New Report on Human Rights Violation in Kivu
Report of the UN Joint Human Rights Office on Human Rights Violations from 15 November to 2 December 2012
According to a new report by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic republic of the Congo, serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law were committed during November 2012 fighting.
The report details victim and witness accounts of mass rape, killings and arbitrary executions. Violations of Human Rights were perpetrated by Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) and rebels of the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23).
This report highlights human rights violation between 15 November to 2 December 2012. The Joint Human Rights Office previously released several reports on human rights violations in the DRC :
Resources
Security Council meetings on the Middle East today
Wednesday, May 8th 2013
The Security Council is meeting this morning in its 6962nd meeting, for a meeting on the situation in Libya.
This afternoon, there is a closed consultation on the seventeenth semi-annual report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559 (2004), (S/2013/234) related to Lebanon.
Additional resources:
- Reports of the Secretary-General (Libya)
- Resolutions/Decisions (Libya)
- Meeting Records (Libya)
- Semi-annual reports on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559 (2004)
Non-UN resources:
- What’s in blue: Insights on the Middle East
- Security Council Report: Libya
- Security Council Report: Lebanon
Photo: Security Council discusses situation in Libya. 03 May 2011. UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras.
Progress report on peacebuilding in Liberia
A second progress report on peacebuilding in Liberia (PBC/7/LBR/1) has been issued today.
The present report, which reviews progress in the implementation of the
outcome document (PBC/6/LBR/2) and the priorities identified in it, covers the period from 1 August 2011 to 30 September 2012, and focuses on the main advancements and challenges that emerged during that period. Efforts to fulfill the commitments contained in the statement of mutual commitments on peacebuilding in Liberia (PBC/4/LBR/2) slowed during the presidential and legislative election process, and the subsequent formation of a new Government. However, during the first six months of 2012, there was a new focus in the efforts made by the Government of Liberia, in collaboration with civil society and the United Nations, to make consolidated progress in implementing the commitments.
UN Resources:
Non UN Resources:
- Security Council Report: Liberia
- What’s in Blue: Insights on Peacebuilding
Photo: Justice and Peace Hub under Construction in Gbarnga, Liberia. 13 April 2012. UN Photo/Staton Winter.
The situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Monday, May 6th 2013
The Security Council is meeting this morning in its 6960th meeting, to discuss the situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Additional resources:
- Previous reports
- Security Council meeting records
- Security Council resolutions
Non-UN resource:
- What’s in blue: insights on the work of the Security Council on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Security Council Report: Monthly forecast, Democratic Republic of the Congo - May 2013
Photo: Security Council Meeting on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 19 October 2012. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Security Council Meeting on Situation in Côte d’Ivoire
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
The Security Council is meeting this morning, at its 6947th meeting, to discuss the situation in Côte d’Ivoire and the Special Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operations in Côte d’Ivoire (S/2012/196).
The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 22 of Security Council resolution 2062 (2012), by which the Security Council requested an assessment of the situation in Côte d’Ivoire and for a special report to be provided with recommendations on benchmarks to measure and track progress towards the achievement of long-term stability in Côte d’Ivoire; recommendations on possible adjustments in the structure and strength of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI); options to reinforce inter-mission cooperation arrangements between UNOCI and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL); and an update on the implementation of the UNOCI protection of civilians strategy.
UN Resources
- Reports of the Secretary-General
- Security Council meeting records
- Security Council resolutions
- Security Council Presidential Statements
- United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI)
- UN Member States on the Record: Côte d’Ivoire
Non-UN Resources
Photo: UN Mission in Côte d’Ivoire Celebrates Peace Day . 221 September 2010 . UN Photo/Basile Zoma.
Global Wage Report 2012/2013: wages and equitable growth
This Report, that was funded by the International Labour Organization (ILO), examines regional differences and trends in the years proceeding and following the Global Financial Crisis and provides a fresh overview that aims to assist International Decision-Makers.
Major Trends in Wages
THE CRISIS CONTINUES TO DAMPEN WAGES
Real average wage growth has remained far below pre-crisis levels globally, going into the red in developed economies, although it has remained significant in emerging economies. Monthly average wages adjusted for inflation - known as real average wages - grew globally by 1.2% in 2011, down from 2.1% in 2010 and 3% in 2007. China, because of it size and strong economic performance, weighs heavily in this global calculation. Omitting China, global real average wages grew at only 0.2% in 2011, down from 1.3% in 2010 and 2.3% in 2007.
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN WAGE GROWTH
There are major geographic variations in the trends in real average wage growth. Wages suffered a double dip in developed economies but remained positive throughout the crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean, and even more so in Asia. Fluctuations were widest in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, partly as a result of the strong post-transition recovery in wages before the global economic crisis, and the severe contraction in real wages in 2009. In the Middles East, real average wages appear to have declined since 2008, but some of the estimates still remain tentative, as they are for Africa.
