By Aline Jenckel
UNITED NATIONS, May 31 2012 (IPS)

Although Afghanistan’s government and economy remains fragile and the security situation unstable, the 28 members of NATO plan to withdraw International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops by 2014, as they believe it is time to hand over responsibility to the Central Asian nation.

Yet after a decade of involvement by ISAF troops to assist in the country’s stabilisation, Taliban attacks and drug still tear the country apart. Nevertheless, Western leaders want to continue their aid and support after ISAF pulls out of the country, and so a post-2014 roadmap was launched at the NATO summit in Chicago from May 20-21.

Ján Kubiš, special representative of the secretary-general for Afghanistan and head of the U.N. mission in the country. Credit: UN Photo

Aside from ISAF, the political mission United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) was mandated by the Security Council to operate inside the country within the areas of development, humanitarian issues and political affairs.

“The transition is much more comprehensive than only the security transition,” Ján Kubiš, special representative of the secretary-general for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, explained. It also involves the economy, development, human rights and rule of law, to name a few areas.

IPS U.N. correspondent Aline Jenckel interviewed the special representative on the current situation in Afghanistan and the crucial role neighbouring countries play in its stabilisation.

Q: At the recent NATO summit in Chicago, members discussed the withdrawal of ISAF troops by 2014. As Afghanistan’s economy is still weak and government corrupt, what do you think needs to be done for long-term security and assistance after the drawdown?

A: The NATO summit, although it was an ISAF summit, which focused on the security side of the business, very clearly noted that the transition is much more comprehensive than the security transition.

It refers to a number of issues, including the need to underpin the security transition with the economy, development, social development, respect for human rights and freedom, good governance, rule of law and more.

There were many references, especially to the need to protect and develop the achievements of the past years, with regards, for instance, to the rights of women, or respect for the country’s constitution.

More focus is needed on these kind of issues. The approach must be comprehensive and the approach must be such that we guarantee the achievements of the past ten years and pay attention to issues of good governance and human rights.

Q: Recently there have been attacks on schools in Afghanistan. What needs to be done in terms of long-term security for women and girls and children in general, as they are the country’s future?

A: We, as the U.N. family and as the UNAMA were very unhappy about what happened after this acceleration of attacks and the problems that anti-government forces were creating for schools in certain regions, such killing and harassing teachers and schoolchildren.

We decided to bring this to the attention of both the Afghan authorities and the international military and requested their action on this, because indeed it is about the future of the country.

We are unpleasantly surprised, to see that on one side Taliban claim they have learned lessons from the past, that they are not against the education of women and children. Yet at the same time, in the past weeks, attacks on schools have increased.

We would like to see anti-government forces keep their word and stop these attacks.

But there is also a responsibility of the police, first of all, and security forces to do everything to protect and create conditions for children to attend schools, and especially for girls, because very often schools for girls were primarily targeted.

Q: Afghanistan is located in a area of conflict, between such countries as Pakistan and Iran. Many people doubt that peace will be restored, as neighbours will interfere, and some even prophesy that Afghanistan will become another Iraq. Does your mission also communicate with neighbouring countries?

A: Referring again to the ISAF summit in Chicago, I am very happy to note that for the first time there were participants from Central Asian countries such as Pakistan.

All of them agreed to the clear provisions in the final declaration, and they spoke about the need to support the regional processes of cooperation and the support of decent reconciliation.

As far as the U.N. is concerned and notably the UNAMA, it is indeed a part of my mandate to work with regional countries. I visited almost all neighbours of Afghanistan during the first months that I was in the country. Before the summer, I intend to visit all the countries, such as Pakistan or Iran, because of their crucial role for the stability and development of Afghanistan.

It is about encouraging them to support Afghanistan politically and about the processes of peace, reconciliation and stabilisation, as well as engaging economically, because that is one of the most lasting contributions.

Another aspect concerning Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran is their joint effort to advance the refugee situation, as we are still speaking about millions of Afghan refugees, notably in Pakistan and Iran.

I was very happy to note that the regional plan in this regard received support from the recent conference by UNHCR in Geneva in the beginning of May.

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By Aline Jenckel
UNITED NATIONS, May 18 2012 (IPS)

In Latin American countries and in the Caribbean, where income disparities are among the greatest in the world, too many people often lack access to comprehensive health services and information needed to live healthy lives.

