Jul212017

In Nigeria, UN deputy chief says ‘messages of women’ vital to sustainable peace, development

United Nations

20 July 2017 – Urgent action is needed now towards the meaningful participation of women in peace processes, as well ensuring their voices are heard in all aspects of society, the United Nations deputy chief told reporters in Abuja today as part of a first-ever UN-African Union trip focused on women, peace and security.

&#8220It is about action. It is about implementation,&#8221 Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told the press in the Nigerian capital, where she also spotlighted the importance advancing gender equality as a precondition for sustainable development for all.

During the joint AU-UN high-level trip, which will move on from Nigeria to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ms. Mohammed will be accompanied by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, and the Special Envoy of the AU on Women, Peace and Security, Bineta Diop.

&#8220It is a new era,&#8221 Ms. Mohammed continued, &#8220a new era where we have many tools at our disposal.&#8221

&#8220We know that from the economy to stability and peace, we are not able to achieve our goals if we are only investing in half of the population. &#8220Human resource is a major asset of a nation and a continent. Women often account for half. But they lack the investment we need,&#8221 she added, urging that women’s voices be heard in all aspects of society.

What we really want to do is to hear and bring the messages of women Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General

Ms. Mohammed cited various challenges, which went beyond abject poverty to encompass high maternal mortality rates, extremism and education gaps.

&#8220What we really want to do is to hear and bring the messages of women &#8211 women in decision-making, women who bear the brunt and carry the burden of many of the tragedies that we see &#8211 to see how we can come out of this, how we can be a constructive partner in finding the solutions to sustainable development,&#8221 she stressed.

According to Ms. Mohammed: &#8220It makes economic sense. It’s not charity. It is about rights […] it’s a huge part of our economic development.&#8221

Over the past two days, the deputy UN chief met with the acting President and key ministers on these and other issues that affect development.

Investing in Sustainable Development Goals can help prevent conflict

From the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria’s north-east to the conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and farmers, she said conflicts drain the country’s economy of resources that could be better used for development.

&#8220Without peace we cannot have development. Whatever investments that we are putting into development we are seeing them eroded by the lack of peace,&#8221 she underscored.

Ms. Mohammed also spoke about meeting with young refugee girls, who, living in camps, fled tragedies, including some of the freed Chibok girls. &#8220We heard stories that young girls should not have to tell, and these have been a tragedy for all of us,&#8221 she lamented.

However, the deputy UN chief was inspired by their spirit as they &#8220refuse to be victims and are survivors with a future that is bright.&#8221

&#8220We saw girls […] who talked about their dreams &#8211 no longer their nightmares,&#8221 she said, adding that while challenges remain as there are many girls still left behind, &#8220it shows that there is hope.&#8221

Ms. Mohammed underscored the importance of strengthening partnerships with Nigeria and the African Union for a scaled-up response to support women and girls who face these tragedies.

Turning to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she emphasized that by investing in them, &#8220we can look at the root causes […] we can prevent the conflict from happening.&#8221

Also, as present conflicts are resolved, the SDGs provide an opportunity &#8220to invest in the day after, to make sure that we are building back so that we don’t lose the dividend of peace.&#8221

Jul212017

‘Iron Ring’ sculpture unveiled as part of £630k project at Flint Castle

Welsh Government

The winning design was selected by a panel from the Welsh Government and sponsored body, Arts Council for Wales, following a nation-wide competition to obtain proposals for an artwork concept celebrating Wales’ Year of Legends.  

Begun in 1277, Flint was one of the first castles to be built in Wales by Edward I. The King later moved on to construct the north Wales castles of Beaumaris, Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech, which today form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The £395k monumental Iron Ring sculpture, plans for which have been unveiled today by Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, could potentially measure up to seven metres high and 30 metres wide, and symbolises a giant rusted crown representing the relationship between the medieval monarchies of Europe and the castles they built.

The installation will be engraved with carefully chosen associated words and sayings to be developed with the local community.

