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Tag: UN

  • FCTA, UN-Habitats collaborate to urbanise Abuja

    Fresh hopes of urbanisation and creation of sustainable and habitable human settlements in Abuja, received a boost at the weekend.This comes on the heels of a new partnership between the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the United Nations Habitat (UN-Habitat) to address the situation.

    This disclosure was made during the opening ceremony of FCT edition of the “Urban Thinkers Campus” Phase 3, by the Minister of the FCT, Mallam Muhammad Bello. The event had the theme: “The City We Need.”

    According to the minister, the partnership with the UN-Habitat has been carefully designed to ensure that the FCT is not left behind in upholding the best practices of human habitats. The initiative, he explained, was designed to provide a platform for critical stakeholders to brainstorm on how to leverage on the opportunities of urbanisation for creative and positive transformation of cities.

    Bello, who was at the event by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Christian Ohaa, added that the partnership involved a commitment to building an “inclusive, well planned, economically viable, safe and healthy city, among others.

    “We are very hopeful that this roundtable would come up with a dynamic plan of action as well as effective strategies for meeting the challenges confronting Abuja as a city. It would be very critical in the life of this city. Our areas of concern include appraisal of resettlement policies and the prospects of building a smart city,” he said.

    In  a  similar vein, a representative of Huaroui Commission, Dr. Limota Goroso-Giwa, said the FCT was among the 37 selected global cities that are hosting of the “Urban Thinkers Campus” pilot project. The project, she explained, is focused on creating political space for projecting the desired kind of urban cities in the next 35 years and beyond.

    “Although Abuja is a fast developing city, there is the need to look at ways to incorporate every aspect of development and infrastructure. We are looking at evaluating and solving the problems associated with Abuja, as a city that the world is looking up to,” she said.

    Also, the UN-Habitat Nigeria Programme Manager, Kabir Yari, disclosed that the initiative was aimed at promoting a global all inclusive sustainable cities and human settlements, which is hoped would help in bridging the gap in the development of a society through provision of basic services for all human settlements, measure that promote cleaner cities. Yari said as part of commitment to the project, governments are expected to develop and adopt an inclusive implementation process as part of their commitment to the programme.

    When this project is achieved, it is expected to bring succour to the estimated 80 per cent of the population in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said to be living in the slums where basic social amenities are scarce .

    This position was aptly captured in an address delivered by a former Acting Director, Satellite Development Department ( STDD), Victoria Imande, at the event. Imande spoke on the: Slum upgrade for indigenous settlements, Appraisal of Resettlement policies-The way forward.

    She blamed the preponderance of slum settlements on the huge cost of securing decent accommodation in city centres, thus making people take residence in the border areas.

     

  • 262 journalists jailed in 2017 – rights group

    The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says no fewer than 262 journalists were jailed in 2017 for “doing their work”.

    The group said at an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Friday that journalists were regularly threatened, attacked and killed, and also being imprisoned in record numbers around the world.

    CPJ is a U.S.-based non-governmental organisation promoting press freedom and advocating for the rights of journalists worldwide.

    It warned that these practices undermined not only the fundamental human rights of the reporters themselves, but also the public’s right to receive and impart information.

    According to CPJ, at the end of 2017, 262 journalists jailed included over 70 in Turkey, 40 in China, and 20 in Egypt, while about 52 per cent of those jailed, were behind bars because of their reporting on human rights violations.

    A May 2018 report by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) mandated with safeguarding the freedom of the press and the safety of journalists – decried the rise in the arbitrary imprisonment.

    UNESCO stated that “arbitrary imprisonment of journalists, which fosters self-censorship and impinges on the public’s right to access information, has reportedly continued to rise.

    “Many governments have maintained that particular journalists have been imprisoned for reasons unrelated to their journalistic work”.

    CPJ’s Executive Director, Joel Simon, declared that “governments around the world routinely use emergency laws to censor media outlets and publications.

    “Increasingly they also bring ‘fake news’ charges against journalists who contradict official statements. They try journalists in military courts, they hold them in pre-trial detention indefinitely.

    “These are all actions that contradict international human rights law, and the standards set by the UN”.

    Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, guarantees the “freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”.

    The universality of this was reinforced in the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

    In 2013, the UN General Assembly declared November as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, which is increasingly observed across the world.

    The event at UN headquarters on Friday highlighted in particular five cases of journalists currently imprisoned, including Alaa Abdelfattah from Egypt, Azimjon Askarov from Kyrgyzstan.

