February 2022 — Page 3 of 16 — Human Rights & Charity

Ukraine: Humanitarians fear ‘devastating’ consequences

“There are no winners in war, but countless lives will be torn apart,” said Filippo Grandi, head of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

Civilian lives and infrastructure “must be protected and safeguarded at all times, in line with international humanitarian law”, Mr. Grandi continued, adding that the UN is working with Ukrainian authorities and partners to provide humanitarian assistance “wherever necessary and possible”.

“To that effect, security and access for humanitarian efforts must be guaranteed,” he added.

There are no winners in war, but countless lives will be torn apart – UN refugee chief

UN on the ground

Since 2015, UNHCR has delivered 141 humanitarian convoys to non-Government-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine.

Last year, 24 humanitarian convoys consisting of 202 trucks delivered various humanitarian items to help meet the high level of humanitarian needs among the civilian population there.

Underscoring the UN’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine, the top UN humanitarian official in the country, Osnat Lubrani, insisted that the Organization and aid partners “are committed to staying and delivering. We are here to support the people exhausted by years of conflict and we are prepared to respond in case of any increase in humanitarian needs.”

7.5 million children at risk: UNICEF

Echoing that message, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that it was also deeply concerned for the “lives and wellbeing” of Ukraine’s 7.5 million children.

UNICEF chief Catherine Russell noted that “heavy weapons fire” along the contact line in the east of the country had already damaged critical water infrastructure and education facilities in recent days.

“Unless the fighting subsides, tens of thousands of families could be forcibly displaced, dramatically escalating humanitarian needs,” Ms. Russell warned, adding that “the past eight years of conflict have inflicted profound and lasting damage to children on both sides of the line of contact”.

“The children of Ukraine need peace, desperately, now.”

Meanwhile, UNICEF continues to provide psychosocial care to those children who have been traumatized by chronic insecurity.

It is also increasing large-scale, life-saving programmes, including by trucking safe water to conflict-affected areas; prepositioning health, hygiene and emergency education supplies as close as possible to communities near the line of contact; and working with municipalities to ensure immediate help for children and families in need.

Diplomatic efforts

The development followed a sustained UN-led and international diplomatic push to avert the crisis late on Wednesday night that saw Secretary-General António Guterres appeal directly to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

“President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine, give peace a chance,” Mr. Guterres said, at the start of an emergency meeting of the Council – its second late-night session in a week.

That appeal came after speakers took the floor at the 193-member General Assembly to denounce Russia’s actions towards Ukraine and appeal for diplomacy.

“Let’s give peace all the chance it deserves,” said UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid, hours after Secretary-General António Guterres had warned that “the entire international system” was being tested by the Ukraine crisis.

As Security Council meets on Ukraine crisis, Russia announces start of ‘special military operation’

Hours after speakers took the floor at in the 193-member General Assembly to denounce Russia’s actions towards Ukraine and appeal for diplomacy, Mr. Guterres said that instead of repeating what he’d stated there, his political chief would update the Council on “a number of events” that had taken place during the day.

But before handing the microphone to her, he drew attention to rumours that were circulating that an offensive against Ukraine was imminent.

About an hour into the Council meeting, President Putin announced in Moscow that a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region had commenced, and that he had asked Ukrainian troops to put down their arms.

Guterres ‘saddest moment’

Speaking to journalists after the Council session ended, Mr. Guterres called what happened the “saddest moment” in his tenure as UN Secretary-General.

In light of this development, the UN chief said, “I must change my address and say: In the name of humanity bring your troops back to Russia. In the name of humanity to not start what may be the most devastating war since the start of the century.”

Rapidly unfolding events

Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary A. DiCarlo told the Council that earlier in the dat, the “so-called authorities of the Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics” had requested military assistance from Russia.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities declared a nationwide state of emergency and announced other related defence and security measures, including the mobilization of reservists.

“Throughout the day we have seen disturbing reports of continued heavy shelling across the contact line and civilian and military casualties…the repeated targeting of civilian infrastructure…[and] an ongoing large-scale military build-up and military columns moving towards Ukraine,” she said.

Moreover, Russia has also reportedly shut airspace to civilian aircraft near the border with Ukraine.

