Africa History: [afrocarpus] UN DAILY NEWS from the UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE

UN DAILY NEWS from the
UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE
4 May, 2016
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NO CORNER OF ALEPPO IS BEING SPARED, SECURITY COUNCIL TOLD, AS UN OFFICIALS URGE END TO 'CARNAGE' IN SYRIA

The cessation of hostilities in Syria must be put back on track, the United Nations political chief today told the Security Council, as the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator said "there can be no explanation or excuse" for waging war on civilians, in Aleppo or anywhere else in the crisis-riven country.

"Unfortunately, the ever more shocking reports have been received from Aleppo city over the past two weeks," Jeffrey Feltman, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, recalled during a briefing on Syria and the situation in the country's largest city.

"You have all seen the horrifying images of attacks on hospitals in both government and opposition-held neighbourhoods of the city. Let me be absolutely clear once again: intentional and direct attacks on hospitals are war crimes," he declared.

Mr. Feltman took note of the recent arrangement concluded between the United States and Russia for a "day of silence" in Aleppo and its surroundings. It was scheduled to start at 00:01 Damascus time last night, but the implementation has reportedly proven challenging even as it has led to an overall decrease in violence.

"Consolidating and extending this agreement would be an important step in the right direction. We also hope that the earlier announced arrangements of 'days of silence' in parts of Damascus and Rural Latakia will also be consolidated and welcome the news that the 'silence' has been extended in the Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus for the next 48 hours," the UN official said.

Turning to the political process, he told the 15-member Council that the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has clearly stated that in order to be credible, the next round of negotiations should be supported by "tangible" progress on the ground, including through increased humanitarian access.

Mr. de Mistura intends to re-convene intra-Syrian talks in May to arrive at an agreed way forward by August. Doing so without progress on the ground "runs the real risk of a failed political process," the UN political chief warned.

The Security Council also heard from Stephen O'Brien, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, who said he is "horrified" by the further death and destruction in Aleppo, and that life for people there "has lost all sense."

"Access to basic and essential services, such as water and electricity, is sporadic, at best. People are living under daily threat and terror. Those who remain in eastern Aleppo, roughly 300,000 people, live in constant fear over the next attack from the air, including from barrel bombs," he explained, adding that "there can be no explanation or excuse, no reason or rationale, for waging war on civilians."

Mr. O'Brien's remarks also focused on the "inexcusable, deeply disturbing attacks" on medical facilities: "We have all seen the harrowing images of bombs and mortars raining down on medical facilities and medical personnel across Aleppo in recent days. These terrible attacks not only claim innocent lives, but also have a multiplier effect, leaving tens of thousands of civilians unable to obtain even the most basic levels of care, even as fighting intensifies around them."

In the last few days, many humanitarian actors have had to suspend their operations while tens of thousands of children could not be vaccinated last week. Mr. O'Brien said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which he heads up, is "dismayed" that the Syrian Government did not approve their request for a cross-line inter-agency convoy to eastern Aleppo city in May.

"My question to you today is again: how many more deaths, how much more suffering can we tolerate before there is a collective push towards an end to this senseless and shameful crisis affecting Syrians, their neighbours and many more people beyond?" the Emergency Relief Coordinator asked.

Meanwhile in Geneva, Jan Egeland, the Special Advisor to the Special Envoy for Syria, briefed the press on humanitarian efforts, saying that the fighting and bombardment in recent days is creating new areas with endless suffering and no access for human right workers.

On a positive note, he reported that during April, humanitarian workers reached more than 40 per cent of all of the people in the besieged areas, compared to about 5 per cent of people in such areas being reached during all of 2015.

Altogether, 778,000 people in hard-to-reach and besieged towns have been reached. In one of the key achievements, virtually all of the civilians in the city of Deir ez-Zor received aid from 22 air drops that have been conducted successfully in recent days.

In addition, the four towns of Madaya, Zabadani, Foah and Kefraya were reached, following weeks of obstacles. But going forward, Mr. Egeland added, requests to reach besieged areas have only been granted for about 25 per cent of the affected people, with another 25 per cent of beneficiaries being approved only with a significant number of conditions.

