Category: General

According to the analysis prepared by the United Nations ahead of the commemoration of World AIDS Day, it is inequalities that are preventing the end of AIDS. On current trends, the world will be unable to meet the agreed global targets on AIDS. In this sense, the new UNAIDS report, Dangerous Inequalities, insists on a series of urgent actions to address the inequalities that can jump-start the AIDS response.

Earlier this year UNAIDS already warned that the response to AIDS is in danger as a result of the increase in the number of new infections and the continuing deaths in many parts of the world. Now a new UNAIDS report brings to light the underlying reason: the world’s inequalities. This report presents world leaders as protagonists to end inequalities and asks them to be courageous to carry out what the tests themselves are asking of us.

Dangerous Inequalities reveals the impact on the AIDS response of gender inequalities, inequalities faced by key populations, and inequalities between children and adults. Furthermore, it highlights how worsening financial constraints now make it more difficult to address these inequalities.

The report also shows how gender inequalities and harmful gender norms are slowing down the end of the AIDS pandemic.

“The world will never be able to defeat AIDS if we continue to reinforce patriarchy,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. «We have to face all these inequalities of which women are victims. In areas with a high burden of HIV, women subjected to intimate partner violence face a 50% higher chance of contracting HIV. In 33 countries between 2015 and 2021, only 41% of married women aged 15-24 could make their own sexual health decisions. In this context, the only effective roadmap to end AIDS, achieve the sustainable development goals and ensure health, rights and shared prosperity is a feminist roadmap. Women’s rights organizations and movements are already on the front lines doing this bold work. Leaders need us to support them and learn from them.”

The effects of gender inequalities on women’s HIV risks are especially pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa, where women accounted for 63% of new HIV infections in 2021.

In sub-Saharan Africa, adolescent girls and young women (ages 15-24) are three times more likely to contract HIV than adolescents and young men in the same age group. The determining factor is strength. According to one study, allowing girls to stay in school until they complete secondary education reduces their vulnerability to HIV infection by up to 50%. When this is reinforced with a training support package, the risks for girls are further reduced. Leaders must ensure that all girls can attend school and are safe from violence, often normalized even through child marriages, and that an economic path is opened for them to enjoy a hopeful path.

By disrupting power dynamics, policies can reduce girls’ vulnerability to HIV.

Harmful masculinities discourage men from seeking medical care. In 2021, while 80% of women living with HIV were accessing treatment, only 70% of men were on treatment. Precisely for this reason, to stop the advance of the pandemic, it is essential to increase gender-transformative programs in many parts of the world. Advancing gender equality will benefit us all.

The report shows that the AIDS response is being held back by inequalities in access to treatment between adults and children. While more than three quarters of adults living with HIV are on antiretroviral treatment, just over half of children living with HIV are receiving life-saving treatment. And this has had deadly consequences. In 2021, children represented 4% of all people living with HIV, although they alone accounted for 15% of all AIDS-related deaths. Clearly closing the treatment gap for children will save lives.

Discrimination, stigma and criminalization of key population groups are costing lives and preventing the world from reaching agreed AIDS targets.

The new analyzes do not show a significant decline in new infections among gay men and other men who have sex with men in the West and Central African regions, and in the Eastern and Southern African regions. Failing to make progress in key population groups in the face of an infectious virus undermines the entire AIDS response and helps explain the slowdown in progress.

Worldwide, more than 68 countries still criminalize same-sex sexual relations. Another analysis echoed in the report underscores that gay men and other men who have sex with men living in African countries with the most repressive laws are more than three times less likely to know their HIV status than their counterparts living in countries with the least repressive laws, where progress moves much faster. Sex workers living in countries where sex work is criminalized are seven times more likely to be living with HIV than those from countries where sex work is legal or partially legal.

The report shows us that progress is indeed possible to end inequalities, and highlights areas where the AIDS response has already made notable progress. For example, while surveys among key populations often reveal lower service coverage among them, three counties in Kenya have achieved higher HIV treatment coverage among sex workers than among the general population of women. (between 15 and 49 years old). This has been supported by a strong HIV program over many years, including, among other things, community-led services.

“We know what we have to do to end inequalities,” said Ms Byanyima. “We have to make sure that all our girls can go to school, are safe and strong. We must address issues related to gender violence. We have to give our support to women’s organizations. Foster healthy masculinities: replace harmful behaviors that exacerbate risks for all. Ensure that services for children living with HIV reach them and meet their needs, in order to close the treatment gap so that we end childhood AIDS for good. Decriminalize people in same-sex relationships, sex workers and drug users,

The new report reflects that donor funding is helping to catalyze increased domestic funding: increases in external HIV funding for PEPFAR and Global Fund countries during 2018-2021 were correlated with increases in domestic funding from most national governments. New investment is urgently needed to address HIV-related inequalities. Just when international solidarity and the need for financing are needed more than ever, too many rich countries have decided to cut aid for global health. In 2021, the funding available for HIV programs in low- and middle-income countries was reduced by US$8 billion.

