Day: September 7, 2022

The international community must do everything possible to preserve the space for United Nations peacekeeping operations — a visible expression on the ground of an operating multilateral system, the United Nations senior peace operations official told the Security Council today.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, briefed the 15-member organ in the context of its resolution 2378 (2017) on peacekeeping reform, underscoring the difficult environments in which peacekeepers are deployed.  “We face the largest number of violent conflicts since 1945,” he noted, adding that peacekeepers face unprecedented risks as they work to prevent the spread and escalation of war, protect civilians, participate in national capacity-building, promote human rights and help bring communities and countries together.

Although the United Nations has made significant progress to be more proactive, agile and flexible since the ministerial meeting on peacekeeping operations in Seoul last year, he noted that, in 2021, the number of deaths due to malicious acts increased from 13 to 25, and this year, by the end of August, 21 peacekeepers have died due to malicious acts.  Underscoring the need to ensure personnel safety and security, he called for Member States’ support to fully address the recommendations related to peace operations’ response to threats from improvised explosive devices.

As the accountability of peacekeepers remains a critical priority, the Trust Fund in Support of Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse has established a project in South Sudan to offer psychosocial, medical and legal support, he said, citing other initiatives.  To counter the surge of disinformation and misinformation, the United Nations is proactively communicating on the tangible impact of peacekeeping in a compelling and human-centred way.

Highlighting the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping as a key priority, he pointed out that females now account for 21 per cent of military observers and staff officers, 31 per cent of individual officers, and 43 per cent of justice and corrections Government provided personnel.  He called on the Council to address remaining gaps in uniformed gender parity and advance the political efforts of peace operations.

In the ensuing discussion, Council members expressed concern about the complex challenges to the important role that peacekeeping missions play, underscoring the need to provide necessary equipment and training to ensure peacekeepers’ safety and security.  Several members echoed calls for more concise and focused mandates, while others stressed the need to place political solutions at the centre of all peacekeeping.

India’s representative said the success of United Nations peacekeeping ultimately depends not just on weapons and equipment, but on the moral force that Council decisions command and the political process used to resolve conflicts.  Peacekeeping missions must be given clear and realistic mandates, matched with adequate resources, she added.  Effective mission communications strategy and coordination with a host Government can help address misinformation and disinformation against peacekeepers and enhance their safety and security.

The representative of the United Arab Emirates, in a similar vein, called on the Council to refocus political processes that produce sustainable solutions, and “reject the tacit acceptance of managing — instead of resolving — conflict”.  Designing better mandates requires strengthened cooperation among the Council, troop-contributing countries and the Secretariat; between peacekeeping missions and host communities; and between these actors and regional organizations, especially in Africa, she added.

China’s representative pointed out that the unchecked growth of mandates at times interferes and undermines the mutual trust between a mission and the community it serves.  Missions must build good relations with and listen to the countries concerned.  Indeed, partnerships must be strengthened, and stakeholders mobilized to advance the work of peacekeeping missions, he said, underscoring the important role of regional organizations.

The representative of the Russian Federation emphasized that the number of secondary and non-specialized tasks given to peacekeepers must be reduced, particularly those in human rights, social and gender areas.  Getting distracted by robust mandates could undermine the neutral status of blue helmets and transform them into active participants to a conflict, he warned.  To improve peacekeepers’ safety and security, their material and technical supply, as well as professional training, must also be improved.

The representative of the United Kingdom highlighted that his country trains thousands of peacekeepers each year.  As a top contributor of extra‑budgetary funds — donating more than $3.5 million in 2021 — it supports key reforms in peacekeeping intelligence, situational awareness and tackling sexual exploitation and abuse.  Noting the increasing threat posed by disinformation campaigns, numerous restrictions on freedom of movement and violations of status-of-forces agreements, he called on the United Nations to address rising levels of distrust through better strategic communication and on host Governments to uphold their responsibilities.

