Last week’s once-in-a-decade conference on cities – held in the world cultural heritage city of Quito, Ecuador – yielded another agreement among nations on the path to a more sustainable future. Nearly 30,000 attended Habitat III’s opening-day festivities, a record number of participants whose presence served as “testimony to the strong interest in the conference, in the relevance of the themes it addresses, and in taking part in the global conversation about our cities,” in the words of the organizers.

The mood was considerably darker in the Middle East, where hostilities ceased only briefly in Aleppo, even as another cease-fire was negotiated in Yemen. UN aid agencies and their partners also are scrambling to help Iraqi civilians expected to be driven from their homes in the fight now underway to wrest control of Mosul from ISIL. Humanitarian needs are manifest in Haiti too: 800,000 people there need help to recover from the havoc that Hurricane Matthew has wrought on their lives and communities.

UN officials in Washington:

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded its first official visit to the United States, and presented its preliminary observations to the government and then to journalists and civil society. The human-rights experts visited prisons, immigration detention facilities, mental health institutions, and police stations in Washington, D.C., Texas, California, and Illinois.

• UN rights experts call on US to abolish mandatory detention of migrants (10/24)

The Secretary-General:

The Secretary-General was in Washington, DC to accept an honorary doctorate at the University of Maryland for his long record of public service.  He accepted it “on behalf of tens of thousands of United Nations staff who are working day and night for humanity, all around the world,” he said. Ban commended the school’s innovative “Do Good campus” initiative aimed to bring philanthropy and social responsibility to campuses across the country. He focused his remarks on “three global challenges: climate change, sustainable development, and refugees and migration.” The Secretary-General also spoke at a dinner hosted by the Council of Korean Americans. (10/14-15)

From there, he visited victims of Hurricane Matthew in Port-au-Prince, Haiti before heading to Quito, Ecuador for the Habitat III conference.

At the Security Council:

Women’s role in peace and security is the subject for an open debate; it will consider a report by the Secretary-General on the issue. (10/25) At week’s end, another debate will focus on cooperation between the UN and regional organizations in maintaining international peace and security. (10/28)

Last week the Council adopted Resolution 2313, extending the mission of MINUSTAH in Haiti. It also heard a briefing by the Special Coordinator for the Middle-East Peace Process, who warned against “sleep-walking into another violent conflict.” The humanitarian chief also addressed the Council on the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

• UN envoy warns against ‘sleep-walking into another violent conflict’ (10/19)

Also of note:

• Security Council welcomes initiative to end political crisis in Guinea-Bissau (10/21)

Russia holds the presidency of the Security Council through October.

Around the UN System:

Syria. The humanitarian situation in Syria, particularly in Aleppo, remains a grave concern and was considered at a special situation of the UN Human Rights Council. The High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that “crimes of historic proportions” are being committed in Aleppo. And the UN envoy for Syria warned, “Aleppo will not be there” in two months if the current diplomatic stalemate continues.

• Three million children out of school or at risk of dropping out – UNICEF (10/24)
• UN aid chief voices ‘deep frustration’ as medical evacuation plan is scrapped (10/24)
• Human Rights Council mandates independent inquiry into Aleppo events (10/21)
• Credible political transition remains central to end horrific conflict: UN chief (10/20)
• Aleppo will not be there in two months if stalemate continues, envoy warns (10/17)

Iraq. Humanitarian and other UN agencies are at heightened alert to the risks to civilians posed by the military offensive to retake control of Mosul from the “Islamic State”:

• UN agencies provide shelter, clean water to families displaced amid offensive (10/21)
• OHCHR: ISIL use of ‘human shields’ underscores need to protect civilians (10/21)
• UNHCR focuses on preparations for exodus, says protecting civilians is key (10/21)
• UNICEF delivers water at the front line of Mosul operations (10/20)
• Rights expert warns of potential worst-case scenario in Iraqis’ displacement (10/19)

Resilient, Sustainable Cities. Climate’s role in sustainable development got prominent attention in Quito, Ecuador when Habitat III convened to focus on a new urban agenda that advances key sustainable-development goals:

• UN agrees on new urban development agenda creating sustainable, equitable cities (10/20)
• It’s not about conferences, but people: call for shift in approach to housing (10/21)
• Call for innovative resilience financing to support sustainable cities (10/18)
• UNDP’s new sustainable urbanization strategy (10/17)
• Habitat III participants hear about innovative experiences in Rio’s favelas
• Sustainable, inclusive cities ‘can transform our world for the better,’ Ban says (10/17)

In Case You Missed It:

• A surge in the diplomacy for peace would be my priority – UN Secretary-General-designate (10/19)
• DSG: Chances of success high in Central African Republic if investments made in peace (10/21)
• UN Assembly marks 50th anniversary of key human rights covenants, ‘bedrock of sound governance’ (10/19)
• Millions more children will have access to key vaccine through UNICEF deal (10/19)
• UN, partners ready to rush in aid once pause in Yemen fighting begins (10/19)
• Haiti:
  • Assessment finds 800,000 in dire need of immediate food assistance (10/24)
  • Robust hurricane response needed to tackle ‘extremely difficult’ situation (10/18)
  • UN launches new fund to launch system-wide response to cholera (10/17)
• ‘Wonder Woman’ appointed honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls (10/21)
• Protecting people and planet from air pollution, an invisible killer (10/20)
• With southern Madagascar ‘on the brink,’ UN scales up efforts to avert food crisis (10/20)
• Search for truth, reparation and transitional justice– UN envoy for Colombia (10/20)

UN Reports:

The Secretary-General issued reports and notes on:

• A global call for action on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance
• The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons
• Human rights in Belarus, and in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
• Violence against women, its causes and consequences
• The situations in the Central African Republic, and in Abyei

Other reports include:

• Global Sustainable Transport Outlook Report (to be launched on 10/28)
• UNFPA’s 2016 State of the World Population Report (10/20)
• UNODC: Opium production in Afghanistan up 43% from 2015 to 2016 (10/24)
• Afghanistan: settling water disputes key to economic growth, avoiding conflict (10/23)
• New report urges zero-tolerance of violence against defenders of the environment (10/21)
• Perception that refugees are more prone to radicalization wrong and dangerous (10/24)
• Impunity for rights violations is rife in DRCongo (10/21)
• Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran
• Freedom of expression is under attack worldwide: UN rights expert (10/20)
• July attack on peaceful protests in Kabul ‘may amount to a war crime’ (10/18)

International Days:

20-October                  World Statistics Day: Better Data, Better Lives”

24 October                  United Nations Day

24 October                  World Development Information Day

24 October                  World Polio Day

31 October                  World Cities Day