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Category: United Nations

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: African schools gear up for the AI revolution

    Source: United Nations 2

    The emergence of cheap or free AI tools is being eagerly embraced by those with smartphones and the ability to get online. As governments and legislators struggle to get their heads around the implications of this powerful technology and work out how to bring in regulations for its safe use, millions of people are enjoying its ability to save time, helping them to transforming raw data into essays, exam answers, or, with a bit more work, even videos and podcasts.

    Even in developing countries where electricity and internet access is limited (it’s estimated that over 570 million people in Africa lack electricity), there is enthusiasm for the potential of AI. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), for example, a nation riven by internal conflict, poverty and vast inequality, educators are seeing the impact of AI.

    “It is obvious that our country is lagging behind in terms of new technologies for one reason or another,” says Benjamin Sivanzire, a teacher in Beni, North Kivu Province. “Many parts of the DRC do not even have traditional methods of communication, or even radio or television.”

    UN News/George Musubao

    Benjamin Sivanzire, a teacher in Eastern DRC.

    However, even though Mr. Sivanzire and his students are not yet able to make use of AI in their classes, they are seeing it being used in the wider culture, often in a negative way, to manipulate public opinion.

    The teacher underlines the importance of educating people to distinguish between verifiable information and lies. “There are videos created by artificial intelligence that show images that are not real and have been created for propaganda purposes,” he explains.

    Bursting the Silicon Valley bubble

    One concern that is frequently raised is the extent to which the development of AI tools is concentrated in the hands of a relatively small group of people.

    Farida Shahid, the independent Special Rapporteur on the right to education, shares these concerns.

    “AI algorithms are being made by individuals who often sit in a particular location, such as Silicon Valley, where the people who make and test them have their own biases,” she says. “Often the algorithms don’t do well at recognizing people with dark skin. They also have great problems with people who are autistic and don’t like looking into cameras.

    “Another example is the UK where, recently, an AI programme was used to grade exam papers. This led to decisions that were biased against people from certain ethnic backgrounds. We really need to look at this issue more closely, starting with the human rights perspective, and I think that’s where the U.N. role comes in: if you increasingly rely on AI as the source of verification, you’re going to have problems because you are using a framework which privileges white males, and doesn’t reflect the whole gamut of people’s lives and experiences”.

    ©UNICEF/ Frank Dejongh

    The urgent need to expand the developer talent base has been identified by the UN as central to ensuring that a wide variety of voices are heard in the “EdTech” (educational technology) space.

    Shafika Isaacs, the head of technology and AI at the UN agency for science, technology and education (UNESCO), says that the number of African EdTech startups has been mushrooming in recent years, with entrepreneurs experimenting with the AI-enabled digital tools which could support learning and teaching across many different contexts, including in African languages, and local dialects.

    “I’ve personally engaged with a startup that matches high school students to career pathways, including choosing the right university, community college or even entrepreneurship programme. They have seen strong results because of their focus on children in underprivileged contexts and schools. Tech startups have also looked at developing AI-enabled mobile apps, including chat bots, that can support teachers in teaching literacy or teaching mathematics.

    “The challenge is that there’s often a disconnect between the public education system and tech startups We need educators to be proactive in engaging with those developing tools, and we encourage students and teachers to learn how to create and design technologies that are relevant to their linguistic and cultural contexts.”

    Soundcloud

    Many African governments are keen to adopt national AI strategies and integrate AI into their national policies on technologies in education. In Côte d’Ivoire, where AI is already being widely used in the private sector. Mariatou Koné, the Minister of Education, says that the country’s education system is undergoing a transformation, following a 2022 review which recommended a digitalization strategy.

    “We have put in place initiatives to ensure that everyone is aware of the issue of AI. It can provide individual learning programmes, and help struggling students to improve,” said Ms. Koné. “However, we are worried about potential abuses. We have to be able to protect personal data and ensure that learners are aware of the potential dangers.”

    The Minister agrees that, in order to guard against bias, the pool of engineers building AI tools needs to be expanded. “We need the right tools, adapted to the African context, to the Ivorian context. We have our own history, our own heritage. If we create our own industry, it has to be adapted to the realities of Côte d’Ivoire.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN agencies warn of worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis in eastern DR Congo

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    United Nations agencies on Friday called for an end to the violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as fighting between Government forces and the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group expands. 

    The rebels have already seized the provincial capital, Goma, and reports indicate that they are closing in on the key city of Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province.

    The hostilities are occurring in a mineral-rich region that has been volatile for decades amid a proliferation of armed groups, which has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes over the years and seek safety in displacement camps.

    WFP

    A camp in eastern DR Congo provides security for some of the seven million displaced people in the country.

    Critical supplies dwindling

    UN humanitarians warn that the situation continue to worsen for civilians likely trapped by days of intense fighting in and around Goma, which has a population of over one million.

    Displacement camps on the city’s outskirts, previously hosting more than 300,000 people, are emptying out as people flee the violence. Medical services are overwhelmed by the number of injured, both civilians and military personnel.

    The World Food Programme (WFP) said water and food are running low, and the next 24 hours are crucial.

    “People are really running out of food, clean water, medical supplies and that’s a big concern. So, the supply chain has really been strangled at the moment,” said WFP Spokesperson Shelley Thakral.

    Several WFP warehouses have been looted and teams are taking stock of what they will need to procure locally and transfer by road to ensure they have provisions once operations resume in the critically affected areas.

    WFP’s priority is keeping its staff and their dependents safe, and only critical staff remain in the area who are getting ready to resume operations as soon security permits.

    Summary executions and sexual violence

    Meanwhile, the human rights crisis also continues to deepen in the east.  

    At least two sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been bombed, causing civilian casualties, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, reported.

    Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said OHCHR has documented summary executions of at least 12 people by the M23 between 26 and 28 January.

    The Office has also documented cases of conflict-related sexual violence by the army and allied Wazalendo fighters in Kalehe territory, located in South Kivu.  

    It is also verifying reports that 52 women were raped by Congolese troops in South Kivu, including alleged reports of gangrape.

    Violations could worsen

    Meanwhile, in other areas under M23 control in South Kivu, such as Minova, fighters have occupied schools and hospitals, forced IDPs out of camps and subjected the civilian population to forced conscription and forced labour.

    Additionally, DRC officials report that at least 165 women were raped by male inmates during the mass prison break from Goma’s Muzenze prison on 27 January, as M23 began its assault on the town.

    Mr. Laurence recalled that conflict-related sexual violence has been an appalling feature of armed conflict in eastern DRC for decades, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, “is particularly concerned that this latest escalation risks deepening the risk of conflict-related sexual violence much further.“

    End the violence

    He said OHCHR continues to receive urgent requests from civilians for protection and is working with UN colleagues and other partners to ensure their safety. 

    “As M23 reportedly advances towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, the High Commissioner calls for an end to the violence and for all parties to uphold their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” he said.

    Recognize the crisis

    The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also voiced deep concern over the hundreds of thousands of civilians uprooted by the heavy fighting and violence in Goma, some of whom were already previously displaced.

    IOM appealed to the international community to recognize the staggering scale of the crisis and support the humanitarian response. 

    “With the current alarming upsurge in fighting, an already dire situation is rapidly becoming very much worse,” said Director General Amy Pope. 

    “IOM joins the UN Secretary-General’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and full humanitarian access, so that we can rapidly scale up our response and ensure that life-saving aid reaches those in need.”   

    Appeal for support

    The UN agency has been supporting displaced and host communities in Goma and surrounding areas by providing emergency shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, among other aid.

    IOM warned, however, that both the agency and humanitarian partners are struggling to meet the urgent needs in the DRC.

    This year, humanitarians are seeking $2.5 billion for the country, with at least $50 million urgently needed to address the latest displacement, scale-up life-saving assistance, and prevent further suffering.

    Death and disease

    Humanitarian organizations in Goma continue to assess the impact of the crisis, including the widespread looting of warehouses and the offices of aid organizations, the UN said on Friday.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners conducted an assessment with the Government over the past five days.

    They report that 700 people have been killed and 2,800 injured are receiving treatment in health facilities, though numbers are expected rise as more information becomes available. 

    On Friday, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, and partners visited sites for internally displaced people in the areas of Bulengo and Lushagala, located on the outskirts of Goma.

    They found that water and healthcare services are still operational, but conditions remain dire. However, cholera cases have been reported and there are risks of an Mpox outbreak among displaced people.

    OCHA warned that without urgent action, the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks will continue to increase. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: What the UN is doing in DR Congo

    Source: United Nations 2

    By Eileen Travers

    Humanitarian Aid

    The current phase of fighting erupted in late January in the mineral-rich eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between government forces and the armed M23 group.

    Despite security challenges, UN agencies and peacekeepers have pledged to stay and deliver amid rising deaths and injuries alongside an alarming spread of highly contagious mpox and other endemic diseases as the rainy season intensifies.

    Here’s what you need to know about how the UN, its peacekeepers and humanitarian agencies are helping on the ground in this central African country of 105 million people, many currently facing urgent multipronged crises.

    Humanitarian assistance

    Operating in DRC since 1960, when the country declared its independence from Belgium’s colonial rule and became a UN Member State, UN field agencies have served those in need, from education and lifesaving vaccines to food and shelter for people displaced by the current spiralling violence. The country has been caught in cycles of violence over the decades with an uptick of violence in the early 2000s and the emergence of the M23 armed group.

    Even though recent deadly clashes led to the deaths of peacekeepers and the temporary relocation of non-essential UN staff from North Kivu in the eastern region last week, the UN emergency relief agency, OCHA, reports that teams are currently on the ground, where they say needs are growing.

    Just a few details for context:

    Food to shelter

    In a deteriorating environment, food insecurity is on the rise as other health, shelter and living conditions worsen. For example:

    • Currently, 2.7 million people face severe food insecurity in the eastern towns of Ituri and North and South Kivu, OCHA reported. As such, the agency is currently working with such partners as the UN food agency (WFP), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to deliver lifesaving aid, from groceries to medical supplies and services.
    • The UN refugee agency, UNCHR, is providing protection and assistance to those forced to flee.
    • The UN human rights agency, OHCHR, is connecting those in need with UN partners.

    • Meanwhile, the UN migration organization, IOM, is supporting displaced and host communities in and around Goma by providing emergency shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene services and camp coordination and management services. It is also monitoring population movements through its displacement tracking matrix, which informs humanitarian agencies of critical information for effective response efforts.

      © WHO/Guerchom Ndebo

      A three-week-old girl suffering from mpox in the emergency room at Kavumu Hospital in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (file)

    Public health ‘nightmare’

    • The UN health agency reported that repeated mass displacement has created a public health “nightmare” with ideal conditions for the spread of many endemic diseases, from cholera to mpox, in camps and communities around North and South Kivu. WHO teams remain in place to deliver much-needed healthcare services as hospitals are overwhelmed by growing numbers of patients injured by the ongoing violence. Thousands of doses of mpox vaccines are stockpiled and ready to be administered.
    • The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is responding to urgent needs, including deliveries of emergency medical kits to hospitals in Goma to treat more than 50,000 people affected by the violence.
    • A breakdown in healthcare infrastructure has also led maternal mortality rates to soar, with three women dying every hour from pregnancy or childbirth complications, and recurrent kidnappings, rape and exploitation continue to be wielded as weapons of war against women and girls, according to the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA.
    • While the agency suspended staff travel to camps for displaced people due to the security crisis, UNFPA continues to provide lifesaving support, from mobile clinics to rapidly adapting to respond to the needs of the newly displaced. However, due to swiftly growing needs, these and other UN agencies are calling for urgent support to fund emergency operations.

    To support the DRC Humanitarian Fund, click here.

    Peacekeeping operations

    The UN peacekeeping mission, known by its French acronym MONUSCO, was mandated by the Security Council in 2010 to assist the Congolese Government in protecting civilians and humanitarians as well as help with its peace and stabilisation efforts.  Peacekeeping operations are often located in conflict areas but their responsibilities and those of the humanitarian agencies are distinct, although complementary, in terms of protecting and meeting the needs of civilians.

    Read our explainer on UN peacekeeping history in DRC, dating back to 1960, here.

    While the 11,500 UN Blue Helmets were meant to disengage by 2025, the Security Council renewed the mandate at the request of the government in late December.

    Weeks later, MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita told the Security Council in an emergency meeting held on Sunday, 26 January that “we are trapped.”

    Over the last week, M23 combatants have killed almost 20 peacekeepers serving with the UN and the South African Development Community (SADC) mission in the country, both mandated to provide combat support for the Congolese armed forces.

    MONUSCO/Aubin Mukoni

    UN peacekeepers patrol in Goma past discarded military uniforms.

    Working closely with Congolese authorities

    In line with its civilian protection mandate, the UN mission has enhanced its support to the Congolese armed forces, FARDC, and is actively participating in combat along with the SADC security mission in the country, the UN mission chief explained to the Council.

    Since then, the MONUSCO chief has held discussions with top officials, including the prime minister and the leaders of the army and police. A joint government-MONUSCO group has also been established to coordinate on various issues, including in the security, human rights, humanitarian and communications spheres as well as the legal status of the territories under the control of the M23.

