HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

FRIDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2014

 

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES 2014 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATES MALALA YOUSAFZAI AND KAILASH SATYARTHI

  • The Secretary-General congratulated Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi – two of the world’s greatest champions for children -- on being awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize for Peace. The true winners today are the world’s children, he said.
  • He said that Malala is a brave and gentle advocate of peace who through the simple act of going to school became a global teacher. She said one pen can change the world – and proved how one young woman can lead the way. With her courage and determination, Malala has shown what terrorists fear most: a girl with a book.
  • The Secretary-General said that Kailash Satyarthi has been at the forefront of a worldwide movement for justice, global education and a better life for millions of children trapped in exploitative child labour. He has been a regular presence at the United Nations, and his leadership, commitment and personal sacrifice over many decades have helped raise public awareness, mobilize opinion leaders, and galvanize society.
  • And the High Commissioner for Human Rights said today that the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to two frontline human rights defenders who have championed the rights of the child sends an important message of support and recognition to individuals around the world tirelessly working to defend the rights of children.

SYRIA: SPECIAL ENVOY STAFFAN DE MISTURA WARNS ABOUT THREAT ON CIVILIANS IF KOBANI FALLS TO ISIL

  • The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, spoke to reporters in Geneva today to warn about the threat being faced by civilians in and around the Syrian town of Kobani, also known as Ayn al-Arab. The city has been under constant attack by ISIL forces for three weeks, and there are currently some 500 to 700 mainly elderly people still in the centre of the city, with another 10,000 to 13,000 people in the Syria-Turkey border area nearby.
  • If the city falls to ISIL, Mr. de Mistura warned, thousands of civilians will most likely be massacred. He said that the world cannot allow another massacre similar to what happened in Srebrenica to take place.
  • The Special Envoy noted that, under the Human Rights Up Front initiative, when there is an imminent threat to civilians, we cannot be silent; and he recalled that the Secretary-General has called on all parties that can act to protect civilians in Kobani to do so.  Mr. de Mistura appealed to Turkey to take specific additional actions to stop the advance of ISIL.
  • The Secretary-General stands by his Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura and his comments. He strongly believes that it is incumbent on every Member State of the United Nations, as well as non-state actors, to do everything in their power, whatever it takes, to avoid a repeat of a Srebrenica-type situation, the fall of a city followed by a brutal massacre of the inhabitants. This was a disaster first and foremost for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and secondly for the United Nations and the international community as a whole, which let it happen.
  • For more than three years now, throughout this crisis, we have seen appalling instances of brutality. Too often, the Syrian Government has not only failed to protect its own citizens but perpetrated atrocities against them.

REFUGEES: MORE THAN 172,000 SYRIAN KURDS FLED TO TURKEY

  • The UN Refugee Agency reported today from Geneva that more than 172,000 Syrian Kurds have fled into Turkey from fighting around Kobane, and growing numbers are either proceeding onward to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq or else crossing back into Syria several hundred kilometres to the east.
  • In Iraq's Kurdistan Region more than 1,600 people have sought refuge at the remote Gawilan refugee camp, some 145 km from Dohuk, over the past fortnight. Between 150 and 200 Syrians have been arriving daily this week, and the trend is expected to continue in the coming days.
  • The refugees at Gawilan camp told UNHCR of the dangers they had endured in the initial part of their journey from Syria to safety in Turkey, with several accounts of people being killed or maimed by land mines. They also reported executions and other atrocities by ISIS fighters, with several saying that they had witnessed beheadings.

EBOLA SPREADING FASTER THAN RESPONSE, U.N. OFFICIALS WARN

  • The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Jan Eliasson, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Ebola, Dr David Nabarro, and the Head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, Anthony Banbury, briefed the General Assembly on the public health crisis emanating from the Ebola virus outbreak.
  • Jan Eliasson stressed that defeating Ebola is going to demand the best efforts of all working together – Governments, multilateral development banks, international and nongovernmental organizations and many others.
  • He also noted that of the 1 billion dollars sought by UN agencies, only one quarter has been funded, and highlighted the need for a surge in trained healthcare personnel.
  • Dr David Nabarro said that the current crisis was an unprecedented challenge due to its impact on the whole world. The outbreak is advancing ahead of the control efforts, he warned.
  • Finally, the Head of UNMEER, Anthony Banbury, spoke from Accra, Ghana, following his weeklong visit to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to set up the regional offices of the Mission. He also said that the virus is far ahead of the response and has a serious impact on economies and health systems in affected countries.

IN TUNIS, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS TUNISIA STAYED TRUE TO ARAB SPRING’S IDEALS

  • The Secretary-General arrived in Tunis early this morning from his visit to Washington. He began his day with a meeting with President Moncef Marzouki. Following their discussions, the Secretary-General spoke to the media and said the forthcoming elections would mark an important milestone in on Tunisia’s road to democracy.
  • He also underscored that Tunisia had stayed true to the ideals of the Arab spring. “Here,” the Secretary-General added, “we can see that with integrity, leadership, civic engagements and commitment, peaceful revolution leads to promising stability.”
  • That meeting was followed by a discussion with Mustapha Ben Jaafar, President of the National Constitutional Assembly, as well as the Presidents of a number of Parliamentary Groups. He told the President and other officials that the constitution had laid the groundwork for a strong and democratic Tunisia.
  • The Secretary-General then met with the Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa, who also hosted a lunch for the Secretary-General and the delegation.
  • The Secretary-General then had a brief meeting with Foreign Minister Mongi Hamdi.  The Secretary-General will conclude the evening with an official dinner hosted by the President.

