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New York, August 26 – The United Nations has condemned the bomb attacks in Kabul and outside its airport thronged with fleeing Afghans and foreigners, saying that the situation has strengthened its resolve to continue to help the country after the Taliban’s swift military takeover.

The fall of Afghanistan has exposed a dire humanitarian situation as nearly half of the country’s 40 million people need daily food rations and other assistance when there is no existing emergency supplies and available relief supplies will run out by October, UN agencies said.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following with great concern the situation in Kabul, especially at the airport, which caused some casualties. He said Guterres “condemns this terrorist attack which killed and injured a number of civilians and extends his deep condolences to the families of those killed. He stands in solidarity and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.”

“This incident underscores the volatility of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan but also strengthens our resolve as we continue to deliver urgent assistance across the country in support of the Afghan people.”

The World Food Program, the lead UN agency in the global frontline against hunger, said 14 million Afghans are hungry daily and some 2 million malnourished children need also urgent health care.

The World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund are rushing medical supplies to treat increased number of Covid-19 cases and children in need of health care. UNICEF has 13 offices in Afghanistan and is supporting about 10 million children and their families affected by the humanitarian crisis.

The International Organization of Migration said more than 550,000 Afghans fled their homes since July to escape Taliban forces, swelling the number of internally displaced Afghans to 5.5 million.

The UN office for humanitarian assistance said 18.4 million Afghans need relief assistance but there is a shortfall of $200 million out of the total budget of $550 million for 2021.

UN News reports quoted WFP as saying that a humanitarian crisis of incredible proportion is unfolding in Afghanistan as conflict, combined with drought and COVID-19, is pushing Afghans into a humanitarian catastrophe. WFP said it urgently needs $200 million in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan and $22 million for refugees in Iran, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

WFP said it needs to assist 9 million people per month by November and meeting this goal requires the prepositioning of food stocks in Afghanistan and at strategic border points before winter.

“The price of wheat has gone up by 25 per cent in the last months and, therefore, with the economic situation and with the turmoil in which the country has been thrown, it is very difficult now to see the future for this population a future which is food secure without malnourished children,” WFP Regional Director John Aylieff said, adding that WFP had planned to reach almost 500,000 people in and around Mazar, the fourth-largest city of Afghanistan, with wheat flour, oil, lentils and salt.

Transfers of food and health supplies became more difficult at the Kabul airport since Taliban forces took over the government in Kabul in mid-August and the tense military situation there.

 “As humanitarian needs in Afghanistan increase, the abilities to respond to those needs are rapidly declining,” WHO and UNICEF said in a statement on August 22. The agencies called for “immediate and unimpeded access to deliver medicines and other lifesaving supplies to millions of people in need of aid, including 300 000 people displaced in the last two months alone.”

“WHO and UNICEF are committed to stay and deliver for the people of Afghanistan,” the statement said.

“However, with no commercial aircraft currently permitted to land in Kabul, we have no way to get supplies into the country and to those in need.  Other humanitarian agencies are similarly constrained.

“WHO and UNICEF call for the immediate establishment of a humanitarian airbridge for the sustained and unimpeded delivery of aid into Afghanistan.  We are also closely following up with all UN and international partners to explore options for expediting aid shipments.” 

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New York, August 20 – The United Nations headquarters has informed international media as well as the 193 governments that will send representatives to attend the annual General Assembly session that pandemic’s restrictions will be strictly observed.

The UN will officially open its 76^th General Assembly on September 14 but the political debate involving all 193 countries begins on September 21 and runs through to the end of the month.

 The assembly will host a UN Food Systems Summit on September 23, a major event aimed at reshaping the global food systems that failed under the pandemic severely affecting more than 800 million people worldwide with severe hunger and malnutrition. The summit will be virtual while the assembly meeting might allow a minimum of in person attendance.

The United States, which hosts the UN headquarters in New York, has urged heads of state and government to refrain from traveling to the US and instead contribute virtually to UN meetings.

The US sent a diplomatic note to the UN on August 17 suggesting that meetings be mostly virtual to prevent a “super-spreader event.” The note said Covid-19 cases were increasing and any large gatherings of people in New York would “needlessly increase risk to our community, New Yorkers and the other travelers.”

It urged government leaders who plan to address the assembly session to send pre-recorded speeches. Such a practice was imposed during the assembly session in September 2020 for the first time in UN history.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the national seven-day average for new Covid-19 cases is currently over 130,000. Around 86 percent of counties in the US are rated as having a “high” rate of transmission by the CDC.

The UN has decided that the 193-nation General Assembly could be held in person with each country’s delegation to be headed by the president or prime minister, or their representative, accompanied by one to three delegates.

