solutions, more violence prevention programmes are needed to address the problem, together with offline violence prevention.
As strangers are not the sole or even the predominant offenders online, less emphasis should be placed on stranger danger.
Instead, more attention should be paid to acquaintances and peers, as they are responsible for a majority of offences.
Given that looking for romance and intimacy online are major sources of vulnerability, the report spotlights the need to emphasize healthy relationship skills.
UNICEF are collaborating with tech companies to make digital products safer for children.
Harnessing the good
From fostering learning to developing personal and professional skills, and expressing creativity, the internet offers a great deal to children and young people, the report is careful to stress.
However, governments must find the right balance between developing digital opportunities and protecting users from harm.
The UN health agency is committed to contributing to better understanding all forms of violence against children and helping to guide the international response.
As part of its public health approach, WHO currently aids in supporting data collection on violence against children; researching factors that can increase or decrease violence; implementing and evaluating interventions; and scaling up evidence-based interventions, such as those illustrated in INSPIRE: Seven strategies for Ending Violence Against Children.
After its latest official visit to the country, the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine expressed deep concern that threats to the rights and lives of youngsters were “constantly multiplying”.
Schools have been destroyed or demolished after nine months of war, while ensuring access to education has also proved very difficult in areas where Russian troops have withdrawn, such as Kharkiv and Kherson, the commissioners said.
Energy crimes focus
The fact-finding mission’s three Commissioners also explained that they had “devoted significant attention” to the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine – in particular, its energy and transportation grids.
“Both are preconditions for accessing rights, and civilian infrastructure is protected by international humanitarian law,” the Commissioners said in a statement, at a time of plummeting winter temperatures that have heightened concerns for Ukraine’s most vulnerable.
“The Commission intends to examine this issue in detail and will return to it in its report to the Human Rights Council next March,” said investigators Erik Møse of Norway (Chair), Jasminka Džumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Pablo de Greiff of Colombia.
Help for war victims
Turning to the issue of reparations, Mr. de Greiff said that “some immediate steps” could be taken by the Ukrainian government to help victims of the war “without exempting the Russian Federation from its responsibility”.
All those affected by the conflict “have needs that require immediate attention”, the Commissioner said.
Measures that Kyiv could take included establishing a “victims’ registry”, to make it simpler to access support services, including mental health and psychosocial support to those exposed to violence, including displaced persons.
Investigation continues
“Consistent with our mandate, we will continue to investigate violations of international human rights law, international humanitarian law and related crimes, and, where possible, seek to identify those responsible”
Latest UN data on confirmed civilian casualties since Russia’s invasion on 24 February indicates more than 16,630 in total: 6,557 killed and 10,074 injured, but the real figures are likely to be significantly higher, due to restrictions on access to war zones.
Rescue workers search a building damaged by missiles in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
Zaporizhzhia towns bombarded
While the humanitarian situation in Kherson has been receiving extensive coverage, dozens of towns on both sides of the frontline in Zaporizhzhia have been shelled daily during the past weeks, according to NGOs on the ground, said the UN Spokesperson on Friday briefing journalists in New York.
“People in these towns face tremendous challenges accessing gas, water and electricity in their homes”, said Stéphane Dujarric.
Most living in the Donetsk region also face extremely limited access to heating, water, health and education services, he added.
“Over the past couple of days, our humanitarian colleagues have received reports from local authorities of civilians killed and injured on both sides of the front line. Yesterday, several schools in both Ukrainian and Russian-controlled parts of the region were reportedly hit.”
He said with temperatures plummeting, heating is a life-threatening issue, and on the Russian-controlled side, including the city of Donetsk, families cannot heat their homes as the centralized heating system has been knocked out. Water is also limited to a few days per week for a few hours.
The UN has distributed hundreds of generators to hospitals, schools and heating points across Ukraine for people cut off from utilities, said Mr. Dujarric.
“The UN has also provided winter supplies and services, heating appliances and house repairs to over 630,000 people. Most of this work can only take place in areas under Government control and humanitarian access to the other parts of the country remains a huge challenge.”
In a statement, the UN integrated stabilization mission in CAR, MINUSCA, said the attack at the Obo airfield near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, had taken place on Thursday morning, and that the mission had “immediately opened an investigation into the exact circumstances” surrounding the incident.
