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Egypt launches campaign for UN Security Council

December 2, 2014 By administrator

CAIRO — Egypt is seeking international support for its bid for nonpermanent membership in the UN Security Council, and aims to drum up votes to get the North African seat for 2016-17 in elections due in October 2015.

Egyptian foreign policy circles on the African, Asian, European and Arab levels are taking part in this intense diplomatic campaign. The Foreign Ministry issued a booklet on Cairo’s activities and policies in the areas of international peace and security, outlining Egypt’s role in issues pertaining to the Middle East, particularly the Palestinian one.

The booklet, distributed by Egypt’s representatives during the meetings of the UN General Assembly in September, expresses its support for all UN efforts to establish peace in conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East, and mentions Egypt’s participation in 37 peacekeeping missions with 2,659 Egyptian soldiers and officers.

In addition to Egypt’s role in striving for international peace and security, the campaign also focuses on the development efforts that Egypt continuously calls for through its work under the umbrella of the UN, the African Union (AU) and the Arab League.

Ambassador Badr Abdel Ati, the spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, told Al-Monitor that Egypt deserves the seat at the Security Council. “Cairo has always been an active actor in international efforts related to peace and security — not only on the political level, as we also participated in peacekeeping missions in conflict zones,” he said.

Abdel Ati said Egypt has “clear support from a number of important and influential countries,” without elaborating which ones. He added, “The coming period will witness the launch of several movements to confirm the importance of the Egyptian candidature as well as Egypt’s regional role in achieving UN goals.”

Egypt’s stated intention to run for the UN Security Council comes five months after it resumed its activities in the AU — a year after the African Peace and Security Council suspended Egypt following the ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi on July 3, 2013.

Abdel Ati said, “Egypt will present its candidacy to represent North African countries [at the UN] during the upcoming African summit that will be held in June [2015], prior to the Security Council elections.” He stressed, “There is strong support for the candidacy of Egypt from the African group at the UN.”

It is worth noting that Egypt has held a nonpermanent seat at the UN Security Council four times: 1949-50, 1961-62, 1984-85 and 1996-97.

A diplomatic source participating in the campaign who wished not to be named told Al-Monitor, “Our determination and the interest of the Egyptian government for a seat at the Security Council are linked to Egyptian national security, in light of the external threats haunting Egypt, especially the Libyan and Palestinian issues.”

“[President Abdel Fattah al-] Sisi’s administration is attempting to strongly return to the international political scene following the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt’s fight against terrorism, which needs the support of the international community,” he added.

The diplomat said Egypt is among the nations calling for reform of the UN Security Council, adding that Africa deserves a permanent seat.

“We still look forward to reforms to expand the membership in the Security Council. It is unreasonable for the African continent not to be a permanent member in light of its rising importance and growth on the international scene,” he added.

Observers note that Egypt’s success in obtaining this seat would be a major victory for Egyptian diplomacy and enhance Cairo’s relations with regional powers.

Hassan Haridy, Egypt’s former UN ambassador, told Al-Monitor, “Several positive indicators show that it will not be hard to get the seat. The government has now garnered strong international support. Cairo’s presence in the Security Council will add to both the Arab and African dimensions, as all problems that worry Arab countries will be presented, namely the threat of armed jihadist groups to Arab security.”

Haridy ruled out the possibility that “the delayed implementation of the road map and the parliamentary elections — both of which aim to restore the democratic path in Egypt — will affect foreign support for Egypt’s candidacy.”

“There is clear international recognition and support,” he said, adding, “Holding the parliamentary elections before the voting session at the UN General Assembly will surely have a positive impact.”

Egypt’s accession to the UN Security Council remains among the most important political goals for Sisi’s administration. The Egyptian government has been trying to open up to the world and create a new regional and international role, including building strategic alliances to deal with the pressing regional security issues.

Ayah Aman

Contributor, Egypt Pulse

Ayah Aman is an Egyptian journalist for Al-Shorouk specializing in Africa and the Nile Basin, Turkey and Iran, and internal Egyptian social issues. On Twitter: @ayahaman

Armenian Bread Declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO

November 27, 2014 By administrator

The Moscow Time

The lavash puts Armenia, a small, ancient South Caucasus nation of 3 million, ahead of much of the pack with a total of four entries on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The UNESCO cultural and scientific organization has decided to include Armenian flatbread on its intangible cultural heritage list, recognizing the importance of the foodstuff to the country’s inhabitants.

