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UN Daily News
Tuesday, 22 March 2016

Issue DH/7121

In the headlines:
UN strongly condemns terrorist bombings in

Senior UN official warns Burundi's tensions could

UN Women launches media partnership to help

New products and technologies needed to aid small

Zika: 'the more we know the worse things look,'

Witchcraft beliefs trigger attacks against people

'Terrible year' in war-torn Yemen leaves majority of

UN welcomes ICC's first conviction for rape as war

UN refugee agency redefines role in Greece as EU-

Ukraine: UN experts urge accountability for human

World Water Day: UN calls for better water and

Inclusive approach needed to embrace religious

Brussels as 'an attack on us all'

fuel violence throughout Great Lakes region

bring gender equality to newsrooms

farmers, UN agriculture chief says

UN health agency chief reports

country's people in need of aid UN

Turkey deal comes into effect
better jobs

with albinism, UN expert warns

crime

rights violations by foreign fighters

diversity in Denmark UN expert

UN strongly condemns terrorist bombings in Brussels as 'an

attack on us all'
22 March The United Nations has strongly condemned today's
terrorist bombings in Brussels, extending condolences to the victims
and their families while expressing solidarity with the people and
Government of Belgium.

European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Carmen

Cuesta Roca

A statement issued by the members of the Security Council indicated

that more than 30 people were killed and many more injured in the
attacks, for which the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL/Da'esh) has claimed responsibility. The 15-member body
stressed the need to intensify regional and international efforts to
overcome terrorism and violent extremism, while reaffirming that
terrorism constitutes one of the most serious threats to international
peace and security.

Earlier today, a statement issued by Secretary-General Ban Kimoon's spokesperson said the despicable attacks today struck at the heart of Belgium and the centre of the European
Union.
The Secretary-General hopes those responsible will be swiftly brought to justice. He is confident that Belgium's and
Europe's commitment to human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence will continue to be the true and lasting response
to the hatred and violence of which they became a victim today, it added.
Also reacting to the terror attack, the President of the UN General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, said he is horrified.
For information media not an official record

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22 March 2016

We have in the last week seen atrocities in Turkey, Ivory Coast and now in Belgium. It must be condemned in the strongest
terms, Mr. Lykketoft said in a statement.
Acts of terrorism are unjustifiable regardless of their motivation and terrorism in all its forms and manifestations
constitutes on of the most serious threats to international peace and security. Acts of terrorism have no place in the modern
world and only serve to strengthen the resolve of governments the world over to find and prosecute the individuals
responsible, he added.
Meanwhile, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said it is deeply shocked by the tragic attacks
perpetrated today.
This is not an attack on Belgium, it is an attack on us all and sadly these tragic events remind us again that we are facing a
global threat that needs to be addressed globally, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

UN Women launches media partnership to help bring gender

equality to newsrooms
22 March The United Nations entity tasked with promoting gender
equality launched an innovative partnership with leading media
houses today to galvanize attention and concrete action towards
women's rights within the framework of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
The initiative, Step it Up for Gender Equality Media Compact ,
brings together a broad coalition of print, broadcast and online news
media outlets from every region.
By signing up to the Compact, the outlets are committing to a range of
concrete
change actions: championing women's rights and gender
A view of UN studios as Secretary-General ban Ki-moon records
equality
issues
through editorial articles; ensuring inclusion of women
video message. UN Photo/Mark Garten
as sources in stories produced, aiming for gender parity; adopting a
gender-sensitive Code of Conduct on Reporting; and ensuring women
journalists are provided mentors and guidance for career advancement.
Even when reporting is entirely factually accurate, if it is reported predominantly by men, about men, it is actually
misrepresenting the real state of the world, said UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as she launched
the Compact during a side event of the 60th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN New York
Headquarters.
This level of support and leadership from media houses and newsrooms alike is what is needed to ensure that we can
achieve gender equality and women's rights by 2030, she added.
Leading up to the launch event, more than 35 media outlets signed up as founding members of the Compact. The diverse
group of initial members reach millions of readers and viewers in Africa, Arab States, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin
American regions.
At the event, representatives of some founding members, including South African Broadcasting Corporation, Good
Housekeeping and TV Azteca, underlined their commitment to push for gender equality in their news coverage and their
newsrooms.

