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  • Brief history of UN and Nigeria’s role in it

    The foundation of the United Nations in 1945 did not occur in a historical void. The idea of international government and collective security can be traced to the League of Nations formed in 1919 after the First World War. Its purpose then was securing world peace after the tragedy of the First World War which led to the death of over 20 million people from direct military action, collateral damage and disease particularly the outbreak of influenza in 1918. The situation in 1945 was even worse. Mankind had perfected greater destructive means of warfare including the release of the nuclear genii from the bottle thus presenting mankind the possibility of total self-immolation and destruction if measures were not taken to curtail man’s slippery road to collective suicide. It was this realization that made the victorious powers to begin to think even during the war of how to secure the peace that was bound to follow the global conflict. This led to the Atlantic Declaration (Charter) first made in 1941 by the leaders of Great Britain and the United States namely Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt respectively to set up an international organization with the aim of collectively securing global peace, a peace which will be based on fairness, equity and justice. After the charter was made in 1941, representatives of 26 nations at war with the Axis powers met in Washington DC to sign the Declaration of the United Nations. Following up on this, the British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and the United States Secretary of State, Cordell Hull met at the Quebec conference in Canada in August 1943 and agreed to draft a declaration that included “a general international organization, based on the principle of sovereign equality of all nations’. This was followed up with an agreement in principle to form an international organization for maintenance of world peace after a conference in Moscow in October 1943. President Franklin D. Roosevelt met in November 1943 with the USSR President Joseph Stalin in Tehran, Iran, and proposed an international organization comprising an assembly of all member states and a 10-member executive council to discuss social and economic issues. He proposed that the USA, the USSR, Great Britain and China will enforce peace as the “four policemen” of the world. What later became specialized agencies of the United Nations began to crystallize namely – Food and Agricultural Organization, (May 1943); United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (November 1943); United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (April 1944); International Monetary Fund and World Bank (July 1944); and International Civil Aviation Organization (November 1944).

    When the US, British, Soviet and Chinese representatives met in Dumbarton Oaks in Washington in August and September 1944 to draft a charter of a post-war international organization based on the principle of collective security, they recommended a General Assembly (UN-GA) of all member states and a Security Council (UNSC) consisting of the Big Four plus six members chosen by the General Assembly. Voting procedures and the veto power of permanent members were finalized at the Yalta conference in 1945. Representatives of 50 nations met in San Francisco from April to June 1945 to complete the charter of the United Nations. In addition to five permanent members – France having been added to the original four, and six elected members of the Security Council and a General Assembly of all states, there was an 18-member Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Other organs included an International Court Of Justice, Trusteeship Council to oversee certain colonial territories and a Secretariat under a Secretary General (UNSG). Later other specialized agencies like the World Health Organization, International Labour Organization, UNESCO became important arms of the United Nations Organization.

    To avoid the fate of Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations which the US Senate did not ratify, Franklin Delano Roosevelt carried the bi-partisan senate along and by July 1945 by a vote of 89 to 2, the United States Senate ratified the United Nations treaty. The United Nations came into existence on October 24, 1945 after 29 nations had ratified the protocol setting it up.

    Nigeria‘s membership

    Before Nigeria became a member of the UN, African countries like Ethiopia, Egypt, Liberia, Morocco and South Africa were founding members in 1945. Libya (1955) Sudan (1956) and Ghana (1957) beat Nigeria to membership of the United Nations. There were historic reasons for the earlier African members. Ethiopia, Egypt and Morocco are older nations than many European countries not to talk about relatively new countries in the Americas. Liberia was established in 1823 as a sovereign country for liberated Black American slaves  when many of the African countries were still sovereign kingdoms and principalities before being brought together to form the present African countries. But the wave of independent African countries since late 1950s and early 1960s saw large numbers of them becoming members of the United Nations and its specialized agencies.