Jovana Ríos Cisnero promotes sexual and reproductive health and rights with the Panamanian Family Planning Association. Credit: Photo courtesy of Jovana Ríos Cisnero

That’s why comprehensive, rights-based sexuality education programs are so crucial, particularly today and for the largest generation of adolescents and youth the world has ever seen, says Jovana Ríos Cisnero, who promotes sexual and reproductive health and rights on behalf of the Asociación Panameña para el Planeamiento de la Familia (Panamanian Family Planning Association), which is associated with the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Western Hemisphere Region (IPPF/WHR).

The lack of access is also why IPPF’s member associations have launched community-based models for giving vulnerable populations access to health care and education, which include contraception, basic health services and education on sexuality.

“We believe that to achieve good health, you do not only need accurate information, but also quality services and knowledge of your sexual and reproductive rights,” says Cisnero, who focuses especially on women, youth and other vulnerable groups.

U.N. Correspondent Aline Jenckel interviewed Cisnero about the work of IPPS/WHR on young peoples’ issues and the impact of their services on the ability of women to make important, informed decisions regarding their own lives.

Q: In many Latin American countries, access to safe and legal abortions is limited, so many women seeking abortions are forced to undergo clandestine and unsafe procedures. How does IPPF/WHR advocate at the policy level for laws that give women the right to safe and legal abortions?

Unsafe abortion is one of the most serious and preventable social justice and public health issues in the world. Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, where abortion is legally restricted in most instances, harmful, clandestine practices have damaging health effects and claim the lives of thousands of women, particularly poor women, each year—in the region, it is estimated that 95 percent of abortions are unsafe.

Extensive independent research shows that restricting access to abortion does not make it go away; it only makes it unsafe. Health officials and political leaders in more and more countries are examining abortion policies to prevent these needless deaths.

In our country, we work with a wide range of civil society organisations and allies to expand existing laws and remove restrictions. Argentina and Brazil, for example, have recently decriminalised abortion in certain circumstances.

All of these incremental victories should be followed by similar decisions that address access to safe abortion as a public health issue rather than one of ideology.

Q: IPPF is also combating the stigma of homosexuality, as gays are often discriminated against in their communities. Have these projects changed attitudes about and fostered greater acceptance of LGBT individuals?

I am determined that educational efforts and the campaigns that many of our member associations have undertaken throughout the region have contributed to a reduction of the stigma and discrimination that LGBTQI individuals face too often.

This is not an easy or quick change, but I truly believe that by sensitising policymakers and educators and by raising adolescents and youth differently, future generations will live in a different kind of world.

That’s why sexuality education programs that are comprehensive and rights-based are so important, particularly for today’s generation of adolescents and youth— the largest the world has ever seen.

Q: In many Latin American countries, clinic services can only be afforded by rich people, or the health care system is either bankrupt or of poor quality. In Brazil and Haiti, for instance, with BENFAM and PROFAMIL, you provide people from all kinds of socioeconomic levels with free clinic visits and other forms of health care. Have these projects helped women achieve self-determination?

Absolutely. Imagine, for example, a pregnant woman in rural Brazil experiencing hemorrhaging goes to a hospital for help but is turned away and dies soon after. Or imagine being an adolescent girl in Peru who is unable to access condoms to protect herself from HIV infection simply because of her age.

Deciding whether to have children, how many to have, or even whether to have sex and with whom, is a fundamental right and a basic human need.

But sexual and reproductive rights go beyond that to include the right of every individual to attain the highest possible standard of sexual and reproductive health.

These rights are at the heart of dignity and equality. When a woman is denied these basic rights, she is denied the means to determine her own future, protect her health and exercise her basic human rights.

That’s why I do the work I do—these rights are not only fundamental to the well-being of women everywhere; they are critical to the vitality and health of communities, nations and the world.

(END)

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By Aline Jenckel
UNITED NATIONS, May 9 2012 (IPS)

For centuries, indigenous peoples and their rights, resources and lands have been exploited. Yet long overdue acknowledgment of past exploitation and dedicated efforts by indigenous peoples have done little to end or prevent violations of the present, stated indigenous leaders in the Manaus Declaration of 2011.