At the same time, in Berlin, following a meeting with the German and French Foreign Ministers, Mr. de Mistura said the top priority remained what was most important to the Syrian people: "They are telling us we are looking for peace, we are looking for the end of this conflict, we believe in discussion in Geneva but we need to see with our eyes that the cessation of hostilities is again [taking place]. And the test is Aleppo now."

Expressing the hope that his current diplomatic meetings, as well as the efforts of the Council, would revitalize the truce, he said: "The alternative is truly quite catastrophic because we could see 400,000 people moving through the Turkish border. We could see what, at the moment, looks like a possibility of a political transition to be actually handicapped by a cessation of hostilities, which is still there, [but] could be collapsing."

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UNICEF CALLS FOR BETTER PROTECTION OF CHILDREN UNDER REVISED EU ASYLUM RULES

As the European Union (EU) prepares for critical talks on the rules governing applications from people seeking protection in Europe, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for the interests and rights of children to be given greater priority.

In the coming days, 28 EU member States and the European Parliament will begin examining a draft proposal drawn up by the European Commission to reform the so-called Dublin Regulation, under which it can take 11 months between a child's arrival and his or her transfer to the State that will consider an application.

Such a lengthy process could hinder family reunification and expose children to various risks, prompting UNICEF to recommend a three-month deadline.

UNICEF is also calling for more resources and professionals to be made available to ensure that guardians are appointed immediately to adequately protect, guide and support an unaccompanied or separated child.

The agency is also calling for community alternatives to detention: no child should be detained pending his or her transfer to another State, the appointment of a guardian or provision of child-appropriate accommodation. UNICEF has stressed the use of non-custodial, community-based alternatives for children and their families claiming international protection.

The debate comes amid a refugee and migration crisis that has overwhelmed Europe's existing asylum process, and left in the balance the fate of more than 400,000 children who applied for asylum in Europe between January and November 2015.

The new rules will determine which State is responsible for considering an application for international protection that has been submitted anywhere in the EU.

"These discussions are an opportunity to strengthen vital safeguards to which children seeking asylum in Europe are entitled under international law," said Noala Skinner, Director of the UNICEF Brussels Office. "For Europe's common asylum system to be humane, fair and efficient, the protection of children must be a central priority."

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GOOD GOVERNANCE OF NATURAL RESOURCES VITAL FOR POST-CONFLICT RECOVERY – UN-BACKED STUDY

A new United Nations-backed study finds that meeting the essential needs of people after armed conflict while sustaining peace requires more than a forum for governing natural resources — it also requires good governance.

"Understanding the nexus between governance and natural resources is crucial to the recovery of post-conflict countries," said Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in a press release.

"This study makes it clear that, while natural resources offer the opportunity for growth in post-conflict situations, their exploitation must be accompanied by capable, accountable institutions that manage natural wealth in a transparent and inclusive manner," he added.

Launched yesterday, Governance, Natural Resources, and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding reports on how natural resources are essential to sustaining people and peace in post-conflict countries, but governance failures often jeopardize such efforts. Nevertheless, with persistence and commitment on the part of government, civil society, and the international community, it is possible to improve governance of natural resources and thereby help ensure that a country's natural resources bring peace, health, and economic development and not crime, corruption, and a relapse to violence.

The study relies upon the combined expertise and field experience of more than seventy researchers, diplomats, military personnel, and practitioners from governmental, intergovernmental, and nongovernmental organizations to illustrate the mutually reinforcing relationship between natural resources, good governance, and peace. It examines the theory, practice, and reality of post-conflict governance in fifty conflict-affected countries around the world to explore the opportunity and challenge of effectively and equitably governing the use of natural resources and then converting the subsequent revenues into the jobs, infrastructure, and public service needed to consolidate and sustain peace.

Writing in the book's foreword, Óscar Arias Sánchez, former President of Costa Rica and 1987 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, calls on the international community to "[take] seriously the idea that peace is much more than a white flag or a treaty. Peace is a state of affairs that can only be sustained through strong institutions, through prosperity and above all, through investment in education and human development."

