INTERNATIONAL – The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) altered Western and Central African governments to be vigilant, and to continue their raised surveillance and prevention efforts after H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks were recently confirmed in chicken farms in Cameroon.

“We're looking at a quickly spreading disease that has devastating effects on livelihoods in communities,” said Abebe Haile Gabriel, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa, in a news release today.

“H5N1 causes major losses of nutritious food and threatens farmers' livelihoods, particularly in resource-poor environments where governments have difficulty providing financial compensation for losses,” he added.

The agency added that the H5N1 strain of avian influenza has caused the death of tens of millions of poultry and losses of tens of billions of dollars worldwide since the virus first spread internationally in 2013. In Cameroon alone, losses have added up to an estimated $20 million, according to local media reports.

The recent outbreak in Cameroon has brought the number of countries that have battled bird flu in West and Central Africa to six, also including Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Niger and Nigeria.

FAO has also called on the governments to include common messaging to the public and data sharing between the public health and agriculture sectors as part of their prevention efforts.

The statement further noted that a major concern is that the disease may become endemic in the entire region, particularly in Nigeria where avian influenza has become so entrenched in poultry production and marketing systems that it will be difficult to eliminate.

For that reason, FAO said, producers and traders need to be made aware about the clinical signs of the disease symptoms, how and to whom to report it, and implement good hygiene practices to halt its spread.

In its response to the outbreak, the agency is working closely with the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health to offer assistance such as risk assessments, contingency planning, technical advice and laboratory material. They also help with investigating potential avian influenza cases in animals and humans and locating the source of infection.

In Cameroon, FAO is boosting the local veterinary services' capacity to respond rapidly to new outbreaks and is working with the government to finalize an action plan similar to effective plans applied in other countries stricken by the virus.

The agency further said that it will continue to assist governments in mobilizing funds to combat H5N1, in addition to the agency's own efforts to help boost local veterinary systems, strengthen laboratories, and deploying FAO specialists to affected and at-risk countries. It added that it is seeking $20 million to support its regional response to H5N1.

INTERNATIONAL – Globally, new HIV infections among adults and children have been reduced by 40 per cent since the peak in 1997, but the decline among adults has stalled for at least five years, according to a new report from the United Nations agency leading the world’s HIV/AIDS response.

The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Prevention Gap Report reveals that an estimated 1.9 million adults have become infected with HIV every year for at least the past five years and that new HIV infections among adults are rising in some regions.

“We are sounding the alarm,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé at a press conference in Geneva launching the report. “The power of prevention is not being realized. If there is a resurgence in new HIV infections now, the epidemic will become impossible to control. The world needs to take urgent and immediate action to close the prevention gap.”

The report notes that in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, annual new HIV infections increased 57 per cent from 2010 to 2015. After years of steady decline, the Caribbean saw a nine per cent rise among adults. In the Middle East and North Africa, annual new HIV infections increased by four per cent.

There have been no significant declines in any other regions of the world. New HIV infections declined only marginally in Western and Central Europe and North America as, well as Western and Central Africa since 2010.

Since the start of the AIDS epidemic 35 years ago, 35 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses and an estimated 78 million people have become infected with HIV. New HIV infections among children have declined by more than 70 per cent since 2001, and are continuing to decline.

Key populations’ access to prevention options

In 2014, key populations, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers and their clients, transgender people, people who inject drugs and prisoners, accounted for 35 per cent of new HIV infections globally.

When 43 year-old Anil Agarwal learned he was HIV positive, he fell into a deep depression. But after he became involved in HIV education and helping others to protect themselves, he was able to see beyond his own problems. Photo: UNICEF India/Candace Feit

It is estimated that men who have sex with men are 24 times more likely to become infected with HIV than the general population, while sex workers are 10 times more likely and people who inject drugs are 24 times more likely to become infected than the general population.

In addition, transgender people are 49 times more likely to be living with HIV and prisoners are five times more likely to be living with HIV than adults in the general population.

It is essential for key populations to have access to the full range of HIV prevention options in order to protect themselves and their sexual partners from HIV.

“Today, we have multiple prevention options,” said Mr Sidibé. “The issue is access – if people do not feel safe or have the means to access combination HIV prevention services, we will not end this epidemic.”

