António Guterres (UNHCR) on Refugees, Returnees and Displaced Persons, Third Committee, 40th Plenary – 70th General Assembly
Video: 31:47
3 Nov 2015 Statement by Mr. António Guterres United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions.

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Amid Record Numbers of People Displaced by War, Humanitarian Actors No Longer Able to Provide Core Assistance, Protection, Top Official Tells Third Committee
3 November 2015
GA/SHC/4149
Until donors ramped up contributions, humanitarian actors were no longer able to provide core assistance to the record number of displaced people worldwide, the head of the United Nations refugee agency told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today as it concluded discussions on racism and began consideration of humanitarian questions.

“The international multilateral humanitarian community, even when combining all its resources, is no longer able to provide the core protection and basic life-saving assistance,” António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told the Committee during an interactive dialogue. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of people that had been forced from their homes every day had nearly quadrupled and now more than 60 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced as a result of war and persecution.

The corresponding increase in humanitarian needs, therefore, had overwhelmed the global capacity to respond, he said. In 2014, UNHCR’s focus on emergency response had strained capacities and resources across the Agency. As the explosion in humanitarian needs had inevitably outpaced the support of the donor community, there was a growing gap between requirements and resources. Most urgently, he said, the Agency had a $205 million deficit in Africa.

“Money moves freely, but people still face enormous obstacles,” he continued. As a cruel paradox, few movements were as tightly restricted as those of human beings, leading to hundreds of thousands of people having no other option but to put their lives into the hands of unscrupulous smugglers.

That desperation could be seen in the growing number of displaced persons. Since January, 750,000 people had arrived on Europe’s shores and the number of daily arrivals, on Greek islands alone, stood between 6,000 and 8,000. The European Union, he noted, had the capacity to manage the crisis, but a united and comprehensive regional approach was essential. Furthermore, Europe and Africa needed a common strategy to allow people to have a future in their own countries.

One key element in effectively responding to humanitarian crises was development actors working side by side with humanitarian actors to help prevent further conflict, support host communities, and pave the way for durable solutions. But, “more than anything else, we must be able to understand and address the root causes of displacement” from conflict over resources, poor governance, human rights violations, unequal access to development benefits, or climate change, he said.

“Migration should be an option, not a necessity; an expression of hope, not of despair,” he noted.

Indeed, all countries must meet their obligations under international refugee law, and political solutions must be found to conflicts that had prompted refugee flows, Mogens Lykketoft, President of the General Assembly, told the Committee. With a humanitarian and refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War, no region or country could address that crisis on its own.

To address those grave challenges, he said the Assembly would hold a plenary meeting 20 November to discuss global awareness of the tragedies of irregular migrants in the Mediterranean basin, with specific emphasis on Syrian asylum seekers. It would be preceded by an informal meeting on 19 November on ways towards a comprehensive approach to the humanitarian response to the global refugee crisis. Additionally, a high-level thematic debate would be held on 12 and 13 July 2016 on the United Nations and human rights, with particular attention being given to the needs of the millions of people who had been affected by conflict and disaster…

Joint open letter to the European Council – Time to act to ensure children’s rights in the EU’s migration policy: 10 action points
59 leading organisations in the fields of human rights, child rights, health and social inclusion, including UNICEF, OHCHR and the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children, expressed their concern on the lack of attention afforded to children’s rights in these policy discussions and developments.

The joint letter urges the Heads of Government and Ministers to develop and implement concrete measures towards a comprehensive and rights-based strategy ensuring effective protection for all children affected by migration, including in the upcoming meetings at European level.
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[Text bolding from original text]
Brussels, 30 October 2015

Significant numbers of children from third countries migrate to Europe, for a variety of reasons, travelling with their families, alone or separated from their family. Between January and August 2015 alone, 174,235 children sought asylum in the European Union, representing one in four asylum seekers.i From January to September, tens of thousands of unaccompanied children arrived by sea.ii Comprehensive data on children that have not claimed asylum or are residing undocumented in the EU is lacking. As children and as migrants they face a number of risks,
particularly when they are undocumented.

Over the past few months, several European Council as well as Justice and Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Council meetings have been convened to discuss and develop immediate responses and policies to address the recent increase in migrants and refugees arriving to Europe.

As 59 leading organisations in the fields of human rights, child rights, health and social inclusion, including UNICEF, OHCHR and the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children, we are concerned by the lack of attention afforded to children’s rights in these policy discussions and developments. iv

All the policy decisions and practical developments are having – and will continue to have – a profound impact on the lives of children. The EU and its Member States need to ensure that their responses to the current situation properly address the specific needs, rights and risks that children face.

