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

Importance of sound, inclusive elections in Iraq ‘cannot be overstated’

Jeanine Plasschaert, Special Representative and Head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said clashes erupted in the weeks following the vote, with demonstrations and sit-ins escalating into violence and casualties reported.

On 7 November, an assassination attempt was made on Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi when an exploding drone entered his residence in Baghdad’s Green Zone.

Demands and grievances

Describing Iraq’s current outlook as “precarious”, the Special Representative recalled that the October elections themselves emerged from an unprecedented wave of country-wide demonstrations in 2019.

Marked by violence, excessive use of force, abductions and targeted killings, the protests left hundreds dead and thousands injuried.

The country’s current fragile peace also comes on the heels of decades of conflict, which prevented ordinary civilians from making their voices heard.

“A lack of political, economic and social prospects made many, many Iraqis take to the streets”, said Ms. Plasschaert. “Their demands and grievances remain as relevant as ever”.

‘Much to be proud of’

While turnout for the recently concluded election was just 41 per cent, the vote was generally peaceful and well-run.

“There is much for Iraqis to be proud of in this election,” said the Special Representative.

On 22 October, the Security Council issued a statement congratulating the people and Government of Iraq on the smooth conduct of a “technically sound election” and deploring related threats of violence.

UNAMI had provided technical assistance to the electoral process and warned against the threats of violence and misinformation.

There is much for Iraqis to be proud of in this election – Special Representative Plasschaert

Moreover, many experts have noted that the recent election provides fresh hope that Iraq’s challenges can be addressed democratically going forward.

Calls for restraint

The UN official acknowledged that elections and their outcomes can provoke strong feelings, in Iraq or in any democracy across the globe.

While the results may be disappointing to some, she strongly cautioned against allowing civil debate – the bedrock of pluralism and political engagement – to give way to misinformation, baseless accusations, intimidation or threats of violence.

“Under no circumstances must terrorism, violence or any other unlawful acts be allowed to derail Iraq’s democratic process”, she stressed.

Calling for patience, Ms. Plasschaert said any unlawful attempts to prolong or discredit the electoral results process – or worse, to alter the electoral results through intimidation and pressure – can only backfire.

“I call on all stakeholders not to go down that path”, underscored the UNAMI chief.

“The importance of a sound and inclusive government formation process cannot be overstated”, she concluded.

WHO updates guidelines on COVID-related organ inflammation in children

The updated recommendation from the UN health agency comes after it first described Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated With COVID-19, or MIS-C for short, last May.

“MIS-C is a rare but serious condition where children with COVID-19 develop inflammation affecting different organs of the body”, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told journalists at a scheduled briefing in Geneva.

“Children with this condition need specialized care and may need to be admitted to intensive care. Although MIS-C is a serious condition, with the right medical care, children with this condition recover”.

Most kids ‘low-risk’

Mr. Lindmeier said that although youngsters remain at a low risk of developing severe or critical COVID-19, some underlying factors make them more susceptible to developing serious organ inflammation from the coronavirus.

These conditions include obesity, chronic lung disease – including asthma – cardiovascular disease and immunosuppression.

WHO issued its recommendation after analyzing data from three observational studies that pooled the experiences of 885 patients.

COVID sweeping Europe

Meanwhile, the WHO European Region remains firmly in the pandemic’s grip. Last week, reported COVID- related deaths increased to close to 4,200 a day, doubling from 2100 deaths a day at the end of September.

And cumulative reported deaths from the virus passed the 1.5 million mark for the 53 countries in this Region.

Today, COVID-19 is the number one cause of death across Europe and central Asia, as reported by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, who carry out modelling for the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

The development comes as the UN health agency said it feared that Europe could see more than two million deaths from the coronavirus by next March.

‘Vaccine plus’ approach

“In order to live with this virus and continue our daily lives, we need to take a ‘vaccine plus’ approach”, said Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

To live with this virus and continue our daily lives, we need to take a ‘vaccine plus’ approach – WHO Director for Europe

This means getting the standard doses of vaccine, taking a booster if offered, as well as incorporating preventive measures into our normal routines.

