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UN Daily News
Tuesday, 10 May 2016

Issue DH/7155

In the headlines:
UN conference to review progress of least

FEATURE: UN poster contest paints picture of hope

UN must 'champion change' to become more

UN regrets execution of six people in Afghanistan

developed countries during past five years

relevant and better able to tackle today's
challenges

Protection of schools essential to boost access to

education in Africa UN envoy

Warning skies may 'fall silent,' UN calls for end to

illegal poaching and trade of migratory birds

Senior UN aid official condemns killings of displaced

for a nuclear-free world

'Alarming' reports of major violations in south-east

Turkey UN rights chief

African Union-UN mission launches campaign in

west Darfur against use of child soldiers

UN experts urge Sri Lanka to adopt measures to

fight torture and strengthen justice system

civilians by armed local tribes in North Darfur

UN conference to review progress of least developed countries

during past five years
10 May A United Nations conference is set to undertake a review of
progress made during the past five years by the world's 48 least
developed countries (LDCs), which comprise about 12 per cent of the
global population.
Called the Midterm Review conference for the Istanbul Programme of
Action for the Least Developed Countries, it will take place in
Antalya, in the south of Turkey, from 27 to 29 May.
Adopted in 2011, the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) is a plan
that charts out the international community's vision and strategy for
the sustainable development of LDCs for the next decade.
Severely malnourished children from the neighbouring refugee camps
are transferred to the in-patient therapeutic feeding centre of Batouri,
[The conference] is important as it is taking place at a midpoint of
Cameroon. The centre had only 12 beds before the CAR crisis. Photo:
the decade long Programme of Action, in the first year of the
WFP/Sylvain Cherkaoui
implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the other
global development frameworks, Gyan Chandra Acharya, UnderSecretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, told reporters at a press briefing.

We are taking stock of the successes but also challenges and lessons learned. It is also an opportunity to capitalize on the
shared will of the international community to redouble efforts in accelerating support for the LDCs based on a strong
national leadership and ownership, added the UN official, who is also the High Representative for Landlocked Developing
Countries and Small Island Developing States.
According to studies undertaken by the United Nations, the general economic growth of LDCs has been positive since 2011,

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rising by about 4 per cent in 2012 and by 5.3 per cent in 2014.
The challenge is that it is not shared equally by all, stressed Mr. Acharya, adding that almost a quarter of the LDCs have a
growth rate of more than 7 per cent, which is quite substantial.
The senior UN official noted that progress can especially be seen in the area of human development, access to the internet
and telephone networks, infrastructure expansion, access to energy, reduction of child and maternal mortality rates, access to
primary education, and women's representation in parliament.
But there are also many challenges. Incidence of poverty is still very high in these countries almost half of the population
is still below the poverty line, he warned, underlining that many of the LDCs see their growth rates rise, but over time
aren't sustainable as many face conflict.
Looking ahead in the next five years, what we're really trying to discuss in the conference is what are the challenges that
[the LDCs] face, for which they require strong national leadership and ownership, but also what can the international
community do about it, in terms of raising resources, in terms of strengthening their institutions, but also in terms of helping
them accelerate progress and building reliance.
Participation is expected at the highest possible political level and will bring together various stakeholders, including
representatives from governments, the private sector, multilateral organizations, civil society, and academia. The conference
will result in an inter-governmentally negotiated and agreed outcome in the form of a political declaration.
According to Mr. Acharya's Office (OHRLLS), the LDCs represent the poorest and weakest segment of the international
community. They comprise more than 880 million people.
Their low level of socio-economic development is characterized by weak human and institutional capacities, low and
unequally distributed income and scarcity of domestic financial resources. They often suffer from governance crisis,
political instability and, in some cases, internal and external conflicts. Their largely agrarian economies are affected by a
vicious cycle of low productivity and low investment. Only a handful has been able to diversify into the manufacturing
sector, though with a limited range of products in labour-intensive industries, i.e. textiles and clothing.
The category of LDCs was officially established in 1971 by the UN General Assembly with a view to attracting special
international support for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the UN family.
The current list of LDCs includes 48 countries (the newest member being South Sudan); 34 in Africa, 13 in Asia and the
Pacific and 1 in Latin America. For LDC country profiles, click here.

