Israel's continued occupation of the State of Palestine and the Syrian Golan was throwing people into poverty and severely impeding sustainable development, speakers told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) as it debated those territories today.
The State of Palestine's delegate stressed that 70,000 Palestinians were now refugees after 50 years of Israeli occupation, which had divided their territories into three regions. Adding that Israel controlled more than 61 per cent of the West Bank, driving Palestinians from their land and hindering economic activity, he urged the international community to stop Israeli settlements and boycott their products.
Similarly, Qatar's representative, speaking for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said Israel had subjected Palestinians to land grab, as well as population displacement, suppressing any resistance. "Fifty years of occupation, oppression, humiliation and the worst kinds of human rights violations is enough, and it is morally, legally and politically unacceptable to allow this to continue," he said.
Israel was constantly expanding its settlements, more interested in tightening its control over Palestinian land than peace, he continued. Emphasizing that Israel must end its prolonged occupation and comply with international law, he called on concerned Member States to support Palestine's efforts in gaining its rights.
Tunisia's representative, speaking for the Arab Group, said Israeli settlers enjoyed a discriminatory policy in land distribution, denying Palestinians the right to build or cultivate. The demolition of homes had continued, significantly undermining the possibility of a two-State solution.
Syria's delegate said Israeli authorities were imposing discriminatory laws in occupied Syrian Golan and flagrantly challenging United Nations resolutions. They were giving financial enticements to people who settled in the Golan for at least five years, denying Syrians there from the benefits of agriculture.
Israel was dumping waste in the Golan, charging Syrians more for water than Israelis and using their land to build electricity plants, she said. Further, Israel had begun to impose its influence on two valleys contingent to Golan, where it was using terrorist groups to force people off their lands and migrate.
Presenting the Secretary-General's note on economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan (document A/71/86-E/2016/13) was the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Council for Western Asia.
Prior to the discussion, Lithuania's delegate introduced a draft resolution on cooperative measures to assess and increase awareness of environmental effects related to waste originating from chemical munitions dumped at sea (document A/C.2/71/L.21).
Also speaking in the Palestinian and Golan debate were the representatives of Thailand (for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China), South Africa (for the African Group), Nicaragua, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Maldives, Iran, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Libya, Namibia, Egypt, Bangladesh and Oman.
Earlier today, the Committee took up its agenda item on the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat), with speakers highlighting the challenges of rapid city growth and stressing the need for international cooperation in implementing the New Urban Agenda on sustainable urbanization.
Singapore's delegate, speaking for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said urban areas accounted for more than half the gross domestic product (GDP) of the region's nations, with another 54 million people expected in its cities by 2025. An expanding middle class was the result, but South-East Asian cities now faced numerous challenges, including deteriorating living conditions and environmental degradation.
The Association had taken steps to improve water and air quality of water and air through regional and national initiatives, she continued. It was also boosting coordination among relevant sectors to provide access to clean land, as well as green public spaces and promoting cities friendly to children, youth, the elderly and disabled persons.
India's delegate said the world was now witnessing urbanization — most of it unplanned — at an unprecedented pace. Some 377 million Indians lived in urban areas, accounting for two thirds of the country's GDP and 90 per cent of Government revenues. India had launched programmes to encourage smart cities, improve urban livelihoods, reinvigorate cities as engines of economic growth and integrate urban and rural settlements.
Presenting the report on implementation of the outcomes of United Nations Conferences on Human Settlements and Housing and Sustainable Development and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (document A/71/347) and note on the coordinated implementation of the Habitat agenda (document A/71/356) was the Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.
Also speaking in the UN-Habitat debate were the representatives of Thailand (for the Group of 77), Jamaica (for the Caribbean Community), Dominican Republic (for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), Maldives (for the Alliance of Small Island States), Nigeria (for the African Group), Ecuador, Philippines, Guatemala, Russian Federation, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Iran, Algeria, Senegal, China, Bahrain, Ethiopia, Brazil, Myanmar, Kenya, Venezuela, El Salvador and Nepal.
Representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) also spoke.
AISA KIRABO KACYIRA, Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary‑General for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN‑Habitat), presented the report on the implementation of the outcomes of the United Nations Conferences on Human Settlements and on Housing and Sustainable Development and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (document A/71/347) and the note on the coordinated implementation of the Habitat agenda (document A/71/356).
She stated that last week's United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) had adopted the New Urban Agenda, which was a vital step in taking national and local Governments towards an action-oriented agenda for sustainable urbanization. Outlining UN-Habitat activities, she said the World Urban Campaign, which now consisted of 145 partners, had prepared a document entitled "The city we need 2.0: towards a new urban paradigm". That document contained principles, drivers of change and solutions for developing cities that were inclusive and equitable, ecological and resilient, economically vibrant, safe and healthy. The Campaign had organized 26 "urban thinkers campuses", engaging more than 2,000 organizations and close to 8,000 participant from 124 countries on key themes in "the city we need" document. Other activities included World Habitat Day 2015 under the theme "public spaces for all" at United Nations Headquarters, where a high-level discussion was held covering key developments in public space design. World Cities Day 2015 was also held in Milan, Italy under the general theme "better city, better life". The event was hosted by UN-Habitat, the city of Milan and the Shanghai Municipal Government.
Continuing, she recommended that Member States consider how to provide bridging finance for UN-Habitat to conclude an independent assessment of the agency, stressing the need to bolster its resources by $5 million per financial year for 2016 to 2017. It was also necessary to strengthen the current role of UN-Habitat as the focal point for sustainable urbanization and human settlements issues within the United Nations system and support the strengthening of the Organization's system-wide coordinated approach to sustainable urbanization and human settlements. The international community should also provide strong political support for the New Urban Agenda to strengthen the contribution of well-planned urbanization to sustainable development.
THANAVON PAMARANON (Thailand), speaking for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, welcomed the New Urban Agenda adopted in Quito, Ecuador. The United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) had been a great success, and implementation and ensuring that the follow-up and review mechanism of the Agenda was put in place needed to begin immediately. The Conference reaffirmed Habitat II, including common but differentiated responsibilities; highlighted the role of international cooperation and the commitments of developed countries; noted the unique and emerging urban challenges faced by developing countries, especially those in special situations; and stressed the importance of a strong organizational machinery for implementing the New Urban Agenda.
The Group, she said, looked forward to an evidence-based and independent assessment of UN‑Habitat and the two day high‑level meeting of the General Assembly. It was important to include the review of global progress in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda as part of the integrated and coordinated follow‑up process to the United Nations conferences and summits. The Group would submit a draft proposal under that agenda item in the upcoming days.
BURHAN GAFOOR (Singapore), speaking for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and associating himself with the Group of 77, said that implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development required all countries to harness the positive force of sustainable urbanization. The Association welcomed the New Urban Agenda adopted at Habitat III. Urban areas today accounted for more than half the gross domestic product (GDP) of Southeast Asian nations, and an additional 54 million people were expected to move into ASEAN cities by 2025. Those developments had helped create an expanding middle class, but Southeast Asian cities faced numerous challenges to liveability and environmental sustainability.
The Association had taken steps to ensure that its cities were environmentally sustainable, intensifying efforts to improve the quality of water and air through regional and national initiatives, he continued. The group was enhancing participatory and integrated approaches in urban planning and management; strengthening the capacity of national and local institutions; promoting coordination among relevant sectors to provide access to clean land, green public spaces and clean air, water and sanitation; promoting cities that were friendly to children, youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities; and strengthening policies for the effective management of population growth and rural to urban migration.
E. COURTENAY RATTRAY (Jamaica), speaking for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said an unfortunate feature of rapid urbanization in his region was a housing deficit that had resulted in a large share of the population living in informal settlements, which were vulnerable to and disproportionately affected by landslides, flooding and storm surges. The absence of efficiently functioning land markets, inaccurate property registrations and land disputes had further compounded the problem and slowed the pace of housing construction programmes. A key issue was putting measures in place to protect homes against rising sea levels, given that half the population lived within five kilometres from the coastline. The knock‑on effects for lives could severely and swiftly undermine years of social and economic development.
He supported the attention given in the New Urban Agenda to renewed local-national partnerships, in which stakeholders and local and subnational Governments served as strategic partners of national Governments, based on a strong national system of cities and well‑balanced territorial development to support national development targets. He also supported effected decentralization, which could strengthen urban governance and management. Within that context, the importance of cross sectoral linkages and the need for equitable distribution of resources across the urban rural continuum were of great significance. Critical infrastructure related to transportation, public health, educational facilities, water, sanitation, agriculture, communications and other vital sectors must be prioritized to ensure coherence and coordination in integrated development efforts.
FRANCISCO ANTONIO CORTORREAL (Dominican Republic), speaking for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said that it was imperative to implement the New Urban Agenda. Cities and human settlements needed to be accessible to people of all ages and from all conditions of human and cultural diversity. CELAC member States recognized the critical importance of adequate housing, urban and territorial planning, urban governance, water and sanitation, sustainable mobility and land management.
