20 November 2017 – The General Assembly and the Security Council today elected the fifth judge to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluding the 2017 elections to the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.

Dalveer Bhandari, of India, received the absolute majority of votes in elections – conducted independently, but concurrently – at the Security Council and the General Assembly.

He remained the sole candidate for the position after the United Kingdom withdrew the nomination of Christopher Greenwood.

Mr. Bhandari joins Ronny Abraham of France, Chaloka Beyani (Zambia), Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade (Brazil), Nawaf Salam (Lebanon), and Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf (Somalia) as the five judges who will serve along with ten other judges at the ICJ.

Their nine-year terms begin 6 February 2018.

The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected by an absolute majority in both the General Assembly and Security Council. Five seats come up for election every three years. There is no bar on consecutive terms.

Established in 1945, and based in The Hague in the Netherlands, the ICJ – informally known as the ‘World Court’ – settles legal disputes between States and gives advisory opinions on legal questions that have been referred to it by other authorized UN organs.

The election of the first members of the World Court took place on 6 February 1946, at the first session of the UN General Assembly and Security Council.

For coverage of the General Assembly meeting and the full voting record, please see Press Release here, and for coverage of the Security Council meetings and the full voting record, please see Press Release here

20 November 2017 – It’s official, kids have taken over… at least for today – World Children’s Day – celebrated annually on 20 November, which this year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and also saw young people take over roles in government, media, and even at the United Nations, to raise awareness about issues important to them.

“It’s my job to meet with some of the most powerful and important people in the world,” Secretary-General António Guterres said at a dedicated event at UN Headquarters in New York in a room packed to the rafters with children, teachers, government delegates and a host of others, including the Director-General of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Anthony Lake.

“Presidents and Prime Ministers… scientists… military leaders… scholars and academics… captains of industry and business. But none of these people are as important – or as inspiring – as the the children I meet,” Mr. Guterres said.

He painted a picture of millions of girls and boys in danger, fleeing deadly conflicts, and going hungry, elaborating on how they are separated from their parents or making long, dangerous journeys to find safety.

“As a global community, we cannot continue failing these children,” he asserted. “So here is my commitment to you: I will spare no effort to make sure that the United Nations is working every day, every hour, every minute, for your best interests.”

“In a world that can so often seem to be a hopeless place, we need children’s hope, more than ever,” Mr. Guterres affirmed.

Keeping adults ‘on the hook’

Special Event to mark World Children’s Day 2017 with Zari (Afghanistan 6 y/o … character from Sesame Street) and Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF, to the left. UN Photo/Manuel Elias

Mr. Lake spoke with special guest Zari, the muppet who stars in Baghch-e-Simsim, or ‘Sesame Garden,’ the Afghanistan version of Sesame Street.

In a country where only about one-third of girls attend school, they discussed how she is setting an example and inspiring girls to dream big and imagine a future they may not have thought possible. “I love going to school and learning!” she exclaimed.

As children emcees Jaden Michael and Isabela Moner took over the podium, they introduced two youth from Syria, with many high-fives in the mix.

After fleeing Syria, 12-year-old Basel’s family sheltered in Jordan where his father worked two jobs from 6:00 am until midnight every day. Eleven-year-old Nance was four when she walked from Damascus to Jordan.

Now in Canada, Basel has made friends at school and “even learned to love the snow!” Nance lives in the United States where she hopes to become an optometrist, saying “If I become an eye doctor, I can travel back to Syria and other places to help people around the world.”

Emmanuel Elisha Ford (Guyana – 15 y/o) addresses the audience to mark World Children’s Day 2017. UN Photo/Manuel Elias

Emmanuel Elisha Ford took a special seat in the front, drawing attention to the challenges faced by 93 million children globally, noting how they vary from person, to place, to circumstance, to disability.

“In addition to being born blind, I face some mobilities challenges,” he began, saying that despite sometimes needing a wheelchair, he dreams of becoming a meteorologist, calling for “action to change this uneven playing field.”

Dafne Keen (Spain – 12 y/o) and Graciela Eisie Ouakabo (CAR 16 y/o) address the audience to mark World Children’s Day 2017. UN Photo/Manuel Elias.