“The United Nations cannot verify any of these reports, but if these developments were confirmed, they would greatly aggravate an already extremely dangerous situation,” she said.

The Ukrainian authorities are also reporting a new large-scale cyber-attack targeting several State and financial institutions.

Staying and delivering

UN staff remain on the ground to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine, Ms. DiCarlo said, adding, “we are committed to staying and delivering”.

“All parties must ensure the safety and security. Respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law is also paramount”, she stated.

While the world cannot predict what will happen in the coming hours and days ahead, Ms. DiCarlo said that “what is clear is the unacceptably high cost – in human suffering and destruction – of an escalation,” concluded the senior UN official.

‘Perilous moment’

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the meeting was being held tonight because, along with Ukraine, “we believe that a full-scale further invasion is imminent”.

She pointed to the closing of airspace by the Russian authorities, as well as moving troops into Donbas and moving other forces into combat-ready positions.

“This is a perilous moment and we’re here for one reason, and one reason only: to ask Russia to stop. Return to your borders. Send your troops, your tanks, and your planes back to their barracks and hangars. And send your diplomats to the negotiating table. Back away from the brink, before it is too late.”

Ms. Thomas-Greenfield reminded the Council that Russia had called previous predictions “hysterical”, saying that US was “lying and supplying the world with misinformation.”

“But what we said would happen has come to pass, for all the world to see,” the US Ambassador spelled out. “We must confront this threat head-on”.

‘Unjustifiable blow’ to peace

French Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière said that Russia was on the verge of provoking chaos in Ukraine and striking “an unjustifiable blow to peace and security in the heart of Europe”.

He said that President Putin had been planning this assault for months and had consistently and patiently undermined Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Throughout all this, Ukraine has shown remarkable restraint, including restraining from violence,” Mr. de Rivière said.

He reminded that European allies and the United States had consistently expressed commitment to work together with Russia to seek a diplomatic solution and “the international community had made its united voice heard earlier today in the General Assembly, calling for respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The French Ambassador said that “if Russia confirms that its choice is war it will have to take all the responsibility and pay the price.”

‘A gun to Ukraine’s head’

UK Ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward noted that for months, Russia has been holding “a gun to Ukraine’s head”.

Members of the Security Council, General Assembly, and the Secretary-General himself had been calling for an end to Russia’s aggression.

“The world is calling for peace, but Russia is not listening,” she said.

As such, the United Kingdom, she said, will not compromise its commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“We will not compromise our commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter…most of all the founding principle that we live together as good neighbors,” concluded Ms. Woodward.

Root of the crisis

Russian Ambassador Vasily Alekseevich Nebenzya, who is serving as the President of the Council for February, said that after listening to the statements tonight and in recent days, it was difficult to explain intensification of shelling by the Ukrainian regime of civilians by in Donetsk and Luhansk.

All the speakers seemed not to care for those people “who are living in basements. They seemed not to care about the refugees that are fleeing to Russia,” he said, as if “those four million people simply don’t exist.”

“We tried yesterday and the day before to explain the logic by which Russia recognized the regions in the Donbas, but you just didn’t want to hear it; then or now. The people of the Donbas have been living in fear for the past eight years under Ukraine’s shelling and aggressions,” he said.

The Russian Ambassador stated that “the root of today’s crisis around Ukraine is Ukraine itself, which has for years been undermining the Minsk Agreements and calls for de-escalation”.

He told Council members that he had just learned that President Putin had announced a special military operation in the region, but that was all he knew and would need more time to gather specific information.

“I will keep you appraised of the situation,” he said and added that “occupation of Ukraine is not in our plan, our plan is to protect the people [in the Donbas] from the genocide perpetrated by the regime in Kyiv.”

Too late for de-escalation

Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said that most of his statement was “useless now” after the Russian Ambassador had stated openly from the floor of the Council that President Putin had “declared war on my country”.

He welcomed the intention of some Council members to submit a resolution condemning aggression against Ukraine, saying “there is no purgatory for war criminals. They go straight to hell.”

Mr. Kyslytsya asked the Russian Ambassador to clarify whether Ukraine was being bombed “at this very moment.”

“It’s too late, dear collagues, to speak about de-escalation. Too late. The Russian President declared a war. Should I play the video of your President? You declared a war. It’s responsibility of this body to stop the war”, Mr. Kyslytsya said, directing his comments to Russian Ambassador Nebenzya. “You have a smartphone. You can call” officials in Moscow.