The current situation also demonstrates the necessity of implementing a rights-based approach to protect all migrant children, regardless of whether they are seeking asylum, are documented, undocumented, trafficked, accompanied or unaccompanied.

Children often move from category to category, and fall through the gaps in the protection framework. Many of the children who have experienced situations of violence, insecurity, child-specific forms of persecution, and other human rights violations are not recognised as in need of international protection, or are only provided a status for a short period of time. Many of the children claiming asylum today, are likely to be undocumented in a few months or years. Many were first documented, but lost their status at a later stage, for example, if their parent lost their job or experienced domestic violence.v While many unaccompanied children migrate entirely independently, many do so to join family members already in Europe, and later reside regularly or irregularly with their family.

Furthermore, as the Council has noted, ‘the EU Charter for Fundamental Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, establish that children should be treated as such regardless of their migratory status, nationality or background’.vi Some children may have additional protection needs that should be met, but all children have equal rights, and must have their rights protected, as children first and foremost. No form of discrimination is acceptable or justifiable, whether taken by public authorities or private actors.

Yet, the current package of policies reinforces a very differentiated treatment of children. While essential avenues for protection are foreseen for some children, the increasing focus on detention and deportation, further investment in border control, and significantly reducing the number of people that can arrive to the EU’s borders through cooperation with third countries raises serious child rights concerns. All measures must be developed, implemented, evaluated and adapted to ensure compliance with child rights. It is the responsibility and duty of governments to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of every child.

We call on the EU and its member states to implement the following ten actions:
1. Consider children’s rights and views, and guarantee their best interests when making decisions, including on immigration and asylum applications and in any decision to move a child or family to another country. The best interests of the child must never be outweighed by migration and border control concerns.

2. Meet immediate humanitarian and reception needs, while also investing in systemic reform to ensure access to services in a sustainable way, and to facilitate integration.

3. Ensure that all children have non-discriminatory access to services, such as health care, including mental health, and education, and have adequate accommodation together with their family.

4. Ensure effective protection of all children from all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation and discrimination, including gender-based, and access to justice for acts of violence or other rights violations.vii

5. Ensure that no child is detained or subject to other punitive measures because of their or their parent’s residence or migration status.

6. Protect family unity when in the child’s best interests, including by ensuring that no child is separated from a parent by immigration-related detention.

7. Provide adequate search and rescue and humanitarian assistance to prevent all avoidable deaths, whether at sea or on land.

8. Provide regular and safe ways for children and their families to come to Europe to seek protection and join family members and open more rights-respecting avenues for work and study.

9. Ensure that all agreements with countries of origin and transit include child rights safeguards and pay particular attention to the needs and rights of children. Children and their families should not be returned to a country where there is a risk of human rights violation (non-refoulement).

10. Empower children to access justice, and have their views heard, including through providing information and access to legal representation in all proceedings that can affect their status, rights and freedoms.

Child rights and protection safeguards and impact assessments must be integrated in all migration-related policy and practice. The best interests of the child should always be a primary consideration in all policies, practices, decisions and procedures. While extending essential protection to some children, governments cannot detain, forcibly deport and deny essential services to others.

We urge Heads of Government and Ministers to develop and implement concrete measures towards a comprehensive and rights-based strategy ensuring effective protection for all children affected by migration viii, including in the upcoming meetings at European level, in particular when discussing drivers for migration at the Valletta Summit on 11-12 November and the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 3-4 December and through its Council Conclusions.

[Signatory list and pdf of letter at http://childfundalliance.org/documents/Letter-to-council.pdf]

References
i Latest available Eurostat figures available on http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/asylum-and-managed-migration/data/main-tables (select ‘Asylum and new asylum applicants – monthly data’), dated 27 October 2015.
ii UNHCR Italy reports 10,000 unaccompanied children arriving to Italy (UNHCR, ‘Italy – Sea arrivals. UNHCR Update no.1’, September 2015).
iii This letter is being sent by PICUM – the Platform for International for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants on behalf of the undersigned organisations. For follow up, please contact PICUM, Rue du Congrès 37-41/ 5, Brussels 1000, Belgium (www.picum.org).
iv European Commission Communication, ‘A European Agenda on Migration’, COM(2015) 240 final, Brussels, 13.5.2015; European Council Conclusions 25 and 26 June 2015 (EUCO 22/15); Presidency Conclusions 14 September 2015 (12002/15); Council Conclusions on the future of the return policy, 8 October 2015 (12856/15); European Council Conclusions 15 October 2015 (EUCO 26/15); Leaders’ Statement, Leaders’ Meeting on refugee flows along the Western Balkans Route, 25 October 2015.
v If someone has a spouse-dependent visa, they are liable to lose their status and become undocumented when that relationship breaks down, even if the reason is domestic violence.
vi Council conclusions on unaccompanied minors, 3018th Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, Luxembourg, 3 June 2010, para c. See also the 36 concrete recommendations for States Parties to implement a systemic, comprehensive child-rights approach to migration that were issued by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in its Report of the 2012 Day of General Discussion.
vii See also the European Commission principles on integrated child protection systems, as published in the Reflection paper for the EU Child Rights Forum, 2-3 June 2015, Brussels, pending final publication.
viii See also Joint open letter to the European Council calling for European commitments on children’s rights to be prioritised in future common migration and asylum policies, dated 22 May 2014, sent by 38 leading organisations in the fields of human rights, health, education and social inclusion, including the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF, OHCHR and the European Network for Ombudspersons.

