#Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UN

[humansolidarityday]

One World, Shared Goals: Collaborative Actions for SDG Implementation.

Bringing partners from the education sector, private industry, government, children, youth, and student organizations. Together, they will explore the best practices for building effective partnerships to speed up the SDGs implementation. 

Side Event at the SDG Action Weekend organized by Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations in New York/Planning Institute of Jamaica/HH MSII SDG Challenge/UNESCO IESALC/UN MGCY/ Danish UN Youth Delegation / Future Perspectives/ German UN Youth Delegation/ Global Student Forum/Global Youth Biodiversity Network/One Million Teachers/UNESCO SDG4 Youth and Student Network/Save the Children/Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities/The Millennials Movement/World Food Forum/.

To maximize the SDG Summit's impact, the Secretary General is convening an SDG Action Weekend, which will generate opportunities for stakeholders, UN entities, and Member States to convene inside the United Nations Headquarters and set out specific commitments and contributions to drive SDG transformation between now and 2030.

The SDG Action Weekend will consist of the SDG Mobilization Day on Saturday, 16 September, and the SDG Acceleration Day on Sunday, 17 September at UNHQ in New York.

The SDG Action Weekend includes a select number of high-level side-events identified through an open call that concluded in August. They are jointly organized by coalitions of Member States, UN agencies and other international organizations, and global stakeholder networks.

[ostrowska-dominika]

What is the United Nation’s Security Council and Why Doesn’t it Work?

Whether its issues around the abuse of power, lack of representation or failure to aid in humanitarian missions, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has faced a lot of scrutiny throughout the years. However, in today’s post I want to focus more on explaining how the UNSC is structured, how the Right to Veto works, and the problems around that privilege.  

Structure of the United Nations Security Council

The United Nations Security Council is composed of 15 members. It has 5 permanent members known as the ‘P5’, and 10 non-permanent members which are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly. The ‘P5’ include the United States, United Kingdom, France, People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation. The other non-permanent members are chosen at the end of the term year (which lasts two years) and as of 2020 include: Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and South Africa. In 2021 Estonia, Niger, Tunisia, Vietnam and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will join. As of 1963, the Assembly decided that the non-permanent members of the Council should be elected according to the following pattern (resolution 1991 A (XVIII)): 5 states from African and Asia, 1 state from Eastern Europe, 2 states from Latin America, and 2 states from Western Europe. States which are part of the UN but not of the Security Council can still participate but only when its countries interests are affected. As stated on the UN’s ‘current members’ page:

           “Both Members and non-members of the United Nations, if they are parties to a dispute being considered by the Council, may be invited to take part, without a vote, in the Council's discussions”

So, in essence, they have to be invited by the Security Council in order to have any say. Ultimately, it is the Council that sets out conditions for participation of non-member states.

Right to Veto

The power of Veto on a security council resolution is probably the most important privilege of the P5. To exercise veto is the ability to reject a decision proposed by the security council. Article 27 (3) of the UN Charter establishes that all substantive decisions of the Council must be made with “the concurring votes of the permanent members”. In other words, all permanent members of the Security Council need to agree in order to pass any resolution. However, it only takes one of the P5 countries to veto for a resolution not to be passed. The Right to Veto grants the permanent members of the UNSC an enormous amount of power.

Why Veto and Problems

According to Security Council Reports.org some of the reasons why a member state would choose to veto include:

-       Defending national interests

-       To uphold tenant of their foreign policy

-       To promote a single issue of particular importance to a state

Additionally, it is not unusual for a draft resolution not to be formally tabled because of the threat of a veto by one or more of the permanent members. This is worrying because this means a resolution to a big issue might not even be presented to the Council if there is suspicion it might not pass. This leads to bigger questions of international aid.

As an example, let’s take a look at China and the Ethnic Genocide which is happening in its Western region of Xinjiang. We all truly know what’s happening to the Uyghur ethnic minority of China. Most reports of China’s unlawful detention of members of the Uyghur community started surfacing in 2018. As more information started to surface, more questions have been asked by the international community. For example, in the UK, the BBC have reported on the situation which is a huge step in increasing interest in the issue within the British public.

An organisation called the World Uyghur Congress was established in 2004 particularly to resolute this issue and they have been working closely with the UN to try and end the victimisation of Uyghurs by China, as well as raise awareness around it. Let me say this again: an organisation which was set up in order to help Uyghurs who have been victimised by China, is working closely with the UN on the issue, while China remains a permanent member on the United Nations Security Council! Evidently, the international community, countries around the world, and member-states of the UN are very aware of what’s going on in Xinjiang. However, even if members of the UN wanted to do anything about it, China would veto the resolution, and nothing could be done. (But that doesn’t even scratch the surface of why nothing is really done. China is an economic superpower and in the capitalist system we are living in, profit will always out-weight human life).

