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UN Chief seeks end to Syria war

UN chief Antonio Guterres  says 11 years of “brutal fighting” in Syria must end…reports Asian Lite News

 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a ceasefire in Syria in a statement marking 11 years of “brutal fighting” in the conflict-torn nation.

“We cannot fail the Syrian people. The conflict must cease. International humanitarian law must be respected,” said the UN chief.

“I call on all parties to meaningfully engage in the UN-facilitated political process and appeal for further support to scale up the humanitarian response. We must choose peace,” the secretary-general added.

The top UN official said that Syria’s 11 years of “brutal fighting” has come at an “unconscionable human cost,” subjecting millions there to human rights violations on a “massive and systematic scale.”

“The destruction that Syrians have endured is so extensive and deadly that it has few equals in modern history,” said the secretary-general.

He noted that the slow but systematic destruction of basic infrastructure around the country, since the civil war began in 2011 in the wake of the so-called “Arab Spring” of popular uprisings across the Middle East, has “deepened the economic crisis” and now, humanitarian needs are at their highest level since conflict began.

“We must not lose hope, we must act now. We must show the courage and determination to move beyond rhetorical commitments to peace and to do all that is necessary to reach a negotiated political solution in line with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015),” the UN chief said.

Syrian Fighters in Ukraine

Russia is recruiting Syrians for the war in Ukraine, who know how to fight in the urban areas of the city.

This was reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing four US officials. It is unknown exactly how many Syrian mercenaries were recruited, but according to the publication, some of them are already in Russia and are preparing to enter the conflict.

According to the publication, based in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, Russia offered volunteers from the country from $ 200 to $ 300 to travel to Ukraine, UNIAN reported.

Syrian militants have spent nearly a decade fighting in the urban areas, while Russian forces, mostly military, do not have this skill set, said WSJ expert Jennifer Cafarella, a researcher at the Institute for War Studies in Washington.

According to the chairman of the board of the Center for Defense Strategies Andriy Zagorodniuk, in less than 11 days of resistance, the Armed Forces managed to neutralise up to 46,000 Russian occupiers, including the killed, wounded and prisoners.

Soldiers Killed

At least 13 soldiers were killed when their bus was ambushed in the central province of Homs, a state media report.

 Officers were among the slain soldiers, whose bus was attacked in the desert region of the city of Palmyra in the countryside of Homs, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

 It added that 18 other soldiers were wounded by the “terrorist attack”, which was carried out with the use of various weapons.

 The state media report did not name the group or individual behind the attack, but similar ones have been carried out by remnants of the Islamic State (IS) terror group, which is still active in the desert region.

 Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights placed the death toll at 15.

 It added that thetoll is likely going to rise as most of the wounded are in critical condition.

 The attack is the latest in a series of targeting by the IS against the Syrian army in the desert area.

 In January, a similar attack by IS on a military bus near Palmyra killed five soldiers and wounded 20 others.

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SPECIAL 2022: UN Chief Urges World To Join Covid Fight

Antonio condemns attack injuring 10 peacekeepers in CAR

And for an economic rescue, the UN chief flagged that wealthier countries must support the developing world with “financing, investment and debt relief”…reports Asian Lite News.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday suggested that the world should commit to making 2022 as a year of recovery for everyone.

In his year-end message to the world, Guterres said: “The world welcomes 2022 with our hopes for the future being tested by deepening poverty and worsening inequality… An unequal distribution of Covid vaccines… climate commitments that fall short, and by ongoing conflict, division, and misinformation.”

He added that these are “not just policy tests”, but “moral and real-life tests”.

However, these are exams that all of humanity can pass “if we commit to making 2022 a year of recovery for everyone”, said the UN chief.

Guterres went on to detail how best the recovery should be done on each front.

The pandemic requires “a bold plan to vaccinate every person, everywhere”, he said.

And for an economic rescue, the UN chief flagged that wealthier countries must support the developing world with “financing, investment and debt relief”.

Meanwhile, to heal from mistrust and division, he affirmed that a new emphasis must be placed “on science, facts and reason”.

At the same time, recovery from conflicts calls for “a renewed spirit of dialogue, compromise and reconciliation” while restoring our planet takes “climate commitments that match the scale and urgency of the crisis”, said Guterres.

The UN head also acknowledged that “moments of great difficulty are also moments of great opportunity to come together in solidarity”.

