REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Ahmad Fawzi, Director a.i., United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing attended by spokespersons of the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, the World Health Organization, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Geneva activities

Committees

The Committee on the Rights of Migrant Workers opened its twenty-fourth session yesterday in room XII of the Palais des Nations, during which it would review reports from Mauritania, Lesotho, Senegal and Turkey. In the morning of 12 April, the Committee was ending the review of the report of Mauritania, which had started on
11 April in the afternoon. It would begin in the afternoon of 12 April its review of the report of Lesotho.

Press conferences and other announcements

Mr. Fawzi announced that at 11:30 a.m. on 12 April, right after the briefing, there would be a press conference by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to introduce a report on “Fairness for children: A league table of inequality in child-well-being in rich countries”. The speakers would be Yekaterina Chzhen, Social Policy Economic Specialist at UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti; and Zlata Bruckauf, Consultant Researcher at UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti. The press conference would take place in Room III.

Mr. Fawzi also announced a press briefing of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCCW) on 15 April in Press Room 1 at 9:30 a.m. by Ambassador Michael Biontino of Germany, Chairperson of the 2016 Meeting of Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons.

Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), announced that media accreditation for the World Humanitarian Summit (23-24 May, Istanbul) was officially open online. It was the first time in its 70-year history that the UN was holding such a summit, which would call on global leaders to stand up for our common humanity and reduce humanitarian suffering.

Fadela Chaib, for the World Health Organization (WHO), announced three important events taking place at the WHO:
- A two-day meeting in Washington, D.C., between WHO and the World Bank about mental health. An embargoed joint press release had been sent out about the effects of mental health on people’s health and on the economic burden for countries treating their citizens suffering from depression and anxiety. A study on the topic would be published today in The Lancet. It was possible for journalists to dial in to a joint press conference today, 12 April, at 5 p.m. The embargo would be lifted on 13 April at 00:30 a.m. Geneva time.
- The week of 18 April would mark the largest and fastest globally coordinated roll-out of a vaccine into a routine immunization program in history. Out of the three strains of polio, strain 2 had been eradicated. Hence the need for a vaccine containing only the two remaining types of the polio virus (type 1 and 3). The global switch from a trivalent polio vaccine to one containing only two strains of the virus would start on 17 April. The bivalent vaccine would start to be used in routine polio vaccinations in more than 155 countries. A press release would be sent on 14 April in the morning, and a press conference would take place at 3 p.m., with the possibility to dial in. The speakers would be Michel Zaffran, Director of Polio Eradication at WHO, Stephen Cochi, Senior Advisor to the Director of the Global Immunization division at the CDC Atlanta, and Robin Nandy, Principal Advisor and Chief of Immunization at UNICEF. WHO’s spokesperson for the polio programme, Oliver Rosenbauer, was reachable at 0795006536. In response to a question, Ms. Chaib said that the switch to the new vaccine was important because the fact that strain 2 of polio had disappeared needed to be sustained, so it needed to become absent from vaccines as well, to avoid spreading.
- The strategic advisory group of experts on immunization (SAGE) would be holding a regular meeting on 12-14 April. Journalists were invited to a press conference on
15 April in Room III at 11:30 a.m. with the chair of the SAGE meeting, who would brief the press on the meeting’s outcome. Among the topics discussed would be the vaccine for dengue, polio, as well as shortages of vaccines for several diseases.

Michael Hollindale, for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), said that the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem would take place in New York from 19 to 21 April. Along with partners, UNAIDS had been part of the ongoing discussions and consultations in the lead-up to the UNGASS, and would release a new report on health, human rights and people who used drugs. If the report would be finalized on 14 April, a press release would be sent under embargo to the UN Geneva corps and selected media (otherwise, it would go out to all media on the morning of 15 April). UNAIDS spokespeople would be available for interviews on
15 April.

Catherine Huissoud for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said that on 12 April at 2:30 p.m. in Press Room 1, a press conference would take place with the person in charge of E-Commerce Week, which was the week of
18 April. The briefer would present events and data publications that would mark
E-Commerce Week, with topics such as cybercrime, data security, and cross-border
e-commerce, in a context of declining confidence towards online transactions. Much remained to be done to give developing countries access to this type of commerce, which was booming.

Nigeria

Mr. Fawzi introduced Manuel Fontaine, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director for West and Central Africa, speaking via telephone from Dakar, Senegal, on the second anniversary of the April 14, 2014 abduction of 270 school girls by Boko Haram in Chibok, Northeast Nigeria. Millions around the world had expressed outrage and solidarity about those abductions.

