UN Daily News 11 May 2016
UN Daily News 11 May 2016
UN Daily News 11 May 2016
www.un.org/news
UN Daily News
Wednesday, 11 May 2016
Issue DH/7156
In the headlines:
Security Council requests subsidiary body to
The CTC would work closely with the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the CounterTerrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) and other relevant bodies, as well as interested Member States.
The Council noted with concern that the ISIL, Al-Qaida, and associated groups craft distorted narratives that are based on
the misinterpretation and misrepresentation of religion to justify violence, which are utilized to recruit supporters and
foreign terrorist fighters, mobilize resources, and garner support from sympathizers, in particular by exploiting information
and communications technologies, including through the Internet and social media.
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Also in the statement, the Council emphasized that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion,
nationality or civilization, underscoring the importance of promoting tolerance and inter religious dialogue. It also stressed
that terrorism can only be defeated by a sustained and comprehensive approach involving the active participation and
collaboration of all States, international and regional organizations and civil society.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson emphasized that terrorist groups are exploiting religious
beliefs in order to incite hatred and violence and to cause division and polarization in our societies.
Terrorists and violent extremists blatantly challenge the values enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights as well as our shared pursuit of peace, justice and human dignity, he said.
Terrorist bombs not only devastate human lives but also target common values, he said, noting that the global community
has a responsibility to shield people from harm and protect universal values from erosion.
Faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, and the primacy of global solidarity
represent the greatest force in our hands to counter terrorist narratives and ideologies, Mr. Eliasson said.
With young people falling prey to terrorist narratives and ideologies, he called on Council Members and all Member States
to translate into practice its historic resolution 2250 of December 2015 that recognized the value and role of young people
and young peacebuilders.
We must do more than repeat general statements about youth being the leaders of the future, he said.
With superior communications skills, extensive social media networks and often more influential voices than their elders,
the current generation of youth can amplify messages of common humanity.
Incitement and recruitment of terrorists as well as conditions conducive to terrorism have been addressed in several Security
Council resolutions, the General Assemblys Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Secretary-Generals Plan of
Action to Prevent Violent Extremism.
It is necessary to counter and refute false and nefarious narratives. Such narratives must also be replaced with compelling
alternative visions, backed by tangible opportunities for meaningful and constructive engagement, he said.
Stressing that security and military responses are not enough, he said that the Secretary-Generals action plan strongly
focuses on preventive approaches and cautioned against the us against them mentality prevalent across the world today.
In a deeper sense, the best narrative to counter violent extremism may perhaps not be a narrative, he said. This whole
discussion is not about a story. It is about action to build peace, development and human rights.
Mohi El-Din Afifi, Secretary-General of Al Azhar Islamic Research Academy, said the grim realities in the Middle East had
surpassed all limits of religion and morals, with crimes being perpetrated in the name of Islam. The media had distorted that
notion, he emphasized, adding that, in reality, such crimes had no relation to religious or human traditions.
The Academy worked to combat terrorist ideologies by providing education through scholarships. It hosted 40,000 students
from 130 countries, and placed an emphasis on the pluralism of religion. It was also working with communities in Iraq,
Syria and Yemen, besides partnering globally with member organizations to spread international peace.
No silver bullet to stop terrorists using Internet
Steve Crown, Vice-President and Deputy General Counsel of Microsoft Corporation, said that, for the Internet industry, the
scale of the terrorist challenge is daunting. Indeed, as one was terrorist propaganda site was taken down, another seemed
to spring up in its place.
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There had been 7,500 tweets within 15 minutes of the Paris attacks, and within two weeks, there had been 1 million Internet
views, many praising the attacks, he recalled. In fact, another company in the technology sector had noted that its 1.6 billion
users submitted one million reports of objectionable postings every day across all content categories. If there were an
elegant solution, industry would have adopted it, he said, adding that there was no silver bullet to stop terrorists using the
Internet.
He went on to emphasize that terrorist use of Internet platforms was a complicated topic. Like fire, gunpowder and the
printing press, any technology could be used for either good or evil. Since the Internet industry was built on the idea that
communications could unleash human potential, Microsofts mission was to empower every person on the planet.
