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UN Daily News Issue DH/6533

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

In the headlines: • Climate finance is essential to addressing climate

• Veteran Red Cross official to head UN agency for

• MULTI-MEDIA FEATURE: UN history 'UNearthed' in

• Typhoon Haiyan: UN agency donates satellite

• Job creation vital as number of youth in least

• Nepal: Ban welcomes peaceful conduct of

change, Ban tells ministers in Warsaw rare art exhibit in New York

developed nations expected to soar – UN

•

Ban calls for universal ratification of Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

Palestinian refugees

phones, laptops to Philippines relief effort Constituent Assembly polls

• In new report, Ban urges more funding to combat armed group terrorizing Central Africa

• UN anti-drug agency names Colombian footballer

• International aid vital to help South Sudan tackle

• UN reports sustained progress in fighting

• Afghanistan: UN mission welcomes final list of

Falcao new Goodwill Ambassador HIV/AIDS, but some regions lag

myriad challenges – UN relief official candidates for 2014 elections

More stories inside

Climate finance is essential to addressing climate change, Ban tells ministers in Warsaw 20 November - The top United Nations official today called on foreign ministers to prioritize the environment in domestic politics and contribute to climate financing as a way of moving towards a new global climate change agreement by 2015.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses a ministerial-level meeting on the margins of the UN-led climate change talks in the Polish capital, Warsaw. Photo: UNFCCC

“This can do more than anything to unlock the huge investment necessary for climate change adaptation and mitigation,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a ministerial-level meeting on the margins of the UN-led climate change talks under way in the Polish capital, Warsaw. “We must send the right policy signals,” Mr. Ban said, adding that the development of high-impact opportunities would unlock clean energy investments, close the viability gap between green and fossil fuel-based projects and de-risk renewable energy and low-carbon

investments. He called for public finance, private finance, and support to the Green Climate Fund as three areas for common action. “Smart public financing can encourage local and international private investments,” the UN chief said, urging investors and companies to join forces with the public sector. Mr. Ban today was scheduled to meet with chief executives and senior representatives attending the inaugural Caring for Climate Business Forum being held in Warsaw alongside the UN Climate Change Conference.

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The Forum was launched by UN Global Compact, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat, and UN Environment Programme (UNEP). “The bulk of institutional investors’ assets are in high0carbon investments,” noted Mr. Ban. “These investors have the power – and I believe the responsibility – to do their part in transforming the global economy and settling us on a safer path.” Mr. Ban also called for support to the recently established Green Climate Fund, which functions under the guidance of the Conference of the Parties (COP), and supports projects, programmes, policies and other activities in developing countries. In addition, the Fund also aims to strengthen national ownership and enable countries to develop the capability and institutions needed to use climate finance effectively. The UN chief described the current state of the new entity as “an empty shell” and called for it to be brought into full operation “as soon as possible” so support could be provided to developing countries’ adaptation and mitigation efforts.

MULTI-MEDIA FEATURE: UN history 'UNearthed' in rare art exhibit in New York 20 November - Unearth: to discover (something hidden, lost, or kept secret) by investigation or searching. The United Nations is telling its own history and spotlighting major global issues through a compilation of nearly 70 years of archival history – photographs, posters, videos and recordings – with an exhibit at a former carriage house near the Organization's Headquarters in New York. UN Emergency Force in Egypt (UNEF) observers meet in El Ballah, Egypt, with Israeli authorities, 1957.The photo is on display at the UNEARTH exhibit in New York. UN Photo/JG

'UNEARTH,' currently on view at The Gabarron Foundation in Manhattan, is being called the UN's “most revealing and broadest exhibition ever assembled,” and celebrates the world body's achievements in human rights, development, humanitarian assistance, and peace and security.

