U.N., Viet Nam commit to sustained cooperation on human rights

On International Human Rights Day, the United Nations pledged continued support to Viet Nam to help implement its human rights commitments, Mathaba.net reported Monday, citing the state-run Vietnam News Agency.

“Viet Nam has made tremendous social and economic progress, and shown leadership by ratifying several key international human rights treaties,” said U.N. Resident Coordinator John Hendra. He added that it is important that future growth be inclusive so all Vietnamese can benefit from the country’s progress.

“The UN system stands ready to both assist Viet Nam in meeting its international commitments and in its continued efforts to enable all Vietnamese people to enjoy their rights enshrined nearly 60 years ago in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” he said.

While Viet Nam has made progress in complying with the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), U.N. officials said that more needs to be done in both areas so that women and children are able to participate more fully in Vietnamese society. United Nations Development Fund for Women official Suzette Mitchell said the circumstances of rural and ethnic minority women in particular must be addressed as part of complying with CEDAW.

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Campaign against gender-violence launched in Africa

November 23 marked the beginning of a 16-day campaign against gender violence, which for 2007 has the theme: “Demanding Implementation, Challenging Obstacles: End Violence Against Women,” IRIN reported Monday.

At the launch of the campaign in Nairobi, Kenya, Fartun Abdi Ahmed, a Nairobi-based community outreach worker, described her personal experience with female genital mutilation, which she underwent while living in Somalia. “One cannot imagine the pain, the fear and the stress I went through; thank God it was a rural area and so we did not get some of the infections that are common nowadays,” such as HIV. She called FGM the most prevalent form of gender-based violence in Somalia, and said the practice leads to complications such as infections and the need for additional surgery during childbirth, which may lead to the death of the baby or mother.

Men and boys “must be engaged at the grassroots level in order to come up with community-based solutions” to gender-based violence, said Eddie Gedalof, the acting representative of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Besida Tonwe, the head of U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ regional support office in Nairobi, said that: “Sexual violence is widespread in central and eastern Africa; in conflict areas such as eastern [Democratic Republic of] Congo, it has reached almost grotesque proportions.” She added: “Sexual and gender-based violence should be addressed robustly on several fronts simultaneously, not least because the violence does not end when armed conflict ends – it must be addressed also in post-conflict settings.”

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, in a statement made Sunday (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women), said: “Violence against women is always a violation of human rights; it is always a crime; and it is always unacceptable. Let us take this issue with the deadly seriousness that it deserves – not only on this International Day, but every day.”

The campaign ends on December 10, International Human Rights Day, to reinforce the message that violence against women is a human rights abuse.

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Viet Nam rejects moves by Western nations to place sanctions on Burma

Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet on Wednesday expressed opposition to efforts by Western countries to punish Burma through economic sanctions, saying Viet Nam remembered the pain economic sanctions brought, Agence France-Presse reported today.

“Vietnam experienced war and was slapped with economic sanctions,” Triet said.

“We fully understand the agony people that felt at the time,” he said. “Therefore, we will not support economic sanctions on Myanmar, which are merely a means of making people suffer.”

The United States and European Union have placed sanctions on Burma due to its crackdown on protestors and activists. Countries in Asia, however, have preferred to focus on engaging the military junta, although Japan has cancelled nearly 5 million dollars in aid to the country.

Both Ibrahim Gambari, United Nations special envoy on Myanmar, and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fakuda have asked Viet Nam to support U.N. efforts to resolve the crisis in Burma, with Gambari saying Viet Nam is among the states closest to Myanmar’s regime.

Triet explained that Viet Nam is concerned with the situation in Burma. “We want to try hard to resolve the issue smoothly through cooperation among Vietnam, ASEAN and the United Nations,” he said.

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Burma arrests human rights activist as U.N. envoy meets with junta

Labor rights activist Su Su Nway was arrested on Tuesday as United Nations rights envoy Paulo Sergio Pinheiro met with members of the military junta, Agence France-Presse reported.

“She was arrested this afternoon while she was trying to put some anti-government pamphlets in place,” a source with knowledge of the matter who did not wish to be identified, told AFP.

Nway has been in hiding since August, when she led a protest against over escalating fuel prices.

Pinheiro is making his first trip to Burma in four years to investigate the death toll from the suppression of protests, as well as other human rights abuses. His visit comes after U.M. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari’s visit, and U.N. statements that the junta is willing to engage in discussions with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Aung Naing Oo, a Myanmar analyst based in Thailand said the international pressure and scrutiny, as well as protests and sanctions, “have played a major role in forcing the military to express that they will come to the table.”

