June 2021 — Page 3 of 13 — Human Rights & Charity

Syria’s last cross-border aid lifeline must stay open, insist UN humanitarians

World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson Tomson Phiri said that the renewal of the UN resolution allowing cross-border operation was critical, since “millions of lives are at stake”.

Lifeline for 2.4 million

Speaking in Geneva during a regular briefing, Mr. Phiri explained that 2.4 million people “depend entirely on cross-border assistance for their basic needs including food. The majority of these people are women and children, many of whom have been displaced multiple times.”

The development follows an appeal by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the Security Council on Wednesday to continue to allow convoys to pass through the Bab al-Hawa crossing from Turkey for another year.

“A failure to extend the Council’s authorization would have devastating consequences”, said Mr. Guterres, highlighting that cross-line aid assistance “at present levels” could not replace the quantities that were delivered cross-border.

World’s biggest aid operation

More than 1,000 trucks have transported food, medicine and other items through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing each month over the past year, as part of a wider UN humanitarian operation that is the biggest in the world.

Around $10 billion is needed to support people affected by the conflict, whether in the country or as refugees across the region.

Inside Syria, needs are massive and growing, however.

“Today, an estimated 12.4 million Syrians are food insecure and this amounts to nearly 60 per cent of the population who do not know what they will eat tomorrow. This is an increase of 4.5 million people in only one year,” said Mr. Phiri.

Most vulnerable

Those living in Idlib in Syria’s northwest – which is the last opposition stronghold after more than a decade of war – are among the most vulnerable.

“Of greatest concern today is northwest Syria, where nearly 30 per cent of the people WFP assists, live”, Mr. Phiri explained. “Similarly, 30 per cent of the food WFP ships into Syria is through the single remaining border crossing.”

The Bab al-Hawa crossing from Turkey is the last of four cross-border passages still open, after a 2014 UN Security Council resolution authorising humanitarian aid into opposition-held areas of Syria.

COVID-19 threat only one of many

Spokesperson Christian Lindmeier from the World Health Organization (WHO) underscored the likely consequences for Idlib’s already weakened population if cross-border authorisation is not renewed: “It would not be possible to roll out reliable COVID vaccinations to the population and other campaigns to vaccinate children as well as other essential health activities including lifesaving care for chronic non-communicable diseases.”

“The COVID-19 response is heavily reliant on the UN including the vaccination roll-out,” he added. “The UN-supported COVAX mechanism is the only option for access to vaccines in the area, yet less than 0.58 per cent of the population has received one dose.”

The WHO spokesperson also insisted that cross-line convoys “even if deployed regularly would not replicate the size and scope of this (cross-border) operation. Despite significant continuing efforts by the UN, we have not yet managed to create the conditions to deploy the first cross-line convoy to north-west Syria and no cross-line convoys have crossed into north-west Syria from Damascus in the last 11 months.”

Falling further into debt

Securing enough food to eat inside Syria is a daily struggle, and families are now buying food on credit, WFP’s Mr. Phiri said.

“Food prices continue to rise and have increased by 247 per cent food price increase in the last year alone; families have exhausted their savings after years of conflict and are unable to afford basic meals.”

Syria: ‘Gulf of mistrust’, complex realities, prevent political progress

“I think we are all disappointed that we are not making real advances on the political track”, said Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy for Syria, namely constitutional reform and future elections slated to be administered under UN supervision.

Contours of a new international dialogue

Against that backdrop, he unveiled a proposal for a new international dialogue on Syria aimed at achieving steps that are reciprocal and mutual, “defined with realism and precision” and carried out in parallel. Key players should be ready to come to the table with the necessary goodwill.

The aim is to deepen exploratory substantive consultations to identify the “very first steps that Syrian and international players could deliver”, he explained, pressing the parties to not only explore what they ask of others – but also what actions they can entertain. “I sense that all key players are interested in deepening this conversation.”

Diplomatic overtures

He said he has been in regular contact with senior officials from the Russian Federation and the United States before and since the recent Geneva summit, as well as other Council members and States in the region.

He said he will soon fly to Rome for consultations with foreign ministers participating in a Ministerial Meeting on Syria convened by Italy and the US, before heading to Moscow to consult with Turkey and Iran – and then to Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan, for an ‘Astana format’ meeting in early July, which lies outside the UN framework.

‘Steps for steps’

Outlining areas where initial steps might be found, he pointed first to the call for action on detainees, abductees and missing persons in resolution 2254 (2015) – which calls for a ceasefire and settlement to the conflict – noting that he has engaged Syria’s Government again on the topic, seeking information on the 2 May presidential decree and recent reported releases.