“The messages carried by the UN-produced images and sounds inform us about our own experiences in recent history,” said Chaim Litewski, the main curator of the exhibit and the head of the UN Television Section. “If history is the record of the development of human society, this exhibition helps us to comprehend the extraordinary and wide encompassing role the UN has played in shaping human history in the past seven decades.” UNEARTH also includes campaign posters, and a wide range of films, videos and audio that have rarely been seen, as well as works by iconic artists including Victor Vasarely, Robert Rauschenberg, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, and Cristobal Gabarron, whose work inspired the Foundation. “Looking at these images, one can 'read' fairly easily the UN's position regarding controversial subjects,” noted Mr. Litewski. In addition, the exhibit includes a series of panel discussions, interactive film screenings and audio recordings. “I always liked this one because it shows the topic of development in a very interesting way,” Antonio Carlos da Silva, Chief of UN Multimedia Resources Unit, said about the 1985 documentary 'Himalayan Journey' by producer Paul Hee. Against the backdrop of the world's highest mountains, the film portrays the flying missions of UN aircraft in Nepal which carried food, schoolbooks and other essential supplies to areas where roads were nearly non-existent.

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Mr. da Silva and a group of UN curators that included Mr. Litewski selected the 32 videos on display, which are being shown in weekly screenings at The Gabarron along with classic recordings of UN Radio programmes featuring celebrities such as Audrey Hepburn, who was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and UN Messenger of Peace Michael Douglas. The recordings also include musical performances at the UN such as a set by Stevie Wonder, another Messenger of Peace. Another of Mr. da Silva's favorites, which is also being screened today under the theme of development, is an animated short-film from 1992. Produced by Maria Consuelo T. Fabregas, the title 'Nguyamyam' is a colloquial word that means “to eat.” The film is about an edible planet called Pakaskas which inhabitants eat up their precious resources. “It is an educational video in a way that UNTV does not produce anymore. Today's production is more focused on news stories with more informational value, rather than producing educational videos, which have longer-term values,” he said. “These are the types of products that you know about the source only if you work in curating or preservation,” Mr. da Silva said. “At the time, they were widely distributed, but they were left untouched over the years.” He is heading a project to digitize the UN Audiovisual Archives, which are currently being housed in a New Jersey facility as the Organization's New York complex undergoes renovations. The process is moving forward steadily but slowly due to limited funding. “I bet if you put these on YouTube, they would be made popular today,” Mr. da Silva summed. “The role of archives is to preserve the work of the UN over the years. What it was then and what it is today.” The UNEARTH exhibit's name came from this idea of digging in the archives and bringing materials back up. It was originally linked with World Day for Audiovisual Heritage marked on 27 October. The project has since been expanded and will tour internationally, then return to New York in 2015 when the UN marks its 70th anniversary. The timing also coincides with the deadline for the eight anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In addition to the vast UN Archives, UNEARTH is a collaboration with the Presidential Library and Museum of Franklin D. Roosevelt whose vision and support, along with that of his wife Eleanor, helped to create the UN, as evidenced by documents on display. “We have some handwritten papers, with his note, this one was written in Tehran, at a meeting with [Winston] Churchill,” Juan Gabarron, Director and CEO of the Foundation said pointing to a series of framed documents as he gave a tour of the two-story exhibition.

From the shaping of the UN in these early documents, the show is then organized to move through time according to the three pillars of the Organization – development, human rights and peace and security. “So that's the pre-UN and we did each of the pillars with ten photographers,” he said waving through a large downstairs area with photographs hanging around. “We start with New Guinea in June 1956 and it goes from there with countries and places on the theme of human right, until the ten over there where we start over with development, and the next ten are peace and security, and the last ten are the humanitarian assistance.” The second level of the building is taken up with UN art posters by different artists, including one designed by Mr. Gabarron's father for the UN Millennium Assembly and Summit featuring the recognized “UN2000” logo. The poster is actually Cristobal Gabarron's painting, “Dawn in the New Millennium”, a brightly coloured work depicting three blocks of symbolic elements representing the natural world, human civilization - with shapes suggesting books or buildings, including one similar to United Nations Headquarters - and the universe.

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“It's another layer of the same values,” Mr. Gabarron said about the Foundation's values of promoting understanding through culture, and the UN's parallel aims of fostering more effective international cooperation for human rights, development, peace and security. “It's also a great way of showing people what is happening at the UN and getting them involved.” Today at The Gabarron, Olav Kjørven, Special Adviser to the UNDP Administrator on the Post-2015 Development Agenda and moderator Deborah Seward, UN Director of the Strategic Communications Division, Department of Public Information, will hold an interactive panel. The exhibit runs through 27 December.