UN must 'champion change' to become more relevant and

better able to tackle today's challenges
10 May To respond to both current and future threats to world peace
and security, the United Nations must become more relevant, credible,
legitimate and capable, by taking concrete steps that include finding
political solutions to sustain peace, fostering partnerships for building
prosperous and stable societies, and tackling terrorism and preventing
violent extremism, the President of the UN General Assembly said
today.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day High Level Thematic Debate on
Peace and Security whose theme is 'In a World of Risks: Today's
Threats to International Peace and Security' General Assembly
President Mogens Lykketoft emphasized that while the UN has, in
some respects, delivered quite well, it is clear that the Organization
Flags outside the UN Secretariat building. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
today remains insufficiently equipped to meet its overriding 1945
objective: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.
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Today, 70 years later, we reflect on the times the UN has succeeded and failed in meeting that objective and we look to
determine how it can do better, both today and into the future, he said. On this 70th anniversary year, however, following
the recent reviews on peacebuilding, peace operations and women, peace and security, we have an opportunity to
fundamentally change this reality. And thankfully we are in a good moment for multilateralism.
Mr. Lykketoft praised the UN for providing a framework that has helped restrain the world's largest powers, mobilizing
hundreds of thousands of peacekeepers and billions of dollars for peace operations, establishing a clear legal framework for
the conduct of war and the protection of human rights, and helping to reduce the risks posed by the world's deadliest
weapons.
Of all of this, we should be proud, he said.
But, in other well-known instances, regrettably, the UN has performed very poorly, he added, noting that despite
significant advancements following the end of the Cold War, in Srebrenica, Somalia and Rwanda, when the UN was
perhaps needed most, it failed abysmally.
Since then, the General Assembly President said, the UN's approach has evolved to help it respond more rapidly to potential
massacres and to conflicts that have become increasingly localized or internal in nature.
Yet, from the wars that involve regional and even sometimes major powers directly or by proxy in the Middle East and
North Africa to the impunity for violations of international humanitarian law; from the terrorism that is wreaking havoc in
many of your countries to the tens of thousands of women and children, who continue to suffer sexual violence in conflict
even at the hands of international forces who are there to protect them [] from all of this, it is clear that the UN remains
ill-equipped today to meet its overriding objective, Mr. Lykketoft stressed.
The General Assembly President emphasized that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Paris Agreement on
climate change provide Member States with a framework to advance a more peaceful, prosperous, inclusive and sustainable
world. In addition, he said that the Iranian nuclear deal and Security Council action on Syria this past December provide
proof that the UN can still help global and regional powers to resolve their differences.
The challenge now is to build on this momentum and to respond to the overarching recommendations from the three
reviews, he said.
Specifically, the General Assembly President said that participants should focus on the recommendations in the most recent
UN peace and security reviews, including the High Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations and the SecretaryGeneral's report on the future of UN peace operations, the Peacebuilding Architecture Review and the Global Study on the
implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security.
Mr. Lykketoft urged Member States and the next Secretary-General to focus on specific issues emerging from the reviews,
including the need for political solutions to inform every aspect of the UN's approach to sustaining peace; moving forward
the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security; giving greater attention to securing
strategic partnerships with regional organizations in a way that leverages the best of both actors; and improving attention
and coordination in the area of tackling terrorism and preventing violent extremism.
Quoting Albert Einstein, the General Assembly President said, Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by
understanding, adding that he hoped the thematic debate and the preparatory work conducted by academics, think tanks and
civil society would help to advance a common understanding that enables the UN, now and into the future, to deliver on
that one overriding objective.
Member States must champion the reform agenda
Also speaking at today's event, on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, was Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson,
who highlighted that while the UN system is fully committed to its reform agenda, the Organization cannot achieve it
alone.

