Despite challenges and resource constraints, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals is operating without the support of its two predecessors – criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda – and has thus assumed the full scope of their residual functions, the legal body’s President told the Security Council on Wednesday.

The functions taken over by the Residual Mechanism include tracking and prosecution of remaining fugitives, retrials, new trials for contempt or false testimony, protection of victims and witnesses, and preservation and management of archives – tasks mandated to the two criminal tribunals.

Highlighting milestones, Judge Theodor Meron, the President of the Residual Mechanism emphasized the adoption, in April, of the revision to the Code of Professional Conduct for the Judges of the Mechanism, by which the Judges may be held accountable for upholding the principles set forth therein.

This development as another example of “the Mechanism’s commitment to best practice and to serving as a model for accountability in all respects,” he said.

On judicial activities, Judge Meron informed the Security Council of the appeal hearing in the Šešelj (MICT-16-99) case and that the appeal judgement in that case, rendered in April. He also spoke of the  appeal hearing in the Karadžić (MICT-13-55) case, which took place on 23 and 24 April, and that it is the aim to conclude the case by December, significantly earlier than previously forecast.

Good progress was also achieved in other ongoing cases, including in the retrial in Stanišić and Simatović (MICT-15-96) case and in the ongoing appeal proceedings in the Mladić (MICT-13-56) case.

Judge Meron further informed the Council that the Residual Mechanism transferred eight convicted persons from the UN Detention Facility in Arusha to enforcement States during the reporting period, including four individuals to Senegal and four to Benin.

The Residual Mechanism aims to complete the transfer of all convicted persons under the Mechanism’s jurisdiction in Arusha and in The Hague within this year, he added.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Serge Brammertz, Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (MICT), briefs the Security Council.

Speaking alongside Judge Meron, Serge Brammertz, the Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, spoke of the work by the Residual Mechanism in locating the remaining eight fugitives indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)

The victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda deserve nothing less – Prosecutor Brammertz

“While the challenges in tracking fugitives are too significant to guarantee a positive outcome, my Office can commit that we will spare no effort,” he said.

“The victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda deserve nothing less.”

Prosecutor Brammertz also informed the Security Council about the search for missing persons in the former Yugoslavia and that many stakeholders took the initiative to raise this issue with his office and seek its assistance.

“Efforts are urgently needed to strengthen the search for missing persons. 10,000 families – from all sides – still do not know the fate of their loved ones,” he added.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) was established by the Security Council Resolution in 2010 to complete the remaining work of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia after the completion of their respective mandates, in December 2015 and December 2017, respectively.

Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the 5 June declaration of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) “in support of the people of Nicaragua.”

The declaration calls on the Nicaraguan Government and all members of society to engage constructively in dialogue to address the country’s challenges and to stop all forms of violence.

The country has been gripped by mass protests since mid-April.

“The Secretary-General is encouraged that the Government is working with the OAS on electoral issues as well as with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on the establishment of a Group of International Independent Experts to investigate the recent violence and expresses his solidarity with the people of Nicaragua,” said UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“The United Nations system stands ready to provide technical support to the dialogue mediated by the Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Conference and to the IACHR initiatives,” Mr. Dujarric concluded.

The aim of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights – an OAS organ – is to promote and protect rights in the American hemisphere.

No single entity is large enough or has all the necessary skillsets to deliver the 2030 Agenda on its own, the United Nations deputy chief told a high-level meeting on the issue of transforming energy access in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

“To be strong partners of countries as they deliver the 2030 Agenda – across all SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] – the United Nations too must change,” Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, said Wednesday at the High-level Panel on Transformational Energy Access in LDCs in Geneva.

“But together, the United Nations development system offers unapparelled expertise and global reach,” she added.

Ms. Mohammed spoke compelling on how the SDGs interrelate. She highlighted the importance of SDG7 on affordable and clean energy for all, saying that advancing the energy transition is “the golden thread that links most of the SDGs.”

She referred to universal access to modern energy as a catalyst of inclusivity, underscoring that it improves livelihoods and social mobility, gender equality and women’s empowerment; aids access to clean water and refrigeration; and, by powering medical facilities, enables the safe storage of medicines and vaccines.

“Reaching SDG7 therefore contributes to SDG3 on good health and well-being,” the UN deputy chief explained.

In rural areas of LDCs, women are typically overburdened with household and unpaid work, including fetching water, gathering firewood, and preparing food.

Least developed countries  are low-income countries confronting severe structural impediments to sustainable development. They are highly vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks and have low levels of human assets. According to the UN, there are currently 47 countries classified as least developed. 

“The availability of modern energy can significantly reduce time spent on these activities and contribute to achieving SDG5 on gender equality,” she asserted.

“In addition to social benefits, SDG7 is also at the core of the economic SDGs, namely Goals 8, 9 and 10, helping to increase productivity, enable production and innovation, and reduce inequality,” she continued.

