The UN Political Affairs chief appealed on Monday for an end to the “unjustified” war in Ukraine, which this month passed the 500-day mark.
The UN Political Affairs chief appealed on Monday for an end to the “unjustified” war in Ukraine, which this month passed the 500-day mark.
For 96 hours, the orders kept coming. By the end, 287 people were dead, 387 women and children had been raped, and 13 villages in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had been robbed of any sense of normalcy.
Warring factions in Sudan must respect international law, protect civilians, and stop targeting relief and aid workers, the United Nations top humanitarian official urged on Saturday, as the conflict reached its three-month mark.
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The international community must act now to protect future generations from the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence, the UN’s advocate on the issue, Pramila Patten, told the Security Council on Friday.
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday said it was very concerned over reports of police in Kenya using excessive force to quell protests this week which have left dozens dead and injured.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL KHALED KHIARI’S
REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
NON-PROLIFERATION/DPRK
New York, 13 July 2023
Mr President,
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched its Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile on 12 July.
This was the DPRK’s second launch of its new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. As we have previously briefed, solid-propellant missiles do not need to undergo fuelling prior to launch and thus can be launched more quickly than liquid-propellant missiles.
The missile was launched on a lofted trajectory from the Pyongyang area at 10:00 am local time and reportedly flew around 1,000 km and to an altitude of around 6,600 km before falling into the sea, inside the Russian Federation’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The flight was reportedly around 74 minutes, potentially making it the DPRK’s longest ballistic missile flight duration.
The systems the DPRK tested on 12 July, 13 April, 16 March, 18 February this year, as well as on five occasions last year, can reach most points on Earth.
The DPRK did not issue airspace or maritime safety notifications for this launch. As recently reiterated by the International Civil Aviation Organization as well as the International Maritime Organization, the DPRK’s unannounced launches represent a serious risk to international civil aviation and maritime traffic.
Mr President,
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the DPRK’s launch of yet another ballistic missile of intercontinental range.
He reiterates his calls on the DPRK to fully comply with its international obligations under all relevant Security Council resolutions and to resume dialogue without preconditions leading to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Mr President,
The DPRK’s official news agency said that the latest launch of the Hwasong-18 ballistic missile was to quote “deter the dangerous military moves of the hostile forces” end quote. The DPRK also said that the country would strengthen its so-called nuclear deterrent in line with its five-year military development plan unveiled in January 2021. That plan provided for the development of specific capabilities, many involving the DPRK pursuing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.
The DPRK significantly increased its missile launch activities in 2022 and 2023, including more than 90 launches using ballistic missile technology.
As we have previously briefed, the DPRK attempted to launch its first military satellite with what it described as a“new-type carrier rocket” using ballistic missile technology on 31 May. The DPRK has reported on the failure and reiterated that it would conduct a second launch as soon as possible. While it is the right of any sovereign state to launch a satellite and to benefit from peaceful space activities, the relevant Security Council resolutions expressly prohibit the DPRK from conducting any launches using ballistic missile technology.
Mr President,
Key peace and security issues, such as the situation on the Korean Peninsula, must be an area for cooperation.
We welcome the Security Council’s commitment, as expressed in resolution 2397 (2017), to a peaceful, comprehensive, diplomatic, and political solution to the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The status quo is alarming and unsustainable.
Mr President,
In a fortnight, we will observe the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement. It is a tragic reality that tensions persist and remain unresolved even after seven decades.
As we have previously briefed, there are several practical measures that can be taken to reduce tensions, reverse the dangerous dynamic, and create space to explore diplomatic avenues. While I won't reiterate them, I do emphasise the importance of re-establishing communication channels, particularly those between military entities, and exercisingmaximum restraint. It is critical to avoid an unintended escalation.
In addition, pending the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it is imperative that the DPRK maintains the highest level of safety at its nuclear facilities.
Mr President,
I would like to highlight once more our concerns regarding the humanitarian situation in the DPRK. The United Nations is ready to assist the DPRK in addressing basic needs of its vulnerable populations.
Given the positive advancements in vaccines and treatments and the declaration by the World Health Organization Director-General on 5 May that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of international concern, we urge the DPRK to allow the unimpeded re-entry and rotation of the international community, including our staff and the United Nations Resident Coordinator.
This collective return will yield a positive impact in supporting the people, bolstering relations, and, importantly,fortifying communication channels.
Diplomacy - not isolation - is the only way forward.
In this respect, I would like to acknowledge the participation of the Permanent Representatives from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as well as the Republic of Korea in this meeting.
Let me close by stressing that the unity of the Security Council on the DPRK is essential to ease tensions and overcome the diplomatic impasse. The primary responsibility for international peace and security rests with this Council.
Thank you, Mr President.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday launched an emergency seed distribution campaign in Sudan, ensuring farmers and their families have the necessary resources to meet food production needs amid the on-going conflict between rival military forces.
The heads of the European Commission and the United Nations upheld the importance of international cooperation in an increasingly polarized world during a joint press conference in Brussels on Thursday.