Cities needed to be resilient in the face of climate change, he continued. It was necessary to significantly reduce the impacts of cities on climate change through the promotion of sustainable consumption and production patterns, while at the same time increasing preventive and reactive measures to foster urban resilience to natural hazards. CELAC also highlighted that the Right to the City was considered in some countries as a guiding concept advocating for a living environment.
MARIYAM MIDHFA NAEEM (Maldives), speaking for the Alliance of Small Island States and associating herself with the Group of 77, said States had committed to many ambitious agendas and frameworks, from the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement to the Sendai Framework. The New Urban Agenda provided a chance for the international community to consider the interlinkages between those issues in the urban-rural context. Small island developing States had diverse types and sizes of urban spaces due to their relatively small size. Urban trend metrics therefore needed to account for settlements with populations under 100,000 to help small island States track progress on urbanization challenges.
The Alliance, she said, welcomed the Habitat III outcome document's attention to improving connectivity, coastal management, the integration of sustainable consumption and production and the focus on climate change and building resilience. The increase frequency and severity of natural hazards threatened urban environments in small island developing States.
AKINREMI BOLAJI (Nigeria) spoke on behalf of the Africa Group and associated himself with the Group of 77. He said that the Group continued to note the unprecedented increase in urbanization with more than 50 per cent of the world population reportedly living in cities and towns, especially in Asia and Africa. Urban settlements around the world, particularly in Africa, faced many challenges, including the effects of climate change, resource depletion, food insecurity, economic instability, unprecedented levels of unemployment, rising crime and urban and rural poverty. To meet those challenges, the international community needed to consider social and economic inclusion, such as upgrading informal settlements with integrated infrastructures and services that targeted marginalized groups; mobilizing urban financing from local and foreign investors; and improving human capital through equal access to education, health-care services and facilities.
Continuing, he said the Africa Group welcomed the World Cities Report 2016: Urbanization and Development: Emerging Futures prepared by UN-Habitat. The Group was concerned by the report's assertion that the current urbanization model was unsustainable in many ways and needed to better respond to current global challenges, such as inequality, climate change, informality, insecurity and the unsustainable forms of urban expansion. The Group called for capacity support, especially at the subnational and local government levels, where most of the New Urban Agenda would be carried out. While the focus would continue to be on mobilizing domestic resources, the Africa Group said official development assistance (ODA) played an important role in complementing these resources.
HORACIO SEVILLA BORJA (Ecuador), associating himself with the Group of 77 and CELAC, expressed pleasure at the success of the Habitat III Conference in Ecuador. He drew attention to a suggestion made at the meeting that the international community should consider reducing the time between conferences from 20 to 10 years for follow‑up of the New Urban Agenda. He noted that interventions in the Conference's general debate had emphasized the need for inhabitants of cities to live in a sustainable, just environment. It also emphasized the need to reduce the inequality gap, for regulations preventing land speculation and restraining profits from land speculation or insider trading. The international community must combat illegal sources of wealth that adversely affected the common good. The New Urban Agenda deserved priority in the work of the United Nations, which should join with other stakeholders in implementing it.
MARIA ANGELA PONCE (Philippines), associating herself with the Group of 77 and ASEAN, welcomed the adoption of the New Urban Agenda at the Habitat Conference, where her country had been a co‑facilitator in the negotiations. The Philippines continued to urbanize at a relatively high pace, and cities and urban areas were driving its economy. Urbanization also brought challenges, however: sporadic and unplanned growth had resulted in poor services for managing solid waste, waste water, air quality, transportation and other needs, as well as environmental degradation. Such challenges called for multi‑stakeholder engagement, as well as evaluation mechanisms capable of assisting Governments in meeting the challenges of rapid urbanization and poverty eradication.
ASHISH KUMAR SINHA (India), associating himself with the Group of 77, said the world was witnessing urbanization at an unprecedented pace across continents. People were moving to cities for a variety of reasons, and while urban areas were often centres of growth, much of the urbanization was proceeding in an unplanned manner. The New Urban Agenda was broad in nature, permitting variations for national circumstances. Some 377 million Indians lived in urban areas, accounting for two thirds of India's GDP and 90 per cent of Government revenues. India had launched programmes to encourage smart cities, improve urban livelihoods, reinvigorate cities as engines of economic growth and integrate urban and rural settlements. Efforts to combat poverty would increasingly be determined by efforts to integrate urban development into socioeconomic planning.
JORGE SKINNER-KLÉE ARENALES (Guatemala), associating himself with the Group of 77 and CELAC, said the international community now had the opportunity to work towards goals in the 2030 Agenda, which would strengthen global political commitments to people and settlements. The New Urban Agenda provided a global strategy for urbanization over the next two decades. He noted that population shifts were part of global economic changes. For decades, they had led to a situation where the urban populations were growing twice as fast as rural ones. The global community could make use of urbanization as an opportunity to redefine development models. Guatemala had put policies in place to reduce inequalities, provide food security and invest in infrastructure, which were geared towards orderly urban growth over the next 50 years.
PAVEL A. FONDUKOV (Russian Federation) welcomed the New Urban Agenda outcome document. Such a positive outcome would not have been possible unless views from a broad range of countries had been taken into account. Implementation was now important. National Governments would now integrate the New Urban Agenda into their national strategies. The Russian Federation's policy on urban development and housing and services was already consistent with the provisions of the Agenda, and his country was actively working on new approaches to tackling challenges including congestion, concentration of populations and industry, pollution, safe water and sanitation, waste management and disposal, energy, safety and stability. Every country had its own unique experience that could be useful to the world community, and at Habitat III, the Russian Federation had suggested setting up an open catalogue on best practices for urban development.
OBAID SALEM AL ZAABI (United Arab Emirates), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that his country was among the most urbanized nations in the world, and in such an arid environment, resource management was critical. Its cities were consistently ranked among the most liveable in the region for several reasons. First, tolerance was the underpinning engine of sustainable economic growth, and the United Arab Emirates was one of the most diverse societies in the world. Cities needed to be safe for all residents, and it was necessary to stamp out violence and harassment based on cultural, religious or other differences. Second, universal energy access needed to be a fundamental pillar of urban planning. He highlighted the remarkable opportunity afforded by sustainable energy. Third, strategic integrated planning that was multifaceted yet dynamic was of central importance to the State. Lastly, the sharing of ideas and experience across cities, countries and regions was critical to drive innovation and change behaviour.
MUHAMMAD TAKDIR (Indonesia), associating himself with the Group of 77 and ASEAN, said the New Urban Agenda was connected to the 2030 Agenda, Addis Ababa Action Agenda, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement. Towns and cities needed to be resilient in the face of sea level rise and natural hazards. More than half of Indonesia's people lived in urban areas, and the country was promoting green and smart cities that were competitive, technology-based and nurtured innovation. The New Urban Agenda also focused on building stronger partnerships, including South-South collaboration as a complement to North-South collaboration.
EBRAHIM ALIKHANI (Iran), associating himself with the Group of 77, said the New Urban Agenda showed the world's shared concerns on the challenges and opportunities of urbanization. The specific needs, conditions and levels of each country, particularly developing nations, needed to be recognized in implementing the Agenda. The importance of national ownership could not be overemphasized. The right to development was an inalienable and indispensable human right. Iran viewed the family as the natural and fundamental unit of society. Technology transfer, technical assistance and financial resources would play a significant role in implementing the Agenda in the coming years.
MOURAD MEBARKI (Algeria), associating himself with the Group of 77, said the New Urban Agenda would be vital over the next 20 years as it would contribute to creating conditions needed to ensure that all nations could achieve development. It was actually an extension of the 2030 Agenda, reflecting a shared vision on how the international community could benefit from progress made. However, it would need coordination and synergy, at the international, regional and national level, especially with resources and transferring technology. Algeria had been pursuing urban development by ensuring decent housing was available to as many people as possible, and putting an end to slum housing. It had adopted different approaches to funding those projects and had been able to build 60 per cent of the new housing in urban areas and 40 per cent in rural areas.
MAMADOU MBODJ (Senegal), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, welcomed the New Urban Agenda and expressed support for the importance and relevance of the mandate. It was necessary to mobilize efforts to implement what had been agreed. Countries were dealing with the terrible consequences of rapid urbanization, often poorly controlled. That had cross-cutting influences and unavoidably had to do with economic development. There was a real opportunity for economic and social development, but it was necessary to note that rapid urban development posed serious problems for many countries. Senegal had reoriented its national development programme. Energy supply needed to be more effective, financial resources had to be mobilized and infrastructure needed to be improved.
