Tag: United Nations news

Activating ‘citizen mode’ to support democracy from the ground up — Global Issues

People around the world should be able to play a more significant role in decision and policy-making processes that impact them and their communities in order to uphold democracy; that’s according to participants in a discussion at the UN focusing on strengthening democratic governance.

In recent years, the UN has increasingly been looking at ways to restore frayed links between people and their governments by encouraging greater citizen involvement.

Civil society organizations (CSOs), in collaboration with the UN, are finding that citizen’s assemblies are a highly effective way of bringing together diverse members of local communities to work on policies and projects that directly affect them.

Representatives of three CSOs recently came to UN Headquarters to share their experiences of running citizen’s assemblies: Cynthia Mbamalu is Director of Programs at Yiaga Africa, a CSO in Nigeria, Silvia Cervellini is the co-founder of Delibera Brasil, and Iain Walker is the Executive Director of the Australia-based newDemocracy Foundation.

Cynthia Mbamalu: Nigeria has a growing and large youth population, and one of the things we’ve learned is that young people want to be part of the solution. They want to be heard.

We create safe spaces for youth dialogue, where diverse groups of young people learn by having conversations about policies. Whatever decisions come out of those conversations can feed into government actions.

But we need to go further, to help young people move from student union movements into mainstream politics, and learn how to advocate for policies that affect issues of concern to youth.

Silvia Cervellini: Brazil has a citizen’s constitution, which has led to the creation of important institutions, such as the National Conference of States and Municipal Councils, but there needs to be a constant effort to ensure that participation is truly universal.

In our experience, we repeatedly witness what we call “citizen mode” being activated, when different people work together to figure out the best possible solution for the common good, even in a time as polarized as ours.

Iain Walker We all want to have a say in the decisions which affect us as citizens. Citizens assemblies are a step to rounding out that role.

One reason is that they are a great chance to mix. We get people from all walks of life – old and young, white collar, blue collar, rich and poor – and put them into one room, to see what we can agree on.

Trust deficit

Cynthia Mbamalu: A lot of young people want to participate but, in Nigeria, there’s a huge trust deficit between citizens and the government.

United Nations

SDG 16 promotes peaceful and inclusive societies.

This is why we provide support for young people to promote the idea of electoral participation, so that they are the ones driving the conversation, and mobilizing their peers.

Silvia Cervellini: Trust goes both ways. We use any excuse to invite political leaders to trust the people, and when they see that citizens are involved in a participatory process, they trust them to give the best answers to a problem.

When you have the mayor, or city councillors saying, “I need your help to solve this”, people feel a sense of responsibility to make decisions for others who are not in the room.

And this is the magic of the “citizen’s mode”: they are not thinking about their individual interests or their preference. They are thinking, what’s the best for everybody.

IainWalker: We all tend to trust people a bit like us, yet parliamentarians often seem to be living in a remote and different world.

Ireland has been a pioneer in creating projects that put randomly selected people and members of parliament in the same process: after spending several days together, they realize that the MPs aren’t that different from them.

Politicians are used to people coming to them emphasizing disagreement, and we always see a breakthrough at citizen’s assemblies, when they say “wow, people really took this problem seriously, and worked to find an agreement”.

This is how we can rebuild trust in electoral democracy, 50 or 100 people at a time, to create a more trusted, cohesive society.

Cynthia Mbamalu, Silvia Cervellini and Iain Walker as well as Aleida Ferreyra, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Global Lead for Democratic Institutions and Processes, were interviewed by Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of UN Partnerships and the UN Democracy Fund, for an episode of SDG Roundtables, a series of videos discussing themes related to the Sustainable Development Goals.

How the UN supports civil society and human rights

This year marks 75 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a landmark agreement aimed at ensuring a common future of dignity, freedom, and justice for all.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has called for safe and open civic space that is inclusive, celebrates diversity, and incorporates an age and gender sensitive approach recognizing the role of civil society actors, especially women, human rights defenders and journalists.

Yiaga Africa works to increase the engagement of young people in the democratic process and, with UNDP, launched #SixtyPercentOfUs in May 2022, a project aimed at mobilizing at least 60 per cent youth voter registration.