Job creation vital as number of youth in least developed nations expected to soar – UN 20 November - There should be a greater emphasis on job creation in the world’s 49 poorest nations, where the number of young people of working age is increasing by 16 million per year, says a new report released today by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Young Yemeni women at work weaving a rug. Bani Hushaish, Yemen. Photo: World Bank/Bill Lyons

The youth population – aged 15 to 24 years – in the least developed countries (LDCs) is expected to soar from 168 million in 2010 to 300 million by 2050, when one in four youths worldwide will live in an LDC.

The LDC Report 2013 recommends that the Governments of these countries intensify efforts to employ this vast resource – which is currently largely underemployed, or trapped in vulnerable, low-paid jobs – to improve prospects for economic progress. It calls for a break with “business-as-usual” policies, and a shift towards policies aimed at spurring inclusive growth and the creation of more and better quality jobs. “Given the clear demographic challenges, the LDCs will need to make significant efforts to generate a sufficient quantity of jobs and offer decent employment opportunities to their young population,” said UNCTAD. “If this is not achieved, the likelihood is that poverty, social instability and international emigration rates will rise.” The report cautions that while LDCs enjoyed relatively high gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates from 2002 to 2008, economic progress did not translate into correspondingly increasing levels of employment. In fact, the countries with faster GDP growth had relatively lower employment creation. UNCTAD notes that demographic trends in the LDCs are such that millions of new jobs will have to be created every year over the coming decades. For example, in Niger there were 224,000 new entrants into the labour market in 2005 – a number that is expected to increase fivefold, to 1.4 million, by 2050. In Ethiopia, there were 1.4 million new entrants in 2005, and that figure is expected to rise to 2.7 million by 2030 and to 3.2 million by 2050. In Bangladesh, there were 2.9 million new entrants in 2005; this figure will peak at 3.1 million by 2020, and decline thereafter. The report says that the world’s LDCs should take steps to improve GDP growth, through the generation of employment that pays a living wage and has safe working conditions, and through investment to develop productive capacities.

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Ban calls for universal ratification of Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court 20 November - Despite collective efforts, much remains to be done towards universal ratification of the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said encouraging Member States to ratify or accede to it. “I am convinced that the solution of broadening the reach of the Court is not disengagement, but universality,” Mr. Ban told the 12th session of the Assembly of States Parties of the ICC in a message delivered by Miguel de Serpa Soares, UN Legal Counsel and Under-Secretary-General.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Photo: ICC-CPI/Max Koot

Of the 139 States that signed the ICC’s founding treaty, 31 have yet to ratify it and 43 States have neither signed nor acceded to it. “Only once the Rome Statute has been universally accepted can the Court be as effective as we would wish it to be, with a truly global reach,” he said in the message. Beyond the lack of universality, the ICC also faces other challenges, including a struggle for necessary resources and staffing shortages. The Court also has difficulties bringing the accused to judgment and delivering justice to the victims without undue delay, the UN chief noted in his message. “It faces the fundamental challenge of upholding the core principles of justice, equality and the rule of law: that the law applies equally to all,” Mr. Ban’s said, adding that the law must also be delivered independently, impartially and in conformity with international human rights law and standards. Just as importantly, the law must be seen as being so delivered, Mr. Ban highlighted. He also noted the importance of building effective national justice institutions and dispute mechanisms. “Our commitment to international criminal justice is not only a commitment to strengthened international cooperation and dialogue, but also to strengthened domestic human rights and rule of law systems,” he added. “At this difficult moment, we must remain steadfast and ensure that we are on the right side of history,” the SecretaryGeneral said, stressing that as uncomfortable as it might be, “we must address our challenges head on” by encouraging dialogue and remaining true to the principles of the statute. “This Assembly is the best forum for this dialogue.” Established by the Rome Statute of 1998, the ICC can try cases involving individuals charged with war crimes committed since July 2002. The Security Council, the ICC Prosecutor or a State Party to the court can initiate any proceedings, and the ICC only acts when countries themselves are unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute.

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UN anti-drug agency names Colombian footballer Falcao new Goodwill Ambassador 20 November - The United Nations anti-drug and crime agency today named Colombian footballer Radamel Falcao García Zárate as its Goodwill Ambassador for drug prevention. “I am proud to be a UNODC [UN Office on Drug and Crime] Goodwill Ambassador,” said Mr. Falcao. “My goal is to help the youth of this world show drugs a red card.”

