TheNewsGuru

Tag: UN

  • Israel accuses UN rights forum of bias over Palestinians

    Israel on Tuesday accused the UN of continuous discrimination against it over its treatment of Palestinians and called for reforms of its human rights body.

    The Human Rights Council’s regular examination of Israel’s record, the first since 2013, comes after U.S. President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem on Dec. 6 as the capital of Israel, angering Palestinians, Middle East leaders and world powers.

    Aviva Shechter, Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, told the Human Rights Council that her country had always stood up for human rights and democratic values.

    “It has done so while facing serious threats to its security, and while needing to integrate diverse communities and religious groups,” Shechter told the Geneva forum.

    The Council has taken a strong position against Israel’s occupation of territory seized in the 1967 Middle East war, its treatment of Palestinians there, and its building of Jewish settlements.

    Israel withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005.

    Most countries consider the settlements, in areas of the West Bank and Jerusalem the Palestinians see as part of an eventual independent state, illegal, but Israel disputes this and continues their expansion.

    An “unparalleled number of one-sided biased and political resolutions adopted regularly by the automatic majority of its members testify not only to the unfair treatment of the State of Israel, but also to the deficiencies of the Council itself and its agenda,” Schechter said.

    “…this theatre of the absurd cannot go on forever.”

    Washington says the Council is stacked with opponents of Israel and U.S. ambassador Niki Haley told the Council in June 2017 that it was reviewing its participation given what it sees as its “chronic anti-Israel bias”.

    She said Israel considered its relations with the Palestinians to be “of the highest priority” and it would continue to seek a lasting solution that would enable the two peoples to live side by side in peace and security.

    Jordan’s diplomat Akram Harahsheh, speaking first in the three-hour debate, condemned what he said were “attempts to prejudge the identity of occupied Jerusalem” and called on Israel to withdraw from all territories occupied since 1967.

     

  • UN flag no longer offers enough protection for peacekeepers – Report

    The UN should accept that its flag itself no longer offers enough protection for the peacekeepers and they need better training, equipment and greater freedom to respond to threats, a report said.

    The report entitled: “Improving Security of UN Peacekeepers: We need to change the way we are doing business,” was directed by the UN secretary-general.

    “The UN and Troop- and Police-Contributing Countries [T/PCCs] need to adapt to a new reality: the blue helmet and the UN flag no longer offer “natural” protection …

    “If the UN and T/PCCs do not change their mindset, take risks and show a willingness to face these new challenges, they will be consciously sending troops into harm’s way,” according to a report by the world body.

    The report stressed that “hostile forces do not understand a language other than force,” noting that the UN”needs to be strong and not fear to use force when necessary.”

    The UN said since 1948, no fewer than 3,500 personnel have lost their lives serving in UN peace operations with 943 due to acts of violence.

    The UN said during the past four years (2013 to 2017) a consistent increase in peacekeeper fatalities due to violent acts resulted in 195 deaths.

    UN said 2017 saw the highest number of peacekeeper fatalities through violent acts in over two decades, with 56 peacekeepers killed.

     

  • UN appoints Nigeria’s Obiakor special investigator for Burundians’ killings

    The UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, has appointed retired Lt.-Gen. Chikadibia Obiakor of Nigeria to lead a special investigation into the killing of some Burundian refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

    Mr Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General in New York announced this in a statement issued in New York.

    No fewer than 35 Burundian refugees were killed and more than 100 others wounded by security forces in eastern DRC Sept. 15, 2017 at Kamanyola, South Kivu.

    The special investigation will look into the challenges facing the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) in discharging its mandate to protect civilians and provide recommendations on improving the performance of its troops.

    Obiakor has had a long and distinguished career in the Nigerian Army and was the Force Commander of the UN Mission in Liberia from 2006 to 2008.

    He also served as Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations at UN Headquarters in New York from 2008 to 2010.

    The refugees were killed in Kamanyola area in South Kivu province’s Walungu territory after they allegedly rioted and the Congolese army made an attempt to control the situation.

    Reports said no fewer than 18 Burundian refugees were killed on the spot and the others died the following day from the wounds they sustained.

    The refugees were protesting against the decision of DRC officials to extradite two other refugees arrested for allegedly making weapons.

    There are over 400,000 Burundian refugees in DRC who fled after violence erupted in their country in April 2015 when incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza refused to leave power after serving two terms and stood in elections for a third term.

    The opposition in Burundi had gone on a rampage, attacking police and army while also killing supporters of Nkurunziza.

    Thousands of Burundian refugees had fled to neighbouring countries, including DRC, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda.

