by Alessandro Batazzi
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with leaders of the transitional world, urging African leaders to commit to the defence of civil, political and economic rights. This is considered to be a crucial step to take to foster stability and development across Africa and the rest of the world. The Secretary General met with Africa leaders in Addis Ababa at the annual Summit of the African Union, pointing out the current challenges faced by civil society in Africa.
Albeit violent, the so-called “Arab Spring” brought a new wave of political participation in countries once considered stable regimes. Yet this has not let to less discrimination based on gender identity and sexual discrimination. “This”, according to Mr. Ban Ki-moon, “has prompted some governments to treat people as second-class citizens, or even criminals. Confronting this discrimination is a challenge. But we must live up to the ideals of the Universal Declaration”. He underlined the importance of including women and all social groups in every step of the decision-making process, emphasizing the role of elections and rule of law in guaranteeing the rights and duties of every citizen and a safe future for the youth of Africa.
The meeting in Addis Ababa was followed by a news conference, where the Secretary General expressed concern on the deteriorating relations between Sudan and South Sudan. Meanwhile, on Wednesday 1 February, the Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos began her three-day visit to South Sudan. She will meet with aid agencies on the ground to discuss the humanitarian challenges resulting from the conflict in Sudan.
On 1 February the Secretary General also met high-level Israeli officials, and later with those of the Palestinian Authority. He discussed the developments of the Middle East peace process and “noted that negotiations are the only path for a sustainable resolution of all final status issues” .
Sources
UN News Service, “Ban urges African countries to entrench civil, political and economic rights”
Nerisky, M. “Highlights of the Noon Briefing”, Secretary-General, Office of the Spokeperson, 1 February 2012
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