Likely war crime
In his statement released via his Spokesperson’s Office in New York, UN chief António Guterres expressed his deepest condolences to the family of the fallen peacekeeper and to the Kingdom and people of Morocco.”
He recalled that such attacks “may constitute war crimes under international law” and called on the Government of CAR “to spare no effort in identifying the perpetrators of this tragedy so that they can be brought to justice swiftly.”
MINUSCA reminded that any attack on a ‘blue helmet’ was liable to prosecution by both national and international authorities.
The Security Council also issued a statement late on Friday, condemning the attack “in the strongest terms”, stressing that anybody found to be involved in the planning, direction or sponsoring of such attacks, could be sanctioned.
Council members expressed their full support for MINUSCA, and “expressed their deep appreciation” to the mission’s troop and peace-contributing nations, while also stressing the importance of the mission continuing to have the necessary capacities to carry out its mandate.
UN solidarity with CAR
Mr. Guterres reaffirmed the solidarity of the United Nations with the people and Government of CAR, where MINUSCA has been in operation since 2014, with its first priority being to provide protection to civilians caught up in years of conflict.
Following decades of instability, in 2012, the mostly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition launched a series of attacks leading to them capturing control of the capital, and the transfer of power to a transitional government, but sectarian conflict was exacerbated by the rise of the predominantly Christian anti-Balaka movement.
With its mandate renewed just a few weeks ago for a further year, MINUSCA has continued to play a key role in recent months, countering still widespread insecurity, Mission chief Valentine Rugwabiza told the Security Council in October.
Early that month, three peacekeepers were killed patrolling near the Cameroon border, and MINUSCA has repeatedly called on the Government to lift a ban on UN night flights, for the safety and personnel and effectiveness of humanitarian aid distribution.
‘Robust’ response
The MINUSCA chief said the mission had been taking a “robust, preventive and proactive posture” responding to security alerts from various civilian communities in the face of continuing threats from armed groups.
She promised that the mission would continue to position forces where needed to help restore order, advance disarmament and rehabilitation efforts, and help cut off rebel supply routes.
The latest UN report for the Security Council pointed to the “indispensable contribution” of MINUSCA’s multidimensional mandate, which the search for lasting political solutions continues in CAR, she said
“Millions are being plunged into extreme hardship and appalling conditions of life by these strikes”, he said.
“Taken as a whole, this raises serious problems under international humanitarian law, which requires a concrete and direct military advantage for each object attacked”.
Racking up casualties
According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), on Wednesday further missile strikes in the city and region of Kyiv killed at least eight civilians, counting one girl, and injured some 45 others, including seven children.
A two-day old baby boy was killed, and two doctors injured by a rocket strike on a hospital in Vilniansk, in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Since Russia began its ongoing barrage of missile strikes and loitering munition attacks across the country on 10 October, HRMMU has verified at least 77 civilian deaths and 272 injured.
Allegations on both sides
In addition to documenting civilian casualties, the Monitoring Mission has been examining videos and other information surrounding alleged summary executions.
“Since Russia began its armed attack on Ukraine in February, there have been numerous allegations of summary executions by both parties of prisoners of war and others no longer participating in the fighting”, Mr. Türk said.
“Persons hors de combat, including soldiers who have surrendered, are protected under international humanitarian law and their summary execution constitutes a war crime”, he reminded.
‘Forensic investigations’ needed
Among some of the videos that have surfaced over the last two weeks on social media are video clips from the village of Makiivka, which show the apparent surrender of Russian forces or Russian-affiliated armed groups; a man opening fire at Ukrainian soldiers; and subsequently the dead bodies of some 12 Russian soldiers.
“Our Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has conducted a preliminary analysis indicating that these disturbing videos are highly likely to be authentic in what they show. The actual circumstances of the full sequence of events must be investigated to the fullest extent possible, and those found responsible, appropriately held to account”, said the senior UN official.
“The analysis the Mission has done to date underlines the need for independent and detailed forensic investigations to help establish exactly what happened”.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the events.
“It is essential that all allegations of summary executions are investigated fully in a manner that is – and is seen to be – independent, impartial, thorough, transparent, prompt and effective”, said Mr. Türk.
Cost of war
The UN Human Rights Chief also called on the parties to “issue clear instructions” to refrain from retaliation and reprisals against any prisoners of war and to ensure that these instructions are fully complied with.
“The rules governing armed conflict set out in the Geneva Conventions demand this. Order your troops to treat those who surrender and those they detain humanely”.
