STORY: GENEVA / DRONES
TRT: 2:43
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
DATELINE: 11 MARCH 2014, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST:
1. Wide shot, exterior, UN flag, Palais des Nations, Geneva
2. Wide shot, tilt from ceiling, Human Rights Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ben Emmerson, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism:
“I am pleased to be able to report a significant de-escalation in the use of drones by the United States in the FATA region of Pakistan. The total number if reported strikes during 2013 was down to 27 from a peak of 128 in 2010. For the first time in 9 years there were no reports of civilian casualties in Pakistan in. 2013. The diplomatic and political efforts of Pakistan to bring these strikes to a halt, so as to enable peace talks with the Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) to take place, appear to have borne fruit. So far this year no drone strikes have taken place at all. That is the longest period without a drone strike in Pakistan since 2009.”
4. Med shot, Ben Emmerson, Human Rights Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ben Emmerson, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism:
“During 2013 there had been a three-fold increase in the number of civilian casualties in the conflict from the use of armed drones as compared with the previous year. Drones accounted for almost 40 percent of civilian casualties inflicted as the result of aerial attacks by pro-Government forces in Afghanistan during 2013.”
6. Med shot, US delegation
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ben Emmerson, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism:
“The picture in Yemen is also a cause for concern. The frequency of armed drone strikes appears to have intensified during the closing months of 2013 with a sharp escalation in the number of reported civilian casualties.”
8. Med shot, Israeli delegation
9. Med shot, Pakistan delegation
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ben Emmerson, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism:
“It is important to emphasise that the mere existence of credible allegations that civilians were killed or injured in these incidents does not necessarily establish any violation of human rights law. Still less does it provide clear evidence of a war crime. But in each of these cases the evidence is sufficient to cross the threshold identified in my interim report as imposing a duty on the relevant States to provide a public explanation of the circumstances and the justification for the use of deadly force.”
11. Various shots, delegates listening
STORYLINE:
The United Nation’s (UN) Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism has called for independent investigations to be carried out into drone attacks after a series of strikes that resulted in unexpected civilian deaths in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere.
Addressing the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva, Ben Emmerson said there had been a dramatic reduction in drone strikes in 2013 in Pakistan but increases in Afghanistan and, towards the end of the year, in Yemen.
He noted a threefold increase in recorded civilian casualties from drone strikes in Afghanistan in 2013. Emmerson said that over the past 14 months he had been examining the evidence relating to 37 individual drone strikes.
He concluded that states have an obligation to launch inquiries into cases in which civilians become caught up. “In each of these cases the evidence is sufficient to cross the threshold identified in my interim report as imposing a duty on the relevant States to provide a public explanation of the circumstances and the justification for the use of deadly force.”
Most of the attacks involved US drones.