Budgets must prioritize the health and well-being of all people, especially vulnerable populations most affected by HIV-related inequalities. There is a need to expand the fiscal space for health investments in low- and middle-income countries, including through substantial debt cancellation and progressive taxation. Ending AIDS is much less expensive than not ending AIDS.

In 2021, 650,000 people lost their lives due to AIDS and 1.5 million new HIV infections were recorded.

“It is self-evident what world leaders have to do, there is no question about it,” said Ms Byanyima. «In a single word: Match. Equal access to rights, equal access to services, equal access to the best science and the best medicine. By matching, we won’t just be helping the marginalized. We will be helping everyone.”

Source: UNAIDS

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has published the first report on the state of the world’s water resources , assessing the effects of climate, environmental and social change on the Earth’s water resources. . The objective of this annual balance sheet is to support the monitoring and management of the world’s freshwater resources at a time characterized by increasing demand and limited supply.

The report provides a summary of the river flow, as well as the main floods and droughts. Perspectives are offered on hotspots in terms of changes in freshwater storage, while highlighting the essential role and vulnerability of the cryosphere (snow and ice).

The report notes that drier-than-normal conditions were recorded across large areas of the planet in 2021, a year in which rainfall distribution was influenced by climate change and a La Niña episode. The area with below-mean stream flow was approximately twice as large as the area above the mean, compared to the 30-year hydrologic mean.

“The impacts of climate change tend to manifest themselves through water, with more intense and frequent droughts, more extreme floods, more irregular seasonal rains and the acceleration of the melting of glaciers, and generate cascading effects on economies, ecosystems and all aspects of our daily lives. However, insufficient knowledge is available on changes in the distribution, quantity and quality of freshwater resources,” said WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas.

“The State of the World’s Water Resources report aims to fill this knowledge gap and provide a concise overview of water availability in different parts of the world. These data will guide investments in climate-linked mitigation and adaptation activities, as well as the United Nations campaign to focus on providing universal access within the next five years to early warnings of hazards such as floods and droughts.” added Professor Taalas.

Currently, 3.6 billion people have inadequate access to water for at least one month of the year, and this number is projected to increase to more than 5 billion by 2050. Between 2001 and 2018, UN-Water gave to know that 74% of all natural disasters were related to water. At the recent United Nations climate change conference (27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), governments were urged to further integrate water into adaptation initiatives, which It marks the first time that water has been referred to in an outcome document of a Conference of the Parties in recognition of its critical importance.

In the first edition of the report, river flow is examined, that is, the volume of water that flows through a river channel at a given time. Likewise, terrestrial water storage is evaluated, that is, all the water found on the terrestrial surface and subsurface and the cryosphere (frozen water).

The information and supplementary maps are based primarily on modeled data (for maximum geographic coverage) as well as remotely sensed information from the Gravity Recovery Experiment and Climate (GRACE) land-based water storage mission. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Model results were validated against observed data, where available.

In the report, the lack of verified and accessible hydrological data is emphasized. The WMO Unified Data Policy seeks to accelerate the availability and sharing of hydrological data, including information on river flows and transboundary river basins.

River flow

Drier-than-normal conditions were recorded in 2021 over large areas of the globe, compared to the average 30-year reference hydrological period.

Among them, it is worth mentioning the Río de la Plata area in South America, where a persistent drought has affected the region since 2019, the south and southeast of the Amazon, and some basins in North America, for example, the of the Colorado, Missouri, and Mississippi rivers.

In Africa, some rivers, including the Niger, Volta, Nile, and Congo, had lower-than-normal flows in 2021. Also, some rivers in parts of Russia, western Siberia, and Central Asia had below-average flows. in 2021.

Higher-than-normal river flows were observed in some basins in North America, northern Amazonia, and southern Africa (Zambezi and Orange), as well as in China (the Amur River basin) and northern India.

Approximately one third of the areas analyzed corresponded to the 30-year average.

Major floods with many casualties have been reported, for example, in China (Henan Province), northern India, western Europe and tropical cyclone-affected countries such as Mozambique, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia have faced several consecutive years of below-average rainfall that have caused a regional drought.

