9 March 2017 – Nearly two years after the political impasse started in Burundi, national authorities are reducing their cooperation with the United Nations system which risks undermining efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis and cutting assistance to a population in need, the Security Council was told today.

Presenting the first Secretary-General’s report on the situation in Burundi, the Special Adviser on the topic noted that &#8220the report is factual and speaks for itself.&#8221

Jamal Benomar told the Council the UN has tried to constructively engage with the Government and support the people of Burundi in their search for peace and stability, to no avail.

&#8220We have engaged quickly, refrained from public criticism and encouraged modest, small steps to build confidence with the parties. Despite this modelled approach, the doors to engagement and cooperation have been largely shut by the authorities,&#8221 Mr. Benomar said.

In the past several months, the Government has decided to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, suspend cooperation and collaboration with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and refused cooperation with the commission of inquiry mandated by the Human Rights Council.

The Government has also avoided signing a document with the African Union that would allow human rights observers and military experts to be deployed, to aid Burundians.

These actions were taken as &#8220human rights violations and abuses continue to be reported on a worrying scale,&#8221 according to the report.

In addition, at the end of February, President Pierre Nkurunziza suggested that he might seek a change to the Constitution allowing him to seek a fourth term in office. The move, as written in the report, &#8220has the potential to plunge the country into an even deeper crisis.&#8221

Referring to the report, Mr. Benomar called on the Burundian Government &#8220to fulfil its moral obligation and political responsibility to return the country to a path of peace.&#8221

He noted that most Burundians do not want to continue on the track of &#8220international isolationism, violence and repression.&#8221

The UN envoy urged the international community &#8211 guided by the Security Council &#8211 to do its part to support those who seek a peaceful resolution of this crisis, and underscored the UN’s continued commitment to helping the Burundian people.

The Security Council also heard by video-conference from former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, who is facilitating discussions between the Government and the opposition in accordance with the Arusha Agreement. Mr. Benomar stressed in his statement that Mr. Mkapa has the UN’s full support in his work.

Also speaking to the Council today was Jurg Lauber, the Chair of the Burundi Configuration of the UN Peacebuilding Commission. Mr. Lauber will visit Burundi at the end of this month to get first-hand impression of the situation and meet with the Government, opposition and civil society representatives.

In his statement, Mr. Labuer echoed Mr. Benomar’s call to the international community to remain active in Burundi: &#8220Abandoning Burundi now would mean wasting past efforts and putting the country and its people at risk of recurring conflict.&#8221

9 March 2017 – Nearly two years after the political impasse started in Burundi, national authorities are reducing their cooperation with the United Nations system which risks undermining efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis and cutting assistance to a population in need, the Security Council was told today.

Presenting the first Secretary-General’s report on the situation in Burundi, the Special Adviser on the topic noted that &#8220the report is factual and speaks for itself.&#8221

Jamal Benomar told the Council the UN has tried to constructively engage with the Government and support the people of Burundi in their search for peace and stability, to no avail.

&#8220We have engaged quickly, refrained from public criticism and encouraged modest, small steps to build confidence with the parties. Despite this modelled approach, the doors to engagement and cooperation have been largely shut by the authorities,&#8221 Mr. Benomar said.

In the past several months, the Government has decided to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, suspend cooperation and collaboration with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and refused cooperation with the commission of inquiry mandated by the Human Rights Council.

The Government has also avoided signing a document with the African Union that would allow human rights observers and military experts to be deployed, to aid Burundians.

These actions were taken as &#8220human rights violations and abuses continue to be reported on a worrying scale,&#8221 according to the report.

In addition, at the end of February, President Pierre Nkurunziza suggested that he might seek a change to the Constitution allowing him to seek a fourth term in office. The move, as written in the report, &#8220has the potential to plunge the country into an even deeper crisis.&#8221

Referring to the report, Mr. Benomar called on the Burundian Government &#8220to fulfil its moral obligation and political responsibility to return the country to a path of peace.&#8221

He noted that most Burundians do not want to continue on the track of &#8220international isolationism, violence and repression.&#8221

The UN envoy urged the international community &#8211 guided by the Security Council &#8211 to do its part to support those who seek a peaceful resolution of this crisis, and underscored the UN’s continued commitment to helping the Burundian people.