    In October 1960, Nigeria became a member of the United Nations as part of its sovereign right as an independent African nation. There were high hopes that Nigeria was an emergent power in Africa. Our then prime minister who doubled as foreign minister addressed the UN in October 1960 declaring among other things, friendship with “our trading partners” and other democratic countries in the world. The prime minister also said Nigeria will defend the interest of all black peoples where ever they might be and would not compromise with forces of colonialism, racism and apartheid regime in South Africa. In this speech, Nigeria set the trajectory of its foreign policy for the next 50 years. Some have said Nigeria’s ambition was not based on political and economic realism. But there is no doubt that it was an inspirational agenda. Nigeria has distinguished itself as a troop contributory country to most UN peace-keeping operations right from 1960 to the present. Nigeria has also been elected once or twice as president of the General Assembly of the United Nations and more than twice as an elected member of the UNSC. Several Nigerians have served in executive positions in the specialized agencies of the UN such as the WHO, ICAO, WMO, ILO, the World Court, the World Bank and at the Under Secretary General level of the United Nations Secretariat. Nigeria has also been effective in the disarmament conference in Geneva and in the UN effort to ban the use of nuclear and biological weapons as well as in making the continent of Africa nuclear weapons free. Between 1988 and 1990, Nigeria championed the cause of prohibiting trans-boundary transportation of nuclear and hazardous wastes. There is no doubt that the high profile of Nigeria at the United Nations has shot her  to the front of those advocating for an overhauling of the UN  structure to reflect the present global community as well as the need for the democratization of the UNSC. Africa while supporting reform of the UN insisted that it should at least have a seat on the Security Council (UNSC) not only to represent Africa but black humanity. When those who did not want to hear this challenged Africa by saying which of the African countries should occupy the permanent chair for Africa, Nelson Mandela said Nigeria was the obvious choice because of her role in championing the cause of Africa. Others said Nigeria is an authentic African country unlike the rainbow nation of South Africa. Furthermore Nigeria has the largest concentration of black people in the world (180 million) and also the biggest economy in Africa with a GDP of around $400 billion. Compared with possible competitors like Egypt, South Africa and Morocco Nigeria’s position remains unassailable. Nigeria chaired the Decolonization and Anti-apartheid committee of the UN from its inception to the end of the odious and racist regime in South Africa. Nigeria’s troops and police contribution to UN peace-keeping and peace-enforcement operations all over the world has been third only to India and Bangladesh. On the principle of service deserving its rewards, Nigeria feels if reforms were to come, it should be considered as a permanent representative of Africa on the UN Security Council. I must say America preferred Egypt because it is a long time American ally while the Europeans preferred South Africa and Africans themselves were not united behind any particular country. The late Kofi Annan was in favour of reforms of the UN structure but the big powers particularly the United States was totally against any form of reform and since this could not be done without the United States acquiescence because of her veto power, the reform movement died a natural death.

  • UN: 35,000 displaced Nigerians are in Cameroon

    Thirty five thousand Nigerians displaced by Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast are now safe in neighboring Cameroon, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

    Thousands fled Rann, Borno State, to Cameroon last month after the insurgents repeatedly attacked the town.

    The UNHCR,in a statement yesterday said the people were  now safe although it expressed worries over those who attempted to return to Rann.

    “For now, the 35,000 Nigerian refugees are safe in Cameroon, although many are once again putting themselves at risk by returning to Rann on foot, to collect a few personal possessions which were not looted or burnt,” it said.

    “The outlawed terrorist group has been active in this impoverished corner of northeast Nigeria for over a decade. Thousands of people not just in Nigeria but over the border in Cameroon and Chad, have been killed, many summarily executed.

    “The livelihoods of tens of thousands of others have been destroyed in the insurgency, as regional governments struggle to put an end to the ongoing violence.

    “The refugees left Rann following the recent withdrawal of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) which came to secure the city after an attack on January 14.

    “The MNJTF was set up by the affected countries – Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, Niger and Benin – to counter Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups which are gaining ground across the Lake Chad region.”

    Allegra Baiocchi, the UN resident coordinator who visited Goura in Cameroon on Friday, also said the people who fled to Cameroon had no choice, as this is where they need to be now if they want to stay alive.