Considering this “declaration of war”, the Ukrainian Ambassador said that the Russian Federation should “relinquish the responsibilities of Council President and transfer them to a responsible member of the Council who… respects the UN Charter.”

Moreover, he continued, the Security Council should pause tonight’s session to consider all resolutions and recommendations to stop the war.

“I call on every one of you to do everything possible to stop the war,” he concluded.

Before the end of the meeting, several members of the Council took the floor a second time to condemn President Putin’s announcement of Russia’s so-called “special military operation” in areas of eastern Ukraine.

Rising incomes more harmful to environment than population growth

The Global Population Growth and Sustainable Development report, launched on Wednesday, is the latest in a series on major demographic trends.

The number of people on the planet more than tripled since 1950 and could reach nearly 11 billion by the end of the century, according to the study, which examines the links between population growth and the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Rich nations must act

“Whereas population growth magnifies the harmful impact of economic processes on the environment, the rise in per capita income has been more important than population growth in driving increased production and consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases,” the authors said.

“More affluent countries bear the greatest responsibility for moving rapidly to achieve net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases and for implementing strategies to decouple human economic activity from environmental degradation.”

Other key findings include that most of the world’s future population growth will take place in developing countries.

Success and failure

Populations are rising rapidly because people are living longer, thanks to improvements in public health, nutrition, personal hygiene and medicine.

The authors described this as “one of the greatest successes of social and economic development”.

However, rapid population growth also represents failure to ensure all people have the knowledge, ability and means to determine whether and when they want to have children.

Relatedly, providing access to reproductive health care, particularly for women, can accelerate social and economic development and help to disrupt intergenerational cycles of poverty.

‘Window of opportunity’

Meanwhile, countries with relatively high levels of fertility could invest in education and health, as well as promote full employment for all.

A resulting decline in fertility could create a “window of opportunity” for accelerated economic growth.

Other findings reveal how developing countries will require support to reduce future emissions as their economies advance, as well as the necessary technical and financial assistance.

Food systems will also have to become more sustainable to both meet growing needs and limit environmental damage.

Development finance institutions must include in investments, ‘right to remedy’

The Remedy in Development Finance report gives guidance to development finance institutions to ensure that the projects they finance do not harm people, and that effective remedy is readily available for any potential victims.

While development finance institutions are not, and cannot be, responsible for all outcomes, Michelle Bachelet told the launch event in Washington DC that “in their own processes they are ideally placed to assess risk, exercise due diligence and plan for adverse outcomes”.

And while clients are responsible for project implementation, and States are the main authors and addressees of international human rights law, she reminded that “all are bound to respect human rights…should contribute in line with their own responsibilities, and…have roles to play in strengthening the remedy ecosystem”.

“Simply put: if you contribute to harm, you should contribute to remedy”, she stated.

Remedy ecosystem

While the daily work of development does not commonly involve violations of human rights, sometimes it does, including instances of forced evictions, child labour, and gender-based violence.

“Attacks on environmental and human rights defenders are increasing. Bad policies can erode economic and social rights. New threats, like digital technology risks, are emerging,” attested the UN human rights chief.

As development finance institutions and leading multilateral development banks have consistently set new global standards on sustainability and accountability, Ms. Bachelette told the participants that “their leadership, and the power of their example, are needed now, more than ever, on the issue of remedy” for “real results in people’s lives”.

‘Deeply personal’ connection

Remedying economic and social inequalities are “deeply personal” to the High Commissioner.

“In 1973, when I was 22, a military dictatorship seized power in my home country, Chile. My father was an Army General of real integrity: he was detained and tortured almost daily, for months. He died of his torture”, Ms. Bachelet told the gathering.

“My mother and I were also detained for a number of weeks, and many of our friends were abducted, disappeared, killed. In 1975, I was forced to leave my country and become a refugee”.

The High Commissioner continued to explain that at age 28 she was finally able to return to Chile, where she joined various organizations working to restore democracy.

‘Power of reparations’

“I committed myself to the reconciliation process, to fact-finding and truth telling, to expanding spaces of dialogue so that injustices could be acknowledged and addressed”, she said.

