Weekly News Update November 2-6, 2020
Appointment of members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions of the United Nations General Assembly
Elected by acclamation to a 3-year term:
Group of African States
(a) Abdallah Bachar Bong (Chad)
(b) Nabil Kalkoul (Algeria)
(c) Caroline Nalwanga (Uganda)
Group of Eastern European States
(a) Feliksas Bakanauskas (Lithuania)
(b) Pavel Chernikov (Russian Federation)
Group of Latin American and the Caribbean States
(a) Julia A. Maciel (Paraguay)
(b) Juliana Gaspar Ruas (Brazil)
Elected by recorded vote to a 3-year term:
Group of Asian and Pacific States
(a) Vidisha Maitra (India)
Group of Eastern European States
(a) Donna-Marie Chiurazzi-Maxfield (United States of America)
(b) Cihan Terzi (Turkey)
(II) Appointment of members of the Committee on Contributions - Item 120 (b) (A/75/102/Rev.1, A/C.5/75/5)
Elected by acclamation to a 3-year term:
Group of Asian and Pacific States
(a) Lin Shan (China)
(b) Ji-sun Jun (Republic of Korea)
Group of Eastern European States
(a) Vadim Laputin (Russian Federation)
Group of Latin American and the Caribbean States
(a) Henrique da Silveira Sardinha Pinto (Brazil)
Group of Western European and other States
(a) Michael Holtsch (Germany)
(b) Steve Townley (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
(III) Confirmation of the appointment of members of the Investments Committee - Item 120 (c) (A/75/103, A/C.5/75/6)
Elected by acclamation to a 3-year term:
(a) Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan (Saudi Arabia),
(b) Sarah Omotunde Alade (Nigeria),
(c) Natalia Khanjenkova (Russian Federation)
(d) Patricia Parise (Argentina)
Elected by acclamation to a 3-year term as the Chair of the Investments Committee:
Michael Klein (United States of America)
Elected by acclamation to a 1-year term as an ad hoc member:
Macky Tall (Mali)
(IV) Appointment of members of the International Civil Service Commission - Item 120 (d) ( A/75/104, A/C.5/75/7)
Elected by acclamation to a 4-year term:
Group of African States
(a) Larbi Djacta (Algeria)
(b) El Hassane Zahid (Morocco)
Group of Asian and Pacific States
(a) Pan-Suk Kim (Republic of Korea)
(b) Wang Xiaochu (China)
Group of Eastern European States
(a) Igor Golubovskiy (Russian Federation)
Elected by acclamation as the Chair of the International Civil Service Commission to a 4-year term:
Larbi Djacta (Algeria)
(V) Appointment of members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee - Item 120 (e) ( A/75/105/Rev.1, A/C.5/75/8)
Elected by acclamation to a 3-year term:
(a) Thembekile Kimi Makwetu (South Africa)
(b) Janet St. Laurent (United States of America)
(VI) Appointment of members and alternate members of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee - Item 120 (f) (A/75/106, A/C.5/75/9)
Elected by acclamation to a 4-year term:
(a) Ahmed Al Kabir (Bangladesh)
(b) Dmitry S. Chumakov (Russian Federation)
(c) Lovemore Mazemo (Zimbabwe)
(d) Philip Richard Okanda Owade (Kenya)
(e) Pía Poroli (Argentina)
(f) Jörg Stosberg (Germany)
(g) David Traystman (United States of America)
(h) Tomoya Yamaguchi (Japan)
The Fifth Committee is the Committee of the General Assembly with responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters. Based on the reports of the Fifth Committee, the General Assembly considers and approves the budget of the Organization in accordance with Chapter IV, Article 17 of the Charter of the United Nations. This function was reaffirmed by the General Assembly in its resolution 45/248 B, Sect. VI .
The Assembly also considers and approves financial and budgetary arrangements with specialized agencies and makes recommendations to the agencies concerned.
The Committee meets during the main part of the General Assembly session (September to December). Because of its heavy work load it also meets during a resumed session in March. The Committee also holds a second resumed session in May to deal with administrative and budgetary aspects of UN Peacekeeping. This practice is in accordance with General Assembly resolution 49/233 A of 23 December 1994.
The Fifth Committee may also consider urgent matters relating to the financing of a peacekeeping mission authorized by the Security Council at any of its sessions.
For more information: https://www.un.org/en/ga/fifth/index.shtml
Ethiopia: ICRC calls for respect of people’s lives and property amidst escalating tensions in Tigray and other regions in the country
CRC - News Release 06 November 2020
Addis Ababa (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) calls on those taking part in clashes in northern Ethiopia to respect people’s lives and property as well as their access to timely medical care and assistance.
“We are deeply concerned that a military escalation in northern Ethiopia could trigger a wider humanitarian emergency in which people are displaced from their homes and unable to meet their basic needs,” said Katia Sorin, the head of delegation for the ICRC in Ethiopia. “This can be averted if people’s lives and property are protected and respected.”
The ICRC is closely following developments in northern Ethiopia, through its teams in Addis and Mekelle, and stands ready to provide humanitarian assistance as needed. Its partner, the Ethiopia Red Cross Society, is one of the main ambulance providers in the area. “Unimpeded access for Red Cross ambulances and teams to the wounded and those in need will be crucial if clashes escalate,” said Katia Sorin.
The present military action in northern Ethiopia come on top of recurrent episodes of violence that have flared around the country. Many people have been killed, injured, and displaced in different parts of Ethiopia.
The ICRC has long had a presence in northern Ethiopia to help those impacted by different situations of violence. This includes ensuring people have access to water and sanitation facilities, distributing essential household items, and providing cash assistance. It is also responding to needs created by violence in other parts of the country, such as Oromia, Benshangul-Gumuz, Amhara and Somali Regional State.
Zewdu Ayalew, ICRC Addis Ababa, zayalew@icrc.org, +251 911 614 336
Crystal Wells, ICRC Nairobi, cwells@icrc.org, +254 716 897 265
Jason Straziuso, ICRC Geneva, jstraziuso@icrc.org, +41 79 949 3512
Visit website: www.icrc.org
Statement by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, on recent attacks on aid workers
New York, 5 November 2020
This week we have lost six humanitarian workers in targeted violent attacks in Somalia, in two separate incidents in South Sudan, and in Northwest Syria.
This cannot be tolerated. Attacks directed against humanitarians are a violation of international humanitarian law and an obscene act against people working hard, often in extraordinarily difficult circumstances, to help vulnerable people.
Many humanitarian workers are from the communities they serve. In some cases they will already have suffered from the effects of conflict, climate change and natural disasters, just like the people they are helping.
Yet aid workers are increasingly in the line of fire. According to Humanitarian Outcomes’ Aid Worker Security Database, major attacks against humanitarian workers last year surpassed all previous years on record. At least 483 relief workers were attacked and 125 killed.
Those who commit these atrocities must be held to account. Governments must investigate these killings and prosecute the suspects where appropriate.
International humanitarian law must be upheld.
Ends.
Ms. Hayat Abu-Saleh
Public Information/Press Officer, Media Relations Section
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), The Hague
WhatsApp: +1 917 224 9751 | E-mail: abusaleh@un.org
Statement on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 & Beyond - Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
