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UN Daily News
Thursday, 28 April 2016

Issue DH/7147

In the headlines:
Security Council approves final extension for UN

PODCAST: Hunting a war criminal from the former

mission in Cte dIvoire, citing countrys

remarkable progress

Yugoslavia

Syria: human toll and suffering are 'sickening, UN

relief chief tells Security Council

South Sudan: UN strongly condemns attack against

mission compound in Bentiu

Workplace stress a collective challenge as worklife boundaries become blurred UN

Digital cards improve food assistance to displaced

families and Syrian refugees in Iraq UN agency

In address to Austrian Parliament, Ban urges

Girls in ICT Day highlights need to promote

cooperative approach to EU asylum policies

technology careers for women UN

Secretary-General appoints 12 new members to UN

With Syrian truce barely alive, UN envoy urges

University Council

Russia and United States to help revitalize talks

Security Council meets on Ukraine with sense of

Boosting productivity key to economic growth in

Asia-Pacific UN

urgency and hope

Security Council approves final extension for UN mission in

Cte dIvoire, citing countrys remarkable progress
28 April The United Nations Security Council today renewed the
mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Cte dIvoire for a final
period, extending it until the end of June next year, and also decided
to terminate all arms, travel and financial sanctions against the
country, with immediate effect.

Members of Cte dIvoires delegation pose for a group photo in the

Security Council Chamber, where the mandate of the UN
peacekeeping mission in that country (UNOCI) was renewed for a
final period until 30 June 2017. UN Photo/Manuel Elias

Welcoming Cte dIvoires progress in relation to disarmament,

demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform, national
reconciliation and the fight against impunity, the Security Council
unanimously adopted resolution 2284 (2016) deciding that, until 30
April 2017, the mission would be mandated to support efforts by the
Ivorian security forces to protect civilians, and by the Government of
Cte dIvoire to consolidate peace and stability in the country while
addressing border security challenges.

The 15-member Council also unanimously adopted resolution 2283

(2016), deciding to terminate all arms, travel and financial sanctions against the country, with immediate effect, and to
dissolve the Committee established by resolution 1572 (2004) to oversee those measures, and the Group of Experts
established under resolution 1584 (2005) to assist that body.
The Council also endorsed the Secretary-Generals withdrawal plan for the UN Operation in Cte dIvoire (UNOCI), taking

For information media not an official record

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into account the security conditions on the ground following the successful conclusion of the presidential election held on 25
October 2015.
For his part, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the adoption of the resolutions, reiterating the UNs continued
commitment to Cte dIvoire.
The Secretary-General welcomes the determination of the people and the Government of Cte dIvoire in overcoming the
political and security crises that led to the deployment of UNOCI in April 2004, Mr. Ban said in a statement attributable
to his spokesperson.
It is the continued positive evolution of the situation in Cte dIvoire, including the successful conclusion of the
presidential elections last year, which has enabled the United Nations to enter the final stage of peacekeeping in the
country, the UN chief said.
The Secretary-General recognized the important role played by partners throughout the Ivorian crises, in particular the
African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the troop and police contributing countries
and the UN country team, which he said facilitated the achievements made by UNOCI.
The Secretary-General underscores the importance of the continued engagement of all partners during the transformation of
the United Nations engagement in Cte dIvoire over the course of the next year, in particular through the United Nations
Country Team, and following the closure of UNOCI, the statement said.
Concerning UNOCIs mandate, the Council authorized the mission to use all necessary means in carrying out its mandate,
and requested that the Secretary-General complete the withdrawal of all its uniformed and civilian components by 30 April
2017.
Regarding force structure, the Council decided to decrease UNOCIs military and police units, with a view to completing
their withdrawal. It also decided to extend, until 30 June 2017, the authorization of the French forces to support UNOCI
within the limits of their deployment and capabilities.
In resolution 2284 (2016), the Security Council welcomed the enhanced ongoing political dialogue among all political
parties, further welcoming the important gestures made to this end by the Government of Cte dIvoire and the receptive
spirit with which they have been received, and encouraging all political stakeholders to continue in this regard throughout
the 2016 legislative election period and beyond.
In particular, the Council emphasized the crucial progress made by the people and Government of Cte dIvoire toward
achieving national reconciliation and social cohesion, and noted the importance of the work achieved by the Commission
dialogue, vrit et reconciliation (CDVR) as well as that being undertaken by the Commission nationale pour la
reconciliation et lindemnisation des victimes (CONARIV).
Earlier in April, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herv Ladsous said that with Cte d'Ivoire now
firmly anchored on the path of peace, stability and economic recovery, it was perhaps time to consider wrapping up the UN
mission and begin to consider the Organizations future role in supporting and consolidating the countrys gains.
In particular, Mr. Ladsous welcomed the Governments ongoing reforms to the expansion of the political space and
strengthening of unity and national cohesion, adding that discussions were under way for the holding of a constitutional
referendum planned by the end of the year, and the adoption of a new Constitution that would better reflect developments in
Cte d'Ivoire over the past decade.