“A steps-for-steps discussion could help unlock more serious progress”, he suggested.

Nationwide ceasefire needed

He identified the resolution’s call for a nationwide ceasefire as another area for potential cooperation, as the patchwork of regional de-escalation agreements could collapse with a dramatic escalation of violence across the frontlines. He also pointed to economic recovery and the displacement crisis as other areas for a possible common cause.

Unlocking progress in Constitutional Committee

In the meantime, he said he will seek to facilitate the Constitutional Committee as an important contribution to a broader process. “I think most Syrians and most of us here in this chamber are disappointed that the Committee, which has met five times, is not yet working expeditiously to produce results.”

Civil society voices must be heard

Underscoring his priority to involve the widest spectrum of Syrian civil society in the political process he said his team has launched the first of several thematic working groups, providing a structured way for them to contribute their expertise. A series of virtual regional consultations began earlier this week, involving 120 Syrian civil society actors – more than one third of them women.

“My own thinking continues to be shaped by these encounters with Syrians”, he said. “The vast majority of Syrians are desperately looking for signals that the international community, despite their differences, can work together.” He urged the Council to assist his team in the weeks and the months ahead.

UN chief urges European Parliament to support COVID vaccines for all

In a wide-ranging multilingual speech to the European Parliament in Brussels, the UN chief underscored the need to ramp up vaccinations globally.

“The pandemic is causing more deaths today than a year ago. And vaccines are our only way out of this crisis. They must be considered as a global public good, available and affordable to all,” he said.

“Vaccine equity is not only the greatest moral test of our times. It is also a matter of effectiveness”, he added.

Vaccine task force

The Secretary-General reiterated his recent call for an Emergency Task Force that would mobilize pharmaceutical companies and key industry players in implementing a plan to ensure the entire global population is vaccinated by “as early as possible in 2022.”

Members would include vaccine-producing countries, as well as nations that could manufacture these treatments provided they have assistance, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO); the vaccine alliance, GAVI, and international financial institutions.

The Task Force would explore all options to scale-up vaccine production, such as technology transfers, patent pooling, sharing intellectual property, and addressing supply chain bottlenecks.

“And the European Union must use its leverage as a global actor to help in this effort and ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all”, he said.

Creating a fairer world

Fresh from being re-appointed as UN Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres told parliamentarians from the 27 member bloc, that he will use his second term to foster more effective global cooperation to address common concerns.

“The pandemic has revealed our shared fragility, our inter-connectedness, and the overwhelming need for collective action.  Our biggest challenge — and greatest opportunity — is to use this crisis as a chance to pivot to a greener, fairer and more sustainable world,” he said. 

With the pandemic exposing shocking inequalities between developed and developing countries, he urged governments to consider imposing a “solidarity tax” or “wealth tax” on those who profited from the crisis, which would go towards funding socio-economic recovery.

“But beyond that, developing countries must have access to additional liquidity,” he said, speaking in French. “In this context, I renew my call to support the most vulnerable people and countries, including, if necessary, through debt relief.”

Climate action

Addressing the fragile state of the planet, Mr. Guterres thanked the EU for showing leadership in achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

More and more countries are joining the drive for carbon neutrality, and he said their commitments must be bolstered by clear deadlines for ending fossil fuel subsidies and finance, and plans to halve emissions by 2030.

Ahead of the COP26 UN climate change conference this November in Scotland, the Secretary-General urged the EU to mobilize the $100 billion to support climate action in developing countries, as promised under the Paris Agreement on climate change.

“With many countries on the frontline of the climate crisis, we have a moral imperative and a clear economic case for supporting developing countries to adapt and build resilience to current and future climate impacts,” he said.

UN pushes for lasting ceasefire, more humanitarian deliveries in Gaza

“The UN is working closely with all concerned parties and partners…to solidify a ceasefire, allow the entry of urgent humanitarian assistance and stabilize the situation in Gaza”, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland said, referring to the conflict that erupted between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in the occupied enclave. 

The ceasefire was declared on 20 May, after 11 days of rocket and air attacks across the border area between Gaza and southern Israel, leaving more than 240 reportedly dead, the majority on the Palestinian side, with thousands injured.

More than 230 Palestinians were killed as a result of Israeli fire, and at least 12 were killed in Israel, as Hamas and other extremist groups, unleashed rocket attacks.