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22 March 2016

Zika: 'the more we know the worse things look,' UN health

agency chief reports
22 March The head of the United Nations health agency today
reported that in less than a year, the status of Zika has changed from
a mild medical curiosity to a disease with severe public health
implications, warning that the more we know the worse things look.
Updating the press on developments in science regarding the virus,
the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Margaret
Chan, said the knowledge base is building very rapidly, and thanked
all countries and their scientists who have worked to help build up the
evidence base.
Zika circulating on 38 countries and territories
The virus is currently circulating in 38 countries and territories, she
told reporters. On present knowledge, no one can predict whether the
virus will spread to other parts of the world and cause a similar pattern
of fetal malformations and neurological disorders. If this pattern is confirmed beyond Latin America and the Caribbean, the
world will face a severe public health crisis.

A 15-year-old in Recife, Brazil, holds her a four-month old baby born

with microcephaly. Photo: UNICEF/UN011574/Ueslei Marcelino

According to WHO, the world was alerted to the first appearance of Zika in the Western Hemisphere on 7 May 2015, when
Brazil confirmed that a mysterious outbreak of thousands of cases of mild disease with rash was caused by the Zika virus.
In July, the country then reported an increase in cases of Guillain-Barr syndrome (GBS), followed by an unusual increase
in microcephaly among newborns in late October.
The possibility that a mosquito bite could be linked to severe fetal malformations alarmed the public and astonished
scientists, Dr. Chan said. The association with Guillain-Barr syndrome and other severe disorders of the central nervous
system has expanded the risk group well beyond women of child-bearing age. We now know that sexual transmission of the
virus occurs.
She detailed how a pattern has emerged in which initial detection of virus circulation is followed, within about three weeks,
by an unusual increase in cases of GBS. Detection of microcephaly and other fetal malformations comes later, as
pregnancies of infected women come to term.
In the current outbreak, Brazil and Panama have reported microcephaly. Colombia is investigating several cases of
microcephaly for a possible link to Zika. In other countries and territories, the virus has not been circulating long enough for
pregnancies to come to term. A WHO team is currently in Cabo Verde to investigate the country's first reported case of
microcephaly.
To date, 12 countries and territories have now reported an increased incidence of Guillain-Barr syndrome or laboratory
confirmation of Zika infection among GBS cases.
Additional effects on the central nervous system have been documented, notably inflammation of the spinal cord and
inflammation of the brain and its membranes, Dr. Chan further reported.
WHO's response to the outbreak
Since 1 February, WHO has convened seven international meetings and published 15 documents that translate the latest
research into interim practical guidance to support countries as they respond to this outbreak and its neurological
complications.
Over the past two weeks, WHO convened three high-level meetings to look at the science, the convention and new tools for
mosquito control, and what is known about the management of complications, including microcephaly and GBS.

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These meetings help answer pressing scientific questions and gather advice on the best ways to respond to a situation that is
rapidly evolving, Dr. Chan underlined, noting that there is now scientific consensus that Zika virus is implicated in the
neurological disorders.
The kind of urgent action called for by this public health emergency should not wait for definitive proof, she insisted.
Diagnostic test is 'most urgent priority'
In terms of new medical products, the experts agreed that a reliable, point-of-care diagnostic test is the most urgent priority.
At present, WHO says more than 30 companies are working on, or have developed, potential new diagnostic tests. For
vaccines, 23 projects are being worked on by 14 vaccine developers in the United States, France, Brazil, India, and Austria.
WHO estimates that at least some of the projects will move into clinical trials before the end of this year, but several years
may be needed before a fully tested and licensed vaccine is ready for use.
Meanwhile, during a meeting on mosquito control, the experts concluded that well-implemented control programmes using
existing tools and strategies are effective in reducing the transmission of Aedes-borne diseases, including Zika. However,
they also identified a number or challenges in implementing these tools, and none of the five was judged ready for full-scale
implementation.
Finally, the third meeting looked at the management of complications, including fetal malformations and neurological
disorders, and the heavy burden this places on health systems.