Delibera Brasil, which organizes citizen’s assemblies backed by the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF), enabling the residents of Brazilian cities to directly participate in policy making to address poverty and inequality.

The newDemocracy Foundation, which, with UNDEF funding, has helped countries bring underserved communities into the political system, and produced a handbook on so-called “democracy beyond elections”, explaining how the principles of representation and deliberation can be applied to nations at different levels of development.

UNDEF is a grant-making body described as a fund for CSOs, aimed at strengthening the voice of civil society, promoting human rights, and encouraging the participation of all groups in democratic processes.

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UN concerned over ongoing Israeli military operation — Global Issues

In a statement from his spokesperson on Monday, Mr. Guterres affirmed that all military operations must be conducted with full respect for international humanitarian law.

The incursion follows another operation in the camp on 19 June, which left four Palestinians killed and 91 others injured.

Rising death toll

The UN’s humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said on Tuesday that as a result of the air and ground operations taking place in the West Bank town, 10 Palestinians including three children were killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

At least 100 others have been injured, of whom 20 are reportedly in critical condition, OCHA said. Thousands of residents have reportedly left the camp since the operation began.

In an apparent retaliatory attack in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Tuesday, seven people were injured, three seriously, when a Palestinian man drove into pedestrians standing outside a shopping centre, according to news reports.

The attacker was shot and killed by an Israeli citizen at the scene. Palestinian militant group Hamas reportedly described the attack as a direct response to the military operation in Jenin.

Lack of basic essentials

Airstrikes in Jenin “significantly damaged” structures in which people were living in both the camp and surrounding neighbourhoods. The agency warned that due to damage to infrastructure, most of the Jenin camp has lost access to drinking water and electricity.

The UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), which runs four schools, one health centre and other facilities in the Jenin camp, said that many residents were in urgent need of food, drinking water and milk powder for children.

As of Monday, all UNRWA installations in the camp, operated by 90 staff members, were out of service due to the heavy exchanges of fire, the agency reported.

Ambulances denied access

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that the extent of people’s injuries was placing strain on the “fragile and underfunded” health system and that it was working with partners to deliver more life-saving medical supplies to Jenin Hospital.

UN humanitarians said that the destruction of roads in the refugee camp was restricting access for medical teams and ambulances, and Israeli forces were conducting checks on vehicles, including ambulances, at the entrance of the camp.

According to the UN health agency, ambulances with medical teams have been prevented from entering parts of the refugee camp and reaching persons who have been critically injured.

Attacks on healthcare

At least two hospitals have also been affected by attacks involving use of ammunition and gas canisters.

“Attacks against healthcare, including prevention of access to persons injured, are extremely concerning”, WHO said, calling for “respect and protection of healthcare”, including safe passage to health services in Jenin and across Palestine.

The agency recalled that there had been a “significant increase” in attacks on healthcare in the West Bank this year. The first five months of 2023 saw “at least” 124 WHO-documented attacks, resulting in 39 health worker injuries and affecting 117 ambulances.

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Cooperation key to weathering climate crisis, growing inequality, new tech challenge: Guterres — Global Issues

António Guterres was addressing the Council of The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the world’s largest regional security body in terms of landmass and population which currently includes China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and new member Iran.

The UN has had a cooperation agreement with the Asia-focused SCO since 2010, which also partners with multiple UN agencies. This year the summit is being hosted via videoconference by India.

Ukraine, COVID factor

The UN chief told Member States the growing divisions had been aggravated by different national and reasonable responses to global crises, differences over security threats, the consequences of COVID and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“But today’s global challenges, from the climate crisis to growing inequality and the governance of new technology, can only be resolved through dialogue and cooperation. And the only way that can happen is together.”

Solutions needed on three fronts

He said there were three main areas where he believes “we can and must seek and unite for solutions.

“First, the climate crisis. Unless humanity acts together, we are heading for disaster. We need to team up – and speed up”, he said.

He cited his Climate Solidarity Pact aimed at big carbon emitters and developing countries, backing support for emerging economies.