    They were both arrested while covering alleged human rights abuses by security forces, and Shahidul Alam from Bangladesh, imprisoned while covering students protests.

    Others are the high profile case of two Reuters journalists in Myanmar, Kyaw Soe Oo (also known as Moe Aung) and Wa Lone (also known as Thet Oo Maung).

    They were sentenced to seven years in jail on charges of violating the country’s Official Secrets Act while covering the story of a massacre of Rohingya men by the Myanmar military in September 2017.

    “Their conviction and draconian seven-year sentence are a travesty of justice and it is up to the government to set them free,” their legal counsel, world-renowned human rights lawyer, Amal Clooney, told the meeting at UN Headquarters.

    Early September, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said the two journalists’ coverage of the massacre – for which the military subsequently admitted responsibility – “was clearly in the public interest as it may otherwise never have come to light”.

    She called for their convictions “to be quashed and for them to be released, along with all other journalists currently in detention for their legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression”.

    The UN warns that the “imprisonment of journalists for their legitimate work not only fosters a culture of self-censorship but also impinges on the broader rights of society to obtain information”.(NAN)

  • Buhari at UN: let’s address causes of illegal migration

    On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I congratulate you, Madam President, on your well-deserved election as President of the 73rd General Assembly. As you embark on your assignment, I would like to assure you of Nigeria’s support in no less measure than that which we extended to your illustrious predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Miroslav Lajèák.

    1. We appreciate the effective leadership he gave the 72ndAssembly with such dedication, commitment, and fairness to all member states. I also salute our distinguished Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres, who steered the affairs of the Secretariat with focused commitment to the collective United Nations pursuit of global peace and security, equity and justice, inclusiveness, women’s empowerment and human rights.
    2. It is appropriate at this point to remember with deep sadness our late 7thSecretary- General Mr. Kofi Annan who passed away on the eve of his 82nd birthday. Kofi’s significant contributions to the work of our Organisation have been acknowledged in the well deserved tributes that poured in from around the world following his death.
    3. We in Africa, while mourning the loss of this great son of ours and citizen of the world, take pride in the way he served humanity in a truly exemplary manner. He demonstrated, in his calm but determined manner, the virtues of compassion, dedication to the cause of justice, fairness and human rights.  He was a visionary leader who inspired hope even in the face of the most daunting challenges. He devoted his entire life’s career to the UN and the pursuit of its ideals and goals. The world is indeed a better place thanks to his exemplary service.

    Madam President,

    During the past year, the world saw some positive results and encouraging signs from the bilateral and multilateral efforts of the international community to address conflicts, crises and threats to world peace. We particularly commend the efforts of the leaders of the United States, North Korea, and South Korea, to realise our shared goal of a nuclear free Korean Peninsula.

    In this connection, we acknowledge the commitment to peace shown by President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-Un by initiating a historic Summit. We urge that they continue this positive engagement.

    Regrettably, many of the crises and threats to peace and security around the world which we debated last year as we did over several previous years remain unresolved. In some cases, matters got worse. The continuing plight of the Rohingyas in Myanmar, the protracted Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the wars in Yemen, and Syria, and the fight against international and local terrorism such as Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab come to mind.

    The terrorist insurgencies we face, particularly in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, are partly fuelled by local factors and dynamics, but now increasingly by the international Jihadi Movement, runaway fighters from Iraq and Syria and arms from the disintegration of Libya.

    In Myanmar, the carnage appears to have thankfully abated somewhat. We commend the United Nations for staying focussed on the situation of the Rohingya people, to bring their suffering to an end, and hold to account the perpetrators of the atrocious crimes committed against innocent and vulnerable members of this community, including women, children and the old.

    The international community should strengthen its resolve to combat ethnic and religious cleansing everywhere.  We support the UN’s efforts in ensuring that the Rohingya refugees are allowed to return to their homes in Myanmar with security, protection, and guarantee of citizenship. We note the indication by the Government of Myanmar of its willingness to address these issues and we encourage them to do so expeditiously.

    In this context, Nigeria commends the Government and people of Bangladesh in particular and all other countries and organizations that have contributed to shouldering the burden of providing shelter and other vital assistance to the Rohingya Refugees.

