September 2019 — Page 3 of 20 — Human Rights & Charity

‘We may be small islands, but no man is an island’, Papua New Guinea youth tells world leaders

The young advocate from the island nation of Papua New Guinea, painted a vivid picture of the dangers for delegates on Friday, during the last major summit of the UN’s high level week, dedicated to looking at the progress and pitfalls facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as the world warms, and the seas rise.

Speaking from the General Assembly Hall podium, she offered a personal view in poetic form, of the struggles she is dealing with: “I am a youth of a small island, when in a global community, most everyone doesn’t know where I am. And what hurts the most, is I know where they all are”.

Testimonies like Ms. Nen’s received a warm welcome during the event, geared towards addressing climate and development issues unique to island states, and assessing the implementation of priorities laid out in a 2014 mandate, to accelerate SIDS development.

The Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action – or SAMOA Pathway, was agreed in September 2014, during the Third International Conference to focus the world’s attention on islands’ special development roles and particular vulnerabilities.

As world leaders gathered for a mid-term review on the plan’s implementation, five years form its adoption, they conceded that progress toward sustainable development for SIDS require a major increase in urgent investment, and the road to stability for many island nations is threatened by amplified environmental challenges, economic crises, food security, and others.

While some progress has been made in addressing social inclusion, gender equality, poverty and unemployment, inequality continues to affect vulnerable groups, and devastating effects of climate change cause lasting loss of life and property.

Putting the plan into action represents “an important chance for the international community to demonstrate solidarity”, Secretary-General António Guterres stressed.

“Small Island Developing States are a special case for sustainable development. They require the concerted long-term attention and investment of the entire international community”, he said.

Following in line for comment, President Michael Higgins of Ireland, which sponsored the event, emphasized that “we cannot allow our words in one compartment to be contradictory to another. There must be consistency across the architecture and delivery, most of all the words must be followed by action.”

“This is not academic, this is about life,” he added, highlighting that for island nations “the word ‘disaster’ has a different meaning…as it is a disaster that will come again and again, and therefore response must take account of the danger of recurrence.”

The day-long review comes one month after Hurricane Dorian devastated parts of the Bahamas, adding to the increasing frequency, scale and intensity of natural disasters and their unique threat to island nations and their people.

Keynote speaker and leading Hollywood actor, Jason Momoa said, “I am standing here today because I am ashamed that not all leaders have wanted agreement”, referring the groundbreaking 2015 Paris Climate pledge to limit the globe from warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“I have seen how one place can be oblivious to another…with a foothold in two worlds, I began to see how a problem for one can become a problem for all,” said the star of the Aquaman superhero movie, speaking to his background as Hawaiian-born, and Iowa-raised.

A political declaration is expected to come at the summit’s conclusion, a concise action-oriented agreement to further propel the SAMOA pathway’s integration which will require the international community’s support.

Human Rights Briefing: Updates on Egypt, Zimbabwe, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia

Bachelet expresses ‘serious concerns’ over due process in Egypt, following mass-arrests

The UN human rights chief has expressed “serious concerns” over reports of a lack of due process, after authorities in Egypt made widespread arrests during protests last week.

In a statement issued on Friday, Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, urged Egyptian authorities to respect the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, “in full compliance with international norms and standards.”

According to Egyptian civil society organizations, more than 2,000 people – including lawyers, human rights defenders, political activists, university professors and journalists – were detained before, during and after street protests that took place in a number of Egyptian cities on 20-21 September.

“The UN Human Rights Office has received information that a number of those detained were subsequently released”, said the statement from OHCHR.

“Reports also suggest some of those detained were denied legal representation when appearing before the Public Prosecutor, and some have allegedly been charged with serious offences.”

“I remind the Egyptian government that under international law people have a right to protest peacefully,” said Ms. Bachelet. “They also have a right to express their opinions, including on social media. They should never be detained, let alone charged with serious offences, simply for exercising those rights.”

“I urge the authorities to radically change their approach to any future protests, including those that may take place today,” she added.

