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Issue DH/7204 Thursday, 21 July 2016

In the headlines:

• UN officials alarmed by closure of access route in eastern Aleppo; call for ‘humanitarian truce’

• Ban urges Turkish authorities to respect constitutional order, human rights amid state of emergency

• Syria: After week of ‘horrific’ incidents, UNICEF calls for end to all violence against children

• As DR Congo polls approach, UN rights chief warns of threats to free speech, public assembly

• Selecting the next UN Secretary-General: Security Council holds first round of secret poll on candidates

• Partnerships and coherence vital to development cooperation, UN deputy chief tells Forum

• 2016 on pace to be hottest year ever as climate change trends reach ‘new climax’– UN

• South Sudan: UN human rights expert calls for the release of journalist Alfred Taban

• Ban welcomes new agreement with Inter Parliamentary Union; reiterates concern at South Sudan crisis

• UN chief invites leaders to fast-track ratification of Paris climate deal

• Trees contribute to reducing carbon footprints even after being cut down – UN report

UN officials alarmed by closure of access route in eastern Aleppo; call for ‘humanitarian truce’

21 July – The United Nations humanitarian chief today expressed grave alarm over developments in the eastern part of Aleppo city in Syria, where civilian, humanitarian and commercial movements have been effectively cut off following the closure of the last remaining access route in and out of the area.

“Our highest priority is to re-establish access to eastern Aleppo city, through both cross-line convoys and cross-border operations from Turkey, so that we can replenish critical life-saving assistance like food, medical supplies and fuel, and assure the continuation of basic services,”

said Stephen O’Brien, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, in a statement released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Noting that an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people are at risk of besiegement, Mr. O’Brien said that humanitarians have not been able to reach eastern Aleppo since clashes started on 7 July between the Government of Syria forces and non-state armed groups, which rendered Castello Road impassable.

Hundreds of mortars, missiles and projectiles were launched on both eastern and western Aleppo in the past weeks, resulting

Destruction in Salah Ed Din Neighborhood. Photo: OCHA/Josephine Guerrero

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UN Daily News 21 July 2016

in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries, including several children. Hospitals and other civilian infrastructure have also been affected by the fighting.

On 16 July, for example, a hospital in eastern Aleppo city was reportedly hit, and a number of medical staff injured. It was the third time the facility was hit in the past two months.

Mr. O’Brien – who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator – reiterated that the humanitarian community has repeatedly stressed that medical staff and facilities must not be targeted, as international humanitarian law clearly states.

“I call on all parties to the conflict to immediately enable unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to the millions of people in besieged and hard-to-reach areas across Syria,” he said, urging them to lift all sieges, respect the safety of medical and humanitarian workers, and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The Under-Secretary-General added that while the UN and its partners still have some stocks to respond to humanitarian needs, food in east Aleppo is expected to run out by the middle of next month.

In other news today, UN Senior Adviser Jan Egeland told reporters in Geneva that while July was the best month ever in terms of permissions granted by the Government of Syria for access to besieged areas, it has been far from what was hoped.

“The fighting is the main reason for why we are not going to all of these places,” he said, emphasizing the need to “regain momentum,” such as by a humanitarian truce.

“A humanitarian truce could work in the following manner: We get 72-hour notice to go and we get a pause in the fighting for 48 hours. That’s what we need, that is what it takes to have a lifeline to places where people are at the brink of starvation,” he added.

Emphasizing that the “clock is ticking,” Mr. Egeland concurred that there are only a few weeks of supplies remaining.

“The homework we have given as humanitarians to the co-chairs, which are the United States and Russia, and to other members of the ISSG [International Syria Support Group] is the following: give us 48 hours every week to be able to go to eastern Aleppo where there is a quarter of a million civilians and they have no other lifeline than this Castello Road, and that we can get in cross-border, NGOs [non-governmental organizations] and UN and cross-line, UN, Red Cross and Red Crescent,” he said. Ban urges Turkish authorities to respect constitutional order, human rights amid state of emergency

21 July – Following the declaration of a three-month state of emergency in Turkey as a result of an attempted military coup late last week, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Turkish authorities to ensure that constitutional order and international human rights law are fully respected.

“The Secretary-General urges the Turkish authorities, consistent with the assurances given, to do their utmost to ensure that the constitutional order and international human rights law are fully respected, in line with Turkey’s international obligations. These include the freedoms of expression, movement and peaceful assembly; independence of the judiciary and of the legal profession; and adherence to due process,” said a statement attributable to Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.

