This week, Ukraine leader describes first day of peace talks as “constructive.” Security council meets ahead of South Sudan Elections. NGO speaks out for children’s rights following South Thailand attack.
Ukraine Leader Describes First Day of Peace Talks as “Constructive”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky described the first day of peace talks in Abu Dhabi between the Ukraine, Russia, and US as “constructive and quite substantive,” adding that humanitarian issues and prisoner of war exchanges had been discussed. The talks are the first following a nine-month lull.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also noted that the talks were “very productive,” President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, told delegates that the US had “narrowed the gaps” between the two countries, although he didn’t specify details.
Kushner had said earlier that the talks would focus on Ukraine and Russia’s “postwar security concerns.”
Security Council Meets Ahead of South Sudan Elections
Ahead of South Sudan’s elections on December 22, the country’s first national elections since independence in 2011, the UN Security Council met in New York on November 10 to discuss peace efforts in the country.
The Security Council members that are signatories of the Joint Pledges on Climate, Peace and Security – Colombia, Denmark, France, Greece, Liberia, Panama, the United Kingdom and my own country, Latvia – gathered to discuss the importance of promoting climate resilience through anticipatory action, peacebuilding and peacekeeping efforts.
Over 80 percent of South Sudan has been impacted by drought, flooding and erratic rainfall. This has exacerbated competition between farmers over scarce water and grazing resources.
The meeting highlighted three key recommendations: 1) preparedness and anticipatory action in response to climate risks; 2) engaging local communities and empowering civil society organizations in preparedness and response planning; and 3) continued efforts to integrate climate, peace and security considerations across peacekeeping activities.
The climate concerns come on top of South Sudan’s renewed violence between the military, loyal to president Salva Kiir, and insurgents believed to be allied with the suspended vice-president Riek Machar. The country has roughly 330,000 refugees and asylum-seekers (mainly from Sudan), and 2 million internally displaced persons due to conflict.
NGO Speaks Out for Children’s Rights Following South Thailand Attack
The international NGO Save the Children spoke out for children’s rights following a bomb attack in South Thailand’s Satun province that injured at least three children on November 11.
Guillaume Rachou, Save the Children’s executive director, said, “No child should ever be a target. Children should never be caught in the crossfire, and their school buses, schools, homes and communities must not become battlefields.”
Thailand’s southern region has been embroiled in an insurgency which has killed nearly 8,000 people since 2004.
The day of the recent attack, Malaysia’s facilitator for peace talks between the Thai government and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) separatist group met with Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the prime minister’s chief advisor on peace-building in the South. He planned to discuss the situation in southern Thailand and the peace process with Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and NSC Secretary-General Chaiyapruek.
Keywords: peace, Ukraine, Russia, South Sudan, Thailand, South Thailand, BRN, NGO, Save the Children, conflict, conflict resolution, peace talks, ceasefire, security coucil, environmental, climate change
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