Source: World Meteorological Organization

This Platform for Action is a sister document to the Call to Action to Ensure the Rights and Wellbeing of Children Born of Sexual Violence in Conflict (CtA). While the CtA represents a pledge to work with and for children born of conflict-related sexual violence, this Platform outlines how we will do this. It provides context for understanding the challenges faced by children born of conflict-related sexual violence and outlines a set of urgent priorities for addressing these challenges, providing a framework for coordinated action.

Governments, UN entities and civil society organisations are encouraged to concurrently endorse the CtA and make commitments under this Platform. Commitments are being compiled by the PSVI Team in the UK Foreign,

Commonwealth and Development Office, as coordinators of this initiative.

Overview

Sexual violence is too often a reality for all people living in conflict zones around the world, particularly women and children. The circumstances in which sexual violence is committed can vary. For instance, it may be used by military forces as a tactic of war and/or may amount to torture. As outlined in the Secretary-General’s 2022 report Women and girls who become pregnant as a result of sexual violence in conflict and children born of sexual violence in conflict, one of the ways armed actors have used sexual violence as a tactic of war and ‘ethnic cleansing,’ including forcibly impregnating women and girls. Military personnel, peacekeepers and humanitarian workers may also opportunistically commit sexual violence amidst a breakdown in rule of law during and following conflict. Crimes involving sexual violence have been documented in Colombia, Rwanda, Uganda and the former Yugoslavia, and are being reported in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and elsewhere.

The root causes of sexual violence, as with all forms of gender-based violence, lie in structural gender inequalities and patriarchalnorms. These are further compounded and intensified by the widespread societal acceptance of men’s use of violence against women, girls and boys with impunity. Women and girls then face further barriers with a lack of access to appropriate sexual and reproductive health services particularly in fragile and conflict affected states to ensure immediate and longer-term medical care.

Furthermore, a society’s understanding of ‘childhood,’ including at what age childhood ends, what agency or vulnerabilities are inherent at different ages and stages, and what role communities have in protecting children, can also increase the risk of violence against them. Sexual violence is used as a tactic to terrorise and demoralise communities and so children may be specifically targeted to maximise fear in the community.

In such situations, child survivors’ and children born of conflict-related sexual violence’s vulnerability “to abduction, recruitment and use by armed groups and forces and to conflict-driven trafficking and sexual exploitation” is increased.

While there is no comprehensive data on the exact number of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence who give birth to children as a result, it is estimated that 20,000 children were born from conflict-related sexual violence during the civil war in Sierra Leone alone. Given the perpetration of sexual violence has been and continues to be witnessed in conflicts the world over, the true global figure is likely to be significantly higher, with children born of conflict-related sexual violence in every region of the world. While no two contexts are the same, the mental, physical, emotional, social, economic, political and security costs of sexual violence can be devastating. These consequences deeply affect survivors, including those who become pregnant as a result and their children, who are often marginalised, their needs ignored, and their rights violated and abused.

Some children born of conflict-related sexual violence have expressed feeling ‘invisible’ and ‘unrecognised,’ and of remaining ‘in the shadow of war’ even after the war has ended.7 The barriers they face have lifelong impacts on their ability to live life in all its fullness, in turn impacting their futures and those of their communities and nations. Furthermore, for every child born of sexual violence, there is a woman or girl whose life chances may have been dramatically affected and whose relationship (or absence of any relationship) with the child can lead to mental health impacts for years to come. Some adolescents face stigma and discrimination when pregnant which may be further compounded by a pregnancy from sexual violence. And yet, survivors and children born of conflict-related sexual violence demonstrate great strength and resilience, which must be supported through active engagement and further empowerment.

Source: Government of the United Kingdom

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Harold Adlai Agyeman

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the attack perpetrated on 24 November against the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) near Obo, following which one peacekeeper from Morocco was killed.

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the peacekeeper killed, as well as to Morocco. They also expressed their condolences to the United Nations.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes and reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law. They called on the Government of the Central African Republic to swiftly investigate this attack with the support of MINUSCA, promote accountability for such acts by bringing perpetrators to justice and keep the relevant troop-contributing country informed of the progress consistent with Security Council resolutions 2518 (2020) and 2589 (2021). They stressed that involvement in planning, directing, sponsoring or conducting attacks against MINUSCA peacekeepers constitutes a basis for sanctions designations pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their full support for MINUSCA and expressed their deep appreciation to MINUSCA’s troop- and police-contributing countries.

The members of the Security Council further stressed the importance of MINUSCA having the necessary capacities to fulfil its mandate and promote the safety and security of the United Nations peacekeepers, pursuant to Security Council resolution 2659 (2022).

