REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons for the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Human Rights Council, the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization, the Human Rights Council, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Women in parliaments

Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), said he was pleased to report that, following 50 parliamentary elections throughout the world, 2018 had seen the representation of women grow to 24.3 per cent, compared with 18 per cent in 2008 and 11 per cent in 1995. 2018 had also seen greater diversity among the women being elected to parliament. The United States of America had made remarkable progress in that regard, notably with the entry into parliament of two Muslim women. There was evidence that quota systems were effective when properly designed and implemented together with incentives and sanctions, especially in countries with proportional rather than majoritarian representation. Djibouti, where IPU had been instrumental in the adoption of the law establishing quotas, was a success story, achieving 26.1 per cent representation, in other words higher than the global average. Furthermore, there had also been improvement in the appointment of women to leadership roles in parliament. For example, Bahrain had designated its first-ever female speaker, only the second in the Arab world. However, it was important not to be complacent. Obstacles, such as violence against women parliamentarians, needed to be tackled head on. The objective remained full parity.

Thomas Fitzsimons, for IPU, said the full analysis would be published that afternoon and the map on women in politics would be available on 12 March.

Replying to questions from journalists, Mr. Chungong said at least 130 countries had adopted quota systems. Other than quotas, incentives included pressure to follow the global trend of better representation as well as additional funding for political parties whose list contained women candidates. States that were doing well included Rwanda and many Latin American countries, which had been early adopters of quotas and had, for some, even set a target of 50 per cent. Advocacy and education remained vital, and there was a wealth of evidence of the positive contribution women made when involved in decision-making, such as the inclusion of issues like fighting sexism and harassment in government agendas. While he found some of the comments the President of the United States of America had made about women offensive, he could not speak to the effect they had had on the engagement of women in politics in that country. Certainly, there was a need for partnership between women and men in order to advance the cause of gender equality in politics.

In response to the same questions, Zeina Hilal, IPU Gender Manager, added that Latin America had been the first region to achieve women representation of 30 per cent. Other best performers were Djibouti, Grenada, Monaco, Latvia, Bhutan, Bahrain and Italy, while countries that had experienced setbacks included Slovenia, Cambodia, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe and Luxembourg. Both groups were diverse in terms of political system and level of development. It had been found that cutting subsidies for non-compliant parties was not effective, so some countries had moved to instructing the electoral authorities to reject outright candidate lists that did not meet the quota. Quota systems could still be improved, for instance by insisting that women were at the top of lists, thereby ensuring that they were elected even when an entire list was not.

Other activities related to International Women’s Day

Rosalind Yarde, for the International Labour Organization (ILO), said there would be a press conference launching the ILO gender equality report 2019. While the press event was to be held on Wednesday, 6 March at 11.30 a.m., the report remained under embargo until 6 March, at 1 p.m. GMT+1. As part of International Women’s Day celebrations, the Oscar-nominated film “Roma” would be screened on Thursday 7 March. The lead actress, Yalitza Aparicio, would be attending the screening as well as an event to be held on Friday 8 March at ILO headquarters.

Amy-Louise Shelver, for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said UNCTAD would be marking International Women’s Day with a panel discussion to help understand, through a case study from the African continent, the relationship between voluntary sustainable standards, sustainable development, women’s empowerment and trade. The event would take place in Hall 14, on Thursday 7 March, from 4 p.m. and would include a testimonial from Shade Affogbola, a Paris-based Senegalese fashion designer; remarks by Afrodyssee founder Vincent Jacquement, who profiled high-end fashion emerging from Africa and was attempting to establish a sustainable label out of Afrodyssee; and remarks by Sergi Corbalan, Director of Fair Trade Advocacy Office. The panel discussion would be followed by a fashion show featuring designs and creations by Ms. Affogbola.