Report: I am Here, I Belong: the Urgent Need to End Childhood Statelessness
UNHCR
November 2015 [Release] :: 28 pages
http://www.unhcr.org/ibelong/wp-content/uploads/2015-10-StatelessReport_ENG15-web.pdf

Overview from Report Preface
Stateless children are born into a world in which they will face a lifetime of discrimination; their status profoundly affects their ability to learn and grow, and to fulfil their ambitions and dreams for the future.

With a stateless child being born somewhere in the world at least every 10 minutes, this is a problem that is growing. In countries hosting the 20 largest stateless populations, at least 70,000 stateless children are born each year.

The effects of being born stateless are severe. In more than 30 countries, children need nationality documentation to receive medical care. In at least 20 countries, stateless children cannot be legally vaccinated.

This report aims to go beyond these statistics, providing direct testimony of children and young people and how being stateless affects them.

In July and August 2015, UNHCR spoke with more than 250 children and youth,1 and their parents and guardians, in seven countries around the world about their experiences of childhood statelessness.

This is the first geographically diverse survey of the views of stateless children and youth. Many of the children and young people had never spoken to anyone about what it was like to be stateless.

The report highlights how not being recognized as a national of any country can create insurmountable barriers to education and adequate health care and stifle job prospects. It reveals the devastating psychological toll of statelessness and its serious ramifications not only for young people, whose whole futures are before them, but also for their families, communities and countries. It powerfully demonstrates the urgency of ending and preventing childhood
statelessness.

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Press Release
UNHCR report reveals debilitating impact of statelessness on children
Press Releases, 3 November 2015
Stateless children across the world share similar feelings of discrimination, frustration and despair, says a new UNHCR report, creating problems that can endure into adulthood.
The first geographically diverse survey of the views of stateless children says the common problems they face in the countries under review profoundly affect their ability to enjoy childhood, lead a healthy life, study and fulfil their ambitions.

Many of the dozens of young people in seven countries interviewed for the I am Here, I Belong: the Urgent Need to End Childhood Statelessness report said that being stateless had taken a serious psychological toll, describing themselves as “invisible,” “alien,” “living in a shadow,” “like a street dog” and “worthless.”

UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres stressed that the report, released one year after the launch of UNHCR’s #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness by 2024, highlights the need to end the suffering of stateless children in a world where a child is born stateless at least every 10 minutes.

“In the short time that children get to be children, statelessness can set in stone grave problems that will haunt them throughout their childhoods and sentence them to a life of discrimination, frustration and despair,” said Guterres. “None of our children should be stateless. All children should belong.”

The High Commissioner will, at the UN Headquarters in New York today, present the report at a high-level panel discussion on the importance of the right to nationality. More than 250 people, including children, youth and their parents or guardians were interviewed in Côte d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Italy, Jordan, Malaysia and Thailand last July and August for the report.

In the report, the children tell of the tough challenges they face growing up, often on the margins of society, denied the rights most citizens enjoy. Stateless children say they are often treated like foreigners in the country they have lived in all their lives.

Stateless young people are often denied the opportunity to receive school qualifications, go to university and find a decent job. They face discrimination and harassment by authorities and are more vulnerable to exploitation. Their lack of nationality often sentences them and their families and communities to remain impoverished and marginalized for generations.

Statelessness also affects the future of young people. One young woman in Asia, told UNHCR researchers that she has been unable to take up job offers as a teacher because she is stateless and can only find work in a local shop. “I want to tell the country, that there are many people like me.”

UNHCR is calling on more countries to support the campaign launched on November 4, 2014 to end statelessness. In the year since, regional initiatives and action by states have seen the global community rally behind the campaign.

In order to end statelessness, UNHCR is urging all states to take the following steps:
:: Allow children to gain the nationality of the country in which they are born if they would otherwise be stateless.
:: Reform laws that prevent mothers from passing their nationality to their children on an equal basis as fathers.
:: Eliminate laws and practices that deny children nationality because of their ethnicity, race or religion.
:: Ensure universal birth registration to prevent statelessness.

