WORLD MUST NOT SPARE ANY EFFORTS TO REBUILD GAZA, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL

• The Secretary-General spoke to the media earlier today, drawing attention to the Middle East as well as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. On Gaza, he urged the world not to spare any effort to rebuild and to jump-start the peace talks.
• He said that at the reconstruction conference in Cairo, the international community showed its solidarity by pledging $5.4 billion but added that we must turn those commitments into tangible assistance. He reiterated the need for a two-state solution, which is the only way to end the senseless cycle of war.
• On Syria, the Secretary-General called for steps to prevent a massacre and protect civilians in Kobane. He said that the Daesh phenomenon in Syria is a consequence, not the cause, of the conflict, adding that the threat will persist unless the deep political drivers of the conflict are resolved through a credible and comprehensive process.
• On Ebola, the Secretary-General said that the outbreak can be beaten if the international community works together effectively. He appealed for $1 billion needed to reduce the rate of transmission by 1 December.
• The Secretary-General also wore a purple tie today to mark Spirit Day and to stand against bullying and discriminations against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth.      

SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES RESPECT FOR LEGITIMACY OF ELECTED GOVERNMENT IN MADAGASCAR

• In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General has taken note of the return to Madagascar of former President Marc Ravalomanana on 13 October. He rejects the remarks Mr. Ravalomanana made during a press conference challenging the legitimacy of the institutions born of the country’s recent elections.
• The Secretary-General stresses the imperative of respecting the legitimacy of the democratically-elected Government and the rule of law.
• He calls on all political actors and stakeholders to continue working together towards an inclusive national reconciliation process, the full implementation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Roadmap, the deepening of democratic governance and economic recovery for the good of all Malagasies.

ON WORLD FOOD DAY, SECRETARY-GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY FARMING

• In his message on World Food Day, the Secretary-General highlights the importance of family farmers, who are the cornerstone of inclusive and sustainable agriculture and food systems.
• He adds that although family farmers are key to unlocking global progress, they are at a disadvantage when it comes to access to technology, services and markets. He calls for equal access to productive resources for the world’s 500 million smallholder farmers to help eradicate global poverty.
• This year also marks the International Year of Family Farming. Commemorating the Year and World Food Day, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has issued a report noting that since the majority of the world’s farms are managed by families, family farms can be crucial agents of change in achieving sustainable food security and in eradicating hunger.

EBOLA: SITUATION CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE IN GUINEA, LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE, WARNS W.H.O.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a continuously deteriorating situation in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. An increase in new cases in Guinea is being driven by a spike in cases in the capital, Conakry, and the nearby district of Coyah.
• In Liberia, there is almost certainly significant under-reporting of cases from the capital Monrovia while in Sierra Leone, intense transmission is still occurring in the capital Freetown and its surroundings.
• The latest figures from WHO report a total of 8,997 cases in seven countries, and 4,493 deaths. Health care workers have been paying a heavy tribute to the fight against Ebola with 427 infected and 236 dead.
• The total number of operational laboratories in the three countries will increase in the coming weeks, as a Russian Mobile Laboratory becomes operational in Guinea, and a Public Health England laboratory begins to provide diagnostic testing in the Western Rural area of Sierra Leone.
• The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) also warns that Ebola is wiping out gains in safe motherhood made in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. An estimated 800,000 women in these three countries should give birth in the next 12 months but many pregnant women are afraid to visit or turned away from overstretched health facilities. UNFPA has said that $64.5 million is needed to provide reproductive and maternal health services in the next three months.
• Tomorrow, Sarah Crowe, the Crisis Communications Chief at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), will brief the press at 11 a.m. on her recent 5-week mission to Liberia.

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REMAINS CONCERNED ABOUT REGIONAL EFFECTS OF SYRIAN CONFLICT, SAYS UN ENVOY

• The United Nations Special Representative for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, met today in Beirut with Lebanese Prime Minister Tamam Salam. He told reporters that, during his second tour of the region, he will also visit Iran, Turkey and Russia.
• Among the things he was discussing, he said, was the rise of new factors in the region, including Da’esh, also known as ISIL. He said that the international community remains concerned about the effects of the Syrian conflict on Lebanon’s stability and he added that the international community stands firmly with Lebanon.

U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE STRETCHED TO ITS LIMIT, WARNS RIGHTS CHIEF

• The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, said today that his Office was stretched to its limit – at a time when the United Nations human rights system is increasingly asked to intervene, investigate, press for accountability and prevent further violations.
• At a press conference in Geneva, he said that one of his priorities was to resolve the extraordinary disconnect between what the Office was asked to do and what it was given to do it with.
• Mr. Zeid noted that OHCHR receives around 3 percent of the United Nations regular budget, which covers a third of its total expenditures. Most of its funding depends on voluntary contributions, which are currently insufficient to cover the level of activity.
• Mr. Zeid called on the Office of Human Rights to be put on a more stable footing if it is to do justice to its extensive and visionary mandate. He added that states created the international human rights system and should ensure the necessary funding and resources for it.

***The guest at the noon briefing was Robert Piper, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel***