- As UNICEF says Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan may not meet 2020 education target
The Security Council has imposed tougher sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), banning its exports, in response to the country’s launches of ballistic missiles of possible intercontinental range.
In a resolution adopted unanimously, the 15-member body strongly condemned North Korea’s ballistic missile launches on July 28, which the country stated were of “intercontinental” range.
The Council reaffirmed previous Council decisions that the North Korea should not conduct further launches using ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests, or any other provocation.
The Council moved to significantly strengthen the sanctions on the country, imposing a full ban on the export of coal, iron and iron ore from the North Korea.
Previously these items could be exported for livelihood purposes, for a limited amount.
The Council also prohibited countries from increasing the total number of work authorisations for North Korea’s nationals.
It banned new joint ventures or cooperative entities with North Korea entities or individuals as well as additional investments in existing joint ventures.
“Member States are requested to report to the Security Council, within 90 days of the adoption of this resolution, on concrete measures they have taken to effectively implement this resolution.
The Council also designated several additional individuals for a travel ban and assets freeze, as well as designating entities for an assets freeze.
On the political front, the Council calls for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks and reiterated its support for the commitments set forth in the Joint Statement of Sept. 19, 2005 issued by China, North Korea, Japan, South Korea, Russian, and the U.S.
The commitments include that the goal of the Six-Party Talks is the verifiable denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner, and that the U.S. and the North Korea respect each other’s sovereignty and exist together peacefully.
The U.S. welcomed the Security Council’s sanctions banning North Korea’s exports, saying it had put North Korea on notice.
“Today, the full Security Council has come together to put the North Korean dictator on notice, and this time, the Council has matched its words and actions.
“The resolution we have passed is a strong, united step toward holding North Korea accountable for its behavior,” U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said at the Security Council.
In the meantime, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan may not meet the 2020 target of education for children of school age unless a collective involvement of stakeholders with political will is encouraged, the United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) has said.
The UN agency said: “The number of Out of School Children (OOSC) in Nigeria constitutes 20 per cent of the global total and therefore, we have strata of the Almajiris, girls of school age not enrolled, nomadic herdsmen and fishermen children. And those displaced by the insurgency in the Northeast.
“If Nigeria gets it right, Africa gets it.”
A UNICEF official, Mrs. Azuka Menkiti, spoke at the weekend in Kaduna at a one-day planning meeting with journalists as a prelude to the flag off of 2017 National Enrolment and Birth Registration Campaign slated for October.
The meeting was themed: “For a better tomorrow, enrol your child in school today and get free birth registration certificate from the National Population Commission (NPC)”.
It was organised by the Federal Ministry of Education and Universal Basic Education Commission in collaboration with UNICEF, Nigeria.
Mrs. Menkiti, in her presentation, titled: “Objectives, expected results and rationale for expanded partnerships, NPopC”, said statistical records showed that over nine million were in Qur’anic system of education, who she noted were also considered OOSC.
She said the three countries facing the challenge topped the global ranking with alarming proportion of OOSC.
The UNICEF official added that girls and boys of school age in Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan are expected by 2030 to access free education.
According to Mrs. Menkiti, research identified more girls as being out of school than boys in the North.
“What we are concerned about is equity, fairness and justice for every child of school age. Every child has a right to be educated without gender disparity.
“UNICEF is passionate about children in the Northeast, whose education foundation has been threatened,” she said.
The UNICEF official, however, identified socio-cultural norms and practice, religious beliefs, lack of qualified teachers, inadequate infrastructure and poor governance as responsible for denying the child the right to education among other factors.
Additional report from Nation