Edited by Carl Bruch, Director of International Programs at the Environmental Law Institute, Carroll Muffett, President of the Center for International Environmental Law, and Sandra S. Nichols, an environmental and natural resources attorney, the book explores lessons from past and ongoing peacebuilding efforts; describes how these lessons may be applied to create more effective governance initiatives; and presents an emerging theoretical and practical framework for policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and students.

"This analysis makes it clear that good governance of natural resources and peace go hand in hand," said Scott Fulton, the President of the Environmental Law Institute.

"Not only do transparency, accountability, and equity in the governance of natural resources strengthen the rule of law, empower marginalized communities, and rebuild social ties; it also helps post-conflict economies recover quickly and sustainably," he noted.

The study finds that, although the post-conflict period is a time of fragility, post-conflict peacebuilding provides societies the chance to make governance structures more effective, efficient, and equitable and to address problems and injustices that contributed to the conflict. Good governance of natural resources can support the reestablishment of security, delivery of basic services, strengthening of the economy and livelihoods, and improved legitimacy and cooperation.

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UN OFFICIALS URGE INNOVATION AT SESSION ON INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA

Integration across sectors and disciplines, and between actors and institutions, is essential to drive forward and successfully implement the United Nations development agenda, the Vice-President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) emphasized at the conclusion of a three-day segment on promoting integration of the three pillars of sustainable development.

"Given the complexity of the new [2030] Agenda [for Sustainable Development], the challenge of integration will not be met without innovative solutions," said Sven Jürgenson at the conclusion of the segment at UN Headquarters in New York.

Noting that this was the first Integration Segment of ECOSOC to be held since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, the Vice-President said that the discussions were very timely.

"As our general debate highlighted, the solution for the challenges of successful integration lies in instilling ownership at all levels of implementation. All stakeholders must be turned into partners in achieving sustainable development," the ECOSOC Vice-President said.

Among the key messages of the integration segment are that every country faces special challenges in implementing the 2030 Agenda, and all countries will require contextualized policy solutions to address such problems, he said.

"Only through policy integration and innovation can countries surmount sustainable development hurdles in a coherent manner and in line with national priorities," Mr. Jürgenson said.

The Vice-President also emphasized that innovation does not always need to be based on novel technologies – it can be achieved by applying existing technologies in new ways and learning from situations where new approaches have worked.

"We need a truly integrated policy framework but should also consider possible trade-offs. Investing in the time required for consultation across sectors and actors can cause delay in policy initiatives. What is certain is that the longer-term benefits of such investments are incalculable," he said.

In addition, he noted that a process of building on past successes and learning from failures is essential to policy integration, as is the need to equip institutions, particularly in the public sector, with the skills, tools and systems needed to forge an integrated approach to policy making.

"It is imperative that the appropriate use of innovative technologies and other tools should be considered, especially given the scope and scale of the SDG agenda. There should be more sharing of innovation between the countries," the Vice-President said.

Along those lines, Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, underlined that the integration segment provided an opportunity to bring together different analytical competencies, experiences and challenges in integrating the three pillars of sustainable development.

"It is crucial for examining key policy questions – and there will be many new and complex issues that require continuous search for innovative solutions," he said.

For its part, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) is undertaking several activities in order to support SDG implementation in an integrated manner, he said.

Among the activities include strengthening and integrating its demonstrated, in-house analytical capacity in areas such as the global economy, social development, population, public administration, as well as data, statistics, financing and capacity building. DESA is also responding to Member States' increased demand for integrated support to build national capacities for SDG implementation, as well as promoting participation of a wide range of stakeholders working towards sustainable development solutions, he said.

"The UN is striving each day to support Member States to meet the high expectations set by the 2030 Agenda," Mr. Hongbo stressed.

Every year, ECOSOC convenes an integration segment for three days in May on the main theme of the Council. The outcome is a summary by the ECOSOC Vice-President highlighting the main policy recommendations arising from the discussions and providing guidance on integrating the three dimensions of sustainable development.

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BUDGET WOES 'COSTLY DISTRACTION,' BAN SAYS, URGING RELIABLE FUNDING FOR UN PALESTINE REFUGEE AGENCY

A consequence of failing to fund the activities of the United Nations agency tasked with ensuring the wellbeing of Palestinian refugees across the Middle East would be an increased risk of extremism, more poverty, and a region even more riven by conflict, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today, urging donors to step up their financial support.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) faces a deficit of $81 million. UNRWA and its 30,000 staff provide vital human development and emergency relief services to 5.2 million Palestine refugees across the Middle East, and operate 700 schools, serving 500,000 children.

