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Tag: UN

  • UN announces media briefing ahead of 1st UN World Data Forum

    The United Nations (UN) and South Africa’s Department of Government Communication and Information have announced a date for media briefing ahead of the first edition of UN World Data Forum that will hold in South Africa later this month.

    This information is contained in a press release signed by South Africa’s Department of Government Communication and Information’s Madimetja Mashishi.

    “The United Nations (UN) together with Statistics South Africa will host the first ever UN World Data Forum between 15 and 18 January 2017 in Cape Town,” the release stated.

    The Director of the UN Statistics Division, Mr Stefan Schweinfest, would be joined by South Africa’s Statistician-General, Pali Lehohla, via web conferencing to lead a media briefing on Tuesday, 10th January 2017 in Sandton, Johannesburg.

    The media briefing is meant to provide further details on the UN World Data Forum.

    The Forum will be attended by more than 1,000 data experts from over 100 countries, including from national statistical offices, data scientists and academics, international organizations, and civil society groups, as well as political leaders and sustainable development advocates.

  • UN Security Council condemns deadly attack on peacekeepers convoy in CAR

    The members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council have condemned in strongest terms the attack against a convoy of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) on 4 January 2017.

    According to MINUSCA, the attack took place about 60 km (37 miles) west of Obo. The convoy was heading to the city with fuel picked up at Zemio when unknown insurgents surprised them, killing two peacekeepers, injuring two others, before escaping into the bush.

    In a UN Security Council press statement through the office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, the members of the Security Council condemned the attack against the peacekeepers.

    The members of the Security Council underlined that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute a war crime and reminded all parties of obligations under international humanitarian law. They called on the Central African Republic (CAR) authorities to swiftly investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice. They stressed that those responsible for the attack shall be held accountable.

    The members of the Security Council reiterated their full support for MINUSCA in assisting the CAR authorities, which bear the primary responsibility for protecting the population, and the people of the CAR in their efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to their country, as mandated by the Security Council in resolution 2301 (2016).

    The members of the Security Council expressed deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the peacekeepers killed, to the Government of Morocco, to MINUSCA and to the government of the CAR, and reiterated full support for MINUSCA in assisting the CAR authorities.

    In a statement, Mr. Onanga-Anyanga, the head of the UN MINUSCA said that “every effort” will be made to track down those responsible and bring them to justice, adding that an attack on a peacekeeper constitutes a war crime.

    MINUSCA’s spokesperson, Vladimir Monteiro, said the two injured peacekeepers are receiving treatment, one of them for severe injuries.

  • Nigerian refugees in Cameroon: UN-backed aid plan requires $310 million

    A $310 million humanitarian response plan, backed by the United Nations (UN), has been launched to provide life-saving assistance to 1.2 million people in Cameroon’s northern and eastern regions, who are mainly refugees from Nigeria and Central Africa Republic (CAR).

    “Cameroon continues to confront a complex crisis deeply affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people,” said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Najat Rochdi, in a press release issued on Wednesday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

    “The Government and people of Cameroon are showing great hospitality to hundreds of thousands of Nigerian and Central African refugees. We call for the renewed engagement of humanitarian partners and international donors to match this generosity and assist the people most in need,” she added.

    Cameroon hosts some 360,000 refugees from neighbouring Central African Republic and Nigeria, and the number of internally displaced people has more than doubled in 2016 to almost 200,000 people. Malnutrition remains equally high, affecting some 200,000 children.

    According to the release, in 2017, almost three million people in Cameroon are expected to be in need of assistance. Around 2.6 million will face crisis and emergency levels of food insecurity, mostly in the arid Sahel belt of the northern regions.

    The 2017 response plan, launched by the Government of Cameroon with the United Nations and humanitarian organizations, covers the immediate needs of the most vulnerable and emphasises complementary action and cooperation with government and development partners.

    Over the last three years, humanitarian needs and financial requirement in Cameroon have steadily increased leading to a significant scale up of response capacity and number of partners. Budget constraints however caused significant gaps across all sectors. In 2016, only 64 per cent of the required $232 million was funded.