And as a physician, Ms. Bachelette worked with an organization that supported the social needs of children whose parents been victims of the dictatorship.

“This experience demonstrated not only the intergenerational impact of human rights abuses, but also the power of reparations, which have helped survivors, families and communities heal and become part of wider society, with dignity”, she explained.

Proactive remedies would help

The report upholds that more proactive, robust approaches to remedy would help development finance institutions avoid causing or contributing to human rights violations, minimize their reputational risks, and help them to meet changing public expectations and norms concerning responsible business practices.

Remedy in Development Finance also encourages the consistent and effective implementation of remedy, noting that reparations may include restitution, compensation, and guarantees of non-repetition – often most effective in combination.

Based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the report offers a framework to help development finance institution assess how and when they should contribute to remedy.

UN pledges more support for internally displaced persons in DR Congo’s Ituri province

He was speaking in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, on the first day of his visit to the country, representing the Secretary-General, António Guterres.

Mr. Lacroix held different discussions with provincial authorities of Ituri and North Kivu and reiterated the need for the international community and other regional partners to support the DRC in providing security for the displaced people, including in Ituri province where recurring attacks from the CODECO militias in Djugu territory have left hundreds of people dead and thousands internally displaced.

Local security is a top priority

Mr. Lacroix visited a UN site in Djugu territory of Ituri that is hosting 74,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) and listened to representatives of communities living on the site, who appealed for various things from the UN – and the Government – as the DRC’s Minister for Defense, Gilbert Kabanda, was accompanying the UN peacekeeping chief.

Defence Minister Kabanda promised that within one month, more Congolese troops will be deployed to the villages where the IDPs had fled, so that security can be fully restored and infrastructure, such as schools and health facilities, could be built.

One of the representatives of the people, Pilo Mulindro Willy, who is Chief of Bulkwa, raised the issue of security as a top priority, both at the site in the town of Roe as well as in the villages. “I asked the Government to disarm these armed groups as they are disturbing our people. Villagers want to return home so that they could continue with farming,” he stressed.

“We want the Government to send more troops to protect our villages.,” he said, adding that the promised one month is too long to wait for troops to come and secure the area.

The Minister acknowledged that the site at Roe was not safe as there are not enough troops from the Congolese military to protect civilians.

Women ask for special protection

Among the women representatives that Mr. Lacroix met was Beatrice Manyotsi who told UN News in an interview after the meeting that they need lasting solutions to the problems of insecurity.

“We appreciate the encounter we had with the United Nations today as it is a long time that we had such an opportunity. We truly appreciate it because such a meeting could bring about lasting solutions to problems that we are facing in DRC in general and Ituri in particular,” said Ms. Manyotsi.

She went on to highlight specific challenges women face, including of violence and death. “We Congolese women are living in difficult conditions, women are being killed, mutilated, we are like objects that have no value to anyone. No education for our children. We want our United Nations to assist us in this area because our children are the Congolese of tomorrow. They are the ones who will take charge. If they are living in pathetic conditions in the IDP’s site, for example, the future of our country will be in jeopardy.”

Ms. Manyotsi supported the appeal from the Chief of Bulkwa that security must be given priority, “We can neither go farming nor looking for firewood and drinking water as we are being threatened by the armed groups.”

According to UN officials, the wave of violent attacks in the Ituri area since November 2021 has resulted an increase in the number of IDPs at the site of Roe, leading to the rapid saturation of the facilities there.

Humanitarian needs are high

There is a dire lack of infrastructure and basic services for the displaced persons, leading many to settle in public spaces, with others hosted in precarious conditions by host families. Currently, displaced people do not have access to shelter, food, healthcare, and psychosocial assistance. Newly displaced people lack basic shelter and basic items, putting additional pressure on IDPs that were on-site before the last six months.

Sanitation and hygiene are critical due to the lack of WASH facilities, increasing the risk of a surge in deadly epidemics.

We are in solidarity with the Congolese people

After a 15-minute flight from the Roe site to Bunia, Mr. Lacroix traveled to Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, where he held discussions with the military Governor, Lieutenant General Ndima Constant.

The UN peacekeeping chief reiterated United Nations’ solidarity with the Congolese people.

