un daily news - 15 march 2016

8/19/2019 UN Daily News - 15 March 2016

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Issue DH/7116 Tuesday, 15 March 2016

In the headlines

• Syrian opposition raises issue of detainees, aidaccess as UN-mediated talks continue

• Lauded for is advocacy, !an ur"es rene#edpled"es to improvin" lives of #omen and "irls

• $Survival #ill %e an acievement$ for ne# &f"an'overnment, says UN envoy

• (i"-level panel on #omen$s economicempo#erment olds first meetin" at UN

• &sley )udd appointed 'ood#ill &m%assador %y UN*opulation Fund

• +im%a%#e facin" #orst malnutrition rates in years . UN/CEF

• Wit Syrian peace talks under#ay, UN ur"essupport for ne"otiations and impacted Syrians

• UN a"ency #elcomes 0ala#i1s decision to reopenformer camp for 0o2am%i3ue refu"ees

• Security Council e4tends mandate of UN mission inLi%ya for tree monts

• UN estimates 567 million deats eac yearattri%uta%le to unealty environments

• &s UN (uman Ri"ts Council marks 8tanniversary, !an ur"es %ody to increase $impact$

!yrian o""osition raises issue o# detainees, aid access as $%&'ediated tal(s continue

15 March – On a day that began with a minute of silence in honour ofthose that have lost their lives during the five-year conflict in Syria,

the United Nations envoy mediating peace talks among the Syrian parties gave a progress report, saying that opposition representativesraised the issue of detainees today, as well as humanitarian aid toaraya and other sites of heavy fighting!

"#here has been so far, as you know, the issue of humanitarian aidand the reduction of violence, but on the detainees$ aspect we have

been having nothing in terms of outcome,%

UN Special &nvoy for Syria, Staffan de 'istura, said in (eneva aftera meeting with the )igh Negotiations *ommittee +)N*!

#his was the second day of the new round of intra-Syrian talks, proimity discussions between (overnment and opposition representatives being mediated by 'r! de 'istura!

)e said the )N* also raised the issue of etending humanitarian aid to more areas! #hese could include araya, wherecontrol has shifted between pro and anti-(overnment forces over the past years!

.oth issues, the envoy said, could be taken up by the humanitarian taskforce, which has been created by the /nternational

Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura updates the press on theIntra-Syrian Geneva Talks. UN Photo/ean-Marc !err" #file$

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Syrian Support (roup +/SS( to oversee aid delivery since a cessation of hostilities took hold on 01 2ebruary! #he /SS(, ofwhich the UN is a member along with the 3rab 4eague, the &uropean Union and 56 countries – including the United Statesand 7ussia – has been seeking a path forward for several months!

7eacting to the announcement by 8resident 9ladimir 8utin that 7ussia is withdrawing the bulk of its forces from Syria, 'r!de 'istura called it a "significant development% which "we hope will have a positive impact on the progress of thenegotiations!%

/n addition to echanging ideas, 'r! de 'istura has said that he and the )N* echanged papers "on how to get deeper intothe discussion at the net meeting on the transitional aspect of the political process!%

#he UN envoy had also received a paper from the (overnment, with whom he met yesterday, as part of his effort to "get allthe input from all the sides and then metaboli:e them, see where there are overlapping, contradictions or even commonthinking!%

'r! de 'istura said that he would meet again tomorrow morning with the (overnment delegation! )e would then leave for.ern, where he would inform the Swiss (overnment, which is supporting the process, about the discussions!

3s an addition to his international team, the UN envoy appointed 9italy Naumkin, a 7ussian epert and academic who will

report to 'r! de 'istura!

#he UN official said he offered the same option to the United States, who is the other co-chair of the /SS(!

"#he more they are able to contribute professionally to my own capacity of better understanding, the better it is for us,% 'r!de 'istura said!

)auded #or his ad*ocacy, +an urges renewed "ledges toi'"ro*ing li*es o# wo'en and girls

15 March – *ommitted to improving the health and well-being ofwomen, children and adolescents, United Nations Secretary-(eneral.an ;i-moon today urged everyone to


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3t the event, global gender e>uality advocates =omen eliver presented the first-ever Belivering for (irls and =omen$award to 'r! .an in recognition of his work and achievements to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide!

3ccepting the 3ward, 'r! .an said the true champions are "fighting on the frontlines for health rights everyday%!

3lso speaking at today$s event, the &ecutive irector of UN =omen, 8hum:ile 'lambo-Ngcuka, said that women arecrucial to a resilient health systemC "=omen$s health is a women$s right! =ithout it, health hangs in the balance!%

's! 'lambo-Ngcuka also spoke about the health of women and girls epanding to political, social and economic spheres!

