Colombia’s dynamic peace process – which saw fresh strides with the holding of a largely peaceful parliamentary election last month – will succeed or fail based on efforts to halt the deadly violence faced by former combatants, social leaders and human rights defenders, the senior UN official in the country told the Security Council on Tuesday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, welcomed the setting up of a new Heads of State and Government Group to get the world back on track to reduce premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart and lung disease, by a third – in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - and promote mental health and well-being.
Although safe and effective COVID-19 vaccinations are available, the pandemic is still far from over, and countries affected by conflict are in danger of being left behind, the UN Security Council heard on Monday.
Increasing reports of sexual violence and human trafficking in Ukraine - allegedly committed against women and children in the context of massive displacement and the ongoing Russian invasion - are raising “all the red flags” about a potential protection crisis, the head of the UN’s gender agency warned the Security Council on Monday.
Hate speech has long been recognized as a precursor to atrocity crimes, including genocide, from Rwanda to Bosnia to Cambodia, as Secretary-General António Guterres recalled at the launch of the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech in 2019. The role Radio Télévision Libre Mille Collines played in fueling the mass killings in Rwanda in 1994, for example, is well documented. But digital technology and social media have exponentially boosted the destructive power of hate speech. In Myanmar, a campaign of hate speech that included language dehumanizing the Rohingya, has been linked to the commission of grave human rights violations in the country in 2017.
Taking their cue from the Secretary-General — who stressed at the launch of the strategy that hate speech is a menace to democratic values, social stability and peace to be confronted at every turn — the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and Peace Operations (DPO) developed a joint roadmap to monitor and analyze hate speech trends and their implications in conflict or crisis settings, harness internal and external expertise, and engage with the private sector, particularly technology companies. DPPA and DPO also aim to boost their support to field presences, particularly considering that many Special Political Missions and peacekeeping operations lack adequate capacities to respond to this complex and far-reaching phenomenon. Field missions as well as many Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs) in Resident Coordinators’ Offices (RCOs) are at the forefront of implementing activities with national and international partners to counter hate speech.
“Given the prominence of social media today, it’s clear we must find ways to better understand and engage with social media companies,” Alexandra Fong, Chief of Policy and Guidance in DPPA’s Policy and Mediation Division, said.
In the case of Myanmar, an independent international fact-finding mission discussed with Facebook how to curtail the spread of hate speech and deter incitement to violence in the country. Facebook, which had been identified as the biggest platform for hate speech in Myanmar, went on to remove the pages of several individuals and organizations, including that of the Commander-in-Chief, and shut down the official pages of the Arakan Army, the Kachin Independence Army, the Myanmar Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, which were identified as “dangerous organizations”, in an effort to “reduce the likelihood that Facebook will be used to facilitate offline harm”.
UN presences around the globe have been working with social media companies in innovative ways to help address hate speech. Here’s a snapshot of that work in Iraq and Libya:
United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL)
The peace process in Libya has, at various stages, been negatively impacted by propaganda operations. In recent years, such operations have relied extensively on social media, particularly Facebook. UNSMIL assessed that to address this challenge traditional communication strategies would not be enough. In this regard, the Mission opened a direct line of communication and collaboration with Facebook, the most used social media platform in Libya, with around 5.5 million active accounts and pages for a population of 7 million people. “The more we move forward with the peace process, the more we would see misleading campaigns and hatred narratives on social media,” said Jean El Alam, UNSMIL Spokesperson.
The immediate focus was to work with Facebook to swiftly address hate speech campaigns, especially against women participating in the peace process and negotiations. UNSMIL’s Public Information Office, together with the Human Rights Service in the Mission, and Facebook held workshops that brought together decision-makers in media outlets, bloggers, social media influencers, civil society representatives and other activists. The main objective was to introduce them to Facebook’s community standards and to human rights guidelines in relation to hate speech and freedom of speech. Participants in the UNSMIL workshops agreed on a unified Code of Conduct.
“After the first series of workshops, more than 100 Libyan media personnel, bloggers, academics, political figures, writers and opinion leaders, issued public statements denouncing the use of hate speech, incitement and mis- and disinformation,” El Alam said.
Human Rights Office of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI)
Following the launch of the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, UNAMI developed its own Plan of Action and commenced its implementation in early 2020. UNAMI’s Human Rights Office joined the Trusted Partnership Agreement with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to engage with social media companies, which offers a platform to refer any hate speech content or incitement to violence for removal.