UNODC Goodwill Ambassador Falcao: UNODC drug awareness project, Bogotá, Colombia. Photo: UNODC

The striker for Monaco F.C., who will be getting a first-hand account of the UNODC fight against drugs and crimes, recently visited Ciénaga de Santa Marta, a coastal area of Colombia associated with drug trafficking.

He helped secure $100,000 from Swiss watchmaker Hublot for an alternative development project to help families involved in illicit drug production and trafficking to turn to legal livelihoods. UNODC implements small-scale projects, such as fish breeding, beekeeping and livestock rearing, which are reinforcing 35 producers’ associations and directly benefiting 1,022 families. The head of UNODC, Yury Fedotov, called Mr. Falcao “one of the most exciting players of our time” at the announcement of the designation, who has used his skills to inspire young people and show them the way to a healthy lifestyle. “He is a role model of fair play, dedication and humility not just in his native Colombia, but also worldwide,” Mr. Fedotov said. “Football is the most popular sport in the world, with billions of fans around the globe. As UNODC Goodwill Ambassador, you can help us reach the young and marginalized,” Mr. Fedotov told Mr. Falcao. “I look forward to working with you and seeing young people fulfil their potential – as you have.” The footballer will represent Colombia in the World Cup next year.

UN reports sustained progress in fighting HIV/AIDS, but some regions lag 20 November - The United Nations today reported accelerated progress in combating HIV/AIDS in much of the world, with significant decreases in new infections and deaths, but worrying signs persist that some regions and countries are falling behind in the global battle.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. Photo: UNAIDS/O. Borgognon

New infections globally were estimated at 2.3 million in 2012, a 33 per cent reduction since 2001 and AIDS-related deaths dropped by 30 per cent since the peak in 2005 to 1.6 million, as access to antiretroviral treatment expands, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said ahead of World AIDS Day early next month.

New infections among children dropped to 260,000, a 52 per cent reduction since 2001 and 9.7 million people in low- and middle-income countries were accessing antiretroviral therapy, an increase of nearly 20 per cent in just one year. But new HIV infections have been on the rise in Eastern Europe and Central Asia – up by 13 per cent since 2006 – and have doubled in the Middle East and North Africa since 2001. In these regions, key populations, including men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, transgender people and sex workers are often blocked from accessing life-saving services.

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“Every person counts,” UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé said. “If we are going to keep our pledge of leaving no one behind, we have to make sure HIV services reaches everyone in need.” Funding for HIV prevention services for men who have sex with men is especially limited in East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and across sub-Saharan Africa. Investments also lag in several countries where HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs is high. Ten countries in which HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs exceeds 10 per cent allocate less than 5 per cent of HIV spending to harm-reduction programmes. Despite sex workers’ disproportionate risk of acquiring HIV, prevention programmes for them account for a meagre share of HIV prevention funding globally. While much work needs to be done in Eastern Europe, Ukraine for the first time last year reported a decline in the number of newly identified HIV cases, a turning point for the country. There are an estimated 200,000 people living with HIV in Ukraine. At 21.5 per cent, HIV prevalence is highest among people who inject drugs. UNAIDS stressed that in priority countries only three in 10 children receive HIV treatment, while 64 per cent of adults do. “We have seen tremendous political commitment and results to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV, but we are failing the children who become infected,” Mr. Sidibé said. “We urgently need better diagnostic tools and child-friendly medicines irrespective of the market size.” Although the number of children receiving antiretroviral therapy in 2012 increased by 14 per cent compared to 2011, the pace of scale-up was substantially slower than for adults, a 21 per cent increase. Despite a flattening in donor funding for HIV, which has remained around the same as 2008 levels, domestic spending on HIV has increased, accounting for 53 per cent of global HIV resources in 2012. The total available for HIV in 2012 was estimated at $18.9 billion, $3-5 billion short of the $22-24 billion estimated to be needed annually by 2015.