    Learn more about MONUSCO here.

    MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti

    Residents of Bunia, DRC, protesting the capture by the M23 rebel group of Goma in 2012. (file)

    Addressing the roots of the crises

    The clashes in the east date back to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in neighbouring Rwanda. The sporadic fighting has been deadly and vicious, as shown in the Congolese military court’s landmark case against armed group leader Sheka, which was instrumental in recognising rape as a war crime.

    Watch our award-winning documentary on bringing a war criminal to justice here.

    The crisis remains partly rooted in the rare mineral deposits dotting the border areas of DRC and Rwanda. DRC’s vast deposits of precious metals, gems and rare minerals include gold and diamonds along with key components used in making mobile phones and other electronic devices.

    Coltan, tin, tantalum, tungsten and others are known as conflict minerals, which are mined and sold by armed groups to finance their militias.

    Find more details on this sinister trend in the December report of the Security Council’s group of experts on DRC here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Sudan: Top aid official warns against escalating violence in two states

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan are on the brink of catastrophe as violence continues to escalate at an alarming rate, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country said on Thursday in a statement. 

    Clementine Nkweta-Salami said the latest outbreak of hostilities in South Kordofan’s capital, Kadugli, has reportedly claimed at least 80 civilian lives and left scores more injured.

    She condemned the reported use of women and children as human shields there, along with the obstruction of humanitarian aid and the detention of civilians including children.

    Humanitarian needs also remain critical in Blue Nile, where the threat of violence and reports of mass mobilization for conflict again risks further violence.

    Deeper crises looms

    The worsening insecurity threatens to plunge both states into an even deeper crisis, according to the top aid official.

    She said that for too long, civilians have been unable to access life-saving assistance and basic services due to a severe lack of medical supplies, limited humanitarian access and the ongoing conflict.

    “This is a critical moment, as the consequences of food insecurity are already being felt in parts of South Kordofan, where families are surviving on dangerously limited food supplies, and malnutrition rates are rising sharply,” she stressed.

    More will suffer

    Ms. Nkweta-Salami warned that if the fighting continues, more people will be left without access to vital aid, human suffering will deepen, and more lives will be lost.

    The Sudanese army and military rivals the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been locked in deadly fighting for control of Africa’s third largest country since April 2023.

    Ms. Nkweta-Salami called for all parties to the conflict to de-escalate tensions, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and allow humanitarians safe and unrestricted access to those in need. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Human rights expert welcomes clemency for Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    The UN independent expert on the rights of Indigenous Peoples on Thursday welcomed the decision by outgoing US President Joe Biden to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier, an Indigenous leader who has spent nearly 50 years in prison under controversial circumstances.

    The Executive Grant of Clemency, signed on Sunday just hours before Mr. Biden left office, commutes Mr. Peltier’s life sentences to home confinement, allowing him to receive proper medical care and reconnect with his community, the Special Rapporteur said in a statement.

    The Human Rights Council-appointed expert Albert Barume praised the decision, describing it as “an important gesture by the United States toward the country’s Indigenous Peoples”.

    Decades of advocacy

    Mr. Peltier is a member of the Chippewa and Lakota Nations, who was convicted of murder in 1977, in connection with the deaths of two FBI agents during a confrontation with Indigenous activists at Pine Ridge reservation. He received two life sentences following his trial after being extradited to the US from Canada in December 1976.

    “Over the years, Mr. Peltier has maintained his innocence, and concerns have been raised about the fairness of his trial and about his legal representation,” the Special Rapporteur said.

    His trial raised serious concerns about due process, with international human rights bodies, including the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, calling for his release.

    In its 2022 findings, the UN Working Group determined that Mr. Peltier’s detention constituted arbitrary imprisonment.

    Previous UN Special Rapporteurs, including a 2012 report on Indigenous rights in the US, had called for clemency for Mr. Peltier, framing his case as emblematic of the systemic injustices faced by Native Americans.

    “Mr. Peltier has also suffered from serious health conditions, which prison authorities have been unable to properly address,” Mr. Barume noted.

    Step toward reconciliation

    “Although this clemency cannot restore the decades of life he has lost, it provides an opportunity for him to receive proper medical care and reconnect with his People,” said the independent expert.

    Mr. Barume underscored that while the clemency decision does not absolve Mr. Peltier’s conviction, it represents a critical acknowledgment of past wrongs.

    “States have a duty to ensure due process for all defendants at every stage of criminal proceedings, including parole hearings, as required by international law”, he said.

    The decision also aligns with broader calls for reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in the US, including addressing historical injustices such as forced removals, cultural erasure and disproportionate incarceration rates.

    Mr. Peltier’s early life reflects this history: forcibly removed from his family at age nine and placed in a government-run boarding school, he endured the systemic severance of Indigenous children from their culture.

    His case has since become a symbol of the need for justice and reconciliation.

    Looking ahead

    While Mr. Peltier’s clemency has been celebrated by advocates, it also underscores the need for continued reforms to ensure fairness and equity in the US justice system.

    The decision “highlights the importance of addressing systemic issues within the criminal justice system, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background, are afforded their fundamental rights”, Mr. Barume affirmed.

    As Mr. Peltier transitions to home confinement, the Special Rapporteur called for the clemency decision to be a turning point in efforts to address historical and ongoing injustices.

    Special Rapporteurs and other independent rights experts are not UN staff, receive no salary and are independent of any government or organization.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Guterres calls on US to exempt development and humanitarian funds from aid ‘pause’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Humanitarian Aid

    The UN Secretary-General on Monday called on the US Government to consider “additional exemptions” to a directive which pauses nearly all foreign aid for 90 days.

    President Trump’s executive order a week ago called for all foreign aid to be re-evaluated to ensure that it complies which his new foreign policy priorities.

    The immediate scope of the order was not clear but on Friday, according to news reports, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued an order putting any new funding on hold, pending review.

    The State Department directive reportedly clarifies that funding for existing programmes is also suspended until it has been reviewed.

    The only exceptions were reportedly for military assistance to Israel and Egypt and emergency food aid.

    Concern over aid freeze

    “The Secretary-General notes with concern the announcement of a pause in US foreign assistance,” said the statement issued on behalf of António Guterres by his Spokesperson.

    “The Secretary-General calls for additional exemptions to be considered to ensure the continued delivery of critical development and humanitarian activities for the most vulnerable communities around the world, whose lives and livelihoods depend on this support.

    The statement added the Mr. Guterres was looking forward to engaging with the Trump administration on how “much needed development support” can be provided to citizens in the developing world who face the severest challenges.

    “The United States is one of the largest aid providers and it is vital that we work constructively to jointly shape a strategic path forward,” the statement continued.

    The US Government is the largest single donor of aid in the world, disbursing around $72 billion in assistance during 2023. It also reportedly provided more than 40 per cent of all humanitarian aid accounted for by the UN during 2024.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Robbed’ of their childhood: UNICEF warns of crisis facing Haiti’s youth

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Humanitarian Aid

    Violent clashes this week between security forces and armed groups on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince have led to another wave of displacement, according to the UN aid coordination office (OCHA).  

    In a briefing on Friday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reported that more than 1,600 men, women and children have fled. 

    Two-thirds are seeking refuge with host families and over 500 sheltering in three newly established displacement sites, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

    Children at risk

    The situation for children remains particularly dire. The number of internally displaced children in Haiti has increased by nearly 50 per cent since September, now exceeding half a million. 

    UNICEF reports that approximately one in eight children in the country is now displaced.

    The agency also warns of a 70 per cent rise in child recruitment by gangs over the past year, with up to half of gang members in Haiti now estimated to be children.

    ‘Childhood is a right’

    Speaking from a prison in Port-au-Prince where dozens of children are being held, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder described the growing desperation:

    “I’m in a prison in Port-au-Prince where dozens of children are being held,” he said, explaining that 85 per cent of this capital city is controlled by armed groups.

    “So, child recruitment into armed groups is rampant. Children get recruited. It’s out of desperation. It’s out of manipulation, out of being engulfed in violence,” he emphasised.

    Mentioning a 16-year-old girl who dreamt of being a paediatrician, but was caught up in a raid, he said: “The point of this is that childhood should not be a gift. Childhood is a right.”

    Humanitarian needs grow

    The crisis is further aggravated by forced returns from neighbouring countries. 

    In the first two weeks of January alone, nearly 15,000 Haitians were returned from the Dominican Republic, adding to the 200,000 people deported across the region last year.

    Meanwhile, natural disasters have worsened conditions across the country. 

    Since November, nearly 330,000 people have been affected by floods in six of Haiti’s departments, leaving dozens dead and damaging or destroying nearly 50,000 homes.

    UN appeals 

    The UN has launched a $908 million humanitarian appeal to assist 3.9 million people in Haiti this year.

    “We urge the international community to scale up its support so that we and our humanitarian partners can support the people of Haiti who need it,” said Mr. Dujarric. 

    As conditions deteriorate, UN agencies and humanitarian organizations stress the need for urgent international action to protect Haiti’s most vulnerable, particularly its children – trapped in a cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation.

    “For those of us with freedom, those with safety, those who have an opportunity – we also have a responsibility. We have a responsibility to raise our voices for those who simply do not have one,” Mr. Elder said.  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Haiti: ‘I was deported to a country I never lived in’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Antoine Lemonnier in Haiti

    Human Rights

    Migrants who have been deported from the Dominican Republic to Haiti – the two Caribbean nations that share the island of Hispaniola – have been talking to the UN about the challenges of returning to a crisis-ridden country they barely know.

    Mireille

    Pregnant and exhausted and clutching a small bag with all that was left of her belongings, Mireille* stood under the relentless Haitian sun, not sure what to do next.

    She had just been deported from the Dominican Republic, a country she had called home since she was eight years old.

    Over the years she has seen Haiti, the land of her birth, overcome by gang violence as well as humanitarian, political and economic crises.

    © IOM/Antoine Lemonnier

    Mireille gazes through the protective bars at the GARR facility, reflecting on her journey back to Haiti.

    “I was deported to a country I never lived in,” she said, filled with a mix of anger and despair.

    The Dominican Republic had been her home for nearly three decades. It was where she built her life, forged relationships and created memories. But overnight, she became an outsider, stripped of her dignity and forced to return to a country she didn’t know.

    Mireille’s ordeal began in the early hours of the morning, five days before she crossed the border into Haiti when she was taken to a crowded and uncomfortable detention center, where she stayed for several days before being transported to the border.

    © IOM/Antoine Lemonnier

    A deportation truck arrives at the Belladère border crossing between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

    “I arrived in Haiti feeling scared and unsure of what to do,” Mireille said. “I barely know this country, and I’m struggling to figure out where to start. It’s disorienting and difficult.”

    Guerson and Roselène

    Guerson and Roselène* had spent over a decade in the Dominican Republic, building their lives in Loma de Cabrera, not far from the border with Haiti.

    Guerson worked as a mechanic at a small garage fixing cars, motorbikes, and agricultural equipment. His hands, often smeared with grease, were a source of pride. “People trusted me with their vehicles,” he said. “It was hard work, but I could provide for my family.”

    Roselène, meanwhile, managed their modest home. She prepared meals and supplemented the family income by selling patés and fried plantains to neighbours.

    Soundcloud

    A simple life

    Their daily life was simple but stable. Their son Kenson attended a local preschool, and Roselène spoke of her pride seeing him learn to write his name.

    Then the Dominican authorities arrived. “My children didn’t understand,” said Guerson. “Kenson asked if we were going on a trip. I didn’t know how to answer him.”

    The family was herded onto a truck “I held my baby so tightly. I was afraid we wouldn’t survive the journey,” Guerson recalled.

    Crossing the border into Haiti felt like stepping into chaos.

    The town of Ouanaminthe, already struggling with a sharp increase in deportations, lacked the capacity to respond to the growing crisis.

    Families stood on dusty roads, clutching bags and children, unsure of where to go.

    “We stood there for hours, lost,” Roselène said. “The children were hungry. I didn’t know how to comfort them because I had nothing left to give.”

    Crisis country

    Mireille, Guerson and Roselène are just three of the more than 200,000 Haitians who were forcibly repatriated to their homeland in 2024, some 97 per cent of them from the Dominican Republic.

    Nearly 15,000 people were returned from across the border in the first two weeks of January alone.

    They returned to a country in crisis.

    © IOM/Antoine Lemonnier

    Guerson (left) and Roselène are beginning a new life in Haiti.

    Armed groups now control large parts of the country, including key roads in and out of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

    The years of violence have displaced over 700,000 people, forcing families into precarious shelters including abandoned schools and churches. In these places, access to food, water and healthcare is limited, leaving many extremely vulnerable.

    Nearly 5.5 million people, half of Haiti’s population, require humanitarian aid to survive.

    Safety net across the border

    Fortunately, when migrants cross over the border into Haiti, they are not alone.

    The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) works with the Support Group for the Repatriated and Refugees (Groupe d’Appui aux Rapatriés et Réfugiés, GARR) to ensure the returnees have access to a range of services to meet their immediate needs, including psychosocial support, health referrals, for example pre-natal care, and the distribution of basic items such as clothing, hygiene products, and toiletries.