Pinheiro also plans to investigate claims of human rights abuses against ethnic minorities.

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Burma reject U.N. offer to mediate talks

According to Burma’s state media, the country’s ruling generals will not participate in the United Nations’ plan for three-way talks that include pro-democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi, BBC News reported today.

In an article addressed to U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari, Burmese Information Minister Kyaw Hsan said: “We will welcome positive co-ordination and co-operation for Myanmar [Burma] affairs, but will never accept any interference that may harm our sovereignty.” The article goes on to say that if Burma’s issues are brought to the U.N. Security Council, the country “will have no other way but to face and endure.”

The military junta said Wednesday that they had released all but 91 people who were detained after the protests in September; however, human rights groups believe at least 600 are still in jail.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has expressed concern over the lack of progress being made in Burma.

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U.N. warns of opium ‘tsunami’ if Afghanistan’s borders are not secured

The U.N. anti-drug chief said Wednesday that a “tsunami” of opium will hit Afghanistan’s neighbors if border security is not improved, The Associated Press reported the same day.

In 2007, Afghanistan witnessed a dramatic increase in the production of opium – a drug that equals more than half of the country’s legal gross domestic product. The record harvest poses a “major threat” to global public health, according to Antonio Maria Costa, chief of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. The security of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries is also susceptible, as 90 percent of opium profits flow to international criminal gangs and terrorist networks, Costa, said

“We all know that opium and heroin cause severe, severe problems, addictions, corruption, criminality, terrorism,” said Gen. Khodaidad, Afghanistan’s acting counter-narcotics minister. “Afghanistan is not alone. Many countries in the region share this problem. If we are all part of the problem we are all part of the solution.”

According to the article: “Jean-Luc Lemahieu, a UNODC official, said the international body is looking at regional border solutions for Afghanistan such as purchasing communications equipment that officials in neighboring countries could use to coordinate with each other on drug searches. UNODC is also exploring the possibility of joint operations by neighboring countries, he said.”

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Prenatal son selection could have damaging consequences for Viet Nam, other Asian countries, U.N. says

According to a recent study commissioned by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Asian countries may face severe social consequences in the future due to prenatal son selection, the UN News Centre reported Monday.

Viet Nam will face problems similar to India and China, the countries with the greatest imbalance between male and female births, unless response measures are adopted. The study reveals that “Viet Nam is in almost the same situation now as China was 10 years ago,” and that the sex ratio at birth there will be severely imbalanced within a decade.

Many in Asian countries prefer to have sons for economic and cultural reasons. Girls can be seen as a liability when it comes to paying a dowry, and families depend on their sons to perform last rights and ancestor worship.

Ultrasounds and amniocentesis are used to determine the sex of a baby, and unwanted females are sometimes aborted. Potential consequences of prenatal son selection include an increase in sexual violence and female trafficking, as well as pressure on males who will be unable to find wives.

“Sex ratio imbalances only lead to far-reaching imbalances in the society at large,” UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said. “And in response, we must carry forward the message that every human being is born equal in dignity, worth and human rights.”

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Attacks on aid workers on rise in Afghanistan with 34 killed this year

The U.N. reported that 34 aid workers have been killed in Afghanistan this year and called for Taliban militants and other criminals to stop attacking humanitarian aid convoys, particularly with winter looming, The Associated Press reported today.

The convoys have had difficulty accessing Afghanistan’s main highways due to the increasing violence in the south.

“Those responsible for these attacks and for the insecurity are pushing the most vulnerable people outside of our reach,” Tom Koenigs, the head of the U.N. Assistance Mission to Afghanistan, said. “Those responsible for these attacks need to know that they are attacking the welfare of Afghanistan’s most vulnerable communities.”

The World Food Programme (WFP) said that it has been set back $750,000 in stolen aid due to attacks on aid convoys, according to BBC News. Rick Corsino, the head of WFP in Afghanistan, added that the cost of transport has increased to the heightened violence.

“In a majority of these incidents, food was looted ... and so far we have lost something like 100,000 tons of food,” Corsino said.

The continued conflict has “tremendously” worsened the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and 78 districts in the country are rated as “extremely risky” for U.N. workers to operate, Koenigs said.

“Reaching the people is not a political issue, it is a humanitarian priority,” Koenigs said.

For the full Washington Post article, click here.

For the full BBC article, click here.

U.N. human rights expert granted permission to visit Burma after 4 years of refusals

The military junta in Burma will allow United Nations human rights expert Paolo Sergio Pinheiro to visit the country after four years of persistent requests, BBC News reported Monday.