The declaration, part of preparations for the upcoming U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, frequently referred to as Rio+20, in June, recounted the “active participation” of indigenous groups in the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and similar efforts in 2002 that led to the adoption of the term “indigenous peoples” for the United Nations (U.N.) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Despite this work, “the continuing gross violations of our rights…by governments and corporations” remain major obstacles to sustainable development, the declaration continued. “Indigenous activists and leaders defending their territories still continue to be harassed, tortured, vilified as ‘terrorists’ and assassinated by powerful vested interests.”

As Rio+20 approaches, IPS interviewed Tom B.K. Goldtooth, who has been an activist for social change in Native American communities for more than three decades and is the executive director of Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), an alliance of indigenous peoples that combats the exploitation and contamination of the earth and will participate in the Rio+20 conference.

Goldtooth called for a “new paradigm of laws that redefine humanity and its governance relationship to the sacredness of Mother Earth and the natural world”.

The activist explained that the most effective measures for reducing deforestation, protecting the environment from unsustainable mineral extraction and preserving a better world for future generations are to strengthen international, national and sub-national frameworks for collectively demarcating and titling indigenous peoples’ territories.

U.N. Correspondent Aline Jenckel spoke with Tom Goldtooth about the main threats faced by indigenous peoples and how the Rio+ 20 conference could be a success.

Q: At the Rio+20 conference in June, you will speak on behalf of indigenous peoples and their human rights, in terms of protecting their natural environment and creating sustainable development. What is the key message you hope to convey? A: The thematic discussion of green economy and sustainability creates differences in views between the money-centred Western views and our indigenous life-centred worldview of our relationship to the sacredness of Mother Earth.

Many of our indigenous peoples globally are deeply concerned with the current economic globalisation model that looks at Mother Earth and nature as a resource to be owned, privatised and exploited for maximised financial return through the marketplace.

With this development model, indigenous peoples continue to be displaced from their lands, cultures and spiritual relationship to Mother Earth, and destruction to the life-sustaining capacity of nature and the ecosystem that sustains us and all life continues as well.

For the sake of humanity and the world as we know her, to survive, there must be a new paradigm of laws that redefine humanity and its governance relationship to the sacredness of Mother Earth and the natural world.

This includes the integration of the human-rights based approach, ecosystem approach and culturally- sensitive and knowledge-based approaches. The world must forge a new economic system that restores harmony with nature and among human beings.

We can only achieve balance with nature if there is equity among human beings.

At Rio+20, global governments must look cautiously at any green economy agenda that supports the commodification and financialisation of nature and take concerted action to initiate the development of a new framework that begins with a recognition that nature is sacred and not for sale and that the ecosystems of our Mother Earth have jurisprudence for conservation and protection.

Full recognition of land tenure of our place-based indigenous communities are the most effective measures for protecting the rich biological and cultural diversity of the world.

Q: What are the biggest threats to Indigenous people’s livelihoods today, and how can they be addressed? A: Indigenous peoples from every region of the world continue to inhabit and maintain the last remaining sustainable ecosystems and biodiversity hotspots in the world.

Destructive mineral extractive industries continue to encroach on indigenous peoples’ traditional territories. Unconventional oil and extreme energy development, with the real-life effects of climate chaos, are directly affecting the wellbeing of indigenous peoples from the North to the Global South.

Indigenous peoples can contribute substantially to sustainable development, but they believe that a holistic framework for sustainable development should be promoted.

With the knowledge that development that violates human rights is by definition unsustainable, Rio+20 must affirm a human rights-based approach to sustainable development.

Particularly, the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples must serve as a key framework which underpins all international, national and sub-national policies and programs on sustainable development with regard to indigenous peoples.

Q: Recently, some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) expressed deep concern about the reversals on agreements made by governments in 1992 and say there’s no country taking leadership of or acting as a visionary role in the conference. Do you believe there is still hope for new, binding commitments? A: Because of the climate chaos, financial instabilities and ecological devastation, the world doesn’t have an option to reverse the agreements made in 1992.

World leaders must remember the active participation of indigenous peoples in the Rio Earth Summit (UNCED 1992) and the parallel processes indigenous peoples organised, which resulted into the Kari- oca Indigenous Peoples’ Declaration.