“The Secretary-General is sending his message about our determination to work tirelessly with national, local, military, police authorities and civil as well as our common determination to see the local population benefits from our humanitarian plea and security efforts,” said Mr. Lacroix, adding that his visit has showcased the cordial relations between the United Nations and provincial authorities.

On the protection of civilians in Goma, Mr. Lacroix cited a great collaboration that has been established between the Congolese armed forces, FARDC, and one of DR Congo’s neighbors, saying, “I think such determined efforts bear fruits, but we all understand it takes time, that’s why we United Nations have to repeat every time our calls and engage. You might be determined and at the same time understand that it is not a problem that could be resolved in certain weeks or months.”

On 17 February, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the humanitarian community launched an $1.88 billion appeal to implement the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan, aiming at providing aid to 8.8 million vulnerable people.

On Thursday, Mr Lacroix will be in the DR Congo capital, Kinshasa, to represent the UN Secretary-General at the Summit of the Regional Oversight Mechanism, (ROM) of the Addis Ababa Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region.

Guterres strongly condemns arrest of UN personnel in Central African Republic

Local gendarmerie arrested the personnel on Monday while they were escorting a senior military officer from the mission, which is known by the French acronym, MINUSCA.

The incident occurred at the airport and those arrested were French peacekeepers, according to international media reports.

Procedure not followed

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General has strongly condemned their arrest.

The UN chief emphasized that MINUSCA personnel “enjoy privileges and immunities which are held in the interest of the United Nations”, he said, in line with the 2014 Status of Forces Agreement between the Organization and the Government of the CAR.

“The Secretary-General recalls that the 2014 Status of Forces Agreement establishes a specific procedure in cases where members of MINUSCA are suspected, by the authorities of the Central African Republic, of having committed an offence,” he added. “The Secretary-General notes that this procedure has not been followed in the present case.”

The Secretary-General has called on the CAR Government to abide by all its obligations under international law, including the Status of Forces Agreement, and release the MINUSCA personnel unconditionally and without delay.

He also reaffirmed the UN’s solidarity and continued support to the country.

At dedicated Assembly session on Ukraine, UN chief calls for ‘restraint, reason and de-escalation’

“It is time for restraint, reason and de-escalation. There is no place for actions and statements that would take this dangerous situation over the abyss”, he said, calling for a ceasefire, dialogue and negotiations to save the people in Ukraine and beyond from the scourge of war.

He also encouraged all parties to make full use of Article 33 of the UN Charter and its “diverse instruments of pacific settlement of disputes”.

‘Grave concern’

The Secretary-General described the latest developments as “a cause of grave concern”, including reports of increased ceasefire violations across the contact line and “the real risk of further escalation on the ground”.

While acknowledging that the history of the conflict is complex, he underscored that in the present situation one thing is clear: “The decision of the Russian Federation to recognize the so-called ‘independence’ of Donetsk and Luhansk regions – and the follow-up – are violations of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”.

Sovereign equality of States

Mr. Guterres emphasized that Russia’s actions are also inconsistent with the Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations – a landmark resolution adopted by the Assembly more than half a century ago.

The so-called Friendly Relations Declaration sets out several vital principles that are “highly relevant” to today’s session, he reminded the Member States.

The UN chief highlighted the principle of sovereign equality of States, affirming that their territorial integrity and political independence are inviolable.

“Other General Assembly resolutions are also fully behind the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders”, he said.

Minsk Agreements

The UN chief continued by describing the Minsk Agreements – the fragile peace process regulating the conflict in eastern Ukraine – as surviving “in an intensive care unit thanks to a number of life support devices.”

“But now those devices have been disconnected”, he stated.

Mr. Guterres also flagged the need to preserve the integrity of peacekeeping, which he spelled out only takes place “with the consent of the host country”.

Consistent humanitarian commitment

Through its human rights and humanitarian work, the Organization continues to support the Ukrainian people.

“Our Human Rights Monitoring Mission has seven offices throughout the country – on both sides of the contact line – documenting civilian casualties, monitoring freedom of movement, and reporting on allegations of human rights violations”, the top UN Official reminded the Assembly.

Flagging that UN humanitarian operations are “independent of whoever might control the territory where people are living”, he pointed out that even before this latest escalation, two million Ukrainians had needed humanitarian assistance.

