XUNICEF News and Views

Children in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo increasingly exposed to sexual violence, abduction and recruitment  “I am deeply alarmed by the intensifying violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and its impact on children and families. In North and South Kivu provinces, we are receiving horrific reports of grave violations against children by parties to the conflict, including rape and other forms of sexual violence at levels surpassing anything we have seen in recent years.

    We have not reported on new members who have joined XUNICEF since the end of July 2024. So here is a long overdue update, and a belated, but very hearty Welcome to XUNICEF !!! XUNICEF now has 1,093 members, representing 111 nationalities, and living in 103 countries.

The number of children killed, injured and displaced continues to mount Conflict-related violence continues to bring death and fear to civilians, including women and children in the West Bank. On 7 February, a 10-year-old Palestinian boy succumbed to his wounds after reportedly being shot, while two days later, in another tragic event in Nur Shams camp, an eight-month pregnant woman was reportedly shot and killed along with her unborn baby.

The scandal shook the UNICEF bubble. The USA had forced a vote on the five UNICEF Country Program Documents that the Executive Board intended to approve on a no-objection basis. 

We were back to our grandparents' village homestead––my mom's birth place. Those were the very last days of the war of liberation of Bangladesh (former East Pakistan). We had managed to flee when dogfights between Indian air force jets and Pakistani fighter planes owned the skies of Dhaka. The beautiful city was ready to erupt––bombs and fires were everyday affairs. India was an ally and stood with the Bengalee freedom fighters.

The background is not an assassins' castle This part reflects some of our activities as we were winding down when it was clear that there would be no refugees coming to Iran following the start of the Second Gulf War in 2003. We were a small group, led by a woman who was the best coordinator by far that I met during my post UNICEF staff days. We were looking to make arrangements to allow for pre-positioning for emergency supplies and for possible suppliers for emergency (NFI) items for possible disaster situations. It was clear that Iran has a wide industrial base and would benefit from being listed as a preferred supplier of some emergency supplies.

A complex relationship Micronutrients are important for normal growth and development of infants and children. The micronutrients, as the name suggests are required in microgames and nanograms, the deficiency of which can negatively impact children's growth and mental development including learning.

FB post shared by Yoshi Uramoto Friends and colleagues of Kunio. It is with deep sorrow that I inform you of Kunio's demise on February 3. He finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer which he had been battling for several years, enjoying life as best he can. 

The United Nations said on Tuesday that one of its staff members had died in detention in northern Yemen, where the U.N. has repeatedly called for the Houthi movement to free detained U.N. employees. The U.N. World Food Programme did not specify when or how its employee, who it said had been detained on January 23 with six others, had died.

  Photo taken in October on the steps of the NY Public Library, a venue preferred by many for protest and performance alike. Still relevant, the wording, partially obscured, reads "Freedom for Venezuela".

Al Hawl Camp, Hasakah Province, NE Syria Article shared by John Gilmartin This NY Times story about the contractors who manage the Al Hoi (Al Hawl also used) detention camp for ISIS remnants, which is now out of funds and closing, thanks to Elon and Co.

Michele Walsh is the VP and Chief Philanthropy Officer at UNICEF USA

Statement Shared by Niloufar Pourzand Introduction to Statement by David Kaye The signatories to the statement below are among the Americans who have served on United Nations human rights bodies for decades, helping develop a system that U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called the United Nations’ “ crown jewel .” They have been members of human rights working groups, served as independent experts and special rapporteurs monitoring key areas of state and corporate impact on human rights, and led coordinating committees of what is known as the U.N.’s “ special procedures .”

Article shared by Niloufar Pourzand Click here for the article Summary This article is includes excerpts from "The World After Gaza: A History" by Pankaj Mishra. Mishra draws parallels between the Warsaw Ghetto uprising during World War II and the recent conflict in Gaza. He argues that the world's inaction in the face of the Gaza crisis mirrors the world's indifference to the plight of Jews during the Holocaust.

Statement shared by Niloufar Pourzand UNICEF Executive Board – FRS 2025 Joint Closing Statement 7 February 2025

A sad day for UNICEF— for the first time in its history, the US delegation forced a vote at the Executive Board on the approval of UNICEF country programs, which were previously always approved by consensus (following, if necessary, informal negotiations and amendments on a no-objection basis).

Our Feature This week, Myra Rudin takes a departure from the urban visual surprises with which she so often delights us and instead shares a stunning collection of Birds and Butterflies she has encountered on her travels. Her keen eye for detail and appreciation of nature bring these winged wonders to life. We look forward to more from her ongoing exploration of "critters and creatures."

