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UN Daily News
Issue DH/7097

Wednesday, 17 February 2016

In the headlines:
Life-saving humanitarian aid reaches five besieged

Malnutrition mounts in eastern and southern Africa

Yemen: UN envoy calls on Security Council to

Guinea-Bissaus political stalemate taking toll on

Condemning deadly car bomb attack in Ankara,

New trust fund launched by UN and Colombian

towns in Syria UN

support efforts towards cessation of hostilities

Ban says UN stands with Turkish people and
Government

Darfur: amid fresh violence, thousands of displaced

people now gathering near UN mission base

Our task is not over, says Ban, urging action on

Paris climate pledges ahead of signing ceremony

UN and partner agency inaugurate first child-

as El Nio takes hold UNICEF

development UN envoy

Government for peacebuilding needs

UN and partners to closely coordinate efforts ahead

of DR Congo elections

Australia violated rights of David Hicks by jailing

him after transfer from Guantanamo UN experts

Senior UN relief official calls on Israel to halt

demolitions in West Bank immediately

friendly spaces in West Bank refugee camp

Life-saving humanitarian aid reaches five besieged towns in

Syria UN
17 February - As United Nations relief wing convoys reached five besieged towns in Syria
with aid today, the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the country announced that a task
force will meet for a second time tomorrow to discuss humanitarian access issues.

In Madaya, Syria, local community

members help offload and distribute
humanitarian aid supplies. Photo:
WFP/Hussam Al Saleh

Today, we reached five besieged towns in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, the
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Yacoub el-Hillo, said in a press
release. The convoys contained life-saving aid including food, medical supplies and
equipment, vaccines, water and sanitation items for almost 100,000 people in need of aid.

Praising the courage of dedicated staff on the ground, Jan Egeland Senior Advisor to UN
Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura said brave humanitarian workers were able to deliver
100 truckloads. This is hopefully the beginning of the end of Syrian civilians suffering, he added.
Tomorrows meeting will be held at UN headquarters in Geneva and co-chaired by Mr. de Mistura and Mr. Egeland.
Representatives of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), comprising the Arab League, the European Union, the
United Nations, and 17 countries are expected to attend.
Humanitarian delivery is not only important, it is essential, de Mistura stressed. There are now more than 400,000 people
living in areas besieged by the Government, by the opposition and by Daesh.
According to the UN, the purpose of this second meeting is to further take stock of the status of humanitarian access to
besieged areas with an initial focus on the locations referred to in the statement of the International Syria Support Group last
week.

For information media not an official record

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17 February 2016

Last Thursday in Munich, the Group called for sustained delivery of assistance to begin in seven besieged areas inside
Syria, including the town of Madaya, which drew worldwide attention recently after UN and Red Cross workers reported
people starving to death or being killed trying to flee.
Humanitarian access to these areas will be a first step towards full, sustained, and unimpeded access throughout the
country, as demanded by Security Council resolutions, the ISSG and international humanitarian law, the Office of the UN
Envoy underlined.
Mr. de Mistura also referred to todays aid distributions as a test for the capability of the UN to deliver humanitarian
assistance and for all parties on the ground to allow this to take place, as per the decisions reached last week in Munich.

Yemen: UN envoy calls on Security Council to support efforts

towards cessation of hostilities
17 February - A deep divide between the warring parties in Yemen, following the collapse
of a truce, is forestalling the next round of peace talks, the United Nations envoy told the
Security Council today as he depicted a tragic picture of the political situation there.
The parties are divided over whether a new round of talks should be convened with or
without a new cessation of hostilities, said Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the SecretaryGenerals Special Envoy, in a briefing to the 15-nation body. I have not, unfortunately,
The aftermath of a bombing by the Saudi- received sufficient assurances that a new cessation of hostilities, should I call for one,
led coalition in Yemen. Photo: Almigdad would be respected.
Mojalli/IRIN

