Monday, 28 October 2019

UNITED NATIONS REVEALS RICH HISTORICAL RECORDS INGLOBAL ARCHIVES

UN spotlights digitization of audiovisual archives to preserve human history on World Day

UN Photo/Mark Garten

UN staff retrieve historic films from the United Nations audiovisual archive. (file November 2004)

27 October 2019

On Sunday, marking the annual World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, the United Nations recognized the hard work of thousands of preservation experts, from librarians to archivists and caretakers, whose knowledge and devotion is helping ensure the world does not lose valuable history written on film, and in radio and television.

Audiovisual documents contain the primary records of the history of the 20th and 21st centuries, enabling us to pass down common heritage across generations, however, the moving pictures and radio sounds capturing our collective pasts run the risk of vanishing through decay, or being lost to time as the technology once used to handle them becomes obsolete.
The theme of this year’s World Day, “Engage the Past Through Sound and Images” praises the expertise of the people working to safeguard collections of the past for generations to come, which without, “large portions of our cultural heritage would disappear to be lost forever”, the UN said on the Day.
In 2005, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) approved commemoration of the Day every 27 October, at it’s biennial meeting of Member States to spotlight the need for urgent conservation measures of important audiovisual files-a parallel effort to the entity’s establishment of the Memory of the World Programme, in 1992, which made clear that significant audiovisual collections worldwide suffered a variety of detrimental fates.
War, looting and dispersal, illegal trading, and preservation funding shortfalls are a few of the burdens that have threatened precious archive holdings for centuries.
For material still intact, digitizing physical records has been a method of escaping inevitable wear and tear from decades of handling, and extending the longevity of audiovisual libraries.
UNESCO in 2015 launched a fundraising project to create digital surrogates of the Organisation’s archives dating back to its predecessors, including the League of Nations’ International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation.
The institutional archives and historical audiovisual collections contain evidence of more than 70 years of ideas and actions for peace and international understanding that span the Organization’s wide-ranging fields of competence.
Three years on, the Organisation’s Paris headquarters began housing a digitization lab for material to be more efficiently sorted, digitized, quality checked, and made available online.
A wealth of 5,000 photos, 8,000 hours of sound recordings, 45 hours of film, and 560,000 pages of governing body documents capture oceanography, space exploration, human rights communications, and traces of intellectual figures such as Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Masaharu Anesaki and more.
Click here to experience the online library thus far.
UNESCO's Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, said the Day marks an occasion "to remember the importance of audiovisual materials for connecting with our history and understanding who we are today."
"The past century was marked by unprecedented human development and world-shaping events. We must ensure its lessons are transmitted to future generations", she urged.

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage

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Linking past and present, audiovisual heritage is ‘part of our common history,’ UNESCO says on World Day

27 October 2017

Culture and Education

Through sound recordings and moving images, audiovisual heritage provides priceless insight to the past while preserving unique documentation for future generations, the United Nations cultural agency said on the day set aside to raise global awareness about the importance of the fragility of this heritage.

KATHMANDU:NEPAL TO BENEFIT FROM OPEN TOILET USAGE

Nepal benefits from end to open toilet use

Sunaina borrowed the money to build a toilet in her village in Nepal.

25 October 2019

Health

Sunaina lives in Majhi, a village of 104 people in Nepal’s impoverished Terai region. Huts fashioned of mud, thatch and straw stand in a row along the shoulder of a dirt road that carves through rice fields, where Sunaina, and the majority of her neighbours earn their living.

In this under-developed area, sanitation has hitherto been lacking. “Previously, the people did not have toilets, they did not see the necessity of having a proper place to defecate,” says Raju Prajad Sah, the local Chief Administrative Officer.
He describes how open defecation has been a longstanding and accepted practice. The pond across the road where the villagers raise fish and water animals was often contaminated.
Mr. Sah recalls that episodes of diarrhea and other infections caused by open defecation and a lack of handwashing were common in Majhi. “Especially vulnerable are the young, the old, and anyone compromised by factors from disability to mental illness, or even just the misfortune of living alone”, he said.
Children are the most susceptible. According to the Ministry of Water Supply, over recent decades, from seven to ten thousand Nepalese children died each year from diarrhea and other related illnesses.