CAO ZHIYONG (China) said international cooperation was urgently needed in tackling growing urbanization of the world's cities. The Habitat III Conference had adopted the New Urban Agenda, which was universal and operational, providing a model to deal with urbanization for the coming two decades. The international community should accelerate efforts to implement the Agenda to resolve the growing human settlement problem. Improving human settlements was especially important in developing countries, which should create conditions for economic and social development. The international community should assist through debt relief and increased market access so those countries could achieve development goals. China had vigorously promoted energy efficiency and reduced emissions, which had led to a significant improvement of human settlements in the country.
Mr. ABDULWAHAB (Bahrain), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that his country had many achievements to its credit in urbanization, having adopted the concept of lasting cities from an ecological point of view. Bahrain had a young population, and had endeavoured to meet the needs of its substantial age 15-30 population. It had instituted national programmes to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and promote urban development, and had prepared a study on habitat policies in cooperation with the United Nations.
GEBEYEHU GANGA GAYITO (Ethiopia) said a central pillar of urban development was the fulfilment of the fundamental right to housing. The Ethiopian Government had been implementing the Integrated Housing Development Programme since 2008 at the federal, regional and city levels to address the housing problem. More than 250,000 houses had been built and 200,000 had been transferred to urban residents, including low income earners. The Programme had reduced the housing problem and also created job opportunities, especially for women and youth, encouraged savings and reduced slums. It had also improved construction sector capacity. As for urban unemployment, the Government had been implementing an entrepreneurship strategy that continued to enhance development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises by creating an enabling business environment. By providing training, credit services and production and sales places, administrations at all levels were encouraging job creation through entrepreneurship.
PHILIP FOX-DRUMMOND GOUGH (Brazil), associating himself with the Group of 77 and CELAC, said cities were arguably the greatest invention of mankind and spurred innovation and entrepreneurship. Brazil supported the right to the city. Cities, however, also concentrated and amplified environmental, economic and social challenges, and by 2030 the United Nations estimated that the world's slum population would reach 2 billion. The New Urban Agenda was a step in the right direction, and made notable reference to topics absent at Habitat I and II, such as promoting a balance between compact cities and urban expansion; the need to upgrade slums without tearing the social fabric apart; and the importance of promoting road safety.
EI EI KHIN AYE (Myanmar), said her State was the largest Southeast Asian country in terms of square kilometres and population, as of 2014. It had 51.48 million citizens and an average population growth rate of 1.3 per cent and 70.4 per cent of its people lived in rural areas while the remaining 29.6 per cent lived in urban areas. To address the challenges of maintaining an equitable balance between the rural and urban in a predominantly agricultural country, the Government had renewed its focus on urban development and housing. It had focused on housing for low-income groups, poverty reduction in rural and urban areas, empowerment of local governments and decentralization, urban-rural links and rural road connections for growth and trade. Its National Urban Policy was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2016. In January, Myanmar had adopted a new National Land Use Policy, which served as the base of its new National Land Law. The Law unified the diverse land laws throughout the country. In addition, the Myanmar Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (2016-2030) aimed to build resilience to the increased risks of natural rapid and slow on-set disasters for all township and city dwellers.
ANTHONY ANDANJE (Kenya) said the Habitat III outcome document laid out a firm foundation to promote inclusive cities and a human settlements' development agenda. He was convinced that the New Urban Agenda incorporated the means for effective implementation of those goals, but emphasized that it also required financial and non-financial resources. The share of Kenyans living in urban areas would rise from 37 per cent today to above 50 per cent by 2030. Those urban centres were drivers of economic growth, and would require increased investment in infrastructure and services. In view of its new status as a middle-income country, it expected to face challenges in accessing funding from international financial sources, which were declining. He appealed for upscaling of international cooperation to enhance the capacity of countries. Kenya also reiterated its call for strengthening UN-Habitat.
ALESSANDRO PINTO DAMIANI (Venezuela), associating himself with the Group of 77 and CELAC, said the New Urban Agenda could only be implemented if the international community worked together. Settlements, habitats, housing, poverty, conflicts and climate change were all pending global issues which had to be addressed. Venezuela had made enormous efforts to address urbanization, beginning in 2011 with a major housing initiative. It had tackled housing at the national level, based on the right to land, providing funding for several housing projects. To date, some 1.1 million houses had been built, with a view to achieving the country's goal of 3 million by 2019. It had taken a district approach, seeking to improve housing and infrastructure in poorer areas. He stressed the importance of international cooperation, underscoring the need for developed countries to live up to commitments made, especially for funding and the transfer of technology.
HECTOR JAIME CALDERON (El Salvador), associating with the Group of 77 and CELAC, said the New Urban Agenda was a major step forward for achieving sustainable development. His State was committed to implementing the Agenda within the context of democracy, and stressed the importance of inclusive participation, particularly by minorities and vulnerable groups. El Salvador had acknowledged the right to housing and was now moving ahead with the right to the city. It was necessary to have international cooperation as a main pillar for ensuring implementation of the agreements reached, and he called on the whole of the international community to strengthen support for developing countries as they sought to implement their national plans. UN-Habitat had a key role to play.
LOK BAHADUR POUDEL CHHETRI (Nepal), associating himself with the Group of 77, said the priority needed to be implementing the New Urban Agenda in an effective manner to create just, safe, healthy, accessible, affordable, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements. Nepal was urbanizing rapidly, following a global trend. The country had taken up massive reconstruction plans following the devastating 2015 earthquake. As a landlocked least developed country emerging from conflict and natural hazards, Nepal's development costs were at least 20 per cent higher than non-landlocked developing countries, while problems such as poverty, investment gaps, low or no access to technology, weak capacity, narrow base of economy and the impacts of climate change and hazards continue to remain challenges. Nepal looked forward to implementing the New Urban Agenda in partnership with the international community.
ASHRAF EL NOUR, Permanent Observer for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said the New Urban Agenda presented a local plan for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals as well as climate change, disaster risk reduction and financing for development agendas. It also stressed the need to ensure full respect for human rights and humane treatment of all migrants, including internally displaced persons and refugees. To build on those commitments, the international community must strengthen synergies between international migration and development at the global, regional, national, subnational and local levels. It must ensure that all stakeholders could contribute to policies promoting safe, orderly and regular migration through planned and well-managed migration policies. In implementing the Agenda, local leaders and community actors must work closely with Governments and a broad range of partners. Cities were uniquely placed to distil ongoing initiatives, programmes and services available to migrants being offered by various actors on all fronts.
VINICIUS PINHEIRO, International Labour Organization (ILO), welcomed adoption of the New Urban Agenda, stressing the need to look at concrete policies and actions that combined housing, development of human settlements and decent work. The international community should promote respect for labour standards in procedures for public procurement contracts and other elements of the implementation of the Agenda. It should promote implementation of the ILO recommendation concerning transition from informal to formal economies. It was also important to ensure compliance with adequate occupational safety and health standards. In addition, the international community should promote the creation of green jobs as part of cities' efforts to act on climate change and transition to more resource efficient and low-carbon patterns. Finally, it should promote social dialogue at the local level, engaging workers and enterprises together with local authorities to discuss labour-related challenges and plan solutions.
RAIMONDA MURMOKAITĖ (Lithuania), introduced a draft resolution on Cooperative measures to assess and increase awareness of environmental effects related to waste originating from chemical munitions dumped at sea (document A/C.2/71/L.21). The text was sponsored by all member States of the European Union. It encouraged continuing outreach efforts to increase awareness of the issue, called for voluntary sharing of information, and invited Member States in a position to do so to consider providing assistance and share relevant expertise. The document also asked the Secretary‑General to submit recommendations for identifying appropriate intergovernmental bodies within the United Nations system for further consideration and implementation of the cooperative measures envisaged in the resolution.
RIMA KHALAF, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Council for Western Asia (ESCWA), presented the Secretary‑General's note on economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan (document A/71/86-E/2016/13). She said the note covered the period ending March 2016 and was based on data from credible sources, including the United Nations, World Bank and Israeli non‑governmental organizations. It stated that Israeli occupation in Palestine had continued to violate international humanitarian and human rights laws. Half a century of occupation had undermined Palestinian dignity and increased frustrations, which in some situations had led to violence. Israeli policies provided Palestinians inequitable access to water and land. Israeli settlers were rarely held accountable when they caused damage to Palestinian property and religious sites. Unable to obtain Israeli construction permits, Palestinians had been forced to build houses without them and were then subject to forced evacuation.
Israel had discriminatory policies against Palestinians living in Jerusalem, making it difficult for them to find employment and often forcing them to leave the city, she said. Palestinians had continued to suffer from the excessive use of force and lack of protection against Israeli settler attacks. There were reports of possibly unlawful and extrajudicial killings of innocent people posing no danger to life. Detention of Palestinians was often coupled with violations of their rights and international humanitarian law. Reports of medical negligence in detention had continued to emerge. In the West Bank, Palestinians had continued to be displaced, mainly due to home takeovers, harassment and violence. Israel's illegal presence in the Occupied Territory violated international humanitarian law and the Palestinian's right to self‑determination. On the Left Bank, Israeli policies had left Palestinians little access to water. The cumulative impact of almost 50 years of occupation and long‑standing Israeli restrictions had stifled economic activity and resulted in an aid‑dependent economy. That was indicated by the 26 per cent unemployment rate and 1.6 million people currently facing severe food insecurity, which was particularly alarming in Gaza.