"The budget uncertainties are a costly distraction," the UN chief said at a special meeting on the sustainability of UNRWA, noting that those uncertainties play with the fate of people who are already living on the edge, and add a needless extra layer of suffering and anguish.

Stressing the need to put the agency on a sustainable footing, Mr. Ban said that sustainability means, in practical terms, that Palestine refugees never having to question whether UNRWA schools would be open, or never doubting whether crucial medical services would be available, or the food would be on the table for dinner.

"Let us never forget the human consequences if we let Palestine refugees down: more young people driven into despair; an increased risk of extremism; more poverty, loss of hope and dignity and a Middle East region even more riven by conflict," he said.

Recalling his visit to Gaza shortly after the end of the devastating conflict in the summer of 2014, Mr. Ban said he saw first-hand how UNRWA's 252 schools went from providing quality education to 240,000 children, to offering sanctuary to 300,000 displaced in Gaza.

Soon after hostilities ceased, UNRWA schools were remarkably up and running with barely a delay to the academic year, he said.

UNRWA has been a pioneer in providing education in emergencies, a key theme of the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit, and has developed innovative distance learning techniques for Palestine refugee girls and boys.

Pierre Krähenbühl, head of UNRWA, told reporters yesterday that ensuring Palestinian youth receive an education is comparable to "a global public good."

Mr. Krähenbühl said that the potential delay of the 2015 school year due to financial shortfalls was an emotional experience for Palestinian students and their parents.
"What has to be understood in terms of the value of education for young Palestinian boys and girls is simply that it is the very foundation on which rests their hope for improved circumstances; for an ability to contribute meaningfully in their lives as they move ahead," he said.

"So, this is why we see it almost, as was expressed by one of our donors, as a global public good, the need to preserve the education that is provided by UNRWA to this young generation of Palestinians."

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NEARLY A QUARTER OF THE WORLD'S SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN LIVE IN CRISIS-HIT COUNTRIES – UNICEF

Almost one quarter of the world's school-age children – 462 million – live in countries affected by humanitarian emergencies – a new report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and partners has revealed.

The report, entitled 'Education Cannot Wait Proposal,' found that nearly one in six – or 75 million – children from pre-primary to upper-secondary age (3 to 18 years old) living in nations affected by crises is classed as being in desperate need of educational support. However, on average, only 2 per cent of global humanitarian appeals are dedicated to education, UNICEF said in a press release.

"Education changes lives in emergencies," said Josephine Bourne, UNICEF's Global Chief of Education. "Going to school keeps children safe from abuses like trafficking and recruitment into armed groups and is a vital investment in children's futures and in the future of their communities. It is time education is prioritized by the international community as an essential part of basic humanitarian response, alongside water, food and shelter."

UNICEF said it released the new statistics ahead of the first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on 23 and 24 May, where a new fund – Education Cannot Wait – will be launched to give access to learning to children in need in emergencies.

The fund aims to raise nearly $4 billion to reach 13.6 million children in need of education in emergencies within five years, before reaching 75 million children by 2030, the agency said.

The new report, which was written by the Overseas Development Institute, came as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom travelled to eastern Ukraine to raise awareness of the global education crisis facing children in humanitarian emergencies.

Mr. Bloom visited classrooms hit by shells just three kilometres from the frontline of the conflict that broke out more than two years ago. Approximately 580,000 children are in urgent need of aid and more than 230,000 children have been forced from their homes. Moreover, one in five schools and kindergartens in the region have been damaged or destroyed and about 300,000 children are in immediate need of assistance to continue their education, UNICEF said.

"I met children like 11-year-old Liana who hid in the basement of their school for almost two weeks, in freezing conditions, without lighting or heat, while shelling devastated the classrooms above," said Mr. Bloom, who first travelled to see UNICEF's work in 2007. "Now, after surviving some of the most terrifying experiences life could possibly throw at them, all they want is to get back to the safety and routine of school and plan for their futures."