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Syria: human toll and suffering are 'sickening, UN relief chief

tells Security Council
28 April With hundreds of thousands of civilians killed, millions of
people displaced and countless families torn apart, the UN relief chief
today described the human toll and suffering in Syria as sickening,
and said the global community should be ashamed that this is
happening on its watch.
It does not require me to say to each and every member of the
Security Council, that the impact of five long years of conflict in Syria
defies understanding, let alone its description, Stephen OBrien, the
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and
Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the 15-member body during a
monthly humanitarian update.
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency
Relief Coordinator, Stephen OBrien (on screen), briefs the Security
Council via video teleconference from Vienna on the humanitarian
situation in Syria. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Mr. OBriens update came as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

condemned yesterdays aerial strikes against Al Quds hospital in
Aleppo. According to a statement issued by his spokesperson, civil
society groups report at least 20 people were killed as a result of the attack, including three children and the area's last
paediatrician. Mr. expressed his deep condolences to the bereaved families.

The Secretary-General also reiterates his condemnation of recent indiscriminate shelling by Government forces and
opposition groups, as well as terrorist tactics by extremists. Attacks that target civilians are inexcusable violations of
international human rights and humanitarian law. There must be accountability for these crimes, the statement underscored.
Calling on the warring sides in Syria to immediately renew their commitment to the cessation of hostilities, the UN chief in
his statement encouraged the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), in particular its two co-chairs, Russia and the
United States, to exert pressure on all concerned to stop the fighting and to ensure credible investigations of incidents such
as the attack on Al Quds hospital.
Life is miserable in Syria
In his briefing to the Council, Mr. OBrien, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator said that for many who are
merely surviving, life is miserable.
Deliberately deprived of food and medicine, many face the most appalling conditions of desolation, hunger and starvation.
We must all be ashamed that this is happening on our watch, he lamented.
Mr. OBrien noted that the recent cessation of hostilities has provided a much needed moment of respite for some of those
who are suffering in this terrible conflict. But the recent developments on the ground show a substantial and worrisome
deterioration, not least with increase of violence reported in Aleppo, Homs, Idlib, Lattakia and rural Damascus.
Just this morning Syrian Government forces are reported to have restarted using aerial bombardment in Dar'a Governorate
for the first time since the start of the cessation of hostilities, the UN official noted.
It is the duty of the Security Council to ensure that every possible avenue is explored to end the violence. I reiterate the call
for sustained, safe, unconditional and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance. The parties to the conflict, the Security
Council, and the co-chairs of the ISSG [International Syria Support Group] must exert every effort to revive the cessation of
hostilities, Mr. OBrien stressed, echoing the Secretary-General on the need for the Group comprised of the United
Nations, the Arab League, the European Union and 18 countries and which has been seeking a path forward for several