    The carnage and the worsening humanitarian situations in Syria and Yemen continue unabated. But the international community cannot afford to give up on the Syrian and Yemeni people. We must pursue all efforts to find peaceful negotiated political solutions to these wars which cannot be won by force of arms alone. Regarding Syria, we hope that the UN sponsored Geneva process and the Sochi initiative, led by Russia, Iran, and Turkey advance this objective.

    The International community must keep up the pressure to encourage the parties to pursue the path of dialogue, negotiations and inclusiveness in resolving their sectarian divides and bringing to an end the immense human suffering in Syria as well as Yemen. We commend Turkey, Jordan, Greece, Germany, Italy and France for hosting the millions of the refugees fleeing these brutal conflicts.

    The situation in the Middle East, grave as it has always been, is now worsened by developments since our last meeting. Nigeria continues to call on the Israelis and the Palestinians to make the necessary compromises in the interest of justice, peace and security, in line with our numerous UN resolutions and applicable international laws.

    Unilateral, arbitrary and insensitive actions only prolong the conflict and undermine world peace and security. The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza is an appalling result of unrestrained use of power. We urge both parties to re-engage in dialogue on the basis of relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid Principles, the Quartet Roadmap and the Arab Peace Initiative, among others.

    Nigeria reaffirms its unwavering support for a just two-state solution, negotiated without intimidation and with Israel and Palestine existing side-by-side in peace and security.

    The crises in the Middle East have deep roots and have remained unresolved for too long. Yet, we should not fall into self-defeating despair and conclude that they are not amenable to solution.

    We should draw inspiration from the remarkable leadership that got Ethiopia and Eritrea to restore long-lost hope for peace between them, a remarkable show of statesmanship which has now galvanised neighbouring countries, including Djibouti and Somalia to push for peace in the sub-region. I believe that with hard work, commitment, and a disposition to compromise and necessary sacrifices, peace is achievable in the Middle East as well.

    Most crises usually have a variety of festering causes and effects. It is the failure to address them early and effectively that lead to out- of- control conflicts. Addressing them includes national and international collective actions which positively impact on peoples and communities. Hence, ‘Making the United Nations relevant to all people: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and sustainable Societies’ which is the theme for this year’s General Assembly, is very apt indeed.

    A topical consequence of the current conflicts around the world is the irregular migration of affected people from the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Africa to Europe. Irregular migration entails huge avoidable loss of human lives, puts strains on services in host countries and communities, and fuels anti- immigrant and racist sentiments in Europe. That is why we welcome the successful conclusion of the negotiations on the first-ever Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and we look forward to its adoption in Marrakech later this year.  The aim is to protect the rights of migrants worldwide, while addressing the concerns of countries of ‘origin’, ‘transit’, or ‘destination’ alike.

    Migration is a constant in human affairs. We in Africa are grateful to countries who treat migrants with compassion and humanity-notably Germany, Italy and France.

    Irregular migration is not a consequence of conflicts alone, but of the effects of climate change and lack of opportunities at home. Climate Change remains one of the greatest challenges of our time. Very close to us at home, it is our lot in Nigeria, together with our neighbours around the Chad Basin, to live with the Climate change consequences of a drastically shrunk Lake Chad and the parching up of otherwise fertile arable lands.

    The Lake was a major source of livelihood to more than 45 million inhabitants of the region. Its shrinking meant loss of livelihoods and they are now rendered poor and vulnerable to the activities of extremists and terrorist groups. The instability thus caused in the sub-region intensified internal displacements leading, among other consequences, to intense economic competition especially between farmers and herdsmen.

    This is why we continue to call for a rededicated international engagement to accelerate the recovery efforts in the Lake Chad Basin to address the root causes of the conflicts in the region. What is required is continuous and robust UN cooperation with national Governments and sub-regional and regional organisations such as the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union, to enhance capacity in conflict prevention, conflict management and peace building.

    With regard to the Lake Chad Basin plight, I extend our heartfelt appreciation to the United Nations, the Governments of Germany, Norway, the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France and a host of other development partners for their laudable support in assisting us to address both the humanitarian challenges and the on-going stabilisation drive in the region.

    Corruption within countries and illicit flow of funds across national boundaries have huge negative impact on the stability, peace, and economic prospects of millions in developing countries. Corruption significantly deprives national Governments of resources to provide meaningful livelihoods to their populations who are predominantly youths, thus giving rise to more irregular migration.

    The fight against corruption, therefore, involves us all. It is in our collective interest to cooperate in tracking illicit financial flows, investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals and entities and repatriate such funds to their countries of origin.

