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Month: October 2019

As urbanisation grows, cities unveil sustainable development solutions on World Day

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) will host a celebration at its Paris Headquarters on Thursday, convening representatives from all corners of the world for discussions on how cities can combat the climate crisis, create more inclusive urban spaces, and contribute to technical innovation. 

Cities provide a wealth of opportunities, jobs included, and generate over 80 per cent of gross national product across the globe, according to UN estimates. Urban areas also account for between 60 and 80 per cent of all energy consumption, despite only occupying three per cent of the planet’s surface and are responsible for three quarters of all greenhouse gas emissions.

In addressing these pros and cons, the Organisation has advocated for a “people-centred” development model, and aims to “re-humanise cities” in the face of trends impacting them, from population growth, demographic shifts, and increasing the risk of disasters induced by climate change. 

This year’s theme: “Changing the world: innovations and better life for future generations” spotlights the role of technology and young people in building sustainable cities. To do so, Thursday’s commemorative event will be organized along four key discussion themes: ‘Cities 4 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’, ‘Cities 4 Climate Action’, ‘Cities 4 Communities’, and ‘Cities 4 the Future’.

In line with its multidisciplinary mandate, UNESCO’s 2004 Creative Cities Network continues to harness the various ways cities spanning the globe are placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans. 

From gastronomy in Tucson, Arizona, to design in Nagoya, Japan, the network engages 180 cities in total, which integrate creative approaches in their development plans. See the complete list of cities, and their creative undertakings here.

For World Cities Day this year, UNESCO is partnering with the UN”s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), UN-Habitat, and refugee agency (UNHCR) to amplify the concerted action of the United Nations for cities alongside their planners and other urban players. 

The UN-proclaimed World Day serves as a call for States, municipalities and city dwellers to work together for transformative change and sustainable strategies for cities, as urbanisation continues to swell. 

Tributes for ‘role model’ former UN refugee agency chief, Sadako Ogata

António Guterres said he was “deeply saddened” to hear of her passing: “Sadako Ogata set the standard for helping refugees: principled, compassionate, effective.  She was fearless in her advocacy for people, humanitarian action and political solutions.”

As the first woman to lead the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, he said she had been “a pioneer in highlighting not only the impact of violence on women but the imperative of women’s involvement in solutions.  Her contributions continued long after her service as High Commissioner, in particular in articulating the concept of human security.”

Ms. Ogata, a Japanese national, led the agency between 1991 and 2000, which was “one of the most momentous decades in its history”, said the current UNHCR chief, Filippo Grandi. She oversaw major emergency operations in response to crises in the former Soviet Union, Iraq, the Balkans – especially Bosnia – Somalia, the Great Lakes, and East Timor, “as well as helping millions of refugees return home in large-scale repatriation operations in Central America”, the agency noted.

‘Visionary leader’

Mr. Grandi described her as a “visionary leader” and “committed internationalist, and a friend to the United Nations throughout her life…We at UNHCR extend deepest condolences to Mrs Ogata’s son Atsushi and her daughter Akiko, to all her family and to the Government and people of Japan for their great loss.”

UNHCR said she had been a tireless advocate for international solidarity with refugees, remaining in close touch after leaving the top job, and had pioneered the notion of “human security” and the use of development aid to help solve displacement, in her role as President of JICA, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency.

The UN chief said she had left “a unique legacy and imprint on the UN Refugee Agency, as I witnessed upon assuming leadership of UNHCR a few years later.  Many millions of people enjoy better lives and opportunities thanks to her solidarity and skillful work on their behalf.  And the many people today who have been forcibly displaced from their countries and homes are better served because of her achievements. 

I am grateful to have known Sadako Ogata as both colleague and friend, and I offer condolences to her family, to the people and Government of Japan, and to her many admirers around the world.”

Watch an edition of the UN’s former interview programme, World Chronicle, with Ms. Ogata, from 2005, where she discusses her memoir looking back on her decade in charge of UNHCR: “The Turbulent Decade, confronting the refugee crises of the 1990s”.

