Tag: United Nations U.N.

Yemen: Yemeni Government Casts Doubt on UN Peace Talks

Yemen’s government has expressed doubts over UN-backed efforts to end its conflict with Shiite Huthi rebels who have seized control of large parts of the country. The government still has “fundamental differences” with the Huthis over “their rejection… of measures that are necessary to put an end to their plot“, it said in a statement late on Friday.

We won’t go to Saudi Arabia to sign a peace deal even if the war continued to years, Saleh said in statements on Saturday cited by the website of his General People’s Congress party.
Yemen’s ousted President, Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Yemen’s warring parties are taking a two-week break from peace talks in Kuwait that have made little headway since they began on April 21 (2016).

The government, supported by a Sunni coalition headed by Saudi Arabia, demands that the Iran-backed rebels withdraw from cities including the capital, Sanaa, and give back arms they have seized.

It wants to re-establish its authority across the entire country and restart a political transition that was interrupted when the Huthis ousted President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and seized Sanaa in 2014.

The rebels have conditioned their withdrawal on both sides agreeing on a new president to manage the transition.

U.N. special envoy to Yemen, Ould Cheikh Ahmed.
U.N. special envoy to Yemen, Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

“Due to the stubbornness (of the rebels) and their procrastination, it was not possible to agree on any item on the agenda” of the Kuwait talks, the government delegation said. (I consider this a highly biased statement, made to blame the Houtie for the unsuccessful talks, Alistair)

The negotiators will spend the next two weeks discussing their positions before reconvening on July 15 (2016), UN mediator Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said on Wednesday.

He said they would then return to Kuwait “with practical recommendations on how to implement the necessary mechanisms that will enable them to sign a peace accord“.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed has urged both sides to make concessions to end the conflict, which has cost more than 6,400 lives since March 2015, when the Saudi-led coalition intervened to push back the Huthis.

Former Yemen President, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Former Yemen President, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

On Thursday, the UN envoy said the two sides had “established the main principles that will guide the next phase of Yemen talks“.

He has put forward a peace road map that would see the formation of a unity government and the withdrawal and disarmament of the rebels.

He said the negotiators had welcomed his proposal but had not agreed a timetable or the steps needed to implement it.

Yemen’s Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher told the rebels and their allies, supporters of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, that they had no choice other than to make peace.

Ahmed bin Dagher, former secretary general of the General People’s Congress party to which Yemen’s President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi once belonged, was named as prime minister by Hadi in April. Iran-backed rebels have been in control of capital Sanaa since 2014, forcing the government to declare second-city Aden as temporary capital. But Hadi and many government officials, including Bahah, spend most of their time in Riyadh as they struggle to secure Aden and other parts of the country where Sunni jihadists have gained ground. (PHOTO/ Credit: AFP/ FAYEZ NURELDINE).
Ahmed bin Dagher, former secretary general of the General People’s Congress party to which Yemen’s President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi once belonged, was named as prime minister by Hadi in April. Iran-backed rebels have been in control of capital Sanaa since 2014, forcing the government to declare second-city Aden as temporary capital. But Hadi and many government officials, including Bahah, spend most of their time in Riyadh as they struggle to secure Aden and other parts of the country where Sunni jihadists have gained ground. (PHOTO/ Credit: AFP/ FAYEZ NURELDINE).

“Peace will be imposed by all means, even by force,” he said in a statement (sounds more of a DEATH THREAT to me, Alistair) published by Yemen’s government-controlled Saba news agency.

“Everyone without exception will have to submit to the authority of the state.” (Will that be Saudi-Wahhabi-Sunni law? Alistair)

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AFP: Agence France-Presse: Yemeni government casts doubt on UN peace talks.

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Petition: Malala Secured 12 Years Education For Girls And Boys

It was last year, October 22nd, 2015 that Malala’s petition posted the press release of a successful campaign – requesting the Global Partnership for Education provide free and safe education for girls worldwide. Support poured in on behalf of education for all; and on the day the petition closed, 1,108,071 people worldwide stood #withMalala.

confirmed victoryNot only did her petition surpass its goal of one-million signatures, but because Malala gave a voice to the girls in Syria and Nigeria for example, together they secured the education funding requested. The Global Partnership for Education announced its plans to support and expand to a full twelve years of primary and secondary education for even the poorest children and youth.

