UNHCR is calling today for the negotiators of the Colombia peace talks to give special attention to the rights of victims, especially internally displaced people and refugees. Colombia's five-decade armed conflict has produced the world's second biggest displacement situation — Syria being currently the biggest.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has welcomed the start of a cessation of hostilities that began at midnight on 10 April. He urges all parties to ensure that the cessation of hostilities creates an environment conducive to the peace talks set to resume in Kuwait on 18 April.
The Secretary-General, opening the high-level segment of the Geneva Conference on Violent Extremism, stressed the importance of preventing the transnational threat through urgent international cooperation that examines the root causes, including human rights abuses, exclusion and lack of opportunities for young people.
The Humanitarian Affairs Office is concerned that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fear for their status as internally displaced persons, which legally entitles them to receive social welfare payments. The Government has suspended payments and started a verification procedure, suspecting fraud schemes.
The Prosecutor of the Residual Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, Serge Brammertz, will appeal the trial judgement against the Serbian politician Vojislav Šešelj, who was acquitted of all charges, including crimes against humanity, by the International Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia on 31 March.
Special Representative for Libya Martin Kobler is in Tripoli, Libya – his first visit to the country since the Presidency Council’s arrival in the capital last week. Mr. Kobler met with Prime Minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj, members of the Presidency Council and representatives of the Grand Tripoli municipalities.
Nickolay Mladenov, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said today that the United Nations has been informed by Israel of its decision to suspend the private importation of cement into Gaza, following allegations that a substantial amount had been diverted from its intended legitimate beneficiaries.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) released its latest casualty figures today, saying that a total of 1,119 Iraqis were killed and another 1,561 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict throughout the country in March. The overall casualty figures are up from February.
The Secretary-General is shocked by new deeply disturbing allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in the Central African Republic involving UN and non-UN personnel and local armed groups. The High Commissioner for Human Rights says major efforts are underway to investigate the charges and care for victims.
The Secretary-General opened in Geneva the High-Level Meeting on Global Responsibility Sharing for the Syrian Refugees, stressing the need for an exponential increase in solidarity. If properly managed, resettling refugees is a win-win for everyone, he said, calling on all States to step up efforts.