News reports said that some protesters had once again taken to the streets in several cities across Egypt on Friday afternoon, calling for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to step down.

Zimbabwe must act quicker on democratic reform, urges UN-appointed independent expert

Zimbabwe should do more to embrace and safeguard democracy, the UN-appointed independent expert on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association said on Friday, at the end of his first visit there.

In a statement, Clément Nyaletsossi Voule expressed his support for the Government’s stated commitment to democratisation.

But two years since Emmerson Mnangagwa became President, after the removal of long-term leader Robert Mugabe, Mr. Voule urged the authorities to go further in promoting people’s rights and engage in dialogue with all those affected by austerity measures.

Mr. Voule’s comments come as UN aid agencies continue to warn of widespread food insecurity in the country, which has been left reeling by a slow-burning economic collapse made worse by drought and the impact of Cyclone Idai in March.

According to a recent update by UN humanitarian coordination agency OCHA, some 5.5 million people in rural areas are now food insecure.

Of this number, more than 3.5 million – around 40 per cent of people in the countryside – are expected to be in need of urgent humanitarian assistance by October.

In addition, some 2.2 million people in urban areas are food insecure, the OCHA update noted.

In his appeal, the Special Rapporteur cited concern over the “excessive” use of force by police and military during protests.

Putting troops in the streets was becoming “commonplace”, he maintained, while also insisting that it was vital for police or military personnel who committed human rights violations to be held accountable.

“To foster impunity is to foster distrust among the population, alienating them from the Government, and quashing their hopes of meaningful change in the future,” he said, before encouraging the authorities to engage in “genuine dialogue with the political class and the population, “including protest movements”.

It was the “only way forward to resolve such a crisis”, he insisted, while highlighting the Government’s “unenviable challenge” of having to resolve a “profound and complex economic, political and social crisis”.

Human Rights Council agrees on fact-finding mission to Venezuela

The UN’s top human rights body agreed on Friday to dispatch a fact-finding mission to Venezuela, in response to grave concerns about killings and other abuses linked to the country’s ongoing political and economic crisis.

The development follows a vote at the Human Rights Council that was supported by less than half of the forum’s 47 Member States, including several South American countries, such as Colombia, Argentina and Peru.

The resolution condemned the “widespread targeted repression and persecution on political grounds” in Venezuela, the “excessive” use of force against peaceful protests and during security operations.

In addition, it highlighted arbitrary detention, torture, ill-treatment, extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances carried out by the Special Action Forces and pro-government civilian armed groups.

At least 6,000 people have been killed in security operations since January 2018, the resolution maintained, while also urging the authorities to release all political prisoners immediately.

This includes the 27 individuals identified by High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, earlier this month.

Independent human rights experts urge Saudi Arabia to free Loujain Al-Hathloul

A group of UN human rights experts on Friday urged Saudi Arabia to release Loujain Al-Hathloul whose arrest 500 days ago, marked the beginning of a crackdown against women human rights defenders across the country.

In a statement, the group of 15 independent experts – Special Rapporteurs and members of the UN Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice – said that Ms. Al-Hathloul, “who was detained on spurious national security grounds, had been instrumental in the movement to allow women to drive, and the push to end male guardianship laws.”

They noted that Saudi Arabia has since been commended widely by the international community, for its recent efforts to reform discriminatory legislation in these areas.

“It is shockingly hypocritical that Ms. Al-Hathloul remains in prison for campaigning to change laws which have since been amended. Indeed, she should never have been imprisoned in the first place for exercising her fundamental rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.” the experts said.

“In spite of recent improvements in Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship laws, it is imperative that the world does not lose sight of the human rights concerns which persist in the country, as human rights defenders have continued to express.”

Ms Al-Hathloul, who was arrested in May of 2018, has said that she has been tortured while in prison, but no inquiry into her allegations has taken place.

It is also alleged that she turned down a deal offering her freedom in exchange for recanting her statements, said OHCHR. Her last hearing, which was scheduled for April this year, was cancelled, and no new date has been set.