“My courageous friend, sixteen year-old Muzoon from Syria, goes from tent to tent in her refugee camp in Jordan encouraging girls to stay in school. My sister Amina from the North of Nigeria, where Boko Haram threatens girls for simply wanting to learn, mentors younger girls who continue to want to go to school,” writes Malala.

Malala Quote: One child, one book, and one pen can change the world.
One child, one book, and one pen can change the world.

In Malala’s words: “None of this would have been possible without your support. Because of you, many more of our sisters around the world will now have the chance to receive an education. Your support will have an enormous impact on their lives, the lives of their families, their communities, their countries, and the world. Thank you for standing #withMalala and raising your voice for millions of girls around the globe. Together our voices can change the world.

“In September, world leaders will commit to 12 years of free, safe, quality primary and secondary education for every girl and every boy in the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This commitment holds tremendous promise for my sisters demanding more for their lives. But a commitment only counts if a commitment is kept. The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) must lead the way in upholding this commitment, just as it has led way in supporting 9 years of education for millions of children to date.

“The GPE is a major funder of education in some of the world’s poorest countries. It makes possible incredible work to help students all over the world, every day. When countries give money in foreign aid for education lots of it goes to the GPE, and in December its Board of Directors will determine how that money will be used by over 60 nations around the world.”

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Read our Intern’s article about Malala’s struggles and achievements: Malala – Education Key To Girl’s Future.

Watch the video ‘He Named Me Malala’ in our Documentaries section: He Named Me Malala.

🍁 CDN: Canada’s Diplomatic Role With The United Nations

The United Nations officially came into being on October 24, 1945. By that date a majority of the 50 countries that had signed the UN Charter in San Francisco on June 26, 1945, had ratified it in their national parliaments. The UN replaced the League of Nations, which had been created by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Currently, there are 193 member states. 

Lester B. Pearson. (Photo: Toronto Star MIKAN). (Alistair Reign News Blog wwwAlistairReignBlog.com).
Lester B. Pearson. (Photo: Toronto Star).

The United Nations Peacekeeping began in 1948. Its first mission was in the Middle East to observe and maintain the ceasefire during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Since then, United Nations peacekeepers have taken part in a total of 63 missions around the globe, 17 of which continue today. The peacekeeping force as a whole received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988.

Canada is one of the founding members of the United Nations.

Lester Bowles “Mike” Pearson was a Canadian scholar, statesman, soldier and diplomat, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis. He was the 14th Prime Minister of Canada from April 22, 1963 to April 20, 1968.

Seven Canadian diplomatic missions are accredited to the UN.

  1. The Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations in New York
    Responsible for overall relations with the United Nations and delegations of member countries, including the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, UNDP, UNICEF, and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
  2. The Permanent Mission of Canada to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva
    Responsible for relations with all UN offices in Geneva and delegations of member countries, including entities such as the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization, the High Commissioner for Refugees, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, or forums such as the Human Rights Council and the Conference on Disarmament.
  3. The Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO in Paris
    Responsible for Canada’s relations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
  4. The Permanent Mission of Canada to International Organisations in Vienna
    Responsible for relations with the UN offices in Vienna, including the International Atomic Energy Agency.
  5. The Permanent Mission of Canada to the Office of the United Nations in Nairobi
    Responsible for relations to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT) and to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
  6. The Permanent Mission of Canada to the FAO in Rome
    Responsible for relations with the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
  7. The Permanent Mission of Canada to the ICAO in Montreal
    Responsible for relations with the International Civil Aviation Organization

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Please send inquiries and permission to re-blog this article to Alistair.Reign@Gmail.com, thank you.

🍁 CDN: Ban Ki-moon Meeting With Trudeau In Canada

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, His Excellency, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, will be in Ottawa and Montréal on a working visit, from February 11 to 13, 2016.

Canada is an active and committed member of the United Nations – not only because the UN provides essential support to millions of people in need – but also because it serves Canada’s interests. A more peaceful world is a safer and more prosperous world for Canada, too.

During the Secretary-General’s visit, Canada will reaffirm its commitment to the UN, to effective cooperation, and to renewed leadership on the world stage. The Prime Minister will highlight Canadian engagement on a number of key global issues, including: climate change and climate finance; the situation in Syria, Iraq, and surrounding countries; refugee resettlement; and the health of women and children around the world.