In the context of the demonstrations in Iraq in 2020, protesters and activists using social media frequently received threats and were confronted with hate-speech content. UNAMI carried out advocacy to encourage efforts to remove harmful content.
In 2021, UNAMI’s Human Rights Office commenced the implementation of a digital security and digital rights project aimed at providing protection for human rights activists from online threats. UNAMI has so far provided digital security training to more than 175 civil society activists.
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The United Nations Strategy defines hate speech as “any kind of communication in speech, writing or behavior, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, gender or other identity factor”. The Plan of Action aims to address the root causes of hate speech and to help Member States respond to its impact on societies.
A UN-led development plan for Ukraine launched on Monday, to provide immediate economic help and longer-term assistance to the millions left struggling to meet basic needs, in the wake of the Russian invasion.
Fabien Mwingwa once fought as a child soldier with an armed group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Today, he has turned his life around, and works for the UN peacekeeping mission in the country as a firefighter, helping to keep local people safe.
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Governments and pharmaceutical companies need to work together in a better way, to deliver vaccines “to every person, everywhere” – not simply in the wealthiest nations, said the UN chief on Friday.
In eastern Ukraine, a reported Russian missile attack on a railway station that’s killed dozens of civilians including children, has been condemned by the United Nations. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement, that the strike - and others against civilians and civilian infrastructure - were "gross violations" of international law.
The UN’s top humanitarian official has joined the call for an investigation into the killing of hundreds of civilians in Bucha, Ukraine, following a visit to the city on Thursday.
The UN’s peacekeeping chief in Mali on Thursday, made an urgent call for adequate resources for the mission to carry out its mandate, and meet the growing demand to address a deteriorating security situation across the north and centre of the restive country.
New York, 8 April 2022
Today, we celebrate the rich history of the Roma, Sinti and Travellers.
We recognize their contributions to societies everywhere.
And we reflect on the human rights situation of Roma worldwide.
Roma continue to confront...
The UN paid tribute on Thursday to the one million people who were murdered in 100 days during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, during which moderate Hutu, Twa and others who opposed the genocide, were also killed.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday calling for Russia to be suspended from the Human Rights Council.
The war in Ukraine has increased the risk of a “massive malnutrition crisis” for millions of children in other emergencies because of its already huge impact on global food prices, the UN said on Thursday.
An urgent call to protect health and mitigate the climate crisis was issued by the UN health agency on Wednesday, to mark World Health Day on Thursday.
Thirty years after the siege of Sarajevo, the UN team in Bosnia and Herzegovina reiterated the importance on Wednesday of pursuing justice and reparation for victims, survivors and their family members.
The UN chief issued a statement on Wednesday welcoming the transition to a new African Union (AU) mission in Somalia, pledging the Organization’s “unwavering commitment” to the country, the mission, and the Somali security forces in their ongoing fight against Al-Shabaab militants.
DPPA can look back on 2021 as a year of resilience, innovation and results. From Ethiopia, to Libya, Myanmar to Syria and Yemen, we continued to advance political solutions in some of the most challenging crises, provided mediation between parties at odds and encouraged preventive action for lasting peace.
All of this has taken place at a moment when peace was being pushed further out of reach. The war in Ukraine is shaking the foundations of the international system. Geopolitical divisions, and the increased regionalization and fragmentation of conflicts, are challenging our traditional tools of conflict resolution. Violent conflicts have become more complex and fragmented and continued to cause unbearable suffering. 84 million people were forcibly displaced.
The complexity of today’s crises requires a flexibility of response and the Multi-Year Appeal (MYA) allows us to do exactly that. With support from donors, in 2021, DPPA was able to make a difference and met nearly every benchmark in its current Strategic Plan. 75 per cent of our targets were met despite the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We adapted to the changing needs. Reducing travel and in-person staff deployments, developing new hybrid models of mediation and consultation, using cutting-edge technologies to further our impact. In 2021, our investment in innovation increased by 7 per cent.
In a year still defined by health risks and restricted movement, we rapidly deployed more than 270 staff to negotiating tables around the world, an increase of 45 per cent compared to the previous year.
We invested 18 per cent of our budget to support the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, a record high.
Support to grassroots mediation activities through the Local Peace Initiative window increased by more than 60 per cent.
All of this was achieved while our conflict management capacities were overstretched.
The level of income under the MYA decreased by US$7.2 million in 2021, reaching only $28.5 million, out of $40 million requested. We felt the impact of COVID-19 as some donors struggled with budget constraints and had to re-direct funding towards other priorities.
