SECRETARY-GENERAL’S TRAVEL
Good afternoon. The Secretary-General is right now on his way to New York, where he’ll land later this evening. This morning he co-hosted the International Conference on Climate-Resilient Pakistan, along with the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif.  
In his remarks during the opening session, the Secretary-General called on the international community to match the heroic response of the people of Pakistan with its own efforts and massive investments to strengthen their communities for the future. 
During a press encounter with the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General said that support for Pakistan should happen in three fundamental ways – with massive investments to rebuild homes and infrastructure, to jump-start jobs and agriculture and to ensure access to technology and knowledge to withstand future disasters.  
He also renewed his call for climate action and a reform of the global financial system.                                    
The Conference in fact just wrapped up a few minutes ago and we will be sharing by email the co-chairs’ summary with more details on pledges made today. During the conference, delegations recalled their assistance to the immediate relief efforts and affirmed their support to the people of Pakistan for a resilient recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Delegations expressed their solidarity and announced commitments of financial support to the realization of the objectives and priority areas outlined in the 4RF, as well as the ongoing humanitarian efforts. Taken as a whole, these commitments totalled more than $9 billion from both bilateral and multilateral partners and for the first time in a multilateral setting, developing countries pledged more than half of the amount needed to support Pakistan’s Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Recons­truction Framework (4RF). Further announcements for in-kind support were made by a number of delegations.                     

BRAZIL
During his press encounter today in Geneva, the Secretary-General said he was shocked by what he saw in the country but emphasized that he trusts Brazil and the Brazilian institutions. 
The Secretary-General said that he is absolutely convinced that Brazil will deal with this situation with adequate accountability, and that the democratic functioning of Brazil will move on. He added that he is totally confident that Brazil will be at the level necessary to deal with this crisis.
And as you have seen, yesterday evening, in a tweet, he also condemned the assault on Brazil’s democratic institutions, stressing that the will of the Brazilian people and the country’s institutions must be respected. 
In a statement, the UN team on the ground also condemned any attack of this nature and called on authorities to prioritize restoring order and upholding democracy and the rule of law.

SUDAN
The Secretary-General welcomes the launch of the final phase in the political process towards restoring a civilian-led transition in Sudan. This step builds on the progress achieved on the signing of the Political Framework Agreement on 5 December 2022, and marks an important step forward towards realizing the aspirations of the Sudanese people for democracy, peace and sustainable development.
The United Nations, through the Trilateral Mechanism comprised of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, otherwise known as IGAD, remains committed to supporting the process and to help secure a final political agreement over the coming weeks.                            
To ensure a lasting settlement, the Secretary-General underscores the importance of including the broadest array of Sudanese stakeholders, including women, youth, and civil society. He also urges key stakeholders which did not sign the 5 December Agreement to join the political process. Finally, he stresses the importance of strong and coordinated international support to the political process under the framework of the Trilateral Mechanism. 

SOUTH SUDAN
Just heading south to South Sudan, as intercommunal conflict persists in the Greater Jonglei area, the UN Mission there, otherwise known as UNMISS, said today that it is continuing its efforts to help restore calm and assist displaced people. 
Peacekeepers have also begun constructing a 115-kilometre road connecting the towns of Pibor with Labrab in Greater Jonglei, which is expected to be ready by April.
The Mission confirms that upon completion, this latest effort will lead to some 420 kilometres of new or fully rehabilitated roadways that connect several key towns and villages and will aid mandate implementation and the work of humanitarian partners by improving access to areas, including during the rainy season.

SYRIA
You will have seen that a couple hours ago we issued a statement on Syria following the Security Council vote this morning on the cross-border resolution.
The Secretary-General takes note of today’s decision by the Security Council to confirm the extension of its authorization for UN cross-border humanitarian operations, which remain an indispensable lifeline for 4.1 million people in north-west Syria.
The decision to confirm the extension of that authorization for an additional six months comes as humanitarian needs have reached the highest levels since the start of the conflict in 2011, with people in Syria grappling with a harsh winter and a cholera outbreak.
The UN is committed to pursuing all avenues to provide aid and protection through the safest and most direct and efficient routes.
Humanitarian access across Syria, including through cross-border and cross-line operations, must be expanded and humanitarian activities be broadened through investment in early recovery projects.
The Secretary-General urges Security Council members and others to continue supporting humanitarian partners’ efforts to deliver assistance to those who need it throughout Syria.

SYRIA/HUMANITARIAN
Also on Syria and related to humanitarian aid, yesterday a UN inter-agency cross-line convoy of 18 trucks carried nearly 600 metric tons of humanitarian supplies from Aleppo to Sarmada. These supplies included food, water and sanitation items, health kits, medicines, education, child protection, and dignity kits.
This is the tenth cross-line convoy in line with the UN inter-agency operational plan developed after the adoption of resolution 2585 of July 2021, and the fifth since the adoption of resolution 2642 of July last year.
Our colleagues say that humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate in the north-west due to the ongoing hostilities and a worsening economic crisis. Some 80 per cent of the 4.1 million people who rely on aid to meet their most basic needs are women and children.
While an important complement, the cross-line operation cannot substitute the size or scope of the massive cross-border operation, which reaches 2.7 million Syrians every month with vital aid, including food and vaccines.

UKRAINE
Quick note on Ukraine, where on Saturday, our humanitarian colleagues were able to send a convoy with life-saving assistance to Orikhiv, in Zaporizka oblast, to support people we have not been able to access due to intense fighting. The supplies on the convoy were from the UN Migration Agency, the UN Refugee Agency, the UN Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization.

MALI/CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Just on Côte d’Ivoire, as we made clear over the weekend, we welcome the return home from Mali of the 46 Ivoirian soldiers and commend Togo and the region for all their efforts in securing this outcome.  

BURUNDI
Ans a quick note from Burundi where our team, led by acting Resident Coordinator, John Agbor, is stepping up its response efforts as health authorities declared a cholera outbreak last week. The UN Children’s Fund, World Health Organization and partners have distributed drinking water and installed water bladders to 5,700 households in the affected communities, also supplying 7,500 households with chlorine tabs. They also helped disinfect 7,500 households and public places, including health centres, schools, and markets. Around 2,300 households received water and sanitation kits, such as jerry cans, soaps, and buckets. UNICEF and WHO have also provided nine treatment kits and two testing kits to health authorities with the capacity to treat up to 900 cholera cases. Our UN team is also supporting radio stations to boost preventative messages, mobilizing partners for door-to-door sensitization and hygiene promotion.
 
OZONE LAYER
Lastly some good news from our friends at the World Meteorological Organization and the UN Environment Programme - we don’t often get good news from them. They tell us that the ozone layer is on track to recover within four decades.
In a new report, a UN-backed scientific panel confirmed that the phase out of nearly 99 per cent of banned ozone-depleting substances has succeeded in safeguarding the ozone layer, leading to notable recovery of the ozone layer in the upper stratosphere and decreased human exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun.
UNEP says the impact of the Montreal Protocol – the international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer which entered into force in 1989 – cannot be overstressed. The panel also examined new technologies such as geoengineering for the first time and warned of the unintended impacts on the ozone layer caused by methods like Stratospheric Aerosol Injection.