    Geert de Casteele, another top official of the commission, added that the response from humanitarian workers here has been impressive in what is an extremely challenging environment. He said there is need to scale up the response, keeping in mind the local population and that is the next step they hope to achieve with increased funding.

    In January, the UN, in coordination with the government and aid partners, announced its 2019 humanitarian response plan which focuses on the whole of the country, including areas affected by Boko Haram.

    There had been concerns, however, about the possible forceful ejection of the Nigerian refugees in Cameroon as the country had threatened many times.

     

  • Don’t evict Nigerian refugees, UN tells Cameroon

    The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed grave concerns over plans by Cameroon to evict thousands of Nigerian refugees to Borno.

    UNHCR deplored the reported move that Cameroon was forcing several thousand Nigerians to return to Borno, adding, it has put the lives of the refugees “at risk”.

    Cameroon is currently home to more than 370,000 refugees, including some 100,000 from Nigeria, according to UNHCR.

    “We are gravely concerned for the safety and well-being of all these people”, said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.

    The UN refugee agency said on January 16, “267 Nigerian refugees, who had crossed into Cameroon in 2014, were forcibly returned.

    It regretted that at dusk on January 14, militants attacked and ransacked the border town of Rann, about 10 kilometers from the Cameroon border.

    UNHCR said that at least 14 people were reportedly killed and an estimated 9,000 fled to Cameroon.

    Grandi said: “This action was totally unexpected and puts lives of thousands of refugees at risk.

    “I am appealing to Cameroon to continue its open door and hospitable policy and practices and halt immediately any more returns and to ensure full compliance with its refugee protection obligations under its own national legislation, as well as international law”.

    North-eastern Nigeria has been particularly hard-hit by the insurgency being waged in the region since 2009, the UN said.

    Meanwhile, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, has said the deadly attack interrupted aid delivery to some 76,000 internally displaced people in Rann.

    Kallon said the attackers looted or destroyed a medical clinic, humanitarian supply warehouses and aid workers’ accommodations, and burned down the nearby market and camp shelters.

     

  • Over 30, 000 fresh IDPs arrive Maiduguri – UN

    Over 30,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have arrived Maiduguri, capital of Borno State in recent weeks following the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks, the United Nation has declared.

    Its head of United Nation Humanitarian activities in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon stated this on Thursday.

    He expressed concerns over the fresh upsurge of displaced people in the last few weeks following renewed attacks.

    “More than 30,000 internally displaced people have arrived in Maiduguri, mainly from Baga in recent weeks.

    “The majority of these people have arrived since 20 December 2018, often after arduous journeys with young children.

    “This includes an estimated 20,000 internally displaced people who have arrived in Teachers Village camp in Maiduguri, stretching the camp’s capacity beyond the limit.

    “It is still unclear how many people are taking refuge in Monguno but tens of thousands of people are in need of humanitarian assistance, notably shelter, food, water and sanitation,” he said.

    Read Also: Ex-militants raise the alarm over stockpiling of arms

    Kallon spoke after a fact- finding visit to Monguno, teachers village IDP camp in Maiduguri.

    He regretted the violence has caused tens of thousands of innocent civilians to flee their homes.

    “The impact of the recent fighting on innocent civilians is devastating and has created a humanitarian tragedy

    “It is heart-wrenching to see so many of these people living in congested camps, or sleeping outside with no shelter.

    “Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict and the United Nations is extremely concerned about the impact that violence in north-east Nigeria, especially in Borno State, is having on civilians, Kallon added.

    He also expressed fears over huge withdrawal of humanitarian aid workers from the affected locations, describing it as the highest withdrawals ever since 2016.

    According to him: “Some 260 aid workers have been withdrawn from three local government areas (Monguno, Kala/Balge and Kukawa) affected by the conflict since November, affecting the delivery of humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of people.

    “This is the largest withdrawal of aid workers since the international humanitarian response scaled up in 2016.

