This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.
World must ‘reboot’ approach to refugees: UN chief
The world needs to transform the way it responds to refugee situations and do more for the struggling countries that shelter almost all of them, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday, at a high-level forum seeking solutions to a turbulent decade of mass displacement.
More must be done to protect refugees, respect their rights and address the reasons why people leave their homes in the first place, he told the World Refugee Forum in Geneva, meeting for the first time.
CUT: “Now more than ever, we need international cooperation and practical, effective responses. We need better answers for those who flee, and better help for communities and countries that host them.”
In his appeal for joint action, Mr. Guterres described last December’s Global Compact on Refugees as “our collective achievement and our collective responsibility”, which “speaks to the heart of the mission of the United Nations.”
Niger needs far ‘greater attention’ says deputy UN relief chief
Mounting challenges in Niger demand far more attention from the international community, the deputy UN relief chief has said, at the end of a six-day visit to the West African nation.
Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ursula Mueller, said the UN was “extremely concerned” about Niger, and in particular the humanitarian consequences of growing insecurity in neighbouring countries and “the devastating effects of climate shocks”.
She said she’d been "extremely moved by the courage shown by the IDPs, refugees, migrants and asylum seekers” she had met and at the “generosity and solidarity” shown by vulnerable communities hosting them.
Extremist armed groups and transnational crime have become an increasing threat along Niger’s border with Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso.
This year, more than 250 civilians were killed and nearly 320 people were abducted, mainly internally displaced persons, refugees and members of the host communities.
Minority rights needs strengthening in Kyrgyzstan: UN expert
Despite some progress, Kyrgyzstan needs further measures to guarantee the human rights of minorities, strengthen its democratic institutions and ensure a more inclusive society.
That’s according to the UN independent human rights expert on minorities, Fernand de Varennes, after visiting the landlocked Central Asian country, who also welcomed Kyrgyzstan’s continued engagement with international human rights bodies and the adoption of a new human rights action plan.
The Special Rapporteur also urged the Government to put forward comprehensive human rights legislation, prioritizing new anti-discrimination laws.
He noted the country’s significant strides towards ending statelessness, which mainly affects minorities, and especially minority women and children, adding that Kyrgyzstan this year became the first country to, in effect, outlaw it.
“Nonetheless, discrimination against minorities is persistent in some areas, including with regard to minority political representation and participation in public life”, said Mr. de Varennes, highlighting access to civil service jobs, including the police and judiciary, and access to education, especially in minority languages.
Matt Wells, UN News.