UNICEF has thus far supported the repair and rehabilitation of 57 schools in eastern Ukraine, and has supplied hundreds of thousands of children with vital supplies like schoolbooks, desks and pencils, as well as psychological support and catch-up classes.

The agency has also reached nearly 280,000 children with information on the risks posed by land mines and unexploded ordnance, which litter communities near the frontline.

"For too many children in eastern Ukraine, simply walking to school could end their life, or result in life-changing injuries," said Giovanna Barberis, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine. "Since the beginning of the crisis, more than 55,000 unexploded landmines, shells and other ordnance have been found and removed – and we know this is just the tip of the iceberg. Our aim is to ensure that all children can safely get to class, study and play."

During his time in eastern Ukraine, Mr. Bloom also met with schoolchildren who are receiving counselling from UNICEF-supported psychologists, to help them recover from their distressing experiences during the conflict.

"Education is providing children in eastern Ukraine with the building blocks to rebuild their lives in a safe and supportive environment," he said. "Every child in humanitarian emergencies deserves a fair chance of a bright future."

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AT REGIONAL SESSION, UN AGRICULTURAL AGENCY URGES SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR BETTER NUTRITION

While many countries in Europe and Central Asia have made progress in reducing the prevalence of hunger, other forms of malnutrition still exist in the region and can only be combatted by prioritizing food security, agriculture and rural development, the head of the United Nation's agricultural agency said today.

Speaking at the start of the biennial Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Conference for Europe, taking place from 4 to 6 May in Antalya, Turkey, the agency's Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, noted that the absolute number of hungry people in the region – measured in terms of their caloric energy intake – dropped by at least 40 per cent since 1990.

"But despite overall positive trends regarding food security, others forms of malnutrition still persist and continue to be a problem, affecting all the nations in this diverse region," he said.

For example, in 48 of 53 countries in the wider Europe and Central Asia region, the combined overweight and obesity prevalence in the adult population exceeds 55 per cent, while relatively high rates of stunting continue to be seen among children in the Caucasus and Central Asia, the Director-General said.

He highlighted that many governments in the region have already started taking steps that move beyond just producing more food, and which seek to transform food systems to improve food quality and people's nutrition.

Noting that a substantial number of the region's poor and malnourished people live in the countryside, the Director-General emphasized that fostering dynamic rural economies must remain at the heart of development efforts.

To support such work, FAO has embarked on two priority regional initiatives. The first focuses on empowering smallholders and family farmers in order to improve their livelihoods and resilience to disasters and shocks, including climate change, while the second aims at improving the agriculture and food trade-policy environment in ways that can help small- and medium-sized farm operations thrive and expand.

Against the backdrop of Turkey, which is currently struggling to cope with more than 2.5 million international refugees and migrants, Mr. Graziano da Silva also emphasized the need to combat at their roots phenomena that put stress on populations and trigger migration, both within countries and across borders.

Armed conflicts are one cause, but climate change, food-chain threats such as agricultural pests and diseases, rural poverty, climate-induced natural disasters and other harsh realities also put pressure on families and communities, the Director-General said.

Describing sustainable development as an essential element for building a safer, more peaceful world, Mr. Graziano da Silva also highlighted that prioritizing food security, agriculture and rural development can help support the establishment of peaceful and stable societies.

FAO Regional Conferences take place every two years, bringing together in the case of Europe and Central Asia delegates from 53 member countries and one member organization – the European Union. Numerous observer organizations representing civil society and the private sector also participate in the conference, which sets regional priorities for food and agriculture, and oversees FAO's field programme and other work in the region.

This week's sessions include a ministerial-level discussion on how FAO members in Europe and Central Asia will respond to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Promotion of a group of foods known as pulses – dried beans, peas, lentils and other edible seeds that grow in pods – is another central agenda item. Food losses and waste, nuclear techniques for controlling insect pests, and the upcoming World Programme for the Census of Agriculture will also be discussed.

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UN AGENCIES BOOST PARTNERSHIP ON VISUALIZATION OF FOOD SECURITY DATA FOR YEMEN

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are boosting wider understanding of how families in conflict-torn Yemen struggle with persistent food insecurity, through a new interactive visualization of data captured by mobile technology and shared on an open source platform.

