January 2021 — Page 4 of 16 — Human Rights & Charity

UN chief calls for urgent action against neo-Nazis in Holocaust remembrance message

António Guterres made the impassioned appeal in a video message for the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, observed on Wednesday, which honours the six million Jews and millions of others murdered by the Nazis during the Second World War.

As this year’s anniversary is taking place under the shadow of the pandemic, he noted that the crisis has exposed longstanding injustices and contributed to a renewed rise in antisemitism and xenophobia.

Denial and distortion

“Today, white supremacists and neo-Nazis are resurgent, organizing and recruiting across borders, intensifying their efforts to deny, distort and rewrite history including the Holocaust”, the UN chief said.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has given them new opportunities to target minorities, based on religion, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, disability and immigration status. We must make urgent joint efforts to stop them.”

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has also voiced concern over the “frightening” increase in hate crimes, and “sharp rise” in antisemitism online, over the past year.

“With renewed vigour, conspiracy theorists increasingly link extreme political ideologies and antisemitic delusions – weaving elaborate lies and falsehoods that lay responsibility for every kind of government failing on individual Jews or the Jewish community as a whole”, she said.

“Whipped up by irresponsible opinion-leaders – and amplified and legitimised by the uniquely powerful engines of digital media – these hate-filled fabrications are deeply damaging in themselves and can pose a real threat of violence.”

Push back against lies

Ms. Bachelet urged governments and digital platforms to evaluate their role in enabling such phenomena. She also explained how upholding human rights could end them.

“We need to push back against lies. We need to ensure that public discourse is based on facts, which objectively reflect truth – including the fundamental truth of our equal rights and dignity as human beings”, she said.

“We need to invest in human rights education in order to counter discrimination and groundless, toxic conspiracy theories.”

With the world again facing a rising tide of racism, xenophobia and antisemitism, the President of the UN General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, urged people everywhere to speak out against discrimination.

“We are witnessing hatred towards other minorities and religious groups. Today, the onus is upon us to uphold truth, equality and protect the rights of the most vulnerable groups. All around the world,” he said in avideo message.

“We have to be vigilant, to call out any injustice we witness and defend pluralism. We have to condemn intolerance, incitement, harassment based on ethnic origin or religious belief.”

Heal broken societies

As countries focus on recovery after the pandemic, the UN Secretary-General called for action to address the fragilities and gaps it has revealed.

“This year must be a year of healing. Healing from the pandemic, and healing our broken societies in which hatred has all too easily taken root”, he said.

“As we remember those who died in the Holocaust and honour the survivors, our best tribute is the creation of a world of equality, justice and dignity for all.”

A virtual memorial

Holocaust distortion and denial is the topic of a panel discussion on Wednesday, part of the UN events taking place during the International Day, which will be held online.

The Commemorative Programme will begin with a virtual ceremony where German Chancellor Angela Merkel will deliver the keynote address.

Participants will also hear from Irene Butter, who will share her experiences of surviving the Holocaust in a conversation with CNN’s Chief International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward.

UN health agency panel issues key guidance on second COVID vaccine doses

The development follows SAGE’s recommendations on 5 January on how the similar Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine should be used, as deaths from the new coronavirus topped 2.1 million globally. Both are so-called mRNA vaccines which trigger an immune response by teaching the body to make special proteins, as opposed to including any live or inactive weakened virus.

‘Exceptional circumstances’

“Based on current evidence, SAGE recommends the administration of two doses – 100 micrograms, 0.5 millilitre each – with an interval of 28 days between doses”, said Dr Alejandro Cravioto, SAGE Chair. “SAGE recommends at present that, if judged necessary, due to exceptional circumstances of COVID-19 disease burden in a country, the interval between doses may be extended to 42 days.”

At a virtual press conference, the SAGE chief noted that this was the longest interval provided in clinical trials to date.

But it will be up to countries to decide how to act on these recommendations.

“It’s because of the severity of the disease, which is compromising our health systems, causing untold numbers of deaths, severe cases, long-term complications – that’s the problem here”, said Dr Kate O’Brien, Director, Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO.