As the Secretary General has stated repeatedly, there is no military solution to this conflict,
he said, stressing that a recommitment to a cessation of hostilities is the practical expression of this truth as it leads to a
permanent ceasefire. He then urged the Council to support this step and promptly take action towards its implementation.
His briefing comes two months after the warring parties met in Switzerland, for the first face-to-face talks of the peace
process. Those talks produced agreements on several measures and provided much-needed practical and moral support to
the Yemeni people, including the delivery of humanitarian aid to the city of Taiz and the release of some prisoners.
Recalling that the announcement of a cessation of hostilities on the first day of the talks was accompanied by the creation of
a De-escalation and Coordination Committee, he noted that the talks have served as the beginning of a process toward
ending the war, and the parties left the negotiation table in a positive spirit, with practical proposals, recommendations and
hope for a better future for Yemen and the Yemeni people.
Tragically, the security situation in Yemen has deteriorated since the end of the talks, he said, citing the latest UN reports
that more than 6,000 Yemenis have lost their lives since March 2015, and more than 35,000 have been injured.
Many parts of Yemen are again witnessing airstrikes and extensive ground fighting, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said,
pointing to a significant increase in the number of missiles fired indiscriminately into Saudi Arabia, a notable upsurge in the
number and magnitude of attacks carried out by terrorist groups in Aden, Lahej, Abyan, Shabwa and Sanaa.
The list goes on, he said, with attacks on Yemeni Army checkpoints and residences of key security officials, the
assassination of prominent political and security officials in the South of the country, and the 28 January attack on the
Presidential Palace in Aden, which resulted in the death of eight people including civilian bystanders.
Earlier today, a suicide bomber attacked a Yemeni army camp in Aden, reportedly killing at least ten people, said Mr. Ould
Cheikh Ahmed.
Al Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) are present in many parts of Yemeni territory, he said, adding
that there are reports of their growing influence in large areas of the governorate of Hadramout and their control of its port,
maritime traffic, and illegal oil trade.
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A new cessation of hostilities will open the way of new talks and agreements on Yemen's return to a peaceful and orderly
transition, he said.
On Tuesday, the Security Council heard a briefing by Stephen OBrien, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian
Affairs, who called for an end to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Yemen.
Separately today, Adama Dieng, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and Jennifer Welsh, Special Adviser on the
Responsibility to Protect, issued a joint statement expressing concern at the heavy toll on civilians of the conflict in Yemen.
The two Special Advisers noted that one year after the escalation of the conflict in Yemen, the world is witnessing the
erosion of respect for international humanitarian and human rights law on a daily basis in the country. Civilians and civilian
infrastructures continue to be targeted by all parties to the conflict, to the point that the attention of the international media
has largely become saturated.
We call on the international community and notably on the Security Council - to take action to end this unacceptable
situation, they said, underlining that serious abuses and violations of human rights law and of international humanitarian
law by all sides and their allied forces have been extensively documented, including by the United Nations. Evidence
gathered suggests that some of these violations may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
We acknowledge that the parties have expressed regret at the number of civilian casualties and have committed to the
principle of accountability, the Special Advisers observed. We now expect that commitments by the Yemeni authorities
and by Saudi Arabia to conduct credible and independent investigations into all alleged violations and provide reparations to
victims will be swiftly implemented, they said.

Condemning deadly car bomb attack in Ankara, Ban says UN

stands with Turkish people and Government
17 February - Secretary-General has condemned the explosion reportedly caused by a car
bomb in the Turkish capital, Ankara, today, which reportedly killed more than two-dozen
people.
The explosion, which occurred at rush hour in the heart of the city, claimed the lives of at
least 28 people and injured dozens more, said a statement issued by Mr. Bans
spokesperson.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. UN
Photo/Amanda Voisard (file)

The Secretary-General hopes the perpetrators of this terrorist attack will be swiftly brought
to justice, said the statement, adding that Mr. Ban sends his heartfelt condolences to the
families of the victims, and that the United Nations stands in solidarity with the people and the Government of Turkey at this
tragic time.

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17 February 2016

Darfur: amid fresh violence, thousands of displaced people now

gathering near UN mission base
17 February - The number of civilians fleeing the recent conflict in the Jebel Marra area in
Sudans Darfur region has jumped to 73,000 from 38,000, according to United Nations
estimates, as some 30,000 people flocked to Sortony, where the displaced have been
gathering next to a base operated by the African Union-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

Civilians fleeing conflict in the Jebel

Marra area in Sudans Darfur region
waiting for water distribution near
UNAMID Team Site in Sortoni. Photo:
UNAMID/Hagen Siegert

Civilians have been leaving the Jebel Marra since hostilities between the Government and a
faction of the Sudan Liberation Army escalated in mid-January, and arriving in three main
locations in North Darfur state, including an established camp for the displaced in Tawilla,
which has accommodated 18,000 individuals since mid-January.

