REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Rhéal LeBlanc, Chief, Press and External Relations Section, United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing attended by spokespersons of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Programme, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN-Water, the International Labour Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Organization for Migration, the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization.

Geneva activities

Human Rights Council

Rolando Gomez for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that ahead of the International Day for the elimination of racial discrimination on 21 March, the Human Rights Council would hold two panel discussions on 18 March, and more events on the 21^st.

On 18 March, the Human Rights Council was holding (from 9 a.m. to noon) a panel discussion on the incompatibility between democracy and racism. The panellists were addressing human rights challenges to democratic values posed by extremist political parties, movements and groups, and the role of Government authorities to prevent and eliminate racism. In her opening speech, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kate Gilmore, noted that in many parts of the world today there was a resurgence of movements expressing racial, religious, national or ethnic hatred, in particular in the context of the current migration crisis. Thereafter, the Council would consider the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Sao Tome and Principe, before holding a general debate on item 5, which speaks to subsidiary bodies of the Council, and then on the UPR. In the afternoon of 18 March, the Council would hold a panel discussion on the state of racial discrimination worldwide, “Challenges and achievements of the Durban declaration and programme of action, 15 years after”.

On 21 March at 9 a.m., the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Makarim Wibisono, who had tendered his resignation in December 2015, would present his report, followed by an interactive discussion. A general debate on that item would then follow, as well as a general debate on racism and racial discrimination. At the end of that day, there would be an oral update from the independent expert on the Central African Republic, Marie-Thérèse Keita Bocoum. The experts on Burundi would speak on 22 March in the morning. Mr. Gomez also said that 33 resolutions had been tabled to the Human Rights Council for consideration on 23 and 24 March. Six more would be tabled today.

Conference on Disarmament and Committees

Mr. LeBlanc said that the Conference on Disarmament (CD) would hold its next public meeting, under the Presidency of Pakistan, on 22 March at 10 a.m. The Presidency of Norway would be officially ending on 20 March. After Nigeria, Norway and Pakistan, the CD would be successively chaired in 2016 by Peru, Poland and the Republic of Korea.

The Human Rights Committee would achieve on 18 March in the morning its review of the report of Rwanda, begun on 17 March (it would be the last State Party report to be reviewed for the current session, ending on 31 March). On 18 March in the afternoon, the Committee would review its General Comment on Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (related to Right to life).

In the week of 21 March, the Committee would continue its review of General Comment on Article 6 on 21 and 22 March. It would also hold a public meeting on 21 March in the morning to hear the presentation of reports from its Special Rapporteur on the follow-up of concluding observations and from its Special Rapporteur on the follow-up of views (i.e views adopted concerning communications received under the Protocol to the Covenant). The Committee would then meet in private for the rest of the session. At the end of the session, on 31 March, the Committee would issue its concluding observations on the seven States Parties whose reports had been reviewed during the 116th session: South Africa, Namibia, Sweden, New Zealand, Slovenia, Costa Rica and Rwanda.

The Committee on Enforced Disappearances would close on 18 March its tenth session and would therefore issue its concluding observations on the three countries whose reports had been reviewed during this two-week session: Tunisia, Burkina Faso and Kazakhstan.

Press conferences and other announcements

Mr. LeBlanc announced a stakeout by the UN Special Envoy on Syria on 18 March at approximately 5:30 p.m. in Hall XIV.

Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), announced a press conference on 18 March at 11:30 a.m. in Room III, launching the Atlas of Environmental Migration (French version) as part of a collaboration between IOM and Sciences Po Paris. The speakers would be Dina Ionesco, Head of the Migration, Environment and Climate Change Division (IOM), Gervais Appave, Senior Policy Advisor (IOM) and Otto Simonett, Director, Zoï Environment network and cartographer partner for the Atlas.

Claire Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), briefed the press in advance of World Meteorological Day on 23 March. “Hotter, Drier, Wetter, Face the Future” would be the theme, as climate change was bringing about more intense heat waves and rainfall, as well as drought. Ms. Nullis announced a press conference on 21 March at 2 p.m. in Room III, on “The global climate and extreme weather events” in the run up to World Meteorological Day. The speakers would be Petteri Taalas, the new WMO Secretary-General, David Carlson, Director, World Climate Research Programme, and Omar Baddour, Scientific Coordinator. The press conference would focus on the presentation of WMO’s annual statement on the state of climate in 2015, the hottest year on record. The state of climate during the first three months of 2016 would also be examined. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had reported on 17 March that February 2016 had been by far the warmest February on record, and the latest winter had been also the warmest winter on record. The press release for the 21 March briefing would be sent to the press on 18 March under embargo.