'Terrible year' in war-torn Yemen leaves majority of country's

people in need of aid UN
22 March One year on into the conflict in Yemen, tens of thousands
of Yemenis have been killed or injured, one in 10 are displaced and
nearly the entire population is in urgent need of aid, the top United
Nations humanitarian official in the country said.
It has been a terrible year for Yemen, during which a war peppered
with airstrikes, shelling and violence had raged on in the already very
impoverished country, Jamie McGoldrick, Humanitarian Coordinator
in Yemen told journalists in Geneva.
Shelling of ports and airports, resulting in blockades and congestion,
is one of the drivers of the humanitarian crisis, Mr. McGoldrick said,
noting that health workers cannot reach patients and some 90 per cent
of the food has to be imported.

Yemens capital, Sana'a, in July 2015. Photo: OCHA/ Charlotte Cans

The country had had extremely high levels of poverty before the war, and currently, the war has escalated, in an already
fragile environment, said the aid official.
Some 6,400 people have been killed in the past year, half of them civilians, and more than 30,000 are injured, with 2.5
million people displaced, according to figures from the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
In addition, more than 20 million people, or 80 per cent of the population, require some form of aid about 14 million
people in need of food and even more in need of water or sanitation.
The UN has appealed for $1.8 billion for food, water, health care and shelter and protection issues, but only 12 per cent has
been funded so far.

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Also speaking in Geneva, Bettina Luescher for the World Food Programme (WFP) said that shortages forced the agency to
cut rations to 75 per cent of a full ratio so that enough people could eat. She also highlighted the problems with movement
and inability of workers to safely reach all the areas in need.
Yemen should not be forgotten, with all the attention focused on the Syria crisis, she said.
UN action on the ground
The UN human rights chief last week condemned the repeated failure of the Coalition to effectively prevent civilian
coalition airstrikes after two deadly strikes just weeks apart killed nearly 150 people, including children.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said incidents that have hit markets, hospitals, clinics,
schools and other civilian structures occur with unacceptable regularity.
The National Oncology Centre in Sana'a announced that it was on the brink of shutting down, with more than 100 other
hospitals, blood banks and other health facilities impacted by the violence.
There is now a localized ceasefire along the Yemeni border with Saudi Arabia, but the airstrikes continue.
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq in New York today said that UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who
leads the political process, has been meeting with the parties to the conflict, but no date has yet been announced for direct
talks.
In the meantime, the UN is also preparing for longer-term reconstruction and providing some urgently needed jobs.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is focusing on mine clearance, public service restoration and emergency
employment, spokesperson Sarah Bel said. One of the public services being restored is waste collection, part of the cash-forwork schemes under UNDP's umbrella.

UN refugee agency redefines role in Greece as EU-Turkey deal

comes into effect
22 March The United Nations refugee agency has announced that it
is not a party to the new provisions agreed between the European
Union (EU) and Turkey to stem the large-scale flow of refugees and
migrants into Greece and Europe, and that it will align its work to
cope with the deal.

In March 2016, despite border restrictions in the Balkans, the influx

of refugees and migrants to Idomeni, Greece, has continued. Photo:
UNICEF/UN012804/Georgiev

Till now, the Office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR) has been supporting the authorities in the so-called
hotspots on the Greek islands, where refugees and migrants were
received, assisted, and registered. Under the EU-Turkey deal, which
came into effect this past Sunday, these sites have now become
detention facilities, and all new irregular migrants crossing from
Turkey into Greek islands will be returned to Turkey.