The Prime Minister and the Secretary-General will also meet with Canadian youth and discuss the importance of building diverse and resilient societies that promote peace and broad-based economic growth.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (R) shakes hands with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as he arrives for the opening of the UN conference on climate change COP21, on November 30, 2015 at Le Bourget, on the outskirts of the French capital Paris. More than 150 world leaders are meeting under heightened security, for the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21/CMP11), also known as Paris 2015 from November 30 to December 11. (AFP PHOTO / POOL / LOIC VENANCE / AFP / POOL / LOIC VENANCE)
PM Trudeau shakes hands with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the opening of the COP21 in Paris. 11/30/2015.  (AFP: LOIC VENANCE).

Quotes

“Secretary-General Ban has made invaluable contributions to the UN, in particular in spearheading real action on climate change and sustainable development, and in bringing global attention to key humanitarian crises. We are honoured that Mr. Ban has accepted our invitation to visit Canada so early in the government’s mandate.”

– Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

“If we are to build a more peaceful and prosperous world – a world where our diversity is seen as a strength– then a strong United Nations is essential. Canada is proud of the part it has played in the UN’s successes, from protecting human rights to peacekeeping. I want to restore Canada’s voice and leadership role at the UN.”

– Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick Facts

  • Secretary-General Ban will also meet with Governor General David Johnston, prior to his visit to Montréal on February 12.
  • In Montréal, the Secretary-General will meet with the Premier of Quebec, M. Philippe Couillard, and the Mayor of Montréal, M. Denis Coderre.
  • He will deliver an address at McGill University, and meet with the Secretary-General and President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN specialized agency based in Montréal, and other UN staff based in the city.
  • Mr. Ban will be accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Ban Soon-taek.

🍁 Press Release: Prime Minister of Canada.

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Syria: SNHR Reports Significant Violations In 2015

The Syrian Network for Human Rights publishes an annual Human Rights Report compiled from reliable reports and eye-witness statements of human rights violations, including war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria. You can read their full report here on Alistair Reign News Blog.

The following statistics are a summary of that report, which can also be viewed in pdf format.

The SNHR is an independent, non-government, not-for-profit human rights organization, founded in 2011 with a mission to document the ongoing violations in Syria and publish periodic studies, researches, and reports while maintaining the highest levels of professionalism and objectivity as a first step towards exposing violations perpetrators, hold them accountable, and insure victims’ rights.

sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf civ killed sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf childs killed sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf women killed sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf torture

sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 38sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 37sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 35 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 39sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 2

sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf detained people sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf detained men sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 5 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 6 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 7 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 8 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 9 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 11 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 10 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 11 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 12 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 13 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 14 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 15 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf conclusion sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 18 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 19 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf conclusion 2 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 20 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 21 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 22 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 23 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 24 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 26 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf conclusion 3 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 27 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 28 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf conclusion 4 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 29 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 30sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf 31 sn4hr.org wp content pdf english Violations_in_Syria_during_2015_en.pdf conclusion ending

The Syrian Network for Human Rights on Twitter (@SNHR) have posted evidence of numerous violations against humanity having occurred in Syria during January of 2016 – after the ending period of their 2015 report.

The following are just a few of the men. women, children and youth either killed by armed forces targeting civilian homes and vital services – or died under torture in Syrian prisons without legal representation or trial – or died an excruciating, slow death of starvation inside besieged Syria during the month of January, 2016.

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Syrian Network For Human Rights: Most Significant Human Rights Violations in Syria during 2015

Part 1 of 12: Fear of Refugees – HRW Cites Violations

Fear stood behind many of the big human rights developments of the past year.

Migrants crossing the border between the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Greece, near the town of Gevgelija, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 02 September 2015. The Gevgelija-Presevo journey is just a part of the journey that the refugees, the vast majority of them from Syria, are forced to make along the so-called Balkan corridor, which takes them from Turkey, across Greece, Macedonia and Serbia to Hungary, the gateway to the European Union. (Photo/ credit" EPA/VALDRIN XHEMAJ. (Alistair Reign News Blog www.AlistairReignBlog.com).
Migrants crossing the border between the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Greece, near the town of Gevgelija, 02/09/ 2015. (Photo: EPA/ Valdrin Xhemaj).