“Since the start of 2022 alone, we and our partners have delivered 140 metric tons of life-saving aid across the contact line”, he said.

UN humanitarian assistance is guided by the four principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence – all central to establishing and maintaining access to affected people, including those in the context of an armed conflict.

“Our humanitarian agencies are committed to staying and delivering to support the people in Ukraine, and are ready to adjust and reprioritize their operations as necessary”, he attested.

Relentless search for peace

Noting that during conflict, civilians, including women and children, always suffer first and most, the UN chief warned that if the conflict in Ukraine expands, “the world could see a scale and severity of need unseen for many years”.

“I urge all sides to allow safe and unimpeded access by humanitarian agencies, including in non-Government controlled areas of eastern Ukraine,” he said, urging all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.

In closing, the Secretary-General reiterated his full commitment to supporting all efforts to “resolve this crisis without further bloodshed”, offering his good offices.

“We cannot and will not relent in the search for a peaceful solution”, he said.

Give peace a chance

Assembly President Abdulla Shahid told the participants that if the last 76 years of the UN’s existence has taught us anything, it is that that “lasting peace is not achieved nor sustained by military engagements, but through political solutions.”

He urged the Member States to “deploy the tools that we have to resolve disputes…give priority to diplomacy, good offices and mediation… [and] give peace all the chance it deserves”.

“I call on the parties to intensify their negotiations and deescalate the current trajectory through dialogue”, underscored Mr. Shahid.

‘More than hope’ needed

Meanwhile, Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that while hope for peace, common sense, and diplomacy dominate Ukrainian mindsets, “today we need much more than hope”.

“We need swift, concrete and resolute actions” relevant to the threat level of “Russia’s aggressive course,” he stated on behalf of more than 40 million Ukrainians who wish is to live in peace and prosperity, “not in fear, intimidation, not under Russian fire, bombs and shelling.”

Largest European security crisis since WWII

Unlike the Second World War, Mr. Kuleba pointed out that the current crisis was created by one side unilaterally: Russia.

The Foreign Minister attested that Russian President Vladmir Putin “overtly denied Ukraine’s right to exist”, saying that “we all need to admit the grim reality of a new aggressive and revanchist dictatorship rising over Europe”.

He asserted that Russia has attacked the UN’s fundamental principles of international peace and security and “the very existence of the Ukrainian State”.

“What is happening right now in the Eastern Ukraine, where Russian tanks are rolling in, and along the Ukrainian borders, where Russian forces are amassed in enormous quantities, must be a concern for everyone,” Mr. Kuleba said.

“I warn every nation…no one will be able to sit out this crisis if Putin decides that he can move forward with his aggression against Ukraine…[which] is why we need to use this last chance for action and stop Putin where he is. It is clear that he will not stop by himself”.

Offenses on the table

The Ukrainian official asserted that Russia’s “propaganda machine is in full swing”, creating a pretext for further aggression against his country.

“Russia has literally stuffed the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov with 46 military vessels…routinely closes large parts of the seas under the pretext of holding naval exercises [which] amounts almost to a blockade of Ukrainian seaports…and continues to block the release of illegally detained persons.”

And as the occupying power in Crimea, he upheld that Russia persists in destroying the identity of Ukrainians and the indigenous Crimean Tatars, insisting that the situation there remains open and that Ukraine continues efforts to de-occupy Crimea “by peaceful means.”

Ukraine owed protection

Reminding that Ukraine denuclearized in 1994, giving up the world’s third largest nuclear arsenal, he said: “The world owes Ukraine its security”.

“We expect the international community to do their best to put out the fire in the centere of Europe, which is about to flare up”, he added.

“Russia must withdraw its forces from the sovereign territory of Ukraine and stop destabilizing the international security situation.”

Russia takes the podium

Meanwhile, Russia’s UN Ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, started his speech with “a clarification” that the name “temporarily occupied territories” was incorrect as the meeting is actually about “the territories lost as a result of misanthropic politics” of Ukraine.

He went on to say that with Russia’s recognition of “the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), this conflict is far from over”.

Mr. Nebenzya said that the shelling of peaceful quarters of both have not stopped and that Kiev remains armed and continues to incite and encouraged violence.

He warned that at the request of Donetsk and Lugansk, Russia will continue to monitor the regime ceasefire and that its armed forces will not tolerate violators.