Tuesday’s Daily Brief: Slow progress on women and peace, rights in Kashmir, Venezuela refugees, Guterres on key Syria talks

‘Real change’ involving women in peace and security, still too slow, Guterres tells Security Council

The Women, Peace and Security agenda must continue to be “one of the top priorities of the United Nations”, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday, in an open debate on how best to accelerate change.

He spoke of “the sad fact” that the commitment “reflected around this table is not translating into real change around the world”, lamenting, “it is not coming fast enough or far enough”.

Read our full coverage here.

India should ‘unlock’ freedom curbs in disputed Kashmir, urges UN human rights chief

The people of Indian-administered Kashmir continue to be deprived of numerous basic freedoms, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday, before urging the Indian authorities “to unlock the situation”.

The appeal over the territory – which both India and Pakistan claim as sovereign – follows months of escalating tensions linked to earlier suicide attacks and the Indian Government’s decision in August to revoke majority-Muslim Kashmir’s special status, which for decades had allowed it partial autonomy.

Here’s our story.

UN confirms food aid delivery to more than 300,000 vulnerable Syrians in troubled northeast

More than 300,000 Syrians have received emergency food aid from the UN in the last three weeks, in response to the recent military operations in the north-east of the country.

According to the World Food Programme, WFP, this number includes people fleeing hostilities and families providing shelter to the displaced.

In addition, the agency is scaling up regular food assistance to nearly 600,000 people in Hasakeh and Raqqa governorates, including many who were uprooted by the Turkish incursion in Kurdish-controlled areas.

Highlighting the ongoing humanitarian emergency elsewhere in the wartorn country, the UN agency noted that some 400,000 people have sought shelter in camps in northern Idlib in recent months.

UN chief welcomes next step in Syrian peace process

On the eve of its launch,  welcomed the “unique opportunity” provided by the Syrian-led Constitutional Committee, which meets for the first time on Wednesday.

Syrian Government and opposition will sit together at the UN in Geneva to discuss a political path out of the grinding Syrian conflict, through a new constitution. 

“I am pleased that women’s representation on the committee is very near 30 per cent – the UN has been steadfast to secure that minimum threshold”, Mr. Guterres said in a statement.

With the UN facilitating, Mr. Guterres fully expects that in line with resolution 2254 of 2015, the parties will work in good faith toward a solution that “meets the legitimate aspirations of all Syrians and is based on a strong commitment to the country’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity”.

“The Constitutional Committee’s launch and work must be accompanied by concrete actions to build trust and confidence”, he argued, adding that its meaningful engagement, accompanied by a cessation of hostilities across the country, “will provide my Special Envoy with an environment he requires to effectively discharge his mandate to facilitate a broader political process”. 

Solidarity conference pledges $133 million in new support for Venezuela

International actors, aid agencies and governments reportedly pledged $133 million on Tuesday to assist desperate Venezuelans in the throes of a deepening economic and political crisis.

Under President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has witnessed a mass exodus that led the oil-rich country into a recession in 2014, prompted record-breaking inflation and dried up food resources, as well as health and other basic services. 

At the European Union-led solidarity conference in Brussels, a “strong message of support” was relayed to those who fled Venezuela – now estimated at 4.5 million – as well as the countries and communities in Latin America and the Caribbean hosting them.

With 120 delegations in attendance, the EU and its UN partners also reviewed host countries’ best practices and achievements and rallied further international support.

El Salvador’s ‘double burden’ of malnutrition and obesity is equivalent to 10 per cent of GDP – WFP report

Researchers in El Salvador have found that undernutrition and obesity cost the country 10 per cent of its economic output.

In the first of a series of studies into countries in the region to highlight the cost of poor nutrition, the World Food Programme and partners said that in 2017, this “double burden” amounted to $2.5 billion.

Most of this came from lost productivity, while one-third was linked to extra healthcare costs, the agency said, highlighting that that many families often experience malnutrition and obesity at the same time.