Veteran Red Cross official to head UN agency for Palestinian refugees 20 November - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment today of a veteran Red Cross official to head the main United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees. Pierre Krähenbühl of Switzerland, currently Director of Operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), overseeing 12,000 staff in 80 countries, succeeds Filippo Grandi of Italy as Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Prior to his current Red Cross post, he served as personal advisor to the President of the ICRC (2000-2002), carrying out various field assignments in El Salvador, Peru, Afghanistan and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and before that he was Head of Operations for Central and South-Eastern Europe. “Mr. Krähenbühl brings to the position a wealth of experience and dedicated passion in humanitarian, development and human-rights action, coupled with strategic leadership experience in politically sensitive and high-risk environments,” spokesperson Farhan Haq said. Mr. Ban lauded Mr. Grandi’s “outstanding dedication and commitment to the Palestinian people.” Established by the UN General Assembly in 1949 after the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict to carry out direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees, UNRWA currently provides services including education, health, social safety net assistance and micro-financing to some 5 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants in the West Ban and Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news

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Typhoon Haiyan: UN agency donates satellite phones, laptops to Philippines relief effort 20 November - With all manner of aid beginning to make its way to victims of Typhoon Haiyan, the United Nations telecommunications agency has today stepped in to provide equipment such as satellite phones and laptops to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Philippines Government crisis response units.

The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), which works to provide communications services for all humanitarian workers, establishes connectivity at Tacloban town hall in the Philippines. Photo: WFP/FITTEST

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced that it will donate satellite terminals for both voice and high-speed data to WHO to support its emergency humanitarian work in the wake of the devastating storm, which, according to latest estimates, killed several thousand people and affected nearly 13 million overall, including some 4 million displaced and 2.5 million in need of food aid. ITU has already supplied 40 Thuraya satellite phones to facilitate health relief efforts in the worst-affected parts of the country.

“At a time when the Philippines is recovering from the Haiyan crisis, relief efforts by UN humanitarian agencies are much needed to assist victims in the affected towns and villages,” ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré said. The Geneva-based agency is also deploying an additional 50 satellite phones, including 25 Iridium Sat Phones, 10 Thuraya Sat Phones and 15 Inmarsat BGAN units, and is also deploying 25 laptops to help people re-establish contact with their family members in other cities of the Philippines and abroad. Richard Brennan, WHO Director of Emergency Risk Management and Humanitarian Response, expressed his gratitude to ITU for its rapid assistance to fill a major resource gap in the health sector’s response to the crisis. “These satellite phones will be of tremendous benefit to our humanitarian operations in support of the Philippine Ministry of Health, as well as WHO and its partners, helping us gather and manage information for disease surveillance, early warning systems and sectoral coordination.” “We take our humanitarian work very seriously,” said Brahima Sanou, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. “In dire situations such as the one in the Philippines, ITU stands ready to support UN agencies in their humanitarian effort to assist people caught up in such disasters, especially those who have been afflicted by illness and those who have been displaced from their homes.” Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is reporting that access and logistics continue to improve, but there are still power outages in some areas. The relief operation has been scaled up substantially, especially in Tacloban, the area hit the hardest by the storm. All residents now have access to clean drinking water and hygiene kits are being distributed to help prevent outbreaks of waterborne disease, OCHA said. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos, who is the head of OCHA, today visited Roxas, an area badly affected by the typhoon and severe winds, where she met with people living in evacuation centres. She said that the top priorities are helping them build adequate shelters and getting their livelihoods back up and running. Ms. Amos also met the Governor and members of the humanitarian relief teams working in Roxas and praised the coordination among the authorities, humanitarian agencies and military units who are delivering aid.

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Nepal: Ban welcomes peaceful conduct of Constituent Assembly polls 20 November - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today congratulated the people of Nepal for the peaceful and successful conduct of yesterday’s elections for members of the Constituent Assembly, which is tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution. “The new Constituent Assembly will have the historic responsibility to complete a new constitution, building upon the impressive gains in the peace process so far, and thereby promoting national dialogue and genuine reconciliation,” said a statement issued by Mr. Nepalese wait at a polling centre to vote in Ban’s spokesperson. the 19 November 2013 elections for members of the Constituent Assembly. Photo: UNDP/Indra Dhoj Kshetri

“The United Nations remains committed to supporting Nepal in its transition towards a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future.”

The UN has closely supported Nepal’s peace process, having had a political mission in the country from 2007 until 2011, following the signing of the peace accords that ended the decade-long armed conflict between the Government and the Maoist opposition. The country has been plagued by political disputes ever since the war ended and the monarchy was abolished. The first Constituent Assembly, elected in 2008, was unable to complete the drafting of a new constitution before it was dissolved in May 2012.