Mr. Wennesland urged all sides to “refrain from unilateral steps and provocations” and reduce tensions.

“Everyone must do their part to facilitate ongoing discussions to stabilize the situation on the ground and avoid another devastating escalation in Gaza”.

Before updating the Council on recent developments, the UN envoy congratulated Israeli’s new coalition Government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, with hopes of advancing a two-State solution and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

More casualties

Turning to reports of more violence across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), he said that since 3 May, five Palestinians had been killed and some 100 others injured by live ammunition in the West Bank.

And on 15 June during a right-wing Israeli activist march through Jerusalem’s Old City, 66 Palestinians, including 12 children, were injured by rubber-bullets and physical assaults while rallies throughout the Gaza Strip by national Islamic forces had seen further incendiary balloon attacks, launched towards Israel.

Settlements

Citing Resolution 2334 of 2016, whereby the Security Council demanded that Israel “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities”, the Special Coordinator said he remained “deeply troubled” by continued Israeli settlement expansion.

He was particularly concerned over a plan to expand the Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem and by new settlement outposts, which he pointed out were also illegal under Israeli law.

“Israeli settlements constitute a flagrant violation of United Nations resolutions and international law”, Mr. Wennesland reminded. “They are a major obstacle to the achievement of a two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace”.

“The advancement of all settlement activity must cease immediately”, he said.

Deepening divisions

Against the backdrop of an “alarming increase” in violence between Israelis and Palestinians, “at a scale and intensity not seen in years”, the UN Coordinator expressed special concern over what he described as an attempt to “exploit the sensitive status of Jerusalem”, to justify a broader armed conflict.

He said this had only “deepened the divisions” and made progress towards peace “an even greater challenge”, appealing for an immediate halt.

“Perpetrators of violence on all sides must be held accountable and swiftly brought to justice”, he said, adding that the authorities on both sides must carry out “thorough, independent, impartial and prompt investigations into all instances of possible excessive use of force”.

Access in Gaza

Meanwhile, as the UN continues to coordinate the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance to Gaza, following widespread destruction due to Israeli strikes, the UN envoy pushed all to “facilitate unimpeded access”.

“We are moving quickly to ensure that there is a well-coordinated international response focused on the two million people in Gaza who have suffered for far too long”, he said.

Noting that with some “narrow exceptions”, the Kerem Shalom crossing to Gaza from Israel has been closed for over five weeks, Mr. Wennesland stressed that it should be open “for regular, non-sensitive trade”.

UN stands in solidarity

In closing, the Special Coordinator echoed “the significant risks” of a renewed escalation and highlighted “the urgent need to re-establish a political horizon” to restore hope to both Palestinians and Israelis.

As international efforts focus on halting hostilities in the longer term, providing humanitarian assistance and reconstructing Gaza, he reiterated the UN’s commitment to support the parties in resolving the conflict and ending the occupation in pursuit of two States, Israel and Palestine, “living side-by-side in peace and security”.

DR Congo: Grave consequences for children witnessing ‘appalling violence’, UNICEF reports

The simultaneous attacks on Boga and Tchabi, located in Ituri Province, have been devastating for children, the agency said, as many have witnessed brutal acts committed by assailants wielding machetes and heavy weapons.

A 12-year-old orphan called Grace is among them.

A child’s plea

Grace arrived unaccompanied at a camp in the provincial capital, Bunia, in early June after she was separated from her grandmother during the attack on her hometown, Boga.

“I was watching television in our house in the middle of the night when the gunmen attacked at four in the morning,” she recalled. “They were firing bullets everywhere and everyone took different paths to flee. As I fled, I saw a mother whose head had been cut off.”

Grace managed to find a vehicle that was taking displaced people from Boga to Bunia, a journey of more than 100 km. UNICEF and partners are trying to reunite her with her grandmother.

Meanwhile, Grace is being cared for by a foster mother in a crowded shelter in one of two main camps in Bunia housing more than 20,000 displaced people.

“I ask the world not to ignore the appalling violence that is going on here,” she said. “We must do all we can to get rid of people who kill innocent civilians.”

Entire families killed

Similar attacks like the ones on Boga and Tchabi have uprooted whole communities, UNICEF said, with reports of entire families, including children, hacked to death. Health centres and schools have been ransacked, and whole villages set on fire.

Around 90 per cent of the population fled the Boga area in the wake of the twin assaults, with people seeking sanctuary north, south and east of the town.