CUMULATIVE WAGE GROWTH BY REGION
Differences between the regions are particularly stark if we look at the cumulative wage growth from 2000 to 2011. Globally, real monthly average wages grew by just under a quarter, in Asia they almost doubled, while in the developed world they increased by about 5%. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia wages nearly tripled, but this was mostly as part of the recovery from the transition to marked economies. In Russia, for example, the real value of wages collapsed to less than 40% of their value in the 1990s and it took another decade before wages recovered to their initial level.
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN WAGE LEVELS
While wages grew significantly in emerging economies, differences in wage level remain considerable. In the Philippines, a worker in the manufacturing sector took home around US$1.40 for each hour worked. In Brzil, the hourly direct pay in the sector was US$5.40, in Greece it was US$13.00, in the United States US$23.30 and in Denmark US$34.80.
Related UN Resources:
- ILO: Global Wage Report 2010/2011
- UNDP: Strategy Beyond 2015
- ILO Global Employment Trends: Facts & Figures for Developed Economies and the EU
- ILO Global Employment Trends: Facts & Figures for Sub-Saharan Africa
- ILO Global Employment Trends: Facts & Figures for North Africa
- Global Employment Trends 2012: Preventing a deeper jobs crisis
- World of Work Report 2012: ‘Better Jobs for a Better Economy’
- LABORSTA: World Labour statistics (1969-2008)
Report on the Human Rights Situation in Colombia 2008-2013
The Universal Periodic Review of Colombia 2013 is a report in cooperation with the United Nations mechanisms and bodies that reviews Colombia’s development and progress in a number of field:
Cooperation with United Nations Mechanisms and Bodies: Colombia continues to accept assistance and cooperate with the United Nations, however, there are several areas and recommendations in which Colombia fails to comply, such as issues and procedures surrounding ‘Enforced Disappearance’, ‘Displaced People’ and ‘Indigenous people’.- Armed Conflict: an overview of the effects of the FARC and its cooperation with the Colombian government.
- Right to Life, Security and Security of Person: Covers the issues of forced disappearances, Extrajudicial Executions, Forced Displacement, Violence against Women, Conditions in Detention Centers,
- Administration of Justice, including the struggle against impunity and the Rule of Law: The Attacks against the Independence of the Justice System along with Generalised and Persistent Impunity. There is particular concern regarding the Draft Reform which seeks to expand Military and Police Jurisdiction, despite there being over 12,000 military members that are currently being investigated for gross violations of Human Rights.
- Freedom of Expression, Association and Peaceful Protest: Although there has been some change since with the Government of President Santos and it is more open to dialogue than its predecessor, concerns have increased over the number of attacks against Human Rights Defenders, Trade Unionists, Journalists and Social and Community Leaders and their families.
- Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Despite the 2010 Recommendations from the UN Committee on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights (CESCR), no systematic follow-up has been made and the country continues to lack adequate policies to overcome poverty, inequality and the crisis in different key sectors such as rights to food, social security, labour rights and health.
- Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendant Peoples: Indigenous and people of African descent continue to suffer attacks from the difference armed actors in the conflict, who put pressure on their territories due to their richness in natural resources and geostrategic characteristics.
Related UN Resources:
- World Food Program: Colombia Overview
- CESCR observations of Latin American & Caribbean Countries: Spanish
- UNICEF: Colombia
- United Nations Human Rights: Colombia
Report on the Situation of Human Rights of Asylum Seekers Within the Canadian Refugee Determination System
This report examines a series of issues relating to the situation of human rights of persons subject to the refugee determination system of Canada. That system has been recognized by many sources, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as demonstrating a strong commitment to providing durable solutions for refugees in need of protection.
In conclusion, the system as a whole is both humanitarian in spirit and highly generous in terms of its results. It plays a central role in the State’s efforts to respect the right to seek asylum and other attendant rights, and serves as a model in many respects. The ongoing interest of the State in refining the immigration and refugee system to better serve the interests of claimants and the citizenry in conformity with international obligations and domestic law provides the necessary basis for further enhancing compliance with its human rights obligations.
Related UN Resources:
- UNHCR Statistical Year Books on: Displacement, Protection & Solutions
- Core Documents Related to Refugee Resettlement
- UN Human Rights System: Related Documents
Related UN Resolutions:
- G.A. Res. 217A (III), U.N. Doc. A/810, at 71 (1948)
- G.A. Res. 428(V), U.N. GAOR Supp. No. 20, Annex, U.N.Doc. A/429 (1950)
- .A. Res. 2200 (XXI), 21 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 16) at 52, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (1966)
The State of Food and Agriculture 2012
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations have released their latest report- The State of Food and Agriculture 2012: Investing in Agriculture for a Better Future. This Report shows that farmers are the largest investors in developing country agriculture and argues, therefore, that farmers and their investment decisions must be central to any strategy aimed at improving agricultural investment.
The report also presents evidence showing how public resources can be used more effectively to catalyse private investment, especially by farmers themselves, and to channel public and private resources towards more socially beneficial outcomes. The focus of this report is on the accumulation of capital by farmers in agriculture and the investments made by governments to facilitate this accumulation. Agricultural investment is essential to promoting agricultural growth, reducing poverty and hunger, and promoting environmental sustainability.
