June 28, 2022 No comments
Ukraine: Cycle of death, destruction, dislocation, and disruption ‘must stop’
INTERNATIONAL, 28 June 2022, Peace and Security - The “horrific conflict,” in Ukraine shows no signs of abating, the UN political and peacebuilding chief told the Security Council on Tuesday, pointing out that since her last update on 5 April, “countless Ukrainian civilians” have been killed in indiscriminate attacks, cities and towns levelled, and much of the country’s arable land “horribly disfigured by shelling”. “The cycle of death, destruction, dislocation, and disruption must stop”, underscored Rosemary DiCarlo. Depravity of war Amidst a new wave in recent days of missile and airstrikes in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and other cities far from the frontlines, the senior UN official drew attention to the missile strike in Kremenchuk on a shopping mall, reportedly by Russia, that killed at least 18 civilians...
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June 28, 2022 No comments
Rise of disinformation a symptom of ‘global diseases’ undermining public trust: Bachelet
INTERNATIONAL, 28 June 2022, Human Rights - Societies everywhere are beset by “global diseases” including systemic inequality which have helped fuel a rise in disinformation, or the deliberate spreading of falsehoods, said the UN human rights chief on Tuesday, addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Michelle Bachelet said the restoration of public trust was essential, as disinformation should really be seen as a symptom of diseases such as systemic inequality, which has seen “deep-seated discrimination” flourish, along with fragile institutions, a loss of trust in effective governance, and “limited rule of law”. She said those countries impacted by inequality were now threatened with instability and frayed co-existence within society. Flourishing amid discontent “Disinformation spreads when people feel that their voices are not heard. It arises in contexts where...
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June 28, 2022 No comments
More than 70 grave violations against children caught up in war, being recorded daily: UNICEF
INTERNATIONAL, 28 June 2022, Peace and Security - A “staggering” average of 71 verified grave violations a day, are committed against children by parties to conflict in more than 30 settings across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. This is one of the key findings of a new report entitled, 25 years of children and armed conflict: Taking action to protect children in war, launched by the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, on Tuesday. Speaking at a news briefing at the UN in Geneva, Tasha Gill, UNICEF’s Senior Advisor on Child Protection in Emergencies, said that between 2005 and 2020, the Organization had verified over 250,000 grave violations in total, against children in the 30 locations. “This is a staggering average of 71 grave violations against children daily”, she told...
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June 28, 2022 No comments
Sustainable blue economy vital for small countries and coastal populations
INTERNATIONAL, 28 June 2022, Climate and Environment - With the livelihoods of about 40 per cent of the world’s population living at or near a coast, the second day of the UN Ocean Conference under way in Lisbon focused on strengthening sustainable ocean-based economies, managing coastal ecosystems. The world’s coastal populations contribute significantly to the global economy – an estimated $1.5 trillion per year – with expectations pointing to some $3 trillion by 2030. Ensuring ocean ecosystem health, supporting livelihoods and driving economic growth requires targeted support for key sectors, including fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, energy, shipping and port activities, and seabed mining, as well as innovative areas such as renewable energy and marine biotechnology. Marine resources ‘essential’ This is particularly important to small island developing states (SIDS), for whom marine...
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June 28, 2022 No comments
UN rights office in probe call, after Morocco-Spain migrant deaths, Texas tragedy, show need for safer pathways
INTERNATIONAL, 28 June 2022, Migrants and Refugees - The deaths of at least 23 migrants seeking to reach Spanish territory from Morocco should be investigated urgently by both countries, the UN rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday, reacting also to reports overnight of of least 50 migrants found dead in a truck in southern Texas. The Morocco-Spain border incident took place last Friday when African migrants were reportedly “beaten with batons, kicked, shoved, and attacked with stones by Moroccan officials”, said OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani, in their attempt to scale the barbed-wire fence that separates Morocco from the North African, Spanish city of Melilla. “This is the highest recorded number of deaths in a single incident over many years of migrants attempting to cross from Morocco to Europe via the...
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