The situation remains very fluid, and the United Nations and partners have teams on the
ground working to assess the needs of those who have recently arrived in Sortony and
Tawilla, said Marta Ruedas, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan. Identifying the needs of vulnerable
people is a painstaking exercise, but one that is necessary in order to provide timely and targeted humanitarian relief.
Food and other emergency relief including water, shelter, medical supplies and nutrition supplements were provided to the
newly displaced earlier this week, and the UN and partners are working to provide additional humanitarian assistance,
according to a press release from the Office of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.
Thousands are also reported to have fled into Central Darfur but the UN has not yet been able to verify reported
displacement or ascertain and respond to humanitarian needs, despite several requests to the authorities to access the
relevant areas, the statement said.

Our task is not over, says Ban, urging action on Paris climate
pledges ahead of signing ceremony
17 February - While the international community has provided a solid foundation for the
worlds response to climate change by adopting the Paris Agreement this past December,
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that it is now necessary to build
on that momentum in order to secure a safer and healthier future for all.
At a briefing at UN Headquarters in New York on the high-level signature ceremony for the
Paris Agreement, which he will host on 22 April, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the
ceremony will provide the first opportunity for Governments to advance the process that
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (second
left), UNFCCC's Christiana Figueres
will lead to the Agreements implementation and ratification.
Now we must move from aspirations to action, Mr. Ban said. By implementing the Paris
Agreement, we will be building the future we want a future of shared opportunity that
leaves no-one behind on a planet that is protected and nurtured for the benefit of all, he
added.

(left), French Foreign Minister Laurent

Fabius and President of the UN Climate
Change Conference in Paris (COP21),
and President Franois Hollande of
France (right), celebrate historic adoption
of Paris Agreement. UN Photo/Mark
Garten

Urging the participation of all Governments at the signing ceremony, the UN chief emphasized the importance of the
Agreement entering into force as soon as possible.
The world now has a universal, fair, flexible and durable climate agreement, Mr. Ban said.
For the first time, every country in the world pledged to curb their emissions, strengthen resilience and join in common
cause for the common good, he added.
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In particular, the Agreement will enable the international community to increase ambition on a regular basis, the
Secretary-General said, which is essential in order to keep global temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius, and
pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees.
Our task is not over. In fact, it has just begun, Mr. Ban said. In 2016, we must go from words to deeds. The 22 April
signature ceremony is an essential step, he noted.
Emphasizing that the cost of inaction becomes clearer every day, Mr. Ban stressed that more extreme weather events,
torrential rains and flooding, severe droughts and rising sea levels were leading to lost lives, homes, productivity and hope.
We have no time to delay, the Secretary-General underscored. I urge you to ensure that the legal requirements for your
leaders to have full powers to sign are in place by that date, he said.
Mr. Ban noted that leaders from Peru, France and Morocco the Presidents of recent UN climate change meetings, known
as COP20, COP21 and the upcoming COP22 have agreed to attend the signature ceremony, and that many other world
leaders have promised their attendance as well.
The participation of Heads of State and Government will show the world they are determined to move forward as quickly
as possible, Mr. Ban said. It will keep the global spotlight firmly focused on climate change and build on the strong
political momentum created in Paris.
Mr. Ban added that all leaders will have the opportunity to make a national statement on the day of the ceremony. As such,
he asked that leaders come ready to provide an update on how their Government will implement national climate plans and
integrate them into their overall sustainable development plans, as well as provide a roadmap for increasing ambition over
time to achieve the overall aim of limiting global temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius.
He also asked leaders to be ready to indicate their Governments timetable for ratifying the Paris Agreement, and to share
how they are accelerating climate action before 2020 by drawing on the ingenuity, resources and efforts of all sectors of
society.
We need all hands on deck to meet the climate challenge, Mr. Ban stressed. Cities, schools, the business and investment
communities, faith groups all have a role to play.

UN and partner agency inaugurate first child-friendly spaces in

West Bank refugee camp
17 February - The first ever child-friendly spaces a football pitch and a playground
were inaugurated today in Aida refugee camp in the West Banks town of Bethlehem by the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA) and the Lajee Center, a community-based grassroots creative cultural centre.
"The football pitch and playground inaugurated today are tremendously important for the
well-being of the children of Aida Camp, said the Commissioner-General of UNRWA,
Pierre Krhenbhl, in a press release.
Together with our Palestinian and international partners, we are committed to continue
supporting the children who have endured so much unacceptable pain and suffering, he
stressed.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for

Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA) and the Lajee Center
inaugurated the first ever child-friendly
spaces a football pitch and a playground
in Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem.
Photo: UNRWA/Alaa Ghosheh