    Temporary accommodation is also available for the most vulnerable, so they can rest and take stock before moving forward with their lives.

    © IOM/Antoine Lemonnier

    IOM staff prepare to assist deported Haitians as they re-enter their home country.

    For unaccompanied children, family reunifications are organised and in cases of gender-based violence, survivors are provided with specialised care.

    IOM also works with the Office National de la Migration (ONM), Haiti’s government agency for migration.

    ONM leads the registration process, ensuring that each individual is accounted for and works with IOM to assess vulnerabilities and provide individual assistance.

    The future remains unclear for many returnees in a country where the vast majority of people struggle to get by on a daily basis.

    Guerson and Roselène remain somewhat hopeful that they will return to the Dominican Republic someday. “In the meantime, I will find a way to work,” Guerson said softly, his words conveying uncertainty. “I do this for my children.”

    *Names have been changed for their safety

    Fact box:

    The work of IOM as well as GARR and ONM is supported by international donors, including the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: First Person: Bodies of children in Haiti have turned into ‘battlegrounds’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Humanitarian Aid

    Armed groups in Haiti are inflicting “unimaginable horrors” on children, turning their “bodies into battlegrounds”, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

    The agency’s spokesperson James Elder has just visited Port-au-Prince, the capital of the embattled Caribbean nation and has been speaking about what he experienced there.

    Staggering abuse and neglect

    “There has been a staggering 1,000 per cent rise in sexual violence against children in Haiti, which has turned their bodies into battlegrounds. The 10-fold rise, recorded from 2023 to last year, comes as armed groups inflict unimaginable horrors on children.

    Almost equally staggering is how little coverage this gruesome statistic has received. And so, if numbers have lost meaning, perhaps the children living this horror will count.

    © UNOCHA/Giles Clarke

    Gangs control the majority of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.

    Roseline* is 16. Late last year, she left her friend’s house to go to the shop and was abducted by armed men.

    She was placed in a van with other young girls and taken to a warehouse. There she was extensively beaten. She was then drugged and over the course of what she believes to be a month, she was relentlessly raped.

    When the armed group realised Roseline had no one to pay her kidnapping ransom, she was released. She is currently in a UNICEF-supported safe house with more than a dozen other girls, all receiving care.

    Astounding insecurity

    Armed groups now control 85 per cent of Port-au-Prince. Let me repeat that. 85 per cent of the capital of Haiti is under the control of armed groups, an astounding case of insecurity in a capital city.

    Last year alone, child recruitment into armed groups surged by 70 per cent. Right now, up to half of all armed group members are children, some as young as eight years old.

    Many are taken by force. Others are manipulated or driven by extreme poverty. It’s a lethal cycle. Children are recruited into the groups that fuel their own suffering.

    And in Haiti, the suffering is immense – 1.2 million children live under the constant threat of armed violence.

    Collapse of essential services

    Essential services have collapsed. Hospitals are overwhelmed. More than half of Haiti’s health facilities lack the equipment and medication to treat children in emergencies.

    © UNICEF/Maxime Le Lijour

    A woman collects relief items distributed by UNICEF.

    Playgrounds, schools and homes have turned into battlegrounds, forcing many families to flee. More than 500,000 children have been displaced. An estimated three million will require urgent humanitarian assistance this year.

    And education? More than 300,000 children have seen their education disrupted due to recurrent population displacement and school closures.

    And as noted, sexual violence is rampant. The abhorrence of an attack on a child is obvious. A 10-fold increase is ruinous. The pain of course does not stop with the survivor – it ripples through families, shatters communities and scars society as a whole.

    Engaging communities through young reporters

    And yet, Haitians refuse to give up in the face of crisis.

    Take one example: UNICEF’s 135,000 “U-reporters” in the country. These young people embody the commitment of everyday Haitians, bringing their energy and dedication to help those who need it most.

    © UNICEF/Rachel Opota

    A U-reporter gives a presentation on proper hygiene practices and cholera prevention.

    U-Report is a digital platform created by UNICEF to engage communities, especially youth, in social issues.

    And in Haiti, in one month in 2024 alone, U-reporter efforts led to the identification and referral of cases of malnutrition, under-vaccination and essential support for pregnant women in displaced sites and host communities.

    Underfunded programmes

    Haiti’s progress starts with its children. With incredible partners, UNICEF has created 32 mobile safe spaces to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, deployed more than 380 health professionals across 105 institutions, distributed cash to almost 30,000 families and treated more than 80,000 children for moderate and severe wasting.

    Programmes that meet children’s needs can disrupt cycles of violence and reduce the risk of them becoming perpetrators or victims.

    Despite this, UNICEF Haiti’s 2024 emergency funding appeal of $221.4 million was 72 per cent underfunded.

    This starkly contrasts with the urgent need for education, protection and development opportunities to prevent children from being drawn into violence. Without these efforts, violence will continue to consume future generations.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Myanmar: UN experts call for ‘course correction’ as civilian deaths reach 6,000

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    UN independent human rights experts have called for urgent international intervention in Myanmar as civilian deaths hit 6,000 since the military junta seized power in February 2021 following a coup, leading to mass civilian resistance and international condemnation. 

    “There are now 6,000 reminders that the international community is failing the people of Myanmar,” the Human Rights Council-appointed experts stated in a news release on Monday. “It is time for a change, starting with moving this disaster out of the shadows of international attention”.

    ‘Course correction’ needed 

    The experts called for an urgent “course correction” in the international response, emphasising that while targeted action has proven effective – with sanctions reducing the junta’s weapons procurement by one-third – current measures “remain grossly inadequate and lack the coordination and strategic targeting necessary to deliver the support the people of Myanmar need and deserve”.

    They urged increased assistance for civil society organisations documenting abuses and delivering humanitarian aid.

    “Governments and donors also need to significantly step up assistance to civil society organisations documenting human rights abuses, protecting civilian populations and delivery life-saving humanitarian aid”.

    The experts revealed recent evidence demonstrates that coordinated international pressure can yield results.

    “We know that international action makes a difference. We have documented it has reduced the junta’s access to weapons that its uses to attack civilians,” the experts said, following the publication of UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews’ ‘Billion Dollar Death Trade’ report.

    Soundcloud

    Brutal and inhumane violence

    Since seizing power “thousands of lives have been cut short in indiscriminate attacks by the military, which often targets civilian homes and infrastructure”.

    “Many victims have been tortured to death. Others have been subjected to acts tantamount to enforced disappearance before execution. Beheadings, dismemberment and the disfiguration of bodies are shockingly common,” the experts said.

    According to credible reports, nearly 2,000 individuals have died in military custody, with 365 victims executed by headshots and 215 burned alive. The experts detailed how “unlawful killings by junta forces are common and characterised by their brutality and inhumanity”.

    The military’s campaign of suppression extends beyond killings. Over 21,000 people have been arrested since the February 2021 coup remain in detention, with many held incommunicado. The experts expressed alarm at the widespread use of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance to silence opposition.

    “Many are held incommunicado and in many instances with their families and lawyers having no information on their fates or whereabouts,” they reported.

    Soundcloud

    Spurious election plan

    The experts have strongly condemned the junta’s planned elections. “You cannot hold an election when you deposed a democratically elected Government in an unconstitutional coup and continue to arbitrary arrest, detain, disappear, torture and execute opposition leaders, nor when it is illegal for journalists to report the truth,” they stated.

    “It is time for a change, starting with moving this disaster out of the shadows of international attention. It would be unconscionable to allow thousands more innocent lives to be lost when options for effective action by the international community remain on the table” they concluded.

    Special Rapporteurs and other independent human rights experts work on a voluntary basis, are not UN staff and receive no salary for their work. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN surge teams mobilise as Vanuatu hit by second earthquake

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Humanitarian Aid

    UN agencies are intensifying their response in Vanuatu after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake killed 12 people and injured over 200 earlier this week, with a second 6.1 magnitude tremor on Sunday further exacerbating the challenges for affected communities.

    A state of emergency remains in effect across the island nation, and a seven-day dusk-to-dawn curfew in parts of Port Vila was scheduled to end on 24 December. Access road to the seaport is also reportedly blocked.

    The second earthquake heightened concerns, with further updates on its impact, including on the reopening of Port Vila airport to commercial flights, still awaited.

    Humanitarian needs

    As of Saturday night (local time), over 80,000 people have been affected by Tuesday’s earthquake, with nearly 1,700 individuals temporarily displaced. Eleven evacuation centres are sheltering more than 1,200 people, while others are staying with host households.

    Immediate needs include access to clean water, food and healthcare, as communities face rising risks of waterborne diseases.

    Health services are also reported to be severely strained, with the Vanuatu Central Hospital (VCH) requiring essential medical supplies and coordinated surge support to address critical gaps.

    Source: UNOCHA

    Vanuatu earthquake Impact in Shefa province (as of 21 December 2024).

    Coordinated response

    In response to the escalating crisis, a humanitarian flight coordinated by the UN World Food Programme (WFP)’s Pacific Humanitarian Air Service (PHAS) landed in Port Vila on Saturday, delivering surge teams from UN agencies, huamnitarian partners and relief supplies.

    Agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) are working alongside national authorities to support the response.

    UNFPA has set up maternity tents at VCH, while UNICEF has established four tents to manage patient overflow and deployed child protection teams to support families and healthcare workers.

    UNICEF also delivered bladder water tanks to VCH to ensure continued access to clean water.

    WFP has deployed emergency telecommunications specialists to restore disrupted communication networks crucial for coordinating relief efforts. It is also working with the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and partners to assess food security needs.

    Additionally, the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) is conducting satellite-based damage assessments to guide resource allocation and prioritize affected areas.

    Humanitarian partners, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), are also providing on-the-ground assistance alongside national response teams.

    Timely response crucial

    Alpha Bah, Director for WFP Pacific Multi-Country Office, based in Fiji, underscored the need for timely response for affected families.

    “We are saddened by the loss of lives and destruction to property caused by this earthquake. This concerted effort is crucial to ensure that people affected by the earthquake receive timely and essential assistance,” he said.

    “WFP is dedicated to supporting the NDMO and other national institutions, and we will continue to step up our efforts to bolster Vanuatu’s response in the face of this crisis.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Indian Ocean tsunami anniversary: A call to safeguard future generations

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    On Boxing Day – 26 December 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, unleashing a massive tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean.

    Waves as high as 51 meters (167 feet) inundated communities in Aceh, Indonesia, with flooding extending up to five kilometres (three miles) inland.

    The devastation spread across Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives and India, with tsunami waves travelling at speeds of 800 kilometres per hour (500 miles per hour). The impacts extended to Somalia and Tanzania, and waves reached as far afield as Mexico, Chile and even the Arctic.

    In addition to the lives lost, more than 1.7 million people were displaced, and the economic toll reached an estimated $10 billion. Children bore a particularly heavy toll, with thousands killed or orphaned.

    A wake-up call for humanity

    Philémon Yang, President of the UN General Assembly, described the tsunami as “the first global disaster of the 21st century and one of the most devastating in recent history.”

    He urged nations to reaffirm their resolve to protect future generations and integrate disaster preparedness and resilience into sustainable development strategies.

    Kamal Kishore, UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, called the tsunami a “wake-up call for humanity”.

    “It really showed us how such low-frequency, high-impact hazards, can have impacts that will ripple across the entire global system and across multiple geographies,” he said.

    Progress through global collaboration

    The tragedy also catalysed unprecedented global collaboration.

    “Following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, it was evident that transboundary problems require solutions that reach across borders,” emphasised Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

    In the two decades since the tragedy, working together the international community has made significant strides in disaster preparedness.

    In 2005, nations convened under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) to establish the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS). Today, 27 national tsunami warning centers can issue alerts within minutes of seismic events.

    Compared to just 25 per cent in 2004, over 75 per cent of coastal communities in high-risk areas now have access to tsunami early warning information, according to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

    Furthermore, UN initiatives like the Tsunami Ready Programme and the Tsunami Project continue to empower local leaders and communities with life-saving knowledge and resources. Similarly, the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness is developing vital early warning systems for all.

    ESCAP Video | Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness

    Climate change amplifying risks

    However, challenges have also grown more complex.

    Climate change is amplifying the frequency and severity of water-related disasters, often cascading with and compounding geophysical events like earthquakes and volcanoes.

    ESCAP estimates that 68 million people in 43 Asian and Pacific countries, along with $2.3 trillion in infrastructure along coasts, remain at significant risk. In the Indian Ocean basin alone, over 2,600 educational facilities, 1,200 ports, and 140 power plants are vulnerable.

    We must do more

    Mr. Kishore underscored the need for sustained awareness and preparation.

    “We have to continue to keep the awareness of Tsunami risk high,” he said.

    “It is crucial that we do not forget the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and continue to do everything we can to protect ourselves, our children and our future generations from the impact of future tsunamis.”

    Indian Ocean tsunami: Survivors recall the fateful day

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Afghanistan: ICC seeks arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over gender-based persecution

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken an historic step towards addressing the “unacceptable” systemic repression of Afghan women, girls and LGBTQI+ individuals by the Taliban. 