According to the study, one-in-six children in the central American country are chronically undernourished and six in 10 adults are overweight or obese.

Listen to or download our audio News in Brief for 29 October on SoundCloud:  

‘Real change’ involving women in peace and security, still too slow, Guterres tells Security Council

He spoke of “the sad fact” that the commitment “reflected around this table is not translating into real change around the world”, lamenting, “it is not coming fast enough or far enough”.

“Change is coming at a pace that is too slow for the women and girls whose lives depend on it, and for the effectiveness of our efforts to maintain international peace and security”, the UN chief said.

Mr. Guterres informed the Security Council that nearly two decades since resolution 1325 acknowledged the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls, “women still face exclusion from peace and political processes”.

“A pitifully small 0.2 per cent of bilateral aid to fragile and conflict-affected situations goes to women’s organizations”, bemoaned the UN chief, noting the rise of attacks against women human rights defenders, humanitarians and peacebuilders and the use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war.

Misogyny, a ‘strategic objective’

A growing number of armed groups use gender inequality as a strategic objective, with “misogyny part of their core ideology”, according to Mr. Guterres. “And, of course, we know that women and girls continue to pay the consequences of conflict in general”.

Turning his attention to northeast Syria, he pointed to thousands of women and children fleeing the latest violence, and vowed not to give up, calling it “an absolute priority” for him.

Mr. Guterres elaborated on UN actions to include women in processes, such as the UN-established Women’s Technical Advisory Group in Yemen, to ensure their perspectives.

UN departments are implementing a new, stronger policy on women, peace and security, he noted, while special political missions and envoys have been instructed to report regularly on their efforts to promote women’s “direct participation” throughout all stages of peace processes.

Moreover, peacekeeping operations are working to end sexual exploitation and abuse and increase women’s participation.

“Incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse have been reduced by half, and we are finally moving the needle on the percentage of women in the military and the police component of our operations”, flagged the UN chief.

Noting that he was pursuing “emergency measures to achieve gender balance”, Mr. Guterres pointed out that he has appointment many women as heads and deputy heads of missions and reminded the Chamber that – endorsed by more than 150 countries – “women, peace and security is one of the eight priority pillars of our Action for Peacekeeping”.

As such, he has requested peacekeeping and special political missions to improve their monitoring and reporting on threats and violence against activists, and for this to be built into early warning signs of escalating conflict or instability.

Mr. Guterres closed his statement by recognizing both the progress made and how much more remains to be done.

“When we fall short, women and girls and all members of society pay the consequences”, he said, noting the “enormous” cost of not acting on behalf of women’s rights.

‘Stark contrast’ between words and deeds

UN Women’s Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka presented the Secretary-General’s latest WPS report in the Council, noting the “stark contrast” between offers of support and reality.

“We still live in a world that tolerates and excuses women’s continued exclusion from peace and political process and institutions”, she stated, pointing out that after conflict, men dominate large-scale reconstruction while economic recovery for women is overwhelmingly limited to small-scale activities like micro-enterprises.

“Feminist organization’s repeated calls for disarmament, arms control and shifting military spending to social investment go unanswered”, censured Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka.

In remarking that several recent peace talks had largely excluded or sidelined women, she stated: “We can do better than this”.

“We need your political will to demand women’s direct and meaningful participation in peace talks”, Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka stressed, observing that fewer than eight per cent of agreements reached, contained gender-related provisions –down from 39 per cent in 2015.

She cited a recent analysis on Colombia’s 2016 peace accord that showed around half of the 130 gender-related provisions in the agreement have not been initiated.

A new resolution

Before the meeting adjourned, the Council adopted resolution 2493, which, among other things, requested further information on the progress and setbacks in the WPS agenda as well as recommendations to address new and emerging challenges.

It called for the appointment of gender and/or women protection advisers to facilitate women’s “full and effective participation and protection” in election preparation processes, disarmament, judicial reforms and wider post-conflict reconstruction processes.