“Fear of being killed or tortured in Syria and other zones of conflict and repression drove millions from their homes. Fear of what an influx of asylum seekers could mean for their societies led many governments in Europe and elsewhere to close the gates. Fear of mounting terrorist attacks moved some political leaders to curtail rights and scapegoat refugees or Muslims. And fear of their people holding them to account led various autocrats to pursue an unprecedented global crackdown on the ability of those people to band together and make their voices heard.” said Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch in his summary of their annual World Report 2016.

The report outlines and draws attention to the human rights concerns that took place in 2015 – majority of which have continued to escalate in 2016.

“Focus on the need, not the numbers,” says Christian Aid.

“The media of late has been full of stories of desperate people arriving in Europe, with the press focus largely concentrating on the growing numbers, rather than the conflict, injustice and oppression from which many are escaping.

“The public debate which has accompanied such graphic depictions of human need is evidence of how uncomfortable the scenes have made us feel as a nation. But in truth, the reaction of many in the UK, Ireland and elsewhere in Europe has been far from sympathetic.” states Christian Aid on their website. [01]

ken roth “(Countries are) blaming Refugees or Muslims while Missing the Boat on Terrorism,” says Ken Roth.

“The estimated one million asylum seekers who have fled to Europe by sea in the past year are among the more than 60 million people now displaced by war or repression—the highest figure since World War II.

“The biggest driving force recently has been the brutal conflict in Syria, due in part to atrocities committed by ISIS and other armed groups but foremost to Bashar al-Assad’s government indiscriminately attacking civilian population centers in opposition-held areas.

  • 4 million Syrian refugees initially fled to neighboring countries, including more than
  • 2 million to Turkey and
  • 1 million to Lebanon where they now comprise nearly a quarter of the population.
A family of Afghan asylum seekers waits to enter the Moria registration center on the Greek island of Lesbos. Many families with children say they are too afraid to wait in line for registration. <em>October 4, 2015. (Photo: © 2015 Zalmaï for Human Rights Watch).
A family of Afghan asylum seekers waits to enter the Moria registration center in Lesbos. Many families with children say they are too afraid to wait in line for registration. October 4, 2015. (Photo: © 2015 Zalmaï for Human Rights Watch).

“The million or so reaching Europe in the past year are just a fraction of the populations of the European countries where they are heading—some 1.25 percent of the population in Germany, where the largest group sought refuge in light of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s remarkable leadership and welcome, or 0.20 percent of the total European Union population, if resettlement sharing occurs.

“To a large extent, Europe’s preoccupation with the new refugees as a possible terrorist threat is a dangerous distraction from its own home-grown violent extremism, given that the Paris attackers were predominantly Belgian or French citizens.

globe ppl want to fear muslim“Public discourse has been filled with voices of hatred and fear of Muslims, for whom the refugees are surrogates,” emphasizes Roth.

“These messages need to be countered foremost because they are wrong. In the modern world of easy air travel and rapidly shifting populations, Muslims are part of almost every vibrant community. Like everyone, they should not face discrimination.

“Vilifying entire communities for the unacceptable actions of a few is also counterproductive for the effort to prevent terrorism.”

Roth points out that, “It is exactly the divisive and alienating response that terrorist groups seek to generate more recruits.

“Muslims are often the ones most likely to learn of a terrorist threat based on radical Islam, best suited to dissuade others from such violence, and best positioned to report those who might be planning to use it.

“Tarring all Muslims risks discouraging them from these important forms of law enforcement cooperation.”

“We should learn from the abusive and self-defeating US response to the September 11, 2001 attacks—not only the notorious torture, enforced disappearances in CIA “black sites,” and long-term detention without trial at Guantanamo Bay, but also the use of immigration and “material witness” rules to detain non-citizens because of their religion or ethnicity while circumventing more rights-protective criminal procedures,” said Roth.

“Discarding rights or scapegoating people of a certain religious or social profile harms those people while distancing them from counter terrorism efforts. It is the opposite of what is needed. As painful experience shows, the smart counter-terrorism policy is the rights-respecting one.” warns Roth.

 “Protecting Refugees also Protects Recipient Countries.

Austrian police who stopped a small truck that appeared overloaded have found 86 refugees crammed inside during sweltering heat.(Photo: Times of India).
Austrian police who stopped a small truck that appeared overloaded have found 86 refugees crammed inside during sweltering heat. (Photo: Times of India).

