Around the World: Daily Updates from UN Country Teams- March 2024
Our UN teams are on the ground in 162 countries and territories, coordinating joint programmes and tackling a range of multi-faceted priorities and key initiatives on a daily basis — from climate action and food security to gender equality and safety of civilians. UN Resident Coordinators and their teams utilize innovative approaches to problem-solving to better serve communities. Below are some highlights of their work this month.
Friday, 22 March
The Gambia: UNICEF, UNFPA raise concerns about the proposed repeal of the ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the country
UNFPA and UNICEF in The Gambia have raised their concerns on the debate surrounding the proposed repeal of the ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the country, highlighting the proposal as a grave violation of human rights and a significant setback in the global fight against gender-based violence. The introduction of the ban was a model for progressive legislation worldwide. Repealing this law would not only disregard the suffering of FGM survivors but also undermine years of progress in raising awareness and mobilizing communities against the harmful practice. As signatories to numerous international human rights instruments, The Gambia is urged to uphold its obligations and maintain the ban on FGM, while strengthening enforcement measures and community interventions to address the root causes. Solidarity is expressed with survivors, activists, and organizations dedicated to ending FGM, emphasizing the collective responsibility to protect the rights and dignity of women and girls globally. [Please find the full press release here.]
Tuesday, 12 March
Costa Rica: Launch of National Strategy against Hate Speech and Discrimination
An update from Costa Rica, where the Government launched yesterday its National Strategy against Hate Speech and Discrimination. This was with direct support from our UN team, under the leadership of Resident Coordinator Allegra Baiocchi, with guidance from Alice Nderitu, UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, who joined the launch online. This National Strategy – the second one of its kind after Kenya’s – features 11 strategic initiatives, including educational interventions to sports protocols, aimed at combating hate speech and fostering inclusivity while promoting the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for good. With the UN team’s commitment, the strategy will be rolled out by a range of Ministries, including Youth, Communications, Education, and Sport. Embracing the core values of tolerance, inclusion, and diversity, this National Strategy closely aligns with internationally recognized human rights norms and principles, symbolizing a significant step towards a more equitable society.
Friday, 8 March
Afghanistan: Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan remains providing services ‘by women and for women’
On International Women's Day, women and girls in Afghanistan continue facing immense and increasing challenges to exercise their rights under the Taliban de facto administration. Led by the Deputy Special Representative, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Indrika Ratwatte, the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan remains providing services ‘by women and for women’. As of today, the Fund keeps over 90 health clinics serving in remote areas with over 82 per cent of people receiving care being women and girls; supporting women-owned businesses benefitting over 46,000 women and their families; and investing in climate-resistant infrastructure that prioritizes women and marginalized groups."
Chile: UN team hails recent approval of the Comprehensive Law on Women's Right to a Life Free of Violence
On International Women’s Day, our UN team in Chile, led by Resident Coordinator Maria Jose Torres, hailed the recent approval of the Comprehensive Law on Women's Right to a Life Free of Violence. This law aims to enhance the prevention, punishment, and eradication of violence against women and girls, aligning with state commitments from the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Belem do Pará Convention, and other agreements. After seven years of debate, efforts from women's organizations and governments will establish an integrated information system on gender violence, a national plan, and new obligations for state bodies. In 2023, 41 women were murdered in Chile due to their gender, with eight femicide victims reported in 2024. These figures reveal only a fraction of the violence endured, with one in five women experiencing sexual abuse by age twelve. Our colleagues on the ground flag that while this new law marks progress, implementation challenges remain, and our UN team stands ready to support the country’s continuous efforts.
Haiti: Violence caused by armed gangs, particularly in capital, contributes to deterioration of living conditions of women in particular
On International Women's Day, the United Nations team in Haiti calls for investment in women's security. Violence caused by armed gangs, particularly in Port-au-Prince, contributes to the deterioration of the living conditions of the population in general and of women in particular. The prevailing insecurity has led to the displacement of thousands of civilians, mainly women (56%), and made access to basic social services extremely difficult, further aggravating an already precarious daily life. Sexual violence against women and girls is used as a weapon of war, intimidation, territorial control and domination. Gender-based violence (GBV) protection and services are reduced or suspended for security and safety reasons, and if the paralysis of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area continues, nearly 3,000 pregnant women risk not being able to access essential health care, and nearly 450 of them could suffer from life-threatening obstetric complications without qualified medical assistance over the coming weeks. [Full statement here.]
Mozambique: Joint UN mission to support national authorities find solutions for internally displaced people in the country
This week, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Fillippo Grandi, and the Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement, Robert Piper, visited Mozambique as part of a joint mission to support national authorities in finding solutions for internally displaced people in the country. The situation in northern Mozambique is highly dynamic. Under the leadership of Dr. Catherine Sozi, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, the UN and partners are working with communities and civil society, in support of the government, to provide humanitarian assistance and support to solutions for over 700,000 people internally displaced and for over 600,000 people who have already returned to their places of origin. During the visit the Special Advisor stated that despite the complexity of a context, the country is boldly paving a way to longer term solutions for thousands of displaced families, while Fillippo Grandi stressed the need to look beyond humanitarian aid and strengthen development investment to the country - to create conditions for lasting peace, and a viable future for the displaced and their host families.
Wednesday, 6 March
Bolivia: Responding to floods and El Niño impacts on communities
The UN Country Team in Bolivia is supporting authorities in tackling massive floods exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon and climate change. Unprecedented rainfall over the past five months has affected nearly 40,000 families, damaging or destroying 1,300 homes and claiming over 44 lives. In the past few days, the city of Cobija, in the Amazon, was severely impacted as a main river surged, affecting 3,600 residents and displacing 1,220 women, men and children, currently in 11 temporary shelters. Acting Resident Coordinator Rafael Ramirez coordinated swift support for affected areas, with over 17,000 children affected by school closures. The Humanitarian Country Team is further assessing the impacts on water, sanitation, education, health, and shelter needs. Additionally, the UN Emergency Team is working with authorities in Oruro, another flooded city. Our team on the ground remains committed to supporting authorities, mobilizing resources, and providing immediate and long-term assistance to address this emergency.
Monday, 4 March
Zambia: Mobilizing support and building resilience against severe drought
In response to the Government’s declaration of a national disaster and emergency due to a severe drought four days ago, the UN team is rolling out a Multi-hazard Preparedness and Response Plan. Our colleagues are mobilizing around US$30 million to provide immediate lifesaving support, boost the recovery of livelihoods, and build resilience for a third of the country’s overall 18 million population who are at risk of food insecurity, acute malnutrition, and disease. The integrated plan includes support for the five-month-long cholera outbreak, with nearly 21,000 reported cases and over 700 deaths. Under the leadership of Resident Coordinator Beatrice Mutali, the UN team will support the Government’s effort to help cushion disruptions and losses in crop production, livelihoods, and productive assets, among others. The dry spell has devastated half of the overall maize cultivation, decimating over a million hectares across the country. Zambia’s severe drought results from the El Niño phenomenon, further spiked by climate change.
Interested in more? Check out previous daily updates from UN teams 'around the world':
