The goal for decarbonized air transport, which follows similar commitments from industry groups, will “contribute to the green innovation and implementation momentum, which must be accelerated over the coming decades to ultimately achieve emissions-free powered flight,” stressed the President of the ICAO Council Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano.
To achieve this aim, several CO2 emissions reductions measures will need to be put in place, such as the accelerated adoption of new and innovative aircraft technologies, streamlined flight operations, and the increased production and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels.
The issue of viable financing and investment support for these measures was underscored by the countries represented at the Assembly, and there were calls for a third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels to be convened in 2023.
Whilst carbon dioxide emissions from domestic air operations are included in the environmental commitments made by practically all countries in the Paris Agreement – a UN-backed international treaty on climate change, adopted in 2015 – emissions resulting from international flights are addressed collectively under the Chicago Convention, which established the rules of airspace in 1947, and associated agreements.
Since 1944, ICAO has helped countries to cooperate and share their skies to their mutual benefit. Since it was established, the agency has supported the creation of a dependable network of global air mobility, which connects families, cultures, and businesses all over the world, whilst promoting sustainable growth and socio-economic prosperity wherever aircraft fly.
Nation states are the decision-makers at ICAO Assembly events, but the multilateral discussions and outcomes, such as the 2050 net-zero goal, are informed by key contributions from industry and civil society groups, who participate as official observers.
The image of the typical, laid-back surfer does not sit easily with the stereotype of earnest environmental campaigners. But elite bodyboarder Chris Kirkman is proof that surfers have a part to play in fighting the climate emergency.
He has competed everywhere from Portugal and Chile to Tahiti and Brazil, and it was through surfing that he first started considering humans’ effect on the climate.
In 2019, Mr. Kirkman, along with champion longboarder Belinda Baggs, co-founded Surfers for Climate. The organization has four key goals: to mobilize and empower an alliance of surfers to care about the climate; take climate action; help the surfing community play a role in stopping coastal and offshore fossil fuel developments; and make politicians who represent surfing communities take climate action.
Australia, which has suffered drought, wildfires and flooding across the country in recent years, is at the frontlines of the climate crisis, sparking increased concern amongst all sectors of the population, including surfers.
“A lot of Aussies had taken their heads out of the sand when it came to the climate, but then the fires and the floods really stepped up the urgency of the issue,” says Mr. Kirkman. “It still a difficult pathway for people, as they don’t know where to start, or where to go”.
Part of Surfers for Climate’s remit is to reach out to surfers and point them in the right direction. “We are still learning about our audience and how to engage them,” explains Mr. Kirkman, “figuring out how we take every surfer on a journey of climate action. We refer to it as a wave of engagement with multiple take-off points on that wave”.
UNDP
Singer-songwriter Cody Simpson is a UN Development Programme Ocean Ambassador
Casting a wide net
The non-profit has done everything from hosting climate-themed pub trivia nights to producing environmentally friendly consumption guides. Last month, they launched a new initiative called Trade Up, aimed at surfers who are also tradespeople, such as builders, carpenters, and electricians.
“We ran a one-day seminar, where we brought in different suppliers of materials and builders who were embracing best practice on their job sites in terms of materials and carbon neutrality,” Kirkman says.
“They had never had anyone engage with them on the environment during their whole working lives. We know there are huge emissions from construction, yet we are not talking to the tradespeople. They haven’t been engaged in the climate movement, but they just needed someone to talk to them and give them examples of best practice,” he adds.
Mr. Kirkman also points out the discussion has been quite intellectual for a long time, with “people in suits in big meetings talking about frameworks and emissions, and we have forgotten that there are everyday people who can be involved if you take the time to engage with them, and that’s what we try to do with Surfers for Climate.”
Communication is vital, as is knowing who your audience is and what they are going to respond to, and Mr. Kirkman argues that people who aren’t scientists but are passionate about the issue, need to work out how to get their message across.
As the climate crisis gets more intense, more and more people are experiencing the devastating reality of a changing climate. In 2021, Australia experienced disastrous floods in the northern rivers of New South Wales, and many surfers took the initiative to help with the rescue efforts, using jet-skis to rescue people stranded in their homes, and delivering vital supplies.
Mr. Kirkman hopes Surfers for Climate can scale up its Trade Up initiative, engage with politicians ahead of upcoming elections and – like many non-profits – raise money so it can continue to do its work. “It’s the toughest yet most enjoyable job I’ve had,” he says. “There’s definitely nothing else I would rather be doing.”
There are many positive aspects to tourism. Around two billion people travel each year for tourism purposes. Travel and tourism connect people and bring the world closer through shared experiences, cultural awareness and community building. It provides jobs, spurs regional development, and is a key driver for socio-economic progress.
However, there is often a downside; Mmany popular destinations are threatened by increasing pollution, environmental hazards, damage to heritage sites and overuse of resources. And that’s without factoring the pollution caused by travel to and from these destinations.
So, with that in mind here are some tips that will help you to enjoy your trip, and leave with the confidence that your favoured tourist destination will not be damaged by your presence, once you return home.
