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UN Daily News
Monday, 4 April 2016

Issue DH/7129

In the headlines:
First-ever World Humanitarian Summit must usher
in new era of global solidarity UN chief

Mine action an investment in humanity, says Ban,

calling for a world free of explosive remnants of
war

Disarmament Commission has considerable

potential to produce solid results senior UN

official

UN agency launches school meals programme for

Lebanese and Syrian children

Two years of conflict leaves 1.5 million people

UN sexual misconduct investigation in DR Congo

Israel halts cement deliveries into Gaza following

As Nagorno-Karabakh violence flares, Ban urges

hungry in eastern Ukraine UN agency

allegations of diversion; UN envoy urges rapid

resolution

finds violations and cases of abuse

'immediate end to fighting'

New UN Decade aims to eradicate hunger, prevent

malnutrition

First-ever World Humanitarian Summit must usher in new era

of global solidarity UN chief
4 April Briefing Member States on preparations for the upcoming
World Humanitarian Summit, United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon today called on Heads of State and Government to
come to the event and deliver a strong message that we will not
accept the erosion of humanity which we see in the world today.
We must not fail the people who need us, when they need us most,
said the UN chief, drawing particular attention to the leaders segment
and the roundtables, that will take place during the 23-24 May
summit in Istanbul, Turkey.
First, the best way to achieve bold, courageous change is to make
sure that leaders are there to deliver it, Mr. Ban said, noting that the
leaders segment will be an opportunity to discuss the five core
responsibilities of his Agenda for Humanity.

A child watches a truck carrying humanitarian aid for the besieged

town of Moadamiyeh in February. In all, UNICEF delivered 16
truckloads of winter clothing and diapers. Photo:
UNICEF/UN011402/El Ouerchefani

The five core aims are: political leadership to prevent and end conflict; uphold the norms that safeguard humanity; leave no
one behind; change peoples lives from delivering aid to ending need; and invest in humanity.
History will judge us by how we use this moment, Mr. Ban said, urging States to come to Istanbul at the highest level and
to show leadership on the great challenges of the 21st century.

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4 April 2016

We must not let down the many millions of men, women and children in dire need, he added.
Mr. Ban said that seven roundtable sessions will be held over the two days to provide a space for leaders from Member
States, civil society and the private sector to focus on a number of challenges crucial to achieving the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development and other shared goals.
The themes of the roundtables are: Preventing and Ending Conflict; Upholding the Norms that Safeguard Humanity;
Leaving No-one Behind; Natural Disasters and Climate Change; From Delivering Aid to Ending Need; Gender Equality;
and Investing in Humanity.
He said that proposed core commitments that reflect some of the changes necessary to turn the Agenda for Humanity into
action were circulated last week for consideration and should be finalized by 18 April.
These are voluntary and non-binding, and can be individual or joint commitments. The Summit is not an end point, but the
beginning of a new era of international solidarity to halt the terrible suffering of people affected by conflicts and disasters.
The Summits success would make an enormous qualitative difference in advancing action on so many other fronts not
least the 2030 Agenda.
The summit outcomes will include a Chairs summary that will be issued in Istanbul, and a Commitments to Action
document that will follow some time later. Along with the Agenda for Humanity, these all constitute important elements to
the framework for action and follow-up, he said.
Post-Summit follow-up
The follow-up will begin with the Humanitarian Affairs Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council in June. In
September, Mr. Ban will submit his report to the General Assembly, presenting the outcomes of the Summit and further
possible steps ahead, he said.
At that point, Member States can decide to take forward some or all of the report's recommendations through
intergovernmental discussions and negotiations, he said. The annual General Assembly humanitarian resolutions in the
autumn will likely be vehicles for many of these important discussions.
Last year we achieved major victories for global solidarity, he said, referring to Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk

Reduction
Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Let us make the World Humanitarian Summit a historic step forward for our common humanity, he said.
The briefing was organized by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at the UN Headquarters in
New York.

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Mine action an investment in humanity, says Ban, calling for a

world free of explosive remnants of war
4 April United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki moon today called
for a world free of the threat of mines and explosive remnants of war,
stressing that those hazards prevent aid from reaching those in need,
and endanger the lives of the displaced persons returning home and
children going to school.
Mine action is critical for an effective humanitarian response in
conflict and post-conflict situations, the UN chief said in his
message on the International Day for Mine Awareness and
Assistance in Mine Action.
Mine action is an investment in humanity, as it provides the safe
space to undertake development and reconstruction activities, and lay
the foundations of sustainable peace, he added.

