10 July 2017 – The Security Council today decided to establish a new United Nations political mission in Colombia that will succeed the current one and will shift from monitoring the disarmament of former combatants to verifying their political, economic and social reintegration.

According to a unanimously adopted resolution, the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia will, on 26 September 2017, replace the current mission, which is responsible for monitoring and verifying the laying down of arms by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) and the bilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities between the Government and the FARC-EP. In November last year, the two sides signed a peace deal, ending a 50-year conflict.

The new political mission, to be headed by a Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for an initial period of 12 months, is expected to verify implementation of several measures of the Final Agreement, including political, economic and social reincorporation of the FARC-EP; the implementation of personal and collective security guarantees; and comprehensive programmes on security and protection measures for communities and organisations in conflict-affected areas.

The resolution calls on the current UN Mission in Colombia to start “provisional work anticipated by the Verification Mission…within its current configuration and capacity” up until the time its mandate ends on 25 September, and requests the Secretary-General to present detailed recommendations to the Security Council regarding the size and operational aspects and mandate of the Verification Mission, within 45 days of this resolution’s adoption.

Read more on: Colombia: With arms laid down, focus now on reintegration – UN envoy

Jean Arnault, Head of the current UN Mission in Colombia, issued a statement from Bogota welcoming the decision, including the Council’s request that the Mission “begin these verification tasks as of the present date, within available resources.”

He said the Mission stands ready to carry out these new tasks, and, as it has done for the ceasefire and laying down of arms, will: present an impartial balance on compliance with the commitments so far to the parties and to society; aim to propose solutions and combine forces for its implementation; seek to generate confidence and contribute to securing the support of the international community for the peace process in Colombia.

“To fulfill these commitments, the Mission is reassigning a part of its resources and personnel to local sites and regional offices, without undermining the execution of its tasks related to the ceasefire and laying down of weapons,” added Mr. Arnault.

10 July 2017 – Noting projections of low prices for food commodities over the next decade on the back of abundant stocks of cereal and other staples, the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report have underlined the need for governments continue efforts to provide stability to world food markets.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-OECD Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026 projections, per capita demand for food staples may not rise (except in least developed countries), growth in demand for meat may slow, and additional calories and protein consumption could come mainly from vegetable oil, sugar and dairy products.

Furthermore, with estimates that by 2026, the average calorie availability could reach 2,450 kilo-calorie (kcal) per person per day in least developed countries and exceed 3,000 kcal in other developing countries, food insecurity and malnutrition would still remain a persistent global problem, requiring a coordinated international approach, noted the Outlook.

“Food alone is not enough to eliminate undernourishment and other forms of malnutrition,” said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, at the launch of the report.

“Access to the additional calories is extremely important. More challenging is the fight against malnutrition: Fighting malnutrition requires a diversified, safe and nutritious diet, ideally produced with a lower environmental footprint,” he added.

The report also points to potential higher crop yields. For instance, up to 90 per cent of the increase in maize production is expected from increased yields and just 10 per cent from expansion of area under cultivation. Similarly, yield gains are projected to account for 85 per cent of the increase in wheat production.

Additionally, growth in meat and dairy production is expected to come from both larger herds and higher output per-animal and it is foreseen that aquaculture would dominate growth in the fish sector and farmed fish production will be the fastest-growing protein source among all commodities analysed in the Outlook.

Continued vigilance needed on part of governments

The Outlook, however, also calls on all countries to remain vigilant to shocks and instability.

“As we have seen in the past, unexpected events can easily take markets away from these central trends, so it is essential that governments continue joint efforts to provide stability to world food markets,” said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría at the launch.

“It is equally important that we look ahead as we seek to meet the fundamental challenge facing world food and agriculture: to ensure access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food for a growing world population, while at the same time using natural resources more sustainably and making an effective contribution to mitigating climate change,” he added.

The focus of this edition of the Agricultural Outlook is the south-east Asian region.

The region has seen strong economic growth and rapid development in agriculture and fishery sectors, which the report notes, has enabled it to significantly reduce undernourishment in recent years.

However, the growth of agriculture and fisheries, in particular in the export-oriented fish and palm oil sectors, has led to rising pressure on natural resources.

Improved resource management and increased research and development will, therefore, be needed to achieve sustainable productivity growth across the sectors and, given the region’s sensitivity to climate change, investments will be required to facilitate adaption, highlighted the report.

10 July 2017 – Following Iraqi Government’s declaration that its forces have liberated the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters, Secretary-General António Guterres today paid tribute to the country’s people and Government and vowed United Nations’ support to aid the displaced communities and restore rule of law in the freed areas.

“The recovery of Mosul is a significant step in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism,” the Secretary-General said in a statement attributable to his spokesperson.

