UN Daily News - 16 February 2016

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Issue DH/7096 Tuesday, 16 February 2016

In the headlines

• UN mourns death of former Secretary-Generaloutros outros-Ghali

• !i"a# UN health a$ency launches $lo%al responsestrate$y& 'em%er States %riefed on out%rea"

• (t Security Council, UN relief chief spotli$hts needto end )human catastrophe* in +emen

• UN a$ency reaches thousands of people in Chadand Cameroon displaced %y o"o aram violence

• S. )losin$ appeal* in ra/, %ut threat should not%e underestimated 0 UN envoy

• China*s clampdo1n on la1yers and activists dra1sconcern of UN human ri$hts chief

• UN mission in Central (frican Repu%lic aims toensure victims of alle$ed a%use receive help

• an praises )me$a* sport events for potential toadvance peace and human ri$hts

• Syria# UN )$ravely concerned* over repeatedattac"s on hospitals, school

• Syria# UN mediator intends to resume Geneva tal"sne2t 1ee"

• 3eace"eepin$ )a tool to advance political, notmilitary, solutions* 0 UN deputy chief

!" #ourns death o$ $or#er %e&retary'(eneral )outros )outros'(hali

16 February - Boutros Boutros-Ghali, veteran Egyptian diplomat and the first United Nations Secretary-General from Africa, passed away today at the age of !" #e is $eing praised for guiding the %rgani&ation through the tumultuous early '()s and for helpingshape the UN)s response to post-*old +ar realities, drafting a seminal report on preventivediplomacy, peacemaing and peaceeeping"

he UN Security *ouncil announced .r" Boutros-Ghali)s death this morning, after whichthe '/-mem$er held a moment of silence"

.r" Boutros-Ghali had a long association with international affairs as a diplomat, 0urist,scholar and widely pu$lished author" #e $ecame a mem$er of the Egyptian 1arliament in'23, and at the time of his appointment as UN chief, he had $een 4eputy 1rime .inisterfor 5oreign Affairs of Egypt since .ay '', and had served as .inister of State for5oreign Affairs from %cto$er '33 until ''"

%ver four decades, .r" Boutros-Ghali participated in numerous meetings dealing with international law, human rights,economic and social development, decoloni&ation, the .iddle East 6uestion, international humanitarian law, the rights of

ethnic and other minorities, non-alignment, development in the .editerranean region and Afro-Ara$ cooperation"

7n Septem$er '32, .r" Boutros-Ghali attended the *amp 4avid Summit *onference and had a role in negotiating the*amp 4avid accords $etween Egypt and 7srael, which were signed in '3"

he si8th United Nations Secretary-General, his term was mared $y $rutal conflicts in #aiti, Somalia, 9wanda and theformer :ugoslavia, among others" Soon after his inauguration, the Security *ouncil met in its first-ever summit of #eads of

On 2 January 1992, Boutros Boutros-Ghali (right), Secretary-General of the

nite! "ations, arri#es at the Secretariat

$ntrance for his first %or&ing !ay at thenite! "ations' ly ey*our, +hief ofrotocol, escorts hi* into the buil!ing'

" hotoJohn .saac

UN Daily News


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UN Ne1s Centre 5 1116un6or$7ne1s

UN 8aily Ne1s 9: Fe%ruary 4;9:

State" At their re6uest, Boutros-Ghali authored the report called )An Agenda for 1eace,) an analysis on ways to strengthenUN capacity for preventive diplomacy, peacemaing and peaceeeping"

Also during his tenure, he spearheaded UN structural and management reform"

At UN #ead6uarters in New :or, Secretary-General Ban ;i-moon hailed his predecessor as a respected statesman who $rought


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damage, presence of displaced people, or occupation $y armed groups" +ater infrastructure serving at least ((,((( peoplehas $een either damaged or destroyed $y airstries, artillery and rocets"

9ecent communication received from Saudi Ara$ia regarding the safety of humanitarian worers in al-#outhi-controlledareas has impacted the humanitarian communitys planning, causing delays to important missions over the past two wees,he noted" his followed the denial of entry to Saudi Ara$ia on '3 ?anuary of the regional humanitarian coordinator"

%n '' 5e$ruary, a vessel chartered $y the +orld 5ood 1rogramme H+51I , traveling from 40i$outi with a scheduled andapproved stop in the :emen port of #odeidah, was diverted $y coalition forces to the Saudi port of ?i&an, he said"

#umanitarian assistance reached the ai& city enclave following a high level mission led $y the humanitarian coordinator onFF ?anuary, he said" he area faces severe access restrictions $y al-#outhis, and is home to over F((,((( people" 4eliveriesincluded food for around '2,((( people, non-food items for appro8imately ',F/( families and medical supplies > including'3( o8ygen cylinders and !(,((( units of dialysis sessions"