Other companies in the sector, including Google, Facebook and Twitter, differed from each other and competed fiercely at
times, but they came together when Internet platforms were abused, he said. Perhaps the best example was the unity
displayed in combating child sex abuse materials, he said. Similarly, the industry was united in working to address terrorist
abuse of technology services.
Describing public-private partnerships as the appropriate response, he stressed the need for the international community to
work together in a coordinated and transparent way. However, there was no universally accepted definition of terrorism or
extremism at the international or regional level, he pointed out. While definitional lines were hard to draw, the international
community could agree broadly on harmful actors, he said, emphasizing that dialogue and learning was the path to success.
The rule of law and the promotion of human rights were critical for Microsoft, he stressed, pointing out that it published a
global human rights statement in order to ensure the right approach to doing business.
As actors worked together across sectors, it was essential that they have an open discussion and explore new and improved
means of addressing misuse of information and technology platforms. We need to admit what we do not know, he said,
underscoring the need to focus on taking action and learning from experience.
In their respective communiqus, the signatories had committed to immediately cease and prevent the commission of sexual
violence crimes, hold perpetrators accountable, improve services to survivors, and ensure that sexual violence considerations
are included in the ongoing processes of security sector reform, as well as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration,
Ms. Bangura said.
I commend the steps taken by both signatories to put in place arrangements to facilitate the implementation of these
commitments, including the designation of High-Level Focal Points, the creation of Technical Working Groups and the
development of Implementation Plans, as well as the signing of undertakings by 53 senior commanders of the SPLA-IO
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FAO highlighted that rural areas and their populations continue to be the most affected in conflicts, as attacks on farming
communities undermine rural livelihoods and displace people from their homes. That means assisting farmers is critical to
prevent widespread displacement and set the foundations for rebuilding, Mr. Graziano da Silva stressed.
Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, placed support for rural entrepreneurship at the heart of solutions to hunger
and instability as he highlighted the need to redesign existing institutions to avoid the failings of the past.
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We know business as a way to make money. But there can be another kind of business a business to solve problems, he
said, stressing the need for building self-reliance and the benefits of using business as an engine for solving social problems.
Rural people can be as good an entrepreneur as anybody else we need financial institutions to support them, Mr. Yunus
said, adding that this is necessary so that youth see a future in rural areas and become drivers for employment and economic
development, rather than migrating to cities as job seekers.
Poverty and fear do not require a passport to travel, said Oscar Arias Snchez, former President of Costa Rica, drawing
attention to how hunger and want for opportunity have caused the largest migration crisis the world has seen in decades.
There is the violence that strikes with weapons and that which slowly creeps up, he said, as he outlined the many ways
war affects farming communities and the environment. Lack of resilience and food security in many countries is nothing if
not pure violence.
Reminding the audience that the first poem ever written was one of war, Mr. Arias Snchez stressed that the international
community faces a choice today.
Nobody has yet written the last poem we still have ink in our quill, he said. We have to decide whether we will depict a
scene of a desert in which death has been crowned queen or we can decide to write water, bread, air and tree sap we have
to decide if we will write a last war poem or a poem of our peace and food security, he said.
Along those lines, womens rights activist Tawakkol Karman called the failure to eradicate hunger humankinds greatest
shame.
She noted that while the process of globalization currently transforming the planet has allowed some individuals and
corporations to amass vast fortunes, millions of people go hungry each day.
This equation needs to change, she said. What we need is a positive fair globalization where all people share the
benefits.
Doing so will require moral commitment and honest political will, she noted.
When you see a problem like hunger, there is no point in crying about it the question is, what are you going to do about
it? asked Irish peace activist Betty Williams. Tears without action are wasted sentiment.
If we can make this work, its a big step for humanity, she added, referring to the new alliance.
In a video message, former UN Secretary General and Nobel Laureate Kofi Annan underlined the ways that hunger and
competition for agricultural resources can exacerbate social tension, as he called for a more holistic way of thinking about
food security and peace.