Pinhiero said the invitation is “an important sign that the government wants to engage again in constructive dialogue with the UN and the Human Rights Council.”

The U.N. received a written invitation from Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win indicating that Pinheiro could arrive before mid-November. This is significant due to the fact that a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is set to begin on November 17. ASEAN has been highly critical of the situation in Burma, and the BBC’s U.N. correspondent reports that cooperation with the U.N. “could take the sting out of further criticism.”

Louise Arbour, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, says it is necessary to unearth the scale of the junta’s crackdown.

“We have to find out what has happened to these people who demonstrated,” Arbour said. “Where are they? How many – credibly – have been killed? How many are still detained [and] under what conditions?”

The U.N.’s special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, is also hoping to return to the country soon.

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Vice-President Cheney warns Iran of "serious consequences"

In a foreign policy speech at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on Sunday, Vice-President Cheney called the Iranian government “a growing obstacle to peace in the Middle East,” The New York Times reported today. He further remarked that there would be “serious consequences” if Tehran did not stop pursuing its nuclear program.

Cheney’s remarks came after President Bush stated that a nuclear armed Iran could lead to “World War III.” People at the conference believe that the remarks by both government officials represent a significant step towards increasing pressure on Iran, which could lay the groundwork for the threat of military action.

Dennis Ross, who served as a Middle East envoy for President Clinton and the first President Bush and is now a scholar at the Washington Institute, said that Cheney’s statements were “strong words” with “serious implications.”

The UN Security Council has already placed sanctions on Iran for its uranium enrichment program. The United States is now looking to place harsher economic penalties on the country, such as a broader cutoff of bank lending and technology.

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, resigned Saturday, on the eve of negotiations with Europe, and has been replaced with more of a hard-liner.

According to the article, the Bush administration seems to be hoping that the Iranian people will rise up against the Iranian government. “The spirit of freedom is stirring in Iran,” Cheney said. “America looks forward to the day when Iranians reclaim their destiny, the day that our two countries, as free and democratic nations, can be the closest of friends.”

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Viet Nam and Libya elected to two-year terms on U.N. Security Council

Viet Nam and Libya were approved by the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to serve two-year terms as non-permanent members of the Security Council, The New York Times reported the next day.

The two countries, once shunned by the West, ran unopposed for their regions, and were elected on the first ballot.

The Security Council comprises 15 members, and is the central decision-making forum within the U.N. The Council has the power to impose sanctions and pass binding resolutions, as well as send peacekeeping missions to countries around the world.

In order to be appointed, countries must receive a two-thirds majority vote by the 192-country General Assembly. Viet Nam was elected with 183 votes and Libya with 178.

This will be Viet Nam’s first time serving on the Security Council. Libya served on the Council in 1976-1977.

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U.N. envoy concerned about rising violence in Afghanistan

Tom Koenigs, the United Nations envoy to Afghanistan, said on Monday that the frequency of violent incidents there has increased by around 30 percent, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported the next day, citing Xinhua news agency.

Koenigs also expressed concern about the significant increase in civilian casualties, citing the deaths of at least 1,200 Afghan civilians since January.

He said that the greatest threat to Afghans is the “ongoing campaign of intimidation, abduction, and execution being carried out by antigovernment elements against all those seen to have a connection with the Afghan government or the international community.”

In reference to this campaign, he called for the development of an “integrated political-military strategy” that would both combat violence and establish sustained peace in the country.

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Urgent appeal made to U.N. official regarding execution of Arab-Iranians

The Ahwazi Human Rights Organization (AHRO) has made an appeal to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour regarding six Ahwazi-Arabs facing execution in Iran. The organization is asking Arbour to call upon the Iranian authorities to stop the executions, as well as to urge the country to ensure due legal process in accordance with internationally recognized standards and to uphold its obligations with regard to civil and political rights

According to AHRO, the six men face charges of hoisting the Ahwazi flag, naming their children Sunni names, converting from Shi'ism to Sunnism, preaching Wahabbism and being “Mohareb” or enemies of god, which carries the death sentence. Other charges include “destabilizing the country,” “attempting to overthrow the government,” “possession of improvised explosives,” “sabotage of oil installations” and being a “threat to national security.”

Last year, Emadeldin Baghi, a leading human rights activist in Iran, called the trials of Ahwazi Arabs flawed, with baseless charges, sentencing that was based on spurious interpretation of the law, and a lack of substantial evidence.

