SECURITY COUNCIL - PEACEKEEPING
The Secretary-General spoke this morning at the Security Council’s open debate on peacekeeping training, as well as capacity building.
He noted that improving training is a major shared commitment of the Action for Peacekeeping initiative.
With peacekeepers deployed to increasingly complex and often hostile environments, training prepares them for their vital tasks and saves lives.
The Secretary-General said one of our key priorities is strengthening conduct and discipline, noting that we are encouraged that the number of allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping appears to be decreasing.
But the Secretary-General stressed that we must be vigilant in our prevention efforts and seek accountability whenever the zero-tolerance policy has been violated, in strong partnership with Member States.
The full remarks are online.
 
COUNTER-TERRORISM
The Secretary-General also spoke at the launch of the UN Countering Terrorist Travel Programme, saying that the recent despicable attacks in Kenya, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, among others, are tragic reminders of the global reach of the scourge of terrorism.  These attacks, he said, underscore the need to work closely with partners across the UN system and beyond.
He said that the Countering Terrorist Travel Programme that is being launched today will help Member States collect, process and share travel data with other competent national and international authorities, with full respect for privacy and fundamental freedoms. The Secretary-General added that this information sharing will enhance the ability of Member States to effectively detect, prevent, and investigate, as well as prosecute terrorist offences, including those related to travel.
 
SECRETARY-GENERAL’S TRAVELS
The Secretary-General will be leaving tonight for Geneva where, on Thursday and Friday, he will chair the spring meeting of the UN Chief Executives Board. While in Geneva, the Secretary-General will address a special session of the World Trade Organization’s General Council, and that will take place Friday afternoon. There, he will stress the importance of preserving the multilateral rules-based order – including on trade – for a fair globalization and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Then, on 12 May, the Secretary-General will head to the South Pacific to focus on the issue of climate change ahead of the summit that he is convening in September in New York. As part of the trip, he will be going to New Zealand, Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. 
 
LIBYA
We can report that clashes have continued in southern Tripoli despite the UN Mission’s call for a week-long humanitarian truce.
At least 12 airstrikes and several fatalities were reported yesterday.
The United Nations is extremely concerned about increasing reports of weapons and ammunition being supplied to both parties, in contravention of the relevant Security Council resolutions.
The UN Mission renews its call for a humanitarian truce to allow for civilians to move freely and shop during Ramadan [and] allow unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to those trapped in conflict zones.
 
MYANMAR
The Secretary-General was very much relieved to hear the news of the release of the Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, in Myanmar.
There was also a statement from the UN office in Myanmar.
 
RUSSIAN CRASH
The Secretary-General has written a letter to President Putin of the Russian Federation to express his deepest condolences and profound sadness over the loss of life in the plane crash at Moscow airport over the weekend.
The Secretary-General, in the letter, sends his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims as well as to the people and Government of the Russian Federation. He wishes those injured a speedy and full recovery.
 
YEMEN
Lise Grande, Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, said today that it is a relief that the United Nations has finally been given the green light to use an existing corridor to gain access to the Red Sea Mills, adding that it is very positive that the parties have taken this step.
“Everyone knows we need the food in the Mills,” she said. “It is now a race against time to salvage supplies that can feed 3.7 million people for a month.”
 
SYRIA
In a statement we issued last night, the Secretary-General expressed great concern at the intensifying hostilities in the de-escalation area of northwestern Syria involving Syrian Government forces and their allies, armed opposition forces, and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The Secretary-General is alarmed by reports of aerial attacks on population centers and civilian infrastructure resulting in hundreds of civilians dead and injured and over 150,000 newly displaced people.
The Secretary-General urges all parties to uphold international humanitarian law and protect civilians. He calls for an urgent de-escalation of the situation as Ramadan begins and urges the parties to recommit fully to the ceasefire arrangements in the memorandum signed on 17 September 2018. He urges the Astana guarantors to ensure that this takes place.
 
AFRICAN UNION-UNITED NATIONS
The Secretary-General spoke to journalists yesterday afternoon, accompanied by the African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki, following the Plenary Meeting of the Third AU-UN Annual Conference.
The Secretary-General said that the partnership between the AU and the UN is an absolutely central, strategic one, underlining that our work in peace and security, human rights, development, and climate change can only succeed in the world if Africa succeeds.
There are two battles – climate change and financing for development – in which the African Union and the UN will work hand in hand in the months to come.
On climate change, the Secretary-General said that, while Africa does not contribute much to climate change, it is one of the areas where its impact is dramatic and devastating, pointing to the recent storms in Mozambique and the drought in the Sahel. He called for more ambition in mitigation, adaptation, as well as financing to reverse the current trends.
 
SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
The Norwegian Government will be hosting an international conference on ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in humanitarian crises in Oslo from 23-24 May.
The conference aims to mobilize stronger political commitment for prevention of sexual and gender-based violence in humanitarian crises, increase funding for the response through UN-coordinated response plans, and to highlight best practices.
All UN Member States are invited at the ministerial level, together with civil society organizations and influential individuals.
 
SAND
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) today launched a report that says that the demand for sand is leading to pollution, flooding and drought, as well as accelerated beach erosion and reduced deposits in river deltas.
The report says that global demand for sand and gravel stands at 40-50 billion tonnes a year, making it the second largest resource extracted and traded in volume after water. UNEP warns that we are “spending our sand budget” faster than we can replenish it and the report recommends ways to manage this very useful resource.
 
TRANS FAT
The World Health Organization (WHO) today welcomed the commitment made by the International Food and Beverage Alliance – comprising some of the world’s largest food and beverage companies – to eliminate industrially produced trans fat from the global food supply by 2023.
The move is in line with WHO targets and the Organization will monitor the next steps to make sure the commitment is realized.
The move comes after a meeting WHO’s Director-General Dr. Tedros had last week with some CEOs of companies which are part of the Alliance.
He said that eliminating industrially-produced trans fat is one of the simplest and most effective ways to save our lives and create a healthier food supply, with trans fat intake responsible for over half a million deaths from coronary heart disease each year globally.