Distinguished President,
Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva,
Excellencies,
Colleagues and friends,

It is an honour to be called to this mandate, to assist States to uphold the human rights of their people, in this year in which we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Universal Declaration is a commitment to values and policies that have delivered tremendous benefit to millions of people. This Council, my Office, and every Member State of the United Nations must continue to push forward with that work. The future of our world depends upon it.

I want to acknowledge the courage and the achievements of my predecessor, High Commissioner Zeid. His activism, humanity and formidable intelligence have advanced the cause of human rights, and brought great access and impact to our Office. He truly became the spokesman for those who are voiceless: the victims of human rights violations.

Their needs and rights should always be the central focus of our work. Human rights express the core purpose of the United Nations: we can only attain peace, security and sustainable development for all societies when we advance the dignity and equality of all human beings. In the course of my work, I fully intend to honour both the spirit and the practises established by my predecessors.

I bring to this mandate my experience in public service and my lifelong dedication to reversing hatred and ensuring equality and respect for all.

I have been a political detainee and the daughter of political detainees. I have been a refugee and a physician – including for children who experienced torture, and the enforced disappearance of their parents. I have headed a United Nations body, and I have been honoured to lead my country, twice, as its President.

This is the eve of the day on which we Chileans mark the memory of the coup d'état, 45 years ago, and the ensuing years of brutal oppression and bloodshed. My country has known the pain and terror of tyranny. But I am proud to say we have been able to surmount divisions and meet vast challenges – shaping institutions which enable greater participation, and greater freedom, justice and dignity, for our people.

And so I bring to the cause of human rights the diversity of cultures that have nourished my approach to public service. I bring my commitment to bridging the differences between communities, and promoting respect, well-being and freedom.

I bring my fundamental attachment to the courage, the dignity and selflessness of all defenders and activists for human rights.

I bring my absolute conviction that cooperation between all actors, through multilateral institutions, can solve the complex challenges that face the world, and that by working to uphold human rights, my Office – like this Council – can ensure more just and respectful societies, living together in sustainable development and security.

Good governance is based on identifying and amending gaps in access to justice, dignity and equality – so that all can live in more respectful and harmonious societies, and enjoy development that is more dynamic and sustainable.

Good doctoring is based on building resilience: strengthening healing processes and intervening to interrupt symptoms of pathology.

And human rights are a powerful medicine, which heals wounds and develops resilience.

Excellencies,

Political differences may divide some of the countries in this room. But upholding human rights is in the interest of every State. Your peoples seek a common agenda: rights, sustainable development and peace.

We can only progress towards that vision together. If we undermine multilateral institutions such as this one, we will fail to meet the challenges our people face.

I have deeply admired much of the work done by this Council, with its mechanisms and experts. The Universal Periodic Review ensures ground-breaking scrutiny of the human rights record of every State in the world. The inquiries led by the Council’s fact-finding expert missions and Special Procedures have uncovered essential facts which must be addressed, and have pointed to recommendations that it is essential to apply.

Your expanding agenda and increased workload are not only a testament to the world's failures to uphold human rights; they are also a mark of your importance.

I am convinced that this Council must strive for consensus. I believe there should be more engagement by all Member States – not sterile disputes; not withdrawals; but collective, coordinated and cooperative work to sustain core principles and common goals.

Kofi Annan, for whom I had the deepest respect, often pointed out that in our complex, globalised world, “no country, no matter how powerful or wealthy" can hope to solve the issues which face States. I quote, "Governments have to show the courage and vision to look beyond themselves to find solutions, and put in place new frameworks and rules".

The most effective solutions are grounded in principle and in openness, in collective agreements and coordinated actions.

And I know that consensus is possible.

I know that military leaders can commit to ending military intervention in democratic politics, and work to reconcile with the victims of oppression.

I know that centuries of prejudice and discrimination – against women, against the peoples of the Global South and many other discriminated and exploited groups – can be pushed back. This is work that has advanced in the past, and must move forward today.

Excellencies,

It is States which have the primary responsibility for upholding the rights of their people. I will always listen to the concerns of Governments. As a former Head of Government and Head of State, I have shared some of these concerns and faced some of the same challenges.

But above all, I will advocate for the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that are the inherent entitlements of all people. I will strive to be their voice and their strong defender, in complete objectivity, without fear or favour, and to urge all States to protect and promote all human rights, without distinction.

This Council, too, has the responsibility to speak out against every instance of human rights violations, regardless of sex, gender identity, race or ethnicity, religion, disability or migration status, or other characteristic. Irrespective of the type of political regime in a given country, the Human Rights Council has the duty to advocate and to assist transformative improvements in upholding all rights.

These rights extend from the frontiers of the digital universe to the abject poverty of the rooms where mothers die in childbirth, because insufficient resources are allocated for their care.

They include the prevention of conflicts, so often grounded in discrimination, inequality and injustice.

They include protection from and mitigation of the effects of climate change; work to uphold the rights of children, rights to health and to fundamental services; and measures which enable development by upholding the people's right to freely participate in making decisions on all matters that affect them.

We cannot pick and choose from among our people’s inalienable rights. They build on each other.

Measures to promote equality drive powerful, sustainable economic development to which every member of society can fully contribute.

Access to the best quality education, and to economic and social rights, helps diminish despair, mistrust and violent extremism.

It is by building access to all human rights that society becomes stronger and more able to resist unpredictable shocks.

And although there may be legitimate divergences regarding the best ways of achieving these transformations, the principles which anchor them remain absolutely clear and invariable.

Mr President,

We stand on a sound foundation. Much work has already been accomplished – by my Office, including by its 72 field presences around the world; by this Council and its mechanisms; by the Treaty Body Committees; and by the civil society activists represented in this room and those across the world.

I hope to reinforce our common understanding. We can surpass national borders. We can promote more multilateralism, more cooperation, more dialogue, more consensus and more coordinated action.

We can build new strategies and stronger tools for prevention, early intervention and also accountability. I firmly believe that the power of justice can deter and prevent even the worst violations and crimes.

We can – we must – push forward with the implementation of States' commitments. Norms and laws are vital, but they must be applied. I am convinced that by building up national institutions, we can ensure powerful constituencies for rights, which can contribute to making rights real.

Excellencies,

This is a time of many setbacks for human rights. But it is also one of great opportunity.

We stand on a strong, vital and living body of law and norms, which reflect the universal values that bind humanity. The Covenants, the seven other core human rights treaties, and the recommendations of all UN human rights bodies and experts, are fundamental contributions to the work of preventing, mitigating and ending human rights violations – including the inequalities and discriminations which torment so many of our fellow human beings.

The voice of the Office of the High Commissioner is powerful in its authority, legitimacy and objectivity. And it is far from the only voice that is raised in support of rights.

The new reforms underway at the United Nations present an opportunity to advocate, as powerfully as we can, that a human rights approach be at the centre of the work of our UN partners.

The recommendations of the Treaty Bodies, and the Council’s Special Procedures and Universal Periodic Review, are increasingly integrated into coordinated tools, to enable better adoption by States, UN Country Teams and other actors.

In humanitarian operations, the UN is adopting the “New Way of Working” which seeks to join up development, humanitarian and human rights approaches to these difficult situations.

The 2030 Agenda makes the direct road from discrimination to inequality and under-development absolutely clear. It opens a tremendous opportunity for greater integration of human rights goals, including the recommendations of the human rights mechanisms, into national policies and the work of the UN.

The Sustainable Development Goals will not progress without discussion of and progress on the so-called "sensitive" issues of human rights. I know this as a former Head of State and Head of Government: development must focus, above all, on the well-being and rights of the people.

The Global Compact for Migration, which is due to be adopted in December, offers hope for better and more effective governance of migration. It is a balanced human rights document with achievable, detailed policies to reduce the vulnerability of many of the world’s 258 million migrants – and minimize the human rights violations which so often drive their flight.

Historically, people have always moved in search of hope and opportunities. Erecting walls; deliberately projecting fear and anger on migrant communities; denying migrants fundamental rights by limiting their right to appeal, curtailing their right to non-refoulement, separating and detaining families, and cutting integration programmes: such policies offer no long-term solutions to anyone – only more hostility, misery, suffering and chaos.

It is in the interest of every State to adopt migration policies that are grounded in reality, not in panic; which provide opportunities for safe, regular movement instead of forcing people to take lethal risks.

Among the major strengths of both the 2030 Agenda and the Global Compact is that they are commitments by States to work together – and change, together.

Mr President,

As this Council session begins, the rapidly growing numbers of people fleeing both Venezuela and Nicaragua once again demonstrate the need to constantly uphold human rights. Yes, it is urgent to help receiving States to solve the many challenges raised by such movements. But it is also fundamental to address the reasons why people are leaving. In both these countries, the Office urges the Human Rights Council to take all available measures to address the serious human rights violations which have been documented in recent reports.

Regarding Venezuela, an estimated 2.3 million people had fled the country by 1 July – roughly 7 per cent of the total population – due largely to lack of food or access to critical medicines and health care, insecurity and political persecution. This movement is accelerating. In the first week of August, more than 4,000 Venezuelans per day entered Ecuador; 50,000 Venezuelans reportedly arrived in Colombia over a three week period in July; and 800 Venezuelans per day are now reported to be entering Brazil. Cross-border movement of this magnitude is unprecedented in the recent history of the Americas, and the vulnerability of those who leave has also increased: elderly people; pregnant women; children, including unaccompanied minors; and persons with health problems are crossing the border in increasing numbers.

Since publication of our latest report on Venezuela, in June, the Office has continued to receive information on violations of social and economic rights – such as cases of deaths related to malnutrition or preventable diseases – as well as on violations of civil and political rights, including arbitrary detentions, ill-treatment and restrictions to freedom of expression. The Government has not shown openness for genuine accountability measures regarding issues documented by the Office during the 2017 mass protests.

The number of people fleeing Nicaragua is also increasing exponentially, as a result of the ongoing crisis in the country, including the deterioration of human rights. Two weeks ago, the Office released a report documenting disproportionate use of force by the police; extrajudicial killings; enforced disappearances; widespread arbitrary or illegal detentions; widespread ill-treatment, and instances of torture and sexual violence, in detention centres; obstructions to medical care; and violations of freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression, such as the criminalization of human rights defenders, journalists and protestors considered critical of the Government. Some 400 people have been killed and at least 2000 injured. We regret the government’s decision last week to expel our team, and call on the Council to strengthen its oversight on the country. In the meantime the Office will continue documenting human rights violations in Nicaragua from outside the country.