    Fighting corruption or resolving international conflicts, crises and wars; defeating terrorism and piracy; curbing arms trafficking and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons which fuel these conflicts, particularly in Africa; stemming irregular migration by addressing its root causes; and the many other global challenges we are faced with today can only be effectively addressed through multilateral cooperation and concerted action.

    The only global institutional framework we have to address these challenges is the United Nations System. That is why we continue to call for the strengthening of the Organisation and making it more effective by speeding up the pace of progress towards its reform, including that of its principal organ, the Security Council. The reconstitution of the Council to make it more equitable and more representative of our global community is both a political and moral imperative.

    We believe that a reformed Security Council with expanded membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, is in accord with prevailing international consensus and it is in our collective interest to do so. It is high time we stopped skirting round the issue and establish achievable benchmarks and time frames for these reforms.

    I assure you all that in this advocacy, I am only reflecting Nigeria’s deep and abiding commitment to our Organisation and its founding principles and goals. From the date we joined in 1960, we have contributed our quota to the fulfilment of the mandate of the UN. We have been active participants in many Security Council and African Union authorised Peace Keeping operations around the world, beginning with the Democratic Republic of Congo operations in 1960.

    Furthermore, Nigeria has always mobilised the required human and material resources to achieve set United Nations goals, including the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are resolute in complementing the efforts and examples of the United Nations to promote gender equality and youth empowerment as necessary pillars for sustainable development.

    Without these, there can be neither enduring peace nor security. As we set and implement our national policies to achieve these goals, we, in the spirit of international solidarity, will readily cooperate with other nations seeking to achieve similar goals for their own populations to help ensure that no one is left behind.

    • I thank you all for your attention.

    Being the text of a speech by President Muhamadu Buhari to the UN General Asembly

  • Trump rejects globalism in speech at UN

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday told scores of Heads of State and Government that his country rejects the ideology of globalism, both generally and in relation to international justice and the migration crisis.

    Trump, on the opening day of the Assembly’s annual General Debate, rejected globalism in his speech to the 73rd Session of the annual debate at the UN General Assembly.

    Trump said: “America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism.

    “Around the world, responsible nations must defend against threats to sovereignty not just from global governance, but also from other new forms of coercion and domination.”

    He reiterated the U.S. commitment to making the UN more effective and accountable declaring: “I have said many times that the United Nations has unlimited potential”.

    Trump also re-echoed his past criticism of the world body, hitting out at the UN-backed International Criminal Court and the recently-proposed Global Compact on Migration.

    He stressed that the U.S. will not pay more than 25 percent of the UN peacekeeping budget, so as to encourage other countries to step up and share in the burden.

    “And we are working to shift more of our funding from assessed contributions to voluntary so that we can target American resources to the programs with the best record of success.

    “Only when each of us does our part and contributes our share can we realise the UN’s highest aspirations.”

    He added that in spite of his warning to the Assembly in 2017 that “the UN Human Rights Council had become a grave embarrassment to this institution, shielding egregious human rights abusers while bashing America and its many friends”, “no action at all was taken”.

    “So the United States took the only responsible course: We withdrew from the Human Rights Council, and we will not return until real reform is enacted.

    “As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority.

    “The ICC claims near-universal jurisdiction over the citizens of every country, violating all principles of justice, fairness, and due process.

    “We will never surrender America’s sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable global bureaucracy,” he declared.

    Trump added that the U.S. would not participate in the new Global Compact on Migration, scheduled to be adopted in Morocco in December 2018, stressing that “migration should not be governed by an international body unaccountable to our own citizens.” (NAN)

  • Buhari advocates multilateral cooperation to check corruption, illicit funds

    President Muhammadu Buhari says the issue of corruption within countries and illicit flow of funds across national boundaries can only be effectively addressed through multilateral cooperation and concerted action.

    The Nigerian leader stated this while addressing the issue of corruption and illicit assets when he delivered his statement at the opening of the 73rdsession of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA73) in New York, U.S., on Tuesday.

    According to him, the issue of corruption within countries and illicit flow of funds across national boundaries have huge negative impact on the stability, peace, and economic prospects of millions in developing countries.

    The President noted further that, “Corruption significantly deprives national Governments of resources to provide meaningful livelihoods to their populations who are predominantly youths, thus giving rise to more irregular migration.”

    While noting that the fight against corruption was a collective assignment involving all stakeholders, he said, “It is in our collective interest to cooperate in tracking illicit financial flows, investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals and entities and repatriate such funds to their countries of origin.”