The report highlights that the major hopes for antiretroviral therapy to have an impact on preventing new HIV infections are starting to be realized, although the full benefits may not be seen for some years.

HIV prevention funding gap

International donor contributions dropped from a peak of $9.7 billion in 2013 to $8.1 billion in 2015. Low- and middle-income countries are stepping up to fill the gap, with domestic resources accounting for 57 per cent of the $19.2 billion total funding in 2015.

In June 2016, the United States announced the launch of a new $100 million Key Populations Investment Fund to increase access to HIV services for key populations.

The current allocation of resources for HIV prevention is falling far short of what is needed. Currently, 20 per cent of global resources for HIV are being spent on HIV prevention.

Closing the HIV prevention gap

“Science, innovation and research have provided new and effective HIV prevention options, rapid diagnostics and improved treatment for HIV,” said Mr. Sidibé. “Investing in innovation is the only way to secure the next big breakthrough – a cure or a vaccine.”

The data in the report, collected from more than 160 countries, demonstrate that enormous gains can be achieved when concerted efforts are made. It outlines that by 2015, some 17 million people had access to antiretroviral therapy, double the number in 2010 and 22 times the number in 2000.

UNAIDS will be calling on implementers, innovators, communities, scientists, donors and others at the 2016 International AIDS Conference, taking place from 18 to 22 July, in Durban, South Africa, to close the prevention gap.

INTERNATIONAL – Far greater emphasis must be placed on human rights as the international community continues to work towards implementing the agreed-upon sustainable development agenda, because it is the most powerful driver of peace and development, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

“Human rights are norms and standards, against which institutions and Governments are measured. But they are not just abstract ideas, or aspirations to be addressed once peace and development have been attained. They call for extremely specific and concrete actions on the part of States and other authorities,” the Secretary-General said at the opening of a High-Level Thematic Debate of the General Assembly on human rights at the centre of the global agenda, taking place today and tomorrow at UN Headquarters in New York.

“In our deeply connected world, all Member States have a shared best interest in promoting individual and collective human rights as a basis for global peace and prosperity,” the Secretary-General added.

The thematic debate consists of an opening segment, a plenary debate with ministerial-level participation, and interactive segments focusing on tackling discrimination and inequalities, strengthening governance, the rule of law and access to justice; and enabling active participation in society. Among the participants are high-level representatives from States, the UN system, regional organizations, human rights bodies and mechanisms, civil society, think tanks and the private sector.

International human rights norms being eroded, warns UN chief

In his remarks, the UN chief highlighted that while much of the world is benefiting from enormous progress in their economic, social, cultural, civil, and political situations, at the same time, racism and homelessness are rising in Europe; organized violence has taken root in parts of Latin America; deadly conflict continues in the Middle East; and economic, social and political marginalization affect millions of people in Asia.

“Some governments are sharply restricting people’s ability to exercise their rights, attacking fundamental freedoms and dismantling judicial institutions that limit executive power. Others are detaining and imprisoning human rights defenders and clamping down on civil society and non-governmental organizations, preventing them from performing their vital work,” the UN chief said.

At the same time, Mr. Ban said, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law is being eroded, as the world faces the highest numbers of people displaced by conflict since the World War II and abuses continue against civilians who are starved, denied humanitarian aid and prevented from moving to places of safety.

“When does this end?” he asked, adding: “The answer must be that it ends now. Governments must meet their responsibilities. The foremost tool for this change is human rights – the most powerful driver of peace and development.”

Opening of its High-level thematic debate entitled UN@70 – Human rights at the centre of the global agenda. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Noting that Member States have already made a “tremendous step forward” by unanimously agreeing in 2015 on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Secretary-General also said that he launched the Human Rights Up Front initiative in late 2013 as a way to bring together the three pillars of the UN – peace and security, development and human rights – to ensure that human rights concerns are prioritized, and to bring the Charter back to the forefront of the daily activities of the entire UN system.

Human rights ‘at the heart’ of UN 2030 Agenda

“Human rights are at the heart of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from ending poverty to reducing inequality and promoting peaceful and inclusive societies,” the Secretary-General said.