The new spaces have been made possible with a generous contribution from the UN Office on Sport for Development and
Peace (UNOSDP) and will provide the children of Aida camp with a rare opportunity to play within a very challenging
environment.
"The refugee children of Aida camp are particularly exposed to frequent confrontations, resulting violence and tear gas in
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17 February 2016

the camp. The playground and the football pitch provide a much-needed opportunity for these kids to play, have fun and for
a moment forget about the daily challenges they face living under military occupation," explained the Director of UNRWA
Operations in the West Bank, Felipe Sanchez.
Diplomats from various countries and community representatives attended the inauguration in addition to UNRWAs top
officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, and the Director of the Lajee Center,
Salah Ajarma.
The inauguration event also featured a football match between diplomats and children of Aida camp as well as an exhibition
of photographs by Osama Silwadi portraying UNRWA staff's commitment to the protection of Palestine refugees.
The inauguration comes after several months of increased violence in and around Aida camp, with almost daily
confrontations between Israeli security forces and Palestinians. From 1 October 2015 to 11 February 2016, UNRWA
recorded 93 incursions by Israeli forces into Aida camp, and more than 512 Palestine refugees, including 61 minors, were
injured.

Malnutrition mounts in eastern and southern Africa as El Nio

takes hold UNICEF
17 February - Across eastern and southern Africa, millions of children are at risk from
malnutrition, hunger, water shortages and disease, the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) warned today, citing two years of erratic rain and drought combined with one of
the most powerful El Nio events in the past 50 years.

A woman draws water from a collection

tank in the ground, in Melbana Village,
Mio District, in Ethiopias droughtaffected Borena Zone. The collection tank
has just been filled by a tanker truck
delivering emergency water supplies.
2011 Credit:
UNICEF/UNI116888/Lemma

The situation is being aggravated by rising food prices, which are forcing families to
implement drastic coping mechanisms such as skipping meals and selling off assets,
resulting in almost 1 million children being in need of treatment for severe acute
malnutrition in the region, said Leila Gharagozloo-Pakkala, UNICEF Regional Director for
Eastern and Southern Africa, in a press release today.
The El Nio weather phenomenon will wane, but the cost to children many who were
already living hand-to-mouth will be felt for years to come, she emphasized.

Governments are responding with available resources, but this is an unprecedented situation. Children's survival is
dependent on action taken today, she added.
According to UNICEF, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and most provinces in South Africa have declared a state of disaster in the face
of growing resource shortages. In Ethiopia, the number of people in need of food assistance is expected to increase from
more than 10 million to 18 million by the end of the year.
Releasing its latest briefing on the impact of El Nio on children in the region, UNICEF noted that, in Ethiopia, two seasons
of failed rains mean that nearly 6 million children currently require food assistance, with school absenteeism increasing as
children are forced to walk greater distances in search of water.
In Somalia, more than two thirds of those in urgent need of assistance are displaced populations, while in Kenya, El Niorelated heavy rains and floods are aggravating cholera outbreaks.
Meanwhile, in Lesotho, one quarter of the population is affected. This aggravates grave circumstances for a country in
which 34 per cent of children are orphans, 57 per cent of people live below the poverty line, and almost one in four adults
live with HIV/AIDS.
In Zimbabwe, an estimated 2.8 million people are facing food and nutrition insecurity. The drought situation has resulted in
reduced water yields from the few functioning boreholes exacerbating the risk to water-borne diseases, especially diarrhoea
and cholera.
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17 February 2016

The agency also noted that Malawi is facing the worst food crisis in nine years, with 2.8 million people (more than 15 per
cent of the population) at risk of hunger. Cases of severe acute malnutrition have increased by 100 per cent from December
2015 to January 2016.
In Angola, an estimated 1.4 million people are affected by extreme weather conditions and 800,000 people are facing food
insecurity, mainly in the semi-arid southern provinces.
The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has estimated that it will take affected communities approximately two
years to recover from El Nio-exacerbated drought, if agricultural conditions improve in the latter half of this year.
UNICEF also stressed that its humanitarian appeals are less than 15 per cent funded across El Nio-impacted countries in
southern Africa.

Guinea-Bissaus political stalemate taking toll on development

UN envoy
17 February - The political impasse in Guinea-Bissau could delay implementation of
critical reforms and erode progress in the West African countrys development, the United
Nations envoy there warned the Security Council today.
The drawn-out political crisis in Guinea-Bissau is taking a toll on development and the
situation could get worse in the absence of a frank and sincere dialogue involving all
parties concerned, Miguel Trovoada, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and
Head of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), said in a
briefing to the 15-nation body.
The more that State institutions and the main political actors remain divided, the more the
current political situation will become more complex, delaying the implementation of
critical reforms, he said as he presented the report of the Secretary-General on
developments in the country and the activities of UNIOGBIS.