When opened in 2018, visitors will be able to walk along the sculpture and enjoy elevated views across the estuary and of the castle.

Its location at Flint marks the event where the crown was famously transferred from one medieval dynasty to another, as described in Shakespeare’s Richard II. Flint Castle was the setting as Richard II surrendered the crown to Henry IV – a momentous event impacting the history of Britain and Europe.

“The sculpture will take a balanced form, some buried beneath the ground, the remainder projecting into the air, to demonstrate the unstable nature of the crown,” 

said George King, from George King Architects Ltd – the architects behind the ambitious design.

“The sculpture has been carefully designed to work at many scales. From afar its striking, iconic form resembles a giant ancient artefact, washed up on the shore of the Dee Estuary.

“Its scale and dynamic appearance means that it will become an instantly recognisable landmark for the area.

“However, as you approach the sculpture it becomes obvious that the piece is more than just a sculpture.”

The engravings will celebrate local landmarks, historic towns and their links with Flint Castle, as well as content about the flora and fauna of the Dee estuary.

The sculpture is part of planned wider developments outlined in a newly-commissioned regeneration strategy for Flint foreshore, aimed at greatly enhancing the visitor experience at Flint Castle, strengthening and building on community relations within the town and helping with the regeneration of this unique area.  

Ken Skates said: 

“It gives me great pleasure to announce plans to help improve the visitor experience at this fascinating site steeped in history during Wales’ Year of Legends.

“Throughout 2017 we are celebrating the incredible people from our past, captivating places and stories that have shaped Wales’ rich heritage and culture.

“In its prime, Flint Castle played a pivotal role in not only shaping the future of Wales but that of the UK and Europe. The Iron Ring sculpture is a perfect way of marking this significance while attracting more people to visit the site, bringing positive economic benefits to the area.”

Further improvements to the castle include the installation of a stainless-steel spiral staircase within the north-east tower and a masterplan to consider the wider regeneration of the Flint Foreshore.

The £217k staircase has been fitted in the same position as the original masonry staircase, allowing visitors access to the tower and an opportunity to enjoy magnificent views from a new platform installed at the top of the stairs.

The regeneration approach is in its early stages, but will look at options for the improvement to the current facilities along the shore. This will include working with Flint’s RNLI, rugby club and football club to improve current facilities, and working with partners such as the Local Authority to develop visitor services at Flint Castle.

Jul202017

Change in behaviour for South Sudan actors ‘long overdue,’ Security Council told

United Nations

20 July 2017 – Highlighting challenges facing South Sudan, a senior United Nations official today underlined that overcoming obstacles borne of a volatile combination of insecurity and political uncertainty is critical for the war-torn country to be put on the track to peace and stability.

&#8220The security environment remains extremely volatile and South Sudan is in need of an effective and credible ceasefire,&#8221 El Ghassim Wane, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, told the Security Council today, noting reports of active military operations in parts of the country since the Government’s announcement of a unilateral ceasefire in June.

In his briefing, Mr. Wane also noted that while the Government has publicly expressed its commitment to create an environment conducive for the conduct of the National Dialogue, certain recent decisions seem to contradict those pledges, such as blocking of key media websites after their alleged criticism of the authorities.

&#8220Every effort should be made to ensure that [the Dialogue] is inclusive, transparent, takes place in a free and secure environment, has clear outcomes that complements the ARCISS [Agreement for the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan] and is supported by a sufficiently broad political consensus from all political forces in the country,&#8221 he added.

Further, noting the importance of an Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD, an eight-country trade bloc in Africa)-led revitalization process, the UN official urged the Council to continue its support for the process and called on national stakeholders to embrace it as a genuine opportunity to restore peace in South Sudan.

Concluding his remarks, Mr. Wane stressed the importance of the unity in the region and the need for the international community to call on the leadership of all sides in South Sudan that the current situation in the country is unacceptable and unsustainable.

