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Tag: United Nations

  • China, UNAIDS launch zero discrimination social media campaign

    China, UNAIDS launch zero discrimination social media campaign

    The United Nations has launched its “Zero Discrimination” social media campaign in China this year, hoping to raise awareness of discrimination in the country.

    Nicholas Rosellini, UN Resident Coordinator in China, is encouraging Chinese citizens to participate in the campaign, by using drawings, pictures, gifs, audio and video to show support for the campaign in his speech at a news conference organised by UNAIDS China.

    “Everyone has the right to live a life free from discrimination regardless of HIV status, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, other personal characteristics or identification,’’ Rosellini said.

    Shen Jie, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Association of STD and AIDS Prevention and Control, called on governments, society and communities to “speak out for love” to help AIDS patients, especially children, to become braver and better embrace life.

    According to the National Centre for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention under the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, China recorded a total of 747,000 people with HIV as of September 2017.

    As of the end of June, about 542,000 HIV-positive people had received medical treatment and mortality was notably reduced.

    Xinhua/NAN

  • Lions, tigers, leopards going into extinction – UN

    Lions, tigers, leopards going into extinction – UN

    The United Nations, UN, has called for the protection of big cats species such as lions, tigers and leopards, warning that they are fast going into extinction.

    The UN spoke against the backdrop of the 2018 World Wildlife Day, celebrated every March 3, with the theme: “Big cats: predators under threat’’.

    According to the UN, the big cats are under increasing threat, mostly caused by human activities.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his message said “this year, the spotlight falls on the world’s big cats. These charismatic creatures are universally revered for their grace and power, yet they are increasingly in danger of extinction”.

    Guterres said just more than a century ago, some 100,000 wild tigers roamed Asia, while fewer than 4,000 remained today.

    According to him, all the big cats are collectively under threat from habitat loss, climate change, poaching, illicit trafficking, and human-wildlife conflict.

    “We are the cause of their decline, so we can also be their salvation. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include specific targets to end the poaching and illegal trafficking of protected species of wild fauna and flora.

    “Ultimately, the solution to saving big cats and other threatened and endangered species is conservation policy based on sound science and the rule of law,” he noted.

    Guterres pointed out that by protecting big cats we also protect the landscapes they inhabit and the life they harbour, adding “it is a gateway to protecting entire ecosystems that are crucial to our planet’s health.

    “Wildlife conservation is a shared responsibility,” he said, calling on people around the world to “help raise awareness and to take personal action to help ensure the survival of the world’s big cats and all its precious and fragile biological diversity.”

    In his message, Yury Fedotov, Executive Director, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said that while “the cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal, like other big cat species, it cannot outrun the threat of extinction.”

    According to Fedetov, across the world, lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars, as well as many other big cat species, are under pressure due to poaching, lost habitats and disappearing prey.

    “UNODC is working to help countries criminalise wildlife poaching and trafficking as a means of protecting animals, including big cat species, and halting their tragic disappearance into history.

    “Our collective roar of defiance must be aimed at the poachers, traffickers and all those who would destroy our natural heritage. We must not let them succeed,” he urged.

    The Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed also lamented that “biodiversity is disappearing at a thousand times the natural rate’’, saying that the varied causes could be linked to the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda.

    “Protecting ecosystems and ensuring access to ecosystem services by poor and vulnerable groups are therefore essential to eradicating extreme poverty and hunger,” she said.

    Mohammed said conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biological diversity was “an effective anti-poverty strategy,” and emphasised the need to better maintain the natural resources on which billions of people depend, especially the world’s rural poor.

    “They say cats have nine lives. Our big cats are on at least number eight,” she said, observing, however, that in many cases, poverty, hunger and biodiversity loss are intrinsically connected.

    NAN

  • North East: UN targets $1.05bfor humanitarian response for 2018

    North East: UN targets $1.05bfor humanitarian response for 2018

    The United Nations (UN) is targeting over $1billion for 2018 humanitarian assistance in the North East of the country, it was revealed today.

    About 7.7 million people from three most affected states in the North East are in dire need of humanitarian assistance this year. The states are Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

    Of this figure, UN is targeting 6.1 million for humanitarian assistance in 2018.

