REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Corinne Momal-Vanian, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was attended by the Spokespersons for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Refugee Agency, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, World Food Programme and the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention Implementation Support Unit.

Ukraine

Mr. Colville said that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that a new UN report produced by the 34-strong OHCHR monitoring team in Ukraine showed “an alarming deterioration in the human rights situation in the east of the country, as well as serious problems emerging in Crimea, especially in relation to the Crimean Tatars.”

The High Commissioner called on “those with influence on the armed groups responsible for much of the violence in eastern Ukraine to do their utmost to rein in these men who seem bent on tearing the country apart.”

The 36-page report was the second to be produced by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, based in five Ukrainian cities, since its deployment in March. It covered the period from 2 April to 6 May.

Mr. Colville informed that, at the same moment, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonoviæ was holding a press conference in Kiev.

Gianni Magazzeni, Chief of the Americas, Europe and Central Asia Branch at the OHCHR, said that the second monthly report published by the Monitoring mission was looking into the human rights situation in the country, and aimed to establish facts and circumstances on what had happened since the events of Maydan in February 2014 and what was going on in Ukraine at the moment. OHCHR had 34 staff on the ground, nine of whom international; the main office was in Kiev, with sub-offices in L’viv, Kharkov, Donetsk and Odessa. The Odessa sub-office was also covering the human rights situation in Crimea, as OHCHR was not in a position to do direct human rights monitoring and reporting in Crimea.

Mr. Magazzeni said that the focus of the report was on what the press release of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had already indicated – the alarming deterioration of the conditions of human rights in Ukraine. Those included intimidation, harassment, attacks on journalists, unlawful detention, abductions, killing and torture. Following on the UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 on territorial integrity of Ukraine, OHCHR was also concerned about the situation in Crimea. OHCHR was primarily concerned about the Tartar Crimean community, more than 7,200 of whom had relocated to other parts of Ukraine and were now considered as internally displaced persons. That was an increase of 100 per cent over the previous month.

The impact of the Russian Federation legislation in Crimea itself was another issue raised in the report. It related to multiple subjects, such as the right to work, property, question of citizenship, operating of civil society organizations, support and care for those affected by HIV/AIDS, etc.

On whether more light could be shed on the situation with snipers on the Maydan Square in February, Mr. Magazzeni said that the issue of snipers had been very much the focus of attention of the first report. The Prosecutor General had started an investigation. At the present time, OHCHR was not in a position to provide additional elements, which was why no new information was provided in the current report. OHCHR was continuing to collect information, conduct interviews with those directly concerned, and the responsible authorities. There was a plan to issue a third report, probably on 15 June, which should provide more details on some of the issues which had been only partly answered in the first report on 15 April or in the current report.

Asked how worried OHCHR was that the current situation could descend into a more serious civil conflict, Mr. Magazzeni responded that he could not speculate, but the OHCHR was of course concerned about the situation on the ground, and the impact of armed groups, who had occupied public buildings, and later intimidated or terrorized citizens, and attacked journalists. OHCHR was looking at the implications for human rights of the current situation, and continuing to monitor those developments very closely. The report also pointed out that often time peaceful demonstrations had been interfered with by armed groups, which would results in violence and killings. Such events were serious and had huge impact on individuals. The right of individuals to peacefully demonstrate was frequently stressed by the High Commissioner.

Answering a question on whether there was any contact with the Russian Government on alleviating the conditions of people in Crimea and their citizenship, Mr. Magazzeni said that OHCHR was still hoping that its representatives would be deployed to Crimea itself and do their job on the ground there. The situation was being monitored very closely from Odessa and other locations. There were currently more than 7,200 IDPs, some of them had met with OHCHR staff. Direct communications with individuals and others in Crimea was being conducted. Mr. Magazzeni stressed however that the best option would be to operate from Crimea itself, as had been originally planned.

Asked about harassment of presidential candidates, and whether conditions were in place to have elections in only ten days, Mr. Magazzeni said that the report provided substantial information on many of them, which could certainly be further elaborated. The High Commissioner had been very clear that the 25 May elections were the best hope to establish law and order, without resorting to guns.