The representative of the State of Palestine welcomed the note. However, he said that the words "Israeli Security Forces and Army" were used in paragraphs 6, 16 and 19. That term was not correct, and should read "Israeli Occupying Forces" instead, as the whole world knew that that was an Occupying Power. He then showed the Committee a photo of a child he said had been killed by the Israeli Army, and noted that more such images could be found on the Internet.
He stated that the use of the term "illegal armed Israeli settlers" in the report was problematic. All settlers, without exception, practiced violence, and that phrase could suggest that there were illegally and legally armed settlers. "Armed settlers" would be better, he said, noting that the Arabic translation of the document was different.
In Paragraph 40, the use of the expression "significant procedural and legal steps," was totally misplaced, he said. Those steps and procedures were normal so long as they were legal and taken under the Israeli law, and that was the law of the Israeli occupation.
Paragraph 50 had mentioned the Dawabsha family, but he said it failed to mention the Israeli criminal settlers who had committed the crime and did not mention that Israel admitted knowing who the killers were but could not arrest them.
Paragraph 82 had spoken about non‑admissibility of Palestinians to make use of maritime wealth, he said. It was very important to refer to that. Also, the Palestinian wealth at the Mediterranean did not stop at the oil wealth. In Western Ramallah, there were four Palestinian oil wells used by Israel. "Next time, we expect the report should clarify this point," he said.
He also provided some general remarks on what he hoped to see in upcoming reports. The note had not mentioned the livelihood gaps between Israelis and Palestinians by comparing per capita incomes, and the resulting effects on the purchasing power parity of Palestinians. Also, it failed to mention statements of the Israelis against the Palestinians, and how they were "always propagating for the non‑acceptance of the two‑State solution," he said.
The note also did not mention repeated attacks and administrative detention of journalists, he said. The next report, he said, needed to draw a panoramic picture of Palestinian tourism in Bethlehem, East Jerusalem and other areas that Palestinians were original owners of and did not benefit from tourism revenues today. It was also necessary to connect to the Palestinian right to achieve sustainable development. Furthermore, there were "a lot of racist laws passed by the Knesset recently with adverse socioeconomic effects on Palestinians," he said.
The note had also remained silent on the socioeconomic dimensions of the blockade, he stated. Palestine had three totally separated zones, and it was nearly impossible to connect any of those areas, which was an economic catastrophe. Moreover, the report was silent on the incapability of Palestinians to engage in free trade with the countries of the world, which caused economic burdens. Palestinians had no control over their borders, which had repercussions on trade, and the next report needed to reflect that. Finally, the document had not mentioned that Israeli settlements were used as tax havens for Israeli businessmen.
In response, Ms. KHALAF said that many of those remarks were accurate and would be taken into account. She noted that the 8,500 word count limit on reports did not allow it to cover each and every type of suffering of the Palestinian people. The document report referred to quotes from other sources that used "Israeli security forces", but the Secretariat would consider the wording. On the issue of settlers, the United Nations position was that all Israeli settlement activity was illegal, and "illegal Israeli settlers" should not be used to imply that any Israeli settlers' presence was legal. Nonetheless, the report used the term as it appeared in the Economic and Social Council resolution. The communicative economic cost of the occupation was outside the scope of the report, but ESCWA was putting together an analytical framework to measure that. For 50 years, Israel had been allowed to continue its occupation, and its settlements, which were recognized by no other nation, had expanded. Israel had violated the United Nations Charter, Security Council resolutions and international law without being held accountable.
The representative of the State of Palestine said United Nations documents were unreliable, as they took the part of Palestine against Israel, even if they claimed to be objective. One reason for that was that Israel did not allow the representatives of the United Nations or other organizations into the occupied territories. Israel carried out diplomatic terrorism, claiming that all of them were anti‑Semites. Some 70,000 Palestinians were now refugees after 50 years of occupation. Israel had established a system of apartheid and had divided Palestinian territories into three regions. Israel controlled more than 61 per cent of the West Bank and prevented Palestinians from carrying out economic activities. The international community condemned that behaviour but he questioned what it should do in that case to uphold the United Nations Charter. Settlement activity and occupation in Palestine was a war crime. Settlers were accomplices in that crime. The international community must prevent or stop support for Israeli settlements. It must boycott settlements and their products. It must not accept the situation or Israeli diplomatic representation.
THANAVON PAMARANON (Thailand), speaking for the Group of 77, expressed concern over the persistent Israeli practices and policies that affected the social and economic conditions of the Palestinian people. The Group stressed its unwavering and unequivocal support for the economic development efforts and aspirations of the Palestinian people, including in East Jerusalem, as well as those of the Syrian people in the occupied Syrian Golan, and underscored that the agenda item in question was relevant to the Second Committee.
She noted the effects of the occupation on the Palestinian people, including high rates of unemployment and rampant poverty levels; destruction of homes and properties; obstacles to the implementation of critical environmental projects; and damages to the electric grid. It was necessary, in fulfilling the 2030 Agenda, not to forget people living under colonial and foreign occupation and to strive to remove the obstacles to their full realization of the right of self‑determination.
LAWRENCE XOLANI MALAWANE (South Africa), speaking for the African Group, said that it was clear from the Secretary‑General's report that the Israeli occupation and its practices had obstructed Palestinian social and economic development and at times also reversed it. In a world that was supposed to be shaped by the mantra of "leaving no one behind", where did the international community place people living under foreign occupation, he asked.
The Secretary‑General's note, he continued, had pointed out the lack of services for Palestinian neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem; the destruction of homes and livelihoods; and forced evictions and settler violence. Furthermore, 2.3 million Palestinians would need some type of humanitarian assistance in 2016. The Palestinian economy and private sector existed under prolonged occupation as long‑standing Israeli restrictions had severely impacted movements, access and trade. A total of 1.6 million Palestinians suffered from marginal or moderate food insecurity, he said, adding that the occupation had also had a detrimental impact on their mental health.
AHMED ALKUWARI (Qatar), speaking for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), said the Secretary‑General's note indicated that the Palestinian people were enduring a human rights crisis. "Yes, Mr. President, 50 years of occupation, oppression, humiliation and the worst kinds of human rights violations is enough, and it is morally, legally and politically unacceptable to allow this to continue", he said.
The document, he continued, had outlined the three-tiered strategy that Israel had systematically carried out against the Palestinian people: population displacement, land grab and suppression of any form of resistance. A day had not passed in which the occupying Power, Israel, had not expanded its settlements. The Israeli Government was more interested in consolidating its control over Palestinian land than achieving peace, he said, adding that it must end its prolonged occupation and comply with international law. The OIC appealed for the continued support of all concerned member States and the United Nations to the Palestinian people in their efforts to achieve their rights.
RAMZI LOUATI (Tunisia), speaking for the Arab Group and associating himself with the Group of 77, said that the note provided a realistic and accurate documentation of the violations by Israel targeted at the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territory and the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan. The report emphasized that the occupying Power used discriminatory policies that were a grave violation of international humanitarian law, using excessive violence and force that led to death and injury of civilians. The Israeli atrocities had led to the killing of 212 Palestinians in the period covered by the report, including 40 children and the injury of more than 16,000 Palestinians. Israel also imposed restrictions on movement of people and goods.
The settlers also enjoyed a discriminatory policy that served them in the distribution of land which violated the Palestinian right to build and use their land, which had negative socioeconomic conditions, he said. The demolition of homes continued. Those practices undermined significantly the possibility of a two-State solution. The Arab Group called for intensified efforts by Member States and the United Nations to support the Palestinian people and relieve them of the violations by Israel and to protect the rights of the Arab population in the Syrian Golan and end the occupation. Ending settlement expansion was a sine qua non for a peaceful settlement that guaranteed Palestinian rights to a viable, independent State with East Jerusalem as its capital.
PATRICIA BAJAÑA (Nicaragua), said the Palestinian Authority had no control over its land, water or other natural resources, and could not supply their people with even minimal living conditions. Stressing the urgent need to implement the 2030 Agenda, she said Palestinians also deserved to achieve those objectives. For more than five decades, the Palestinians had suffered occupation and had been denied the right to development. She expressed concern that the situation in the occupied territories was getting worse. The international community must bring about the sustainable development of occupied people and must make it possible for refugees to return to territories that historically belonged to them.