The representative of the United States said all United Nations personnel must meet performance and conduct standards, and those who do not — especially in the context of sexual exploitation and abuse — must be held accountable.  Noting that “accountability is a two-way street”, he said all stakeholders must abide by status-of-forces agreements, and the cooperation of host nations is critical to ensuring that peacekeepers have full access and freedom of movement to achieve their mandated tasks safely and effectively.  He also called on the Council to support integration of strategic communication into the efforts of such missions.

Gabon’s representative highlighted the efforts of United Nations peacekeeping operations that have “made a real difference” in more than a dozen countries, However, in many other cases, United Nations peace efforts have fallen far short of expectations, he said.  The tools used to approach crises must be updated, he said, underscoring that Africa — which hosts the majority of peacekeeping operations — has never enjoyed a full, legitimate place at the table.  He called on the United Nations to “reinvent itself” and provide answers that meet security challenges, and on the Council to ensure that peace operations are adapted to realities on the ground.

Mexico’s representative, spotlighting a specific reality on the ground, said studies have shown that post-traumatic stress is significant among staff working in peacekeeping operations.  He underscored Member States’ and the Council’s obligation to all aspects of peacekeepers’ challenges, whether physical or mental, stressing that better training is needed to quickly recognize the conditions that could impact the mental health of peacekeepers.  A culture of care must be promoted to ensure personnel are given the necessary psychosocial support, he said.

Source: United Nations

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks to the Africa Adaptation Summit’s High-Level Dialogue for the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), in Rotterdam, Netherlands, today:

I would like to start by warmly thanking the hosts of today’s conference, the Heads of State and Government and institutional leaders present. I must say this while regretting the absence of leaders of the G7 and the European Union at today’s important meeting towards the twenty-seventh United Nations climate change conference.  Now is the time for solidarity and keeping the promise to humankind while protecting our planet.

Let me also express my solidarity with people of Pakistan facing the worst floods in the nation’s recorded history.  Over 1,100 lives lost.  Over 6 million people needing immediate support.  Over 33 million people in total affected.  Nearly 1 million homes, 3,000 kilometres of roads, 2 million acres of crops destroyed.  It is clear that millions who are suffering contributed very little to the causes of this climate crisis.

Meanwhile, searing heatwaves, violent floods and brutal droughts continue to wreak havoc in the Horn of Africa, Pakistan, Spain and many other regions.  Therefore, the twenty-seventh United Nations climate change conference comes at a particularly challenging time.

Impacts from the war in Ukraine, exacerbating rising food and energy prices and the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are affecting lives and livelihoods around the world, and eroding international ability to confront the climate crisis.

We simply cannot afford to abandon the climate emergency.  The science is clear.  As is the Paris Agreement [on climate change] and the commitments made to people and planet.  Yet, global emissions continue to rise.  If you are living in Africa, Central or South America, South Asia or in a small island nation, you are 15 times more likely to die from a climate disaster.

Africa stands on the front lines of the climate crisis.  Years of progress are being lost and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is in jeopardy.  The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in more than 40 years, putting up to 20 million people at risk of acute food insecurity.  At least 7 million livestock have perished affecting the long-term livelihood and sustenance of millions.

Against this backdrop, global adaptation finance needs are set to grow to at least $300 billion a year by 2030.  Yet, even as the human toll of climate impacts mounts, adaptation commitments from Glasgow have stalled.  This inaction has deepened the trust deficit between developed and developing countries.  But, more importantly threatening hope for our young people.

Yesterday, at the youth adaptation forum, I heard the voices of young people across the world demanding inclusive climate action.  This is short‑sighted and self-defeating in both the long and short term.  It is abundantly clear that investments in adaptation pay huge dividends on all sides.

Investing $1.8 trillion in adaptation solutions this decade can lead avoiding $7.1 trillion in costs.  Every dollar invested in adaptation can bring up to $10 in net economic benefits.  There is no mystery to what is required.

First, developed countries must make good on the contributions that were announced to the Adaptation Fund at the twenty-sixth United Nations climate change conference.  Nine months later, the Secretariat of the Adaptation Fund is still waiting; $230 million of the $356 million pledged to the Fund has not been delivered.