    Out of 40,000 Burundian asylum-seekers, 28,000 who fled hostilities in their country were identified by the DRC’s National Commission for Refugees in Kamanyola.

     

  • UN appoints Adeosun into pension fund investment committee

    The United Nations has appointed Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun into the Investments Committee of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF).

    In a statement signed by the Adeosun’s Special Adviser, Media and Communication, Mr Oluyinka Akintunde, on Sunday in Abuja, the minister would serve a one-year term effective from January 1, 2018.

    According to the statement, UN Under-Secretary-General, Jan Beagle, in a letter said that the appointment was ratified at the 55th plenary meeting of the 77th session of the General Assembly.

    “The General Assembly decided to appoint you as an ad-hoc member of the Investment Committee for a one-year term of office, beginning from 1st January, 2018.

    “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment and wish you success in your work,” he said.

    Also, the representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Investments Committee, Ms Carolyn Boykin, congratulated the minister on her appointment and welcomed her to the committee.

    Boykin said that the purpose of the investments was to secure the pension entitlements of the international civil servants participating in the Fund.

    “The fiduciary responsibility is to all parties concerned and it is the responsibility of the Secretary-General to ensure that those investments are managed to preserve the capital of the Fund.

    “And to also obtain a long-term real rate of investment return that is in line with the actuarial assumptions, without jeopardising the capital of the Fund by taking excessive risks,” she said.

    The UNJSPF provides pension, death, disability and the other related benefits for staff of the United Nations and other organizations admitted to membership in the Fund.

    It is a multiple employer defined benefit plan governed by the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board, the Staff Pension Committee for each member organization, and a secretariat.

    The Fund was established through UN General Assembly resolution 248 (III), passed in December 1948 and came into effect on January 23, 1949 as a permanent retirement scheme.

    It currently serves 23 member organizations, with 128, 262 active participants and approximately 75,000 retirees in nearly 200 countries.

    According to the statement, Adeosun has accepted her appointment into the UN committee.

     

  • Trump denies using term ‘shithole countries’ amid UN condemnation

    Trump denies using term ‘shithole countries’ amid UN condemnation

    U.S. President Donald Trump implied on Friday the language he used during the meeting on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was “tough” but he didn’t use the infamous “shithole countries” term.

    On Thursday, U.S. media reported that Trump behind closed doors expressed displeasure over people migrating to the United States from “shithole countries.”

    “The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used,” Trump tweeted.

    Earlier in the day, the Office of UN Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said the US president’s reported remarks that immigrants were coming from “shithole countries” were racist.

    TheNewsGuru reports that the African Union also blasted Trump for his profane comments about African countries and other nations, and recalled in a statement the U.S.’ history of bringing in slaves from the continent.

    Trump used the words “shithole countries” to describe Haiti, El Salvador and African countries in response to

    lawmakers suggested they restore protections for immigrants from there, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

    The White House has not disputed the report.

    Responding to the remarks, AU spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo reminded Trump that many Africans “arrived in the U.S. as slaves,” adding that Trump’s profane statement “flies in the face of all accepted behaviour and practice.”

    She described the U.S. as “a global example of how migration gave birth to a nation built on strong values of diversity and opportunity.”

    In her statement, Kalonda said the African Union and its partners would continue to address the causes of migration while also fighting against racism and xenophobia.

    Meanwhile, South Africa’s governing African National Congress party took to Twitter to chide Trump over his “offensive” choice of words.

    Others responded to the derogatory slur with humour. “Good morning from the greatest most beautiful ‘shithole country’ in the world!!!” Leanne Manas, a news anchor for South Africa’s SABC broadcaster, wrote on Twitter.

     

  • Trump’s ‘shithole’ remarks on Africa racist – UN

    The Office of UN Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported remarks that immigrants were coming from “shithole countries” are racist.

    On Thursday, media reported that Trump behind closed doors expressed displeasure over people migrating to the U.S. from “shithole countries.”

    “If confirmed, these are shocking and shameful comments from the president of the U.S.

    “I am sorry but there is no other word one can use, but racist.

    “You can’t dismiss entire countries and continents as shit holes whose entire population is not white and therefore are not welcomed,” the UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told newsmen.

    Colville said the issue was more than “vulgar language”, Colville said.

    “It’s about opening the door to humanity’s worst side, about validating and encouraging racism and xenophobia that will potentially disrupt and destroy lives of many people.”

     

    Sputnik/NAN

  • Benue, Rivers Massacres: SERAP urges UN to convene, defend helpless Nigerians

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an urgent appeal to Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urging him to use his leadership position to “urgently call and/or facilitate the holding of a special session of the UN Human Rights Council to address persistent killings apparently by herdsmen in Benue State of Nigeria and other parts of the country.”