Special Representative for Guinea-Bissau

and head of the United Nations
Integrated Peacebuilding Office in
Guinea-Bissau, (UNIOGBIS) Miguel
Trovoada, briefs the Security Council on
the situation in the country. UN
Photo/Eskinder Debebe

All concerned parties in particular the President, the President of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister and political
parties should put the national interest first and engage in a frank and sincere dialogue, strictly respecting the Constitution
and laws, he said.
Failure to do so, he warned, would perpetuate the cycle of political instability that had dogged Guinea-Bissau for too long
and undermine the prospects of its citizens who had displayed remarkable civic spirit to enjoy such basic social
services as health and education. He also expressed concern about growing organized crime, citing recent break-ins at the
residences of a member of the Government and an international UN official.
Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations and Chair of the Guinea-Bissau
Configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, said it was reassuring that political discord had not translated into violence,
but disheartening to see instability forcing international partners to delay the disbursement of financial resources pledged at
the Brussels Donors Conference in March 2015.
It is of the utmost importance, he added, that the Security Council endorse the continuation of the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) Security Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB), whose mandate would expire in June, he
noted.
The Peacebuilding Commission is committed to work together with the Security Council in supporting and strengthening the
role of the UN and of the Special Representative in Guinea-Bissau, he said, also underscoring the important role of regional
organizations, like the African Union and ECOWAS, which coherently articulate the urgent need to overcome the present
impasses.

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However, he emphasized the importance of national leadership and ownership as catalytic factors of political change. The
seeds of economic and social growth have been sowed in Guinea-Bissau by the Bissau-Guineans by adopting a long term
vision for peacebuilding and institutional reform [] The difficulties in improving governance in Guinea-Bissau should not
prevent the country from moving forward on key developmental opportunities, he said.

New trust fund launched by UN and Colombian Government for

peacebuilding needs
17 February - The United Nations and the Government of Colombia today announced the
launch of a new multi-partner trust fund in the countrys capital, Bogot, to respond to
stabilization and peacebuilding needs.
UN Spokesperson Stphane Dujarric noted that the Fund will be managed by the
Government and the UN, in close cooperation with interested donors, and will especially
support conflict areas in the lead-up to and aftermath of possible peace agreements with the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-Peoples Army (FARC-EP).
In January, the Security Council approved a new UN political mission to monitor
disarmament should a final agreement to end Latin Americas longest armed conflict be
reached. The FARC rebels and the Government have been in talks seeking to end the 51year conflict that has left nearly a quarter of a million victims.

Displaced by Colombias armed conflict,

this family now lives in Arjona, an
impoverished community outside
Cartagena on the northern coast. Photo:
Kristy Siegfried/IRIN

The fund will boost access to justice, community security and local governance capacity, restore victims rights and kickstart social and economic rehabilitation, said UN Mr. Dujarric.
Norway, Sweden and the UNs own Peacebuilding Fund are the first contributors, helping the new fund kick off today with
an initial $8 million dollars.

UN and partners to closely coordinate efforts ahead of DR

Congo elections
17 February - The United Nations and its international partner organizations said they are
closely following the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),
particularly in view of the upcoming elections in the country.

Election Day 28 November 2011 in Bunia,

Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC). Photo: MONUSCO

In a joint press statement, the UN, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU) and
the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF) underscored the necessity of an
inclusive political dialogue in the DRC, as well as their commitment to support the
Congolese actors towards the consolidation of democracy in the country.

According to the statement, the four partner organizations underline the crucial importance
of these elections, whose peaceful, transparent, smooth and timely conduct would greatly
contribute to consolidating the progress made in the DRC for more than a decade.
Underscoring the importance of dialogue and the search for an agreement between political actors that is respectful of
democracy and the rule of law, the organizations urge all Congolese political actors to spare no effort, within the
framework of the countrys Constitution, to ensure the successful holding of elections, preserve peace and deepen
democracy, including through a political process.
Recalling the appointment by the AU of Mr. Edem Kodjo as Special Envoy to undertake consultations on the envisaged
dialogue in the DRC, the partner organizations also urge all Congolese political actors to extend him their full cooperation.
They also recalled that the decision by the AU and the efforts of the Special Envoy on the ground fall within the framework
of the relevant instruments of the AU, including the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.