The General Assembly issued regulations in early August for high-level meetings and the general debate, reminding attendees that entry to the headquarters will continue to be restricted, including wearing of facial masks and keeping a physical distance.

“International travelers are required to have met local incoming travel requirements as they relate to Covid-19,” the regulations said.

The UN said Covid-19 restrictions apply to international media covering the assembly session and media access to headquarters will be limited to resident correspondents and a very limited number of official media of visiting delegations.

UN Biodiversity Conference in Kunming, China

The pandemic has also prompted changes in the UN Biodiversity Conference that had been scheduled to take place in Kunming, China in October. Organizers now said the conference will take place in two phases with the first one virtual October 11-15 and the second one, in person, April 25-May 8, 2022, at high-level participation to conclude negotiations and decide on a new Global Biodiversity Framework.

CBD Executive Secretary, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, said the two-phase summit is essential given ongoing uncertainties created by Covid-19 and the necessity for face-to-face meetings to conclude the complex global framework negotiations.

“Addressing the challenge of halting ongoing losses of species and genetic diversity and the damage to our ecosystems will determine the well-being of humanity for generations to come,” she said. “Protecting nature’s invaluable contributions to people requires that we harmonize our policies and actions at every level. The global biodiversity framework, based on the best available science and evidence, is fundamental to meeting these needs.”

 “Convening virtually throughout the pandemic has limited the times for essential global meetings of CBD Parties, Bureau and subsidiary bodies to narrow windows. The Secretariat extends deep gratitude to all participants worldwide for their extraordinary consideration, dedication and cooperation to advance negotiations as far as they have in these extraordinary circumstances.”

“Convening COP-15 in two parts will enable maximum progress on the several remaining difficult issues prior to our conclusive face-to-face sessions in Kunming.”

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New York, August 16 – The United Nations decided to stay put in Afghanistan after Taliban armed forces took over the Kabul government, spreading fear that humanitarian work by international organizations in the last two decades would be lost and the country would harbor terrorism.

The UN Security Council held a public meeting on the dramatic development taking place in Afghanistan with diplomats calling the events in the country a tragedy and issuing warnings that the Taliban government would not be recognized by the international community if it fails to abide by international agreements.

The UN said the humanitarian crisis existing in Afghanistan under conflict has already affected 18 million people, or half of the country’s population. The Taliban’s military victory over the US-supported government in Kabul caused a large influx of Afghans trying to escape the country, causing chaos, fear and insecurity.

UN Secretary-General Antonio told the council that the world is following the events with “a heavy heart and deep disquiet about what lies ahead.” 

“We cannot and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan,” Guterres said, adding that the UN staff and offices in areas under Taliban control will remain and he urged the Taliban to honor the integrity of the UN facilities and inviolability of diplomatic envoys and premises.

Guterres said the international community must use “all available instruments” to ensure that the Taliban respect human rights, respect and protect international humanitarian law and the rights and freedoms of all persons.  

He said there have been chilling reports of severe restrictions on human rights throughout the country after Taliban forces swept over the country without must resistance and reports of mounting human rights violations against the women and girls who fear a return to the darkest days when the Taliban was in power.

“I appeal to the Security Council — and the international community as a whole — to stand together, work together and act together — and use all tools at its disposal to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan and guarantee that basic human rights will be respected,” Guterres said.

He said Afghanistan should never become a safe haven for terrorist organizations and the international community must use “all tools” at its disposal to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan and guarantee that basic human rights will be respected.

Guterres said the Taliban has promised to work with existing institutions, which means that civil servant salaries continue to be paid, infrastructure is maintained, airports are reopened, and health and education services continue.

He said the UN presence in the country will adapt to the security situation and will continue to assist the Afghan people under the present circumstances.

The UN Security Council established a UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in 2002 to assist the civilian government in Kabul after the United States deployed troops in the country in response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the US. The UN employs about 3,000 Afghan personnel and more than 700 international staff.

During the debate in the Security Council, British Ambassador James Kariuki said his government has been working hard with the US to bring peace to Afghanistan. He urged the Taliban to cease all hostilities and military action and to ensure protection of civilians and allow the safe departure of foreign nationals and others who want to leave.

Kiriuki said the Taliban must “commit unequivocally not to harbor or give safe haven to terrorist groups which endanger other countries” and uphold human rights.

“If the Taliban continue to abuse basic human rights, they cannot expect to enjoy any legitimacy in the eyes of the Afghan people, or the international community.” Kariuki said.

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Brussels/New York, July 14 – The European Union has unveiled its most ambitious blueprint to fight global climate change by proposing to eliminate sales of new gas- and diesel-powered cars and raising costs of using fossil fuels by 2030. The bold move aimed at achieving a carbon neutral economy by 2050.