“So in order to take the limited supply that we have, and deploy that where it’s going to make the most difference to a country, we really have to be committed to prioritisation based on epidemiology, based on what the science says about how we’re going to get out of this.”

Pregnancy ‘risk’ considered

Responding to questions over the potential dangers of the vaccine to pregnant women – particularly those who were health workers and who therefore ran a higher risk of becoming infected, along with others suffering from underlying illnesses – the SAGE panel noted in a statement that “WHO recommends not to use (Moderna) mRNA-1273 vaccine in pregnancy, unless the benefit of vaccinating a pregnant woman outweighs the potential vaccine risks”.

Nevertheless, some 7,000 pregnant women have already had the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine and this data will be reviewed as soon as possible, said Dr. Joachim Hoùmbach, Executive Secretary of SAGE.

Citing further data sets, Dr Hoùmbach also noted that of four million Moderna vaccines delivered, only 10 cases of adverse reaction to it – known as anaphylaxis – had been recorded to date.

WHO’s Dr O’Brien also underlined the UN agency’s belief that there was “no reason” to think that the vaccine caused complications in pregnant women.

DNA change ruled out

She also dismissed misplaced fears over the new pharmaceutical technique that relies on a mRNA molecule to produce the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, insisting that there was “no chance” of it altering human genetic code, as many believed erroneously.

“They’re not live vaccines, and especially for Moderna and Pfizer the mRMA vaccines”, she said. “It’s impossible for it to change anything in your DNA…and so there’s no reason why we think there will be a problem in pregnancy.”

Dr O’Brien noted nonetheless that “the data are not there at this point”, which made it all the more important to create pregnancy registries of all those vaccinated “so that we can continue to strengthen and mature and add policies as we move forward, as we do for all vaccines”.

Advice for breastfeeding

SAGE also acknowledged a lack of data on the safety of the vaccine among lactating women but added that as it considered it unlikely to pose a risk, health workers who were breastfeeding should be offered vaccination.

Addressing concerns that many countries are unable to afford vaccines for key workers and other vulnerable individuals, Dr. O’Brien reiterated the WHO’s appeal for equitable access to COVID-19 immunisation – with health workers and other key workers first – as the only way to overcome the pandemic.

“The reason that we’re in the situation we’re in, around economic and social implosions, is because of the severity of the illness…and it’s the reason why countries should be looking carefully at what would be most impactful in this first early distribution of this vaccine”, she said.

More on the way

“More vaccine is coming, There is going to be enough vaccine for everyone who needs it. And I think this is the global solidarity, the national solidarity, that we are all in this together.

“And for those people who are not in the highest risk group, they need to wait their turn in order to achieve the best impact of this vaccine for the limited number of doses that are starting to come through.”

In an earlier press conference the WHO official explained how governments should consider how best to vaccinate their populations.

Complex risk assessment

“It really is weighing one risk against a second risk”, she said. “One risk is that we are very, very scrupulous about applying the vaccines in the way they were applied in the clinical trials that generated the evidence on efficacy. And in doing so, we may have some limitation in the number of people who can receive the first dose, depending on how the supply is rolling in.”

The second risk scenario is to vaccinate a much larger number of people with a single dose, Dr O’Brien continued, before pointing to “some evidence” that showed that this provided a “quite high” level of protection against the new coronavirus.

“But there may be some delay in getting the second dose among some people, so it’s really a trade-off of two risks,” she added, “and I think we’re seeing around the world, different committees are weighing up those risks in different ways”.

Guterres calls for ‘renewed approach to multilateralism’, through new peacebuilding appeal

“An approach that goes beyond crisis response and boosts long-term investments in prevention and peacebuilding, hand-in-hand with our efforts to deliver the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs)”, Secretary-General António Guterres told the High-level Replenishment Conference for the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), which requires $1.5B for 2020-2024.

‘Stewards’ of development

The “scale of turmoil…requires concerted efforts to ease tensions and prevent further escalation”, explained the top UN official.

He underscored the need for increased support to women and young people “as agents for peace and stewards of inclusive development”, maintaining that without their participation, “neither peace nor prosperity can be sustainable”.