Human Rights Council update

Rolando Gomez, for the Human Rights Council, said that several reports by special mandates would be presented that day, including: the reports of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on freedom of expression in relation to freedom of belief and on the situation in Tunisia; the report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, including a thematic study on the sale and sexual exploitation of children in the context of sports, and reports on her missions to Ireland, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Malaysia; the report of the Special Representative on Violence against Children in the context of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the report of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, which examined child abduction by parties to conflict and the situation of children recruited as foreign fighters; the reports of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities on forms of deprivation of liberty and on her visit to France; and the report of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism, which would focus on access to justice.

On Wednesday 6 March, the High Commissioner for Human Rights would present her office’s annual report. Her statement would be sent to correspondents shortly and States would be allowed to respond to it on Thursday. Also on Wednesday, from 4 p.m. on, the Council would be holding its annual debate on the right of persons with disabilities on the theme of the obligation to provide housing and rehabilitation. There would also be numerous informal consultations and side events throughout the session.

Closure of the UN Human Rights Office in Burundi

Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), gave the following statement:

“UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet today announced, with deep regret, that the UN Human Rights Office in Burundi was closed down on Thursday 28 February at the insistence of the Government.

’It is with deep regret that we have had to close our office in Burundi after a 23-year presence in the country,’ Bachelet said. ‘Since the UN Human Rights Office in Burundi was established in 1995, for many years we worked with the Government on peacebuilding, security sector reform, justice sector reform and helped build institutional and civil society capacity on a whole host of human rights issues.’

The UN Human Rights Office in Burundi was set up in 1995, in the context of massive human rights violations perpetrated in the country following the assassination of then President Melchior Ndadaye. The Office helped ensure the incorporation of a human rights dimension to the implementation of the Arusha Agreement, which was the bedrock of the country's stability for many years. The Office played a leading role in the establishment of the independent National Commission on Human Rights, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in legislative reforms and in the emergence of strong civil society organizations.

‘Unfortunately, many of these human rights gains have been seriously jeopardized since 2015,’ Bachelet said.

In October 2016, the Government – in reaction to the report by the UN Independent Investigation in Burundi established by the UN Human Rights Council – suspended all cooperation with the Office in Burundi.

‘This meant that UN human rights staff were severely hampered in their ability to look into allegations of violations,’ the High Commissioner said. Nonetheless, the UN Human Rights Office, in Burundi itself and at its Geneva headquarters, has continued to receive allegations of human rights violations and abuses.

Two years after the suspension of cooperation, on 5 December 2018, the Government requested the closure of the UN Human Rights Office in Burundi, explaining that the country had made sufficient progress in putting in place national mechanisms for the protection of human rights, so the existence of the Office was no longer justified.

‘Our reports on the human rights situation in Burundi have always been developed in a constructive spirit, intended to support the promotion and protection of human rights in the country. But I am disappointed by Burundi’s lack of cooperation in recent years with UN human rights mechanisms – which even went so far as to include threats to prosecute members of the independent international Commission of Inquiry established by the UN Human Rights Council,’ High Commissioner Bachelet said.

Bachelet paid tribute to the many human rights defenders and civil society actors in Burundi who have worked with inspiring dedication, perseverance, courage and expertise through many political and social crises in the country, while noting with concern that in recent years, many of them have been detained or forced into exile.

‘Even as our Office in Burundi closes, we will continue to explore other ways to work to shed light on human rights concerns and support the advocacy, promotion and protection of human rights in the country,’ she said.

‘The Government has expressed its readiness to work with UN Human Rights Office after the closure of our Country Office and we stand ready to engage constructively. I also call on the Government of Burundi to cooperate with all relevant UN human rights mechanisms, including UN independent experts and human rights treaty bodies.’”