The statement noted that in relation to the declaration of a state of

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) meets with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey (May 2016). UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

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emergency in Turkey, the Secretary-General takes note of the repeated assurances by senior Turkish government officials regarding full adherence to the rule of law and due process when investigating and prosecuting those deemed to be responsible for the attempted coup of 15-16 July.

“This is particularly important in the aftermath of the declaration of the state of emergency and the ongoing widespread arrests, detentions and suspensions,” the statement said.

In addition, the Secretary-General expressed hope that procedures under the state of emergency will be carried out in full transparency.

According to media reports, thousands of soldiers have been arrested and hundreds of judiciary members removed since Friday's uprising, which left at least 290 people dead and more than 1,400 injured following a night of violence. Syria: After week of ‘horrific’ incidents, UNICEF calls for end to all violence against children

21 July – In a week marked by the brutal on-camera murder of a 12-year-old boy in Aleppo and the killing of more than 20 children killed during air strikes in Manbij, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for an immediate end to all forms of violence against children in Syria and urged all parties to the conflict there to make every effort to avoid the loss of civilian lives.

The agency estimates that 35,000 children are trapped in and around Manbij, in eastern rural area of Aleppo Governorate, with nowhere safe to go. Furthermore, since the intensification of fighting in the last six weeks, about 2,300 people, including dozens of children are reported to have been killed.

“Absolutely nothing justifies attacks on children,” said Hanna Singer, UNICEF representative in Syria, in a statement issued yesterday.

“No matter where they are or under whose control they live,” she stressed.

This week alone, more than 20 children were reportedly killed in air strikes in Manbij, and a 12-year-old boy was brutally murdered on camera in Aleppo.

According to information received by the agency, families in the al-Tukhar village near Manbij, some 80 kilometres to the east of Aleppo, were preparing to flee when the air strikes hit.

In her statement, the UNICEF representative also underscored that such horrific incidents are a reminder that it is the responsibility of conflicting parties to respect international humanitarian laws that protect children in war.

“We deplore all forms of violence and urge all parties to the conflict to make every effort to avoid the loss of civilian lives,” expressed Ms. Singer.

“All forms of violence against children must immediately come to an end.”

Hundreds of thousands of civilians are feared to be trapped in Aleppo, Manbij and other Syrian towns as fighting between Government and opposition forces continues around them. Last week, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein voiced serious concern for their safety and urged the conflicting parties to ensure that no harm comes to them.

Torn dolls lie amid the wreckage of a house destroyed by shelling, in a town affected by the conflict in Syria. Photo: UNICEF/Romenzi

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As DR Congo polls approach, UN rights chief warns of threats to free speech, public assembly

21 July – Concluding a four-day mission to Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, today commended the country’s efforts to strengthen human rights but cautioned that some of these advances may be under threat, especially what he saw as repression against opposition parties in the coming elections.

While noting that important advances relating to impunity for sexual violence are in line with broader progress in the DRC since he had first visited the country, in another capacity, in 2004, he said that as crucial electoral deadlines approach, there is rising tension.

“I receive reports of increasing violations of fundamental civil and political rights by State actors. These notably include violations of freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly – rights anchored in the binding international treaties to which the DRC is party, and enshrined in the Congolese constitution. The public space for the expression of dissent is now clearly under pressure,” Mr. Zeid continued.

He said he is also very concerned about reports of increasing harassment of civil society representatives and journalists, as well as the repression of voices which oppose the Government,” Mr. Zeid told journalists in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, at a press conference at the end of the mission.

He also briefed the journalists that he noted a number of important commitments made by senior Government officials and stressed that it is vital that they are implemented. The High Commissioner underscored that his Office (OHCHR) is ready to support the Government in strengthening human rights in the country.

During the visit, Mr. Zeid also travelled Panzi Hospital in Bukavu where he met with women survivors of sexual violence, and with Dr. Denis Mukwege, a Congolese doctor who has treated more than 40,000 victims.

The visit coincided with the 20th anniversary of the OHCHR presence in the DRC, the largest OHCHR field presence in the world.

Persisting challenges While Mr. Zeid noted a number of positive steps, he also spoke of challenges facing the central African country.

On one of the pressing challenges, the forthcoming elections, he said that he supported President Joseph Kabila’s call for a national dialogue, which the High Commissioner said must be open and honest.