Mine clearance in Timbuktu, Mali. Photo: MINUSMA/Marco

Dormino

Yet in far too many places around the world, new or re-emerging conflicts are creating yet another legacy of explosive
hazards, such as landmines, cluster munitions and improvised explosive devices, he said, expressing concern particularly
about the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
The UN is working to alleviate the suffering of affected communities in high-risk environments.
In South Sudan, 14 million square meters of contaminated land have been cleared; 3,000 kilometres of road made safe; and
30,000 mines and explosive remnants of war destroyed. And more than half a million people have received risk education
over the last 12 months.
This has enabled the delivery of food and water and the safe movement of those fleeing fighting, he said.
Even in Syria, mine action actors are achieving some important life-saving results. Since August 2015, 14 tonnes of
unexploded ordnance have been destroyed, and last year, more than 2 million Syrians received risk education in schools and
communities, and more than 5,400 people received physical rehabilitation services.
But millions of Syrian people continue to face this deadly threat every day. There is an urgent need for increased support as
well as full, sustained and unhindered access for all mine action activities.
Mr. Ban said that his report, in advance of the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit to be held next month in Istanbul,
highlighted the unacceptable impact of mines and explosive remnants of war on civilians. It also stressed the need for States
to become parties to, and implement and comply with, relevant international humanitarian instruments.
In December 2015, the General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution underlining the need for mine action to remain
at the top of the international agenda, especially in humanitarian crises, he noted.
Daniel Craig, who was appointed last year by Mr. Ban as UN Global Advocate for the Elimination of Mines and Explosive
Hazards, said that the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) plays a critical role in improving the immediate chances of
survival of civilians and aid workers caught up in armed violence.
UNMAS provides a long-term solution to the biggest problem facing the victims of war. How to return to a normal life, he
said in his message on the Day.

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Best known for his role as 007 in the James Bond films, Mr. Craig said he is in awe of the men and women at UNMAS as
well as their energy and courage.
I am asking you to join me to promote their work and fund their programmes, so that you, too, can make a difference in
eliminating the dangers of mines and explosive hazards, he said.
On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year should be observed as the International
Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. This years theme is Mine Action is Humanitarian
Action.

Two years of conflict leaves 1.5 million people hungry in

eastern Ukraine UN agency
4 April The two-year long conflict in eastern Ukraine has left
around 1.5 million people hungry, including almost 300,000 people
who are severely food insecure and in need of immediate food
assistance, the United Nations food relief agency said today.
Two years of violence, shelling and fear have left an indelible mark
on thousands of people in eastern Ukraine, said World Food
Programme (WFP) Country Representative Giancarlo Stopponi. As
the conflict continues, we need to reach these people urgently. We
appeal to all parties of the conflict to facilitate full and unimpeded
humanitarian access to people in need across the country.
In Ukraine, cash and food voucher assistance by WFP allow people to
go to the market and pick the food they prefer. Photo: WFP/Abeer
Etefa

WFP aims to reach nearly 270,000 of the most vulnerable people with
monthly food assistance over the first half of this year. Since
November 2014, WFP has distributed emergency assistance to over
half a million people in need, including 370,000 people who received
monthly food packages and 180,000 people who received assistance through cash-based transfers in areas where markets are
still functioning.
WFP will continue to provide cash-based transfers or food assistance to the most vulnerable among those affected by
conflict.
People living in the non-government controlled area of Luhansk and near the conflict line are the most affected by food
insecurity: over half of the population, in both the government-controlled area and non-government controlled area,
experienced a complete loss or a significant reduction of income.
With no presence in Ukraine before the crisis, WFP now cooperates with other UN agencies to provide assistance to those
who had to leave their homes, people returning home, and people still trapped in conflict hotspots.

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Israel halts cement deliveries into Gaza following allegations of

diversion; UN envoy urges rapid resolution
4 April The United Nations Middle East envoy today the UN is
working closely with Palestinian and Israeli authorities following
Israels suspension of cement deliveries to private companies in the
Gaza Strip following allegations that a substantial amount had been
diverted from its intended legitimate beneficiaries.
We are working closely with our Palestinian and Israeli government
counterparts to assist in resolving the situation in order to prevent
incidents that could lead to any future suspension of imports, said
UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay
Mladenov in a statement urging a rapid resolution of this matter.
Homes damaged in Gaza during the devastating conflict in 2014. UN
Photo/Eskinder Debebe

He said the people of Gaza depend on the entry of construction

material to repair and reconstruct their damaged and destroyed houses
following the 2014 conflict and to enable much needed infrastructure

and development projects.