    The global body realized $740million out of the $1bn appeal for humanitarian intervention in the North East of Nigeria in 2017.

    The UN in collaboration with other international organizations and government has been actively providing humanitarian assistance in the area in the last nine years, owing to severe humanitarian conditions and insecurity occasion by activities of the Boko Haram insurgents.

    UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, who made the disclosure yesterday at the launch of the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan for the North East in Abuja, however announced a target of $1.05bn for 2018.

    He said the fund which is expected to come from about 60 donor organizations would be expended on 173 projects and would impact on the wellbeing of 6.1m people in the three most ravage states in the region; Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

    Speaking in Abuja at the Launch of the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan, Mr. Edward Kallon, UN humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria said the humanitarian crisis in the North East is one of the most severe in the world.

    In 2017, he noted that 5.6million people were reached by the global body, with a resultant effect in the number of food insecure people which dropped from 5.1million to 3.9million.

    Read Also: HIV, North East others get $89m US assistance

    The global body in 2017 realized about $945 million out of the $1billion appealed sort for to address the humanitarian crisis in the region.

    Despite the achievement, he however said that many challenges remain as conflict and population movements continue.

    Hence, in 2018 he said the plan is to provide life-saving emergency assistance among other to the 7.7 million people in dire need of humanitarian assistance in the region.

    He said, “The aim in 2018 is to build on humanitarian work carried out in previous years and we have three strategic objectives. The first is to provide life-saving emergency assistance to the most vulnerable people in conflict-affected areas, ensuring that assistance is timely and to- scale. The second is to ensure that all assistance promotes the protection, safety and dignity of affected people, and is provided equitably to women, girls, men and boys. The third is to help people kick-start their lives again and also reconstruct the foundations of their lives so that they are better prepared to face future crises. This includes the 1.3 million people who have returned home, but also includes, those who have decided to stay where they are and try and rebuild their lives.”

    He further explained that “7.7 million People are in need of humanitarian assistance in the worst-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. These are people who have been displaced and are living in camps or host communities, people who have returned home to nothing, and people living in other areas that are hard to reach for humanitarians.

    “6.1 million of these people are being targeted for humanitarian assistance in the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan by 60 organsitaions including UN agencies and international and national NGOs. This humanitarian assistance ranges from food, protection, water, shelter and sanitation, to medicine, education and agricultural support, and will be delivered to vulnerable women, children and men across the three states,” he added.

    On funding, he said that of the $1 billion appeal in 2017, 70% representing more than $740 million was realized, which thus make Nigeria one of the best funded appeals globally, with $196million carried over from last year.

     

     

     

     

  • Gender equality: An important economic rationale

    Gender equality: An important economic rationale

    Gender equality simply means a world where women and girls enjoy the same rights and have the same opportunities as men and boys.

    Statistics obtained from United Nations as well as an independent survey conducted by the reporter in the process of compiling this report shows that one out of three women around the world have been beaten, coerced into sex and deprived of formal education.

    A pseudonym respondent under the name Peace Ajayi said her coercer claimed that her silence meant “yes” because she didn’t say “no” outright.
    Another respondent who chose to be anonymous highlighted an emotional threat as one of the methods coercers adopt. They say things like “if you don’t have sex with me, I’ll have sex with someone else,” or “I’ll break up with you if you don’t have sex with me.”

    Recently conducted independent survey by the reporter where 27 respondents took part shows that 63% which makes up 17 respondents believe that the most common gender stereotypes in Nigeria is that women’s education end in the kitchen and one out of three has experienced gender discrimination and/or sexual harassment.

    In a statement obtained from Adeoye Quadri, an electrical engineer he said women are very good at up keep of the home and should be assigned for the role.

    Another respondent is a Lagos based pharmacist, who identify himself as Ugwu, he said “it’s the unfavourable economic situation of the country that made some women to work in an effort to support the family to meet it’s financial needs otherwise women should be a full-time worker in the kitchen and at home generally.