Twelve-year-old actor Dafne Keen took the podium where she translated from French, what Central African Graciela-Elsie Ouakabo said, explaining that after Graciela’s mother died while Graciela was a baby, and her father killed by Seleka rebels, she was captured by anti-Balaka while fleeing her town. The two warring militias have sparked a dire humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR).

“They kept me for over two years. I was a cook. And they also trained me to fight, which I hated,” Graciela said emotionally. Now, she lives with her grandfather in Bangui, the capital of CAR, back at school and helping other children who have been abused “because I know what it’s like to be alone. To be hurt. And to lose my childhood.”

Khyata Chauhan speaks at World’s Children’s Day at the UN in New York. UN News/ Elizabeth Scaffidi

When Khyata Chauhan stepped up to the microphone, she elaborated how males in India have a higher value than females.

“A child is praised for being a boy, but suppressed for being a girl. Our religious beliefs make girls goddesses – yet we fail to recognize her as a human being…girls are considered a liability,” she asserted, sharing her wish that every child has an education.

Cooper Megown is flanked emcees Jaden Michael and Isabela Moner as sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey stand in the back right. UN News/ Elizabeth Scaffidi

As the event wound down, eight-year-old Cooper Megown stood next to the emcees and signed the event, including the introduction of sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey, who opened for ‘Queen Bey’ – megastar Beyoncé – in leading all the children in song that culminated in choruses of For every child in English, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Russian, Spanish and French.

In closing, Emcee Jaden said to all the children: “Don’t let the adults off the hook… continue raising your voices.”

A standing ovation at the UN is not an everyday occurrence… but today’s was a most auspicious one.

Children in the spotlight

Participants hold signs calling for peace during a special event held to mark World Children’s Day 2017. UN Photo/Manuel Elias

Secretary-General António Guterres (right) is interviewed by Charlotte Fay of Scholastic Kids. UN Photo/Manuel Elias

Special Event to mark World Children’s Day 2017. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

Lathitha Beyile (at podium), who lives in a disadvantaged community in Johannesburg, South Africa, “takes over” the press briefing room to mark World Children’s Day 2017. UN Photo/Mark Garten

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In addition to the main event, children throughout the day, jumping in to adults’ jobs, including as the spokesperson for the Secretary-General and action reporters.

At the same time, UN child rights experts called on all Governments to safeguard children on the move.

“For children on the move, especially when unaccompanied or separated from their families, violence infuses daily life and is often part of a continuum,” said the experts in their massage for the Day.

They said that even when they are forced to flee or be uprooted in search of safety, these children are entitled to grow up in a nurturing family environment, advocating for expeditious family reunification, as called for by the convention on the Rights of the Child.

“Children on the move need to be treated first and foremost as children!” the statement stressed. “Let us respond to the imperative of the Convention to genuinely protect the rights of all children, including those on the move and place their best interests above any other concern,” concluded the experts.

20 November 2017 – Marking World Children’s Day, actress Kristin Davis on Monday called for global attention and funding to provide more life-saving aid for Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh, as part of her advocacy work for the United Nations refugee agency.

“For me, the most shocking part of the Rohingya refugee crisis is the number of children who have had to flee their homes,” Ms. Davis, Goodwill Ambassador for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said at the end of her visit to Kutupalong Refugee camp in Bangladesh.

“Over half of the refugees in the camp are children. Some of them have lost one or both parents and they are on their own,” she added.

She said that they need everything, including the very basics of shelter, water and food.

“I can’t imagine going through what these children and their families have gone through, much less having the strength, resilience and extraordinary bravery these children possess,” she said.

According to UNHCR, the Rohingya are a stateless minority in Myanmar. Since violence erupted on 25 August 2017 in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state, more than 600,000 people have fled to Bangladesh. Children make up 54 per cent of the total population.

A recent survey of more than 170,000 families, or 740,000 individuals found that 5,677, or 3.3 per cent, of the households are headed by children; more than 4,800 households, or 2.8 per cent, include separated and unaccompanied children; and as many as 14 per cent of families are composed of single mothers holding their families together with little support in harsh camp conditions.

“This is currently the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world and seeing the impact of this emergency on children is devastating,” Ms. Davis continued.

