Category: United Nations (Page 6 of 11)

United Nations: Tokyo Paralympics lead towards a more inclusive society.

August 28, 2021 / Michael Maas / 0 Comments

Innovators are joining Paralympians to discuss how sport can help to build a more inclusive society in a series of online discussions organized by the United Nations to coincide with the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, which continues until 5 September.

After losing her right leg in a car accident as a Japanese high school student, Kaede Maegawa was grateful when her friends offered her support.

Yet, she sometimes felt that she wouldn’t be capable of doing anything on her own.

In order to regain her confidence, she asked her friends and teachers to let her try do things on her own.

This started her on the road to becoming an elite athlete, and a competitor at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

Ms. Maegawa shares her story during SDG Zone at Tokyo panel discussion, in which three inspirational Paralympians talk about the power of sport to expand horizons, and what the Paralympic values – courage, determination inspiration, and equality, mean to them.

Ms. Maegawa, who competes in the long jump, is joined by renowned Sierra Leonean table-tennis para-athlete George Wyndham, and Miki Matheson, three-times Paralympic gold medalist in ice sledge speed racing.

Innovations featured in the Paralympics can eventually help all disabled people, explains Ken Endo, CEO of the technology company Xiborg, in a conversation highlighting technology, design, and initiatives that are making sport more accessible and enjoyable for all.

Mr. Endo leads a project to make a running-specific prosthesis called “blade” available for all, not only for athletes, and is working to break down various barriers, especially in developing countries, exploring how locally available materials can be used to develop blades and increase the number of people using prostheses.

The panel also features Lucy Meyer, Spokesperson for the Special Olympics-UNICEF USA Partnership, for young people with disabilities, and a five-times gold medal swimmer in the Special Olympics.

Ms. Meyer, who also has cerebral palsy, says that doctors told her parents that she wouldn’t be able to sit up or swallow but “we are so happy to report that the doctors were very wrong!”

She is very active in Special Olympics programme which enables children with and without disabilities to compete together in team sports.

“It’s important to me that everyone accepts and includes everyone, but especially people with disabilities, because we are no different.”

The last session of the SDG Zone at Tokyo looks at what sport can bring to the next generation, and how it can help societies to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and improve, according UN News.

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President Joe Biden keeps deadline of 31 August pullout US military Afghanistan.

August 25, 2021 / Michael Maas / 0 Comments

President Joe Biden told G7 leaders on Tuesday that the United States is on pace to complete the U.S. withdraw from Afghanistan by Aug. 31 depending on cooperation from the Taliban.

“We are currently on a pace to finish by August 31, I am determined to complete our mission,” Joe Biden said in a speech.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to negotiate with the Taliban:

The Taliban must guarantee a safe passage for those who want to leave Afghanistan beyond the 31 August deadline, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said in a speech.

The World Government Movement will keep you informed about the situation in Afghanistan.

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UN rights chief tells Member States: Afghanistan women’s rights are ‘red line’.

August 25, 2021 / Michael Maas / 0 Comments

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet led calls on Tuesday for Afghanistan’s new Taliban leaders to respect the rights of all Afghans and warned that the treatment of women and girls is a “fundamental red line” that should not be crossed.

Speaking at the opening of an emergency session at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a little over a week since the Taliban swept to power, Ms. Bachelet reminded UN Member States of credible reports of violations of international humanitarian law against civilians in areas under their control.

These reports, she said, make it especially important that the Human Rights Council work in unison to prevent further abuses, and that Member States establish a dedicated mechanism to monitor the fast-evolving situation in Afghanistan and, in particular, the Taliban’s implementation of its promises.

Ms. Bachelet added that “a fundamental red line will be the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls, and respect for their rights to liberty, freedom of movement, education, self-expression and employment, guided by international human rights norms.

In particular, ensuring access to quality secondary education for girls will be an essential indicator of commitment to human rights”, according UN News.

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UN official briefs Security Council: no end to Yemen civil war on the horizon.