He flagged the devastating impacts of missile strikes by Russian forces and allegations of summary executions of prisoners of war as showing “all too plainly the intolerable human cost of this, and any other, armed conflict”.
“They are a stark reminder of why international law exists and why it must be fully complied with to prevent a descent into utter inhumanity and negation of the very idea of our human rights”, the High Commissioner stressed.
Some 1500 young people got together at the Semans Lapè (Seeds of Peace) project event supported by the UN Peacebuilding Fund.
Rosemonde* (23 years old)
“I live in Cite Soleil which is under the control of gangs. There is only one road out of my neighbourhood, and it is often flooded or full of trash, so it’s difficult to participate in outside activities.
My mother is not at home right now and I am the eldest of six children, so I do what I can to take care of my family. I’m not comfortable where I live.
“I make crafts, like earrings. When I join activities at these big gatherings, I can talk to people, I can live and act normally. I come here to enjoy life.
I wish my neighbourhood was like this, I wish it was peaceful.”
Samentha (22)
“I am an entrepreneur. I produce jam and peanut butter and other products at my home in Saint Martin. I learnt this on a training course. I would like to sell from local shops, but to do that I need more investment. So, for now I’m selling from my house.
Young people in Haiti want to move forward but it’s difficult to get help, especially when there is no functioning social support system
Young people are very stressed, so I think it’s good to bring them together for activities like this, as it can help them to see that they are not so different from people living in different neighbourhoods.
The situation has been deteriorating for several months, but despite that I think I can inspire other young people to progress. I believe in myself a lot. I am a leader for my family.”
Evens (19)
Young people including my three sisters who have finished school, spend most of their time sitting at home with nothing to do. These activities, which include training courses, are important as they help us to move forward. Of course, it is good to spend time with other youth.
I love playing sports. Even when I was little, I was strong and competitive and that encourages me still today to do my best.
My dream for other young people is for them to see their lives the same way I see my life. This means that they focus more on their work, on what they need to learn. I always encourage them to try hard.
One of my dreams is that, when I finish school, I want to travel, to discover other countries, but now it is not possible.”
Joseph (21)
“Life in Haiti is very difficult now, because of insecurity, political instability and the crisis due to the lack of petrol. According to my grandfather, life was not like this before. It is becoming more difficult year after year.
An activity like this is very important, as it helps youth to socialize and see their true value. The country needs more recreational activities.
The Semans Lapè project provided me with training and now I am an entrepreneur. I am also a student. I was already selling chocolate before the project, but now I have taken my business to a new level and the products are more beautiful and better presented. My business is called Happy Choco. I see myself as an entrepreneur and so school is important to me.
Mirlande (19)
“The situation at home in Cite Lumière is so difficult. There is violence obviously, but also, when it rains the flooding is very bad. Life was never easy, but it has never been this bad. It’s difficult for my friends to visit me.
Many people judge us because we come from this part of the city. Everyone can have a good life. Most of the people who are subjected to violence are innocent.
This activity allows us to have small talk, to get news. It is really important. I love dancing and our neighbourhood put on a show here. I think that it would be better if these activities could take place more often.
My dream is to go to university to become an accountant and continue to dance at a professional level. But it’s hard and we don’t have the means to continue with our schooling. This is the problem we can say that most young people here have. Many of us have talent and intelligence, but we cannot exploit it to our advantage.
Today’s activity can change everyone’s attitude about young people who come from disadvantaged neighborhoods.”
FACT BOX:
The Semans Lapè project is financed by the UN Peacebuilding Fund and implemented by Concern Worldwide, in collaboration with national NGOs Lakou Lapè and Sakala.
Mr. Guterres was speaking to journalists a day after addressing regional leaders attending the 12th Summit between the UN and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Avoid at all costs
“As I told yesterday’s summit meeting, we must avoid at all costs the division of the global economy into two parts, led by the two biggest economies – the United States and China,” he said.
“Such a rift, with two different sets of rules, two dominant currencies, two internets, and two conflicting strategies on artificial intelligence, would undermine the world’s capacity to respond to the dramatic challenges we face.”
He said ASEAN countries are well placed to bridge this divide, stressing that “we must have one global economy and global market with access for all.”
‘Unending nightmare’ in Myanmar
The UN chief also reported on some of the issues discussed at the summit, including the situation in Myanmar which he described as “an unending nightmare for the people of that country, and a threat to peace and security across the region.”