The Sixth Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption
2–6 November, 2015 St. Petersburg
UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Documents of the Sixth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)

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Press Release
Eliminating corruption is crucial to sustainable development
St. Petersburg / Vienna, 1 November 2015
Corruption undermines democratic institutions, slows economic development and contributes to governmental instability. It is a key obstacle to progress and prosperity, hurting poor people disproportionately.

Corruption attacks the foundation of democratic institutions by distorting electoral processes, perverting the rule of law. Many people, especially the poor, women and minorities face the necessity of paying bribes to gain access to essential services.

Economic development is stunted because foreign direct investment is discouraged and small businesses often find it impossible to overcome the “start-up costs” required because of corruption.

The new development agenda adopted at a special summit of the General Assembly in New York in September 2015 sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals which aim to create a life of dignity for all by 2030. Goal 16 aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Substantially reducing corruption and bribery in all their forms is among the targets for this goal.

This cross-cutting goal is fundamental to realizing the whole post-2015 development agenda. As the head of UNODC, Yury Fedotov, said: “Thanks to the United Nations, Member States, and civil society, we now have a unique opportunity to tackle poverty, and promote health and development. But, barriers exist to the achievement of these targets, including drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism. Such threats erode social and economic development, and human rights, and flourish where the rule of law is weak and criminal justice ineffective.”

The costs of corruption are a heavy burden to bear. The African Union estimates that 25 per cent of the continent’s GDP (nearly 150 billion dollars) is lost due to corruption. Nations that fight corruption and improve their rule of law could increase their national income by 400 per cent.

Several studies provide evidence of the negative correlation between corruption and the quality of government spending, services and regulations. According to UNODC, corruption, bribery, theft and tax evasion cost some US $1.26 trillion for developing countries per year. The environment also suffers: the costs of water infrastructure are increased by corruption by as much as 40 per cent which equates to an additional US$12 billion a year needed to provide worldwide safe drinking water and sanitation…

…As is emphasized in the Preamble to the UN Convention against Corruption, corruption poses a threat to the stability and security of societies, undermines the institutions and values of democracy and justice and jeopardizes sustainable development and the rule of law. As the guardian of the Convention, UNODC is committed to promoting good governance, integrity and transparency to help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Joint Statement of the Executive Director Yury Fedotov of UNODC and the Secretary-General of CITES John Scanlon on corruption as an enabler of wildlife and forest crime
04/11/2015

Addressing global challenges though science diplomacy and scientific excellence: the CERN model
UNESCO 03.11.2015 – Natural Sciences Sector
With the view to contribute to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was approved on 25 September by the United Nations Member States, a symposium was held at the UN Office in Geneva to explore the value of the CERN model of cooperation in building trust across boundaries and strengthening the provision of global public goods in a rapidly-changing international context. The establishment of CERN was one of the first large initiatives in science –and especially science diplomacy- within UNESCO, with the objective to foster peaceful scientific exchange between its Member States. As a fully-fledged intergovernmental scientific organization in its own right, CERN has become a model for truly multilateral cooperation for research with solely peaceful application and for the development and transfer of knowledge and technology, as well as capacity building, across the globe.

The symposium counted with the participation of policy makers, scientists and representatives of civil society in a new debate about how to build synergies across communities to move forward global objectives and address current challenges, notably Rolf Heuer, Director-General of CERN, Flavia Schegel, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, Micheline Calmy-Rey, Former Foreign Minister and President of Switzerland, and Fabiola Gianotti, CERN Director General elect and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the UN Secretary General. It was co-hosted by the United Nations Office at Geneva and CERN, with the support of Switzerland and France in their capacity as the two CERN host states.

Speaking during the first panel on “The CERN Model, Science, Education, and Global Public Goods”, Ms. Schlegel recalled that UNESCO, founded 70 years ago on the ruins of the Second World War the implant the bedrock of international cooperation in sciences, culture and education for peace and the benefit of humankind, is probably the largest science diplomacy institution and science policy interface in the world today. The CERN model continues to resonate with UNESCO’s mandate, and the two institutions continue to work closely to improve access to data through open access, open science and open data initiatives.

“Indeed, the basic and applied sciences in particular, in addition to being central in our daily lives, are the main triggers of technological innovations and inclusive industrialization conducive to sustainable development as stated in SDG 9” she explained. “In this context, it is essential that science and technology be rendered more accessible worldwide, in both training and in practice.”