    The future of adolescent girls is not so bright

    It is estimated that worldwide, 62 million girls’ half of whom are adolescent are not in school. The disparity in gender in education remains quite real today worldwide. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 78% of girls will never enter school, 4% have left school, 24% will enter late. Looking at this data, one would see that the future of adolescent girls looks bleak.

    Girls and young women who are victims of gender based violence can be limited in their educational opportunities and success, which can alter their capacity to earn viable income. UNESCO data shows that young women make up two-thirds of the global illiterate population. About 27 million live in sub-Saharan Africa.

    According to United Nation Millennium development goal, gender equality can help achieve higher levels of economic growth through women empowerment and development by getting rid of gender stereotyping, gender bias, gender based violence and also educating women and girls because educated women are healthier and earn higher incomes that can lift their households out of poverty while the benefits are been transferred to their children.

    We need more teachers.
    7.6 million teachers are needed in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2016, data source from financial watch website on assessment of teacher needs by country shows that Nigeria would be in need of over 1.3million teachers in the next 6 years, 12% of the global total. The statistics shows that the biggest challenge remains in Nigeria. Education funding over the years have been poor. Nigeria’s education sector has again been allocated much lower than the 26 percent of national budget recommended by the United Nations.

    The global organisation recommended the budgetary benchmark to enable nations adequately cater for rising education demands. But in the proposal presented to the National Assembly, President Muhammadu Buhari allocated only 7.04% of the 8.6 trillion 2018 budget to the education.

    The allocation is lower than the 7.4 percent the government gave the education sector in the of N7.4 trillion 2017 budget. The teaching profession is unattractive, salary of teachers are poor. And when they retire, their pensions take too long to get to them.
    The most essential step to take is making the need for gender equality as part of education and training. The public should be educated on gender inequality and gender based violence. General awareness is minimal and that is why it must be discussed openly.

    Approximately 56% making up 15 respondents out of a total of 27 who took part in an independent survey conducted by the reporter believe that gender equality should be included as part of training and education as a way of creating awareness on the need for eradication of gender inequality.

    Women empowerment according to MDG will also close the gap between men and women in entrepreneurship.

    Women and girls, must be able to share their truths as survivors of targeted gender stereotyping inflicted upon them because of their gender. Real fears about social stigma and isolation can only be overcome through the broad recognition that violence against women and girls is tragically normalized. By not giving the survivors of gender stereotyping emotional affirmation and non-judgemental support, it allow their offenders to operate freely and with impunity therefore they must be advocated for.

    Chart 1: Statistics from countries who believe that the role of women in the society is to be good wives and mother
    Source: Ananya, Quartz

    “This research was made possible with support from Code for Nigeria via the Naija Data Ladies Programme”

  • NUJ wants UN to intervene in Benue crisis

    NUJ wants UN to intervene in Benue crisis

    The Benue council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has called on the United Nations (UN) to deploy its conflict and peace building agencies to mediate in the spate of killings in the state.

    The council made this call in a communiqué signed by its Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Agber and made available to newsmen on Friday in Makurdi.

    The communiqué called on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, to begin the process of providing succour to victims of the recent killings as well as helping to peacefully resolve the dispute.

    It also called for a media summit with relevant stakeholders to brainstorm on the possible ways of addressing security challenges in Benue.

    The communiqué urged people of the state to be security conscious at all times and report strange movements to law enforcement agencies.

    It condemned the Jan. 1 killings in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas of the state, the act which was said to have been carried out by herdsmen.

    The council lamented the disappearance of one of its members, Mr Inalegwu Odeh, who had been reportedly missing in the last three weeks.

    It called on the security agencies to intensify search on his whereabouts.

    The communiqué, however, lauded Gov. Samuel Ortom for his proactive steps in handling the security situation in the state.

  • PCNI battles to repatriate 60,000 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon

    PCNI battles to repatriate 60,000 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon

    The Presidential Committee on North East Initiative ( PCNI ) yesterday told the Senate that it is working diligently to ensure the successful repatriation of over 60,000 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon.

    Vice Chairman of PCNI, Tijjani Musa Tumsah, stated this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Special Duties to defend the PCNI’s 2018 budget.

