July 24, 2021 No comments
‘Lack of global solidarity’, slow vaccination rates put Indonesia in COVID glare
INTERNATIONAL, 24 July 2021, Health - A “lack of global solidarity” including the hoarding of vaccines by richer nations as well as slow vaccination rate has contributed to Indonesia becoming the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak in Asia, according to the UN’s top official in the country. UN News asked Resident Coordinator, Valerie Julliand, about the situation in the country and what the rest of the world could learn from Indonesia’s experience. What is the current situation in Indonesia? UN Indonesia Valerie Julliand, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Indonesia. UN Indonesia Indonesia, like many of countries in South East Asia, had until recently been successful in mitigating the worst health impacts of COVID-19; some form of physical distancing measures have long been in place. Since taking up my post here in October 2020,...
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July 24, 2021 No comments
Farmers the ‘lifeblood of our food systems’, deputy UN chief highlights, ahead of key summit
INTERNATIONAL, 24 July 2021, Women - Farmers, especially women and indigenous people, work tirelessly to put food on our tables. UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed met on Saturday women producers at a farmers’ market in Circo Massimo, Rome, ahead of the Food Systems Pre-Summit taking place next week. Dozens of stalls were set up in the vicinity of the UN event’s venue, where heads of state and delegates will gather from Monday to discuss ways to transform food systems to tackle hunger, poverty, climate change and inequality. UN and government officials toured the market to meet with farmers before paying tribute to producers, particularly women, for their central role in food systems. “Farmers are the lifeblood of our food systems”, said Ms. Mohammed. “Understanding their needs...
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July 23, 2021 No comments
Security Council calls for ‘immediate reversal’ of Turkish and Turkish Cypriots decision on Varosha
INTERNATIONAL, 23 July 2021, Peace and Security - The Security Council said in a statement released on Friday that settling any part of the abandoned Cypriot suburb of Varosha, “by people other than its inhabitants, is “inadmissible”. The presidential statement approved by all 15 Security Council members, upheld that “no actions should be carried out in relation to Varosha, that are not in accordance with its resolutions”. “The Security Council condemns the announcement in Cyprus by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders on 20 July 2021 on the further reopening of part of the fenced-off area of Varosha”, the statement continued. ‘Deep regret’ “The Security Council expresses its deep regret regarding these unilateral actions that run contrary to its previous resolutions and statements.” The statement calls for “the immediate reversal of this course of action and the reversal of all steps taken...
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July 23, 2021 No comments
Increased jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso spark record-breaking displacement: UNHCR
INTERNATIONAL, 23 July 2021, Migrants and Refugees - Rising violent attacks by jihadist groups in Burkina Faso are forcing record-breaking numbers of people to flee both inside the country and across international borders, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported on Friday. Six per cent of the population in the West African country is now internally displaced, with more than 1.3 million people uprooted in just over six weeks, according to latest Government figures. No slowing down The speed of internal displacement shows no sign of slowing as attacks on civilians and security forces continue unabated, UNHCR Spokesperson Babar Baloch told journalists in Geneva. During the first six months of the year, 237,000 people fled their homes for other parts of the country, which is a sharp increase over...
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July 23, 2021 No comments
New ECOSOC President aims to maximize ‘reach, relevance and impact’
INTERNATIONAL, 23 July 2021, SDGs - The role of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in promoting development has become “even more critical” as a way of guiding and informing the COVID-19 pandemic response worldwide, Collen Vixen Kelapile said on Friday, speaking for the first time as the UN body’s president. He underscored the importance of international solidarity in recovering stronger and forging ahead with the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Despite the challenges faced we can maximize the reach, relevance and impact of the Council, its segments and subsidiary bodies…to recover stronger from this pandemic”, said Mr. Kelapile, who served as Vice-President to the outgoing top official, Munir Akram. Rising to the occasion As the world continues to grapple with the unprecedented crisis, the current surge of COVID-19 and its more transmittable variants threaten to further derail global economic recovery, said Mr. Kelapile, who also serves as Botswana’s UN Ambassador. He said “ECOSOC’s role has become even more critical” in helping navigate out of the pandemic and beyond. “ECOSOC must rise to the occasion” and wage “a spirited war against disease, poverty and inequality,...
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