Lavash, a staple of Armenian cuisine, is a type of soft and very thin flatbread that can be consumed as a wrap for cheese, meat or vegetables. It is also popular throughout the South Caucasus, and in Iran and Turkey.

According to a note on the UNESCO website, preparation of lavash “requires great effort, coordination, experience and special skills” and “strengthens family, community and social ties.”

Lavash was accepted onto the list on Wednesday, with the UNESCO organization saying on its site that it acknowledged “the preparation, meaning and appearance of [the] traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia.”

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, a daring attempt to recognize and preserve immaterial culture, have been compiled since 2008, and entries from 103 countries are currently recognized by UNESCO.

Examples include Argentinian tango, Mongolian calligraphy, Middle Eastern falconry, Vanuatu sand paintings and even the Mediterranean diet.

The lavash puts Armenia, a small, ancient South Caucasus nation of 3 million, ahead of much of the pack with a total of four entries on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Other Armenian entries recognized by UNESCO include the reed wind instrument duduk, the performance of the medieval epic “David of Sassoon,” and the art of stone cross making.

Russia has only two items on the list: The culture of the Semeiskiye Old Believer sect, and the Yakut heroic epic “Olonkho,” which sees songs comprising up to 36,000 verses performed by singers over the course of several nights.

China is the runaway leader with 38 entries, followed by Japan (22) and Croatia (14). Neither the U.S. nor Britain have a single item of intangible heritage to contribute so far, according to UNESCO.

Islamic State paid up to $45 million in ransom, UN says

November 25, 2014 By administrator

UN expert monitoring sanctions against Al-Qaeda says the Islamic State militant group has received between $35 million and $45 million in ransom payments in the past year, RFE/RL reported.

On November 24, Yotsna Lalji told a meeting of the UN Security Council’s Counterterrorism Committee that an estimated $120 million in ransom was paid to terrorist groups between 2004 and 2012.

She said in recent years Al-Qaeda and its affiliates have made kidnapping “the core Al-Qaeda tactic for generating revenue.”

She highlighted an October 2012 recording from Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri inciting militants worldwide to kidnap Westerners.

Foreign jihadists flocking to Iraq and Syria on ‘unprecedented scale’ – UN

October 31, 2014 By administrator

UN report suggests decline of al-Qaida has yielded an explosion of jihadist enthusiasm for its even mightier successor organisations, chiefly Isis

An image grab taken from a video released by Islamic State group’s official Al-Raqqa site via YouTube. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

The United Nations has warned that foreign jihadists are swarming into the twin conflicts in Iraq and Syria on “an unprecedented scale” and from countries that had not previously contributed combatants to global terrorism.

A report by the UN security council, obtained by the Guardian, finds that 15,000 people have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside the Islamic State (Isis) and similar extremist groups. They come from more than 80 countries, the report states, “including a tail of countries that have not previously faced challenges relating to al-Qaida”.

The UN said it was uncertain whether al-Qaida would benefit from the surge. Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaida who booted Isis out of his organisation, “appears to be maneuvering for relevance”, the report says.

The UN’s numbers bolster recent estimates from US intelligence about the scope of the foreign fighter problem, which the UN report finds to have spread despite the Obama administration’s aggressive counter-terrorism strikes and global surveillance dragnets.

“Numbers since 2010 are now many times the size of the cumulative numbers of foreign terrorist fighters between 1990 and 2010 – and are growing,” says the report, produced by a security council committee that monitors al-Qaida.

Self-determination essential for int’l peace: UN expert

October 29, 2014 By administrator

The realization of the right of self-determination is essential to maintaining local, regional and international peace and must be seen as an important conflict-prevention strategy, the United Nations’ Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, Alfred de Zayas, said on Monday, Oct 28.

“Over the past decades too many conflicts have started because of the denial of the legitimate aspiration of peoples to achieve their human rights, including the right to internal or external self-determination,” de Zayas pointed out when presenting his third report to the UN General Assembly.

“It is not the exercise of self-determination that generates conflict, but the unreasonable denial thereof,” he stressed. “It is thus the responsibility of the UN and of the international community to put ears to the ground and listen to early warning signs, so as to engage dialogue and address the grievances of peoples who are denied the right to equal participation in decision-making.”

The expert called for a coherent strategy to address the many open and recurring questions regarding self-determination. He further urged the UN General Assembly to take a proactive role in mediating existing and potential crises associated with self-determination.

