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	Every day, humanitarian workers protect, feed, shelter, assist millions of people by United Nations News   Aug 2013   Recognizing World Humanitarian Day UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters: "We reaffirm our commitment to the life-saving work that humanitarians carry out around the world, every day, often in difficult and dangerous circumstances where others cannot or do not want to go”.   “As we aim for a world free from hunger and poverty, we must support and enable the challenging work of those who spend their lives striving to make this goal a reality,” said UN World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director, Ertharin Cousin.   “This means recognizing and respecting the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. It means allowing and facilitating safe passage for staff trying to reach the most vulnerable communities.”   The international community must step up efforts to protect civilians in armed conflict, and ensure that those responsible for war crimes are prosecuted, United Nations senior officials told the Security Council in a meeting that coincides with World Humanitarian Day.   “Every day, humanitarian workers protect, feed, shelter, educate, heal and assist millions of people, regardless of who or where they are,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “It is an outrage that our colleagues and partners should be attacked for providing these essential services.”   World Humanitarian Day seeks to honour those who have lost their lives in humanitarian service and those who continue to bring assistance and relief to millions, in addition to drawing attention to humanitarian needs worldwide and the importance of international cooperation in meeting those needs.   Mr. Ban said he was particularly concerned about the use of explosive weapons such as roadside bombs, air strikes and artillery in populated areas, which can kill and maim, having profound humanitarian consequences.   In this regard, he reiterated his call to the Council and Member States to work through the UN General Assembly to recognize and act on this critical issue. “We need to better understand the types of explosive weapons that are most problematic. We need to examine how existing international law can help regulate use. And we need to consider the concrete steps that can be taken to reduce the humanitarian impact of explosive weapons in populated areas. ” he said.   Mr. Ban also noted the precarious humanitarian situations in Syria, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Mali, and stressed that international community must increase its relief efforts in these countries.   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay echoed Mr. Ban’s call for increased relief efforts, and emphasized the importance of tackling impunity.   “Providing humanitarian access and ensuring accountability for violations of global human rights and humanitarian law are not only moral imperatives, but also legal requirements,” Ms. Pillay said.   She added that impunity undermines the fabric of societies and was detrimental to any lasting solution to instability, and stressed that countries must adopt the necessary measures for to address this issue in compliance with global standards.   Ms. Pillay said her Office (OHCHR) is currently supporting commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions on Syria, DRC, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and underlined that these are important to determine whether human rights violations have occurred and inform appropriate responses.   In addition, Ms. Pillay voiced concern over human rights implications for the protection of civilians of armed drone strikes. The current lack of transparency surrounding their use creates an “accountability vacuum” and affects the ability of victims to seek redress, she said, urging all relevant States “to clarify the legal bases for such strikes as well as the safeguards in place to ensure compliance with applicable international law.”   UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos highlighted the complex working conditions that humanitarians face every day, and called for increased access so they can increase assistance to those who need it the most.   “I am extremely concerned by the failure to protect civilians in flagrant violation of the most basic rules of international humanitarian law and human rights law,” she said, referring to the situation in Syria, where insecurity, coupled with bureaucratic constraints and other limitations, continue to prevent aid from reaching all those in need.   “We need more capacity and humanitarian access must be granted to people trapped in areas under the control of Government forces or opposition groups,” she said. Meanwhile, in Sudan, an estimated 900,000 people remained out of reach in areas controlled by armed groups. “Without access we cannot do more.”   While the main responsibility to prosecute human rights violations and ensure accountability lies with national authorities, Ms. Amos said that the UN and its Member States play an important role in providing financial and technical support to conduct investigations and prosecutions.   “National accountability mechanisms can also be complemented by the more regular and systematic use of commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions by the Security Council,” she said.   “As we have seen in the evolution of situations requiring humanitarian response around the world, it is clear that the concept of arbitrary denial of consent for humanitarian operations demands greater attention”.   http://webtv.un.org/watch/navi-pillay-ohchr-protection-of-civilians-in-armed-conflict-security-council-7019th-meeting/2617027482001/ http://www.icrc.org/eng/what-we-do/protecting-civilians/index.jsp http://www.icrc.org/eng/war-and-law/protected-persons/civilians/index.jsp http://www.un.org/apps/news/html/worldhumanitarianday2013.asp Visit the related web page