UNHCR has a policy on opposing mandatory detention. Accordingly,

it has suspended some of activities at all closed centres on the islands,
including provision of transport to and from these sites.
UNHCR is not a party to the EU-Turkey deal, nor will we be involved in returns or detention, the agency said in a press
release. We will continue to assist the Greek authorities to develop an adequate reception capacity.

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UNHCR's new role in Greece

Going forward, UNHCR will focus on protection monitoring to ensure that refugee and human rights standards are upheld,
and provide information on the rights and procedures to seek asylum.
UNHCR staff are identifying people with specific needs and will continue to be present at the shoreline and sea port to
provide life-saving assistance, including transport to hospitals where needed. They are counselling new arrivals on asylum in
Greece, including on family reunification and on access to services.
UNHCR expressed concern that the EU-Turkey deal is being implemented before the required safeguards are in place in
Greece, noting that Greece does not have sufficient capacity on the islands for assessing asylum claims, nor the proper
conditions to accommodate people decently and safely pending an examination of their cases.
The Greek authorities have already separated an estimated 8,000 refugees and migrants who had arrived on the islands
before 20 March from people arriving after that date and therefore will be subject to the new return policy.
Uncertainty is making the new arrivals nervous, the agency said. Many still hope that the border will open. Many have run
out of money.
There is also an urgent need for information. The Greek police have been distributing leaflets in Arabic and Persian
informing people that the border is closed and advising them to go to camps where better conditions are provided. But the
capacity of nearby camps has been reached, and more camps need to be opened including for candidates for relocation.

World Water Day: UN calls for better water and better jobs
22 March With nearly half of the worlds workers employed in
water-related sectors, sustainable access to safe water can change
lives and livelihoods, the United Nations today said, underscoring the
link between water and jobs, this years theme for World Water Day.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that despite its paramount
importance, water as a sector does not generally receive the attention
it deserves.
Water is central to human survival, the environment and the
economy, the Secretary-General said on the Day, an opportunity for
everyone to learn more about water related issues, be inspired to tell
others and take action to make a difference.

A Somali woman in Garowe drawing water from one of the many

man-made ponds dug through a UNDP-supported initiative to bring
water to drought-affected communities. Photo: UNDP Somalia

Mr. Ban pointed out in his message that people with the least access
to water and sanitation often also lack access to health care and stable jobs, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
The basic provision of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene services at home, at school and in the workplace enables a
robust economy by contributing to a healthy and productive population and workforce, he said, expressing concern in gaps
in accessing water and sanitation between men and women, cities and countryside, and the rich and the poor.
He called for bold action to address water inequality, as parts of effort to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development whose Goal 6 aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
The importance of water in the job sector is marked with an official World Water Day event at the UN International Labour
Organization (ILO) in Geneva, convened on behalf of the UN inter-agency mechanism on all freshwater-related issues, UNWater.

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In his video message, Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General and Chair of UN-Water, calls for better water and better jobs. He
highlighted the situation of some 1.5 billion people who work in water-related sectors, many of whom are not recognized for
the work they do, nor protected by basic labour rights.
Guy Ryder highlights the situation of the 1.5 billion people who work in water, many of whom are not recognized for the
work they do, or protected by basic labour rights. Credit: ILO
As an example, he spoke about a woman from The Gambia who would spend much of her day fetching water, when she
could have been working in the formal sector, had that water delivery been provided.
Water is work, Mr. Ryder said. It requires workers for its safe and clean delivery, and at the same time, it can create and
improve conditions of work.
As part of the celebration, the UN today is launching the UN World Water Development Report, focused on the
advancement of the prospect of decent work for all.
Among its findings, the report estimated that some 2 billion people require access to improved sanitation, particularly
women and girls.
Meeting the challenge of creating and preserving decent jobs in the face of climate change and water scarcity will require far
greater investments in science, technology and innovation, said Irina Bokova, the head the UN agency that leads water
sciences and educationthe UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In her message for the Day, Ms. Bokova called for Governments, civil society and the private sector to work together to
promote high-quality jobs, while preserving the environment and ensuring sustainable water management will help to
eradicate poverty, promote growth and craft a future of decent work for all.
To mark the Day, UNICEF kicked off its #ClimateChain Instagram campaign, highlighting the link between water, climate
change and the environment. The campaign will run until 22 April, when the Paris Agreement will open for signature.

