July 2022 — Page 2 of 11 — Human Rights & Charity

INTERVIEW: End ‘punitive and discriminatory laws’ to beat AIDS

Mandeep Dhaliwal, the director of HIV and health at the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is concerned that the proliferation of such laws is hampering the UN’s response to the virus, which is also being hit by a host of interconnected global crises.

Mandeep Dhaliwal: It is a pivotal time and opportunity to galvanize people around getting the AIDS response back on track. For the UNDP, the HIV/AIDS response is all about reducing inequalities, improving governance, and building resilient and sustainable systems, and this is really where we need to step up action if we’re going to regain lost ground.

UN News What are the links between HIV/AIDS and development?

Mandeep Dhaliwal: HIV and other health issues are drivers and indicators of human development. For example, the war in Ukraine is having a dramatic effect on the cost of living, and 71 million people in the developing world have fallen into poverty in just three months.

That has consequences on everything from the financing of HIV/AIDS programs, to access to services, prevention, and treatment.

We’re seeing widening inequalities within and between countries, and we know that, in these kinds of crises, the impact is disproportionately borne by the most vulnerable and marginalized in our communities.

We’re seeing the cascading effects of multiple overlapping crises: the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the financial crisis, the food and energy crisis, and the climate crisis.

All of these are contributing to backsliding on HIV, and a decline in the resources available to countries. There is an incredible strain on already fragile, weak, and often fragmented health systems, and COVID has just deepened that.

There are 100 million displaced people. It’s a global record, and they’re at increased risk of acquiring HIV. They face barriers to accessing HIV and health services and are often cut off from support networks.

Economic growth prospects are down. The World Bank projects that 52 countries will face a significant drop in their spending capacity through 2026.

These 52 countries are important because they’re home to 43 per cent of the people living with HIV worldwide. But now, the HIV response, especially in Africa, is in jeopardy.

UN News: Do you think we can eradicate AIDS?

Mandeep Dhaliwal: I think we can get to the end of AIDS as a public health threat, but that’s going to require an urgent scale up of efforts in the next five years, to really address some of the persistent challenges in the AIDS response, particularly around young and adolescent women in sub-Saharan Africa, and marginalized populations globally.

This includes men who have sex with men, sex workers, transgender people, and people who use drugs, who’ve always been more vulnerable and at greater risk of acquiring HIV.

And that requires removing punitive and discriminatory laws which keep these people away from services, and away from accessing prevention. The data demonstrates that countries that have removed these kinds of laws do better in terms of HIV responses.

Unfortunately, that’s not the norm, and most of the countries with these laws are not on track to reforming their legal and policy environments.

So this conference is also an opportunity to bring attention to the historic targets which were adopted by Member States in the 2021 political declaration on HIV [these targets involve major reductions in reducing HIV/AIDS related stigma, criminalization, gender inequality and violence]

If we can achieve that, we can get to the end of AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

UN News: When the theme for this conference – re engage and follow the science – was chosen, was that a message to those governments who put these laws in place?

Mandeep Dhaliwal: Yes. There’s a lot of science out there now which shows that decriminalization yields public health and HIV benefits. Prevention is more effective particularly in marginalized populations. It leads to better access to services and social support.

It is also a message to not forget about HIV. There’s still a job to be done, and we have to regain the ground we’ve lost over the last couple of years.

UN News: Against the backdrop of this very difficult international landscape, what do you think is the best-case, realistic outcome of this conference?

Mandeep Dhaliwal: One is a commitment to drive action on removing punitive and discriminatory laws, eliminating stigma and discrimination, and protecting people from violence.

The other is a commitment to follow the science. Science is moving at a pace that we’ve not seen before. For example, there is now a long acting anti-retroviral, which would be very good for prevention in key populations. But it needs to be priced at a point that makes it affordable and accessible in developing countries.

I’m hoping that the conference addresses this issue because it’s a theme that has run through the COVID pandemic, certainly around COVID vaccination, and it’s a theme that the HIV community is familiar with, especially when it comes to access to treatment.

We’ve had 40 years of the HIV pandemic and we were making progress, but you can’t take progress for granted.

We are entirely capable of dealing with multiple pandemics at the same time: HIV, TB, malaria, COVID, and now Monkeypox, which has been declared a public health issue of international concern.