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We need Member States to champion this change. We need your engagement, oversight and investment in change both
political and financial, he said.
Mr. Eliasson noted that the policy reviews that were launched this past year at the UN had common messages that could not
be ignored.
The main message that prevention is our central mission, he said, adding Why wait for mass atrocities if we can act at the
early warning signs?
Other messages include that priority must be placed on the search for inclusive, long-term political solutions, and that
leaders will not succeed without solid partnerships, Mr. Eliasson said.
The word 'together' is probably the most important word in the world today, he stressed. Together, the reviews represent
a forward and action-oriented road map towards a more effective United Nations, combining peace and security and
development.
Noting that the reform agenda laid out by the reviews is comprehensive, ambitious and promising, Mr. Eliasson stressed
the importance of eliminating the gap between rhetoric and action.
The proposed measures and changes cannot be achieved overnight, he said.
They will require continued work and commitment within the UN system, including by the next Secretary-General. The
former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold described the future in two dimensions the future is the vision. But it is also
the step, or steps, you take towards that vision, he added.

Protection of schools essential to boost access to education in

Africa UN envoy
10 May Protecting schools from attacks and military use is essential
to ensuring access to education for all children in Africa, a United
Nations child rights envoy said today, urging world leaders to use the
upcoming World Humanitarian Summit as an opportunity to generate
new commitments to ensure that conflict does not mean the end of
learning for millions of children.

Students attend class at a public school in Taliko, a neighbourhood of

Bamako, Mali. UN Photo/Marco Dormino

Schools in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of

the Congo, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan,
have been looted, pillaged, damaged and destroyed during military
operations [], putting the future of an entire generation at risk,
Leila Zerrougui, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict told the African Union's Peace and
Security Council during the body's third annual Open Session on
children and armed conflict.

Attacks against schools and their military use have become a common aspect of today's conflicts, with long-term
consequences, especially on fragile education systems. The Special Representative emphasized the heavy burden placed on
communities and post-conflict societies to rebuild or repair schools and bring back skilled teachers.
The African Union and its member States can and must make a difference by including measures to end and prevent attacks
against schools in domestic legislation, including criminalization of these acts, and must hold perpetrators accountable, she
said.
She called on Member States to endorse the Safe School Declaration, developed in 2015 through an inter-governmental
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political process, and commit to implement the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use
during Armed Conflict adopted in December 2014.
The Declaration has already been endorsed by 15 African countries.
In conclusion, Ms. Zerrougui recalled that the international community has firmly put the protection of schools on the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Developmentand urged Governments to take action to realize that collective commitment.
The World Humanitarian Summit will be held on 23-24 May in Istanbul, Turkey.

Warning skies may 'fall silent,' UN calls for end to illegal

poaching and trade of migratory birds
10 May Millions of migratory birds are being lost each year as a
result of illegal killing, taking and trade, United Nations officials
warned on World Migratory Bird Day, calling for concerted action to
end the threats to migratory birds and urging everyone to step outside
and listen to the birds chirping, to appreciate how important they are
to our planet.
The motives behind these illicit activities are various and the toll that
they are taking is incredible millions of birds are being killed each
year numbers that are totally unsustainable and which alongside
other pressures such as habitat loss and climate change are leading to
many once common species being at risk of extinction.
Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor). Photo Credit: Mark
Anderson

The theme of this year's World Day is and when the skies fall
silent? Stop the Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade!

Ahead of the Day, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) announced the creation of the Intergovernmental Task
Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean composed of Governments and the
European Commission.
UN organizations such as the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),
international environmental treaties, INTERPOL, law enforcement and judiciary organizations, hunting communities and
nongovernmental organizations will also be part of the coalition.
World Migratory Bird Day is co-organized by CMS and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA),
international treaties administered by UNEP.
I fully support the global campaign to raise awareness about the threats to migratory birds from habitat destruction,
overexploitation, pollution and climate change, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. I call for greater
international efforts to restore and preserve migratory birds and the network of sites they need to survive as an important
part of the environment on which we all depend.
Perhaps the simplest way to appreciate how important birds' life is to us all, to the planet, to our ecosystem, and to nature is
to step outside for a moment, close your eyes and just listen, or look up the skies
UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said: During their long journeys, migratory birds run afoul of any number of
natural obstacles, from predators to weather. They shouldn't also have to duck the grasping claws of the illegal wildlife
trade. Illegal taking and killing of birds threaten not only the survival of bird species, but ecosystems, communities and
livelihoods as well. So World Migratory Bird Day is not strictly for the birds; it's to remind us of the part they play for
planet and people alike.