Nation-wide effort

However, a few months ago, a nation-wide effort to motivate every Nepalese household to stop open defection and use a toilet came to Majhi. Spearheaded by the Government of Nepal, the campaign appears to be bringing transformational change.
“In the beginning, the majority of the people were against this project, they were saying no, it’s against our longstanding culture and we will defecate outside of our houses,” says Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha, a local community leader.
Mr. Kushwaha says that community groups would go house-to-house to talk about the connection between open defecation and illness, promoting the health benefits of using toilets and of good hygiene practices such as handwashing.
“The villagers were taught about the benefits of sanitation, and its effect on their lives; gradually they understood that,” says Mr Kushwaha.
Raju Prajad Sah, in his role as Chief Administrative Officer, is responsible for the implementation of development projects across the municipality. He says that after three intense months of lobbying for an end to open defecation, every household in Majhi decided to construct its own toilet.
“Now they all are using the toilets and obviously the difference is that there will be a reduction of diseases and their living standard will be, I think, uplifted,” says Mr Sah.
Sunaina now has a latrine in the back of her house. “I built it myself by taking a loan. I have not paid it back yet, but I will within one year by cultivating rice paddies”, she says.

Declaration

On 30 September this year, the Prime Minister of Nepal, KP Sharma Oli, declared all 77 Nepali districts free from open defecation. Building on this momentum, the government announced a new national campaign to address long-term behavioural changes. Since 2011, the UN’s Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) has been working with the Nepali authorities to transform the country’s approach to sanitation and hygiene.

Its efforts over the past five years have been concentrated on the southern Terai plains, the challenging last mile of Nepal’s sanitation campaign. Despite the region’s daunting socio-economic challenges, the programme, supported by WSSCC and implemented by UN-Habitat, NGOs and government partners, successfully helped accelerate sanitation coverage in eight Terai districts from around 13 per cent to 98 per cent in just over four years, according to government data.
“The progress we are seeing in Nepal is very encouraging and is testimony to what can be achieved when national governments, development partners, NGOs and local communities work together,” says WSSCC’s Sue Coates.
World Toilet Day, marked annually on November 19, is according to Ms Coates “an opportunity to celebrate such achievements and to ensure that such gains are sustained and that we continue to support countries to move upwards on the sanitation ladder. This is crucial in the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals”.

The UN and Sanitation

Ensuring sanitation and water for all is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG6) that make up the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
An end to open defecation is a specific target within SDG6
The UN’s Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), is hosted by UNOPS, the UN Office for Project Services
The WSSCCC advocates for improved sanitation and hygiene for the most vulnerable and marginalized people in the world

Nepal|open defecation|defecation|sanitation

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Madagascar villagers learn dangers of outdoor defecation

27 June 2019

Health

The discussion with villagers starts early in the morning. Volunteers are invited to draw a map of their village on the ground with chalk. One woman’s sketch shows 17 families – a total of 65 people – living in 11 red clay houses. She explains they share the three latrines that have been there for some time.

Billions globally lack ‘water, sanitation and hygiene’, new UN report spells out

17 June 2019

Health

Some 2.2 billion people around the world do not have safely-managed drinking water, while 4.2 billion go without safe sanitation services and three billion lack basic handwashing facilities, according to a new report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

UNIOTED NATIONS REVIEWAL ON GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS :UPDATES

Friday’s Daily Brief: Listen to protesters urges Guterres, unplanned pregnancies, CAR in the Security Council, Nigeria, Libya updates

OHCHR Regional Office for Centra

Hundreds of people take to the streets of Managua, Nicaragua, demanding justice for victims of the violent crackdown on protests.