This is because they offer the chance “to unite behind solutions that can benefit all people. And to move forward together, with hope in what our human family can accomplish”.

“Together, let’s make recovery our resolution for 2022. I wish you all a happy and peaceful New Year,” concluded the Secretary-General.

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UN Chief Seeks More Support for Migrants

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan/IANS)

With borders closed, many migrants are stranded without income or shelter, unable to return home, separated from their families, and with uncertain futures,” Guterres noted…reports Asian Lite News.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that showing solidarity with migrants is more important than ever in his message on International Migrants Day, marked annually on December 18.

“Solidarity with migrants has never been more urgent,” said the UN chief, adding that “we need more effective international cooperation and a more compassionate approach to migration”,

Guterres said that “on this International Migrants Day, we recognise the contributions of migrants across the world in the face of many struggles including the Covid-19 pandemic”, Xinhua news agency reported

UNHCR 57 illegal migrants released from Tripoli detention centre

However, he said that “migrants continue to face widespread stigmatization, inequalities, xenophobia, and racism. Migrant women and girls face heightened risk of gender-based violence and have fewer options to seek support”.

“With borders closed, many migrants are stranded without income or shelter, unable to return home, separated from their families, and with uncertain futures,” Guterres noted.

According to the UN, approximately 281 million people were international migrants in 2020, representing 3.6 per cent of the global population.

The year 2021’s theme for International Migrants Day is “harnessing the potential of human mobility”.

For the UN chief, the world needs more effective international cooperation and a more compassionate approach to accomplish that goal.

“This means managing borders humanely, fully respecting the human rights and humanitarian needs of everyone and ensuring that migrants are included in national Covid-19 vaccination plans,” he said.

It also means recognizing pathways for regular entry and addressing the drivers of migration, such as deep inequalities and human trafficking.

Next year, the International Migration Review Forum will take stock of progress in implementing the milestone Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

For the UN chief, this “is an opportunity to advance efforts to ensure the full inclusion of migrants as we seek to build more resilient, just and sustainable societies”.

Libya

On December 18, 1990, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

Each year on December 18, the world body, through the UN-related agency International Organization for Migration, highlights the contributions made by migrants and the challenges they face.

ALSO READ-EU plans sanctions against companies that help smuggle migrants

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UN Chief: We need everyone, including persons with disabilities

About 80 per cent of people with disabilities live in developing countries, according to the UN. Nearly 46 per cent of people aged 60 and older have a disability…reports Asian Lite News.

On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which falls on December 3 annually, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that people with disabilities were among those most affected by the pandemic.

“Covid-19 has laid bare the persistent barriers and inequalities faced by the world’s 1 billion persons with disabilities,” he said on Friday.

In his view, disability-inclusive pandemic response and recovery should be led by people with disabilities themselves, Xinhua news agency reported.

It should also “forge partnerships, tackle injustice and discrimination, expand access to technology and strengthen institutions to create a more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable post Covid-19 world.”

About 80 per cent of people with disabilities live in developing countries, according to the UN. Nearly 46 per cent of people aged 60 and older have a disability.

One in every five women is likely to experience disability in her life, while for children, that figure is one in 10.

The top UN official urged all countries to fully implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to meet the needs of these people.

He said governments should also improve accessibility and dismantle legal, social, economic and other barriers with the active participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations.

“Realizing the rights, agency and leadership of persons with disabilities will advance our common future,” he argued. “We need everyone, including persons with disabilities on board, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an international observance promoted by the UN since 1992. It has been observed with varying degrees of success around the planet. The observance of the day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. Each year the day focuses on a different issue. The theme of this year is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post Covid-19 world.”

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Guterres sworn in for second term as UN chief

Antonio Guterres ran unopposed because none of the self-nominated candidates was sponsored by a member nation, reports Arul Louis

The UN General Assembly on Friday appointed Antonio Guterres, to a second term as the Secretary General to lead the world body through the crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic and the fight against global warming, which he has made his priority.

After being sworn-in to his second term, Guterres said that he would work for a “breakthrough” for a world at “a critical moment in history”.

The world is “at the cusp of a new era”, he said. “We are truly at a crossroads, with consequential choices before us. Paradigms are shifting. Old orthodoxies are being flipped.”