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Bird hunting has been traditionally practiced in the Mediterranean for centuries, but the recent surge in illegal activities,
such as poaching and trapping, is endangering many threatened species that are already subject to other pressures, such as
climate change and habitat loss.
Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary of AEWA, said: Migrating birds are facing increasing pressures along their
journeys and habitat losses and degradation are the most difficult to tackle. But the birds are also exposed to illegal killing,
taking and trade. We can no longer say that these practices are traditional as the equipment to capture birds has become
more efficient. The nylon mist nets are now almost invisible to birds. As a result more birds are taken from declining
populations. We must stop the illegal killing now, if we don't want our skies to fall silent.
Each year, up to 6.2 million exhausted birds, migrating between their breeding and wintering grounds, are caught in illegally
set nets stretching for hundreds of kilometres along the North African coastline. The less lucky ones suffer an agonizing
death on lime stick traps twigs covered with extremely sticky glue. It is estimated that up to 2 million Blackcaps die in
such traps each year.
The Intergovernmental Task Force will add new momentum to international efforts to tackle the illegal killing, taking and
trade in birds by agreeing on new guidelines, recommendations and action plans to address the causes of poaching.
The Task Force will work towards changing the hunting practices in the region to make them compliant with national and
international laws. It will also aim to enhance the enforcement of these laws through training of local police and judiciary,
information exchange, promoting deterrence and prevention policies to end the large-scale killings of migratory birds taking
place today.
The Task Force, which will hold its first meeting in Cairo from 12 to 15 July 2016, is expected to be replicated in other
major flyways across the world. The socio-economic study on Hunting and Illegal Killing of Birds along the Mediterranean
Coast of Egypt, which will be released by BirdLife International on World Migratory Bird Day, will give important input to
this meeting.
Tackling illegal killing and trade in wildlife, including birds, and mobilizing global action around the issue will also be the
focus of the 2016 World Environment Day, which takes place on 5 June and is hosted by Angola, under the slogan 'Go Wild
for Life.' A global UN campaign to garner support for stopping the trade in many species and their products will also be
launched.

Senior UN aid official condemns killings of displaced civilians by

armed local tribes in North Darfur
10 May The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan has
condemned the reported shooting deaths of six civilians, including
two children, by armed local tribes in Sortony next to a site for
recently displaced people from the mountainous Jebel Marra area in
North Darfur.

Women and children displaced from Jebel Marra, in North Darfur,

due to fighting, take shelter in the Tawilla new arrivals site. Photo:
OCHA

The killing of the displaced people [IDP] and the injuring of an

unconfirmed number of other individuals, including a peacekeeper
from the African Union-UN Mission in Darfur [UNAMID], occurred
after a reported rise in tensions between displaced people and armed
tribesmen over cattle raiding. The injured are being treated at a
medical clinic in Sortony, said the UN Resident and Humanitarian
Coordinator in Sudan, Marta Ruedas.

Since early 2016, increased hostilities between the Sudan Armed

Forces and the Abdul Wahid faction of the Sudan Liberation Army
have forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes to other areas in the Darfur region, including Sortony.