In new report, Ban urges more funding to combat armed group terrorizing Central Africa 20 November - In a report presented to the Security Council today by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s envoy to Central Africa, the UN chief called on the international community to provide the resources needed to combat the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a violent armed group undermining stability in the region.

The ruins of a house that was torched by LRA fighters in Nguili-Nguili village, close to Obo Town, Central African Republic. Photo: UNHCR/D. Mbaiorem

“I regret that very little donor assistance has been provided in this regard,” he told the Security Council in a report presented by his Special Representative for the region, noting that it has been a year since he first called for international support for a five-point strategy aimed at eliminating the threat posed by the LRA in several African countries.

“I reiterate my call on the international community to support ongoing efforts to address the threat posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army in order to ensure that the progress achieved over the past several years is sustained.” In presenting the report, the Special Representative and head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), Abou Moussa, pointed to a host of issues undermining stability in the region, including conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR) with its flow of refugees straining the capacity of neighbouring countries. “The potential for the crisis in the Central African Republic to spill over into the wider sub-region is real,” he stressed, also highlighting threats posed by terrorism and extremism from countries outside the immediate sub-region such as Mali and Nigeria, the role of transnational crime, including piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and illicit trade in remote border regions of CAR and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The LRA, notorious for carrying out massacres in villages, mutilating its victims and abducting boys for use as child soldiers and forcing girls into sexual slavery, was formed in the 1980s in Uganda and for over 15 years its attacks were mainly directed against Ugandan civilians and security forces, which in 2002 dislodged it. It then exported its activities to Uganda’s neighbours, such as the DRC, CAR and South Sudan.

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The five-point strategy, endorsed by the Council last year, seeks to support the African Union task force hunting down the LRA; enhance efforts to protect civilians; expand current disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration; coordinate humanitarian and child protection response; and support peacebuilding, human rights, rule of law and development. Although estimates suggest the LRA comprises only a few hundred combatants operating under the leadership of Joseph Kony, its capacity to attack, terrorize and harm local communities remains. On the LRA, Mr. Moussa, who was joined by the African Union Special Envoy for LRA Issues, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, reported that their joint diplomatic efforts have ensured continuing regional cooperation among the Governments of LRA-affected countries. In particular, African Union Regional Task Force operations resumed in August in the CAR, while the Democratic Republic of Congo lifted border restrictions for Regional Task Force operations conducted by foreign contingents. With critical support from US military advisers, he said Regional Task Force contingents are now fully operational. Military operations have degraded the LRA and limited it to pursuing survival tactics. However, recent attacks in South Sudan attributed to the LRA are a reminder that the group remains a serious and unpredictable threat to communities throughout the sub-region. “We must therefore remain vigilant and continue malting progress on the implementation plan for the UN regional strategy to address the threat and impact of the LRA, which remains the guiding framework for our collective efforts,” Mr. Moussa said. “Despite the decrease in Lord’s Resistance Army-related incidents and a reduction in the number of displaced people in the affected areas, the force remains a serious threat, with its senior leadership intact and with an enormous capacity for brutality,” Mr. Ban said in his report. Mr. Moussa stressed UNOCA’s determination to strengthen its cooperation with regional organisations such as the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on all threats to regional stability.

International aid vital to help South Sudan tackle myriad challenges – UN relief official 20 November - International humanitarian assistance is crucial to help the world’s youngest nation tackle a range of challenges, including food insecurity, inter-communal violence and flooding, a top United Nations relief official said today as she wrapped up her visit to South Sudan.

Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Kyung-wha Kang with children at a Juba way station in Jonglei state, South Sudan. Photo: OCHA

“Though the overall humanitarian situation has improved in several areas of South Sudan in the past year, millions of people are still in dire need of help,” said Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Kyung-wha Kang.

Ms. Kang, who is Assistant Secretary-General in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), visited the country from 17 and 20 November, and discussed with Government officials and humanitarian partners how aid operations can save lives while helping to build the resilience of communities. “Throughout my engagements, I offered support to humanitarian workers who have worked tirelessly in one of the world’s toughest environments, to deliver life-saving aid to people affected by food insecurity, armed hostilities, inter-communal violence and flooding across the country,” she said in a statement issued to the press in the capital, Juba. Ms. Kang noted that violence in the eastern state of Jonglei has displaced tens of thousands of people, who need protection, basic services, and access to safety and security so that they can resume their livelihoods.