Taken together, wearing a mask, washing hands, ventilating indoor spaces, keeping physical distance and sneezing into your elbow are simple, effective ways of gaining control over the virus and keeping societies going.

“All of us have the opportunity and responsibility to help avert unnecessary tragedy and loss of life, and limit further disruption to society and businesses over this winter season”, assured Dr. Kluge.

Worrying symptoms

Before the UN agency decided on a preliminary clinical definition of the inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19 last year, it had been receiving reports from Europe and North America that described clusters of children and adolescents who required intensive care treatment “with a multisystem inflammatory condition with some features similar to those of Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome”.

At that time, WHO noted that patients presented “acute illness accompanied by a hyperinflammatory syndrome, leading to multi-organ failure and shock…Initial hypotheses are that this syndrome may be related to COVID-19 based on initial laboratory testing showing positive serology in a majority of patients”.

Global toll

Latest WHO data indicates that as of Monday, there have been 256, 966, 237 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 5,151,643 deaths, reported to the agency, and a total of 7,408,870,760 vaccine doses administered.

Regionally, the Americas have recorded the highest number of infections, with more than 95 million cases, followed by Europe (83 million), South-East Asia (44 million), Eastern Mediterranean (16 million), Western Pacific (nine million) and Africa (six million).

Poverty and violence push 378,000 Central Americans north each year

A joint report published by the World Food Programme (WFP), Migration Policy Institute (MPI), and Civic Data Design Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also showed that a high price was paid in human and economic costs, including an annual $2.2 billion on regular and irregular travel.

Increase

The publication draws from a unique survey of thousands of Central American households in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

The report revealed that in just two years, the percentage of people who considered migrating internationally increased more than five-fold, jumping from eight per cent in 2019 to 43 per cent in 2021.

However, only three per cent, had made concrete plans. Family separation and high costs associated with migrating were cited as deterrents.

Most migrants, 55 per cent, were said to have hired a smuggler at an average cost of $7,500 per person, while going through legal channels came at a cost of $4,500.

For 89 per cent of people, the United States was their intended destination country.

As many families would much rather stay home, WFP’s programmes are supporting sustainable livelihoods and offering people hope and opportunity in their own villages.

“But we need fresh funds to reach the millions planning to leave if they don’t get help soon”, said WFP Executive Director David Beasley.

Motivations

According to the report, food insecure people are three times more likely to make concrete plans to migrate than people who are not.

Food insecurity has seen a dramatic rise in Central America as the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and poverty continue to make it harder for families to feed themselves.

As of last month, WFP estimates that the number of food insecure people in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras grew three-fold, to 6.4 million from 2.2 million in 2019.

Migration flows were also impacted by violence and insecurity, as well as climate-related-shocks, such as severe droughts in the Central American Dry Corridor and more frequent and stronger storms in the Atlantic.

Address root causes

The report also presented Governments with a blueprint to confront the problem.

The expansion of national social protection programmes can help alleviate poverty and eradicate hunger for at-risk populations.

For example, cash-based transfers are a lifeline for people in need, allowing families to meet their essential needs. School feeding programmes also support local agriculture and represent savings for poor families.

The report recommended economic development and investment initiatives that are tailored to community needs, including agricultural programmes to build climate shock resilience, diversify crops and boost production and job training programmes for youth and women in rural and urban areas.

Creating incentives for the diaspora to invest in public works in local communities was another proposal.

The report also recommended that the US and other migrant-destination countries expand legal pathways for Central Americans, such as by increasing access to temporary employment visas.

Three billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, says UN agriculture agency

The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 2021 State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report – Making agrifood systems more resilient to shocks and stresses – states that, without proper preparation, unpredictable shocks will continue to undermine these systems.

The report defines shocks as short-term events that have negative effects on a system, people’s well-being, assets, livelihoods, safety and ability to withstand future shocks.

More resilience

FAO stressed the need for countries to make their systems more resilient to sudden shocks, like the COVID-19 pandemic, which played a large part in the latest global hunger surge.

At the virtual launch event, FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, said, “the pandemic highlighted both the resilience and the weakness of our agrifood systems”.