‘The right support’

When aligned with both the UN’s and individual national priorities, the PBF and Peacebuilding Commission engagement, “can be invaluable”, according to the Secretary-General.

He gave a first-hand account of how the PBF had helped to stabilize Bambari in the Central African Republic (CAR), including through a combination of cash-for-work, rehabilitation, socio-economic revitalization and support to local peace committees.

In fragile contexts, peacebuilding requires “political courage and leadership” at national and local levels, and “the right support at the right time” from the international community, the UN chief attested.

“We need to take risks for peace…and space to seize opportunities”, he said. “We have a responsibility to bring down the institutional siloes” and join the full range of UN capacities.

“The Peacebuilding Fund aims to do just that”, upheld the top diplomat.

Argument for investing

The UN chief lauded the value of the PBF, noting that it prioritizes risky or underfunded areas; mobilizes vital additional funding at national and regional levels; fosters joint action across the UN system; and enables partnerships with a wide range of participants, “often kick-starting initiatives that others can scale up”.

Moreover, he maintained that with additional resources, the Fund could promote coordination between the UN and other development partners and help to finance transitions as large peace operations draw down.

“In a global context with significant volatility, the Fund’s flexibility is vital”, Mr. Guterres stated, flagging the UN’s COVID-19 response with national partners and UN Resident Coordinators (heads of UN Country Teams) to adjust ongoing programmes and emerging prevention priorities.

Yet, despite its impact and cost-effectiveness, the PBF is repeatedly short funded.

Critical appeal

In 2020, the Peacebuilding Fund mobilized more than $180 million – delivering in the most difficult contexts.

“But its resources are now depleted”, the UN chief said. “We must urgently replenish it” to save lives and demonstrate multilateral support.

A contribution from all Member States and partners would provide a “quantum leap” and signal that together, “we can successfully invest in building and sustaining peace”.

“I urge those that have not yet contributed, in particular Members of the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission, to act on your commitments and provide a contribution to this essential global instrument for peace”, the Secretary concluded.

Next steps

At the close of the conference, the co-chairs issued a Joint Communiqué stating that the General Assembly would convene a High-Level meeting on financing peace during its 76th session.

Until then, the UN bodies, including the Peacebuilding Commission, will work with Member States and others to advance realistic options for sustained and predictable peacebuilding financing.

Including the funds received for 2020, 39 Member States have contributed or pledged over $439 million to the Fund’s 2020-2024 Strategy.

The co-chairs also welcomed the unanimous recognition of the PBF’s role and impact as “a strong sign of multilateral solidarity at a critical moment and a firm vote of confidence in the catalytic role played by the Fund”.

UN ready to support Palestinian elections, new envoy tells Security Council

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree earlier this month announcing parliamentary and presidential elections will be held starting in May, marking the first vote across the Occupied Territories in 15 years.

Mr. Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, has joined UN Secretary-General António Guterres in welcoming the development.

“The holding of elections in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, will be a crucial step towards Palestinian unity, giving renewed legitimacy to national institutions, including a democratically-elected parliament and government in Palestine”, the Norwegian diplomat told the virtual meeting.

“The United Nations stands ready to support efforts for the Palestinian people to exercise their democratic rights. Elections are a crucial part of building a democratic Palestinian State built on rule of law, with equal rights for all.”

Greater women’s participation

President Abbas was elected in 2005 and his Fatah party controls the Palestinian National Authority, which is based in the Occupied West Bank. The militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, won parliamentary elections held a year later.

Mr. Wennesland said forthcoming talks in Cairo to resolve outstanding issues related to the elections will be important for the preparatory process to move forward.

He added that the election law has also been amended to increase the minimum number of women representatives from 20 to 26 per cent.

“I welcome this step, and join the Secretary-General’s call on Palestinian authorities to take further steps to facilitate, strengthen and support women’s political participation, including as voters and candidates throughout the election cycle.”

Two-State solution still possible

Addressing the broader context, the new envoy underscored the UN’s support for a two-State solution for the Palestinians and Israelis, and hopes for a negotiated and lasting peace in the region.

