March 2021 — Page 3 of 21 — Human Rights & Charity

Guterres urges ‘decisive action’ to stave off debt crisis in developing world

More than a year into the pandemic, the fiscal impacts of the crisis are triggering debt distress in a growing number of countries and is severely limiting the ability of many, to invest in recovery and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including urgently needed climate action, Secretary-General António Guterres said.

According to the policy brief, 42 economies borrowing from capital markets have experienced sovereign downgrades since the start of the pandemic, including 6 developed countries, 27 emerging market economies, and 9 least developed countries.

Sovereign downgrades cause borrowing costs to rise, especially for developing countries, which can, in turn, increase the risk of more nations taking on unsustainable debt – especially if the COVID-19 pandemic is more protracted and deeper than expected.

“Unless we take decisive action on debt and liquidity challenges, we risk another ‘lost decade’ for many developing countries, putting the achievement of the SDGs by the 2030 deadline definitively out of reach”, Mr. Guterres urged.

The policy brief, entitled Liquidity and Debt Solutions to Invest in the SDGs, takes stock of the global policy response since April last year, assess remaining gaps and challenges for their implementation, as well as propose updates to the recommendations, presented last year, in light of developments over the past 12 months.

Need for debt relief

The brief highlights the need for debt relief to create space for investments in recovery and for achieving the SDGs.

Even in cases of elevated debt, new borrowing can lead to improved creditworthiness if it finances productive investments, it noted, adding that debt relief can also free up resources, create conditions under which countries can return to voluntary market access, and may lower a country’s overall borrowing costs, with positive impacts across the whole economy.

Assistance for small island States

The Secretary-General also urged governments to provide fresh concessional financing for developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States, recapitalize multilateral development banks and accelerate the timetable for replenishing the funds, meet official development assistance (ODA) commitments and provide long-term financing to developing countries for investment in long-term growth.

In support of recent endorsements from the G7, the document also called for a new general allocation of special drawing rights reiterating the need to combine a voluntary reallocation of the rights from developed to developing countries.

The brief also urged the G20 to extend the World Bank’s Debt Suspension Initiative (DSSI) until the end of June 2022 and include middle-income countries, notably small island developing States that have been gravely affected by the crisis.

It also urged the bloc to extend the eligibility for debt relief under its Common Framework for Debt Treatment Beyond the DSSI to other vulnerable countries on a case-by-case basis, as well as consider other mechanisms that would allow countries to access the framework, without compromising the credit rating.

Financing the 2030 Agenda

The policy brief was released to coincide with the high-level meeting of Heads of State and Government on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond.

The virtual meeting, scheduled to start at 10 am (ET) will follow-up on a series of meetings and last year to mobilize action to assist the economic recovery from the pandemic.

The high-level meeting is convened jointly by the Secretary-General Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada.

Liquidity is vital, urges Guterres

Addressing the high-level meeting, Mr. Guterres called for urgent assistance for developing countries so they have the financial liquidity they need to respond to the pandemic as well as invest in recovery, or risk a “lost decade” in development terms.

“I am encouraged to see that our insistence on the necessity for a new allocation of Special Drawing Rights by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the reallocation of unused SDRs to support vulnerable countries, including middle income ones, is now winning widespread acceptance … let us make sure it happens – and is properly managed to the benefit of the developing world”, he said.

The Secretary-General urged a “three-phase” approach to debt, including a moratorium on debt payments, targeted debt relief, and reforms to the international debt architecture.

He also called for more responsible borrowing and lending, accepted by debtor and creditor countries, investors, market participants, credit rating agencies and international organizations, highlighting the need for a time-bound, open dialogue to build trust and transparency in a systematic, inclusive way.

“Together, with collective resolve, we can help all countries invest in response, recovery, and a more sustainable, resilient future.”