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Just last month, over 40 people were killed and more than 60 wounded in inter-communal violence in the state in Jonglei. Sporadic ethnic violence is one of the challenges South Sudan has been dealing with since achieving independence in July 2011. In addition, recent months have witnessed severe flooding in several areas that left over 150,000 people in need of humanitarian aid. “I must stress that this is important for humanitarians to be able to support the Government of South Sudan in developing disaster risk reduction and preparedness strategies, and in helping to improve the resilience of local communities, with particular focus on enabling women to fully participate in decision-making processes,” said Ms. Kang. During her visit, she also emphasized the need to focus on resilience and long-term recovery, including taking advantage of the fertile soil which South Sudan is “much endowed with.” “I also stressed the need to ensure that children have access to education, and that the work of humanitarians in providing emergency education and psychosocial support, particularly for young women and girls, is imperative to ensure that this country’s most vital resource is protected and nurtured.” She also noted that humanitarian partners, working closely with national authorities, have recently launched a new Consolidated Appeal for 2014-2016 that prioritizes saving lives in emergencies, building community resilience and strengthening national capacity to deliver basic services. The appeal seeks $1.1 billion to meet the needs of 3.1 million people in 2014. “I appeal to all donors and partners to stand together with the people and the Government of South Sudan in this time of need.”

Afghanistan: UN mission welcomes final list of candidates for 2014 elections 20 November - The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) welcomed the announcement today of the final list of candidates for next year’s presidential and provincial council elections. “The completion of the candidate nomination period marks another important step for the Afghan people in the process of electing the country’s next leader and provincial councils,” said the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of UNAMA, Ján Kubiš. The list, announced by the country’s Independent Election Commission (IEC), contains 11 presidential candidates and 2,713 provincial council candidates, with the latter including 308 women.

Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Ján Kubiš. Photo: Fardin Waezi/UNAMA

“The candidates and their supporters bear the responsibility of fully upholding Afghan electoral laws and other relevant electoral provisions, as well as international standards for peaceful, transparent, credible, inclusive and fair elections,” said Mr. Kubiš. The Special Representative also urged the Afghan electoral and state bodies, and the candidates and their teams, to take all measures to ensure the election process and their conduct are “marked by the highest degree of integrity, free from internal and external interference and fraud – all of which are so important for the acceptance and legitimacy of the outcome of the elections.” The UN has repeatedly stressed that the elections, scheduled for 5 April 2014, must be free and fair, and enjoy wide participation. The polls are seen as a vital step in the ongoing transition in Afghanistan, which next year will also see the withdrawal of the majority of allied international military forces, with national forces assuming full responsibility for security throughout the country. UN News Centre • www.un.org/news

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Ban condemns deadly attack against police station in Somali town of Beledweyne 20 November Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the deadly attacks on Tuesday against a police station in Beledweyne, Somalia, which follow a number of similar attacks on the Somali people in recent weeks. “These acts of terrorism against the Government and people of Somalia have caused tremendous suffering,” said a statement issued last night by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson. The Islamic militant group Al-Shabaab has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack in Beledweyne, a town near the Ethiopian border, which resulted in at least 19 deaths.

People walk through the streets in Beledweyne and conduct business on October 7. Photo: AU-UN IST/ Ilyas A. Abukar.

“The Secretary-General expresses his sincere condolences to the families of those killed and his sympathies to those injured. He pays tribute to the forces, especially the police, who courageously repelled the attack,” said the statement. “The Secretary-General is determined to support the Somali Government in preventing such attacks, and in keeping the country on the path to peace and security. He reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to support the Federal Government of Somalia, its institutions and the Somali people.” Somalia has been torn asunder by factional fighting since 1991 but has recently made progress towards stability. In 2011, Al-Shabaab insurgents retreated from Mogadishu and last year, new Government institutions emerged, as the country ended a transitional phase toward setting up a permanent, democratically-elected Government. The UN is working to support the Somali Government and people in their quest for security and prosperity through its mission in the country (UNSOM), which was set up in June.

