un daily news - 18 march 2016

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  • 8/19/2019 UN Daily News - 18 March 2016

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    For information media -

    not an official record

    For updates and e-mail alerts,visit UN NEWS CENTRE at 

    www.un.org/news 

    Issue DH/7119  Friday, 18 March 2016

    In the headines!

    • UN appoints Red from the ‘Angr !irds" as#onorar Am$assador for %nternational &a of#appiness 

    • ‘No alternative to politi'al settlement of the!urundian 'risis," !an tells Se'urit Coun'il 

    • ‘Refugees need prote'tion, not re(e'tion," UN sasin )a*e of EU-Tur*e deal 

    • %ntra-Srian tal*s advan'ing )ithout ‘e+'essiverhetori'," sas UN envo 

    • UN 'hief 'on'erned that politi'al )ill to end ra'ialdis'rimination ‘is under threat" 

     • %ra UN and partners ra'e to rea'h thousands

    fleeing areas )est of Ramadi 

    • UN health agen' sends spe'ialists to help 'ontainE$ola flare-up in .uinea 

    • %n )a*e of another deadl atta'* in /emen, UNhuman rights 'hief de'ries Coalition airstri*es 

    • Se'urit Coun'il 'alls on #aiti to 'omplete ele'tions ‘)ithout further dela"  

    • #onduras ris*s $e'oming ‘la)less *illing 0one" forhuman rights defenders 1 UN e+pert 

    • !an )el'omes announ'ement of release of&(i$outian prisoners $ Eritrea 

    • !an appoints ne) Envo for Sudan and SouthSudan2 ne) leadership at UN Afghan mission 

    More stories inside 

    "# a$$oints %ed &ro' the ()ngry *irds+ as Honorary)'assador &or Internationa Day o& Ha$$iness

    18 March – The United Nations today appointed Red, the leader ofthe “Angry Birds” mobile game characters, as an envoy to inspireclimate action toard a s!stainable and happier f!t!re for all"

    Red#s appointment, as $onorary Ambassador for %reen, is part of aUN campaign la!nched today in partnership ith the globallyrenoned characters to ma&e a direct lin& beteen tac&ling climatechange and people#s happiness and ell'being on the occasion of the

    (nternational )ay of $appiness to be observed on *!nday, +-arch"

    “The Angry Birds have entertained millions of people aro!nd theorld – and no they are part of ma&ing the orld a better place,”said *ecretary'%eneral Ban .i'moon at a la!nch event at UN$ead/!arters in Ne 0or&"

    “1e are pro!d to give Red a reason to go %reen,” he said" “There is no better ay to mar& the (nternational )ay of$appiness than to have o!r animated ambassador raise aareness abo!t the importance of addressing climate change to

    Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with Red from the ‘Angry Birds’

    who was appointed Honorary Ambassador for International ay of

    Happiness! "# $hoto%&s'inder ebebe

    UN Daily News

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    create a safer, more s!stainable and happier f!t!re for all"”

    The campaign, in partnership ith *ony 2ict!res 3ntertainment, the UN )evelopment 2rogramme 4UN)25 and UN6o!ndation, as&s the general p!blic across the orld to ma&e the Angry Birds happy by ta&ing actions on climate changeand sharing their photos and commitments on social media platforms !sing the common hashtag 7AngryBirds$appy2lanet"

    By recycling, ta&ing p!blic transportation and conserving ater, for e8ample, individ!als can share tips on ho they can

    live s!stainably and happily in their everyday lives, he said"

    As part of his ambassadorial d!ties, Red ill go on a “virt!al orld to!r” starting on +9 -arch, highlighting vario!s ays tota&e climate action" The to!r ill ta&e him to 2aris, here co!ntries adopted an historic agreement to address climate change

    in )ecember, and ill end in Ne 0or&, here orld leaders ill sign the 2aris Agreement at UN $ead/!arters on ++April"