“Therefore, I urge you today to focus your efforts on calming down Kiev and keeping it from new military adventures that could cost the whole of Ukraine dearly.” the Ambassador said.

Israel-Palestine: No substitute for legitimate political process, UN envoy tells Security Council

Briefing the Security Council, Tor Wennesland underlined the need for “firm action” that will enable Israelis and Palestinians to re-engage on the path to meaningful negotiations.

“There is no substitute for a legitimate political process that will resolve the core issues driving the conflict,” he said.

West Bank concerns

Mr. Wennesland reported on ongoing worrying trends that he said are increasing the territorial fragmentation of the West Bank, undermining the Palestinian Authority, and further eroding prospects for peace.

“Across the West Bank, daily violence continues; tensions in East Jerusalem and the refugee camps are mounting and settler violence remains a serious concern. Illegal settlements and planning processes are steadily advancing, alongside demolitions and evictions, including in and around Jerusalem,” he told Ambassadors.

‘Fragile calm’ in Gaza

Meanwhile, although “a fragile calm” currently prevails in Gaza, the envoy stressed it is only temporary.

“Hamas control of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian divisions and the Israeli closure regime are creating a generation who have experienced multiple wars and humanitarian crises and who have few prospects for a better life,” he said, urging Israel to further ease restrictions on the movement of goods and services there.

Violence update

Mr. Wennesland outlined the violence that has occurred throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory since his last briefing in January.

Six Palestinians, including two children, were killed by Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank during this period. These deaths occurred during demonstrations, clashes, search-and-arrest operations, attacks and alleged attacks against Israelis, as well as other incidents.

Overall, some 205 Palestinians were injured, 25 of them children.

Nine Israeli civilians, including at least one woman and two children, as well as eight Israeli security personnel were injured by Palestinians during the reporting period.

Incidents included clashes, shooting, stabbing and ramming attacks, and the throwing of stones and Molotov cocktails.

Settlements and demolitions

While settler-related violence also remained a concern, recent efforts by Israel to reduce incidents “are well-noted,” Mr. Wennesland told Council members.

Addressing settlement activity, he reported on plans for some 400 new housing units in the Gilo settlement in occupied East Jerusalem to replace 80 units there.

Earlier this month, the Israeli Attorney-General also published a legal opinion allowing authorities to advance plans for a settlement at Evyatar, a West Bank outpost.

“I reiterate that all settlements are illegal under international law and remain a substantial obstacle to peace,” he said.

Israeli authorities also demolished 79 Palestinian-owned structures during the reporting period.

The UN official was particularly concerned about several families who face eviction from their long-time homes in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan, located in occupied East Jerusalem.

Tensions flared in Sheikh Jarrah after Israeli authorities on 30 January authorized the eviction of a Palestinian family in March. On Tuesday, an Israeli court suspended the eviction pending an appeal and the family depositing some $8,000 with the court as collateral.

Strengthen Palestinian Authority

Mr. Wennesland also called for urgent action to avert the fiscal collapse of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which continues to face a prolonged financial crisis that is affecting service delivery and crippling the economy.

Revenues are not keeping up with needed expenditures, he said, resulting in accumulated debt, while investment in health, education, infrastructure and other important sectors “is virtually non-existent”.

He said economic and political reforms driven from inside the authority are a “critical first step” to changing its dire fiscal situation.

No substitute for political process

Although recent high-level dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian leaders has netted commitments and some economic steps, the envoy stressed that these efforts must be turned into durable achievements and significantly expanded alongside policy changes by both sides.

“While we have seen some encouraging economic initiatives, we must push beyond the paradigm of managing, rather than resolving the conflict. Economic steps alone – while essential and desperately needed – will not put us on the path toward a just and lasting peace,” he said.

Underscoring the need for political leadership, Mr. Wennesland urged Israelis, Palestinians, regional States, and the wider international community to take firm action to get the parties back on the path to negotiations.

“Only an end to the occupation and the achievement of two States, living side by side in peace and security, based on the 1967 lines, in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements, will resolve this conflict,” he said.

UN-backed report warns of rising wildfire threat

The study found that even the Arctic and other regions previously unaffected by wildfires face elevated risk.