!ur*i*al will -e an achie*e'ent #or new #ghan o*ern'ent,says $% en*oy

15 March – #he new 3fghan (overnment, formed through a power-sharing agreement, must manage its difficult transition in 0@5? byovercoming political, economic and security challenges, the topUnited Nations official in that country told the Security *ounciltoday, as the 5F-nation body etended the UN mission there foranother year!

"/n 0@5?, 3fghanistan is being as severely tested as it was in 0@5F, bythe task of managing its difficult transition with its interrelated

political, economic and security challenges,% said Nicholas )aysom,the Secretary-(eneralHs Special 7epresentative and head of the UN3ssistance 'ission in 3fghanistan +UN3'3!

)e highlighted five ma


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On a positive note, since his previous briefing, the presence of /slamic State in /ra> and the 4evant +/S/4JaHesh has beenconfined to a smaller area to the east of the country, following operations by 3fghan security forces with support from theinternational military!

Divided political situation

On the political transition, the (overnment continues to be subuentially that most precious political commodity, confidence in the future, hesaid!

/n the face of calls for reviewing the current political framework, the United Nations and the international community havemade it clear to all stakeholders that it stands firmly behind the new (overnment! espite delays in effective decision-making, the (overnment has now appointed an 3ttorney (eneral and a 'inister of /nterior! 3 number of key posts,however, remain to be filled!

=ith an election date of 5F October announced, electoral reform is important for the National Unity (overnment to indicate progress in democratisation! #he (overnment has finally issued a decree establishing a new Selection *ommittee tonominate /ndependent &lection *ommissioners this week! Aet the urgency to complete preparations remains!

edium-term funding needs

/n the coming months, the international community will make critical decisions at =arsaw and .russels on the level andtype of assistance it will continue to provide to 3fghanistan, 'r! )aysom said!

3s the country continues to rely on eternal funding sources for ?K per cent of (overnment ependitures, failure by theinternational community to pledge a medium-term commitment to 3fghanistan will have a devastating impact, bothmaterially and on the levels of confidence of ordinary 3fghans! onor epectations of 3fghanistanHs reform agenda must berealistic, taking into account the formidable challenges facing the country!

Progress towards peace

#he final hurdle is progress towards a sustainable peace! "3fghanHs want peace, they deserve peace, but most importantlythey need peace,% he said! =ithout a peace process, the sustainability and viability of all of efforts, in .russels, =arsaw,

New Aork, and elsewhere to bring stability and prosperity to 3fghanistan will be called into >uestion!

#he establishment of the Luadrilateral *oordination (roup is a welcome development that has reinvigorated efforts to put a peace process on track, he said, acknowledging the efforts of 8akistan to assist in midwifing such talks! 3 successful peace process will re>uire the support of neighbouring countries and the wider region!

)e, however, called for direct talks between the #aliban and the 3fghan (overnment, noting that he again met with the#aliban 8olitical *ommission last week and stressed the need for an intra-3fghan dialogue involving #aliban! #heyhowever reiterated that they were not yet ready to engage directly with the (overnment, he said!

)e welcomed todayHs adoption by the *ouncil of a resolution which renewed UN3'3Hs mandate until 51 'arch 0@51 andreaffirmed its important supporting role, at the re>uest of the 3fghan (overnment!


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High&le*el "anel on wo'ens econo'ic e'"ower'ent holds#irst 'eeting at $%

15 March – #he )igh-4evel 8anel on =omen$s &conomic

&mpowerment held its inaugural meeting today at the United Nations)ead>uarters in New Aork, where the ?@th session of the *ommissionon the Status of =omen is underway this month!

3ddressing a room of prominent leaders from government, business,academia and civil society, Secretary-(eneral .an ;i-moon said thegroup can collectively lead the charge for women$s economicempowerment!

"=omen and girls deserve the same access to >uality education,economic resources and political participation as men and boys,% 'r!.an said, noting this is both the global agenda and his own personal

philosophy!

=omen and girls "must also en


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shley udd a""ointed oodwill '-assador -y $% o"ulationund

15 March – #he United Nations 8opulation 2und +UN283, the lead

UN agency for delivery a world where every pregnancy is wanted,every childbirth is safe and every young person$s potential is fulfilled,today appointed actor and activist 3shley Mudd as its (oodwill3mbassador!

"3shley and UN283 will be uality and the

empowerment of women! #he priority theme for the ?@th session is women$s empowerment and its link to sustainabledevelopment!