    )!ring the la!nch event, the voice actors from the !pcoming Angry Bird movie, :ason *!dei&is, :osh %ad, and -ayaR!dolph, and prod!cers :ohn ;ohen and ;atherine 1inder gave h!ndreds of st!dents gathered in the iconic UN %eneralAssembly $all a snea& previe of the 7AngryBirds$appy2lanet campaign materials, incl!ding p!blic serviceanno!ncements created to s!pport the campaign" They also as&ed the yo!ng a!dience for their s!pport to the campaign bydoing their part to ma&e a difference on climate change"

    (n a message to mar& this year#s $appiness )ay, -r" Ban said that “At this time of grave in

    By advancing progress toards the interlin&ed *!stainable )evelopment %oals 4*)%s5, adopted by the UN %eneralAssembly last *eptember, “e can help spread happiness and sec!re peace,” he stressed"

    “The best ay to celebrate this (nternational )ay of $appiness is by ta&ing action to alleviate s!ffering,” he !rged"

    *ince +9>, the UN has ann!ally observed the )ay on + -arch as a ay to recogni?e the importance of happiness in thelives of people orldide" This year#s foc!s is on the relationship beteen having a healthy planet and happiness"

    (#o aternati-e to $oitica sette'ent o& the *urundian crisis,+*an tes ecurity ounci

    18 March – Briefing the *ec!rity ;o!ncil, *ecretary'%eneral Ban .i'moon and United Nations $igh ;ommissioner @eid Ra#ad Al $!sseintoday voiced concern abo!t spiralling violence and rights violations inB!r!ndi, and called for an incl!sive political dialog!e to peacef!llyresolve the 99'month crisis"

    *ecretary'%eneral Ban .i'moon, ho visited B!r!ndi last month as part of an international effort to end the crisis, !rged the co!ntry#sleaders “to s!mmon the necessary co!rage and confidence” to la!ncha credible political process"

    “There is no alternative to a political settlement of the B!r!ndian

    crisis,” he toldthe ;o!ncil, hose members had also visited theco!ntry in :an!ary of this year"

    Relati(es of a st)dent 'illed in the *abe neighbo)rhood of

    B)+)mb)ra, mo)rn at home in the B)r)ndian capital! $hoto $hil

    .oore%IRI#

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    Underscoring the importance of regional and international s!pport for the peace efforts, -r" Ban said that the 3ast African;omm!nity 43A;5, the African Union 4AU5 and the UN m!st or& together to provide the “dedicated and professionalmediation s!pport” needed"

    -r" Ban noted appointment of former 2resident of Tan?ania Ben

    The top h!man rights fig!re also called attention to the lac& of progress in investigating m!ltiple serio!s h!man rightsviolations reported over the past year"

    “( !rge f!rther and m!ch more credible investigations into the m!ltiple alleged mass graves in the co!ntry, as ell as intothe tort!re, se8!al violence and &illings that ere reported in )ecember and many other serio!s allegations,” -r" @eid said"

    $e too& note of a recently released report into alleged e8tra

    The UN e8pert team is comprised of three independent e8perts, per a $!man Rights ;o!ncil resol!tion from )ecember

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    +9, mandated ith !nderta&ing “an investigation into violations and ab!ses of h!man rights ith a vie to preventingf!rther deterioration of the h!man right sit!ation"”

    B!r!ndi as thron into crisis this past April hen 2resident N&!r!n?i?a decided to r!n for a controversial third term thathe ent on to in in :!ly"

    (%e&ugees need $rotection, not reection,+ "# says in wae o&"34urey dea

    18 March – The United Nations ref!gee agency has stressed theimportance of ens!ring safeg!ards in carrying o!t today#s agreement

     beteen the 3!ropean Union 43U5 and T!r&ey on the sit!ation ofref!gees and migrants ma&ing their ay to 3!rope"

    According to a statement iss!ed by the 3U, the sides agreed that allne irreg!lar migrants crossing from T!r&ey into %ree& islands ill

     be ret!rned to T!r&ey, starting from + -arch, and for every *yrian being ret!rned to T!r&ey from %ree& islands, another *yrian ill beresettled from T!r&ey to the 3U"