1. Ditch single-use plastics
Often used for less than 15 minutes, single-use plastic items can take more than 1,000 years to degrade. Many of us are switching to sustainable options in our daily lives, and we can take the same attitude when we’re on the road. By choosing reusable bottles and bags wherever you go, you can help ensure there is less plastic waste in the ocean and other habitats.
2. Be ‘water wise’
On the whole, tourists use far more water than local residents. With a growing number of places experiencing water scarcity, the choices you make can help ensure people have adequate access to water in the future. By foregoing a daily change of sheets and towels during hotel stays, we can save millions of litres of water each year.
3. Buy local
When you buy local, you help boost the local economy, benefit local communities, and help to reduce the destination’s carbon footprint from transporting the goods. This is also true at mealtimes, so enjoy fresh, locally grown produce every chance you get.
4. Use an ethical operator
Tour operations involve people, logistics, vendors, transportation and much more. Each link in the chain can impact the environment – positively or negatively. If you prefer to leave the planning to someone else, be sure to pick an operator that prioritizes the environment, uses resources efficiently and respects local culture.
Tourism broadens our horizons…
5. ‘Please don’t feed the animals’
Sharing food with wildlife or getting close enough to do so increases the chances of spreading diseases like cold, flu and pneumonia from humans to animals. Also, when animals get used to receiving food from humans, their natural behaviours are altered, and they become dependent on people for survival. In some cases, it can also lead to human-animal conflict.
6. And don’t eat them either!
By creating the demand, consuming endangered or exotic animals leads to an increase in poaching, trafficking and exploitation of animals. Besides the harm done to the individual animal on your plate, irresponsible dining can contribute to the extinction of species already threatened by climate change and habitat loss. Keep this in mind when shopping for souvenirs as well, and steer clear of products made from endangered wildlife.
7. Share a ride
Transportation is a major contributor to the carbon footprint from tourism. Instead of private taxis, explore using public transportation like trains, buses and shared cabs. You can also ride a bicycle, which offers a convenient and cheaper way to explore and learn about a place.
8. Consider a homestay
Staying with a local resident or family is a nature-friendly option that allows you to get up close and personal with local culture and customs. Staying at local homestays can uplift communities by providing income while giving you a peek into different ways of life.
Dig into the local cuisine. You’ll delight your taste buds and support the local economy…
9. Do your homework
Before your travel, educate yourself about your destination. Doing so will allow you to better immerse yourself in local traditions and practices and appreciate things that might have gone unnoticed otherwise. With the right information, you can explore a destination in a more sensitive manner and surprise yourself with new adventures and discoveries.
10. Visit national parks and sanctuaries
Exploring nature and wildlife through national parks is an intimate way to learn about the animals and their ecosystems first hand. In some cases, your entrance fee supports conservation efforts that protect species and landscapes and preserve these natural spaces for future visitors to enjoy.
11. Don’t leave a trace
You can make a mark by not leaving a mark on your vacation destination. Put garbage in its place to avoid litter, and don’t remove or alter anything without permission. Let’s make sure we leave only soft footprints, and not the environmental kind.
12. Tell your friends
Now that you’re ready to travel in eco-friendly style, it’s time spread the word! Inform fellow travellers, friends and family about how sustainable tourism benefits local people by enhancing their livelihoods and well-being, and helps all of us by safeguarding our beautiful environment.
Staff are closely following the human rights situation in the West African country since soldiers ousted Paul-Henri Damiba, who had also seized power in a coup in January.
“We welcome the military authorities’ statements that they will honour the country’s international commitments, including those related to the promotion and protection of human rights,” said Mr. Magango.
“However, we remain concerned that multiple allegations of human rights violations continue to be reported from many parts of the country.”
Call for justice
OHCHR urged the authorities to conduct “prompt, thorough and impartial investigations” into all deaths and injuries related to the 30 September coup, including those of at least four people killed, and eight other injured, in looting and demonstrations.
They must also ensure persons responsible are held to account, said Mr. Magango.
“We also call on the current authorities to unequivocally condemn all instances of hate speech and incitement to violence, wherever they may occur, and ensure that any culprits are held accountable in accordance with the law,” he added.
Security and humanitarian concerns
The UN human rights office is also troubled by the dire security and humanitarian situation in the North-Central and Sahel regions of Burkina Faso, where civilians face daily threats of violence from non-State armed groups.
Credible reports suggest that at least eight children died of malnutrition recently in Djibo town, which has been under siege since May, said Mr. Magango.
The last convoy that attempted to deliver humanitarian assistance on 26 September was attacked by armed groups, leaving 37 people dead, including 10 civilians.
Mr. Magango also expressed OHCHR’s deep concern over the arbitrary decision to suspend all political and civil society activities, which should be rescinded.
Furthermore, although the authorities have pledged to deal decisively with the upsurge in violence it deems to be terrorist-related, OHCHR cautioned that all military operations, including those against non-State armed groups, must fully comply with international human rights law and applicable international humanitarian law, while also ensuring civilians are protected.
More than 73,000 people in Kharkiv oblast have now received food assistance, which is nearly half of the population in the retaken areas.