Universal access to modern energy is essential to the 2030 Agenda and its core pledge of ‘leaving no one behind — UN deputy chief Amina Mohammed

Renewable energy, such as wind and solar, has brought costs down and opening opportunities for electricity in rural areas, accelerating rural development.

“And, by enhancing agricultural productivity and food security, it will lead to SDG2 on ending hunger,” stressed Ms. Mohammed.

However, providing the required finance for SDG7 and for transferring the necessary technology, is a huge undertaking that requires national policies and stronger international support.

“Achieving universal access to modern energy in LDCs by 2030 will be costly,” she affirmed. “It will require investments between $12 and $40 billion dollars a year.”

While expanding international trade and investment has helped, effective technology transfer that enables LDCs to leapfrog to the constantly evolving renewable technologies for sustainable energy is a challenge.

Ms. Mohammed argued that South-South and triangular cooperation must play a leading role in promoting better Science Technology and Innovation policy cooperation and encourage maximum use of existing mechanisms for technology transfer.

“Together, we can also help countries leverage financing and partnerships at a scale we have never reached before,” she underscored. “To do that, we must become more than the sum of our parts.”

“Universal access to modern energy is essential to the 2030 Agenda and its core pledge of ‘leaving no one behind,’” concluded the Deputy Secretary-Secretary.

Expressing grave concern over the recent deterioration of the security situation in eastern Ukraine and its “severe impact” on civilians, the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday underlined the need to scale up efforts to support the civilian population affected by the conflict.

In a statement read out by Vassily Nebenzia, the Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN and the President of the Security Council for June, the 15-member body condemned “continuous violations of the ceasefire regime, especially the use of heavy weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements, responsible for tragic deaths, including among civilians. ”

The Council also called for implementation of disengagement commitments and the “immediate withdrawal” of heavy weapons in accordance with relevant provisions of the Minsk agreements.

In the statement, the Council also welcomed the efforts of UN agencies working to address the “tragic humanitarian situation” in eastern Ukraine.

It expressed its support to the Organisation for Security and Co‑operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission and urged all the parties to facilitate its work, including safe and secure access throughout Ukraine as well as guarantee the safety of its staff and protection of its equipment.

In late February 2014, the situation in Ukraine transcended what was initially seen as an internal Ukrainian political crisis into violent clashes in parts of the country, later reaching full-scale conflict in the east. Despite a September 2014 ceasefire agreed in Minsk, the situation since deteriorated, with serious consequences for the country’s unity, territorial integrity and stability.

Financial uncertainty caused by “significant risks” to global trade, is responsible for a sharp fall in international investment flows which could hurt developing countries the most, according to a new UN report, released on Wednesday.

UNCTAD, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, reports that foreign direct investment – or FDI – fell by nearly a quarter last year, to $1.4 trillion.

This is significant because FDI is vital for industrial development, including upgrading facilities and other infrastructure; it also connects countries to international markets, driving innovation and competition, the report highlights.

Developed economies saw the biggest drop in FDI flows in 2017 – at 37 per cent, to $712 billion – but this was to some extent expected, after a spike in 2016.

More concerning is the “lack of (FDI) recovery” among developing economies last year, since FDI is the “largest external source” of finance for developing countries, at around 40 per cent, UNCTAD says.

In developing African States, external investment levels “continued to slide” to $42 billion; marking a 21 per cent fall since 2016.

By way of contrast, investor interest in Asia’s developing economies “remained stable” – at $476 billion – maintaining the region’s position as the largest FDI recipient in the world.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, FDI rose eight per cent, to $151 billion.

This was the region’s first increase in six years and indicative of its economic recovery, although it is still “well below” the 2011 peak during the commodities boom, the UNCTAD report noted.

For the world’s Least Developed Countries, or LDCs – 33 of which are in Africa – foreign direct investment “remained fragile” in 2017.

Their structurally weak and vulnerable economies saw a 17 per cent fall in FDI flows, to $26 billion, potentially depriving them of the opportunity to build new industry and improve infrastructure.

Lastly, small island developing States saw investment increase by four per cent, to just over $4 billion.

Looking ahead, global FDI is forecast to see a “marginal” 10 per cent increase by the end of this year, UNCTAD’s World Investment Report, says.

It notes that this is “below the average”, looking back at the past decade and is linked to “significant” risks and “policy uncertainty”, associated with “broadening” trade tensions around the world.

US tax reforms approved by Congress this year are also likely to affect future global investment decisions, the report adds.

On another key indicator – greenfield investment – which signals how confident parent companies are about building operations in a new region or country – the UN report noted a 14 per cent drop.

More promisingly, the report notes that more than 100 countries have adopted clear industrial development strategies in recent years, while new types of industrial policies have emerged in response to the opportunities and challenges linked to technological innovation.