In such circumstances, the Global Compact provides for regional and international cooperation to set up prompt, humane reception of all people arriving at their borders, with respect for their human rights; and to develop mechanisms for admission and stay based on the need for human rights protection.The Office is eager to assist States to realise these commitments by building national capacity – including, for example, by training border guards and law enforcement personnel who work in border areas to uphold and respect the human rights of all, and by providing practical guidance for national implementation plans, based on our monitoring and assessment.

The decision by the United States and Hungary to refuse to sign the Compact is deeply regrettable. Australia, a member of this Council that has suggested it might withdraw, should join the consensus of the global community, adopt the Compact and revise the country’s policies with respect to people arriving at its borders without a visa. The current offshore processing centres are an affront to the protection of human rights.

In June, the Government of Hungary adopted additional measures to enable the authorities to arrest, criminally charge and immediately remove from Hungary’s border area any lawyer, adviser, volunteer or legally resident family member suspected of helping a person to make an asylum claim, obtain a residence permit, or take other perfectly legal actions. We are also aware of shocking reports that in recent weeks, food has been withheld from migrants held in transit zones on the Hungarian-Serbian border.

The United States has halted the unconscionable practice of separating immigrant children from their families. But the authorities have still not taken measures to provide redress for the families whom it has victimised; and over 500 migrant children taken away from their parents by US officials have still not been returned to their families. Of further concern is the announcement last week that the government would no longer abide by a court settlement limiting detention of children to 20 days.

The European Union should be encouraged to establish a dedicated humanitarian search and rescue operation for people crossing the Mediterranean, and to ensure that access to asylum and to human rights protection in the EU is guaranteed. The Government of Italy has been denying entry to NGO rescue ships. This kind of political posturing and other recent developments have devastating consequences for many already vulnerable people. Although the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean has fallen, the fatality rate for those making this treacherous crossing has in the first six months of this year been even higher than previously.

Prioritising the return of migrants from Europe, without ensuring that key international human rights obligations are upheld, cannot be considered a protection response. The Office expects to dispatch a team to Austria to assess recent developments in this area. We also intend to send staff to Italy, to assess the reported sharp increase in acts of violence and racism against migrants, persons of African descent and Roma. The shocking recent outbreak in Germany of anti-migrant violence, which appears to have been stoked by xenophobic hate speech, is worrying. The EU Commission's recent acknowledgment that Libya is not a safe place for return is welcome. Migrants in Libya continue to be exposed to unlawful killings, deprivation of liberty, torture, sexual violence, forced labour, extortion and exploitation by both State and non-State actors, in total impunity, and it is unworthy of any State to deliberately send men, women and children to face such risks. The Council will be briefed on the human rights situation in Libya later in the session.

In the context of the EU's ongoing discussions to establish so-called "regional disembarkation platforms", the prospect of the EU outsourcing its responsibility to govern migration to States with weak protection systems is disturbing. Without prejudice to the ongoing discussions, the authorities should recall that respect for the rights of all migrants must be assured, including those in the most vulnerable situations, and processes must be established to ensure that relevant actors be held to account if they fail to meet basic international standards.

Above all, States should adopt a more thoughtful approach, and seek constructive, long-term, sustainable solutions. Governments should focus on expanding regular channels and pathways for movement. The economic argument is clear: migration powerfully contributes to economic growth and other social and cultural aspects of development. An aging population and low birth-rates make those contributions essential.

Mr President,

This Council session will be apprised of the deeply shocking findings of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar. The Mission has determined that many of the gross human rights violations, and serious violations of international humanitarian law, in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine states amount to the gravest crimes under international law. In addition to crimes against humanity and war crimes – reported to have been committed in all three states – there is strong evidence indicating genocide, extermination and deportation of the Rohingya. It is shocking that journalists involved in documenting some of the massacres which occurred have been prosecuted, and now given a harsh sentence. They should be immediately released. Attacks and persecution appear to be continuing in Rakhine: at least 12,000 new Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh so far this year. In Kachin and Shan States, the Fact Finding Mission found indications of extrajudicial execution and unlawful killings, torture and other forms of ill-treatment, including against children ; sexual violence; arbitrary arrests; and forced labour. The persistence of these patterns of violations underscores the total impunity accorded to the Myanmar security forces.

I emphasise the imperative of justice for Myanmar. I welcome the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court's finding that the Court has jurisdiction over the alleged deportation of Rohingya from Myanmar, and possibly other crimes. This is an immensely important step towards ending impunity, and addressing the enormous suffering of the Rohingya people.I also welcome efforts by Member States at this Council to establish an independent international mechanism for Myanmar, to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence of the most serious international crimes, in order to expedite fair and independent trials in national and international courts.This mechanism would also complement and support the preliminary examination of the ICC Prosecutor.I urge the Council to pass a resolution, and refer the matter to the General Assembly for its endorsement, so that such a mechanism can be established.

In Bangladesh – a country to be commended for hosting so many refugees and for its success in poverty reduction – student protestors and media professionals have in recent months been attacked, arrested, charged with defamation and, reportedly, ill-treated. The perpetrators of this violence must be held accountable to prevent recurrence. The Government should do more to ensure freedom of expression, which is indispensable for free and fair elections. Troubling reports also indicate that an anti-narcotics drive has led to over 220 killings, and thousands of arrests, with allegations of extrajudicial executions.

Drug issues everywhere are best tackled through a focus on health, education and opportunities – not the death penalty, or death squads. The Office has submitted a report to this session on more effective, and human rights compliant, measures to address narcotics issues.

In Cambodia, commendable advances with respect to poverty reduction, the minimum wage, basic social protections and non-discrimination contrast with the severe deterioration of civil and political rights, which is a substantial threat to such progress. The recent elections were held amid crackdowns on dissent and independent media, and the dissolution of the former main opposition party deprived many people of their choice of representation. I welcome the releases, over the past month, of a prominent human rights defender, two journalists, and several opposition members, including Kem Sokha, headof the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party. But the Government should also release, and drop charges against, all other political actors, journalists and ordinary citizens arrested or convicted for exercising their human rights. Sustainable development requires the authorities to protect and expand the space for civil society, including NGOs, the media and political opponents, in an environment of dialogue that allows all Cambodians to have a voice – including those who may be critical of government decisions.

In India, I hail last week’s decision by the Supreme Court to decriminalise same-sex relations. Laws thatcriminaliseconsensual adult relationships are, as Chief Justice Misra said,manifestly arbitrary and a source of discrimination and harassment. I very much hope other countries around the world will look to India’s example in this respect.

In Kashmir, our recent report on the human rights situation has not been followed up with meaningful improvements, or even open and serious discussions on how the grave issues raised could be addressed. The people of Kashmir have exactly the same rights to justice and dignity as people all over the world, and we urge the authorities to respect them. The Office continues to request permission to visit both sides of the Line of Control, and in the meantime, will continue its monitoring and reporting.

In Afghanistan, the Office is documenting record levels of civilian casualties. The number of civilians killed in conflict-related violence during the first half of 2018 was the highest six-month toll since we began our systematic documentation in 2009. Since then there has been a Taliban offensive on Ghazni in mid-August, and targeted attacks on the Shi’a community. We urge all parties to comply with international humanitarian and human rights law, and to show more courage and creativity in breaking away from decades of war and violence.

The rapprochement unfolding on the Korean peninsula is a historic opportunity to address, from the outset, the severe and longstanding human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Discussion of the rights of millions of people cannot be postponed for the sake of convenience or other factors. Regarding the Council's resolution 34/24, work is underway to monitor and document violations committed in the DPRK, in order to establish a central repository of cases and develop possible strategies for future accountability. The Council will receive a report on this work in March.

China’s review last month by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination brought to light deeply disturbing allegations of large-scale arbitrary detentions of Uighurs and other Muslim communities, in so called re-education camps across Xinjiang. CERD's concluding observations corroborate other reports we have received. Reports have also been received of patterns of human rights violations in other regions. In light of these reports, we would request the Government to permit access for the Office to all regions of China, and trust we will embark on discussion of these issues.

In Sri Lanka, although the authorities have moved too slowly towards meaningful implementation of the transitional justice agenda, the Office of Missing Persons has now begun consultations and institutional capacity-building to fulfil its mandate. We look to that Office to work quickly, to begin to provide answers to the families of the disappeared. Legislation establishing an Office for Reparations is also underway. More progress in advancing accountability and truth-seeking could have great weight in the long-term stability and prosperity of the nation. Recurrent incidents of racist and inter-communal violence are disturbing, as are announced plans to resume use of the death penalty.

Mr. President,

In Syria, we are deeply concerned about the ongoing military operations in Idlib and nearby areas, and their impact on up to three million civilians who live there. We remind all parties to the conflict that they must adhere strictly to all relevant principles of international humanitarian law in the conduct of operations – and that no efforts should be spared to minimize the impact of armed conflict on civilians and to ensure their protection, including access to aid – and to humanitarian corridors to permit them to safely leave conflict-affected areas, should they choose to do so.In much of the rest of the country, armed conflict has diminished or ceased, and an estimated 80 per cent of the population now lives in Government-controlled territory. It is essential that measures be taken to address the root causes of the conflict and the rights of all Syrians – including the millions of people who have been wounded or detained, suffered the loss of family members through death or disappearance, or whose property and future have been devastated. Accountability must be a corner-stone of the country's future.

Regarding Yemen, I urge all parties to take stock of the gravity of the findings of the Group of Eminent Experts. They have identified a number of individuals who may be responsible for international crimes, and that confidential list is now in the Office. It is crucial that there be continued international and independent investigations into all allegations of violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes – particularly in light of the apparent inability of the parties to the conflict to carry out impartial investigations. Last month's shocking strike on a bus carrying schoolchildren was followed by another horrific series of airstrikes which left dozens of civilians and children killed and injured in Al Hudaydah. I note the recent statement by the Coalition acknowledging mistakes over the airstrike on the school bus in Sa’ada, and I will be closely following what steps are taken to hold the perpetrators accountable and provide remedy and compensation to the victims. There should be greater transparency over the coalition’s rules of engagement and the measures taken to ensure that such tragedies are not repeated. The recent Saudi royal order which appears to provide a blanket pardon to members of the Saudi armed forces for actions taken in Yemen is very concerning.