The EU blueprint is composed of a dozen draft proposals that still have to be negotiated and approved by the bloc’s 27 members and by the European Commission, which is the administrative body. The proposals are seen as a challenge to the rest of the world to follow the EU’s actions, which include taxing jet fuel and imports of manufacturing products that fail to meet the EU climate standards.

Before announcing its new measures to fight climate change by reducing carbon emissions 55 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030, the EU in 2019 had cut emissions by 24 per cent from 1990 levels.

The key proposals just announced called for tighter emission limits for cars,  tax on aviation fuel and a tax on carbon border tariff requiring manufacturers from outside the EU to pay more for importing materials like steel and concrete.

“By acting now we can do things another way and choose a better, healthier and more prosperous way for the future,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, at a news conference in Brussels when she unveiled the blueprint.

 “Europe is ready to lead the way,” she said.

Negative reaction to the blueprint was immediate, particularly from countries under trade agreements with the EU and leaders in industries such as airlines and car manufacturers.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development agency (UNCTAD) countered the EU on the same day its blueprint was published (July 14) by saying that the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) “could change trade patterns in favor of countries where production is relatively carbon efficient but do little to mitigate climate change.”

“Climate and environmental considerations are at the forefront of policy concerns, and trade cannot be the exception. CBAM is one of these options, but its impact on developing countries also needs to be considered,” said Isabelle Durant, the UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General.

A published UNCTAD report said CBAM has “potential implications on international trade, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, income and employment for countries inside and outside the EU, with a special focus on developing and vulnerable countries.”

The report said CBAM would reduce part of the carbon leakage produced by the different climate change ambitions between the EU and other countries. It said carbon leakage refers to “the relocation of production to other countries with laxer emissions constraints for costs reasons related to climate policies, which could lead to an increase in their total emissions.”

The report said several EU’s trading partners that exported goods in carbon-intensive sectors – including cement, steel, aluminum, oil refinery, paper, glass, chemical and fertilizers – have raised concerns that the CBAM would substantially curtail their exports, but these changes may not be as drastic as some fear.

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Brussels/New York, June 24 – The European Union is the world’s top supporter of the United Nations and largest humanitarian donor at a time more than 40 million people are facing famine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in remarks to the plenary session of the European Parliament.

“We live at a time when the strategic partnership between the European Union and the United Nations is more indispensable than ever,” said Guterres, who has been re-appointed to a second, five-year term starting in January 2022. “On behalf of the United Nations, let me begin with two words: Thank you.”

Guterres said the EU and its members contributed to the UN regular and peacekeeping budgets and provided UN agencies with life-saving voluntary contributions to support development activities and other crucial work, including human rights.

“I thank you for working with the United Nations to help the most vulnerable populations in more than 170 countries,” he said. In addition, he said the EU helped to implement institutional reforms of the UN in past decades to make the organization “more agile and fit for purpose in an ever changing global environment.”

The World Food Program reported in June 2021 that 41 million people in 43 countries, up from 27 million in 2019, are “teetering on the very edge of famine.”

“I am heartbroken at what we’re facing in 2021. We now have four countries where famine-like conditions are present”, WFP chief David Beasley told the agency’s Executive Board on June 21, 2021.

WFP said hundreds of thousands of people are already experiencing famine-like conditions in Ethiopia, Madagascar, Somaiia, South Sudan and Yemen. It said people in Nigeria and Burkina Faso are also of particular concern as they have pockets where famine-like conditions are present. 

The agency said southern Madagascar is experiencing its worst drought in four decades with more than 1.14 million people threatened with food insecurity.

WFP said conflict, climate change and economic woes like soaring food prices in low-income countries can lead to widespread hunger.

“I want to emphasize just how bad it is out there. Today, 41 million people are literally knocking on famine’s door. The price tag to reach them is about US$ 6 billion. We need funding and we need it now,” Beasly said.

The EU has been in the forefront of the global efforts against the coronavirus pandemic, providing financial support to the World Health Organization’s COVAX facility on which developing and low-income countries rely on to receive vaccines against the COVID-19 virus.

Guterres said the pandemic has revealed “utterly inadequate health systems” around the world and “huge gap” in social protection and major structural inequalities “within and between countries” showing that some countries are on the way of recovery while others are still deep in infection cases and deaths.

He said unless African countries receive an additional 225 million vaccine doses now, 90 per cent of those countries will miss the target of vaccinating 10 per cent of their population by September.

On the other hand, 11 billion vaccine doses are needed in order to vaccinate 75 per cent of the world population in 2021-2022.

