Tag: Women

“The escalating war is taking a heavy toll on civilians who live close to the front lines, people who cannot go back to their homes, and people across the country living under almost daily threats of attacks,” said Jens Laerke, from the UN’s humanitarian affairs office, OCHA.

More than a year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, mine contamination and lack of access to Russia-controlled areas remain obstacles to reaching those in need, he said.

Delivering emergency assistance

Assistance has included cash to more than 2.1 million people and food for 3.5 million people, while nearly 3 million gained access to health services and medicines, Mr. Laerke said.

The assistance also included support for survivors of gender-based violence, he said, adding that more than 60 per cent of those reached with aid are women and girls.

Other types of assistance include access to clean water and hygiene products, emergency shelter, education services for children, and protection services, including prevention of gender-based violence and support to survivors, he said.

Volunteers play vital role

“Hundreds of humanitarian organizations are involved in this effort working with local groups and community-based volunteers who play a vital role in getting the assistance delivered on the last mile,” he said.

However, assistance to areas under Russian military control remains extremely limited, he said.

This year, because of the worsening security situation and shifts in the front lines, humanitarian partners have lost access to almost 60,000 people in around 40 towns and villages close to the front lines in the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions, he said.

Mine action casualties

At the same time, mines and explosive remnants of war in Ukraine have left 263 killed or injured in 2023. That is more than 50 per month on average, according to the UN human rights office, OHCHR, which believes that the actual figures are considerably higher.

The agency’s latest report indicates that from 1 to 21 May, 46 civilians were killed or injured by mines, 44 in April, 102 in March, 36 in February and 35 in January.

Mine contamination remains a deadly threat to farmers and humanitarians delivering assistance. In the agricultural regions of Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson, dozens of mine-related accidents are being reported every month, Mr. Laerke said.

Denise Brown, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said recovery work hinges on demining.

“Ukraine is considered as one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world,” she said. “Demining agricultural land is one of the Government’s priorities so that farmers can get back to work, and the UN, through WFP World Food Programme] and FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization], working with the Ministry of Agriculture, are contributing to this.”

Learn more about what the UN is doing to help the people of Ukraine here.

“The United Nations and its partners made strides in rolling back the worst food insecurity last year, but these gains remain fragile, and 17 million people are still food insecure in Yemen,” said David Gressly, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the country.

Compared to the same period in 2022, the levels of acutely malnourished people rose in 2023, indicating a need for more funding to stave off extreme hunger, according to the latest findings of a new report by three UN agencies that are closely monitoring the situation, following eight years of intense warfare.

Drivers of hunger

Yemen remains one of the most food insecure countries globally, mainly driven by the impact of conflict and economic decline, according to the report from the UN food agency, FAO, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The integrated phase classification (IPC) analysis provides an outlook for the period between now until the end of this year, indicating the need for more programme investments, as the modest improvements may be eroded, the agencies said.

Their report showed that the people of Yemen continue to require attention, with hunger stalking millions. The agencies cautioned that the situation could worsen if nothing is done to address the key drivers of food insecurity.

The new report showed that between January and May 2023, about 3.2 million people experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in government-controlled areas, representing a 23 per cent reduction from the period between October and December 2022.

During the June to December 2023 period, the report estimated that the number of people likely to experience high levels of acute food insecurity could increase to 3.9 million, out of which 2.8 million people are projected to reach crisis levels of hunger.

Life-saving interventions

FAO Yemen representative Hussein Gadain, said the agency is focused, through various interventions, on improving household food security and income by strengthening agricultural production practices, increasing labour opportunities, and diversifying livelihoods in a sustainable way that fosters peaceful coexistence.

There are women, men, and children behind these IPC statistics, whose lives straddle the fine line between hope and utter devastation. – Richard Ragan, WFP Country Director

We are working directly with farmers on the ground to enable them to maintain their livelihoods,” he said. “We make sure that smallholder farmers in Yemen will withstand any shocks which impact food security.”

UNICEF and partners reached around 420,000 children suffering from severe and acute malnutrition with life-saving interventions in 2022, said the agency’s Yemen representative, Peter Hawkins.