In Saudi Arabia, the recent crackdown on peaceful human rights defenders, especially defenders of women’s equality and women's rights, is deeply disturbing. Samar Badawi and Nassima Al-Sadah were, according to our sources, arrested on 30 July 2018 and have been held incommunicado since then. The prosecutor’s recommendation of the death penalty for Israa al-Ghomgham, reportedly on charges related to participation in protests, is of serious concern. These and other arbitrary arrests of peaceful activists for the collective good sharply contradict the spirit of the country's proclaimed new reforms. We call on the authorities to release all individuals detained for exercising their fundamental freedoms.

Iraq has recently emerged from a traumatic armed conflict that has devastated the lives of millions of its citizens and destroyed many areas of the country. With the military defeat of ISIL, the country can now concentrate on the processes of rebuilding and healing that must take place if the country is to finally put an end to recurring cycles of violence. Caring for the many thousands of victims of crimes and human rights violations and abuses, particularly those perpetrated by ISIL, will be vital to this process. Furthermore, addressing the root causes of conflict, including decades of abuses and violations, will be essential for the country to enjoy the benefits of peace and development. During the past two months, at least 25 people have been killed and some 500 injured in the context of protests and escalating violence, in Basra and elsewhere. Some positive measures have been taken by the government in response to the longstanding economic and social grievances at the root of the unrest. However, the government should take action to ensure the right of peaceful assembly and address the need to ensure that all people, without discrimination, have access to basic services – including justice and protection from physical and sexual violence. Only when decision-making processes are truly inclusive of all segments of Iraqi society, and its diverse communities, can they ensure peaceful solutions to the challenges the country faces.

In Bahrain, a large number of cases of revocation of citizenship has been reported to the Office. The legislation underpinning such actions should be reviewed in line with Bahrain’s obligations under international law.Reports of possible exclusion of Bahraini citizens from the forthcoming elections of the National Assembly are disturbing. All human rights defenders who are currently arbitrarily detained should be released, including Nabeel Rajab.

Iran’s dialogue with the Office and strengthened engagement with international human rights mechanisms are welcome, together with the recent amendment to drug-trafficking legislation, which abolishes the mandatory death penalty for some offences. The Government should be encouraged to ensure that the review of all cases is transparent, with due process guarantees such as effective legal representation. Continued use of the death penalty for juvenile offenders is deeply troubling and should be prohibited in all circumstances, with the sentences of those currently on death row commuted. I deeply deplore the executions last week of three Iranian Kurdish prisoners, despite the serious concerns raised by Special Procedures mandate holders that they were not afforded fair trials, and were subjected to torture. Recent arrests and ill-treatment of a number of human rights defenders and lawyers are deplorable. All those detained for peacefully exercising rights to freedom of expression and association should be released.

In Egypt, I am shocked by Saturday's death sentences for 75 people, following another mass trial which failed to comply with international standards regarding due process guarantees. The trial of these protestors contrasts sharply with a recent law that bestows immunity on senior members of the security forces for human rights violations which they may have committed.

Prospects for peace and respect for human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are undermined by the continued occupation. The ever-deepening human rights crisis in Gaza stems from 11 years of Israel’s blockade, as well as successive escalations in hostilities. Against this backdrop, the high number of deaths and injuries of Palestinians in the context of recent demonstrations along the fence in Gaza this year raise serious concerns about excessive use of force. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Israeli settlement enterprise – illegal under international humanitarian law – continues unabated. The coercive environment created by demolitions and severe restrictions on freedom of movement of Palestinians continues in many areas of the West Bank, with increasing acts of settler violence.Of great concern at present is the possible imminent demolition of Khan al Ahmar-abu Helu, one of 46 Palestinian Bedouin communities at risk of forcible transfer in the West Bank. We are also concerned by the recent adoption of the Nation State Basic Law in Israel, which enshrines discrimination against Israel’s non-Jewish population.

Mr President,

The Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship signed in July between Eritrea and Ethiopia offers hope for an end to the decades-long stalemate between the two countries, which has had very severe impact on the people on both sides of the border. The Office stands ready to support both countries in protecting human rights. We particularly look forward to seeing an end to indefinite conscription into the Eritrean military. In Ethiopia, the Office has recently visited regions affected by intercommunal violence between the Gedeos and the Gujies communities, where recent clashes have reportedly forced over a million people to flee their homes. We welcome initial steps taken by the Government and urge a thorough, impartial and independent investigation into the human rights violations which allegedly occurred, with full accountability for the perpetrators.

In Mali, particularly in the central part of the country and in the region of Menaka, human rights and basic security are sharply deteriorating as a result of violence across intercommunal lines; attacks by violent extremist groups; the use of improvised explosive devices; and counter-terrorism operations conducted by national and international forces, which do not always respect the human rights of the people. Credible allegations have been made regarding the extrajudicial executions of at least 77 people since the beginning of 2018. The Government has opened judicial investigations for most of these incidents, and the Office will be closely following up these and other cases.

The situation in Cameroon has also worsened in recent months, as fighting has intensified in the so-called Anglophone regions between security forces and armed groups, with a large number of civilian victims and over 180,000 people forced to take refuge far from their homes – now in pressing need of humanitarian assistance. Many economic activities across these regions are now paralyzed. In this volatile security context, many people fear reprisals if they participate in the Presidential elections scheduled next month. The Government has not acted to promote the conference on dialogue suggested by religious leaders, and there is still no mechanism in place which could envisage a halt in hostilities in the short term. We strongly condemn reports of the killing and abductions of teachers and students and the destruction of schools by armed elements in the north-west and south-west regions. These acts of intimidation are preventing thousands of children from attending school. We note that the Government has opened investigations into several atrocious crimes apparently committed by members of the military, and urge swift and effective action to ensure all the perpetrators of human rights violations are held accountable. Due process should also be guaranteed for all those detained in connection with terrorism, and we urge the Government to address key grievances, in order to foster peaceful resolution of this crisis.

In Sudan, clashes in Jebel Marra between security forces and armed groups have again led to new displacements of people in recent months. Despite some improvements in overall security in Darfur, displaced people continue to be subjected to attacks, including killings and rapes, when they venture outside their camps.Many such attacks are attributable to Government security forces and related militias, which still operate with impunity in Darfur.

In South Sudan, the agreement signed by the warring parties last month has again raised hopes for a peaceful and sustainable solution to the conflict. We urge the parties to acknowledge their part of responsibility for the violations suffered by so many across the country, by helping to establish and operationalize thelong-awaitedHybrid Court – notably, by signing its statute. We are deeply concerned by the general amnesty announced by President Kiir in Khartoum, which may result in protecting from justice a large number of perpetrators of serioushuman rightsviolations and abuses from both the government forces and armed groups. We remind the authorities that amnesties may not shield from prosecution individuals who may be criminally responsible for war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity or gross violations of human rights, including gender-specific violations.The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan will hold an interactive dialogue with the Council later on the session. We join the Commission in deploring the fact that peace efforts have largely ignored accountability as a lever for change.

In Somalia, continued attacks against civilians by both State and non-State actors are deeply concerning. In July, UNSOM documented 51 civilians killed and 82 injured, and noted that civilian casualties attributed to Al-Shabaab had increased 309 per cent since June, and those attributable to state actors had risen by 125 per cent. The Office is also extremely concerned by the very limited democratic space in Somalia. An UNSOM report this month on violations of freedom of expression notes that between 1 August 2016 and 31 July 2018, at least eight journalists and media workers were killed and 32 injured; 94 individuals were arbitrarily arrested and/or subjected to prolonged detention on charges related to their exercise of freedom of expression; and 19 media organs were forced to close, some temporarily. A report published by UNSOM and the Office in August details numerous human rights violations and abuses committed during the 2016 and 2017 electoral process, including 44 cases of killings of community leaders and electoral delegates.

In the Central African Republic, sporadic clashes between armed groups outside the main towns continue to expose civilians to atrocity crimes and protection concerns. We deplore recent attacks against humanitarian workers in the Central region of the country.Clashes in August and September between ex-Seleka and anti-Balaka forces in Bria last month caused multiple civilian casualties and the reported destruction of villages, resulting in forced displacement of their inhabitants. In the context of current peace initiatives, we emphasise the importance of ensuring that any agreements comply with human rights law, address the importance of people's safety, and ensure that the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses will be held to account. Those who have incited violence and hatred between communities should also be held accountable. The Office is ready to support the establishment of inclusive and victim-centred transitional justice.

Burundi continues to enforce increasing restrictions on an already gravely-threatened civic space, amid continuing reports of grave human rights violations. In another very worrying development, the Imbonerakure militia responsible for multiple abuses is now increasingly acting as a law enforcement body. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, widespread violations of civil and political rights endanger the credibility of the electoral process. The Council will be briefed on issues in these two countries later in the session.

Mr President,

Earlier this year, our Regional Office in Central Asia organized its first Human Rights Defenders Forum for the region, with more than 80 participants. The Office was, however, unable to invite activists from Turkmenistan, as a mere invitation could have posed a threat to them. As discussed at the Forum, we continue to receive reports of intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrests and detention, at times marked by ill-treatment, against those who legally and peacefully express dissenting views in other Central Asian countries – notably Tajikistan. While the gravity of issues is specific to each country, the freedoms of journalists, human rights defenders, members of ethnic and religious minorities and more generally, civil society, have significantly diminished. Torture also remains a pressing issue across the region, with widespread impunity for perpetrators. And as in other regions, heavy-handed policies intended to counter or prevent violent extremism are likely to be counterproductive; we encourage the authorities to focus on promoting human rights when developing and applying such policies.

As in other parts of the world, we are also concerned by the numerous reported cases of torture and ill-treatment committed by law-enforcement and penitentiary personnel in the Russian Federation. We note the prompt reaction of the Russian Government and the Federal Ombudsperson to the alleged collective torture of a detainee by prison personnel in Yaroslavl, and urge full investigation and accountability to this and all such cases.

Turkey has recently lifted its state of emergency, but we are deeply alarmed at the recently enacted anti-terror law, which retains numerous emergency restrictions and is likely to continue their adverse effect on human rights and fundamental freedoms.For instance, the law restricts due process guarantees, prolongs the duration of pre-trial detention and allows for continued dismissals of public officials, including judges and prosecutors, because of alleged links to terrorist organizations. This de facto state of emergency is accompanied by the increasing concentration of powers in the executive, and an intense and ongoing crackdown on journalists and human rights defenders. The Office alsocontinues to receive an extremely high number of allegations of deportations of Turkish nationals from third countries, and reported abductions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and torture and ill-treatment.

