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Month: November 2019

Syrian Constitutional Committee a ‘sign of hope’: UN envoy tells Security Council

“This launch was a sign of hope for the Syrian people, and a chance for the Syrian parties to begin a direct dialogue that they lead and own, on the future of a broken country”, he stated.

Negotiations for the Committee were held in Geneva at the end of October and brought together 150 participants: 50 each nominated by the Government, opposition and civil society.

Feelings of anger and loss, but talks held together

The men and women met over two days in the first face-to-face talks in five years, and the first to include civil society.

However, proceedings were not easy, as Mr. Pedersen revealed. Opinions diverged sharply, deep feelings of anger and loss surfaced, and at times emotions ran high.

“And yet, everyone stayed engaged,” he reported.

“The members of the Committee agreed an initial agenda, and listened to each other’s discourse, and there were efforts in language, tone, gesture and positioning to signal an openness to dialogue. With each passing day, there was a little more of this.”

Women’s participation central to democracy

Sabah Al Hallak of the Syrian Women’s League described the Constitutional Committee launch as “a good step forward” in increasing women’s participation in the formal political process.

Women comprised around 30 per cent of the civil society participants, who had no formal political affiliations.

“Let me be clear: There can be no democracy without women’s full, equal and meaningful participation, or without codifying women’s rights and gender equality in any political process,” she stated.

Looking at the bigger picture, Mr. Pedersen expressed concern over the escalation in violence in the north, including the killing of at least a dozen people on Thursday in an attack in besieged Idlib.

James Jeffrey, the United States Special Representative for Syria, underlined the need for a ceasefire. He also called for countries to pressure the Assad regime.

“The United States maintains its position that there can be no reconstruction assistance to Damascus in the areas that it controls until there is a credible and irreversible political process in line with (Security Resolution) 2254,” he said.

“We believe that this position is consistent with many of our European and Middle Eastern partners. We will work closely with them to ensure that this pressure is maintained.”

Talks resume on Monday

The Constitution Committee agreed a 45-person body that reviewed ideas and proposals put forward in the larger group.

Negotiations are set to resume in Geneva on Monday.

Russia expressed hope that proceedings will take place “in a constructive atmosphere.”

“We deem it unacceptable to attempt to interfere in its work, or to impose solutions on the Syrians that run counter to their national interests or do not reflect them. It is also unacceptable to impose artificial deadlines or to put forward requirements for concessions from just one of the parties,” said Dmitry Polyanskiy, chargé d’affaires at the country’s Mission to the UN.

Mr. Pedersen urged Committee members and the international community to act in the interest of the Syrian people.

“It is my firm hope that with the Constitutional Committee as a door-opener, the Government and opposition will be able in time to establish a relationship, violence will abate, and conditions on the ground will change, and a comprehensive and decisive solution will finally emerge for the benefit of all Syrians,” he said.

“The Syrians who are leading and owning this process must seize the opportunity that the launch of the Committee offers. And they, and all of us, must build around it a mutually reinforcing dynamic for the sake of the Syrian people.”

Friday’s Daily Brief: DRC Ebola concerns, Yemen peace hopes, more migrant boats leave Libya

New DRC Ebola virus transmission chain risks reversing major gains: WHO

Amid multiple deadly attacks on civilians by armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an Ebola death “unlinked to any chain of transmission”, risks reversing major gains against the epidemic, a top UN medic said on Friday.

Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director for the World Health Organization (WHO)  Health Emergencies programme, said that while “98 per cent” of infection in the last three weeks could be traced back to two chains of transmission, a third one had now been identified in Oicha health zone, North Kivu.

According to the WHO, the death can be linked to health zones in Kalunguta, Mandima, Mabalako and Beni, in addition to Oicha.

The agency says it knows of more than 200 contacts associated with that case, 62 are of “extreme high risk”, but it has only had access to 19 so far. There have been 3,298 infections in total and 2,197 deaths since the latest  Ebola outbreak was declared last August.

Read the full story here

Momentum building towards political settlement for Yemen

The UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said on Friday that momentum to reach a political settlement in Yemen “has been building”.

The Special Envoy cited developments such as the Riyadh Agreement, signed on 5 November between the Government and the Southern Transitional Council; a decrease in violence – with the observation that there have been 48-hour periods without airstrikes “for the first time since the conflict began” – and the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement, which among other things, has enabled fuel ships to enter the crucial port city tof Hudaydah, averting a worsening humanitarian crisis.