Myanmar: Top UN officials condemn military’s ‘shameful, cowardly’ attacks on peaceful protesters

Following another day of widespread bloodshed by the Myanmar military, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights, strongly condemned the Myanmar military’s widespread, lethal, increasingly systematic attacks against peaceful protesters, as well as other serious violations of human rights since it seized power on 1 February.

“The shameful, cowardly, brutal actions of the military and police – who have been filmed shooting at protesters as they flee, and who have not even spared young children – must be halted immediately”, they said in a joint statement.

Coordinated attacks

Yesterday witnessed the bloodiest day since the demonstrations against the coup began, with security forces killing at least 107 individuals – including seven children – according to multiple credible reports, with the number of deaths expected to rise as reports are confirmed.

Hundreds more were wounded and detained during these seemingly coordinated attacks in over 40 locations throughout the country, and thousands have been arbitrarily arrested – many subjected to enforced disappearance.

The UN officials called on the military to immediately stop killing the very people it has the duty to serve and protect.

International role

The senior officials also called on the Security Council to build on its statement of 10 March condemning the violence, among other things, and for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and wider international community to promptly act to protect the people from atrocities. 

Although the State has the primary responsibility to safeguard its population, in cases where it is manifestly failing, the international community “should take timely and collective action in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations to protect civilian populations that are at risk of atrocity crimes”, they reminded.

End impunity

Both UN officials also called for an end to systemic impunity in Myanmar.

“We must ensure accountability for past crimes and deter the most serious international crimes from being committed”, they stated.

“The failure to address the atrocity crimes the military has committed in the past, including against Rohingya and other minorities, has brought Myanmar to this terrible pass”. 

Ms. Nderitu and Ms. Bachelet urged all parties – including defecting officials, police and military officers – to cooperate with international mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Human Rights Council’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, in fighting impunity in the country.

“There is no way forward without accountability and fundamental reform of the military”, they stressed.

Minorities in crosshairs

This situation has also put at further risk the already vulnerable ethnic and religious minorities, including the Rohingya, which has long suffered horrific violence at the hands of the Myanmar military with impunity, as documented by the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar established by the Human Rights Council.  

“We are deeply concerned about the impact that the current situation may have on these populations and are closely monitoring developments. The rights of minority groups, including the Rohingya population must be fully respected”, the two UN officials stated.

They also noted the diversity of the protest movement and encouraged the newfound sense of unity across ethnic and religious divides.

Myanmar: UN chief condemns killing of civilians during brutal crackdown on protestors

In a statement issued by Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq, Secretary-General António Guterres said, “the continuing military crackdown…is unacceptable and demands a firm, unified and resolute international response”. 

As Myanmar’s military celebrated Armed Forces Day with a parade in the country’s capital, Naypyitaw, soldiers and police suppressed protesters during what has resulted in the highest daily death toll since demonstrations began last month.

“The military celebrated Armed Forces Day by committing mass murder against the people it should be defending”, tweeted Tom Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.

He added that the Civil Disobedience Movement is responding with “powerful weapons of peace” and called for the world “to respond in kind with and for the people of Myanmar”.

A situation spiralling downward

On 1 February, following a general election in which Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won by a landslide, the military seized control of the country and declared a year-long state of emergency.

As Ms. Suu Kyi remains in detention at an unknown location, protesters have taken to the streets.

In addition to imposing curfews and other restrictions, security forces have used water cannon, rubber bullets and live ammunition to try to disperse the demonstrators, according to news reports.

‘Urgent solution’ needed

“It is critical to find an urgent solution to this crisis”, underscored the Secretary-General.

He reiterated an imperative appeal to the military to refrain from violence and repression and upheld that “those responsible for the serious human rights violations committed in Myanmar must be held accountable”.

India donates 200,000 vaccines to protect UN blue helmets against COVID

The donated AstraZeneca vaccines left Mumbai for the Danish capital of Copenhagen, where they will be safely stored and distributed to UN peacekeepers serving in various missions.