    “Today#s agreement clarifies a n!mber of elements,” said the ffice

    of UN $igh ;ommissioner for Ref!gees 4UN$;R5 in a pressrelease" “(mportantly, it is e8plicit that any modalities ofimplementation of the agreement ill respect international and3!ropean la"”

    (n UN$;R#s !nderstanding, in light of relevant

    “Ultimately, the response m!st be abo!t addressing the compelling needs of individ!als fleeing ar and persec!tion,”UN$;R said" “Ref!gees need protection, not re

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    Intra3yrian tas ad-ancing without (e5cessi-e rhetoric,+ says"# en-oy

    18 March – As the first ee& of the ne ro!nd of intra'*yrian tal&s

    ended today, the United Nations *pecial 3nvoy for *yria said the“pro8imity system” of the disc!ssions, hereby parties are meetingindirectly thro!gh his mediation, has contrib!ted to the tal&s movingforard"

    “No al&'o!ts, no e8cessive rhetoric – some disc!ssions b!t note8cessive rhetoric – no brea&dons, in spite of the fact that ( am stillobvio!sly detecting large distances, b!t that is part of hy yo! havetal&s, or cons!ltations or negotiations, otherise e o!ld have hadone nice signing ceremony, hich is not yet the case,” *taffan de

    -ist!ra told reporters in %eneva"

    The UN envoy !nderlined that the tal&s have coincided ith a“s!bstantial red!ction of violence” in the conte8t of 6ebr!ary#sceasefire agreement in -!nich, despite some incidents today that “are not comparable at all to hat e !sed to have"”

    )escribing the day#s tal&s as “intense,” he informed the press that his first meeting as ith the *yrian omen advisory boardC “( met them beca!se they have constantly very good advice, really, gen!inely good advice, b!t they have also beenvery active in attempting, and to a certain degree s!cceeding in b!ilding a bridge beteen the vario!s omen of thedifferent delegations"”

    -r" de -ist!ra noted that he also had a short “ac/!aintance meeting” ith a gro!p of individ!als from )amasc!s and inside

    *yria" “As yo! &no the *ec!rity ;o!ncil resol!tion is very clear in terms of the mandate ( am given" ( am s!pposed tocons!lt anyone ho has something to say in order to be able to move forard on hat has been and sho!ld be the (ntra'*yrian tal&s, and event!ally serio!s negotiations,” he e8plained"

    $e also met ith the %overnment hich “reiterated its on interest in having a commonly shared list of principles"” -r" de-ist!ra said identifying “the grey ?one of areas of common gro!nd” ill be the foc!s early ne8t ee&, hen the tal&scontin!eC “No principles are not

    in addition to the delivery of h!manitarian aid, it is essential to bring people bac& to their families, regardless of hat sidethey are on"

    -eanhile, by this time ne8t ee&– the last ee& of the second ro!nd of the tal&s – -r" de -ist!ra said the aim is to b!ild“a minim!m common platform” of not

    Staffan de .ist)ra, Special &n(oy for Syria briefs the media in

    Gene(a! "# $hoto%Anne-/a)re /echat

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    "# chie& concerned that $oitica wi to end raciadiscri'ination (is under threat+

    18 March – 6ifteen years after a landmar& doc!ment to combat

    racism, racial discrimination and 8enophobia as adopted in )!rban,*o!th Africa, United Nations *ecretary'%eneral Ban .i'moon todaysaid he is concerned that the political ill that e8isted then is !nderthreat"

    “The collective determination that enabled s!ch a far'reachingagreement is being !ndermined by political e8pediency,” -r" Ban

    arned, spea&ing at a %eneral Assembly meeting to mar& the(nternational )ay for the 3limination of Racial)iscrimination"

    The date of this ann!al observance, +9 -arch, is the anniversary of

    the *harpeville massacre of peacef!l demonstrators in *o!th Africa in9FG" “( dra enco!ragement by ho far e have come since thattragedy" B!t e have m!ch distance still to travel in o!r or& fore/!ality for all,” said the UN chief"

