HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,

SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

WEDNESDAY, 13 MAY 2015

BURUNDI: SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR CALM, RESTRAINT

• The Secretary-General has urgently called on all parties in Burundi to exercise calm and restraint.
• He reminded all Burundian leaders of the need to preserve peace and stability in a country that has suffered so grievously from previous bouts of violence.  
• He added that the UN is evaluating developments and that the situation remains very fluid. The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy Said Djinnit is currently in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, for the Summit of the East African Community.

SECRETARY-GENERAL STRONGLY CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACK ON KARACHI BUS

• The Secretary-General condemned in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack today on a bus in Karachi, Pakistan, reportedly killing at least 45 members of the Ismaili community and injuring several others. 
• The Secretary-General called on the Government of Pakistan to take all necessary measures to bring to justice the perpetrators of this despicable act.
• Taking note that a number of attacks against the Shia and Christian minorities have taken place in the recent past in Pakistan, the Secretary-General urged the Government of Pakistan to take swift measures aimed at effective protection of religious minorities in the country.
• Creating a climate of tolerance, understanding and respect will greatly contribute to achieving this objective.  Pakistan, as a responsible member of the international community, must uphold its obligations and commitments towards protecting its citizens, including all minorities. 
• The Secretary-General extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Pakistan.  He wishes a speedy recovery to all those who were injured.

DIVERSION OF WEAPONS FUELING CONFLICT, SECRETYARY-GENERAL TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL

• The Security Council heard an address from the Secretary-General during its debate on small arms and light weapons. He said that the diversion of weaponry, including from government stockpiles, is further fuelling conflict, allowing rebels, gangs, criminal organizations, pirates, terrorist groups and insurgents to bolster their firepower.
• He added that civilians, including children, suffer the most from the direct consequence of such conflicts. He urged all Member States to accede and faithfully implement the Arms Trade Treaty, which entered into force recently. The treaty lays the foundations for a global framework of arms transfer controls, including for small arms and light weapons and ammunition.
• The Council also heard from the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. And he said that small arms do not only take lives, they also kill economies, and the social bonds on which every kind of collective institution and progress is built. His statement is available online, as is the statement of the Secretary-General.

SECRETARY-GENERAL, U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY VOICE CONCERN OVER SITUATION OF MIGRANTS FROM MYANMAR, BANGLADESH

• Regarding the ongoing crisis in Asia regarding migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says it is extremely alarmed at reports suggesting that Indonesia and Malaysia may have pushed back boats carrying vulnerable people from Myanmar and Bangladesh.
• On Monday, the Indonesian navy stated that it had escorted a boat out to sea, although it is not clear if this represents a change in the government's policy. Yesterday, Malaysia's Maritime Enforcement Agency announced that it would not let foreign ships dock unless they are unseaworthy and sinking.
• As conflicts and persecution force more and more people to seek safety beyond international borders, UNHCR has been emphasizing the importance of saving lives on the high seas.
• The Secretary-General is concerned with the situation involving these migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh. As in the Mediterranean Sea, the priority must be to save lives and fulfil the humanitarian imperative.   
• The Secretary-General calls for a comprehensive solution to the problem, addressing root causes in countries of origin and transit, as well as viable protection solutions in destination countries.
• He condemns the rise of criminal networks profiting from smuggling migrants, and calls on law enforcement authorities to prosecute them according to the law, including the Convention on Transnational Organised Crime and its protocol on the smuggling of migrants.

U.N. RELIEF CHIEF WELCOMES START OF YEMEN HUMANITARIAN PAUSE

• Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos has welcomed the beginning of the humanitarian pause in Yemen, which should enable humanitarian agencies and their partners to step up the delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance to people in desperate need.
• In a statement Ms. Amos issued last night, she called on all parties to the conflict to respect this vital pause in hostilities. This pause will provide a respite for civilians and allow for the delivery of food, medical supplies and other essential items to people who have been trapped in conflict zones.
• Given the role of the United Nations in coordinating emergency relief activities in an impartial and neutral way, Ms. Amos requests that humanitarian assistance to Yemen be routed through existing UN and international humanitarian organization channels. It is essential that humanitarian assistance is not politicized. 
• An estimated one million people will be assisted if deliveries across the health, water, sanitation, shelter, household items, protection, nutrition and food go as planned during the pause.  More than three million will benefit from the supplies that UN partners will distribute and preposition during the pause. This is if transportation plans proceed as planned in the country.
• The Spokesman issued a note to correspondents last night on the start of Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s first visit to Yemen in his capacity as Special Envoy of the Secretary General.
• The envoy is holding broad consultations with all political entities and groupings, civil society as well as youth and women’s representatives in order to consider ways to resume political talks under the auspices of the UN as soon as possible.