    On Thursday, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for arrest warrants for two senior Taliban officials: Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani.

    They are accused of crimes against humanity on the grounds of gender-based persecution under the Rome Statute of the court, which sets out the duty of every State signatory to exercise its criminal jurisdiction over those responsible for international crimes.

    “These applications recognise that Afghan women and girls as well as the LGBTQI+ community are facing an unprecedented, unconscionable and ongoing persecution by the Taliban,” Mr. Khan said in a statement.

    Since reclaiming power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have implemented a series of oppressive measures that have systematically stripped women of their rights, including barring them from employment, public spaces and education beyond the age of 12.

    The ICC Prosecutor emphasised that these acts constitute severe deprivations of fundamental rights, including physical autonomy, freedom of expression and access to education – rights protected under international law.

    Landmark decision against impunity

    This marks the first time the ICC has issued arrest warrant applications concerning Afghan.

    Mr. Khan said the filings are supported by diverse evidence, including expert testimony, forensic reports and numerous decrees issued by the de facto authorities.

    The ICC’s Afghanistan team, under the supervision of Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan and Special Adviser on Gender and Discriminatory Crimes Lisa Davis, has played a critical role in investigating these allegations, the prosecutor continued.

    These severe deprivations of fundamental rights were committed in connection with other Rome Statute crimes, Mr. Khan explained.

    “Perceived resistance or opposition to the Taliban was, and is, brutally repressed through the commission of crimes including murder, imprisonment, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, enforced disappearance, and other inhumane acts,” he said.

    He underscored that the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia – the Islamic legal system derived from the Quran – cannot be used to justify such violations of fundamental human rights.

    Victims’ resilience

    “In making these applications, I wish to acknowledge the remarkable courage and resilience of Afghan victims and witnesses who cooperated with my Office’s investigations,” Mr. Khan noted.

    “We remain unwavering in our commitment to ensure that they are not forgotten, and to demonstrate through our work, through the effective and impartial application of international law,” he affirmed, underscoring that “all lives have equal value.”

    The Prosecutor also expressed gratitude to Afghan civil society and international partners for their support.

    Next steps

    The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber will now determine whether these applications for arrest warrants establish reasonable grounds to believe that the named individuals committed the alleged crimes.

    “If the judges issue the warrants, my Office will work closely with the Registrar in all efforts to arrest the individuals,” said Mr. Khan, also announcing that further applications against other senior Taliban leaders are forthcoming.

    “Afghan victims and survivors have suffered injustice for too long,” he stressed. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Toxic air threatens children’s lives across East Asia and the Pacific, UNICEF warns

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Health

    More than 100 children under the age of five die every day in East Asia and the Pacific due to air pollution, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned in a new analysis released on Thursday, calling for urgent action to tackle the crisis.

    The analysis underscores the devastating impact of toxic air on young lives, with air pollution now linked to nearly one in four deaths of under fives in the region.

    Exposure begins in the womb, increasing risks of premature birth and low birth weight, and continues throughout childhood, impairing lung development, reducing cognitive function, and contributing to chronic diseases such as asthma and cardiovascular conditions.

    “Every breath matters but for too many children every breath can bring harm,” said June Kunugi, UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific.

    “The air they breathe, at a time when their bodies and minds are still developing, too often contains unhealthy levels of pollution that can comprise their growth, harm their lungs, and impair their cognitive development.”

    Every child at risk

    The report reveals that all 500 million children in the region live in countries with unhealthy air.

    Over 325 million children are exposed to annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines by five times or more, while 373 million live in areas with dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide, a gas emitted by vehicles and industrial processes.

    Nearly half of PM2.5 pollution in the worst-affected countries comes from the burning of fossil fuels, biomass, and agricultural waste – also major contributors to climate change.

    As extreme weather events worsen due to climate change, air pollution is expected to become an even greater threat, UNICEF warned.

    Impacts beyond health

    The impacts of the air pollution crisis go beyond health.

    High pollution levels force school closures, disrupt learning, and increase medical expenses, straining already overwhelmed healthcare systems.

    The World Bank estimates that in 2019, the economic cost of air pollution from PM2.5 in East Asia and the Pacific amounted to $2.5 trillion, or 9.3 percent of the region’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    © UNICEF/Patipat Janthong

    Students at a primary school in Bangkok wear masks during their morning lineup as air pollution levels soar.

    Urgent call for action

    In response to the “silent killer,” UNICEF called on governments, businesses, healthcare professionals, parents, and educators to take immediate steps to reduce air pollution and protect children’s health.

    Governments must enforce stronger environmental policies, transition to clean energy sources, and implement air quality standards aligned with WHO guidelines, alongside, businesses should adopt cleaner technologies, reduce emissions, and ensure their practices prioritize child safety.

    Parents and educators also have a crucial role in raising awareness, advocating for cleaner environments, and empowering young people to take action, UNICEF highlighted.

    Solutions exist

    Furthermore, UNICEF is collaborating with governments, businesses, and communities on multiple initiatives to reduce children’s exposure to air pollution.

    These include pushing for stronger environmental regulations, improving air quality monitoring by installing affordable sensors and implementing programmes to reduce household air pollution, such as cleaner cooking stoves and better ventilation.

    The agency is also working to strengthen healthcare systems to better diagnose and treat pollution-related illnesses and is supporting young people to become clean air advocates, raising awareness, and pushing for stronger policies.

    “Addressing air pollution will lead to enormous improvements in children’s health, education, and well-being, with ripple effects across entire societies and economies,” Ms. Kunugi underscored.

    “Solutions exist, and our collective future depends on implementing them.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World News in Brief: Deadly virus outbreak in Uganda, $500 million human rights appeal, Thailand’s lèse-majesté laws in spotlight

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Health

    The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday confirmed an outbreak of Sudan virus disease in Uganda, which is part of the Ebola virus family. 

    Health authorities in Kampala confirmed that one patient has died – a nurse who had sought treatment at various other medical facilities after developing fever-like symptoms.

    In response to the outbreak of the often deadly and infectious haemorrhagic fever which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and tissue, WHO is mobilising efforts to support national health authorities in swiftly containing and ending the outbreak.

    Senior public health experts and staff from WHO’s country office are being deployed to support key outbreak response measures.

    Additionally, WHO has allocated $1 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to accelerate early action. Medical supplies, including personal protective equipment, are being readied for delivery from WHO’s Emergency Response Hub in Nairobi.

    Race to develop a vaccine

    Although there are no licensed vaccines for Sudan virus disease, WHO is coordinating with developers to deploy candidate vaccines once all necessary approvals are obtained.

    Regarding the deceased man, no other health workers or patients have shown symptoms, said WHO.

    A total of 45 contacts, including health workers and family members are under close monitoring. The identification of the case in a densely populated urban area necessitates a rapid and intense response, the agency stressed.

    Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, welcomed the prompt outbreak declaration saying the agency was supporting the Government and partners “to scale up measures to quickly identify cases, isolate and provide care, curb the spread of the virus, and protect the population.

    “Uganda’s robust expertise in responding to public health emergencies will be crucial in ending this outbreak effectively.”

    There have been eight previous outbreaks of Sudan Ebola Virus Disease, with five in Uganda and three in Sudan. Uganda last reported an outbreak in 2022.

    UN rights chief launches $500 million global appeal

    The UN human rights chief on Thursday launched a $500 million funding appeal for 2025 to address a multitude of crises threatening to reverse decades of progress.

    The appeal aims to support critical human rights efforts, including rights mainstreaming, advisory services and technical cooperation, alongside field offices of the UN human rights office, OHCHR.

    It will also boost special trust funds, such as those supporting victims of torture, Indigenous Peoples, or those impacted by slavery.

    Launching the appeal in Geneva, UN rights chief Volker Türk, reiterated the importance of these efforts: “During conflicts and in peacetime; in developing countries and advanced economies; from historic grievances to emerging risks – my Office is holding the line for humanity.

    Low cost, high impact

    “Human rights are a low-cost, high-impact investment to mobilize people for peace, security, and sustainable development; and to build social cohesion based on the contributions of every individual,” he added.

    The appeal is in addition to the OHCHR’s regular budget of $238.5 million as part of UN’s overall budget that was approved in late December 2024. That amount is not sufficient to cover all of its mandated work and the requests for assistance it receives.

    Mr. Türk underscored the need to ensure OHCHR has sufficient resources to carry out its vital work.

    “I am very concerned that if we do not reach our funding targets in 2025, people who should otherwise be free, may remain in prison,” he said.

    “Women and girls may lose out on opportunities, ignored by the world. Violations and abuses may go undocumented, leading to a lack of accountability and increased impunity. And human rights defenders may lose the little protection they have,” he warned.

    Independent rights experts urge Thailand to end lèse-majesté prosecutions

    A group of independent UN human rights experts condemned Thailand’s continued use of lèse-majesté laws to imprison activists and human rights defenders, calling for the repeal or significant revision of the country’s criminal code.

    In a news release on Thursday, the experts – who are mandated and appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council – warned that Article 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code, which punishes criticism of the monarchy with up to 15 years in prison, violates international human rights standards.

    Free speech rules

    “Under international law, individuals have the right to criticise public officials, including a King, and to advocate peacefully for the reform of any public institution, including the monarchy,” the experts said.

    They described the law as “harsh and vague”, highlighting that it grants excessive discretion to authorities and courts, leading to widespread misuse.

    Since 2020, more than 270 people have been prosecuted under Article 112, many receiving lengthy consecutive sentences.

    “Lèse-majesté laws have no place in a democratic country,” the experts said, warning that their use stifles political expression and silences activists, journalists, and opposition members.

    They urged the Thai Government to amend the country’s criminal code to align with international human rights laws and called for an immediate moratorium on prosecutions and imprisonments under lèse-majesté laws.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Explainer: How family planning saves lives

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Health

    Sakina Sani was married off when she was 12 years old amid conflict and food shortages in northern Nigeria. She became pregnant at 15 but miscarried and then had two children in rapid succession.

    “I will never allow my daughter to go through what happened to me,” she told UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency.

    What happens when conflict displaces tens of thousands of people in hotspots like Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Ukraine, and women die every day in childbirth or pregnancy?

    UNFPA is there, equipping displacement camps and medical personnel with lifesaving supplies.

    When an earthquake tumbles whole city blocks, it puts contraceptives onto emergency relief convoys alongside kits for delivering babies and medicines to stop internal bleeding.

    When a cyclone slashes through remote island communities, the agency sends contraceptives just as it sends sterile medical equipment, including condoms, oral and injectable contraceptives, contraceptives implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

    Why? Because contraceptives are part of lifesaving humanitarian care.

    This may be counterintuitive to some, but it is a settled fact in the eyes of medical science, humanitarian responders and women themselves.

    Even outside emergency settings, having access to modern, safe contraceptives empowers women to make their own decisions about their fertility, which in turn reduces unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, improves health outcomes and lowers the risk of maternal and child mortality.

    In short, family planning saves millions of lives. Here are some of the reasons why:

    © UNFPA/Karel Prinsloo

    A woman is injected with a contraceptive at a UNFPA-supported health centre in the Central African Republic.

    Getting pregnant does not stop in emergency settings

    More than 60 per cent of all maternal deaths are estimated to take place in humanitarian crises and fragile settings, places where women struggle to access the care and nutrition needed to safely carry a pregnancy.

    Even in the best circumstances, alarming proportions of women are unable to say no to sex, roughly one quarter of women, according to the most recent data.

    In a humanitarian crisis, women experience about twice the rates of gender-based violence as well as the heightened risk of rape as a weapon of war and tool of genocide and the increased risk of intimate partner violence. All of this elevates their vulnerability to an unintended pregnancy.

    © UNFPA/Danil Pavlov

    Preventing fatal complications

    While contraception is sometimes criticised – incorrectly – as a new medication, one that is unnatural or poorly understood, the truth is that they have existed for millennia. Condoms, for example, have been used for centuries.

    When it comes to  modern forms of contraception, they are among the most prescribed and well-studied medications in existence. Contraceptives have been investigated not just by pharmacologists and medical researchers, but also by healthcare economists, epidemiologists and policymakers, and the findings are conclusive: by preventing unintended pregnancy, contraceptives prevent women from dying.

    How? Every pregnancy carries a risk, and pregnancies in crisis settings, where health systems are in tatters and medical care scarce, are particularly dangerous.

    Lifesaving aid because babies don’t wait

    What happens when a woman is ready to give birth after a hurricane or in a war zone?

    In the crisis-addled DRC, a breakdown in healthcare infrastructure has led maternal mortality rates to soar, with three women dying every hour from pregnancy or childbirth complications.

    “Many women in northwest Syria lose their lives while being transferred between hospitals in the absence of essential supplies for critical conditions,” Dr. Ikram Haboush, in Idlib, said.

    Unintended pregnancies are also directly correlated with higher maternal mortality rates.

    “That is why every public health programme designed to reduce the number of maternal deaths incorporates contraception as one of the pillars of action,” according to the experts who wrote UNFPA’s flagship annual publication, the State of the World’s Population Report, Seeing the unseen: The case of action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy.