CERN also demonstrates the importance of fundamental research, which is at the inception of all future solutions, and scientific collaboration as a way to rebuild trust. Other institutions are following this model, most notably the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME), modelled institutionally on CERN – with different scientific goals – and set up under the auspices of UNESCO to build scientific and cultural bridges across the Middle East. When it starts operations in 2016, SESAME will provide a vast scientific potential for scientists from the Middle East and neighbouring countries as the first operational Synchrotron Light Source in the region. SESAME’s Members are Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey.

“Our planet and humanity need a strengthened global solidarity in science,” concluded Ms. Schlegel. “this can be achieved through a revitalized partnership and a new momentum for global sustainable development. We are called upon to contribute to the 2030 Agenda” In this regards, CERN continues to be a model and a privileged partner for UNESCO.

UNTV Webcasts of sessions:
:: Panel 1: The CERN Model, Science, Education, and Global Public Good – CERN / UNOG Symposium 2015 (English)
2 Nov 2015 Video: 02:09:38
:: Panel 2: The United Nations and Public Goods – CERN / UNOG Symposium 2015 (English)
Panel 2: The United Nations and Public Goods
2 Nov 2015 Video: 01:35:05
:: Panel 3: The United Nations Model – CERN / UNOG Symposium 2015 (English)
Panel 3: The United Nations Model And Sustainable Development
2 Nov 2015 Video: 01:22:04
:: Panel 4: The CERN Model and Climate Related Issues – CERN / UNOG Symposium 2015 (English)
Panel 4: The CERN Model and Climate Related Issues
2 Nov 2015 Video: 01:39:07

United Nations – Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/
Selected Press Releases/Meetings Coverage

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6 November 2015
GA/SPD/598
Amid Growing Global Instability, Special Political Missions Crucial for Conflict Prevention, Require Separate Fund, Speakers Tell Fourth Committee
Against the backdrop of an increasingly “grim” and “complex” global security landscape, special political missions — with their rapid, nimble and tailored approaches — were a key part of the United Nations peace operations toolbox, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today as it took up the matter in a half-day debate.

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6 November 2015
GA/11720
Debating Report of International Criminal Court, Delegates Stress Need for Court’s Adequate Funding, Accession by Member States to Rome Statute
The International Criminal Court should be properly funded, particularly when it came to cases referred to it by the Security Council, the General Assembly heard today, as it concluded its debate on the Court’s report.

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4 November 2015
GA/SHC/4150
While ‘Host’ States Shoulder Burden of Massive Refugee Influx, Delegates Tell Third Committee ‘Resources Are Not Unlimited’, Long-Term Solutions Needed
Overstretched resources, critical funding shortages and desperate conditions were among the accounts delegates shared to describe some of the grim consequences of the greatest crisis of forced displacement since the Second World War as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today concluded its discussions on refugees and displaced persons and continued consideration of the promotion and protection of human rights.

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3 November 2015
GA/SHC/4149
Amid Record Numbers of People Displaced by War, Humanitarian Actors No Longer Able to Provide Core Assistance, Protection, Top Official Tells Third Committee
Until donors ramped up contributions, humanitarian actors were no longer able to provide core assistance to the record number of displaced people worldwide, the head of the United Nations refugee agency told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today as it concluded discussions on racism and began consideration of humanitarian questions.

UN OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true
Selected Press Releases/Announcements

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Human Rights Committee closes one hundred and fifteenth session
11/6/2015

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Bangladesh NGOs: UN expert warns against proposed funding bill
11/6/2015

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Protecting human rights defenders: UN expert launches survey to identify best practices
11/4/2015

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Biggest global gathering on business and human rights, Geneva (16-18 November)
GENEVA (2 November 2015) – Some 2,000 participants from governments, business, the investment community, grassroots and international non-governmental organisations and academia will come together for the fourth UN Forum on Business and Human Rights from 16 to 18 November at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The Forum is the world’s largest gathering on business and human rights. It brings together leaders, experts and practitioners to find ways to prevent and address human rights abuses in the economic sphere, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

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Useful links:
:: Business Forum webpage
:: Full programme (with speakers and links to concept notes)
:: Watch the Forum live (UNWebTV)

Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Children/Pages/ChildrenIndex.aspx

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Clarification of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography following her end-of-mission press conference in Japan
GENEVA (2 November 2015) – “In view of the reactions that followed to my end-of-mission press conference of 26 October 2015, I would like to issue the following clarification:

Regarding the estimate of minors allegedly involved in compensated dating (the so-called “joshi kôsei” or “JK business”), there was an error of interpretation during the press conference, and the percentage I cited (13%) was mistranslated as 30%. In this respect, a corrigendum has been posted in the websites of the UN Information Center in Tokyo and the Japan National Press Club.