U.N. SYRIA ENVOY CONTINUES GENEVA CONSULTATIONS, STRESSES URGENCY OF FINDING POLITICAL SOLUTION

• As part of the ongoing Geneva Consultations, the Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, met with Randa Qasis, President and Founder of the Movement of the Pluralistic Society, today in Geneva.
• He also continued meeting representatives of the civil society. These meetings focused on various perspectives and initiatives to support the Syrian people in their search for peace. They also discussed the deteriorating situation in Syria and the growing humanitarian concerns in the country.
• Mr. de Mistura stressed that one of the purposes of the Geneva Consultations is to help the United Nations understand the full variety of ideas and perspectives on resolving the escalating conflict in Syria. He reiterated the urgency of finding a political solution and making every effort to alleviate the suffering of the people and save lives.

NEW U.N. REPORT DETAILS REBEL GROUP’S ‘GRAVE’ VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

• A UN report published today reveals that grave violations of international humanitarian law were committed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group from Uganda, in Beni territory, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, over a three-month period at the end of 2014.
• These violations, which were both systematic and extremely brutal, may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the report.
• Between 1 October and 31 December 2014, at least 237 civilians were killed, including 65 women and 35 children, by ADF combatants in Beni. In total, villages ADF combatants attacked 35.
• At least 300 people, including at least 33 members of the Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have been arrested in the course of the investigations conducted by the Congolese authorities into the Beni massacres.
• The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, welcomed these initial steps towards justice, but urged the Congolese authorities to redouble their efforts to hold to account all those implicated.
• On the same subject, the UN Mission today in the DRC (MONUSCO) reports it deployed two attack helicopters in support of the Congolese Army’s operations against the ADF in Beni.
• A week ago, a Tanzanian convoy of MONUSCO's Force Intervention Brigade was ambushed by suspected ADF armed elements which resulted in the death of two peacekeepers.
• The UN Mission highlights that close cooperation protects the lives of civilians as well as Congolese soldiers and peacekeepers, and emphasizes the need to resume full military cooperation between MONUSCO and the Congolese Army in the fight against the ADF, but also against the Forces Démocratiques du Rwanda, FDLR, and other armed groups.

DARFUR

• The African Union-UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said it remains gravely concerned about the continued mobilization on both sides despite a temporary lull in the fighting between the Ma’alia and the Reziegat tribes.
• The Mission continues to exert around-the-clock efforts to mitigate the impact of the fighting on the civilian population in the area.
• It said that it is ready to assist the Sudanese authorities in the ongoing evacuation of more than 50 injured tribesmen from both tribes to Khartoum for treatment. It also provided East Darfur State medical authorities with medicines and other surgical equipment which were apparently in short supply.

U.N. MISSION IN LIBYA CONTINUES TO PROMOTE DIALOGUE AMONG STAKEHOLDERS

• Following extensive consultations with Libyan actors over the past months, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, Bernardino León, presented a draft agreement for a Government of National Accord to Libyan parties on 27 April.
• Official reactions have been received from most parties and both sides have maintained their commitment to engage in the dialogue. Mr. León expects to present parties with a revised draft once all the comments have been communicated.
• In parallel, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) continues to interact with the parties to reach agreement on security arrangements and a ceasefire. The UN intends to convene a meeting on this issue soon as well.
• While the political process continues, the security situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. Demonstrable progress on the political and security tracks is required as soon as possible in order to arrest the deepening chaos in the country and put Libya in a position to deal with the critical issues they face, including the growing terrorist threat.

AID ORGANIZATIONS WARN RESPONSE COULD BE HAMPERED WHEN MONSOONS START

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that aid delivery will be hampered once the monsoons begin in Nepal in the coming weeks. Estimates indicate that 315,000 people live in areas where they cannot be reached by road.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that the earthquakes and continuing aftershocks in Nepal highlight the importance of the efforts that the country’s Health Ministry and WHO have had in place for more than a decade so that key hospitals, health facilities and workers would be ready in an emergency or natural disaster.

NEW GLOBAL STATISTICS REPORT SHOWS MIXED RESULTS IN HEALTH-RELATED PROGRESS

• The World Health Organization (WHO) published the latest World Health Statistics report today, which assesses progress towards the health-related goals in each of the 193 countries for which data are available.
• The report indicates mixed results and says that by the end of this year, if current trends continue, the world will have met global targets for turning around the epidemics of HIV-AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and increasing access to safe drinking water. It will also have made substantial progress in reducing child malnutrition, maternal and child deaths, and increasing access to basic sanitation.
• However, despite great advances in reducing child deaths before the age of five, less than one third of all countries have achieved or are on track to meet the target by the end of this year.
• Similarly, the number of women who died due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth has been cut in half between 1990 and 2013, but this rate of decrease won’t be enough to achieve the targeted reduction of 75 per cent by the end of the year.

U.N. AGENCIES ISSUE NEW GUIDE TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM PESTICIDES

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Labour Organization have issued a new training guide on engaging with rural communities in order to reduce children's exposure to toxic pesticides used in farming.
• Nearly 100 million boys and girls between 5 and 17 years old are engaged in child labour in agriculture, many in direct contact with toxic chemicals while working on the farm.