%ver the weeend, additional assistance has reached the enclave, including food for a further '2,((( people, cancertreatment drugs, surgical items, intravenous fluids and anaesthetic supplies, as well as #7L antiretroviral treatments" Effortsare ongoing to esta$lish a monitoring mechanism that will ena$le predicta$le access, as opposed to ad hoc one-timedeliveries, said .r" %Brien"

mports of Food and Fuel

#umanitarian assistance must $e complemented $y efforts to revive the economy and flow of much-needed commercialgoods, which has $een severely impeded $y the ongoing conflict, .r" %Brien said" Given the heavy dependence of :emenon imported food and fuel, it will $e critical to ensure inspections under Security *ouncil resolution FF' do not adverselyimpact the flow of commercial shipping into :emen of $asic items that civilians rely on to survive, he said"

o that end, the United Nations Lerification and 7nspection .echanism HUNL7.I has now $een formally launched, he said,add that the Secretary-General has formally re6uested the :emeni authorities and the Saudi-led coalition to appointrepresentatives to sit on its Steering *ommittee $y FF 5e$ruary" he mechanism will operate for an initial si8 months out of40i$outi, and will move to Aden andor Sanaa when the security situation permits" UNL7. monitors will also $e $ased in

4u$ai, ?eddah and Salalah to wor with the relevant authorities, he said"

Humanitarian Appeal

7n two days time, the F(' :emen #umanitarian 9esponse 1lan will $e launched in Geneva, asing for D'"2 $illion toaddress the most critical and prioriti&ed needs across all governorates in the country, including food assistance for nearlynine million people water and sanitation support for 3"J million people urgent health support for '(" million people andemergency interventions to mitigate growing and severe malnutrition rates, he said"


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I%I5 losing aeal in Ira, but threat should not beunderesti#ated !" en4oy

16 February - 7ra6 has $een steadily gaining ground against the 7slamic State of 7ra6 and

the @evant H7S7@, also nown as 4aeshI, which is gradually losing its appeal to thedisenfranchised population, the United Nations envoy for that country told the Security*ouncil today, as he also warned that its threat should not $e underestimated"

Briefing the '/-nation $ody, Secretary-Generals Special 9epresentative ?an ;u$iO that theli$eration and holding of Bei0i, Sin0ar, and most of all 9amadi, and continuing clearance ofthe surrounding areas from 7S7@ fighters, have instilled the people of 7ra6 with hope that thecountry can and will $e li$erated from 7S7@"

he success also demonstrates the increasingly resolute and effective support to 7ra6 of theglo$al coalition to counter 7S7@ and provides lessons for preparations to li$erate the

remaining territories, most nota$ly of .osul, he said"

urning to the issue of urish forces present in *amp Bashi6a, mutually accepta$le results have not $een achieved so far,he said, reiterating the calls made $y the Secretary-General for a solution in full respect of the sovereignty and territorialintegrity of 7ra6 > the principles set forth in the UN *harter"

1ointing to an a$sence of political consensus, he said that the sta$ility, security and unity of 7ra6 hinge on an effective andinclusive political system and e6uality in decision-maing at the federal and local levels" angi$le solutions must includeamendments to or adoption of priority legislation, followed $y swift implementation, such as the Accounta$ility and ?ustice@aw, the National Guard @aw and the General Amnesty @aw"

5ull and e6ual participation of the Sunni component in, and its co-ownership of, the national reconciliation programme isstill a challenge, he said" he a$sence of a single framewor or vision for national reconciliation in 7ra6 is $oth symptomaticof long-e8isting pro$lems and further impedes efforts to advance inclusive national and community dialogue and historic

compromise" Efforts $y Sunni political forces and their leaders to unify their stance on national reconciliation, effectivefederalisation and decentralisation, and how to more successfully counter 7S7@ are e6ually necessary, he added"

he UN Assistance .ission for 7ra6 HUNA.7I organi&ed a series of events earlier this month to mar +orld 7nterfaith#armony +ee in Na0af, Baghdad and Er$il, he said" he events promoted dialogue on preventative steps to address driversof violent e8tremism, in consonance with the United Nations 1lan of Action to 1revent Liolent E8tremism"

urning to the safe return of the internally displaced persons H741sI, he emphasi&ed that the sta$ili&ation phase of irit isalmost complete, with ( per cent of its population, or '3,((( people, have now returned home" So far, more than /((,(((displaced 7ra6is have returned to their home communities" he Government intends that up to ((,((( will return in F(',despite several complicated factors, such as a huge num$er of improvised e8plosive devices H7E4sI laid $y 7S7@, as well asdevastating destruction to infrastructure and homes"