Mr. AXIOMA (Indonesia), underscoring that the 2030 Agenda emphasized no one should be left behind, but the Palestinian people could not be put on a trajectory for sustainable development under the occupying Power's policies. The occupying Power had ignored a volume of calls by the international community to stop illegal activities, including settlement expansion and forced diversion of water resources. That was a political, not a technical, problem, and, therefore, a political solution was needed. All efforts needed to be exerted to achieve the two‑State solution. He voiced support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's call to make 2017 the year to end the Israeli occupation. His country continued to contribute constructively to Palestinian development, including through capacity‑building programmes for Palestinians in cooperation with non‑governmental organizations.
Mrs. SHURBAJI (Syria), said the Israeli occupying authorities were still imposing discriminatory laws in occupied Syrian Golan, which were flagrant challenges to United Nations resolutions. Those authorities were giving financial enticements to people who settled in the Golan for at least five years. Israeli applied discriminatory and racist policies, denying Syrians in the Golan from the benefits of agriculture. The Israeli authorities had appropriated land from Syrians and deprived them from marketing their good in their motherland. Furthermore, Israel was dumping waste in the Syrian Golan, which was having bad effects on local health. Syrians were paying much more than Israelis for water and their land was being used to build electricity plants and extract wealth from Golan. Israel had begun to impose its influence and power on two valleys contingent to Golan. Terrorist groups working for Israeli forces were also aiming to evacuate those valleys by attempting to talk the Syrian people there out of their lands.
KHALID HULAYYIIL M. ALOTAIBI (Saudi Arabia), said that an economic siege had been imposed in Palestine, particularly on humanitarian agencies. Unemployment and poverty had increased and productivity had decreased. Since the beginning of the occupation, his country had always supported the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to create an independent, sovereign Palestinian State. The Jewish people had no right to the mosque, which was a Palestinian, Muslim property. Any references to the Torah in such places were based on historic tales preached by the occupiers of Palestine. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had affirmed that. He also denounced attacks on churches by Jewish settlers. Resolving the Palestinian issue was one of his country's priorities, he said, calling for a peace agreement in the region that involved the withdrawal of Israelis from the occupied Palestinian territories and those territories occupied since 1967. Moreover, Palestinians were deprived of tourism revenue due to Israeli procedures, and it was important that the next report mention that fact.
RAFAEL DARÍO RAMÍREZ CARREÑO (Venezuela), said Israel's use of force did not give that country the right to Palestine's natural resources. Through its continuing colonization, Israel was imposing daily obstacles to Palestinian lives, forcing the economy into decline and impoverishment. It was having a direct effect on sustainable economic development in the occupied territories. It had also caused displacement among Palestinian people and a 28.5 per cent rate of unemployment, which was especially prevalent among young people. Some 2.1 million people were suffering from moderate food insecurity. The occupation was having negative consequences on Palestinian health, as delivery of medical supplies was limited by conflict. There had also been an increase in infant mortality, especially in Gaza. Israel's plundering of natural resources was harmful to agriculture, flora and fauna.
EBRAHIM ALIKHANI (Iran), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that the Palestinian people would never enjoy the achievements of the Sustainable Development Agenda while they did not have sovereignty over their natural resources. Gaza's socioeconomic conditions had worsened and its infant mortality rate had increased for the first time in fifty years. The policies and actions imposed by Israel had hindered the movement, trade and productive activities of the Palestinian people. In addition, Israel continued to confiscate and expropriate Palestinian land in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Those measures appeared to be linked to the illegal expansion of settlements, the construction of the wall in the West Bank and the establishment of bypass roads mainly for the sole use of settlers. He urged the United Nations to strengthen its assistance programmes to mitigate the suffering faced by the Palestinians and the population of the occupied Syrian Golan.
ROLANDO CASTRO CORDOBA (Costa Rica), stressing the importance of creating the conditions that would guarantee peace, said that there could be no sustainable peace without sustainable development and vice versa. The Secretary‑General's report revealed the exclusionary policies practiced against the people of Palestine. He appealed to both parties to resume negotiations and create solutions that would benefit their overall populations. Given that a year had passed since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, it was necessary to work hard to ensure Palestinians' access to basic health services, quality education, empowerment of women, sanitation and sustainable sources of energy. Inequalities must be reduced and respect for human rights must become a reality in Palestine.
RAJA REZA BIN RAJA ZAIB SHAH (Malaysia), associating himself with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), said his country had been at the lead in the Security Council as it drew attention to illegal Israeli settlement expansion, which continued unabated even with the international community's overwhelming criticism. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the number of Palestinian structures destroyed or confiscated since the beginning of 2016 totalled 769, up 45 per cent compared to all of 2015. The repressive policies were aimed at stifling the natural growth of the Palestinian population in East Jerusalem, preventing Palestinians from moving there and pressuring Palestinians to leave. The catastrophic effect of the home demolitions and settlers' violence had particularly impacted Palestinian children, both physically and psychologically. The United Nations system must strengthen its assistance programmes to mitigate the suffering faced by the Palestinians and the population of the occupied Syrian Golan. He called on the international community to ensure the relevant United Nations agencies, such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), were provided with adequate and reliable funding and financial resources.
Mr. SLAIMAN (Iraq), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) report mentioned the growing repercussions of the Israeli occupation, and covered the ongoing practices of the Israeli authorities that led to the decline of the Palestinian people's socioeconomic conditions. The wall was without question an infringement of international law, depriving Palestinian people of access to their resources and freedom of mobility. The blockade of Gaza was also unjust. The attempt to change the demographic makeup of Jerusalem violated Security Council resolutions. It was imperative that the United Nations work in solidarity to end the occupation, as such behaviour would ultimately stifle any possibility of peace. The 2030 Agenda's goals might be unreachable by the Palestinian people, due to the violations practiced by the Israeli occupation, which had gone too far in its violations due to the impunity it was afforded. He also voiced support for the call by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for 2017 to be the year to end the Israeli occupation.
SULTAN ALI AL HEMRANI (United Arab Emirates), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that despite numerous General Assembly and Security Council resolutions demanding that Israel halt construction of illegal settlements on Palestinian territory, that country had not only not responded, but had increased the expansion of those activities. It had also continued its illegal expansion in the Syrian Golan. The establishment of the separation wall had led to the confiscation and razing of Palestinian land, the destruction of water sources, and the parting of Palestinian residents from their places of work. He voiced his renewed support of the Palestinian people's inalienable rights for access to their natural resources, self‑determination, and the establishment of their independent State according to 1967 borders. Furthermore, he emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to achieve a lasting resolution to the situation in the Middle East, which guaranteed the end of the Israeli occupation of all occupied Arab territories, including the Golan Heights.
NOUR ALJAZI (Jordan), associating herself with the Group of 77, the OIC, and the Arab Group, said that for more than forty‑nine years, the Israeli occupation had deprived Palestinians of their human right to development by following policies such as settlement expansion, the apartheid wall, confiscation of land, control of natural resources and the blockade of Gaza. That had adversely affected development indicators in Palestinian territories, causing its economies to suffer due to poverty, unemployment, and lack of food security. The reports issued by the United Nations and other international organizations also showed that the mobility restrictions applied by the Israeli occupation were increasing the economic hardships of the Palestinian people. Other discriminatory policies included inequity in the distribution of water, adversely affecting the development of the Palestinian economy and preventing them from exploiting their own natural resources. The expansionary policies and practices of the Israeli occupation were not just a flagrant violation of international human rights laws, but also the right to development.
OMAR A. A. ANNAKOU (Libya), aligning himself with the Arab Group, said that the report clearly documented Israeli policies that were undermining the Palestinian people's right to development. Homes and water infrastructure had been demolished in the West Bank, and the occupying army was dumping waste in agricultural land, thereby rendering it useless. Large numbers of people remained displaced in the Gaza Strip and without access to water and power. With 2 million people living in Gaza, the Strip was one of the most densely populated places in the world. It was incumbent upon the international community to wonder if the Palestinians could achieve any of the goals in the 2030 Agenda under such cruel circumstances. In the Syrian Golan, the occupying Power continued building settlements and the confiscation of agricultural land continued unabated. Such practices were a violation of all international instruments, including the Geneva Convention of 1949.
LINDA SCOTT (Namibia), associating herself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, called on the Israeli Government to immediately desist from the construction of settlements and the wall. She also urged the Israeli Government to comply with its legal obligations, as per the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice that had been rendered 12 years ago, and cease destruction of Palestinian homes and properties. As reported, the illegal settlement programme included restrictions on the movement of people and goods and the systematic erosion and destruction of the area's productivity base. The loss and reduction of land, water and other natural resources were some of the main factors which kept the Occupied Territory's economy from thriving. That was compounded by the separation of the Palestinian market from international markets, the blockade of Gaza, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and the construction of the separation wall on Palestinian land. All of those factors impeded the development of the Palestine economy. It was unacceptable that the Palestinian economy heavily relied on international assistance; too many barriers were blocking normal economic activity. Statehood and independence were the national, inalienable and legal rights of all people, including Palestinians.