“[The] dialogue simply cannot take place in an atmosphere which stifles discussion and the airing of all grievances and opinions [and] where independent media and respect for fundamental freedoms are being threatened,” he said, and urged that respect for the human rights of all is should be at its core.

Criticism or dissent does not constitute subversion

He called for legal guarantees that would allow people to express their views and work together without fear of retribution by the security forces or judicial authorities.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein (left), arrived in Democratic Republic of the Congo, with on his right Dr. Denis Mukwege. Photo/ MONUSCO

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Emphasizing that there is no threat to the State from people who are simply voicing their opinions, he underscored: “Criticism or dissent does not constitute subversion.”

He also called on the police forces to refrain from any use of lethal force during peaceful demonstrations and said that crowd control means should be based on the principles of necessity and proportionality.

Mr. Zeid hailed the youth of the country as its greatest asset and urged that they must be encouraged to contribute to it. He said that those who speak out must not be oppressed for expressing their views.

The High Commissioner further expressed appreciation for the country’s reception of over 25,000 refugees from Burundi in recent months.

He said “[The act] is a lesson to many far richer countries who demonstrate less compassion.”

“I see this as a pivotal moment,” the High Commissioner said of the coming polls, stressing that the DRC is a country with tremendous assets – including, not least, the legendary drive and creative ingenuity of its people.

“If it can build a momentum in terms of human rights protection, democracy and rule of law for all, the DRC has the potential to shape a strong and cohesive society – one which truly benefits all its people. If it stumbles into increasing repression, mistrust and grievance, however, there is also the possibility the current political uncertainty could lead to serious crisis, which could undo many of the gains made by the Congolese people,” the High Commissioner warned. Selecting the next UN Secretary-General: Security Council holds first round of secret poll on candidates

21 July – Following its first-ever private discussions with the candidates vying for selection as the next United Nations Secretary-General, the UN Security Council today conducted the first round of informal polls on those seeking the world’s top diplomatic post.

The current Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, is the eighth occupant of the Organization's 70-year history. He took office in January 2007 and will be ending his 10-year tenure on 31 December 2016. Under the UN Charter, the Organization’s top official is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Council.

Speaking to reporters at the UN Headquarters this morning, Ambassador Koro Bessho of Japan, which holds the Council’s presidency for July, confirmed that the first round of the so called

‘straw poll’ had taken place, and each candidate would be informed of the results through his or her country’s permanent representative to the UN. He also noted that he had informed that the President of the UN General Assembly that the vote had taken place.

He said that the straw poll is “an indicative vote – to inform the candidates where they stand in the race, and to inform the Council members how the race might go from here.”

The straw poll followed a series of closed-door meetings in which each of the 12 official candidates, who have been nominated by their governments, was introduced to the Council members.

Yesterday, Mr. Bessho said this is the first time the Council had held such informal meetings with each of the candidates for the next UN chief. The Council met three candidates in June and the rest in July. He has said that the results of the polls would not be made public. “We would like to make sure that the fairness and confidentiality of voting is respected,” he said.

A wide view of the Security Council. UN Photo/JC McIlwaine (file)

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As for the date for the second round of the poll, he said no decision has been made. There is no definitive deadline for announcing candidacy, but anyone considering throwing the hat in the ring should come forward as soon as possible so that the Council and the Assembly have a good amount of time to review the candidate, he added.

The UN Charter says relatively little about how a Secretary-General is to be selected, aside from Article 97, which notes that the candidate “shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.”

At its first session in 1946, the Assembly approved resolution A/RES/1/11 determining that the Council take the lead in the selection process, agree on a single name in a private meeting, and pass that name down to the Assembly for a vote.

Since 1946, the Council has done just that, discussing and voting behind closed doors in straw polls for members to ‘encourage’ or ‘discourage’ a candidate to continue. This process has come to be known as the ‘Wisnumurti Guidelines,’ named after Ambassador Nugroho Wisnumurti of Indonesia who held the rotating presidency of the Council in November 1996 when the guidelines were set.

These straw polls continue until there is a majority candidate without a single veto from a permanent member of the Council. That name is then officially transferred to the Assembly, whose membership historically chooses the candidate.

This year, the Assembly took a more active role in the selection process, aiming to make it more transparent and inclusive. For the first time in history, the candidates were asked to submit their resumes and to take part in informal briefings with the Assembly.

Along with the informal hearings, the UN last Tuesday held its first-ever globally televised and webcast townhall-style debate in the General Assembly Hall, where 10 of the 12 confirmed candidates took questions from diplomats and the public at large. The two candidates unable to come to New York were invited to send video messages to be used in the event.