“Climate action is the fight of our lives, and SCO members have an important role to play”, he emphasized.

Checks on AI

Next, he said solutions needed to be forthcoming as the world sleepwalks “completely unprepared” into the new tech era.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), autonomous weapons, and bioengineering are three areas where our abilities to safely develop and regulate the industry and companies pioneering it, “are falling far behind.”

To help forge international consensus on the rules, he cited the UN’s proposed Global Digital Compact to bring together governments, regional organizations, the private sector and civil society.

He said a new UN High-Level advisory group on Artificial Intelligence would be created.

“I am open to any initiative by Member States to create an international agency for AI”, he added. “SCO members are global leaders in many of these areas and we count on your engagement and support.”

‘Reduce injustice’

Thirdly, he reiterated the breakdown in trust within and between countries which has sparked rising inequality. The pandemic only widened it, while saddling developing economies with too much debt and interest payments, swallowing up money that could have gone on climate action and sustainable development.

“The solution to unjust globalization is not to reduce globalization. It is to reduce injustice.

He called on States to work for fair globalization, climate justice, and global finance reforms that bring equity and balance to both the Bretton Woods institutions and the Security Council.

“We are calling for deep reforms to make global frameworks more representative of developing and emerging economies, and more responsive to their needs. And I am also calling for an immediate SDG Stimulus to increase liquidity, reduce the debt burden on developing economies, and get the 2030 Agenda on track.”

He said at the national level, a strong focus was needed on social protection and jobs. A new social contract needs to be based on respect “for all human rights”, he added.

Afghanistan and human rights

The SCO is well placed he said to advance peace and security in Eurasia and counter violent extremism and terrorism.

He welcomed the commitment of Afghanistan’s neighbours to a peaceful and united Afghanistan “with an inclusive broad-based Government” following the 2021 Taliban takeover, which is returning the country to rule by religious fiat and totally undermined women’s rights.

He said Afghans needed “a Government that will safeguard the rights of all its people, particularly women and girls, and prevent the country from becoming a centre for terrorism and violent extremism.”

Mr. Guterres welcomed the SCO’s commitment to deepening cooperation with the UN and called for “strong engagement” from States ahead of the SDG Summit, Climate Ambition Summit and his planned Summit of the Future next year.

“Let us work together for global solutions that advance peace and security, sustainable development and human rights for all.”

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Building bridges between Afghanistan and the world because ‘isolation is not an option’ — Global Issues

Since then, as international funding has stalled amid skepticism about the Taliban’s return, the UN has been acting as the world’s “eyes and ears” in Afghanistan. After shifting mainly to humanitarian work, UN agencies and partners are finding ways to help the long-suffering population meet basic needs and preserve hard-won development gains.

UN News was recently in the Afghan capital Kabul to learn more about what the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is doing to support national partners in addressing the needs of drug-affected communities and helping to backstop overstretched drug treatment facilities.

While there, we also spoke with Markus Poztel who serves as the Deputy Special Representative for the UN Assistance Mission in the country, known as UNAMA.

In this exclusive interview, Mr. Poztel talks about the Mission’s efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking in Afghanistan as well as the work to restore and protect basic rights in the country, particularly the rights of women and girls.

He highlighted the UN’s role as a “bridge builder” in a very complex setting where the needs are as great as the challenges.

While acknowledging work with the de facto authorities in many areas, he tells UN News “there is no middle ground” on the issue of women and girls’ education and that broader human rights and the decrees banning women’s participation in society “should be reversed as soon as possible”.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

UN News / David Mottershead

Deputy UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Markus Potzel speaking to UN News in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Markus Potzel:Afghanistan is still the world’s largest producer [of opium]. We’ve recently seen a ban [enacted by the Taliban] on poppy cultivation, production, and trafficking. Initial field reports suggest that there has been a decline in poppy cultivation, which we commend.

We also see efforts to do more for drug rehabilitation centres. The de facto authorities could allocate more [budgetary funding] to equip these centres with medicine, food, and clothes. But, I also call on the international community to do more. We do cooperate with countries in the region who actually are willing to support the de facto authorities on drug rehabilitation.