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Emergency relief to tens of thousands of displaced people from the Jebel Marra area, which straddles three Darfur states, has
been ongoing since February.
In Sortony, 33 Sudanese aid workers from five national and international organisations are dispensing emergency relief that
includes food, water and sanitation. The Government's Water and Environmental Sanitation department and the national
non-governmental organization Anhar Peace for Development Organisation are among those providing emergency shelter,
household supplies and nutritional supplements to treat those suffering from malnutrition, including children, elaborated
Ms. Ruedas.
The humanitarian community relies on UNAMID's convoy escorts to provide timely emergency relief and civilian
protection to those affected by conflict.
The Sortony IDP site is adjacent to that of UNAMID. Since 2007, UNAMID has been working in Darfur, protecting
civilians, facilitating humanitarian assistance delivery by UN agencies and other aid organizations and providing safety and
security to humanitarian personnel.

FEATURE: UN poster contest paints picture of hope for a

nuclear-free world
10 May The winning artists in an international competition to
commemorate the very first United Nations General Assembly
resolution, which established the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons
and all weapons of mass destruction, are advocating for a world free
of nuclear weapons. The first and last time these weapons were used
was decades before the artists were born.
Young people did not create nuclear weapons, but it may be their
task to eliminate them once and for all, Secretary-General Ban Kimoon said at the award ceremony on 3 May at the UN Headquarters
in New York.
At a time of many global needs, it is important that young people are
aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons, and the vital
importance of disarmament, he stressed, adding that he was pleased
to see at the number of young people represented in the competition.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon awards Ivan Ciro Palomino

Huamani his first-prize certificate in the UN Poster for Peace contest.
Photo: UN News Centre/Elizabeth Scaffidi

The Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) and partners launched the UN Poster for Peace contest to raise awareness of the
need for nuclear disarmament by inspiring citizens globally to use their artistic talents to promote a world free of nuclear
weapons.
It commemorates the anniversary of a resolution adopted in 1946 establishing a Commission to deal with problems related
to the discovery of atomic energy.
Three winners and nine honorable mentions were chosen from among more than 4,100 entries representing 123 countries.
First prize winner Ivan Ciro Palomino Huamani flew in from Lima, Peru, to accept the accolades for his Spinning Peace.
It features a nuclear weapon being unraveled into string which is then used to fly kites and balloons, and to jump rope.
The 38-year-old said he wanted his image to motivate people to conscientiously think of how we can save our planet. After
all it is our home, it is where we live.
Second place winner, Michelle Li, began her quest to better the world at age five. The now 15-year-old said she started
creating art that ranged in focus from global warming to world peace.

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Her poster, Peace in our Hands features a shadow puppet of a peace dove above a broken nuclear weapon.
The winner of the third place, Anjali Chandrashekar, entitled her work Cutting Barriers through Peace. It features a peace
dove slicing through a nuclear weapon. The 22-year-old was only 10 when she founded Picture It, a non-governmental
organization that uses imagery to raise awareness and funds for various health, humanitarian and environmental causes.
Nuclear disarmament is usually spoken about on such a high level and I believe that art has the power to humanize some of
the most pressing issues that the world faces today, she told the UN News Centre. It also transcends barriers of age,
language and literacy so I thought this was a great opportunity for me to show that a brush can be mightier than arms.
The awards night included remarks by actor Michael Douglas, who is a UN Messenger of Peace helping to focus worldwide
attention on the work of the United Nations. He told the audience that creativity is essential to create momentum for
nuclear disarmament.
All of the winning artwork will be used to support the United Nations message on the importance of disarmament and will
be presented in various platforms including exhibits, banners, postcards and calendars, according to a senior official of the
UN Department of Public Information, John Ennis.
The contest was organized in partnership with the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly, the UN Foundation,
the World Federation of the UN and UN Academic Impact.

UN regrets execution of six people in Afghanistan

10 May The United Nations human rights arm has expressed regret
over the execution of six people in Afghanistan on Sunday, amid
serious concerns about compliance with fair trial standards, and
reports about the widespread use of torture and ill-treatment as a
means of extracting confessions.
We fear that there could be more executions in the near future, said
Spokesperson Rupert Colville of the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

An aerial view of Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo: UNAMA/Ari Gaitanis

International law requires that the death penalty may only be carried
out in line with a final judgement rendered by a competent court after
a legal process with all possible safeguards to ensure a fair trial,
including legal representation and the right to appeal to a court of

higher jurisdiction, he said.