The resolution also requested the Secretary-General to develop “context-specific approaches” for women’s “full, equal and meaningful participation” in all UN-supported peace talks to ensure their inclusive involvement.

India should ‘unlock’ freedom curbs in disputed Kashmir, urges UN human rights chief

The appeal over the territory – which both India and Pakistan claim as sovereign – follows months of escalating tensions linked to earlier suicide attacks and the Indian Government’s decision in August to revoke majority-Muslim Kashmir’s special status, which for decades had allowed it partial autonomy.

At the time of the Indian Government decision, five UN-appointed independent rights experts warned that it had led to tighter central Government control, restrictions on peaceful protests and a communications blackout.

Curfew ‘still in place in large parts’ of Kashmir valley

In Geneva on Tuesday, spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Rupert Colville acknowledged that an “undeclared curfew” had been lifted from much of Jammu and Ladakh regions within a few days.

But he noted that it was reportedly still in place “in large parts of the Kashmir Valley, preventing the free movement of people, as well as hampering their ability to exercise their right to peaceful assembly and restricting their rights to health, education and freedom of religion and belief.”   

Highlighting several allegations of excessive use of force against protesters that involved the use of “pellet-firing shotguns, tear gas and rubber bullets”, Mr. Colville said that there had also been unconfirmed reports of “at least six civilian killings and scores of serious injuries”, in separate incidents since the Indian Government declaration on 5 August across Jammu and Kashmir.

The Office of the High Commissioner had also received reports that armed groups in Indian-administered Kashmir have threatened some residents trying to work or go to school, the OHCHR spokesperson said.

In addition, “at least another six people have been killed and over a dozen injured in alleged attacks by armed group members, since 5 August”.

Web access blocked, politicians detained

And although restrictions on landline telephones were eventually lifted, and a state-run telecom company allowed to resume partial mobile phone services, all internet services remain blocked in the Kashmir valley, Mr. Colville insisted.

In line with the Indian Government’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s partial self-rule, two separate federally-administered Union Territories are to be created this Thursday, the OHCHR Spokesperson explained, adding that “hundreds of political and civil society leaders” had been detained “on a preventative basis”.

While some political workers have reportedly been released, most senior leaders – especially those from the Kashmir Valley – remain in detention, he said.

UN summit tackles climate change-induced threat to mountain water supplies

The earth’s glaciers, snow, permafrost and associated ecosystems, collectively known as the cryosphere, provide drinkable water for half of the world, but as the earth gets warmer, the supply is becoming unpredictable.  

The UN’s weather agency which is carefully monitoring the effects of climate change on water supplies, WMO, and partners, kicked off the High Mountain Summit in Geneva on Tuesday. Mountain environments are seeing changes in flash flooding patterns, retreating mountain glaciers, and changes to seasonal runoff, among others.

As a result of these changes on the world’s peaks, freshwater supplies are being impacted, from mountainsides to urban economies, as recognized by the UN  in a recent General Assembly Resolution on Sustainable Mountain Development.

From the Yukon, to the Andes, the mountain cryosphere provides and regulates freshwater resources for around half of the world’s population, WMO explained in the summit concept note, and the retreating ice, is creating major impacts.

Species dependent on snow cover are migrating further and further upslope; pastures irrigated by glacial melt are becoming parched; artificial snowmaking is compensating for limited snowfall on the ski slopes; and glacial lake flooding, landslides and avalanches are costing more lives and economic loss.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) outlined these repercussions in a special report published in September, ahead of the three-day mountain summit,  which addresses the growing burden of the changing climate and its strain on the earth’s water systems, from its oceans, to its ice sheets.

In the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, floods alone account for one-third of all natural disasters, which are increasing and leaving one billion people at greater risk of exposure, one expert on the region told summit attendees. Around the world, the human impacts of natural hazards are rising, nearly doubling every decade.

WMO’s high-level dialogue aims to engage decision-makers and local actors to make the most of existing mechanisms to enhance the presence and quality of hydro-meteorological and climate services for disaster risk reduction, and better water resource management.

