Arab leaders join UN chief in call for global action

Arab leaders join UN chief in call for global action
Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, speaks during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo)
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Updated 12 September 2024
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Arab leaders join UN chief in call for global action

Arab leaders join UN chief in call for global action
  • Organization’s upcoming ‘Summit of the Future’ aims to revive support for multilateralism
  • Event will take place during 79th General Assembly in New York this month

LONDON: Arab leaders have joined the head of the UN in calling for global action on security, poverty, development and climate change.

Their appeals came ahead of the UN’s Summit of the Future, which will take place on Sept. 22 and 23, during the organization’s 79th General Assembly in New York.

Billed as an attempt to revive trust in multilateralism and bolster support for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the event will result in a “Pact for the Future,” negotiated and agreed upon by member states. It will also produce a “Global Digital Compact” and a “Declaration on Future Generations.”

The UN said: “The world is not on track to meet the goals we have already set for ourselves. Nor are we effectively rising to new challenges or opportunities.

“Multilateral governance, designed in simpler, slower times, is not adequate to today’s complex, interconnected, rapidly changing world. The summit is an opportunity to put ourselves on a better path.”

The pact agreed during the summit will cover key aspects of the UN’s remit, including sustainable development, international security, science and innovation, and youth issues.

The organization hosted a “Global Call” on Thursday to promote the summit and outline its aims for the summit, at which Antonio Guterres, the UN’s secretary-general, was backed by Arab leaders including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and newly reelected Algerian leader Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who delivered their messages of support in video statements.

Other leaders from Muslim-majority countries who took part in the appeal included Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Global Call was hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba.

Guterres said: “Member states are now in the final stages of negotiating the three agreements to be adopted at the Summit of the Future: the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.

“My appeal is for you to push hard for the deepest reforms and most meaningful actions possible. We need maximum ambition during these final days of negotiation.”

He listed major global challenges he said are “moving much faster than our ability to solve them” and added: “Ferocious conflicts are inflicting terrible suffering. Deep geopolitical divides are creating dangerous tensions, multiplied by nuclear threats.

“Inequality and injustice corrode trust and fuel populism and extremism. Discrimination, misogyny and racism are taking on new forms.

“Poverty and hunger are at crisis levels as the Sustainable Development Goals are slipping out of reach. And we have no effective global response to new, and even existential, threats.”

Addressing recurring criticism of his organization’s relevance and influence in the modern world, the UN chief described the Security Council as being “stuck in a time warp.”

Highlighting the challenges facing the international financial system, he said: “Our institutions cannot keep up because they were designed for another era and another world.”

However, the UN is still in a unique position to address global issues by offering a platform for change through the summit, Guterres added.

He listed a series of requirements for the revival of multilateralism, including conflict prevention and mediation, financial reforms, increased lending capacity among development banks, and management of the risks posed by new technologies.

“As we reach the end of negotiations on the three texts, I appeal to all governments to make sure they are as ambitious as possible, to restore the hope and trust we need in order to address the dramatic challenges of our time,” he said.

“The Summit of the Future is an opportunity for far-reaching agreements on international collaboration for a safer, more sustainable and more equitable world. Let’s seize it.”

The appeal by Guterres was echoed by Tebboune, the Algerian president, who warned that the world is “going though a very sensitive, critical juncture.”

Egyptian leader El-Sisi highlighted the current tensions in the Middle East as he called for the summit to address three main priorities.

Member states must establish a system “based on the principles and rules of international law,” “reform the structure of the global financial system” and “enhance efforts toward the eradication of poverty and hunger,” he said.

Sharif, the Pakistani prime minister, drew attention to the “plight of the people in Gaza.”

He said: “Today, in times of unprecedented global challenges and escalating conflicts, we are at risk of permanently damaging the notion of ‘we.’ A collective ‘we’ requires a degree of equality and justice.

“The plight of the people of Gaza is a mockery of this ‘we.’ This ‘we’ becomes marred amid rising debt burdens for the poor, increasing poverty, growing inequality, intolerance, terrorist violence, illegal foreign occupation and a skewed approach to climate adaptation.”

Erdogan, who recently called on the leaders of Muslim-majority countries to gather for a summit on Gaza, described the UN event as a “rare window of opportunity.”

He added: “It is only a matter of days until the Summit of the Future, which aims to fortify international solidarity in the face of threats to the future of humanity, and facilitate the establishment of a peaceful, secure and equitable system.

“In the midst of the conflicts, oppression, hunger and poverty that are ravaging our world, I perceive the summit as a rare window of opportunity.”


President vows to ‘cleanse Tunisia of all the corrupt and schemers’

President vows to ‘cleanse Tunisia of all the corrupt and schemers’
Updated 5 sec ago
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President vows to ‘cleanse Tunisia of all the corrupt and schemers’

President vows to ‘cleanse Tunisia of all the corrupt and schemers’

TUNIS: Tunisia’s incumbent president said he would wait for official results before declaring victory while acknowledging exit polls showing him winning by a landslide in an election Sunday marred by earlier arrests of his opponents.