  • Ban Ki-moon bids farewell to UN

    Ban Ki-moon bids farewell to UN

    UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon bid goodbye to staff and Permanent Representatives at UN Headquarters in New York on Friday, being his last official working day as the UN scribe.

    The Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York reports that Ban, whose 10-year tenure comes to an end on Dec. 31, was full of appreciation for the opportunity to serve.

    The outgoing two-term UN Scribe was also full of praise for the UN staff for their hard work and was thankful to those who had gathered to wish him well.

    “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” the outgoing secretary-general, who assumed office on Jan. 1, 2007, said continuously, as he waved to his well-wishers, some of whom were close to tears.

    “I thank all of you the staff and the delegations for your hard work and leadership for humanity.

    “I have been motivated by this commitment and I am proud to call you my colleagues,” the two-term scribe, whose tenure has been described by many as “eventful”, said.

    He re-emphasised that sustainable development, climate change, gender empowerment and youth, among other issues, had been at the top of his agenda in his 10-year tenure.

    “It has been a privilege to serve the world’s people.

    “And it has been an honour to serve with you and all our partners, including Member States, civil society, and many more,” he stressed.

    The eighth UN scribe urged the enthusiastic gathering to “keep believing and working hard” to achieve the noble goals of the UN and to be a “voice for the voiceless”.

    Ban’s last day in office will be the culmination of a decade of service at the helm of the UN, during which he sought to mobilise world leaders around a set of new global challenges, his office said.

    “The challenges ranged from climate change and economic upheaval to pandemics and increasing pressures involving food, energy and water.

    “In addition, he has sought to be a bridge-builder, to give voice to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, and to strengthen the 193-member global organisation itself.”

    For his last day in office on Dec. 31, Ban would serve as a special guest on Saturday at the annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, according to his office.

    He would join New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to push the Waterford crystal button and lead the 60 seconds countdown to the New Year.

    Approximately two million revelers are expected to fill the fabled Square, joined by over 198 million Americans and more than one billion television viewers worldwide.

    The revelers would ring in the New Year watching the historic Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Drop, according to the event organisers.

    Ban began his first term as Secretary-General on Jan. 1, 2007, and was unanimously re-elected by the General Assembly to a second term on June 21, 2011.

    He will be succeeded on Jan. 1, 2017 by António Guterres, of Portugal, who was formally appointed by the UN General Assembly on Oct. 13, 2016.

  • SERAP drags FG to UN over Southern Kaduna killings

    SERAP drags FG to UN over Southern Kaduna killings

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has petitioned Ms. Agnes CALLAMARD, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, urging her to “prevail on the Nigerian authorities to halt further killings of innocent citizens in Southern Kaduna, and to urgently investigation recent allegations of killings of over 800 citizens mostly women, children and the elderly in that part of the country by suspected herdsmen, and to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, and to provide reparations to victims”

    The organization also asked Ms. CALLAMARD to “request to visit Nigeria to conduct fact-finding mission into the circumstances surrounding the killings.”

    In the petition dated 30 December 2016 and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni the organization expressed “concern that the killings of citizens in Southern Kaduna of Nigeria amount to serious violations of the rights to life; to security of the human person; to the respect of the dignity inherent in a human being; and right to property guaranteed by not only the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) but also the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”

    The petition reads in part: “SERAP contends that Nigerian authorities have failed and/or neglected to respect these human rights and to exercise due diligence to ensure that these rights are not violated by private individuals such as herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators. Nigerian government should therefore be held to account for failing or neglecting to guarantee and protect the rights of the people in Southern Kaduna, regardless of whether such violations are directly or indirectly attributable to the state or its officials.”

    “SERAP is concerned that the Nigerian government has failed and/or neglected to create an environment in Southern Kaduna to end the unlawful killings by failing to move their legal and institutional machinery towards the actual realisation of these rights. It is in fact the failure by the government to take adequate measures to prevent the violence which has contributed to the increasing number of victims.”