Lauding India as “a longstanding and steadfast supporter of peacekeeping”, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said, “an effective roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine to all peacekeepers is a key priority for the United Nations in order to protect our personnel and their capacity to continue their crucial work, help protect vulnerable communities and deliver on their mandates”.

He thanked the Government and people of India for their generous donation to safeguard peacekeeping personnel and “enable them to continue their life-saving work in a safe manner.”

Vaccinating peacekeepers

The head of UN Operational Support, Atul Khare, said the “important donation” will ensure that UN peacekeepers remain healthy and “deliver in some of the most difficult environments in the world without relying on already stretched national health systems or ongoing COVAX efforts”.

We thank India…[and] remain engaged with our troop and police contributing countries to ensure that wherever possible, uniformed personnel are vaccinated through their national systems prior to deployment”.

At the same time, Mr. Khare’s department is leading UN system-wide arrangements to support national efforts in vaccinating UN civilian personnel and family members.

India has long played an important role in peacekeeping, particularly though its contribution of troops. Currently, more than 95 thousand UN peacekeepers are deployed in 12 missions.

Meanwhile, the UN Resident Coordinator in India, Renata Desalien, “heartily” thanked India for its “generous gesture of solidarity and support”.

“This step, especially for the United Nations, reflects India’s strong commitment to global peace and multilateralism”, she said.

Vintage French rugby pros tackle refugee integration in the vineyards

In his former life, in Syria, Hussam worked as a journalist, and was an elite athlete. “I was the Syrian kickboxing champion three times”, he says. However, the conflict in the country put paid to his professional and sporting ambitions. “I was shot in the chest, and after that I stopped taking part in sports”.

Forced to leave , Hussam sought refuge in France, where he found employment in the vineyards of the Bordeaux region, working as a seasonal worker at Château Pédesclaux, which produces Pauillac, one of the famous Bordeaux “Grands Crus” fine wines.

Hussam is one of dozens of refugees providing a vital service to an industry that often finds it hard to find enough labour at harvest time, a shortage that has become more serious since the COVID-19 pandemic saw travel restrictions making it much harder for migrant workers to enter the country.

Rugby to the rescue

“There was a lot of uncertainty about our ability to find people to work among the vines, But the vines won’t wait for us” says Vincent Bache-Grabielsen, technical director of Château Pédesclaux. “We have to follow the cycle of the seasons”.

Searching for a solution, the vineyard turned to Ovale Citoyen, a local association that uses rugby (Bordeaux is not only a famous wine region, but also the heartland of French rugby) and other sports as a way of promoting team-building and inclusion.

Since the beginning of the COVID crisis, the association has also offered seasonal work to people in need, including refugees, in a project called “Drop in the Fields”, a play on words that refers to drop goals, a way of scoring points in rugby.

Ninety refugees helped bring in the grapes during the last harvest, and a further 15 took part in training for other viticulture-related jobs, such as tractor driving, which offer the possibility of year-round employment. Ovale Citoyen also offers training for a wide range of careers in the wine industry, as well as social and legal support.

Sport plays a central role, in part because Ovale Citoyen was created by former professional rugby players from Union Bordeaux Bègles (the word ‘ovale’ refers to the oval shape of a rugby ball). The group also promotes football and boxing.

“Rugby has social values, values of the heart, and it seemed very important to us that refugees should be able to benefit from them,” says Jean François Puech, one of the Ovale Citoyen founders, explaining that the association advances social integration and the idea that everyone has a place on the field regardless of their social situation, their level of education or their physique. “Whatever a person’s origin, religion, sexual orientation or even their history, every human has the right to happiness”.

“Ovale Citoyen encouraged me to get back into sport”, says Hussam. “Rugby has given me many important things: It’s given me contact with the local community, new friends, and it’s given me hope”.