“This is the highest ever reached in Yemen, thanks to the scale-up of nutrition services,” he said, adding that despite this, malnutrition levels remain critical in many areas of the southern governorates.

“A multisectoral approach to address all forms of malnutrition is essential and together with partners UNICEF is strengthening the provision of primary health care, including early detection and treatment of severe acute malnutrition”, he said.

Averting famine

The UN food agency’s assistance is critical for getting people to firmer ground, for averting crisis and famine, said WFP Country Director, Richard Ragan. Yemen’s food insecurity situation remains fragile, and the hard-won gains of the past 12 months will be lost without continued and urgent support, he said.

“There are women, men, and children behind these IPC statistics, whose lives straddle the fine line between hope and utter devastation,” he said, urging donors to renew their commitment to supporting the most vulnerable Yemenis. “We simply cannot take our foot off the gas now.”

Learn more about what the UN is doing to help the people of Yemen here.

The US National Hurricane Center acts as WMO’s Regional Specialized Meteorological hub, based in Miami, Florida.

There is a 40 per cent chance of a near-normal season, 30 per cent possibility of an “above-normal season”, and also 30 per cent of a below-normal season, according to forecasters with the Climate Prediction Center.

The hurricane season covering the Atlantic region, including the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and US east coast, lasts from 1 June to 30 November.

NOAA forecasts between 12 and 17 total named storms, which means winds of at least 63 kilometres per hour, or 39 miles per hour.

Up to 4 major hurricanes

Among the potential hurricanes, it forecasts one to four “major hurricanes” – categories three to five – with winds of at least 178kmh, or 111mph.

WMO said that NOAA has “a 70 per cent confidence in these ranges.

“It is expected to be less active than recent years, due to competing factors – some that suppress storm development and some that fuel it – driving this year’s overall forecast for a near-normal season, according to NOAA”, WMO reported in a press release.

The agency reminded however, that it takes just one landfalling major hurricane to set back years of growth and development.

Statistics presented to the ongoing World Meteorological Congress showed how Small Island Developing States suffer disproportionately in terms of both economic impact and the human toll.

Early warning imperative

For instance, Hurricane Maria in 2017, cost the Caribbean island nation of Dominica, a staggering 800 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product.

“Between 1970 and 2021 tropical cyclones (the generic term which includes hurricanes) were the leading cause of both reported human and economic losses worldwide, accounting for more than 2,000 disasters”, said WMO.
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However, the death toll from deadly storms has fallen from around 350,000 in the 1970s to less than 20,000 in 2010-2019. Reported economic losses in 2010-2019 were at $573.2 billion.

‘Major killers’

“Tropical cyclones are major killers and a single storm can reverse years of socio-economic development. The death toll has fallen dramatically thanks to improvements in forecasting, warning and disaster risk reduction. But we can do even better,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

“The UN Early Warnings for All initiative seeks to ensure that everyone has access to warnings of life-threatening winds, storm surge and rainfall in the next five years, especially in Small Island Developing States which are on the frontlines of climate change,” he said.

Name that storm

An average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

In total, the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season produced 14 named storms, of which eight became hurricanes and two were major hurricanes (Ian and Fiona). Both 2020 and 2021 were so active that the regular list of rotating names was exhausted.

After three hurricane seasons with a La Niña, there is a high potential for El Nino to develop this summer, which can suppress Atlantic hurricane activity. El Nino’s potential influence on storm development could be offset by favorable conditions local to the tropical Atlantic Basin.

New model boosts prep time

“With a changing climate, the data and expertise NOAA provides to emergency managers and partners to support decision-making before, during and after a hurricane has never been more crucial,” said NOAA Administrator, Rick Spinrad.

“To that end, this year we are operationalizing a new hurricane forecast model and extending the tropical cyclone outlook graphic from five to seven days, which will provide emergency managers and communities with more time to prepare for storms.”

Less than 10 per cent of schools and universities follow formal guidance on using wildly popular artificial intelligence (AI) tools, like the chatbot software ChatGPT, according to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which hosted more than 40 ministers at an groundbreaking online meeting on Thursday.