Villages and settlements across the oblast that are back under Ukrainian Government control are unable to meet even their most basic needs, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“Our access to these areas follows several months of intense fighting,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke. “Nearly 140,000 people are believed to remain in the towns, villages and settlement in areas where control has changed, but they have extremely limited access to food, water, gas, electricity and medical services.”
Izium depleted
In the town of Izium, the 8,000 to 9,000 people still there are “completely dependent” on humanitarian aid to survive, Mr. Laerke continued.
Markets and shops have been destroyed or are closed, and families “gather in the main town square” to exchange possessions and supplies, to meet their basic needs, the OCHA spokesperson explained.
‘Frequent’ fighting in Kupiansk
Further north and at the edge of Luhansk oblast, the town of Kupiansk is today home to 4,000 people, compared with the pre-war population of 28,000.
“Hostilities and fighting are still frequent there,” OCHA reported, adding that aid convoys have delivered food, water, essential household items, medicines and health services to Izium and Kupiansk, where volunteer groups have responded, too.
In addition to food assistance, OCHA has coordinated the distribution of 12,000 hygiene kits and kitchen sets, solar lamps and blankets to 15,000 people.
Human Rights Council appoints top rights investigator on Russia
And also on Friday, the UN Human Rights Council voted to appoint a top rights investigator on Russia on Friday, although the vote was not unanimous.
Driven by concerns about the systematic oppression of rights defenders and journalists in Russia, several countries which supported the appointment of a Special Rapporteur also condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In response, Russia rejected the result of the vote – 17 in favour, six against and 24 abstentions – and dismissed it as a political gesture that was an attempt to punish the country for pursuing an independent agenda.
Action is needed over emissions, waste, pollution and biodiversity loss, it says, adding that solutions can be found, through a focus on a “circular economy” and sustainable infrastructure.
“The findings of this assessment almost halfway through Agenda 2030, must be a wake-up call for the region,” said UNECE chief Olga Algayerova. “The historic drought the region faced this summer, announced what we should expect in years to come and shows that there is no more time to lose”.
Combatting air pollution
Despite some progress, the report notes that air pollution remains the greatest health risk in the region.
Although 41 European countries recorded a 13 per cent reduction in premature deaths from long-term fine particulate exposure, concentration levels continue to exceed the 2005 World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines.
The assessment calls for additional measures, including the best available strategies for cutting emissions and reducing those coming from traffic.
“The science is unequivocal,” said UNEP chief Inger Andersen. “The only way forward is to secure a clean and green future”.
Slash greenhouse gas
Although greenhouse gas emissions have decreased in the western part of Europe – mostly between 2014 and 2019 – they are offset by increases throughout the rest of the region.
And while renewable energy use ticked up in 29 countries between 2013 and 2017, the region still largely relies on fossil fuels, which accounts for some 78 per cent of energy consumption.
The report encourages governments to eliminate or reform harmful subsidies and develop incentives to promote decarbonization by shifting investments towards renewables.
Time for a plan
According to the report, the region’s river basins, lakes and aquifers are under multiple stresses – with climate change delivering additional challenges such as floods, droughts and water-borne diseases.
As pollution as well as urban and industrial wastewater discharges remain public health concerns, the report advocates for greater water conservation and nature-based solutions for water retention basins.
“We know what we need to do, and we must act together”, said Ms. Andersen. “As citizens feel the pinch and are facing higher energy bills than ever before, as they see record temperatures and their water reservoirs shrink…countries must show that there is a plan”.
UN News/Teresa Salema
Children cleaning Praia da Poça, a popular little beach at the start of the Estoril – Cascais coast, in Portugal.
Circular economy
A circular and more efficient economy – where production and consumption are mutually sustaining and focused on resource efficiency – will help address growing waste and resource use.
Even where a strong political commitment for a circular economy exists, such as in the European Union and other Western European countries, generated waste continues to grow.
In response, the report urges governments to step up waste prevention in production, consumption, and remanufacturing, including through financial incentives such as tax relief, and upholds that a pan-European e-waste management partnership would enable the recovery of valuable resources.
Meanwhile, mineral extractions have tripled over the past half century, with processing accounting for over 90 per cent of biodiversity loss and water stress and about 50 per cent of climate change impacts.
Developing the circular economy, regional governments could strengthen the management of raw materials.
“As highlighted in the report, the UN has developed multiple tools and approaches to cut pollution, step-up environmental protection, reduce resource use and foster the shift to a circular economy. Their implementation must be significantly accelerated,” Ms. Algayerova reminded.
“This will require urgent and bold political commitment and behavioural changes from all of us before it is too late”.
Unsplash/Andreas Chu
Clean air is essential to the health of people across the world.
Developing infrastructure
During post-COVID recovery, sustainable infrastructure investment has been shown to have a major impact.
However, most countries have yet to develop mechanisms incorporating sustainability, such as the cost of pollution, ecosystem services, or biodiversity protection – into the cost-benefit analysis of large infrastructure projects. The UN report offers tools to help remedy this.
“This assessment can be a guide for lowering emissions, a healthier environment for people and for nature, and better waste management and cleaner air,” maintained Ms. Andersen.
It’s not quite rags to riches, but No Nation Fashion has come a long way from its beginnings in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2021, when it was launched as way for people in transit centres to improve their sewing skills.