    “SERAP believes that the killings would not have taken place if the Nigerian authorities have taken measures to prevent their happening and to address persistent impunity of those responsible for the violations and abuses. The lack of accountability for the attacks by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators across the country has continued to create a culture of impunity which clearly is not compatible with the rule of law in a democratic society.”

    “According to the leadership of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan in Kaduna State, a total of 808 people were killed in 53 villages across the four local governments areas in the state ridden by crisis. The church leaders also said that 57 people were injured; farm produce estimated at N5.5 billion were also destroyed, and a total of 1,422 houses and 16 churches were burnt during the attacks. The affected communities are spread across Kaura, Sanga, Jama’a and Kauru Local Government Areas where there had been persistent attacks on communities by gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen.”

    SERAP therefore urged Ms. CALLAMARD to prevail on the Nigerian authorities to:

    Take measures to urgently secure the right to life, right to security and dignity of the human person and right to property of citizens in Southern Kaduna, and to prevent further attacks and killings by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators

    Carry out an effective investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killings and to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, and to provide reparations to victims

    Provide a framework of security for the protection of life, and to protect the lives of those individuals at risk from unlawful attacks in Southern Kaduna

    Provide for an effective remedy and reparation for the victims

  • Jammeh must hand over power when tenure ends – UN

    Jammeh must hand over power when tenure ends – UN

    A United Nations, UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohammed Ibn Chambas has said Gambian President Yahya Jammeh will not be allowed to remain president if he refuses to go at the end of his term in January.

    Chambas disclosed this on Wednesday in Dakar in an interview with newsmen. He said Jammeh would face strong sanctions if he refuses to hand over power as the expiration of his tenure.

    Jammeh, who took power in a coup in 1994, initially conceded defeat in the Dec. 1 election to Adama Barrow, raising the prospect of an end to his 22 years rule.

    Jammeh’s rule was tainted by allegations of widespread human rights abuses.

    However, in a dramatic about-face that drew international condemnation, Jammeh then rejected the voting results last Friday, and his party was challenging the outcome at Gambia’s Supreme Court.

    Chambas, however, said “for Mr Jammeh, the end is here and under no circumstances can he continue to be president.

    “By Jan. 18, his mandate is up and he will be required to hand over to Mr. Barrow.”

    He added that Jammeh would be “strongly sanctioned” if he did not step down and hand over power to Barrow, without giving details.

    Chambas accompanied a delegation of presidents representing the regional bloc ECOWAS who travelled to Gambia on Tuesday but failed to reach a deal that would see Jammeh step down.

    Instead, Gambian soldiers seized the headquarters of the national elections commission and sealed it just hours before the presidents touched down in the riverside nation.

    UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on Wednesday, said that the takeover was an “outrageous act of disrespect of the will of the Gambian people”.

    The building in Banjul remained deserted on Wednesday aside from two armed security guards, while its front gate and ground floor entrances were closed.

    “No one has gone to work. I didn’t even try. No one has informed me that I can go back,” elections commission chairman Alieu Momarr Njai said on Wednesday.

    The ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction filed a challenge to the election result, even as the delegation held mediation meetings on Tuesday.

    The court has not held a session for a year and a half, and legal experts believe that at least four new judges would need to be hired to hear Jammeh’s petition.

    “We do not believe it will be heard by a credible court dedicated to ensuring the integrity of The Gambia’s democratic process,’’ a U.S. Embassy statement said.

    Analysts have suggested that the challenge in the Supreme Court, the legal channel for resolving election disputes, could put diplomats in a difficult position.

    While such disputes are relatively common in Africa, the international community generally defers to established domestic legal mechanisms for resolving them.

    However, in a notable exception, UN troops intervened militarily alongside France to oust Ivory Coast’s then-president Laurent Gbagbo after he used the constitutional court to overturn the 2010 election victory of Alassane Ouattara.

    Meanwhile, report says ECOWAS leaders will discuss Gambia at a summit in Nigeria on Saturday.

