Syria

First Cracks in the Syrian Impunity Wall

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futureforeignpolicy.com

This afternoon’s meeting sought to underline the importance of ensuring fair and impartial criminal accountability for the serious and ongoing crimes committed against civilian population throughout the course of the Syrian Conflict. Many United Nations member states have supported this issue, however in May 2014, UN Security Council resolution to give International Criminal Court (ICC) a mandate in Syria was blocked by both China and Russia. This has resulted in an ‘accountability vacuum’ that has often been overlooked, and has consequently fueled further grave abuses by all parties to the conflict. Now, for the first time in the five years of the conflict, the ‘shield of impunity is beginning to crack’: several European countries including Sweden, Germany, France and Finland are implementing universal jurisdiction, making it possible to undergo processes of investigation and prosecution for individuals linked to crimes in Syria. Deputy representatives of these European countries brought attention to these judicial developments and the ongoing efforts taking place. They highlighted the significance of bringing justice to the victims of these crimes to ensure stability and peace in Syria and emphasized the need for all member states to commit to answering the question of accountability.

Meeting: First Cracks in the Syrian Impunity Wall: National Prosecutions Underway in the Courts of Third Party States for Serious Crimes committed in Syria (co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Liechtenstein and Qatar)

Date/Time/Location: June 21, 2016; 13:15 – 14:30; Conference Room 7

Speakers: H.E. Ms. Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, Deputy Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations; H.E. Mr. Christian Wenaweser, Deputy Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein to the United Nations; H.E. Mr. Olof Skoog, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations; H.E. Mr. Heiko Thoms, Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations; Mr. Alexis Lamek, Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations; Mr. Fadel AbdulGhani, Chairman of the Syrian Network for Human Rights

Written By: Lena Courcol

Security Council Meeting on the Democratic Republic of Congo and Syria

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The Security Council Chamber held its 7659th meeting. The meeting was on the
adoption of the agenda regarding the situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the
Congo Report of the Secretary-General. The council voted on the draft of the resolution,
and it received 15 votes in favor. Thus, the draft had been adopted unanimously.

The President of the Security Council then gave the floor to the representative of the
Democratic Republic of Congo. The representative first gave thanks to the delegation for
the knowledge and competence they had in this task. He discussed two issues: elections
and the fight against armed groups in the region. With regard to elections, he stated that
the country intends to run elections that are in line with the standard of the international
community. The representative noted that the government is pursuing the eradication of
armed groups to allow a peaceful life for its people. However, this can only be achieved
with the support of all countries in the region. In addition, the representative said we must recognize that noncooperation of countries in the region is a danger that could
compromise these efforts. After the representative gave his statement, the President adjourned the meeting.

Shortly after, the Security Council held its 7660th meeting on the adoption of the agenda regarding the situation in the Middle East. The President gave the floor to Mr. O’Brien, and he said that there has been much progress on humanitarian access in Syria. Since the beginning of the year, the UN has reached 150,000 people through convoys. However, he noted that this is only a first step to what is required. Humanitarian conditions remain dire, and there are still 4.6 million people who are in need of assistance. After the briefing from Mr. O’Brien, the President adjourned the meeting.

Meeting: Security Council: 7659th meeting; 7660th meeting

Date/Location: Wednesday March 30, 2016, 10:00 –10:30; Security Council

Chamber

Speakers: Representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo; Mr. Stephen

O’Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief

Coordinator

Written By: WIT Representative Kangho (Paul) Jung

Edited By: WIT Representative Alexander Margolick

Photo Credit: Stan Honda/AF

More Aid, More Problems: How to Help the Helpers in the Middle East

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Syria Agrees To Delivery Of Humanitarian Aid

Today, the Security Council ran two meetings, beginning with the adoption of the agenda and an introduction to the situation in the Middle East. A letter dated 22 January 2016 from the Panel of Experts on Yemen was read, discussing the significant challenges to the implementation of humanitarian aid and the destructive impact that the humanitarian situation in Yemen has had on civilians. The urgency to simplify the process of aiding others was stressed: to move a single truck, the UN team needs to go through repeated rounds of everything from the target location to the route and dates and times. This toiling process hinders the efficiency of the task at hand.

Recently, a WFP plane sent from the UN and its partners dropped some necessities in Syria that have reached 110 people in besieged places, with 230 more people that can be reached through airdrops, and an additional 170 people are in need. This month, aid was brought to 960 people, which is a 48% increase from January. It was stated that with the highest price of the Syrian conflict being paid by the men, women, and children who are witnessing their homes being torn apart, granting access should not be dependent on political situations.