"This is an important step towards greater transparency by making crucial food security data freely available in open source. In the case of Yemen, where the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating due to continued conflict it is paramount that the data we capture is available to as wide an audience as possible, to inform key decisions," said WFP Chief Economist Arif Husain in a press release.

Collected by WFP's mobile food security monitoring service (mVAM), the data track a household's food consumption. The visualization shows how families are coping in the face of hunger and food shortages as the months pass.

It can be observed in the visualization that as of March 2016, about 70 per cent of families in each governorate in Yemen are borrowing food or relying on the help of friends and relatives to cope with food insecurity. This proportion is more significant in governorates affected by conflict.

WFP and OCHA plan to extend the visualization to show data from other countries.

The data are available on OCHA's Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX), an open platform for sharing crisis data. The platform includes some 4,000 data sets from humanitarian partners, allowing a range of users – from journalists to policy makers and data scientists – to explore the data and gain insight.

"The food security data that WFP shares through HDX is critical to understanding the severity of humanitarian crises around the world," said Sarah Telford, Head of HDX. "WFP has become a leader in humanitarian data with its innovative approaches to data collection in places like Yemen and its openness to sharing data globally."

WFP and OCHA began collaborating last year when the HDX platform created an interactive visualization for food price data – available on WFP's VAM Shop.

With funding from Google, WFP has also released the Application Programme Interface, which provides open access to large amounts of food security data that it collects in real-time through mobile technology.

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UN'S FINANCIAL SITUATION 'SOUND AND POSITIVE,' TOP MANAGEMENT OFFICIAL REPORTS, NOTING CONCERN OVER RESERVES

The top United Nations management official reported today that the Organization's financial situation is "sound and positive," noting, however, that there is "some worry" regarding the areas of regular budget and reserves.

"The financial situation of the United Nations is generally sound," said Yukio Takasu, Under-Secretary-General for Management, in a briefing to reporters at UN Headquarters in New York, during which he also noted some concerns regarding the regular budget and reserves.

Mr. Takasu's press briefing followed a semi-annual presentation to the General Assembly's Fifth Committee, which is tasked with administrative and budgetary concerns, and where he focused on assessment issues, unpaid assessed contributions, available cash resources and outstanding payments to Member States.

His overview included details on the four main assessment areas: the regular budget; UN peacekeeping operations; international tribunals; and the Capital Master Plan.

Mr. Takasu highlighted that the Organization's cash balances were positive at the end of 2015, except for the regular budget, which showed a shortfall of $217 million. This shortfall is being funded by a "very small reserve," he said.

"I think it's prudent to review the adequacy of the reserves," he said, adding that he had made this point to the General Assembly earlier today. "The regular budget is always tight in the last quarter of the year, and this is expected in 2016. The question is whether the size of the reserve is good enough," he added.

For the 2015 regular budget, Member States were obligated to contribute a total of $2.771 billion, an increase of $159 million from 2014. Payments received were $237 million higher in 2015 than in 2014, Mr. Takasu said.

Unpaid assessed contributions stood at $1.43 billion as of 30 April 2016, down $163 million from the same period the previous year.

For peacekeeping operations, which operate on a 1 July to 30 June fiscal cycle, Mr. Takasu said the total of unpaid assessments at the end of 2015 was $976 million, reflecting a decrease of $306 million from the previous year.

As of 30 April, new assessments of $3.9 billion had been issued, of which $2.4 billion remain unpaid, he said.

In addition, he said that outstanding payments to Member States – which amounted to $824 million at the end of 2015 – were projected to drop to $818 million by the end of the year, as a result of a continued acceleration of payments for troops, police and equipment.

The UN Secretariat will incorporate the information provided by Mr. Takasu today into a report from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that will be presented to the Fifth Committee on 11 May.

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SOUTH SUDAN: SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS ON TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT PEACE ACCORD

The United Nations Security Council today called on the newly formed transitional unity Government of South Sudan to end the cycles of violence and suffering and fully implement the peace agreement signed by warring parties in August 2015.