De Zayas’s report lists fifteen principles that may be applied in addressing existing and future self-determination claims, including that “any process aimed at self-determination should be accompanied by participation and consent of the peoples concerned.”

Commenting on non-self-governing and indigenous peoples, the Independent Expert noted that often they remain disenfranchised within national borders and have been unable to achieve forms of autonomy or self-rule, or reparations in the same ways as other rights bearers.

“In examining claims for self-determination, the advantages of what is referred to as ‘internal self-determination’, like autonomy and federalism, should be realistically considered for stability and continuity,” he said. “External self-determination should be sought only when there is a serious impasse and the other solutions to guarantee the right within existing state entities, do not lead to adequate solutions,” he added.

“Whereas self-determination does not necessarily mean separation from an existing State entity, the progressive development of international law has shown that the exercise of self-determination did not end with decolonization and that many new States of the United Nations owe their existence to a process of self-determination, including referenda leading to independence”, stressed the Independent Expert.

The Independent Expert stressed that, despite the many factors to take into account when discussing the forms of self-determination, its implementation is a legitimate concern of the international community in view of the commitments undertaken by virtue of the UN Charter and article 1 of the Human Rights Covenants.

“Moreover, the criteria for exercising and recognizing the right of self-determination must be applied uniformly and not à la carte. Self-determination is an expression of democracy that ‘We the Peoples’ pledge to support as a necessary step to achieving a democratic and equitable international order,” concluded de Zayas.

Alfred de Zayas (U.S.) was appointed as the first Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order by the Human Rights Council, effective May 2012. He is currently professor of international law at the Geneva School of Diplomacy. De Zayas practiced corporate law and family law in New York and Florida.

The UN human rights experts are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights, is the general name of the independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms of the Human Rights Council that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

OHCHR. “Lasting peace entails the exercise of self-determination by all peoples without discrimination” – UN rights expert

UN: Attacks on Iraq’s Yazidis may constitute attempted genocide

October 22, 2014 By administrator

Iraq’s Yazidi religious minority is facing what may amount to attempted genocide. A week-long visit to the country revealed evidence that “strongly indicates” an effort to wipe out the community.

The campaign against the Yazidis by the “Islamic State” (IS) could constitute attempted genocide, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic said on Tuesday.

“The evidence strongly indicates an attempt to commit genocide,” Simonovic said after meetings with some 30 people – officials and displaced people in Irbil, Baghdad and Dohuk – during the week-long visit.

Hundreds of Yazidis are believed to have been killed when IS swept across northern and western Iraq in August. Many fled to Kurdish-held parts of northern Iraq, while some 7,000 are believed to have stayed behind and converted to the harsh interpretation of Islam promoted by IS.

Simonovic said it appeared that IS militants – who claim the Yazidis are “devil worshippers” – had the intent of destroying a religious group.

‘Bought and sold’

In a recent issue of its Dabiq magazine, IS reportedly boasted that it was selling Yazidi women and children as slaves, saying members of the group were singled out because of their unique customs.

Earlier this month, the Human Rights Watch group released a report saying abducted woman were subject to sexual assault and were being bought and sold by IS fighters.

According to the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the term genocide represents an intent to destroy – either in whole or in part – a national, ethical, racial or religious group.

The means of doing so, according to the convention, include the killing of members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members, and deliberately inflicting conditions that would bring about the destruction of the group.

They also include preventing births within a given community or the forcible transfer of children from the group to another group.

During the IS onslaught, thousands of Yazidis were trapped on a mountain near to their main hub, the town of Sinjar, for days in August. They were subsequently helped to safety in Kurdish-held areas with the aid of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

rc/lw (AFP, AP, Reuters)

UN vote confirms Turkey’s waning influence

October 19, 2014 By administrator

By Semih Idiz Columnist for al-monitor

Turkey failed on Oct. 16 to win the coveted nonpermanent seat at the UN Security Council that it hoped would reinforce its influence in regional affairs, which has seriously dwindled in recent years. The result is a disappointment for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who hoped for a victory at the United Nations to counter claims that their policies have left Turkey isolated internationally.

Turkey was racing with Spain and New Zealand for the two nonpermanent seats open to the “Western European and Other States Group” for the years 2015-16. New Zealand got elected with 145 votes, gaining the required two-thirds of the vote in the first round.

The race between Turkey and Spain continued until Turkey lost in the third round when its support dropped down to 60 votes — down from 109 in the first round and 73 in the second. Spain’s vote went up to 132 in the final count.