Mr. Fontaine said that UNICEF wanted a chance to come back to the media about the Nigeria/Lake Chad crisis. On 14 April 2014, 270 girls had been abducted from a school in Chibok. But this abduction was just one episode in a long series of tragedies involving children in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Since then, about 2,000 children had been abducted in four countries: Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. In addition to abductions, a growing number of people had been fleeing the Boko Haram violence, one of the factors of the growing displacement crisis in Africa at the moment, which had caused the massive displacement of about 2.3 million persons over the past two years in the four countries. Regarding children, it had basically been an increase over the past year of over 60 per cent, from 800,000 to 1.3 million children. This was important to realize with all the humanitarian needs associated with this situation.

Mr. Fontaine said UNICEF also wished to draw attention to how unfortunately children had been drawn to the centre of this crisis and how the number of suicide bomb attacks carried out by children was on the rise in Nigeria and Cameroon. They were trying to be very conservative and cautious about the figures, but they estimated that in 2014, about four children had carried out suicide bomb attacks; in 2015, that number had gone up to 44. UNICEF had triangulated the information on those attacks and was fairly confident that the numbers were probably even higher. The majority of those attacks had been carried out in Cameroon, and then Nigeria. Around three quarters of all child suicide bombers had been girls. One out of every five suicide bombers was a child in this particular crisis. UNICEF wished to note that those children should be considered as victims first, and not perpetrators. In many cases, they might even have been unaware that they had been carrying bombs. In most cases, they had been indoctrinated and were too young to really understand the consequences of their actions. The crisis was creating fear and suspicion towards children, which was an unnatural and damaging feeling among communities and families. UNICEF was concerned about an increasing stigma towards children. Mr. Fontaine had visited Maydo Gory in Nigeria a few weeks ago and had had discussions with local chiefs. UNICEF hoped to make progress and to convince those communities that rejecting their own children was never going to be a basis for rebuilding communities and peace. Children associated with Boko Haram should not be detained and should be allowed to return to their communities.

The impact of the violence in the region on children had been huge, leaving almost 700,000 children out of school and 2,000 schools closed. UNICEF was scaling up its efforts with its partners and had many teams trying to build up capacity and response in those communities. However, they were facing serious shortages and were very poorly funded, as only 11 or 12 per cent of the funding required had been received. The crisis had lost visibility in the media and was not attracting attention. UNICEF was able to continue its work on this crisis thanks to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ Central Emergency Response Fund as well as funds from the United States, Japan, the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Fund and Canada.

In response to a question on the situation since the new Nigerian Government had come to power and whether UNICEF had been instrumental in rescuing any children, Mr. Fontaine said that the Nigerian army had been carrying out military operations against Boko Haram, opening up access to areas which had been isolated; they might find serious humanitarian situations there. Also, as those military operations had progressed, Boko Haram’s attacks had spread to Cameroon and Niger. When a group was under pressure, it spread out and carried out attacks in other areas, which was probably why the suicide attacks had increased and would probably continue. UNICEF was not directly rescuing children, but as the army was progressing and children were being released, UNICEF needed to be there to ensure that they could be given support. Women and children held by Boko Haram, including women and girls who were pregnant as a result of rape, could recover if they were given the support they needed.

In response to another question, Mr. Fontaine reiterated that when a group was under pressure, it might move to other forms of action like suicide bombs and terrorist attacks. Boko Haram felt that children were expendable, they did not want to send fighters. They sent children, especially girls, and such attacks by girls were very traumatic for communities.

Finally, Mr. Fontaine said that UNICEF had experience in the demobilization of children. UNICEF had a long-term engagement in this region and the crisis should not be forgotten. UNICEF was trying to build up the capacity of local communities in the four affected countries to take care of those returning children.

Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that according to a new update from OCHA’s office in Nigeria, two and a half million people in the conflict-affected northeast of the country were in a food security crisis, expected to worsen over the coming months. Forecasts were indicating that up to three million people could face severe food shortages. The worst-affected areas were rural areas in Borno and Yobe state, but also urban areas in Borno state, the most affected state in Nigeria. Borno and Yobe were now in crisis phase 3, on a scale from 1 to 5 (5 corresponding to famine). Some pockets in those two states were now in phase 4, which was a humanitarian emergency situation.