In a statement to the media, the 15-nation body welcomed the formation on 29 April of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGNU) as "an important milestone" in implementing the accord.

Recalling the thousands killed, the ongoing human suffering and the deteriorating economic situation, the Council called on the members of the transitional government to "work together to fully implement the agreement and bring an end to the cycles of violence and suffering, including by adhering to the permanent ceasefire, and by urgently creating the transitional institutions envisioned in the agreement, which are needed to maintain security and build trust between the parties."

The Council also called on the transitional unity Government to urgently remove impediments on the ground to the delivery of humanitarian assistance, as there are 2.5 million people displaced from their homes and 6.1 million people in need of such aid.

In addition the new Government was called on to allow the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) free movement to exercise its mandate, including protection of civilians and investigation of human rights violations, while condemning, in the strongest terms, the attack against the UNMISS compound in Bentiu on 25 April.

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UN SANCTIONS: WHAT THEY ARE, HOW THEY WORK, AND WHO USES THEM

Counter-terrorism and non-proliferation are on the agenda today at the Security Council, where at least seven sanctions committees will brief the main United Nations body responsible for maintaining international peace and security. We've prepared a quick snapshot covering the basics of UN sanctions and how Sanctions Committees work.

Using the 'threat' of sanctions
A sanction's life-cycle often starts with the Security Council taking up a situation of concern. The Council or the UN Secretary-General and his representatives will usually employ peaceful means to prevent the escalation, or outbreak of, conflict.

At this stage, even the hint of Security Council sanctions may be enough to encourage conflict parties to enter into dialogue. This is sometimes what the Council means when it signals that it will "consider all measures at the Council's disposal, including the use of enforcement measures."

Sanctions are meant to be a last resort when it comes to addressing massive human rights violations, curbing illegal smuggling or stopping extremism groups. Increasingly, sanctions are also being used to support peace efforts, to ensure that elections are held, or to demobilize armed groups.

This ability stems from the UN Charter. Under Article 41 of Chapter VII, the Council can use enforcement measures not including weapons, such as "complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations."

The first sanctions regime (or set of measures) was imposed in 1966 on Southern Rhodesia, today known as Zimbabwe.

Imposing sanctions – the what, who and how
Sometimes the threat of sanctions does not work, and it is up to the Security Council to decide to impose sanctions on individuals, entities or States who bear responsibility for conflict.

At this stage, the Security Council adopts a resolution establishing a new sanctions regime, where it determines the precise sanctions measure – such as arms embargoes, assets freezes or travel bans, for example – that it is imposing on the situation.

In some cases, the Council decides to also identify the individuals or entities that are subject to these 'targeted' sanctions measures. In other cases, the relevant Sanctions Committee, established as part of a sanctions resolution, will do so.

The individuals or entities sanctioned can change – with new names being added or removed from the list.

Implementing sanctions
Sanctions Committees are subsidiary organs of the Council and are composed of all 15 of the Council's members. Their role is to implement, monitor and provide recommendations to the Council on particular sanctions regimes. They meet regularly to consider reports from expert panels and to hold meetings with Member States, UN actors and international organizations.

In some cases, an expert panel is created to assist the sanctions committee. An expert panel monitors the implementation of the sanctions measures and reports its findings to the committee, or in some cases directly to the Council. Expert panels are usually comprised of between five to eight technical experts, all of whom are appointed by the Secretary-General. Expertise in these panels depends on the sanctions imposed, but may include arms, natural resources or human rights/humanitarian experts.

Of central concern to the Council is that sanctions are implemented with due regard for human rights.

De-listing requests from the other sanctions committee are managed by the Focal Point for De-Listing. The post of Focal Point, which was established by resolution 1730 (2006), is based in the UN Department of Political Affairs.

Ending a sanctions regime
The Security Council can remove UN sanctions once a conflict situation improves. UN sanctions have been lifted in different ways. In some cases, benchmarks contained in sanctions resolutions have been achieved; in others, peace processes have achieved the desired outcome.

Adapted from UN DPA's Politically Speaking

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The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.
I have loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore I die in exile.
The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.
When the white man came we had the land and they had the bibles; now they have the land and we have the bibles.
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