Despite the odds against Turkey, Foreign Minister Ahmet Cavusoglu sounded optimistic the day before the voting, during an expensive reception held by the Turkish delegation in the famous Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City to lobby for Ankara’s Security Council bid.

“Everyone is aware of the role Turkey plays in international organizations and at the UN,“ he said. “We think all our nice efforts will, with the grace of God, be reflected on to the ballot box tomorrow. Of course, this is a vote and all kinds of results may come out. But we believe, God permitting, that we will get the result of the work we put in.”

This optimism is seen to have been misplaced. The result of the secret ballot held in the UN General Assembly was in stark contrast with the result obtained in 2008 when Turkey got a record 151 votes out of 193 and was elected to Security Council in the first round of voting for 2009-10.

At that time Ankara’s prestige was high, not just among Islamic countries, but also Asian, African and even Caribbean countries that hoped to have an influential voice at the Security Council through Turkey.

The result of the voting this time has also raised questions about the logic behind Turkey’s applying for the Security Council membership only two years after it held this membership. Diplomats have been pointing out for some time that it is unlikely for a country to win a seat in the Security Council so soon after having held it before.

This point was also underlined for Al-Monitor by retired Ambassador Volkan Vural, who was Turkey’s permanent representative at the UN in 1998-2000, and who is currently a member of the board of directors of TUSIAD, the influential Turkish Industry and Business Association.

“Applying for Security Council membership so soon after having held it before was hardly a clever move. Our chance of winning was a million to one, particularly when Turkey’s popularity in the world is so low,” Vural said.

Asked if Ankara might still have had a chance of winning if its international influence was high, given that countries in the highly volatile Middle East could do with such a voice in the Security Council at such a critical time, Vural said this was highly unlikely, given historic precedent.

This brings up the obvious question: Why did Turkey apply for this membership when seasoned diplomats who know how the UN system works were aware that the chances of winning were so slim?

“This overconfidence by the government has no logical explanation. Perhaps they expected support from the Middle East, some Arab and European countries, and particularly African countries, but that support was obviously not there,” Vural said, questioning the government’s diplomatic capabilities

Pointing to the current war in Turkey between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Islamist Gulen movement, headed by the Pennsylvania-based Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen, Vural made an interesting point with regard to support for Turkey from African countries. “The Fethullah group has a strong presence in Africa with its schools, companies and trade network,” Vural said. ”The government worked through this group in the past to canvass support for Turkey. The fight between the government and this group is also likely to have had a negative influence on support from African governments.”

He added that it was unlikely that Turkey would get support from the Middle East, given the current the state of ties with regional countries, particularly with Egypt. “It is not possible to get support from the Arab world if your ties with the most important Arab country are so bad,” he said.

Pointing to the lukewarm ties Turkey has with Gulf states, which are angered by Ankara’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood and its vitriolic attacks against Egypt and its president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Vural said it should be considered a success that Turkey even got the support it did in the first round of voting in the UN General Assembly.

Diplomats and foreign policy observers point out that 2010 was the turning point when Turkey’s international prestige started plummeting. This also corresponds to Davutoglu’s Foreign Ministry from May 2009 through August 2014, after which he became prime minister to replace Erdogan, who was elected president.

Davutoglu’s overambitious plans to make Turkey the key player in the Middle East and the Balkans had resulted in charges of neo-Ottomanism being leveled against him. This accusation continues to come up in the Middle East today in countries that are unhappy with Turkey’s policies in Egypt and Syria, as well as its support for the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, which are loathed by the region’s established order.

Many in the region also look on Turkey today as a country that has inflamed sectarian divisions along the Sunni-Shiite divide, and has backed radical Sunni groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State.

Other reasons cited for Turkey’s loss of international prestige include the worsening state of democracy and human rights in the country since the brutal reaction by the authorities to the Gezi Park protesters in 2013, which got wide international coverage, and the rolling back of reforms that had been enacted by Turkey for its EU membership application.

The official statement by the Foreign Ministry after Turkey won Security Council membership in 2008 underlined, among other things, Ankara’s commitment to peaceful settlements of regional disputes, and its determination to play the role of facilitator to this end, as well as contributing to dialogue between faiths.

Despite these commitments, Turkey today has hardly any diplomatic ties left with Israel and Egypt, and very little dialogue with regional countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and Jordan on establishing regional stability. Meanwhile, Erdogan’s continual criticism of the UN over Syria and Gaza, and efforts to spearhead what appears to be a futile campaign to reform the Security Council and reduce the influence of the permanent members, also appears to have brought little support for Turkey.

