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UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) – United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday urged Member States to accept a broadened understanding of the concept of human security.
The Secretary-General told a General Assembly debate and panel discussion on human security, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, that the interconnected nature of the world meant crises and catastrophes today can transcend borders and threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of people as never before.
Noting the recent food, economic, and financial crises, he said “no region has been left untouched. No country is immune.”
In 2009, more than 200 million people were affected by natural disasters, while violent conflicts drove a record 42 million people from their homes. The landmark 2005 World Summit referred to the concept of human security, recognizing that “that all individuals, in particular vulnerable people, are entitled to freedom from fear and freedom from want, with an equal opportunity to enjoy all their rights and fully develop their human potential.”
The Secretary-General noted that “we must ensure that the gains of today are not lost to the crises of tomorrow,” calling for actions focusing on “people-centered, comprehensive, context-specific and preventive strategies at every level.”
Such an approach, the publication said, helps address both current and emerging threats, as well as their causes. It would also help to support early warning systems that offset the impact of such hazards.
“The advancement of human security requires strong and stable institutions,” the report pointed out, with governments retaining “the primary role in providing a rules-based system where societal relations are mutually supportive, harmonious and accountable.”
The concept of human security, he said, underpins the work of the UN, which seeks to help war-torn societies rebuild; to prevent and respond to natural disasters; and to bolster health care and education.
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UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) — United Nations says the facts laid out in a South Korean report are “deeply troubling.”
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UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) — United Nations says Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has learned of the results of the investigation into the sinking of a South Korean ship with “a heavy heart and serious concern.”
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UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has issued a call for calm as new violent clashes have broken out in Kyrgyzstan between supporters and opponents of the Provisional Government.
Reports have stated the death of one person and at least 58 injured with the recent violence that has emerged in the Central Asian country, where several Government buildings have been seized in Osh, Jalalabad and Batken in southern Kyrgyzstan.
“The Secretary-General urges all concerned to show restraint and to resolve issues peacefully through dialogue,” Ban’s spokesperson, Martin Nesirky, said. “He underlines the need to respect the rule of law and appeals for calm.”
Intense uprisings last month spawned dozens of deaths and the President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s eventual oust, but the current Provisional Government, which took power since, has not been unanimously consented.
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UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said he is “saddened” by the loss of life as a result of the latest clashes in the Thai capital of Bangkok.
Ban “is saddened by the reports of numerous civilian deaths, including journalists,” said Martin Nesirky, a spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Ban appealed to both the protesters and the Thai authorities to do all within their power to avoid further violence and loss of life.
He strongly encouraged them to urgently return to dialogue in order to de-escalate the situation and resolve matters peacefully, the spokesperson added.
At least seven people were killed and more than one hundred others were injured during clashes between government troops and Red Shirt protesters in downtown Bangkok on Friday.
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UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) – United Nations (UN) agencies and partner humanitarian organizations on Wednesday requested more than $18 million to assist nearly 800,000 people in Mongolia who are suffering from a long and severe winter, and the proceeding summer drought.
The dzud – a complex, natural disaster in which a summer drought is followed by heavy snowfalls and unusually low temperatures in winter, and then by a dangerous spring thaw – has destroyed the livelihoods of nearly 9,000 Mongolian families, who rely on their livestock for income, food and fuel. More than 7.5 million animals, over 17 percent of the country’s total livestock head, have died, according to humanitarian agencies.
Fifteen of Mongolia’s 21 provinces, home to an estimated 769,000 people, or 28 percent of the population, have been declared disaster zones. Another four provinces are seriously affected, prompting the Mongolian Government to seek international assistance, hence the launch of the Consolidated Appeal (CAP).
“Unlike sudden onset emergencies, the dzud has evolved slowly and has progressively widened its geographical reach, forcing ever-growing numbers of people in rural areas into a battle for basic survival,” said acting UN Resident Coordinator for Mongolia Rana Flowers.
Humanitarian agencies have reported a spike of up to 40 per cent in the mortality of children under the age of five in dzud-affected areas, an indicator of the seriousness of the emergency.