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This latest attack comes after a car bomb was detonated on 9 May
near a restaurant in Baquba, which also left large numbers of
casualties.
Such acts of terrorist violence are certainly against all the principles
of decency and humanity, and as such must be strongly condemned, Mr. Kubi stressed.
I call on the authorities to do their utmost to quickly bring the perpetrators to justice, and express my deepest condolences
to the families of those who lost their lives and wish the injured a speedy recovery, he added.
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I am pleased by the seriousness demonstrated by both parties, the Special Envoy said, urging the media to avoid
disseminating rumours that disrupt the peace process. We are hopeful that this collaboration will lead to real peace and I
call upon everyone to support Yemen during this critical phase.
The three committees will reconvene tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile in New York, Stphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said that while conflict continued in
some parts of Yemen, the cessation of hostilities was largely holding in the past month.
This provided some opportunities for humanitarian partners to expand responses in certain areas, conduct assessments or
directly monitor activities that up to that point had been monitored remotely, Mr. Dujarric said.
In Saada Governorate, the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) was able to re-start the rehabilitation of a water facility in Kitaf
district, serving some 10,000 people, which had been damaged by airstrikes. The cessation also coincided with an ongoing
food distribution to about 270,000 people in the area.
Emergency clean water was trucked to Taiz Governorate, benefitting over 45,000 people, and three mobile health and
nutrition teams were deployed in Taiz City, where partners delivered medical supplies for over 130,000 people, the
spokesman said.
From 12-15 May, the UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Programme
(WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will conduct a joint mission to Sana'a, to gauge the current humanitarian
situation and the operational response.
Moreover, the Commission emphasized that since the attacks against Al-Quds hospital in Aleppo governorate on 27 April,
there have been more than a half dozen attacks against other medical facilities in the area, all of which are specifically
protected sites under international humanitarian law. Scores of civilians and medical personnel have been wounded or killed
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in these attacks, and the attack on 5 May on the Kamounah camp for IDPs in Sarmada, Idlib, also reportedly killed and
injured dozens of civilians.
In recent weeks, markets, bakeries and a water station have also been aerially bombarded. With the one supply route still
open to opposition-controlled areas of Aleppo city, the destruction of food, water and medical supplies raises grave concerns
for the civilians within, the Commission stressed.
At a time in which the cessation of hostilities agreement has increasingly deteriorated, it is paramount that all parties to the
conflict and those States seeking a peaceful resolution, demand civilian protection measures be taken, said the
Commission, calling on all parties to cease the unlawful attacks on civilian areas, especially humanitarian locations and
specially protected sites under international humanitarian law.
The Commission said it has repeatedly noted that international humanitarian laws foundational principle of distinction
which underlies a number of war crimes requires all parties to a conflict to distinguish between lawful and unlawful
targets. The recent unlawful attacks are violations of international humanitarian law, and some are war crimes, the
Commission said.
Failure to respect the laws of war must have consequences for the perpetrators, Mr. Pinheiro stressed. Accountability
must be part of the process of returning Syria to peace. Until the culture of impunity is uprooted, civilians will continue to be
targeted, victimized and brutally killed.
The Commission said it strongly supports all efforts to find a political solution to the conflict, including a return to a full
cessation of hostilities. It added that it remains committed to fulfilling its mandate to investigate and document all violations
occurring in the context of the Syrian armed conflict, regardless of who commits them.
The Commission was established by the Human Rights Council in August 2011 to investigate and record all violations of
international human rights law and allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Commission is also tasked
with identifying, where possible, those responsible for these violations with a view to ensuring that perpetrators are held
accountable.
In addition to Mr. Pinheiro, the Commission consists of Karen Koning AbuZayd, Special Adviser on the Summit on
Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants, and Carla del Ponte and Vitit Muntarbhorn, who serve as
Commissioners.
The Commission will present an oral update to the Human Rights Council in Geneva during an interactive dialogue at its
32nd session in June.
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This is the third and last stop of the UN chiefs trip to the region
which began last Saturday, and included the Seychelles and
Mauritius.
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