The Government of Afghanistan has publicly stated that, based on its review, all fair trial rights were respected in these
cases. But, the criteria and methodology used in this review have not been made public and the review lacked transparency,
he noted.
Given this lack of transparency and substantial concerns about compliance with fair trial rights in other cases, serious
doubts about Afghanistan's compliance with international law remain, he said.
While OHCHR recognizes the increasing security challenges faced by the authorities and growing public pressure to reduce
the violence, there is no evidence to confirm that the death penalty is a stronger deterrent than other forms of punishment.
The Office urged the President to refrain from approving death sentences and immediately introduce an official moratorium
on the use of death penalty. The Afghan authorities were also urged to expedite legal reform, including of the Penal Code
and Criminal Procedure Code, to allow for death sentences to be commuted to life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has also expressed regret over the execution of the six
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people. The UN notes that there is no conclusive evidence of the deterrent value of the death penalty, and that the use of
capital punishment does not contribute to public safety.
UNAMA encourages the Government of Afghanistan to expedite legal reform, which would allow death sentences to be
commuted to life imprisonment.

'Alarming' reports of major violations in south-east Turkey

UN rights chief
10 May The United Nations human rights chief today reported
having received a succession of alarming reports about violations
allegedly committed by Turkish military and security forces in southeast Turkey over the past few months, and urged the Turkish
authorities to give independent investigators, including UN staff,
unimpeded access to the area to verify the veracity of such reports.
More and more information has been emerging from a variety of
credible sources about the actions of security forces in the town of
Cizre during the extended curfew there from mid-December until
early March, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid
Raad Al Hussein, said in a press release.
He added that the picture that is emerging, although still sketchy, is
extremely alarming, and strongly condemned violence and other
unlawful acts committed by the youth groups and other non-state
agents, allegedly affiliated with the PKK , in Cizre and other areas.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein

addresses the 31st regular session of the Human Rights Council in
Geneva. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferr

I regret any loss of life as a result of terrorist acts wherever they have occurred, Mr. Zeid said. However, while Turkey
has a duty to protect its population from acts of violence, it is essential that the authorities respect human rights at all times
while undertaking security or counter-terrorism operations and international law prohibiting torture, extrajudicial killings,
disproportionate use of lethal force and arbitrary detention must be observed.
The High Commissioner said he had received reports of unarmed civilians including women and children being
deliberately shot by snipers, or by gunfire from tanks and other military vehicles.
There also appears to have been massive, and seemingly highly disproportionate, destruction of property and key
communal infrastructure including buildings hit by mortar or shellfire, and damage inflicted on the contents of individual
apartments and houses taken over by security forces, he said. There are also allegations of arbitrary arrests, and of torture
and other forms of ill-treatment, as well as reports that in some situations ambulances and medical staff were prevented from
reaching the wounded.
On top of all this, he noted that there has been huge displacement triggered by the curfews and by subsequent fighting,
shelling, killings and arrests in many places in the south-east.
Most disturbing of all, the High Commissioner said, are the reports quoting witnesses and relatives in Cizre which
suggest that more than 100 people were burned to death as they sheltered in three different basements that had been
surrounded by security forces.
All these allegations, including those levelled at the groups fighting against the security forces, are extremely serious and
should be thoroughly investigated, but do not appear to have been so far, Zeid said. The Turkish Government has not
responded positively to requests by my Office and other parts of the United Nations to visit the region to collect information
first-hand.
The UN Human Rights Chief noted that more information has emerged from Cizre compared to other districts, towns and
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villages in the south-east including Silopi, Nusaybin and the Sur district of Diyarbakr, the main city in the region which
were sealed off for weeks on end, and are still next to impossible to access, because of the heavy security presence.
In 2016, to have such a lack of information about what is happening in such a large and geographically accessible area is
both extraordinary and deeply worrying, Mr. Zeid said. This black-out simply fuels suspicions about what has been going
on. I therefore renew my call for access for UN staff and other impartial observers and investigators, including civil society
organizations and journalists.
Noting alarm bells rung by other international human rights entities in recent weeks, Mr. Zeid called for a prompt
investigation and prosecution of all those suspected of being involved in violations of the right to life, including extrajudicial
killings and disproportional use of lethal force, and stressed that the judiciary should act independently from all other
branches of the State, including the military and the Executive.
He also called on the Turkish authorities to allow the return of all those who have been forcibly displaced, and urged them to
ensure that, in future, curfews are limited to the minimum duration necessary and with due concern for human rights
obligations and humanitarian considerations.
The High Commissioner noted Turkeys continued engagement with UN human rights bodies, including the recent visit of
UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; the recent review of the countrys record by the UN
Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; and the ongoing review
by the UN Committee against Torture which will issue its concluding observations on 13 May.