Member States Call for the Removal of Veto Power and More Representation

The argument that member states need better representation at the UNSC is not new. African countries, although talked about often, lack a voice to speak for themselves. Delegates from underrepresented countries have asked to increase the number of permanent members and abolishing the right to veto. One attempt occurred in November of 2018, and really this issue has been on the Assembly’s agenda for over 20 years, however no consensus has been reached till this day. Perhaps this is because truthfully the UNSC doesn’t want any changes as they like the way in which the system works, because it benefits them.

           Take Africa for example. Despite having the largest number of member states in the UN, countries from the region continue to be undermined and under-represented in the council. There is almost a neo-colonial feeling to this fact.

In an effort to bring attention to this issue in 2017, then Assembly President of Slovakia Miroslav Lajčák stated in his opening remarks that the Council’s work could mean the difference between life and death. He went on to suggest that it is the Council itself which has the power to change this, to extend equality beyond the elites. But it is very apparent that they don’t want to change and there will be no reform. It comes down to the most powerful wanting to stay as such, and everyone else is left with the only choice which is to abide by their rules.

My list of sources:

1.     https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/current-members

2.     https://www.un.org/en/ga/62/plenary/election_sc/bkg.shtml

3.     https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/un-security-council-working-methods/the-veto.php

4.     https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cpz1y9ney3mt/uighurs

5.     https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/activities-overview/

6.     https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/introducing-the-world-uyghur-congress/

7.     https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/ga12091.doc.htm

8.     https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/ga11969.doc.htm

9.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPAONq36HKg

[zloyodessit]

Russia suffers another fiasco at UN Security Council

It was expected that, by convening a UN Security Council briefing on February 18, Russia wasn't doing this out of pure enthusiasm, but with certain intent, aimed to play by the elaborated scenarios. The attack by the occupation forces in Donbas on Ukraine Army defense positions on Tuesday made it clear that such a scenario was to subsequently accuse Ukraine at the UNSCC platform of violation of Minsk agreements. And that's what happened.

Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the UN Security Council, Vasily Nebenzya, accused Ukraine of the latest escalation in Donbas, also mentioning Russophobia and the other standard messages usually voiced by the Krelmin's "talking head". Speaking at the UN Security Council briefing, the Russian envoy said: "[T]he Ukrainian law enforcers are persistently trying to take up positions of self-defence forces in the so-called grey zones where there should be no military forces at all."

Acting Deputy Permanent Representative at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, U.S. Ambassador Cherith Norman Chalet noted: "In 2014, Russia occupied Crimea and fueled the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 13,000 people, displaced millions, and precipitated an alarming humanitarian crisis. Russia’s ongoing aggressive actions are an affront to international norms and a threat to our common security."

The U.S. deputy UN mission chief also stressed that while Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky remain committed to the peaceful settlement of the conflict and the implementation of Minsk agreements, Russia hasn't shown similar willingness to fulfill its obligations under the Minsk accords. The attack by pro-Russian forces near Zolote, which led to casualties on the Ukrainian side, was carried out on the fifth anniversary of the seizure by Russian proxy forces of the strategic railway hub of Debaltseve, in direct violation of Minsk agreements, approved just a week earlier.

A joint statement by EU states, current members of the UN Security Council – Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany and Poland – contained absolute support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The statement said: "We condemn the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol and the destabilization of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions."

In fact, the Russian side has received absolutely no support in the Security Council, while its attempt to accuse Ukraine of the latest escalation in Donbas failed. Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya particularly noted the attempts of the Russian Federation to play a game of shifting blame for own crimes on others.

"As it has happened before, Russia tries to present the victim of its aggression as a perpetrator, which is one of the hallmarks of its information war against Ukraine. Such vain attempts to twist the truth could have been viewed as pathetic and even laughable — if it were not a cynical insult to the memory of thousands of my compatriots who have lost their lives defending their land, to the memory of those protesters, who were gunned down in cold blood in Maidan six years ago on the night of 18 February, which is now often called the Night of the Apocalypse..." said Serhiy Kyslytsya, adding that in the current situation the dialogue with Moscow would be a path to nowhere, or just a trap.

Russia's total failure of Russia at the UN Security Council was, in fact, predictable. To be honest, I predicted this briefing to be the way it ultimately turned out to be, as seen by the widest audiences – major humiliation of the Russian envoy almost by every speaker. But this rather predictable and expected result still can't undo the very fact of violent aggression and deaths of Ukrainian troops.