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months.
You must not squander the opportunity presented by talks in Geneva and by the cessation in hostilities to put an end to the
massive human suffering in Syria. The world and the people of Syria need this. They need your action, he added.
Despite enormous challenges, lifesaving assistance reaching millions
Despite the enormous challenge such as the increased targeting of hospital and health facilities UN personnel on the
ground and humanitarian partners have continued to deliver lifesaving assistance and support to millions of people across
the country.
According to the UN relief chief, the World Food Programme (WFP) has reached 3.7 million people with food aid in March.
The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the Wold Health Organization (WHO) held a nation-wide polio campaign in March
reaching over 2.1 million children. This week, UNICEF, WHO and partners began another immunization campaign to reach
two million children in besieged, hard-to-reach and under-served areas.
In addition, he told the Security Council that humanitarian cross-border convoys this year are reaching nearly twice as many
people compared to the same period last year, with convoys having provided food aid to over one million people this March
alone. Relief also continues to reach civilians through cross-line inter-agency operations, with 21 convoys deployed in
March, and 24 operations having proceeded already in April.
According to estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) which Mr. OBrien leads
since January, assistance has been provided to 778,175 people in need in besieged, hard-to-reach and other priority crosslines locations.
Meanwhile, since 10 April, WFP has led and carried out 14 high altitude airdrops to those cut off by the Islamic State in Iraq
and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) in Deir ez-Zor city, meeting the immediate needs of some 100,000 people. The Syrian Arab
Red Crescent (SARC) is now distributing the assistance on the ground. While airdrops are used only as a last resort, with the
support of many Member States, WFP is able to continue the operation to send food as well as other humanitarian supplies,
such as medicine, nutrition, water and sanitation supplies.
However, Mr. OBrien said he remains particularly concerned about reaching areas where complete access has been
regularly denied. The UN has submitted the inter-agency convoy request for May to reach 35 towns in critical need. I call
on access to be granted without delay, including to Darayya and Douma. As has been reported many times, these areas are in
desperate need of humanitarian aid, he underlined.
Parties to the conflict ignoring international humanitarian law
International humanitarian law is very clear on medical treatment. The sick and wounded must be given the medical care
required by their condition. Medical personnel must be protected in all circumstances. And attacks against medical facilities
are prohibited, Mr. OBrien stated.
Despite these rules, he informed the Council that the withholding of medical treatment continues to be used as a weapon of
war in Syria; OCHA is still receiving reports of parties to the conflict ignoring these basic tenets of international
humanitarian law, including the removal of medicine and medical supplies from aid convoys.
This week, on the convoy to Rastan, the Syrian authorities removed medicines from supplies, and scissors and anaesthetic
medicines from midwifery kits. This inhumane practice directly leads to unnecessary suffering and loss of life. We must
continue to press the Syrian Government to allow the delivery of medical supplies. This is not idle [talk] it can be proved
and be in no doubt it will be when one day there is no more fighting and those responsible are held to account and they
will be. There can never be impunity for this behaviour, Mr. OBrien said.
Concluding his remarks, he said the people of Syria cannot afford to see the situation move backwards again: If the
international community fails to maintain political momentum, with a sustained cessation of hostilities, and without full
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humanitarian access, the situation can and will only spiral further out of control. The international community simply must
not let the chance we have today slip away. Frankly, I am not sure just how many more days or weeks or months the longsuffering people of Syria can endure this protracted humanitarian catastrophe.

South Sudan: UN strongly condemns attack against mission

compound in Bentiu
28 April The United Nations has strongly condemned an attack that
took place on 25 April against the compound of the UN Mission in
South Sudan (UNMISS) in Bentiu, where a rocket-propelled grenade
landed inside the perimeter of the compound and partly damaged one
of the containers located in the humanitarian hub.
Initial investigations indicate that the projectile, along with earlier
small arms fire, was directly targeted at the UNMISS compound, the
Mission said.

The Protection of Civilians (POC) site near Bentiu, in Unity State,

South Sudan. UN Photo/JC McIlwaine

The location of the UNMISS compound is well known and there were
no known armed forces in the vicinity of the base at the time of the
attack.

The UN takes this opportunity to remind all South Sudanese actors

of the sanctity of UN staff, equipment and installations, including the Protection of Civilians sites and their residents,
UNMISS said.
Earlier this week, UN Under-Secret
ary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herv Ladsous, in a briefing to the Security Council, noted that the Government
of South Sudan continued to impose restrictions on the movement UNMISS and humanitarian workers, stressing the need
for unimpeded movement by the Mission and humanitarian partners in order to address the worsening humanitarian and
human rights situation in the country.

Girls in ICT Day highlights need to promote technology careers

for women UN
28 April On Girls in ICT Day marked annually on the fourth
Thursday in April the United Nations International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) is highlighting the need to promote
technology career opportunities for girls and women in the worlds
fastest growing sector.

Girls in ICT Day, marked annually on the fourth Thursday in April,

is an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in
an effort to raise awareness on empowering and encouraging girls and
young women to consider studies and careers in Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs). Photo: ITU/R. Farrell

ITU estimates a skills shortfall of over two million jobs in the

information and communication technology (ICT) sector within the
next five years. Girls and young women who learn coding, apps
development and computer science will not only be well-placed for a
successful career in the ICT sector, but ICT skills are rapidly
becoming a strong advantage for students in just about any other field
they might choose to pursue.

Girls in ICT Day reminds us that ICTs help to improve the lives of
people everywhere through better health care, better environmental
management, better communications, and better educational systems
that transform the way children and adults learn, said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao, in a press release.
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ICT professionals work on some of the most exciting projects imaginable. [] Girls with ICT skills can expect to earn
good salaries and enjoy plenty of career opportunities, he added.
According to the agency, the Day serves to inspire both government and the private sector to find ways to equip girls and
young women with the skills they need to become ICT professionals.
Empowering girls to choose a career in ICTs is not just good for girls and their families, it can be a major accelerator of
socio-economic development at the national level, said Brahima Sanou, Director of ITUs Telecommunication
Development Bureau, which leads the global Girls in ICT Day campaign.
By 2015, annual Girls in ICT Day events had reached an estimated 177,000 girls around the world through over 5,300
events in more than 150 countries; ITU is expecting these numbers to increase in the 2016 celebration, with events
organized by ITU Member States, ITU Sector Members including Cisco, Ericsson, GSMA, Microsoft and Oracle, as well as
universities worldwide.
The agency is also highlighting the stories of women role models, such as Chali Tumelo, ITU Representative for Southern
Africa, who says she is inspired by the challenges of the evolving industry.