In terms of livelihoods, there must be more support by the international community because it’s in all our interests – in the interests of Afghans, but also of donor countries in the West and regional countries, all of whom are suffering from drug abuse and trafficking.

UNAMA is addressing [this issue] with the political leadership here, and we are trying to find some common ground to fight drug abuse and drug trafficking and provide the means for alternative livelihoods.

UN News:How are you able to balance between the work that you need to do on the ground in Afghanistan and dealing with what is considered by many an illegitimate authority?

Markus Potzel: The basis of our activity here is the mandate that the Security Council has given us, which encourages us to interact with all political interlocutors, including the de facto authorities.

We have to face the realities on the ground. The Taliban control … almost all of the country.And that’s an opportunity for the Taliban to stabilize and pacify the country. It is also a responsibility because they have to provide services to the people. They have to provide good governance and the rule of law. This is where we see deficits. The authorities have an interest in talking to us because they see us as a bridge builder. We can help convey messages from Afghanistan to the outside world, and we do it the other way as well.

We have 11 field offices throughout the country. So, we are here. We are the eyes and ears, the antennae of the international community. We convey messages, and by talking to the de facto authorities, we also try to foster cooperation and help them get out of this isolation.

We think isolation is not an option, at least not a good option, for the future of Afghanistan.

UNICEF / Mark Naftalin

Students enter the UNICEF-supported Fatah Girls School in Herat, Afghanistan, on 15 June 2022.

UN News:The ban on women and girls’ education has been devastating for the country’s development. While we’ve been here, we have even heard this from people working in institutions that are run by the Taliban. How can a middle ground be found on an issue like this one?

Markus Potzel:There is no middle ground on this issue. Afghanistan is the only country in the world which doesn’t allow girls to go to school beyond grade six, or to university. There is no discussion about this; it’s not a bargaining chip. It has to be reversed.

I’m sure that most of the Afghan population, including the Taliban, are against these decrees. They are in favour of girls’ education. I have not met any officials from the de facto authorities who are in favour of the decrees banning girls from going to school or university.

[These decrees] are detrimental to economic progress. Girls should have a say. Women should have a say in this society. [The de facto authorities] should revoke the ban as soon as possible. Otherwise, there will always be a shadow on the relations Afghanistan has with the international community.

UN News:If the vast majority of Afghans disagree with this ban, including their own people, why do the Taliban authorities continue to implement it?

Markus Potzel:The Emir in Kandahar and his inner circle give a mix of religious arguments and cultural narratives [for implementing the decrees]. But, on the religious argument, Islamic countries around the world don’t have this ban. No other country in the world has this ban. The Quran says “Iqra” which means “read”. It encourages all people – men, women, boys and girls – to read, to write, to learn.

And in terms of culture, there is a tradition in this country that girls and boys learn. Under the Republic, not every girl went to school. In remote areas, they didn’t have the chance, but they were given the right, by the constitution and in law, which does not exist anymore.

UN News: Have you received any kind of cooperation from Islamic countries in helping you deliver this message to the Taliban?

Markus Potzel:Yes, of course. There was a delegation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that came here and tried to convince the decision makers in this country of the view that education is part of Islam. So far to no avail, but they will come back. These are scholars from Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Qatar, and Indonesia. [During the earlier visit] a woman was part of the scholars’ delegation. Islamic countries probably have better access and are probably more convincing in talking to the Taliban. We hope that in the end, all our efforts will bear fruit.

UN News/Ezzat El-Ferri

A mountain range and winding road between Kabul and Jalalabad.

UN News: Prior to the political change, the Taliban were the biggest threat to the UN’s work. After August 2021, what is the biggest challenge now facing the UN’s work in Afghanistan?

Markus Potzel:In terms of security, it’s definitely Da’esh, the Islamic State of Khorasan Province.

The circumstances for the UN are getting more difficult because Afghan women now are not allowed to work for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), nor are they allowed to work for the UN.This really complicates things because we rely heavily on women in our work. Without women, it’s very hard … to keep the aid organizations running. We need women to reach out to women.