The ministers exchanged policy approaches and plans while considering the agency’s new roadmap on education and generative AI, which can create data and content based on existing algorithms, but can also make alarming factual errors, just like humans.

“Generative AI opens new horizons and challenges for education, but we urgently need to take action to ensure that new AI technologies are integrated into education on our terms,” said Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education. “It is our duty to prioritize safety, inclusion, diversity, transparency and quality.”

Institutions are facing myriad challenges in crafting an immediate response to the sudden emergence of these powerful AI apps, according to a new UNESCO survey of more than 450 schools and universities.

Rapidly evolving landscape

At the same time, governments worldwide are in the process of shaping appropriate policy responses in a rapidly evolving education landscape, while further developing or refining national strategies on AI, data protection, and other regulatory frameworks, according to UNESCO.

However, they are proceeding with caution. Risks to using these tools can see students exposed to false or biased information, some ministers said at the global meeting.

The debate revealed other common concerns, including how to mitigate the chatbots’ inherent flaws of producing glaring errors. Ministers also addressed how best to integrate these tools into curricula, teaching methods, and exams, and adapting education systems to the disruptions which generative AI is quickly causing.

Many highlighted the vital role teachers play in this new era as learning facilitators.

But, teachers need guidance and training to meet these challenges, according to UNESCO.

Adding to existing frameworks

Teachers need guidance and training to meet these challenges. — UNESCO

For its part, the agency will continue to steer the global dialogue with policy makers, partners, academia, and civil society, in line with its paper, AI and education: A guide for policy-makers and Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, as well as the Beijing Consensus on Artificial Intelligence and Education.

UNESCO is also developing policy guidelines on the use of generative AI in education and research, as well as frameworks of AI competencies for students and teachers for classrooms.

These new tools will be launched during Digital Learning Week, to be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 4 to 7 September, the agency said.

Learn more about UNESCO’s work in digital learning and education here.

Fulgence Kayishema is alleged to have orchestrated the killing of approximately 2,000 Tutsi refugees at Nyange Catholic Church during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) said in a statement.

He was arrested in South Africa on Wednesday in a joint operation between the IRMCT Office of the Prosecutor and the authorities.

Finally facing justice

Kayishema has been at large since 2001 and was among four remaining fugitives from the genocide, during which an estimated one million people were killed, and roughly 150,000 to 250,000 women raped, over a period of some 100 days.

In a statement released by his Spokesperson, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said the arrest “sends a powerful message that those who are alleged to have committed such crimes cannot evade justice and will eventually be held accountable, even more than a quarter of a century later.”

Mr. Guterres commended the cooperation between the IRMCT and the South African authorities for the apprehension, and recalled that “all States have an obligation to cooperate with the Mechanism in the location, arrest, detention, surrender and transfer of the accused persons still at large.”

IRMCT Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said his arrest ensures the long-standing fugitive will finally face justice for his alleged crimes.

“Genocide is the most serious crime known to humankind. The international community has committed to ensure that its perpetrators will be prosecuted and punished. This arrest is a tangible demonstration that this commitment does not fade and that justice will be done, no matter how long it takes,” he added.

International partners for justice

Mr. Brammertz said the thorough investigation that led to the arrest was made possible through the support and cooperation of South Africa and the Operational Task Team established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to assist the ICMRT Fugitive Tracking Team.

They also received “vital support” from similar Task Forces in other African countries, notably Eswatini and Mozambique.

“Rwandan authorities under the leadership of Prosecutor General Aimable Havugiyaremye continued to be our strongest partners and provided essential assistance,” he said.

The Chief Prosecutor also cited support from other countries, including the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, saying “Kayishema’s arrest demonstrates yet again that justice can be secured, no matter the challenges, through direct cooperation between international and national law enforcement agencies.”

The IRMCT performs essential functions previously carried out by the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which closed in December 2015, and another for the former Yugoslavia, which concluded two years later.

Kayishema was indicted by the Rwanda tribunal in 2001.

He was charged with genocide, complicity in genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, and crimes against humanity for killings and other crimes committed in Kivumu Commune, Kibuye Prefecture, during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

According to the indictment, he and other co-perpetrators murdered more than 2,000 refugees – men, women, elderly persons, and children – at the Nyange Church in Kivumu commune, on 15 April 1994.