The authors call for a radical change in government response that focuses on prevention and preparedness.

Support and investment

They said that currently, money is often being put in the wrong place.

“Those emergency service workers and firefighters on the frontlines who are risking their lives to fight forest wildfires need to be supported. We have to minimize the risk of extreme wildfires by being better prepared: invest more in fire risk reduction, work with local communities, and strengthen global commitment to fight climate change,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director.

The report, titled Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires, has been released ahead of the resumed session of the UN Environment Assembly taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, next week.

Representatives from 193 countries will attend.

Health and wildlife affected

Wildfires disproportionately affect the world’s poorest nations, with impacts that last long after the flames subside – impeding progress towards sustainable development and deepening social inequalities.

Smoke from wildfires directly affects people’s health, for example, causing respiratory and cardiovascular impacts, while the cost of rebuilding can be beyond the means of low-income countries.

Wildlife, as well as natural habitats, are also rarely spared. Wildfires have even pushed some animal and plant species closer to extinction. The 2020 bushfires in Australia are estimated to have wiped out billions of domesticated and wild animals. 

Climate link

Wildfires and climate change are “mutually exacerbating”, according to the report.

“Wildfires are made worse by climate change through increased drought, high air temperatures, low relative humidity, lightning, and strong winds resulting in hotter, drier, and longer fire seasons,” UNEP said.

“At the same time, climate change is made worse by wildfires, mostly by ravaging sensitive and carbon-rich ecosystems like peatlands and rainforests. This turns landscapes into tinderboxes, making it harder to halt rising temperatures.”

The report underscores the critical need to better understand the behaviour of wildfires. Prevention calls for a combination of data and science-based monitoring systems with indigenous knowledge, and for a stronger regional and international cooperation.

‘Fire Ready Formula’

Governments are urged to adopt a so-called “Fire Ready Formula”, which calls for two thirds of spending to be devoted to planning, prevention, preparedness and recovery – and one third for response.

Currently, direct responses to wildfires receive over half of related expenditure, with less than one per cent allocated for planning and prevention, according to the report.

The authors further call for stronger international standards for the safety and health of firefighters and for reducing the threats they face on the job.

This includes raising awareness of the risks of smoke inhalation, minimizing the potential for life-threatening entrapments, and providing them with access to adequate hydration, nutrition, rest, and recovery between shifts. 

Pandemic recovery must put people first: UN Secretary-General

Although COVID-19 caught the world unprepared, “we cannot let this happen again,” he said in a video message to the Global Forum for Human-centred recovery, organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Universal social protection

The three-day forum is being held online and brings together world leaders, heads of international organizations and multilateral development banks, and representatives from employers’ and workers’ groups from across the world.

“We need a human-centred, green recovery that puts people first,” said Mr. Guterres.

“Putting people first means achieving universal social protection, the best line of defence against shocks of all kinds and critical to a just transition.”

The UN chief commended the ILO for convening the forum, which comes at a crucial time for countries, economies, families and workers.

Women bear the brunt

As the pandemic grinds on, poverty is rising, inequalities are widening, and household incomes are dwindling, while billionaires have seen their profits soar, according to the top UN official

Mr. Guterres said that the situation is worse for women, as they face rising unemployment and shoulder most of the burden for care.

He warned that without “robust” social safety nets and decent job opportunities, many women will be unable to re-enter the work force.

Meanwhile, vaccine inequity persists, meaning that richer countries are preparing for recovery as many low-income nations face spiralling debt as well as a massive and enduring jobs deficit.

The Secretary-General further highlighted the critical need for climate action, again recalling that countries are “dramatically off-target” when it comes to limiting global temperature rise.

Action on jobs

He said that putting people first means renewing the social contract and making massive investments in their future wellbeing.

Among the key topics of discussion at the forum are the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for a Just Transition, which the UN chief launched in September 2021.

The goal is to create at least 400 million jobs, especially in the “green” and care sectors, and to extend social protection to some four billion people who currently are without coverage.

Mr. Guterres urged countries to act now to achieve a just recovery, stating that the balance between a global breakthrough and a global breakdown depends on choices made today.

“Let’s meet this difficult moment with our best efforts to unite behind shared solutions for recovery,” he said. “Solutions that spring from solidarity. Solutions that put people first.”