    The organization also urged Prince Al Hussein to “speak out strongly and condemn the killings apparently by herdsmen in the country, and make an official visit to Nigeria with special rapporteurs with relevant mandates to discuss the killings and concrete actions to end the killings and ultimately bring about significant improvements in the lives of farmers and their families as well as other citizens affected by violence across the country.”

    In an urgent appeal dated 6 January 2018 and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organization said, “The UN Human Rights Council’s ability to successfully expose and hold perpetrators of human rights violations to account may be under threat if your office continues to ignore or pay little attention to the crimes and abuses apparently by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators in Nigeria.”

    The organization said, “While we acknowledge that the council has made significant contributions to human rights elsewhere, we are concerned that the violence and killings in Nigeria rarely attract the attention of the UN and particularly, your office. It is time for your office to speak out strongly against the continuing killings by herdsmen in Nigeria for the sake of thousands of victims and their families who continue to lack access to an effective remedy, including truth, justice and full and effective reparation.”

    Suspected herdsmen yesterday killed at least 11 persons in a fresh attack on Tombu village in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State. This followed the alleged killing earlier in the week of at least 33 people apparently by herdsmen in the State.

    The urgent appeal read in part: “The killings in Benue State of Nigeria and the distressing situation of farmers and their families paint a stark picture of the grave abuses carried out apparently by herdsmen and the impunity that they continue to enjoy. The actions of herdsmen hinder meaningful progress towards stability, development and peace in the country.”

    “We also urge your office to facilitate the process of creating a commission of inquiry to investigate killings by herdsmen in Nigeria, and to uncover, name and shame cow owners that hire the herdsmen, as such owners may be criminally complicit in the killings. The involvement of your office will ensure solid investigations into the alleged killings, and help draw international attention to the problem, which in turn will go a long way in putting pressure on the Nigerian authorities to take concrete and meaningful steps to end the killings and bring suspected perpetrators to justice.”

    “SERAP notes that the Human Rights Council was created in 2006 to replace the failed UN Commission on Human Rights, which had largely been unwilling to address real human rights concerns in deserving countries.”

    “The council needs to be vigilant to avoid the problems that plagued its predecessor, including a loss of relevance from failing to speak out on human rights violations and abuses in deserving countries, such as Nigeria. We urge your office to seek full respect for the right to life, to personal security and dignity, to property, and other human rights of farmers and other Nigerians, consistent with the international human rights standards your office has sworn to uphold.”

    “Nigeria is a member of the Human Rights Council, and has ratified several UN human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Nigeria has also ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which has in fact become part of the national laws.”

    “The Human Rights Council cannot be silent when innocent citizens are caught up in violence such as the one going on in Benue State. The international community must strive to deliver justice to victims of human rights violations and abuses wherever they occur and ensure that those found to be responsible for such crimes are brought to justice.”

    “SERAP strongly believes that the holding of a special session on the violence and killings apparently by herdsmen in Benue State and elsewhere in Nigeria would contribute to a speedy end to the problem, and to peace and greater respect for human rights of farmers and their families as well as other citizens.”

    “The holding of a special session on the killings in Benue State will be consistent with the practice of the Human Rights Council regarding its previous special sessions on the Occupied Palestinian Territories; Lebanon; Darfur; Myanmar; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the Global Food Crisis and the Global Economic and Financial Crises, among others.”


  • Over 7,000 Cameroonian refugees arrive Nigeria – UN

    The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is stepping up its presence in Southern Nigeria, to provide life-saving support to thousands of people fleeing unrest in English-speaking areas of Cameroon.

    UNHCR spokesperson, Andrej Mahecic, said tensions between security forces and pro-independence demonstrators in Cameroon’s restive Anglophone region intensified in October.

    Mahecic said “Joint UNHCR and government teams had registered some 7,204 arrivals in remote areas of Nigeria’s Cross River state.

    “As they report, thousands more are awaiting registration.

    “Some 70 per cent of the registered asylum seekers come from the area of Akwaya in South-west Cameroon.

    “Women and children in their majority, they are hosted by local communities near the border.

    “As the unrest in Cameroon continues and more asylum seekers arrive, UNHCR is concerned that the local population’s capacity will soon be stretched to its limits”.

    According to him, heavy wet season rains have worsened the state of the road network in the remote region, hampering efforts to deliver aid.

    The UNHCR spokesperson said the UN refugee agency and partners distributed food, basic relief items and medical aid.