UN human rights experts have raised their concerns with the Saudi Government over the crackdown on women rights defenders, on a number of occasions.

At UN Assembly, China says ‘it will not ever be cowered by threats’

Wang Yi told the Assembly’s annual general debate that China is committed to resolve trade frictions and differences “in a calm, rational and cooperative manner”, as well as “utmost patience and goodwill.”

However, on Tuesday at the general debate, United States President Donald Trump told the UN that he would not accept a “bad trade deal” with China nor hoped a beneficial deal.

In his response, Mr. Wang stressed that “should the other side act in bad faith…we will have to make necessary responses to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests, and to uphold international justice.”

Spotlighting the marking of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 2019, Mr. Wang stressed that “850 million Chinese have shaken off poverty, and hundreds of millions have joined the middle-income group.”

On China’s diplomatic achievement, the Foreign Minister said that China had boosted world peace and prosperity through its development.

He reiterated that “China will remain committed to the basic principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in other country’s internal affairs as enshrined in the UN Charter.”

While commenting on rampant unilateralism, Mr. Wang urged the world not to “just sit idly by.” Recognizing the important role that the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty plays in upholding global strategic balance and stability, he said that unilateral withdrawal would cause multiple negative impact.

“China is opposed to the deployment of land-based intermediate-range missiles in the Asia Pacific,” he said, adding that “China will continue to take an active part in the international arms control process.”

He also addressed hotspot topics such as the Iranian nuclear issue, and he urged it to be “speedily brought back to the track of the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).”

He said that the Gulf countries should be urged to carry out dialogue and consultation, and countries from outside the region should “play a positive role in maintaining security in the region.”

Turning to the Korean Peninsula, Mr. Wang said the opportunity for the political settlement must not be missed again.

“It is necessary for the Security Council to consider…invoking the rollback terms of the [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea]-related resolutions in order to bolster the political settlement of the Peninsula issue,” he said.

On Myanmar and Bangladesh, Mr. Wang said China’s mediation efforts helped the two countries reach new common understanding on the return of Rohingya refugees.

“Only real action will bring hope and create conditions for reaching a final solution toward the Rakhine issue,” he stressed.

Pakistan’s Khan warns of all-out conflict amid rising tensions over Kashmir; demands India lift ‘inhuman’ curfew

“When a nuclear-armed country fights to the end, it will have consequences far beyond the borders. It will have consequences for the world,” Mr. Khan said, adding: “That’s not a threat … It’s a fair worry. Where are we headed? I’ve come here because this is a test for the United Nations. You guaranteed the right to determination of the people of Kashmir. You have a responsibility.”

In a wide-ranging address to the Assembly’s annual general debate that also covered issues such as climate change, development, inequality and the perils of rising Islamophobia, the Pakistani leader said that when he first came to power, he pledged that his country would work for peace, throughout the world and within its region, including with India.

He said he had initially spoken with India’s prime Minister Narendra Modi and offered to “work together” to tackle seminal challenges, including poverty and climate change as a way to “build a relationship on trust.” But unfortunately, no headway was made on any front.

Relations between the two continue to erode as tensions rose in Kashmir, including this past February when an Indian convoy in the disputed region was hit with a suicide bomb attack.

More recently, the Prime Minister said, it had become obvious that India was carrying out an “agenda” against Pakistan, particularly when, on 5 August, India had defied UN Security Council resolutions when it revoked Kashmir’s ‘special status’, and increased the number of Indian troops in Kashmir by 180,000, bringing the total number of security forces, according to Mr. Khan, to 900,000.

“And they put eight million people in Kashmir under curfew,” he said. “Arrogance makes people do cruel and stupid things,” he continued, adding: “So what is [Prime Minister Modi] going to do when he lifts the curfew? Does he think the people of Kashmir are quietly going to accept the status quo?”

“What is going to happen when the curfew is lifted will be a bloodbath. Has he thought through what happens then?” Prime Minister Khan said, wondering: “The people will be out in the streets and what will the soldiers do? They will shoot them.”