The Council will receive a specific briefing on events in Ukraine later in the session. The ceasefire which began on 29 August to accommodate the beginning of the school year is another opportunity to for all parties to demonstrate their serious commitment to the protection of civilians, and end thesufferingof 600,000civiliansliving close to the contact line, on both sides.

Mr President,

Human rights defenders in the Americas are increasingly facing grave risks as a result of their legitimate activities. We urge these States to strengthen protection and preventive measures to swiftly address this deteriorating situation. In Colombia, by1 September the Office had recorded 53 homicides of leading human rights defenders this year, and we are verifying 57 more cases. In Mexico, 8 human rights defenders were killed in the first eight months of 2018 – again, more than in the whole of 2017. Many more have been victims of criminalisation, abusive lawsuits, smear campaigns, surveillance, death threats and attacks. Last year was also the deadliest year on record for journalists in Mexico, with at least 12 killings in 2017. In 2018, we have already recorded 8 killed and 1 person who has disappeared. In Guatemala, we have documented 18 murders of human rights defenders so far this year, compared to 12 in all of 2017. The recent Presidential decisions not to extend the mandate of the CICIG beyond September 2019 – and to refuse entry to the country to its Head, Ivan Velasquez – are deplorable. They abolish an essential instrument in the fight against impunity and corruption.

We welcome Haiti's nomination of a high level focal point on human rights, but its recent withdrawal of support for a resolution which would have provided resources for establishing a national human rights action plan is disappointing. We encourage the Council to resume its consideration of technical assistance to Haiti.

Mr President,

These updates point to many challenging situations, but also progress in some areas. I very much hope that we can address those challenges, and build on the progress which has been made.

In a few days it will be the equinox, when our world is poised between equal night and day.

For us in the Global South this date marks the end of winter and the start of spring, and many of our cultures celebrate this time as a time of hope and working together.

I am committed to the task of ensuring that together, we grow civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights for all, together with the right to development, and thus ensure peace and sustainable development across the world.

I thank you Mr President.

Global Overview

In September, Cameroon’s Anglophone separatists and security forces stepped up attacks and violence could rise around the 7 October presidential vote, while Afghanistan’s parliamentary polls are likely to be marred by violence and their results contested. Yemen missed an opportunity as Huthi rebels refused to take part in UN-led consultations and fighting resumed outside Hodeida, boding ill for October. Militia fighting worsened in Libya’s capital, militant attacks rose in eastern Burkina Faso, and Ethiopia’s capital saw a spate of ethnic violence. Al-Shabaab carried out ambitious attacks in Somalia’s capital and regional states cut ties with the federal government, risking worse political divisions and violence in coming weeks. In Syria, a Turkey-Russia deal seems to have averted a major offensive on rebel-held Idlib, but it needs to take root in October. Djibouti and Eritrea agreed to work toward normalising relations, and a surprise electoral result in the Maldives gave hope for a peaceful political transition. In Guatemala, the president’s attempt to dismantle a UN-backed anti-corruption body prompted a political crisis, while a significant confidence-building measure in Georgia’s conflicts with its breakaway republics broke down. In East Asia, a summit between the leaders of North and South Korea opened up prospects for denuclearisation.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid1 , and in particular Article 2, Article 4 and Article 15(2) and (3) thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union ('Overseas Association Decision')2 , and in particular Article 79 thereof,

Having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU)
No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/20123 , and in particular Article 110 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Decision C(2017) 88634 provides for the financing of humanitarian aid operational priorities from the 2018 general budget of the European Union for a total amount of EUR 842 200 000 from budget articles 23 02 01 and 23 02 02. In light of the evolution of the humanitarian needs during the year, this amount was raised to EUR 1 037 600 000 by Decision C(2018) 35745 of 07 June 2018 and subsequently to EUR 1 212 600 000 by Decision C(2018) 65326 of 9 October 2018 amending decision C(2017) 8863.

(2) The Commission is committed to providing a humanitarian response in those areas where humanitarian needs are greatest. Accordingly, when required by changing circumstances in the field which might affect existing humanitarian needs or generate new needs, the humanitarian response may be subject to reorientation or scaling-up in the course of implementation of actions. Union financial assistance may also have to be awarded to new actions to satisfy exacerbated or increased humanitarian needs.

(3) The global humanitarian context has been characterised by an increase in humanitarian needs in locations such as Central African Republic facing an internal conflict, Chad where the food security situation has drastically deteriorated, Cameroon facing an increasing influx of refugees, Niger facing a cholera outbreak, the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria) with increased needs of vulnerable populations affected by accute food or nutrition insecurity or conflict, Burundi with a regional refugee crisis, Madagascar and Haiti with a deteriorating food and nutrition security situation, Columbia facing a resurgence of violence, Palestine where the deterioration of the humanitarian situation has a high impact on the health and food security sectors, Yemen where the crisis is deteriorating, in Ukraine where the situation remains critical. In Myanmar where the Rohingya are in very serious food insecuriy situation and the humanitarian needs in most of the sectors remain uncovered. In addition the country is facing a conflict-related internal displacement crisis because of the escalation of the confilct in Kachin and Chan. In the Philippines where the humanitarian needs are mainly caused by displacement and lack of services, and destroyed or looted assets in areas of return.

(4) Non-substantial changes under this Decision are to be calculated by reference to the maximum contribution, excluding the contributions received from other donors pursuant to Article 21(2)(a)(ii) and Article 21(2)(e) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2018/1046.

(5) It is therefore appropriate to amend Decision C(2017) 8863, as amended, to reflect the increase by EUR 176 174 635.17 already made on the basis of the fexibility clause in order to adapt the humanitarian response to the evolving humanitarian aid operational priorities and to distribute this additional funding to the specific objectives fixed in this Decision.

(6) This Decision complies with the conditions laid down in Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2018/1046.

(7) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Humanitarian Aid Committee established by Article 17(1) of Council Regulation (EC)
No 1257/96,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

Decision C(2017) 8863 is amended as follows:

(1) Article 1 is amended as follows:

(a) Paragraphs (1) and (2) are replaced by the following: '1. A maximum contribution from the Union budget to the financing of humanitarian aid operational priorities is set at EUR 1 388 774 635.17, of which EUR 1 338 774 635.17 shall be financed from budget article 23 02 01 and EUR 50 000 000 shall be financed from budget article 23 02 02, of the 2018 general budget of the European Union, is approved.

The amount from budget article 23 02 01 referred to above includes a contribution amounting to EUR 36 174 635.17, received by the Union from the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom Government, to be used in support humanitarian aid operations in the Sahel.

1. The humanitarian actions shall be implemented in order to:

(a) Provide humanitarian and food assistance, relief and protection to vulnerable people affected by man-made crises, possibly aggravated by natural disasters, including new crises and existing crises where the scale and complexity of the humanitarian crisis is such that it seems likely to continue.
A total of EUR 1 185 300 000 from budget article 23 02 01 is allocated to this specific objective.

(b) Provide humanitarian and food assistance, relief and protection to vulnerable people affected by natural disasters that have entailed major loss of life, physical and psychological or social suffering or material damage.
A total of EUR 111 474 635.17 from budget article 23 02 01 is allocated to this specific objective.

(c) Provide humanitarian assistance for response and disaster preparedness to populations affected by disasters where a small scale response is adequate and to populations affected by epidemic outbreaks.
A total of EUR 21 000 000 from budget article 23 02 01 is allocated to this specific objective.

(d) Support strategies and complement existing strategies that enable local communities and institutions to better prepare for, mitigate and respond adequately to natural disasters by enhancing their capacities to cope and respond, thereby increasing resilience and reducing vulnerability.
A total of EUR 50 000 000 from budget article 23 02 02 is allocated to this specific objective.

(e) Improve the delivery of aid through complementary and thematic activities aiming at increasing the effectiveness, efficiency, quality, timeliness and visibility of humanitarian actions and transport.
A total of EUR 21 000 000 from budget article 23 02 01 is allocated to this specific objective.
This specific objective shall be met through achieving the following subspecific objectives:

(i) Strengthen the global humanitarian preparedness and response capacity of humanitarian partners by increasing the effectiveness and reinforcing the capacity of international humanitarian organisations and non-governmental organisations to assess, analyse, prepare and respond to humanitarian crises.
A total of EUR 3 500 000 from budget article 23 02 01 is allocated to this subspecific objective.

(ii) Improve the conditions for delivering humanitarian aid by supporting transport services to ensure that aid is accessible to beneficiaries, including by means of medical evacuation of humanitarian staff where the unavailability of such transport services could adversely affect the timely and effective provision of assistance to beneficiaries. A total of EUR 14 800 000 from budget article 23 02 01 is allocated to this sub-specific objective.

(iii) Increase awareness, understanding of and support for humanitarian issues, especially in the Union and in third countries where the Union is funding major humanitarian operations through public awareness and information campaigns. Communication actions in 2018 will also contribute, where appropriate, to the corporate communication of the Commission, in particular regarding the EU's role in the world (A stronger global actor) as well as to the corporate communication cluster "An EU that protects".

A total of EUR 2 000 000 from budget article 23 02 01 is allocated to this subspecific objective.

(iv) Provide high quality European education and professional qualifications on humanitarian action that impact on humanitarian aid policy and practice.

A total of EUR 700 000 from budget article 23 02 01 is allocated to this subspecific objective.
Annex 1 to this Decision reflects the above-mentioned allocations by specific objectives.
Annex 2 to this Decision gives an indication of the contemplated allocation by countries/regions.'

(2) Annex 1 is replaced by Annex 1 to this Decision.

(3) Annex 2 is replaced by Annex 2 to this Decision.

Done at Brussels, 13.12.2018

Protracted complex emergencies and natural disasters, including drought, earthquakes, floods, and wildfires, present significant challenges to vulnerable populations in Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia (EMCA). Between FY 2009 and FY 2018, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) and USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) provided assistance in response to a range of disasters, including complex emergencies in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen; earthquakes in Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkey; floods in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and Tunisia; and fires in Canada, Israel, Montenegro, Portugal, and Russia.