Those involved graduated from creating reusable masks, providing protection against COVID-19, to designing unique items of clothing, and accessories. The sewing corners became fashion studios, and, by the end of the year, a No Nation Fashion show was held at Sarajevo City Hall, to mark International Migrants Day.
The beneficiaries of the project are migrants and members of the local and wider community, such as: local fashion brands and designers, artists, craftspeople, private sector, media, and volunteers.
This year, the initiative made it all the way to one of the most prestigious fashion events of the year, New York Fashion Week, for a special event involving No Nation Fashion, the International Fashion Academy, and students from Ohio’s Kent State University.
The No Nation Fashion collection was the product of the creative collaboration of migrants and the Bosnian fashion industry, under the creative direction of Aleksandra Lovrić, a renowned national designer.
The three outfits presented at the event, were designed to reflect the journey of migrants, from the earliest nomad way of life; to resilience and the ability to rebuild and adapt; and inclusion, through social and cultural integration at their destinations.
“We are very excited that No Nation Fashion brand made it all the way to New York – a city that is famous for art, fashion as well as cultural diversity,” said Laura Lungarotti, IOM Chief of Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “This reminds us that migration and inclusion of diversity can produce beauty and opportunities for all.”
The Mission of No Nation Fashion is to build a brand and a social enterprise that promotes the inclusion of migrants in host communities, and actively participates in making societies more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.
Following its New York success, the initiatives will continue to support migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with talented individuals from different parts of the world sharing their knowledge, skills and culture to create wearable artworks.
Allegedly, Capt. Ibrahim Traore appeared on Friday on national television announcing that Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who overthrew the country’s democratically elected president in January, had been removed from power “after failing to end the terrorist violence” that has forced 2 million people to flee their homes.
In a statement published by his spokesperson, António Guterres strongly condemned “any attempt to seize power by the force of arms” and called on all actors to “refrain from violence and seek dialogue”.
The UN chief also expressed his full support for regional efforts toward a swift return to constitutional order in the country.
“Burkina Faso needs peace, stability and unity to fight terrorist groups and criminal networks operating in parts of the country”, he said.
Mr. Guterres reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to accompany the people of Burkina Faso in their efforts towards durable peace and stability.
Ongoing crisis
According to media reports, gunfire was heard on Saturday in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou and many streets remain blocked among “unusual” military activity.
Burkina Faso continues to face a humanitarian crisis, with nearly one-fifth of the population in need of aid.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as of June of this year, more than 1.5 million people have been displaced in Burkina Faso as a consequence of the increasing insecurity in the country. Nearly two-quarters of the displaced people are children.
Tackling this scourge was the theme of a recent UN event held during the opening session of the General Assembly, at which senior officials called for measures to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes.
“I followed him into the house. I didn’t know he was going to rape me.” At just 13 years old, Mariama (not her real name) was sexually assaulted by a neighbour when she returned home from school: Nine months later, still a child herself, she became a mother. “At 16, I have a daughter who is almost one and a half years old.”
Around 17 per cent of women in the Comoros have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence in their lives, and more than 30 per cent of girls are married while they are still children.
Most cases of violence are reported by young girls, says Said Ahamed Said, from the Comoros Ministry of Health: “Last year we received 173 reports of sexual violence, of which 162 were against young girls under age 17.”
But, given the social norms in The Comoros, and women’s economic vulnerability, the official figures are believed to be just the tip of the iceberg.
It is considered taboo for a woman to report violence and, as long as she still shares the home with the man involved, she will rarely come forward.
“The woman often don’t have a source of income, and when a man divorces a woman, he doesn’t take care of the children anymore”, explained Mr. Said. “There are no social services to manage such cases, nor places where they can find shelter”.
UNDP Comoros/James Stapley
People living on the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean are needing to adapt to climate change.
Listening and protecting
Despite the challenges, the UN is committed to ending all forms of violence against women and girls in the Comoros.
The UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, has set up a toll-free hotline that survivors can call for help and information about receiving medical and legal assistance, and supports the Listening and Protection Service for Children and Women Victims of Violence, in the capital city, Moroni.
The Service also provides midwifery and contraceptive services, post-rape care and screenings for sexually-transmitted infections, as well as referrals to hospitals. Since 2021 a psychologist has also been deployed to help women and girls who have been left to take care of their families alone.
Since the Service began, around 17 years ago, awareness of the issue of sexual violence has grown in The Comoros, says Mr. Said, and women and girls are more likely to report attacks than they were before it opened.
After her attack Mariama, determined to seek help and justice, received medical and legal assistance from the centre, and staff supported her as the case made its way through the courts after the man’s arrest.
UNFPA Comoros/Melvis Kimbi
A counsellor at the Listening and Protection Service for Children and Women Victims of Violence speaks with a victim of sexual violence in Moroni, the capital city of The Comoros.
‘Most perpetrators never face responsibility’
The sense of urgency in ensuring accountability for sexual violence was stressed at a recent side event to the 77th UN General Assembly, which emphasized the need to focus on survivors’ needs and rights above all.
“The survivor-centred approach we promote is about listening to survivors, treating them with dignity, and advocating for a response centred on their needs and wishes,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem.