7ra6s persistent and rapidly-deepening fiscal crisis and growing $udget deficit, compounded $y the security andhumanitarian situation and drastic decline in glo$al oil prices, has almost halved the States planned income since then, andthe ;urdistan 9egion faces at least a situation as grave as that of Baghdad, he noted" 7f left unaddressed, such anunsustaina$le situation may seriously undermine the renewed morale of pro-government forces and confidence of the

people, including youths, communities, minorities and 741s that they can have a future in 7ra6, he added"

%n the human rights front, he supported the calls of the #uman 9ights *ouncil, the #igh *ommissioner for #uman 9ights,and the Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on the 1revention of Genocide, that 7ra6 should consider $ecoming a 1artyto the 9ome Statute of the 7nternational *riminal *ourt and to the Additional 1rotocol 77 to the Geneva *onventions 'J,and that the 7ra6i criminal code $e amended to grant 7ra6i courts the 0urisdiction to deal with international crimes"

+hil!ren in the han&e +a*/ near

:ohu& city, .ra0, %hich *ainly houses8a;i!is fleeing fro* the .sla*ic State of

.ra0 an! the 5e#ant (.S.5)' hoto3

"4.


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he humanitarian crisis in 7ra6 is highly comple8, and is e8pected to widen and worsen this year" oday not only !"! million741s, $ut altogether some '( million 7ra6is > almost one third of the population > urgently re6uire some form ofhumanitarian assistance, he said"

*oncluding his remars, he informed the Security *ouncil of the news that Amer al-;aissy, UNA.7)s liaison officera$ducted in April F('/ in 4iyala, was found dead, strongly urging the 7ra6i authorities to conduct immediately a thoroughand transparent investigation into this a$duction and murder and hold the perpetrators accounta$le"

7n a statement today, the Secretary-General condemned the


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#e also e8pressed concern a$out the case of 1eter 4ahlin, a Swedish citi&en and co-founder of the legal-aid NG%


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)an raises #ega sort e4ents $or otential to ad4an&e ea&eand hu#an rights

16 February - +hile it is evident that mega sport events such as the %lympics are hugely powerful in inspiring and uniting people across the glo$e, their influence can e8tend far $eyond sports and provide a platform to promote the values and o$0ectives of the United Nations, including peace and human rights, Secretary-General Ban ;i-moon said today"

Speaing at a high-level meeting at UN #ead6uarters in New :or today on he value ofhosting mega sport events as a social, economic and environmental sustaina$ledevelopment tool, the UN chief said that $y woring 0ointly with local authorities andcommunities, mega sport events > which also include the +orld *up and the 1aralympicsGames > should lin their planning with $roader pro0ects and o$0ectives, such as

re0uvenating cities, fostering growth, stimulating employment and promoting accessi$ility for people with disa$ilities"


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promote sustaina$ility and solidarity"


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continuing to suffer the conse6uences" Air and ground stries $y different parties > including airstries conducted $y Syrianand 9ussian planes, as well as ground operations $y Syrian Government forces and their allies, and $y armed oppositiongroups > have led to the destruction of essential civilian infrastructure such as medical facilities and $aeries, rendering lifeeven more difficult for civilians in many towns and villages across the governorate"

As of yesterday, /2,((( internally displaced people were at the Syrianurish $order, many of them in camps, with thefigures increasing daily, the spoesperson said" Several villages in the northern rural part of the governorate are reported to

$e almost empty due to people fleeing over the last wee"

.r" *olville said that the population of Aleppo is in dire need of an immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarianassistance" +ithout it, the tens of thousands of civilians remaining in towns and villages across the governorate will $e leftvulnera$le to aerial attacs, mass illings, and destruction of the remaining infrastructure and will $e deprived of $adly-needed assistance"

%yria !" #ediator intends to resu#e (ene4a tal+s net wee+

16 February - After differences $etween Government and opposition delegations on the priority of humanitarian issues forced a pause in the 7ntra-Syrian tals earlier this month,the United Nations envoy mediating the discussions has said he intends to resume them $y

F/ 5e$ruary, and earlier if possi$le, a UN spoesperson announced today"

*hairing the regular $i-weely press $riefing earlier today in Geneva, Ahmed 5aw&i,interim 4irector of the UN 7nformation Service in the Swiss city, said UN Special Envoyfor Syria, Staffan de .istura is trying to convince those with influence over the warring

parties to persuade them to come to the ta$le and


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- 94 -UN 8aily Ne1s 9: Fe%ruary 4;9:

The !" Daily "ews is prepared at UN ead/uarters in Ne1 +or" %y the Ne1s Services Section

f th N d ' di 8i i i 8 t t f 3 %li f ti B83

:ea&e+eeing a tool to ad4an&e oliti&al, not #ilitary,solutions !" deuty &hie$

16 February - United Nations peaceeeping is

UN Daily News - 16 February 2016

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