THE PORT ANGELES GLOBE: 11/15/17

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

WORLD NEWS AND EVENTS

WH: Remarks by President Trump at 5th U.S.-ASEAN Summit

Press release issued 11/ 13/ 17
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/11/13/remarks-president-trump-5th-us-asean-summit

Speech excerpt: " For five decades, this organization has brought together a vital assembly of nations to build consensus on critical issues facing the region and the world. You have created a forum for all nations with a stake in the Indo-Pacific to listen, learn, and develop solutions to common challenges through strategic dialogue.

The United States remains committed to ASEAN's central role as a regional forum for total cooperation. This diplomatic partnership advances the security and prosperity of the American people and the people of all Indo-Pacific nations.

In recent decades, nations across the region have built strong societies, robust economies, and vibrant communities of citizens. Really proud -- totally proud, always -- of their heritage, and confident in who they are.

Today, we celebrate your incredible success, and we also seek economic partnerships on the basis of fairness and reciprocity. As the world knows, the United States, since our election on November 8th, has been moving ahead really brilliantly on an economic basis. We have the highest stock market we've ever had. We have the lowest unemployment in 17 years. The value of stocks has risen $5.5 trillion. " (read more on link source)

More World news and events...

NEWS FROM THE UN

UN PRESS RELEASE: Security Council, General Assembly Unable to Reach Agreement for Remaining Vacancy on International Court of Justice
Press release issued 11/ 13/ 17
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sc13064.doc.htm
The Security Council this afternoon, meeting independently from, but concurrently with the General Assembly, failed to elect the last of five members to the International Court of Justice for a nine‑year term, beginning on 6 February 2018.
In the election, six candidates were contesting five positions for nine‑year terms. Five of the candidates are current members of the International Court of Justice: Ronny Abraham (France), the incumbent President of the Court; Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf (Somalia), the incumbent Vice‑President; Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade (Brazil); Dalveer Bhandari (India); and Christopher Greenwood (United Kingdom). The sixth candidate is Nawaf Salam, currently the Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations.

UN PRESS RELEASE: Secretary General Stresses Comprehensive, Preventive Actions against Terrorism, Violent Extremism, in Remarks to Summit with South-East Asian Nations
Press release issued 11/ 13/ 17
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sgsm18784.doc.htm
Following are UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ remarks at the ninth ASEAN‑UN [Association of Southeast Nations-United Nations] Summit in Manila, Philippines, today:

I congratulate the Government and people of the Republic of the Philippines for your success in chairing ASEAN in its fiftieth anniversary year. And I congratulate all the Governments and peoples of ASEAN on the achievement of this milestone.

ASEAN was founded at a time of great turmoil in Southeast Asia. Five decades on, ASEAN is an indispensable partner in ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia and beyond.

The five men who signed the founding ASEAN declaration were two Muslims from Indonesia and Malaysia, a Christian from the Philippines, a Hindu from Singapore and a Buddhist from Thailand. This is just one sign of remarkable diversity at the heart of your region, as we meet at a time of proliferating divisions and crises.

Globalization is delivering new opportunities — but increasing economic and social inequalities, heightening citizens’ anxieties and putting pressure on social cohesion. Climate change is exacerbating severe weather events like hurricanes and storms. I commend ASEAN’s leadership at the national and regional levels for your decisive action to strengthen resilience and reduce the risk posed by climate change and other natural disasters. I will stress the importance of collective action at the global and regional levels at the COP23 [twenty-third Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] in Germany later this week.

As I told the General Assembly of the UN in September, I am extremely concerned by the threat of global terrorism and violent extremism, including in this region. The United Nations is prioritizing support for national and regional efforts to counter terrorism and to prevent violent extremism, including the establishment of a dedicated UN Office of Counter‑Terrorism. We welcome the adoption of the Manila Declaration to Counter the Rise of Radicalization and Violent Extremism, and its recognition of the importance of comprehensive approaches and preventive action.

