humanitarianism

58th Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD58)

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Source: http://www.un.org/development/desa

The Commission for Social Development (CSocD58) is the advisory body responsible for the social development pillar of global development within the United Nations. The commission is currently holding its 58th Session at the United Nations headquarters in New York from February 10- 19th2020. Also, as a highlight during the 2020 session, the Commission for Social Development is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and the 25th anniversary of the Copenhagen Declaration for Social Development.

The theme for the 58th Session of the Commission for Social Development is “Affordable housing and social protection systems for all to address homelessness”

During the first meeting of the 58th Commission for Social Development, H.E. Mr. Wulfran announced the newly elected officers, and vice presidents in different regions. United nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Zhenmin, in his remark showed the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth extraordinary session of the General Assembly with the Priority theme: “Affordable Housing and Social Protection Systems for All to Address Homelessness”. He mentioned the novel Corona virus, which is impacting China, and spreading all around the world. Global efforts to prevent the novel corona virus is necessary for social protection. The effort for china in global health and support to outbreak the novel Corona virus soon. Provision of adequate, safe and, affordable housing, expansion of social impact, adoption of climate change, partnership with government, and civil society is the priority theme for social protection, development, and policy.

Chair of the NGO Committee for Social Development, Mr. Perell recognized that the implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and the Programme of Action, the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, Action for Youth, four the objectives of the International Year of the Family and their follow-up processes. He also highlighted the role of non-governmental organizations, civil society actors, in advancing the implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and the Programme of Action and, in this respect, the work of the Commission. The important thing is encouraging the member state to find the tool and take advantage to consider a new approach for the decade of action delivery for social hosing development with the universal definition for homelessness, academic study, and policy declaration.

https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/2019/10/inclusive-united-cities/

Representative in Youth, Ms. Tan Ja Yi recognized the homeless social protection services with member state commitment to invest prioritize and underrate and lifelong system for youth. She pointed out providing to every child in the same line is need able to give good nutrient food, financial aid for high education, etc. According to UNICEF reports, the government programs still challenge to provide education to all children go the school and need some resources to analyze. She talked about the review of relevant United Nations plans and programs of action about the situation of social groups, especially youth and women.

Director of DESA’s Division for Inclusive Social Development, Ms. Bas briefly emphasized the Social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda have triggered progress and shifted the way African governments and their development partners consider about the gap’s challenges related to social, economic, and political transformation in Africa. For the National dimension of a new partnership in African, we should produce social progress, political development of Africa, improve the living standard and going forward to prioritize their policy for sustainable growth, and universal education or health.

She pointed government leaders and decision-makers at national level should continue to champion sound governance and focus on the provision of public goods and services. She also highlighted the policy tool for portable housing can affect society and show the result by implementing the social framework. United Nations system organizations and African Union institutions should continue to establish more formal and consistent coordination.

Meeting: 58th session of the Commission for Social Development

Date/Location: Monday 10th February 2020; 10:00 am to 1:00 pm; Conference Room 4, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY

Speakers
H.E. Mr. Gbolié Desiré Wulfran IPO, Chairperson of commission for social development

Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs 

Daniel Perell, Chair of the NGO Committee for Social Development.

Olivia Tan Ja Yi, Representative in Youth and Yale University

Daniela Bas, Director of DESA’s Division for Inclusive Social Development

Written By: WIT Representative Huijun Edelyn Park

International Criminal Tribunals and Justice after Civil War

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In this session, the General Assembly discussed the many challenges facing the international tribunals formed in response to the civil wars in Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Mr. Agius stated that the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) wishes to resolve all remaining cases regarding inhumane crimes by 2017. The ICTY has already finished proceedings against 154 individuals charged for serious violations of international humanitarian law. Mr. Meron stated that since the tribunals have been established, there has been a “new age of accountability,” within the community. The social movement aids the tribunal in appropriately and accurately convicting responsible individuals.

The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) executed the other functions of the ICTY since the conclusion of the Rwanda Tribunal in 2015. Mr. Meron stressed the importance of cooperation and support by Member States for the success of the MICT and ICTY in regards to the remaining cases. Most of the convicted individuals in Rwanda have been acquitted or released in the United Republic of Tanzania. Serbia was claimed to also surrendered many indicted individuals. A debate arose, and the Representative of Croatia argued otherwise. He emphasized that all arrest warrants are currently pending, thus expressing concerns of “failures” within the tribunals. The Representative of the United States expressed that the support of judges and staff can be helpful in the tribunals following through on indictments.