    By preventing unintended pregnancy, contraceptives also reduce the incidence of maternal injuries and illness, stillbirth and neonatal death.

    In 2023, UNFPA’s dedicated supplies partnership procured $136 million worth of contraceptives, which is estimated to have prevented nearly 10 million unintended pregnancies and over 200,000 maternal and newborn deaths. It is estimated these contraceptives also prevented nearly three million unsafe abortions.

    © UNFPA

    Two community workers provide information about contraceptives in Bihar, India.

    Preventing fatal illness, chronic ailments

    Contraceptives like male and female condoms additionally save lives by decreasing the chances of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.

    Even a treatable STI can be life-threatening in settings with limited access to medical care,  as is the case for women and girls in Haiti, for example, where widespread and relentless sexual violence has led to rising rates of unintended pregnancy as well as STIs, while the health system has all but collapsed.

    Only around three per cent of survivors in Haiti report receiving post-rape treatment within 72 hours of being assaulted. This treatment includes emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy and post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV transmission.

    Contraceptives also treat ailments unrelated to sexual activity that are debilitating in even stable and secure circumstances like polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, dysmenorrhea and extremely heavy bleeding.

    For women like Omaira Opikuko from Venezuela, there is no question that long-term contraception after her sixth delivery was lifesaving.

    She suffered both haemorrhaging and a prolapsed uterus during her last labour.

    “I was on the brink of death,” she said.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Two Thai peer educator high school students describe a range of available condoms.

    Cost-effective humanitarian interventions

    Family planning is cost effective.

    In 2023, more than 50 countries that received UNFPA contraceptive supplies made collective savings of over $700 million through reduced healthcare costs for pregnancy, delivery and post-abortion care.

    Numerous studies have shown that family planning is a critical investment for society, not only by averting unintended pregnancy and the maternal health problems that accompany it, but also by increasing education and employment gains among women.

    In humanitarian settings, contraceptives are all the more critical, helping women and families survive and stabilise and leaving them better prepared to recover.

    No one knows this better than survivors of humanitarian crises themselves

    “There is a lot of demand for family planning services,” one emergency responder said in the immediate aftermath of a deadly cyclone.

    Amid the world’s growing precarity, rising catastrophes and increasing displacements, these services are a light in the dark for women and girls around the world.

    As Ms. Opikuko in Venezuela said, “I don’t want to be scared anymore.”

    Learn more about UNFPA here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World News in Brief: US executive orders continue, killings in Sudan, breast cancer alert in Africa, human rights in Tunisia

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    New executive orders issued by the White House are set to further impact the cooperative, multilateral work of the United Nations, two weeks since the United States declared that it was pulling out of the UN health agency, WHO.

    According to President Trump’s latest directive from the White House on Tuesday on international cooperation, the US will no longer participate in or financially support the Human Rights Council in Geneva, which is set to meet on Friday to discuss the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    The executive order also calls for a review of US membership of UNESCO, the UN agency for education, science and culture.

    Leading the review will be US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has 90 days to evaluate “how and if” UNESCO supports Washington’s interests.

    The third UN agency immediately affected by the order is UNWRA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, which the White House order maintained “has reportedly been infiltrated” by terrorist affiliates.

    The presidential order withdraws US funding from UNRWA and notes the UN agency’s alleged involvement in the 7 October attacks on Israel, something which UNRWA strongly condemned and responded to by opening itself up to an independent as well as an internal investigation, ultimately sacking nine staff for their possible involvement.

    Israel did not provide independent investigators with evidence to fully corroborate its allegations.

    By 4 August 2025 – in just six months’ time – the US executive order also calls for a review of US membership in “all international intergovernmental organizations” and all conventions and treaties.

    Praise for lifesaving US support

    UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in response to questions regarding the latest executive order that “from day one”, it has been clear that US support for the UN has “saved countless lives and advanced global security”.

    “As I have mentioned, the Secretary-General looks forward to speaking to President Trump. He looks forward to continuing what was a very frank and productive relationship during the first term,” he said.

    Mr. Dujarric recalled President Trump’s remarks in the Oval Office on Tuesday where he said the UN has “got great potential” with a critical role to play in taking on many big challenges facing the world.

    At least 40 children killed in three days as violence escalates in Sudan

    A surge in violence across Sudan has reportedly killed at least 40 children in just three days, with shelling targeting multiple areas of the country, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned.

    On Monday, heavy shelling in Kadugli, South Kordofan state, killed 21 children and injured 29 others.

    Over the weekend, attacks on markets in El Fasher in Darfur state and Sabreen in Khartoum state claimed the lives of at least 19 more children, with several others wounded.

    “Sadly, it is rare that more than a few short days go past without new reports of children being killed and injured,” said Annmarie Swai, the UNICEF representative in the country.

    Daily killings

    Since June 2024, as the conflict has spread into new regions, an average of over four incidents per day has been documented, with an overwhelming 80 per cent of these cases involving killings and maimings.

    The violence has also hit vital civilian infrastructure. In late January, shelling reportedly struck the only functioning hospital in El Fasher, killing and injuring seven children, while another attack on a UNICEF child-friendly space in Khartoum state left three children dead or wounded.

    “Children in Sudan are paying the ultimate price of the relentless fighting,” Ms. Swai said, urging all parties to uphold international humanitarian law.

    135,000 women in Africa could die from breast cancer by 2040, warns WHO

    An estimated 135,000 women could die from preventable breast cancer by 2040 in sub-Saharan Africa without urgent action, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

    According to a WHO study in 42 of the region’s 47 countries, there are significant gaps and disparities in breast cancer control.

    Key findings included a critical shortage of healthcare workers who are essential for prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

    Tackling breast cancer is also limited by a lack of access to specialised cancer centres, WHO said.

    Lack of screening

    The UN health agency found that only five out of 47 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have regular breast cancer screening programmes. Lab screening facilities are also lacking, with only two countries meeting the standard of one lab per 100,000 people.

    Breast cancer-related deaths in the region continue to be driven by late diagnosis and insufficient prevention and care. Much more healthcare investment is needed, WHO insisted.

    In 2022 alone, the UN agency said that 38 out of every 100,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 19 per 100,000 died from the disease.

    Tunisia: Rights panel demands immediate release of activist on hunger strike

    Top independent rights experts reiterated their call to the Tunisian authorities on Wednesday to release an imprisoned activist who is intensive care after going on hunger strike.

    Sihem Bensedrine, 75, was the former president of the Truth and Dignity Commission in Tunisia until she was detained in August last year.

    In a joint appeal, the independent rights experts insisted that Ms. Bensedrine must be immediately and unconditionally released and any charges against her dropped.

    The rights experts – Special Rapporteurs Bernard Duhaime, Mary Lawlor and Margaret Satterthwaite – said that her arrest appeared to be in retaliation for her activism.

    Truth to power

    In particular, they cited her contribution to the Truth and Dignity Commission’s report which they said “should lead to the prosecution of alleged perpetrators of serious violations of past regimes”.

    The Tunisian commission was established in 2014 in collaboration with the UN human rights office, OHCHR, and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). It was tasked with investigating alleged abuses going back six decades as well as acting as an arbiter in cases of corruption and gross human rights violations.

    Ms. Bensedrine is accused of falsifying the commission’s report on corruption in the banking system and has been the subject of judicial investigations since 2021, before her pre-trial detention last year.

    The Human Rights Council-appointed independent experts further argued that commission members and staff cannot be held liable for any content, conclusions or recommendations in the report as their work was carried out in line with their mandate.

    Chad and Nigeria sign agreement for voluntary refugee repatriation

    The governments of Chad and Nigeria, in collaboration with UN refugee agency, UNHCR, have signed a tripartite agreement to allow the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees currently residing in Chad.

    It marks a significant milestone in regional efforts to provide durable solutions for refugees, ensuring that any future returns are voluntary, safe and dignified.

    A tripartite commission will be set up to develop standard operating procedures for implementing the agreement. This includes facilitating ongoing dialogue, joint assessments and coordination between Chad, Nigeria and UNHCR. The commission will ensure that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and that the protection needs of refugees remain central to the process.

    “This tripartite agreement is a crucial step toward ensuring that any voluntary repatriation of refugees is conducted in a manner that upholds their fundamental rights and dignity,” said UNHCR regional bureau director Abdouraouf Gnon-Kondé.

    The signing of this agreement is part of a broader commitment by the governments of Chad and Nigeria to strengthen protection and solutions for forcibly displaced populations. This includes ongoing cooperation with neighbouring countries to enhance regional coordination on voluntary repatriation and reintegration efforts.

    UNHCR commends the governments of Chad and Nigeria for their leadership in promoting durable solutions while safeguarding refugee rights. The agency stands ready to implement its commitments under this tripartite agreement.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: US aid funding cuts put HIV prevention at risk, warns UNAIDS

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Humanitarian Aid

    The US pause in foreign assistance funding has created “confusion” in the vital work of community HIV prevention, despite a waiver issued for HIV/AIDS programmes, the UN agency to combat the still deadly disease said on Friday.

    The waiver allows the continuation or resumption of “life-saving humanitarian assistance” including HIV treatment.

    That means 20 million people living with HIV and whose medication is funded by the US can continue to receive treatment. “That’s 20 million out of the 30 million people living with HIV in the world,” said Christine Stegling, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS, at scheduled press briefing in Geneva.

    Although it is expected that governments around the world will respond to the US announcement by supporting existing medication plans, “what we’re really concerned about is that…governments will focus right now on keeping people on treatment rather than preventing new infections” she explained.

    The HIV global response is heavily dependent on funds from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); it finances 70 per cent of the overall AIDS response.

    Since its creation in 2003, PEPFAR has saved more than 26 million lives by investing in critical HIV prevention, treatment, care and support programmes in 55 countries, according to UNAIDS.

    Nevertheless, “there is a lot of confusion on the ground especially at the community level on how the waiver will be implemented”, Ms. Stegling reported, pointing to disruption of treatment services.

    Transport services and community health workers are also still impacted by the US funding pause, according to UNAIDS.

    Drop-in centres at risk

    The agency – which works with 70 countries – highlighted that the pause in US assistance to community programmes would lead to the closure of many drop-in health centres and the termination of outreach workers’ contracts, effectively depriving vulnerable groups of support.

    The biggest interruption will be to community health services which have been crucial in the success of the fight against HIV, according to UNAIDS.

    In Ethiopia, 5,000 public health worker contracts depend on US assistance. “All of these, in all regions of Ethiopia, have been terminated, as well as 10,000 data clerks, very important in Ethiopia”, added Ms. Stegling.

    Critical services cut

    Thousands of individuals – women, young girls, and priority populations at higher risk of sexually transmitted infections – will no longer be able to access critical services, such as condom distribution, HIV testing, antiretroviral treatment, pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention, screenings for tuberculosis or support to address gender-based violence.

    UNAIDS is most concerned about the long-term impact of the US funding freeze on prevention of new HIV infections as most services community-based, while national governments tend to focus on keeping people on treatment, rather than preventing new infections.

    Fear over spike in AIDS deaths

    If PEPFAR is not re-authorized between 2025 and 2029 and other resources are not found for the HIV response, “there would be a 400 per cent increase in AIDS death”, UNAIDS said. “That’s 6.3 million people, 6.3 million AIDS related deaths that will occur in the future”, Ms. Stegling told journalists.

    UNAIDS says it will continue efforts to ensure that during the 90-day pause, all people affected by HIV continue to access life-saving services. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Meds platform launch gives children with cancer a fighting chance

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Health

    A new UN-partnered project to distribute essential childhood cancer medicines has begun in Uzbekistan and Mongolia, the first rollout for a project due to be piloted in six countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

    Around 400,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year and most of them live in low-income countries where medicines are either unaffordable or unavailable, resulting in an overwhelming 70 per cent death rate.

    In high-income countries, more than eight in 10 children who are diagnosed survive.

    “The platform is now set to close this gap”, said Dr. Andre Ilbawi, Technical lead of the WHO cancer control programme.

    The UN agency’s goal – working with leading US paediatric facility St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – is to reach 50 countries where needs are greatest, providing medicines to treat 120,000 children with cancer in the next five to seven years. Although it is an ambitious goal, it is achievable, Dr Ilbawi told journalists in Geneva.

    “This marks the beginning of a global movement to provide children with cancer the medicines that they need, regardless of where they live, or their ability to pay”, he insisted thanks to the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines.

    Major funding boost

    The launch of the platform has been made possible by a $200 million investment by St. Jude’s – marking the largest financial commitment ever made for childhood cancer medicines globally.

    The initiative also draws on the experience of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Pan American Health Organization Strategic Fund, which procure and distribute the medicines. “This innovation has now become a needed beacon of hope for families around the world”, Dr. Ilbawi said.

    The platform is not a donation programme, but rather a joint venture involving governments, the pharmaceutical industry, non-governmental organizations and local stakeholders such as hospitals.

    Complex and challenging

    The remaining four countries of the pilot phase that will soon receive cancer medication are Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal and Zambia. Within days, El Salvador, Moldova, Senegal, Pakistan, Ghana and Sri Lanka will join the programme too.