“Very few have access to justice, and most perpetrators never face responsibility for their crimes. Such impunity silences the survivors and emboldens the perpetrators.”
Ms. Kanem described sexual violence as a “global emergency that demands our full commitment, collaboration and mobilization.”
“Sexual violence is not inevitable,” she said. “We cannot allow it to become normalized in any way”.
Short-lived justice
For Mariama, justice was frustratingly short lived: Her rapist was released after serving just one year in jail. “I still see him in our neighbourhood, but I always stay away or change my route. If he tries to talk to me, I will not answer,” she said.
Although she fears being attacked again, she is defiant. “My focus now is my education: I want to become a lawyer.”
Mariama wants to stand up for herself and for others, especially her daughter. “I want her to be able to better defend herself, and other young girls who may suffer any form of abuse.”
Special Representative Bintou Keita told the UN Security Council that following a resurgence of the M23 rebel movement, confidence in the UN mission, known by its French acronym, MONUSCO, has deteriorated.
‘Hatred, hostility and violence’
Violent demonstrations and serious incidents have caused the death of several dozen protesters and four mission staff, she said, strongly condemning “acts of incitement to hatred, hostility and violence.”
In late July, protesters attacked and looted MONUSCO facilities, accusing its peacekeepers of being ineffective in fighting armed groups.
According to news reports, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi has instructed his Government to reassess the transition plan to expedite the mission’s departure.
Ms. Keita, who also heads the mission, stated that the UN is fully prepared to work with the Government to this end.
Violence against civilians
Meanwhile, the MONUSCO chief expressed concern that “armed groups continue to pose a significant threat and to commit violence against civilians” in country’s restive east, particularly the M23, Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO), and Mai-Mai militias.
“This insecurity fuels human rights violations and has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation,” she warned, noting that currently, some 27 million people need humanitarian assistance.
“A clear indicator of the deteriorating situation is the increase in the number of displaced people since January 2022, which has brought the total number of displaced people to 5.5 million – the largest caseload in Africa”.
Ms. Keita applauded the humanitarian community’s commitment to “stay, deliver, and scale up its operations,” and stressed that to do so would require long-term engagement with communities along with predictable funding.
Security
MONUSCO maintains “a robust posture” and remains fully mobilized to address the persistent insecurity created by armed groups in the country’s east, she continued.
Moreover, it is providing operational, logistical, and tactical support in fighting all armed groups and continues to prioritize resource allocations to support the protection of civilians.
In addition to the efforts of MONUSCO and the national security forces, regional initiatives are also underway to stabilize eastern DRC and ease regional tensions.
However, the senior UN official upheld that these initiatives require consistent international support.
Peacefully elections
The Special Representative said that progress has been made towards 2023 elections, set for next December, particularly regarding inclusion and registration.
However, she also noted some “important challenges,” including in achieving broad consensus on different aspects of the electoral process and offered MONUSCO’s good offices to facilitate dialogue for a “transparent, inclusive, peaceful process” within the constitutional timeline.
Before concluding, Ms. Keita welcomed President Tshisekedi’s stance against hate speech during his address to the General Assembly.
She lauded the country’s efforts to curb inter-community tensions, particularly in the country’s east and encouraged the DRC to continue its efforts to fight racism and xenophobia
The draft resolution, circulated by the United States and Albania, was supported by ten of the fifteen members of the Council, with Russia voting against it. Four members abstained, Brazil, China, Gabon and India.
The draft described the so-called referendums held by Russia in the four regions of Ukraine which Moscow now regards as sovereign territory – Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya – as illegal and an attempt to modify Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.
Withdraw now
It called on all States, international organisations, and agencies not to recognize the Russian annexation declaration, and called on Russia to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces” from Ukrainian territory.
Due to Russia’s veto, following a new procedure adopted in the UN General Assembly in April, the Assembly must now meet automatically within ten days for the 193-member body to scrutinize and comment on the vote. Any use of the veto by any of the Council’s five permanent members triggers a meeting.
On Thursday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the annexation plan as a violation of international law, warning that it marked a “dangerous escalation” in the seven-month war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
“The Charter is clear”, said the UN chief. “Any annexation of a State’s territory by another State resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the Principles of the UN Charter”.
Speaking before the vote, United States Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that the referendums were a “sham”, predetermined in Moscow, “held behind the barrel of Russian guns.”
UN Photo/Laura Jarriel
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the United States addresses the UN Security Council meeting on Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.
Defending sacred principles: US
“We all have an interest in defending the sacred principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, in defending peace in our modern world”, she told ambassadors.
“All of us understand the implications for our own borders, our own economies and our own countries, if these principles are tossed aside.
“It’s about our collective security, our collective responsibility to maintain international peace and security…This is what this body is here to do”, she said.
UN Photo/Laura Jarriel
Ambassador Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia of the Russian Federation addresses the UN Security Council meeting on Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.
‘No turning back’: Russia
Responding for Russia, Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya, accused the drafters of the resolution of a “low grade provocation”, to force his country to use its veto.
“Such openly hostile actions on the part of the West, are a refusal to engage and cooperate within the Council, a refusal of practices and experience gained over many years.”