We can do it, but it requires investment, action, and commitment. We should all be advocating for the full replenishment of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which will take place at the end of September in New York.

We really have to step up our investment, our action, and our commitment to finish the job on HIV because the best way to be better prepared for future pandemics is to deal with the ones that you’ve already facing.

Victims of ‘same war’

“Even for those that have fled the same war, although all were accepted for entry into Poland and have received assistance from the State, third country nationals are not protected under the same legal framework,” Mr. González Morales said, adding that “this double standard approach” had prompted a sense of discrimination among third country nationals.

“Those with specific vulnerabilities including the ones with irregular migratory status face heightened difficulties in obtaining residence permits and proper shelter.”

The Special Rapporteur’s comments came at the end of his official visit to Poland and to Belarus – including the border area between the two countries.

Weaponising the vulnerable

That was where tensions flared late last year when between 2,000 and 4,000 migrants – many from Syria, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East – were forced to camp out in freezing conditions, before the political dispute was resolved.

Mr. González Morales said that although the border area was “relatively calm compared to last winter”, some migrants who included new arrivals had remained stranded between Poland and Belraus, “and subject to violence and pushbacks from both sides”.

On the Belarusian side, migrants had been put in “de facto detention” at a closed Temporary Logistical Centre, where they were now sheltering.

Children and pregnant women shut in

On the Polish side of the border, the Special Rapporteur explained with concern that “migrant children and those with their families – and pregnant women – remain detained in closed immigration facilities”.

He insisted that children and other vulnerable individuals “should not be locked up” because of their migration status.

“Alternative reception and care options exist in Poland,” Mr Morales said, before urging the authorities “to immediately release unaccompanied children, children with their families, pregnant women and individuals with mental conditions into open facilities”.

The Polish government had provided “significant support to a huge number of refugees fleeing Ukraine”, the Special Rapporteur continued.

He added that this State assistance, combined with the “solidarity and generosity” of Polish people to Ukrainian people, had resulted in more than two million of them staying in Poland.

“This explains why I do not see refugee camps in Poland,” Mr. González Morales noted.

Amidst stalled HIV prevention, WHO supports new long-acting prevention drug cabotegravir

New World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines advise countries to use the new potentially game-changing drug which is not yet available for sale, as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV, and as part of a comprehensive approach to prevent the virus from spreading.

Those using most PrEP medications on the market, have to remember to take their medication daily, a greater challenge for what is a preventative medicine.

“Long-acting cabotegravir is a safe and highly effective HIV prevention tool, but isn’t yet available outside study settings,” said Meg Doherty, Director of WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes.

The drug was approved in the United States last December, and the United Kingdom the following month.

Critical moment

Key populations – including sex workers, men having sex with men, intravenous drug users, people in prisons, transgender individuals, and their sexual partners –accounted for 70 per cent of global HIV infections last year.

Moreover, 4,000 new infections that occurred every day in 2021, were within that group.

As HIV prevention efforts have stalled, the new guidelines were released ahead of the 24th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022) – which officially begins on Friday – with 1.5 million new HIV infections last year, the same as in 2020.

“We hope these new guidelines will help accelerate country efforts to start to plan and deliver CAB-LA alongside other HIV prevention options, including oral PrEP and the dapivirine vaginal ring,” said the WHO official.

Game-changer drug

CAB-LA is an intramuscular injectable, long-acting form of PrEP.

The first two injections are administered four weeks apart, followed thereafter by an injection every eight weeks.

In randomized controlled trials, the antiretroviral was shown to be safe and highly effective among cisgender women, cisgender men who have sex with men, and transgender women who have sex with men.

Together, these landmark studies found that use of CAB-LA resulted in a 79 per cent relative reduction in HIV risk compared with oral PrEP, where adherence to taking daily oral medication was often a challenge, according to WHO.

Long-acting injectable products have also been found to be acceptable and sometimes preferred in studies examining community PrEP preferences.

Coalition force

The UN health agency also launched a new coalition to accelerate global access to the drug.

Convened by WHO, Unitaid, UNAIDS and The Global Fund, the coalition will identify interventions needed to advance near and long-term access to CAB-LA, establish financing and procurement for the drug, and issue policy guidance, among other activities.