A multi-pronged solution

Those who are mountain-dwellers and know them well, have a unique relationship with nature, therefore, the culture aspect is key when it comes to implementing disaster disk management technologies, in places they’ve never been before.

People who are indigenous to Peru’s Andes region have long seen glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) as a fact of life and worshipped the mountain as a God. Building a weather station in a sacred place could stir fear of supernatural consequences among locals, who believe they may be punished by rain or drought, one environmentalist explained.

The nexus between research and decisions which will impact local people, however positive, is therefore, a delicate one, and clearly communicating the benefits of change is essential.

Further, the September IPCC report highlights the importance of locals’ and indigenous knowledge, coupled with scientific understanding, in building successful approaches to helping the earth’s highlands.

In recent years, two neighbouring indigenous populations in the United States, who share a large reservation in the northern Rocky Mountains, rely on glacier meltwater for pasture irrigation, fishery maintenance, and traditional ceremonies, and thus, have sought to install mechanisms for more efficient water use, but were met with land law roadblocks.

Governments must play a major role in supporting adaptation activities, which the High Mountain Summit seeks to promote. In addition, the event, concluding on 31 October, is expected to adopt a Call for Action, identify practical steps for enhancing the cryosphere, and foster interactive dialogue between science, policy, governance, and local actors.

The Summit will be followed by the Santiago Climate Change Conference, featuring the annual 25th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 25) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), taking into account the landmark Paris climate accord and UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. 

Click below to hear from Coordinating Lead Author of the latest IPCC report on Soundcloud: 

Monday’s Daily Brief: Israeli-Palestinian conflict, gender gap in Latin America, Syria talks in Geneva, human rights in Egypt, the future of digital telecommunications

‘Multi-generational tragedy’ in Israel and Palestine demands political will for two-State solution

Pervasive deteriorating facts on the ground in Israeli-Palestinian conflict, “are pushing us every further” from achieving a viable two-State solution, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council on Monday.

With the spotlight on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Special Envoy Nicolay Mlandenov detailed “new dangerous flashpoints” emerging in the region, under rapidly shifting developments in the Middle East as a whole, which have snowballed into a growing threat to international peace and security. 

Here’s our story.

More women in Latin America are working, but gender gap persists, new UN figures show

More women are entering the workforce across Latin America, with an increase in 11 per cent in the last 30 years, putting the region ahead of the curve when it comes to growth in female labour force participation, according to new data published by the United Nations on Monday. 

The research gathered jointly by the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International  Labour Organization (ILO), spotlights the array of factors influencing women’s labour participation in the region, while highlighting the social and economic benefits of women in the workforce. 

Women’s access to paid opportunities, and the narrowing of gender gaps is “crucial for growth, equality and poverty reduction in the region,” the authors highlight in the new study. 

More in our story, here.

UN envoy urges prisoner release as Syria Constitutional Committee prepares to start work in Geneva

Forty-eight hours before a 150-member Constitutional Committee for Syria meets for the first time in Geneva to try to agree on a new foundational text for the war-ravaged country, UN Special Envoy Geir O. Pedersen on Monday repeated his call for a nationwide ceasefire and the release of prisoners to build trust between belligerents.

Speaking in the Swiss city, Mr. Pedersen said that representatives from the Government of Syria and opposition groups had “ownership” of a political process that could end more than eight years of brutal conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.

Talks between Syrian Government and opposition representatives, along with civil society voices, begin on Wednesday.

Egypt must end repression of protesters and rights defenders, UN experts decry

A group of UN rights experts has called on Egypt to protect people’s rights to freedom of speech, following a surge of arrests targeting demonstrators, rights defenders and journalists, and reported use of violent crackdowns by authorities. 

In response to a wave of peaceful protests across the country on 20 and 21 September which called for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s resignation, and an end to government corruption, authorities have reportedly used live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas, and arrested at least 3,000 people including bystanders, academics, and lawyers in the upheaval.