    The needs of a child suffering from cancer are complex and demanding, ranging from qualified professionals to pharmaceutical companies and communities that are ready to support a family through the traumatic process of diagnosis, WHO explained.

    But with the launch of this platform come hopes of scaling it up. “The vision of giving every child a chance to fight cancer – no matter where they are born, is now becoming a reality” Dr. Ilbawi said.

    Soundcloud

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 2025 agenda: ‘We must not let opportunities pass,’ says UN Assembly President

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    The President of the UN General Assembly Philémon Yang presented a detailed vision of his 2025 priorities for the world body on Tuesday, calling it an opportunity for “a new start.”

    Under the theme Unity in Diversity, he emphasised the need for collective action to address pressing global challenges and deliver tangible progress. 

    Highlighting the mandates entrusted to the 79th Session, he outlined critical events, including the High-Level Meeting to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth and the World Social Summit for Development.

    Reflecting on these milestones, Mr. Yang said, “these mandates are an integral part of our efforts to address the challenges our world faces.”

    The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, scheduled for July in Spain, was described as “crucial” in order “to elevate the urgency of financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

    Additional high-level meetings will address structural barriers faced by middle-income countries, including discussions on moving beyond gross domestic product as the primary measure of economic progress. 

    The High-Level Interactive Dialogue on Culture and Sustainable Development, and the High-Level Meeting on Sand and Dust Storms, offer two more key moments to build momentum for change.

    Championing human rights and equality

    The President reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to human rights and equality, noting, “throughout our work, we must remember that our mission is to leave no one behind.”

    The proclamation of a second International Decade for People of African Descent was highlighted, alongside plans to advance the rights of older persons and address global prison reform on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Nelson Mandela Rules, “to ensure humane treatment of prisoners.”

    In a similar vein, the General Assembly is due to award the Nelson Mandela Prize for the third time in 2025. Given every five years to two outstanding individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving humanity, the award promotes values guided by the purposes and principles of the UN.

    Acknowledging the ongoing fight for gender equality, the President called for participation in the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, affirming that he will push “for both prevention and accountability” and pledged to “promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, across all aspects of my Presidency.”

    The 25th anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325 will also serve as an opportunity to tackle enduring challenges in advancing women’s roles in peace and security. 

    Advancing climate action and technology

    Mr. Yang also outlined the importance of sustainable development and digital transformation.

    The Third UN Ocean Conference in June will focus on supporting “blue economies” and accelerating progress on SDG 14 which aims to conserve and develop a sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources.

    Meanwhile, the World Summit on Information Society will address digital divides, bolstered by the establishment of an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.

    This panel aims to “build a reliable scientific knowledge base, to firmly close the digital divides,” and “create a free, open and secure digital future for all.”

    Liquidity crisis must end

    Mr. Yang called on Member States to address the UN’s ongoing liquidity crisis, warning that late payments and withholding of assessed contributions could spark “a crisis of confidence in the United Nations.”

    Emphasising the stakes, he said: “the funding of the United Nations must, therefore, never be subjected to solving political problems. It is the contrary. We must all fund our organization in order to deal with our problems.”

    In a call for unity, the President stressed that “as with all our priorities, we will be measured by our actions. We cannot succeed alone. We count on you Member States.”

    80 years of the UN Charter

    A commemorative meeting of the assembly will be held on 26 June to mark the 80th anniversary of the UN Charter.

    Reflecting on its historical significance, the President stated, “We must recover this San Francisco spirit. That powerful spirit must continue to guide all of us.”

    Consultations are also underway for a potential UN80 Summit in September to further celebrate the milestone. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: At Davos, Guterres slams backsliding on climate commitments

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    The world’s political and business elite present in Davos on Wednesday faced an uncompromising address from UN chief António Guterres as he rounded on a lack of multilateral collaboration in an “increasingly rudderless world” at risk from two existential dangers: climate change and unregulated Artificial Intelligence (AI).

    Mr. Guterres was speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, the exclusive event held high in the Swiss Alps where senior politicians, Heads of State and CEOs of some of the world’s biggest and most influential companies rub shoulders.

    The UN Secretary-General took aim at the theme of this year’s meeting, Collaboration for the Intelligent Age, maintaining that there has been scant proof of either collaboration or intelligence and plenty of evidence that many of the world’s problems are worsening, from conflicts to inequality and assaults on human rights.

    Nuclear war is no longer the only existential threat to humanity, he said, pointing to the climate crisis and the “ungoverned expansion” of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

    ‘Fossil fuel addiction’

    Likening fossil fuel addiction to Frankenstein’s monster – “sparing nothing and no one” – the Secretary-General noted the irony that 13 of the world’s biggest ports for oil supertankers are set to be overwhelmed by rising sea levels, a consequence of rising temperatures and sea ice melt, caused overwhelmingly by burning coal, crude oil and natural gas.

    A number of financial institutions and industries are backtracking on climate commitments, noted Mr. Guterres.

    A move that is, he said “short-sighted, and paradoxically, it is selfish and also self-defeating. You are on the wrong side of history. You are on the wrong side of science. And you are on the wrong side of consumers who are looking for more sustainability, not less.”

    Looking ahead to the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Brazil at the end of the year, the UN chief reminded world leaders that they must keep their promise to produce new, economy-wide national climate action plans well before the event.

    Developing countries need a “surge in finance” for climate action, he declared, urging not just governments but all businesses and financial institutions to create robust and accountable transition plans.

    AI’s untold promise 

    The next existential threat, AI, is a double-edged sword, Mr. Guterres continued, as it is already revolutionizing learning, diagnosing illnesses, helping farmers to increase their yields and improving the targeting of aid.

    But it comes with profound risks if it is left ungoverned: it can disrupt economies, undermine trust in institutions and deepen inequalities, the Secretary-General warned.

    The Global Digital Compact – part of the Pact for the Future adopted by UN Member States last September – offers a “roadmap to harness the immense potential of digital technology and close digital divides” with a shared vision of AI serving humanity, not the other way around.

    Despite the challenges, the UN will never halt its demand for peace grounded in the UN Charter, international law and the principles of sovereignty, political independence and the territorial integrity of States, he said.

    Reforming institutions, from the global financial architecture to the UN Security Council, is, the UN chief asserted, a necessity because systems of governance are often ill-equipped to deal with today’s challenges. But achieving these essential changes – which world leaders committed to at last September’s Summit of the Future – will only be possible with political will, he said, cautioning: “I am not convinced leaders get it.”

    The Secretary-General concluded his remarks with a return to the theme of this year’s Davos event, appealing to the global community to face these existential challenges head on and work as one. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNOPS: the UN agency turning commitments into reality

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Humanitarian Aid

    Nations around the world which are seeking practical solutions to peace and security, humanitarian and development issues are marking 30 years of collaboration with a specialized UN agency.

    Despite immense security risks and logistical challenges, the agency worked with international partners to transport and eliminate hundreds of tonnes of chemical materials under strict deadlines. This mission drew praise from global leaders, illustrating how a UN body with the right expertise can help neutralize threats to international peace and security.

    The devastating 2004 tsunami left Indonesian provinces Aceh and Nias in ruins. Amid overwhelming damage, UNOPS constructed 225 earthquake-resistant schools in the region, providing children with secure, modern learning environments. By combining engineering expertise, local labor, and a rapid implementation timeline, education was revitalized for communities that had lost so much.

    UNOPS commitment to helping protect the environment was also highlighted through its work on the Montreal Protocol, the international treaty that led to the healing of the ozone layer. By providing technical guidance and project support, UNOPS helped countries transition to safer alternatives for nearly 100 chemicals that harm the ozone layer.

    © UNOPS/John Rae

    A newly installed tap in Mirtala Village, India provides a clean water supply

    Bridging the gap between ambition and action

    In any country coming out of conflict, rebuilding essential infrastructure can make the biggest difference. UNOPS remains committed to supporting countries in conflict – building on its recent work in Ukraine, Syria and Gaza, which has been practically reduced to rubble. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is still in its early stages, but UNOPS stands ready to support a coordinated UN reconstruction response.

    From its beginnings as a small department to its evolution into a driving force for concrete action, the UNOPS journey is a testament to the power of resilience, innovation, and partnership. As global challenges multiply, the agency’s role in bridging the gap between humanitarian, developmental and environmental needs is an example of what the UN can achieve through determination, expertise, and a global commitment to improving lives worldwide.

    Today, the office is committed to bridging the gap between ambitions and tangible action, building foundations for countries to recover and thrive, from constructing schools and hospitals, building roads that connect communities in remote areas, and strengthening health systems.

    In 2025, as it marks its 30th anniversary, UNOPS is planning for the future, to ensure that it provides solutions where needs are greatest, with a focus on serving some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: US funding pause leaves millions ‘in jeopardy’, insist UN humanitarians

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Humanitarian Aid

    UN agencies on Tuesday offered a dire assessment of the global impact of deep cuts to grassroots humanitarian funding by the incoming US administration and reiterated calls for Washington to retain its position as a global aid leader.

    The development follows the pause announced to billions of dollars of funding on 24 January by the US administration affecting “nearly all US foreign aid programmes, pending a 90-day review”, said Pio Smith from the UN’s sexual reproductive health agency, UNFPA, briefing journalists in Geneva.

    ‘Unwavering commitment’ to serve people in need

    In a letter to all UN personnel released on Tuesday morning in New York, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he had responded to the executive order from US President Donald Trump with a call to “ensure the delivery of critical development and humanitarian activities”.

    Mr. Guterres said the organization will remain actively engaged in assessing and mitigating the impact of the order.

    “Now, more than ever, the work of the United Nations is crucial…Together, we will ensure that our organization continues to serve people in need around the world with unwavering commitment.”

    Deadly consequences

    Mr. Smith said that in response to the executive order, UNFPA “has suspended services funded by US grants that provide a lifeline for women and girls in crises, including in South Asia”.

    The UNFPA Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific warned that between 2025 and 2028 in Afghanistan, the absence of US support will likely result in 1,200 additional maternal deaths and 109,000 additional unintended pregnancies.

    Mr. Smith said the agency was seeking “more clarity” from the administration “as to why our programmes are being impacted, particularly those which we would hope would be exempt” on humanitarian grounds.

    Meanwhile, the UN aid coordination agency OCHA, said that there have been no “layoffs or closing down access” in response to the executive orders. 

    Spokesperson Jens Laerke added that the agency’s country offices were “in close contact” with local US embassies to better understand how the situation will unfold.

    He explained that the US Government funded around 47 per cent of the global humanitarian appeal across the world last year; “that gives you an indication of how much it matters when we are in the situation we are in right now, with the messaging we’re getting from the Government”.

    The move follows the announcement that the new US administration has placed the country’s principal overseas development agency, USAID, under the authority of the Secretary of State.

    Staff from the agency have been locked out of their offices, while the head of the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency has accused USAID of criminal activity and a lack of accountability.

    “Public name-calling won’t save any lives,” said OCHA’s Mr. Laerke, while Alessandra Vellucci, head of the UN Information Service at UN Geneva, highlighted the UN Secretary-General’s appeal for a relationship of trust with the Trump administration.

    “We are looking at continuing this work together [and listening]…if there are criticisms, constructive criticism and points that we need to review,” she told reporters, underscoring the “decades-long relationship of mutual support” between the UN and the US.

    © UNICEF/Anmar Anmar

    USAID and UNICEF sign a partnership in 2024 to improve water and sanitation services across Iraq.

    Retreat from Human Rights Council

    At the same scheduled press encounter, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Council responded to news reports that President Trump plans to issue an executive order withdrawing the US from the 47-member world body.

    The US was a member of the Council from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2024, meaning that since 1 January this year it has been an “observer State…like any of the 193 UN Member States that are not Council Members” explained spokesperson Pascal Sim:

    “Any Observer State of the Council cannot technically withdraw from an intergovernmental body that is no longer part of.”

    Preventable problems

    Amid uncertainty about future US funding, UNFPA’s Mr. Smith underscored the immediate impact on at-risk individuals in the world’s poorest settings: “Women give birth alone in unsanitary conditions; the risk of obstetric fistula is heightened, newborns die from preventable causes; survivors of gender-based violence have nowhere to turn for medical or psychological support,” he said.

    “We hope that the US Government will retain its position as a global leader in development and continue to work with UNFPA to alleviate the suffering of women and their families as a result of catastrophes they did not cause.”

    Afghanistan emergency

    UNFPA works across the world including in Afghanistan, where more than nine million people are expected to lose access to health and protection services because of the US funding crisis, it said.

    This will impact nearly 600 mobile health teams, family health houses and counselling centres, whose work will be suspended, Mr. Smith explained.

    “Every two hours, a mother dies from preventable pregnancy complications, making Afghanistan one of the deadliest countries in the world for women to give birth. Without UNFPA’s support, even more lives will be lost at a time when the rights of Afghan women and girls are already being torn to pieces.”

    Pakistan, Bangladesh fall-out

    In Pakistan, the UN agency warns that the US announcement will affect 1.7 million people, including 1.2 million Afghan refugees, who will be cut off from lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services, with the closure of over 60 health facilities.