He “directly participated in the planning an execution” of the massacre, working methodically over two days following, to transfer the corpses to mass graves.

‘Further step forward’

The arrest marks “a further step forward” in the effort to account for all those fugitives still at large who have been indicted by the ICTR.

Since 2020, the OTP Fugitive Tracking Team has accounted for five of the fugitives at large, including another of the architects of the genocide which was orchestrated by the extremist Hutu regime at the time, Félicien Kabuga, as well as Augustin Bizimana, Protais Mpiranya, and Phéneas Munyarugarama. There are now only three outstanding fugitives.

He said the men and women that serve, from 125 countries, across 12 operations, were working to support security, stability and the rule of law.

“They represent the beating heart of the United Nations’ commitment to peace”, said Secretary-General António Guterres.

“By bringing peacekeepers together from around the world, peacekeeping has also become an inspiring symbol of multilateralism in action”, he added, just ahead of presenting the prestigious UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year award to a Ghanian peacekeeper, inside the gilded General Assembly Hall in New York.

But thanks to the increasing complexity of conflict, stagnating peace processes, the constant beat of terrorist activity, armed militia, gang violence and transnational crime, communities, countries and entire regions, are being increasingly poisoned, he said.

Increasingly ‘no peace to keep’

“And the digital world has become a frightening frontier of tension, division, hate and mis and disinformation.

Sadly, our peacekeepers are increasingly working in places where there is no peace to keep.”

He called for governments represented in the hall to “seriously reflect on the need for a new generation of peace-enforcement missions and counter-terrorism operations”, led by Security Council mandate under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, that could rely on a guaranteed funding stream.

Before the solemn but moving ceremony, the UN chief laid a wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial, honouring the sacrifice made by all those serving under te UN flag.

“We mourn their loss and share our deepest sympathies with their families, friends and colleagues. We will never forget their contributions”, he said, before leading a moment of silence.

The roll of those who died in service last year was read, on this 75 anniversary of UN Peacekeeping operations, with more than 4,200 killed in total, in the cause of peace.

Embodying ‘duty to peace’

“Our fallen military, police and civilian personnel came from 39 different countries, with diverse backgrounds. But all embodied our duty to peace”, said Mr. Guterres. “I extend my deepest condolences and gratitude to their families, friends, colleagues and home countries represented here.

“I pay tribute to their service and sacrifice, which inspire our work every day. And I commit to doing everything we can to support our peacekeepers in their mission, including improving their safety and security and the effectiveness of peacekeeping through the Action for Peacekeeping Plus strategy.”

Women ‘leading the way’

Paying tribute to the landmark Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, the UN chief said it reminds “that our women peacekeepers are not only supporting global peace and security.

“They are leading the way.”

The winner of this year’s Military Gender Advocate award, Captain Cecilia Erzuah of Ghana, embodies leadership in every way, and the principles behind resolution 1325, he said, for her work in Abyei as the Commander of the Ghana Engagement Platoon since March last year.

“In Abyei, she saw first-hand the enormous toll of armed conflict on entire communities — especially women — and she spared no effort to ensure that their voices were heard and reflected”, he added.

Her work reaching out to local communities to hear their concerns, explain the work of peacekeepers, and build trust, as well as engaging with local leadership, women and youth, “has been critical to the mission’s success.”

He said it was “high time” to significantly increase the number of women working in UN peacekeeping missions everywhere.

‘Long live the United Nations’

In her remarks to the ceremony, Cpt. Erzuah, said she was honoured to receive the award, saying it “underscores the tireless efforts and dedication” of her whole platoon, towards gender equality and inclusiveness.

The disputed region of Abyei between Sudan and South Sudan, has seen a UN peacekeeping presence since 2011, where the UNIFSA security force works to strengthen police capacity, protect civilians under threat, and help with humanitarian aid and the free movement of aid workers.

She said her platoon’s work had led to an increase in the number of women joining local, male-dominated community protection committees.

Cpt. Erzuah dedicated her award to “the beautiful people of Abyei” whose memory she would always treasure, and “to all peacekeeping personnel, particularly we women in uniform.

