HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

MONDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 2014

 

SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES GROWTH AND JOB CREATION AT G20 SUMMIT

  • The Secretary-General is on his way back from Australia, where he attended the Group of 20 Summit in Brisbane over the weekend. During the summit, the Secretary-General attended sessions on strengthening growth and job creation in the global economy, on trade and on how the international community can best scale up its response to Ebola.
  • In a press conference he held on 15 November, the Secretary-General highlighted the need for global action in three critical areas: promoting inclusive growth and decent jobs, meeting the climate challenge and providing financing for sustainable development.
  • The Secretary-General said that the international community needed to intensify its effort to halt the spread of Ebola. He emphasized the amazing work of the front-line health workers, whom he called extraordinary people who are giving all for others.

MIDDLE EAST: SECRETARY-GENERAL ALARMED AT ESCALATION OF TENSIONS

  • Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jens Toyberg-Frandzen briefed the Security Council this morning on the Middle East and said that the Secretary-General is alarmed by the escalation of tensions in Jerusalem.
  • Clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli security forces in many parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank have been taking place on an almost daily basis. Of particular concern are attacks against religious sites, given how such violence can resonate regionally and beyond.  
  • Mr. Toyberg-Frandzen noted that the Secretary-General has expressed his deep concern about the upsurge in violence and calls on all sides to do everything possible to avoid further exacerbating an already tense environment.
  • Preventing a further escalation of tensions makes it essential that all sides demonstrate responsible leadership, avoid taking provocative unilateral actions and refrain from inciting their supporters through inflammatory rhetoric.
  • Mr. Toyberg-Frandzen said that while some signs of progress have started to emerge, the overall situation in Gaza remains volatile. These efforts notwithstanding, the reconstruction of Gaza is doomed to fail without a long-term ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians.
  • Discussing Syria, Mr. Toyberg-Frandzen added that Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura and his team will begin work on the modalities of the proposed freeze in Aleppo.

ATTACK AGAINST U.N. CONVOY WILL NOT DETER U.N.’S SUPPORT, SAYS ENVOY IN IRAQ

  • An UN convoy comprising of 3 vehicles was hit by at least one explosion yesterday morning. According to the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), no UN personnel were killed or injured in the incident but one of the vehicles sustained serious damage.
  • The Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Nickolay Mladenov, said that the incident will not deter the UN from continuing its work in support of Iraq and its people.
  • Special Representative Mladenov and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, will brief the Security Council on Iraq tomorrow. They are expected to speak to the press at the stakeout after the meeting.

SITUATION AT U.N. SITE IN MALAKAL, SOUTH SUDAN, REMAINS TENSE

  • The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports that the situation at the Malakal protection of civilians site was tense over the weekend after a series of clashes between Nuer and Shilluk internally displaced persons that resulted in injuries to civilians.
  • Three UNMISS peacekeepers were also injured when they intervened to contain the situation. The Mission continues to protect more than 17,000 people in Malakal, with some 102,000 internally displaced persons seeking shelter in UNMISS sites across the country.

U.N. ENVOY IN SOMALIA MEETS WITH LEADERS AHEAD OF COPENHAGEN SUMMIT

  • On 16 November, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, met with Somali political leaders, including the President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the Prime Minister, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, and the Speaker of the Parliament, Mohamed Osman Jawari.
  • Together with representatives from the European Union, Denmark, Sweden and Italy, Special Representative Kay urged the leaders to find a solution that would allow the Federal Government to implement the Vision 2016 plan for Somalia’s political transformation in a timely manner.
  • The meeting comes ahead of the first Ministerial-level Partnership Forum in Copenhagen, which will start on the 19th of November. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, and Special Representative Nicholas Kay are expected to attend the Forum.

U.N. EBOLA EMERGENCY CRISIS MANAGER IN GUINEA DIES OF NATURAL CAUSES

  • On Ebola, the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) today mourned the passing of Marcel Rudasingwa, Assistant Secretary-General and the Mission's Emergency Crisis Manager in Guinea. Mr. Rudasingwa, a Rwandan national, passed away suddenly from natural causes.
  • The Head of the UN Mission, Anthony Banbury, said that in just a short space of time, Mr. Rudasingwa played a pivotal role in the Organization's and the international community's response to the Ebola crisis in Guinea. Our thoughts are with Mr. Rudasingwa’s family at this time.
  • In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, authorities have declared the end of a separate Ebola outbreak in Equatorial Province. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Moustapha Soumare, praised the national authorities for their rapid and coordinated response, despite enormous logistical challenges, and paid tribute to the bravery of aid teams, in particular to the eight health workers who died in the early days of the outbreak.
  • The World Bank today launched a new campaign called “11 Against Ebola” with football players from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
  • Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona’s Neymar Jr., Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Bayern Munich’s Philipp Lahm are among the players who share 11 simple health messages selected with the help of doctors and health experts using the slogan “Together, we can beat Ebola” and the hashtag #wecanbeatebola.

HEAD OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ADDRESSES GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  • The President of the Human Rights Council, Baudelaire Ndong Ella of Gabon, briefed the General Assembly today on the Council’s activities.
  • He said that this last year had been challenging and that the world needs today, more than ever, strong institutions like the Council to promote and protect human rights.
  • Mr. Ella stressed the need to guarantee that participants to the Council’s work and reporting are never retaliated against, and also highlighted the growing needs for resources to fund the Council’s additional activities.

DROWNING REMAINS A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG CHILDREN, WARNS W.H.O.

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) issued today its first "Global report on drowning: preventing a leading killer". It reveals that drowning claims the lives of 372,000 people each year and is among the 10 leading causes of death for children and young people in every region.
  • The report calls for a substantial scaling-up of efforts and resources to prevent drowning and outlines several actions to be taken by both national policy-makers and local communities.
  • It also draws attention to the need to make drowning prevention an integral part of a number of current debates, such as climate change which leads to increased flooding; mass migrations, including of asylum seekers traveling by boat; and issues such as rural development and water and sanitation.

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