“We have seen the parties work together”, said Martin Griffiths, including on the situation in southern governorates, the de-escalation of hostilities and economic crisis facing the war-torn nation, where a Saudi-led coalition backing the Government has been trying to defeat Houthi rebel forces during more than four years of brutal fighting.

Mr. Griffiths avowed that Yemen now needs “the kind of leadership that creates peace”, a leader who practices “the art or concession, of inclusion, and who encourages forbearance over entitlement”.

Full story here

UN chief hails progress in global peacebuilding

Addressing a meeting of the UN’s Peacebuilding Commission at UN headquarters on Friday, Secretary-General António Guterres hailed progress made by the UN, in the fields of conflict prevention, peace and security, and connecting the Organization’s work on peace, sustainable development and human rights.

The Commission, said Mr. Guterres, has brought attention to some of the drivers of instability – such as inequality, climate change and corruption – and how to address them. He cited meetings on Burkina Faso, Liberia and the Sahel region, amongst others, at which challenges and risks have been discussed.

The UN chief underscored the crucial nature of funding for peacekeeping: he described contributions to the Peacebuilding Fund as having increased modestly, at a time when demands for support have grown exponentially, and reiterated calls for a “quantum leap” in support.

Looking ahead to 2020, Mr. Guterres said that his forthcoming report will focus on the Commission’s impact in the field, and a review will be an opportunity to “take stock, consolidate gains and push forward on implementation”.

Full statement here

Venezuela: WFP makes urgent appeal for US$196 million to help millions of refugees, migrants 

The World Food Programme, or WFP, says it needs nearly $200 million to help a growing number of people leaving Venezuela, as the longstanding economic crisis continues.

In Geneva, spokesperson for the UN agency, Hervé Verhoosel, said that funds were needed to prevent an increasing number of desperate women resorting to so-called “survival” sex work.

“Some of the families who don’t have money, especially if women are the head of the family…will basically do whatever is possible to have either food or money to buy food.”

According to WFP, 4.6 million Venezuelans have now left the country. Nearly 1.5 million of them live in Colombia, 385,000 in Ecuador.

The WFP appeal is part of a larger Refugee and Migrant Response Plan initiative; its $1.35 billion budget involves 137 organizations in 17 countries and aims to support four million migrants next year.

Libya: 600 migrants discovered on at least nine boats in Mediterranean Sea

There’s been a spike in the number of migrant boats leaving Libya’s coastline this week, the UN migration agency, IOM, said on Friday.

More than 600 people were discovered in the waters off Libya between Tuesday and Thursday. The development comes amid some of the heaviest shelling so far in the capital Tripoli, where the Libyan coastguard is reported to have returned nearly 300 migrants to shore, including 14 children and 33 women.

The UN Migration agency said it is unable to verify reports that another vessel sank on Wednesday evening with significant loss of life.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 8,600 migrants have been returned to detention centres in Libya where the UN has frequently condemned serious rights violations.

Listen to or download our audio News in Brief for 22 November on SoundCloud:    

 

‘Signs of hope’ toward a political settlement in Yemen, UN special envoy tells Security Council

“We have seen the parties work together”, said Martin Griffiths, including on the situation in southern governorates, the de-escalation of hostilities and economic crisis facing the war-torn nation, where a Saudi-led coalition backing the Government has been trying to defeat Houthi rebel forces during more than four years of brutal fighting.

“These are not small issues”, he argued. “Reaching compromises has been no small achievement”.

Mr. Griffiths avowed that Yemen now needs “the kind of leadership that creates peace”, a leader who practices “the art or concession, of inclusion, and who encourages forbearance over entitlement”.

Since the initial uprisings against the former leadership in early 2011, the Secretary-General has used his good offices to engage with Yemeni political leaders and civil society to promote a peaceful, orderly and inclusive political transition process.

Encouraging developments

The Special Envoy said momentum was building thanks to developments such as the Riyadh Agreement, signed on 5 November between the Government and the Southern Transitional Council; a decrease in violence – with the observation that there have been 48-hour periods without airstrikes “for the first time since the conflict began” – and the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement, which among other things, has enabled fuel ships to enter the crucial port city of Hudaydah, averting a worsening humanitarian crisis.

However, he did express concern over increasing movement restrictions on the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA), saying that they not only hamper the mission’s day-to-day operations but also threaten its mandate.