He said there had been “overwhelming” support from residents in the four regions that Russia now claims. “The residents of these regions do not want to return to Ukraine. They have made an informed and free choice, in favour of our country.”
He said that the outcome of the so-called referendums had been recognized by international observers, and now, after being endorsed by the Russian Parliament, and by presidential decrees, “there will be no turning back, as today’s draft resolution would try to impose.”
‘Urgent’ need to address fallout from Nord Stream pipeline leaks
Security Council members stayed in the chamber on Friday afternoon in New York, to discuss this week’s Nord Stream pipeline explosions, which the NATO military alliance and others, believe may be an act of sabotage.
Earlier in the day, President Putin accused the West of being responsible for damaging the Russian-built undersea natural gas pipelines – a charge strongly rejected by the United States and allies.
Briefing ambassadors on the UN’s behalf, the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), said that while the causes of the four leaks were being investigated, “it is equally urgent to address the consequences of these leaks.”
DESA’s Navid Hanif, said the UN was in no position to or confirm any of the reported details relating to the leaks detected on Monday. They Nord Steam 1 and 2 pipelines have been at the centre of the European energy supply crisis stemming from Russia’s February invasion, and neither are in operation pumping gas to European nations at this time.
Mr. Hanif said were three main impacts of the leaks, beginning with increased pressure on global energy markets.
“The incident can exacerbate the high price volatility on the energy markets in Europe and around the world”, he said, adding that the potential harm to the environment was another matter of concern.
Methane danger
The discharge of hundred of millions of cubic metres of gas, “would result in hundreds of thousands of tonnes of methane emissions”, he said, a gas which has “80 times the planet-warming potency of carbon dioxide”.
Finally, he said the pipeline explosions also made “manifestly clear” just how vulnerable critical energy infrastructure is, during such times of global crisis.
He said it showed just how important it was to move to a “clean, resilient, sustainable energy system, while ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all.”
Finally, he told the Council that any attack on civilian infrastructure is unacceptable, and the incident must not be allowed to further increase tensions amid an escalating war.
“There is no sugar, I have to take a taxi very far away to buy one kilogramme of sugar,” one woman explains in frustration, at a market in Kairouan, a town several hours drive south of the capital, Tunis.
“The prices are going up! Poor people can no longer afford anything. It is like the world is on fire,” another woman explains, as she opens her purse to pay for a bagful of tomatoes, jumbled together on a wooden cart by the side of the road.
Surprise appeal
Nodding his head in agreement, the stallholder takes her money and makes an astonishing, if discreet, appeal. “Please, make it easier for us to migrate across the sea, so we can leave,” he says.
Although the elderly customer scoffs at the idea – “He wants to drown! He wants to drown!” – for many younger Tunisians, leaving the country in search of work and security is a frequent topic of conversation.
This is despite the fact that many thousands of people have died trying to cross the Central Mediterranean Sea from North African nations to Europe on unsafe boats in recent years, and regular TV news reports that announce yet another missing person – or family – at sea.
UN News/Daniel Johnson
In Tunis, Tunisia, a local newspaper says that there will be a sugar delivery soon in the country.
Migration pressures
“I think what the crisis in Ukraine has brought up again, is the hard choices that people have to make on a daily basis, because people forced to flee their homes, people forced to flee their country, are not taking that decision lightly,” says Safa Msehli, spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
For many Tunisians, it remains a challenge to source basic staples, although more than 85,000 metric tonnes of Ukrainian wheat have arrived in Tunisian ports in the two months since the Black Sea Grain Initiative kicked into action, its Joint Coordination Centre in Odesa, said on Thursday.
Since 1 August, 240 vessels have sailed from Ukrainian ports with some 5.4 million metric tons of grain and other foodstuffs.
Spreading the load
At an enormous mill in the Tunisian capital, there’s an abundance of flour, as workers stand under a conveyor belt which transports an apparently endless supply of semolina, packaged up into large, heavy-duty plastic sacks.
As the bags start to fall, the men grab them in turns and load them into a large flat-bed lorry until it is full, their faces covered in fine white flour.
The scene is industrious, but the mill is not nearly as busy as it should be, thanks in no small part to the impact of the Ukraine conflict on cutting grain exports from Black Sea, and its role in accentuating existing economic uncertainty.
“Now, we are not in crisis, the crisis is always happening,” says Redissi Radhouane, the chief mill operator at La Compagnie Tunisienne de Semoulerie. “When we look for the wheat, we don’t find any. The wheat is not abundant like before.”
UN News/Daniel Johnson
Redissi Radhouane is the chief mill operator at La Compagnie Tunisienne de Semoulerie flour mill in Tunis, Tunisia.
‘It’s like hunting without bullets’
At a wholesaler’s outlet in Mornag, a town on the outskirts of Tunis, customer Samia Zwabi knows all about the shortages and rising prices.
She explains to UN News that she has to borrow money or buy goods on credit for her grocery store, assuming she can find them in the first place. Like many parents, the fact that it’s the start of the school year is an additional concern.