Those who seek to gain through the deviation of materials are stealing from their own people and adding to the suffering of
Palestinians in Gaza, stressed Mr. Mladenov, adding that reconstruction of Gaza remains critical to ensuring its stability.

New UN Decade aims to eradicate hunger, prevent malnutrition

4 April Calling attention to the nearly 800 million chronically
undernourished people and over two billion with micronutrient
deficiencies, the United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed
2015 the start of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition.
The 193-member General Assembly adopted a consensus resolution
on Friday, calling on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
and the World Health Organization (WHO) to lead the
implementation of the Decade.

Shoppers in Beijing, China, buying fresh produce. Photo: FAO/Justin

Jin

In a press release welcoming the decision, FAO called the document

a major step towards mobilizing action around reducing hunger and
improving nutrition around the world.

The UN agencies, in addition to working with national governments,

will collaborate with the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and
the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF), and involve coordination mechanisms such as the UN System Standing Committee on
Nutrition (UNSCN) and multi-stakeholder platforms such as the Committee on World Food Security (CFS).
Among other topics to be focused on during the Decade will be assistance to the some 159 million children under the age of
five who are stunted, meaning too short for their age, and the approximate 50 million in that age bracket who are wasted, or
have a low weight for their height.
Meanwhile, around the world, about 1.9 billion people are overweight, of whom 600 million are obese.
"This resolution places nutrition at the heart of sustainable development and recognizes improving food security and
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nutrition are essential to achieving the entire 2030 Agenda," FAO Director-General Jos Graziano da Silva said.
"Children can't fully reap the benefits of schooling if they don't get the nutrients they need; and emerging economies won't
reach their full potential if their workers are chronically tired because their diets are unbalanced. That's why we welcome the
Decade of Action on Nutrition and look forward to helping make it a success," he added.

Disarmament Commission has considerable potential to

produce solid results senior UN official
4 April Despite a deepening paralysis and divisions within
multilateral disarmament bodies, and the fact that many are looking
outside traditional United Nations forums for progress, the top official
on the issue stressed today that the UN Disarmament Commission has
considerable potential to demonstrate that the existing disarmament
machinery can produce results.
Citing well-known disappointments the 2015 NPT Review
Conference, the inability to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-TestBan Treaty into force and the lack of any further negotiations within
the Conference on Disarmament Mr. Kim Won-soo, UN High
Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said the Disarmament
Commission is entering the middle phase of its current cycle at a
time of uncertainty.

High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Kim Won-soo

addresses the opening of the UN Disarmament Commissions 2016
session in New York. UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Yet against this backdrop in recent cycles, the Commission has made important progress toward consensus on its
conventional weapons item. This has come as the international community has made important strides forward on this part
of the disarmament agenda, he told the opening of the Commissions 2016 session in New York.
Highlighting such steps as the first ever legally-binding regulations governing the international arms trade; greater success at
combatting the illicit trade in small arms; dealing with the problems posed by excess and poorly maintained stocks of
ammunition; as well as in agreeing to tackle new challenges like the threat posed by improvised explosive devices, he also
cited continuous progress in the improvement of its confidence-building mechanisms in the field of conventional arms
control.
I hope the continued deliberations by the Commission on its conventional arms item builds upon and consolidates these
gains. The time has come for the Commission to start finally bringing its consideration of this item to a successful
conclusion, stressed Mr. Kim.
At the same time, he noted that on the matter of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, the gap remains wide. Over the
past 11 months, views on the way forward have grown increasingly polarized and entrenched.
Work will resume next month in Geneva on the elaboration of effective legal measures for nuclear disarmament. Even as
that process continues, the Disarmament Commission still maintains a unique and distinct role, especially in light of its
history of consensus-building, he said, encouraging delegations to make use of the Commissions unique nature as a
deliberative and consensus-based body that continues to enjoy universal participation.
Mr. Kim went on the stress that the need for simultaneous progress on multiple questions of disarmament has never been
more apparent. We are faced by the rapid emergence of new trends and technologies that are complicating strategic
relationships and stability. This includes the development of advanced new types of strategic weapons. It also includes a
growing nexus between terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and cyber threats, he explained.
The Disarmament Commission has clear authority to adopt a third agenda item at any point during its cycle, provided there
is consensus. Furthermore, it has a mandate to consider such an item during its present cycle, and he appreciated the efforts
made by the Commissions Chair to explore common ground so that agreement on a third agenda item, possibly addressing
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outer space, can be achieved. Deliberations by the Commission on this issue may help to consolidate and carrying forward
various proposals to ensure space remains free from conflict and unsustainable practices.
Taking up a third agenda item would not detract from the Commissions work on its two existing items. Rather, it would
bring the Commission back to greater productivity, thus restoring its credibility as an essential component of the United
Nations disarmament machinery, said Mr. Kim.
The Commission, whose membership is universal, is a deliberative body mandated to make recommendations in the field of
disarmament and to follow up the decisions and recommendations of the General Assemblys first special session devoted to
disarmament, in 1978. Between 1979 and 1999, the Commission was able to reach consensus at least 16 times to adopt
guidelines or recommendations on disarmament subjects.