“May our dedication, commitment and love for humanity, never go unrewarded. Long live the United Nations.”

Civilian fallen

The head of Operational Support, Atul Khare, accepted a medal on behalf of the families of 42 civilian peacekeepers, who have “paid the ultimate sacrifice”, from 20 Member States.

He said the best way to honour their memories, was to “rededicate ourselves, and our efforts, to the cause of peace.”

“Allegations of grave cases of sexual violence against civilians, including children, in particular affecting IDPs fleeing conflict in the eastern DRC, is a matter of profound concern which requires immediate action,” said the top UN official who advocates for women and girls impacted by sexual violence.

The representative spoke of how she was “deeply troubled” by some attacks which have been taking place in broad daylight, affecting the daily lives and livelihoods of women and girls in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

Protecting women and girls

She noted that the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has reported an alarming number of Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases in 2022, and that IDP camps represent a ‘volatilesecurity environment’ , especially for displaced women and girls.

“More than 38,000 cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) were reported by UNICEF for all of 2022 in North Kivu alone. Humanitarian actors report they have provided assistance to over 600 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in six IDP camps over the course of two weeks in a volatile security environment. In most cases, survivors reported being attacked by armed men and displaced men in and around the camps,” she pointed out.

No immediate ‘life-saving’ aid

Ms. Patten also called attention to how women and girls are disproportionally affected by sexual violence in thousands of cases reported by humanitarian partners, with some unable to “access life-saving services, including Post-Exposure Prophylaxis kits, during the crucial 72-hour window after an attack”.

She said the best way to protect women and girls in such conditions was to provide medical assistance, but also offer routes for escaping violence and other insecurities in the first place.

“Immediate medical and psychosocial assistance must be accompanied by protection measures, to ensure that those who have been forced from their homes due to violence and insecurity, including women and girls fleeing conflict in Masisi and Rutshuru territories in North Kivu province, are able to access services and are not placed at further risk of sexual violence.”

She said the UN rights office in DRC (OHCHR) was liaising with humanitarian partners and other UN agencies in the country to document allegations and provide needed support.

Justice for victims of sexual violence

Ms. Patten also called on authorities to fulfill their human rights obligations by working with the UN to provide protection to civilians fleeing conflict violence, in addition to investigating and prosecuting perpetrators.

“I urge the Government to ensure its national police secures all IDP camps in accordance with their primary obligation to protect civilians under international humanitarian law and their responsibilities to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights obligations.

Ms. Patten called on donors to help ensure protection for victims of sexual violence in DRC and said her office was available to assist partners in providing support.

“There is no time to spare,” said Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.

“We must take action, not only to ensure Palestinian well-being and governance, but as an integral part of ending the occupation and restoring a political horizon toward a viable two-State solution, based on UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements,” he said, briefing the Council on recent grim and dangerous security and humanitarian concerns.

While a ceasefire that ended five days of fighting between Israel and Gaza is holding, conflict mitigation efforts must also be met with steps by both sides – supported by the international community – to reset a trajectory out of the cycle of violence, he said.

In this vein, he called on all parties to stop unilateral and inflammatory actions that undermine prospects for peace, and to address the acute financial and institutional challenges facing the Palestinian Authority.

Looming food crisis

The Special Coordinator also warned of a looming food crisis.

“I am particularly alarmed by the funding crisis facing UN agencies supporting basic services and social support, including emergency food assistance, to Palestinians,” he said, encouraging Member States to immediately seek ways to increase their support.

Unless new support arrives, the World Food Programme (WFP) will suspend cash assistance to some 200,000 Palestinians next week, and the UN relief agency, UNRWA, will not have the resources to deliver core services in September.

Without new funding, he said “we will face serious humanitarian and, potentially, security challenges”.

Diplomacy saves lives

In recent weeks, the UN, together with regional and international partners, mobilized once again to end hostilities between armed factions in Gaza and Israeli forces, he said, calling such efforts “crucial to saving Palestinian and Israeli lives”.

“Nevertheless, we must also keep issues fundamental to creating the conditions for a lasting peace at the forefront,” he said. “The immediate priority is to support steps to bolster the Palestinian Authority and preserve the provision of critical services to the Palestinian people.”