    In Bangladesh, nearly 600,000 people, including Rohingya refugees, face losing access to critical maternal and reproductive health services.

    “This is not about statistics. This is about real lives. These are literally the world’s most vulnerable people,” Mr. Smith insisted.

    In Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar refugee camp complex –where more than one million Rohingya refugees remain trapped in dire conditions – nearly half of all births now take place in health facilities, with UNFPA’s support.

    “This progress is now at risk,” Mr. Smith continued, noting that the agency requires more than $308 million dollars this year to sustain essential services in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Bridging the divide: General Assembly President on UN reforms and Africa’s digital future

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Conor Lennon

    UN Affairs

    This landmark year in the life of the UN has prompted introspection and a fresh impetus for change. How can the organization remain relevant in a world that is almost unrecognizable from the post-World War Two consensus into which it was born? 

    In an interview with UN News, Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly expressed particular concern for the challenges faced by African countries, and the need to bridge the development divide between the Global South and the developed world.

    The interview took place shortly after a Security Council meeting on combating terrorism in Africa, at which Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, described the continent – which accounts for 59 per cent of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide – as “the epicentre of global terrorism.” Mr. Yang, the former Prime Minister of Cameroon, has suggested that one answer could be the deployment of peace operations run by the African Union, a regional organization, and funded by the United Nations. UN News began by asking him why he favours this model.

    This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

    Philémon Yang: The Charter of the United Nations foresees that regional organizations or subregional organizations may be given a specific mission, and one of these regional organizations is the African Union, which is capable of leading peace missions.

    I am convinced that, where there are complicated issues of peace in Africa, the African Union, which understands a lot of the issues very well, could be given the authority, the authorization and the United Nations funding to carry out such a mission.

    These missions are not yet well established, but I’m convinced that if the UN Security Council gives confidence to the African Union, many, many things could be done the right way in future.

    UN News: How do you think Africa can close what we’ve called the digital divide [the relative lack of digital technology in Africa]?

    UN Photo/Laura Jarriel

    General Assembly Philémon Yang Yang addresses the opening of the general debate of the UN General Assembly’s 79th session.

    Philémon Yang: The possession of a computer, a smartphone or access to the internet is linked to development. The Pact for the Future [a blueprint for a better future adopted by UN Member States in 2024] makes a specific reference to Africa.

    The “Timbuktoo” Initiative from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is meant to reduce the gap, by helping African countries develop the digital processes faster than they have done in the past. We need this to work because if we don’t reduce the divide, then a lot of young people in Africa won’t have the opportunity to develop.

    UN News: You’ve called the General Assembly “the great baobab tree under which nations harmonize their views”. You’re planning to organize “palaver tree dialogues”. How will they work?

    Philémon Yang: The idea is not completely new. My predecessors convened informal, unscripted dialogues, simple conversations without written speeches, without written remarks. In Africa, palaver trees are where people sit and talk freely. They raise questions which concern them and, very often, they are under no obligation to find a solution immediately.

    The discussions are relaxed, which helps to bring about productive discourse. Through this approach we could build a sense of trust and confidence between countries.

    UN News: Many African countries are dealing with huge financial problems, such as debt repayments and high interest rates, which are hampering development. You’re organizing a meeting with the Inter-Parliamentary Union on reform of the international financial architecture. What do you want to achieve?

    Philémon Yang: We need to adapt the behaviour and practices of international financial institutions to the modern world.

    After the Second World War, the United States Government created the Marshall Plan, which brought a lot of financial aid to Western Europe. That worked very well. If you had to bring back the Marshall Plan today, you would have to adapt it to changing circumstances.

    Reforming the international financial architecture is key to us, and we look forward to an opportunity to discuss this with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, but also at the Financing for Development Conference in June. Reform will make it easier for the world to keep developing and traveling forwards into the future.

    UN News: To what extent is the UN, this 80-year-old institution, still relevant?

    Philémon Yang: If the UN didn’t exist, we would create it today because there are so many problems, so many challenges no one country can handle.

    Eighty years is a long time in the life of a human being, but not in the life of a country or an organization. The UN is not perfect, but we can’t create an organization which is perfect.

    The UN remains relevant and very important, but there is a need for reforms. When it was created in 1945, most of the countries which are now members of the General Assembly didn’t exist. It would be unfair to continue to use all the rules put in place in 1945, because they no longer apply easily.

    I can take an easy example. The veto power of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Everybody accepts the need for reform, and there are calls for two permanent seats in the Council to be created for African countries.

    Reforms are not dangerous. They don’t kill anybody. And they would only make the UN better equipped to deal with all the world issues we are dealing with, whether in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan or elsewhere. It’s in everybody’s interest to make the UN perform better.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Making the digital and physical world safer: Why the Convention against Cybercrime matters

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Law and Crime Prevention

    Billions of people worldwide are set to benefit from enhanced safety online and in the physical world following the adoption of a legally binding treaty on cybercrime by the UN General Assembly.

    The 193 UN Member States adopted, by consensus, the historic Convention against Cybercrime – the first of its kind following five years of negotiations.  

    Here are five key reasons why this landmark agreement matters for people everywhere:

    A critical tool for a growing threat

    In 2023, 67.4 per cent of the world’s population accessed the Internet, according to the World Bank. People rely on connectivity for tasks ranging from communication and shopping to advanced research and innovation.

    However, this connectivity also exposes more than two-thirds of the global population to the dangers of cybercrime. For those on the wrong side of the digital divide, the lack of resilience further increases vulnerability once they get online.

    Cybercriminals exploit digital systems using malware, ransomware, and hacking to steal money, data, and other valuable information. Information and communications technology (ICT) are also used to facilitate crimes such as drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering and fraud.

    Regions like Southeast Asia have been described as “ground zero” for organized cybercrime operations, which are often highly sophisticated and coordinated. The threat is escalating, undermining economies, disrupting critical infrastructure, and eroding trust in digital systems.

    Until now, there has been no globally negotiated convention on cybercrime. The new Convention against Cybercrime will enable faster, better-coordinated, and more effective responses, making both digital and physical worlds safer.

    Unsplash/Jefferson Santos

    Cybercrime poses a growing threat to global security, targeting individuals, businesses, and governments alike.

    Around-the-clock cooperation

    Investigating transnational crimes, whether online or offline, depends heavily on electronic evidence, which poses unique challenges for law enforcement.

    One major challenge is the decentralized nature of data, networks, and service providers, with potential evidence often scattered across multiple jurisdictions. Additionally, electronic evidence must frequently be accessed quickly to prevent tampering or deletion through normal processes.

    The Convention focuses on frameworks for accessing and exchanging electronic evidence, facilitating investigations and prosecutions.

    States Parties will also benefit from a 24/7 network to boost international cooperation, enabling assistance with investigations, prosecutions, crime proceeds recovery, mutual legal assistance, and extradition.

    Protecting children

    Online platforms such as social media, chat apps and games offer anonymity that predators can exploit to groom, manipulate, or harm children.

    The Convention is the first global treaty to specifically address sexual violence against children committed with information and communication technologies (ICT).

    By criminalising these offenses, the Convention equips governments with stronger tools to protect children and bring perpetrators to justice.

    © UNICEF/Pablo Schverdfinger

    Children are especially vulnerable to online exploitation, making it crucial to protect them in the digital world.

    Responding to victims’ needs

    Cybercrime affects people everywhere, and every victim deserves adequate support.

    The Convention encourages States to provide victims with access to recovery services, compensation, restitution, and the removal of illicit content.

    This support will be delivered according to each country’s domestic laws.

    Improved prevention

    Responding to cybercrime after it occurs is not enough. Preventing cybercrime requires robust investments in proactive measures, which the Convention against Cybercrime strongly emphasizes.

    It urges States to develop comprehensive prevention strategies, including training for public and private sectors, offender rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, and support for victims.

    With these measures, the Convention aims to reduce risks and manage threats effectively, fostering a safer digital environment for all.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Rights experts call for immediate release of Abu Zubaydah from Guantánamo

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    UN independent human rights experts have called for the immediate release of Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn, known as Abu Zubaydah, who has been detained without charge by US authorities at the Guantánamo Bay detention facility for almost 20 years.

    On Monday the United States military sent 11 long-term detainees from the facility to Oman after reaching agreement with the Government there on relocation and resettlement. 

    Only 15 detainees now remain, according to news reports. The prison opened in 2002 and at its peak it held more than 600 prisoners overseen by over 2,000 military and civilian personnel.

    Captured in Pakistan

    Captured in March 2002 in Faisalabad, Pakistan, following the 11 September 2001 attacks, Abu Zubaydah was transferred to CIA custody and held at multiple secret locations, where he was reportedly tortured, the experts reminded in a press release issued on Wednesday.

    Despite being imprisoned for nearly two decades, he remains in Guantánamo Bay without any formal charges having been made.

    Release ‘long overdue’

    “We are exceptionally requesting a Presidential pardon for Mr. Abu Zubaydah, owing to his treatment while in detention and the lack of due process since he was first detained,” the experts stated. “His immediate release and relocation to a third safe country are long overdue.”

    The Human Rights Council-appointed experts highlighted Abu Zubaydah’s serious health conditions, which include injuries sustained during torture that have allegedly been exacerbated by the denial of medical attention.

    They also noted significant impediments to lawyer-client communication.

    Various international and regional human rights mechanisms have examined Abu Zubaydah’s case, establishing that he has suffered multiple human rights violations within the context of the US rendition and secret detention programme, the experts noted.

    “In addition to his liberation, we request that Mr. Abu Zubaydah is accorded an enforceable right to compensation and other measures of reparation, in accordance with international law,” the working group members and Special Rapporteurs said.

    The experts emphasised the profound psychological and physical trauma he has endured due to torture, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, and enforced disappearance. They reiterated their call for the US Government to immediately release and relocate him to a safe third country.

    “We recall the principle of joint responsibility that applies to States when more than one of them was involved in the perpetration of a human rights violation,” the experts said. “Accordingly, we call on States to proactively offer their territory for the prompt relocation of Mr. Abu Zubaydah.”

    The experts also expressed concerns about the continued detention of 14 other individuals at Guantánamo Bay, who are in varying stages of legal proceedings and face allegations of ongoing human rights abuses.

    Independent rights experts are not UN staff, receive no salary for their work and are independent of any organisation or government.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Will those responsible for atrocities in Syria finally face justice?

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Conor Lennon

    Law and Crime Prevention

    Hopes are rising that, with the support of the United Nations, the architects of the brutal former regime of Bashar al Assad in Syria will eventually be held accountable for their crimes.

    For years, UN human rights bodies have been documenting, monitoring and publishing reports on abuses, and bringing Syria’s dire human rights record to the world’s attention.

    The fall of Bashar al Assad in December 2024 was largely greeted with euphoria by the Syrian people, but images of hundreds of people pouring into the notorious Sednaya Prison, desperately searching for friends or relatives, and testimony from former prisoners, recounting the sadism and torture they endured, was a vivid reminder of the atrocities committed under the former regime.

    Since 2016, the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM), has been amassing a vast collection of evidence, aiming to ensure that those responsible are eventually held accountable.

    In the eight years since, consistently denied access to Syria, they have had to work from outside the country.

    However, everything changed after the rapid collapse of the regime. Just days later the head of the IIIM, Robert Petit, was able to travel to Syria where he met members of the de facto authorities. During this historic visit, he made a point of emphasizing the importance of preserving evidence before it’s lost forever.

    UN News interviewed Mr. Petit from his offices in Geneva and began by asking him to describe the reactions of the Syrians he met during his visit.

    This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

    Robert Petit: It was a sobering and emotional time. I experienced a mix of hope and joy, as well as fear and anxiety, and a lot of sadness from the families of prisoners who had been killed.

    But there was definitely a sense of change across the board. It’s my personal hope that the aspirations of Syrians will be fully realized with the help of the international community.

    UN News: What was the purpose of your visit, and was it successful?

    Robert Petit: As with most of the world, we were shocked at the speed with which the regime crumbled, although in hindsight we should have realized that the foundations were completely eroding for years.

    We had to quickly start thinking about how to address this new situation: for the first time in eight years, we have the chance to really fulfill our mandate.

    The main purpose of the visit was to start engaging diplomatically and explain to the new authorities what our role is and what we would like to do and get permission to do so. We found them to be receptive.

    We formally requested permission to send teams to work and discharge our mandate in Syria. That was back on December 21. We’re still waiting for the answer. I have no reason to believe that we will not be granted permission. I think it’s a matter of processes rather than willingness, and we’re hoping that within days we will get that permission and then we will deploy as soon as we can.

    © IIIM Syria

    Documents are piled up at a court house in Damascus, Syria, which was visited by the head of the IIIM, Robert Petit.

    UN News: How hard was it to collect evidence during the years that you were denied access to the country?

    Robert Petit: Syrian civil society and Syrians in general have, since March 2011, been the best documenters of their own victimization. They accumulated an enormous quantity of evidence of crimes, often at great risk the cost of their own lives.

