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	Advocating on behalf of people in crisis for solutions and support by Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs   Sep 2013   Each year during the UN General Assembly, OCHA and its partners highlight key areas of humanitarian concern, taking the opportunity to advocate on behalf of people in crisis for solutions and support.   Dozens of heads of state along with the UN Secretary-General, Government Ministers, leaders of UN agencies and civil society and others are gathering in New York for the 68th Session of the United Nation’s General Assembly. The annual event – a series of meetings starting on 24 September and stretching over the better part of two weeks – will see Member States discuss and debate a range of political, economic and security-related issues.   Here are some of the key humanitarian issues that OCHA will be focusing on during the 2013 General Assembly.   1. The humanitarian crisis in Syria must not be overshadowed by the political debate. The conflict in Syria and the use of chemical weapons are likely to continue to dominate discussions over the coming days. Our hope is that this does not detract attention from the country’s severe humanitarian crisis. Some 7 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian support, with more than 2 million having fled the country.   “At the moment we are talking about the whole chemical weapons issue, it is important that that is addressed (and) it is important that we maintain the pressure to get a political solution,” said Ms Amos, in an interview. “But the humanitarian issues and the human rights abuses that are really spiralling out of control inside Syria – we need our political leaders to address those as well.”   2. We will urge Member States to do what they can to reverse the deteriorating situation in the Central African Republic (CAR). Every single person in CAR has been affected by their country’s descent into insecurity, violence and despair. Since December 2012, 250,000 people have been forced to flee their homes and a further 60,000 have left the country all together.   Persistent insecurity has severely hampered the ability of humanitarian organizations to reach those most in need. Earlier this month, two aid workers with the French NGO ACTED were killed north of the capital of Bangui.   “We were shocked by what we saw but felt that there was a very real opportunity (…) for the international community to really make a difference,” said Ms. Amos. “If they would just focus on the Central African Republic and think about the resources required – the support required to begin to build the institutions in the country – and to give much needed financial support to the many organizations operating on the ground.”   3. We will celebrate a new generation of African Humanitarian Champions. OCHA will co-host an event with the African Union to celebrate African Humanitarian Champions. The event will highlight the rise of a new approach towards humanitarian intervention in Africa – an approach driven by African governments and civil society, that places increased emphasis on building resilience, rather than addressing needs in the short term.   4. We will emphasize that building resilience should be at the heart of our support to the countries of the Sahel. People in the Sahel – a region that stretches across nine Saharan countries – are some of the most vulnerable people in the world today. They face food insecurity and malnutrition, health crises, natural disasters and, increasingly, insecurity and violence.   On the 26th September a meeting on the Sahel, is expected to endorse a new, integrated strategy for the region. One of the three ‘pillars’ of this new strategy is Resilience – the idea that humanitarian and developments efforts should focus on addressing the chronic and structural causes of vulnerability. This approach is already at the heart of much of the work of humanitarian agencies in the Sahel.   * Follow the General Assembly live on UN Web TV: http://webtv.un.org/ and follow OCHA: http://www.unocha.org/top-stories/all-stories/results
	Failing to impose a fair, just and appropriate corporate punishment for Halliburton Energy Services by Allison Fisher Public Citizen USA   September 19, 2013   It is incomprehensible that the Eastern District of Louisiana district court today accepted a plea deal calling for a $14 billion company to pay just $200,000 for intentionally destroying evidence related to the worst offshore oil spill in our country’s history.   What a travesty.   Rather than rubber stamp the plea agreement between Halliburton Energy Services Inc. and the Department of Justice, the court should have rejected the bargain–basement deal because it fails to hold the corporation accountable for its criminal acts and will not deter future corporate crime.   We are appalled by the Department of Justice’s decision not to prosecute Halliburton to the full extent of the law for its intentional destruction of evidence related to 2010 BP disaster. By accepting the plea agreement, the court has legitimized this poor decision and normalized the slap-on-the-wrist approach the Department of Justice has taken recently toward corporate crime.   Further, the court’s decision today dismisses the seriousness of Halliburton Energy Services’ criminal act and the significance of the evidence. Knowing the conditions that led to the Macondo well blowout goes beyond cause and culpability. The ability to identify what went wrong – and why – will help remedy dangerous inadequacies in offshore drilling activity. In its attempt to cover up information, Halliburton not only is guilty of obstruction of justice but has undermined efforts to determine additional safeguards necessary to protect the American people and our resources. In failing to punish this criminality, the court has abdicated its responsibility to protect the public interest.   And while Halliburton Energy Service admitted guilt, it in no way means the corporation has demonstrated remorse for its actions. The employee directing the destruction of evidence, according to a report in The Washington Post, continues to work for Halliburton. Nor has the Department of Justice indicated that it will seek indictment of the employee.   By failing to impose a fair, just and appropriate corporate punishment for Halliburton Energy Services, the court undermines trust in the integrity of the criminal justice system.   * Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971 to represent consumer interests in Congress, the executive branch and the courts. Visit the related web page
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