UN agency launches school meals programme for Lebanese and

Syrian children
4 April A carton of milk or juice, locally-baked snacks and a piece
of fruit are included in a school lunch that some children in Lebanon
are receiving, as part of a meals programme launched by the United
Nations food relief agency.
Some 10,000 vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian refugee children
received the schools meals in March, the UN World Food Programme
announced, allowing them energy to focus more on their studies.

WFP) launches school meals programme, which supports both

Lebanese and Syrian children attending public primary schools across
Lebanon. Photo: WFP/Dina El Kassaby

By providing children with daily, nutritious meals at school, WFP

can ensure improved nutritional intake for these children as well as
encouraging their parents to send them to school regularly, said WFP
Lebanon Country Director Dominik Heinrich.

He added that education is vital to equip the youth of Lebanon and

Syria with the tools they will need to contribute to a region that is going through such turmoil and difficulty.
Over the past five years, more than one million Syrian refugees have attended Lebanons public schools. In response, more
than 250 public schools have introduced a double shirt system, to allow the enrolment of additional students.
The WFP school meals programme is funded by the Italian Development Cooperation, and is being carried out in close
coordination with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR).
In addition, WFP assists 600,000 Syrian refugees across Lebanon with monthly food vouchers useable at local markets.

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UN sexual misconduct investigation in DR Congo finds

violations and cases of abuse
4 April Findings of a United Nations Response Team tasked with
investigating sexual abuse allegations committed by UN peacekeepers
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) indicate sex with
minors along with paternity claims.
Initial results suggest that there is evidence of transactional sex and
sex with minors. There are also a number of paternity claims, said
the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in a press release on Friday.

UN peacekeepers in Kibati, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo:

MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti

Additionally, the Mission noted that the UN Childrens Fund

(UNICEF) and its partners were providing medical and psycho-social
support to the victims.

Having received allegations on 23 March of sexual exploitation and

abuse by members of the Tanzanian contingent of the Missions Force Intervention Brigade in Mavivi village, near Beni in
the Eastern DRC, MONUSCO immediately dispatched a Response Team led by the Conduct and Discipline Unit to
ascertain the facts.
This information was communicated to the Tanzanian authorities through the Permanent Mission in New York and to the
DRC authorities on the ground.
In line with the Secretary Generals zero tolerance policy and UN Security Council Resolution 2272 (2016), MONUSCO
announced, these allegations are being immediately and thoroughly investigated and if substantiated, prompt action will be
taken, adding that the alleged perpetrators had been ordered to remain in their camp during the investigation.
Further updated information will follow as it becomes available.

As Nagorno-Karabakh violence flares, Ban urges 'immediate

end to fighting'
2 April Deeply disturbed by the recent reports of large-scale
ceasefire violations along the Line of Contact in the NagornoKarabakh conflict zone, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kimoon today urged all relevant parties to put an immediate end to the
fighting and take urgent steps to de-escalate the situation.
A statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson said the UN chief is
particularly concerned by the reported use of heavy weapons and by
the large numbers of casualties, including among the civilian
population.
The Secretary-General urges all relevant parties to put an immediate
end to the fighting, fully respect the ceasefire agreement and take
urgent steps to de-escalate the situation, said the statement.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. UN Photo/Amanda Voisard (file)

Mr. Ban through his statement reiterated his full support for the efforts of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group and all parties working to resolve this dangerous situation and pursue a peaceful negotiated
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settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Nagorno-Karabakh, which was an autonomous region of Azerbaijan in the Soviet Union, has been at the centre of a conflict
between neighbouring Armenia and Azerbaijan since the unrecognized territory declared independence in 1991.

The UN Daily News is prepared at UN Headquarters in New York by the News Services Section
of the News and Media Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)