August 24, 2021 / Michael Maas / 0 Comments

No progress has been made by parties in Yemen to reach a political agreement to settle the civil war, which is now in its seventh year, a senior UN official for the Middle East region told the UN Security Council on Monday.

“It is imperative to resume an inclusive, Yemeni-led political process to reach a negotiated solution to the conflict,” said Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari.

Khaled Khiari referred to a 2015 peace plan, which called for a nationwide ceasefire, the reopening of Sana’a airport, the easing of restrictions on fuel and goods flowing through Hudaydah port, and the resumption of face-to-face political negotiations.

Mr. Khiari said that the Houthis continue to make the opening of Hudaydah ports and Sana’a airport, as well as on the ending of what they call the “aggression and occupation”, conditions of their renewed participation in the political process.

Moreover, negotiations facilitated by Saudi Arabia on the Riyadh Agreement – which were focused on the return of the Prime Minister and other ministers to Aden – have yet to resume following the Eid break in July.

Timely progress on the accord’s implementation remains vital to address the tensions in the south, he explained, according UN News.

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Hakainde Hichilema is elected President of Zambia.

August 23, 2021 / Michael Maas / 0 Comments

Out of the 7 million registered voters in Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema secured 2,810,777 votes while incumbent Edgar Lungu was in second place with 1,814,201 votes.

In his opening address to the nation, Hichilema promised democratic reforms, investor-friendly economic policies, better debt management and “zero-tolerance” for corruption.

Zambia, Africa’s second-biggest copper producer, saw its economy stagnate when copper prices collapsed around 2011.

Depressed commodity prices and the COVID-19 pandemic have further slowed any economic rebound.

“It is in no doubt what the instruction is to all of us,” he told supporters in Lusaka.

“We will not let you down,” he said.

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United Nations official: climate change and hunger in Madagascar.

August 22, 2021 / Michael Maas / 0 Comments

In the south of Madagascar, known as the Grand Sud, hundreds of thousands of people are suffering from one of the worst droughts in the region in 40 years, the most senior UN official in the country has said, warning that the population is facing a severe humanitarian crisis.

The drought has gone on for longer than expected, and the funds received are insufficient to cover current and future needs.

We must act now: annual crops are a problem that will probably become a new crisis in the next agricultural season.

Resilience is the solution, and there is an urgent need to implement long-term solutions led by the government.

However, right now people need support and humanitarian assistance to get them on their feet and making a living.

The hunger season is coming.

We are in danger of seeing people who have endured the prolonged drought enter the lean season without the means to eat, without money to pay for health services, or to send their children to school, to get clean water, and even to get seeds to plant for the next agricultural season.

If we don’t act soon, we will face a much more severe humanitarian crisis”, according UN News.

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UN chief gravely concerned over ‘unspeakable violence’ in Tigray (Ethiopia).

August 20, 2021 / Michael Maas / 0 Comments

Speaking outside the UN Security Council chamber on Thursday, UN chief António Guterres told journalists that he is gravely concerned about the situation in Ethiopia, particularly the “unspeakable violence” against women and others in Tigray.

The Secretary-General’s remarks came on World Humanitarian Day, and he recognized humanitarians “and the many millions of people they strive to help everyday”.

He described the misery of the Ethiopian people, and the “hellish” humanitarian conditions they are facing, with millions in need and infrastructure destroyed.

The spread of the conflict, he added, has “ensnared even more people in its horror”.

“Now is the time to put an end to the suffering”, stressed Mr. Guterres.

“It is time for all parties to recognize that there is no military solution, and it is vital to preserve the unity and stability of Ethiopia which is critical to the region and beyond”.

To “give peace a chance” in Ethiopia, the Secretary-General appealed for action on three fronts:

an immediate end to hostilities;
guaranteed, unrestricted humanitarian access, together with the re-establishment of public services in all affected areas;
and the creation of conditions that “allow for the start of an Ethiopian-led political dialogue to find a solution for the crisis”.

“Such a dialogue can contribute to addressing the underlying causes of the conflict and ensure Ethiopian voices direct the pathway to peace”, the UN chief explained, calling each of these steps “critical” to a peaceful settlement.