Myanmar’s military seized power in February 2021 and since then, the country has been in the grip of a political, human rights and humanitarian crisis.
Mr. Guterres said ASEAN has taken a principled approach to the issue through its Five-Point Consensus.
Unified strategy needed
The plan was adopted in April 2021 and calls for an immediate cessation of violence, constructive dialogue among the parties, appointment of a Special Envoy, provision of humanitarian assistance, and a visit to the country by the Special Envoy.
“I urge all countries, including ASEAN members, to seek a unified strategy towards Myanmar, centred on the needs and aspirations of the country’s people,” he said.
Solutions for turbulent times
The war in Ukraine, the global energy and food crisis, and the climate emergency were also on the agenda at the day-long summit.
“In these turbulent times, regional organizations including ASEAN are essential to building global solutions,” Mr. Guterres told reporters.
The Secretary-General travelled to Cambodia from Egypt, where the COP27 UN climate change conference is underway.
Climate Solidarity Pact
Mr. Guterres is calling for a Climate Solidarity Pact for developed and emerging economies to combine resources and capacities to defeat climate change.
He is also pushing for leaders to reach agreement on a financial mechanism to support countries that suffer loss and damage from climate-related disasters.
The UN chief will next travel to Bali, Indonesia, for the G20 summit of the world’s major economies, which begins on Tuesday.
Stimulus package proposal
“My priority in Bali will be to speak up for countries in the Global South that have been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate emergency, and now face crises in food, energy and finance – exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and crushing debt,” he said.
Mr. Guterres wants G20 leaders to adopt a stimulus package to provide developing countries with much-needed investments and liquidity.
The UN is also working to alleviate the global food crisis by extending a landmark initiative to get Ukrainian grain back on markets, and by removing obstacles to the Russian food and fertilizers exports.
Responding to questions
The Secretary-General was asked his view of human rights in the ASEAN region, and in host country Cambodia.
Although the situation is different from country to country, he stressed that human rights should be fully respected.
“Indeed, my appeal, and namely my appeal in a country like Cambodia is for the public space to be open and for human rights defenders and climate activists to be protected, and for the cooperation with civil society to be extended,” he said.
The Secretary-General also expressed concern for Myanmar, saying systematic violations of human rights there are “absolutely unacceptable” and causing immense suffering for the population.
Hopes for Indonesian presidency
Asked about UN and ASEAN cooperation to resolve the Myanmar crisis, he said it was important that the Five-Point Consensus moves forward.
Indonesia will chair ASEAN next year, and Mr. Guterres expressed hope that its presidency will see the development of initiatives towards this objective.
“We need to go back to a democracy, to a transition to democracy. We need to release political prisoners. We need to establish an inclusive process, and I’m confident that the Indonesian presidency will be working hard in the next year in that respect.”
Peace in Ukraine
Mr. Guterres also underlined the UN’s clear position on Ukraine, again responding to a journalist’s question.
The Russian invasion was a violation of the UN Charter, he said, and a violation of the country’s territorial integrity.
At the same time, he stressed that it is very important to create the conditions for progressively re-establishing dialogue that will lead to a future where peace will prevail, adding “not any kind of peace – peace based on the values of the UN Charter, and peace based on international law”.
Operating an excavator, a bulldozer or a wheel loader did not come naturally to Chief Private Ryan Herdhika, an avid motorcyclist and soldier in the Indonesian Army’s 3rd Combat Engineering Battalion. But he has just passed his heavy engineering equipment test and will next month be deployed to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) as part of the Indonesian peacekeeping force there.
“It will be the first time in my life I will go abroad, and I am proud that my first trip is as a UN peacekeeper, not a tourist,” said Chief Private Herdhika, while getting on a motor grader to practice how to level the ground in a training field in Sentul, at the Indonesian military’s vast peacekeeping centre.
With close to 2,700 soldiers on active duty in seven UN peace missions, Indonesia is the eighth largest contributor to global peacekeeping operations.
UNIC Indonesia/Rizky Ashar
Solid foundations for a fragile peace process
Under the UN’s Triangular Partnership Programme (TPP) – which brings together countries that provide trainers and resources, and troop contributing countries that deploy to peacekeeping missions – military engineers with extensive experience in operating heavy engineering equipment in peacekeeping missions from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) trained 20 Indonesian soldiers.