Next, Dr. Ja’afari wanted to shed light on the brutality: some states impose unilateral measures on the Syrian people, which merely aggravate the suffering; some accuse the government of purposely seizing and starving the civilians. He disputed these claims by stating, “Only civilians are hungry, not terrorists. Terrorists do not go hungry. It is inevitable that only civilians go hungry. It has become clear that the improvement of the Syrian situation is necessary.” Finally, the President adjourned the meeting with an invitation to the council members for an informal discussion.

Meeting: Security Council: 7630th, 7631st Meetings

Date/Location: Wednesday, February 24th, 2016; 10:00-11:00; Security Council Chamber

Speakers: Rafael Ramirez, President of Security Council from Venezuela; the Panel of Experts on Yemen; H.E. Bashar Ja’afari, Ph.D., the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Written By: WIT Representative Jin Yoo

Edited By: WIT Representative Alex Margolick

Photo Credit: United Nation Relief and Works Agency via Getty Images

Funding Relief: Prioritizing International Aid

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Today there was a meeting organized by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to address the High-level Panel on Humanitarian Financing.

The insufficiency of the $25 billion that the world spends to provide for the 125 million people struck by natural disasters and wars shows the striking need to a solution on providing for these people. A nine-person panel assigned by the UN Secretary-General aims to close this financial gap with three aspects of the challenge: reduce the needs, mobilize additional funds, and improve the efficiency of humanitarian assistance.

The briefing began with an introduction by Mr. Eliasson. Regarding Syria, he said that “this is the time for unprecedented humanitarian needs.” He introduced Ms. Georgieva, a co-chair of the panel. She retold a conversation she had with a Syrian girl who wished she could go to school. She believes it is necessary to aid those like the Syrian girl by implementing funds in more efficient ways.

To deal with the growing needs, the panel suggested to address their root causes by allocating to peace operations, setting up emergency reserve funds for countries at risk of natural disasters, and increasing the current level of funding of the Crisis Response Window by at least threefold. The panel also proposed that all states should contribute to humanitarian action rather than solely relying on ODA donors. The private sector, media, and humanitarian organizations should encourage raising funds. The panel also introduced a Grand Bargain, an agreement for organizations and donors to not only give more, but also give better, being more flexible and improve response time.

Lastly, the ambassador for PR in UAE stated how impactful the aid is and how fitting the proposed solutions are. The meeting was adjourned with an open floor for questions and comments.

Meeting:  “Too important to fail – addressing the humanitarian financing gap”

Date/Location: Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016; 10:15-11:15; Conference Room 7

Speakers: H.E. Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General; Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Bulgaria, Vice President for Budget and Human Resources, the European Commission; HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah, Malaysia, Ruler of Perak, Malaysia; Ambassador for Public Relations in the United Arab Emirates

Written By: WIT Representative Jin Yoo

Edited By: WIT Representative Alex Margolick

Photo Credit: Gokhan Sahin via Getty Images

Nation-State of Emergency: Providing International Aid to Syria

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Syrian refugees in Kurdistan, Iraq.:

Today, at the 7611th meeting of the Council, there was an unanimous vote led by the President in favor of document S/2016/81, a draft resolution presented by France. The meeting was adjourned immediately afterwards.

The 7612th meeting about the situation in the Middle East and the agenda to be adopted in accordance with it, the S/2016/60 report of the Secretary General, was then initiated. Firstly, Mr. O’Brien spoke on the necessity to agree on providing aid in Syria despite political barriers. With over 200,000 people killed and more than 1 million injured, there are now 4.6 million refugees; the 13.5 million people left are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. He stressed the importance on the protection of civilians, calling the situation in Madaya as the “tip of the iceberg.” To give more numbers on the conflict in Syria, there are 2 million people out of school; 35 schools attacked in 2015. A mere 10% of the 113 requests on the much-needed humanitarian assistance were resolved, and many could not be approved due to the lack of security. He stressed three conditions: 1) stop targeting civilians and their infrastructures that are necessary for human survival, 2) facilitate full access to all people in need, including besieged areas for medical supplies, and 3) allow freedom of movement for all civilians. “The Syrian people cannot wait any longer,” he stated. Ms. Cousin reiterated this call for help with her following briefing. In July 2014, the first interagency convoy allowed people to leave and enter Madaya with only one checkpoint. However, in December 2015, the checkpoint was closed, leaving 44,000 people besieged. Now, food there is very limited – this is just one example of the struggle in Syria that desperately needs aid.

Meeting: Security Council, 7611th & 7612th Meeting

Date/Location: Wednesday, January 27th, 2016; 10:00-11:00; Security Council Chamber

Speakers: President of the United Nations Security Council, José Luis Cancela; Mr. Stephen O’Brien: Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; Ms. Ertharin Cousin: Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme

Written By: WIT Representative Jin Yoo

Edited By: WIT Representative Alex Margolick

Photo Credit: Unknown

General Elections in the General Assembly

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Today, there was a meeting held by the General Assembly. It was divided into three parts: the election of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Appointment of the judges of the UN Dispute Tribunals, and the Appointment of the judges of the UN Appeals Tribunals.