The experts said “We express our concerns at the heavy-handed response by Egyptian security forces against the protesters and others… We recall that the primary duty of law enforcement is to protect peaceful assemblies”, adding that use of force is not permitted unless strictly necessary, and lethal force, should be a measure of last resort.

World Radiocommunication Conference to forge pathways for future digital communications

Over 3,000 delegates from most of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)’s 193 Member States are expected to attend the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19), which started on Monday, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt and will run until mid-November.  

At the opening, ITU’s Secretary-General Houlin Zhao highlighted the role of digital inclusion on improving the lives of millions across the world.

Addressing WRC-19 by video, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also highlighted that “technologies, such as 5G and satellite communications, offer great promise to close the digital divide and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.

Providing the tools for effective climate action, the conference is expected to unlock great potential for human progress advancing many of the SDGs, by forging pathways for better access to health care, foster sustainable agricultural practices and reduce poverty and hunger, improve energy efficiency and make cities smart and communities more sustainable.

Listen to or download our audio News in Brief for 28 October on SoundCloud:  

‘Multi-generational tragedy’ in Israel and Palestine demands political will for two-State solution

With the spotlight on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Special Envoy Nicolay Mlandenov detailed “new dangerous flashpoints” emerging in the region, under rapidly shifting developments in the Middle East as a whole, which have snowballed into a growing threat to international peace and security. 

Occupations in Palestinian areas continue, “and no progresss has been  made in realizing a negotiated two-State solution”, he reported during his quarterly update to the Council on the Middle East. “It is a multi-generational tragedy for the peoples of this land.” 

A growing number of Israeli settlements, illegal under international law, remains a “substantial obstacle” in the peace process. In the last month, plans have advanced for housing units to expand in the occupied West Bank, and though exact numbers have yet to be confirmed, even without this latest advancement, the approval of settlement expansion so far this year is already greater than that for all of 2018, Mr. Mlandenov explained. 

Meanwhile, Palestinian structures have been demolished or seized, as Israeli-issued building permits are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. The teardown or seizure of 51 structures has displaced 80 Palestinians, including 40 children, he said. 

Citing a deescalation of tensions in recent weeks, the Special Envoy said Gaza has seen a reduction in violence, brokered by the UN and Egypt, however still, “three Palestinans were recently killed by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), and over 500 injured” in demonstrations along the Gaza perimeter he said, urging authorities to exercise restraint in the use of lethal force. 

It is a multi-generational tragedy for the peoples of this land.–UN Special Envoy Nicolay Mlandenov

The exposure to violence, particularly for children, must be contained, he said, with one infant killed following tear gas inhalation during West Bank clashes, among two Palestinians killed, in addition to 88 injured in various incidents, including 11 children. Four Israelis, including two Israel Security Forces personnel were also injured. 

In addition, Mr. Mladenov said he is “particularly concerned” by settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, recalling a recent “alarming incident” this month during the annual olive harvest, in which Palestinian farmers, Israeli and foreign volutneers were hit by stones and metal rods by people in the Yitzhar settlement. Four foreign volunteers were injured in addition to one 80-year-old rabbi. 

A political core

Highlighting humanitarian gains, Mr. Mladenov said the UN has reported progress on urgent interventions, which “have had an important impact across many sectors”: The average daily availability of electricity has doubled from 5.5 hours in the first half of 2018, to 12-15 hours in the first half of 2019, a way for improved water and wastewater treatment, reduced need for expensive fuel to power hospitals, and lower costs for private businesses and families. 

Emergency healthcare has benefited nearly 450,000 people in Gaza, and almost 400,000 have benefited from drugs and medical supplies. 

In addition, the organisation’s temporary job creation programmes have produced more than 16,000 positions, with another 1,000 expected in the coming weeks. 

These efforts collectively represent fruits of dialogue by the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), which functions to coordinate international aid, and highlighted the dire need to suport Palestinian people and advance the two-State solution in it’s last meeting on 26 Septemeber. 

Mr. Mladenov stressed that while the humanitarian crisis remains a top priority, “I reiterate, once again, that the core of the crisis in Gaza is political.” 