Increased acute and chronic malnutrition, micro-nutrient deficiencies among pregnant women, a lack of access to health care, widespread food insecurity, the loss of livelihoods and severe psychological trauma among herders and their families are also being seen, according to the UN humanitarian country team in Mongolia.
Many of those affected have been forced to seek alternate employment and are migrating to already overcrowded urban surroundings that lack basic services.
“While important short-term support has already been delivered, the situation is evolving and the needs of the population will grow over the coming months,” said Ms. Flowers.
UN agencies in Mongolia, in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency and Government ministries, plan to help build national capacity for disaster preparedness and response to avert shocks of the current magnitude in future.
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UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday strongly condemned the wave of terrorist bombings and other attacks in Iraq.
The recent attacks in the city of Hilla in central Iraq reportedly killed over 100 people and injured many more, most of them civilians. Workers at a textiles factory were hit by two car bombs, which resulted in a tragic scene.
“The United Nations stands in solidarity with the Iraqi people in the face of these deplorable, unjustifiable acts,” the spokesperson for the Secretary-General said.
After the initial explosions, bystanders and emergency services aided the wounded in Hilla, but a suicide bomber detonated more explosives killing and wounding even more people. Gunmen had earlier opened fire in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, killing several policemen and soldiers.
The reason and origin of the attacks are still being investigated, as the terrorist activity has marked this year’s deadliest.
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UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday urged parliamentarians worldwide to promote the cause of a nuclear-weapon-free world.
“After decades of work, it is clear that real change will come only through consistent, strong public pressure – on a global scale, and from the grassroots. That is why you are so crucial,” Mr. Ban told a joint gathering of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (PNND).
He continued, saying that lawmakers are experts in enacting and upholding the rule of law and their voices must stay at the heart of the debate.
“It is the world’s taxpayers who are funding the development of nuclear arms,” the Secretary-General said. “Tomorrow, they could be paying a different – and much higher – price,” he emphasized, calling for an end to this “senseless” waste of resources.
The weapons do not enhance global peace and security, but rather, he said, “put them in jeopardy.”
Earlier this week, the United States revealed that it has more than 5,000 warheads in its nuclear arsenal; the Secretary-General called this a “chilling figure.” But the country’s revelation is sign of its transparency, which in turn builds trust, the Secretary-General said.
Mr. Ban told parliamentarians that he hopes negotiators at the NPT gathering will “seize the movement” and “think big” to achieve disarmament targets.
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UNTIED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) – United Nations’ (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his deep sadness on Thursday after Wednesday’s death of Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Ban considered Yar’Adua’s death a great loss for the African nation and its people. He “will be remembered, among other things, for his efforts to bring peace and stability to the Niger Delta region and for his commitment to democratic governance and electoral reforms,” Ban continued.
Ban recognized, “the challenges currently confronting the country as it continues to develop its democratic system and encourages Nigeria’s leadership and institutions to work together in the greater national interest, respecting the rule of law and ensuring adherence to the country’s Constitution.”
The UN’s Secretary-General also extended his condolences to the family of Yar’Adua, who also served as Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, and to the country’s Government.
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UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) – United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his relief Tuesday after the release of four peacekeepers in Sudan.
The four individuals who have been serving with the joint African Union-United Nations mission in the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur were taken into captivity for more than two weeks, but they were finally released Monday.
The unarmed South African police advisers – two women and two men – had been abducted at approximately 4 p.m., local time, on April 11, after departing from their team site in Nyala, South Darfur state, on a seven-kilometer journey back to their private quarters.
Ban expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by the Sudanese Government and South Africa in the release of the four peacekeepers. He also emphasized that the safety of all UN and other personnel aiding the people of Darfur is an important priority.
The peacekeepers are believed to be in good health after undergoing medical examinations. They will be flown to their home country to be reunited with their families.
Nearly 22,000 uniformed personnel compose the mission, which was set up in the beginning of 2008 to help end a seven-year conflict between the Government and rebels that has killed at least 300,000 people and driven 2.7 million others from their homes.
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