    Mr. Mahecic said UNHCR was also deploying more staff in the region and coordinated with partners, national and local authorities to ensure that the needs of all affected people were met.

    According to him, however, additional resources will be necessary to support the arrivals and reinforce UNHCR’s coordination and response efforts.

    “Currently, UNHCR in Nigeria and partners have elaborated a contingency plan in the event of new arrivals,” Mr. Mahecic said.

     

    (NAN)

  • No UN personnel killed by insurgents in Borno – Army

    The Nigerian Army on Monday dismissed as misleading, reports that some United Nations (UN) personnel were killed in an ambush by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno.

    The Army said no trucks of the UN agency conveying food items were carted away in the insurgents’ attack on Saturday at Maula village of Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of the state.

    Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, said this in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

    Nwachukwu said that the report grossly misrepresented the true situation of the incident as none of the casualties in the encounter were identified as UN staff.

    “Contrary to the information currently making the rounds in a section of the media that four UN staff had been killed and four trucks conveying food for internally displaced persons carted away.

    “The Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole, wishes to state that the report grossly misrepresents the true situation of the incident as none of the casualties in the encounter has been identified as a staff of the UN.

    “It is necessary to state here that a patrol escorting a convoy of civilian vehicles to Logomani encountered an ambush staged by elements of Boko Haram insurgents at Maula village along Dikwa-Ngala Trans Sahara Highway, which resulted in a fire fight between troops and the insurgents.

    “The troops, however, fought through the ambush, overpowered the insurgents and killed six of them,” he said.

    Nwachukuwu disclosed that the troops recovered three AK 47 rifles, three locally fabricated fire arms, four magazines and a belt of 7.62 mm ammunition.

    He added that four persons lost their lives in the encounter, stressing that none of those killed in the ambush had so far been identified as UN staff.

    The army spokesperson said that the situation had been brought under control, adding that a general exploitation patrol was being carried out by Mobile Strike Team of Operation Lafiya Dole.

    Nwachukwu reiterated the commitment of the military to end insurgency, protect lives and property as well as restoration of peace to the region.

  • Nigeria demands immediate restructuring of UN Security Council

    Nigeria has demanded an immediate restructuring and expansion of the UN Security Council to correct the injustices meted out against Africa in the composition of the prestigious 15-member body.

    Nigeria’s position was delivered by Babatunde Nurudeen, Permanent Representative of Nigeria to ECOWAS at the UN General Assembly Debate on ‘Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council’.

    The Security Council is UN’s most powerful principal organ charged with the maintenance of international peace and security, accepting new members to the UN and approving any changes to the UN Charter.

    Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorisation of military action. It is also the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

    Mr. Nurudeen regretted that 72 years after its formation, Africa continued to be marginalised in the representation on the prestigious body in spite of its ability and capacity.

    He stressed that a reformed council would entail a restructuring and expansion of its membership to take account of, inter-alia, the increased membership of UN and the need to reflect the interests of all the constituent regions.

    The Nigerian envoy said: “Nigeria and other emerging nations continue to demonstrate the capacity to add value to the work, of all the organs of the United Nations, including the Security Council.

    “For that reason, we must now commit ourselves to accelerating the long-overdue reforms of the Security Council. This will no doubt make the Council more equitable, more inclusive and more effective”.

    Russia, UK, France, China, and U.S. serve as the body’s only five permanent members that can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.

    Mr. Nurudeen stressed: “Nigeria believes that a reformed Security Council with expanded permanent membership would benefit from the unique experiences and capacities that regional representatives could bring to bear on its work.

    “Nigeria has always expressed its support for the advancement of the intergovernmental negotiations process in an open, inclusive and transparent manner.”

    The Nigerian envoy re-affirmed Nigeria’s very strong adherence to the Common African Union Position on the entire subject of Security Council reform.

    “That is important in order to correct the historical injustice done to the continent and its continued marginalisation over so many years.

    “For that reason, we wish to underscore the overriding need to ensure that the interests of Africa continue to be advanced and safeguarded.

    “African States have offered a coherent, practical and persuasive blueprint for the Council’s reform.

    “We have come up with a common position, which asserts the right of our continent that has for so long been marginalised, and we recognise the legitimate aspirations of other regions to be fully represented in the Council.”

    According to him, the clear objective of the reform process is based on the sovereign equality of all Member States and on the need to adhere to the principles of democratisation and inclusiveness in the UN.

    “It is undoubtedly a worthwhile process. Therefore, we must muster the desired will that can lead to the achievement of a reformed Security Council sooner rather than indefinitely,” Mr. Nurudeen said.

     

    NAN