A statement made in January by a team of independent experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council urged the Iranian government to “stop the imminent execution of seven men belonging to the Ahwazi Arab minority and grant them a fair and public hearing.” Nevertheless, seven Ahwazi-Arab men were killed between January and February, bringing the number of Ahwazi-Arab political and human rights activists executed in the past 9 months up to at least 13.

Ahwazis face many troubles in Iran, including repression, racial discrimination, land confiscation, forced displacement, and forced assimilation. Moreover, the Ahwazi community suffers from extreme levels of poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy, despite the fact that Khuzestan Province, their traditional homeland, produces 90 percent of Iran’s oil.

The upcoming executions are part of an ongoing crackdown on Ahwazi protestors against ethnic discrimination and persecution, AHRO says.

To access the full letter on AHRO’s site, click here.

Libya and Viet Nam likely to join U.N. Security Council

Libya and Viet Nam are likely to be elected to nonpermanent seats on the United Nations Security Council as no leading Council members are expected to block their entry, Reuters reported Tuesday.

The only real obstacle would be if a two-thirds majority of the 192-state General Assembly voted against the bids.

Joining the Security Council would boost each country’s standing in the international community.

Viet Nam has never been on the Security Council before, while Libya served previously in 1976 and 1977.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung delivered a speech to the General Assembly on September 27, saying his country “will work closely with other countries to reduce tension, prevent and peacefully settle conflicts in different parts of the world.”

If approved, Viet Nam would join Indonesia and China on the Security Council, which could be significant if the situation in Burma continues to attract international attention.

Some human rights and democracy groups have expressed concern over the possibility of membership for Viet Nam and Libya. A statement from the nongovernmental International Steering Committee of the Community of Democracies expressed “deep concern that nondemocratic countries such as Libya and Vietnam are standing for election ... whilst continuing to commit serious human rights violations.”

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U.N. rights council holds emergency session to examine Burma

Louise Arbour, United Nations high commissioner for human rights, speaking at an emergency U.N. session today, said that Burma (officially Myanmar) must be held responsible for its “shocking response” to peaceful protests, The Associated Press reported.

“The peaceful protests that we have witnessed in recent weeks and the shocking response by the authorities are only the most recent manifestations of the repression of fundamental rights and freedoms that have taken place for almost 20 years in Myanmar,” Arbour told the U.N. Human Rights council.

According to the Burmese government, only 10 people were killed during the demonstrations, however, dissident groups say that as many as 200 people have died, and 6,000 more have been detained.

A diplomat from Burma, Nyunt Swe, believes that Western countries are behind the protests. “The government has firm evidence that these protests were being helped both financially and materially by internal and external anti-government elements,” Swe said. “The protests are the long-awaited chance for some Western countries to initiate an action to intervene in the country.”

The emergency session was convened at the request of 18 European and other member states, with 37 observers, including the United States. The EU has crafted a resolution, which, if passed, would urge the government of Burma “to ensure full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,” as well as “bring to justice perpetrators of human rights violations, including for the recent violations of the rights of peaceful protestors.”

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24 nations meet to discuss regional support for Afghanistan

On Sunday, 24 countries participated in a high-level meeting, co-chaired by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, to discuss peace and stability issues in Afghanistan, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

The United States, Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan were among those present. Topics discussed included security, law, human rights, international terrorism, and economic and social development strategies.

Participants also reviewed progress on the “Afghanistan Compact,” a five-year development plan launched in January 2006.

A major goal of the meeting was strengthening ties with the Afghanistan’s neighbors, especially Pakistan and Iran, in an attempt to secure their support in the peace-building process.

“While we help the Afghan government in their own efforts, the regional cooperation in the area of economy and security should also be strengthened, and there should be more efforts by President Karzai and Afghan leaders in promoting inclusive political dialogue for national reconciliation. All these efforts should be accompanied by international cooperation,” U.N. Secretary-General Ban said.

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Wilson Center event highlights connections between environment and conflict in Sudan

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a discussion on September 21 examining the environmental links to peace and conflict in Sudan. The speakers, Ibrahim Thiaw and Andrew Morton, presented the United Nations Environment Program’s “Sudan Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment” to a packed auditorium.

Thiaw, director of the division of environmental policy at the UNEP, first highlighted the different environmental landscapes within Sudan: the north is arid and the scarcity of natural resources there leads to competition and conflict, whereas the southern provinces boast a more tropical environment where numerous resettlement communities have flourished – pressing resources as well as the limited infrastructure.