The personnel of the Indonesian Armed Forces who completed the training will use their skills to help build and repair UN mission and host country infrastructure including supply routes and camp grounds, and support national recovery efforts following natural disasters in the Central African Republic. MINUSCA has been present in the country since 2014, with a mandate to protect civilians and support the fragile peace process and the transitional government.
“This is a very hard course, having to learn to use a diverse set of equipment in just nine weeks,” said Lieutenant Colonel Tsuyoshi Toyoda, Commander of the JGSDF Training Team. “The trainees worked hard, passed the test and are ready to deploy.”
While there are commercial instructors available to teach these skills in a civilian setting, the complexities of UN peacekeeping operations require trainers with peacekeeping experience.
“In a normal construction site, operators specialize in a single kind of equipment, but here we need the soldiers to learn and operate six types of machines,” said Colonel Herman Harnas, Director of International Cooperation at the Indonesian Armed Forces Peacekeeping Centre. “In a peacekeeping situation, you also do not have the luxury to have separate staff for maintaining the vehicles – so the soldiers need to learn that as well.”
This is the first time such a training course is taking place in Indonesia, though similar courses have been held in Brazil, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, Uganda and Viet Nam, countries that are also important contributors to the UN’s peacekeeping efforts.
Enhancing the preparedness and effectiveness of peacekeeping missions is at the core of the TPP’s raison d’être. But the work of a peacekeeping engineer serving in UN missions requires more than specialized technical knowledge, and the TPP reflects the harsh reality of the peacekeeping environment.
“Our soldiers also learn discipline and the importance of following protocols, which is particularly key in emergency situations, when they need to act quickly,” says Colonel Harnas. “The soldiers are now able to deploy to MINUSCA, one of the UN’s most complex peace operations.”
UNIC Indonesia/Rizky Ashar
A particular set of skills
The UN is committed to continue strengthening engineering, medical and technological capacities of uniformed peacekeepers, says Rick Martin, Director of Special Activities at the UN’s Department of Operational Support in New York.
“As we face new operational challenges within UN peacekeeping operations, high-quality enabling units in engineering and other key capability areas will need to continue to be a priority area if we are to close capability gaps and improve the performance of UN peacekeeping operations,” he adds.
Next year, the UN and Japanese trainers will be back in Sentul to hold a training-of-trainers course, this time teaching future equipment instructors from armies from across the region who contribute to peacekeeping. By then, Chief Private Herdhika will be operating engineering equipment in the Central African Republic. “But after I come back, I hope to be able to pass on my knowledge and experience to my future peacekeepers colleagues as well,” he says.
The protracted fighting has taken countless lives, displaced millions in and outside the country and left much of the country’s infrastructure in tatters. The failure of international efforts to make much progress has been ascribed to the lack of understanding amongst formal mediators of the situation on the ground in local communities.
This is where Syrian women come to the fore. Most women involved in local mediation have some connection to the dispute, and are perceived as trustworthy and credible by the disputing parties. As “insider mediators”, they demonstrate two consistent strengths: the ability to build or leverage relationships, and the possession of detailed knowledge on the conflict and its parties.
An example of this strength came early in the war, in the Zabadani district, northwest of Damascus. As the district began to fall under the control of opposition forces, it was besieged by the government. The authorities demanded that men hand over weapons and surrender, which meant that only women could move safely across the lines of control.
A reversal of roles
Whilst, before the war, Zabadani women were usually expected to focus on responsibilities inside the home, the new restrictions and risks suddenly faced by men made it acceptable—and even necessary—for women to get involved in negotiations with government forces.
Quickly stepping into this newfound role, a group of women in Zabadani gathered and initiated a mediation process with the besieging forces in order to negotiate an end to the siege as well as a potential ceasefire.
“Most of these women became involved because their husbands were implicated with the opposition forces and were wanted by the government,” says Sameh Awad,* a peacebuilding expert familiar with the case. “The women themselves were mostly housewives and did not have any formal role in the community, but they gained their significance because they wanted to protect their husbands”.
Although the ceasefire later collapsed, doe to the changing political context, the women were, for a period of time, able to ensure that civilians were protected and evacuated.