As this Annual Report shows, the MYA provides DPPA with an operational reach to deploy its conflict prevention tools. With flexible funding, we can respond to new opportunities, innovate, take risks, and meet the demands from the Organization to prevent conflicts and make peace.
We continued to monitor global political developments and provided the Secretary-General with analysis that informed decision-making and shaped diplomacy at all levels. For example, our liaison team in Kyiv continuously monitored the rapidly changing situation in and around Ukraine which was invaluable to UN contingency planning and the engagement between senior UN leaders and Member States, including at the Security Council.
We continued to strengthen the quiet but essential support we provided in-country to Resident Coordinators and Country Teams to better identify threats and rapidly responded to potential outbreaks or escalations of conflict in contexts ranging from Afghanistan and Burkina Faso to the Horn of Africa, among others.
We developed and carried out more than 50 joint strategies and interventions with regional organizations around the world, an increase of 16 per cent compared to 2020.
Through our 30 Special Political Missions, we support the good offices of the UN Secretary-General to help advance peace processes around the world. Our Special Envoys and Special Representatives enjoy the trust of their interlocutors, which makes them invaluable as mediators and allows them to support political transitions, help defuse crises and facilitate conflict resolution efforts.
In Libya, for example, the mission helped address deep-rooted disputes by initiating and facilitating intra-Libyan political, security and economic dialogues, after the signing of a permanent ceasefire agreement in October 2020. It supported the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which brought together women and men from across the political spectrum and achieved agreement on a roadmap to national elections.
By using Rapid Response funds, we were able to quickly send in a team of experts or staff to begin engaging with conflict actors with their consent. This affords us valuable days and sometimes weeks of advance deployment time. In Western Sahara, within a week of the appointment of the new Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, we funded additional staffing and expertise needed to support his efforts and restart the political process.
Our three regional offices in West and Central Africa and Central Asia were at the forefront of designing and implementing regional multidisciplinary responses to peace and security issues. After the coup in Guinea in September 2021, the SRSG and head of UNOWAS, Mahamet Saleh Annadif, helped to ensure a coordinated response among the UN, the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS.
We directly engaged with parties to conflict and provided guidance and backing to mediators, SRSGs and Special Envoys.
Our Mediation Support Unit oversees the Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers who can be rapidly deployed to provide advice on a wide range of issues that arise in mediation and preventive diplomacy efforts, funded entirely by the MYA. In 2021, the Standby Team provided operational support on 122 occasions in 28 different contexts from Bolivia to Georgia, Sudan and South Sudan.
For example, in Afghanistan our experts advised UNAMA on process design and victims’ participation in support of the then ongoing Afghanistan Peace Negotiations. This included options for the inclusion of women’s civil society initiatives and technical advice on constitutions and security arrangements.
Demand for United Nations electoral assistance is growing, as is the duration and complexity of operations. Electoral support was provided to over 50 member states by deploying 24 missions. These included needs assessments in Bolivia, Lesotho, Malawi, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Sudan and Sudan.
Our Team of Experts continued to recommend parameters for UN electoral assistance, advising on the design of related mission components or projects, and offering political and technical guidance to all UN entities involved in electoral assistance. This includes advising on how to enhance the electoral participation of women and ensure their safety as a priority.
We expanded our work on the linkages between climate change, peace and security. Collaboration with regional organizations, Member States, civil society and research institutions, on climate security has advanced our understanding and reinforced DPPA’s standing as a thought leader in this complex risk landscape.
We supported action in most-affected regions and built the capacity of partners in the field by, for example, reaching over 750 practitioners with virtual trainings and maintaining an active UN community of practice working with the Climate Security Mechanism.
For example, in Central Africa, we supported in-depth assessments of climate-related security risks in the sub-region, including research visits to Cameroon, Chad and Gabon. We also provided technical advice and launched new workstreams in Iraq and Sudan.
We invested in cutting-edge technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, to reach out to broader audiences in our mediation efforts. This led to the inclusion of diverse voices in political processes – particularly the voices of women and youth. This lowered access barriers for groups that are traditionally excluded from decision-making and allowed political and peacebuilding processes to be more inclusive, for example in Libya, Bolivia and Iraq.
Through our Innovation Cell, we provided a forum for colleagues to engage collaboratively in human-centered design and problem-solving. This ranged from using open-source earth observation to identify climate-related conflict triggers, to forging connections with decision makers with virtual reality.