“To achieve UN prevention goals, we must push for rapid, equitable access to all effective prevention tools, including long-acting PrEP,” said Rachel Baggaley, WHO’s Lead of the Testing, Prevention and Populations Team at Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes.

“That means overcoming critical barriers in low and middle-income countries, including implementation challenges and costs.”

Key actions

WHO will continue to support evidence-based strategies to increase PrEP access and uptake, such as through adopting and including CAB-LA in HIV prevention programmes.

It is also working with Unitaid and others to develop projects that answer outstanding safety issues and implementation challenges.

And the WHO Global PrEP Network will host webinars to provide up-to-date information on CAB-LA to increase awareness.

In April, it was added to WHO’s list of Expressions of Interest for prequalification evaluation by the health agency.

Prevention choices

Both oral PrEP and CAB-LA are highly effective.

The new CAB-LA guidelines are based on a public health approach that considers effectiveness, acceptability, feasibility and resource needs across a variety of settings.

They are designed to help CAB-LA delivery and the urgently needed operational research on address implementation and safety and will inform decisions on how to successfully provide and scale up CAB-LA.

The guidelines highlight critical research gaps, and also recognize that accessing current PrEP services are challenging for some.

“Communities must be involved in developing and delivering HIV prevention services that are effective, acceptable and support choice,” WHO spelled out.

Monkeypox vaccine: WHO urges countries to share data on effectiveness

“At this time, we do not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox”, the agency’s chief Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus told journalists on Wednesday.

Tedros informed that one smallpox vaccine, called MVA-BN, has been approved in Canada, the European Union and the United States for use against Monkeypox, while two other vaccines, LC16 and ACAM2000, are currently being considered.

More data

“However, we still lack data on the effectiveness of vaccines for Monkeypox, or how many doses might be needed. That’s why we urge all countries that are using vaccines to collect and share critical data on their effectiveness”, he said.

The expert added that WHO is developing a research framework that countries can use to generate the data needed to better understand how effective these vaccines are in preventing both infection and disease, and how to use them most effectively.

Tedros emphasised that vaccination does not give instant protection against infection or disease, and can take several weeks.

“That means those vaccinated should continue to take measures to protect themselves, by avoiding close contact, including sex, with others who have or are at risk of having Monkeypox”, he highlighted.

Limited availability

The UN health agency’s Director-General explained that currently there are challenges concerning the availability of vaccines.

While globally there are about 16 million doses of the smallpox vaccine MVA-BN, most are in bulk form, meaning they will take several months to “fill and finish” into vials that are ready to use.

Several countries with Monkeypox cases have secured supplies of the vaccine, and WHO is in contact with other countries to understand their supply needs.

“WHO urges countries with smallpox vaccines to share them with countries that don’t. We must ensure equitable access to vaccines for all individuals and communities affected by Monkeypox, in all countries, in all regions”, Tedros underscored, adding that while vaccines are an important tool, surveillance, diagnosis and risk reduction remain central to preventing transmission and stopping the outbreak.

Reduce the risk

Currently, more than 70 per cent of the cases reported are in the European Union and 25 per cent in the Americas. So far, five deaths have been reported and around 10 per cent of all patients are admitted to hospital to manage pain.

The expert underscored that the outbreak can be stopped if countries, communities and individuals inform themselves, take risks seriously and take the steps needed to stop transmission and protect vulnerable groups.

The best way to do that, he said, is to reduce the risk of exposure and make safe choices.

“For men who have sex with men, this includes, for the moment, reducing your number of sexual partners, reconsidering sex with new partners, and exchanging contact details with any new partners to enable follow-up if needed”, he explained.

Tedros said the focus for all countries must be engaging and empowering communities of men who have sex with men to reduce the risk of infection and onward transmission, to provide care for those infected, and to safeguard human rights and dignity.

“Stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus, and can fuel the outbreak”, he emphasised, calling on social media platforms and tech companies to help tackle disinformation.

Anyone can get infected

Although 98% of cases so far are among men who have sex with men, anyone exposed can get Monkeypox, and children, pregnant women and immunosuppressed are especially at risk of severe disease.