Promises made must be delivered in full and on time for people and the planet we live on.  This is critical to rebuild trust in the multilateral system and our ability to prevent further loss of lives, livelihoods and the environment.

Second, the Glasgow decision urges developed countries to collectively double adaptation funding to at least $40 billion a year by 2025.  This must be delivered in full, as a base line.  Developed countries need to provide, by the twenty-seventh United Nations climate change conference, a clear road map of how and when they will deliver on this commitment.

This needs to start with the replenishment of the African Development Fund of the African Development Bank, which has supported bold adaptation action in the Sahel, the Great Green Wall, the Zambezi basin and the Horn of Africa.  And a substantial replenishment of the Green Climate Fund will also be needed in 2023.  This will be a litmus test for countries honouring their end of the Glasgow Pact.

Third, we also need to dispel the myth that adaptation is not “investment‑ready”.  At the request of the Secretary-General, we are working on an Adaptation Pipeline Accelerator that demonstrates that collaboration among public and private financiers and developing countries must be the rule for how adaptation finance is delivered.

The Accelerator is supporting countries in moving from identifying adaptation priorities, to developing an investment plan, to setting a pipeline of investable projects.  The accelerator builds on existing initiatives, such as the partnership between the Global Center on Adaptation and the African Development Bank to deliver the Africa Accelerated Adaptation programme, pledging $25 billion into adaptation within five years.

Fourth, adaptation finance cannot be disconnected from the dire fiscal situation in many developing countries.  In addition, countries need options to refinance crippling existing debt, including debt for climate adaptation swaps, where vulnerable countries can reduce their debt stock and free up resources for adaptation.  We applaud the leadership of Kristalina Georgieva in bringing to fruition the Resilience and Sustainability Trust, opening up financing to vulnerable countries especially those facing climate emergencies.

Finally, we need genuine leadership from the multilateral development banks.  It is no longer tenable for multilateral development banks to continue business as usual, when so many vulnerable people are losing their lives and livelihoods as the climate crisis worsens.

Management and shareholders must overhaul their antiquated models to make them fit for purpose and take more risk to support the transition of developing countries to renewable energy-based, climate resilient economies.  This means multilateral development banks must mainstream resilience building and vulnerability in all their investments and commit 50 per cent of their climate finance to adaptation.  The private arms of the multilateral development banks, must also make quantitative commitments to finance adaptation.

The Secretary-General’s initiative on Early Warning for All aims to ensure everyone on Earth is covered by early warning systems within the next five years.  Today, 6 out of every 10 persons in Africa lack coverage.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is finalizing the Action Plan with its core partners to deliver on this initiative at scale.  In addition, more support will also be needed to the African Risk Capacity to enable response to recovery efforts the day after a climate disaster.  I urge all of you to join and support these initiatives.  It is only when we coordinate and collaborate that we deliver results as scale.

The twenty-seventh United Nations climate change conference must also deliver a breakthrough on implementation for adaptation, and outcomes on loss and damage that address the question of finance and fully operationalize the existing institutional arrangements.  This would strengthen global efforts towards resilience and reinforce that loss and damage is about international solidarity.

Adaptation must be about more than survival in this era of climate crises.  It must mean a commitment to improving livelihoods and translate to development with dignity for all.

I look forward to the outcomes of this important meeting feeding with urgency the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, G20 and twenty-seventh United Nations climate change conference.

Source: United Nations

International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, marked on 7 September, takes place in a world where almost all the air we breathe is polluted, and some seven million people die from air pollution every year. Ahead of the Day, UN News spoke to two experts about the scale of the problem, and the solutions that already exist.

For several years, the World Health Organization has warned that practically all the air we breathe is polluted, and that it’s killing around seven million people every year: about 90 per cent of those deaths take place in low and middle-income countries.

In 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 7 September as the “International Day of Clean Air for blue skies”, and stressed the urgent need to raise public awareness at all levels, and to promote and facilitate actions to improve air quality.