Half capacity
“We are working at half capacity,” says Samia Zwabi, who reels off a wishlist that includes milk, sugar, cooking oil and fruit juice. “When a client comes, he can’t get all the basics. Clients ask for something I don’t have. We have no options. We need to be able to work to feed our kids.”
Echoing that message, wholesaler Walid Khalfawi’s main headache is the lack of available cooking oil, as his bare storerooms indicate. Another growing worry is the number of customers who pay on credit, he tells us, as he waves a thick wad of handwritten IOU chits.
“If a grocery owner comes here for cooking oil and finds it, he’ll automatically buy pasta, tomatoes, couscous and other products,” says the married father-of-three. “If he doesn’t find it, he won’t buy anything…It’s like going into the forest to hunt with your rifle but you have no bullets. What can you do?”
UN News/Daniel Johnson
Wholesaler Walid Khalfawi talks with UN News at local grocery store in Tunis, Tunisia.
Sole breadwinner
From her modest single-storey home in the city of Kairouan, Najwa Selmi supports her family making traditional handmade bread patties known as “tabouna”, twice in the morning and once in the evening.
The process is laborious and time-consuming, a batch of eight flat rolls taking around 15 minutes to knock into shape from semolina flour, water, yeast and a drop of olive oil.
Once prepared, Najwa wets the surface of the soft patties and slaps them into the inside of a concrete oven that’s been stoked with firewood outside. She grimaces in pain as she removes them with her scorched hands, once she’s satisfied that they’re cooked.
The bread is delicious and Najwa has loyal customers, but it is not easy getting hold of a regular supply of flour, she tells us.
UN News/Ahmed Ellali
Najwa Selmi, at home with her daughter, demonstrates to a UNTV film crew how to make traditional ‘tabouna’ bread.
Classroom blues
“My youngest daughter will start school soon and I haven’t bought her anything yet, no bag, no books, no school stationery, no clothes,” she says. “If for any reason I had to stop working …or if I got sick, we do not know what the future holds, my family will be hungry, what will they eat?
“From where will they get the money? We do not have another alternative source of income.”
In the bustling Tunis neighbourhood of Ettadhamen, bakery owner Mohamed Lounissi is open about the stresses and challenges of keeping his business afloat, thanks to chronic shortages of flour caused by the war in Ukraine.
“For us, it’s a big problem, if I order eight tonnes, they only give me one tonne. They say you need to wait and then when I tell them I can’t work and I might close, they say, ‘Ok, close, it is not our business!’”
Essential oils
For olive grove and cereal farmer Inès Massoudi, the Russian invasion of Ukraine this February is just the latest in a series of problems that are beyond her control, coming after five years of failed rains and two years of economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In particular, she worries that everything she needs for her 50-hectare holding in Beja is now more expensive – and more scarce – than before the war.
Never mind having to pay for more expensive grain for planting, without pesticides to treat common wheat fungus, along with fertilizer to promote growth – a key Russian export before the war – Inès’s harvest could be down by as much as 60 per cent.
“My farm is part of the world and it feels it when something happens outside,” she says of her 50-hectare holding, where olive trees stretch away into the distance in a green haze.
Ahead of the upcoming planting season, “everybody is hesitating”, Inès continues, “because the cost of planting the wheat today is the equivalent of a car, or a new apartment…There is also the crisis in Ukraine that made the cereal prices increase, along with the prices of agrochemicals and fertilizers which have become very expensive.”
UN News/Daniel Johnson
Inès Massoudi (back to camera) is olive grove and cereal farmer who owns a 50-hectare holding in Beja, Tunisia.
Feeling the heat
Back in Tunis, in the bustling Ettadhamen neighourhood, baker Mohamed Lounissi accepts that he is struggling. “It is a daily challenge,” he explains:
“There are no goods and raw material at all; it is (all) too little: no flour, no sugar, oil is not available all the time, everything is not available all the time, along with the price increase, the prices have increased terrifically, they are big increases.”
Standing in front of a sweltering bread oven that he worries he might lose his livelihood, unless he can repay his mortgage, Mohamed concedes that the stress of running a business in the current situation is getting to him. “If I don’t get the raw material I can’t work and I feel that I have a big responsibility in terms of paying the workers.”
In an outdoor storeroom, Mohamed shows us his meagre supply of wheat flour – a small pile of sacks barely reaching knee-height. He carefully locks the door on leaving, quietly chiding himself for not doing so earlier.
Getting hold of the precious ingredient “is a big problem”, he says. “If I order eight tonnes, they only give me one tonne. They say you need to wait and then when I tell them I can’t work and I might close, they say, ‘Ok, close, it is not our business!’”
UN News/Daniel Johnson
A customer chats with UN News at a Tunis neighbourhood bakery in Ettadhamen.
In a statement on Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said it was time for Government forces and their allies, together with Houthi rebels and their international backers, to “choose peace for good.”
The hiatus since 2 April, has been twice renewed, providing the longest period of relative calm since the beginning of the intensified conflict, in 2015, Mr. Guterres said. In a statement calling for the truce to be expanded earlier this month, the Security Council said casualties were down 60 per cent since it began.
“I strongly urge the Yemeni parties not only to renew but also to expand the truce’s terms and duration, in line with the proposal presented to them by my Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg.”