Answering a question on whether the report provided any clarity on which groups were responsible for different violations, Mr. Magazzeni reminded that the first report of 15 April said that there had been a lot of misinformation and propaganda. OHCHR believed that its reporting was providing more clarity on what was going on. He added that there was no evidence to justify concerns of the Russian-speaking minority, a fact that both the 15 April and 15 May reports showed. The current report pointed to the evidence on the lack of law and order, a number of human rights violations, direct influence through the guns, intimidation, threats against journalists and ordinary people. Some self-proclaimed mayors had banned some political parties. The situation seemed to point as to where human rights concerns were, and reading through the report should add to the clarity, not to the confusion.

Asked to which authorities in Crimea the recommendations were being given, Mr. Magazzeni explained that the recommendations had been made to the Government of Ukraine and to the authorities in Crimea. Mr. Magazzeni reiterated that the OHCHR mission in Ukraine was working fully in line with the General Assembly Resolution 68/262 on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Asked for more details on the abuse by armed groups ongoing in eastern Ukraine and whether it was threatening the stability of the country, Mr. Magazzeni stressed that the situation from the human rights point of view had deteriorated since the report of 15 April, particularly in the east of the country. Looking at the follow-up actions by the Government of Ukraine to the recommendations of the 15 April report, he said that only some of them had been addressed.

OHCHR was particularly concerned about the conditions of those most vulnerable, such as ethnic and linguistic minorities. Speaking the Ukrainian language in the east was much more of an issue than speaking Russian in western parts of Ukraine or Kiev itself.

On whether it appeared that Tatars who would remain in Ukraine would once again be stateless, and on their status in other parts of the country, Mr. Magazzeni stated that on 18 May there would be an anniversary of the first deportation of the Crimean Tatars. Potential additional discrimination and violations of their rights could result from the lack of citizenship or statelessness. If the current trend continued, the numbers of displaced Crimean Tatars would be more than 35,000 over one year. Mr. Magazzeni stressed that they would still be citizens of Ukraine. He reminded that most Tatar returns to Crimea had taken place in the early 1990s, after which their legal position in Ukraine had been resolved. A very important question was what the impact would be vis-à-vis their land, family or work. Those issues would continue to be discussed with all involved parties.

On the activities of right wing Ukrainian nationalists, Mr. Magazzeni responded that there might be instances of hate crimes, but more in the east than elsewhere in the country. The situation in the east, particularly actions by those acting outside of the remit of law, remained of grave concern for the OHCHR.

South Sudan

Tarik Jasareviæ, for the World Health Organization (WHO), briefed on the cholera outbreak in Juba, with one confirmed and 18 suspect cases.

Doctor Dominique Legros, working for the WHO control of epidemics diseases, who was monitoring the situation in South Sudan, reported on the situation of the displaced populations in South Sudan who lived in the refugees camps Juba. The initial cholera case had developed the first symptoms on 28April. As soon as that case had been confirmed, WHO had immediately investigated and it seemed that the person had been contaminated outside of the Juba3/UN House camp in Juba. In that camp, people had been vaccinated against cholera during the months of March and April. So far, there were no additional suspect cases in the camp, but within the city of Juba, outside of the camp, 18 suspect cases of cholera had been reported.

Dr Legros explained that it was difficult to confirm the cases by laboratory analyses in Juba because all the results had to be sent in Nairobi so it took some time. WHO did rapid testing for cholera, which could give an indication of possible cholera. The cholera plan which had been prepared in the previous months had now been activated. It meant that there were crises committees, reinforcement of surveillance, related sanitarian activities, the monitoring of the situation and the activation of all the partners on that plan.

Dr. Legros highlighted the fact that only a single case had been confirmed thus far but noted that the fact that suspected cases were reported from various areas across the city was not a very good sign. WHO would report back in two days, which was the necessary time to have the final results of the tests.

Answering a question on the threat of an epidemic, Mr. Legros stated that the highest risk of cholera was in the IDPs camp. The fact that those suspected cases were reported across the city, in case they were confirmed, meant that the bacterium had circulated and it was not something localized. In that case, it was not a good sign because it would mean that the bacterium was not concentrated in small, limited parts of the city.

Central African Republic

Christophe Boulierac, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), shared the information that UNICEF and its partners had secured the release of more than one thousand children detained by armed groups in the Central African Republic in 2014, which was more than five times the total number of children released in 2013.

