A report published today by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights states the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) killed large numbers of civilians, raped women and destroyed property during fighting in the country in July, and appears to have specifically targeted people of Nuer origin.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The High Commissioner for Human Rights called on all parties to the conflict in eastern Ukraine to prioritize the protection of civilians and to take urgent steps to de-escalate the increasingly tense situation. He urged all sides to respect the ceasefire provisions, to remove combatants and weapons from civilian areas.
The Secretary-General today addressed the Security Council on children and armed conflict, telling Council members that in places such as Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, children suffer through a living hell, and in many cases, it is getting even worse. He said that even wars have rules.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today said that he was concerned that innocent people have been — and may continue to be — executed in Iraq in reaction to the 3 July bombing in Baghdad. He said it is “all too easy to permit such atrocities to stoke the fires of vengeance. But, vengeance is not justice."
The Secretary-General today called for a worldwide cessation of hostilities in observance of the Olympic Truce during the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. “While such an ambitious vision may seem impossible to realize, the Olympic spirit calls on us to rise to the challenge,” he said.
The Secretary-General appeals to the Government of Indonesia to stop the reportedly imminent execution of a number of prisoners for alleged drug-related crimes. He urges President Joko Widodo to consider declaring a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in the country and to move towards its abolition.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) continues to receive deeply disturbing reports of sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, by soldiers in uniform and in plain clothes against civilians, including minors. Since the start of the current violence, the Mission has documented at least 120 such cases.
The Secretary-General condemns today’s deadly terrorist attack in Mogadishu, Somalia. He reaffirms that such criminal acts will not diminish the strong resolve of the United Nations to continue supporting the people and Government of Somalia in their work to build peace and stability in the country.
A United Nations report published today shows a record number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan, with 5,166 recorded killed or maimed in the first six months of 2016 — an increase of 4 per cent in total casualties compared to the first six months of 2015, and the highest half-year total since 2009.
Following the declaration of the state of emergency in Turkey, the Secretary-General issued a statement late last night urging the Turkish authorities to fulfil their promise to ensure constitutional order and international human rights law are fully respected.