Internally displaced people and the communities hosting them were the worst-affected. Six years of the conflict with Boko Haram have meant that 1.7 million people in those two states alone were internally displaced, 1.5 million of them in Borno alone. Subsistence farmers, making up the majority of the host communities, did not have access to their farmlands and could not produce the food that was needed. Food prices had been rising rapidly. International humanitarian agencies did not have access to many of the worst-affected areas, because of the widespread insecurity. Tens of thousands of IDPs in those areas were in camps run by the Nigerian military, and food deliveries by the national emergency management agencies were sporadic. However, for the areas where access was possible, humanitarian partners, the UN and NGOs on the ground were planning to urgently scale up programming. Since the beginning of 2016, more than a quarter of a million people had been assisted with food assistance and other kinds of aid, but much more was needed.

The shortage of funds was an obstacle. The humanitarian response plan for Nigeria for 2016 requested USD 248 million and was overall only 12 per cent funded. The food security part of that plan, requesting over USD 70 million, was only 9 per cent funded. There was an urgent need for increased donor attention for this appeal.

In response to a question, Mr. Laerke clarified that international humanitarian agencies did not have military protection and were unable to go to the conflict-affected areas. The two national agencies that were delivering aid in the camps were the National and State Emergency Management Agencies, NEMA and SEMA. Aid dependency was becoming a problem and it was important to get people out of the emergency phase, into early recovery, and give them a chance to reach a situation where they could help themselves. Mr. Laerke would get back to the press with information from the most recent report on malnutrition.

Syria

In response to a question, Mr. Fawzi said that the Intra-Syrian Talks were expected to resume on 13 April, when Staffan de Mistura would be holding the first meeting of the current round of talks with the HNC.

Bettina Luescher, for the World Food Programme (WFP), said that in the morning of
12 April another successful airdrop had been conducted over Deir ez-Zor, following the first successful airdrop on 10 April. Rice, chick peas and beans had been dropped off, and 26 pallets had reached the drop zone, enough for 2,000 people for one month. Over the past few weeks, WFP had been conducting trial airdrops in Jordan, and had changed the types of parachutes being used as well as the packaging of the commodities and the altitude. Excellent cooperation with several partners from the international community had been key. Meteorological data had been received from several sources including the United Kingdom, Jordan, Russia and Syria. WFP was also grateful for support from Russian, Canadian and U.S.-based parachute companies for sourcing, technical guidance and mission planning. WFP was calling for the lifting of all the sieges to allow regular humanitarian access.

In response to questions, Ms. Luescher said that all 26 pallets had been received in the drop zone by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, and the food would be distributed to the people in the town. The last time that Deir ez-Zor had been reached with humanitarian aid had been two years previous. WFP was planning to continue the airdrops over the coming days and weeks to reach the 200,000 people in dire need. The need to use airdrops seriously limited the amount of food that could be delivered at a time, compared to when trucks were used. A high altitude was necessary to ensure safety. There was coordination and cooperation with all sides to ensure success of the humanitarian operations. Airdrops were always a last resort as they were much more expensive than convoys. Ms. Luescher also said that there were ongoing operations in all of Syria on a daily basis to reach some 4 million people with food every month. Regarding the operational organization of airdrops, Ms. Luescher clarified that local partners on the ground, in this case, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, secured the drop zone and made sure that the areas was sealed off. There was close coordination regarding the timing of the airdrop. Once the pallets were dropped, they were secured by the local partners on the ground and food was distributed.

Leonard Doyle, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that IOM Director-General William Lacy Swing had returned on 12 April from his three-day trip to Syria, in Homs as well as various parts of rural Damascus. Mr. Swing was appealing for humanitarian access and increased international aid. He had met with the UN country team and with Staffan de Mistura in Damascus, as well as with the 200 IOM staff. The IOM mission had been present in Syria since 1991. Mr. Swing had also met with Syrian government officials on issues of humanitarian access to besieged towns and cross-border access for humanitarian convoys. More information could be found in the press note.

In response to a journalist’s questions, Mr. Doyle clarified that Mr. Swing had met with the Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, and with the Minister of Local administration, Omar Ibrahim Ghalawanji. Mr. Doyle said that it was clear that Syrians wanted to return but that could only happen in the context of a political settlement and peace. UN agencies and IOM were looking at the scale of the problem and of the reconstruction, trying to make sure that the 6 million displaced people within Syria were given the wherewithal to keep going in the face of huge unemployment, poverty and displacement. The reconstruction effort was going to be enormous.