“Despite the significant challenges, achieving the outcome remains possible. And there are opportunities unique to this moment that should not to be missed”, he told the Council.

“I hope that the promise of the recent agreements made between Israel and Arab countries will lead to a situation where a more peaceful Middle East can be realized. However, it requires leaders on all sides to re-engage meaningfully and return to the path of negotiations.”

Pandemic support

Shifting to COVID-19 response, Mr. Wennesland outlined the UN’s ongoing support to the Palestinian people during the pandemic, which is taking a staggering toll across the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel.

Authorities on both sides have tightened movement restrictions to address the ongoing spread, which has impacted daily life.

The UN and partners have provided the Palestinian government with critical supplies, including personal protective equipment, oxygen therapy machines and testing materials.

In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are supporting preparedness for receiving and eventually administering vaccines.

Doses will be procured through the COVAX Facility, the international mechanism aimed at ensuring equal vaccine access by all countries. Initial allocations are expected to arrive during the first half of the year.

UN rights experts urge Israel to respect international obligations

The comments came after the 6 January conviction by an Israeli military court of the Palestinian human rights defender and founder of Youth Against Settlements, a Hebron-based group, which opposes settlement expansion through non-violent civil resistance.

In a statement from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, issued on Tuesday, the experts said that the country must immediately stop using its array of military security tools “to obstruct the legitimate and indispensable work of human rights defenders.”

“Rather than prosecuting human rights defenders, Israel should be listening to them and correcting its own human rights conduct”, the UN Special Rapporteurs said, urging the country to obey its international obligations to provide protection to human rights defenders.

Mr. Amro was convicted of six charges related to his human rights activities between 2010 and 2016. The experts said they fear he will be imprisoned when he is sentenced on 8 February.

Systematic pattern

“This is part of a clear and systematic pattern of detention, judicial harassment and intimidation by Israel of human rights defenders, a pattern that has increased in intensity recently”, the experts continued.

They said Israeli authorities had arrested Mr. Amro numerous times, with the aim of silencing those who would defend the human rights of others.

The UN experts Mr. Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, and  Ms. Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, added that convicting him for participating in demonstrations without a permit, is contrary to new developments in international human rights law.

“The failure to notify authorities of an upcoming assembly does not in itself render the act of participating in the assembly as unlawful”, they stated.

Mr. Amro was convicted of three counts relating to participation in demonstrations without a permit. Another two counts relate to obstructing security forces, which concerned alleged refusal to accompany Israeli law enforcement officers during arrest. He was also convicted of assault, for allegedly pushing a settlement guard in 2010.

“This conviction is part of a pattern where Israeli military law is used to restrict and penalise Palestinians for exercising their inviolable political and civil rights.”, the experts concluded, adding that the conviction appeared to be politically motivated.

Long history

Mr. Amro was first put on trial in an Israeli military court in 2016 on 18 charges dating back to 2010, including incitement, entering a closed military zone, and participating in a march without a permit. He had been taking part in a peaceful protest calling for the re-opening of Shuhada Street, the former commercial centre of Hebron.

The Special Rapporteurs and other human rights experts have sent several letters to Israel seeking clarifications regarding Issa Amro’s case, according to the OHCHR statement.

Special Rapporteurs and independent human rights experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council and are neither UN staff nor paid for their work.

Security Council reforms must reflect 21st century realities, says UN Assembly President

Volkan Bozkir highlighted that in its 75th year, the UN is more crucial than ever, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That, of course, includes the work of the Security Council, a main organ of the UN, with primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, a central mission of the United Nations,” he said.

“It is more crucial than ever that our efforts are efficient and effective and that the United Nations, including the Security Council, is fit for purpose, so we can best deliver for those we serve,” Mr. Bozkir noted, adding that it is also vital for the Organization’s reputation.

Mr. Bozkir was speaking at an informal plenary meeting of the General Assembly on intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform. Due to COVID-19 mitigation measures, only a limited number of delegates attended the meeting in person at the General Assembly Hall. Others joined via video links.

‘21st century realities’

In his remarks, the President of the General Assembly also said that it is crucial that any reforms to the Security Council reflect the realities of the 21st century.

