Wednesday’s Daily brief: Day 3 of anti-hatred summit, UNFPA turns 50, Ben Stiller #WithRefugees, updates on Abyei

This Wednesday, our top stories cover: the 50th birthday of the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA); Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller advocating for Syrian refugees in the USA; human rights issues in the Philippines; and an update on the UN peacekeeping misson in Abyei. End ‘political opportunism’ that’s letting hate speech flourish, urges top UN genocide official With murderous attacks against religious institutions on the rise, leaders across the world need to do more to end “political opportunism” and policies which allow hate speech and violent extremism to flourish, said the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide on Wednesday. Speaking at the end of the second Global Summit on Religion, Peace and Security, at UN headquarters in Geneva, Adama Dieng noted that in the wake of dozens killed inside Sri Lanka churches, a synagogue attack in California, and killings inside a church in Burkina Faso, the threat of another genocide somwhere, was only growing larger. Our full coverage here. UN sexual and reproductive health agency celebrates 50 years of saving women’s lives The UN agency mandated with protecting sexual and reproductive health (UNFPA) turned 50 this week, celebrating its role saving millions of women’s lives and protecting their futures. In a message to mark this milestone, Secretary-General António Guterrescongratulated UNFPA on its work, improving the well-being of people around the world, warning that “today, the world needs UNFPA more than ever”. “Your efforts have been particularly instrumental in enabling women and couples to access the sexual and reproductive health care they need”, he said, and in preventing gender-based violence, tackling female genital mutilation and child marriage practices. UNFPA supports reproductive health care for women and youth in more than 150 countries – home to more than 80 per cent of the world’s population. Gains by Abyei interim force can help advance resolution of border issues between Sudan and South Sudan, UN peacekeeping chief says The United Nations security force for Abyei remains essential to stability in the border regions between Sudan and South Sudan, the UN peacekeeping chief said on Tuesday, proposing the creation of a civilian unit to support progress towards political resolution of the dispute between the neighboring countries, and requesting a six-month extension of its mandate. “This modest shift in the mission’s role is necessary to match the reality on the ground,” Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations said during a briefing to the Security Council on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the work of the UN Interim Security Force, known by the acronym UNISFA. Our full story can be found here. UN refugee agency’s Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller shares stories of Syrian refugees Actor and director Ben Stiller testified on the humanitarian impact of the eight-year war in Syria on Capitol Hill, in Washington DC, on Wednesday. The brutal conflict has displaced over 5.6 million people since 2011. The Hollywood star appeared before the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his capacity as Goodwill Ambassador for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. Highlighting the desperate circumstances faced by Syrian families he had met in refugee camps, he reminded US politicians that behind the numbers there are “real stories, real people”. Mr. Stiller shared the story of Syrian twins Razan and Yazan who left Syria when they were 4 months old. Eight years later, Yazan works selling vegetables in Lebanon, to help his family make ends meet. “We all want the same things, to see our children grow up and achieve their dreams”, he added. Syria accounts for the world’s largest number of forcibly-displaced people according to UNHCR. Mr. Stiller has traveled on mission to Guatemala, Germany and Jordan to meet with refugees who have fled their war-torn homes. UN rights experts call on Philippines Government to halt ‘unacceptable attacks’ on Victoria Tauli-Corpuz False claims levelled at the UN expert on the rights of indigenous peoples by her own Government in the Philippines, “are without grounding in fact or law” and must cease immediately, said a statement issued by a group of her fellow experts on Wednesday. In a joint statement, three UN Special Rapporteurs, or independent rights experts, said that “new accusations” against fellow rapporteur, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, had been made by officials in the Government of President Rodrigo Duterte, “clearly in retaliation for her invaluable work defending the human rights of indigenous people worldwide”. Find our full story here.