HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,

SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

FRIDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2015

 

HEADS OF UNITED NATIONS, ARAB LEAGUE VOICE CONCERN OVER SITUATION IN GAZA, APPEAL FOR FUNDING

  • In a statement attributable to the spokespeople for the UN Secretary-General and for the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (LAS):
  • The Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the League of Arab States express their deep concern over the situation in Gaza. They urgently appeal to donors to honour and disburse as soon as possible their financial commitments made at the October 2014 Cairo Conference. This support should also include funding for UN agencies that are carrying out vital operations in Gaza, in order to prevent a further deterioration in the already dire humanitarian situation.
  • The pace of reconstruction in Gaza remains slow. It is crucial now to expand the scope of reconstruction efforts thus far to bring hope to the people of Gaza and ensure stability, based on international responsibility in reconstruction and lifting the siege.
  • Both Secretaries-General note the progress made so far under the temporary Gaza reconstruction mechanism, which has to date enabled access to construction material for some 55,000 Gazan homeowners in support of shelter repairs. The operations of the mechanism are ready to be scaled up to facilitate the swift implementation of major large-scale projects.

MARKING INTERNATIONAL DAY, SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES NEED FOR BREAKING SILENCE ON FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

  • Today is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.
  • In his message, the Secretary-General called on health workers around the world to eliminate the deeply harmful practice that affects at least 130 million girls and women in 29 countries.
  • The Secretary-General said that breaking the silence and disproving the myths around Female Genital Mutilation are the first steps along the way to eliminating it altogether. He urged everyone to end the practice and create the future we want where every girl can grow up free of violence and discrimination, with full dignity, human rights and equality.
  • UN Agencies such as the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) also issued messages, calling on health workers to stop the medicalization of Female Genital Mutilation and mobilize against this dangerous and deeply harmful practice.

U.N. RELIEF CHIEF, ACTOR FOREST WHITAKER KICK OFF SOUTH SUDAN VISIT

  • Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos and actor Forest Whitaker, who is a Special Envoy for the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), arrived in Juba, South Sudan, this morning for a three-day visit to assess the humanitarian situation in South Sudan and the need for timely funding for the aid operation there.
  • They met with President Salva Kiir to discuss the humanitarian crisis, and are scheduled to meet with the Humanitarian Country Team later today. In the coming days, they are expected to visit displaced communities in the UN base in Juba and travel to Jonglei State to assess the humanitarian situation on the ground.
  • Ms. Amos emphasized the need for a comprehensive political solution to the crisis.
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns today that a staggering 2.5 million people – about one-fifth of the population – remain in either Crisis- or Emergency-level food insecurity as fighting continues.
  • An additional 3.9 million people are in a state of food security Stress, and the food crisis is expected to deepen between April and July, when the lean season reaches its peak.
  • FAO is urgently seeking an additional $32 million to maintain and expand its current operations in South Sudan, as well as to procure supplies for the coming year.

KOSOVO AT ‘KEY JUNCTURE,’ U.N. ENVOY TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL

  • The Security Council was briefed by Farid Zarif, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Kosovo by videolink from Pristina in an open meeting.
  • He said that today’s meeting took place at a key juncture of Kosovo’s history. Last December, after a prolonged political impasse, a new Kosovo government was formed, and it has committed to strengthening the rule of law and continued dialogue with Belgrade.
  • He also noted that both Belgrade and Pristina are determined to continue with their high-level European Union-facilitated dialogue, which will resume next week in Brussels. This meeting, he said, presents an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment to a constructive and purposeful dialogue, with a view to shaping a better future for all affected communities.
  • Following that meeting, the Security Council will also meet on the situation in Mali, followed by consultations on Sudan sanctions and other matters.
  • This afternoon, the Council is scheduled to hold consultations on Syria and other matters.

