This is the News in Brief from the United Nations
UN continues diplomatic push for political solution to end Libya fighting
The UN Special Representative for Libya and Head of the UN Mission in the country, UNSMIL, Ghassan Salamé, is continuing his efforts to try and de-escalate military action in and around the capital, Tripoli.
The commander of the self-styled Libyan National Army began an offensive to try and take the Libyan capital from forces backing the UN-recognized Government, more than two weeks ago.
Here’s UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, briefing correspondents in New York on Monday on Mr. Salamé’s progress.
“Earlier today, he met with Tunisian Foreign Minister Khamis Jhinaoui in Tunis, with whom he discussed developments related to the clashes in southern Tripoli. Both asserted that the UN-facilitated political process is the ideal and only way to solve the Libyan crisis.”
According to the UN office coordinating humanitarian affairs (OCHA), thousands of civilians, refugees and migrants remain trapped in conflict-affected areas, unable to flee either because of fighting or detention.
In a statement released on Monday, OCHA said that medical teams were working relentlessly to evacuate and care for people wounded in the conflict.
Through the Tripoli flash appeal, the humanitarian community has urgently called for $10.2 million to continue providing life-saving relief, adding that “humanitarian needs in Libya are rapidly increasing, while funding levels remain low”.
Traditional knowledge at ‘core’ of indigenous heritage
Traditional knowledge is at the core of indigenous identity, culture and heritage, the chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues said at the annual launch event on Monday, stressing that it “must be protected”.
Anne Nuorgam, who is a member of Finland’s Saami Parliament and head of the Saami Council’s Human Rights Unit, said the Forum offers an opportunity to share innovations and practices developed in indigenous communities “over centuries and millennia”.
Indigenous peoples live in some 90 countries, represent 5,000 different cultures and speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 6,700 languages.
And while they make up less than six per cent of the global population, Indigenous people account for 15 per cent of the world’s poorest, according to the Forum.
Ms. Nourgam encouraged all Member States to help keep children connected to their indigenous culture and community, stressing that these languages “enable us to protect our traditional knowledge”.
Rohingya refugee crisis: UN Humanitarian top officials to visit Bangladesh
Three top United Nations officials will visit Bangladesh later this week, to highlight the need for supporting the humanitarian needs of almost a million Rohingya refugees now living in the country.
The UN announced the visit of High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi; the Director General of the migration agency, IOM, António Vitorino; and the UN relief chief, Mark Lowcock, head of OCHA, in a statement released on Monday.
In the capital Dhaka, the delegation will hold talks with senior government officials, and then travel to Cox’s Bazar to meet with refugees, assess preparations underway ahead of the monsoon season and visit UN support projects.
The aim of the visit is to highlight the need to continue strong international support, while solutions can be found for the safe, dignified return of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
Matt Wells, UN News.