Cavusoglu told reporters in New York after Turkey’s failed attempt to gain a seat at the Security Council that some countries were unhappy over Turkey’s independent foreign policy. “There may be those who are disturbed by our principled stance,” Cavusoglu said, adding that time would prove Turkey correct.

“We will not abandon this stance for the sake of votes. We will continue to be the voice and conscience of countries that expect this from us,” he said, trying to put a brave face on a glaring diplomatic failure that will no doubt be also used politically in Turkey against the AKP government.

Good News from UN Security Council seat Spain beats Turkey

October 16, 2014 By administrator

UNITED NATIONSs

Spain is elected to the UN Security Council on Oct. 16, roundly defeating Turkey for the seat during a vote at the General Assembly

Spain was elected to the U.N. Security Council Oct. 16, roundly defeating Turkey for the seat during a vote at the U.N. General Assembly.

Spain joined Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand and Venezuela as the newest members to the top U.N. body, which has the power to impose sanctions and authorize the use of force.

Earlier in the day, Venezuela, Malaysia, Angola and New Zealand won seats on the Council for two years from Jan. 1, 2015, while a run-off vote between Spain and Turkey took place to decide who gets the fifth available spot.

The 193-member U.N. General Assembly elected Spain with 132 votes in the third round of voting against 60 votes for Turkey.

Turkey got 72 votes in the second round against 121 for Spain. The board membership requires a minimum of 129 votes.

Venezuela with 181 votes in favor, Malaysia with 187 votes, Angola with 190 vote and New Zealand with 145 votes.

October/16/2014

UN envoy Call for Turkey to let the Kurdish volunteers to protect Kobane

October 10, 2014 By administrator

The special UN envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura on Friday called on Turkey to allow the Syrian Kurdish volunteers back across the border to rescue the city of Kobane attacked by jihadist Islamic state group.

“We call on the Turkish authorities to allow the flow of refugees to enter the city to support its action of self-defense,” said the envoy in a press conference in Geneva, while Turkey banned yet to refugees who crossed the border from Syria to cross back the other way.

He said fears of a “massacre”. “Remember Srebrenica” in the former Yugoslavia, he added. Mr. De Mistura, Pholos satellite support, explained that “10,000 to 13,000 people are at a place in the border area -between Turkey and Syria-and many are still inside the city.” “If it falls, civilians are most likely murdered,” said the diplomat.

“Since Kobane will likely fall if it does not help, let those who want to go to join self-defense, with enough equipment, the equipment can do many things,” said Mr. De Mistura for Turkey.

“It is not through UN resolutions that IE will stop,” he has said. “Our appeal to Turkey is that it takes extra steps to stop the advance of IE, if not all of us, including Turkey, will miss” Has he said.

Jihadists of the Islamic State (AEs) were able to advance in Kobané, became a symbol of resistance to the ultraradical group responsible for atrocities in Syria and Iraq, despite the strikes of the international coalition.

More than three weeks after launching the offensive to take this strategic Kurdish city in northern Syria, besieged south sides, east and west, the jihadists have taken the third since Monday and try to make their way to the northern limit of Kobané, about one km from the Turkish border.

Geneva, 10 October 2014 (AFP) –

Armenian President at UN called ISIS barbarians not related to faith

September 25, 2014 By administrator

NEW YORK. – What is happening in Syria and Iraq should be viewed as a crime against humanity, said Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in his speech in the UN General Assembly’s 69th session.

President Sargsyan in his speech once again voiced the commitment to join international efforts against ISIS terrorists. In his speech Armenian leader stressed:

“Today in front of all of us terrible events are taking place in Syria and Iraq, where religious and ethnic minorities become targets of groups committed to hatred. Two days ago terrorists blowed up the Der Zor of the Holy Martyrs Armenian Church, which was a grave of many martyrs who died during Armenian Genocide. Such barbarism is a crime that has no relation to any faith.

In Syria and Northern Iraq there is a catastrophic situation that is constantly deteriorating, and today it is a direct threat to hundreds of thousands of innocent people, including tens of thousands of Armenians in Aleppo. This is a very dangerous situation that must be considered to prevent crimes against humanity. Armenia voices the need to protect the Syrian people and the Iraqi Kurdish population in the north-west and we are encouraged to see the international community stand united on this issue.”

Armenia News – NEWS.am