 

  Explanation of Vote on UNICEF agenda item 5(a): Country program documents Home  |  | Explanation of Vote on UNICEF agenda item 5(a): Country program documents Jonathan Shrier Acting Representative to ECOSOC New York, New York February 7, 2025 AS DELIVERED Thank you Mr. President. In light of the Executive Board’s inability to reach consensus on an acceptable decision on the Country Program Documents, the United States had no other option but to call for a vote and vote “no” on the decision. The United States cannot agree to country program documents that contain terms and concepts that conflict with U.S. policies as set out in President Trump’s recent Executive Orders, especially when those concepts endanger the very mission of the organization. The United States also objects to any UNICEF efforts to advance such programming in countries. U.S. federal civil-rights laws protect Americans from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Diversi...

The Board rejected the US amendment and voted overwhelmingly in favor of approving the CPDs click here

Article shared by John Gilmartin The lead editorial for this week's Lancet. Issued today John Click here for the article Summary The Lancet strongly criticizes Donald Trump's administration for implementing policies that significantly harm public health both in the United States and globally. It highlights key decisions such as the withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Agreement, the shutdown of USAID programs, and a freeze on $3 trillion in federal grants and loans, which jeopardized Medicaid and halted global health initiatives. Additionally, research institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) faced severe restrictions, including stop-work orders and communications blackouts. This led to the suppression of health data, including the first non-publication of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in 60 years. The administration also restricted the use of certain terms ...

  Backtracking on climate commitments, US sanctions the ICC, landmines in Syria present obstacle to refugee return, time for the UN to move?,  critique of UN and NGO reporting of sexual misconduct, and the freeze in US foreign aid follows a wild week in Washington.

Article shared by John Gilmartin A little of the nitty gritty detail. Cutting off medication and clinics in East Africa. John Click here for the article Summary HIV services in East Africa have been severely impacted following the U.S. government's freeze on international aid and USAID programs, leading to widespread clinic closures in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The suspension of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for at least 90 days has disrupted HIV treatment, testing, and gender-based violence services. Health workers have lost jobs, and critical HIV programs have halted, leading to fears of increased infections. Local experts warn of catastrophic consequences, with some advocating for African governments to find alternative funding sources. Key quotes “The impact will be catastrophic.” – Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director of the African Population Health and Research Center. “The closed clinics take care of key populations including 6000 commercia...

I was waiting at Mary's motel in Tarawa. I was on a reconnaissance mission prior to accepting the offer to head the UNICEF Field Office and the UN Joint Presence office in Kiribati. The moist-salty ocean air filled my lungs. The tall coconut trees swayed in the breeze––touched the soft frangipanis and loud-crimson hibiscus flowers. Surprisingly I didn't notice any bees or butterflies. Later I learned that the island didn't have them in addition to snakes and birds. Sea gulls hovered around the port, though. A woman in her 50s (?) showed up. "I'm your driver," she held a pleasant smile. "I'm impressed . . . UNICEF has a female driver!" Years ago, UNICEF-Bangladesh had hired 2 women drivers. "I'm Akoia. Admin. Assistant––back-up of the office driver," Akoia corrected me demurely. Akoia assisted me in settling down after I moved to Kiribati. She drove my imported car from the port, found a house for me . . . sat beside me when I drove ...

As someone who worked in International Development/Humanitarian work for almost 40 years and has been teaching International Development for now almost 10 years in Canadian Universities - this past weeks have been some of the most difficult and troubling with the decisions made by those in charge in the US and a number of other wealthy Western countries to freeze/reduce/cut and abolish life-saving/important/necessary programmes/projects and offices around the world - recklessly, thoughtlessly, selfishly and against all international agreements/ethical standards/commitments and principles, /rules & regulations - without any consultation/participation/engagement from the concerned communities and partners.

  Pour la version française, voir ci-dessous  For the French version, please see below UNJSPF News - February 2025 Join our next Pension Townhall session in French on Wednesday, 19 February 2025 at 08:00 am EST. Click  here  to join the session about "Pension essentials for retirees and beneficiaries".   For more information about past and upcoming sessions, check the dedicated  Pension Townhall page. Update on the state of UNJSPF in 2024 Last year, we commemorated our  75 years of history  in the service of providing pension security for our participants, retirees and beneficiaries. We are in a position of financial strength and continue to offer effective services to clients, while pursuing ongoing modernization efforts.   Click  here  to read the article. Published on 29 January 2025 From 2024 and into 2025: How UNJSPF uses fixed income to generate impact alongside returns With the new year, the UNJSPF Office ...