    The PCNI boss told the committee that they are working following the tripartite agreement signed by the United Nations, Nigeria and Cameroon to engender a seamless repatriation of the refugees.

    Apart from paucity of fund, he said that other challenges in the repatriation of the refugees are the processes involved in receiving them.

    Tumsah noted that there were over 60,000 Nigerian refugees PCNI has to deal with in Cameroon alone.

    He added that apart from those in Cameroon there are others in Niger Republic who also needed to be returned to the country.

    Most of the refugees, he said, are willing to return home “but on our own, we are working to ensure that they are comfortable when they are repatriated back to our country; the repatriation is on-going.”

    According to him, “PCNI is working to ensure the provision of necessary items and materials that will make the returnees comfortable when the come home.”

    Tumsah who said that PCNI is not leaving any stone unturned in its effort to comply with the tripartite agreement added that the Ministry of Interior and the Refugee Commission are also involved.

    The programme of repatriation, he said, come under “Mobilisation and support for returning North-East refugees in six North East States.”

    Chairman of the Committee, Senator Abdul Aziz Murtala Nyako asked the management of PCNI to ensure the availability of funds before any contract could be awarded.

    Senator Nyako told the PCNI that its budget presentation which he lauded for “its simplicity” would be worked on and passed over to the Senate Committee on Appropriation for necessary legislative work.

  • UN moves to make migration work for all nations

    UN moves to make migration work for all nations

    The Secretary-General of the United Nations ( UN ), Mr Antonio Guterres, has announced the international organisation’s plan to negotiate a Global Compact on Migration in 2018.

    Guterres said in an article entitled: “Toward a New Global Compact on Migration,’’ that managing migration had become one of the most profound challenges for international cooperation.

    “This year, governments will negotiate a Global Compact on Migration through the United Nations.

    “This will be the first overarching international agreement of its kind.  It will not be a formal treaty. Nor will it place any binding obligations on states.

    “This is an urgent task. We have seen what happens when large-scale migration takes place without effective mechanisms to manage it.

    The world was shocked by recent videos of migrants being sold as slaves,’’ he said.

    Guterres said the compact would recognise and reinforce the benefits of migration and strengthen the rule of law underpinning how states manage and protect migrants.

    Read also: UN chief to raise $1bn donor contributions for Nigeria, others

    He added that the compact would also address the need for greater international cooperation to protect vulnerable migrants and refugees, in line with international law.

    According to him, migration powers economic growth, reduces inequalities and connects diverse societies.

    Guterres said migration was also a source of political tensions and human tragedies, adding that majority of migrants live and work legally.

    The UN scribe, however, noted that minority of migrants were putting their lives at risk when trying to enter countries where they often face suspicion and abuse.

    “There are nearly six million migrants trapped in forced labour today, often in developed economies.

    “How can we end these injustices and prevent them recurring in future?

    “We must aim for a world in which we can celebrate migration’s contributions to prosperity, development and international unity.

    “It is in our collective power to achieve this goal.  This year’s global compact can be a milestone on the road to making migration truly work for all,’’ he added.

    Migration is the movement of people from one place to another. It happens for a range of reasons, which may be economic, social, political or environmental.

    Push and pull factors also drive migration, which can be permanent, temporary, voluntary or forced.

    NAN

  • UN allocates $13.4m for urgent humanitarian need in Northeast

    UN allocates $13.4m for urgent humanitarian need in Northeast

    The United Nations ( UN ), through the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, has allocated $13.4 million to help thousands of children, women and men in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in crisis-hit north-east Nigeria.

    The humanitarian emergency in the northeastern Nigeria is one of the most severe in the world today, with 8.5 million people in need of life-saving aid in 2017 in the worst-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

    The Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF) allocation will help address this devastating situation by financing 24 projects in the sectors of protection, nutrition, water and sanitation, health, education, shelter and non-food items, rapid response and early recovery, targeting a total of 950,000 people.

    In line with commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit, five local responders are being supported through direct funding in this allocation.  By empowering national partners, a more integrated and localized response will be possible, and their capacity will also be strengthened.