“It is estimated that about 30,000 people have fled their homes in the recent displacements, including more than 9,500 in Bunia,” said Dr. Ibrahim Cisse, UNICEF Bunia Chief Field Officer.

Most of the displaced stay with friends and relatives in the host community, not in camps, and needs are great, particularly for food, essential household items and other non-food items.

Support for displaced people

UNICEF is working with humanitarian partners to distribute thousands of household essentials, and sanitary and hygiene kits, in addition to providing tarpaulins to more than 4,000 households.

Dr Cisse said it was unlikely that people will be able to return to their homes despite military operations to eliminate armed groups in the Boga area.

UNICEF has urgently appealed for resources to support the displaced, mostly children and women, who have suffered serious rights violations, including rape.

Top priorities include working to reunite children separated from their families, or recruited into armed groups, as well as providing access to healthcare, nutrition, drinking water, education and other basic necessities.

In a report published earlier this year, UNICEF called for an end to the conflict in the eastern DRC, which has generated one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

Some 1.6 million people were driven from their homes in the first six months of 2020 alone.

Overall, 5.2 million Congolese are displaced, which is more than in any country, except Syria.

COVID pandemic fuelling major increase in drug use worldwide: UN report

According to UNODC’s World Drug Report 2021, cannabis potency has quadrupled in some parts of the world over the last two decades, while the percentage of adolescents who perceived the drug as harmful fell by as much as 40 per cent.

This perception gap prevails despite evidence that cannabis use is associated with a variety of health and other harms, especially among regular long-term users. Moreover, most countries have reported a rise in the use of cannabis during the pandemic.

“Lower perception of drug use risks has been linked to higher rates of drug use, and the findings of UNODC’s 2021 World Drug Report highlight the need to close the gap between perception and reality to educate young people and safeguard public health,” said UNODC Executive Director, Ghada Waly.

Socioeconomic impact

The COVID-19 crisis has pushed more than 100 million people into extreme poverty, and has greatly exacerbated unemployment and inequalities, as the world lost 255 million jobs in 2020.

Mental health conditions are also on the rise worldwide. These factors have the potential to spur a rise in drug use disorders.

Moreover, changes have already been observed in drug use patterns during the pandemic, including increases in the use of cannabis and the non-medical use of pharmaceutical sedatives.

Underlying socioeconomic stressors have also likely accelerated demand for these drugs.

Business as usual

In parallel, the Report reveals that drug traffickers have quickly recovered from initial setbacks caused by lockdown restrictions and are operating at pre-pandemic levels once again, driven in part by a rise in the use of technology and cryptocurrency payments, operating outside the regular financial system.

Access to drugs has also become simpler than ever with online sales, and major drug markets on the dark web are now worth some $315 million annually.

Contactless drug transactions, such as through the mail, are also on the rise, a trend possibly accelerated by the pandemic.

Rapid technological innovation, combined with the agility and adaptability of drug traffickers who are using new online platforms to sell drugs and other substances, are likely to increase the availability of illicit drugs.

Positive trends

A rise in the use of technology during the pandemic has also triggered innovation in drug prevention and treatment services, through more flexible models of service delivery such as telemedicine, enabling healthcare professionals to reach and treat more patients.

Meanwhile, the number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) emerging on the global market fell from 163 in 2013, to 71 in 2019.

These findings suggest national and international control systems have succeeded in limiting the spread of NPS in high income countries, where the trend first emerged a decade ago.

The report also found that the two pharmaceutical opioids used to treat people with opioid use disorders, methadone and buprenorphine, have become increasingly accessible, as science-based treatment has become more broadly available.

Looking to the future

“Drugs cost lives,” concludes the UNODC chief. “In an age when the speed of information can often outstrip the speed of verification, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that it is crucial to cut through the noise and focus on facts, a lesson that we must heed in order to protect societies from the impact of drugs.”

The launch of the 2021 World Drug Report comes ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed on 26 June.

The 2021 theme of the UNODC-led campaign is “Share facts on drugs, save lives” to achieve a world free of drug abuse.

Key numbers:

Between 2010-2019 the number of people using drugs increased by 22 per cent, owing in part to increase in the global population.
Roughly 200 million people used cannabis in 2019 representing 4 per cent of the global population.
The number of cannabis users has increased by nearly 18 per cent over the past decade.
An estimated 20 million people used cocaine in 2019, corresponding to 0.4 per cent of the global population.
Roughly 50,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the United States in 2019, more than double the 2010 figure.
Fentanyl and its analogues now are involved in most of the deaths..
The number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) found at global level has been stabilizing in recent years at slightly more than 500 substances (541 in 2019) while the actual number of NPS identified for the first time at global level declined from 213 to 71 between 2013 and 2019.