    6or this year#s observance, the global comm!nity is commemorating the 9th anniversary of the )!rban )eclaration and2rogramme of Action" Adopted by consens!s at the 1orld ;onference against Racism, Racial )iscrimination,Henophobia and Related (ntolerance, these te8ts remain the most comprehensive frameor& for international, regionaland national actions against racism"

    “The international comm!nity ac&noledged in )!rban that no co!ntry co!ld claim to be free of racism" This remains thecase today,” stressed -r" Ban, noting that the orld has “!ndo!btedly come a long ay” in ens!ring e/!al rights and non'

    discrimination"

    $e recalled that -ember *tates have adopted or amended legislation to g!ard against racial discrimination" An

    (nternational )ecade for 2eople of African )escent as proclaimed by the %eneral Assembly and ill contin!ethro!gh the year ++I" ;ivil society organi?ations orldide or&ing on racism are increasingly active and vocal"

    “0et the persistence of racism indicates that e have not yet done eno!gh,” he !nderline" “( am deeply alarmed by a s!rgeof intolerance, racist vies and hate'driven violence aro!nd the orld" Racial profiling and violence against certaincomm!nities is on the rise" 3conomic hardship and political opport!nism are triggering increased hostility toardsminorities" This is being manifested most directly in anti'ref!gee, anti'migrant and, in partic!lar, anti'-!slim bigotry,attac&s and violence"”

    The *ecretary'%eneral said e8treme right'ing political parties “are fomenting divisiveness and dangero!s myths"”According to him, “even once'centrist parties have hardened their vies= once'moderate co!ntries are seeing 8enophobiarise sharply= and once'sober voices have e8ploited fears in a dangero!s echo of the dar&est chapters of the last cent!ry"”

    “(n these t!m!lt!o!s times, e m!st stand !p for rights and dignity for all, and for diversity and pl!ralism,” he insisted" “1em!st spea& o!t against anti'*emitism, anti'-!slim bigotry and other forms of hate" An assa!lt on one minority comm!nityis an attac& on all"”

    The UN chief concl!ded his remar&s by reminding -ember *tates that by implementing the )!rban agreements “e can!plift not only those ho s!ffer most profo!ndly b!t h!manity as a hole"”

    a)ghters, mothers, grandmothers, midwi(es, ministers, academics,

    acti(ists, domestic wor'ers and a di(erse range of women ta'e part in

    the Blac' 3omen4s .arch against Racism and 5iolence in Brasilia,Bra6il 789 #o(ember :;8

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    3choing this message as the UN $igh ;ommissioner for $!man Rights, @eid RaJad Al $!ssein, ho said it is !rgent that*tates hono!r the commitments made at )!rban, and their obligations !nder international h!man rights la"

    $e arned that one of the most alarming challenges is the res!rgence of racial discrimination and 8enophobia in 3!rope andelsehere, arning that migrants are “becoming scapegoats for deeper problems"”

    “No more than ever, *tates m!st foc!s their attention on f!lfilling their obligation to protect the most v!lnerable sectors in

    society,” he told delegates in the %eneral Assembly $all"

    “1e m!st be vigilant, to ens!re that the stress of factors s!ch as rising !nemployment is not displaced into racistharassment, ab!se, discrimination and attac&s" 1e m!st not condone the manip!lation of s!ch sentiments for political gain,or their manifestation in official policies,” he said"

    Ira! "# and $artners race to reach thousands &eeing areaswest o& %a'adi

    18 March – The United Nations relief ing today reported thath!manitarian partners are r!shing to provide emergency assistance toan estimated >, people ho have been nely displaced in hard'to'reach areas est of Ramadi"

    “Tho!sands of people ho have been trapped in $eet for months aretrying to reach safety,” Kise %rande, the UN#s $!manitarian

    ;oordinator in (ra/ said in a press release from the UN ffice forthe ;oordination of $!manitarian Affairs 4;$A5"

    *he stressed that the UN does not have f!ll access and “e are veryorried that some of the families ho are escaping are in areas veryclose to the front lines" 1e are orried for their safety"”