Asked how the Assembly’s open dialogues with the candidates would affect voting decisions by Council members, Mr. Bessho, speaking in his national capacity, has explained that the candidates’ performances in the Assembly’s debates, as well as in the Council’s informal meetings, would be “reflected” in his recommendation to his Government.

In addition to the five permanent Council members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – 10 non-permanent seats are currently held by Angola, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Later in the day, General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft issued a letter to all UN Member States and Observers in which he recognized the informal nature of the straw poll and took note that the outcome of this and future informal straw polls will not be communicated, but stressed that in his view, limiting the communication to the fact that the informal straw poll has taken place without any further detail “adds little value and does not live up to the expectations of the membership and the new standard of openness and transparency.”

In light of this, he said that future communications from his Office that informal straw polls have taken place would be conveyed via announcements on his web page as soon as they are received from the President of the Security Council.

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Partnerships and coherence vital to development cooperation, UN deputy chief tells Forum

21 July – The United Nations deputy chief today stressed the importance of partnerships and coherent policy and action in tackling global challenges, including inequalities, conflicts, terrorism and climate change, and achieving the new international development goals.

“International development cooperation is based on the recognition that we cannot survive or overcome these global challenges in isolation,” Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the fifth biennial high-level meeting of the Development Cooperation Forum, a function mandated by the 2005 UN World Summit to review the latest international development cooperation trends, and encourage coordination across diverse actors and activities.

He noted that historic agreements had been made in 2015: the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction; the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on development financing; the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

“Together, they form an action plan for people, planet, peace, prosperity and partnership,” he said, stressing the need for new thinking and concrete action at the local, national, regional and international levels to implement these agreements, which also require better coordination and collaboration between countries and regions.

The first goal of development cooperation must be to protect the poorest and the most vulnerable from the problems that arise when conflicts rage, natural disasters strike, markets fail and when they get left behind in the path of progress, he said.

He said that the poorest and the most vulnerable should benefit from the diversification of development finance sources, which include private direct investment, remittances from migrants, funding from philanthropic organizations, and official development assistance (ODA).

Mr. Eliasson also stressed the importance of creating partnerships in all areas of development, ranging from mobilization of financial and non-financial resources to technical cooperation and innovation, to South-South and triangular cooperation, and to strengthened regional integration.

The UN development system has a key role in nurturing these vital partnerships, he said.

Development cooperation should also promote coherence among different development agendas and activities, so that effective support will be provided to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, he said. For example, donor countries have spent record amounts in recent years on humanitarian aid and on supporting refugees, but such spending should not come at the expense of long-term investment for sustainable development.

Development cooperation has “a great potential to be a catalyst” for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, he said, adding this Forum, which opened today and ends tomorrow, is an opportunity to pinpoint critical progress and areas for new or intensified efforts.

Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

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2016 on pace to be hottest year ever as climate change trends reach ‘new climax’– UN

21 July – Global temperatures for the first six months of this year reached new highs, setting 2016 on track to be the hottest-ever on record, the United Nations weather agency said today.

“Another month, another record. And another. And another. Decades-long trends of climate change are reaching new climaxes, fuelled by the strong 2015/2016 El Niño,” said World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Petteri Taalas in a press release.

The El Niño event, which turned up the Earth’s thermostat, has now disappeared, but “climate change, caused by heat-trapping greenhouse gases, will not,” he stressed. This means more heatwaves, more extreme rainfall and potential for higher impact tropical cyclones.

Arctic sea ice melted early and fast, another indicator of climate change. Carbon dioxide levels, which are driving global warming, have reached new highs.

To calculate global temperature statistics for its annual state of the climate report, WMO uses datasets from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (NASA GISS), and the UK’s Met Office and reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF).

Two separate reports from NOAA and NASA GISS both highlighted the dramatic and sweeping changes in the state of the climate.

June 2016 marked the 14th consecutive month of record heat for land and oceans. It marked the 378th consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th century average. The last month with temperatures below the 20th century average was December 1984.

Carbon dioxide concentrations have passed the symbolic milestone of 400 parts per million in the atmosphere so far this year. CO2 levels vary according to the season, but the underlying trend is upwards. They showed a surprising increase for the first half of 2016, rising in June 2016 to nearly 407 ppm, 4 ppm greater than June 2015.