During my visit to Japan, I received no official statistic on the scope of the “JK business” in the country. However, many of my interlocutors referred to it as a worrying trend which can easily lead to sexual exploitation of the minors involved in this lucrative business. In the press conference, I made reference to estimates I had seen in open sources to highlight a phenomenon that must be urgently tackled. The bottom line is that the so-called “JK business” is a very serious matter that needs to be looked into – and official data compiled on it – urgently. I reiterate my call to the Government of Japan and relevant authorities to conduct comprehensive research on the scope, root causes and impact of the “JK business” and other activities that lead or can amount to sexual exploitation of children, in order to inform evidence-based preventive policies.

In my multiple meetings with a vast array of stakeholders while in Japan, I have taken note of several efforts deployed by the Government and other actors to combat sexual exploitation of children, a number of which could be replicated as good practices in other countries. Despite all these efforts, the country faces various challenges in this area, and my aim is to assist the authorities in determining how to best overcome them in compliance with international human rights norms and standards. The full and comprehensive report that I will present to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2016 will aim at supporting Japan’s efforts in eradicating and preventing the sexual exploitation and sale of children.”

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End of mission statement of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, on her visit to Japan
26 October 2015

SRSG/CAAC Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict [to 7 November 2015]
https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/virtual-library/press-release-archive/

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05 Nov 2015
UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Welcomes Commitment by FARC-EP to End Child Recruitment in Colombia
New York – The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, welcomes the commitment made by the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) to stop the recruitment and use of children under 18.

This commitment was expressed during the Special Representative’s second visit to Cuba from 30 October to 3 November to discuss the fate of children affected by the armed conflict with the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP – the two negotiating parties to the Colombian peace talks.

“This is an important step to protect the children of Colombia and to bring the FARC-EP’s recruitment practices in line with national and international law. I look forward to seeing this commitment implemented through command orders disseminated widely within the ranks of the FARC-EP,” declared Leila Zerrougui upon her return to New York.

During their meeting in Havana, the FARC-EP declared their willingness to release children under 15 present in their ranks and both parties stated they were ready to prepare for the children’s reintegration into society…

UN OCHA [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unocha.org/media-resources/press-releases
[We generally do not include OCHA Flash Updates on humanitarian crises in this digest]

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07 Nov 2015
Russian Federation: UN Humanitarian Chief encouraged by stronger aid partnership with Russia
(Moscow, 6 November 2015): Stephen O’Brien, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, today concluded his first official visit to the Russian Federation, with the aim of building on the strong partnership between Russia and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
“We have an excellent partnership with the Russian Federation in humanitarian affairs, and this has a clear impact in our ability to respond to people’s needs around the world,” noted USG O’Brien. “Russia plays a vital and strategic role as a Member State actively engaged in global and multi-lateral humanitarian efforts, as well as a provider of considerable emergency expertise, assets and relief supplies, and as a generous donor to humanitarian funds.”…

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05 Nov 2015
Ukraine: UN Humanitarian chief calls for urgent, sustained access to vulnerable communities in Eastern Ukraine
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Ukraine
(Kyiv, 4 November 2015) UN Humanitarian Chief Stephen O’Brien concluded his three-day visit to Ukraine today, calling for sustained and unimpeded access to the vulnerable communities caught in the middle of the crisis and who urgently need humanitarian aid…
“As a result of my meetings and the welcome assurances I received, I have confidence that I can count upon all the parties to facilitate immediate, unimpeded and sustained aid delivery. We and our partners remain ready to scale up the delivery of vital aid and are activating our plan to commence the transport of some 500 metric tonnes of blankets, food, medical supplies and shelter repair materials for people in the Luhansk area in the next few days,” announced USG O’Brien. “As impartial, neutral and independent humanitarians, we will continue to coordinate with all parties so that we can get to the people who need help, urge all sides to allow free movement of civilians and aid workers, and to mobilize further funds to enable this critical work.” …

UNICEF [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_78364.html
Selected press releases

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UNICEF welcomes end of Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, calls for more support to 11,500+ affected children
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 7 November 2015 – The WHO declaration marking the end of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone today is welcomed by UNICEF as a major victory for the large-scale and coordinated 18-month response. But enhanced surveillance must continue so that the country is ready for any possible future outbreaks, and work must also intensify to support those affected by the outbreak and to build a resilient recovery.

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UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham visits children in Nepal six months after earthquake
KATHMANDU, Nepal/LONDON 6 November 2015 – UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham today met children at a temporary learning centre established with support from UNICEF in Kathmandu after the earthquake hit.

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First Global Summit on Innovation for Children, Helsinki, 9-10 November
NEW YORK, 3 November 2015 – Although the world is now closer than ever to meeting its promises for children, the work for, with and on behalf of children is far from finished. The global summit seeks to look at ways to secure tangible innovations for children around the world.