The regions of the world where hunger and extreme poverty are most widespread today – South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa– have seen stagnant or declining rates of investment per worker in agriculture for three decades. Recent evidence shows signs of improvement, but eradicating hunger in these and other regions, and achieving this sustainably, will require substantial increases in the level of farm investment in agriculture and dramatic improvements in both the level and quality of government investment in the sector.
RELATED UN RESOURCES:
- The State of F & A 2010-2011: Closing the Gender Gap for Development
- FAO Home Page
- International Human Development Indicators: by Country
- FAOSTAT: Food & Agriculture Statistical Database
The United Nations Refugee Agency: 2013 Global Appeal Update
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has just released the Global Appeal 2013 Update. The Global Appeal is an invaluable guide for general readers to UNHCR’s worldwide operations, which is categorised into Regions; Africa, Middle East & North Africa, Asia & the Pacific, Europe and the Americas.
The Humanitarian situation in a number of UNHCR’s operations has evolved considerably in 2012 with many emergencies and new situations arising. At the same time, the organization is focusing attention on the strategic priorities in 2010 and 2011 that pointed to areas for sustained efforts, particularly nutrition, education and water supply. Responding effectively will involve ever greater balancing between competing priorities, a necessary yet difficult task.
Operations have updated their comprehensive needs assessments and plans for 2013, using the GSPs to prioritize what is central to UNHCR’s mandate. They will continue to pursue the relevant objectives and indicators from UNHCR’s results-based management framework. Targets for achievement in 2013 have also been updated and operations will monitor progress at the field level.
While the GSPs have multiple aspects, UNHCR will provide an overview of results based on indicators that are commonly used by operations. By grouping the situations using these common indicators, UNHCR has established levels of “Global Engagement” for the operational GSPs to provide a lens through which to view and measure developments in priority areas.
RELATED UN RESOURCES:
Women, Peace and Security
Following this morning’s meeting on Sierra Leone, the Security Council will meet to discuss the latest report from the Secretary General on Women and Peace and Security (S/2012/732), and the Permanent UN Representative of Guatemala’s letter dated October 2nd (S/2012/774).
UN Resources
- Security Council Resolutions
- Security Council Meeting Records
- Statements by the President of the Security Council
- Reports from the UN Secretary General
Additional UN Resources:
- UNWomen’s Annual Report 2011-2012
- UNite - to End Violence Against Women
- UN Peace Building Support Strategy 2012-2013
Non-UN Resources:
Networks for Prosperity: 2012 Report
Networks for Prosperity: 2012 Report
Connecting development knowledge beyond 2015
The Networks for Prosperity: 2012 Report (Connecting Development Knowledge beyond 2012) illustrates the importance of network governance in the context of economic globalization, aid and development.
It argues that this is of particular relevance in the context of the current debate on the establishment of a new set of global development goals by 2015. The updated 2012 Connectedness Index, covering 132 countries, shows that many emerging economies – such as Chile, Costa Rica, South Africa and Viet Nam – have systematically improved their connectedness.
The top 10 performers in the 2012 Connectedness Index are Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Singapore, Ireland, Canada and the United States, according to a new report released today by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Resources:
ECOSOC- Report of the Secretary General on Regional Cooperation 2011
Election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council
Thursday, 18 October
The General Assembly is meeting this morning hold elections, by secret ballot, for five non-permanent Council seats for the 2013-2014 term.These include one seat for the African Group, currently held by South Africa; one seat for the Asia-Pacific Group, currently held by India; one seat for the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC), currently held by Colombia; and two seats for the Western European and Others Group (WEOG), currently held by Germany and Portugal.
UN Resources
A list of meeting records from 1946- Symbols only
Meeting Records on the election of members to the Security Council
Resolutions/Decisions on the election of members to the Security Council
Non UN Resources
What’s in Blue: Security Council Elections 2012
Security Council Report: Security Council Elections 2012
Photo: General Assembly Elects Five Non-Permanent Members of Security Council, 2009. UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras.
Security Council closed meeting on children and armed conflict
Friday, 5 October 2012
The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict is holding a closed meeting this afternoon.
The current report on the activities of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict was established pursuant to resolution 1612 (2005) and covers the period 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012.
UN Resources:
- Security Council meetings
- General Assembly meetings
- Reports of the Secretary General
- Committee on the Rights of the Child meetings
- Committee on the Rights of the Child Reports
- Children and Armed Conflict’s website
Non UN Resources:
* Photo: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas. Security Council Discusses Children and Armed Conflict, 12 July 2011 Photo # 479288.
Security Council meeting on Mali
Thursday, 4 October 2012
The Security Council is meeting this afternoon at 15:00 in a closed consultation meeting on Mali.
UN Resources:
Reports and Letters on the situation in Mali
Resolutions including drafts) on the situation in Mali
UN Member States on the Record: Mali
Non UN Resources:
Security Council Report: Mali/Sahel
*Photo - Security Council Considers Situation in Mali (August 2012) UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