25 October 2019

Peace and Security

A recap of Friday’s main stories: ‘Real people with real problems’ must be heard, Guterres tells world leaders; one-in-four pregnancies unplanned; Security Council on the situation in Central African Republic; displaced in northeast Nigeria; Libya, Colombia developments.

Protests around the world: Politicians must address ‘growing deficit of trust’, urges Guterres

Protests in cities across the world in recent days show that “people are hurting and want to be heard” by political leaders who must now address a “growing deficit of trust”, said the UN chief on Friday.
Speaking to correspondents at UN Headquarters in New York, António Guterres said that although “every situation is unique” there are common underlying factors which constitute “rising threats to the social contract” between citizens and the political class. 
Here’s our full coverage.

Listen to or download the full remarks on SoundCloud:

One-in-four pregancies unplanned, two-thirds of women foregoing contraceptives

Around two-thirds of sexually active women surveyed in a new UN study indicated that although they wished to avoid or postpone having children, they had stopped relying on contraception out of concern for how it was affecting their health. As a result, around a quarter of all pregnancies are unplanned.
That’s according to World Health Organization (WHO) findings published on Friday. The family planning study of more than 10,000 women aged 15 to 49, across 36 low and middle-income countries confirms that 65 per cent of women with an unintended pregnancy were either not using contraception, or relied on traditional methods (such as withdrawal or calendar-based methods). 
More in our story, here.

UN Libya mission denies enabling anti-Government forces to target medical facilities

The UN Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, on Friday strongly denied “rumours” that it has been sharing coordinates of field hospitals and clinics with forces loyal to the self-styled Libyan National Army, which has been waging a military campaign to take the capital from the UN-recognized Government since April.
UNSMIL “strongly condemns attacks on all civilian targets including health facilities and medical personnel” having documented at least 58 attacks on health workers and health facilities so far this year.
The mission said it “categorically denies rumours that it has received coordinates for field hospitals and field clinics operating south of Tripoli, and passed them on to one of the parties to the conflict. UNSMIL reiterates that it has not received any coordinates for field hospitals and field clinics and has not provided such information to any party to the conflict.”
Reports emerged online on Thursday, quoting an Anti-Terrorism Force spokesperson, alleging that drones had been deployed by rebel militia after UNSMIL had been given the positions of facilities, leading to an increase in attacks.
“The UN stresses that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian and human rights law and may constitute war crimes”, the UNSMIL statement continued.

Central African Republic: ‘Transform dreams of peace into reality’: mission chief tells Security Council

Updating the Security Council on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) on Friday, the head of the UN Mission in the country, MINUSCA, called on the country’s friends and partners, including the Council, to “transform the dreams of peace, prosperity and development of millions of Central Africans into a lasting reality”.
Looking back over events that have taken place since his last such briefing in June, Mankeur Ndiaye reiterated his observation that hopes have been raised, following the signing of a peace and reconciliation agreement in February, in the capital Bangui, the implementation of which has been a major preoccupation of MINUSCA. He outlined both the progress made, and the challenges faced by the vast nation.
Here’s our story.

More than 140,000 displaced in northeast Nigeria

Renewed violence in Nigeria’s northeastern state of Borno has displaced more than 140,000 people this year alone, and with many farmers having missed planting seasons, three million people are now food insecure.
UN relief chief and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, shared these observations on Friday, following a visit to the war-battered region.
Most of the violence has been perpetrated by extremist group Boko Haram, with more than seven million people currently in need of humanitarian assistance in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States, he said.