President Kais Saied’s supporters jubilantly honked and celebrated after voting ended, and public television broadcast images of the president pledging to pursue traitors and those acting against Tunisia, much like he has done throughout his tenure.

“We’re going to cleanse the country of all the corrupt and schemers,” Saied said at his campaign headquarters.

Tunisia’s public television broadcast exit polls from Sigma Conseil. This independent firm has historically published figures not far off official tallies, showing Saied winning more than 89 percent of the vote over imprisoned businessman Ayachi Zammel and Zouhair Maghzaoui, a leftist who supported Saied before running against him.

In the North African country known as the birthplace of the Arab Spring, much of the opposition chose to boycott the election. 

They called it a sham, with Saied’s leading critics imprisoned alongside journalists, lawyers, activists, and leading civil society figures. 

They emphasized the low turnout in Sunday’s election. 

When polling stations closed, only 2.7 million voters, 27.7 percent of the electorate, had cast ballots — far fewer than the 49 percent who participated in the first round of the last presidential race in 2019.

Supporters of the president — who rode anti-establishment backlash to win a first term five years ago — said his second win would send a clear message to the political class that preceded his ascendance.

“We’re tired of the governance we had before. We want a leader who wants to work for Tunisia. This country was on the road to ruin,” said Layla Baccouchi, a Saied supporter.

Celebrating the exit polls at his campaign’s office in the capital, the president warned of “foreign interference” and pledged to “build our country.’’

Hatem Nafti, a political commentator, said Saied would use reelection as a carte blanche for further crackdowns and to “justify more repression.”

“He has promised to get rid of traitors and enemies of Tunisia,” he said. “He will harden his rule.”

In the years since 2011, Tunisia enshrined a new democratic constitution, created a Truth and Dignity Commission to bring justice to citizens tortured under the former regime, and saw its leading civil society groups win the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering political compromise. 

But its new leaders could not buoy its struggling economy and quickly became unpopular amid constant political infighting and episodes of violence.

Observers judged the country’s first two post-Arab Spring elections as free and fair.


Hezbollah tells fighters not to attack Israeli troops near peacekeepers

Hezbollah tells fighters not to attack Israeli troops near peacekeepers
Updated 28 min 16 sec ago
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Hezbollah tells fighters not to attack Israeli troops near peacekeepers

Hezbollah tells fighters not to attack Israeli troops near peacekeepers
  • UNIFIL warned that Israel’s operations near their position at Maroun Al-Ras were ‘extremely dangerous’ and compromised their safety
  • Hezbollah has accused Israel of ‘trying to use UNIFIL forces as human shields’

BEIRUT, Lebanon: The Iran-backed Hezbollah group said on Monday it ordered its fighters not to attack Israeli troops who recently moved behind a UN peacekeeping position near a Lebanese border village.
The statement came a day after UNIFIL had warned Israel’s operations near their position at Maroun Al-Ras were “extremely dangerous” and compromised their safety, adding it had repeatedly informed Israel of their concerns.
Hezbollah said it reported “unusual movement of Israeli enemy forces behind a UNIFIL position, on the outskirts of the border village of Maroun Al-Ras.”
It ordered fighters “not to take action... to preserve the lives of the peacekeepers,” quoting a field commander in its statement.
The group accused Israel of “trying to use UNIFIL forces as human shields.”
Contacted by AFP, UNIFIL did not immediately respond.
On Saturday, UNIFIL said it remained in all positions near the border despite what it said was an Israeli request to “relocate.”
Last week, Israel said it would start carrying out limited ground incursions into south Lebanon.
Hezbollah said it has clashed with Israeli troops in the Maroun Al-Ras area and confronted attempted infiltrations there several times this week.
Israel has intensified its campaign against Lebanese militant group Hezbollah since September 23, killing more than 1,110 people and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in a country already mired in economic crisis.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, stipulated that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers should be deployed in south Lebanon.


Iran says it will hit back against any Israeli strike

Billboard shows slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and the IRGC’s Abbas Nilforushan.
Billboard shows slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and the IRGC’s Abbas Nilforushan.
Updated 26 min 10 sec ago
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Iran says it will hit back against any Israeli strike

Billboard shows slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and the IRGC’s Abbas Nilforushan.
  • After US said it was discussing a joint response with Israel, Iran’s chief of staff warned that Tehran would hit Israeli infrastructure if its territory is attacked

TEHRAN: Iran said on Monday it would respond firmly to any Israeli attack on its soil, stressing that it did not want a wider war in the region.
On Tuesday Iran launched around 200 missiles in its second direct attack on Israel, in what it said was retaliation for the killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders in the region and a general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Israel has vowed to respond to the attack.
Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, said the Islamic republic was “not afraid of war and will give a firm and appropriate response to any new action by the Zionist regime.”
The foreign minister made the remarks in a telephone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty.
Israel’s army chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Iran had fired about 200 missiles at Israel last week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran had made a “big mistake” with its missile barrage, which follows Israel killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on September 27.
After the United States said it was discussing a joint response with Israel, Iran’s chief of staff warned that Tehran would hit Israeli infrastructure if its territory is attacked.