Integrating refugees

Integration involves a two-way process between refugees and their host communities. To build social cohesion, stability and security, it requires that communities are well-equipped to receive refugees, and that refugees are well-supported to realize their potential in their new environments.
The ability for refugees to live and build futures for themselves wherever they are in Europe can contribute to an effective asylum system and reduce pressures for onward movement. Investing in the integration of refugees yields positive benefits for refugees as well as host communities, providing a sense of belonging and a future.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is greatly concerned that some States are creating barriers and deterrents to entry or pushing back people in need of protection. States need to put in place protection-sensitive border policies and practices, including measures to recognize whether individuals need international protection, as well as to identify people with specific needs, such as unaccompanied and separated children.

UN commission pushes equality for women in decision-making

The 65th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) ended its two-week long gathering on Friday by adopting a document that recognizes the need to significantly accelerate the pace in ensuring women a place in government and public sector leadership.

The so-called Agreed Conclusions acknowledge that temporary special measures, such as quotas, and increased political will are needed as an enabling pathway to this goal.

“This is the first session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 15 years to engage with the issue of women’s participation in public life and these Agreed Conclusions make important advances”, said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the Executive Director of UN Women, which serves as the CSW Secretariat.

Outcome document

Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic,  the Agreed Conclusions affirm that the crisis is deepening the pre-existing inequalities that perpetuate multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.

However, recent data show that women have been mostly absent from COVID-19 government task forces around the world – making up only 24 per cent of the 225 task force members examined across 137 countries.

As such, the document recommends concrete actions to remedy the situation, such as changing laws that hinder women’s equal participation in public life; setting timelines for gender balance in government through measures such as quotas or appointments; and encouraging the nomination of as many women candidates as men.

Moreover, it pushes for measures to eliminate, prevent and respond to all forms of violence against women and girls in public and private spaces.

The Agreed Conclusions also calls for an end to the impunity of perpetrators and assistance for victims and survivors – for instance through psychosocial support, affordable housing and employment.

“The women of the world have made it very clear that the past and the status quo have not met their need for gender equality”, said Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka.

Driving action further

Meanwhile the countdown begins for the Generation Equality Forum in Mexico on Monday.

Convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the Governments of Mexico and France, in conjunction with youth and civil society, the forum aims to drive major action and commitments for gender.

With civil society at its core, it will reinforce the power and voice of feminist movements and youth, while highlighting the commitment and action of UN Member States, the private sector and international organizations, among others, in the drive to achieve gender equality.

Earth Hour: ‘Make peace with nature’ – UN chief

In his message to mark the event, Secretary-General António Guterres said that “we must all do our part to safeguard the planet”.

“We need to make peace with nature. Without nature’s help, we cannot thrive or even survive on this planet Earth”, he spelled out.

Warning that climate disruption, biodiversity loss and pollution “threaten lives, jobs and health”, the UN chief called 2021 “a year to change course”.

“It’s time to re-evaluate and reset our relationship with nature”, he said.

Building together

The Secretary-General upheld that solutions are “available, affordable, practical and realistic”.

“We can provide renewable energy and sustainable food systems for all. We can reduce emissions and use nature-based solutions to help us build a more resilient, carbon-neutral world”, he said.

In short, together the world can “build a brighter and more prosperous future”.

‘Make or break’ year

The UN chief reminded that “small actions can make a big difference” and said that “the United Nations is proud to join in the global effort to mark Earth Hour”.

“In this ‘make-or-break’ year, let your actions and voices send a clear message to leaders everywhere: now is the time to be bold and ambitious”, he stated.

“Let’s show the world that we are determined to protect the one home we all share”, concluded the Secretary-General.

As in previous years, the UN will switch off it lights at Headquarters in New York at 8:30 p.m. NY time.

Motherhood on the brink in Yemen

“It was the morning of a normal working day before fighting escalated close to the hospital. I heard a mother screaming at the gate”, midwife Shrook Khalid Saeed told UNFPA, at the Al Shaab Hospital in the district of Crater, in Yemen.