Senior UN official warns Burundi's tensions could fuel violence

throughout Great Lakes region
22 March A climate for inclusive dialogue is urgently required to
eradicate the polarization and fragmentation of Burundian society,
resulting from the increasing poverty and ongoing political crisis, a
senior United Nations human rights official today urged.
The situation in Burundi is of great concern, Assistant SecretaryGeneral for Human Rights, Ivan imonovi, told the Human Rights
Council in its interactive dialogue on Burundi. He warned the human
rights violations occurring in Burundi could affect not only the future
of the country's population, but also the wider Great Lakes region.

People demonstrate in Bujumbura against a decision by Burundis

ruling party to nominate President Pierre Nkurunziza to run for a
third term (April 2015). Photo: Desire Nimubona/IRIN

Continued political tensions in the country threaten to escalate into a

spiral of violence. The humanitarian, economic and social toll on the
population is equally worrisome, he added.

Mr. imonovi noted that since the crisis began in April 2015, at least
474 people have been killed, and there are 36 cases of alleged enforced disappearances.
In addition, at least some 5,000 people have been detained of whom at least 1,834 remain in detention, some reportedly
tortured and ill-treated.
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The UN official noted some effort by the Government to re-establish the rule of law, with 41 out of 125 political detainees
suggested for release being provisionally freed last week.
I strongly urge the Government to release all others included in our list, as well as all others detained for political reasons
only, Mr. imonovi underscored.
He noted also the need to ensure freedom of expression, and to allow media, civil society and opposition to operate freely.
There must be an end to disappearances, arbitrary arrests, extra-judicial killings and torture, and clear and public moves to
hold to account perpetrators including agents of the State and members of armed groups, said Mr. imonovi.
He singled out in particular the case of Marie Claudette Kwizera, and accountant of the NGO, Ligue Iteka, who was
reportedly taken away on 10 December 2015 by unidentified perpetrators, and whose whereabouts continue to be unknown.
Earlier this month, a team of independent experts completed its first mission to Burundi, mandated by the Council to probe
potential human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and sexual and gender-based violence
against civilians.
In today's briefing, Mr. imonovi urged Burundi's Government to authorize and similarly cooperate with support staff who
the UN seeks to deploy to Burundi from April through July, to conduct in-depth investigation and report to the Council.
He noted also the importance of economic and social rights of the Burundian population, in addition to protecting civil and
political rights.
Also today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Alain Aim Nyamitwe, Minister of External Relations and
International Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi.
According to a note from his Spokesperson on the meeting, Mr. Ban encouraged the Government to redouble its efforts to
find a political solution to the current crisis through an inclusive dialogue, to protect all civilians and ensure that perpetrators
of human rights violations are held to account.

New products and technologies needed to aid small farmers, UN

agriculture chief says
22 March The head of the United Nations agricultural agency today
called for great use of agroecology, biotechnology and other creative
tools to eradicate hunger, fight malnutrition and achieve sustainable
agriculture.
Speaking at the Forum for the Future of Agriculture in Brussels, Jos
Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) stressed the need for collaboration beyond
traditional silos, particularly to aid family farmers.

Photo: FAO/Alessia Pierdomenico

It is essential to invest and create new products, technologies,

processes and friendlier business models to support them, improve
their resilience and enable them to produce more in a sustainable
way, the Director-General said.