In a tweet on Thursday, Mr. Grundberg said he had held “intense discussions” in the capital this week, and said renewal and expansion was a “humanitarian imperative and a political necessity.”
‘Tangible benefits’
The UN chief said the truce had “delivered tangible benefits and much needed relief to the Yemeni people, including a significant reduction in violence and civilian casualties countrywide”.
It has also allowed an increase in fuel deliveries via the main Red Sea port of Hudaydah, and the resumption of international flights to and from the Houthi-controlled airport in the capital, Sa’ana, for the first time in nearly six years.
“Yet more needs to be done to achieve its full implementation, including reaching an agreement on the reopening of roads in Taiz”, in the south, and other governorates, the Secretary-General added.
Beginning to pay civil service salaries, would further improve the day-to-day life of ordinary Yemenis, said, proposing progress “long-term political, economic and military issues”, which “would signal a significant shift towards finding lasting solutions.”
Seize the day
Mr. Guterres strongly urged all those involved in the long-running conflict, to “seize this opportunity.”
“This is the moment to build on the gains achieved and embark on a path towards the resumption of an inclusive and comprehensive political process, to reach a negotiated settlement to end the conflict. The United Nations will spare no efforts to support the parties in this endeavour.”
IOM/Rami Ibrahim
An IOM worker distributes aid kits to newly displaced communities in Ma’rib, Yemen.
While more people have been made aware of systemic racism and concrete steps have been taken in some countries, the Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights called on States to demonstrate greater political will to accelerate action.
“There have been some initiatives in different countries to address racism, but for the most part they are piecemeal. They fall short of the comprehensive evidence-based approaches needed to dismantle the entrenched structural, institutional and societal racism that has existed for centuries, and continues to inflict deep harm today,” said Nada Al-Nashif, who will present the report to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday.
The report describes international, national and local initiatives that have been taken, towards ending the scourge of racism.
These include an Executive Order from the White House on advancing effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices in federal law enforcement agencies; an Anti-Racism Data Act in British Columbia, Canada; measures to evaluate ethnic profiling by police in Sweden; and census data collection to self-identify people of African descent in Argentina.
The European Commission has issued guidance on collecting and using data based on racial or ethnic origin; formal apologies issued, memorialization, revisiting public spaces, and research, to assess links to enslavement and colonialism in several countries.
‘Barometer for success’
The report notes that poor outcomes continue for people of African descent in many countries, notably in accessing health and adequate food, education, social protection, and justice – while poverty, enforced disappearance and violence continues.
It highlights “continuing…allegations of discriminatory treatment, unlawful deportations, excessive use of force, and deaths of African migrants and migrants of African descent by law enforcement officials”
“The barometer for success must be positive change in the lived experiences of people of African descent,” continued Ms. Al-Nashif.
“States need to listen to people of African descent, meaningfully involve them and take genuine steps to act upon their concerns.”
Higher death rates
Where available, recent data still points to disproportionately high death rates faced by people of African descent, at the hands of law enforcement, in different countries.
“Families of African descent continued to report the immense challenges, barriers and protracted processes they faced in their pursuit of truth and justice for the deaths of their relatives”, the report says.
It details seven cases of police-related deaths of people of African descent, namely George Floyd and Breonna Taylor (US); Adama Traoré (France); Luana Barbosa dos Reis Santos and João Pedro Matos Pinto (Brazil); Kevin Clarke (UK) and Janner [Hanner] García Palomino (Colombia).
While noting some progress towards accountability in a few of these emblematic cases, “unfortunately, not a single case has yet been brought to a full conclusion, with those families still seeking truth, justice and guarantees of non-repetition, and the prosecution and sanction of all those responsible,” the report says.
Ms. Al-Nashif called on States to “redouble efforts to ensure accountability and redress wherever deaths of Africans and people of African descent have occurred in the context of law enforcement, and take measures to confront legacies that perpetuate and sustain systemic racism”.
Dozens more were wounded at the Kaaj tuition centre, in the Dasht-e-Barchi area in the western part of the capital, which the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) noted in a tweet, is a Hazara and Shia-majority area.
No group has yet claimed the attack, but affiliates of the terrorist group ISIL, or Daesh, have often targeted the Hazara minority in Afghanistan.
Appalling outrage
“The UN family condemns the outrage, extending its deep condolences to all those in mourning”, said the mission.
News reports said that the attacker shot at guards outside the facility, and then entered a classroom before detonating a bomb. Hundreds of students are reported to have been in the room at the time.
UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, issued a statement saying it was “appalled the by horrific attack” early on Friday morning.
‘Heinous act’
“This heinous act claimed the lives of dozens of adolescent girls and boys and severely injured many more. The victims were practising for the entrance exam to university.
“UNICEF offers its heartfelt condolences to all families affected by this terrible event and wishes a swift recovery to the injured.”
The agency said that any violence in any educational environment was “never acceptable”.
“Such places must be havens of peace where children can learn, be with friends, and feel safe as they build skills for their futures”, the statement continued.
“Children and adolescents are not, and must never be, the target of violence. Once again, UNICEF reminds all parties in Afghanistan to adhere to and respect human rights and ensure the safety and protection of all children and young people.”