In another example, in the northwestern city of Idlib, informal groups of women were able to save the lives of a group of detainees. After hearing a rumour that they were about to be killed by soldiers, a group of female teachers worked to convince a wider group of women, including the detainees’ mothers, to approach the headquarters of the battalion leader. The encounter ended with the faction leader agreeing to speak with the military council and, a month later, the detainees were released as part of an exchange deal.
Syrian women have also led mediation efforts with government forces to address security issues and service provision in areas formerly under opposition control. “The government insisted that men needed to complete military service, and this made many young men afraid to emerge in the public sphere,” explained MS. Awad. “So, women were involved in going out and exploring to what extent the discussions with the new authorities in the area were possible. During these negotiations, they discussed early recovery in their areas.”
Several years after the start of the conflict, Mobaderoon, a women-led civil society organisation in Damascus, noted an increase in localized violence towards internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had arrived in the capital. To address this violence, the organisation formed local committees made up of community and local government leaders, other influential community members such as teachers and civil society activists, and ordinary residents. They established neutral spaces where people could meet and discuss issues affecting their neighbourhoods, and where they could build their confidence and skills to address these issues.
After some time, the women-led organisation expanded its work to Tartus, a coastal city in western Syria, and partnered with another women-led organisation that enjoys strong community ties and presence in the area.
“Because of the war and the influx of IDPs there were no services, or not enough services,” says Farah Hasan*, a member of Mobaderoon. “Local youth accused the IDPs of being responsible for the war, because they originated from areas under opposition control, and they carried out violent attacks against them in nearby camps.”
This violence was creating substantial instability in the area, so the head of Tartus met with influential community members and local business actors, to convince them that the IDP camp should be integrated as a part of the community, so that IDPs could participate in the local economy.
Attitudes slowly changed, and the targeted neighbourhoods in Tartus witnessed notable differences in the treatment of IDPs: they reported less harassment and violence from host community members, greater acceptance of their children in schools, and more economic opportunities.
Find out more about the ways that women are involved in peace and security issues here.
The non-binding document, known as The Delhi Declaration on countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes was adopted in the Indian capital on Saturday, following a series of panels that involved Member States representatives, UN officials, civil society entities, the private sector, and researchers.
The declaration aims to cover the main concerns surrounding the abuse of drones, social media platforms, and crowdfunding, and create guidelines that will help to tackle the growing issue.
“The Delhi declaration lays out the foundation for the way ahead,” said David Scharia from the Counter-Terrorism Executive Committee. “It speaks about the importance of human rights, public-private partnership, civil society engagement, and how we are going to work together on this challenge. It also invites the CTED [the Secretariat for the Committee] to develop a set of guiding principles, which will result from intensive thinking with all the partners.”
Human Rights at the core
Respect for human rights was highly stressed in the document, and during the debates. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, underscored that there must be “concrete measures to reduce these vulnerabilities while committing to protect all human rights in the digital sphere.”
In a video message, Mr. Guterres added that human rights could only be achieved through effective multilateralism and international cooperation, with responses that are anchored in the values and obligations of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Representing the Human Rights Office, Scott Campbell, who leads the digital technology team, echoed the Secretary-General, explaining that “respecting rights when countering terrorism is fundamental to ensuring sustainable and effective efforts to protect our security.”
“Approaches that cross these important lines not only violate the law, but they also undermine efforts to combat terrorism by eroding the trust, networks, and community that is essential to successful prevention and response,” he said.
Mr. Campbell argued that international law and human rights present many answers to the issue, recalling that the Member States have a duty to protect the security of their population and to ensure that their conduct does not violate the rights of any person.
Regulation and censorship
He also stressed that companies and States should be cautious when filtering and blocking social media content, as it can “affect minorities and journalists in disproportionate ways.”
To overcome the issue, Mr. Campbell suggested that restrictions should be based on precise and narrowly tailored laws, and should not incentivize the censoring of legitimate expression. He argued that they should have transparent processes, genuinely independent and impartial oversight bodies, and that civil society and experts should be involved in developing, evaluating, and implementing regulations.
During the closing session of the meeting, the Committee chairperson, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj of India, stated that the outcome document takes note of the challenges, and proposes “practical, operational, and tactical possibilities of addressing the opportunities and the threats posed by the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes.”
She added that the global policymaking community “must be agile, forward-thinking, and collaborative” to meet the changing needs of States facing new challenges from digital terror.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement brokered by the UN and Türkiye in July, which was set up to reintroduce vital food and fertilizer exports from Ukraine to the rest of the world, is due to run out in the second half of November, but it can be extended, if all parties, including Russian and Ukraine, agree.