(oodwill 3mbassador Mudd will give the keynote address tomorrow, at a special event at the UN (eneral 3ssembly )all,using words and music to call for an end to female genital mutilation +2(', child marriage and son preference!

UN Population !und #UN!P3$ E8ecutive 5irector* %a2atunde

9soti'ehin #ri)ht$* introduces acclai'ed actor 3shley udd as the

a)ency1s ne7 Good7ill 3'2assador. UN Photo/Mark Garten


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3i'-a-we #acing worst 'alnutrition rates in 15 years 4 $%I

15 March – imbabwe is facing its worst malnutrition rates in 5Fyears, as nearly ,@@@ children are in urgent need of treatment forsevere acute malnutrition, according to the United Nations *hildren$s2und +UN/*&2!

#he agency reported today that the number of hungry families in thecountry has doubled in the last eight months! 3 national vulnerabilityassessment survey released in 2ebruary shows nearly 0!6 million

people in rural imbabwe, or @ per cent of the rural population, willre>uire food assistance, of which 5!D million were children!

"2amilies in rural imbabwe are locked in a struggle for survival aftertwo consecutive seasons of failed rains, attributed to the &l NiPoweather phenomenon,% UN/*&2 spokesperson *hristophe .oulieractold reporters in (eneva!

#hose seasons of failed rains had diminished food harvests andreserves, increased hunger and malnutrition, dried up water sources and decimated livestock, he said!

3s often in such cases, children are enduring the greatest force of the crisis! Overall, 0!5 per cent of children under five yearsold in imbabwe have severe acute malnutrition, eceeding the international threshold of two per cent that indicates theneed for an emergency response, he noted! #he mauestion, 'r! .oulierac said that the imbabwean (overnment has declared a state of disaster and haslaunched an appeal for E5!F billion, but it was not known how much of that sum has been raised! UN/*&2 is appealing forE05 million, out of which ED@,@@@ has been mobili:ed so far!

3 2oy in rural :i'2a27e holds a handful of dried 3'arula fruit seed7hich he 7ill eat for lunch. So'e school children are skippin) 'ealsand fora)in) for 7ild fruit as food stocks run out* due to the current

drou)ht* associated 7ith El Ni;o. Photo UNI0E!/,ichard

Nya'anhindi

ith !yrian "eace tal(s underway, $% urges su""ort #ornegotiations and i'"acted !yrians

15 March – 'arking the fifth anniversary of the Syrian conflict,Secretary-(eneral .an ;i-moon today appealed to the stakeholdersand the Security *ouncil to fulfil their responsibilities and to helpmake the United Nations-mediated peace talks a success!

"/f we miss this opportunity the conse>uences for the Syrian peopleand the world are too frightening to contemplate,% the Secretary-

(eneral said in a message aimed at the Syrian parties, regional andinternational stakeholders and the *ouncil!

3lready in the past five years, more than one->uarter million Syrianshave been killed and nearly half of all Syrians have been forced fromtheir homes!

#errorist groups such as aesh and 3l Nusra 2ront have capitalised

,esidents of the Tesreen 0a'p in 3leppo* Syria. Photo90(3/osephine Guerrero


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on the chaos, with foreign fighters and sectarian militias continuing to pour into Syria, 'r! .an said!

#he conflict "has been the scene of the use of chemical weapons, siege and starvation as a tool of war, unlawful detention,torture, and the indiscriminate and criminal shelling and aerial bombardment of civilians,% said 'r! .an!

Syrian men, women and children feel abandoned by the international community, he said, urging those responsible for thesecrimes to be held to account!

"/ repeat my call to the Security *ouncil to refer the situation in Syria to the /nternational *riminal *ourt,% 'r! .an said!"/n Syria as elsewhere, peace without uQ as the basis for aSyrian-led political transition!

7eacting today to the announcement by 8resident 9ladimir 8utin that 7ussia is withdrawing the bulk of its forces fromSyria, 'r! de 'istura called it a "significant development% which "we hope will have a positive impact on the progress ofthe negotiations!%

ore than funding needed

3s the peace negotiations continue in (eneva, there are nearly five million refugees who had been forced to flee toneighbouring countries!

#he UN )igh *ommissioner for 7efugees, 2ilippo (randi, and the agency$s Special &nvoy, 3ngelina Molie 8itt, today calledon (overnments to follow through on financial pledges, as well as


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address the fears among their citi:ens!

"#hat starts with having a very robust asylum procedure to be able to hear the needs of the desperate families to identifywho is most vulnerable and who has a genuine refugee claim,% she eplained!