With Syrian truce barely alive, UN envoy urges Russia and

United States to help revitalize talks
28 April The United Nations envoy mediating a resolution to the
crisis in Syria warned that the latest round of talks was overshadowed
by a substantial deterioration of the cessation of hostilities, and called
on the leaders of the Russian Federation and United States to help
salvage the barely alive pact.
What we need to do and to hear is that the cessation of hostilities is
salvaged and [] is saved from a total collapse, Staffan de Mistura,
UN Special Envoy for Syria, told reporters following a briefing to the
Security Council yesterday.
Its still there. Its still there because in many areas, its still there.
But its in great danger. Its still alive, but barely. And the perception
is that it could collapse at any time.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura speaks at a press

conference at the Intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, Switzerland. UN
Photo/Elma Okic

The Special Envoy said that the previous round of intra-Syrian talks had received a boost and support linked to the
beginning of the cessation of hostilities and a clear commitment to move ahead with an accelerated pattern of
humanitarian access to besieged areas.
This round of talks has instead been overshadowed, lets be frank, by a substantial and indeed worrisome deterioration of
the cessation of hostilities, he said. We cannot ignore that and we have not ignored it.
The most recent round of talks had seen air strikes on a hospital and the killing of a paediatric doctor, among other attacks,
the special envoy said.
Lets put it in a few words: In the last 48 hours, we have had an average of one Syrian killed every 25 minutes. One Syrian
wounded every 13 minutes, he said.
Commonalities on political transition
Mr. de Mistura said that despite such incidents, the talks had continued from 13 April until 27 April. He had prepared a
mediators summary indicating that there has been some progress, and including his own understanding of what have

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28 April 2016

been differing visions of the political transition from different points of view.
After all, we are talking about a political discussion regarding a conflict which has been going on for more than five years,
and as you can see is still ongoing there are some commonalities on the political transition, Mr. de Mistura said.
One of the commonalities is that there is no doubt that there is an urgent need for a credible political transition, he said.
You remember when the word transition, at least in certain area, was taboo? Not anymore. Everyone acknowledges that
that is the agenda, the envoy stressed.
The envoy also said that there is a clear understanding that a credible political transition should be overseen by a new
credible and inclusive transitional governance that will be replacing the present governance arrangements. The other
common point is that the transitional governance should include members of the present Government, opposition,
independents and others, he said.
Mr. de Mistura said that another commonality is that Syria does require a new constitution, and that the key responsibility
for this transitional governance will be to oversee the drafting of the new constitution. In addition, any new governance
should be agreed upon in UN-facilitated intra-Syrian talks on the basis of mutual consent, he said.
Having said that, [there is] no denial that there are still major differences officially on the major issues, the envoy stressed.
Calls for revitalization for next round of talks
The Special Envoy also recalled the initiative by Russia and the United States in February that had led to the cessation of
hostilities.
The Russian Federation and the US, as you remember, had a very strong initiative, which produced basically a miracle,
because on 27 February, suddenly within hours, we had a dramatic collapse not of the cessation of hostilities but of the
hostilities. And that produced a great feeling among everyone that in fact the political discussions and everything else had
and should have a chance, he said.
We need that to be urgently revitalized, he continued. And [] the Russian Federation and the US, as they did when they
launched suddenly everything related to the cessation of hostilities, need to come back again and relaunch it.
In that vein, he appealed for an urgent initiative at the highest levels for the next round of talks.
The next round of talks would be meaningful only if and when the cessation of hostilities is brought back to the level we
saw in February and in March, Mr. de Mistura said.
Hence, my appeal for a US-Russian urgent initiative at the highest levels, because the legacy of both President Obama and
President Putin is linked to the success of what has been a unique initiative which started very well and needs to end very
well.
In addition, a new International Syria Support Group meeting at the ministerial level would also be necessary, the special
envoy said, in order to relaunch what has been for a moment put in danger.
That is what we want to obtain before we actually announce the new round of talks, because that would certainly help the
round of talks to become credible and effective. And we are ready for doing so because a lot has been done so far, he
concluded.