    “Fighting corruption or resolving international conflicts, crises and wars; defeating terrorism and piracy; curbing arms trafficking and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons which fuel these conflicts, particularly in Africa; stemming irregular migration by addressing its root causes; and the many other global challenges we are faced with today can only be effectively addressed through multilateral cooperation and concerted action,’’ he added.

    The Nigerian leader, however, reiterated his call for the reform of the United Nations System so as to effectively address the challenges confronting the world.

    He particularly called for the reconstitution of the Security Council to make it more equitable and more representative of the global community.

    He said: “The only global institutional framework we have to address these challenges is the United Nations System.

    “That is why we continue to call for the strengthening of the Organisation and making it more effective by speeding up the pace of progress toward its reform, including that of its principal organ, the Security Council.

    “The reconstitution of the Council to make it more equitable and more representative of our global community is both a political and moral imperative.

    “We believe that a reformed Security Council with expanded membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, is in accord with prevailing international consensus and it is in our collective interest to do so.

    “It is high time we stopped skirting round the issue and establish achievable benchmarks and time frames for these reforms.”

    Giving a background to the call, Buhari said, “I assure you all that in this advocacy, I am only reflecting Nigeria’s deep and abiding commitment to our Organisation and its founding principles and goals.

    “From the date we joined in 1960, we have contributed our quota to the fulfilment of the mandate of the UN. We have been active participants in many Security Council and African Union authorised Peace Keeping operations around the world, beginning with the Democratic Republic of Congo operations in 1960.

    “Furthermore, Nigeria has always mobilised the required human and material resources to achieve set United Nations goals, including the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    “We are resolute in complementing the efforts and examples of the United Nations to promote gender equality and youth empowerment as necessary pillars for sustainable development.”

    He noted that without these, there could be neither enduring peace nor security.

    “As we set and implement our national policies to achieve these goals, we, in the spirit of international solidarity, will readily cooperate with other nations seeking to achieve similar goals for their own populations to help ensure that no one is left behind,’’ he added.(NAN)

  • Buhari urges global action on corruption, security, UN reforms

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in New York addressed world leaders at the ongoing 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, calling for global action on corruption, security and UN reforms.

    Buhari, who was the 14th speaker, while presenting the Nigeria’s National Statement to world leaders during the first day of the General Debate, also unfolded Nigeria’s positions on international matters before the global audience.

    He painted a distressing picture of the Lake Chad, which was a major source of livelihood to more than 45 million inhabitants of the region.

    He said the shrinking of the lake meant loss of livelihoods as people were now rendered poor and vulnerable to the activities of extremists and terrorist groups.

    “The instability thus caused in the sub-region intensified internal displacements leading, among other consequences, to intense economic competition especially between farmers and herdsmen,” he said.

    Buhari reiterated Nigeria’s call for a rededicated international engagement to accelerate the recovery efforts in the Lake Chad Basin to address the root causes of the conflicts in the region.

    “What is required is continuous and robust UN cooperation with national Governments and sub-regional and regional organisations such as the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union, to enhance capacity in conflict prevention, conflict management and peace building.”

    He expressed heartfelt appreciation to the UN, Germany, Norway, U.S., Sweden, UK, France and a host of other development partners for their laudable support in assisting Nigeria to address both the humanitarian challenges and the on-going stabilisation drive in the Lake Chad Basin region.

    On corruption, the Nigerian leader called for measures by the international community to stem illicit flow of funds within countries and across national boundaries.

    According to him, corruption has a huge negative impact on the stability, peace, and economic prospects of millions in developing countries.

    “Corruption significantly deprives national Governments of resources to provide meaningful livelihoods to their populations who are predominantly youths, thus giving rise to more irregular migration,” Buhari said.

    He noted that the fight against corruption was a collective assignment involving all stakeholders adding, “it is in our collective interest to cooperate in tracking illicit financial flows, investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals and entities and repatriate such funds to their countries of origin”.

    “Fighting corruption or resolving international conflicts, crises and wars; defeating terrorism and piracy; curbing arms trafficking and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons which fuel these conflicts, particularly in Africa.

    “Stemming irregular migration by addressing its root causes; and the many other global challenges we are faced with today can only be effectively addressed through multilateral cooperation and concerted action.

    “The only global institutional framework we have to address these challenges is the United Nations System,” Buhari stressed.