“I hope that the relevant authorities will take all necessary measures to ensure the freedom of movement necessary for UNMHA to carry out its mandate”, said Mr. Griffiths.

Women leaders

The UN envoy went on to recount two days of meetings with 20 Yemeni women leaders from across the country to discuss elements that would ensure that any political settlement take their perspectives into account.

They also illustrated the “intrinsic” and “unique” contributions Yemen’s women’s groups have made in improving local conditions during conflict.

“We know how important it is to include both a gender perspective and women’s participation in the processes of peace”, he stressed.

‘What peace should look like’

Signs of hope in Yemen…are beginning to produce results – UN Special Envoy to Yemen

In closing, Mr. Griffiths reiterated that “signs of hope in Yemen…are beginning to produce results”.

He stated that Yemen’s leaders “must now ask themselves what peace should look like”.

In doing so, the Special Envoy asserted the need for Yemen’s warring parties to reach agreements on political and security arrangements to end the fighting; lead in rebuilding society and the economy; and deal pragmatically with complex political challenges that remain.

“The ground-work in addressing all of these issues must start now”, he concluded “I believe that they are ready”.

World’s largest humanitarian operation

Ursula Mueller, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, underscored that some 250 humanitarian partners are working with the UN to assist more than 13 million people across the country.

“We are delivering the world’s largest humanitarian operation”, she told Council members.

Ms. Mueller advocated for action on the five priority areas of:

  • Respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians.
  • Unhindered humanitarian access.
  • Funding for the Humanitarian Response Plan.
  • Support for the economy.
  • Progress towards a political solution.

“If fully implemented, these steps would immediately and significantly reduce people’s suffering and help set the stage for lasting peace”, she maintained.

The Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator welcomed the “encouraging developments” outlined by Mr. Griffiths and echoed the need for a political solution “if this crisis is ever to come to an end”.

“We welcome these steps and join millions of Yemenis in hoping they are a sign of even more progress to come”, she asserted.

Ebola in DR Congo: New transmission chain risks reversing major gains

Speaking in Geneva, Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director for the WHO Health Emergencies programme, told journalists that while “98 per cent” of infection in the last three weeks could be traced back to two different routes, or chains of transmission, a third one had been identified in Oicha health zone, North Kivu. 

“This individual who turned out to be a community death had visited three separate health care centres in the Oicha area before being detected”, the WHO official said. “(He) was a moto driver himself and when his colleagues in the moto driver group learned of this death, they came to sympathise and the body was manipulated by a large number of colleagues and friends”. 

Active transmission in an area where there has been active military engagement. No one predicted that – Dr Mike Ryan, WHO

According to  WHO, the death can be linked to health zones in Kalunguta, Mandima, Mabalako and Beni, in addition to Oicha. 

“Right now, we know of over 200 contacts being associated with that case and of them we consider 62 to be of extreme high risk in terms of their exposure”, Dr Ryan said. 

“Of those high-risk contacts, we’ve only managed to see 19. We don’t have access to the community, so it means that less than one-third of those very high-risk contacts we’ve managed to access in the last two days.” 

UN Photo/Martine Perret
Ebola survivors and other parishioners gather at a church in Beni, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (August 2019)

Attacks and civilian anger frustrate efforts   

Security incidents linked to ongoing military operations against non-state armed groups and retaliatory attacks allegedly by the Allied Democratic Forces on civilians – who themselves have demonstrated against the violence, reportedly shutting down access to communities –  have hampered efforts by the WHO and partners to reach communities at risk from Ebola, including Beni, Oicha, and Kyondo health zones, Dr Ryan explained.  

In an appeal for “sustained access” to Oicha in coming weeks to follow up and manage the situation, Dr Ryan insisted that health workers needed the same guarantees for Beni and Kalunguta. 

“We now have a new scenario in which we have active transmission in an area where there has been active military engagement. No one predicted that,” he said. “So the issue now is, everybody needs to take account of that, everybody needs to put that into their algebra now and say, ‘Okay, what can we do to create a situation in which the response can continue?’ And that requires action by all parties, by the Government, by MONUSCO, by the UN, by everybody.” 

2,197 Ebola deaths since August 2018 

According to the WHO, there have been 3,298 infections in total and 2,197 deaths since the latest outbreak was declared last August – an overall case fatality ratio of 67 per cent. 