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Security Council meets on Ukraine with sense of urgency and

hope
28 April As the conflict in the eastern part of Ukraine enters its third
year, the United Nations Security Council today met with both a sense
of urgency and hope, as described by a senior UN political official.
The continued failure to fully implement the Package of Measures
for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements has underscored the
crucial need to make progress toward a political settlement of the
conflict, said Tay-Brook Zerihoun, the Assistant Secretary-General
for Political Affairs, referring to the 13-point accord on ending the
Ukraine crisis signed in Minsk in February 2015.
Some positive political developments
Tay-Brook Zerihoun (left), Assistant Secretary-General for Political
Affairs, briefs the Security Council on the situation in Ukraine. UN
Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Some positive developments have been registered since the Security

Council last considered the situation in Ukraine last December, Mr.
Zerihoun noted, such as the largely respected ceasefire during the last weeks of 2015. Meanwhile, he said the Government
of the new Prime Minister has committed to the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, which has been widely
welcomed.
These developments are highly valuable in their own right, the UN official told the 15-member body. However, to an
extent, these positive steps forward continue to be heavily undermined to some extent by an overall precarious and
unsustainable situation in the conflict area.
Mr. Zerihoun reported that the total number of conflict-related casualties continues to climb, now standing at 30,729,
including 9,333 killed and 21,396 injured since the beginning of the conflict in mid-April 2014.
While some of the recent civilian causalities have been caused by indiscriminate shelling, most are caused by landmines,
booby traps, and other explosive remnants of war, which continue to represent the biggest threat to civilian life and
security, he warned.
Meanwhile, he indicated that the Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Co operation in Europe
(OSCE) in eastern Ukraine remains instrumental: In order to carry out its mandate, the Mission must urgently be granted
full and unfettered access, including to the border, as stipulated under the Minsk agreements.
Grave situation on the humanitarian front
Turning to the humanitarian situation, the Assistant Secretary-General said it remains grave, with more than three million
people in need of assistance, especially those close to the contact line and in areas beyond Government control.
The ongoing suspension by the de facto authorities in Donetsk and Luhansk provinces of almost all UN and [international
non-governmental] operations since July 2015 is of great concern, he stated. Undue bureaucratic impediments deprive
hundreds of thousands of people access to urgently needed essential services, supplies and other protection services.
He explained that this is further compounded by the decision of the Ukrainian Government to suspend social payments,
including pensions, to an estimated 600,000 displaced people, pending verification of their status.

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While the legitimate right of the Government to combat fraud is understandable, it is important to put in place a transparent
system that provides clear information about the criteria for any cancellation of benefits, and proper communication to those
concerned, he underlined.
In addition, Mr. Zerihoun highlighted the number of pressing human rights concerns, including the question of missing
persons and the need to create a mechanism by which all parties to the conflict exchange information and cooperate to
establish the whereabouts of those who went missing.
Concluding his remarks, he told Council members that progress in the peace process will ultimately depend on the political
will of the parties, on their readiness and willingness to find a peaceful resolution of the conflict, through tangible deeds
both on the ground and at the negotiation table.

PODCAST: Hunting a war criminal from the former Yugoslavia

28 April Two policemen working for the United Nations in the
1990s who were tasked with tracking down alleged war criminals
from the former Yugoslavia have been talking about the horror
stories they heard from the families of victims.
In the latest episode of the UN Radio podcast series the The Lid is
On, Vladimir Dzuro from the Czech Republic and Kevin Curtis from
the United Kingdom, tell how they tracked down and arrested the first
alleged war criminal to be brought to the UN International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, (ICTY) based in The Hague, in
the Netherlands.
Former UN police officers with the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (left) Kevin Curtis and (right) Vladimir
Dzuro. UN Photo/Loey Felipe

The ICTY was established in 1993 by the United Nations to prosecute

serious crimes, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against
humanity, during the Balkan wars of the 1990s, and has been
described by current Prosecutor of the tribunal, Serge Brammertz, as a success story for the UN.
The story begins in the small town of Vukovar, in modern day Croatia, and the exhumation of bodies from a mass grave.
It was overall quite an experience, even for a police officer, said Vladimir Dzuro, a former homicide detective in Prague.
There was a terrible stench because of the decomposition.
Some 261 people, mainly Croatians were buried in the mass grave. They had been summarily executed by Serbian
paramilitaries and Vladimir Dzuro and Kevin Curtis were tasked with finding the perpetrators.
The former mayor of Vukovar, Slavko Dokmanovic, was identified as one of those perpetrators.
My role was to befriend him so that we could get him into a position where we could arrest him, said Kevin Curtis. My
goal when I went to see him was to charm him.
Listen to the The Lid is On and find out about the role that Kevin Curtis and Vladimir Dzuro played in the historical arrest
of Slavko Dokmanovic.