The United Nations stands ready to provide technical support to ASEAN and its member countries in their efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism, and to combat transnational crime, including drug trafficking and people trafficking, through policies able to protect their citizens with effective law enforcement and respect for human rights. The international community must raise the level of its response to all these complex threats. Multilateralism and regional cooperation will be critical to a peaceful and prosperous future. (read more on link source)

UN PRESS RELEASE: Speakers Voice Concern About Whistle‑Blower Protection, Managerial Accountability, as Fifth Committee Discusses United Nations System for Resolving Staff Disputes
Press release issued 11/ 13/ 17
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/gaab4254.doc.htm
Delegates expressed concern today about protection for whistle‑blowers and managerial accountability as well as staff’s lack of knowledge of dispute mechanisms at their disposal as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) examined the Organization’s track record for resolving conflict for tens of thousands of employees worldwide.

The Organization’s system for administering justice comprises formal and informal mechanisms to resolve disputes, including both a Dispute and Appeals Tribunal staffed by professional judges, the Office of Staff Legal Assistance, the Management Evaluation Unit, as well as the Office of the United Nations Ombudsman and Meditation Services.

On effective protection from retaliation, the delegate from Switzerland, also speaking for Liechtenstein, stressed the importance of an environment in which staff members felt safe reporting misconduct, or lodging a case with tribunals or appearing as a witness before them. Observing that the latter two cases were still excluded from protection against retaliation, he called on the United Nations to remedy that situation.

The representative of the United States echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the United Nations could not be a transparent and accountable organization without adequate protection for those who reported wrongdoing, stressing, “there should be no fear of retaliation at the United Nations”.

Ecuador’s representative, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, noted that during the reporting period, no decision had been made on the accountability of managers whose decisions had been found to be grossly negligent and had led to litigation and financial losses, underscoring that such issues must be further analysed and addressed. Moreover, she noted with concern the widespread lack of knowledge among staff members of the internal system of justice, as well as the high degree of self‑representation before the United Nations Dispute Tribunal despite the availability of free legal assistance. (read more at link source)

NEWS FROM THE UN NEWS CENTER:

Bonn: Initiative to increase insurance coverage for climate-related disasters launched at UN conference
14 November 2017 – On the heels of one of the worst – and most costly – Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, a global initiative was launched Wednesday at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23), in Bonn, Germany, with the aim of providing insurance to hundreds of millions of vulnerable people by 2020 and to increase the resilience of developing countries against the impacts of climate change.

UN warns of trafficking, sexual abuse in shadow of Rohingya refugee crisis
14 November 2017 – Human trafficking and exploitation are rife among Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar to seek safety in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, the United Nations migration agency has found.

Largest gathering of defence ministers dedicated to UN peacekeeping to kick off in Vancouver
13 November 2017 – It is extremely critical that “major gaps” in equipment and staff needed to maintain United Nations peacekeeping operations are filled “in the shortest time possible” Atul Khare, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, said ahead of a major gathering of global defence ministers in Canada.

Antibiotic resistance is ‘crisis we cannot ignore,’ UN warns, calling for responsible use of these medicines
13 November 2017 – As World Antibiotic Awareness Week began on Monday, the United Nations, through its Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), called for responsible use of antibiotics in humans and animals to reduce the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

US MISSION TO THE UN:

Explanation of Vote following the Adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2385 on the Situation in Somalia
Press release issued 11/ 14/ 17
https://usun.state.gov/remarks/8102
The United States strongly supports this important resolution renewing the mandate of the Somalia and Eritrea sanctions regimes. Its renewal reflects the Security Council’s understanding that these sanctions regimes are an important part of the international community’s comprehensive response to the situation in the Horn of Africa. By renewing the mandate of the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group, we signal our continued commitment for greater security and peace for the region.