Agrifood systems – the web of activities involved in the production of food and non-food agricultural products and their storage, processing, transportation, distribution and consumption – produce 11 billion tonnes of food a year and employ billions of people, directly or indirectly.

The UN agency underscored the urgency of strengthening their capacity to endure shocks, including extreme weather events and surges in plant and animal diseases and pests.

While food production and supply chains have historically been vulnerable to climate extremes, armed conflicts or increases in global food prices, the frequency and severity of these shocks are on the rise.

Concrete action

Moreover, a disruption to critical transport links could push food prices up for some 845 million people.

The report includes country-level indicators in over one hundred Member States, by analyzing factors such as transport networks, trade flows and the availability of healthy and varied diets.

While low-income countries generally face much greater challenges, middle-income countries are also at risk.

In Brazil, for example, 60 per cent of the country’s export value comes from just one trading partner, narrowing its options should a shock hit that partner country.

Even high-income countries, such as Australia and Canada, are at risk because of the long distances involved in the distribution of food.

Recommendations

Based on the evidence in the report, FAO makes a series of recommendations.

The key is diversification – of actors, input sources, production, markets and supply chains – to create multiple pathways for absorbing shocks.

Supporting the development of small and medium agrifood enterprises and cooperatives would also help maintain diversity in domestic value chains.

Another key factor is connectivity. Well-connected networks overcome disruptions faster by shifting sources of supply and channels for transport, marketing, inputs and labour.

Finally, improving the resilience of vulnerable households is critical to ensure a world free from hunger. This can be done by improving access to assets, diversified income sources and social protection programmes.

Yemen recovery possible if war stops now: UNDP report

Yemen has been mired in seven years of fighting between a pro-Government Saudi-led coalition and Houthi rebels, generating the world’s worst humanitarian and development crisis and leaving the country teetering on the brink of famine.

The report sends a hopeful message that all is not lost, arguing that its extreme poverty could be eradicated within a generation, or by 2047, if the fighting ceases.

A brighter future

“The study presents a clear picture of what the future could look like with a lasting peace including new, sustainable opportunities for people”, said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner.

“To help to get there, the entire UN family continues to work with communities throughout the country to shape a peaceful, inclusive and prosperous future for all Yemenis”.

The brutal war in Yemen has already caused the country to miss out on $126 billion of potential economic growth, according to UNDP.

Inclusive, holistic recovery

The UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, has estimated 80 per cent of the population, or 24 million people, rely on aid and protection assistance, including 14.3 million who are in acute need. 

Through statistical modeling analyzing future scenarios, the report reveals how securing peace by January 2022, coupled with an inclusive and holistic recovery process, can help to reverse deep trends of impoverishment and see Yemen reaching middle-income status by 2050.

Furthermore, malnutrition could be halved by 2025, and the country could achieve $450 billion of economic growth by the middle of the century.

While underlining the primacy of a peace deal, the report emphasizes the need for an inclusive and holistic recovery process that crosses all sectors of Yemeni society and puts people at the centre.

Women’s empowerment critical

Investment must be focused on areas such as agriculture, inclusive governance, and women’s empowerment.

Auke Lootsma, UNDP Resident Representative in Yemen, stressed the importance of addressing what he called “the deep development deficits” in the country, such as gender inequality.

“I think it’s fair to say that Yemen, whatever gender index you look at, it’s always at the bottom,” he told UN News ahead of the report’s launch.

“So, bringing women into the fold, making them part of the labour force, and really empowering women also to contribute to the recovery and reconstruction of Yemen is going to be incredibly important”.

Act now

The report was carried out by the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures at the University of Denver, located in the United States, and is the third in a series launched in 2019.

While outlining potential peace dividends, it also provides grim future trajectories should the conflict continue into 2022 and beyond.

For example, the authors project that 1.3 million lives will be lost if the war continues through 2030. Moreover, a growing proportion of those deaths will not be due to fighting, but to the impacts on livelihoods, food prices and the deterioration of health, education and basic services.

UNDP said there is no time to waste, and plans to support recovery must be continuously developed even as the fighting rages on.

“The people of Yemen are eager to move forward into a recovery of sustainable and inclusive development,” said Khalida Bouzar, Director of its Regional Bureau for Arab States.