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Workplace stress a collective challenge as work-life

boundaries become blurred UN
28 April Marking World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the
United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) today
outlined the findings of its latest research on the impact of stress in the
workplace.
Work-related stress affects workers in all professions in developed
and developing countries alike. It can gravely harm not only workers
health but also, and all too often, the wellbeing of their families, said
ILO Director-General Guy Ryder in a statement.

Workers at a factory in Accra, Ghana, which produces shirts for

overseas clients. Photo: World Bank/Dominic Chavez

This years World Day for Safety and Health theme is

Workplace Stress: a collective challenge and focuses on the toll
taken on the health and wellbeing of workers worldwide by stress in
their working environment.

Last September, UN Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is comprised of 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to wipe out poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change over the next 15
years. Target 8 of Goal 8 calls for safe and secure working environments for all workers, noting that securing safe
workplaces extends beyond the protection of workers physical safety to their mental and psychological wellbeing.
In its latest publication, the ILOs Safety and Health at Work team surveyed the most recent studies on workplace stress
from around the world including, among others, Asia and the Pacific, the Americas, Australia and Europe. They found that
the estimated cost of work-related depression in the European Union alone is 617 billion a year.
We found that work related stress costs global society untold billions in direct and indirect costs annually, said Valentina
Forastieri, an ILO expert on occupational safety and health. And that is quite apart from the human price paid in misery,
suffering and even, according to some of the reports we looked at, in suicide.
Ms. Forastieri explained that global competitive processes have transformed work organization, working relations and
employment patterns, contributing to the increase of work-related stress and its associated disorders.
With the pace of work dictated by instant communications and high levels of global competition, the lines separating work
from life are becoming more and more difficult to identify, she said. An appropriate balance between work and private life
is difficult to achieve.
ILO looked at a study from Japan that found 32.4 per cent of workers reported suffering from strong anxiety, worry and
stress from work in the previous year. In Chile, 2011 data shows 27.9 per cent of workers and 13.8 per cent of employers
reported that stress and depression were present in their enterprises. Similar figures were found in practically every country
we considered for the report.
And then, there is the hangover from the recent global economic crisis and recession that forced many enterprises to scale
down their economic activity in order to remain competitive. This includes an increase in restructuring, downsizing,
merging, outsourcing and subcontracting, precarious work and a higher likelihood of massive layoffs of workers,
unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, Ms. Forastieri noted.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ryder underlined that while much still needs to be done to reduce stress at work, in recent years there have
been developments in understanding the issue: Awareness has increased and in most countries policymakers, social
partners and professional networks are becoming more involved in the design of legislation, policy, strategies and tools for
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the assessment and management of work-related stress, he said.

It is clear that the protection of workers mental health must focus on preventive strategies. Assessing and managing
psychosocial risks at their origin will help craft the collective and individual measures needed to improve the quality of
working life for women and men, he added.

Digital cards improve food assistance to displaced families and

Syrian refugees in Iraq UN agency
28 April Thousands of displaced Iraqi families and Syrian refugees
across Iraq now have better and flexible access to food, thanks to an
innovative digital cash card launched by the United Nations World
Food Programme (WFP).
This programme is a turning point in WFPs food assistance
operations in Iraq, saidJane Pearce, Representative and Country
Director of WFP in Iraq, adding that we now use innovative
technology to deliver a faster humanitarian response that is reliable,
flexible and scalable, she added.

Syrian refugees crowd around an office in Domiz refugee camp in the

Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Photo: OCHA

These electronic cards, known as SCOPE cards, enable WFP to assist

in a timely manner those in need with both cash and vouchers,
allowing them to choose, and buy their own food from local shops
across the country, as well as collecting actual food from WFP

distribution points.
The SCOPE cards give displaced Iraqi families and Syrian refugees the assurance that they can access food when they need
it, said Ms. Pearce, adding that more importantly, it also gives WFP valuable feedback on the types of food people are
buying with the cards, which helps us better tailor our programmes to their needs.
In order to receive the SCOPE cards, people need register their personal information and fingerprints into WFPs database,
which is electronically linked to the cards.
Therefore, when a card is swiped at a shop, it automatically connects to the database for identity confirmation, then the cost
of the purchase is deducted from the total balance and recorded on a receipt.
With the $32 million funding from the European Commissions Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), WFP has
launched a pilot project in Akre, in the northern Kurdish region, where thousands of displaced Iraqis and Syrian refugees are
sheltering.
The conflict in Iraq has triggered mass waves of displacement of more than 3 million Iraqis since January 2014. WFP is
currently reaching 1.5 million displaced Iraqis and 70,000 Syrian refugees each month with food assistance.