New and innovative ways of working together is also important if the international community is to meet the goals laid out
in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which aims to eliminate hunger and poverty, among the 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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To do this, Mr. Graziano da Silva said, countries need to embrace modes of governance beyond sector-specific ministries,
such as agriculture, health and education, to find innovative solutions for complex development problems.
For example, nearly 80 per cent of extremely poor and undernourished people live in rural areas, most of them family
farmers who do not grow enough food to escape hunger or poverty, according to UN figures.
At the same time, family farmers are produce the largest proportion of the food consumed worldwide.
In this sense, it is essential to invest and create new products, technologies, processes and friendlier business models to
support them, improve their resilience and enable them to produce more in a sustainable way, he said.
Mr. Graziano da Silva also noted the impact of climate change on people's lives and livelihoods, stressing that the rural poor
is often the most exposed to the elements and least equipped to deal with them.
The senior UN official also spoke about the need to strengthen food value chains from the farm to consumers' tables,
noting also the importance of empowering consumers to make better dietary decisions through improved labelling and
accurate advertising.

Witchcraft beliefs trigger attacks against people with albinism,

UN expert warns
22 March People with albinism are being hunted for witchcraft
rituals, their body parts hacked off with machetes, and even having
their graves desecrated, a United Nations expert warned today in her
first report to the UN Human Rights Council.
Dangerous myths feed these attacks on innocent people: many
erroneously believe people with albinism are not human beings, but
are ghosts or subhuman and cannot die but only disappear, said
Ikponwosa Ero, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human
rights by persons with albinism. Tragically many believe the
condition is a curse.
Independent Expert on Albinism Ikponwosa Ero. Photo:
OHCHR/Christine Wambaa

Since Ms. Ero assumed her duties eight months ago, there have been
reports of 40 attacks across seven countries. She says that represents
just a fraction of the total as most are secretive rituals in rural areas
that are never reported; some even involve the victims own family members being complicit.

Albinism a condition caused by lack of melanin in the skin, hair and eyes is a non-contagious, genetically inherited
condition affecting people worldwide. In some areas it can affect as many as 1 in 70 people, although in general 1 in 5000 to
1 in 20,000 are affected. It requires both parents to carry the gene.
According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), a lucrative and macabre market has
emerged in the body parts of people with albinism being traded for use in witchcraft rituals, potions or amulets, with
reported prices ranging from $2,000 for a limb to $75,000 for a complete set or corpse.
There are reports of victims being dismembered while still alive their fingers, arms, legs, eyes, genitals, skin, bones, head
and hair hacked off. Many involved in these crimes believe that the body parts being used for potions will be more effective
the more the victim screams.
Identifying root causes of attacks
In her report, the Independent Expert presented a plan to spearhead the identification of root causes of attacks. This will
include careful understanding, definition and delineation of witchcraft practice, the form it takes and the effects it has on
persons with albinism, she stated.
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Effective measures to end attacks will include plans to fast track immediate investigation of allegations and prosecution of
alleged perpetrators; appropriate legal, social, psychological and medical remedy and redress for victims; actions to prevent
trafficking in body parts, as well as measures for the safe re-integration of displaced persons with albinism, she added.
Ms. Ero further noted in her report that while discrimination based on skin colour is an everyday reality for most persons
with albinism, discourse on discrimination based on colour has rarely been applied to albinism, explaining that it has
tended to focus on race or ethnicity.
There is potential to address albinism under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination because the governing concept is racial discrimination which may be based on any of five grounds: race,
colour, descent, national origin and ethnic origin, she underscored.
Children also make up a large proportion of the victims, not least because of another traditional belief that the more innocent
a victim is the more potent his or her body parts will be for the potion.
Violations are met with passivity and indifference
Meanwhile, OHCHR underlined that thousands of people with albinism are being subjected to stigma and discrimination
around the world and the violations are met with passivity and indifference. This ranges from bullying at school to more
extreme manifestations such as infanticide, physical threats and attacks.
Women with albinism are reportedly the victims of targeted sexual assaults because of a myth that sex with them can cure
HIV/AIDS. Mothers are ostracized or discriminated against if they give birth to a child with albinism because its seen as
the result of a curse, a bad omen or of infidelity.
There are also serious health implications of albinism, in particular the vulnerability to skin cancer. Some reports from
Africa suggest most people with albinism die between the ages of 30 and 40 years. In many cases the risks could be reduced
with greater understanding; OHCHR reports that it is not uncommon for parents to put a newborn with albinism out in the
sun for hours or for adults with albinism to spend their days in the sun without using sun protection cream or protective
clothing.