Murder of prominent former-FARC fighter condemned

The UN Verification Mission in Colombia has condemned the murder of the prominent former FARC rebel leader, Alexander Parra, also known as Rodolfo Fierro, in the area where training and reintegration has been taking place, and expressed its “condolences to his family and community members”.
The UN Verification Mission voiced its “profound” condemnation for this latest murder, reportedly at the hands of a death squad, which has seen more than 150 former members of the demobilized militia killed, since the signing of the historic peace agreement with the Government in 2016.
Mr. Parra was a former commander, FARC delegate to the Departmental Council for Reintegration in Meta and international coordinator, said the Mission. He was “recognized for his commitment to the peace process and his active role in promoting reintegration. His partner, who was present during the events, is a FARC party candidate for the municipal council of Mesetas.”
The assassination is the first to take place in the demobilization and reintegration area, where former FARC fighters are living under public protection, before being fully reintegrating into civilian life.
Listen to or download our audio News in Brief for 25 October on SoundCloud:

UNITED NATIONS BEGGED TO WORK MORE ON PEACE

Central African Republic: ‘Transform dreams of peace into reality’: mission chief tells Security Council

MINUSCA/Leonel Grothe

UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic patrol Ouham-Pendé in the northwest of the country.

25 October 2019

Peace and Security

Looking back over events that have taken place since his last such briefing in June, Mankeur Ndiaye reiterated his observation that hopes have been raised, following the signing of a peace and reconciliation agreement in February, in the capital Bangui, the implementation of which has been a major preoccupation of MINUSCA. He outlined both the progress made, and the challenges faced by the vast nation.

Progress in peacebuilding, security and development

On the positive side, monitoring of the peace agreement is now operational at local and national levels, said Mr. Ndiaye, with MINUSCA helping to contain or avoid crises. In the town of Bossangoa, for example, Muslim civilians have been able to return home, and move freely, for the first time since large-scale inter-communal killings in 2013.
Special security units have now been launched in the north-west of the country, continued the MINUSCA chief, and the Government is planning to despatch similar units to the north-east and south-east of the country as soon as possible. It is expected that this will ensure the continued engagement of armed groups in the peace process.
In addition, disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration (DDRR) efforts have continued. Despite the reluctance of the 3R armed rebel group to participate, some 583 fighters have been disarmed and demobilized since December 2018.
The process of justice and reconciliation is also advancing, with the help of MINUSCA, said Mr, Ndiaye, and national consultations on a future Truth, Justice Reparations and Reconciliation Committee are ongoing in many parts of the country.
Another commission to examine the root causes of conflict in CAR, and propose justice measures, is also continuing its work throughout the country, and will present its report next month.
The national peacebuilding and recovery plan has seen progress, declared Mr. Ndiaye: with some 2,4 billion dollars released on October 1, funding of the plan has now reached over 67 per cent, and 400 projects, in several socio-economic sectors aimed at making a tangible improvement in the lives of CAR citizens, are now underway.
State authority continues to be extended, added the MINUSCA chief, thanks to the engagement of the Government, the UN and other partners. The number of officials on the grounds has doubled since 2015, 1346 members of the armed forces are deployed nationally, and 1050 police are present in 15 prefectures.

Challenges to peace and security remain

However, many challenges remain. Despite a halving in the numbers of human rights violations, attacks against civilians, sexual violence, restrictions on the liberty of movement, and kidnappings are still taking place.
Mr. Ndiaye noted his particular concern surrounding the tense security situation in the north-east of CAR since July. Fighting between two armed groups, the Movement of Central African Liberators for Justice (MLCJ) and the Popular Front for the Renaissance of Central Africa (FPRC), has led to many casualties, and the displacement of several thousand people. MINUSCA and other partners have been mobilized to end the violence.
Other challenges outlined by Mr. Ndiaye include the risk of violence linked to transhumance - seasonal livestock grazing - which starts with the arrival of the dry season; ongoing examples of illegal taxation; and the slow progress of laws associated with the peace process, notably those to do with decentralization and the status of former Heads of State.