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPALLED BY DEATH OF PEACEKEEPER IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

  • The Secretary-General condemned the attack on Thursday on a UN convoy in Bangui, in the Central African Republic. One peacekeeper from the UN Mission in the country, MINUSCA, was killed and eight others were injured.
  • The Secretary-General said that such acts against those who are working towards peace and security in the Central African Republic are entirely unacceptable. And he called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

U.N. MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN REPORTS ONGOING MILITARY OPERATIONS

  • The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports shelling in the vicinity of Dolieb Hill, about 20 km south of Malakal, early this morning. The Mission says this has been occurring in that part of Upper Nile State with some frequency recently. It continues to call on both sides to cease military operations and demonstrate the political will to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
  • Also in Upper Nile State, the Mission reports small arms fire on Wednesday in Abu Khadra in Renk County. And in Jonglei State, the Mission says that the relocation of displaced persons from the existing UNMISS protection-of-civilians site in Bor to a new location nearby began on Thursday. Current plans call for the relocation of all internally displaced persons -- around 2,700 of them -- to this new site over the coming weeks.
  • In all, the Mission is protecting some 97,000 displaced persons in its camps across the country.

FUNDING CONSTRAINTS AND INSECURITY HAMPER ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE IN NEED IN LIBYA

  • From Geneva, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned that funding constraints and insecurity is posing challenges in reaching people in need in Libya.
  • So far, an estimated 287,000 people in 29 cities and towns have been displaced by the violence. And the need for healthcare, food, and other basic aid as well as shelter ahead of the winter months has become critical. UNHCR says that the fighting is also affecting refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants in Libya.

YEMEN: ARMED GROUPS RECRUITING CHILDREN

  • While the humanitarian impact of the recent conflict in Sana'a, Yemen appears to be limited, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that it has raised serious concerns about systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
  • The presence of armed children manning checkpoints indicates the prevalence of recruitment of children by armed groups.
  • As of 1 October, five schools in Sana’a remained occupied by combatants. There are also reports that parties to the conflict commandeered civilian residences for military purposes, including the storage of weapons and munitions.

U.N. CHILDREN’S FUND REVEALS ALARMING MAGNITUDE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST TEENAGE GIRLS

  • Ahead of the Saturday commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child, UNICEF has issued new data revealing the magnitude of violence against adolescent girls and the alarming attitudes that perpetuate such abuse.
  • Key findings show that almost one quarter of girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide have reported being victims of some form of physical violence since age of 15. Around 120 million girls under the age of 20 have experienced forced intercourse or other sexual acts. And one in three married adolescent girls has suffered emotional, physical or sexual violence committed by their husbands or partners.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR IMPROVED ACCESS TO HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES FOR 21 MILLION LIVING WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

  • Friday is World Mental Health Day, with a focus this year on Schizophrenia.
  • The Secretary-General stressed that around the world, some 21 million people suffer from schizophrenia and that people with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia die on average between 10 and 25 years earlier than the general population.
  • He therefore called for health and social care systems to work together to provide opportunities for education, employment and housing for people living with schizophrenia.
  • The World Health Organization also published an in-depth article entitled Living with Schizophrenia.

NO PLACE FOR DEATH PENALTY IN 21st CENTURY, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS

  • Friday is also the World Day against the Death Penalty.
  • The Secretary-General strongly stresses that death penalty is unjust and incompatible with fundamental human rights, and has no place in the 21st century. 

 

 

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

11 – 17 October 2014
(This document is for planning purposes only and is subject to change)

 

Updated on a regular basis and available online: http://bit.ly/1uHuqIq

 

Saturday, 11 October

Today is the International Day of the Girl Child.

The Secretary-General wraps up his two-day visit to Tunisia.

Sunday, 12 October

The Secretary-General will be in Cairo, Egypt, to attend a high-level conference on Gaza.

Monday, 13 October

Today is the International Day for Disaster Reduction.

At 10 a.m., in the Economic and Social Council Chamber, there will be a high-level panel discussion on The Africa We Want: Support of the UN System to the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

At 1 p.m., in the Economic and Social Council Chamber, there will be an event on Policy Dialogue: Nigeria’s Soft Approach to Countering Violent Extremism.

At 1:15 p.m., in Conference Room 8, there will be a briefing on the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD).

In Geneva, at 2 p.m., there will be a press briefing on the 2014 World Disasters Report.  

Tuesday, 14 October

In the morning, the Security Council is expected to adopt resolutions on the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). It will also hold briefing on Somalia.

At 10 a.m., in the Economic and Social Council Chamber, there will be an event on Innovating Verification.

In Geneva, at 3 p.m., there will be a press conference by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the humanitarian situation in Somalia.

At 1:15 p.m., in Conference Room 7, there will be a briefing on the Trade and Development Report 2014: Global Governance and Policy Space for Development. 

Wednesday, 15 October

Today is the International Day of Rural Women. At 1:15 p.m., in Conference Room 7, there will be special event commemorating the Day.

In the afternoon, the Security Council will hold consultations on 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) Committee on Somalia and Eritrea. It will also meet on Resolution 1559 report.

At 1:15 p.m., in Conference Room 6, there will be a special event on the Transformative Role of Technology and Innovation in Development.

Thursday, 16 October

The Security Council is expected to elect its next 5 non-permanent members.

At 1:15 p.m., in Conference Room 6, there will be a high-level panel discussion on Releasing Children’s Potential and Minimizing Risks: Information and Communication Technologies, the Internet and Violence against Children.

At 1:15 p.m., in the Economic and Social Council Chamber, there will be a panel discussion on Beijing+20 Leaving No One Behind: Women, Poverty and Participation.

In Geneva, at 11 a.m., there will be a press conference by UN High Commissioner for Human Right (OHCHR) Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.

Friday, 17 October

Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. At 1:15 p.m., in Conference Room 2, there will be a special event to observe the Day.

Secretary-General

Schedule

Resources