UN welcomes ICC's first conviction for rape as war crime

22 March Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the
judgement issued by the International Criminal Court in the case of
former Congolese vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba.
The judgment of the Court reaffirms that impunity will not be
tolerated and sends a strong signal that commanders will be held
responsible for international crimes committed by those under their
authority, the Secretary-General said in a statement.

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

Mr. Bemba had been the commander-in-chief of the former Congolese

rebel group, the Movement for the Liberation of Congo, as well as a
vice president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the
2003-2006 transition.

In a ruling issued yesterday, the ICC found him guilty on five charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including
rape, murder and pillage, committed in 2002-2003 in neighbouring Central African Republic. More than 5,000 victims were
granted the right to participate in the proceedings.
The case was the first before the ICC to focus on sexual violence as a weapon of war, as well as on a senior military official
whose forces carried out the atrocities even if he had not directly ordered them to do so.

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In his statement, Mr. Ban called the judgement a significant step towards bringing justice to the victims of these horrendous
crimes in the Central African Republic.
He also highlighted the critical need to eradicate sexual- and gender-based violence by addressing their widespread and
systematic use as a weapon of war.
Mr. Ban's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, today said that the conviction of
Mr. Bemba sends a message to all that irrespective of your position in society, you will face the wrath of law.
Her office has been working with the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central Africa
Republic, among other countries, to eliminate the scourge of sexual violence in conflict.
The head of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, also welcomed the landmark conviction as a clear message that the
international community will hold accountable those who fail to exercise their responsibilities as commanders to prevent and
punish the use of sexual and gender-based crimes as weapons of war.
In a statement yesterday, the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, said that he hoped this
judgement will act as a powerful deterrent against future serious human rights violations and abuses not just in CAR, but
everywhere they are committed.
He added that it should also help make perpetrators understand that many victims and their supporters will never abandon
their search for justice and accountability.

Ukraine: UN experts urge accountability for human rights

violations by foreign fighters
22 March Today in Geneva, the United Nations Working Group on
mercenaries called on the Government of Ukraine to ensure
accountability for human rights violations committed by foreign
armed actors during the conflict that has plagued the country since
2014.
What is particularly concerning is that with the diverse array of
foreign armed actors who joined the conflict, reports on human rights
violations by these individuals have not been properly investigated or
brought to justice, said Patricia Arias, who formed the Group with
co-human rights expert Saeed Mokbil.
Men from the village of Nikishine in Donetsk, Ukraine are covering
the roof with UNHCR plastic sheet delivered by Czech NGO People in
Need. Photo: Iva Zimova, People in Need

The Group's delegation expressed deep concern about allegations of

mercenaries joining all sides to the conflict, which they stressed was
clearly prohibited under international law.

To date, foreign fighters have been prosecuted for various crimes including terrorist-related offences, but no prosecutions
have been in relation to the human rights violations that took place, Ms. Arias said.
At the end of an official five-day visit to the country, the experts revealed that human rights violations had reportedly been
committed at the hands of not only mercenaries, but also other foreign fighters, ranging from volunteers to paid service men
and women, and independent militia members to professional military.
The Ukraine authorities informed the expert group that at least 176 identified foreigners were serving in armed groups of the
self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, which reportedly include large numbers from Russia, Serbia,
Belarus, France and Italy, among others. Women were also among the combatants, though in a significantly smaller extent.