  • Antonio Guterres officially sworn-in as UN secretary-general

    Antonio Guterres officially sworn-in as UN secretary-general

    The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General-designate, Antonio Guterres, was sworn-in as the new secretary-general of the world body at an oath of office ceremony held on Monday.

    Witnessed by senior diplomats of member states and senior UN officials, Guterres repeated the oath after current General Assembly President Peter Thomson.

    “I, Antonio Guterres, solemnly swear to exercise in all loyalty, discretion and conscience the functions entrusted to me as Secretary-General of the United Nations, to discharge these functions and regulate my conduct with the interests of the United Nations only in view, and not to seek or accept instructions in regard to the performance of my duties from any government or other authority external to the organization.”

    After being sworn in by the UN General Assembly President, Guterres addressed the 193 member nations, saying the world body must work to simplify, decentralize and make more flexible its sprawling bureaucracy.

    “It benefits no one if [it] takes nine months to deploy a staff member to the field,” he said, adding that “The United Nations needs to be nimble, efficient and effective. It must focus more on delivery and less on process, more on people and less on bureaucracy”.

    On October 13, the UN General Assembly appointed the former Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Guterres, as the 9th secretary-general in the 71-year history of the United Nations to succeed retiring Ban Ki-moon who steps down at the end of this year.

    The five-year term for Guterres will start January 1, 2017 and end December 31, 2021.

    Guterres, a 67-year-old politician, served as UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015. Before joining the UN refugee agency, Guterres spent more than 20 years in government and public service. He was the prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002.

    Meanwhile, rumour has gone round that Nigeria’s Minister of Environment will become UN Deputy secretary-general. However, the leadership of the nation has reacted to the rumour.

  • UN Security Council, countries denounce terror attacks in Istanbul

    UN Security Council, countries denounce terror attacks in Istanbul

    The United Nations (UN) Security Council and many countries in the world have condemned the latest terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Turkey, which killed at least 39 people and injured 155 others.

    The UN Security Council on Sunday “condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks” in a press statement, reaffirming that “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security”.

    The twin bombings, by a car bomb and a suicide bomber, occurred outside a football stadium in central Istanbul on late Saturday. The car bomb was detonated after a football match ended about one and half an hour, killing 30 police officers.

    UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on Saturday denounced in a statement the deadly terror attacks “reportedly targeting Turkish police personnel”.

    The European Union (EU) on Sunday reaffirmed in a statement “our strong condemnation of all acts of terror and confirm our continued commitment to work together closely with Turkey in combatting the threat of terrorism”.

    Secretary General, Thorbjorn Jagland, of the Council of Europe voiced in a denouncement statement on Sunday “deepest condolences to the people of Turkey and its government”.

    Russian President, Vladimir Putin, also condemned the attack and emphasized the need for the international community to jointly combat terrorism.

    In a message of condolences to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Putin described the attack as cowardly and believed whoever committed the crime will be punished.

    United States (US) Defence Secretary, Ash Carter, has issued a statement saying “this attack only redoubles our resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Turkish allies in condemning these attacks and relentlessly combatting terrorism”.

    He also said the US remains “committed to working closely with Turkey within NATO” and the coalition fighting the Islamic State group.

    While condemning the terror attacks in Istanbul, French President, Francois Hollande, expressed full support to Turkish authorities in fighting terrorism, the Elysee said in a statement on Sunday.

    Foreign Ministry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in its statement on Sunday, restated the UAE principled position against “all forms and manifestations of terrorism,” while expressing solidarity with the Turkish government against “terrorist crimes”.

    Denouncing the twin bombings in Istanbul, Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs, Mohammad Momani, also voiced solidarity and support for Turkey, and called for increased efforts by the international community to uproot terrorism.

    “Pakistan condemns this heinous act of terrorism in the strongest possible terms,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Sunday in a statement, while expressing “deep sorrow and grief” to the bloodshed.

    Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbass, said Sunday in an official statement, “This awful crime is totally condemned and rejected which contradicts with our religious values as well as the traditions, the morals and the laws all over the world”.

    Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Sunday that while condemning “all terrorism in Turkey”, Israel “expects that Turkey will condemn all terrorist attacks in Israel”.