This proves that Russian provocations these days don't place the key bet on being efficient in the international arena. It is important for them, through this show of strength and permissiveness, to create appropriate, chaotic moods within Ukraine and at least provoke an internal crisis.

So, yes, Russia's ever-lying envoy was once again publicly smashed at the UNSC session hall, which de facto means that Russia, too, was humiliated, but the Kremlin doesn't seem to care. Also, they couldn’t care less about a dozen lives of their troops that their latest foiled offensive on Ukrainian positions took. Neither of these is, especially the latter, constitutes any losses in the Kremlin's perception. It's precisely this inhumane and immoral approach, which has nothing to do with the policies of a civilized state, that should be most alarming to the international community.

https://zloy-odessit.livejournal.com/3054024.html

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[khalilhumam]

IOM-UN Migration Agency, Mission to Moldova Issues First Rapid Diaspora Survey Report Looking into Mobility-driven Impact of COVID-19

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IOM-UN Migration Agency, Mission to Moldova Issues First Rapid Diaspora Survey Report Looking into Mobility-driven Impact of COVID-19

Chisinau – Remittances to Moldova are falling dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as migrants lose overseas jobs and return home, a new IOM survey has revealed. At the same time, their skills and savings could prove a boon for Europe’s poorest country.  Moldova is heavily remittance-dependent, with an estimated 16 per cent of GDP in 2019 coming from money migrants send home. It is a crucial source for day-to-day survival for thousands of families, and a major enabler of development.   In the report, issued this week, IOM Moldova estimates that 150,000 labour migrants will return in 2020, which represents 10 per cent of the domestic Moldovan working population, contributing to a rise in unemployment up to 8.5 per cent by the end of 2020. The online survey also found that close to half of overseas Moldovans have lost their jobs and stopped sending money home. One in four have problems paying for accommodation.  On the positive side, only nine per cent of potential returnees thought they would need social assistance, when they got home, whereas around 24 per cent plan to invest in businesses. Almost half believe they would be bringing home new skills and find or create work in Moldova.    Over a quarter of those wishing to return plan to re-migrate once restrictions are lifted and the receiving countries provide new job opportunities.  IOM’s Chief of Mission in Moldova, Lars Johan Lönnback, told a United Nations Taskforce on the socio-economic impact on COVID-19 in Moldova that there were grounds for optimism and positivity.  “Our survey shows that far from returning penniless, Moldovan migrants who are forced to repatriate because of COVID-19 should be cherished as a boon for the development of their home country, not stigmatized. Many will come back to stay and invest their savings and put their acquired skills to use.”  IOM’s survey recommends support strategies for returning migrants, such as counselling, services for business start-ups, vocational training, career guidance, and services for validation and certification of informal skills gained abroad.   The study reached 1,186 Moldovan migrants, through online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews conducted between 17 April and 17 May 2020, covering the 10 main host countries – Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, Poland, Russian Federation and Israel. These countries are home on a permanent or temporary basis to 80 per cent of all Moldovan migrants (around 1 million Moldovans were residing abroad in 2019 according to UNDESA).  This research is the part of a series of surveys on Moldova’s migration patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic. The next survey will be dedicated to the situation of returnees in Moldova and remittance dependent families.  Watch video of IOM Moldova Chief of Mission Lars Johan Lönnback.  The diaspora survey report can be downloaded from the following links: [EN] [RO]  For further information please contact Vitalie Varzari  at IOM Moldova, Email: vvarzari@iom.int   

Language English

Posted: 

Friday, July 3, 2020 - 12:59

Image: 

Region-Country: 

Republic of Moldova

Themes: 

COVID-19

Default: 

Multimedia: 

Retuning migrants could spark recovery in poverty-stricken Moldova. Photo: IOM

Retuning migrants could spark recovery in poverty-stricken Moldova. Photo: IOM

Retuning migrants could spark recovery in poverty-stricken Moldova. Photo: IOM

Retuning migrants could spark recovery in poverty-stricken Moldova. Photo: IOM 

Retuning migrants could spark recovery in poverty-stricken Moldova. Photo: IOM 

Retuning migrants could spark recovery in poverty-stricken Moldova. Photo: IOM 

Retuning migrants could spark recovery in poverty-stricken Moldova. Photo: IOM 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0TDxaUfNY4?width%3D640%26amp%3Bheight%3D360%26amp%3Bautoplay%3D0%26amp%3Bvq%3Dlarge%26amp%3Brel%3D0%26amp%3Bcontrols%3D1%26amp%3Bautohide%3D2%26amp%3Bshowinfo%3D1%26amp%3Bmodestbranding%3D0%26amp%3Btheme%3Ddark%26amp%3Biv_load_policy%3D1%26amp%3Bwmode%3Dopaque&w=640&h=360]

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Global