She appealed also for (overnments to uphold the 5KF5 *onvention on 7efugees and basic human rights lawC "it is bothnecessary and possible to protect people fleeing persecution and death and protect citi:ens at home! /t should not be reduced

to a choice between one or the other!%

#he Special &nvoy acknowledged that people in many different countries have fears about the refugee situation and its potential impact on their communities, livelihoods and security!

"/t is not wrong to feel unsettled faced by a crisis of such compleity and such magnitude!

.ut we must not let fears get the better of us,% she said! "/t is a time for reason and calm and foresight!%

ew pathways

4ater this month, UN)*7 will host a high-level international conference in (eneva , calling on (overnments for ama


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Several partners, including the UN *hildren$s 2und +UN/*&2, =orld 2ood 8rogramme +=28 and 'Qdecins Sans2rontiRres +'S2, are providing essential services in ;apise, including water boreholes, food and health care, but conditionsgenerally remain tough!

'o:ambicans who arrived earlier in the year spoke of having fled deadly attacks on their villages! 'ore recent arrivals havesaid they were fleeing out of fear of clashes this month between (overnment forces and 7&N3'O, the main oppositiongroup, which wants to take control of si northern provinces, namely 'anica, Sofala, #ete, ambe:ia, Nampula and Niassa!

4ack of funding for UN)*7 and others is a problem! 3bout E5!6 million is re>uired to meet immediate needs, but more will be needed to cope with the growing number of arrivals!

'alawi also hosts some 0F,@@@ refugees, mostly from the (reat 4akes region and the )orn of 3frica, in the :aleka camp,about F@ kilometres from the capital city of 4ilongwe! #he site is full to capacity, and food rations have been cut to F@ percent since October and resources to assist refugees are limited!

!ecurity ouncil e;tends 'andate o# $% 'ission in )i-ya #orthree 'onths

15 March – #he Security *ouncil today etended the mandate of theUnited Nations Support 'ission in 4ibya +UNS'/4 until 5F Mune,recogni:ing the need for a short etension so it can continue workingwith the country to establish the (overnment of National 3ccord!

3fter months of negotiations, a UN-brokered agreement was signed inecember 0@5F in Skhirat, 'orocco, on the formation of a unitygovernment in 4ibya, consisting of the 8residency *ouncil and*abinet supported by the other State institutions, including the )ouseof 7epresentatives and State *ouncil!

UNS'/4 was mandated in 0@55 through a Security *ouncilresolution to ensure, among other priorities, transition to democracy,

promotion of the rule of law, protection of human rights, control ofunsecured arms, and the building of governance capacity, following

the revolution which toppled the dictatorship of 'uammar (addafi!

'eanwhile, in today$s resolution etending the mandate, the *ouncil also re>uested that the UN Secretary-(eneral reportwithin ?@ days following consultations with the 4ibyan authorities on recommendations for UNS'/4$s support to the net

phases of the 4ibyan political transition process!

/n a press statement yesterday, the Security *ouncil reiterated its support for the 4ibyan national unity government andrenewed its call on UN 'ember States to end official contact with parallel institutions that claim legitimate authority, butare outside of ecember$s political agreement!

Security 0ouncil votes to e8tend 'andate of UN Support Mission in

6i2ya #UNSMI6$. UN Photo/Manuel Elias


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$% esti'ates 12.6 'illion deaths each year attri-uta-le tounhealthy en*iron'ents

15 March – 3n estimated 50!? million people died as a result of livingor working in an unhealthy environment in 0@50 – nearly one in fourof total global deaths, according to new estimates from the =orld)ealth Organi:ation +=)O!

&nvironmental risk factors, such as air, water and soil pollution,chemical eposures, climate change, and ultraviolet radiation,reportedly contribute to more than 5@@ diseases and in


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%urden of disease in ' !egions

7egionally, the report finds, low- and middle-income countries in the =)O South-&ast 3sia and =estern 8acific 7egionshad the largest environment-related disease burden in 0@50, with a total of 1! million deaths, most attributable to indoor andoutdoor air pollution!

/n addition, low- and middle-income countries bear the greatest environmental burden in all types of diseases and in


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Te $% Daily %ews is prepared at UN (ead3uarters in Ne# Aork %y te Ne#s Services Section

/n particular, Syria figured high in 'r! .anHs speech, as today also marked the start of a sith year of conflict there! "2or fiveyears, the people of that country have endured horrific and widespread human rights abuses including etra

un daily news - 15 march 2016

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