Meeting: General Assembly Plenary, Seventy-First Session, 44th Meeting, “Report of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.”

Date/Location: Wednesday, 9 November 2016; 10:00 to 13:00; United Nations Headquarters, General Assembly Hall

Speakers: Mr. Theodor Meron, President of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals; Carmel Agius, President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

Written By: Ashley Lee, WIT Representative

Humanitarian Relief in Armed Conflict

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In situations of global armed conflict, civilians are in need of vital supplies, such as food, water, clothing, and shelter. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in partnership with the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict launched the “Oxford Guidance on the Law Relating to Humanitarian Relief Operations in Situations of Armed Conflict.” According to Mr. Dapo Akande, one of the authors, its aim is to continue execution of the laws within the document as they stand, but provide better clarity with regard to humanitarian relief operations in situations of armed conflict.

One of the biggest problems humanitarian organizations face is obtaining consent from parties involved in the armed conflict in order to conduct humanitarian operations within their territory. The Oxford Guidance addresses the responsibility of the states or parties to meet the needs of their civilian population. If civilians are not being adequately provided with essential supplies as a result of state neglect, consent for the humanitarian relief operations must not be arbitrarily withheld. In response, failure to meet such responsibilities by withholding consent or denying civilians access to humanitarian relief programs will subject the states or parties to being charged with war crimes.

Non-belligerent states must allow neglected civilians access to humanitarian relief as well. These states must “allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief supplies, equipment, and personnel.” These states may also have technical arrangements that allow them to search any of the supplies or personnel, so long as it does not delay progress within the humanitarian operations.

Meeting: “Oxford Guidance on the Law Relating to Humanitarian Relief Operations in Situations of Armed Conflict”

Date/Time/Location: 27 October 2016; 10:00 to 12:00; Conference Room 11

Speakers: Ryan Goodman, Professor of Law at the New York University School of Law; Hansjoerg Strohmeyer, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Chief of Policy Development and Studies Branch; Dapo Akande, Professor of Public International Law at the University of Oxford; Emanuela-Chiara Gillard, Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict

Written By: Leticia Murillo, WIT Representative

 

Homegrown solutions to African problems and innovative practices in humanitarian action

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The event aims to showcase innovative models in private-public sector partnerships in humanitarian financing.

Ms. Jeanine Cooper opened the panel discussion by stating that helping is an integral part of the social fabric of Africa and therefore finding solutions in response to humanitarian crises is something very innate to the community.

Mr. Muhamad Sani Sidi’s address was about locating best practices learning from the 2012 flood in Nigeria. It was the largest natural disaster the country has ever seen, displacing over 2.3 million people. As an outcome, public-private partnerships have strengthened in the region. The Federal Government of Nigeria allocates 1% of total national income towards disaster management. Furthermore, the private sector too played a key role by raising and allocating 84 million US Dollars towards the disaster. However, the disaster coupled with the problem of insurgency in the country pose many humanitarian problems such as the closure of educational institutions in Nigeria.

Mr. Ahmed Idris shared success stories from Kenya. He posited that young people are vital to the progress of Africa as more than half of the population of the continent is under the age of 20. This reflects a growth in literacy rates as more children in the 21st century attend school compared to their older counterparts. Furthermore, technology is playing a key role in aiding humanitarian assistance. In Kenya technology helps authorise humanitarian assistance and aid documents from the government within five days.

Mr. Sunday Babatunde echoed similar innovative ideas highlighted by Mr. Ahmed Idris and Mr. Muhamad Sani Sidi. He addressed a need for governments to develop support systems that encourage these novel responses to old problems relating to humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, he stated that OCHA AU has a humanitarian assistant team with 23 members states and many UN Agencies that support initiatives of the African Union for coordination and Africa Disaster Management Platform.

 Meeting title: “Homegrown solutions to African problems and innovative practices in humanitarian action”
Speakers: Ms. Jeanine Cooper, OCHA representative to the AU and ECA; Mr. Ahmed Idris, Kenya Red Cross; Mr. Sunday Babatunde, OCHA regional civil military coordinator (Africa Region); Mr. Muhamad Sani Sidi, Director General, NEMA-Nigeria
Location: Conference Room E, United Nations HQ, New York 
Date: Thursday, 26 June 2014
Written by WIT Representative: Apurv Gupta
Edited by WIT Representative: Sophia Griffiths-Mark