In response to a question, Clare Nullis announced that the press would be invited to the ceremony at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday 23 March. Two guest speakers would be present, a French scientist who was the co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group I, and the new head of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Tarek Jasarevic, for the World Health Organization (WHO), announced a virtual press conference on 22 March at 4 p.m. with the WHO Director General, on work being done by WHO on Zika virus and neurological disorders. On 22 March, a press briefing from 10 to 10:30 a.m. on tuberculosis would take place, in advance of World TB Day on 24 March. A note had also been sent out on two confirmed cases of Ebola in Guinea.

Jessica Hermosa, for the World Trade Organization (WTO), provided some details on the Dispute settlement body’s upcoming agenda in the week of 21 March, including Mexico’s request regarding an appellate body ruling on dolphin-safe tuna, and Russia’s request for a panel to hear its case against Ukraine’s measures on imported ammonium nitrate. Members would also hear a report on negotiations for rules on items like fishery subsidies, anti-dumping and regional trade agreements. There would also be a trade policy review of the Maldives. WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo would be visiting Buenos Aires, for meetings with senior Argentinian Government officials and private sector representatives.

Syria

A journalist asked whether the fact that the Special Envoy was meeting the Government, the opposition and other groups on the same day could be seen as a positive sign. Mr LeBlanc answered that it was indeed positive that talks had been ongoing all week. He added that the UN Special Envoy would provide more details at the stakeout in the afternoon, scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that on the evening of 17 March inter-agency convoys to Madaya and Zabadani in rural Damascus, and to Foah and Kefraya in Idlib Governorate, had returned, after having successfully delivered sanitation and hygiene items as well as health, nutrition and basic household items to a combined 60,000 people in those four locations. The convoys consisted of more than 60 UN and ICRC trucks combined. With this delivery, the initial humanitarian plan for those four towns had been completed. Overall, nearly 260,000 people in need had been reached by interagency convoys in 2016. Much more was needed, however, and the UN continued to call for unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to all 4.6 million people in besieged and hard-to-reach locations.

In response to a question, Mr. Laerke reiterated that that had been the last in a series of deliveries to a combined 60,000 people. Those people had been reached before with other kinds of relief.

In response to another question, Mr. Laerke said that no-one had been left behind in those four locations on 17 March. He also said that to his knowledge, no sick people had been taken out in UN vehicles.

Bettina Luescher, for the World Food Programme (WFP), said that WFP and its partners had distributed food to 2.8 million people all over Syria in the month of March so far. Every month, 4 million people were reached. In response to a question, she said that WFP was still working on the preparation of airdrops to Deir ez-Zor. A trial drop had been conducted in Jordan. New parachute systems and a different kind of aircraft were being considered. WFP was also working with local partners in Deir ez-Zor to improve conditions in the drop zone, for better accuracy and better handling of the pallets. Ms. Luescher underlined that airdrops of humanitarian supplies from such a high altitude were unprecedented and very challenging. There were no dates scheduled as of yet. In response to another question, she said that for the first airdrop a private Russian company with experience in that type of airdrops had been contracted. This was typical procedure for logistical work done by the WFP in many places as part of a big international aid operation.

Christophe Boulierac, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said that UNICEF had been part of the convoys to the besieged areas and that the delivery of supplies was of course essential, but that unlimited, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access was also very important and urgently needed. Medical staff needed to stay in those areas to conduct medical and nutritional assessments, provide medical assistance, and proceed to evacuations.

He also said that recently, UNICEF had documented specific cases where nutritional supplies were not allowed to some besieged locations. UNICEF was continuing its advocacy with the Government of Syria to allow surgical and medical kits on the convoys, and was calling on all parties to the conflict to help facilitate the delivery of much-needed medical supplies, and to stop attacking civilians, schools and hospitals.

Tarek Jasarevic, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that many challenges limited the possibilities of conducting health assessments. The visits of the convoys were very limited in time and often happened at night. Moreover, health supplies had to be used by qualified medical staff. This was why continuous access was needed, so that medical staff can use medicines and vaccines in the correct way. The removal or surgical items had been systematically done in past years, in East Ghouta and in Moadamiya. Some other supplies had also been barred from entering, medicines for non-communicable diseases, even antibiotics.