The Security Council also heard by video-conference from former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, who is facilitating discussions between the Government and the opposition in accordance with the Arusha Agreement. Mr. Benomar stressed in his statement that Mr. Mkapa has the UN’s full support in his work.

Also speaking to the Council today was Jurg Lauber, the Chair of the Burundi Configuration of the UN Peacebuilding Commission. Mr. Lauber will visit Burundi at the end of this month to get first-hand impression of the situation and meet with the Government, opposition and civil society representatives.

In his statement, Mr. Labuer echoed Mr. Benomar’s call to the international community to remain active in Burundi: &#8220Abandoning Burundi now would mean wasting past efforts and putting the country and its people at risk of recurring conflict.&#8221

9 March 2017 – Highlighting the multifaceted nature of the crisis in Africa’s Lake Chad Basin, the deputy United Nations chief underlined the need for a holistic approach that includes responding to the Boko Haram as well as closing the gap between humanitarian assistance and development interventions.

&#8220Lasting recovery will entail supporting reconstruction of schools, health centres, and reviving essential infrastructure […] that support the necessary livelihoods,&#8221 Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, told the Security Council today.

&#8220Effective prevention of future radicalization and violence will also entail comprehensive responses that benefit all members of society,&#8221 she added.

Ms. Mohammed’s briefing follows last week’s visit of the Security Council to the region and a global UN-backed conference to raise funding to sustain critical aid operations in the region, held on 24 February.

According to estimates, more than 10 million people in the Lake Chad Basin are in need of humanitarian assistance, including more than seven million needing food support, with 515,000 children affected by severe acute malnutrition.

Noting the response by UN agencies to support the local populations and the contributions pledged by countries at the Oslo Humanitarian Conference, the Deputy Secretary-General said that the needs outstripped the resources and urged UN Member States to ensure that the $1.5 billion humanitarian appeal is funded fully.

RELATED: Donors pledge $670 million at UN-backed conference to support aid operations in Lake Chad region

Speaking on the region’s security challenges and the activities of Boko Haram, Ms. Mohammed informed the Council of UN’s work to document information on human rights abuses, as well as its assistance to affected countries to ensure that their counter-terrorism efforts fully complied with international human rights, humanitarian and refugee laws.

In particular, she spoke of the plight of women affected by Boko Haram, many of whom are still displaced in camps, detained by the authorities, or are struggling to reintegrate into their communities.

&#8220We also need to scale up efforts to provide access to sexual and reproductive health and psychosocial support and livelihood support for female-headed households,&#8221 she said, noting the need to ensure that women have key roles in the response &#8211 from food distribution and camp management to all efforts to counter violent extremism, restore state authority and build peace.

Further in her remarks, Ms. Mohammed also underlined the need to address the root causes of the crisis to achieve durable peace and of the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for the region.

&#8220My single clear message today is that the solution lies in holistic thinking,&#8221 she noted, hailing the role of the African Union and the continent’s regional organizations to peace, security and the integrated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and Africa’s own Agenda 2063.

Photo taken on March 7, 2017 shows 3D images created on the walkway encircling the vertical cliffs in Shiniuzhai National Geological Park in Pingjiang County, Central China’s Hunan province. Seven painters worked to complete the drawing on a 106-meter-long walkway. [Photo/Ecns.cn]

Nanhaijiu 102, China’s most advanced rescue vessel put into service on Wednesday in the South China Sea. [Xinhua photo]

China’s first vessel capable of conducting rescue in deep, open water was delivered and put into service on Wednesday in the South China Sea.

The ship, Nanhaijiu 102, is the most advanced rescue vessel in the area and will play a role in emergencies, said the Ministry of Transport.

An all-weather, high-powered rescue ship designed and built by China, is 127 meters long and 16 meters wide, with displacement of 7,300 tonnes and range of 16,000 nautical miles.

Carrying a towing system and autonomous underwater vehicle that can dive as deep as 6,000 meters, the ship is the country’s first rescue ship that can conduct air, sea and underwater searches at the same time.

The ministry said Nanhaijiu 102, which can rescue 200 people at a time, is designed for bad sea conditions including 12th grade waves and is suitable for the refueling and landing of helicopters.

China has 74 special rescue ships, among which 31 are in southern sea areas. In addition, the country has 20 rescue helicopters, according to the ministry.