Yemeni official among 13 abducted by Houthis in Ibb over revolution celebrations

Yemeni official among 13 abducted by Houthis in Ibb over revolution celebrations
Updated 07 October 2024
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Yemeni official among 13 abducted by Houthis in Ibb over revolution celebrations

Yemeni official among 13 abducted by Houthis in Ibb over revolution celebrations
  • The militia has targeted hundreds of people who celebrate the anniversary of the Sept. 26, 1962, revolution or encourage others to do so
  • Meanwhile, relatives of detained Yemeni humanitarian workers renew appeal to the Houthis to release them or at least allow visitors

AL-MUKALLA: A local government official was among 13 Yemenis abducted by the Houthis in Ibb province over the past two days, local media reported on Monday, as the militia continues to crack down on people who commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the 1962 revolution in the country.

Al-Masdar Online said Khaled Al-Kerizi, the deputy head of the provincial office of the Ministry of Culture, was taken from his home in Al-Mashannah District.

The Houthis also reportedly snatched eight people in Yarim District and four in Al-Udayn District and the countryside, increasing the number of people abducted in province in the past week to 48.

The Houthi crackdown in areas of northern Yemen under their control has targeted hundreds of people who celebrated the anniversary of the revolution or encouraged others to do so. The revolution, which began on Sept. 26, 1962, toppled the Zaidi imamates that had controlled northern Yemen for centuries and limited the right to rule to Hashemites. Much of their ideology is shared by the Houthis.

In an attempt to suppress pro-revolution celebrations in Sanaa, the Houthis have deployed military forces and vehicles, as well as undercover operatives in civilian clothing armed with batons, who have abducted people from the streets and their homes.

Some of those taken were pictured in videos dancing to a nationalist song commemorating the revolution. Others posted messages on social media platforms praising the revolution or encouraging others to celebrate it.

HuMENA, a human rights organization based in Brussels, strongly condemned the arbitrary Houthi raids on homes and abductions. It said members of the militia have detained about 500 people since Sept. 20, including about 40 journalists and writers, as well as teachers, university professors and students, lawyers, and members of the former ruling party, the General People’s Congress.

“We call on the international community and humanitarian organizations to take a firm stance against these violations, pressuring the Houthi group to end this repressive campaign and immediately release all detainees, ensuring the protection of citizens’ rights and freedom of expression,” HuMENA said.

Meanwhile, relatives of abducted Yemeni employees of international aid and human rights organizations, and diplomatic missions, renewed their appeals to the Houthis to release the detainees or at least allow visitors.

“Today marks four months since my father Ahmed’s detention in Yemen, without hearing from him or checking on his condition; months of anxiety, fear and sadness that consumes our hearts at all times,” Khaled Al-Yemeni, the son of an aid worker abducted by the Houthis on June 6, wrote in a message posted on Facebook on Sunday.

“We appeal to Ansar Allah’s leadership and all concerned parties to take action on my father’s case and release him as soon as possible. Our family is in constant pain, and we hope for relief soon.”

Ansar Allah is the official name of the Houthis. Since May, militia members have abducted dozens of Yemenis working for UN agencies, international aid and human rights organizations, and diplomatic missions in Sanaa and other parts of Yemen under their control, accusing them of using humanitarian work as a cover to spy for the US and Israel.

The UN and other organizations have strongly condemned the Houthis for their actions. They deny the allegations against their employees and demand the militia release the detainees and stop harassing humanitarian workers.

The Houthis said they buried 126 “unidentified” bodies in Hodeidah and Saada provinces in the past few days. The Houthi Yemeni Security Media reported on Sunday that in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the militia buried 66 bodies that had been stored at Al-Thawra Hospital in Hodeidah province.

On Thursday, the same media office said the Houthi Public Prosecution buried 60 unidentified bodies, some of which were those of African migrants, that had been stored at Al-Jamhuri Hospital in Saada province.


Israeli military says it intercepts missile fired from Yemen

Israeli military says it intercepts missile fired from Yemen
Updated 07 October 2024
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Israeli military says it intercepts missile fired from Yemen

Israeli military says it intercepts missile fired from Yemen
  • The missile set off air raid sirens across large swaths of central Israel, sending residents running for shelter

JERUSALEM: A surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen at central Israel on Monday was intercepted, the Israeli military said.
The missile set off air raid sirens across large swaths of central Israel, sending residents running for shelter.
“Following the sirens that sounded in a number of areas in central Israel, the surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen was successfully intercepted” by the Israeli Air Force, the military said in a statement.
The statement did not say who fired the missile. The Iran-backed Houthi movement which controls northern Yemen has frequently attacked Israel over the past year in what it says is solidarity with the Palestinians.