Between FY 2009 and FY 2018, USAID provided more than $8 billion for emergency response programs in EMCA. USAID/FFP assistance included more than $4.4 billion for food and nutrition assistance, including U.S. in-kind food aid, locally or regionally purchased food, cash transfers for food, food vouchers, the prevention and treatment of acute malnutrition, and related activities such as community-asset building. USAID/OFDA assistance included nearly $3.6 billion for agriculture and food security, health, livelihoods, nutrition, protection, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions, as well as support for humanitarian coordination and logistics and the provision of relief commodities.

In the last decade, USAID responded to approximately 80 disasters in EMCA and deployed humanitarian teams to the region, including four Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs). Escalated conflict in Syria prompted USAID to stand up a DART in FY 2013, and a DART deployed to Iraq in the wake of deteriorating security that prompted significant population movement in FY 2014; both DARTs remained active throughout FY 2018. In addition, USAID deployed DARTs to Israel in repsonse to wildfires and Libya in response to a complex emergency in FY 2011. During the past ten years, USAID activated multiple Washington, D.C.-based Response Management Teams to facilitate DART coordination and response efforts.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU)
No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/20121 , and in particular Article 110 thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid2 ('the Humanitarian Aid Regulation' or 'HAR'), and in particular Article 1,

Article 2, Article 4 and Article 15(2) and (3) thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union ('the Overseas Association Decision')3 , and in particular Article 79 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) In order to ensure the implementation of the humanitarian aid actions of the Union for 2019, it is necessary to adopt an annual financing decision for 2019. Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 (‘the Financial Regulation’) establishes detailed rules on financing decisions.

(2) The human and economic losses caused by natural disasters are devastating. These natural disasters, be they sudden or slow onset, that entail major loss of life, physical and psychological or social suffering or material damage, are constantly increasing, and with them so is the number of victims. Man-made humanitarian crises, resulting from wars or outbreaks of fighting (also called complex or protracted crises) account for a large proportion of, and are, the main source of humanitarian needs in the world.
There is also a need for international support for preparedness activities. Disaster preparedness aims at reducing the impact of disasters and crises on populations, allowing early warning and early action to better assist those affected.

(3) The humanitarian aid funded under this Decision should also cover essential activities and support services to humanitarian organisations as referred to in Articles 2(c) and 4 HAR, including notably the protection of humanitarian goods and personnel.

(4) The Union became party to the Food Assistance Convention on 28 November 2012; the Convention entered into force on 1 January 2013. In accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, an amount of EUR 350 000 000, to be spent as food and nutrition assistance funded under this Decision, is to be counted towards the minimum annual commitment for the year 2019 of the Union under the Food Assistance Convention.

(5) Although as a general rule grants funded by this Decision should be co-financed, by way of derogation, the Authorising Officer in accordance with Article 190(3) of the Financial Regulation, may agree to their full financing.

(6) The envisaged assistance is to comply with the conditions and procedures set out by the restrictive measures adopted pursuant to Article 215 TFEU. The needs-based and impartial nature of humanitarian aid implies that the Union may be called to finance humanitarian assistance in crises and countries covered by Union restrictive measures.
In such situations, and in keeping with the relevant principles of international law and with the principles of impartiality, neutrality and non-discrimination referred to in Article 214(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Union should allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded access to humanitarian relief by civilians in need. The relevant Union restrictive measures should therefore be interpreted and implemented in such a manner as not to preclude the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the intended beneficiaries.

(7) The Commission may acknowledge and accept contributions from other donors in accordance with Article 21(2)(b) of the Financial Regulation, subject to the signing of the relevant agreement. Where such contributions are not denominated in euro, a reasonable estimate of conversion should be made.

(8) It is advisable to maintain a part of the Union budget for humanitarian aid unallocated in order to cover unforeseen operations, as part of an operational reserve.

(9) In cases where Union funding is granted to non-governmental organisations in accordance with Article 7 HAR, in order to guarantee that the beneficiaries of that funding are able to meet their commitments in the long term, the Authorising Officer responsible should verify if the non-governmental organisations concerned satisfy the requisite eligibility and selection criteria, notably as regards their legal, operational and financial capacity. The verification to be made should also seek to confirm whether the non-governmental organisations concerned are able to provide humanitarian aid in accordance with the humanitarian principles set out in the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid4 .

(10) In cases where the Union finances humanitarian aid operations of Member States' specialised agencies in accordance with Article 9 HAR, in order to guarantee that the beneficiaries of Union grants are capable of fulfilling their commitments in the long run, the Authorising Officer responsible should verify the legal, operational and, where the entities or bodies concerned are governed by private law, financial capacity of any Member States' specialised agencies desiring to receive financial support under this Decision. The verification to be made should notably seek to confirm whether the Member States' specialised agencies concerned are able to provide humanitarian assistance or equivalent international relief outside the Union in accordance with the humanitarian principles set out in the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid.

(11) Pursuant to Article 195(a) Financial Regulation, it is appropriate to authorise the award of grants without a call for proposals to the non-governmental organisations satisfying the eligibility and suitability criteria referred to in Article 7 HAR for the purpose of humanitarian aid.

(12) In order to ensure an effective delivery in the field of Union-funded humanitarian aid in all relevant crisis contexts while taking into account the specific mandates of international organisations, such as the United Nations and the international component of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement (International Committee of the Red Cross and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies), it is necessary to use indirect management for the implementation of Union-funded humanitarian aid operations.

(13) The Commission is to ensure a level of protection of the financial interests of the Union with regards to entities and persons entrusted with the implementation of Union funds by indirect management as provided for in Article 154(3) of the Financial Regulation. To this end, such entities and persons are to be subject to an assessment of their systems and procedures in accordance with Article 154(4) of the Financial Regulationand, if necessary, to appropriate supervisory measures in accordance with Article 154(5) of the Financial Regulation before a contribution agreement can be signed.

(14) It is necessary to allow for the payment of interest due for late payment on the basis of Article 116(5) Financial Regulation.

(15) It is appropriate to reserve appropriations for a trust fund in accordance with Article 234 Financial Regulation in order to strengthen the international role of the Union in external actions and development and to increase its visibility and efficiency.

(16) In order to allow for flexibility in the implementation of the financing decision, it is appropriate to define the term 'substantial change' within the meaning of Article 110(5) of the Financial Regulation.

(17) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Humanitarian Aid Committee established by Article 17(1) HAR.

Vienna, Austria, June 12, 2019. OFID – the OPEC Fund for International Development – has approved more than US$580 million of new funding to benefit developing countries across the globe. The 167th Session of OFID’s Governing Board approved the funding at the organization’s Vienna headquarters.

The public sector loans, amounting to US$387 million, will support the following projects:

Cuba: West Havana Sanitation and Pluvial Drainage. To reduce environmental pollution and improve health indicators and living conditions, benefiting an estimated 73,000 people. US$ 25,000

Egypt: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (MSMED) III. To help create around 33,000 job opportunities and boost self-employment through the extension of small loans to MSMEs and local banks, NGOs and microfinance institutions. US$ 95,000

Ghana: Eastern Corridor Development Program (Phase I). To construct a 40 km road and repair a 24 km stretch to improve domestic / regional trade and stimulate economic development for circa 230,000 people. US$ 20,000

Liberia: Upgrading of Konia-Voinjama Road. To pave a 64 km road in northern Liberia, improving the transport of agricultural goods and increasing food security and incomes for around 43,000 people. US$ 25,000

Mozambique: Temane Transmission Project (TREP / TTP). To install a 563 km transmission system from Temane to the capital Maputo and upgrade / build sub-stations in southern Mozambique. US$ 36,000

Oman: Alsharqiya Expressway Tunnels. To construct two expressway tunnels to improve connections between the north and eastern regions, enhance trade and provide efficient transport for around one million people. US$ 130,000

Rwanda: Rwanda Sustainable Water Supply & Sanitation Program – Phase II. To construct eight water supply systems to serve 14 districts. Access is expected to rise from 30 to nearly 100 percent – improving living standards for approximately 5.4 million people. US$ 20,000

Senegal: Support to Agricultural Development & Rural Entrepreneurship Program - Phase II (PADAER II). To construct infrastructure for circa 437,000 small producers to increase yield and create more jobs – with a focus on women and youth. US$ 10,000

Sierra Leone: Education Sector Support. To reconstruct and rehabilitate four public secondary schools, a teacher training college and a polytechnic to ease overcrowding and accommodate rising enrolments. US$ 20,000

Suriname: Health Facilities Improvement (Supplementary Loan). To cover funding gaps related to a hospital in the capital Paramaribo and primary healthcare facilities across the country serving approximately 300,000 people/year. US$ 6,000

US$157 million was approved under OFID’s private sector, comprising: two facilities totalling €65m (circa US$72m) to strengthen the energy sector in Côte d’Ivoire; US$50m to improve road transport in Kazakhstan; US$25m to support an agricultural group’s investment programs in developing countries (primarily in Africa); and US$10m in support of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Turkmenistan. Under OFID’s Trade Finance Facility, US$25m was approved to support international trade activities in Armenia and US$15m to improve international trade opportunities in Costa Rica.

Overview:

In East Africa, production prospects are poor for main season cereals in parts of Somalia and Kenya due to a delayed onset of rains and dry conditions. In West Africa, main season maize planting continues across the south of the region and conditions are favourable with good rains received. In the Middle East and North Africa, winter wheat crops are generally favourable due to good rains throughout the season except in parts of Morocco where poor production has resulted from dry conditions, and in Syria and Iraq due to ongoing conflict. In Southern Africa, winter wheat planted in May is favourable, except in Zambia, where dry conditions have carried over from the previous season. In Central and South Asia, winter cereals for harvest in August are favourable despite some dry conditions in May. In Southeast Asia, harvest of dry-season rice is complete in the north and favourable yields resulted except in parts of Thailand and Philippines. Planting of wet-season rice is underway and conditions are favourable with good rains at the start of the season. In Central America and the Caribbean primera season planting started in May and there is some concern due to irregular rainfall and dry conditions.

Background and Key Findings

According to the latest available figures from the Turkish Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) there are currently over 3.9 million foreign nationals present in Turkish territory seeking international protection. Most are Syrians (3,622,748* individuals) who are granted temporary protection status, while according to UNHCR 368,230** asylum seekers and refugees from countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Somalia constitute another significant group of foreign nationals seeking Turkish humanitarian and legal protection.
Like the previous reporting period, since March 2019 the number of Syrians residing in camps has decreased by 31,346.