&#8220A change in behaviour is long overdue, and the pursuit of political objectives through violence &#8211 for which the people of South Sudan continue to bear a heavy toll &#8211 should not be allowed to continue,&#8221 he stated.

Jul202017

EU asks for clarity on UK financial payments

John Redwood MP

I don’t understand why there is any lack of clarity on this simple subject. The UK owes our regular contributions up to the date of departure. The UK owes no contributions thereafter or special payments to leave.

If they want us to stay in the EIB we can come to an agreement about our capital in that Bank. If we want to stay in Erasmus and they want us in there will be a continuing payment related to our share of Erasmus spending as a non EU member of it. Our paid up capital in the ECB is small and not a major issue. If they want us to keep our small shareholding we could.

Jul202017

Speech: “Make no mistake, this is a crisis of human creation; a crisis that South Sudan’s leaders have had six years to prevent.”

HM Government

Thank you Mr President, thank you Assistant-Secretary-General Wane, thank you President Mogae for your briefings. And let me take this opportunity to reiterate the United Kingdom’s full support for your work, and for the UN Mission in South Sudan.

I wouldn’t normally take the floor before consultations but the horrifying and entrenched situation in South Sudan compels me to speak out.

Two weeks ago, the people of South Sudan should have been celebrating their young country’s independence day. They should have been celebrating six years of progress; six years of a country learning to stand on its own two feet.

But six years on, South Sudan isn’t standing. It’s barely even crawling; stifled by its leaders who would rather serve their own ends than help their country. Six years of their rule has left over half the population without enough food, six million people dependent on humanitarian assistance just to survive.

Make no mistake, this is a crisis of human creation; a crisis that South Sudan’s leaders have had six years to prevent.

But instead of helping, they have poured fuel on the fire. We need only look at the ongoing fighting across the country by the government and opposition forces. In Pagak, for example, the government offensive there has displaced thousands of civilians into Ethiopia. Aid workers have been evacuated, the already desperate humanitarian situation has been made even worse.

And yet when the government are asked about Pagak, we hear different stories from different people: some say there has been no violence there; others argue that the offensive was for self defence. So let’s be clear, the violence is happening there and it is not self defence; it is a blatant infringement of the ceasefire that Kiir declared only a few months ago.

Not content with misleading their people and the international community, the government of South Sudan have systematically clamped down on the media and on access to information. Last Friday, internet service providers in South Sudan were ordered to block media outlets with which the government disagreed. The head of state television was reported to have been arrested for failing to broadcast President Kiir’s Independence Day speech. The government say they are committed to media freedom, but their actions speak otherwise.

What the government of South Sudan says bears no relation to what it does. In June we saw humanitarian access being blocked a hundred times; the highest month in 2017 so far. In addition, ceasefire monitors have been blocked on multiple occasions by government troops from investigating incidents of reported violence. This is all in clear violation of the peace agreement and all at the cost of the South Sudanese people.

Until we see the government’s actions match their words, this Council has no choice but to take measures to protect peace and security. For the United Kingdom, that means returning to the issue of an arms embargo on South Sudan once again. We must do all we can to stop the uncontrolled flow of weapons that is driving this violence.

In parallel, we should continue to work with IGAD to support their Revitalisation Forum Initiative. The first priority for this must be to bring an end to the fighting. This will require a negotiated ceasefire or cessation of hostilities agreement amongst a broad and meaningful range of armed actors. It will require national and local initiatives. And we must be clear that any actors blocking peace will face consequences.

But in truth, Mr President, we have said all of this before. In this Chamber back in May I said that we were not yet fulfilling our responsibilities as a Council to the people of South Sudan. Two months on that, I’m afraid, is still the case. The parties continue to put violence before peace.

This cannot continue. We have a unique window of opportunity before the end of the rainy season to make meaningful progress in South Sudan. Should we fail in our efforts, South Sudan will enter into a fifth year of conflict. And for a country that is only six years old, that is simply heartbreaking.

Thank you Mr President.