In the past week, only seven new confirmed cases of Ebola virus infection were reported in DRC’s North Kivu and Ituri provinces. 

That is in line with confirmed infection levels in the past three weeks, which saw only 28 cases reported in four health zones in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, with the majority reported in three health zones: Mabalako (14), Beni (eight) and Mandima (five). 

The reason for the high level of concern over the Oicha health zone fatality – which came after more than 30 days with no new cases – is that so many people came into contact with the deceased.  

Comparing the estimated $1 billion price tag of confronting this Ebola outbreak with the $18 million investment in preventing transmission of the virus to neighbouring Uganda, Dr Ryan insisted that now was not the time to slow operations. 

Ebola ‘likely to be with us for months’ 

“I don’t think we’re going to see an explosion” in infections, he insisted, before noting that the authorities were likely to be dealing with Ebola “for months to come”. 

He added: “We have made significant progress in the containment of Ebola in the last two to three months, and the risks to other provinces and the risks to other countries have dropped dramatically…What we’re flagging here is, we have such an opportunity to finish that we need to exploit this opportunity now and security has become a major obstacle to doing that. And if we don’t, the chances are that if the security doesn’t improve or in fact deteriorates in the region, we could work our way back to a very bad situation.”

Independent rights experts sound alarm at Iran protest crackdown, internet blackout

“We are deeply concerned at reports of killings and injuries, and that the authorities may have used excessive force against those participating in the protests”, the experts added, referencing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as setting the standard for the legitimate use of force as being only when “strictly unavoidable”.

Since last Friday, demonstrators have reportedly taken to the streets in some 40 towns and cities across the country, protesting a 50 per cent hike in fuel prices, and the imposition of tight petrol restrictions.

The UN Human Rights Council-appointed special rapporteurs noted “credible reports” that as many as 106 people have been killed between the 15 and 19 November, and as many as 1,000 were arrested, though news reports suggest the figures could be higher. Dozens of protestors have reportedly been killed by live ammunition fired by security forces.

Exact details have been made harder to verify given the Government’s clampdown on internet connectivity that began late Saturday, the UN human rights wing alerted earlier this week.

 “We remind the Government of its obligations under the Covenant, and call upon the authorities to ensure that the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, as well as freedom of peaceful assembly and association, are respected and protected”, the UN experts said.

The group, Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, Special Rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and association;  David Kaye, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; and Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions also called upon those participating in the protests to do so peacefully.

The right to information

Demonstrations have come on the back of a worsening economic situation in Iran, which the expert group called the result of “economic mismanagement and corruption, as well as the re-imposition of sanctions in 2019”, factors which have “had a significant negative impact on the economic and social rights of everyday Iranians”.

Sanctions imposed by the United States are among the “serious economic challenges gripping the country,” despite its plentiful oil and gas reserves, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said Tuesday, urging the two nations to engage in meaningful dialogue.

Pulling the plug on internet access points to wider concerns of censorship, the independent experts said: “A country-wide network shutdown of this kind clearly has a political purpose: to suppress the right of Iranians to access information and to communicate at a time of rising protest. Such an illegitimate step deprives Iranians not only of a fundamental freedom but also basic access to essential services”, they explained.

Iranian authorities have warned of decisive action should protests not subside, which raises serious concerns that the situation could spiral further, the experts said.

They encouraged the Government to “seek and engage in dialogue” and refrain from measures which compromise demonstrators’ human rights.

Legendary Harlem Globetrotters slam-dunk at the UN, with message that brings families, nations together

This year, the exhibition team that integrates athletics, theatre and fun into the squad mantra, has for the first time ever signed players from China and Poland to be part of the rookie class of 2020.

Over the years, the Globetrotters have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 124 countries and territories, showcasing their iconic skills in every corner of the globe.

And each year they dribble and pass their way through more than 450 live events.

Much like the UN, these gifted players often break down cultural and societal barriers – only they do it through fancy footwork and basketball-handling mastery.

In their first-ever visit to the UN, members of the team were given a guided tour, touching on all the highlights, including the General Assembly Hall and the Norman Rockwell Mosaic, “The Golden Rule”.

And they also saw a short film about Sports and Development around the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

But the visit was far from one-sided. They dazzled staff and visitors alike with their showmanship and trademark antics on the Visitor’s Plaza.