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In address to Austrian Parliament, Ban urges cooperative

approach to EU asylum policies
28 April From its leadership on major United Nations bodies to its
peacekeepers in the field, development aid and defence of human
rights, Austria is a very important, vital member of the world
community, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said during an
address to the Parliament of Austria earlier today in Geneva.
In the vocabulary of the international community, Vienna and
Austria are synonymous with global action, said the UN chief.
Indeed, the UN convenes major meetings in Austria on issues at the
top of the global agenda, including on nuclear energy, drugs and
crime, industrial development and more, Mr. Ban said.
In particular, he said that Austria has shown its solidarity through the
years to help address the many threats facing the world, including
inequality among people and among nations.

The Austrian Parliament in Vienna, shortly before an address by

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Photo: UNIS Vienna

Mr. Ban said that he had been impressed by the humane approach and compassion when Austrians welcomed the latest
wave of refugees from Syria and other parts of the Middle East this past autumn. He also highlighted when Austria in 1956
had opened its borders to Hungarians fleeing the Soviet crackdown, and was a haven for thousands of refugees during the
Balkan wars of the 1990s.
We have a moral, legal and political obligation to help those fleeing war, human rights abuses and persecution, the UN
chief said. Our commitment to human dignity is meaningful when we provide shelter, food and a warm welcome to
families who have risked their lives in search of peace.
Recognizing the generosity shown thus far by the people and governments of Europe to migrants and refugees, not least in
Austria, Mr. Ban said he was concerned, however, that European countries are now adopting increasingly restrictive
immigration and refugee policies.
Such policies and measures negatively affect the obligations of Member States under international humanitarian law and
European law, he said.
I welcome the open discussions in Europe including in Austria on integration. But I am alarmed again about growing
xenophobia here and beyond. All of Europes leaders should live up to the principles that have guided this continent, Mr.
Ban stressed.
Noting that divisiveness and marginalization hurt individuals and undermine security, the Secretary-General emphasized
that when the arrival process is well-managed, accepting refugees is a win for everyone.
These are brave, resilient and forward-looking people. They bring needed skills and energy to their new societies, he said.
As such, while he understood and sympathized with the enormity of the challenges, Mr. Ban said he trusted that Austria
will continue to contribute towards the European Unions efforts to forge a truly cooperative approach to address the
issues.

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28 April 2016

The United Nations will persist in forging comprehensive solutions together with the European Union, Mr. Ban stressed.
In particular, the UN General Assembly will hold a meeting on 19 September to address large movements of migrants and
refugees across the world, as well as the need for shared responsibility, Mr. Ban said.
In May, the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, will be convened for leaders to make a global
commitment to ending the assaults against innocent people and shared values.
The World Humanitarian Summit should send a message of support to the 125 million people in our world who are in
immediate crises, the Secretary-General said. I count on Austria to engage in these important events and to reaffirm its
proud tradition of openness and solidarity.
Along those lines, Mr. Ban said that he was very encouraged to hear from Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz that the
Austrian Government plans to dramatically increase its invaluable official development assistance.
I count on Austria to create a national plan for the Sustainable Development Goals and take international action to help
others advance. The United Nations bodies based here in Vienna will all support you, Mr. Ban said.
He also asked the Members of the Parliament to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change that was signed by 175
countries last week.
To turn these ambitious plans into actual progress, we need your support, Mr. Ban said.
I count on you to build on your relations with the United Nations and your neighbours, near and far, to seize our global
chance for a better world. It is your and our common moral and political responsibility to make this world better. All the
people, regardless of where you are coming from, ethnicities or religions or whatever difference one may have, we need to
live with human dignity. Thats what the United Nations is doing, he added.

Secretary-General appoints 12 new members to UN University

Council
28 April United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and
Director-General Irina Bokova of the UN Educational Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) appointed 12 new members to the
governing UN University (UNU) Council.
The new appointees, who will take office as of 3 May, replace the
retiring 2010-2016 cohort of UNU Council members and will serve
for terms of either three or six years.
The main functions of the Council are to formulate the principles and
policies of the UNU, govern its operations, and consider and approve
its biennial budget and work programme.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. UN Photo/Cia Pak (file)

Appointed members of the UNU Council serve in their individual

capacity not as representatives of their countrys Government and are selected with the aim of achieving a geographic
and gender balance, with due regard for major academic, scientific, educational and cultural trends, as well as each
members fields of expertise.
The new members of the UNU Council are:
Ernest Aryeetey (Ghana), Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana

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28 April 2016

Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz (Brazil), Scientific Director, So Paulo Research Foundation, and Professor, Gleb
Wataghin Physics Institute, State University of Campinas
Simon Chesterman (Australia), Dean, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore
Elizabeth Cousens (USA), Deputy Chief Executive Officer, United Nations Foundation
Isabel Guerrero Pulgar (Chile), Director, IMAGO Global Grassroots, and lecturer at Harvard and MIT
Angela Kane (Germany), Senior Fellow, Vienna Centre for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, and Professor,
SciencesPo, Paris
Segenet Kelemu (Ethiopia), Director General and CEO, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
Bassma Kodmani (Syria), Executive Director, Arab Reform Initiative
Radha Kumar (India), Director General, Delhi Policy Group
Irena Lipowicz (Poland), Professor, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyski University (Warsaw)
Tsuneo Nishida (Japan), Director, Institute for Peace Science, Hiroshima University, and Director, Toho Zinc Co.,
Ltd.
Lan Xue (China), Dean, School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, and Director, China
Institute for S&T Policy

Boosting productivity key to economic growth in Asia-Pacific

UN
28 April As nations begin implementing the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, the next phase of Asia-Pacific
economic growth should be driven by broad-based productivity gains
and further rebalancing towards domestic and regional demand, the
United Nations said today in a new survey.

Farmers dry rice on the road to Hon Don in Vietnam. Photo: FAO/J.
M. Micaud

The flagship publication, Economic and Social Survey of Asia

and the Pacific 2016, which is produced by the UN Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), emphasizes
that economic growth in the region will require higher, targeted fiscal
spending, enhanced skills, better infrastructure, and improved
agricultural productivity.

Concerted efforts are needed to revive the region's economic

dynamism and more effectively pursue the 2030 Agenda, said Shamshad Akhtar, UN Under-Secretary-General and
ESCAP Executive Secretary, as she launched the survey in Bangkok.
Such interventions, particularly through fiscal measures, could support not only domestic demand but also strengthen the
foundations for productivity-led growth, while fostering real demand through social safety nets and wage increases, she
added.
In the developing countries of Asia and the Pacific, annual average growth of total factor productivity declined from 2.8 per
cent from 2000 to 2007 to just below 1 per cent from 2008 to 2014, according to the survey.

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The productivity slowdown accounts for almost a fifth of the recent economic slowdown, from an average of 9.4 per cent
during 2005 to 2007 to an estimated 4.6 per cent growth in 2015.
ESCAP underscores that this is a concern because sustained and resilient economic and productivity growth, backed by
balanced economic, social and environmental development, is a prerequisite for successful implementation of the 2030
Agenda.
Ms. Akhtar emphasized that steady growth in real wages, which is critical for tackling poverty and inequality, as well as
supporting domestic demand, also ultimately depends on productivity growth.
Noting that the Asia-Pacific region has the means and dynamism to revive economic growth, she acknowledged that
improving the quality of this growth, by making it more inclusive and sustainable, will be especially demanding.
The survey calls for continued rebalancing towards domestic and regional demand, as prospects for export-led growth
remain subdued. A confluence of macroeconomic risks including shifts in global financial and commodities cycles has also
increased uncertainty.
The survey highlights that despite emerging challenges, the region's economic outlook is broadly stable and forecasts a
moderate pickup in economic growth in developing Asia and the Pacific to 4.8 per cent in 2016 and 5 per cent in 2017.
The survey also notes that progress in reducing poverty is slowing and inequalities are rising in much of the region. At the
same time, an expanding middle class and rapid urbanization are posing complex economic, social, environmental and
governance challenges.
The region also faces increased financial volatility and capital outflows, which have limited the space for monetary policy
manoeuvring, despite low overall inflation. Several countries are also experiencing a private debt overhang after rapid
increases in household and corporate leverage in recent years.
ESCAP recommends that if the region is to shift to a more sustainable development strategy driven by domestic demand,
greater focus must be placed on productivity along with commensurate increases in real wages. According to the agency, a
productivity-driven, wage-led approach would enable countries to increase their aggregate supply and demand, thereby
enhancing well-being.
Identifying the important role of fiscal policy in reviving economic growth and supporting the 2030 Agenda, Ms. Akhtar
emphasized that fiscal initiatives should be underpinned by sustained reforms towards an efficient and fair tax system that
delivers the necessary revenues and promotes equity.
The survey also highlights specific policy issues, such as improving female labour participation in South and South-West
Asia; enhancing resilience to natural disasters in the Pacific; dealing with population ageing challenges in East and NorthEast Asia; economic diversification and services sector development in North and Central Asia; as well as tax policy and
administration reforms in South-East Asia.
The year-end update of the survey will be released in November.

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)