Replying to questions from journalists, Ms. Shamdasani said that OHCHR had requested the Government of Burundi to allow it additional time in order to find alternative posts for the staff, many of whom had since been redeployed to the regional office in Yaoundé, Cameroon. OHCHR had regional and country offices throughout the world, as well as human rights components in peacekeeping missions and human rights advisors embedded in United Nations country teams. OHCHR was very disappointed in the attitude of the Government of Burundi, in particular the threats of prosecution against the technical experts of the International Commission of Inquiry, and in its lack of cooperation with other human rights mechanisms, such as the Committee against Torture. Furthermore, between November 2016 and September 2018, the country office had received over 11,000 reports of arbitrary arrest and detention. There was a clear need for continued monitoring of the human rights situation in Burundi. Naturally, OHCHR was concerned about the impact the closure of its office would have on civil society. OHCHR never shut the door on dialogue and was always prepared to engage with governments. In fact, it had received a request for technical assistance from the Government of Burundi, which often took the form of training and advice on legislation. The High Commissioner had met with a high-level delegation from Burundi the previous week.

Update from Special Envoy for Syria

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, on behalf of the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria, made the following statement:

“The Special Envoy, Geir O. Pedersen has announced yesterday that Najat Rochdi has joined the team as Senior Humanitarian Advisor (replacing former advisor Jan Egeland). Ms. Rochdi will chair the ISSG’s Humanitarian Task Force on behalf of the Special Envoy, and help facilitate crucial humanitarian access and protection of civilians in Syria through supporting humanitarian negotiations in coordination with the UN country team and OCHA.

Ms. Rochdi, a native of Morocco, is the team leader of the peer-to-peer Programme of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, based in Geneva. Previously she was appointed by the Secretary-General in 2017 as his Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). She brings with her extensive experience in development and humanitarian affairs, having served also as UN Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Cameroon; Deputy Director in charge of Policy, Communication and Operations, and as UNDP Regional Coordinator of Information and Communication Technology for Development in the Arab Region.”

In response to journalists, Reem Ismail, for the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria, said that there had been no press release on the topic because it was an internal appointment, not one by the Secretary-General. Ms. Rochdi would start working with the Office the following week.

Migrants injured in protests at detention centers in Libya

Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that IOM was aware that, on 26 February, migrants at the Sikka detention centre in Tripoli had protested and had attempted to escape, resulting in a confrontation with guards and an escalation of violence that left several injured among the migrants and guards. IOM condemned the use of violence at the detention centre, regardless of the circumstances that had led to that particular incident, and asked for urgent access to the individuals who had been removed from the centre. Placing migrants in detention for irregular entry only added to their vulnerability, especially women and children. The Organization’s medical team consisting of a doctor and nurse had provided medical treatment onsite to the migrants and some of the guards. IOM was working with United Nations partners to find alternatives to detention, facilitate return to countries of origin and increase referrals for alternative solutions, including resettlement for those in need of international protection. Since March 2015, IOM had enabled more than 40,000 men, women and children who were either detained or living in Libya to return to over 30 different countries.

Shabia Mantoo, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), gave the following statement:

“UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is troubled by reports the use of force against protesting asylum seekers last week in Sikka detention centre in Libya. The protests have been driven by frustration and anxiety among asylum-seekers who have been detained in extremely dire conditions for months with no prospects of solutions. Around 50 people were reportedly injured when the police moved in to end the protest. Two individuals were badly injured and transferred to Abu Slim hospital.

UNHCR is also aware that following the last week’s protests some 120 people were transferred from Sikka detention centre to Ain Zara and Sabhaa detention centres.

It is estimated that at the time of the incident more than 400 asylum-seekers were held in Sikka detention centre. All are registered with UNHCR, except for 20 individuals who had just arrived to the centre. The group includes 200 Eritreans, 100 Somalis, 53 Ethiopians and 20 Sudanese nationals.

UNHCR has raised concern with the authorities about this incident. To date, UNHCR has had no access to those affected by the incident in Sikka. However, we did access Sikka detention centre on Sunday but solely for the purpose of transfer of individuals to the Gathering and Departure Facility (GDF) for evacuation.

UNHCR is concerned about the situation of prolonged detention that many refugees are facing in Libya. Currently, there are 5,700 refugees and migrants in detention, of whom 4,100 are assessed to be of concern to UNHCR and may have international protection needs.

UNHCR reiterates its calls for an end to detention in Libya and stands ready to support Libyan authorities to find alternatives to detention.