Thiaw also emphasized that the connections among the environment, climate change, and poverty are indisputable and that this relationship – one that is certainly not unique to Sudan – requires greater attention from the international community, specifically in the form of peace-keeping forces.

Andrew Morton, the Sudan project coordinator at the UNEP’s post-conflict branch, presented the research methods and findings of the environmental assessment. He highlighted the positive findings, some of which included the decentralization of the government, the recently signed peace agreement between northern and southern Sudan, the local recognition of environmental problems, and the fact that 75 percent of the country is at peace. Morton also noted the widespread recognition of environmental problems among local Sudanese and their marked commitment to addressing these issues.

Negative findings included desertification in the northern regions, internal displacement of numerous Sudanese citizens, a 30 percent drop in rainfall that led to drought, a 20 to 70 percent decrease in food production capacity, and the absence of substantial policies to address these challenges.

Both scholars addressed the causes for these negative findings, but cautioned against conflating the issues. They cited examples of conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, two groups that have historically practiced reconciliation. However, recent legal reforms no longer recognize the tribal bodies from each group that once served as a forum to settle disagreements, leaving the groups resentful and without political resources.

Thiaw and Morton also highlighted the displacement of people due to certain agricultural practices, such as when groups abandon fields after a few years of planting because it is cheaper to migrate than to rehabilitate the field. These practices simultaneously reduce land availability in Sudan and prevent environmental sustainability. The resultant north-to-south migrations are also creating tensions within urban areas.

No comments were made concerning the difficulties of Sudanese women, who face danger on a daily basis while traveling long distances to collect firewood.

Recommendations (the report cited 85 in total) to remedy Sudan’s environmental problems included a call for investment in environmental management, with funds being directed to the Sudanese government. Morton also pointed out that while it is easy to obtain relief funding, he argued that it is imperative that this short-term funding be transformed into longer-term development funding in order to promote sustainability in the region.

The forum concluded with the assertion that the UNEP cannot and does not strive to solve all the problems in Sudan alone, but rather seeks to initiate dialogue and encourage collaboration with many other groups.

Afghan province named as UNESCO historical site

The United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced the addition of several locations in Afghanistan to its World Heritage List of historical sites, RFE/RL reported on Monday.

New historical sites include ancient Herat city, which houses many historic relics.

Decades of instability have ravaged many culturally important locations, despite UNESCO’s attempts at preservation. The Afghan interim government in 2002 delivered a mandate for cultural preservation, leading UNESCO to develop the International Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage.

The safeguarding of cultural sites has been nearly impossible over the course of the past 30 years because of near-constant conflict.

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Urban populations to double by 2030, U.N. says

According to a report released by the United Nations Wednesday, estimates now indicate that urban population growth will double by 2030, the Independent reported the same day. As urbanization and population continue to increase, experts believe that shanty towns will expand to accommodate the growth.

For the first time in human history, the dominant trend of rural living will be replaced by city dwelling. “The growth of cities will be the single largest influence on development in the 21st century,” the U.N. report stated. Over the next 30 years, the population of African and Asian cities will double, adding 1.7 billion people.

Population expert Mike Davis described this drastic shift in demography in “Planet of Slums” as: “A billion-strong global proletariat ejected from the formal economy, with Islam and Pentecostalism as songs for the dispossessed.”

George Martine, a demographer and the author of the U.N. report, said: “The urbanisation is jolting mentalities and subjecting them to new influences. This is a historical situation. And now one of the ways for people to reorganise themselves in this urban world is to associate themselves with new or strong, fundamentalist religion.” He added, “It’s pointless trying to control urban growth by stopping migration. It doesn't work. We have to change mindsets and take a different stance. We’re at a crossroads and can still make decisions which will make cities sustainable. If we don’t make the right decisions the result will be chaos.”

By 2008, more than half of the world’s population will reside in cities.

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For the full U.N. report, click here.

New rules established for U.N. Human Rights Council

With the establishment of the United Nations Human Rights Council, a new set of rules has been adopted as a means of strengthening the U.N. body and further distancing it from its much-maligned predecessor, the Human Rights Commission, BBC News reported today.

The new rules will allow the council to regularly produce reports on the state of human rights in all U.N. member countries. The new mechanism, known as “universal periodic review”, was implemented based on “the broadest possible support”, rather than the two-thirds agreement advocated by China.

“We have all made compromises, it is not a perfect text. Negotiations never achieve a perfect text,” remarked Council President Luis Alfonso de Alba of Mexico.

There are currently nine countries on the council’s list of states subject to special scrutiny, including North Korea, Cambodia and Sudan.

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