African Union-UN mission launches campaign in west Darfur

against use of child soldiers
10 May The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur
(UNAMID) has launched a campaign in west Darfur, Sudan, to raise
awareness on the need to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers
by armed forces and groups across the region.
In a press release, UNAMID said the campaign whose theme is 'No
Child Soldiers Protect Darfur' was launched by its Sector West
Child Protection Unit (CPU) at Krinding (1) Camp for internally
displaced persons in El-Geneina, west Darfur, bringing together more
than 90 participants, including women and youth groups, children and
local community leaders including Sheik of Sheikhs (prominent
leaders) of the camp.
Addressing the gathering, UNAMID CPU Team Leader in West
Darfur, Paul Bugunya, noted that the campaign is in line with the
Mission's mandate to protect civilians, stressing that it also aims to
ensure that children are afforded an opportunity to grow and attend
school.

The African Union-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Sector West

Child Protection Unit (CPU) at Krinding (1) Camp for internally
displaced persons in El-Geneina, west Darfur, distributed vests
inscribed with messages that promote the protection of children as
part of its campaign. Photo: Elsadig Daud/UNAMID

During the launch ceremony, UNAMID distributed vests inscribed with messages that promote the protection of children
and discourage adults against the use of children as child soldiers. Copies of the definition of child soldier according to the
Paris Principles of 2007 were also distributed.
In addition, the UNAMID CPU briefed the internally displaced persons on the seriousness of violating children's rights. The
unit also urged the community to discourage children younger than 18 years old from enlisting into the armed forces or
armed groups, and to report any forms of abuse or violations of child rights to child protection officers and local authorities
for investigation.
Also speaking during the campaign's launch was Ahmed Mohamed Issa, a youth leader in the camp, who explained that
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10 May 2016

some children, after observing the vulnerability of their families, decide to join armed groups as a way of seeking protection
through the arms they legally obtain when they are recruited.
None of us would love to see his/her child in the armed forces or with armed groups, but as internally displaced persons,
people feel deep pain when our women and children go to farms, collect firewood or water and they are harassed, he said.
Speaking on behalf of the women in the camp, Sadia Ahmed noted that poverty is one of the key drivers of child recruitment
into armed forces or armed groups in Darfur.
The UNAMID CPU intends to roll out the campaign throughout the region in the next few months.

UN experts urge Sri Lanka to adopt measures to fight torture

and strengthen justice system
10 May Two United Nations experts have urged the Government of
Sri Lanka to replace the legal framework that allowed human rights
violations to occur and to establish democratic institutions in line with
international human rights standards.

Mr. Juan Mendez, Special Rapporteur on Torture, Cruel, Inhuman

or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

Sri Lanka is taking steps to draft a new constitution, an undertaking

that presents an opportunity to reinforce the independence and
impartiality of the justice sector and provide more safeguards against
torture and other serious human rights violations, said Mnica Pinto,
UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers,
and Juan E. Mndez, UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, in a press
release issued today by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR).