These steps should be implemented in a way that encourages the parties to engage with each other and require actions by Israeli and Palestinian leaders, alongside increased support and attention from the international community, he said.

Civilians ‘bear the brunt’

Meanwhile, he said a landscape of violence and tensions saw Israel and Palestinian armed factions once again resort to rocket fire into and out of the Gaza Strip enclave.

Following the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leader Khader Adnan’s death in an Israeli jail following an 86-day hunger strike, armed factions in Gaza fired over 100 rockets towards Israel, causing damage but no injuries. The Israeli Air Force responded with airstrikes against what it said were Hamas and PIJ targets in the Strip, killing one Palestinian and causing damage, he said.

Even though the hostilities ended on 3 May, Israel had conducted 323 airstrikes against what it said were PIJ military targets in Gaza, while Palestinian militants, mainly PIJ’s al-Quds Brigades, launched over 1,200 rockets and more than 250 mortars towards Israel, he added.

The number of deaths mounted on both sides, he said, regretting to note that civilians continued to “bear the brunt of such hostilities”.

West Bank violence

Levels of violence remained high in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, he said.

Seventeen Palestinians, including two children, were killed and 138 Palestinians, including two women and 23 children, were injured by Israeli security forces during demonstrations, clashes, search-and-arrest operations, attacks, and alleged attacks against Israelis, he said.

During the reporting period, Israeli forces imposed significant movement restrictions around Jericho, Nablus, and Hebron following either Palestinian attacks or stone throwing – affecting tens of thousands of Palestinians and local economic conditions.

Racist slogans

Thousands of right-wing Israeli activists, including senior Government ministers, participated in the highly provocative annual “flag day” march through Jerusalem’s Old City, marking Jerusalem Day, he said, adding that “many chanted racist slogans, including ‘death to Arabs’, with scuffles breaking out between Israeli participants and Palestinians”.

“Such provocations and incitement, which continued in the days after the march, are unacceptable and must be condemned by all,” he said.

Expanding illegal settlements

More illegal settlement plans are moving forward, with tenders published for some 310 housing units in Area C and demolitions continuing, he said.

During the reporting period, Israeli authorities demolished, seized, or forced owners to demolish 33 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and 17 in East Jerusalem, including a donor-funded school east of Bethlehem, displacing 89 Palestinians, including 45 children, he said, calling on Israeli authorities to end the displacement and eviction of Palestinians.

“They are a substantial obstacle to peace and must stop,” he said of the settlements, noting that all such expansion into occupied territory is illegal under international law.

With more than 42 million children displaced worldwide and increasing exposure to multiple forms of violence, the Office of the Special Representative on Violence against Children co-launched a new brief, Protecting the Rights of Children on the Move in Times of Crisis, which draws on past lessons, and outlines key principles to boost child protection.

In this unprecedented joint call, the Special Representative Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, was joined by the head of the UN human rights office (OHCHR), refugee agency UNHCR, the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the UN migration agency (IOM) – in close partnership with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings – who stressed that “protection of all children, independently of their status, is more necessary than ever.”

This includes investing in strong rights-based national protection systems that include displaced children, rather than excluding them or creating separate services for them, says the brief, which has proven to be more sustainable and effective in the long-term.

Concrete actions

As millions of children are displaced, often for many years, by crises such as armed conflicts, political instability, climate change – and it’s associated fallout for health and economic survival – the best interests of the child must be the primary consideration, the brief states.

Full protection requires translating good intentions into concrete and sustained actions, ensuring non-discriminatory access to national services.

This includes civil documentation such as birth registration, social welfare, justice, health, education, and social protection – for all children, without distinction or exclusion based on their migration status.

Penelope Cruz – unity call

Spanish film star and campaigner, Penelope Cruz joined the call, emphasizing that we all have a role to play in protecting children from violence: “Children must be protected everywhere and in all circumstances. Keeping all children safe from harm and promoting their wellbeing with particular attention to those is crisis situations is – and must be – everybody’s business.

“Let’s be united in creating a world free from violence against children”, she declared.