He warned that the result would be that “more Kashmiris will be radicalized. And guess what? India will blame [Pakistan] … and the mantra of ‘Islamic terrorism’ will continue.” Somewhere in the Muslim world, “someone will pick up arms. If there is a bloodbath, Muslims will pick up arms, not because of Islam, but because they will see there is no justice when it comes to Muslims.”

Prime Minster Khan said that if things continue along this road, a face-off between two nuclear-armed nations was all but inevitable. “But before we head in that direction, the United Nations has a responsibility. This is why the United Nations came into being in 1945, to stop [this type of thing] from happening. India must lift this inhuman curfew.”

At UN, Sudanese Prime Minister says ‘great revolution has succeeded,’ country will rebuild, restore values

Addressing the General Assembly’s annual general debate, Mr. Hamdok said Sudan’s people, after months of mass protests, had recently prevailed “against a brutal and repressive regime,” and thanked the UN Security Council, the Assembly, the African Union and other international partners for their support.

“The Sudanese people are moving confidently and steadily on their way towards the future as a friend and equal partner with all peace-loving people of the world,” he said, explain that the country will now aim to transform its foreign policy from the one that’s prevailed the last three decades.

In this new approach, Khartoum will reach out to its regional neighbours and all other countries worldwide, with a true spirit of friendship, guided by its genuine belief in human values and the heritage of Sudanese wisdom, he said.

Sudan pledges to uphold international law, human rights, and efforts to end discrimination, exploitation, injustice and inequality. “We remain committed to maintaining international peace and security,” he said.

The revolution aims to end Sudan’s international and regional isolation, Mr. Hamdok continued, but reminded delegations that his country has inherited international sanctions, and it is on the list of State sponsors of terrorism. However, “it was the former regime that supported terrorism”, he explained, not Sudan’s people.

The sanctions have wreaked havoc on its population. “We call on the United States of America to remove Sudan from the list of” State sponsors of terrorism and cease punishing the population for acts committed by the previous regime.

He said that Sudan is determined to address the root causes of its civil wars: economic marginalization, and ethnic, cultural and religious discrimination. As such, in addition to promoting social coexistence and fostering a culture of peace and tolerance among all components of the Sudanese people, he declared his determination to move forward in this way by building a state of government, a state of citizenship, a state of balanced development, and a state of protecting the rights of Sudanese.

The country will address the situation of refugees and displaced people, “while compensating them for the damages incurred” by war, he said. An additional challenge is the accumulated foreign debt inherited from the previous regime, and Sudan looks forward to the generosity of the international community.

Venezuela Vice-President speaks out against ‘coup d’etat’, $130 bn lost to ‘economic terrorism’

Addressing the UN General Assembly, and without referring to Mr. Guaidó by name, Delcy Rodriguez Gomez called his self-declaration as interim president this past January a “coup d’état” and “an unspeakable twisted stumbling block on our historic path”.

“This Member of Congress is an imperial puppet. He does not exist in Venezuelan politics. He is a criminal element who has been introduced to breach the peace in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” she said.

“This self-proclamation was followed by recognition by a majority of governments of this unequal world; perhaps one of the worst mistakes in the diplomatic history of these countries.”

Ms. Rodriguez began her speech by expressing gratitude to speak “in this house of the international community”. Climate action has been one of the major themes of this year’s general debate, where all 193 UN Member States have a voice.

Highlighting international cooperation in preserving the environment “which has been affected by the devastating capitalist model”, Ms. Rodriguez expressed solidarity with The Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian and railed against “the barbarous commercialization of the Amazon, led by the President of Brazil”.

The Vice-President said Venezuela also supports the urgent need to fight against poverty and inequality.

However, she noted “a new kind of terrorism” which does not involve weapons but “the dominance of the dollar.”

She said this “economic terrorism” punishes millions in the drive to “enforce doctrines of regime change and to steal the resources of nations”.

“Economic terrorism against Venezuela has caused a nine-fold drop in its income. Between 2015 and 2018, the total losses for the Venezuelan economy reached $130 billion because of the brutal blockade imposed by the United States, which is a shameless robbery of all our resources.”