Mr. Boulierac stated that since violence had escalated in December 2013, the estimated number of child soldiers had nearly doubled from 3,500 to around 6,000. There were thousands of children fighting alongside armed groups in the country torn by the war. They were used by the parties to the conflict as combatants, but not exclusively, as they were also used as cooks, porters and guardians. Those were usually traumatized children, and thus, UNICEF supported them after their release with a package of services such as medical care, psychosocial support, tracing family members with partners for their reunification and helping them return to school. The older children were receiving accelerated education.

Mr. Boulierac reminded that the armed children were only one of the issues in the CAR, which witnessed an extremely alarming situation affecting all of the population in the country, especially the children. Acute malnutrition would affect almost 30,000 children in the CAR in 2014. The education system was on its knees since the beginning of the year.

According to a UNICEF report, 194 children had been injured and killed by machete since December 2013. Therefore, the situation was extremely worrisome and needed regular and sufficient allocated funds for the humanitarian operation aimed at saving lives.

Adrian Edwards, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that after the intensification of conflict in the centre-north, more than 23,000 people had been displaced in the Kaga Bandoro area in May, a near doubling from the level of a month earlier. He also specified that after further fighting in the previous week more people had had to flee, but at present humanitarian agencies could not identify the exact numbers.

Mr. Edwards highlighted that most of the displaced were Christians, mainly women and children, while many of the men were in hiding because of the attacks of armed groups, which had killed 13 persons, as reported on 9 May.

Although some partner agencies had provided food support, the displaced urgently still needed physical protection, food, non-food items, water and sanitation, which UNHCR and its partner were providing while calling to all parties in this conflict to allow access to internally displaced people and permit the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid.

Mr. Edwards also said that not all of the displacement was recent or for the first time, explaining that among the IDPs were people who had been unable to return to their home since February.

Regarding the figures, Mr. Edwards said that UNCHR had registered 2,445 displaced people in Paoua in Ouham Pendé prefecture following an attack in early May on a nearby village. As of 13 May 2014, there were 135,050 internally displaced living in 43 sites in Bangui, compared with 142,635 the previous week. Across the CAR, the number of IDPs was estimated at about 560,050, while 115,524 Central Africans had fled to Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo since December. The close proximity to Chad had permitted 8,000 persons to seek refuge there since December and this was the reason why UNHCR had asked Chadian Authorities to continue providing access to its territory for people fleeing CAR, as well as proper access to asylum procedures.

Syria

Elisabeth Byrs, for the World Food Programme (WFP), said that the WFP had started moving more food supplies from Turkey into northeast Syria through the Nusaybin border crossing point to assist displaced families cut off from food supplies in Al-Hassakeh governorate.

A convoy of 34 trucks carrying 796 metric tons of food including sugar, lentils, rice, bulgur, tomato paste, beans, vegetable oil, pasta, salt, and wheat flour – enough to feed 58,000 people for one month – had left on 14 May and would deliver urgently needed food assistance over the following few days.

The convoy was also carrying 10 temporary warehouses to augment WFP food storage capacity in Qamishli, from where food was dispatched and distributed all over the governorate.

Ms. Byrs said that in late March, food stocks for 50,000 people had been delivered to Qamishli as part of an inter-agency, cross-border convoy carrying various forms of humanitarian aid.

Through WFP’s NGO partners, all food rations brought into Syria on the March convoy had been distributed to displaced people in towns and villages across Al-Hassakeh governorate including, Qamishli, Al-Hasakeh, Al Shaddadi, Hilwe, Tal Tamer, Al HolRas Al Ain, Derbasiyeh, Amouda, Tel Hamis, Tel Barak, Al-Malikiyeh and Jwadiyeh. The rations, originally intended for 50,000 people, had reached more than 90,000, as partners had resorted to splitting rations to cover the needs of a larger number of people.

Ms. Byrs stated that, despite continued access challenges, WFP had been able to conduct 38 monitoring visits in Al-Hassakeh governorate since the beginning of the year in both rural and urban areas.

WFP food assistance had reached 3.9 million people in Syria in April, compared to a record 4 million inside Syria reached in March, because fighting had prevented food deliveries to Ar-Raqqa and Deir Ezzor.

Some of the areas already hard hit by the conflict– mainly Aleppo, Idleb and Hama in the northwest of Syria – were also facing a looming drought, with rainfall less than half of the long-term average. That would have a serious impact on the next cereal harvest and the food security of people in this area.