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22 March 2016

Although we received much information pointing to several levels of foreigner engagement in the armed conflict in
Ukraine, the lack of coherent information on payments and the motivations of fighters make it difficult for us to ascertain
which fighters are mercenaries, noted Mr. Mokbil.
In 2015, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted legal amendments permitting the inclusion of foreigners and stateless persons to
serve in its regular armed forces and its National Guard, including those who fought in the volunteer battalions during the
conflict.
However, impunity for human rights violations remains largely unquestioned, paving the way for a murky zone with
negligible accountability, Mr. Mokbil said. We urge the Government of Ukraine to ensure accountability for violations
that have been instigated by all parties to the conflict, to ensure justice for victims.
Working Group's Recommendations
The Working Group reiterated the need to draw up a strategy on foreign engagement in the conflict, within the framework
of the Minsk Protocol the 2014 agreement to halt armed hostilities in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of
Ukraine.
Highlighting provision 10, which obliges all sides of the conflict to withdraw illegal armed formations, military equipment
and mercenaries, the experts also requested its full implementation by the Government.
They further urged all parties to the conflict to fulfil their obligations under international human rights law and ensure
respect for all civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights with respect to the activities of foreigners in armed
groups.
According to the press release, the 2014 Maidan protests in Kyiv and the 16 March 2014 referendum in the Autonomous
Republic of Crimea determined by the UN General Assembly on the territorial integrity of Ukraine were followed by the
outbreak of armed hostilities in eastern Ukraine that brought an influx of fighters from abroad, significantly influencing
human rights in the country.
From 14 to 18 March, the delegation met Government authorities, parliamentarians, judicial officials, civil society
organizations and members of the diplomatic corps along with representatives of the self-proclaimed 'Donetsk people's
republic.'
The lack of concrete information on the profile of foreign armed actors was a challenge for the fact-finding visit. While the
expert group did not discover any particular data on private military companies currently prohibited by Ukrainian law it
called for this sector to be regulated to prevent potential human rights violations.
The UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries will present its visit report to the UN Human Rights Council in
September 2016.

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22 March 2016

Inclusive approach needed to embrace religious diversity in

Denmark UN expert
22 March While appraising Denmark as a liberal country that
values and respects freedom and religion, an independent United
Nations human rights expert today also addressed challenges Danish
society faces, especially towards an open, inclusive identity and
religious diversity.
It is the responsibility of the Government to take the lead in
developing a more inclusive understanding of Danish identity,
Heiner Bielefeldt, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion
or belief, stressed at the end of his nine-day official visit to the
country.
I value that Denmark, which has quickly evolved from religious
homogeneity to a diverse society, respects everyone's right to freely
practice their religion, both in private and in public, the human rights
expert said.

Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Heiner Bielefeldt.

UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras

He also acknowledged efforts to promote dialogue among religious and non-religious groups. The Established Church of
Denmark, usually called Folkekirke, in particular, has contributed to shaping an inclusive society in the country.
However, in order to reinforce Denmark's liberal approach to freedom of religion or belief, Mr. Bielefeldt underscored the
importance of preventing feelings of stigmatization and exclusion among religious minorities.
He noted widespread trends towards associating Muslims with extremism and terrorism. Some voices suggest that
Danishness and Islam mutually exclude each other, he stressed. While adding that the Jewish Community, which
traditionally feels very much at home in Denmark, sees itself exposed to hostility concerning religiously motivated
circumcision of boys.
Therefore, working for more mutual understanding between different religious and non-religious (secular) groups and
currents in the society should be one of the top priorities, said Mr. Bielefeldt.
He further urged institutional reforms within the Folkekirke and its procedure of acknowledging religious communities.
Another action suggested by the human rights expert is to maintain a broad understanding of freedom of religion or belief in
line with European and international standards.
Obviously, it is a long-term task, which involves issues like school education, interreligious dialogue and other forms of
inter-group communication, anti-discrimination policies and integration programmes, said Mr. Bielefeldt.
Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a
country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they
paid for their work.

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)