    He called for the strengthening of the UN and making it more effective by speeding up the pace of progress towards its reform, including that of its principal organ, the Security Council.

    “The reconstitution of the Council to make it more equitable and more representative of our global community is both a political and moral imperative.

    “We believe that a reformed Security Council with expanded membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, is in accord with prevailing international consensus and it is in our collective interest to do so.

    According to him, it is high time to stop skirting round the issue and establish achievable benchmarks and time frames for these reforms.

    “I assure you all that in this advocacy, I am only reflecting Nigeria’s deep and abiding commitment to our Organisation and its founding principles and goals.

    “From the date we joined in 1960, we have contributed our quota to the fulfilment of the mandate of the UN.

    “We have been active participants in many Security Council and African Union authorised Peace Keeping operations around the world, beginning with the Democratic Republic of Congo operations in 1960.

    “Furthermore, Nigeria has always mobilised the required human and material resources to achieve set United Nations goals, including the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    “We are resolute in complementing the efforts and examples of the United Nations to promote gender equality and youth empowerment as necessary pillars for sustainable development,” Buhari said.

    The Nigerian leader expressed regrets about some lingering threats to peace and security around the world, noting that in some cases, matters got worse.

    “The terrorist insurgencies we face, particularly in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, are partly fuelled by local factors and dynamics, but now increasingly by the international Jihadi Movement, runaway fighters from Iraq and Syria and arms from the disintegration of Libya”.

    He called on the international community to strengthen its resolve to combat ethnic and religious cleansing everywhere.

    He expressed Nigeria’s support for the UN’s effort in ensuring that the Rohingya refugees are allowed to return to their homes in Myanmar with security, protection, and guarantee of citizenship.

    The Nigerian leader commended the efforts of the leaders of the United States, North Korea and South Korea, “to realise our shared goal of a nuclear free Korean Peninsula.”

    He also acknowledged the commitment to peace shown by U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Chairman Kim Jong-Un by initiating a historic Summit, urging both leaders to continue with the positive engagement.

    Buhari called on the Israelis and the Palestinians to make the necessary compromises in the interest of justice, peace and security, in line with numerous UN resolutions and applicable international laws.

    He warned that “unilateral, arbitrary and insensitive actions only prolong the conflict and undermine world peace and security,” attributing the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza to the “appalling result of unrestrained use of power.”

    Buhari, therefore, urged both parties to re-engage in dialogue on the basis of relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid Principles, the Quartet Roadmap and the Arab Peace Initiative, among others.

    He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s “unwavering support for a just two-state solution, negotiated without intimidation and with Israel and Palestine existing side-by-side in peace and security”. (NAN)

  • Trump rejects meeting with Iran’s Rouhani at UN gathering

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as world leaders gathered in New York but signalled he was open to a future meeting.

    Trump made the statement in spite of simmering tensions over Tehran’s nuclear deal.

    Both countries’ presidents were due to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York. Trump is scheduled to address the gathering later.

    Foes for decades, Washington and Tehran have been increasingly at odds since May, when the Republican U.S. president pulled out of the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran and announced sanctions against the OPEC member.

    The accord, negotiated under Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama, lifted most international sanctions against Tehran in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear programme.

    Over the summer, Trump had said he would meet with Rouhani without preconditions to negotiate a new deal, an offer reiterated on Sunday by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and extended to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

    Read Also: Donald Trump is not our problem

    Rouhani said on Monday Tehran would not talk to Trump until the U.S. returned to the 2015 deal.

    The top adviser to Khamenei, Ali Akbar Velayati, rejected the U.S. offer, saying Trump’s and Pompeo’s dream would never come to reality.

    “Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

    “Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man,” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

    Alireza Miryousefi, Spokesman for Iran’s UN mission, told newsmen that Iran has not requested a meeting with Trump.

    Some Iranian insiders have said any talk between Rouhani and Trump would effectively kill the existing nuclear accord.

    Tensions have been rising after a deadly attack on a military parade in southwestern Iran in which 25 people were killed.

    Khamenei said on Monday the attackers had been paid by U.S. ally Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and that Iran would “severely punish” those behind the bloodshed.

  • Government urged to include sign language in school curriculum

    September 23 is a historical day as it is the first ever International Day of Sign Languages celebration under the cross-cutting theme of “with sign language, everybody is included”.

    The celebration which is part of the International Week of the Deaf was declared by the United Nations General Assembly on December 19,2017.