Mr. Mogens Lykketoft led the meeting on the voting and announcements of various positions. Mr. Filippo Grandi of Italy was elected as the High Commissioner for Refugees. The distinguished representatives of the Pacific, European Union, and the Gulf spoke their congratulations and support for Mr. Grandi’s election. His term will begin on January 16th, 2015 and end on December 1st, 2020. His responsibilities are to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve their problems internationally.

This is relevant to the current problem in Syria, which is the largest refugee crisis since World War II. The Office was created in 1950, and since then, it has helped nearly 55 million internally displaced and stateless refugees and returnees.

The Internal Justice Council recommended the judges of the Tribunals, who were appointed today by the Assembly. The statutes of the Tribunals were adopted and amended in resolution. There was a written ballot on the election for the Appeals and Dispute Tribunals, following the rules of procedure. Because the terms of the current judges are expiring, new judges who are eligible for election were voted for consideration. There are currently four vacancies on the Appeals Tribunal and three on the Dispute Tribunal from July 1st, 2016, to be voted for positions, which can be either full-time or half-time. This procedure for identifying suitable candidates enables the Council to place in an informal roster to possibly serve for the next scheduled term of judges.

Meeting: General Assembly 57th Plenary Meeting

Date/Location: Wednesday, November 18th, 2015; 11:00-11:30; General Assembly Hall

Speakers: Mogens Lykketoft, President of the United Nations General Assembly

Written By: WIT Representative Jin Yoo

Edited By: WIT Representative Alex Margolick

Placing the Displaced: Accomodating the Refugee Crisis

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   The Third Committee hosted a meeting to address the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The report focused on the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East, where hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled to seek safety over the last few months. 60 million people worldwide are forcibly displaced as a result of war and persecution. In the past five years alone, the number of people forced from their homes every single day has quadrupled from under 11,000 in 2010 to 42,500.

   The meeting began with remarks from delegates. The first delegate was the representative of Kuwait, and he paid tribute to the High Commissioner for extending humanitarian efforts to the refugees even under every difficult conditions. He stated that Kuwait emphasizes continuation and support to the high commission, and that the country has participated voluntarily to 1 million dollars in aid. The representative also explained that he was very concerned by the suffering of refugees and displaced people in Iraq, which resulted from activity carried out by the Islamic State extremist militant group.

   Another notable speaker was the representative of Pakistan, who stated that the process of helping the refugees has been much too slow and inadequate, and that the international community has ignored this for far too long. The delegate explained that only 127,000 people were able to return home this year, which is the lowest number since 1983. One of the biggest issues is the lack of nutrition and education among children, which could lead to the risk of losing an entire generation.

   A representative who offered a different perspective was the delegate from Kenya, who explained that the burden of hosting refugees is enormous, especially financially. However, Kenya continues to welcome refugees in accordance to tradition.

Meeting: Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions

Date/Location: Wednesday November 4, 2015, 10:00 – 13:00; Conference Room 1

Speakers: Representative of Kuwait; Representative of Nigeria; Representative of Pakistan; Representative of Japan; Representative of Kenya; Representative of India

Written By: WIT Representative Kangho (Paul) Jung

Edited By: WIT Representative Alex Margolick

Photo Credit: Frank Augstein/AP

Security Council Voted Unanimously to Give Aid to Syrians

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UN Security Council voted unanimously on Resolution 2165, which authorized direct provision of humanitarian assistance to Syria through four checkpoints from the neighbouring countries without the consent of the Assad regime.

Syrian Vote

The authors of the resolution took the floor immediately after the vote to explain the rationale of passing the resolution. Australia stated that the resolution “should not have been necessary”, for it was the consistent non-compliance of previous resolutions 2135 and 2139 that gave rise to the instant resolution. The Austrian Ambassador added it is the “cynical manipulation of humanitarian aid by the regime” and “calculated denial of life-saving medical supply” that caused the council to act in unison. Luxembourg spoke on the monitoring procedures of the resolution, stating that a Secretary-General initiated monitoring regime will ensure that only aid and aid workers pass through the specified checkpoint. The third author, Jordan, reminded the council that the new resolution should be read in concert with previous ones, and that the previous resolutions are still in force. Other members of the council explained their vote by reiterating the “untold suffering of Syrian people” and the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis in Syria. They also highlighted the need to find political solutions for the political problems facing Syria. Many, including American Ambassador Samantha Power, commended the council for the new unity in handling the Syrian crisis. Members also urged all sides in Syria to work with the Secretary-General’s new envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

In response to the resolution, the Syrian Ambassador reiterated his government’s provision of humanitarian aid, and stated that the opposition is part of the humanitarian crisis but not the solution of it. He denounced some countries for supporting the opposition, stating that such stubbornness of these governments encouraged terrorism from Iraq spilling over to Syria.