Our new WPS funding window further operationalized the agenda, by funding up to $7.2 million worth of projects in support of the inclusion of women in peace and political processes, a record high.
In Ecuador, for example, the Department strengthened the capacities of women parliamentarians, combating gender-based political violence, and supported crucial steps towards agreements with the National Assembly and the National Council for Gender Equality on strengthening the capacities of women in politics.
In Sudan, MYA funding fostered the engagement of 26 Sudanese women’s rights advocates in high-level advocacy during the talks between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North.
Through the Local Peace Initiatives window, resources are made available to directly support peace processes at the local level, to enhance the capacity of societies to address conflict, rebuild trust and engage in social reconciliation within and across communities.
In Myanmar for example, MYA funding enabled the Special Envoy’s continued engagements with two inter-communal, inter-religious and community-led networks in support of social cohesion efforts.
Despite the volatile economic situation around the world, many donors continued their unwavering support throughout 2021, albeit on a smaller scale than in 2020. A total of $28.5 million was received from 35 donors.
However, the overall appeal remained only 72 per cent out of the 40 million requested in 2021. This represents a funding gap of $11.5 million – 28 per cent.
The shortfall of $7.2 million in contributions compared to 2020 was a sharp decline in the overall trend of funding received over the past years.
This decline was felt across the entire MYA portfolio. We had to rely on available cash balances and savings to meet all our needs and operations. By the end of the year, the Department had spent $33 million out of the $38.9 million programmed. This represents an implementation rate of 83 per cent.
The largest amount – $21.5 million (65 per cent) - was spent to support efforts under Goal 1, preventing and resolving violent conflict and building resilience.
2021 also saw a decrease in the level of unearmarked funding by more than 30 per cent compared to the previous year. This has put additional strains on DPPA’s flexibility to invest when and where funds are most needed and to provide timely responses to requests from Member States, regional and subregional organizations and other UN partners.
The current 2020 - 2022 MYA appeal of 120 million is 53 per cent funded, with a total of 63.9 million received over the past two years.
Compared to previous funding appeals, this is an overall decrease.
As of 1 May, $7 million was received for 2022, leaving a funding gap of 83 per cent against the $40 million called for. The MYA urgently needs your support to sustain DPPA’s mandate and operations this year.
The current war in Ukraine, following the Russian invasion, has sparked all sorts of questions about the United Nations, particularly the role of the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Secretary-General.
In an impassioned address to the Security Council that evoked the ashen destruction wrought during the Second World War, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday described in stark detail what he said was the deliberate slaughter of civilians in Bucha by Russian forces, laying out an existential choice for its members, over the whole future of the world’s security architecture, founded in 1945.
An eight truck convoy of life-saving humanitarian aid provided by the UN and humanitarian partners reached Sievierodonetsk on Tuesday, in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region, where sustained and intense fighting is taking an enormous toll on civilians.
The UN chief on Tuesday together with the Security Council, strongly condemned an attack by suspected militia members, on peacekeepers serving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which left one Nepali ‘blue helmet’ dead.
The world’s plant protection body met on Tuesday, aiming to set new plant health standards to both safeguard human wellbeing and preserve food security, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Madam President,
Since I last briefed this Council on 17 March, the security situation in Ukraine has seriously deteriorated. The number of Ukrainian civilians killed has more than doubled. Ukrainian cities continue to be mercilessly pounded, often indiscriminately, by heavy artillery and aerial bombardments.
And hundreds of thousands of people, including children, the elderly and the disabled, remain trapped in encircled areas under nightmarish conditions. The devastation wrought on Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities is one of the shameful hallmarks of this senseless war.
The horror deepened this past weekend, as shocking images emerged of dead civilians, some with hands bound, lying in the streets of Bucha, the town near Kyiv formerly held by Russian forces. Many bodies were also found in a mass grave in the same locality.
Reports by non-governmental organizations and media also allege summary executions of civilians, rape and looting in the Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Kyiv regions.
Madam President,
Away from the fighting, diplomatic efforts to end this war, including direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives, have continued. We commend the Government of Turkey for hosting these discussions, as well as the efforts of many others engaging with Russia and Ukraine to help bring about peace.
We welcome the willingness of the sides to continue engaging to reach a mutual understanding. This requires good faith and earnest efforts. Any progress in the negotiations should be translated quickly into action on the ground.
While there has been a reported reduction of Russian troops and attacks around Kyiv and Chernihiv, such moves should not be merely tactical, repositioning forces for renewed attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns elsewhere. The General Assembly has twice called for Russian forces to withdraw entirely from Ukrainian territory and cease all military operations.