Mr. Guterres said the UN would stand by the Government as it creates the conditions for “voluntary, safe and dignified return” of the displaced communities, as well as to restore the rule of law, prevent a return to violence and foster accountability for all violations.

In the statement, he also lauded the “courage, determination and perseverance” of the people and Government, and added condolences for the loss of lives and wishes for those injured.

Since the military campaign to retake Mosul began on 17 October 2016, some 920,000 civilians fled their homes, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

“It’s a relief to know that the military campaign in Mosul is ending. The fighting may be over, but the humanitarian crisis is not,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Lise Grande.

Close to 700,000 people are still displaced, nearly half of whom are living in 19 emergency camps, she explained. They need shelter, food, health care, water, sanitation and emergency kits.

“The levels of trauma we are seeing are some of the highest anywhere. What people have experienced is nearly unimaginable,” said Ms. Grande.

She said aid workers “have been working around the clock” and that “enormous efforts” have been made by the Government and partners, but that there is “a lot to do in the weeks and months ahead.”

The UN has called for $985 million to aid humanitarian projects. So far, about 43 per cent has been received, leaving a gap of $562 million.

10 July 2017 – United Nations agencies today issued a set of recommendations for action to improve the situation of refugee and migrant children arriving and staying in Europe without their parents or caregivers.

The Way Forward, put together by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) , the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and their partner, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), highlights the need to identify children, register them through child-friendly procedures, and build a relationship of trust with them as early as possible.

&#8220Refugee and migrant children travelling alone to Europe have taken paths marked by danger, bureaucratic backlogs and uncertainty at every step of the way &#8211 even at their destination,&#8221 said David McLoughlin, UNICEF’s Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia, in a joint press release.

&#8220This roadmap plots the way forward for these children to be given the same level of care, trust and protection as national children.&#8221

The document provides recommendations developed in a broad consultative process led by the three organizations, with input from 100 practitioners, including guardians, psychologists, social workers and lawyers, as well as relevant authorities from several European states and the European Union, and refugee and migrant children across the continent.

The findings show that although a solid legal framework for child protection exists in many countries, complex, costly, and bureaucratic procedures have meant that all too often the best interests of unaccompanied and separated children are not taken into account, resulting in severe consequences for their well-being and their future.

Ensuring that a well-trained guardian takes immediate responsibility for the child, engaging cultural mediators, and mobilizing members of host communities are critical measures that can help build a trusting relationship and protect children from smugglers, traffickers or family pressure.

Efficient and harmonized processes would help children understand procedures and access protection and solutions in accordance with their best interests, as outlined in the roadmap.

The situation for unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children has worsened since the increase of arrivals to Europe back in 2015, with a broadened use of detention and large scale institutional care, limited family reunification opportunities, and rising concerns over deportations.

&#8220They deserve better protection and care from Europe… The roadmap shows us how,&#8221 said Diane Goodman, Deputy Director of UNHCR’s Europe Bureau.

9 July 2017 – Speaking to the press in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on all sides to fully respect the ceasefire and underscored the Organization’s support to the country and its people.

&#8220You can be sure that for us this is something that we keep in the agenda. It is not a forgotten situation,&#8221 said Mr. Guterres at a press conference, alongside Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine.

&#8220The human rights bodies of the UN are, of course, active in relation to the situation, and, as it is known, the High Commissioner [for human rights] will be providing also his report on the human rights situation in Crimea in due time,&#8221 he noted.

He added that the UN is ready to support all efforts, including those of the Normandy Four, the Trilateral Contact Group and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

In his remarks, the Secretary-General also highlighted the UN’s support to humanitarian activities in the country and said that it would enhance its cooperation with the Government and that it will work to overcome any challenges in reaching the populations in distress.

More than 1.7 million people have been displaced in Ukraine since the start of the conflict.

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Mr. Guterres also said that UN fully supported the reform process of the Government and that he has closely followed developments in that regard.

&#8220As the President mentioned, we are ready to upscale our cooperation and our presence to support the Government in the reforms that [it] will be promoting,&#8221 he added.

Further in his remarks, the Secretary-General expressed appreciation to the cooperation between Ukraine and the UN as well as the country’s contributions to the UN peacekeeping efforts and to global peace and security as a member of the Security Council.

&#8220Ukraine has been actively engaged in all processes in relation to both peace and security, sustainable and inclusive development, and human rights, and I want to express my deep appreciation for what has been an exemplary cooperation,&#8221 he said.

Also in his remarks, Mr. Guterres recalled his link with the people of Ukraine during his tenure as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

&#8220I started to work with them as High Commissioner for Refugees, and I want to say that I deeply feel the suffering of the people and I am deeply committed to do everything I can in order to be able to address their plight,&#8221 he stated.