“Children can get extensive rash and get dehydrated. If lumps appear on their necks, it can be difficult to swallow and they can also get severe pain in the mouth”, Monkeypox WHO technical lead, Rosamund Lewis, informed journalists.

In addition to transmission through sexual contact, Monkeypox can be spread in households through close contact between people, such as hugging and kissing, and on contaminated towels or bedding.

Andy Seale, WHO adviser, clarified that so far, the disease cannot be classified as a sexually transmitted infection (STI) as scientists have not confirmed that fluid exchange plays a role in transmission.

“It gets transmitted by close skin contact, somewhat like herpes, so we cannot say that wearing a condom can prevent it”, he explained.

Top rights experts urge repeal of Hong Kong’s national security law

Chinese and Hong Kong officials have said the law, imposed “overnight” by Beijing in June 2020, was necessary to restore and safeguard stability after anti-government and anti-China demonstrations erupted in 2019.

Definition unclear

The UN Human Rights Committee underscored the shortcomings of the National Security Law (NSL), including its lack of clarity on “national security” and the possibility of transferring cases from Hong Kong to mainland China.

“There was a lot of discussions on recent legislation, including Hong Kong National Security Law. I think there was a constructive discussion on those issues and the committee did raise its concerns,” said Photini Pazartzis, Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee, at a press conference in Geneva.

The panel urged Hong Kong to repeal the national security law and, in the meantime, refrain from applying it.

“The Committee was deeply concerned about the overly broad interpretation of Hong Kong National Security Law, the NSL, which was passed by the National People’s Congress of China without consultation with the Hong Kong’s public,” said vice chair, Christopher Arif Balkan.

Dozens of child arrests

He added that since it was introduced in 2020, the NSL had reportedly led to the arrests of “over 200 people, including 12 children.”

The Committee monitors the application of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by State parties. It released its findings on Hong Kong following a scheduled review in Geneva.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is a signatory to the Covenant for investigation, prosecution, trial and execution of penalties, but mainland China is not.

“Once a State party has subscribed to the Covenant, there is an obligation that those rights are paramount.

“In other words, your local legislation cannot derogate from those rights. There are human rights, after all, universal rights,” explained Mr. Arif Balkan. “China is not a party to the ICCPR. But then China can implement the NSL within Hong Kong. So that creates a lacuna for residents of Hong Kong,” he added.

Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high level of autonomy, including freedom of expression. Representatives of the semi-autonomous territory informed the Committee that they were contemplating new national security legislation. The Committee members said they hoped the law could be amended for the better.

Promises broken

“They gave us assurances, that there would be transparency, consultation in enacting a new security law,” said Mr. Arif Balkan.

The UN Human Rights Committee published its findings on Hong Kong, China, among other countries, after the closing of its 135th session on Wednesday in the Swiss city.

The findings contained the Committee’s main concerns and recommendations on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as positive aspects.

The Human Rights Committee monitors States parties’ compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It has been ratified by 173 States parties. The Committee is made up of 18 members who are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties.

UNAIDS calls for urgent global action as progress against HIV falters

‘Good strides’ being made towards inclusive peacebuilding, Security Council hears

In his capacity as Chair, Md Monwar Hossain, Bangladesh’s Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, shared some highlights of PBC’s 2022 programme of work, describing six months of progress – beginning with an emphasis on delivery.

“By responding to demands in a timely manner, country specific meetings have been held at the requests of Colombia, Central African Republic, Guinea Bissau, Liberia and Burkina Faso, while regional meetings took place on Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and Pacific Islands to discuss specific peacebuilding challenges and priorities of those countries and regions,” he said.

Ownerships, partnerships and funding

Prioritizing national ownership and inclusivity, Mr. Hossain said “good strides” have been made in promoting inclusive approaches to peacebuilding, such as engaging with “a greater number of local actors, particularly women and youth briefers”.

Thirdly, he pointed to increased coherence across the UN, noting that the Commission has been promoting “integrated, strategic and coherent approaches” to peacebuilding with emphasis on “synergy with the PBF” – the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund.

He said the Fund has been pursuing partnerships with regional and international organization as well as regional financial institutions, including the African Development Bank, Lake Chad Basin Commission and Pacific Islands Forum.

As funding peace remains a critical challenge, his fifth point, was to stress the importance of “adequate, predictable and sustained financing for peacebuilding”.