    According to ;$A, displaced families are receiving ready'to'eatfood, safe drin&ing ater and hygiene &its thro!gh the Rapid Response -echanism, hich is managed by the UN ;hildren#s6!nd 4UN(;365 and the 1orld 6ood 2rogramme and s!pported by the UN#s 2op!lation 6!nd 4UN62A5, the (nternationalrgani?ation for -igration 4(-5 and nine non'governmental organi?ations"

    $ealth assistance is being provided by the 1orld $ealth rgani?ation 41$5, hich has dispatched to mobile healthclinics and to medical teams"

    “0o! can tell ho diffic!lt conditions are in $eet by ho many people are see&ing !rgent health assistance" The mobileclinics dealt ith 9,> cons!ltations d!ring

    2rior to the displacement from $eet, more than >, people had been displaced in Anbar %overnorate since the beginningof the year" -any of these families have so!ght safety and help in already overcroded camps and temporary settlements in

    and aro!nd Ameriyat al 6all! million v!lnerable(ra/is" nly nine per cent – L million – has been received so far"

    “The h!manitarian crisis in (ra/ contin!es to orsen" Additional reso!rces are !rgently needed so e can help people hodepend on h!manitarians to s!rvive,” said -s" %rande"

    ;$A says that the h!manitarian crisis in (ra/ is highly comple8, volatile, becoming protracted and e8pected to iden andorsen in the year ahead" The crisis is driven by !npredictable, massive aves of displacement ca!sed by armed conflict"

    isplaced families from Ramadi recei(e Rapid Response .echanism

    7RR.= 'its from "#I1&> partner RIR$ in Al-Khalidiya, AnbarGo(ernorate, Ira?! $hoto "#I1&>%Atheer Al@aseen

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    6rom :an!ary +9I to November +9, >"+ million people ere forced to flee their homes in several big aves ofdisplacement, and m!ltiple smaller ones"

    "# heath agency sends s$eciaists to he$ contain oa &are3u$ in uinea

    18 March – The United Nations health agency has dispatched a teamof specialists to %!inea after + ne cases of 3bola ere confirmedyesterday, the first re'emergence of the deadly vir!s in the 1esternAfrican co!ntry since its original o!tbrea& as declared over on +F)ecember +9"

    %!inea#s National 3mergency Response ;entre is convening ameeting today to f!rther coordinate a rapid response to contain the

    flare'!p, the 1orld $ealth rgani?ation 41$5 said in a pressrelease"

    “1$ contin!es to stress that *ierra Keone, as ell as Kiberia and%!inea, are still at ris& of 3bola flare'!ps, largely d!e to vir!s

     persistence in some s!rvivors, and m!st remain on high alert andready to respond,” the agency said"

    %!inean health officials in the region alerted 1$ and partners on 1ednesday to three !ne8plained deaths in recent ee&sin .oropara, a village in the so!thern prefect!re of N?OrO&orO"

    0esterday, %!inea#s -inistry of $ealth, 1$, the United *tates ;enters for )isease ;ontrol 4;);5 and the UN ;hildren#s6!nd 4UN(;365 sent in investigators" *amples ere ta&en from fo!r individ!als" A mother and her 'year'old son, relativesof the decreased, have been ta&en to a treatment facility after the to confirmed positive for 3bola vir!s in lab tests"

    (n coordination ith %!inea#s health ministry, 1$ today deployed an initial team of epidemiologists, s!rveillance e8perts,vaccinators, social mobili?ers, contact tracers and an anthropologist to s!pport an inter'agency response"

    -ore specialists are e8pected to arrive in the coming days" Response teams ill or& to investigate the origin of the neinfections and to identify, isolate, vaccinate and monitor all contacts of the ne cases and those ho died"

    The ne infections in %!inea ere confirmed on the same day that 1$ declared the end of the latest 3bola flare'!p inneighbo!ring *ierra Keone" 1$ said rec!rrences of the disease sho!ld be anticipated and that the > 3bola'affectedco!ntries m!st maintain strong capacity to prevent, detect and respond to disease o!tbrea&s"

    The orst 3bola o!tbrea& in history first began in %!inea in )ecember +9> and has since claimed more than 99,> lives,mostly in %!inea, Kiberia and *ierra Keone"

