Top of the Morning: And the Nobel Goes To…

Top Stories from DAWNS Digest

Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Wins Nobel

Malala snubbed. “Urging the destruction of “an entire category” of unconventional weapons, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded its 2013 Peace Prize on Friday to a relatively modest and little-known United Nations-backed body that has drawn sudden attention with a mission to destroy Syria’s stocks of chemical arms under a deal brokered by Russia and the United States. The award to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, usually known by its initials O.P.C.W., took some Nobel-watchers by surprise. In the days leading up to the award, much attention had focused on Malala Yousafzai, the 16-year-old Pakistani student who risked her life to campaign for female education and whose name was circulating as the potential youngest ever recipient.” (NYT http://nyti.ms/19tF6OS)

UNSC Approves CAR Peacekeeping Resolution 

A joint AU-UN Peacekeeping mission will be called MISCA, and likely be a few months from deployment. “Unanimously adopting a new resolution, the Council adjusted the mandate of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office (BINUCA) in the five key areas: support for implementation of the transition process; support for conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance; support for stabilisation of the security situation; promotion and protection of human rights; and coordination of international actors.” (UN News Center http://bit.ly/15rHZhG)