Ban urges member states, host govts to bolster safety measures for UN Staff

Sunday, October 27, 2013

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In a new report, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has appealed to member states and host governments to support all measures of safety and security measures to improve the operational environment for UN personnel and humanitarian workers.

PANA in New York, reported that Ban, in the report, stated: 'United Nations personnel serve in an increasingly dangerous environment and encounter a variety of threats not previously encountered in the history of the Organisation'.

The report, which was presented to the 193-member UN General Assembly, on Friday, cited the safety and security of UN personnel as his highest priority.

The report, entitled: 'Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of United Nations personnel', contained an analysis of security incidents that affected UN personnel in 2012, as well as data and observations on incidents in the first six months of 2013.

According to the document, significant security incidents affecting UN staff in 2012 showed an increase from 1,793 compared to 1,759 in 2011.

It said: 'Violent acts are cited as the primary cause of death or injuries last year, with 20 of the 35 deaths attributed to this, while 15 staffers were killed in safety-related incidents'.

It also said that, in 2011, 60 per cent of the 70 deaths, as well as the injuries that occurred were the result of a single car bomb attack on the UN building in Abuja, Nigeria, on 26 August 2011.

The secretary-general noted that, 'diverse security threats against United Nations personnel remain acute', and expressed concern for 'the disconcerting rise in abductions which reflect the dangerous environments in which United Nations personnel serve'.

He also disclosed that 31 UN personnel were abducted in 2012, compared to 21 in 2011, 12 in 2010 and 22 in 2009.

'Recent data indicate that the number of abductions continues to rise. During the first six months of 2013, 15 UN personnel were abducted. Of these, 12 personnel were abducted in Syria,' he said.

'The increasing asymmetrical nature of global conflicts together with the frequent use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and suicide bombings in increasingly challenging environments in which UN personnel are obliged to operate, plays a critical role in increasing security threats.

'Direct attacks against the United Nations are a distressing phenomenon that has developed over the last decade and these attacks are becoming more intense and more sophisticated,' Ban stated.

He also cited the attack by extremists on the UN compound in Mogadishu, Somalia, this past June, which killed eight people, including a UN Development Programme (UNDP) staff member.

He mentioned the attack against the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) office in Afghanistan, noting that the IOM is a member of the UN Security Management System.

According to him: 'The security of the United Nations and humanitarian personnel is firstly, the responsibility of the host government'.

The secretary-general also called on all member states to step up efforts to ensure the safety and security of all such personnel are serving on their territories.

He also appealed to host governments and member states for their support in bringing to justice perpetrators of crimes and acts of violence against UN and humanitarian workers.

'There can be no impunity for anyone who carries out acts of violence against United Nations personnel,'he added.

The report also provided an update on measures and initiatives taken by the UN Department of Safety and Security and the UN Security Management System in continuing efforts to mitigate risks and strengthen security capabilities to protect UN personnel..

Of particular concern to the secretary-general are locally-recruited staff who 'represent the great majority of United Nations personnel serving in the field and suffer the most from insecurity and acts of violence'.

He acknowledged the support of the General Assembly to improve the security of local staff, but said that more could be done to ensure their safety and security.

He further urged all member states that have not already done so, 'to ratify or accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated
Personnel'.

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