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases
Selected Press Releases

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Mediterranean Migrants and Refugees: Latest Arrivals and Fatalities
11/06/15
The first group of asylum applicants from Greece was assisted by IOM to leave for Luxembourg Wednesday morning.

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Stranded Ethiopian Child Migrants Return Home from Malawi
11/06/15
Malawi – IOM this week facilitated the return of 50 Ethiopian irregular migrants stranded in Malawi. Fifteen of the returnees were children.

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IOM Aids Earthquake-Hit Communities in Afghanistan
11/06/15
Afghanistan – IOM distributed vital relief supplies across northern, central and eastern Afghanistan this week, helping families affected by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck on 26 October.

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Mozambique Hosts Meeting to Facilitate South-South Labour Mobility
11/06/15
Mozambique – Delegates from the Labour Ministries of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are meeting in Maputo today to launch an IOM Development Fund (IDF)-backed project: “Developing a Roadmap to Facilitate South-South Labour Mobility.”

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IOM Launches Gender-Based Migrants’ Rights Campaign in Argentina
11/06/15
Argentina – IOM has launched an awareness campaign in Argentina aimed at promoting migrants’ human rights, particularly women who are victims of gender-based violence.

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Switzerland, IOM Cambodia Sign Funding Agreement to Develop Regional Program on Skills Development and Safe Migration
11/06/15
Cambodia – The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and IOM today signed an agreement for an inception phase for a Regional program on poverty reduction through skills development to promote safe and regular migration in the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

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UNAOC and IOM’s Global Youth Video Festival Featured during Times Square Event
11/06/15
On November 3, world-renowned athletes, Olympic gold medalists, musicians, members of the civil society and youth gathered in Times Square, New York, for Save the Dream – an unprecedented collective commitment to providing youth with access to opportunities through sport.
On this occasion, several videos addressing the impact of global conflicts on children were shown on Times Square’s big screens. Among the videos screened was a montage of previous winning films from PLURAL+ International Youth Film Festival depicting positive migration, social integration and youth opportunities despite displacement.

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Migrants Continue to Flow into Greece, Balkans
11/03/15
Greece – An estimated 28,000 migrants and refugees crossed into Greece from Friday (30/10) to Sunday (01/11), according to Hellenic Police figures.

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Assessment of Conflict-Affected Families Begins in Kunduz, Afghanistan
11/03/15
Afghanistan – Heavy fighting in Kunduz province in September and October displaced thousands of families and caused widespread damage.

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IOM Expands Drought Response in Papua New Guinea as El Niño Effects Deepen
11/03/15
Papua New Guinea – Almost 2.5 million people have been affected by the drought and cold attributed to the deepening El Niño phenomenon ravaging the highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG), according to the country’s National Disaster Centre. Deaths related to diseases and starvations have already been reported.

UN Women [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories
Selected Press Releases

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Orange the world to end violence against women
Date: 02 November 2015
This year, to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world, the UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign aims to “Orange the world.” During the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, from International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November to Human Rights Day on 10 December, “Orange Events” will take place around the world.

WHO & Regionals [to 7 November 2015]

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:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Statement on the end of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone
Delivered by Dr Anders Nordström, WHO Representative in Sierra Leone. Today, 7 November 2015

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Country efforts lead the way toward malaria elimination in the Americas (11/05/2015)
:: Regional Dengue Symposium Addresses Today’s Challenges in Dengue Control (11/03/2015)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified.

WHO European Region EURO
:: Engaging people in every step: patients and carers explain the benefits of people-centred health care 05-11-2015

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Health needs in conflict zones must be addressed by Dr Ala Alwan
5 November 2015
:: Inactivated polio vaccine introduced in routine immunization programme in Yemen
3 November 2015
:: WHO reaches besieged Dar’a and vulnerable Hama with 290 000 life-saving treatments
2 November 2015

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
Selected Press Releases

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UNDP to address urgent climate change adaptation needs in Malawi and Maldives through Green Climate Fund support
Nov 6, 2015 Two UNDP projects, to address urgent climate change adaptation needs in Malawi and Maldives, received $35.9 million funding support from the Green Climate Fund this week.

Countries highlight the role of multiple policies in eradicating poverty and achieving the 2030 Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean
Nov 5, 2015 Ministers wrap up social development meeting, jointly organized for the first time by ECLAC, the Government of Peru and UNDP.