“This underlines more starkly than ever the need to approve and implement the Paris Agreement on climate change, and to speed up the shift to low carbon economies and renewable energy,” said Mr. Taalas.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has invited leaders to a special event on 21 September to deposit their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession to the Paris Agreement on climate change, which was adopted by last December. The event will also provide an opportunity to other countries to publicly commit to the agreement before the end of 2016.

It’s getting hotter The average temperature in the first six months of 2016 was 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.4 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the pre-industrial era in the late 19th century, according to NASA.

NOAA said the global land and ocean average temperature for January–June was 1.05 degrees Celsius (1.89 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 20th century average, beating the previous record set in 2015 by 0.20 degree Celsius (0.36 degree Fahrenheit).

Wilted crops in Neno district, Malawi. Photo: OCHA/Tamara van Vliet

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Each month in 2016 was record warm. Most of the world’s land and ocean surfaces had warmer to much-warmer-than-average conditions.

The El Niño event which developed in 2015 and was one of the most powerful on record contributed to the record temperatures in the first half of 2016. It dissipated in May.

Arctic Sea ice is melting faster < this ever lowest the to close very was July 20 on extent ice The low. exceptionally hemisphere northern in cover Snow ice. sea Arctic and sheet Greenland of melting annual onset early a resulting Arctic, pronounced especially been has heat>

The extent of Arctic sea ice at the peak of the summer melt season now typically covers 40 per cent less area than it did in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Arctic sea ice extent in September, the seasonal low point in the annual cycle, has been declining at a rate of 13.4 per cent per decade.

Depending on where you are, it’s either too wet or too dry Rainfall in June 2016 varied significantly around the world. It was notably drier than normal across the western and central contiguous US, Spain, northern Colombia, northeastern Brazil, Chile, southern Argentina, and across parts of central Russia.

Wetter-than-normal precipitation was observed across northern Argentina, northern and central Europe, much of Australia, and across central and southern Asia.

From January to 4 July, China saw 21.2 per cent above average precipitation. South China entered the flood season on 21 March, 16 days earlier than normal and more than 150 counties were record wet, according to the China Meteorological Administration. More than 300 rivers crossed the water level warning mark.

Coral reefs are under increasing threat Temperatures in the Coral Sea (including the Great Barrier Reef), and the Tasman Sea were highest on record for extended periods since late summer 2016, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology.

These warm waters have also contributed to surface temperature warmth over Australia and unprecedented bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, according to Australia’s independent Climate Council. There has been widespread bleaching of reefs in many other parts of the world. South Sudan: UN human rights expert calls for the release of journalist Alfred Taban

21 July – A United Nations human rights expert today urged the Government of South Sudan to immediately release Alfred Taban, a prominent journalist and chief editor of the daily English newspaper, Juba Monitor.

Mr. Taban was arrested on 16 July by National Security Services agents, one day after the publication of an editorial article in which he called for the removal of the South Sudan President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar, criticizing them for their unsuccessful implementation of the August 2015 peace agreement. He is currently being held without charges.

“It is crucial for a country seeking to establish peace and stability that it takes active steps to encourage freedom of expression for everyone,” said David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and

expression, referring to the recently installed transitional Government. “Any pressure against journalists based on the content of their reporting represents regressive steps that South Sudan cannot afford to take.”

Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

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Mr. Taban's opinion piece came as a response to the violent clashes in Juba on 7 July, between government forces loyal to the President Kiir and those loyal to the First Vice-President Machar, leaving hundreds of people killed. The incident was recently described as a clear breach of the peace agreement by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Chaloka Beyani.

“The arrest and detention of Mr. Taban are unlawful as they are directly linked to the legitimate exercise of his right to freedom of expression,” said Mr. Kaye in a news release issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The Special Rapporteur noted that the detention of Mr. Taban is the latest in a series of attacks against journalists and media in South Sudan, which have been on the rise since the beginning of the mid-December 2013 conflict. Several journalists have reportedly been killed or detained without trial, and a number of newspapers have been ordered to shut down.

Mr. Kaye urged South Sudanese authorities to halt the targeting of journalists and to uphold the right to freedom of expression, guaranteed to everyone under article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

His statement has also been endorsed by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst; and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Ban welcomes new agreement with Inter Parliamentary Union; reiterates concern at South Sudan crisis

21 July – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today signed a new partnership agreement with the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) that will further strengthen the collaboration between the two organizations in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

“The Members of Parliament are the ones who really listen to the real voices from the people on the ground and they represent the wishes and views and aspirations of the people,” Mr. Ban said at a press encounter at the signing of the agreement.