Mr. Doyle also said that IOM was interested in displacement, which was core to their mandate, and that by helping rubber removal and rehabilitating buildings, they were helping people get back to their homes. IOM had had several meetings with senior Syrian government officials and had received support for their request for more access.

Colombia
Adrian Edwards, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that on 30 March, the Government of Colombia and the ELN (Ejército de Liberación Nacional) had announced that they would start formal peace talks in an effort to end more than half a century of fighting. UNHCR welcomed this announcement and was calling on the negotiators to give special attention to the rights of victims, especially internally displaced people and refugees.

Colombia’s five-decade armed conflict had produced the world’s second biggest displacement situation as of today (Syria was currently the biggest displacement situation). Some 6.7 million people were displaced inside the country – around 13 per cent of the entire population. And 360,000 officially recognized refugees had fled abroad, mostly to Ecuador, which hosted the largest number of refugees in Latin America, and to Venezuela, home to around 170,000 Colombians in need of international protection.

UNHCR supported the active involvement of refugees and internally displaced people in peace negotiations and believed that victims should have access to the negotiating parties, as had happened during talks between the Government and the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia), when more than 60 victims had had the opportunity to participate in the Havana negotiations. UNHCR believed that a positive outcome to the negotiations would open the way for reintegration of the internally displaced and returning refugees, resulting over time in an improved human rights situation and in economic and social development in remote areas, including the country’s borders. In the meantime, Colombian refugees and asylum-seekers would continue to need international protection in asylum countries.

UNHCR was ready to support the Government of Colombia in its efforts to restore the rights of Colombian internally displaced people and returning refugees and address their protection and assistance needs. UNHCR's experience in post-conflict situations throughout the world was that regional solutions frameworks, such as tripartite mechanisms, voluntary repatriation agreements, reintegration strategies and public policy for local integration, especially in urban settings, were key contributions to building a sustainable peace.

In Colombia, UNHCR had been involved in a Transitional Solutions Initiative, which had helped displaced communities obtain housing, land and livelihoods opportunities and had contributed to their enjoyment of basic rights and the strengthening of communities. Some 38,700 people had benefitted in 17 localities. In Ecuador, a separate Comprehensive Solutions Initiative had, in a similar way, helped Colombian refugees and asylum-seekers enjoy their rights to health, education, employment and housing, and had provided them with legal support and advice. More detail as available in the briefing note.

Venezuela

Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that OHCHR was very surprised with the ruling on 11 April by the Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela’s Supreme Court against the Amnesty and National Reconciliation Bill. The Bill, which had been approved by the National Assembly on 29 March 2016, could have served as the basis for a path of dialogue and reconciliation in Venezuela.

OHCHR was still studying the ruling in detail, but noted with concern that the court had declared the entire text unconstitutional. Upon the request of the Government, the High Commissioner had sent a legal analysis of this bill to Venezuela, advising that the text had been generally in conformity with international human rights standards.

OHCHR called on the Government of Venezuela and the political opposition to open up avenues for a process of dialogue that could contribute to reaching the crucial political agreements that were necessary to tackle the multiple human rights challenges that the people of Venezuela were facing. OHCHR also called on the Government of Venezuela and all State entities to ensure full respect for the basic rights and freedoms to which all the people of Venezuela were entitled - including human rights defenders and civil society actors - in line with the country's obligations under the international human rights treaties it had ratified, as well as the commitments it had made during its Universal Periodic Review before the UN Human Rights Council.

In response to questions, Ms. Shamdasani said that the ruling in question was a very disappointing development. OHCHR had been asked to analyze the amnesty law and had found that it was largely in conformity with international human rights law. The amnesty would have only applied to people imprisoned for politically-motivated “crimes”, amounting to the expression of their fundamental human rights. For OHCHR it was a great move towards dialogue and reconciliation. OHCHR would like to encourage all sides to explore further avenues for dialogue. Together with other human rights mechanisms, OHCHR had expressed concerns about the independence of the judiciary in Venezuela. In 2015, the Human Rights Committee had stressed the need for a reform of the judiciary to increase its independence from the Government and political groups.

In response to another question, Ms. Shamdasani said that OHCHR had been following the situation in Brazil very closely and the High Commissioner had raised his concerns on several occasions over the past weeks. As tensions did not seem to be abating, OHCHR renewed its call to all sides to ensure that the judiciary was respected and that the democratic institutions were not being undermined.

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The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/unog120416