Ms. Rodriguez said the US has also “flexed its imperialist claws” against “kindred” revolutions in Cuba and Nicaragua.

She called on the US to exert “less arrogance and more tolerance and coexistence with the other free nations of the world.”

Unable to accept its decline, West subverts international law to suit its needs, Russia’s Lavrov tells UN

Sergei Lavrov was of the view that the reason for the world’s current state lies “first and foremost”, in the unwillingness of the self-proclaimed winners of the Cold War to reckon with “the legitimate interests of other States”.

“It is hard for the West to put up with its weakening centuries-long dominance in world affairs”, even though new economic centres and political influences have emerged, he said.

Mr. Lavrov maintained that “leading Western countries are trying to impede the development of the polycentric world, to recover their privileged positions” and impose their standards of conduct on others.

Moreover, he said that the West has been increasingly loathe to recall international law, saying that instead it “dwells on” a rules-based order aimed to position itself as the only “indisputable source of legitimacy”.

Instead of working collectively, formats “outside of legitimate multilateral frameworks” are decided behind closed doors and declared multilateral agreements, he continued.

“Attacks on international law are looming large”, the Foreign Minister stated, pointing the United States withdrawal from the UN-endorsed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal.

And the US has “set a hard line” towards eroding UN resolutions on the international legal framework of the Middle East peace process.

“It suggests waiting for some ‘deal of the century’, meanwhile it has taken unilateral decisions on Jerusalem and the Golan Heights”, endangering the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, he spelled out.

Mr. Lavrov flagged, “the West also has its own ‘rules’ regarding the Balkans”, where it is pursuing “an open course” for undermining Security Council decisions on Kosovo and Bosnia.

Russia’s Foreign Minister underscored that universal conventions together with the UN Security Council resolutions “are an integral part of international law”, and yet the West would like to substitute them for its own rules.

“We’re seeing continued games played with conventions that commit countries to upholding linguistic, educational, religious and other rights of national minorities”, he argued.

“Even here our Western colleagues are guided by their own rules – they turn a blind eye to the open denial of national minorities’ rights and abet the retaining of an ignominious phenomenon of statelessness in Europe”.

Citing the UN Charter’s principle of non-interference in internal affairs, Mr. Lavrov said attempts are underway to add Venezuela “to the list of countries whose Statehood was destroyed before our eyes through aggression or coups inspired from abroad”.

Other global issues

According to Russia’s Foreign Minister, the regulation of cyber space is “among the most critical tasks of the world community”.

He recalled that last year, the Assembly endorsed the beginning of substantive work on discussing the responsible conduct of States in information space, noting that a resolution on Combating Cybercrime was adopted at Russia’s initiative.

“It is important to work for achieving legally binding agreements on all aspects of international information security”, Mr. Lavrov underscored.

He also saw a need to “step up efforts” to help settle crises globally, advocating as “the main point” to seek compliance with already existing-agreements and not to allow invented pretexts to refuse implementing already negotiated obligations.

“This also concerns conflicts on the post-Soviet territory, including the need to strictly follow the provisions of the Minsk Package of Measures to settle the crisis in the East of the Ukraine”.

Central African Republic: Three UN peacekeepers killed, fourth injured following helicopter crash

The four crew members onboard were all part of the Senegalese ‘blue helmets’ contingent, flying a Mi-24 helicopter providing air support to an ongoing MINUSCA security operation in Nana-Mabere province, before they were reportedly forced to make an emergency landing due to bad weather, near Bouar, not far from the Cameroon border.

Secretary-General António Guterres offered his “heartfelt condolences to the families of the peacekeepers, as well as to the Government and people of Senegal” in a statement issued in New York by his Spokesperson.

“He wishes a speedy recover to the injured” and “reaffirms the commitment of the United Nations to supporting the people and Government of CAR in their efforts to consolidate peace”, the statement continued.

The surviving peacekeeper is in critical condition and was due to be evacuated to a hospital for emergency treatment, MINUSCA said in a statement.