WHO reported that Africa is currently facing a fast-surging third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, with 474,000 new cases as of June 20, which represented a 21-per-cent increase over the previous 48-day period in 12 countries. It said the new surge is a combination of weak observance of public health measures, increased social interaction and movement as well as the spread of variants.

Such high demands of vaccines would require “voluntary licenses, technology transfers to patent pooling and flexibility on intellectual property rights” and

the mobilization of pharmaceutical companies and key industry actors, he said.

“The European Union must use its leverage as a global actor to help in this effort and ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all,” Guterres said.

The UN chief addressed other issues in which the EU has actively contributed, including climate change, cyber security and digital transformation. He said the EU has is the world’s prime proponent of a “more open, inclusive and secure digital future for all, and of safeguarding human rights online.”

“From cyber security governance and open data to net neutrality and the digitalization of public services, the European Union has demonstrated global leadership and set global standards,” he said, adding that the international community can emulate the human-centric European approach to digital transformation, digital rights, consumer protection, privacy, and the ethical development of artificial intelligence.

“The United Nations and the European Union have much in common,” he said.

“Both organizations were built on shared principles and a strong commitment to the international rule of law, with the aim to prevent past tragedies and build a more peaceful and prosperous world. We both aspire to put human rights at the forefront of our efforts.”

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Carbis Bay, England/Geneva/New York, June 13 – The World Health Organization welcomed the commitment by leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies to donate 870 million vaccine doses to low and low-middle income countries over the next year as part of efforts to end the pandemic.

The G7 under the United Kingdom leadership ended its three-day summit with a statement with calls for more investment in all tools to end the pandemic. The G7 said most of the 870 million new vaccine doses will be delivered through the ACT Accelerator partnership, WHO’s vaccine provider, which said the total funding committed to it remains US$ 15.1 billion with a gap of over US$ 16 billion.

The G7 countries are the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. The European Union, Australia, India, South Africa and Republic of Korea were invited as guests.

A statement by WHO said the G7 leaders confirmed their support for “all pillars of the ACT-Accelerator across treatments, tests and strengthening public health systems as well as vaccines.”

 “Additionally, they indicated their intention to work together with the private sector, the G20 and other countries to increase their vaccine contribution over the months to come. Since their G7 Early Leaders’ Summit in February 2021, the G7 has committed one billion doses in total.”

The statement said WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed the G7 summit and urged “many other countries are now facing a surge in cases – and they are facing it without vaccines. We are in the race of our lives, but it’s not a fair race, and most countries have barely left the starting line. We welcome the generous announcements about donations of vaccines and thank leaders. But we need more, and we need them faster.”

WHO said over US$ 16 billion are still needed in 2021 to fully fund the work of ACT-Accelerator In order to deliver products where they are most needed, help establish testing for 500 million people in low- and middle-income countries by mid-2021 and help secure the necessary supply of oxygen as well as distribute 165 million doses of treatments including dexamethasone which can save lives of people critically ill with COVID.

Carl Bildt, WHO Special Envoy for the ACT Accelerator, said: “We welcome these commitments but there is still a significant funding gap that must be closed if we are to get the urgently needed treatments, including oxygen, and tests, to low and lower-middle income countries so we aren’t flying blind to where the virus is and how it’s changing. The time to act is now. We look to the G7 and G20 to fund the work of the ACT Accelerator, the global multilateral solution that can speed up an end to the pandemic. The world needs their political leadership because left to rage anywhere, the virus will remain a threat everywhere.”

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New York, June 8 – The United Nations Security Council formally nominated Antonio Guterres, the current UN chief, to serve another five-year term beginning in January 2022.

The 15-nation council, the highest political body in the UN system, took the decision in a closed-door session by adopting a resolution to nominate Guterres, a politician and former prime minister of Portugal. It plans to recommend that the 193-nation UN General Assembly formally approve the decision.

Under the UN process of electing its top leader, the council has the privilege to select a candidate and then recommend him/her to the assembly for a final approval.

The UN News reported that Guterres expressed in a statement his “great honor” to be selected, and thanked council members for placing their trust in him.

“My gratitude also extends to Portugal, for having nominated me again”, he added.

“It has been an immense privilege to be at the service of ‘we, the peoples’ and at the helm of the amazing women and men of this Organization for the past four and a half years, when we have been facing so many complex challenges.” said the UN chief.

“I would be deeply humbled if the General Assembly were to entrust me with the responsibilities of a second mandate.” 

Before his nomination by the council, Guterres took part in an informal conversation with countries that members of the assembly in May as part of the selection process in the UN. He also made public his vision statement for a second five-year term in March, UN News said.

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