Global Overview

In July, Libya’s war spread beyond Tripoli, and Iran and the U.S. continued to teeter on the precipice of military confrontation. Nigeria’s woes deepened as Boko Haram stepped up attacks in the north east, tensions rose between herders and farmers, and the government cracked down on Shiite Muslim protesters in the capital Abuja. In Somalia, Al-Shabaab ramped up attacks in the capital Mogadishu and across the south, and thousands took to the streets in Malawi to protest President Mutharika’s re-election and alleged electoral fraud. In Europe, tensions rose between Kosovo and Serbia with a senior Serbian official claiming Kosovo had denied him entry. On a positive note, the peace process in Afghanistan saw signs of progress, which could lead to the finalisation of a U.S.-Taliban agreement in August.

The war in Libya expanded. Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s military alliance pursued its campaign to take the capital Tripoli from forces nominally loyal to the UN-backed government based there. For the first time since hostilities erupted in April, government forces struck outside the Tripoli area, deploying drones to destroy enemy assets in Jufra and Waddan in central Libya. Haftar’s forces retaliated by striking the air base in Misrata, some 200km east of Tripoli, from where the drones launched. To end this destructive stalemate, international actors should press both sides to reconsider their uncompromising positions and accept an internationally-monitored ceasefire, followed by talks for new political, military and financial arrangements under a UN aegis.

Tensions continued to run high between Iran and the U.S., keeping them on the brink of military confrontation. Once sparked, such a conflict could spread rapidly across regional flashpoints and engulf their respective allies. In July, Iran breached limits on uranium enrichment agreed in the 2015 nuclear deal, and said it would accelerate its violations if the deal’s remaining parties did not by 6 September find ways to protect it from U.S. sanctions. Maritime confrontations continued, especially in the Strait of Hormuz. In a new report, Averting the Middle East’s 1914 Moment, we warn that in the absence of direct talks between the two sides, a small incident could blow up into a regional conflict. We urge third parties to intensify efforts to defuse the crisis, salvage the nuclear accord and de-escalate tensions.

Nigeria faced greater insecurity on several fronts. Ten years after Boko Haram’s founding father, Muhammad Yusuf, was killed in police custody, the radical insurgent group seemed to be on the offensive, stepping up attacks across Borno state and leaving scores dead, both civilians and security forces. In a recent report, we explain how one of its two factions, Islamic State in West Africa Province, is gaining influence by cultivating support among locals. The authorities will struggle to end the insurgency without a political strategy to supplement their military campaign, one focused on improving governance and services and ensuring that security forces are held accountable. Meanwhile, in the centre and south, herder-farmer tensions rose, partly over the government’s initiative to create temporary settlements for Fulani herders. And in the capital Abuja, security forces violently dispersed protests demanding the release of Sheikh Ibrahim el-Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria. The government officially labelled the group a “terrorist organisation” and banned it.

In Somalia, the Islamist insurgent group Al-Shabaab increased attacks on civilians as well as Somali and international forces, killing at least 109. In the capital Mogadishu, a female suicide-bomber detonated her explosives in the mayor’s office, killing six people and injuring others including the mayor, who later also died. Al-Shabaab said the attack’s target was U.S. diplomat James Swan, recently appointed UN envoy to Somalia, who had left the building not long before. The counter-insurgency remains hampered by bitter feuding between the federal government and federal states over power and resources. In Malawi, protests against President Mutharika’s 21 May re-election picked up steam, and in places opposition activists clashed with ruling party supporters. Opposition parties and civil society groups claim the election was rigged and demand the election commission chair resign.

In Europe, tensions rose between Kosovo and Serbia. A Kosovar foreign ministry advisor on 4 July announced a ban on Serbian officials entering Kosovo, which a government spokesperson denied the next day. Despite this, Serbia’s defence minister said he was prevented from entering the country on 10 July, calling Kosovo’s leaders “liars”.

As violence in Afghanistan continued to take a heavy civilian toll, the latest round of U.S.-Taliban talks bore fruit on four critical issues: countering transnational jihadists, U.S. troop withdrawal, intra-Afghan dialogue, and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire. This progress could augur the finalisation of an agreement in August. Moreover, for the first time Taliban and Afghan government officials met, albeit informally, to discuss a roadmap toward intra-Afghan dialogue. While these discussions constitute a step forward, whether and how this ice-breaker event evolves into substantive negotiations on difficult issues, including the state’s structure and power sharing, remains to be seen.

Overview:

In East Africa, harvest of main season cereals is nearing completion across central and southern parts of the subregion and below-average yields are expected due to dry conditions during much of the season. In West Africa, main season maize harvest begins this month across the south of the region and average to above-average yields are expected, except in areas affected by civil unrest in Cameroon, Nigeria and the Central African Republic. In the Middle East and North Africa, harvest is complete for 2019 winter cereals and average to above-average yields are expected throughout most of the subregion due to exceptional seasonal rainfall, except in parts of drought-affected Morocco. In Southern Africa, conditions have worsened for winter wheat as low reservoir levels, caused by carryover dry conditions from the previous season, has impacted irrigation activities. In Central and South Asia, winter cereals for harvest in August are favourable despite below-average rainfall in May and June. In Southeast Asia, planting of wet-season rice is underway. There is concern for crops in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam due to belowaverage rainfall, and in Bangladesh and Nepal due to monsoon rains. In Central America and the Caribbean, harvest of the main “Primera” season maize will begin in August. There is concern due to irregular and below-average rainfall across Central America’s Dry Corridor and Haiti.

Global Overview

In August, deadly clashes in Yemen between southern separatists and forces aligned with the internationally-recognised government dimmed prospects for ending the war. Suspected Israeli drone strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Lebanon ramped up regional tensions. Fighting intensified in Libya’s south, north west Syria, and Myanmar’s northern Shan State, and in Colombia senior FARC leaders returned to armed struggle. Security in El Salvador improved, but murder rates climbed in Mexico. In Asia, tensions rose in the South China Sea, clashes erupted in Indonesia over the treatment of Papuans, and India’s change to Kashmir’s status could fuel violence. Presidential polls in Somalia’s Jubaland state deepened divisions, intercommunal attacks rose in eastern Chad, and violence in Cameroon’s Anglophone west could increase in the coming month. Repression intensified in Burundi, authorities cracked down on protesters in Zimbabwe, and friction between opposition protesters and Malawi’s security forces could rise in September. In Europe, tensions rose between Georgia and breakaway region South Ossetia, while in Kyrgyzstan political rivalry led to a shoot-out. On a positive note, Sudan’s protagonists agreed on structures to rule until elections, Mozambique’s warring parties officially ended hostilities, dialogue initiatives reduced violence in Mali’s centre, and talks to end the U.S.-Taliban conflict in Afghanistan could lead to a framework agreement in the coming weeks.

In Yemen, southern separatists aligned with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seized the city of Aden from the Saudi-backed internationally-recognised government of President Hadi on 10 August. The fighting left at least 40 dead. Violence could escalate in coming weeks as the two factions seek to gain the upper hand. To prevent this rivalry becoming a civil war within a civil war, Saudi Arabia, alongside the UAE and the UN special envoy, should mediate an end to the fighting, including by placing the southern question on the agenda of UN-led talks.

Suspected Israeli drone strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Lebanon sparked outrage in both countries and further strained Baghdad’s policy of neutrality amid U.S.-Iran tensions. Fighting intensified in north-western Syria as pro-government forces advanced into rebel-held Idlib, targeting the Turkish military. In Libya, the war dragged on in and around Tripoli between armed groups aligned with the UN-backed government and those supporting Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA). Hostilities escalated in the south, where clashes between militias aligned with the main rivals left over 100 dead.

In Colombia, three senior former FARC rebel commanders, including the group’s former chief negotiator, announced their return to armed struggle, becoming the highest ranking guerrillas to have reneged on the 2016 peace deal. El Salvador recorded its lowest monthly murder rate this century, but Mexico’s homicide rate continued to soar; 2019 is on course to become its deadliest year on record.

Fighting escalated in Myanmar’s northern Shan State, as an alliance of ethnic armed groups launched coordinated attacks on strategic targets, including on a military academy, killing about fifteen. Tensions grew in the South China Sea as both Vietnam and the Philippines protested Chinese incursions into disputed waters, while a U.S. warship sailed near Chinese-claimed islands, angering Beijing. India revoked Kashmir’s special constitutional status, deployed tens of thousands of troops, arrested Kashmiri politicians and put the region under lockdown. Its moves raised the risk that violence erupts, both within the region and between India and neighbouring Pakistan in coming months. In Indonesia’s Papua region, large demonstrations against mistreatment of Papuans resulted in violent clashes with security forces.

Presidential polls in Somalia’s Jubaland federal state deepened political divisions, as opposition candidates barred from running and the federal government in Mogadishu rejected the incumbent’s victory. Communal violence in eastern Chad left about 100 dead and prompted the government to impose a state of emergency. A military court in Cameroon handed down life sentences to ten Anglophone separatist leaders, sparking a rise in clashes in the Anglophone regions. Violence could escalate further in September if separatists seek to impose by force a promised lockdown.

As Zimbabwe’s economic crisis deepened, the security forces cracked down on protests, while the frequency of attacks on opposition members and activists rose. In Malawi, protesters continued to push their claim that President Mutharika won re-election through fraud; violence between protesters and security forces could rise in September if Constitutional Court dismisses the opposition’s case to overturn the result. As Burundi’s 2020 presidential elections approach, the government and ruling party’s youth wing stepped up repression of the main opposition party, arresting and assaulting its members, killing one.

Tensions rose markedly between Georgia and its breakaway region of South Ossetia as Russian and de facto South Ossetian border guards resumed efforts to build a fence along the line between Georgia and South Ossetia. In response, Georgia began building police stations in contested areas. Meanwhile, in Kyrgyzstan, supporters of former President Atambayev took up arms to resist special forces’ attempts to arrest him, killing one.

Conflict resolution efforts took fragile steps forward in several corners of the globe. In Sudan, the ruling military council and opposition coalition signed a landmark constitutional declaration and power-sharing accord, beginning a three-year transitional period until elections. Mozambique’s former armed opposition group Renamo signed a peace deal with the government, formally ending decades of hostilities. Communal and militant violence fell in Mali’s centre, thanks in part to a growing number of local dialogue initiatives. Finally, the U.S. and Afghanistan’s Taliban made progress in talks and could announce a deal in September. But the conflict continued to exact an excruciatingly high toll on civilians.