‘A blessing’ to be a Globetrotter

There, UN News caught up with Cherelle “Torch” George, a two-year veteran with the team and the 16th woman to play with the Globetrotters. At 5’3” she’s one of the shortest members in the lineup.

While pointing out that others stand at 6’9” or 6’11”, Torch quickly indicated though that she can “hold her own”.

But how does she feel playing alongside the men?  “It’s a dream come true” she spelled out. “Being able to travel the world and make an impact on lives”.

This feisty young woman also saw a correlation between the team and the UN, namely to unite people: “We bring families together, we bring nations together!”, she said, calling it “a blessing” to be able to travel the world and be “ambassadors of goodwill”.

Torch was also enthusiastic to have her first teammates from China and Poland.

‘Adventure of my life’

Speaking to rookie Paweł “Dazzle” Kidoń from Poland, UN News learned that the team discovered him at one of their pre-game Magic Pass meet-and-greets last spring during a tour.

The 5’-11” guard stopped by a ball-handling trick station where, to everyone’s amazement, he put on a display that captivated all – including the Harlem Globetrotters.

His success in making the cut is not lost on this agile young man. When he started doing basketball tricks as a youth, he hoped that one day he would wear a Harlem Globetrotter jersey.

“This is a dream come true for me”, he raved, calling the upcoming tour “the adventure of my life!”.

Thursday’s Daily Brief: Deadly Syria violence, risks of working at sea, poor health in jail, concern over ISIL suspect, and her child

UNICEF spotlights continuing vulnerability of Syria’s children

Violence in Syria continues to kill and maim civilians, with reports that at least 12 people were killed in missiles strikes in the northwest and dozens more wounded, including children.

And at least 10 children have died in the northeast, with another 28 maimed since 9 October, following the Turkish military incursion into Kurdish-held Syrian territory, UNICEF’s Syria representative, Fran Equiza, told journalists in Geneva.

In 2018, the UN confirmed 1,106 children dead, linked to fighting in the nearly-nine-year war – the highest number of children killed in a single year since the onset of fighting.

More in our full story here.

Governments ‘failing’ to tackle business-related rights abuses

Governments “are simply not doing enough” when it comes to implementing protection measures that guard people against business-related human rights abuses, a UN working group of independent experts warned on Thursday ahead of the largest global gathering on business and human rights, kicking off next week.

It is the “duty, not an option” of governments “to protect people against business-related harms”, including labour abuse, trafficking, environmental pollution and attacks against human rights defenders, the experts said.

Holes in policy reflect weak government leadership at national, regional and global levels, and are a threat to the human rights and dignity of workers, said the experts.

From 25 to 27 November, 2,500 participants will gather in Geneva for the Forum on Business and Human Rights, to discuss national, international, mandatory and voluntary steps that can be taken.

Stark disparity in overall prisoner health versus persons walking free, new study shows

A Thursday report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that the health of prisoners in Europe is disproportionately poor, in stark contrast to the general population.

WHO’s status report on prison health, collected data on the health conditions of people in prison and prison health systems from 39 countries, and demonstrated “an enormous difference” in the wellbeing of people incarcerated, versus those on the outside.

“A prison sentence takes away a person’s liberty; it should not also take away their health and their right to health”, WHO’s Dr. Bente Mikkelsen, who specializes in noncommunicable diseases, stressed in the statement.

UN experts urge Turkey to repatriate Irish woman associated with terror group

Turkey must ensure that an Irish woman and her infant daughter who are being held in custody there are repatriated, independent UN experts said in a statement released on Thursday. The woman, Lisa Smith, has been described in press reports as a supporter of the ISIL terror group, and former member of the Irish military.

Ms. Smith and her child were transferred to Turkish custody following the bombing of a camp housing thousands of people, including suspected family members of ISIL extremists northeast Syria, and her exact whereabouts are currently unknown.

The UN experts expressed concern about the vulnerability of the infant, and that Ms. Smith may be facing ill-treatment in custody.

Our coverage is here.

Deadly work: The illegal, irregular and unregulated fishing industry

There is a clear link between an unregulated seafood industry, and fishers’ safety, now ranked as the second deadliest profession in the world; and more must be done to ensure the safety of men and women dependent on this type of labour as the market expands with a growing population, the UN said on Thursday.

“Every hour fishers die doing their job – not just men, women too”, Maria Helena Samedo, chief for Climate and Natural Resources at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), explained at a major conference organized by the agency in Rome, coinciding with World Fisheries Day on 21 November.