Dealing with the root causes of conflict

The planned 2020/ 2021 elections in CAR should, declared Mr, Ndiaye, help to resolve the root causes of conflict in the country, reinforce democratic governance, and support the process of decentralization.
Authorities have already begun to prepare for the elections, adopting a new electoral code in July, preparing a new electoral map, and setting aside more than two million dollars to finance the poll. When added to the amount provided by the EU and other partners, the budget for the elections stands at around 41,8 million dollars.
However, the preparations remain threatened by a lack of technical, financial and human resources, said Mr. Ndiaye. MINUSCA does not yet have an appropriate logistical mandate, and ongoing insecurity is sowing doubt in the minds of the country’s political class. A major delay in elections could be damaging to democracy and peace in CAR, he warned, calling on the international community to provide an appropriate mandate, and the necessary funds.
MINUSCA currently has nearly 13,000 uniformed personnel serving the country’s five-year-old peacekeeping mission, aiming to restore security, and provide support for human rights efforts, following years of political upheaval.

security council|CAR|Central African Republic

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Despite peace deal, Central African Republic’s population faces daily acts of violence, UN envoy warns

20 June 2019

Peace and Security

Although the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR), armed groups and civil society representatives are all taking part in the process that followed the signing of a deal signed in February, civilians continue to suffer daily acts of violence, the top UN official in the country told the Security Council on Thursday.

Agreement on new peace deal ‘only one step’ on challenging road ahead for Central African Republic, says UN envoy

21 February 2019

Peace and Security

Despite the signing of a recent peace deal between the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and 14 armed groups, “we should not forget that the situation in the country remains serious,” a senior UN envoy told the Security Council on Thursday.

UNITED NATIONS URGE POLITICIANS TO WORK HARD ON TRUST

Protests around the world: Politicians must address ‘growing deficit of trust’, urges Guterres

UN Bolivia/Patricia Cusicanqui

Demonstrators protest on the streets of La Paz, Bolivia.

25 October 2019

Human Rights

Protests in cities across the world in recent days show that “people are hurting and want to be heard” by political leaders who must now address a “growing deficit of trust”, said the UN chief on Friday.

Speaking to correspondents at UN Headquarters in New York, António Guterres said that although “every situation is unique” there are common underlying factors which constitute “rising threats to the social contract” between citizens and the political class.
“People want a level playing field, including social, economic and financial systems that work for all”, together with respect for their human rights and a real say in decisions that affect them, Mr. Guterres added.
Current or recent demonstrations and protests have raged in the streets of Bolivia, Chile, Hong Kong, Ecuador, Egypt, Guinea, Haiti, Iraq and Lebanon, said the UN human rights office (OHCHR), briefing reporters in Geneva earlier in the day.
Major protests earlier in the year were also seen in Algeria, Honduras, Nicaragua, Malawi, Russia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Protests, rights violations

OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said the UN had received reports of police using force against protesters in Bolivia following disputed election results this week, including tear gas, and she called on all actors, “including political leaders and their followers, to exercise restraint in order to reduce tensions”.
There was a similar message for politicians in Baghdad, where at least 157 have been killed and nearly 5,500 injured across Iraq. There are “credible reports” of serious rights violations including killing of unarmed protesters, and excessive use of force, combined with Government repression of information.
In Chile, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet – twice elected president there – said on Thursday her office would send a team of three officers to the country to establish the facts behind allegations of rights abuses, following days of protests over inequality, the rising cost of living, and a declared state of emergency.
And in Lebanon, the “biggest spontaneous protests in over a decade” have continued, despite a package of anti-corruption reforms announced by the Prime Minister, said Ms. Shamdasani: “Tens of thousands of peaceful protesters from all walks of life and confessions, continue to unleash anger across the country, against what they perceive to be decades of corruption and government mismanagement.”