Such is true for surrounding Middle-Eastern nations, also seeing desperate situations: In Lebanon, 1.5 million are engaging in peaceful demonstrations, protests in Iraq earlier this month resulted in scores of fatalities, nine years of conflict in Syria have taken a devastating toll on civilians, including serious human rights violations and an entire generation of children is growing up in war, he said. 

“The people of the region have seen enough violence and injustice. The region cannot afford another war…”, he maintained. 

Efforts to address the Israeli-Palestinian question, as with the Middle East at large, “cannot be sustained on a purely humanitarian basis. They need a political perspective that illuminates a path forward…” 

FROM THE FIELD: ‘Blue’ finance flows in the Seychelles

The Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, is rich in biodiversity. However, years of over-fishing and the impact of climate change has meant that many Seychellois are unable to make a living.

Fishermen at Beau Vallon beach in the Seychelles prepare their nets for fishing. Seychelles Tourism Board/Ennio Maffei

The island nation’s Government has been supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to put together a financial plan, including a “blue bond” and debt restructuring focused on climate adaptation.

Ultimately, up to 400,000 km2, around 40 per cent of its marine environment, will be protected and marine resources will be managed in a sustainable way for the benefit of the people of the Seychelles.

Read more here about how protected areas are being financed.

 

More women in Latin America are working, but gender gap persists, new UN figures show

The research gathered jointly by the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International  Labour Organization (ILO), spotlights the array of factors influencing women’s labour participation in the region, while highlighting the social and economic benefits of women in the workforce. 

Women’s access to paid opportunities, and the narrowing of gender gaps are “crucial for growth, equality and poverty reduction in the region,” the authors highlight in the new study. 

Despite a closing disparity  between the number of working men versus women, the new figures demonstrate that the gap between women’s labour participation versus that of men still amounts to more than 25 per cent on average. Further, a deeper dive into pay scale shows that for each hour worked, women’s earnings are on average 17 per cent below those of men, of the same age and education and economic status. 

Large differences also exist among countries in the region when it comes to pace of growth, and the levels of female participation achieved, with figures lagging significantly in developing countries. 

In 2018 overall, over half of all women (aged 15 or over) in 18 countries in the region were working, with Peru taking the lead at 68.7 per cent, followed by Bolivia with 63 per cent, and among the lowest, Costa Rica at 45.1 per cent, and 43. 5 per cent in Mexico.

One of the main factors underpinning a growing working women population is higher education-the study demonstrates a positive correlation between number of school years completed, with rates of labour participation. In Peru, for example, 90 per cent of women with advanced education (which in this case refers to schooling beyond high-school level), were working, and 80 per cent in Venezuela, with similar correlations in neighboring countries. 

The gaps can be attributed to an array of circumstances; from national economic status, to social and cultural expectations, the authors note, and it is “crucial” to take into account that the decision to work, in turn, has an impact on other facets of life. 

Greater work opportunities do not necessarily imply greater participation or, better quality of life, the study indicates. The amount of unpaid work to be done within the household, along with working for economic earnings, can double a women’s workload if unpaid duties are not balanced. 

Broadening women’s participation in the labour market, therefore, “necessitates major changes in society.” 

Technology, equal access to education, declining fertility rates, and greater levels of average income have levied the time needed to carry out domestic tasks, which have collectively contributed to greater numbers of working women in the region, Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC’s Executive Secretary, and Juan Felipe Hunt, the ILO’s acting Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean stated in the document’s foreward.

“Progress has also been achieved in terms of political rights and social norms. However, some areas that could limit the growth of labor participation are still lagging, “ she said, “these include gender gaps regarding expected educational achievement and cultural aspects that promote women’s reproductive and caregiving role.”

Greater participation of women in the workforce pursues gender equity goals, as established in the UN’s Sustainable Development target (SDG 5), which highlightlights that gender equality is not only a human right, but a prerequisite to achieving a peaceful and sustainable world, the report highlights.

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