    “While aid workers have started to return to some areas to respond to the urgent, life-saving needs, the lack of a secure operating environment is preventing a return to normal humanitarian activities.”

  • PDP takes case to National Peace Committee, UN

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPPPCO) has urged the National Peace Committee (NPC) to call President Muhammadu Buhari to order.

    It called  also on the United Nations (UN) and other world leaders to call the President to order and save the nation from what it called “imminent collapse”.

    At a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, the organisation’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said it had become necessary for the NPC, the UN and world leaders to ensure that the country has peaceful, free, fair and credible general elections in February.

    According to the PDP, the President’s alleged desperation for self-succession has become a major threat to the country’s unity, stability and peaceful electoral process.

    The party accused Buhari of seeking ways to enmesh the electoral process in a crisis as, according to it, Atiku was enjoying Nigerians support to win the February 16 presidential election.

    He said: “The Buhari presidency has been overheating the polity with its unending manipulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), muzzling of free speech and escalated clampdown on opposition and civil society organisations and we insist that such must stop, if we must have a peaceful election.”

    It expressed the fear that Mrs. Zakari as chairperson of the Presidential Election Collation Centre Committee will not guarantee credible elections.

    The party said: “The PPCO insists that there is no way peace can be guaranteed without a free and fair election. Already, Nigerians across the board are livid with anger over the foisting of Mrs. Amina Zakari, President Buhari’s relation, to head the collation of presidential election results.

    “We want the National Peace Committee and the entire world to know that as long as Amina Zakari is in INEC, a peaceful election is not guaranteed because she has the mandate to abuse the process and this will not be accepted by Nigerians.

    “The PPCO therefore calls on the National Peace Committee to immediately speak out on the impropriety of having Amina Zakari in INEC as well as insist on her removal so that we can have a credible and peaceful presidential election.”

    “The PPCO alerts the entire world and particularly the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to the ongoing use of the police to clamp down on opposition figures, particularly members of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council and outspoken CSOs on trumped-up criminal charges.”

    The party cited the ordeal of Senator Dino Melaye with the police.

    It said: “Part of the plot is to charge such individuals before certain compromised judicial officers, in various states, who have been briefed to detain, silence and put such opposition figures and CSO members out of circulation until after elections are concluded.”

  • UN raises alarm over rising carbon emissions

    Just as the dry season sets in, heat-trapping, due to increasing carbon emissions from buildings and construction activities appear to have peaked at a global level, the United Nations said, urging countries to aggressively take up the challenge by curbing the emerging ugly trend.

    Greenhouse gas emissions have been attributed to buildings leveled-off over 2015-2017.

    However, they still represent about a third of the global emissions that cause climate change, a report by UN Environment and its partners said.

    According to the finding, it is a rare bright spot amid a spate of warnings that not enough is being done to stop the planet heating up.

    Global carbon emissions are set to rise nearly three per cent this year due to continued fossil fuel use, scientists said this week.

    The statement dashes hope that an increase in 2017 was temporary after two years of slowdown.

    The UN Environment report called for more pledges to make building construction greener, in national climate action plans submitted for the 2015 Paris Agreement to curb climate change.

    “It’s a very complex field, but one that’s absolutely critical,” Nick Nuttall, a UN Environment spokesman told reporters on the sidelines of U.N. climate talks in Poland.

    Delegates from more than 190 nations’ party to the Paris Agreement are gathered in the Polish city of Katowice to meet an end-of-year deadline to agree rules on how to enforce the pact.

    The “rule book”, as it is known, is expected to include details about how countries will report and monitor curbs on greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen their national plans.

    A positive outcome at the negotiations could encourage governments to double down on promises to cut emissions from the construction industry, said Nuttall.

    “That might increase the enthusiasm of nations to revise their (action plans),” he said.

    “If they’re revised upwards to include the building and construction sector, then what happens here will have a very strong impact on the sector being able to move forward faster.”

    To encourage energy-efficient buildings, the national plans could push for better insulation and windows by aspiring to revamp building codes and set up energy certification schemes.