Enforced disappearances: UN experts urge States to “stop looking the other way”

GENEVA (11 September 2019) – States around the world must act urgently to prevent enforced disappearances rather than looking the other way, said a group of UN human rights experts.

“It is our responsibility to alert the Human Rights Council and the international community as a whole, of what we are witnessing as a Working Group,” said Bernard Duhaime, Chair of the Working Group, after presenting the group’s latest annual report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Duhaime said the global trend in deteriorating human rights was underlined by a number of worrisome developments in the area of enforced disappearances.

“The increasing use of extraterritorial abductions by a number of States; the adoption of regressive legislation and measures in the area of truth, justice and reparations; and the proliferation of acts of reprisals towards relatives and civil society organisations, are only a few examples of what we face in the current climate,” he said.

“A number of States are also increasingly justifying the use of enforced disappearances under the pretext of combating terrorism, including through the adoption of legal provisions that facilitate the occurrence of enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention.

“The silence and lack of reaction on the part of the international community could be interpreted as a normalisation of these practices, which are in clear breach of international human rights law. The Working Group finds these trends extremely concerning,” he added.

In addition to the annual report, Duhaime also presented a report on the Working Group’s visit to Ukraine, as well as follow-up reports on the recommendations made by the Working Group after past visits to Peru and Sri Lanka.

“We stand ready to assist these Governments in the implementation of the recommendations made following our visits to their countries,” he concluded.

ENDS

The Working Group on enforced and involuntary disappearancescomprises five independent experts from all regions around the world. The Chair-Rapporteur is Mr. Bernard Duhaime (Canada) and the Vice-Chair is Mr. Tae-Ung Baik (Republic of Korea); other members are Ms Houria Es-Slami (Morocco), Mr. Luciano Hazan (Argentina) and Mr. Henrikas Mickevicius (Lithuania).

The Working Group was established by the UN Commission on Human Rights in 1980 to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of disappeared relatives. It endeavours to establish a channel of communication between the families and the Governments concerned, to ensure that individual cases are investigated, with the objective of clarifying the whereabouts of people who, having disappeared, are placed outside the protection of the law. In view of the Working Group’s humanitarian mandate, clarification occurs when the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person is clearly established.

The Working Group continues to address cases of disappearances until they are resolved. It also provides assistance in the implementation by States of the United Nations Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Read the latest annual report of the Working Group

Learn how to submit a case to the Working Group.

Read the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance

For more information and media requests, please contact:

Mr. Ugo Cedrangolo (+41 22 917 9286 / ucedrangolo@ohchr.org) or write to wgeid@ohchr.org
Check the Universal Human Rights Index

Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter@UN_SPExperts_.

Concerned about the world we live in?

Then STAND UP for someone’s rights today

Standup4humanrights and visit the web page at http://www.standup4humanrights.org

Global Overview

In September, U.S. President Trump suspended talks with the Taliban, curtailing prospects for peace in Afghanistan, while an attack on Saudi oil facilities prompted a sharp rise in tensions between Riyadh and Washington on one side and Iran on the other. Cross-border attacks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Huthis could multiply unless they agree on steps to de-escalate. In Egypt and Algeria, security forces cracked down on opposition protests, and Tunisia’s second round of presidential polls could stir tensions. Violence around protests in Indonesia’s Papua left at least 30 dead. Al-Shabaab stepped up attacks in Somalia, violence between armed groups rose in the Central African Republic, security forces increased attacks in Cameroon’s Anglophone areas, and intercommunal conflict deepened in central Mali. In October, insecurity could rise in eastern DR Congo, northern Burkina Faso, Malawi and Mozambique. Talks between Venezuela’s government and opposition fell apart, and Haiti’s political crisis gave way to more violence. In Sudan, the appointment of a new cabinet consolidated a power-sharing deal and imminent talks between the government and armed opposition groups are an opportunity to advance peace in the peripheries.

Trends and Outlook

U.S. President Trump dealt a blow to Afghanistan’s peace process when in a series of surprise Tweets he called off U.S.-Taliban negotiations and cancelled a secret meeting with the Taliban and Afghan government. The move, which harmed U.S. credibility and threatened to undo months of careful diplomacy, will mean at a minimum some delay in finalising a U.S.-Taliban deal that had seemed on the verge of completion. To repair the damage, talks should resume as quickly as possible.

Aerial attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia triggered a sharp rise in tensions between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. on one side and Iran on the other. Yemen’s Huthis claimed the assault, but both Riyadh and Washington blamed Tehran, which denied involvement. Crisis Group analysed how the principal parties read the attacks and argued that the cost of further regional escalation should compel the U.S. and Iran to walk back from the brink. Conflict in Yemen could escalate on two fronts in October. Cross-border attacks between the Huthis and Saudi Arabia could intensify if they fail to reach a mutual de-escalation agreement. At the same time, troop movements in the south suggest that pro-government forces and southern separatists are readying for a new bout.

Several African countries face a possible escalation in violence in October. In DR Congo’s north-eastern Ituri province, deadly attacks partly driven by ethnic antipathy could rise if talks between authorities and a militia leader collapse. The cyclical unrest underscores our call for the UN to support local peacemaking efforts even if the UN mission draws down. In Mozambique, both a rebel faction and radical Islamist militants could seek to violently disrupt general elections set for 15 October. Malawi could see protests and repression rise if the constitutional court rules against the opposition’s bid to have President Mutharika’s re-election in May overturned. In northern Burkina Faso, jihadists could exploit their momentum and security forces’ partial withdrawal and step up attacks on urban centres.

Insecurity worsened in four other African hotspots. Over the border in central Mali, violence surged as attacks on a banned local militia by both jihadists and the military fuelled intercommunal conflict. Al-Shabaab intensified attacks in south-central Somalia, and relations between the federal government and Jubaland soured further. In the far north east of the Central African Republic, fighting between rival armed groups rose, leaving over 40 dead. And in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, the military stepped up attacks on suspected separatist fighters and civilians. Ahead of a national dialogue on the Anglophone crisis, we urged the government to give more time to Anglophones, including federalists, to lay out their proposals, and let the UN and African Union help bridge divides.

Violence rose again in Indonesia’s Papua region, where at least 30 people were reportedly killed and scores injured as security forces clashed with protesters in Wamena city and the provincial capital Jayapura.

In Egypt, security forces cracked down on spontaneous anti-government protests, reportedly arresting some 2,000 people and deploying to prevent further unrest. The military in Algeria took a harder line against continued demonstrations there, stepping up arrests of protest leaders and preventing people from joining Friday protests in the capital. The two political outsiders who won most votes in the first round of Tunisia’s presidential election, including imprisoned media mogul Nabil Karoui, are due to face off in October. But the authorities could invoke his incarceration as grounds to cancel the second round or nullify the result, risking a constitutional void and power vacuum.

Talks to end Venezuela’s protracted crisis collapsed as the main opposition group pulled out of Norway-sponsored negotiations in Barbados, blaming President Maduro’s government for suspending talks in August and not responding to its proposal. The government in turn announced it had made a deal with a group of smaller opposition parties not involved in the Barbados talks. Political instability and unrest rose in Haiti as tensions boiled over in parliament, and several people were killed during anti-government protests.

Cause for some optimism in Sudan, where the new prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, appointed a cabinet acceptable to key stakeholders, including the military, opposition parties and civil society, consolidating the August power-sharing accord. Talks due to start in October between the government and several armed opposition groups, who have refused to sign onto the transitional agreement, offer an opportunity to advance peace in the peripheries.

Overview:

In East Africa, main season cereals are in maturing to harvest stages across the north of the region and conditions are generally favourable. In West Africa, harvest of main season cereals is underway across the Sahel and conditions are favourable except in parts of Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal. In the Middle East and North Africa, early planting of winter wheat crops has started in Iran and conditions are favourable. In Southern Africa, harvest will start in October for winter wheat crops and concern remains in Zimbabwe and parts of Zambia and South Africa due to dry conditions. In Central and South Asia, harvest will finish in October for spring-planted cereal crops, which account for the majority of regional cereal production, and production prospects are favourable except for Kazakhstan. In Southeast Asia, wet-season rice is in final growing stages and there is concern across much of the region due to impacts from early season drought, followed by heavy rains and flooding in August from tropical cyclones. In Central America and the Caribbean, the Primera season harvest is complete and final yields were severely reduced along much of Central America’s dry corridor, especially among subsistence farmers. Sowing of secondary season crops has been delayed due to expected rain deficits.

Crop Conditions at a Glance based on best available information as of September 28th

EAST AFRICA: Main season cereals are in maturing to harvest stages across the north of the region and conditions are generally favourable. Planting of second season crops has started across parts of the south of the region and conditions are generally favourable at the start of the season with good rains expected (See Regional Outlook pg 5).

WEST AFRICA: Sowing of second season cereals has start across the south of the region under favourable conditions. Across the Sahel region, harvesting of main season sorghum and millet crops has started and there is increasing concern in Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania where dry conditions have affected crops.

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA: In the Middle East, crops are mainly out of season except in Iran where planting has begun for the 2020 winter wheat season under favourable conditions.

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Harvest will start in October for winter wheat crops and there is concern in Zimbabwe and parts of Zambia due to power cuts affecting irrigation activities and South Africa due to dry conditions.

CENTRAL & SOUTH ASIA: Harvest will finish in October for spring-planted cereal crops, which account for the majority of regional cereal production, and production prospects are favourable except in northern Kazakhstan due to reduced plantings and dry conditions. Planting has begun for 2019-2020 winter-planted wheat.

SOUTHEAST ASIA: There is concern for wet-season rice crops, which will likely be affected by extended periods of drought across parts of Laos, Viet Nam, northern Thailand and Cambodia, followed by heavy rains in August from tropical cyclones which caused widespread flooding. In Indonesia, planting of dryseason rice has ended and conditions are favourable.

CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN: Primera season harvest is complete and while production was generally average due to an increase in planted area, significant yield reductions resulted across central and east Guatemala, south Honduras, east El Salvador and south Nicaragua with many areas incurring losses of up to 50 to 75 percent with the worst losses experienced by subsistence farmers. Dry conditions have delayed secondary season sowing by two to three weeks.

Background and Key Findings

According to the latest available figures from the Turkish Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) there are currently over 4 million foreign nationals present in Turkish territory seeking international protection. Most are Syrians (3,667,435* individuals) who are granted temporary protection status, while according to UNHCR 368,230** asylum seekers and refugees from countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Somalia constitute another significant group of foreign nationals seeking Turkish humanitarian and legal protection.
Like the previous reporting period, since June 2019 the number of Syrians residing in camps has decreased by 46,079.