“The desperate flight of refugees and asylum seekers from unending violence and abuse in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Eritrea, and their limited chance to secure adequate work, housing, schooling, and legal status in neighboring countries, will lead many to attempt to reach Europe one way or another.

“The question is whether they arrive in an orderly fashion that permits security screening, or chaotically through smugglers.” said Roth.

“The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, if adequately supported, could increase its capacity to screen refugees and refer them to resettlement countries.  … so there is no urgent need for refugees to board rickety boats to cross the Mediterranean, where some

  • 3,770 (people) drowned in 2015,
  • 1/3 of them (the dead refugees) were children. 

“Here, too, a more orderly process, with all EU countries living up to their pledges to accept asylum seekers, would permit more effective screening, while providing a safer route as an incentive for asylum seekers to participate.

“In addition, it could help to replace the current Dublin Regulation, which imposes responsibility for asylum seekers on first-arrival countries, which include some of the EU members least capable of managing them.” he continues.

Migrants move past police while attempting to enter into Macedonia at the Greece-Macedonia border near the town of Gevgelija yesterday. More than 42,000 have gone through Macedonia since mid-June to try to enter the European Union, particularly the countries of the passport-free Schengen area. (Photo/credit: Independent UK).
(War refugees) move past police while attempting to enter into Macedonia near the border town of Gevgelija. Over 42,000 (refugees) have gone through Macedonia since mid-June (2015). (Photo/credit: Independent UK).

“Europe is not alone in adopting a counterproductive approach to refugees, especially those from Syria. 

“In the US, some officials and politicians have been denouncing Syrian refugees as a security threat even though the handful permitted into the US have gone through an intensive two-year screening process involving numerous interviews, background checks by multiple US agencies, and biometric data.

“That is hardly an attractive route for would-be terrorists, who are more apt to enter as students or tourists subject to much lower scrutiny.

“Of all people entering the US, refugees are the most heavily vetted,” reports Roth.

“Yet, 30 governors in the US tried to bar Syrian refugees from being resettled in their states.

“The idea was even floated (though broadly rejected) of blocking Muslim non-citizens from entering the country (USA) altogether.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomes Syrian refugees to Canada late Thursday night at Pearson International airport. (Photo: gov.bc)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomes Syrian refugees to Canada. (Photo: gov.bc)

However Roth adds, “Canada, under its new prime minister, Justin Trudeau, offered a very different initial response:

“accelerating the reception of 25,000 Syrian refugees and spreading them to a largely warm welcome across all 10 provinces.

“Setting a tone of respect over fear and distrust, he personally greeted the first planeload of refugees at the airport.”

Read the recent statement Prime Minister Trudeau made at the annual World Economic Forum in regards to Canada’s response to the global refugee crisis.

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References Human Rights Watch: Twin Threats

Syria: UN Says War Crimes Team Not To Investigate Airstrikes

A United Nations team of war crimes investigators will not probe air strikes by foreign countries in Syria, its chairman said on Wednesday, despite concerns that some attacks by foreign militaries could have violated the laws of war.

The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria is not intended to investigate air strikes in Syria by foreign nations, Chairman Paulo Pinheiro said.

“It is not our mandate to investigate the behavior of powers involved in the crisis of Syria,” Pinheiro told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview.

It would not probe potential cases of violations of international human rights law involving nations conducting military strikes in Syria, he said.

“There is no possibility that we will investigate the American air strikes or French or British or Russian,” he said.

The decision reflected a desire not to meddle into the affairs of powers outside Syria as well as limited means at the group’s disposal, Pinheiro added.

With the rapid expansion of territory controlled by the militant group Islamic State, nations including the United States, France, Britain and Russia have carried out air strikes on targets in Syria.

Some observers have cited instances that disproportionately hit civilians and civil infrastructure, and Pinheiro and his three co-commissioners have repeatedly cautioned powers to follow the laws of war.

Embodied in the Geneva Conventions, the rules require warring parties to distinguish between military and civilian targets, such as schools and hospitals, and carry out operations in a way that is proportional to the perceived threat.

U.S. officials said in November they did not dispute human rights activists’ allegations that Russian bombs and missiles have hit Syrian mosques, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, killing hundreds of people.

Among these allegations, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a Nov. 20 report that air strikes by Russia left 403 civilians dead, including more than 160 women and children.

UNICEF condemned earlier this month air strikes that it said reportedly hit a water-treatment plant in the northern city of Aleppo.