    They could also plan to lower emissions from common building materials like cement and steel whose manufacturing generates large amounts of carbon, the report said.

    Even if such rules require consumers to open their wallets to retrofit a home, for example.

    It is unlikely to cause the kind of public anger seen recently in France over fuel taxes, said Jennifer Layke, global director for energy with the Washington-based World Resources Institute.

     

     

  • Boko Haram: How US, UN pressure forced army to rescind UNICEF ban

    There were indications last night that high- level diplomacy by the United States and the United Nations with the Presidency led to the restoration of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) activities in the Northeast.

    The US intervention was said to have averted a diplomatic face-off between Nigeria and the UN.

    The UN has however directed the UNICEF office in the country not to react to the decision of the Nigerian Army.

    But it was gathered that security agencies will now strictly monitor the activities of more than 50 Non-Governmental Organizations in the zone.

    The Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole of the Nigerian Army on Friday announced the suspension of UNICEF activities by accusing UNICEF of allegedly “sabotaging counter-terrorism efforts.”

    It accused UNICEF and some NGOs of playing the terrorists’ script.

    Although there was no formal warning, the Theatre Command was said to have acted on some intelligence.

    UNICEF however found the allegation spurious because it has stuck to its mandate.

    According to findings by our correspondent, the suspension of UNICEF created a diplomatic jolt and the United States had to wade in.

    A top source said: “Following the announcement of the suspension, Washington and the UN waded in the spat and opened up talks with the presidency.

    “The need to avoid a diplomatic face-off led to the lifting of the suspension by the Nigerian Army barely some hours after.

    “We are hopeful that the Army will make its observations available to the US, UN and other parties in order not to jeopardize the activities of UNICEF in the Northeast.

    “The truth is that about 80-90 per cent of UNICEF resources are deployed in the Northern part because of insurgency and other health challenges affecting children.

    “We are hopeful of amicable resolution of all issues.”

    A military source, however, said: “The Theatre Command has been having issues with UNICEF since April this year. In fact, three staff of UNICEF, namely Priscilla Hoveyda, Maher Farea and Milen Kidane were declared persona non grata by the Nigerian Army over false allegations on troops of Operation Lafiya Dole.

    “Some UNICEF staff alleged that the Nigerian Army was using children below 18 years to fight Boko Haram in the Northeast when the guidelines for recruitment of troops are clearly spelt out.

    A top UNICEF staff, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have been directed by the UN not to speak on this issue. If is being handled at a diplomatic level.”

    This is coming as the Nigerian Army has lifted the suspension of UNICEF’s operations in the region. This came less than 24 hrs after the international organisation’s activities were suspended in the area.

    A statement by Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, Deputy Director, Public Relations Theatre Command yesterday said the decision followed high level meetings with stakeholders and commitment on the part of UNICEF, just as the army warned them to desist from activities that will be detrimental to military operations in the theatre.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • World in ‘deep trouble’ over climate change, UN warns

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the world is in “deep trouble’’ due to climate change.

    Guterres gave the warning at the 24th Conference of Parties (COP24) Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland on Monday.

    He told parties to the UN Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) that the world could not afford to waste any more time before taking action on climate change.

    The UN chief asked decision makers to focus on four key things: stepping up climate action, according to a solid plan, with more funding, as a smart investment in future of the planet.

    The two-week conference marks the deadline for the 197 parties that signed the Convention to adopt guidelines for the implementation of the historic 2015 Paris Agreement.

    The 197 countries collectively agreed to keep global temperature rises to no more than two degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels, and if possible, to limit the rise to 1.5 degrees centigrade.

    “Now in Poland, they have to agree on how they will achieve this collectively, we cannot fail in Katowice,” the UN chief said.

    He highlighted four key messages for the thousands of representatives of the world’s nations, non-profit organisations, UN agencies, and private sector companies gathered in Katowice.

    According to Guterres, climate change is already a matter of life and death for many people, nations and countries of the world, as the science is telling us we need to move faster.