“UNDP stands ready to further strengthen our support to them on this journey to leave no one behind, so that the potential of Yemen and the region can be fully realized – and so that once peace is secured, it can be sustained”.

Rocket strikes close to the sites hosting the displaced are causing fear and panic – UNHCR spokesperson

Grave concerns in Marib

Meanwhile, UN humanitarians are extremely concerned about the safety of civilians in Yemen’s northern Marib governorate, which is home to some one million displaced people.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned that as the frontlines of conflict shift closer to heavily populated areas in the oil-rich region, those lives are in danger.

Access to humanitarian aid is also becoming harder, said UNHCR Spokesperson Shabia Mantoo.

“Rocket strikes close to the sites hosting the displaced are causing fear and panic. The latest incident was reported on 17 November when an artillery shell exploded, without casualties, near a site close to Marib City. UNHCR teams report that there is heavy fighting in the mountains surrounding the city and the sound of explosions and planes can be heard day and night”, she elaborated.

UNHCR is warning that further escalation of the conflict will only increase the vulnerability of people in Marib, and is calling for an immediate ceasefire in Yemen.

UN chief sees firsthand the progress and challenges five years after Colombia’s historic peace deal

Peace brings ‘family ties’

Mr. Guterres visited the northern town of Llano Grande, in the Department of Antioquia, along with Colombia’s President, Ivan Duque, as well as the former FARC-EP commander, Rodrigo Londoño. The town is one of several areas in the country where the former guerillas are being reincorporated into civilian life.

Colombia has 32 Departments, or ‘States’. With up to 80 per cent of its population affected, Antioquia was one of the areas most impacted by the more than 50-year conflict.

Llano Grande is a town of 150 inhabitants, where former ‘enemies’ now live and work together. With the support of the United Nations and the Government, the small village has become a place where peace reigns, and as inconceivable as it may have seemed five years ago, FARC combatants and locals now consider themselves family.

The UN chief walked through the town and was able to talk with its residents who are benefiting from different reincorporation entrepreneurial projects.

“I am very pleased to be in Llano Grande and I see first-hand the achievements of peace,” Mr. Guterres while visiting the town’s tailoring workshop.

There, he spoke with worker Monica Astrid Oquendo, who recently told UN News that the Peace Agreement had brought with it initiatives that have greatly helped their community.

Mr. Guterres also spoke with other workers about their labour and discussed the importance of women’s leadership in the peace process.

A new brand of coffee

Meanwhile, a group of former combatants took advantage of the UN Chief’s visit to launch Trópicos, a new coffee brand created by a cooperative with 1,200 members.

Mr. Guterres was very interested in the cultivation process of the plant and the different types of coffee that are produced in Colombia.

“Trópicos [Spanish for ‘tropics regions’] is a brand whose geography offers special characteristics. The ‘rebellion’ of the tropics makes this coffee special because it comes from the community, and from people in the process of reincorporation. It not only has a social background but also quality standards. We have carefully selected each grain to be able to achieve high quality and to offer ‘Trópicos’ to the world,” explained Frey Gustavo de Maté, one of its creators.

The Secretary-General also learned of other projects such as a town school, an arepas (Colombian cornmeal cakes) factory, and a soap factory.

Later, in a brief address to the community on the town’s soccer field, Mr. Guterres congratulated everyone for “their enthusiasm and dedication” in these projects, which, he added, have the support of the Government and the international community.

He also acknowledged that the projects are progressing amid financial difficulties and stressed that it is necessary to redouble efforts to guarantee their sustainability, as well as to involve the private sector.

The UN chief recognized the work of the community in the whole municipality of Dabeiba, of which Llano Grande is part, and in other nearby municipalities, which he praised “as an example of integration and reconciliation for receiving ex-combatants with open arms and normalizing democratic life”.

“This shows true human qualities of teamwork, generosity, hope and courage to build a better future,” he added.

Peace does not come overnight

After hearing from many more community members, Mr. Guterres stated that they know better than anyone that peace does not come overnight.