Last December, UNHCR opened a Gathering and Departure Facility in Tripoli, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior to speed-up the processing for solutions and provide an alternative to detention. However, with a reduced number of resettlement slots, many refugees may continue to linger in detention indefinitely.

Yesterday (4 March), UNHCR evacuated 128 refugees to Niger. This was the third evacuation out of Libya this year, bringing the total of those evacuated out of Libya to 3,303.

UNHCR is reaffirming its calls on the international community for additional solutions for refugees in detention.”

Replying to journalists, Ms. Mantoo said it was her Agency’s understanding that the people in detention had been protesting against the dire conditions in the centre and the lack of prospects or solutions. As a rule, UNHCR had access to official detention centres; however, in the case at hand, it had not had access other than for evacuation purposes. The Agency consistently advocated for an end to the systematic detention of refugees and asylum seekers. Instead, they should be authorized to live in the community and be screened for protection needs.

Also replying to journalists, Mr. Millman said that IOM did have access to the centre, where it had medical personnel, but not to the individuals who had been moved elsewhere after the incident. A request for an investigation into the incident had been made to the authorities, but he was not aware of any response. He was not in a position to make a judgment as to the potential threat posed by the migrants being held in Libyan centres. IOM was of the view that detaining persons in an irregular situation was not a just and viable solution and had been requesting open facilities for some time.

Ursula Mueller’s humanitarian mission in Burkina Faso

Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Ursula Mueller was on mission in Burkina Faso, where humanitarian needs had risen significantly since June 2018 and had further escalated in recent months. The situation was due to rising insecurity triggered by the presence of armed groups and inter-community clashes in the Sahel, North, North-Centre and Eastern regions. The country was facing an unprecedented internal displacement crisis, with more than 100,000 people uprooted from their homes. More than half of them had been displaced in the past two months alone. In December 2018, the Government had declared a state of emergency in 14 provinces. Approximately 120,000 people had no access to medical care and 670,000 were at risk of food insecurity. Some 130,000 children were threatened by severe acute malnutrition, and schools had been closed, depriving almost 150,000 children of an education. As of February 2019, a total of 1.2 million people were in need of assistance. The authorities and humanitarian actors were providing assistance, but more had to be done to meet the growing needs. Therefore, the Government and the aid community had launched an emergency plan in February, appealing for US$ 100 million to assist some 900,000 people hardest-hit by the crisis. The plan was currently 16 per cent funded. On 4 March, the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund had allocated US$ 4 million to boost urgent assistance for internally displaced persons and host communities and to provide services for 15,500 women and girls.

In response to questions from journalists, Mr. Laerke said that the current situation was due to a combination of factors, exacerbated by the rise of armed groups, which were fighting each other and Government forces and attacking civilians. It was not entirely clear what the insurgent groups’ motives were.

Geneva announcements

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said the Human Rights Committee, whose 125th session had opened the previous day, had elected Mr. Ahmed Amin Fathallah, of Egypt, as its new Chair. That morning, it would be concluding its review of the report of Estonia before moving on to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the afternoon. The other States parties to be reviewed that session were Niger, Angola, Viet Nam and Eritrea.

Christophe Boulierac, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said an interactive exhibit on innovative assistive technologies to support children with disabilities in accessing school would open on Thursday 7 March, at noon, on the second floor of the E Building. One of the technologies on show would be a computer interface that enabled children to operate a device using their thoughts. The exhibit was an initiative of UNICEF, the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria and other partners.

Press conferences

Tuesday, 5 March at 1.30 p.m., Press Room 1
OHCHR
Sharing of the main findings of the report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion of Belief to the Human Rights Council. The report explores examples of restrictions imposed on expression on account of religion or belief.
Speaker:
• Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion of Belief

Wednesday, 6 March at 11.30 a.m., Press Room 1
ILO
New ILO report: A quantum leap for gender equality: For a better future of work for all
Speakers:
• Manuela Tomei, Director of the ILO Conditions of Work and Equality Department
• Shauna Olney, Chief of the ILO Gender, Equality and Diversity Branch

The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/unog050319