MOHAMED OMAR GAD (Egypt), associating himself with the Group of 77, the OIC, the African Group, and the Arab Group, said the report provided a glimpse of the bitter realities the Palestinians faced in the occupied territories. All aspirations everywhere in the world hinged on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and all international instruments adopted, including Habitat III represented a world that was far from the reality faced by the Palestinians and those in the occupied Syrian Golan. The obstacles imposed by the occupying Power on building and construction, in addition to policies of demolishing homes, led to an impoverished Palestinian people. After five decades of Israeli occupation, one out of every two Palestinians required some form of humanitarian assistance. The private sector's activity was impeded and the Palestinian economy was extremely vulnerable. The illegal wall constructed in the West Bank was also a great obstacle to the movement of Palestinians. Such conditions were unsustainable. To implement the 2030 Agenda and truly leave no one behind, it was necessary to end the occupation.
MASUD BIN MOMEN (Bangladesh), associating with the Group of 77 and the OIC, said that the socioeconomic and humanitarian devastation sown by the occupation for nearly five decades had gravely affected the living conditions of the Palestinian people. Destruction of homes and properties, and the endangerment and depletion of Palestinian natural resources had compounded the poverty and underdevelopment. There were also obstacles to the implementation of critical environmental projects, such as a desalination facility and sewage treatment plant in Gaza. Calling on the international community to address those developmental issues, he added that the Palestinian and Syrian people would not enjoy the benefits of sustainable development until they had sovereign control over their natural resources.
KHALID SAEED MOHAMED AL SHUAIBI (Oman), associating himself with the Arab Group and the Group of 77, condemned the demolition of homes and the military operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. Such blatant violations of human rights affected the sustainable development of the populations living under Israel's military occupation. Further, the occupying Power was also pursuing discriminatory practices such as excessive use of force. Reiterating the importance of Palestinian sovereignty and allowing them to take control of their living conditions and resources, he called on the international community to take all necessary measures to force Israel to respect international law and United Nations resolutions and immediately cease all practices that undermined the development of the Palestinian people.


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Jumio Adds Latest Exec to C-suite
A seasoned financial officer and former Wall Street executive has become the latest member of Jumio's executive team. The biometric identity verification specialist has named Susan Walker as its new Chief Financial Officer.
Walker comes to the company from a previous position as CFO of Digital Guardian, a role she had performed since June of 2019. Before that, she also held CFO roles with Telestream (from December of 2017) and Avention (2015 to 2017).
From August of 2011 to March of 2015, Walker served as the VP of Finance & Corporate Strategy for Aspen Aerogels, an insulation maker serving the energy sector. There, she managed an $83 million IPO in the spring of 2014, a feat that Jumio highlighted in its announcement of her appointment.
Walker has also served as Director of Investor Relations and then Americas CFO for Novell (between 2006 and 2011), and she was a VP at J.P. Morgan from 1997 to 2001.
"Jumio is entering a new phase of growth and development and we are delighted to welcome Susan at such a critical moment in the company's evolution," commented Jumio CEO Robert Prigge. "Susan's experience in leading financial strategy in scaling technology organizations will support our high-velocity goals."
On that note, Jumio recently reported year-over-year sales growth of 140 percent for the first quarter of 2022, a remarkable result in the wake of a Q4 update in which Jumio reported a 130 percent sales uptick. The company has benefitted from intensifying interest in selfie-based remote onboarding technology in which an end user's identity can be verified by matching their face to images of their official identity documents.
"Jumio is a leader in the identity market with well-established technology, and I see extreme value in the company's mission to eradicate online fraud," commented Walker. "I am so proud to join at a time when the company is experiencing record growth and look forward to partnering with a deep bench of talented leaders and innovators."
In addition to building its client base, Jumio has also been investing in its executive leadership. The news of Walker's appointment comes after Jumio's announcement of a new Chief Technology Officer in April and a new MENA-focused Sales Leader in March.
May 10, 2022 – by Alex Perala
authID.ai Names New CFO
Jumio Reports Over $200M in 2022 Bookings
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Incode Looks to Expand With New VP of Business Development
Biometrics and Identity Specialist Trust Stamp Makes Nasdaq Debut
Filed Under: News Tagged With: Biometric, biometrics, CFO appointments, corporate news, executive appointments, face biometrics, facial recognition, Jumio, remote onboarding, selfie biometrics, selfie onboarding

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Almost everyone cleans. But do you think about why you are using And how it's affecting you? Many cleaners and disinfectants contain dangerous chemicals like ammonia and 2-Butoxyethanol which are extremely bad for you if accidently consumed. A substitute for them would be vinegar. Works the exact same, and is much cheaper by almost 20 times less.


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USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Light-Based Physiological Measurement Devices and Components Thereof
Inv. No(s). 337-TA-1276
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has voted to institute an investigation of certain light-based physiological measurement devices and components thereof. The products at issue in the investigation are described in the Commission's notice of investigation.
The investigation is based on a complaint filed by Masimo Corporation of Irvine, CA, and Cercacor Laboratories, Inc., of Irvine, CA, on June 30, 2021, and amended on July 12, 2021. The amended complaint alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of certain light-based physiological measurement devices and components thereof that infringe patents asserted by the complainants. The complainants request that the USITC issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders.
The USITC has identified Apple, Inc., of Cupertino, CA, as the respondent in this investigation.
By instituting this investigation (337-TA-1276), the USITC has not yet made any decision on the merits of the case. The USITC's Chief Administrative Law Judge will assign the case to one of the USITC's administrative law judges (ALJ), who will schedule and hold an evidentiary hearing. The ALJ will make an initial determination as to whether there is a violation of section 337; that initial determination is subject to review by the Commission.
The USITC will make a final determination in the investigation at the earliest practicable time. Within 45 days after institution of the investigation, the USITC will set a target date for completing the investigation. USITC remedial orders in section 337 cases are effective when issued and become final 60 days after issuance unless disapproved for policy reasons by the U.S. Trade Representative within that 60-day period.


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People vote in West Bend, Wis., on Oct. 22.
Tight race in divided Wisconsin
By JONATHAN MARTIN
OSHKOSH, Wis. — For the third time this year, Wisconsin finds itself smack in the center of the political conversation.
Mitt Romney will rally supporters Monday in suburban Milwaukee; President Barack Obama is visiting Green Bay on Tuesday; and Paul Ryan will follow the president to the home of Lambeau Field and will make two other Wisconsin stops on Wednesday. And both the campaigns and their super PACs, after only coming on the air in September, are ratcheting up their TV spending here, making Green Bay now the most heavily bought market in America.
Suddenly, the Badger State is looking more like it did in 2000 and 2004, when presidential hopefuls lavished attention on the cheese and beer-loving people between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, and the campaigns were decided by less than a percentage point. Independent observers here still give Obama the edge at the moment — but barely.
What gives Republicans a measure of both hope and concern are the two preceding events this year that thrust Wisconsin into the national spotlight: the contentious and unsuccessful June recall of Gov. Scott Walker and Romney's selection in August of Janesville's Ryan as his running mate.
The GOP case for why they can win Wisconsin for the first time since 1984 rests in no small part on both. They think the effort to dislodge Walker from office a year and a half into his term has sparked a backlash and created an organization that will carry over into the presidential race. And they believe that the presence of the popular 42-year-old Wisconsinite on the Republican ticket will lift Romney in some of the state's Democratic-leaning precincts.
But what makes Republicans uneasy about their prospects next month can also be traced back to the recall and the Ryan pick.
About 500,000 voters who cast ballots in the 2008 election didn't show up for the recall, which Walker won by seven points. Political veterans in both parties here believe those Wisconsinites are likely Obama voters if he can turn them out again.
"If you're not involved or engaged enough to come out for the Walker recall," freshman Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said a bit incredulously, adding, "I'm a little concerned about the half-million voters. That is the only reason this thing would be close."
A GOP member of the state Assembly, Robin Vos, was blunter.
"That is my biggest concern," Vos said of the falloff between the presidential campaign and recall. "It's the most important election in our life, and you didn't vote?"
Further, while the selection of Ryan lifted Republican hopes here for the first time and threw a scare into Democrats, what came after has left GOP veterans befuddled: Romney didn't come back to the state following a joint rally he held the day after he put the young House Budget Committee chairman on the ticket in mid-August. Only Ryan has been on the trail here over the past two months.
In an interview, Walker said he had been "pestering" senior Republicans, including Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus, who's from Kenosha, and Romney officials to get the GOP nominee back to the state.
"They've clearly heard our requests," Walker said pointing to Romney's trip on Monday. "Our voters want to see the candidate, and it's not enough to see the candidate on TV."
Walker emphasized that he thinks Romney can win and called the race "a dead heat."
Most Democrats, however, believe firmly Obama is still narrowly ahead, and both private polling conducted by Republicans and Democrats as well as independent observers give the incumbent the edge going into the final week.
"It's close with a slight Obama advantage," said Craig Gilbert, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's political sage.