NUMBER OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED IN UKRAINE NEARS 1 MILLION MARK – U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY

  • The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said today that fighting in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region is forcing more people from their homes, pushing the number of people who have been registered as internally displaced close to 1 million.
  • In addition, since last February, some 600,000 Ukrainians have sought asylum or other forms of legal stay in neighbouring countries, in particular Russia, but also including Belarus, Moldova, Poland, Hungary and Romania.
  • The Agency’s teams have reported that heavy fighting in Donetsk over the last two weeks has resulted in massive destruction of buildings and infrastructure, and in the collapse of basic services.
  • Many people are still trapped by the fighting, including in basements and buildings under constant bombardment.
  • Nearly 3,000 civilians have been evacuated from the towns of Avdiivka, Svitlodar, and Debaltseve, which have seen fierce combat. Several incidents of shelling of buses carrying the evacuees have been reported.

U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE VOICES CONCERN OVER MASS ARRESTS IN D.R. CONGO, DETENTION OF BURUNDIAN JOURNALIST

  • From Geneva, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today expressed their concern about at least 300 people who remain in detention in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after mass arrests during the recent protests in Kinshasa and in Lubumbashi.

  • The Office urges the Government to promptly re-establish these services and to create a space for civil society discussion, to avoid entrenching the divisions in the country ahead of the upcoming elections.

  • On Burundi, the Office also said today that it remains very concerned about the continuing detention of Burundian journalist Bob Rugurika, the Director of the independent Radio publique africaine, otherwise known as RPA.

  • His case raises serious concerns about the exercise of the freedom of expression in Burundi, particularly ahead of the upcoming elections. OHCHR said it has previously urged the Government to review the Media Law, arguing that this legislation leads all too easily to infringements of freedom of expression. The UN Human Rights country office in Burundi has visited Mr. Rugurika in prison, has held discussions with the authorities and will continue to monitor the case.

U.N. CHILDREN’S FUND REPORTS 16,600 CHILDREN HAVE LOST ONE OR BOTH PARENTS TO EBOLA

  • On Ebola, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today that some 16,600 children are registered as having lost one or both parents, or their primary caregivers to Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
  • However, fewer than three per cent have had to be placed outside family or community care.
  • UNICEF has been helping to identify children without parents or caregivers to provide them immediate care and protection.

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME HEAD PAYS TRIBUTE TO JAPANESE JOURNALIST SLAIN BY DA’ESH

  • In a statement issued today by the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Ertharin Cousin, she paid tribute to Japanese journalist Kenji Goto for the support he had been providing to the Programme in the last years of his life.
  • Ms. Cousin says that Kenji Goto was an ally in the fight against hunger, covering Syria operations extensively and traveling to refugee camps in Jordan with WFP staff on a regular basis.
  • She added that we are all indebted to Kenji for his genuine interest and support and for telling the people of Japan the story of WFP’s work and the people it serves.

SECRETARY-GENERAL DISCUSSES BELGRADE-PRISTINA TALKS, UKRAINE WITH SERBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

  • The Secretary-General met this morning with Ivaca Dacic, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia and Chair-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
  • They discussed the imminent resumption of the Belgrade-Pristina talks, which the Secretary-General welcomed.
  • They also discussed the conflict in Ukraine in-depth, with both agreeing on the urgent need for a cease-fire, the protection of civilians as a foremost concern, and a durable political solution to end the conflict. The Secretary-General noted that both himself and the Deputy Secretary-General - who is currently in Munich for the Security Conference - are continuing to engage with key stakeholders in support of a quick end to violence and a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The Secretary-General also thanked Mr. Dacic for continued efforts of the OSCE toward this end.

NEW DEPUTY HEAD OF U.N. MISSION IN D.R. CONGO NAMED

  • The Secretary-General is announcing today the appointment of David Gressly of the United States as his Deputy Special Representative for Operations and the Rule of Law in the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
  • Mr. Gressly succeeds Abdallah Wafy of Niger, who had served in that post since 2013, and as Police Commissioner and Head of the Mission’s police component before that from 2010 to 2013.  The Secretary-General is grateful for Mr. Wafy’s dedicated service during those past five years.

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