It was unclear whether the attack had been conducted by domestic or foreign forces.

Watchdog Human Rights Watch said in an Oct. 25 report that at least two air strikes possibly carried out by Russia had killed 59 civilians in Homs.

  • The group, citing the possible use of weapons with indiscriminate impact such as vacuum bombs in populated areas, said the strikes could have violated the laws of war.

The U.N. commission was set up shortly after the start of the nearly five-year-old Syrian civil war, which has forced more than four million of refugees to flee the country and killed some 250,000 people.

Its mission is “to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law since March 2011 in the Syrian Arab Republic,” according to the website of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Thomson Reuters Foundation: U.N. war crimes team will not investigate foreign air strikes in Syria.

Yemen: UN Says It Could Help Yemenis If A Pause Holds

The latest attempt at a humanitarian pause in Yemen “has not been respected by any party to the conflict,” the United Nations’ humanitarian chief said Tuesday, adding that a plan to reach 3 million Yemenis with aid is ready to go if only the fighting would stop.

Stephen O’Brien briefed the Security Council and repeated the call for an “unconditional freeze” in the months-long fighting between a Saudi-led coalition and Shiite Houthi rebels in the Arab world’s poorest country.

A five-day humanitarian pause announced by the Saudi-led coalition quickly fell apart early Monday. An earlier pause announced this month by the U.N. also failed.

O’Brien told the council that as of last Friday, health facilities in Yemen had reported more than 4,000 conflict-related deaths since the coalition began airstrikes in late March.

He said he will travel to Yemen in the coming weeks, and Yemen’s U.N. ambassador said he welcomes the Aug. 9 visit.

O’Brien is expected to visit the southern port city of Aden, which the U.N. says has been devastated in the four months of fighting. The U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen was only able to reach Aden this week for a brief visit after a 12-hour boat ride via Djibouti.

The Saudi-led coalition has been accused repeatedly of killing civilians in its airstrikes against the Houthis, but the country’s U.N. ambassador, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, tried to play down expressions of concern about “casualties here, casualties there.”

“I can assure you that no deliberate targeting of civilian sites is being undertaken by coalition forces,” he told reporters.

Yemen: Saudi-led Coalition Announces 5-day Humanitarian Truce

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been delivering water to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Al-Dhalea governorate, Yemen, are suffering from a shortage.

Welcoming the announcement by the Saudi-led Coalition of a unilateral five-day humanitarian pause in Yemen, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on all parties to the conflict to suspend military operations and facilitate safe, unhindered access of relief workers to desperate populations throughout the crisis-riven country.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson in New York, Mr. Ban welcomed the announcement by the Saudi-led Coalition of a unilateral five-day, renewable humanitarian pause set to commence today, Sunday, 26 July, at 23:59 (GMT+3), or 4:59 pm EST.

“He urges the Houthis, the General People’s Congress and all other parties will agree to and maintain the humanitarian pause for the sake of all the Yemeni people, and that all act in good faith throughout the pause,” said the statement, which notes that the growing number of civilian casualties, including disturbing reports of civilian deaths in Mokha on Friday evening, in the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe make a pause and an eventual extension an imperative.

Calling on all parties to the conflict to suspend military operations during the pause and refrain from exploiting the pause to move weapons or seize territory, the UN chief appealed to the parties to exercise maximum restraint in cases of isolated violations and to avoid escalation.

“The Secretary-General urges all parties to facilitate the urgent delivery of humanitarian assistance to all parts of Yemen, as well as rapid, safe, and unhindered access for humanitarian actors to reach people in need of humanitarian assistance, including medical assistance,” it said.

The statement concluded with the Secretary-General’s call on the conflict parties to comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and to urgently work with the United Nations and humanitarian aid organizations to bring assistance to millions in need throughout the country.

Announcement of the pause comes after “a major breakthrough,” as the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported that its first ship since conflict erupted in Yemen in March berthed Tuesday in the port of Aden after repeated attempts to reach huge numbers of increasingly desperate people and as intense fighting continues to take a serious toll on civilians.

Meanwhile, in the latest report on the toll the fighting is taking, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that at least 165 civilians, including 53 children and 23 women, were killed between 3 and 15 July, and another 210 were injured during this period.

“The majority of the casualties are reported to have been caused by air strikes, but civilians are also regularly being injured and killed by mortar fire and in street fighting,” OHCHR Spokesperson Rupert Colville told reporters Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland.