The 193-member General Assembly’s resolution adopted by acclamation said that in “appreciation for the effective and dedicated service rendered to the United Nations”, it approved the Security Council recommendation to give the former Portuguese Prime Minister another five years starting in January as the world’s top diplomat.

Security Council President Sven Jurgenson said that Guterres conformed to the highest standards of competence and integrity.

The Assembly’s endorsement of the Council’s recommendation was only a formality because, in reality, the five permanent members of the Council through their veto powers control the selection and reappointment of the Secretary General.

Guterres ran unopposed because none of the self-nominated candidates was sponsored by a member nation.

India, which is a non-permanent member of the Security Council, supported Guterres’s re-election there and in the Assembly.

After a meeting with Guterres last month, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar tweeted that New Delhi “values” his leadership and would back his re-election.

Guterres said on Friday: “We are writing our own history with the choices we make right now.”

But he warned, “It can go either way: breakdown and perpetual crisis or breakthrough and prospect of a greener, safer and better future for all.”

However, he said that there were hopeful signs and “we feel a new momentum everywhere for an unequivocal commitment to come together to chart a course towards a better future” because of the pandemic’s lessons of “our shared vulnerability, our inter-connectedness and the absolute need for collective action”.

The cooperation seen now in the fight against Covid-19 may not have been possible a decade ago, he said.

ALSO READ – Guterres calls for ‘Global Vaccination Plan’

He said that the world was beset by “geostrategic divides and dysfunctional power relations” that are manifest in “too many asymmetries and paradoxes”.

They have to be met head-on and “we also need to be aware of how power plays out in today’s world when it comes to the distribution of resources and technology”, he said.

The global proliferation of mistrust is another problem that should not be allowed to overwhelm the world, he added.

Guterres
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, left foreground, at Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan in February 2020. (File Photo UNIAN)

Guterres displayed masterful diplomacy in navigating a deeply polarised Council without antagonising the permanent members while managing the reflexive opposition of former US President Donald Trump to the UN and China’s aggressive diplomacy.

Earlier this month announcing the Council’s recommendation for a second term for Guterres, Jurgenson described him as a “bridge-builder”.

Seven of Guterres’s predecessors were re-elected and only Boutros Boutros Ghali, an Egyptian, was limited to a single term because of Washington’s opposition.

During the Covid-19 crisis, Guterres pursued the equitable distribution of vaccines and other resources while fighting disinformation, and set an agenda for post-pandemic rebuilding to put the world back on track in pursuit of the UN’s sustainable development goals.

His first term was marked by his passionate advocacy of fighting global warming, which he has called an existential threat to humanity, and a top agenda item.

Guterres, who was a UN High Commissioner for Refugees, was the surprise consensus candidate in 2016 when the bets were on a woman, likely from East Europe, getting the job that had been held only by men and never by a East European.

In his first bid in 2016, he received the essential approval of the Security Council after six straw polls in which he outlasted 12 candidates, seven of them women.

But this time Guterres, who was nominated by Portugal, had no official rivals as the Security Council did not recognise at least seven other self-nominated candidates — including Arora Akanksha, a Canadian of Indian descent — because they lacked the backing of any nation.

The requirement for sponsorship by a UN member is not unambiguously stated in the UN Charter or its regulation, but the Council and the Assembly considered it a de facto qualification based on tradtion.

The Assembly resolution appointing Guterres to a second term, said it was “guided by the principles of transparency and inclusivity” as set out in its 2015 resolution that established a modicum of openness to a process that had been shrouded by backroom deals.

The Assembly required the candidates to appear before it to make a pitch for their election.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Front) attends the screening of the United Nations Day Concert 2020 in the General Assembly Hall at the UN headquarters in New York, on Oct. 22, 2020. (Mark Garten/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

This time only Guterres came before the Assembly to layout his vision for his second term and the others were excluded because they were not recognised.

Jugenson and General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir have maintained that a nomination by a member state is necessary — a requirement that would prevent a stampede of self-nominated candidates demanding equal time at the General Assembly with the officially nominated candidates.

Of the self-nominated candidates, only Rosalia Arteaga, a former President of Ecuador, had any shred of credibility and the self-nominations were publicity stunts.

Akanksha, 34, is an employee of the UN Development Programme who made a splashy campaign video pitching her youth and the need for change at a UN weighed down by a sclerotic bureaucracy.

Although she received media coverage, she could not get the support of even her country, Canada, or of India and Saudi Arabia, where she had lived earlier.

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