    #ew &bola cases confirmed in G)inea as 3H warns of more

    possible flare )ps! $hoto 3H%.!3in'ler

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    In wae o& another deady attac in e'en, "# hu'an rightschie& decries oaition airstries

    18 March – The United Nations h!man rights chief today condemned

    the repeated fail!re of the ;oalition to effectively prevent civiliancas!alties in airstri&es and to p!blish transparent, independentinvestigations into those that have already occ!rred in 0emen"

    “Koo&ing at the fig!res, it o!ld seem that the ;oalition isresponsible for tice as many civilian cas!alties as all other forces p!ttogether, virt!ally all as a res!lt of airstri&es,” UN $igh

    ;ommissioner for $!man Rights @eid RaJad Al $!ssein said"

    $e decried that air stri&es have hit “mar&ets, hospitals, clinics,schools, factories, edding parties – and h!ndreds of privateresidences in villages, tons and cities incl!ding the capital *anaJa"”

    These incidents occ!r “ith !nacceptable reg!larity” despiteinternational demarches, and despite p!blic promises, there have not been any investigations, -r" @eid said"

    $is comments came in the a&e of a deadly airstri&es on T!esday that &illed at least 9G civilians, incl!ding +I children, inthe Al .hamees mar&et in north'estern 0emen"

    According to the UN $!man Rights ffice in 0emen, hich visited the site the folloing day, the airstri&es completelydestroyed 9G shops at the mar&et, hich is the primary shopping area for 9 s!rro!nding villages"

    The UN staff said there as “no evidence of any armed confrontation or significant military ob

    -r" @eid reiterated his calls for the to sides of the conflict “to sallo their pride” and agree to a peace deal"

    0he city of Sa’ada in @emen has been hea(ily hit by airstri'es! $hoto

    1HA%$hilippe Kropf

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    ecurity ounci cas on Haiti to co'$ete eections (without&urther deay+

    18 March – )eeply concerned by the contin!ed s!spension of

    electoral ro!nds in $aiti, the United Nations *ec!rity ;o!ncil todaycalled for the completion of the polling cycle itho!t f!rther delay toallo the $aitian people the opport!nity to vote for their electedrepresentatives in a free, fair, incl!sive and transparent contest"

    (n a statement to the press, the ;o!ncil noted the 6ebr!ary politicalaccord, hich provided a $aitian'led and oned road map for thesift concl!sion of the c!rrent electoral cycle and strongly !rged allrelevant actors to adhere to the accord and implement its provisionsithin the agreed timeline, and !nderscored the importance offormally reinstit!ting the 2rovisional 3lectoral ;o!ncil in this regard"

    n 9I 6ebr!ary, the $aitian National Assembly elected :ocelerme2rivert as the island nation#s interim 2resident, one ee& after former 2resident -ichel -artelly departed itho!t as!ccessor"

    -r" 2rivert ill serve as interim 2resident for 9+ days, ith an election sched!led for +I April, folloing an agreement –&non as the 6ebr!ary Agreement – beteen $aitian sta&eholders to preserve instit!tional contin!ity and f!rther theelectoral process"

    ;o!ncil members f!rther noted in today#s statement the increasing n!mber of challenges $aiti faces hich can only beeffectively resolved thro!gh close coordination beteen a democratically'elected government and $aiti#s international

     partners"

    Reiterating their strong condemnation of any attempt to destabili?e the electoral process, in partic!lar thro!gh violence, the

    ;o!ncil !rged all candidates, their s!pporters, political parties and other political actors to “remain calm, refrain fromviolence or any action that can f!rther disr!pt the DPE process and political stability"”

    *ta&eholders ere also !rged to resolve any electoral disp!tes thro!gh constr!ctive engagement and the appropriate legalmechanisms" The $aitian %overnment as !rged to hold those responsible for any violence acco!ntable"