‘No excuse for violence’ - UN chief

Mr. Guterres said he was “deeply concerned that some protests have led violence and loss of life”. Governments have an obligation to uphold free expression and peaceful assembly, and to “safeguard civic space”.
But while security forces needed to use maximum restraint, it is also incumbent on protesters “to follow the examples of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and other champions of non-violent change”, added the UN chief.
“There can be no excuse for violence – from any quarter. Above all I urge leaders everywhere to listen to the real problems of real people. Our world needs action and ambition, to build fair globalization, strengthen social cohesion and tackle the climate crisis.”
He concluded with a final note of advice to those in power, from Algeria, to Zimbabwe: “With solidarity and smart policies, leaders can show they ‘get it’ - and point the way to a more just world.”

protests|demonstrations

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UN rights chief urges ‘immediate dialogue’ to end Chile unrest

21 October 2019

Human Rights

The top UN human rights official is calling for politicians and civil society in Chile to engage in “immediate dialogue” to resolve the deadly crisis which has gripped the nation in recent days.

Ecuador: UN ‘stands ready’ to support talks, in bid to end political turmoil

11 October 2019

Peace and Security

Amid violent street protests that have rocked Ecuador’s Government, fomenting a political crisis, the UN Secretary-General has voiced his concern, saying the Organization is standing by to help mediate if politicians can agree to sit down for talks.

UNICEF SPEAKS ON UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES AND USAGE OF CONTRACEPTIVES

One-in-four pregnancies unplanned, two-thirds of women foregoing contraceptives

In Ambon, Indonesia, a pregnant woman has a check-up at a local health centre.

25 October 2019

Women

That’s according to World Health Organization (WHO) findings published on Friday. The family planning study of more than 10,000 women aged 15 to 49, across 36 low and middle-income countries confirms that 65 per cent of women with an unintended pregnancy were either not using contraception, or relied on traditional methods (such as withdrawal or calendar-based methods).
More than half of all women who become unintentionally pregnant in WHO’s study, had not used a contraceptive in the five years prior to conceiving; nearly 10 per cent reported the last method they had used was traditional; just over three per cent indicated they used short-acting modern contraceptives (pills and condoms) and under three per cent relied on long-acting prevention (intrauterine device and implants).
Report authors make clear that unintended pregnancy does not necessarily equate to unwanted pregnancies, but without proper planning, they may lead to a range of health risks and complications for the expecting child and mother, from malnutrition, illness, neglect and even death.
Issues and concerns regarding birth control could be addressed through effective family planning, counseling, and support, the health agency explains.

Life-saving planning

The “important public health issue” of unplanned pregnancies, WHO says, is at such a scale that 74 milllion women in low and middle-income countries have unintended pregnancies each year, leading to some 25 million unsafe abortions, and 47,000 maternal deaths annually.
Moreover, around the world, complicated pregnancies and childbirth are the leading killer of adolescent girls, aged 15 to 19, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), yet these young women and girls face enormous barriers when it comes to accessing essential reproductive health information and services.
The study findings spotlight a gap in health system support, it’s authors note, calling for a need to scale up availability of suitable contraceptive options, reduce switching failure, and identify early when women are having concerns about the method they are using.
For example in a parallel study by the WHO in the Philippines, only three per cent of women wanting to delay or limit childbearing received contraceptive counseling during their last health visit. It is estimated there are nearly 2 million unplanned pregnancies each year in the country alone, resulting in some 600,000 unsafe abortions.
A key component of overcoming legal, policy, social, and cultural challenges to enable people to benefit from effective contraceptive services will be to first identify the women who are living with concerns, and follow up with high-quality counseling of skilled professionals to ensure the women receive effective support, WHO recommends.

pregnancy|women|health

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Despite progress in childbirth safety, one woman or baby dies every 11 seconds

19 September 2019

Health

Childbirth survival rates are now a “staggering success” compared with the year 2000, but one pregnant woman - or her child - still dies every 11 seconds from largely preventable causes, UN health experts said on Thursday.

International Day of the Midwife: 5 things you should know

5 May 2019

Women

Why are midwives important? What impact have they had on mothers’ and babies’ health? As the United Nations celebrates midwives across the world on Sunday, here are five things you should know about the critical role they play in communities.