“It costs work to build it, take care of it, sustain it…There is a paradox: the objective of peace is a society with no enemies, but unfortunately there are enemies of peace,” he said expressing his solidarity with the victims and their families.

Since 2017, there have been 30 homicides and four disappearances, mostly men, only in the Department of Antioquia, according to UN reports.

In all of Colombia, there have been 303 murders of former combatants and 25 disappearances. Almost 500 human rights defenders and social leaders have also lost their lives in violent attacks.

Mr. Guterres admired “the tenacity and commitment” of these people who “continue to bet on building peace in Colombia on a day-to-day basis”. He also warned that “ensuring their security is vital to consolidating peace”.

United Nations remains committed

The Secretary-General reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to support the peace process and assured that he will discuss with the Government both the issue of security and housing. “We are all going to take advantage of this meeting to enhance our work,” he said.

However, he said that he recognized “with humility” that the Organization’s work is secondary and that the essential work in the construction of lasting peace belongs to Colombians.

“If this were a film, we would not be candidates for the Oscar for Best Actor, but for the best Supporting Actor,” he concluded.

UN will use technology and medical capacity to improve peacekeeping

The Seoul UN Peacekeeping Ministerial will gather in Korea, more than 700 people from 155 countries, including foreign and defense ministers, heads of international organizations, academics, and journalists.

The two-day event is the latest in a series of meetings at the head of State, Government or ministerial level since 2014. The last was held in 2019 in New York.

Theme

Speaking to journalists, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said that peacekeepers “are facing increasingly daunting challenges.”

“They need support from the Secretariat and they need support from our Member States and that’s really what we expect from the Seoul meeting”, he explained.

Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare, added that the complex environments in which the missions operate require creative and agile solutions.

“Technology can make our missions and camps ‘smarter,’ more integrated, efficient, effective, safer and allow for end-to-end service delivery and operational support while minimizing environmental footprint”, he explained.

In this area, the Ministerial will draw on the Strategy for the Digital Transformation of UN Peacekeeping.

Technology can also help provide timely and quality medical care to peacekeepers.

“We have made important progress in addressing the gaps in medical support in peacekeeping missions, but much more needs to be done”, Mr. Khare said.

During the event, he expects Member States to contribute to several initiatives, such as a new Casualty Tracking System, a Mental Health Strategy for uniformed personnel, and a Public Health Surveillance System.

Women and environment

Women, Peace, and Security, which has been a key focus of previous Ministerial meetings, will have a dedicated side event.

The Under-Secretary-General highlighted the “urgency” of accelerating this agenda, saying “gender parity is a non-negotiable priority, and it’s more than a numbers issue”.

“There is abundant evidence that shows how women’s participation improves peacekeeping performance”, he explained.

As reducing the carbon footprint of peacekeeping missions is a key environmental objective, Mr. Khare hopes to see Member States discuss opportunities to curtail its impact.

Sexual abuse

Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance Catherine Pollard pointed to efforts that would strengthen the accountability of peacekeepers.

Against the backdrop that the UN lives with the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse wherever it operates, she described it as “one of the most serious issues of accountability” for the Organization, adding that it is “a particularly insidious breach of trust to those we are mandated to serve and protect”.

Ms. Pollard said that the UN will recall to Member States, techniques to manage exploitation risks, including by training commanders who will be deployed in the field.

“We will particularly use the occasion of the Ministerial to advance our approach to addressing paternity and child support claims that arise from allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, which are difficult claims with very human consequences”, she stated.

History

The event is a follow-up conference to the UN Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping in 2015, which was co-hosted by former President of the United States Barack Obama and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

UN Peacekeeping helps countries torn apart by conflict to create conditions for lasting peace.

Its unique strengths include legitimacy, burden sharing, and an ability to deploy and sustain troops and police from around the globe – integrating them with civilian peacekeepers to advance multidimensional mandates.

Over the past 70 years, more than one million men and women have served under the UN flag in more than 70 UN peacekeeping operations.

General Assembly reaffirms commitment to combat human trafficking

Abdulla Shahid was speaking at the opening of a two-day high-level meeting to review progress in implementing the UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, adopted by the General Assembly in July 2010.