    The members of the ;o!ncil commended the $aitian National 2olice, ith s!pport from the UN *tabili?ation -ission in$aiti 4-(NU*TA$5, for their efforts to maintain peace and protect the civilian pop!lation" They also elcomed thecontin!ed efforts of the United Nations, other m!ltilateral agencies, regional organi?ations and UN -ember *tates ins!pporting $aiti#s critical needs"

    Briefing the ;o!ncil yesterday on the sit!ation in the co!ntry, *andra $onorO, *pecial Representative and $ead of

    -(NU*TA$ arned that a protracted political crisis in $aiti may hamper the stabili?ation gains achieved in recent yearand f!rther decline the island nation#s economic groth"

    *tressing that the ne8t fe ee&s o!ld be decisive for the short and mid'term prospects for $aiti#s democraticconsolidation, she saidC “There is therefore no alternative to the ret!rn, as soon as possible, to the path of instit!tional and

     political stability, thro!gh the completion of the pending elections"”

    A wide (iew of the Sec)rity 1o)ncil! "# $hoto%Kim Ha)ghton 7file=

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    UN Ne)s Centre 4 )))5un5org6ne)s

    UN &ail Ne)s 78 9ar'h 3:7;

    Honduras riss eco'ing (awess iing one+ &or hu'an rightsde&enders : "# e5$ert

    18 March – An independent United Nations e8pert on the sit!ation ofh!man rights defenders today !rged the %overnment of $ond!ras “tota&e immediate and concrete actions, or ris& t!rning the co!ntry into alaless &illing ?one for h!man rights defenders"”

    UN *pecial Rapporte!r -ichel 6orst#s appeal came after the &illing ofyet another o!tspo&en leader of the ;ivic ;o!ncil of 2op!lar and(ndigeno!s rgani?ations $ond!ras 4;2(N$5, Nelson %arcQa,reportedly occ!rred on 9 -arch"

    3arlier this month, Berta ;ceres, ;2(N$ fo!nder, prominent

    indigeno!s leader and environmental and omen h!man rightsdefender, as slain"

    %arcQa as allegedly &illed shortly after he had itnessed a forcedeviction carried o!t by sec!rity forces in the RQo Kindo area, *o!th of *an 2edro *!la" “This ne tragedy points once again

    to ma

    n -arch, after the death of Berta ;ceres, the (nter'American ;ommission on $!man Rights decided to call for preca!tionary meas!res for all members of ;2(N$ as they ere s!ffering an escalation of threats and harassment"“$oever, this has regrettably not prevented -r" %arcQa#s m!rder,” -r" 6orst concl!ded"

    (ndependent e8perts or special rapporte!rs are appointed by the %eneva'based UN $!man Rights ;o!ncil to e8amine and

    report bac& on a co!ntry sit!ation or a specific h!man rights theme" The positions are honorary and the e8perts are not UNstaff, nor are they paid for their or&"

    0he indigeno)s /enca people of so)thwestern Hond)ras wea(ing

    brightly colo)red fabric! $hoto "#$ Hond)ras

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    UN Ne)s Centre 4 )))5un5org6ne)s

    UN &ail Ne)s 78 9ar'h 3:7;

    *an weco'es announce'ent o& reease o& Dioutian $risonersy ritrea

    18 March – United Nations *ecretary'%eneral Ban .i'moon haslearned of the arrival in )

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    UN Ne)s Centre 4 )))5un5org6ne)s

    UN &ail Ne)s 78 9ar'h 3:7;

    "# hu'an rights o&&ice (dee$y troued+ y arrest o& socia'edia acti-ist in *ahrain

    18 March – The ffice of the United Nations $igh ;ommissioner for$!man Rights 4$;$R5 today said it is deeply tro!bled by the arreston -onday in Bahrain of the social media activist and h!man rightsdefender, @ainab Al .haa

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    - 7= -UN &ail Ne)s 78 9ar'h 3:7;

    The "# Daiy #ews is prepared at UN #eaduarters in Ne) /or* $ the Ne)s Servi'es Se'tion

    in Bahrain" %atherings in the capital have been indefinitely banned since +9>, and do?ens of people – incl!ding minors –ho have participated in protests have been prosec!ted,” the *po&esperson concl!ded"