    “The fight against terrorism must be mutual. It must be mutual in condemnation and in countermeasures,” he added.

    Turkey and Israel sent ambassadors to each other this month to normalize ties six years after an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish flotilla killing 10 Turkish activists.

    Hungarian foreign ministry on Sunday said in a statement Hungary stands side by side with Turkey in the fight against terrorism.

    Iran expressed on Sunday “deep concerns” over repeated terror attacks hitting neighboring Turkey and urged countries to deliver a “decisive” response to the acts of violence perpetrated by extremist terrorists, deeming “global determination and consensus” as the only way to eliminate terrorism, said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

    Turkey’s largest city Istanbul and capital Ankara have come under a spate of deadly attacks over the past year further worsening the security situation there.

    Istanbul was last hit in late June, when three suicide bombers assaulted the city’s major international airport and killed 45 people.

    Thousands of Turks took to the streets on Sunday to denounce the latest terror attacks, and Turkey declared a day of national mourning on Sunday for the victims. Turkish President Erdogan has vowed vengeance and pledged to fight against terrorism “to the end.”

    At parliament on Sunday, Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party and the opposition Republican People’s Party and the Nationalist Movement Party read a joint declaration condemning the terror attack, and expressed “full support” for the security forces in the fight against terrorism.

    Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party strongly condemned the attack in a written statement, saying it felt great sorrow and shared the pain.

    The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks, a Kurdish militant group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, has claimed responsibility for the Saturday attacks, Turkish media said.

  • Presidency reacts to Minister of Environment UN announcement

    Presidency reacts to Minister of Environment UN announcement

    Nigeria’s Presidency has reacted to reports on the alleged appointment of Amina Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, as Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) of the United Nations (UN), saying “she remains our Minister of Environment”.

    TheNewsGuru reported that the Nigeria’s Minister of Environment is to become the new UN DSG to newly elected UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, according a tweet by CBS news reporter for the United Nations, Pamela Falk.

    But, Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari has made a number of tweets to assure Nigerians would be fully informed on any development on the matter.

    “There is a lot of exuberance on the net concerning a UN job for Mrs @AminaJMohammed,” the senior special assistant tweeted, adding that “She remains our Minister of @FMEnvng”.

    He stressed “If there is anything on this that is released officially, we will let Nigerians know”.

    “I am pleased to know that she enjoys so much goodwill,” he added.

    If the reports making the rounds are confirmed, the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, is expected to be deputy to Antonio Guterres, who will assume office as UN Secretary-General effective January 1, 2017.

    Mohammed, who hails from Gombe State in North-East Nigeria, had formerly served as adviser to the outgoing UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon.

    Mohammed was appointed minister of Environment by President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2015. She was also recently appointed by President Buhari to serve in the African Union (AU) Reform Steering Committee as Nigeria’s Representative.

  • Nigeria’s Minister of Environment to become UN Deputy Sec-Gen

    Nigeria’s Minister of Environment to become UN Deputy Sec-Gen

    Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, will soon be confirmed as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations according to reports.

    If confirmed, she would deputise for newly elected Antonio Guterres who is set to take office as the UN scribe on January 1, 2016.

    According to a tweet by Pamela Falk, CBS news reporter for the United Nations, the world body would soon release a statement confirming the appointment of the Buhari’s Minister.

    Until her appointment as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in November 2015, she was the Assistant Secretary/Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary General on Post-2015 Development Planning.

     

    Amina Mohammed was also recently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to serve in the African Union (AU) Reform Steering Committee as the Nigerian representative.

    The committee, headed by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is tasked with ongoing institutional reforms of the AU Commission and its organs.

    The committee which comprises eminent persons from the continent will work on part-time basis to produce a report for presentation to the 28th African Union Summit in January 2017.

    A versatile and accomplished development practitioner in the public, private and civil society sectors with over three decades experience, Mrs Mohammed had served as the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on MDGs, serving three Presidents over a period of six years.

    The new Secretary General is expected to take his oath of office on 1 January, 2017.