Recovery and resilience

Mr. Shahid said the ongoing pandemic has left survivors of trafficking with less support, while countries have been weakened in their ability to identify and hold perpetrators accountable.

“It is imperative that the global community redoubles its efforts to recover better from the pandemic and build resilient communities,” he told Member States.

“This includes obtaining more research, data, and analysis on how this crime is being carried out, how it is evolving, and who it is targeting and impacting. This will allow us to make better decisions on preventative measures and responses.”

Pandemic increased vulnerabilities

People of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities can fall prey to human trafficking, which is linked to crimes such as illicit money flows, use of fraudulent travel documents and cybercrime.

Victims include those who are marginalized, or in difficult circumstances, such as undocumented migrants. Others might be desperate for a job or educational opportunities.

Ghada Waly, Executive Director at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), explained that vulnerability has increased during the pandemic due to lockdowns, learning disruptions and loss of livelihoods.

“The COVID crisis has deprived many victims of access to essential services,” she said in a pre-recorded message. “More time spent on line has also led to more exploitation, and to the misuse of technology”.

Women and girls vulnerable

In her remarks, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed pointed out that women and girls are disproportionately targeted for trafficking. They are forced into marriage, including child marriage, as well as domestic servitude and forced labour.

Children are increasingly targeted by traffickers, she said. They are using social media both to recruit new victims and profit from the demand for child sexual exploitation material.

Ms. Mohammed said that ending human trafficking requires supporting countries in building strong legal institutions and frameworks to respond to the crime.

“Survivors should be at the centre of policies to prevent and counter human trafficking, to bring perpetrators to justice and provide effective access to remedies, including compensation,”she added.

Amplify survivors’ voices

Mr. Shahid, the UN General Assembly President, acknowledged survivors participating in the meeting, saying that their mere presence “testifies to the fortitude of the human spirit”. He stressed the importance of listening to them.

Malaika Oringo from Uganda, founder of an organization called Footprint to Freedom, read quotes from survivors who want their narratives to feed into policies and response to dismantle human trafficking. She urged countries to draw on their experience.

“Because survivors know first-hand the tactics, the strategies, that traffickers use to bind victims into slavery, for this reason I call you all, Member States, to leverage survivor wisdom and invest in survivor leadership,” she said.

Reaffirming commitment

Ms. Oringo outlined several recommendations put forward by survivors, including shifting from “symbolic” engagement to meaningful partnership, and improving how victims are treated in legal proceedings.

Following the opening ceremony, countries adopted a political declaration reaffirming their commitments under the UN Global Plan of Action.

They expressed solidarity with victims and survivors, and recognized their role as “agents of change” in the global fight against human trafficking, while acknowledging the need to incorporate their perspectives and experience in efforts to prevent and combat the crime.

Immediately release sick Chinese journalist, rights experts urge

Since beginning a hunger strike, Ms. Zhan’s health has deteriorating rapidly, she is unable to walk, and her life is in danger, the rights experts said.

“Failure by the Chinese authorities to act swiftly and effectively could have fatal consequences for Zhang Zhan”, the Special Rapporteurs warned in a joint statement before calling for her immediate and unconditional release, along with medical treatment.

According to the UN experts, who are appointed by the Human Rights Council, the 38-year-old woman has been detained in Shanghai since May 2020.

Jail term

She is serving a four-year sentence on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and was originally arrested after posting online a video that criticized the Government’s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, the experts explained.

They added that she was accused of spreading false information and stirring up negative sentiment about the epidemic in Wuhan.

“The arrest and detention of Zhang Zhan and a number of other citizen journalists for reporting on the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, a matter of vital public interest, is deeply troubling”, they insisted.

“Not only does it represent an effort by the authorities to censor information in the public interest, but it is a worrying retaliatory measure aimed at punishing those who attempt to circumvent this censorship to share information in the interest of the public health”.

Dangerously ill

Since her arrest, Ms. Zhan’s hunger strike has resulted in severe malnutrition, a gastric ulcer and advanced oedema of her lower limbs, among other serious complications. And she is so weak that she can no longer raise her head unassisted.