The experts, speaking at the end of their official visit to Sri Lanka on 7 May, welcomed the fact that the elections in 2015
had brought an opening in the democratic space.
The change in Government has led to some promising reforms, such as the re-instatement of the Constitutional Council.
But more reforms are needed before Sri Lanka can be considered to be on a path to sustainable democratization, the two
experts stressed.
The testimonies I heard from victims, including detainees, who took the risk of speaking to me despite safety concerns,
persuade me that torture is a common practice inflicted in the course of both regular criminal and national security-related
investigations, said Mr. Mndez. Severe forms of torture continue to be used, although probably less frequently, while
both old and new cases of torture continue to be surrounded by total impunity.
The nature of the Sri Lankan criminal justice system may indirectly incentivize the use of torture, Mr. Mndez noted,
highlighting in particular the practice of extracting a confession to build a case.
I have been assured by the authorities that confessions alone are not sufficient evidence for a conviction; however, in
practice, 90 per cent of convictions are either solely or mainly based on a confession, he said.
The Government has to ensure that every person detained has access to a lawyer from the moment of the arrest and that
every person is properly informed about this right, Ms. Pinto added.
Call on Government to repeal Prevention of Terrorism Act
The experts noted that legal safeguards are even more limited in the cases brought under Sri Lanka's Prevention of
Terrorism Act (PTA) legislation that applies to investigations into national security-related offenses.

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10 May 2016

The Act allows for prolonged arbitrary detention without being charged, limits access to a lawyer and provides for
statements made to a senior police officer, even when obtained under duress, to be fully admissible in court, the experts said.
The Government should repeal the PTA. Any legislation to replace it, if considered necessary, should only be adopted after
broad and transparent consultations and must fully comply with international human rights standards, the Special
Rapporteurs stressed.
Delays in the administration of justice
The two experts also highlighted significant delays in the administration of justice in Sri Lanka.
Even in ordinary cases that are non-political and not related to the armed conflict, judicial proceedings can last years. Such
delays often amount to a denial of justice, especially for victims and suspects remanded in pre-trial detention, Ms. Pinto
said.
Suspects are subjected to lengthy remand periods with many being detained for years, some even up to 15 years before
trial. I urge Sri Lanka to make use of bail and alternatives to incarceration, especially for non-violent offences, Mr. Mndez
said.
The administration of justice must be more transparent and democratic. Transparent procedures and institutions play an
important role in strengthening democracy and protecting from arbitrariness, said Ms. Pinto. The expert recommended that
the Sri Lankan authorities urgently review and publicize the procedures for the appointment, transfer, promotion and
discipline of judges and State counsels.
In this context, she noted the extreme politicization of the removal procedure in force for judges of the Supreme Court and
Court of Appeal. Recalling the highly controversial impeachment of the Chief Justice in 2013, Ms. Pinto urged the
authorities to replace this procedure with one that safeguards independence and provides for all due process guarantees.
I am also concerned that the diversity of the population is not reflected in the composition of the judiciary, the AttorneyGeneral's office, or the police, or in the language in which proceedings are conducted. The authorities should take immediate
measures to increase the representation of minorities in these bodies and ensure the availability of quality interpretation and
translation, she added.
I did not receive any complaint of mistreatment in prison, but I am deeply concerned about the more than deplorable prison
conditions, including deficient infrastructure and severe overcrowding, Mr. Mndez said. In addition, I have come across
cases of prolonged or indefinite isolation in Terrorism Investigation Division detention facilities. These combined conditions
constitute in themselves a form of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
Regarding transitional justice, the experts concluded that serious reforms to the justice sector should not only reinforce its
independence, but also contribute to guarantees of non-recurrence. If implemented in good faith and trusted by victims,
transitional justice measures can also fulfil the State's obligation to investigate, prosecute and punish acts of torture, thereby
contributing to preventing their persistence in the future.
Mr. Mndez, who has completed an end-of-mission statement, will present a comprehensive report containing his findings
and recommendations to the Human Rights Council in Geneva in March 2017. Ms. Pinto, who has also completed an endof-mission statement, will present her comprehensive report in June 2017.

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)