“The implementation of the Council’s decisions, and its very legitimacy, could be enhanced if the Council was reformed to be more representative, effective, efficient, accountable and transparent,” he said.

“Discussions among Member States on how to take into account the principles of democracy and representation in pursuing the objective of a more democratic Security Council are essential,” Mr. Bozkir added.

He also recalled the five clusters identified in the General Assembly decision 62/557 regarding reforms. The clusters include: categories of membership; the question of the veto; regional representation; size of an enlarged Security Council and its working methods; and relationship between the General Assembly and the Security Council.

The Security Council is comprised of 15 members: five permanent, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and ten non-permanent, elected for two-year terms. The five permanent members wield the “veto power”, the ability to block the passing of a Security Council resolution, even if a majority of the members support its adoption.

‘Most appropriate platform’

Noting also that the framework of the intergovernmental negotiations offered the most appropriate platform to pursue reform, he urged all delegations to engage constructively.

“The success of these negotiations and of any reforms of course depends on you, Member States. It is your contributions, through negotiations and other discussions, that ultimately can lead the way towards meaningful reform of the Council,” he added.

“I ask all delegations to utilize the opportunity, that this [intergovernmental negotiations] session provides to engage constructively. We must give this process a chance,” Mr. Bozkir said.

Mozambique: UN responds as thousands are caught in the wake of devastating Cyclone Eloise

Cyclone Eloise made landfall near Beira, a major city in Sofala province, central Mozambique, around 2 AM Saturday (local time) with high winds, heavy rains and severe flooding. The city was in the eye of ferocious Cyclone Idai, which killed more than 600 people and left hundreds more injured, in 2019.

Preliminary figures indicate that at least six people died and 12 injured due to Cyclone Eloise, but the number may rise as more information becomes available. The storm also damaged more than 8,800 houses and at least 26 health centres, and disrupted power and communication links.

According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 176,000 people – including up to 90,000 children – have been affected, with several thousand displaced. On ground and aerial assessments are ongoing.

Jens Laerke, an OCHA spokesperson told journalists at a media briefing in Geneva that the most urgent humanitarian needs identified so far include food, tents, drinking water, hygiene kits, COVID-19 prevention materials, mosquito nets, and blankets. He also called for more resources to fund response.

“As humanitarian partners were already responding to multiple needs in Mozambique including the conflict in Cabo Delgado in the north and the recent impact of Tropical Storm Chalane, more resources are urgently needed to ensure we can scale up quickly to respond to Tropical Cyclone Eloise,” he said.

Health and shelter

About 32 accommodation centres for the displaced have been set up in the heavily affected Sofala province, including in Beira city, providing temporary accommodation for around 15,000 families.

Churches, mosques and some Government offices are also housing the displaced, “many of whom fled with little more than the clothes on their backs”, Paul Dillon, a spokesperson for the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) said at the same briefing.

He added that initial assessments indicated that over half of the 71 resettlement centres sheltering people displaced by the 2019 Cyclone Idai, are in areas affected by Cyclone Eloise.

“IOM staff are distributing soap and a limited supply of cloth face masks to the most vulnerable. They are also providing information on the need to maintain physical distancing, but it is very difficult under the current circumstances”, Mr. Dillon said.

There are also serious concerns for chronic disease patients who lost their medications, he added, noting that the UN agency is monitoring the situation to refer these cases to health facilities, many of which have themselves been damaged.

In addition, the potential outbreak of waterborne diseases like diarrhoea and cholera is a major worry, especially among affected and displaced children.

Food security

The months of January to March are the peak of lean season in Mozambique, when people struggle the most to find food, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson Tomson Phiri.

Almost 3 million people – in both rural and urban areas – in southern, central and northern Mozambique were already facing high levels of food insecurity before the cyclone, he added. The storm also flooded large swathes of crop land, and destroyed farm tools and seeds, prompting fears for the annual harvest expected in April, as well as replanting beyond.

“People need food assistance now to cope and will need support to re-establish their livelihoods going forward”, Mr. Phiri said.

He went on to note that WFP has about 640 metric tons of food available at its warehouse in Beira, as part of its ongoing lean-season response, but it can be used to provide urgent, life-saving assistance in areas affected by the cyclone.