“In this crucial first year of implementation, let us recognize the need for far greater emphasis on human rights across all our work,” he added.

Furthermore, the Secretary-General said that the evidence in country after country over many years shows that repressive policies against violent extremism and terrorism make nobody safe.

“When Governments undertake actions under the guise of counter-terrorism that disregard human rights, they reinforce feelings of exclusion and grievance, increase resentment and fuel extremism and terrorism around the world,” Mr. Ban said.

In that vein, the Secretary-General said that his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism makes clear that preventing extremism and promoting human rights go hand-in-hand.

“Human rights offer States a clear path towards stability and prosperity. They build confidence and loyalty, as well as thriving political and economic institutions,” Mr. Ban said. “They are an indispensable part of our quest for a safer and more stable world, with dignity for all.”

Assembly President urges world leaders to ‘reignite’ commitment to human rights

Also speaking at the opening of the debate was General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft, whohighlighted that less than a year ago, all 193 Member States of the Assembly had adopted the 2030 Agenda, providing hope that the world could be transformed for the better.

“But if today’s leaders do not reignite their commitment to human rights; reject the rhetoric of division and hate; and address the drivers of today’s tensions – joblessness, inequalities, climate change, and abuses of power – then that hope will quickly give way to despair,” he stressed.

For its part, the thematic debate serves as an opportunity to examine the UN’s own shortcomings in the area of human rights, and to understand how the emphasis on human rights in the 2030 Agenda and the recent reviews on peace and security impact on the Organization’s overall approach to the subject.

“We must not allow the culture of human rights that has been created these past seventy years to unravel,” Mr. Lykketoft said.

“In addition to the efforts of individual Member States and others, we must ensure that the United Nations, 70 years after its founding, continues to be a bulwark against threats to human rights,” he added.

INTERNATIONAL – An international agreement aimed at tackling illegal fishing “marks the dawn of a new era,” but rapid action is needed to ensure that its implementation is effective, the head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said.

“Generations to come will recognize the importance of this achievement, your achievement,” said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva at an event held yesterday to celebrate the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, which went into force on 5 June.

The treaty was adopted as an FAO agreement in 2009 after a years-long diplomatic effort, and is the first-ever binding international accord that focuses specifically on illicit fishing. More than 30 nations, as well the European Union on behalf of its 28 members, have acceded to the treaty.

Specifically, the treaty requires foreign vessels to submit to inspections at any port of call and for port states to share information on violations. An improvement on prior rules requiring countries to control the activities of their own fishing fleets, the new agreement is designed to raise the cost of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, as it blocks improperly caught fish from being brought to land and entering markets.

At the event, the FAO Director-General acknowledged that implementation of the agreement may prove challenging for some nations – especially developing and small island States – due to resource and capacity constraints.

The agreement has an article that explicitly enjoins parties to the treaty and international organizations to provide assistance and funding. The Republic of Korea has already confirmed it will make a financial contribution, and other parties should follow suit, Mr. Graziano da Silva said.

In addition, FAO has set up an inter-regional Technical Cooperation Programme and a Global Capacity Development Umbrella Programme to support logistical, legislative and legal aspects of translating the agreement into practice.

“FAO is working to deliver immediate support to those countries that are most in need of it,” Mr. Graziano da Silva said.

Sustainable oceans, sustainable livelihoods

More than half of all fish exports come from developing countries, which underscores the importance, in terms of revenue, of sustainable management practices, FAO said.

It is estimated that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing accounts for annual catches of up to 26 million tonnes globally, with a value of up to $23 billion.

Such fishing not only jeopardizes marine ecosystems but also threatens the livelihoods and food security of millions of fish workers around the world, Mr. Graziano da Silva said.

While the agreement constitutes a powerful and cost-effective tool, it cannot eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing on its own, and must be flanked by other tools and efforts, Mr. Graziano da Silva said, expressing his hope that the momentum generated by the treaty's entry into force will foster further collaboration.

The event was held on the sidelines of the annual FAO Committee on Fisheries, which began yesterday. The Committee, a subsidiary body of the FAO Council, constitutes the only global inter-governmental forum where major international fisheries and aquaculture problems and issues are examined periodically on a worldwide basis.