	Mine clearing funding support helps thousands in fear and poverty by Mines Advisory Group (MAG) Laos   Three years since a ban came into force, findings illustrate the impact of cluster munitions and work being done to clear them in one of the world"s worst affected countries.   More than 90% of people living in bomb-riddled areas of Laos still live in fear of cluster munitions and other deadly explosive items.   Figures released by MAG – three years since the ban on cluster munitions came into force – show the psychological and socio economic toll of cluster munitions and other explosive weapons in Laos, even 40 years after conflict during the Vietnam War ceased.   But work supported by with British funding is making a difference.   Whilst challenges remain, data shows that clearance is working. In 2010, when the ban on cluster munitions entered into force, almost all (99%) of MAG’s beneficiaries in Laos felt unexploded ordnance (UXO) had a negative effect on their life. Following clearance and risk education work this has fallen by nearly 10% in 2013. The number of people worrying about explosive weapons on a daily basis has dropped by 27%.   Terrifyingly, 80% of people in affected areas are still using land that they know or suspect to be contaminated with deadly explosives.   Results found that the most common worry is that children will be killed or injured whilst they are playing.   The most bombed country in the world per capita, at least two million tonnes of explosive weapons was dropped on Laos between 1964 and 1973. More than 270 million cluster munitions (or ‘bombies’, as they are known locally) were used, of which an estimated 80 million malfunctioned, remaining live and in the ground after the end of the war. Approximately 25% of the country"s 10,000+ villages are now contaminated with UXO.   The link between UXO contamination and poverty and food insecurity is striking. It is no coincidence that 41 out of the 45 poorest districts in Lao PDR are affected by UXO contamination.   The UK funding has helped people to rebuild their lives by funding a wide spectrum of MAG’s work with the Laos government and local partners, clearing cluster munitions and returning safe land back to farmers, families and communities.   MAG clears approximately 700 items of UXO a month in Laos, three quarters of which are cluster munition remnants. In the last 12 months, MAG operations were of direct benefit to over 22,000 people, half of whom were women and girls.   UK Ambassador to Laos, Philip Malone, follows closely the impact of cluster munitions and work being done by MAG and others in the country. “I salute the work MAG has been doing in Laos for almost 20 years to improve people’s lives through removing the threat of UXO from their land. The work has directly benefitted the lives of almost 350,000 people in rural areas and led to the clearance of over 6 million square metres of land.”   Says MAG’s Chief Executive Nick Roseveare: “The experience of Laos shows the long-lasting impact that cluster munitions can have on human suffering and development potential, and the long-term commitment needed to deal with the problem once and for all.   “A UN report released last week shows massive progress against the Millennium Development Goals, but 1 in 8 people are still malnourished. Cluster munitions, like landmines, snare people in a terrible cycle of poverty and desperation and – as the figures demonstrate – cause them to take risks to feed their families that are frankly terrifying.”   Campaigners at the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) agree that long term assistance, and prevention of future use, is vital. CMC Director Sarah Blakemore said, “Civilians in Laos suffered from sustained cluster munition attacks and decades later still suffer the consequences. We must learn lessons from Laos and ensure all countries join and adhere to the Convention on Cluster Munitions to prevent further suffering. Ongoing use of cluster munitions in Syria underlines the urgent need for countries yet to join the treaty to take action."   MAG is supporting countries all over the world to achieve their commitments under international treaties, including the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Entering into force three years ago today, the treaty bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions and requires signatories to clear affected areas within 10 years and to destroy stockpiles of the weapon within eight years.   Nick Roseveare also commented on the legacy facing the Syrian people, where the use of cluster munitions and other explosive weapons in populated areas has been documented and condemned by the international community. “So far, explosive weapons have accounted for 40% (21,871) of all deaths recorded in the Syrian conflict, at least 2,330 of them were children (Action On Armed Violence, 8 Jul 2013).   “Yet aside from the horror of maiming and killing innocent people, one of the most terrible things about cluster munitions, as we can see from Laos, is that they leave a lethal legacy for multiple generations to come, compromising the recovery of war-torn countries and their people for decades.   “The Syrian people will have to make desperate calculations between the continuing risk of injury by these weapons and their daily food and other needs, long after any ceasefire is signed.”   The problem: cluster munitions   Cluster bombs contaminate at least 24 states and three other areas, according to Cluster Munition Monitor 2012.   Cluster bombs, or cluster munitions, are weapons that can be dropped from the air by planes or fired from the ground. They open in mid-air and release numerous explosive bomblets or submunitions over a wide area.   A single Cluster Bomb Unit or CBU can contain hundreds of submunitions. Most explode immediately, but some (up to 10 per cent by some estimates) don’t. These bomblets are designed to pierce tank armour and carry more explosives than an anti-personnel landmine. Some look like balls, others are the size and shape of a torch battery and children often play with them, mistaking them for toys. Campaigners say that a third of recorded cluster munition casualties are children.   The Convention on Cluster Munitions   The 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster submunitions and requires countries to clear affected areas within 10 years and to destroy stockpiles of the weapon within eight years.   The Convention includes groundbreaking provisions requiring assistance to survivors and affected communities. Signed in Oslo in December 2008, the Convention entered into force as binding international law on 1 August 2010. A total of 112 States have joined, of which 83 are States Parties.   Significant progress has also been made in the destruction of stockpiles, clearance of affected areas and support for cluster munition victims. Globally, the number of new cluster munition casualties has reduced annually.   http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourperspective/ourperspectivearticles/2014/04/04/stories-from-laos-i-m-the-first-female-bomb-disposal-expert-.html Visit the related web page
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