“However, more resources will be urgently needed so we can mount an adequate response in a timely manner”, Mr. Phiri added.

Regional impact

After passing over Mozambique, Tropical Cyclone Eloise went on to hit other countries in southern Africa.

Zimbabwe has been impacted by heavy rains, with reports of localized flooding and mudslides. There are also unconfirmed reports suggesting that some people have lost their lives. Heavy rainfall and flooding has also been reported in South Africa, and Botswana expects widespread rainfall in coming days.

Eswatini also witnessed heavy rains since 23 January and most rivers in the country are flooded. Several roads and bridges are reported to have been damaged.

Climate litigation spikes, giving courts an ‘essential role’ in addressing climate crisis

The UNEP Global Climate Litigation Report: 2020 Status Review, finds that climate cases have nearly doubled over the last three years and are increasingly pushing governments and corporations to implement climate commitments, while setting the bar higher for more ambitious climate change mitigation and adaptation.

“Citizens are increasingly turning to courts to access justice and exercise their right to a healthy environment”, said Arnold Kreilhuber, Acting Director of UNEP’s Law Division.

Tracking the trend

Published by UNEP in cooperation with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at New York’s Columbia University, the report shows climate litigation has not only become more common, but also more successful throughout the world.

In 2017, 884 climate change cases were brought in 24 countries. By the end of 2020, that number had nearly doubled, with at least 1,550 cases filed in 38 countries – 39 including the European Union’s court system.

While climate litigation continues to be concentrated in high-income countries, the report lists recent cases from Colombia, India, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines and South Africa in projecting the trend to grow further in the Global South.

On the offence

According to the report, the background of plaintiffs is becoming increasingly diverse and includes non-governmental organizations, political parties as well as senior citizens, migrants and indigenous peoples.

Those who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 are the same petitioners who are often most vulnerable to climate change – enduring extreme weather, rising sea levels and high levels of pollution.

“Judges and courts have an essential role to play in addressing the climate crisis”, said Mr. Kreilhuber.

Looking ahead

In the coming years, UNEP expects climate litigation to increase, spurred by national and international bodies, especially surrounding commercially-based misreporting of climate risks, governments failing to adapt to extreme weather events and cases brought to enforce previous court decisions.

UNEP also foresees a rise in cases concerning climate change displacements.

“Climate litigation is a key lever for keeping governments and corporations on task in the fight to combat climate change”, said Michael Burger, Executive Director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change at Columbia Law School. “Courts can equalize the power imbalances in society and give force to the rule of law.”

Common climate litigation charges:

Violations of “climate rights” that impact fundamental human rights including the right to life, health, food, and water.
Government failure to enforce climate change mitigation and adaptation commitments.
Corporate messaging that contains false or misleading information about climate change impacts.

Shining a light on sexually exploited women and girls forced into crime

No clear-cut cases

A 2017 criminal case in Canada, to take one example from the report, involved an 18-year-old woman defendant was charged with the forced prostitution of two female minors, aged 14 and 16. She had instructed one of them on how to dress, and what to do with clients, and taken away the cell phone of the other, to prevent her from escaping.

She was found guilty and sentenced to eight months in prison. However, it was revealed during the case that she too was a victim of sexual exploitation. The court heard that she was under the control of a male trafficker, and had been exploited from the age of 16, and physically abused by pimps.

The case, which is included in Female Victims Of Trafficking For Sexual Exploitation As Defendants, a new publication from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), shows the complexity of many human-trafficking-related cases, in which the defendant may also be a victim, who either had no alternative but to obey an order, and commit a crime, or hoped to limit their own exploitation or escape poverty by playing a role in the crime. The study also found that traffickers use the women and girls as a shield to protect themselves from being punished for their crimes.

Punished twice

“Ever since UNODC started collecting statistics on human trafficking 15 years ago, women and girls have consistently represented the majority of reported victims”, says Zoi Sakelliadou, a UNODC Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer, who coordinated the development of the study.