There are tens of thousands of women-led households in this country because a lot of men in families have lost their lives in war. And without women, NGOs and UN organizations are not able to function properly [so] fewer people get access to aid.

UN News:What is your message to the de facto authorities?

Markus Potzel:I think that the de facto authorities in Afghanistan should let girls go to school beyond grade six. They should let girls go to university. They should let women work for international NGOs, for national NGOs, and for UN organizations. And they should let women participate in social life. If this happens, I can imagine that Afghanistan would be integrated into the international community again, and international donors would also rethink and probably reinforce engagement with Afghanistan. Afghanistan needs international help. And we, as the UN, want to help them help themselves.

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Finding a sanctuary for animals in Ukraine — Global Issues

UNICEF

Local young people in the city of Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine, are teaming up with the UPSHIFT programme, run by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to care for animals evacuated from dangerous regions.

Over 300 young people have joined the initiative to house the abandoned pets, mainly cats and dogs, and which hopes to encourage people to care about animals.

Find out how youth are helping here.

UNICEF

Young people are working together, with UN support, to help animals in Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine.

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‘Don’t leave the climate crisis for our children to fix’ — Global Issues

“We must not leave this for our children to fix – no matter how inspiring their activism,” he told the Human Rights Council, advocating for a “just transition” to a green economy.

“I ask every member of this Council to take this clear message out of the Palais des Nations and into every aspect of their work,” he said, stressing that it was today’s leaders who had the responsibility to take climate action.

Short-term thinking

Mr. Türk warned that on the world’s current trajectory, “our air, our food, our water, and human life itself would be unrecognizable”, with an average temperature increase by the end of the century soaring to 3°C, well above the 1.5°C limit, as outlined in the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change.

He deplored that despite all the alarm bells going off, leaders were still not acting with the determination required and getting “stuck in the short term”.

“If this is not a human rights issue, what is?”, he asked.

United Nations

SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Right to food increasingly challenged

The High Commissioner underscored that the right to food was “comprehensively threatened” by climate change and recalled that there had been a 134 per cent increase in climate-fuelled, flood-related disasters since the turn of the century.

Not only do extreme weather events and disasters destroy ecosystems and farmers’ livelihoods, but their fast and relentless repetition makes it impossible for communities to rebuild and support themselves, he said.

Avenues for action

With millions going hungry in countries which contributed “next to nothing” to the industrial processes which are “killing our environment and violating rights”, Mr. Türk stressed the urgency of ending fossil fuel subsidies, transforming international development and financing institutions into “engines of climate action”, and making this November’s COP28 conference a “decisive game-changer”.

He also called for good governance to ensure that climate funds go to the most affected people and pointed to climate litigation as a way of holding businesses and Governments accountable in court.

‘The time is now’

The UN rights chief said that humanity must not deliver a “future of hunger and suffering” to the next generations, and insisted that, equipped with the most powerful technological tools in history, “we have the capacity to change the status quo”.

“There is still time to act, but that time is now,” he insisted.

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Europe’s largest nuclear power plant regains back-up electricity feed — Global Issues

“While the reconnection of the back-up power line is positive, the plant’s external power situation remains highly vulnerable, underlining the precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the site,” Mr. Grossi said.

Much needed back-up

According to IAEA, the plant’s connection to the single remaining 330 kilovolt (kV) power line out of six that existed before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 was restored on Saturday.

The connection had been cut on 1 March due to damage sustained on the other side of the Dnipro River. The four-month-long effort to restore the connection reflects the challenging security situation in the region.

The ZNPP had been relying solely on a single main 750 kV power line for essential functions like reactor cooling and nuclear safety since the conflict began. Prior to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, the plant had four such power lines.

The newly energized 330 kV line will serve as a backup and will be available to supply power to the ZNPP in case the main line becomes unavailable or damaged.

Since February 2022, the plant has experienced seven instances of complete power loss from external sources, compelling temporary reliance on emergency diesel generators for electricity, according to IAEA.