91 countries now offer COVID-19 vaccinations to refugees, says UNHCR

“Beyond the moral imperative, this is in our collective self-interest”, said Ann Burton, Chief of UNHCR’s Public Health Section. “As long as the pandemic remains out of control somewhere, it is threat for everyone everywhere.”

To date, refugees and asylum-seekers have begun receiving vaccinations in 91 of the 162 countries that UNHCR has been monitoring.

But it warned that countries should do more to remove barriers that limit access to vaccines for the world’s 82.4 million forcibly displaced people.

Sub-Saharan obstacle

This includes Sub-Saharan Africa – where newly reported COVID-19 cases are on the rise – and where many vaccination sites are located far from where refugees live. Some countries also require people to register for vaccines using an identity document which many refugees do not have.

Other States have set up online vaccine registration systems that can deter or prevent people without access to the internet, or those who are not computer literate.

Highlighting positive steps by many countries, UNHCR noted that Moldova and Serbia had delivered the vaccine to asylum centres, while Senegal and Cameroon had allowed refugees to register in designated centres near their communities.

Proactive Portugal

Portugal had also introduced a specific registration system for undocumented people to ensure that no one is excluded from the national vaccine roll-out, the UN agency said.

“Around the world, we have seen an unwavering commitment to not leave refugees behind in COVID-19 vaccination planning”, said Ms. Burton. “But barriers to vaccination persist. Stronger efforts are needed to ensure that States’ assurances for refugee inclusion turn into tangible reality.”

UNHCR said in a statement that it stands ready to work with all States to ensure that at least 20 per cent of refugees are vaccinated by the end of 2021, as per the target set by the UN-partnered COVAX equitable vaccination initiative.

The UN agency also urged States to share their surplus vaccine doses with lower and middle-income countries and to support the COVAX facility, which is part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT) global cooperative.

The aim of ACT is to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines, to every country in the world

Governments must protect those who help torture victims, say human rights experts

In a statement to mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on Saturday, three Human Rights Council-appointed independent experts insisted that “people who have endured the ordeal of torture…have an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation”, including rehabilitation.

Follow the Convention

They upheld that the Convention against Torture (CAT) provides for reparations for blatant human rights violations and to restore dignity.

“It is particularly important that Governments respect and uphold the right to redress”, they said, adding that authorities should ensure that medical and other professionals who treat victims of torture, can carry out their work unhindered.

The same guarantees should also be given to civil society organizations and rights defenders so that they can carry out the vital work of documenting torture and supporting the rehabilitation of victims, the rights experts said.

The term “rehabilitation” includes adequate medical psychological, social and other relevant specialized treatment.

Combat reprisals

The UN experts warned in 2012 that victims of torture face reprisals for complaining or cooperating with the UN.

“Since then the trend of reported reprisals and severity against individuals and groups specifically for engaging with the UN has increased”, they attested.   

CAT, the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and the Special Rapporteur on Torture have all adopted measures to address retaliation and reprisals against civil society organizations combatting torture and helping victims.

‘Vital’ civic space

Last year, Secretary-General António Guterres adopted a Call to Action for Human Rights that makes civic space a priority area and issued the UN Guidance Note: Protection and Promotion of Civic Space.

In their statement, the experts advocated for civic space as “vital” in preventing and combatting torture and safeguarding the rights of those who have been persecuted and ill-treated.

“We urge States to uphold the absolute and universal prohibition against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and to enable a conducive environment for redress and rehabilitation for victims of torture, and for civil society to operate freely”, they said.

Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. They are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

Click here for the names of the three experts.

Central African Republic entrenched in ‘unprecedented humanitarian crisis’

Mankeur Ndiaye, CAR Special Representative and Head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) voiced his concern over a military counter-offensive against the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) – an alliance of armed groups that launched attacks against forces loyal to the Government ahead of the presidential vote in December, which returned incumbent Faustin-Archange Touadéra to power on 4 January.   

“The result has been an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with new waves of displacement and 57 per cent of the population in need of humanitarian assistance”, he said, addressing ambassadors in French, inside the Council chamber.

Widespread rights abuses

The Special Representative underscored that recent widespread rights abuses committed by State forces embolden armed groups, exacerbate fears of radicalization and compromise any chance of establishing trust between citizens and their leaders.