“We’ve also seen that the percentage of female perpetrators of trafficking who are at the same time victims of this crime, is steadily high too, especially if compared to female offenders in other crimes. The traffickers not only earned a profit by sexually exploiting the victims, but then made them commit crimes so they could escape liability and prosecution”.

The report shows that traffickers deliberately used the “victim-defendants” in low-level roles, that exposed them to law enforcement authorities – meaning they were more likely to get caught.

These roles included the recruitment of new victims, collecting proceeds, imposing punishments, or posting advertisements for victims’ sexual services.

In very few of the examined cases did the victims engage in acts of trafficking in an attempt to move up the hierarchy of the criminal organization or for financial gain.

It was not just the statistics that led UNODC to analyse this topic, explains Ms. Sakelliadou, but also calls from law enforcement and criminal justice officials, who stressed the complexity of investigating and adjudicating cases that involve female victims of trafficking as alleged perpetrators.

The study also highlights the clear links between human trafficking and violence against women, domestic violence, and the role of intimate partner violence.

“We found that in around a quarter of the cases examined, the women had been subjected to multiple forms of violence prior to and during the trafficking process, including from early childhood”, says Ms. Sakelliadou. “We hope this study will support the law enforcement and criminal justice officials and the NGOs who handle these complex cases and support the victims.”

Rise in antisemitism during pandemic shows we can never let down our guard: UN chief

António Guterres said although antisemitism found its most horrific expression in the Holocaust, it did not end there and continues to blight the world today.

“It is sad, but not surprising, that the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered yet another eruption of this poisonous ideology. We can never let down our guard”, he stated.

Neo-Nazis on the rise

The ceremony organized by the Park East Synagogue in New York and the UN served to honour the memory of the six million Jews and millions of others who were systematically murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Second World War.

“Our best tribute to those who died in the Holocaust is the creation of a world of equality, justice and dignity for all”, the Secretary-General said.

Mr. Guterres warned of the resurgence of Holocaust denial and distortion, and that after decades in the shadows, neo-Nazis and their ideas are gaining currency.

“In Europe, the United States and elsewhere, white supremacists are organizing and recruiting across borders, flaunting the symbols and tropes of the Nazis and their murderous ambitions”, he said.

“We have seen shocking examples in this nation’s capital in recent days. The Anti-Defamation League found that the American Jewish community experienced the highest level of antisemitic incidents in 2019 since tracking began in 1979.”

Truth under attack

The pandemic has also opened new fronts for neo-Nazis and white supremacists, who are using social media to disseminate propaganda and sow fear and hatred.

However, the Secretary-General said their continued rise “must be seen in the context of a global attack on truth that has reduced the role of science and fact-based analysis in public life.”

He warned that when truth dies, it becomes easier to exploit differences between groups, or to invent scapegoats. Fragmentation of traditional media, and the growth of social media, have also contributed to the situation.

“When the truth is just one version among many, lying becomes normalized and history can be distorted and rewritten”, he said, referring to Holocaust denial.

“As the number of Holocaust survivors diminishes every year, we must make ever greater efforts to elevate the truth and ensure that it lives on.”

Lessons for recovery

Addressing the commemoration’s theme of recovery and reconstitution after the Holocaust, the Secretary-General noted that this period only marked the beginning of an unimaginably painful and difficult journey for survivors and for the world, as both had been changed forever.

“Today, as we consider the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we can take important lessons from the Holocaust,” Mr. Guterres said.

“The recovery must address the fragilities and fissures that have been exposed by the pandemic. It must strengthen our mutual bonds, based on our common humanity.”

Calling for 2021 to be a year of healing, Mr. Guterres urged political, religious and community leaders to work to build consensus “if we are to emerge safely from these dangerous times.”

No vaccine for antisemitism

He underlined the need for coordinated global action to counter the growth and spread of neo-Nazism and white supremacy, and to fight propaganda and disinformation.

“History shows that those who undermine truth ultimately undermine themselves,” he said.

“The only way out of the COVID-19 pandemic is through science and fact-based analysis. The production of vaccines in record time is testimony to the effectiveness of this approach. There is no vaccine for antisemitism and xenophobia. But our best weapon remains the truth.”