‘So far’ no mines or explosives observed

No mines or explosive devices have been detected around the plant by a team of agency experts, Mr. Grossi had announced on Friday. The IAEA inspection team had also noted that the plant had the reserves of water available for use despite the destruction of the downstream Kakhovka dam more than three weeks ago, he said.

In inspection was spurred by reports that mines and other explosives had been placed in and around the plant, including mines near the cooling pond, Mr. Grossi said, adding that IAEA takes such reports very seriously.

“I have instructed our experts at the site to look into this matter and request the access they need for doing their job,” he said. “Until now they have not observed any mines or other explosives. Further access will still be needed.”

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Global shipping poised to get new emissions-fighting strategy — Global Issues

“Humanity is in dangerous waters on climate,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message at the start of MPEC’s latest session.

“Science tells us it is still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C, but it requires an immense and immediate global effort, and shipping, which accounts for almost three per cent of global emissions, will be vital.”

The decisions “you take over the coming days could help us chart a safer course”, he said, urging Committee members to agree on a strategy forward.

Legacy in the making

Tasked with addressing environmental issues under the remit of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Committee tackles such issues as the control and prevention of ship-source pollution covered by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), including oil, chemicals carried in bulk, sewage, garbage, and such emissions from ships as air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

Gathering from 3 to 7 July to review ongoing efforts, the Committee is expected to adopt a greenhouse gas emissions strategy in response to climate change and threats to biodiversity, following meetings with IMO.

“This is a historic moment in which all of you have a role to play,” IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said, encouraging States to help roll out the new strategy by forging ambitious targets that will put shipping on a “clear trajectory” to phase out greenhouse gas emissions.

“The 2023 strategy will be your legacy, for which your children and grandchildren will be grateful,” he said. “The time for IMO to demonstrate its global leadership is now.”

The revised strategy is expected to set out the way forward for possible technical and economic measures to be further developed by IMO.

Biodiversity and maritime future

Underlining the importance of concrete legal measures to project biodiversity, he recalled that nearly two decades of discussion had led to the landmark Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), adopted at the UN headquarters on 19 June 2023.

Together, with the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework for Biodiversity, adopted last December and ongoing negotiations for a new legally binding instrument to tackle plastic pollution, he said “there is no doubt that your Committee’s efforts to ensure a greener, more equitable and more sustainable maritime future is of greater importance than ever before”.

Maritime Environment Protection Committee

MPEC’s 80th session will address a range of challenges, including:

  • Tackling climate change: Cutting greenhouse gas emissions from ships, including adoption of the revised global strategy
  • Energy efficiency of ships
  • Ballast water management
  • Biofouling management, including adopting revised guidelines
  • Designations of sensitive sea areas
  • Underwater noise, including revised guidelines
  • Tackling marine litter
  • Ship-to-ship transfers, including a proposed resolution

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New guidance to protect children from ‘aggressive’ food marketing — Global Issues

“Aggressive and pervasive marketing of foods and beverages high in fats, sugars, and salt to children is responsible for unhealthy dietary choices,” said Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of the UN health agency’s Department of Nutrition and Food Safety. “Calls to responsible marketing practices have not had a meaningful impact.”

As such, he said governments should establishstrong and comprehensive regulations.

The new WHO guidance recommends that countries implement comprehensive mandatory policies to protect children of all ages from the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages that are high in saturated fatty acids, trans-fatty acids, free sugars and/or salt, a food grouping known by its acronym HFSS.

A long time coming

More than a decade after Member States endorsed WHO recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children, young people continue to be exposed to powerful marketing of HFSS foods and non-alcoholic beverages, consumption of which is associated with negative health effects, the agency said.

Food marketing remains a threat to public health and continues to affect children’s food choices, intended choices, and their dietary intake, while also negatively influencing the development of their norms about food consumption, according to WHO.

Context-driven policymaking

The recommendation is based on a systematic review of the evidence on policies to restrict food marketing, including on contextual factors, the health agency said.

Policies to restrict food marketing are shown to be most effective if they are mandatory, protect children of all ages, and use a government-led nutrient profile model to classify foods to be restricted from marketing. They should also be sufficiently comprehensive, the agency said.