Mr. Guterres assured journalists that the UN continues to have a humanitarian presence in and near Tigray, although there is a lack of full humanitarian access.

The UN chief added that the UN would continue to work together with the African Union and other partners “to support the Ethiopian people on the way to peace and reconciliation”, according UN News.

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UN chief tells Security Council: ‘now is the time to stand as one’ on Afghanistan.

August 16, 2021 / Michael Maas / 0 Comments

As desperate Afghans were trying to escape the Taliban and board planes, during chaotic scenes at Kabul airport on Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for international unity on Afghanistan, in a briefing to an emergency session of the UN Security Council.

Antonio Guterres appealed for the UN Security Council to stand as one, and ensure that human rights are upheld, humanitarian aid continues, and that the country does not again become a platform for terrorism.

“The following days will be pivotal”, said the UN chief.

“The world is watching.

We cannot and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan”.

The UN Secretary-General noted that the international community is following the developments in Afghanistan “with a heavy heart and deep disquiet about what lies ahead.”

After seizing large swaths of territory in recent months, the Taliban on Sunday took control of the capital, Kabul, home to some six million people.

President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country, according to media reports, and desperate residents have been scrambling to the airport to get flights out.

“At this grave hour, I urge all parties, especially the Taliban, to exercise utmost restraint to protect lives and to ensure that humanitarian needs can be met,” said Mr. Guterres.

Afghanistan’s UN ambassador, Ghulam M. Isaczai, spoke of the fear that has gripped Kabul; people displaced from other provinces had flocked to the capital, viewed as the last refuge in the country.

“Kabul residents are reporting that Taliban have already started house to house searches in some neighborhoods in Kabul, registering names and looking for people in their target list”, said Mr. Isaczai.

“There are already reports of target killings and looting in the city”.

Invoke Chapter VII

The experts further urged the Security Council “to take appropriate action under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to safeguard the human rights and humanitarian needs of the people of Afghanistan, including its most vulnerable, and to address the role of Member States to prevent acts of terrorism under international law.”

Chapter VII concerns Council response to threats to peace, breaches of peace, or acts of aggression, and allows for non-military and military action.

They also recommended that countries should apply international sanctions against terrorist organizations, and ensure civilians have access to humanitarian aid as needs increase, according UN News.

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Malaysia’s prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigns.

August 16, 2021 / Michael Maas / 0 Comments

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his cabinet submitted their resignation to the king on Monday, according to a statement by the palace.

Under Malaysia’s constitution, the prime minister must resign if he loses majority support and the king can appoint a new leader who he believes has the confidence of parliament.

It is not clear yet who can form the next government, given there is no clear majority in parliament, or whether elections could be held during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The King: Abdullah of Pahang, can appoint an interim premier from among lawmakers, including Mr Muhyiddin himself, until a permanent successor is found.

Will be continued…

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United Nations chief urges restraint as Taliban reach Kabul, UN Security Council set to meet Monday.

August 16, 2021 / Michael Maas / 0 Comments

As the crisis in Afghanistan deepens by the hour, with reports that insurgent forces reached the country’s capital, Kabul, earlier on Sunday.

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged the Taliban and all other parties “to exercise utmost restraint to protect lives and ensure that humanitarian can be addressed.”

Mr. Guterres is following with deep concern the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan, as the conflict is forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

There continue to be reports of serious human rights abuses and violations in the communities most affected by the fighting.

“The United Nations remains determined to contribute to a peaceful settlement, promote the human rights of all Afghans, notably women and girls, and provide life-saving humanitarian assistance and critical support to civilians in need”.

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters this past Friday, the UN Secretary-General stressed that there was still potential for stalled intra-Afghan talks taking place in Doha, Qatar, supported by the region and the wider international community, which could lead to a negotiated settlement.

On Monday, the Secretary-General will address the UN Security Council‘s open meeting on Afghanistan, according UN News.

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Invoke Chapter VII

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