In late July 2021, her poor health landed her in a prison hospital for 11 days, during which time she was reportedly tied to the hospital bed and subjected to force-feeding, the experts explained.

The experts described her condition as “fast deteriorating”, and expressed serious concerns for her life without immediate care.

“The Chinese authorities have a duty of care to Zhang Zhan as long as she is detained, and the failure to provide adequate medical treatment flies in the face of this obligation”, they said.

“We have previously voiced deep concerns about the denial of medical care to individuals detained who subsequently died tragically in custody or shortly after their release. We urge the authorities to release Zhang Zhan on humanitarian grounds and prevent her from meeting this same devastating fate”.

The independent experts noted that they are in contact with the authorities on the matter.

Independent viewpoint

The Special Rapporteur statement signatories are Irene Khan, on the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Mary Lawlor, on the situation of human rights defenders; Morris Tidball-Binz, on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and Tlaleng Mofokeng, on the right to physical and mental health.

Also, behind the appeal from the Working Group on arbitrary detention are Elina Steinerte, Miriam Estrada-Castillo, Leigh Toomey and Mumba Malila.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. They work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

Arms trafficking, a ‘defining factor’ in undermining peace

Robin Geiss said that that diversion and trafficking of arms “destabilizes communities and exacerbates situations of insecurity, including by committing serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, as well as violence against women and children in various contexts”.

The Council met under the chairmanship of Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard as one of the signature events of Mexico’s November presidency. 

Diversion and trafficking

As the unrestricted flow of weapons continues to fuel violence, it is a shared global responsibility to seek solutions, according to the concept note.

Throughout the lifecycle of arms and ammunition – from the production stages to their final use – moments exist when they can be diverted or trafficked to non-State armed groups, criminals and terrorist actors.

Mr. Geiss upheld that this “destabilizes communities and exacerbates situations of insecurity, including by committing serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, as well as violence against women and children in various contexts”.

While direct effects include deaths, injuries, displacement, and psychological harm, there are also long-term socio-economic consequences, such as access to health and education, the delivery of humanitarian services, and the protection of civilians.

For Mr. Geisss, this illicit trade is also dynamic and multi-faceted.

“When loopholes and gaps are closed in one domain, vulnerabilities are exploited in another”, he said. “States affected by patterns of recurring armed violence, therefore, face many challenges to prevent the diversion and misuse of arms”.

Research-backed solutions

A UNIDIR review of 200 documented cases highlighted the importance of preventing diversion, not only from national stockpiles, but also from the country that manufactured and exported them.

“National ownership is fundamental” in this area, said Mr. Geiss, but “will not achieve success without international cooperation and assistance”.

Between 2015 and 2020 the UNIDIR supported 11 States in conducting assessments on weapons and ammunition management, known as WAM.

Today, the Institute’s chief said, the issue is increasingly recognized as a fundamental component of conflict and armed violence prevention.

He cited as examples, the Secretary-General’s small arms reports, which regularly feature a section on it and also that it is increasingly reflected in resolutions adopted by the Security Council.

Mr. Geiss described now as “an opportune moment” for an international dialogue to strengthen multilateral, regional, and national policies and practices.

“Advancing a United Nations strategic approach to WAM could further enhance multilateral efforts to deliver peace, security, stability, and development around the world”, he argued.

Civil society

Council Members also heard from María Pía Devoto, who represented Argentina’s Coalición Armas Bajo Control – a coalition of 150 civil society organizations created to implementat the Arms Trade Treaty.

She upheld that the “devastating impact” of this problem “is felt most acutely among communities in conflict-affected regions, where these weapons perpetuate a vicious cycle of violence and insecurity.”

Ms. Devoto also said that mandatory Security Council arms embargoes are being undermined by violations carried out by non-State actors and even UN members.

“The most egregious recent example is the Libyan embargo, which, in March this year, was described by the Panel of Experts as ‘totally ineffective’”, she recalled, urging Council Members to act, including through sanctions.

“Mr. President, you and your colleagues have at your disposal the tools, knowledge and experience to combat the illicit trafficking and diversion of small arms and light weapons. It’s about finding the political will to do it”, concluded Ms. Devoto.