In a statement released on Friday, Mr. Guterres promised that the UN is continuing its active and constant engagement with all parties towards that goal. “We underline the urgency of doing so to contribute to food security across the world”, he said, “and to cushion the suffering that this global cost-of-living crisis is inflicting on billions of people.”
“If food and fertilizers do not reach global markets now, farmers will not have fertilizers at the right time and at a price they can afford as the planting season begins, endangering crops in all regions of the world in 2023 and 2024, with dramatic effect on food production and food prices worldwide. The current crisis of affordability will turn into a crisis of availability.”
Mr. Guterres reiterated the positive impacts of the Black Sea Grain Initiative so far: since it was signed, exports of grain and other food products – which are closely monitored by the Joint Coordination Centre, comprising representatives from the Russian Federation, Türkiye, Ukraine and the UN – have surpassed nine million tonnes.
It has also contributed to the lowering of the price of wheat and other commodities, which had soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: the FAO Food Index, which measures the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities, has declined for seven months in a row and, according to UN estimates, has indirectly prevented some 100 million people from falling into extreme poverty.
The UN chief urged all parties to make every effort to renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative and implement both agreements to their fullest, including the expedited removal of any remaining impediments to Russian grain and fertilizer exports.
“Governments, shipping companies, grain and fertilizer traders and farmers all over the world are now looking for clarity on the future”, he declared.
Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk has deplored the deadly use of force against demonstrators, including killings by live ammunition, the Office said in a statement.
Thousands took to the streets in the capital, N’Djamena, and other cities on Thursday, to protest the 24-month extension of the transition to civilian rule.
‘Lethal repression’
Some 50 people were killed, including a journalist, and nearly 300 were injured.
“Our Office has also received reports of violence by protesters following the lethal repression, including attacks on property. We call for calm and for all sides to show restraint,” said OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.
Reports indicate that at least 500 people were arrested. OHCHR has called for all persons detained for exercising their rights to peaceful assembly to be promptly released.
The protests erupted on the day the military were due to hand over power.
Political transition delayed
Chad has faced a political crisis since longtime President, Idriss Déby, died battling rebels in the north in April 2021.
The military installed his son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, who was supposed to step down on Thursday, but says he will rule for another two years.
Ms. Shamdasani said OHCHR’s Chad Office received information from sources that several hundred protesters, mostly young people, started demonstrating in N´Djamena early on Thursday.
Internal security forces used tear gas and fired live ammunition to disperse the protestors.
Respect human rights
OHCHR reminded the Chadian authorities of their obligation to protect and respect human rights, including the right to life, and to ensure that citizens can exercise their rights to peaceful assembly as well as freedom of opinion and expression.
“Defence and security forces must refrain from the use of force against peaceful protesters and ensure that force is not used unless strictly necessary and, if so, in full compliance with the principles of legality, precaution, and proportionality,” said Ms. Shamdasani.
OHCHR also urged the authorities to conduct impartial, prompt and effective investigations into any human rights violations that may have occurred, “including the apparent use of unnecessary or disproportionate force to disperse protests.”
IOM/Anne Schaefer
An aerial view of N’djamena following heavy rains in August 2022.
Devastating flooding
The crisis is occurring as Chad faces flooding affecting one million people. The heavy rains began in July, and 18 out of 23 provinces have been impacted.
Several neighborhoods in the capital are entirely submerged, and people have been forced to flee their homes, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Thursday.
He added that some 465,000 hectares of agricultural land have been destroyed, which could further aggravate the already critical food insecurity situation in the country.
The UN and partners have so far delivered food, medicine, tents, mosquito nets, solar lamps and other items to some 200,000 people.
“The humanitarian community and Government’s joint flood response plan seeks nearly $70 million to reach 800,000 people, but so far it received only 25 per cent of the funding it needs,” said Mr. Dujarric.
The partners are ramping up efforts to mobilize resources to reach more people.
Criminal gangs have been blocking access to the main fuel terminal in the capital Port-au-Prince, bringing critical services to a standstill, as Haiti grapples with a widening cholera epidemic, amid political and economic meltdown.
‘Catastrophic’ hunger
“Catastrophic” levels of hunger have been recorded this month for the first time, in the gang controlled Cite Soleil neighbourhood, and 4.7 million people are facing acute hunger, with many losing access to jobs, markets, health and nutrition services.