Five years on, WHO scientists have concluded that the impact of air pollution kicks in at a much lower level than previously thought; is the international community taking the issue seriously? And, crucially, what can be done to tackle it?

To discuss the deadly issue, UN News spoke to two experts from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, a grouping that is hosted by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP):  Martina Otto, head of the Secretariat, and Nathan Borgford-Parnell, Coordinator of Science Affairs.

Martina Otto Air pollution has often been seen as a very local, national problem. There have been efforts by a lot of countries to bring down emissions, but definitely not at the level that is needed.

And since pollutants are travelling in the air, and often for long distances, we can’t solve this by isolated measures. It’s the air we share, and that means we also have to share the solutions.

UN News How has the situation evolved in recent years?

Nathan Borgford-Parnell Air quality has not improved dramatically over the last decade, and the World Health Organization (WHO), using a very rigorous multi-year process, put out new ambient air quality guidelines last year, which cut the level at which fine particulate matter affects health by half (from 10 microns to five microns).

UN News Low and middle-income countries are identified as being by far the worst affected regions of the world. Why is that?

Nathan Borgford-Parnell The populations there have particular vulnerabilities, linked to the technologies they use for cooking, for heating their homes, for transportation, and the kind of energy that is often used.

Also, there are factors related to the age of populations, and the very young and the very old are particularly vulnerable, often without means and access to healthcare. UN News How would you evaluate the amount of cooperation that’s taking place now compared to previous years?

Martina Otto We’ve just completed our third assessment of Africa, which brought the issue to the table of governments. We’ve used those regional assessments to discuss the issues, and there is appetite to start looking into that and we’ll see where it takes us. But we are hopeful to see much more regional cooperation.

It’s no longer a blame game. It’s about looking together at the solutions, which lie in cooperation. It’s a sustainable development issue: the very thing that keeps all of us alive breathing makes us sick as well.

UN News The right to a clean environment was adopted by the UN General Assembly in July. Why was this important?

Martina Otto Because air pollution is an issue that affects all of us, and disproportionately affects those that are most vulnerable, as Nathan explained.

There’s also an economic and gender issue to this. For example, air pollution might be bad in a certain city, but the level of pollution depends very much on neighbourhoods as well, where certain industries are located, where the wind is blowing.

We know that pollution is actually greater in poor neighbourhoods, so there is a real issue of environmental injustice.

UN News What concerns you most about the links between climate change and air pollution?

Nathan Borgford-Parnell What concerns me is that we may not get enough people to recognize that there is no separation between air pollution and climate change.

Wildfires are human driven, yet some people try to act as if they’re natural occurrences. But the precipitous increase in wildfires in recent years, and the modelling that says that we’re going to continue to see them increasing all over the world in places we couldn’t have ever imagined them, shows us that climate change will directly impact the burden of disease from air pollution caused by the wildfires.

And air pollution impacts the climate: there are no air pollutants that do not impact the climate. None. Greenhouse gases, aerosols, pollutants, they all impact the climate. The links between air pollution and climate change are legion and increasing.

However, the great benefit of the fact that these things are linked, and we can combine the climate and the air quality issues in the public health communities, and push them towards solutions that achieve benefits for all.

That is the empowering message of the Climate and Clean air Coalition, and why people have been so excited to be with us for the last decade.

UN News The Cop 27 UN climate conference is coming up in November. Will air pollution be an important part of the discussions there?

Martina Otto There will be a number of events around the issue. I think the the message is getting home, in the sense that people can already see the impacts.

We know what we need to do. There are many solutions out there that make economic sense and can get the job done. We just have to get them to scale, and put political will behind that.

For example, end the open burning of waste which allows methane to escape, and manage waste in a proper way, which is also good sense because there are economic opportunities in that process.

The issue of transport as well, how we design our cities to reduce the need for transport, and make it easier to walk and cycle safely, reducing the need for fossil fuel options by looking at alternative fuels.

There’s a long list of solutions, but they’re very concrete and they actually improve the way we live in our cities as well.

Source: United Nations