“Let’s work [closely] together […] to meet the expectations and aspirations of the people,” said Mr. Ban citing what he referred to as the 5-Ps – people, planet, peace, prosperity and partnership.

At the encounter, the Secretary-General also spokeon the crisis in South Sudan.

Mr. Ban recently travelled to the Rwandan capital Kigali, where he met with several African leaders from International Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). In discussions on the South Sudan crisis, IGAD leaders recommended strengthening the mandate and capacity of the UN Mission in the country (UNMISS).

IGAD is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa comprising Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda.

Today, Mr. Ban said that although the actual violence in South Sudan might have stopped for the time being, the threat of reoccurrence remains.

“We have to make sure that there is continuing cessation of the violence,” he said, expecting and urging the leaders of South Sudan to, “sit down together and make a firm commitment that they will work as one team, the President and the First Vice-President.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) and Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union exchange copies of the signed agreement. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

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Mr. Ban also voiced serious concerns about sexual violence against women and girls as well as at attacks on UN humanitarian facilities and the looting of a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse by the SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army). The warehouse contained humanitarian food assistance for some 220,000 people.

“This is totally unacceptable,” he emphasized and called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.

The Secretary General also thanked UNMISS peacekeepers, UN staff, humanitarian workers, non-governmental organizations, and media for continuing their work under very difficult and dangerous circumstances. UN chief invites leaders to fast-track ratification of Paris climate deal

20 July – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging world leaders to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change and speed up the process to restrict greenhouse gas emissions.

The Secretary-General invited world leaders to a special event on 21 September to deposit their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession to the Paris Agreement on climate change.

“The next step in our collective journey to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future is to ensure the rapid entry into force of the Paris Agreement,” Mr. Ban said of the September event, which will be held as part of the annual high-level General Assembly meeting at UN Headquarters.

“Doing so will create incentives for early implementation of nationally determined contributions and build support within markets and societies for increased climate ambition.”

The Paris Agreement, adopted by 195 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) this past December in Paris, calls on countries to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future.

The agreement will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, accounting for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, deposit their instruments of ratification or acceptance with the Secretary-General.

Patricia Espinosa, the incoming Executive Secretary of UNFCC called the Agreement “a landmark and a milestone in our common pursuit of a safe and sustainable world.” But noted that “many more milestones need to be added over the months, years and decades to come in order to implement and to realize the full potential of the Paris agreement.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (second left), UNFCCC's Christiana Figueres (left), French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and President of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21), and President François Hollande of France (right), celebrate historic adoption of Paris Agreement. Photo: UNFCCC

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The UN Daily News is prepared at UN Headquarters in New York by the News Services Section of the News and Media Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)

Trees contribute to reducing carbon footprints even after being cut down – UN report

20 July – Forests can contribute greatly to the fight against climate change even after trees have been logged, according to a new United Nations report which looks at the impact of wood products on carbon storage.

“Forests are at the heart of the transition to low-carbon economies, not only because of their double role as sink and source of emissions, but also through the wider use of wood products to displace more fossil fuel intense products,” the Assistant Director-General for Forestry at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), René Castro-Salazar, said from Rome, where she is participating in the UN agency's World Forest Week.

According to FAO, the report – Forestry for a Low-carbon Future: Integrating forests and wood products in climate change strategies – is aimed at highlighting a “virtuous cycle” that exploits the life-cycle of wood products to boost the ability of forests to remove and store carbon from the atmosphere.

Trees lock carbon in their leaves, branches and soils, while deforestation and forest degradation account for up to 12 per cent of worldwide gas emissions.

Promoting wood as a renewable energy source may seem counter-intuitive, but 1.86 billion cubic metres of wood – more than half the world's wood output – is already used for that purpose, according to the report.

More directly, when wood is transformed into furniture, floors, doorways or beams to be used in construction, it does not instantly oxidize but continues to store the carbon it took in as a tree.

So the framing in a house might store carbon for up to 100 years, a dining room table less than 30, and paper a few years. The carbon is only released back into the atmosphere when the wood product is burnt or decays.

The report – the end result of collaboration among more than 100 experts – was designed primarily for policy-makers and experts, but is also tailored for architects and the energy industry.

Its guiding message is that optimal engineering of the carbon life-cycle of trees and wood products allows over the long-term – through technological advances and cleaner, greener methods of processing, the industrial use of wood – for sustainably harvested forests to complement and even enhance the climate mitigation benefits provided by conserved forests.

Photo: IRIN/Charles Akena

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