UNHCR requires $83.7 million to respond to humanitarian needs in Bangladesh until the end of February 2018 in order to meet the acute needs of children, women and men fleeing conflict. UNHCR’s response is currently less than half funded.

“The fact is that more funding, more donations, will save lives. Governments, the public, private sector, businesses, we all need to do what we can to help and donate now to support the Rohingya refugees,” Mr. Davis added.

20 November 2017 – Intangible capital, such as branding, design and technology, is increasingly determining success in the marketplace, as nearly one third of the value of manufactured products comes from such capital, a study conducted by the United Nations intellectual property agency has revealed.

“Intangible capital will increasingly determine the fate and fortune,’of firms in today’s global value chains. It is behind the look, feel, functionality and general appeal of the products we buy and it determines success in the marketplace,” said Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

“Intellectual property, in turn, is the means by which companies secure the competitive advantage flowing from their intangible capital,” he added.

The WIPO’s study, ‘World Intellectual Property Report 2017: Intangible Capital in Global Value Chains,’ released on Monday, looks at how much income is credited to labor, tangible capital and intangible capital in global value chain production across all manufacturing activities.

The report finds that intangible capital accounted, on average, for 30.4 percent of the total value of manufactured goods sold throughout 2000-2014. Overall, income from intangibles increased by 75 per cent from 2000 to 2014 in real terms, amounting to $5.9 trillion in 2014, twice as much as tangible capital, such as buildings and machinery, contributed to the total value of manufactured goods.

Smartphones

In the case of high-end smartphones, crucial intangible assets include technology, the design of hardware and software, and branding. Smartphone firms and technology providers rely heavily on patents, trademarks and industrial designs, generating a high return on their intangible capital.

For every iPhone 7 that Apple sells for about $810, about 42 per cent of the sales price derives from intangibles. Huawei and Samsung also capture significant value in their top-end smartphone models.

Indeed, in the domain of patents, up to 35 per cent of all first filings worldwide may relate to smartphones. The report finds that the 4th-generation (4G) cellular standard used today is associated with close to four times more patents than the 2nd-generation standard.

Coffee

Technology plays a key role in turning a coffee bean into a cup of brew. Brand reputation and image allow companies to differentiate their offering from their rivals.’

Shifting consumer preferences have progressively transformed the global coffee value chain, moving from consumption in the home, then in coffeehouses and now to a new generation of discerning consumers who are interested in their coffee product’s back story, willing to pay premium prices.

Prices commanded in this so-called ‘third wave’ market segment can exceed those in ‘first wave’ consumption by more than four times, with coffee farmers’ incomes tripling. Information on the origin and variety of the coffee beans, how they were farmed and processed, and farmers’ compensation become integral to selling coffee.

Responding to the shifting consumer preferences, coffee growers and even countries are investing in efforts to move beyond generic coffee, adopting their own branding strategies.

Solar Panels

Technological innovation is prompting profound shifts in the global manufacturing value chain for photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. Solar panels have moved from highly specialized products to low-cost commodities, putting pressure on producers.

Many companies are seeking growth in local service markets – such as the installation of solar panels in private homes. In such consumer markets, company and product branding are key intangible assets that help attract consumers and project finance.

20 November 2017 – Expressing horror at news reports and videos showing African migrants in Libya allegedly being sold as slaves, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called on the authorities to urgently investigate the situation and bring the perpetrators to justice.

&#8220Slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amount to crimes against humanity,&#8221 Mr. Guterres told reporters at a press stakeout at the UN Headquarters, in New York, Monday.

He added that he has asked the relevant UN actors to actively pursue the matter.

Mr. Guterres also called on all countries to adopt and apply the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocol on trafficking in persons and I urge the international community to unite in fighting this scourge.

The Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the Convention, was adopted by the UN General Assembly in November 2000. It entered into force in January 2004.

It is an important legal instrument that seeks to prevent and combat the smuggling of migrants, as well as to promote cooperation among States Parties, while protecting the rights of smuggled migrants.

Further in his remarks, the UN chief urge the international community to unite in fighting the scourge.

He also called for addressing migration flows in a comprehensive and humane manner, including through the development cooperation among States to address its root causes, meaningful increase of all the opportunities for legal migration, and enhanced international cooperation in cracking down on smugglers and traffickers and protecting the rights of their victims.