He also said that in order to determine which individuals needed to be evacuated, people had to be examined first, and quite often there was a lack of medical staff who could provide proper medical examinations and recommendations. WHO was advocating for the Syrian Red Crescent to be able to get in with their trained volunteers and medical staff to conduct door-to-door assessments.

In response to a question, Mr. Jasarevic clarified that the surgical items were not being removed from boxes, like it had been the case before, but that a list of proposed items was being submitted ahead of time and was then being returned by the authorities, with some items crossed out. He also said that in some areas there were well-trained staff, for example in East Ghouta there was a functioning health facility, but in other areas, like Madaya and Moadamiya there was a very limited number of health workers.

In response to another question, he said that the lists of items for the convoys were sent ahead of time to the Ministry of Health, who then sent them to security, responsible for issuing approvals for specific items.

Water and jobs

Daniella Bostrom Couffe, for UN-WATER, said that on 22 March, which was World Water Day, the 2016 edition of the annual World Water Development Report would be launched. The theme of the 2016 edition was “Water and Jobs”, and looked at water and jobs as drivers of economic growth, human development and environmental sustainability. She stressed that today half of the world’s workers worked in water-related sectors and nearly all jobs depended on water and those that ensure its safe delivery. However, millions of those workers were not recognized and not even protected by basic labor rights. The report would be embargoed until 22 March at midnight.

She then introduced Carlos Carrion Crespo, Public Service Sector Specialist at the International Labour Organization (ILO). The Organization had been instrumental in developing the report. Mr. Crespo presented the main messages of the report. With so many workers depending on water, the quality and quantity of water supply and sanitation influenced the quality and the quantity of the jobs of those water-related sectors. If the economy were a living being, “water would be its blood”. Conversely, employment policies and different mechanisms to improve the quality and the quantity of the jobs were also going to influence the quality and quantity of water supply and sanitation. Employment, intensive investment practices, public employment services, skills-building mechanisms, mechanisms that improved the participation of workers and communities that worked in providing water, all influenced how the smart policies were going be designed and implemented. Finally, climate change would involve a change in technologies and adaptation measures. This would create new job opportunities, but also require a transition away from jobs which would need to be phased out. Policies accompanying that transition would be very important.

Migrants/Mediterranean

Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), briefed the press on a new report about the prevalence of human trafficking and exploitation along the eastern Mediterranean migration route, based on a survey conducted in several languages among migrants and refugees. Close to 9 per cent of migrants reported having been subjected to instances of trafficking, including exploitation for jobs they had not been paid for, forced captivity, up to and including body part donations (mainly sale of plasma and blood).

He then introduced Harry Cook, Project Officer in the Migrant Assistance Division of the IOM, who briefed the press on the main findings of the survey. The anonymous survey had been a first attempt to corroborate anecdotal reports of trafficking along the eastern Mediterranean route, and to try and quantify the problem, by asking individuals (sample size 2,385) about their direct experience. The survey had been an extension of flow monitoring activities already underway, and would be continued. Some 3.4 per cent of respondents had experience exploitative practices. Nearly 1 per cent had been approached by someone offering to arrange a marriage (2.5 per cent among women). About 2 per cent of respondents had said that they had been held against their will at some point during the journey. In total, 7.2 per cent of respondents had directly experienced exploitative practices. Also, some 0.9 per cent had said that they had known of instances where people had been offered cash in exchange for blood, organs or body parts along the journey. Mr. Cook said that was a very underreported area. In general, Afghans, Syrians, Iraqis and Pakistanis were most affected by the exploitative practices, mainly males, between 20 and 30 years of age.

In response to a question, Mr. Cook said that IOM assisted some 7,000 victims of trafficking every year, of those under 10 people had been trafficked for organs or blood, but it was underreported. To better assess the prevalence of the phenomenon along the eastern Mediterranean route, the survey would be fine-tuned and IOM would work with the appropriate partners to address the issue.

On the topic of Mediterranean arrivals, Mr. Millman said that that the Libya-Italy route had been getting very active. Over 2,000 migrants had been rescued within the past three days, and there was a report early in the morning of 18 March of four more deaths off the Libyan coast. The reported total of 467 deaths as of 18 March may have come late. He also clarified that IOM was still trying to capture the moment when the millionth seaborne migrant would arrive in Greece. The increase in numbers had been remarkably slow, with 82 migrants reported on 15 March and 140 on 14 March.