“Human rights violations and unacceptable practices at different stages of the value chain are increasing in fisheries and aquaculture”, she added.

Currently, 33 percent of marine stocks are fished at unsustainable levels, triple the rate recorded 40 years ago, with demand on the rise as the population grows. One in ten people presently depend on fishing to make a living for their families.

Here’s our coverage.

Listen to or download our audio News in Brief for 21 November on SoundCloud:    

 

Political consensus critical ahead of Somalia election: UN mission chief

The election will mark just the third time that Somalia has had universal suffrage since independence in 1960.  

UN Special Representative James Swan underscored the need to forge political consensus to realize what he described as the “ambitious agenda for 2020”.

“This will entail dialogue and compromise between the central government and Federal Member States; between the executive and legislature; between current office-holders and those now out of power; and between elite leaders and those community elders, civil society organizations, women’s and youth groups who give voice to so many Somalis”, he said.

“After more than a year without effective cooperation between the Central Government and key Federal Member States, this situation has become an obstacle to achieving important national priorities. Somalia’s leaders must act urgently to break this stalemate between the Center and the Federal Member States in the interest of the nation.”

Critical next steps

Mr. Swan,  head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), further highlighted the need for Parliament to pass the electoral code and adopt amendments to the political parties’ law before the end of this year.

“Any delay in this timeline puts the 2020 electoral calendar at risk,” he warned.

UN partner the African Union (AU) praised “commendable steps” towards reconciliation, including a meeting between Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo and two of his predecessors held in the capital, Mogadishu, on Wednesday.

Francisco Caetano José Madeira, head of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), acknowledged that while critical next steps towards the election are needed, there has been progress in reviewing the electoral bill over the past three months.

“We also witnessed the recent positive steps in the appointment of the National Electoral Security Task Force, the development of the draft concept note on the security for voter registration, and the provisionally approved list of voter registration sites,” said Mr. Caetano, who also is the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for the country.

‘Pivotal’ year ahead for Somalia and partners

Somalia last held one-person, one-vote elections in March 1969.  That October, the government was overthrown in a bloodless military coup. 

Parliamentary and presidential elections took place in late 2016 and early 2017 through a system of indirect suffrage.

Halima Ismail Ibrahim, chair of the National Independent Electoral Commission, said this clan-based power-sharing model was a temporary measure to support preparations towards one-person, one-vote. 

“The process was compromised by extensive vote buying.  There was a lot of corruption in that process, limited participation of women in the two houses, and complete exclusion of marginalized and minority groups,” she told ambassadors.

Despite ongoing insecurity, fragile institutions and other challenges, the 2020 election will be a “massive improvement” over the previous system, according to Osman Moallirn, Executive Director of Somalia Youth Development Network.

“A proportional representation system of this time, even if limited by the many challenges, will open up the political space and overcome many vested and corrupt interests in the status quo”, he said.

The forthcoming election is expected to cost $53 million, according to Ms. Ibrahim, the electoral commission chair.

She described 2020 as “a pivotal year” for Somalis, who have been denied the right to political participation for five decades.

She added that it also will mark a milestone for the international community, which has worked to promote democracy and good governance in her country.

“However, this is a milestone which can only be realized when the Somali leaders and the international community show a commitment to one-person, one-vote election to take place in 2020-21”, Ms. Ibrahim stated.

UN experts urge Turkey to repatriate Irish woman associated with terror group

Ms. Smith and her child were transferred to Turkish custody following the bombing of a camp housing thousands of people, including suspected family members of ISIL extremists northeast Syria, and her exact whereabouts are currently unknown.

The UN experts expressed concern about the vulnerability of the infant, and that Ms. Smith may be facing ill-treatment in custody.

The Special Rapporteurs are insisting that Ms. Smith receive consular assistance, and protection from any abuse whilst detained by the Turkish authorities, and expressed grave concerns about her and her daughter’s physical and mental health.

Women and children associated with ISIL, say the independent rights experts, may have been subjected to serious human rights violations and gender-based violence during and prior to their detention in camps such as Ain Issa.

Ms Smith was reportedly a member of the Irish Air Corps, before leaving Ireland to travel to Syria in 2015, where she married an ISIL fighter in territory controlled by the group. Media reports earlier this month suggested that Ms. Smith and her daughter were due to be deported by Turkey, along with a number of other Europeans held in custody.