We wish to acknowledge the recent engagement between the Government of Eritrea and the United States and international community, and we encourage Eritrea to continue working toward addressing the Security Council’s concerns. While we appreciate our dialogue with Eritrea, we must note our disappointment that the Monitoring Group and the Committee Chair continue to be prevented from visiting the country. This lack of cooperation hinders the ability of the Monitoring Group to fulfill its mandate to fully assess Eritrea’s compliance. Confirmation of Eritrean compliance with the sanctions regime is essential to easing the sanctions regime. Allowing the Monitoring Group to visit and fulfill its mandate is a necessary initial step.

We remain deeply concerned about the Monitoring Group’s reports of possible sanctions violations, including the interdiction of military encrypted radios from North Korea to Eritrea, as well as Eritrean support for regional armed groups. We also expect Eritrea to share any additional information available to resolve lingering questions regarding any Djiboutian prisoners in its custody.

Turning to Somalia, we acknowledge the ongoing efforts made by the Federal Government of Somalia toward security sector reform and to comply with its reporting requirements under the sanctions regime. More broadly, it is clear that Somalia has an important opportunity to solidify its political and security gains. Now that the Federal Government of Somalia has a president, prime minister, and cabinet in place, the FGS and Somalia’s Federal Member States must focus on providing effective governance to the people of Somalia.---Ambassador Michele J. Sison U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (read more at link source)

Remarks at a UN Security Council Open Arria-Formula Meeting on the Situation in Venezuela
Press release issued 11/ 13/ 17
https://usun.state.gov/remarks/8100
It’s interesting; when we decided to do this Arria-formula meeting, it was very much because when we held it back in May, we had all hoped for a better turnout. We had seen all the things that were happening in Venezuela. We saw it being reduced to the point of less democratic, more abusive. We saw the people hurting, and so that is the reason we decided to have a follow-up meeting today to continue the pressure on the government to right the wrongs that they had had happen.

What we have since found is we received pressure from regional partners not to have this meeting. This goal is not to degrade anyone. This is not to humiliate a region. This is only to lift up the region. This is a region that has many strong countries, and when you’ve got one right there that’s the weak one, it makes everyone look bad. And so that’s the reason we think it was important.

But what was more telling was to see my Security Council friends that fell to the Venezuelan pressure to not attend at all. And I will tell you that is proof to me that all of the issues that we’re fighting for the Venezuelan people – all of the wrongs that we see – the fact that the government would go so far as to try and get people not to show up to a meeting is guilt. And that’s unfortunate.

We are here today to discuss the situation in Venezuela. It is one of the most breathtakingly tragic situations in the world. Here you have a country that by all measures should be in a strong condition. It is a country with vast natural resources and economic potential. A country with a democratic experience. A country that sits in a region that has made remarkable progress in moving away from dictatorships and toward freedom.

And yet, all of that potential is being squandered by a government that cares only for preserving its own power, rather than promoting the freedom and welfare of its people. Through violence, massive repression, corruption, and financial mismanagement, the Maduro regime is showing its true colors as a dictatorship. It is denying the voice of its own people by imprisoning political opposition, rejecting its own democratically elected National Assembly, and putting forth sham elections that everyone understands are phony.

The Venezuelan people desperately want to control their own destinies. They know what a real democracy is like. They see it in their neighboring countries. Not only is this march against democracy denying the Venezuelan people their rights, in many cases it is also denying them their health and their very lives.---Ambassador Nikki Haley ( read more from the link source)

US DEPT. OF DEFENSE NEWS:

Mattis, Georgia’s Defense Minister Discuss Security Issues at Pentagon
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2017 — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria discussed regional security, the U.S.-Georgia defense relationship and other issues today during their meeting at the Defense Department’s headquarters, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said in a statement following their meeting.

Coalition Airstrikes Kill 4 Senior ISIS Leaders
SOUTHWEST ASIA, Nov. 14, 2017 — Coalition airstrikes killed four senior Islamic State of Iraq and Syria leaders in the past three weeks, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials announced today.

Three-Carrier Strike Force Conducts Exercise in Western Pacific
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2017 — A three-carrier naval force is finishing a multi-day exercise in the Western Pacific, demonstrating the Navy's unique capability to operate multiple carrier strike groups as a coordinated effort, according to Navy officials.