“The total death toll since 26 March is now at least 1,693 civilians, with another 3,829 injured,” Mr. Colville said.

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United Nations News Centre: UN chief welcomes Saudi-led coalition’s announcement of humanitarian truce.

Africa: Nigerian Refugees Flee Votile Border In Cameroon

Violence and insecurity have continued to affect population movements in northern Nigeria and neighbouring countries, the UN refugee agency reported on Tuesday (July 21, 2015).

In Cameroon’s remote Far North Region, a steady flow of Nigerian refugees are moving from the volatile Nigeria-Cameroon border area and seeking shelter some 100 km inland at the Minawao camp, which is run by UNHCR and its partners. UNHCR field staff said that on average about 100 people every day are registering at the camp, which was opened in July 2013. The camp’s population has increased from about 30,000 late last year to approximately 44,000 today.

 

“The arrivals at the camp are mainly Nigerian nationals who had earlier fled to Cameroon to escape violence in north-east Nigeria but had preferred to stay very near the border – hoping for a quick return home. The refugees said they had fled militant attacks in Nigeria’s Borno state,” UNHCR spokesperson Leo Dobbs told a press briefing in Geneva.

 

In recent weeks, there have been attacks and clashes on the Cameroon side of the border, including the first-ever suicide bombing in Cameroon on July 12, in the far-northern town of Fotokol.

 

As part of its response to this unrest, the government of Cameroon has begun registering Nigerian refugees in the immediate border area.

 

“UNHCR field staff reported that this registration process has provoked fear among some refugees that they might be returned to Nigeria against their will,” Dobbs added.

 

He added that UNHCR and the government are in the process of consulting the refugees in the border area about where they want to go.

 

“Some may opt to return to safe areas in Nigeria, while others may want to move to the Minawao camp. This process will continue over the coming days and weeks,” he explained.

 

Some of the arrivals at the camp said they had run out of food when they were near the border and wanted to benefit from food distributions in Minawao. Many of the new arrivals are being temporarily sheltered in a tarpaulin-construction school, currently closed for the summer break.

 

The camp is in a relatively arid area; wood for building shelters has to be transported from the forested regions in southern Cameroon, which is at least two days trucking distance away.

 

“We have always had a problem with wood supplies,” one of the camp managers said: “and then when we do receive wood, we sometimes also face a shortage of nails to erect the shelters.”

 

Minawao camp is located within sight of the dramatic Mandara mountain range that rises up to straddle the border between Cameroon and Nigeria.

 

The mountains are one of the areas where the Nigerian insurgents are believed to have hideouts, refugees familiar with the area said. Soldiers from allied regional military forces – mainly from the armies of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon – have been mounting joint operations against the insurgents for several months.

 

These actions are across large areas of west and central Africa. The military operations are reported to have dispersed some of the insurgents. But they have not stopped all insurgent activity.

 

UNHCR has limited access in the Far North Region for security reasons, but estimates the number of unregistered refugees in the area to be some 12,000. The Cameroonian authorities say this number may be as high as 17,000.

 

In a separate development in southern Niger’s Diffa region, authorities report the arrival of some 2,500 people from Nigeria following an attack by militants on the Nigerian town of Damassak last week.

 

The new arrivals are mainly women, children and older people.

 

They arrived in the border villages of Chetimari and Gagamari, located 20 km from Damassak. According to the Niger authorities, some 80 per cent of those arriving are Nigerian refugees and the remaining 20 per cent Niger returnees.

 

Some of the new arrivals had fled their homes last year after a first attack on Damassak and returned only recently. Some refugees are staying with the same host families they stayed with last year while others sleep in the open or in makeshift shelters.

 

Most new arrivals said they prefer staying in Chetimari and Gagamari rather than the Sayam Forage refugee camp, further inland.

 

“They hope to return to Nigeria as soon as possible. Locals have been sharing their meagre resources with them, including water and food. UNHCR teams are unable to access the border area for security reasons,” Dobbs said.

 

More than 100,000 people have fled Nigeria and found refuge in Niger since mid-2013.

 

The insecurity has also displaced 18,400 Nigerians to Chad and left at least 1.5 million people displaced within Nigeria, mainly in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

 

UNHCR: Nigerian refugees mve from volatile border zone in Cameroon.