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Thursday that he is investigating fresh allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region, including the recent killings of 87 members of the ethnic Masalit community, reportedly carried out by the Rapid Security Forces and its militia.
Unity on the Security Council in the face of missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is essential to ease tensions across the whole Korean Peninsula, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for political and peacebuilding affairs for the region said on Thursday.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Thursday called for a swift investigation into the killing of 87 civilians in Sudan following the discovery of a mass grave in West Darfur.
The 58th round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID), as mandated by the six-point agreement of 12 August 2008 and implementing measures of 8 September 2008, took place on 11-12 July 2023. As usual, this round was held in two working groups meeting in parallel on security and humanitarian issues.
This was the second round held this year in a continued highly challenging regional and geopolitical environment. The participants reaffirmed their commitment to the process and key role played by the GID as the only platform where the conflict consequences are addressed. The Co-Chairs expressed appreciation for this shared commitment.
Non-use of force / international security arrangements, as one of the key items of the GID, were discussed in detail. All participants actively engaged on the issue, but without reaching a common understanding on the way forward. Discussions will continue in future rounds.
The humanitarian situation on the ground was broadly reviewed. The issue of internally displaced persons and refugees could not be fully covered as per the agenda due to a walkout by some participants.
It was agreed to hold the next GID round in December 2023.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL KHALED KHIARI’S
REMARKS AT THE OHCHR-DPPA-DPO JOINT EVENT
"UNITING FOR PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS:
THE 75TH ANNIVERSARIES OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS,
PEACEKEEPING, AND SPECIAL POLITICAL MISSIONS"
New York, 12 July 2023
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
All of you know that the Count Folke Bernadotte was deployed as the United Nations Mediator in Palestine in May 1948. The first peacekeeping operation United Nations Truce Supervision Organization [UNTSO] was established a few weeks later. And in December, the General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Few could have foreseen how important these innovations would be. Yet, they continue to shape the work of the United Nations 75 years later.
Special political missions have accompanied Member States through historic times of change: from supporting the decolonization and independence processes in Africa and Asia in the 1960s to assisting Central America in ending its civil wars and building peace in the 1990s, from facilitating the Bonn Agreement on Afghanistan in 2001 to aiding Nepal in its transition to peace and democracy; from accompanying Sierra Leone's remarkable peace consolidation process in the early 2010s to helping Colombia implement the peace agreement that ended the longest civil war in the Americas - with the most gender provisions in a peace agreement to date.
I also want to highlight the close cooperation between special political missions and peacekeeping operations, allowing them to bring together their respective expertise and build on their complementary roles to help advance peace in several complex situations.
Dear Colleagues,
The work of special political missions – to reduce risks, prevent conflict, broker peace agreements, and build sustainable peace – is a critical part of the human rights agenda. In Yemen, for example, the truce brokered by the United Nations has resulted in a remarkable 90 per cent reduction in conflict-related casualties.
The same is true of the work of special political missions in promoting inclusion and the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and marginalized groups in political processes. These are not only central, normative human rights agendas for the UN but also pragmatic steps to ensure that political solutions are more durable. We cannot hope to address structural inequalities and other underlying causes of conflict if we do not work to shift the power structures that underpin our economies and political and social systems to advance the participation, protection, and rights of women and other marginalised groups.
These are not abstract notions but have been put into practice by every one of our missions on the ground. This includes the 7 SPMs with dedicated human rights mandates and capacities and the whole spectrum of Special Political Missions.
Human rights can also strengthen the quality and effectiveness of mediation at different stages, opening space for political negotiations, strengthening ongoing processes, and reinvigorating stalled efforts. DPPA and OHCHR have jointly collaborated on a project to show precisely how this can be done, with the dual objectives of fostering new creative approaches by mediation teams and closer collaboration between mediators and human rights practitioners.
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
The Secretary-General's Call to Action for Human Rights has brought the United Nations system closer together around a simple yet powerful idea: that the human rights agenda remains indispensable in our efforts to build a more peaceful, just, and equitable world for all.
This is particularly crucial in a world facing a complex peace and security environment. Protracted civil wars, rising inequalities, shrinking civic space, the pervasive implications of new technologies, and the climate emergency are all issues that need to be tackled with inclusive peace and security and human rights lens at their core.
These challenges also require multilateral cooperation. However, at a time when urgent and united action is needed to address these interlocking crises, the world is growing more dangerously divided.
Next week, the Secretary-General will launch his policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace, which seeks to lay out how, in this emerging new era, fragmented and fractious as it may be, Member States can and must find avenues for cooperation towards shared interests and maintaining peace.
Special political missions, along with peacekeeping operations and international human rights instruments, will remain crucial tools in this endeavour, to advance multilateral action for peace and deliver for the people we serve.
Thank you.
The event is a joint event of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and the Department of Peace Operations (DPO).