    “Humanitarian needs in north-east Nigeria are still vast,” said Mr Edward Kallon, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria. “The United Nations and our partners, in support of the Government of Nigeria, are committed to assisting those in need, especially in pivotal areas such as protection and health.”

    In particular, the funds will be used to expand and improve sexual and reproductive health services for nearly 130,000 women and adolescent girls in areas of Borno, the epicentre of the crisis, and boost mental health services for vulnerable children, women and men. Gender-based violence will also be addressed by providing more accessible medical care. In light of the recent cholera outbreak and to mitigate the risk of faecal contamination and poor hygiene, funds have also been allocated to improve the availability of safe water and sanitation for 125,000 people.

    The NHF is one of 18 country-based pooled funds and was launched during the Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region in February 2017. Managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on behalf of the Humanitarian Coordinator, it plays a vital role in ensuring an effective, coordinated, prioritized and principled humanitarian response in Nigeria.

    To date the NHF has received $41 million in contributions and pledges, thanks to the generous support of Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea, Canada, Spain, Luxembourg, the Arab Gulf Program for Development, Malta, Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka.

  • Obaseki warns Ijaws not to take Edo Govt.’s tolerance for granted

    Obaseki warns Ijaws not to take Edo Govt.’s tolerance for granted

     

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has called on Ijaws of Edo State, not to take the State Government’s tolerance for granted.

    Obaseki who made the call in commemoration of the International Day for Tolerance, marked on November 16, each year, said the state government’s commitment to a free society where people can express themselves freely, must not be taken as grounds for violating the law.

    “We are creating a culture that appreciates human diversity in all its colours for a robust pool of ideas that would drive socio-economic development at an unprecedented speed in Edo State,” he said.

    “To oppose what is cast in law by acts of illegality such as the purported installation of one Godwin Oguyenbo, as the “Pere of Olodiama Kingdom,” an Ijaw community in Ovia North East Local Council Area of the state, is irresponsible enough” he stressed.

    The governor urged the few people behind the plot to beat a retreat in the interest of the majority of Ijaw people of Edo State, who have since expressed their willingness to abide by only laid down laws in the state.

    We are proud of our diversity as a state and our peaceful coexistence, but will not tolerate acts of illegality by any group, who for their selfish desires want to rail-road the peace-loving Ijaw people of Edo State into a criminal aspiration.

    He added that the state government will continue to protect all law abiding indigenes and friends of the state.

    The International Day for Tolerance was set aside by the United Nations in its efforts at strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples. “This imperative lies at the core of the United Nations Charter, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is more important than ever in this era of rising and violent extremism and widening conflicts that are characterised by a fundamental disregard for human life,” the UN said.

  • The International day for tolerance

    The International day for tolerance

    “Law alone cannot secure freedom of expression, in order that every man presents his views without penalty, there must be spirit of tolerance in the entire society.” – Anonymous.

    The International day for tolerance is a time for people to learn about recognizing and respecting the rights and beliefs of others. It is also a time of reflection and debates on the negative effects of intolerance globally.

    Live discussions and debates take place across the world focusing on how various forms of injustice, oppression, racism and unfair discrimination have negative impacts on the society.

    Many educators use the theme of today to help students understand issues centered on tolerance, human rights and nonviolence.

    This day can be traced back to the 50th anniversary of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) on November 16 1995. Member States adopted a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance.

    The Declaration affirms that tolerance is neither indulgence nor indifference. It is respect and appreciation of the rich variety of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human.

    Tolerance recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others.

    Driving home the essential values and condiments of the International day for tolerance, it is pertinent that as a people we see the strength in our diversity regardless of the upheaval in various parts of the country; the agitations of the Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ), the Niger Delta militants or even the devilish sect – Boko Haram in the North.

    We share a collective destiny as a people, therefore, let us join hand together and create a congenial country that posterity will be proud of.

    People are naturally diverse; only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the globe.

    This day is an opportunity to speak out on human rights, laws, especially with regard to banning and punishing crimes and discrimination among minorities.

    Finally, today is committed to strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and people and this is more important than ever in this era of rising and violent extremism and widening conflicts that are characterized by a fundamental disregard for human life.