Ms. Byrs stressed that the WFP needed to raise USD 41 million dollars every week to meet the food needs of Syrians affected by the conflict in Syria and in neighbouring countries.

On how many people the WFP was planning to feed in those areas, Ms. Byrs reiterated that the convoy carried enough food for 58,000 people for one month. In March, the food had been distributed to people across the Alasake Governorate.

Asked where exactly the trucks were at the moment, Ms. Byrs said that the convoy was in motion at the moment. It had departed on 14 May, and it would distribute food together with its partners on the ground, who were deciding together where and how to distribute the food supplies.

Sudan – sentencing for death for apostasy

Rupert Colville, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that OHCHR was deeply concerned about the situation of Ms. Meriam Ibrahim, the 27-year-old pregnant Sudanese woman who had been sentenced to 100 lashes and to death by Sudan’s Criminal Court on 15 May.

At a hearing on 11 May, the Court had supported the charges of apostasy and adultery against Ms. Ibrahim, nullified her marriage with a Christian man and gave her three days to “declare her return to Islam.”

Following her refusal to renounce her Christian faith, Ms. Ibrahim had been found guilty under the 1991 Criminal Act.

OHCHR was concerned about the physical and mental well-being of Ms. Ibrahim, who was in her eighth month of pregnancy; and also of her 20-month-old son, who was detained with her at the Omdurman’s Women Prison near Khartoum, reportedly in harsh conditions.

OHCHR urged the Sudanese Government to meet its obligations under international law to protect the right to freedom of religion, which was enshrined in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Sudan had ratified.

Mr. Colville stated that Article 18 read that “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in unity with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.”

The 2005 Constitution of Sudan also referred to the complete freedom to worship a religion of one’s own choosing, and the rights of men and women to marry and build a family.

The Government of Sudan should also guarantee the rights of Ms. Ibrahim and her son not to be deprived arbitrarily of their liberty as well as their right to a fair trial before an independent and impartial tribunal, in accordance with the Covenant.

Mr. Colville said that adultery should not be classified as a criminal offence nor be punishable by imprisonment, flogging or sentence of death. The criminalization, and application of the death penalty, for consensual relations between adults in private also violated a whole host of rights, including the rights to privacy, to equality and non-discrimination, freedom from torture and ill-treatment, and freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention. Under international law, the death penalty could only be applied for the most serious crimes and after the most stringent fair trial safeguards. “Most serious crimes” had been consistently interpreted by human rights mechanisms as murder and other forms of intentional killing.

Human rights mechanisms also considered any form of corporal punishment – including flogging – as incompatible with article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Asked about the treatment of men with adulterous affairs, Mr. Colville said that he was not sure if they were treated the same way, but under no conditions should such cases be considered a criminal offense.

Asked whether the High Commissioner for Human Rights would take up announcement by the Prime Minister of Malaysia that Malaysia would not allow conversion from Islam to any other faith, Mr. Colville said that the wording of Article 18 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would apply as much to Malaysia as it would to Sudan.

Maputo +15 and the Third Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention

Kerry Brinkert, for the the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention Implementation Support Unit, stated that 15 years passed since the international community had first gathered in Maputo, Mozambique to begin the historic effort to fulfil the promise made by the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction.

From 23-27 June 2014, the international community would again gather in Maputo for the Convention’s Third Review Conference or Maputo Review Conference on a Mine-Free World, committed to complete the task of ending the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines.

An event entitled “Maputo +15” would take place from 19 to 22 May at the CICG in Geneva, to highlight key issues under consideration at the Maputo Review Conference. It would be one of four events to highlight the importance of the Review Conference.

Mr. Brinkert said that Maputo +15 would also be an opportunity for panellists and guests, many of whom had been in Maputo in 1999, to reflect upon on what had been then, what was now and what would come next for the Convention.

Mr. Brinkert said that Prince Mired Raad Al-Hussein of Jordan, Chairperson of Jordan’s National Committee for Demining and Rehabilitation and special envoy for the Convention, would participate in the discussion on 20 May regarding partnerships, including those between mine-affected and other States, international organisations and civil society. Fifteen years after Maputo, it was clearer than ever that a spirit of cooperation had to prevail to overcome remaining challenges. Prince Mired would also join panellists on 21 May to discuss whether or not it was time to declare that the Convention had been sufficiently adopted or whether it should remain a concern that 35+ States had not yet acceded to the treaty.