UN Special Representative and Head of the Mission, Mankeur Ndiaye, said the incident “is another example of the risks that peacekeepers face in their engagement on the ground, often at risk of their lives.”

MINUSCA currently has nearly 13,000 uniformed personnel serving the country’s five-year-old peacekeeping mission, aiming to restore security, and provide support for human rights efforts, following years of political upheaval.

Treat climate crisis with ‘greatest urgency’, Bahamas leader tells UN Assembly

Addressing the UN General Assembly, nearly one month after Hurricane Dorian devastated two major population centres in the archipelagic nation, Mr. Minnis urged his fellow world leaders to treat the climate crisis as the greatest challenge to the planet.

“I add my urgent plea to the cries and voices of many other leaders and citizens of the global commons, urging the nations of the world here assembled to treat the global climate emergency as the greatest challenge facing humanity.

“It is a challenge that, if not treated with the greatest urgency, will continue to ravage small island states, such as The Bahamas, and will also have devastating impact on more developed states.”

Hurricane Dorian slammed two islands in the northern Bahamas, Abaco and Grand Bahama, causing 56 deaths. Six hundred people are still missing.

At its peak, the hurricane packed winds of 185 miles per hour and generated storm surges as high as 23 feet.

Prime Minister Minnis described Hurricane Dorian as a “physical apocalypse” for some communities which include Marsh Harbour, the formerly picturesque main town on Abaco, now reduced to rubble.

Although the hurricane has left Bahamians heartbroken, he said citizens are grateful for international assistance received in the aftermath.

Prior to Dorian, The Bahamas was hit by major hurricanes from 2015 to 2017. Hurricanes in the region have grown “increasingly lethal” over the past three decades, according to Mr. Minnis.

He added that because the islands of The Bahamas stretch over some 180,000 square miles of ocean, the country can be affected by any number of hurricane trajectories.

“Our heating climate results in the increased severity and frequency of hurricanes for our archipelago, and also destroys our natural defenses against such storms. Coral and mangrove degradation, land erosion, increased tidal movements and the myriad other consequences of global warming, increase our vulnerability and handicap our ability to develop and to establish effective resilience,” he continued.

Mr. Minnis said small island countries “are on the frontlines of being swallowed into an abyss created initially by human activity and increasingly by inaction.”

The Prime Minister expressed support for the UN Secretary-General’s strategy to address the climate crisis, including his call to provide concessionary financing to affected nations.

Sudan at the start of ‘long road to recovery’, UN chief tells high-level meeting

Men and women from all sections of society risked their lives to achieve long-held aspirations for democracy and peace, and Sudan is at a “pivotal moment of change and hope”, declared the UN chief, adding that the UN remains committed to supporting the new Government and the people of Sudan as they “embark on the delicate period ahead”.

Whilst the process that led to the creation of the power-sharing deal – between a coalition of opposition and protest groups, and Sudan’s military council (which ousted former president, Omar al-Bashir) – was being led by Sudan, with support from the African Union and Ethiopia, Mr. Guterres emphasized that the international community has a key role to play going forward.

Supportive measures suggested by the UN chief include removing Sudan’s designation by some nations as a sponsor of terrorism, lifting economic sanctions, and mobilizing massive financial support for development, to make the current political gains durable.

Mr. Guterres expressed optimism that, under the leadership of Abdalla Hamdok, the Prime Minister of Sudan, the transitional government will be able to “strengthen governance and the rule of law, uphold human rights, and set the country on a path towards economic recovery”.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Hamdok told UN News: “We are coming to the world to tell the world that Sudan, after 30 years of absence, is coming back to the fold of free nations. We are coming with a message of hope and determination, and we would like to see the rest of the world reciprocating this”.

The Sudanese Prime Minster was speaking as a deal was signed between Sudan and the UN, to open a Human Rights Office in Khartoum, with field offices in Darfur, Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan and East Sudan. The signing was described as a “milestone agreement” by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, who endorsed the accord on behalf of the United Nations.

Month: September 2019