Institutionalizing relations

Finally, and “most importantly,” PBC continued to enhance its advisory and bridging role with the General Assembly, Security Council, and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Mr. Hossain told ambassadors.

“The Commission, for the first time, shared its Programme of Work with the General Assembly and Security Council through formal communications,” he said, describing it as “a major step towards institutionalization of the advisory relations between PBC and other organs of the UN”.

‘Considerable progress’

Meanwhile in his capacity as Former PBC Chair, Egypt’s UN Ambassador, Osama Abdelkhalek, informed the Council of the “considerable progress” made last year.

During his tenure, the Commission provided support in 13 country and region-specific settings, including convening meetings for the first time on the Gulf of Guinea and the transition in Chad.

The PBC also considered new themes, such as interlinkages between peacekeeping and peacebuilding, the Secretary-General’s Common Agenda, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support.

Bolstering ties

The Commission further expanded and strengthened its relations with other UN bodies, including advising the Security Council for the first time on the Great Lakes region, and the General Assembly on “causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa”.

And it fostered peacebuilding partnerships by increasing engagement with non-UN partners, including national and local government officials; regional and sub-regional organizations; civil society organizations; and international financial institutions.

“Moreover, the Commission engaged for the first time with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and joined its Trade for Peace Network which aims at facilitating the accession of conflict affected countries to the WTO,” said the former Chair.

Women and youth

Last year, PBC also adopted action plans on agendas for Women, Peace and Security and Youth, Peace and Security.

Mr. Abdelkhalek revealed that 91 per cent of the Commission’s outcome documents promoted women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peacebuilding; significantly increased their participation in meetings from 22 per cent in 2019 to 74 per cent in 2021; and brought their recommendations to the Security Council.

Similarly, PBC recorded that the number of youth briefers surged from 5.4 per cent in 2020 to 44.4 per cent last year.

As an intergovernmental advisory body that supports peacebuilding, PBC continued to enhance multilateralism as “a platform for global solidarity,” he concluded.

FAO warns 90 per cent of Earth’s topsoil at risk by 2050

In a bid to protect soil globally and help farmers, the FAO warned on Wednesday that the equivalent of one soccer pitch of earth erodes, every five seconds.

It also takes around a thousand years to create just a few centimetres of topsoil and to help land restoration. Now, the UN agency is calling for more action by countries and partners who’ve signed up to the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) over the last decade.

Action areas

The five key actions that FAO has called for, tasks civilians, governments and international institutions, with taking greater action to monitor and care for soil.

One achievement of GSP, thus far, has been the partnership with farmers and local governments to enhance soil health.

Programmes have been initiated to improve the amount of organic matter in soil, “by adopting practices such as using cover crops, crop rotation and agroforestry”, said FAO.

Costa Rica and Mexico have signed up to these pilot schemes and trained farmers in the use of best practices which include using so-called “cover crops” that prevent erosion, crop rotation and tree planting.

Digital mapping

Furthermore, the GSP has expanded data collection in the form of digital soil mapping.

This technology informs policymakers of relevant soil conditions and empowers them to make informed decisions on managing soil degradation. 

The FAO also has, through the GSP, called for the coordination and integration of sustainable practices through investment in development and education.

These carefully planned programmes facilitate the transfer of information and technology concerning soil health. These networks harmonize methods, units and information relevant to soil analysis.

More inclusivity

Similarly, the highly technical nature of topsoil policy debate, can alienate constituencies who might otherwise be concerned and engaged on such an important environmental and social issue, FAO states.

Campaigns, such as the International Year of Soils and World Soil Day are designed to raise youth awareness of soils and increase participation in preventing further degradation.

While the work of the GSP represents the efforts of non-State partners to promote sustainable soil practices, State policymakers are necessary actors in implementing a sustainable soil policy.

Valuable guidance

Production of documents like the Revised World Soil Charter, the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil and the International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers, contribute valuable guidance from the GSP, for national governments.

The five achievements described above represent a key existing strategy within the United Nations system, for stemming soil degradation, in support of sustainable farming worldwide.

Sudan: World Bank provides $100 million in emergency support

In the first-ever direct contribution between the two UN agencies in the country, the Sudan Emergency Safety Nets Project aims to provide cash transfers and food for more than two million people across the impoverished and crisis-wracked nation, including for those internally displaced.