“This is a new trend that, if not careful, will ruin the meagre progress that has been hard won in the quest for social cohesion and national reconciliation”, he warned, adding that bilateral forces would be useful only if they contributed to protecting civilians from armed groups and creating an environment conducive to a lasting political solution.

Mr. Ndiaye also reported that conflict-related sexual violence in the first quarter of this year is five times higher than that of the last quarter of 2020.

Noting the development of a special investigative commission on abuses committed by CAR State forces and their partners, he said that MINUSCA intends to continue documenting rights violations to be reported publicly, to “preserve a framework for frank, transparent and constructive dialogue” with the authorities.

‘Scourge’ of IEDs

The looting and militarization of civilian infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, hinder already inadequate access to basic services, and undermine the protection of civilians and humanitarian assistance, and peace and stability efforts, the MINUSCA chief said.

He also drew the Council’s attention to the frequency of explosive devices being deployed, which have restricted peacekeepers’ movement, hindered economic activities and reduce the mobility of MINUSCA and humanitarian actors.

“We have shared our concerns with the relevant national authorities and have encouraged the ratification of the relevant international conventions to have a mechanism for preventing and combating this scourge”, Mr. Ndiaye said.

The Mission’s mission

Pointing to the presence of international forces along with MINUSCA as diminishing the mission’s effectiveness, the UN official said that with the Council’s support, he would take “immediate measures” to create the optimal conditions to improve efficiency and enhance the performance of UN ‘blue helmets’.

He told Ambassadors that MINUSCA had received assurances that the President had instructed CAR military leaders to explore new ways of working with the mission.

Meanwhile, citing incidents against peacekeepers on 30 May and 19 June, the MINUSCA chief underscored that the safety of UN troops and personnel remains “an imperative”.

He also noted that hate speech and incitement to violence against MINUSCA and CAR partners have become “increasingly strident the past few months”.

“Today more than ever, we need the Council’s support”, he said, stressing that multifaceted threats endanger MINUSCA’s mandate and put peacekeepers and UN personnel at greater risk.

Needed support

Mr. Ndiaye thanked the Security Council, Angola, the African Union (AU) and other international partners for their support and appealed for financial assistance to fill an estimated $9 million gap for local elections, early in 2022.

Noting that those elections should contribute significantly to decentralized governance, local development and the participation of many more citizens in political life, he said that President Touadéra and others in the political process have committed to complete the electoral cycle.

“We must seize this new opportunity to harmonize regional initiatives and encourage the new Government to mobilize the support of all international partners for the success of the inclusive political dialogue”, concluded the Special Representative.

UN General Assembly calls for US to end Cuba embargo for 29th consecutive year

In the meeting held in-person on Wednesday at UN headquarters in New York, three countries – Colombia, Ukraine, and Brazil – abstained.

With overwhelming backing from the international community, the resolution has been approved ever since 1992 when the General Assembly began to vote annually on the issue, with the sole exception of 2020, due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the Assembly’s vote carries political weight in terms of international diplomacy, only the US Congress can lift the economic, commercial, and financial embargo in place for five decades.

‘Economic war’: Cuban Foreign Minister

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, present during the vote in the General Assembly Hall, said that the blockade was a “massive, flagrant and unacceptable violation of the human rights of the Cuban people”.

He added that the embargo is about “an economic war of extraterritorial scope against a small country already affected in the recent period by the economic crisis derived from the pandemic”. Mr. Rodriguez estimated 2020 losses to be $9.1 million.

The diplomat said that the sanctions have made it harder for his country to acquire the medical equipment needed to develop COVID-19 vaccines as well as equipment for food production.

“Like the virus, the blockade asphyxiates and kills, it must stop”, he urged.

“Sanctions are tools for democracy”: United States

Meanwhile, Political Coordinator for the US Mission, Rodney Hunter, said during the vote that sanctions are “one set of tools in Washington’s broader effort toward Cuba to advance democracy, promote respect for human rights, and help the Cuban people exercise fundamental freedoms”.

He underscored that despite the blockade, the US recognizes “the challenges of the Cuban people” and therefore, the US was “a significant supplier of humanitarian goods to the Cuban people and one of Cuba’s principal trading partners”.

“Every year we authorize billions of dollars’ worth of exports to Cuba, including food and other agricultural commodities, medicines, medical devices, telecommunications equipment, other goods, and other items to support the Cuban people. Advancing democracy and human rights remain at the core of our policy efforts”, he said.