Ron Kind
Wisconsin Election 2012


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PRESS RELEASE December 11, 2020
New World Bank Program to Support Vulnerable Children, Empower Teachers in North Macedonia
Washington, December 11, 2020 – A new, World Bank-funded project will provide support to primary education students in North Macedonia – including to Roma, girls, and other marginalized populations – through the introduction of improved learning environment and better schools. The new, €21.5 million North Macedonia Primary Education Improvement Project will also support the implementation of a modern system for professional development and career advancement among primary education teachers, principals, and multi-professional support teams.
The project focuses on school-level interventions closest to students and most likely to enhance learning, while simultaneously mitigating and recovering learning losses generated by COVID-19. Additional elements of the project include system-level reforms, designed to empower teachers by providing data on learning and up-to-date training. The activities are aimed at building the foundation of a modern and efficient primary education system in North Macedonia.
"Skills formation starts early in life and education is 'path-dependent,' meaning that access to higher quality education from the very beginning is vital for equipping students with the necessary foundational skills to continue their education and smooth the transition to the labor market," says Bojana Naceva, Senior Education Specialist and Task Team Leader for the Project. "This project is expected boost shared prosperity by providing quality education for all students, especially those who have traditionally been marginalized and who tend to fall into the poorest 40 percent of the population. This initiative will ensure better learning outcomes and, ultimately, better employment outcomes."
Direct beneficiaries of the project will include primary education students, but focused support will be given to students from vulnerable groups, including Roma, girls, and students affected by the closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students will benefit from improved learning environment, better physical environments in their schools, and more well-trained teachers. Competent, motivated, and well-supported professionals are crucial to addressing the urgent issues of improving learning outcomes in primary schools in North Macedonia.
The World Bank's 2020 Human Capital Index shows that a child born in North Macedonia today will be just 56 percent as productive when she grows up as she could be if she enjoyed complete education and full health. Furthermore, results from international student assessments such as PISA reveal comparatively weak levels of student achievement at end of lower secondary grades in North Macedonia, suggesting that learning deficiencies which start in primary education persist through later grades. There are also wide performance gaps between the top and bottom income groups in the country, with students in the lower group lagging by the equivalent of two years of schooling. Therefore, this project will contribute to the promotion and development of more competitive and adaptive human capital and help ensure that social groups that have traditionally been marginalized gain better access to education services around the country.
"North Macedonia has recently undertaken important reforms to the preschool education and care system. To capitalize further on this important investment, the country needs to invest more and more effectively to enhance the quality of teaching and improve learning environments for primary education," says Massimiliano Paolucci, World Bank Country Manager for North Macedonia and Kosovo. "The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation and the country will need to implement adequate policies and learning recovery measures in order to promote school attendance after this interruption - tackling learning losses after a forced absence and supporting the psycho-social needs of students and teachers alike."
The Primary Education Improvement Project is financed from a World Bank loan of EUR 21.5 million with a final maturity of 11 years, including a grace period of 3 years, and will be implemented over a five-year period. The key implementing agency of the project will be the Ministry of Education and Science.
PRESS RELEASE NO: 2021/ECA/50
John Mackedon
jmackedon@worldbank.org
Anita Bozinovska
abozinovska@worldbank.org


Researchers have combined the cruising capabilities of a plane and the hovering of a drone with the Transformable Hovering Rotorcraft.
Wings are best suited for cruising along distances horizontally, while rotors assist an aerial vehicle in the vertical axis of things. This is why most recreational drones use rotors as opposed to military grade drones whose wings make them look more like traditional airplanes. It's always been a delicate balance between the two, but now it seems that researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design have found a perfect sweet-spot which allows for both vertical hovering and horizontal cruising capabilities from one singular drone design. Meet THOR, the "Transformable HOvering Rotorcraft".
At the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) of 2017, the THOR presented its aerodynamic efficiency to the world. Since the THOR utilizes wings to cruise which then fold into functioning rotors to hover, this really is an all-in-one design that seems to work perfectly according to the video provided by the Airlab of Singapore University of Technology and Design. In the video below, you can see the various options offered by THOR, such as Hover Mode (with which you can "pitch" forward or backward, and "roll" left or right), the transition from Hover to Cruising Mode, Cruising Mode, and finally, the transition back to Hover from Cruising Mode.
If you haven't quite figured it out yet, THOR generates its lift by spinning in place with its wings tilted at 180 degrees, just like a helicopter does. When it's time to cruise, similarly to an airplane, the wings are aligned into place, allowing for more horizontally focused autonomy. According to IEEESpectrum, the researchers are currently calling the Hover Mode "H-MOD", while Cruise Mode is being labeled as "C-MOD." Have a look at the diagram below of the THOR drone in "H-MOD", straight from the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
THOR in "Hover Mode" configuration.
The most important part of THOR's operations is clearly the transition of the wings and their degrees to the ground. In order to switch from Cruise to Hover, each blade must rotate by 90 degrees, and this has to happen mid-flight without any obstruction to the intended flight path or any other user-experience flaw. According to IEEESpectrum, this action is done by an actuator in THOR's midsection. Apparently, THOR has been extremely reliable in this regard. According to the SUTD team, "the motors were strong enough to almost instantaneously break the craft out of H-MOD rotation and push the craft into translational flight."
Once you've seen the video above and take a look at all the work this team of researchers has done, you can't help but be impressed. This seems like a huge step forward in combining the two primary elements of a cruising aerial vehicle and a hovering one, which, when combined, could fuse together to become a new standard of UAVs. This definitely seems like the best of both worlds. Of course, these are the early days yet, and refinements are sure to follow. We can't wait to see how this evolves over time. Stay tuned.
The Israeli company wants to use its air-traffic management software to standardize drone deliveries by year's end.


text:
Intercountry Adoptees Tell Their Stories
and the extent to which they reinforced their child ( ren ) ' s birth culture , racial perceptions , and so on . Politte's results were consistent with previous findings in the literature . Intercountry adoptees did very well ...
Author: Heather Ahn-Redding
Publisher: Lexington Books
Category: Family & Relationships
Intercountry Adoptees Tell Their Stories reflects the thoughts and experiences of adult transracial adoptees. The authors conducted in-depth interviews in order to understand and examine the adoptees. The men and women interviewed in this study offer the readers a detailed and personal glimpse into their worlds. They represent a range of positive and negative adoption stories and describe the complexities of ethnic identity formation.
Transracial and Intercountry Adoptions
Preadoption adversities and postadoption mediators of mental health and school outcomes among international, foster, and private adoptees in the ... Birthmothers: Women who have relinquished babies for adoption tell their stories.
Author: Rowena Fong
Publisher: Columbia University Press
With essays by well-known adoption practitioners and researchers who source empirical research and practical knowledge, this volume addresses key developmental, cultural, health, and behavioral issues in the transracial and international adoption process and provides recommendations for avoiding fraud and techniques for navigating domestic and foreign adoption laws. The text details the history, policy, and service requirements relating to white, African American, Asian American, Latino and Mexican American, and Native American children and adoptive families. It addresses specific problems faced by adoptive families with children and youth from China, Russia, Ethiopia, India, Korea, and Guatemala, and offers targeted guidance on ethnic identity formation, trauma, mental health treatment, and the challenges of gay or lesbian adoptions
Intercountry Adoption
Selman P. (in press) The Global Decline of Intercountry Adoption: What lies ahead? Social Policy and Society, 11(4) Selman, P., ... In their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees tell their Stories. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Author: Karen Smith Rotabi
Intercountry adoption represents a significant component of international migration; in recent years, up to 45,000 children have crossed borders annually as part of the intercountry adoption boom. Proponents have touted intercountry adoption as a natural intervention for promoting child welfare. However, in cases of fraud and economic incentives, intercountry adoption has been denounced as child trafficking. The debate on intercountry adoption has been framed in terms of three perspectives: proponents who advocate intercountry adoption, abolitionists who argue for its elimination, and pragmatists who look for ways to improve both the conditions in sending countries and the procedures for intercountry transfer of children. Social workers play critical roles in intercountry adoption; they are often involved in family support services or child relinquishment in sending countries, and in evaluating potential adoptive homes, processing applications, and providing support for adoptive families in receiving countries; social workers are involved as brokers and policy makers with regard to the processes, procedures, and regulations that govern intercountry adoption. Their voice is essential in shaping practical and ethical policies of the future. Containing 25 chapters covering the following five areas: policy and regulations; sending country perspectives; outcomes for intercountry adoptees; debate between a proponent and an abolitionist; and pragmatists' guides for improving intercountry adoption practices, this book will be essential reading for social work practitioners and academics involved with intercountry adoption.
International Korean Adoption
In their own voices: Transracial adoptees tell their stories. New York: Columbia University Press. Steinberg, G., & Hall, B. (1998). An insider's guide to transracial adoption. San Francisco: PACT, An Adoption Alliance.