Date: 12 July 2023, 1:15pm – 2:30 pm (ET)
Venue: UN Headquarters, Conference Room 1
WebTV link: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1l/k1ll6uyj41
Background:
2023 marks three concurrent 75th anniversaries for the United Nations: in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly, the General Assembly mandated the deployment of the first special political mission, the United Nations Mediator in Palestine, and the Security Council established the first peacekeeping mission by deploying military observers to the Middle East. All three anniversaries mark the beginning of the UN’s efforts to materialize the vision of peaceful coexistence and social progress set out in the Charter:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNHR) makes a significant contribution to peace by establishing a framework that promotes and protects the fundamental rights and dignity of every individual grounded in key principles of equality, justice, and non-discrimination, which are essential to address the key drivers of the conflict. In that sense, it helps prevent conflicts, protect individuals, empower marginalized groups, and establish international norms and standards. UDHR's contribution to peace lies in its recognition of the inherent dignity and rights of every individual.
Peacekeeping is critical in maintaining peace and stability in regions affected by conflicts. It involves the deployment of multinational forces to help monitor, observe, and facilitate the implementation of peace agreements. peacekeeping contributes to peace by preventing and managing conflicts, protecting civilians, supporting peace processes, building local capacities, promoting the rule of law and human rights, and fostering regional and international cooperation. Through their presence and actions, peacekeeping missions help create the conditions necessary for sustainable peace, stability, and development in conflict-affected regions.
Special political missions are civilian missions authorized by the General Assembly or the Security Council under the Chapter VI of the Charter to assist Member States and support them in preventing and resolving conflicts and promoting sustainable peace. They constitute one of the most important mechanisms for operationalizing the work of the United Nations in peace and security. Operating in complex operational environments, including many that are characterized by volatile security situations and fragile political contexts, special political missions are essential mechanisms for implementing a range of mandates that contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, including engaging in preventive diplomacy, supporting the implementation of peace agreements, protecting and promoting human rights, enhancing the meaningful participation of women, as well as advancing the engagement of youth in political and peace processes, and strengthening partnerships with regional and sub-regional organizations.
These are essential tools the United Nations has at its disposal to play a greater prevention role. The collective celebration of the 75th anniversary reaffirms that each of us has a role to play in building and maintaining peace. Celebrating the 75th anniversaries of UDHR, special political missions and peacekeeping together is an opportunity to recognize their interdependence, honor their historic significance, amplify their impact, and inspire collective action towards a future where human rights are upheld, conflicts are resolved, and global peace is achieved.
These anniversaries provide an opportune moment to reflect on the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned over the past seven and a half decades. By commemorating them together, we can deepen our understanding of the interconnectedness between human rights, peacekeeping, and peacemaking, and chart a path forward for a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Objectives:
Programme:
Moderator: Ms. Karin Landgren, Executive Director, Security Council Report
13.15 – 13.30 Opening remarks
13.30 – 14.25 Panel incl. Q&A
Panelists:
14.25 – 14.30 Closing remarks
Efforts towards building peace in Colombia following decades of conflict are bearing fruit but the threat of renewed violence still looms, the head of the UN Mission in the country told the Security Council on Wednesday.
The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned an attack on a UN peacekeeping patrol in the northeast Central African Republic (CAR) on Monday which left one Rwandan ‘blue helmet’ dead.
UN-appointed independent human rights experts on Tuesday called for the Government of Bangladesh to end all harassment against representatives of the human rights organisation, Odhikar, and to ensure respect for due process in legal proceedings.
Life-saving assistance to millions in northwest Syria is at risk after the UN Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt either of two competing resolutions to extend cross-border aid delivery from Türkiye.
As conflict continues to rage in Sudan, UN humanitarians expressed alarm on Tuesday at a surge in the number of people fleeing across the border to Chad.
Transfer of crude oil from the dilapidated tanker Safer stranded off the coast of Yemen, is expected to start early next week, a senior United Nations humanitarian official told the Security Council on Monday.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the air strike in the Sudanese city of Omdurman on Saturday which reportedly killed at least 22 people.
Senior UN officials and donor partners on Sunday visited the Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin, where they witnessed the “shocking” damage sustained during the Israeli incursion this past week.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the airstrike in the Sudanese city of Omdurman on Saturday which reportedly killed at least 22 people.
Alexander Lobov, a military engineer and mine action expert with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), has worked in hotspots from Afghanistan to Somalia, but never imagined using this experience in his native country, Ukraine, now one of the world’s most heavily mined places since Russia’s full-scale invasion of February 2022.
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
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The food and fertilizer export deals brokered by the UN last year with Ukraine and Russia have played an “indispensable role” in supporting global food security and must continue, the UN Secretary-General said on Friday.
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) has urged authorities in Honduras to reinforce the “internal and external oversight of military operations” in the country, following the extending of a national state of emergency.
The UN deplored the horrendous civilian cost of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which reached the 500-day mark on Friday.
On 4 and 7 July, the SRSG to the AU and Head of UNOAU, Parfait Onanga-Ayanga met with Ambassadors of European Union (EU) Member States to...