Following the territorial defeat of the ISIL terror group in Iraq and Syria, thousands of foreign terrorist fighters, known as FTFs, are attempting to find a way home, or relocate to safe havens or conflict zones.

The phenomenon of returning FTFs is recognized to be a major threat to international peace and security, and is a growing concern for many countries. The UN Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT) works to address these fears through several initiatives, such as a programme designed to improve the detection of FTFs and others suspected of serious crimes, as they travel, through the collection, identification, and analysis of their passenger data.

In their statement, the UN experts underscored the need for a thorough, individual evaluation of each woman and child in compliance with international human rights law, including attention to any gender-based violence they may have suffered, and persecution against women who return from Syria and Iraq, both in third countries and upon return to countries of nationality.

Missile strike kills at least 12 civilians, including children, in Syria’s Idlib: UN humanitarians

“Reports of shelling near the Qah IDP camp near the Turkish border in Idlib last night caused damage to a nearby maternity hospital”, Fran Equiza, UNICEF Syria Representative for Syria, told journalists in Geneva. “Children were also among the reported casualties; nearby IDP camps were also destroyed.”

In condemning the attack, Najat Rochdi,  the Senior Humanitarian Adviser to the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, pointed out that it occured as the world was marking the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“And yet, Syrian children’s basic rights to life and protection are not met,” she stated.

Mark Cutts, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, called for an investigation into the “horrific” incident.

“I find it sickening that missiles hit vulnerable civilians, including elderly people, women and children sheltering in tents and makeshift shelters in a camp for internally displaced people,” he said.

In a statement, the official from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also condemned the fact that there had been “dozens of attacks against medical facilities and staff across Syria” this year.

“International humanitarian law requires all parties to strictly distinguish between civilians and combatants and to take constant care to spare civilians in the conduct of military operations,” he insisted.

Youngsters killed in northeast Syria too

In northeast Syria since 9 October, following the Turkish military incursion into Kurdish-held Syrian territory, at least 10 children have died and another 28 have been maimed, UNICEF’s Mr. Equiza said.

This toll doesn’t include three more children injured on Wednesday, when a shell hit a school in the southern town of Tal Abyad, that was housing 12 internally-displaced families.

In 2018, the UN confirmed that 1,106 children were killed in fighting linked to the nearly nine-year war. That was the highest number of children killed in a single year since the start of the war in 2012, according to UNICEF, which noted that the actual figure is likely much higher – a trend that has continued this year.

The agency noted too that as of September, the UN has verified 1,792 grave violations against children’s rights this year alone. This includes killing, injuring, recruiting and abducting children and attacks against schools and health facilities.

This year on course to match deadly 2018 toll

“Last year was the deadliest for year for the children in Syria and very unfortunately it looks that this year is following the same track record,” Mr. Equiza said. “So far, 657 children have been killed in Syria.”

In the troubled northeast of Syria, around 74,000 people – including an estimated 31,000 children – remain displaced. More than 15,000 people have fled to neighbouring Iraq.

Turning to the Al Hol camp complex, which houses people displaced from former ISIL-held territory, the UNICEF official said that it contained “around 40,000 children”. Of that number, 28,000 were foreigners, comprising 20,000 from Iraq and 8,000 “from around 60 different nationalities”, while around 80 per cent of the children there are below 12 and 15 per cent are below five years old.

Nine-year-olds ‘held in detention centres’

Elsewhere in the northeast, the UN agency has received reports that “at least 250 children” – some as young as nine – are being held in detention centres.

They “are spread around the northeast and we don’t have the coordinates sadly of where these centres are”, Mr. Equiza said.

In an appeal for the international community to repatriate the children of citizens who had gone to Syria, Mr. Equiza insisted that keeping them in Syria was only doing additional harm.

“So far, we know that 17 countries have repatriated at least 650 children over the last months and we expect that the figure will go up in the coming days. Every day is too late for not taking those kids out of the camp.”

Across Syria, people face massive vulnerabilities, UNICEF says, with limited services, damaged schools and infrastructure presenting “an almost insurmountable hurdle for children and their families”.

While the northeast is home to some of the most vulnerable children in the country, with one in five affected by stunting in Deir-ez-Zor and Al-Hasakeh governorates, the national average is one in eight.

With just six weeks left to go in the year, UNICEF’s emergency operations in Syria are about 60 per cent funded. Of the $295 million required in 2019, the agency has received around $180 million.

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