By the time she arrived at the entrance to the hospital, hostilities in the area had flared and a gunfight had broken out. “Bullets were coming from all the corners of the street”, she recounted. “When I arrived at the gate, I found the pregnant woman lying down and crying for help. I pulled her and rushed her inside a car. That is where all of it happened. In a few minutes, she had delivered a healthy baby boy.”

Childbirth can be harrowing in even the best of times but the cascade of humanitarian crises in Yemen have made the journey to motherhood more dangerous than ever. The country’s long-running conflict has depleted the health system. Currently only half of all health facilities are functioning.

The pandemic has only aggravated the situation, with roughly 15 per cent of the health system shifted to deal with COVID-19 cases. Only 20 per cent of functioning health facilities are providing maternal and child health services.

Today, a woman in Yemen dies during childbirth every two hours, almost always from preventable causes. And now, the threat of famine looms.

“The situation is catastrophic,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem, during her recent three-day visit to the country.

In place of joy, fear looms

Pregnant and breastfeeding women are especially vulnerable during times of food insecurity. Currently 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished, and these numbers could double if humanitarian funding does not materialize.

“When I came to receive antenatal care at Al Shaab Hospital, I was very weak and pale. I could not stand straight”, 33-year-old Hafsa told UNFPA during Dr. Kanem’s visit. “My nutritional status was very poor. I was given medicines to supplement my diet, and I was advised to eat meat, vegetables and fruits.”

But good nutrition was beyond reach due to her family’s low income. When she delivered her daughter months later, the girl weighed only 1.8 kg. “The baby stayed in the hospital for a couple of days as I did not have enough breast milk to feed her”, Hafsa said.

Malnutrition puts both women in childbirth and newborn babies at serious risk.

“I’ve been in many maternity wards, and they are usually a place of joy. But in Yemen, I witnessed the devastation of malnutrition and hunger, with newborn babies on feeding tubes and mothers weakened by fear and exhaustion,” Dr. Kanem noted. “It is heartbreaking to see fellow members of the human family in such dire conditions.”

Violence at home

Women’s and girls’ vulnerability to violence has greatly escalated under the country’s crisis.

During Dr. Kanem’s visit, she spoke to women at a UNFPA-supported shelter.

One young girl, Alea*, told Dr. Kanem about being married off at age 13. Child marriage is increasingly being used as a coping mechanism by impoverished families.

“When I told my father, I do not want to get married, my father and grandmother beat me with a water pipe. They said by getting married I will have a better life”, Alea said. “My life only got worse. My husband started to sell all my jewellery and when I inquired about them, he would beat me. I then ran to my father’s house, but he also beat me and chased me back to my husband. I was left with nowhere to go.”

Escape to shelter

A neighbour helped Alea escape. She has been living at the shelter for over five months, attending training workshops and dreaming of returning to school.

“I spoke to young girls and pregnant women who had to flee for their lives and seek protection at UNFPA sites, which are among the very few safe spaces for women and girls”, Dr. Kanem said.

UNFPA is supporting eight such shelters and 51 women’s and girls’ safe spaces. Last year, UNFPA provided more than half of all health facilities in Yemen with essential life-saving medicines and reached more than 1.2 million women and girls with reproductive health services.

But much more support is needed. “The women and girls of Yemen deserve peace. For too long, they have been caught up in a conflict that is not of their making,” Dr. Kanem urged. “The world must act now.”

* Name changed for protection and privacy

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FROM THE FIELD: Preparing for disaster in Nepal

Floods, landslides and wildfires are regularly occurring threats in Nepal, and the climate crisis is making such extreme weather events more frequent, and unpredictable.

Working closely with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Nepalese Government is ensuring that the voices of marginalized groups, such as women, people with disabilities, and indigenous communities, are heard and taken into consideration in their plans, which include early warning systems, off-grids clean energy solutions, and reforestation.

Read more on how Nepal is adapting to the challenges of climate change here.

Month: March 2021