    Every year since we were created, we tried to access Syria. We could not get permission, but we developed close relationships with some of these civil society actors, media stakeholders and individuals who collected credible evidence, as did other institutions.

    We accumulated over 284 terabytes of data over the years to build cases and support 16 different jurisdictions in prosecuting, investigating and prosecuting their own cases.

    Now we potentially have access to a wealth of fresh evidence of crimes, and we’re hoping to be able to exploit that opportunity very soon.

    UN News: During the Assad years, though, you had no guarantee that anyone would be brought to justice.

    Robert Petit: Our mandate has been very clear from the beginning: prepare cases to support current and future jurisdiction. And that’s what we’ve been doing. There was always a hope that there was going to be some kind of tribunal, or comprehensive justice for the crimes in Syria. In anticipation of that, we have been building cases and we hope to build a wealth of understanding of the situation and the evidence that could support these cases.

    At the same time, we’ve been supporting 16 jurisdictions all over the world prosecuting these cases, and I’m very happy to say that we have been able to support over almost 250 of those investigations and prosecutions and will continue to do so.

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    UN News: During your trip you said there’s a small window of opportunity to secure sites and the material they hold. Why?

    Robert Petit: Syria’s state apparatus functioned for years, so there will be a lot of evidence, but things go missing, they get destroyed and disappear. So, there is a time issue.

    UN News: Are the de facto authorities in Syria helping you to secure evidence?

    Robert Petit: We had messaging from the caretaker authorities that they were conscious of the importance of preserving all this evidence. The fact is that they have been in control for barely six weeks, so there are obviously a lot of competing priorities.

    I think the situation in Damascus is relatively good in that a lot of the sites, the main ones at least, are secured. Outside of Damascus, I think the situation is a lot more fluid and probably worse.

    UN News: When Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, visited Syria in January he called for fair, impartial justice in the wake of the end of the Assad regime. But he also said that the extent of atrocity crimes “beggars belief”. Do you personally think that justice rather than revenge, in a place where people have been so badly brutalized, is possible or likely?

    Robert Petit: That’s for the Syrians to answer themselves and hopefully be heard and supported in what they will define as justice for them and for what they’ve suffered.

    If people are given the hope that there will be in place a system that will deal fairly and transparently with at least those most responsible for the atrocities, it will give them hope and patience.

    I think it is possible. I have worked in enough of these situations to know that a variety of things can be done to address these very complex situations, but it must be Syria-led, and they must have the support of the international community.

    UN News: Do you envisage that criminal trials would take place in Syria at a national level or at an international level, for example at the International Criminal Court?

    Robert Petit: Again, it will depend on what Syrians want. You’re talking about literally thousands of perpetrators, and a whole state apparatus dedicated to the commission of mass atrocities. It’s an incredible challenge to define what accountability means.

    In my opinion, those most responsible, the architects of the system, must be held criminally accountability. For everyone else, the ways a post-conflict society tackles the issue varies.

    Rwanda, for example, tried to use traditional forms of dispute resolution to try 1.2 million perpetrators over a decade. Others, like Cambodia, simply try to bury the past, and pretend it never happened.

    The best solution is the one that Syrians will decide for themselves. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Syria: Assad’s armed forces must face accountability, says rights probe

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    Widespread pillaging and the destruction of property in Syria by all parties to the conflict have largely gone unpunished and likely amount to war crimes, top independent rights investigators reporting to the Human Rights Council maintained on Thursday.

    The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria’s latest report follows the lightning operation led by mainly Hayat-Tahrir al-Sham fighters that toppled President Bashar al-Assad last December, ending the 13-year war that decimated the country and destabilised the entire region.

    The violence is believed to have killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and uprooted 15 million, the report’s authors said.

    They noted that various armed groups – including former government troops and opposition fighters – carried out widescale damage to and pillaged Syrian property, particularly in areas that changed hands repeatedly during the fighting.

    The Assad regime’s security forces targeted those perceived as political opponents, including demonstrators, activists, deserters and defectors, their families and communities, the report’s authors continued.

    Persistent and repeated crimes

    Vast areas of land where refugees and internally displaced people had relocated to were also pillaged and ransacked to the point of rendering entire neighbourhoods uninhabitable.

    Forces stole household items, furniture and valuables, which they would sometimes sell at markets including some created specifically for this purpose.

    They also dismantled roofs, doors, windows, iron rods, electrical wires and plumbing fixtures.

    ‘Systematic pillage’

    “Systematic pillage was coordinated by members of the former Syrian army, such as the Fourth Division, and affiliated security forces and militias, who concluded business agreements with private contractors or merchants interested in acquiring looted items, including raw materials,” the Commissioners explained.

    The wrongdoings could “amount to war crimes” if “carried out for private or personal gain”, they added.

    Near-total impunity

    To date, accountability for these crimes has not happened and the overwhelming majority of perpetrators have escaped any accountability. “The impunity for the war crime of pillage has been near total in Syria” except for a few convictions in areas held by the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).

    “The only known convictions that relate to pillage or property offenses concern female former members of ISIL [or Da’esh, the terrorist group]”, the report said, adding that none of the forces perpetrating pillage on a massive scale had been prosecuted.

    Accountability and reform

    Among their recommendations, the Commissioners urged renewed efforts to protect housing, land and property rights as paramount to the country’s efforts to rebuild after a decade of crippling conflict.

    If the violations remain unaddressed, grievances and social tensions will be exacerbated, fuelling cycles of violence and displacement, the commission warned.

    The investigators write that following the fall of the regime, on 8 December, the “devastating patterns” of pillage “must not be repeated”.

    The report urges all military commanders and newly empowered leaders to prevent and punish any instances where property is stolen that was left behind by those newly displaced.

    Independent experts

    The Commissioners representing the top rights panel are appointed and mandated by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council. They are not UN staff, do not draw a salary, and serve in their individual capacity, independent of the UN Secretariat.

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    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: International Criminal Court condemns US sanctions move

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Law and Crime Prevention

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday condemned an executive order signed by United States President Donald Trump imposing punitive sanctions, countering that the order sought to “harm its independent and impartial judicial work.”

    The court was established by the Rome Statute, negotiated within the UN – but it is a fully independent court set up to try the gravest crimes, including crimes against humanity. Read our explainer here.

    Thursday’s executive order said the US government would “impose tangible and significant consequences” on ICC officials who work on investigations that threaten national security of the US and allies – including Israel.

    Arrest warrants

    The directive follows the decision by ICC judges to issue arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, which accuses them of alleged war crimes in relation to the conduct of the war with Hamas on Gaza.

    The ICC also issued a warrant for a former Hamas commander, Mohammed Deif.

    Neither the US nor Israel recognise the ICC’s jurisdiction; there are 125 states parties to the Rome Statute, which came into effect in 2002.

    The US executive order says that the ICC actions against Israel and preliminary investigations against the US “set a dangerous precedent, directly endangering current and former” personnel.

    The order details possible sanctions including the blocking of property and assets of ICC officials and barring them and their families from entering the US.

    A bid to impose sanctions on the ICC by the US Congress in January prior to the change in administration, failed to garner enough support in the Senate.

    ICC ‘stands firmly by its personnel’

    “The ICC condemns the issuance by the US of an Executive Order seeking to impose sanctions on its officials and harm its independent and impartial judicial work,” said the court in a press release.

    “The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all Situations before it.”

    The court also called on all parties to the ICC together with civil society and other nations to “stand united for justice and fundamental human rights.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Hold fast to our common humanity’: UN marks 80 years since death camps were liberated

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Ana Carmo

    Human Rights

    Hate continues to grow at an alarming speed, and the world must do more to fight growing antisemitism the UN Secretary-General said on Monday, honouring the victims of the Holocaust and those who survived the Nazi death camps.

    More than 15 months on from the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas in Israel, António Guterres said the UN will continue doing its “utmost to ensure it leads to the release of all hostages – since the beginning we have asked for the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages – and to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza”.

    Every year on the day the concentration camps were liberated in 1945, the world unites to honor the memory of the six million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators, a commemoration that also extends to the Roma and Sinti communities, people with disabilities, LGBTIQ+ individuals, and all others who suffered from the systemic violence, torture, and genocide of the Nazi regime.

    Lessons must never be forgotten

    In the presence of Israel’s President Isaac Herzog in the General Assembly Hall, the Secretary-General underscored the need for remembrance and emphasized that the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.

    This year’s commemoration marks a milestone: 80 years since the Holocaust’s end, and 80 years of efforts to preserve the memory of its victims.

    Underlying the courage of survivors in sharing their stories to ensuring that the horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau and other concentration camps are never erased from history, Mr. Guterres added that the responsibility to ensure this history is never forgotten “belongs to every one of us”. “Remembrance is not only a moral act – remembrance is a call to action”, he said.

    Combat hatred

    As part of the United Nations’ ongoing efforts to combat hate speech, the commemoration highlighted the importance of educating future generations about the atrocities committed during the Holocaust.

    Highlighting the acclaimed writer Primo Levi’s words – an Auschwitz survivor, who urged humanity to “carve the knowledge into our hearts” – Mr. Guterres called on everyone to “speak-up against hate”, stand-up for the human rights of all, and “make those rights a reality”.

    Defend human rights

    The UN is committed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was established in the wake of the Holocaust. In 1948, nations around the world united to affirm the inherent dignity and equality of all people, a direct response to the horrors of Nazi ideology.

    Reminding that the document is a “pure expression of our shared humanity”, the UN chief said that “in dark times it remains a shining light”.

    “Today, our world is fractured and dangerous”, Mr. Guterres warned once more – “80 years since the Holocaust’s end, antisemitism is still with us – fuelled by the same lies and loathing that made the Nazi genocide possible. And it is rising.”

    Efforts to combat the growing tide of Holocaust denial, discrimination, and hate are also central to the United Nations, which has recently launched an Action Plan on Antisemitism to enhance its efforts to educate, promote truth, and resist efforts to distort historical facts.

    Calling for widespread condemnation of antisemitism “wherever and whenever it appears”, Mr. Guterres said that promoting education, combating lies and speaking the truth are key – and that in days of division, all must “hold fast to our common humanity”.

    “We will never forget. And we will never waver in that fight”, the UN chief concluded, leaving the podium to the survivors who were there to share their memories.

    Prayer for peace

    Israel’s President Isaac Herzog told the commemoration that “it is time to acknowledge challenging our right to exist is not diplomacy, it is plain antisemitism.”

    He said 80 years after the Holocaust, he stood in the General Assembly “with deep faith and hope. Our nation rose from the flames of the crematorium not to live forever by the sword, but to build, to repair, to add light, to heal.”

    He added that he hoped peace agreements could be reached between Israel and its neighbours across the region “with all peoples of the Middle East, Israelis, Palestinians and all others”, living peacefully side by side.

    On this historic day, we must commit to joining hands to defeat darkness and hatred and work together to ensure building of a shared future. This is the vow we must share. All of us. The family of nations – that what happened once will never happen again.”

    Roma survivor

    Dumitru Miclescu, Roma survivor of the Holocaust, flew from Budapest to participate at the ceremony in General Assembly Hall on Monday.

    UN Photo/Manuel Elías

    Dumitru Miclescu addresses the Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights ceremony in observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

    Supported by his niece Izabela Tiberiade, he told his story: “I am here not just for myself, but for all the Roma who suffered during the Holocaust and did not have the chance to be heard.”

    A survivor of the terror camps in Transnistria, he was forced into trains and deported when he was just an eight-year-old boy in Romania, along with his family.

    Building a world without racism

    “I will never forget those moments when we were gathered into the trains. Many people died on the trains before we even arrived. Those who reached the concentration camps suffered even more: forced labor, starvation, disease, and constant terror. Death was a daily presence,” he said.

    Acknowledging the lack of support for the few Roma who survived and returned home, Mr. Miclescu said that being at the UN was “an important step toward recognizing history” but there was still much to be done.

    “Allow me to say to all the young people listening to my story: I ask you to learn about your history. I hope you will build a world without racism,” he concluded.

    Never forget

    Marianne Muller who was just a baby during the Holocaust, also took the podium to share her family’s story. Accompanied by her four children and grandchildren, she said: “they are my personal answer to Hitler”.

    Stressing that antisemitism is rising all over the world, Ms. Muller called on the world to remember that the Holocaust and its horrors “all happened only 80 years ago.”

    UN Photo/Manuel Elías

    Marianne Muller addresses the Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights ceremony in observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

    ‘Don’t be neutral towards human suffering’

    At a ceremony in Geneva, Nazi death camp survivor Ivan Lefkovits shared harrowing testimony of his experiences on Monday to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, with a timeless message for present and future generations: “Don’t be neutral, especially not towards human suffering.”

    Recalling the murder of his father and brother, both victims of Hitler’s mission to wipe out Jews, 88-year-old Mr. Lefkovits noted that many European countries subscribed to the Nazi leader’s views.

    Mr. Lefkovits was seven years old when he was sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp in November 1944; he spent the last months of the war in Bergen-Belsen camp, where he almost died from starvation and thirst.

    Today he urges younger generations to study history “not necessarily to learn, but to understand” why the Holocaust happened.

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