On 22 May, panellists would engage in a conversation regarding what various actors and fora in Geneva could do to integrate victim assistance into broader development, human rights, disability and other frameworks. That was a follow up from Bridges between Worlds a conference which had been held in Colombia on 3-4 April. Juan José Quintana, Ambassador of Colombia to the United Nations in Geneva, would summarize the outcomes of that global conference.

On 28 May, an informal meeting would take place in Room VIII of the Palais des Nations, where the State Parties would discuss advanced drafts of documents that would be presented for adoption in Maputo.

The Maputo Review Conference itself would be a formal diplomatic meeting of the 161 States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, and would convene in Maputo, Mozambique on 23-27 June. It was hoped that the outcomes of the third five-year review conference would significantly contribute to enhanced efforts to assist landmine survivors and set the course for implementation during the next phase of the Convention.

Media registration was open, and the contact person was Laila Rodriguez, reachable at: press@apminebanconvention.org

Geneva activities

Ms. Momal-Vanian informed that the Conference on Disaramement would hold a public session on 20 May at 10 a.m, when the Acting Secretary-General of the Conference, Michael Møller, would address the meeting.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights had completed the consideration of country reports in the current session, and would be meeting in private until the closing session on 23 May. Reports of ten countries had been reviewed: Ukraine, Indonesia, Monaco, Lithuania, Armania, China, the Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, El Salvador and Serbia.

The Committee against Torture had finished its review of reports of Uruguay, Thailand, Sierra Leone, Holy See, Guinea, Montenegro, Cyprus and Lithuania, and would be meeting in private until 23 May, when it would issue concluding observations.

Ms. Momal-Vanian informed that a press conference by the Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, Ross Mountain, on humanitarian situation and challenges in Lebanon and the impact of the Syria crisis would take place in Press Room III on 16 May at 11:30 a.m.

The launch of the report "Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labour", which was under embargo until 20 May at 00:01, would take place in Press Room I on 19 May at 10 a.m. Speakers would include Corinne Vargha, International Labour Organization's Chief, Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Branch, and Beate Andrees, Head of the ILO Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour.

UNITAID would hold a press conference in Press Room III on 21 May at 9:30 a.m. The topics would be UNITAID’s 2013 Annual Report on market barriers keeping new treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis from reaching millions. Speakers would include Dr Arthur Chioro, Minister of Health of Brazil, Dr Philippe Douste-Blazy, Chairman of the UNITAID Executive Board and UN Under Secretary-General in charge of Innovative Financing for Development, as well as Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of UNITAID.

The United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) would present its annual health report on health crisis affecting Palestinian refugees in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, in Press Room III on 20 May at 11.30 a.m. Hard copies of the report, under embargo, were available from the UN Information Service.

Melissa Begag, for the World Trade Organization (WTO), informed about the schedule of Director-General Azevêdo. On 17 May, he would attends the APEC Trade Ministers’ meeting on "Supporting the Multilateral Trading System and Anti-protectionism" in Qingdao, China. On 19 May, DG Azevêdo would meet with senior government officials in Beijing, China, where he would also give a lecture at the University of International Business and Economics. On 20 and 21 May, DG Azevêdo would meet with senior government officials in Tokyo, Japan. On 21 May, he would also give a speech to KEIDANREN and addresses the JETRO on "The Future of the WTO and the role of Japan"

Ms. Begag also informed that the WTO Dispute Settlement Body would convene on 23 May at 10 a.m.

Mr. Jasareviæ reminded the journalists that the Sixty-seventh session of the World Health Assembly would take place in Geneva on 19–24 May 2014 and the WHO spokespersons would be at the journalists’ disposal. Answering to a question on the possibility to interview the first lady of Zambia and Melinda Gates, Mr. Jasareviæ said that he would provide the contact of Melinda Gates’s press office. For the First Lady of Zambia, WHO was working to organize a meeting in case there was interest in meeting her.

The representatives of the International Labour Organization, International Organization for Migration and the Inter-Parliamentary Union also attended the briefing, but did not brief.
The webcast for this briefing is available here: … http://webtv.un.org/media/geneva-press-briefings/watch/geneva-press-briefing-whowtoohchrunicefhcriomwfp/3570326488001