    “Even as we witness devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world, we are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate disruption.

    “Last year, I visited Barbuda and Dominica, which were devastated by hurricanes. The destruction and suffering I saw was heart-breaking,” he said, noting “these emergencies are preventable.

    “If we fail, the Arctic and Antarctic will continue to melt, corals will bleach and then die, the oceans will rise, more people will die from air pollution, water scarcity will plague a significant proportion of humanity, and the cost of disasters will skyrocket”, he warned.

    He insisted on the need to operationalise the Paris Agreement, and reminded Member States that 2018 is the deadline that they set for themselves to finalise the guidelines for implementation.

    Read Also: 2019: INEC warns incumbents against using state resources

    “We need a unifying implementation vision that sets out clear rules, inspires action and promotes raised ambition, based on the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in light of different national circumstances.

    “We achieved success in Paris because negotiators were working toward a common goal,” and called for urgent collaboration to “ensure that the bonds of trust established in Paris will endure’’.

    “We need concerted resource mobilisation and investment to successfully combat climate change, we must start today building the tomorrow we want.’’

    In 2015, a total of 18 high-income nations committed to providing 100 billion dollars annually by 2020, to lower-income nations to support their climate action.

    Guterres urged developed nations to deliver on this commitment, while urging Member States “to swiftly implement the replenishment of the Green Climate Fund. It is an investment in a safer, less costly future”.

  • UN warns world AIDS still at crossroads

    The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the HIV response stood at a crossroads, 30 years after the first World AIDS Day.

    Guterres, in his message for the 2018 World AIDS Day, yesterday said “more than 77 million people have become infected with HIV, and more than 35 million have died of an AIDS-related illness.”

    According to him, the direction taken now, may determine whether the epidemic can be ended by 2030, or if future generations will have to continue the battle, he said.

    Noting that huge progress has been made in diagnosis and treatment, and prevention efforts have avoided millions of new infections, he stressed that “the pace of progress is not matching global ambition.

    “New HIV infections are not falling rapidly enough,” he said, adding that some regions are lagging, and financial resources are insufficient.

    He said stigma and discrimination continued to hold people back, especially key populations – including men who have sex with men, sex workers, transgenders, intravenous drug users, prisoners and migrants – and young women and adolescent girls.

    He added that one-in-four people living with HIV did not know that they had the virus, keeping them from making informed decisions on prevention, treatment and other services.

    The UN chief said “there is still time” to scale-up testing for HIV; to enable more people to access treatment; to increase resources needed to prevent new infections; and to end the stigma.

     

     

  • 360,000 adolescents expected to die of AIDS by 2030 -UNICEF

    Some 360,000 adolescents are expected to die of AIDS by 2030 if investment in HIV prevention is not ramped up, according to a UNICEF report released on Thursday.

    The figures show the world is “off track’’ in its goal to end AIDS among children by 2030, UNICEF’s executive director, Henrietta Fore, said.

    Projections show there will be a decline in the number of children and young people infected with HIV and dying from AIDS-related causes.

    But the UN children’s fund warned progress is notably slower among adolescents – defined by the UN as those between ages 10 and 19.

    For example, AIDS-related deaths are projected to decrease by 57 per cent among children below the age of 14 by 2030, compared with 35 per cent among those aged 15 to 19 years.

    Read Also: Boko Haram Insurgency: President Buhari heads to Chad

    “Programmes to prevent HIV transmission from mothers to babies are paying off but haven’t gone far enough.

    “Programmes to treat the virus and prevent it from spreading among older children are nowhere near where they should be,’’ Fore said.

    The report blames slow progress in preventing HIV among young children, along with a failure to address structural and behavioural drivers of the epidemic.

    For example, many young people do not know they have HIV, and those who do often fail to stick to their treatment plans.

    UNICEF is pushing for more family-centred testing and diagnostic technologies, as well as targeted outreach programmes and a greater use of digital platforms to improve knowledge of HIV among adolescents.