Resolution 2653, drafted by the United States and Mexico, is the first sanctions regime adopted since that of Mali, just over five years ago. It establishes a committee which will be responsible for designating the individuals and entities to be sanctioned.
Enemy of the people
The resolution specifically sanctions notorious gang leader, Jimmy Cherizier, an ex-police officer who is reportedly the most powerful gang boss in the country, known by his alias “Barbeque”.
He heads the so-called “G9 Families and Allies”, and the annex notes that he has engaged in “acts that threaten the peace, security and stability of Haiti”, having planned or directed acts that amount to “serious human rights abuses.”
Asset freeze, travel ban, arms embargo
Sanctions include an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo, against those engaging in or supporting criminal activity and violence, involving armed groups and criminal networks.
Designated activity includes recruiting children, carrying out kidnappings, trafficking, murder and sexual and gender-based violence.
Crucially, the resolution also designates the obstruction of humanitarian assistance to and inside Haiti, and any attacks on personnel or premises, of UN missions and operations.
UN Photo/Manuel Elías
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the United States addresses the UN Security Council meeting on Haiti.
Speaking in the Council chamber following the vote, US Ambassador and co-pen holder on Haiti, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the unanimous vote represented “an important step to help the Haitian people”, and was “truly reflective of Council consensus.”
‘Clear message’ to the gangs
She said the Council was “sending a clear message to the bad actors, that are holding Haiti hostage. The international community will not stand idly by, while you wreak havoc on the Haitian people.”
She said clear measurable and well-defined safeguards were also in place to review the effectiveness of the targeted sanctions, but the challenge now remained of restoring security and alleviating the humanitarian crisis.
Non-UN force in the pipeline
Ms. Thomas-Greenfield reminded that the US-Mexico are working on a resolution which will authorize a “non-UN international security assistance mission” to address security issues to facilitate humanitarian aid. This was not only in response to a request from the Haitian Government, but also an option suggested by the UN Secretary-General, she added.
The latest surge in violence began in August, after a fragile five-month humanitarian truce, which has halted aid deliveries into the northern Ethiopian region, where around five million civilians are in need of aid.
Aid distribution continues to be hampered by a lack of fuel, and a communications shutdown across Tigray, while Tigrayan commanders have claimed that Eritrea has launched an offensive in support of Ethiopian Government forces, according to news reports.
Aid worker, civilians killed
UN partner organisation the International Rescue Committee, has reported that one of its workers was killed in an attack in Tigray, while delivering aid to women and children in the town of Shire, on Friday.
In a statement on Saturday, the agency said another IRC staff member was also injured in the attack, and two other civilians reportedly killed and three injured during the bombing. Aid workers and civilians should never be a target, IRC added.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack, but Shire and other Tigrayan areas have suffered multiple airstrikes since August.
‘Devastating impact’
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in the statement issued by his Spokeperson, that the uptick in fighting was having “a devastating impact on civilians in what is already a dire humanitarian situation”.
He is calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
“The Secretary-General reiterates his full support to an African Union led mediation process and reaffirms the United Nations readiness to support the urgent resumption of talks in order to reach a lasting political settlement to this catastrophic conflict.”
Just last month, African Union-mediated talks were due to take place in South Africa, but were postponed.
Hundreds of thousands have been displaced in Tigray as well as neighbouring northern regions of Amhara and Afar, while tens of thousands are believed to have been killed. Millions of lives are being impacted by the conflict.
Aid update
In a humanitarian update on 4 October, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, said UN staff were now being allowed to rotate in and out of Tigray once more, but life-saving air supplies by road and air needed to resume urgently.
“Those flights have remained suspended since 25 August, halting the transportation of supplies and operational cash into the region, which is vital for operations”, he said, briefing journalists in New York.
“Despite security concerns, access restrictions and lack of resources, our partners continue to respond in areas they can access in the three regions”, he said.
“In Tigray, the remaining humanitarian stocks continue to be distributed and basic services provided, despite the very difficult operational challenges.”
As of 26 September, 32 mobile health and nutrition clinics were still operating in 58 health facilities and displacement sites in the region, he said. In Amhara and Afar, newly displaced families are being helped with food, water, emergency shelter and other supplies, as well as health services, Mr Dujarric added.