The members of the Security Council reiterated their strong support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Central African Republic, Valentine Rugwabiza, and for MINUSCA to assist the Central African Republic authorities and the people of the Central African Republic in their efforts to bring lasting peace and stability, as mandated by the Security Council in resolution 2659 (2022).

Source: UN Security Council

Women constituted 58% of respondents

The largest age group was between 18-29 years old (38%)

The 31% TCNs mostly originated from Nigeria (25%), Azerbaijan (18%), Turkmenistan (11%) and India (10%)

The most common areas of origin were: City of Kyiv (22%); Kharkivska (18%); Zakarpatska (11%)

60% of respondents travelled in group and 77% were separated from at least some immediate family members

432 respondents had identification documents. The majority (90%) held passports

52% of respondents had an occupation in Ukraine, while 21% had a job in Hungary

433 interviewees obtained secondary or higher education

Accommodation was the main reported need (40%)

How to find a job opportunity was the main information need (38%) and social media was the preferred communication means (76%)

The top final intended destinations were Hungary (34%), Germany (19%) and Austria (13%)

BACKGROUND

Since 24 February 2022, refugees from Ukraine and Third Country Nationals (TCNs) have been fleeing to neighbouring countries as a result of the war. 31,290 refugees from Ukraine and TCNs were registered in Hungary as of 8 November 2022, according to UNHCR

Source: International Organization for Migration

BUJUMBURA, The Burundi government has indicated that it will not allow the importation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the country despite some East African Community member states opening up for the products.

“GMO is not allowed in Burundi, not even importing them; they are totally prohibited. It’s only the hybrids and even [for] the hybrids, you have to get an authorisation to import,” the director-general of mobilisation for self-development and agriculture extension Clement Ndikumasabo said.

This comes as Kenya has for the first time allowed for the importation of genetically modified maize to address the food crisis in the country where millions are said to be at risk of starvation. However, this has been met with opposition from certain quarters, especially by leaders from the country’s maize-growing Rift Valley region.

At least 4.2 million Kenyans, especially in pastoralist areas, are facing hunger due to severe drought that has persisted for prolonged periods, leading to food shortage.

“Indeed, there is no sound justification for this as the region has the capacity and capabilities to produce non-GMO products. Our message is clear that we should encourage and promote organic products as opposed to GMOs,” said John Bosco Kalisa the East African Business Council CEO.

With Burundian law prohibiting the importation of genetically modified products, experts have warned that lack of proper equipment may see GMOs imported into the country.

Willy Irakoze, a research director at the Burundi Institute of Agronomic Science (ISABU), decried the absence of equipment capable of detecting the entrance of GMOs into the country, calling for better ways to protect the lives of Burundians and the environment.

“The GMO is not eligible in Burundi but what is worrying is that at the border or at the airport, we do not have equipment and personnel capable of detecting if it is the GMO that is entering or not. So, it is difficult to say that there are no GMOs in Burundi,” he said.

According to the Burundian government, a batch of 120 tonnes of PAN 53 maize seeds was received at the Kobero border in Muyinga Province from Zambia while another six hundred tonnes are on the way.

Irakoze admitted that hybrid corn is more profitable in terms of production than composite maize and that the certified hybrid corn can contribute to the change of farmers’ lives “because they are three to four times more profitable in terms of production than composite maize”.

Burundi currently imports PAN 53 maize seeds while some local companies produce the Longe 7 H seeds, the type of certified corn in Burundi that meets the same characteristics as PAN 53 in terms of production. According to agriculturalists, both PAN 53 and Longe 7H are not GMOs.

“As mentioned earlier, they are hybrids which means that they have been selected because they meet desirable characteristics, such as disease resistance,” Irakoze.

“GMO means that before cross-breeding it, we import the gene from an organism (another species) other than maize or simply we import the gene from an animal and we inject it into the corn,” he explained.

“It is urgent for the government to strengthen the institutions that control quarantine so that imported food is subjected to analysis in well-equipped laboratories but also with personnel who also have the necessary means and the capacities required,” he added.

According to ISABU, Burundi should invest in the establishment of laboratories and capacity building on the plant protection department and the Burundi Bureau of Standards.

“First of all, you must ensure that biosafety has been well controlled, this means that after injecting a GMO from another organism into a plant such as corn, it can cause metabolites that are very harmful to human health. These metabolites produced must be checked before releasing them to be sure at 100 percent that there is no negative impact on human health or the environment,” said the ISABU research director.

Source: Nam News Network