Overview:

In East Africa, harvest is underway for main season cereals in the north of the subregion and production prospects are generally favourable. Planting of second season cereals was recently completed in the south of the subregion, and heavy rains in October benefited crop establishment but triggered floods in several areas. In West Africa, harvest of main season sorghum and millet is underway across the Sahel and conditions are favourable with some concern due to dry conditions. In the Middle East and North Africa, early planting of winter wheat crops has started and conditions are favourable. In Southern Africa, winter wheat harvest has started and concern remains in Zimbabwe and parts of Zambia and South Africa due to dry conditions. In Central and South Asia, harvest of spring-planted cereal crops is complete and total output is estimated slightly below the five-year average, mainly due to a reduced output obtained in Kazakhstan. In Southeast Asia, wet-season rice is in final growing stages and there is concern across much of the region due to impacts from early season drought, followed by heavy rains and flooding in August from tropical cyclones. In Central America and the Caribbean, sowing of Segunda crops is underway and conditions are favourable.

Global Overview

In December, retaliatory attacks in Iraq raised U.S.-Iran tensions to new heights, compounding Iraq’s political and security woes and presaging further escalation in January. In Syria, regime and Russian forces stepped up their offensive in the north west, and Turkey’s potential deployment of troops in Libya could add fuel to the fire. In Burkina Faso, suspected jihadist attacks and intercommunal violence surged, and in Niger jihadists carried out a major assault against security forces. Boko Haram intensified its attacks in Cameroon’s far north and Chad’s west. Fighting erupted in the capital of the Central African Republic and picked up momentum in the north east, where a battle for the provincial capital looms. In Mozambique, suspected Islamist militants intensified their insurgency in the far north, and an armed opposition faction may follow through on its threat to mark the president’s inauguration on 15 January with attacks on civilians. North Korea threatened to resume nuclear and long-range missile tests; India’s controversial citizenship law sparked widespread protests; and a tide of killings shook the prison system in Honduras. On the positive side, an independence referendum was held in Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville, part of the 2001 peace agreement, and the resolution of a political dispute in Somaliland could open the way for parliamentary and local elections.

In the Middle East and North Africa, the U.S.’s incendiary killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq early in the New Year followed a month of escalatory strikes between the U.S. and Iran’s allies. Responding to a series of attacks on U.S. assets, including one that killed a U.S. contractor, the U.S. launched airstrikes on the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hizbollah, killing at least 25. Militia members and their supporters protested outside the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, breaking into the compound and setting the scene for further escalation in January. The confrontation compounded Iraq’s own political and security problems: wrangling over who will succeed Adel Abdul-Mahdi as Prime Minister prolonged the country’s political paralysis and security forces continued their deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. In neighbouring Syria, regime and Russian forces intensified airstrikes and a ground offensive in the north west, taking territory from rebels. In Libya, forces answering to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar made some advances in their campaign to take the capital Tripoli from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). Turkey’s potential deployment of troops to help the GNA could escalate fighting in coming weeks.

In Africa, suspected jihadist attacks and intercommunal violence surged in Burkina Faso’s east and north, and in neighbouring Niger members of Islamic State’s Sahel affiliate continued to launch attacks against the military in the west near the Malian border, including one that killed 71 soldiers, the deadliest attack against security forces in the country’s history. In the Lake Chad basin, Boko Haram increased the rate and deadliness of its attacks in both the Far North region of Cameroon and in western Chad. In northern Mozambique, suspected Islamist militants also intensified their attacks on civilians and security forces, while a spate of deadly raids against civilian traffic hit the centre of the country; the breakaway armed faction of opposition party Renamo denied responsibility, but threatened strikes in the area on 15 January, the day President Nyusi is due to be sworn in for his second term. Violence erupted over informal taxes in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, leaving at least 50 dead, and fighting intensified between armed groups, especially in the north east, where a fierce fight for the provincial capital Birao is imminent. Good news from Somaliland, where the ruling and opposition parties resolved their long-running dispute over the composition of the electoral commission, opening the way for delayed parliamentary and local polls.

In Asia, North Korea threatened to resume nuclear and long-range missile tests, placing the blame on the U.S.’s continued “hostile policy” toward the DPRK. During the Workers’ Party conference on 28-31 December, Kim Jong-un warned that Pyongyang will soon possess a “new strategic weapon”. In India, a controversial citizenship law sparked protests across the country, leading to deadly clashes with security forces that left dozens dead, including at least nineteen in Uttar Pradesh. In Papua New Guinea, the autonomous region of Bougainville successfully held a non-binding referendum on whether to become independent of the national government. The vote, which had been delayed twice in 2019, was part of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement, which ended ten years of conflict over revenues from mining and its environmental impact. Residents voted overwhelmingly for independence.

In Latin America, a series of killings shook the penitentiary system in Honduras, prompting President Hernández to impose a state of emergency in prisons. Unidentified assailants killed both a high-profile lawyer and the director of El Pozo jail, and mutinies broke out in several prisons, leaving dozens of detainees dead.

Overview: In East Africa, harvest is complete for main season cereals in the north of the subregion and yields were favourable except in Sudan and South Sudan due to flood damage, socioeconomic impacts, and conflict, and parts of Ethiopia due to dry conditions early in the season and to a lesser extent desert locust. In the south of the subregion, harvest is complete for second season crops and yields were generally average despite unprecedented flooding caused from record October to December rains. In West Africa, harvest of main season sorghum and millet is complete across the Sahel and yields were generally average except in Gambia and conflict affected areas. In the Middle East and North Africa, winter cereals are favourable due to good precipitation throughout the start of the season except in central Morocco where early season dryness continues to impact crops. In Southern Africa, there is concern for main season maize and sorghum crops across much of the central and south due to dry conditions from poor October to December rainfall and below-average rainfall forecast for February. In Central and South Asia, winter cereals, to be harvested from May 2020, are in dormancy stage and developing under generally favourable conditions. In Southeast Asia, wet-season rice harvest is complete and final yields were mixed due to early season drought damage in June and July followed by flood damage after August. Dry-season rice sowing is underway with some concern due to carryover dry conditions from the previous season. In Central America and the Caribbean, harvest is complete for Segunda season crops and yields are average due to abundant and well-distributed rainfall.

INTRODUCTION

At present, Turkey hosts more than 4 million foreign nationals in its territory. The country’s central geopolitical location on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Route, and its proximity to countries suffering internal crises (e.g., Iraq, Syrian Arab Republic, Afghanistan) has placed Turkey under sustained migratory pressure.

To gain valuable insight into their presence, flows, locations, intentions and vulnerabilities of refugees and migrants living in Turkey, the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Migrant Presence Monitoring Programme (MPM), part of the global Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), conducted an MPM Baseline Assessment. This Baseline tracks migrant presence in Turkey and creates a database that enables the Government of Turkey (GoT), humanitarian aid organizations and other migrationrelated stakeholders to understand and address the scale and complexity of the current migration flows to, through and within Turkey as well as the profile of refugees and migrants present in the country.

The current round of the Baseline Assessment took place in İstanbul between May and July 2019, with the engagement of 12 team leaders and 24 enumerators.

In line with the established methodology, the data collection for Baseline Assessment consists of two phases: Baseline 1 and Baseline 2. Baseline 1 is the initial phase of the Baseline, during which the MPM team gathers official data on migrant presence, at provincial and sub-provincial level, in coordination with the DGMM. Baseline 2 focuses on collecting data on migrant presence directly from the field. During this phase, the MPM team gathers data through Key Informant Interview (KII) methodology, where Key Informants include both mukhtars and other local authorities in mahalles (urban) and villages (rural).

Similarly, Baseline 2 data collection also focuses on migrant presence, but it does so at mahalle and village levels. The results of both phases are then compared to identify differences which the MPM team then analyses for further insights. For example, the Baseline provides valuable insight on tracking changes in migrant mobility and identifying migrant figured per category, including estimated numbers of irregular migrants.

IOM’s MPM Programme, including this Baseline, is coordinated jointly with the Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM), the lead national agency charged with managing migration issues in Turkey. The methodology and operational implementation of the MPM Programme activities are based on IOM’s DTM model which seeks to improve the information management capacity and aims to ensure that information and data on migrant/ refugee presence are collected and corroborated in accordance with the applicable procedures.

Introduction

ABOUT MIGRANTS’ PRESENCE MONITORING (MPM)

At present, Turkey hosts more than 4 million foreign nationals in its territory. The country’s central geopolitical location on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Route, and its proximity to countries suffering internal crises (e.g., Iraq, Syrian Arab Republic, Afghanistan) has placed Turkey under sustained migratory pressure.

To gain valuable insight into their presence, flows, locations, intentions and vulnerabilities of refugees and migrants living in Turkey, the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Migrant Presence Monitoring Programme (MPM), part of the global Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), conducted an MPM Baseline Assessment. This Baseline tracks migrant presence in Turkey and creates a database that enables the Government of Turkey (GoT), humanitarian aid organizations and other migration-related stakeholders to understand and address the scale and complexity of the current migration flows to, through and within Turkey as well as the profile of refugees and foreign nationals present in the country.

In line with established methodology, the data collection for Baseline Assessment consists of two phases: Baseline 1 and Baseline 2. Baseline 1 is the initial phase of the Baseline, during which the MPM team gathers official data on migrant presence, at provincial and sub-provincial level, in coordination with the Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM). Baseline 2 focuses on collecting data on migrant presence directly from the field. During this phase, the MPM team gathers data through Key Informant Interview (KII) methodology, where Key Informants include both mukhtars6 and other local authorities in mahalles (urban) and villages (rural).

Similarly, Baseline 2 data collection also focuses on migrant presence, but it does so at mahalle and village levels. The results of both phases are then compared to identify differences which the MPM team then analyses for further insights. For example, the Baseline provides valuable insight on tracking changes in migrant mobility and identifying migrant figured per category, including estimated numbers of irregular migrants.

IOM’s MPM Programme, including this Baseline, is coordinated jointly with the DGMM, the lead national agency charged with managing migration issues in Turkey. The methodology and operational implementation of the MPM Programme activities are based on IOM’s DTM model which seeks to improve the information management capacity and aims to ensure that information and data on migrant/ refugee presence are collected and corroborated in accordance with the applicable procedures.