Entrepreneurship, job creation, can reduce poverty, boost sustained growth in Africa, says UN chief 20 November Accelerating industrialization in Africa requires a focus on job creation and entrepreneurship, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, stressing that these are key aspects to fully capture the potential of Africa’s dynamic work force and bosting inclusive sustainable development continent wide. Piassa helps at her father’s workshop, in Nampula, Mozambique after receiving entrepreneurship training under the UNIDO ECP Programme. Photo: UNIDO, 2011

“Africa’s economic dynamism, young population and potential for innovation form the foundation for stronger and competitive industries, Mr. Ban said in his message to mark this year’s Africa Industrialization Day. Designated by the General Assembly in 1989, the Day will this year highlight the crucial role of job creation and entrepreneurship in eradicating poverty.

“Although Africa is home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies — with growth across a variety of sectors — too many people are still being left behind,” the UN chief said, stressing that the region is affected by widespread unemployment — particularly among youth. Many, especially women, are engaged in vulnerable forms of work with low and unstable pay. “As we strive to meet the Millennium Development Goals and shape the post-2015 agenda, we must address the challenges of joblessness, youth unemployment and the shortcomings of a large informal economy.” UN News Centre • www.un.org/news

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The Secretary-General said that focusing on job creation, entrepreneurship and the promotion of small and medium enterprises can boost inclusive and sustainable industrial development across the continent. “As we mark this fiftieth anniversary year of the establishment of the Organization of African Unity, the United Nations renews our commitment to Africa’s development and the African Union’s efforts to achieve inclusive growth,” said Mr. Ban, urging all Member States to work together to foster job creation and entrepreneurship throughout the continent as critical ways to build a more prosperous and sustainable future for all. While the Day is commemorated annually on 20 November, the 2013 celebration will take place on Friday, 22 November at UN Headquarters in New York. The UN specialized agency for promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development, known as UNIDO, the lead agency on the issue of Africa’s industrialization, will jointly host an event with the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, and the Permanent Observer of the African Union to the UN. The event will feature an interactive panel discussion with experts from the private sector, academia and public sector, who will share their views on the issue. It will include statements from the President of the General Assembly, the UN SecretaryGeneral, the Director General of UNIDO, the chair of the African Group and the Permanent Observer of the African Union.

On Universal Children’s Day, UN says violence against young hobbles development 20 November - Drawing a direct link between violence against children and poverty, United Nations officials marked Universal Children’s Day with a call to make child protection a priority in the global development agenda for the decades to come. “Violence against children does more than harm individual children, it undermines the fabric of society, affecting productivity, well-being, and prosperity,” UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Anthony Lake said. “No society can afford to ignore violence against children.” UNICEF noted that violence against children takes many forms, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and harsh disciplinary practices, and often occurs in situations of war and conflict. It can inflict both physical harm and psychological damage on children.

All children have the right to live free from violence. Photo: © UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1124/Shehzad Noorani, Liberia, 2012

“Too often, abuse occurs in the shadows: undetected, unreported, and - even worse – too often accepted,” Mr. Lake said. “We all have a responsibility to ‘make the invisible, visible’ – from Governments enacting and enforcing laws to prohibit violence against children, to private citizens refusing to be silent when they witness or suspect abuse.” Universal Children’s Day marks the anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and five independent UN child rights experts called on Governments to make protection from violence a priority in the post-2015 development agenda and back their commitments with proper funding. The agenda will succeed the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDG) programme adopted by a UN Summit in 2000 and scheduled to end in 2015. “Every day, millions of children are affected by conflict, suffer from violence, neglect, abuse and exploitation at home, in schools, in institutions, in the community and in places where they work. These situations are not inevitable and they can be effectively prevented,” the experts said. Countries affected by violence tend to lag behind, with higher levels of poverty and malnutrition, poor health and school performance and special risks for vulnerable children including those who migrate or belong to minorities. Violence is often associated with poor rule of law and a culture of impunity. It has far-reaching costs for society, slowing economic development and eroding nations’ human and social capital. “The post-2015 development agenda should address inequalities that heighten the risks of violence, abuse and exploitation UN News Centre • www.un.org/news

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of children. Governments should meet their obligation to protect children from violence,” the experts emphasized. The five experts `are: Kirsten Sandberg, Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children; Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; Najat Maalla M’jid, UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; and Susan Bissell, UNICEF’s Chief of Child Protection.

The UN Daily News is prepared at UN Headquarters in New York by the News Services Section of the News and Media Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)