    The UN General Assembly decided to commemorate this day as the International Day of Sign Languages in order to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realisation of the human rights of people who are deaf.

    In commemorating this day, Jewel Ibeabuchi joined Wesley Schools for the hearing impaired children with special needs in celebrating.

    Wesley school is a state owned institution located in Surulere, Lagos which aims at providing education to hearing impaired children, creating awareness about their special needs, creating an enabling environment for their total development and also to empower them for the full realisation of their potentials.

    Inside the buildings of 30 Ajao road Surulere Lagos, were kids looking as bright and beautiful as ever.

    Primary four students of Wesley schools of hearing impaired children reading what was on the board

    It was discovered that the teachers and pupils of the school were not aware of the significance of the day.

    One of the instructors in the school, Mrs Nzeh Mabel said “Although this International day is not known to us, we however set aside December 3 which is the World disability day to celebrate these beautiful kids here.

    “We gather the disabled people and give them the opportunities to showcase their talents and gifts.”

    According to her, allowing them showcase their talents is done in order to let the society know that there is ability in every disability and also to make the disabled feel special, needed and involved in the society.

    Pointing out some challenges experienced by the deaf, Mabel stated that the community at large find it difficult understanding them.

    According to her, sign language is very important and every Nigerian should know it.

    “sign language is an international language that every Nigerians should know in order to break the barrier of isolation and misunderstanding which leads to aggressive acts.”

    “As the international day of sign language has been introduced, the government should train people even in banks and include it as a subject in school curriculum.

    “ Inclusion and equal participation in society require sign languages to be accessible, respected and supported, all of which are subsequently required to achieve any of the sustainable development goals and objectives established by United Nations.” Mabel stated

  • UN Assembly: Nigeria calls for easy repatriation of stolen funds

    The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Geofrey Onyeama has called for the intervention of the international community in addressing the challenge of illicit financial flow in Nigeria and other African countries.

    The minister who spoke at a press briefing ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday called for urgent actions on the global stage that will aid the easy repatriation of stolen funds to fund development initiatives.

    Highlighting the challenges and achievements of the president Muhammadu Buhari-led government at the briefing, Onyeama cited   corruption as the biggest bane to development in Nigeria.

    He called the attention of the international community to the challenge of illicit financial flow, noting  that the repatriation of stolen funds logged in various countries around the world has been difficult.

    “The United Nations itself has passed a resolution regarding the illicit flow of funds and the big challenge we face at the global level is the access to these funds. It’s been extremely frustrating, and we feel in many cases that a lot of countries in which these funds are located are not doing enough to facilitate recovery of these funds and assets.  Even in cases where we have been able to recover the funds, the cost of recovery has been painful.

    “We find this extremely frustrating and also in the context that these funds are logged in countries for years and there is no talk of interests that obviously should be part of funds restituted.  This is a real problem that the government has been engaging and we have had some real success but not as nearly as much as we would want and expect,” the minister stated.

    On Nigeria’s withdrawal from the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA),  Onyeama said the country refrained from signing the treaty in order to make for comprehensive consultation with dissenting voices from some sectors within the country.

    He added  that the manufacturing sector of the country raised concerns about the need to protect local industries, but  however assured that there is hope in sight since efforts are in gear to ensure broad agreement.

    Reacting to question on Boko Haram  ambush on troops as well as accusation of nonpayment of soldiers’ allowances, the minister affirmed that the army headquarters is addressing the situation.

    “Some of the commanders have not shown leadership with regards to the welfare of soldiers. That is something that is being addressed but it’s more the exception rather than the rule,” Onyeama explained.

    The minister who also spoke on Nigeria’s priorities at the UN general assembly highlighted  the achievements of the administration in the past years as well as ongoing efforts to address illegal migration and terrorism.

  • UN chief appoints new envoy for Somalia

    UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has appointed Nicholas Haysom of South Africa as his special representative for Somalia and Head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, Guterres’ press office said on Wednesday.

    will succeed Michael Keating of Britain.

    Haysom, born in 1952, is a lawyer with a long international career with a focus on democratic governance, constitutional and electoral reforms, reconciliation and peace processes, said the press office.

    He is currently the secretary-general’s special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, a position he has held since 2016.

    Prior to this, he served as the UN chief’s special representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

    In his earlier career, Haysom served in the government of South Africa.

    He was involved in the Burundian peace process from 1999 to 2002, and in the Sudan peace process from 2002 to 2005.