Author: Kathleen Ja Sook Bergquist
Discover the roots of international transracial adoption International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice explores the long history of international transracial adoption. Scholars present the expert multidisciplinary perspectives and up-to-date research on this most significant and longstanding form of international child welfare practice. Viewpoints and research are discussed from the academic disciplines of psychology, ethnic studies, sociology, social work, and anthropology. The chapters examine sociohistorical background, the forming of new families, reflections on Korean adoption, birth country perspectives, global perspectives, implications for practice, and archival, historical, and current resources on Korean adoption. International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice provides fresh insight into the origins, development, and institutionalization of Korean adoption. Through original research and personal accounts, this revealing text explores how Korean adoptees and their families fit into their family roles—and offers clear perspectives on adoption as child welfare practice. Global implications and politics, as well as the very personal experiences are examined in detail. This source is a one-of-a-kind look into the full spectrum of information pertaining to Korean adoption. Topics in International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice include: adoption from the Korean perspective historical origins of Korean adoption in the United States adjustments of young adult adoptees marketing to choosy adopters ethnic identity perspectives on the importance of race and culture in parenting birth mothers' perspectives sociological approach to race and identity representations of adoptees in Korean popular culture adoption in Australia and the Netherlands much, much more International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice is illuminating reading for adoptees, adoptive parents, practitioners, educators, students, and any child welfare professional.
Lostbirds
An Exploration of the Phenomenological Experience of Transracially Adopted Native Americans Jeffrey J. Peterson ... In their own voices: Transracial adoptees tell their stories. ... Inter-country adoption: In whose best interest?
Author: Jeffrey J. Peterson
ISBN: WISC:89081050445
Category: Adoption
Race in Transnational and Transracial Adoption
P. Selman (2002)'Intercountry adoptioninthe newmillennium; the"quiet" migration, revisited' PopulationResearch ... Roorda (2000)InTheir Own Voices:Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories (New York: Columbia University Press).
Author: Vilna Bashi Treitler
When parents form families by reaching across social barriers to adopt children, where and how does race enter the adoption process? How do agencies, parents, and the adopted children themselves deal with issues of difference in adoption? This volume engages writers from both sides of the Atlantic to take a close look at these issues.
From Intercountry Adoption to Global Surrogacy
Others say that they both wanted and needed to adopt and intercountry adoption seemed to be the easiest solution to ... as well as stories of hope in a social entrepreneurial approach to communicating their mission (Cartwright, 2003; ...
Intercountry adoption has undergone a radical decline since 2004 when it reached a peak of approximately 45,000 children adopted globally. Its practice had been linked to conflict, poverty, gender inequality, and claims of human trafficking, ultimately leading to the establishment of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (HCIA). This international private law along with the Convention on the Rights of the Child affirm the best interests of the child as paramount in making decisions on behalf of children and families with obligations specifically oriented to safeguards in adoption practices. In 2004, as intercountry adoption peaked and then began a dramatic decline, commercial global surrogacy contracts began to take off in India. Global surrogacy gained in popularity owing, in part, to improved assisted reproductive technology methods, the ease with which people can make global surrogacy arrangements, and same-sex couples seeking the option to have their own genetically-related children. Yet regulation remains an issue, so much so that the Hague Conference on Private International Law has undertaken research and assessed the many dilemmas as an expert group considers drafting a new law, with some similarities to the HCIA and a strong emphasis on parentage. This ground-breaking book presents a detailed history and applies policy and human rights issues with an emphasis on the best interests of the child within intercountry adoption and the new conceptions of protection necessary in global surrogacy. To meet this end, voices of surrogate mothers in the US and India ground discourse as authors consider the human rights concerns and policy implications. For both intercountry adoption and global surrogacy, the complexity of the social context anchors the discourse inclusive of the intersections of poverty and privilege. This examination of the inevitable problems is presented at a time in which the pathways to global surrogacy appear to be shifting as the Supreme Court of India weighs in on the future of the industry there while Thailand, Cambodia and other countries have banned the practice all together. There is speculation that countries in Africa and possibly Central America appear poised to pick up the multi-million dollar industry as the demand for healthy infants continues on.
Queer Mobilizations
LGBT Activists Confront the Law Scott Barclay, Mary Bernstein, Anna-Maria Marshall. certificates is to have the state govern their role as a parent ... From the 1970s on, adoptees have argued against the "as if" stories told to them and ...
Author: Scott Barclay
Publisher: NYU Press
Fighting for marriage and family rights; protection from discrimination in employment, education, and housing; criminal law reform; economic justice; and health care reform: the LGBT movement is engaged in some of the most important cultural and political battles of our times. Seeking to reshape many of our basic social institutions, the LBGT movement's legal, political, and cultural campaigns reflect the complex visions, strategies, and rhetoric of the individuals and groups knocking at the law's door. The original essays in this volume bring social movement scholarship and legal analysis together, enriching our understanding of social movements, LGBT politics and organizing, legal studies, and public policy. Moreover, they highlight the struggle to make the law relevant and responsive to the LGBT community. Ultimately, Queer Mobilizations examines how the LGBT movement's engagement with the law shapes the very meanings of sexuality, sex, gender, privacy, discrimination, and family in law and society. Contributors: Ellen Ann Andersen, Steven A. Boutcher, Bayliss Camp, Casey Charles, Ashley Currier, Courtenay W. Daum, Shauna Fisher, David John Frank, Jonathan Goldberg-Hiller, Charles W. Gossett, Marybeth Herald, Nicholas Pedriana, Darren Rosenblum, Susan M. Sterett, and Amy L. Stone.
Handbook of Adoption
Implications for Researchers, Practitioners, and Families Rafael A. Javier, Amanda L. Baden, Frank A. Biafora, ... In their own voices: Transracial adoptees tell their stories. ... Intercountry adoption: A review of the evidence.
Author: Rafael A. Javier
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Although most mental health and behavioral health professionals have encountered adoption triad members—birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted persons—in their clinical practice, the vast majority have had no formal or informal training on adoption issues. The Handbook of Adoption is the first text designed for mental health practitioners to specifically address the many dimensions of adoption-related issues which can and do affect adoption triad members, specifically in the United States.
A Legal History of Adoption in Ontario 1921 2015
Katherine McDade, "International Adoption in Canada: Public Policy Issues," discussion paper 91. ... The women involved, silenced for many years, have started to tell their stories of coercion and manipulation in such homes.
Author: Lori Chambers
Lori Chambers' fascinating study explores the legal history of adoption in Ontario since the passage of the first statute in 1921. This volume explores a wide range of themes and issues in the history of adoption including: the reasons for the creation of statutory adoption, the increasing voice of unmarried fathers in newborn adoption, the reasons for movement away from secrecy in adoption, the evolution of step-parent adoption, the adoption of Indigenous children, and the growth of international adoption. Unlike other works on adoption, Chambers focuses explicitly on statutes, statutory debates and the interpretation of statues in court. In doing so, she concludes that adoption is an inadequate response to child welfare and on its own cannot solve problems regarding child neglect and abuse. Rather, Chambers argues that in order to reform the area of adoption we must first acknowledge that it is built upon social inequalities within and between nations.
Biochemistry of Fruit Ripening
Dangerous Tides (Drake Sisters, Book 4) (Sea Haven: Drake Sisters)
Fieseler Fi 156 Storch
The Player (The Game Maker Series)
Les Mots et les Choses: Une Archeologie des Sciences Humaines
Civil Liability for Animals
Psychological Interventions
Handwriting Practice Workbook for Kids
The Child Psychotherapy Progress Notes Planner (PracticePlanners)
Quantum Machine Learning with Python
A Shortcut in Time
Disproportionate Minority Contact and Racism in the US
Ovarian Follicular and Corpus Luteum Function
Origin and Evolution of Viruses
Sea of Poppies
Consumer-Resource Dynamics (MPB-36)
Exceptional Entrepreneurial Women
The Fiery Heart
Lee Guiding
Litany of the Long Sun
He Heard Hannah
Overcoming Autism: Finding the Answers, Strategies, and Hope That Can Transform a Child's Life
The Paris Winter: A Novel
Managing Diversity and Equality in Construction: Initiatives and Practice
Mary Tudor, Queen Of France
Leonard Maltins Movie Crazy: For People Who Love Movies
Disability and Teaching (Reflective Teaching and the Social Conditions of Schooling Series)
Drug Overdoses & Alcohol Withdrawal
Nature of Roman Comedy
Handbook of Human Factors in Medical Device Design


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"Our family favourite for perfect butties."
excellent bread which keeps well for a number of days. I believe it is due to the type of wrapping.. Also Morrisons have not increased the price to £1.05 like other supermarkets did some weeks ago.
Finally, after spending on countless different brands of bread and supermarkets own brands, I have found a loaf which arrives fresh, soft and lasts well into the week for making pack-ups. This is the nicest, freshest bread by far. Thumbs up for warburtons.