Agenda 21 embraced the language of Kari-Oca that recognised the vital role of indigenous peoples in sustainable development and identified Indigenous Peoples as a Major Group. Rio+20 must reaffirm the commitments made by UNCED to indigenous peoples in 1992.

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By Aline Jenckel
UNITED NATIONS, May 2 2012 (IPS)

In the weeks and months leading up to the Rio+20 summit on sustainable development, groups spanning a wide spectrum of interests are doing everything in their power to ensure that the outcomes of the summit are actually carried out.

Ivana Savic, left, and Kiara Worth, co-ordinators of the Conference on Sustainable Development Major Group for Children and Youth. Credit: Aline Jenckel/IPS

One such group is the Conference on Sustainable Development Major Group of Children and Youth, which believes that strengthening youth involvement and activism is urgent and critical to the success of the United Nations (U.N.) Conference on Sustainable Development, commonly known as Rio+20, to be held this year in Rio de Janeiro from June 20 to 22.

Ivana Savic and Kiara Worth, co-ordinators of the CSD Major Group of Children and Youth, have high hopes for the summit and the results it could bring.

“We will see a renewal of the political will, and we would like to see youth being recognised more concretely in official documentation,” Worth told IPS, although she acknowledged that while she had “huge expectations, whether or not they will be achieved is a different thing”.

“It is not only about the policy, the dialogue or the official statements,” Worth added. “It is about creating the energy and the sense of urgency and the sense of ability to move forward.”

Worth and Savic also hope to see different forums established that will inspire, enable and motivate youth to participate in negotiations.

The period from April 30 to May 4 is the third informal week of negotiations on the zero draft of the outcome document for Rio+20. The negotiations are being held at the U.N.’s New York headquarters.

U.N. Correspondent Aline Jenckel talked with the women about the work of the youth organisation and their hopes for the Rio+20 summit as well as preceding negotiations.

Excerpts from the interview follow.

Q: What are the main concerns of the CSD Major Group for Children and Youth? A: (Savic) What needs to be done during these negotiations (held at the U.N. this week), and I believe also for the Rio + 20 Summit, are adopting a human rights based approach to sustainable development and strengthening human rights in the outcome document.

(Worth) Within the themes of Rio+20, there are different policy points for which we are strongly advocating. Within the green economy, for example, we are promoting sustainable agriculture. The main line in the green economy is also youth employment, in terms of shifting from job seeking to job creation.

In addition, we advocate for more reflection on creating a blue economy and protecting our water.

Within the institutional framework for sustainable development, we campaign for the establishment of an ombudsperson for future generations to ensure that there is a high level of engagement of youth in global processes.

Q: What contributions will the Major Group bring to the Rio+20 conference in June 2012? A: (Worth) The two main things our group will bring to the summit are first, our policy contributions and second, the inspiration and motivation for youth activism.

At the moment, we are focused on a whole series of different groups that people can get involved in. We try to cater to a variety of youth around the world who have different interests, skills and abilities. We try to create a space where they can gather and share their ideas.

We build momentum and a social movement that is inspiring and reviving the spirit of Rio.

Q: The first step to build momentum for progress on current global challenges is to draw attention to the topic. How does your organisation inspire others to learn more about sustainable development, and how do you convince them to act? A: (Worth) Recently, we launched a social media strategy, for as youth we have a unique opportunity through access to new social media platforms and different tools to increase the scope of our message.

We are currently working on a strategy to use those different platforms to first create awareness – to inform people about the discussion, about sustainable development, about our focus. Second is to build capacity, once people gain knowledge about the topic, and give them tools to take action.

This builds a movement in two complementary ways: Local action takes into account global perspectives, while you ensure that the global process reflects local perspectives, thus taking into account the differing abilities of people and their diverse interests. You become much more effective.

(Savic) We also make sure it’s accessible to people who have fewer opportunities to participate.

Even if they are physically not there, at the U.N. or in Rio for example, they still have an influence because we have the technology and the ability to bring their perspectives to the table and to address those issues.

Q: What are your expectations regarding the outcomes of the conference and the commitments made by governments? A: (Worth) Touching on the inspiration of Rio, the main expectation especially from my perspective would be that we build that movement and the energy. It is not only about the policy, the dialogue or the official statements, it is about creating the energy and the sense of urgency and the sense of ability to move forward.