In response to a question, Mr. Millman said that many different reasons, from bad weather to announcements about border closures, were capable of influencing the flows of migrants from one day to the next. Whether Turkey wanted to demonstrate its efficiency in advance of an agreement with the EU was in the realm of speculation. No substantive stop to the flows was to be expected until a peaceful solution would be found in Syria.

Yemen

Rupert Colville, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that in the wake of another deadly airstrike that had killed some 106 civilians in a crowded village market in north-western Yemen, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein was condemning the repeated failure of the Coalition forces to take effective actions to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, and to publish transparent, independent investigations into those that had already occurred. The carnage caused by two airstrikes on the Al Khamees market, in north-western Yemen on 15 March, had been one of the deadliest incidents since the start of the conflict, and it had been the second such incident within the previous three weeks.

UN Human Rights Office staff in Yemen, who had visited the site of the attack in northern Hajja Governorate on 16 March and had interviewed a number of eyewitnesses, had said the airstrikes had completely destroyed 16 shops in the Al Khamees market. The attack had apparently taken place during the afternoon rush hour. There had been 24 children among the 106 people reported dead so far. UN staff had recorded the names of 96 of the victims, although a further 10 bodies had been burned beyond recognition. More than 40 other people had been reported to have been injured.

Since the beginning of the conflict a year ago, the UN Human Rights Office had recorded a total of just under 9,000 casualties including 3,218 civilians killed and a further 5,778 injured (from 26 March 2015 to 17 March 2016). The UN human rights staff could find no evidence of any armed confrontation or significant military objects in the area at the time of the attack, beyond the presence of a check-point some 250 meters away from the market usually manned by a small group of policemen and Houthis.

The coalition had been reported to be responsible for twice as many civilian casualties as all other forces put together, virtually all as a result of airstrikes. They had hit markets, hospitals, clinics, schools, factories, wedding parties – and hundreds of private residences in villages, towns and cities including the capital Sana’a. Despite plenty of international demarches, these awful incidents continued to occur with unacceptable regularity. In addition, despite public promises to investigate such incidents, progress was yet to be seen in any such investigations.

It would appear to be the case that the distinction between legitimate military targets and civilian ones -- which were protected under international law -- was at best woefully inadequate, and at worst, there was a possibility of commission of international crimes by members of the Coalition. There was an obligation to distinguish at all times between military targets and civilians. The Houthis and their allies had also been responsible for indiscriminate ground attacks resulting in civilian casualties, which the High Commissioner also condemned and which could qualify, likewise, as international crimes.

In response to a question, Mr. Colville said, regarding the characterization of different types of crimes, that crimes against humanity had a widespread and systematic nature. War crimes could be specific, single incidents. No characterization could be made in this case without a substantive investigation, but the regularity of the attacks was disturbing. The recent attack had been one of the worst in the series. He also said that although the coalition’s spokesman had indicated on 17 March that Saudi Arabia had been planning to scale back major combat operations, it appeared that they would not stop altogether, and there had been no major official announcement. The first anniversary of the conflict was approaching, and massive damage had been done to the country. Mr. Colville clarified that “international crimes” comprised war crimes, crimes against humanity and grave violations of human rights.

Bahrain

Mr. Colville said that OHCHR was deeply troubled by the arrest on 14 March in Bahrain of the social media activist and human rights defender, Zainab Al Khawaja, who had been detained along with her one-and-a-half year old son. Ms. Al Khawaja had been previously convicted on a number of charges, including insulting the King. Her father, who had co-founded the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, had been in jail since 2011, serving a life sentence. There were also unconfirmed reports that Ms. Al Khawaja’s infant son had been denied a birth certificate.

In 2014, amendments to the citizenship law had enabled the Government to revoke the citizenship of any Bahraini who “caused harm to the interests of the Kingdom,” failed in his or her duty of “loyalty,” or assisted “a hostile state.” At least 250 people had reportedly been stripped of their citizenship as a result, including 72 people in January 2016 alone. Those who lost their citizenship were forced to return their passports and ID cards and apply for residency permits or alternatively leave the country. Four such people had been deported since the beginning of February. Under international law, loss or deprivation of nationality that did not serve a legitimate aim, or was not proportionate, was arbitrary and therefore prohibited. Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights said explicitly: “Everyone has the right to a nationality” and “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality…”. More details were available in the press release.