© UNICEF/Zhanara Karimova

Processed, less nutritious foods are skillfully marketed and widely available and affordable, while nutritious foods are often more expensive and unaffordable to many.

Children-centred policies

WHO’s used the definition of a child from the Convention on the Rights of the Child to ensure that policies protect all children. The agency also updated recommendations for countries to use a nutrient profile model, which governments typically develop.

Supportive food environments

Policies to protect children from the harmful impact of food marketing are best implemented as part of a comprehensive policy approach to create enabling and supportive food environments, the agency said.

To do this, adopting WHO recommendations and adapting them to local contexts require local consultations, with mechanisms in place to safeguard public health policymaking from undue influence by real, perceived, or potential conflicts of interest.

All WHO guidelines aim at supporting governments in creating healthy food environments to facilitate healthy dietary decisions, establish lifelong healthy eating habits, improve dietary quality, and decrease the risk of noncommunicable diseases worldwide, the agency said.

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A Thai police trainer’s ‘passion’ for fighting the SE Asia drug trade — Global Issues

The trainee police officers are part of a network of law enforcement specialists in Thailand, but also across the region, who are cooperating across borders to stem trafficking operations by international crime syndicates.

They are collaborating under the border liaison office (BLO) network, supported by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Lt. Colonel Amonrat Wathanakhosit is based at the Thai Police Training Centre Region 5 in northern Thailand.

“I’m currently working with trainees at a police checkpoint on Highway 1 approximately 40 kilometres south of the Thai-Myanmar border in the far north of Thailand. There is a continual circulation of traffic from and towards the border area, including private and commercial vehicles as well as public transport.

This checkpoint is here in order to try and slow the flow of drugs like methamphetamine from Myanmar to the north through Thailand and on to other countries in the region. In a way this is work which is saving our country from the danger of drugs.

This is hands-on work. The students are stopping and searching vehicles by one by one. They are not using any technology, but just their knowledge of trafficking and their commitment to serving and protecting their communities.

UN News/Daniel Dickinson

Police officers carry out security checks at a roadblock in northern Thailand.

Intercepting drugs

They choose drivers randomly to question and then gauge the behaviour of the person to come to a decision as to whether they may be concealing drugs. Little by little these trainees are becoming more confident and thus more effective at their jobs and are able to support colleagues from other law enforcement agencies to intercept the drugs. Recently, we have had a great deal of success seizing methamphetamine pills.

If drivers are suspected of being under the influence of drugs, then they can also be tested here, after they provide a urine sample.

UNODC has supported the training programme, which provides trainees with useful insights into spotting suspect vehicles and other abnormal activity.

The training has been very successful, and I think in the future we could even train officers from neighbouring Myanmar and Laos. I think this type of cross-border collaboration would allow for joint operations to stop the manufacturing and trafficking of drugs.

UN News/Daniel Dickinson

Individuals suspected of taking drugs can be tested at roadside facilities set up by law enforcement agencies.

Excessive production of methamphetamine

One of the biggest challenges we face is having enough officers working at these checkpoints to counter the excessive production of methamphetamine. These officers have other duties and responsibilities and so do not spend their whole interdicting drugs.

Nevertheless, the training work that I am involved with is my inspiration, passion, and strength. It’s not hard work for me. I’m grateful to have the continued support of the Office of Narcotics Control Board and UNODC.

My son is 18 years old and a university student, and I tell him about the bad guys that I come across in my work and the danger of narcotics, how they can destroy people and societies. He understands that my job is trying to stop drugs.”

UN News/Daniel Dickinson

A police officer questions passengers on a bus travelling from the north of Thailand.

Quick facts on border liaison offices (BLOs)

  • Some 120 BLOs have been established across Southeast Asia.
  • BLOs are established in pairs – on either side of an international border crossing.
  • BLOs address myriad cross-border issues, including drug and precursor chemical trafficking, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, wildlife and forestry crime, and, in some locations, the movement of terrorist fighters alongside public health and pandemic-related matters.
  • The BLO network works to enhance relationships between the law enforcement and border communities, community policing efforts, and the role and leadership of women in law enforcement agencies.

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