By achieving that, then at least we have a young, social, strong and empowered movement that can act on anything we decide to to.

(Savic) I expect us to move away from that materialistic development to a more human and well-being oriented development that actually respects the human rights, economic growth and also the respect owed to our environment.

For me, another important outcome of Rio +20 is forming partnerships between civil societies and governments in implementation. In previous times, due to the lack of that partnership, we were not able to meet agreements and commitments.

It goes the same for governments as for civil societies who were not participating in or held accountable for those agreements.

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By Aline Jenckel
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 28 2012 (IPS)

With a whopping 40 percent of Ghana’s population under the age of 24, the government’s ability to foster their development and include them in the country’s development are critical to the country’s future.

Samuel Kissi, executive coordinator of Curious Minds, a youth advocacy organisation in Ghana that works to promote a development agenda for youth. Credit: Courtesy of UNFPA

But although governments are verbally committed to the idea that the youth are the country’s future, they need “to actually make commitments to invest in young people”, says Samuel Kissi, executive director of Curious Minds, a Ghanaian media-based youth advocacy organisation.

“We want to push decision makers and politicians to move beyond only saying that young people are the future of the nation,” Kissi elaborates. He and other youth leaders spoke about poverty reduction and youth rights at a side event of the Commission on Population and Development at the United Nations last week.

“We try to explore opportunities for young people to get engaged,” explains Kissi. But all too often, certain policies, such as those regarding sexual and reproductive rights, are not implemented due to a lack of funding because they’re not included in the country’s development plans, he adds.

Kissi spoke with IPS correspondent Aline Jenckel about Curious Minds and how the organisation is trying to help young people not only understand the country’s development process and strategies but also engage in them.

Excerpts from the interview follow.

Q: Which youth issues does your advocacy organisation Curious Minds cover and how do you carry out your work? A: On our radio program, which is broadcast across the country, we talk about development issues, sexual and reproductive health and rights, poverty reduction and education, including sexual education.

We look at it from a youth perspective. Once the national budget is released every year, we look at it from an apolitical point of view, evaluate which commitments concerning young people have been put in from last year and how much has been implemented.

We also do community outreach and talk about everything related directly or indirectly to young people’s comprehensive development, including HIV and AIDS.

Q: With the global population growing so rapidly, the development of sexual and reproductive health and rights is more relevant than ever. What are the main problems regarding this issue in Ghana, and what factors, such as bad policies, might contribute to these problems? A: The problems in Ghana are not due to bad policies. There is a comprehensive adolescent sexual and reproductive policy, but it may not have been translated directly into implementation.

Therefore there are gaps in the reach of services, so not all young people are fully educated in sexual and reproductive health. If they are, it is still not enough to reduce their vulnerability because they are hungry or unsheltered, and someone takes advantage of that.

The high unemployment rate in Ghana also puts young people into vulnerable positions.

Q: Which other partners help educate the younger generation on sexual and reproductive health? A: There’s a strong coalition between the government and the civil society. There is also help from religious institutions, although previously they were not allowing the distribution of condoms.

Nevertheless, the major media outlets of the country took on these issues and gained expertise, so now when they report about it in newspapers or on the radio, they do so from a more informed perspective. They are actually able to educate the population.

Q: There has been some controversy due to statements by Pope Benedict XVI concerning sexual issues, such as a prohibition on birth control. As many Ghanaians are Christian, how did these statements affect your country? A: The Catholic church is big in Ghana, but I would not go as far as saying that these statements had a significant impact on occurrences in the country and definitely not on policies. If you take the help facilities owned by the Catholic Church in Ghana, they now provide youth friendly services.

I am not quite sure if the Pope would be excited to hear this, but we made some progress in making the religious institutions understand that this is going beyond their understanding of how it should be, because there’s a real need in the communities, as young people are sexually active.

Q: What do young people in Ghana think about Kofi Anna’s run for the presidency? A: It was unexpected that he would run for president, especially in the previous election, which he didn’t win. I don’t think that it’s going to happen, but if he did I’m sure many young people would be excited about it.

However, I think it is important that he play the role he’s playing now, bringing peace to problematic parts of the world as best as he can. I hope he can inspire more politicians back home, so that they aspire to the high standards he sets.

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