We also take note of the reported withdrawal of Russian forces from around the Chernobyl nuclear site. The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that this development will hopefully allow it to conduct an assistance and support mission to provide technical advice and to deliver equipment, where necessary, as soon as possible.
All nuclear sites in Ukraine must be fully protected and secured. Military operations in or around these locations must be avoided.
Madam President,
The numbers tell a tragic, if yet incomplete, story. According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 1,480 civilians have been killed and at least 2,195 injured between 24 February and 4 April 2022. OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher.
We are gravely concerned by the persistent use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area in or near populated areas. Such weapons are causing most civilian casualties as well as massive destruction of civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, hospitals, schools, water stations and electricity systems.
OHCHR has received credible allegations that Russian forces have used cluster munitions in populated areas at least 24 times. Allegations that Ukrainian forces have used such weapons are also being investigated.
As noted by the High Commissioner, indiscriminate attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes. The massive destruction of civilian objects and the high number of civilian casualties strongly indicate that the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution have not been sufficiently adhered to.
In besieged cities, a significant increase in mortality rates among civilians can also be attributed to the disruption of medical care and basic services. People with disabilities and the elderly are particularly vulnerable. As of 4 April 2022, the World Health Organization has reported a total of 85 attacks on health care facilities resulting in at least 72 fatalities and 43 injuries.
Madam President,
We are seriously concerned about reports of cases of arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances of persons who have been vocal against the Russian invasion.
As of 30 March, OHCHR has documented the arbitrary detention and possible enforced disappearance of 22 journalists and civil society members in Kyiv, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. 24 local officials have also been detained in regions under Russian control, 13 of whom have been subsequently released.
We call for the immediate release of all individuals who have been arbitrarily detained, including journalists, local officials, civil society activists and others.
Also as of 30 March, OHCHR has recorded seven journalists and media workers killed since hostilities began. Another 15 have come under armed attack, nine of whom were injured.
Allegations of conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated by Russian forces have also emerged. These include gang rape and rapes in front of children.
There are also claims of sexual violence by Ukrainian forces and civil defense militias. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine continues to seek to verify all these allegations.
We are also concerned about disturbing videos depicting abuse of prisoners of war on both sides. All prisoners of war must be treated with dignity and full respect for their rights in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Madam President,
The many credible allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, from areas recently retaken from Russian forces, must not go unanswered.
We support efforts to examine these allegations and to gather evidence. Ensuring accountability and justice for acts committed during the war will not be easy, but it is essential.
Madam President,
We are heartened by the generosity of neighboring countries who have accepted millions of refugees and the solidarity of Ukrainian people, who are hosting their displaced compatriots.
With more than 10 million people displaced either within Ukraine or abroad as refugees—or roughly one-quarter of the population -- the United Nations is gravely concerned about the heightened risk of human trafficking.
Indeed, suspected and verified cases of human trafficking are surfacing in the surrounding countries, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Madam President,
This war is devastating Ukraine now, but it also threatens its future. Early assessment projections by UNDP suggest that if the war continues through 2022, Ukraine faces the prospect of seeing 18 years of socio-economic progress lost.
This would set the country – and the region – back decades and leave deep long-term social and economic fissures.
UN agencies, including UNDP, are working to help preserve Ukraine’s hard-won development gains. This involves supporting the Government to sustain essential governance structures and basic services, including emergency measures to sustain livelihoods, such as cash-based assistance.
Madam President,
The war in Ukraine has damaged Europe’s security architecture. Its economic repercussions are already evident far from the battlefield. The longer the war continues, the greater the risk that it will further weaken the global institutions and mechanisms dedicated to preserve peace and security.
The war was started by choice. There is no inevitability to it or to the suffering it is causing. The United Nations is ready to do everything within its means to help bring an end to it.
Thank you, Madam President.
UN chief António Guterres on Tuesday added his voice to the growing international calls for a war crimes investigation into the killing of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
An astonishing 99 per cent of the world’s population breathes polluted air that exceeds internationally approved limits, with negative health impacts kicking in at much lower levels than previously thought, UN medical scientists said on Monday.
Senior UN officials have echoed the Secretary-General’s call for an independent investigation into the killing of scores of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, following the emergence this past weekend of graphic images from the suburb of the capital, Kyiv.
Although more than 160 States have signed a landmark convention on banning landmines, more action is still needed to protect people from these “abhorrent weapons", UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said.