Resilience Development Forum to propose a 10-point Action Agenda for a longer-term integrated response to the crisis in Syria and the sub-region
Nov 3, 2015

Ministers address challenges to reduce poverty and inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean in a sustainable development era
Nov 2, 2015Over 30 Social Development Ministers from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered here today to discuss how to continue reducing poverty and inequality despite the region’s economic slowdown, as policymakers start putting in practice the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in September 2015.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1
Selected Press Releases

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Montreal Protocol Parties Devise Way Forward to Protect Climate Ahead of Paris COP21
At the 27th Meeting of Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Dubai
06/11/2015

UNEP marks International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
In situations of war and armed conflict, the environment and natural resources can be used as weapons of war, suffer as collateral damage, or act as livelihood lifelines for affected populations.
06/11/2015

UN Environment Programme Statement on Southeast Asian Fires
UNEP stands ready to assist in the implementation of the ASEAN agreement on transboundary haze pollution and achieving the vision of Haze-free ASEAN by 2020 if not before.
06/11/2015

INDCS Signal Unprecedented Momentum for Climate Agreement in Paris, But Achieving 2 Degree Objective Contingent upon Enhanced Ambition in Future Years
INDCs Projected to Reduce Emissions in 2030 by up to 6 Gt But Additional 12 Gt Required to Close Gap
06/11/2015

Collated Research Reveals Full Scale of Montreal Protocol’s Ozone Layer Repair Work
The ozone layer will have recovered to pre-1980 levels by around 2060.
04/11/2015

Countries Agree on Actions to Help Save Saiga Antelopes
Saiga Range Countries and Experts Convene in Tashkent Following Saiga Mass Mortality Event
02/11/2015

UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive
Selected Press Releases

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New private sector alliance gets down to business
LONDON, 6 November 2015 – The new UNISDR Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies, or ARISE, got to work today as members set out their ambition to help the business world rein in the impact of natural and man-made hazards.

ARISE’s freshly-elected board co-chair Mr. Oz Ozturk said its members – 100 to date, and growing — aimed to play a key role in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, a wide-ranging, 15-year agreement adopted by the international community in March this year.

“There’s a real focus on programmatic outcomes. People really want to see projects being delivered, that are creating value both for the private and public sector,” said Mr. Ozturk, a partner at global consultancy PwC…

ARISE’s two-day founding meeting, which began on Thursday, drew dozens of delegates from companies, industry and business bodies, and research organizations from across the world. The alliance plans to set up regional and national chapters in order to drive action on the ground…

ARISE combines and consolidates two previous UNISDR programmes: the Private Sector Partnership, which was the main advocacy group highlighting solutions for resilience and disaster risk-sensitive investment, and the R!SE initiative, mainly oriented towards projects on making investment more resilient…

UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [to 7 November 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news.html
Selected Press Releases

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Revitalizing global partnership for sustainable development
6 November 2015, Kampala, Uganda
Speaking at a symposium on the revitalization of a global partnership for sustainable development, top United Nations officials dealing with economic and social issues today stressed the importance of building trust, cultivating leadership and adjusting policies to achieve the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Kampala hosts international experts to revive development cooperation for SDGs
4 November 2015, New York
After the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), about 150 high-level representatives from governments, civil society, the private sector and international organizations will gather in Kampala, Uganda to discuss concrete steps towards implementing the new agenda.

UNESCO [to 7 November 2015]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Press Releases

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EU and UNESCO committed to work together to widen perspectives for a better life‎ for refugees and displaced
06 November 2015

UNESCO and United States promote education to prevent violent extremism
06 November 2015

UNESCO and the Caribbean Community joint efforts for deeper collaboration
06 November 2015

Director-General and the Minister of Education of Iraq call for increased support for Internally Displaced Populations and mobilization to combat Illicit Trafficking
05 November 2015

Director-General awards first UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development
04 November 2015

Addressing global challenges though science diplomacy and scientific excellence: the CERN model
03 November 2015

UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 7 November 2015]
http://unhabitat.org/media-centre/news/
[Selected Announcements]

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The Future of the World lies within the Development of intermediate Cities
Montería Colombia 5 November 2015– UN- Habitat, United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), Andalucia Agency for Development International Cooperation, and Monteria City Council collaborated to organize the Expert Group Meeting (EGM)…
Posted November 4, 2015

UN-Habitat hosts meeting on urban regeneration in Mexico City
Mexico City, 4 November 2015 – UN-Habitat recently organized an Expert Group Meeting to provide concrete recommendations for the Urban Regeneration process of the City of Mexico. Posted November 4, 2015

El Salvador launches national policy on habitat and housing
El Salvador, 3 November 2015– During World Cities Day, the president of El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez Cerén, launched the National Housing and Habitat Policy (NHHP) that seeks to facilitate access to decent housing for families and opportunities…
Posted November 3, 2015

World Cities Day marked successfully across the globe
Nairobi/Milan 31 October 2015—Successful events were held across the globe to mark the second World Cities Day. Dubbed ‘Designed to live together’, the highlight of this year’s event was in Milan…
Posted November 2, 2015