“WFP is extremely grateful to the World Bank for this generous contribution, at a crucial time in Sudan when more and more people do not know where their next meal will come from,” said Eddie Rowe, WFP’s Representative and Country Director in Sudan.

Food insecure

The country’s economic and political crisis has grown more intense due to rising inflation, conflict and displacement. That’s been exacerbated by climate shocks – including droughts and floods, and a poor harvest – all of which has increased food insecurity throughout Sudan.

As hunger continues to rise at “an alarming rate,” one-third of the population is facing food insecurity, said WFP.

By September, up to 18 million people, or 40 per cent of the population, could slip into hunger, according to the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment released in June.

Saving lives

In Sudan, WFP is working to sustain people facing acute hunger while addressing the root causes of food insecurity.

The newly launched project will enable the UN food relief agency to save lives while laying the foundation for a more targeted social safety net system in Sudan by supporting the most vulnerable to withstand shocks and build more resilient livelihoods for the long term.

“This funding will help to mitigate a looming hunger crisis in Sudan and inform future social safety net systems for the country’s most vulnerable that not only saves but changes lives,” said Mr. Rowe.

Shortfall despite generosity

The allocation has been provided by the World Bank-managed Sudan Transition and Recovery Support Trust Fund (STARS), supported by the European Union, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Norway, Canada, Italy, Finland, Spain, Ireland, and the World Bank-administered State and Peacebuilding Fund.

Yet, despite the substantial contribution, WFP still requires at least $266 million more through the end of the year to reach over 10 million vulnerable people year.

Since the beginning of 2022, WFP has reached 4.8 million people across Sudan with life-saving food or cash and nutrition support, school meals, and livelihood opportunities.

Guterres strongly condemns attack on peacekeepers in DR Congo which left 3 dead, amid protests

According to news reports, at least 15 people died overall during a second day of protests in the restive North Kivu region, which began on Monday, with demonstrators accusing the United Nations of failing to do enough to stop a rise in deadly attacks by armed groups, some of which have been active in the area for decades.

Uptick in violence

Millions have been displaced by violence in recent years, with 97 civilians killed just last month alone in attacks across eastern DRC, that included abductions, looting and burning of homes, according to UN refugee agency UNHCR.

Several settlements for internally-displaced families have been attacked with more than 160,000 more displaced following a resurgence in activity by the brutal M23 rebel group in North Kivu.

Apart from the UN personnel who died during the violence, five civilians were reportedly killed in Goma, with around 50 others wounded, and seven died in demonstrations in Butembo.

“The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers, as well as to the Government and the people of India and of Morocco”, said a statement issued by Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq on Wednesday night in New York. “He wishes a speedy recovery to the injured peacekeeper.”

Multiple attacks

Mr. Guterres condemned the multiple attacks on UN bases across the region which began on Monday, “in which individuals and groups forcibly entered bases and engaged in looting and destruction of United Nations property, while also looting and setting fire to the residences of United Nations personnel.”

In a tweet, MONUSCO said on Wednesday that protesters had “violently snatched weapons” from Congolese police and fired at peacekeeping forces.

The UN chief said he regretted the loss of life among those demonstrating, and affirmed MONUSCO’s commitment to work with the Congolese Government to fully investigate the incidents.

Possible war crimes

He recalled the Status of Forces agreement between the UN and Congolese authorities, “which guarantees the inviolability of United Nations premises. He underscores that any attack directed against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute a war crime and calls upon the Congolese authorities to investigate these incidents and swiftly bring those responsible to justice.”

The Secretary-General welcomed a statement condemning the violence issued by a Government Spokesperson on Monday, which also indicated that prosecutions would be forthcoming.

“The Secretary-General reaffirms the United Nations’ strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo”, said Mr. Haq, adding that the head of MONUSCO and the mission overall, “will continue to support the Congolese Government and people in their efforts to bring about peace and stability in the east of the country.”

Watch Wednesday’s press briefing on the latest situation in eastern DRC, from UN Headquarters in New York, featuring Khassim Diagne, deputy head of MONUSCO, who is in charge of Protection and Operations at the mission.