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In addition, the partner organizations said they are committed to closely coordinating their efforts in the DRC, in accordance
with their principles and values, with particular regard to the promotion of democracy and the rule of law.

Australia violated rights of David Hicks by jailing him after

transfer from Guantanamo UN experts
17 February - Australia violated the rights of David Hicks by keeping him in jail, as
evidence shows that he was forced to accept a plea bargain with United States authorities as
a condition for his return, United Nations human rights experts have said.
Mr. Hicks, an Australian national, was convicted in March 2007 under the US Military
Commission Act 2006 on charges of providing material support for terrorism and given a
seven-year sentence. A few months later, he was transferred from the US Naval Base at
Guantnamo Bay in Cuba to Australia where he served the remaining seven months of his
sentence in prison.

Photo: IRIN

Although transfer agreements are important, because they allow prisoners convicted abroad to serve their sentences in their
own country, States should not carry out a sentence if there is ample evidence that the trial clearly violated the defendants
rights, as was the case with Mr. Hicks, Fabian Salvioli, Chair of the UN Human Rights Committee, said in a press release.
The findings by the Commitee, which is composed of 18 independent experts who monitor compliance with the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), came after considering a complaint brought by Mr. Hicks
specifically regarding his treatment by Australia.
The Committee found that the decision to continue to jail Mr. Hicks as a result of the transfer deal constituted a
disproportionate restriction of the right to liberty in violation of the Covenant, said Mr. Savioli.
By the time Mr. Hicks was transferred, there was a lot of information available that raised serious concerns about the
fairness of the procedures by the US Military Commission, he said.
That should have been enough to cast doubt among the Australian authorities as to the legality and legitimacy of the
sentence imposed on him, said Mr. Salvioli. Australian officials had also visited Mr. Hicks at Guantnamo and were
therefore in a good position to understand the conditions under which he was held and tried.
In its findings, the Human Rights Committee wrote that, Mr. Hicks, in order to escape the violations to which he was
subjected in Guantanamo, had no other choice than to accept the terms of the Plea Agreement that was put to him. It was
therefore incumbent on (Australia) to show that it did everything possible to ensure that the terms of the transfer
arrangement that had been negotiated with the United States did not cause it to violate the Covenant.
As a party to the ICCPR, Australia is obliged to make full reparations to individuals whose rights have been violated. In Mr.
Hicks case, Australias actions regarding the transfer arrangement were intended to help him and did in fact mitigate the
harm he would have suffered had he remained in US custody, and so the finding of a violation was sufficient reparation, the
Committee noted.

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17 February 2016

Senior UN relief official calls on Israel to halt demolitions in

West Bank immediately
17 February - A senior United Nations humanitarian official today called for an immediate
halt to the destruction of Palestinian-owned property in the occupied West Bank and for
respect for international law.
The number of demolitions for just the first six weeks of 2016 is greatly alarming, said
Robert Piper, the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance and Development Aid for
the occupied Palestinian territory, in a press release.
Over 400 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes equivalent to over half the
total number of Palestinians displaced in all of 2015, he added.

Israeli authorities demolished Bedouin

homes in the vulnerable community of
Abu Nwar, Area C, near East Jerusalem
in the West Bank. Photo: UNRWA

According to the UN, between 1 January and 15 February, Israeli forces destroyed, dismantled or confiscated 283 homes
and other structures, displacing 404 Palestinians, including 219 children, and affecting another 1,150 Palestinians, who lost
structures related to their source of income.
Over 100 of the demolished structures were already provided as humanitarian assistance to families in need, often in the
wake of an earlier demolition. These incidents reportedly occurred in 41 Palestinian locations, many in Palestinian Bedouin
or herder communities in Israeli-controlled Area C.
Most of the demolitions in the West Bank take place on the spurious legal grounds that Palestinians do not possess building
permits, said Mr. Piper, but, in Area C, official Israeli figures indicate only 1.5 per cent of Palestinian permit applications
are approved in any case. So what legal options are left for a law-abiding Palestinian?
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has noted that the Israeli zoning and planning policy in the West Bank is
restrictive and discriminatory. Under international humanitarian law, the destruction of property in an occupied territory is
also prohibited unless absolutely necessary for military operations.
International law is clear Palestinians in the West Bank have the right to adequate housing and the right to receive
humanitarian assistance, said Mr. Piper. As the occupying power, Israel is obliged to respect these rights.

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)