Meeting Title –7216th meeting of the UN Security Council
Speakers – Permanent Representative of Argentina, Australia, Chad, China, Chile, France, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Republic of Korea and Rwanda, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States to the United Nations
Location – Security Council Chamber, United Nations Headquarters
Date – July 14th, 2014
Summary Written By – Harrison Chung

Trends in Humanitarian Financing: do resources meet the needs?

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UntitledHumanitarian crises and needs in 2013 was extraordinary, the level of international humanitarian response rose to a record high of US$22 billion. As crises developed or emerged over the year, the numbers of affected people fluctuated. In light of that, financial resources are increasingly stretched. At the United Nations panellists gathered to discuss and identify how resources can more effectively channelled in order to meet the needs of affected civilians.

H.E. Ambassador Nusseibeh commenced the meeting by highlighting 2012 as a year of “recurring disasters” during which there was a stark change in the number of high-level humanitarian crises in 2013. Millions of people were affected by various crises, which stretched international response and funding. In particular adversity in South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen affected hundreds of thousands of people and called for significant international humanitarian response.

Ms. Swithern emphasised that South Sudan and Syria now appear at the top of the list of nations in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. This is due to the ongoing conflict driven crises in these respective countries. The United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Turkey and Japan were the largest government donors in 2013. He stressed that even though the international humanitarian response has increased significantly, it is still not enough to fully meet the ever-growing global needs.

Mr. Strohmeyer briefly explained the importance of looking at various funding mechanisms and developing multi-year strategies as funding moves through chains of transaction in varying lengths and complexity. He also stated that in order to improve the effectiveness of resources, it is necessary to provide independent, transparent and accessible information.

It is clear that national and local NGOs form an essential part of the humanitarian response. Ms. Genel introduced a Turkey-based NGO ‘Support to Life’, which works internationally on humanitarian principles. Despite NGO assistance Ms. Genel emphasised that domestic government resources are substantial and should continue to be the key driver of long-term development.

Meeting Title: Trends in humanitarian financing: do resources meet the needs?
Speakers: Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations; Ms. Sophia Swithern, Programme Leader, Global Humanitarian Programme of Development Initiatives; Mr. Hansjoerg Strohmeyer, Chief, Policy Development and Studies Branch (OCHA); Ms. Sema Genel, Director, Support to Life (Turkey)
Location: Conference Room C, United Nations HQ, New York
Date: 24 June 2014
Written By WIT representative: Samantha Kong
Edited By WIT Representative: Sophia Griffiths-Mark 

UN Coordinated Emergency Response Fund in Humanitarian Situations

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Today a meeting was held to discuss the use of the UN’s Coordinated Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in large-scale emergency situations. Beginning the meeting, Ms. Amos, the Under-Secretary General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, spoke about CERF’s response and effectiveness in Syria, Central African Republic, and South Sudan. She said the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is increasing, and that CERF needs to systematically leverage the limited amounts of funding it has in order for its response to have the greatest impact in conflict areas.

Following, Mr. Mogwanja from UNICEF gave a statement about CERF’s partnership with UNICEF, and how CERF makes humanitarian responses faster, more predictable, and more coordinated. Since its launch in 2006, CERF has helped to shine a light on otherwise ignored emergency situations.

UFE Round I 2014

Next, Mr. Moustapha, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), emphasized how CERF can help respond to large scale cross boarder emergencies, like the humanitarian crisis in the DRC and the Central African Republic. Mr. Moustapha praised CERF for its flexibility, and its ability to efficiently unite and focus acute relief efforts in grave humanitarian situations. However, he called for CERF funds to be allocated in a more fair and inclusive manner, and for there to be a more serious reporting system on its progress.

Concluding the meeting, Mr. Guterres from UNHCR spoke about how to deal with a dramatic rise in the need for CERF funding. Population growth, climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity are contributing to global humanitarian crises. New ways of funding for humanitarian situations are gravely needed. Mr. Guterres concluded the meeting by emphasizing that overall CERF works well because it is not bureaucratic, has low transaction costs, clear rules, and is speedy in its response.

 

Meeting Title: Use of CERF in Large-Scale Emergencies
Speakers: Ms. Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator; Mr. Martin Mogwanja, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF; Moustapha Soumare, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for the Democratic Republic of Congo; Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Date: 24 June 2014
Location: Conference Room 2, United Nations HQ, New York
Written by WIT Representative: Marli Kasdan