HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,

SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

WEDNESDAY, 8 JULY 2015

SOUTH SUDAN: ON EVE OF FOURTH ANNIVERSARY, SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON LEADERS TO STEP UP EFFORTS TOWARDS POLITICAL SOLUTION

• In a statement by the Secretary-General: Four years ago, I stood in Juba with masses of proud citizens and watched the flag rise for the first time over the newest member state of the United Nations, South Sudan. I will never forget the sense of joy and hope.
• Those memories are all the more painful to recall today as we mark the fourth anniversary of a country where hope is in short supply.
• The South Sudanese people face suffering, unconscionable levels of violence and unspeakable sexual abuse. Instead of the progress and development for which we all hoped and in which the international community invested, more than 1.6 million people have been displaced, including over 150,000 now seeking refuge in UNMISS protection sites. Some 4.6 million face severe food insecurity and over 600,000 have been forced to flee into neighbouring countries.
• The violence that has ravaged South Sudan over the past 18 months proves that there can never be a military solution to this conflict. I therefore call on all leaders of South Sudan -- particularly President Kiir and former Vice-President Riek Machar -- to prove their leadership by investing in a political solution and immediately concluding a comprehensive peace agreement. At the same time, the international community must take decisive steps to help end the fighting.
• Political leaders on both sides must make unequivocal public statements that the targeting of civilians will not be tolerated. All parties to the conflict must know that those responsible for serious human rights violations will be held accountable for their actions.
• Brave and dedicated humanitarian workers and United Nations staff continue to operate in dangerous and dire conditions. I demand that the parties respect international humanitarian law and ensure unfettered access to those in need.
• I reaffirm the commitment of the United Nations to support a political solution in South Sudan while continuing to make every effort to provide vulnerable populations with protection and humanitarian assistance. I commend the efforts by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union to prevail upon the parties to forge a political solution. It is important that we show the parties a single way forward, with the full support of the region and the international community.  
• Peace, development and human rights are the birth-right of all the people of South Sudan. The promise of a new nation that they celebrated four years ago must finally be redeemed.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES DIRECT TALKS BETWEEN AFGHAN GOVERNMENT, TALIBAN REPRESENTATIVES

• In a statement on the talks between Afghan Government and Taliban representatives, the Secretary-General welcomes the direct talks held yesterday between Afghan Government and Taliban representatives in Pakistan. He reiterates his support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.  He expresses his appreciation for the commitment of the parties and the constructive role of the host, Pakistan.
• In a statement, the UN Assistance Mission (UNAMA) in Afghanistan also expressed its support for the talks, and the Special Representative Nicholas Haysom added that the Afghan people want an end to the pervasive violence that continues to affect every aspect of their lives. He said that the talks should be recognized as an outcome of recent efforts aimed at rebuilding relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

SECRETARY-GENERAL SEES IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE FIRST-HAND IN NORWEGIAN ARCTIC ZONE

• The Secretary-General is currently in the Norwegian Arctic zone, on board the research vessel RV Lance. In the run-up to the Paris Conference, the Secretary-General is receiving briefings from scientists and observing first-hand the effects of climate change on the region, which he previously visited in 2009.
• The visit today includes an excursion to a Norwegian glacier, Blomstrandbreen, to see the dramatic changes to the ice, as well as briefings at the Kings Bay Marine Lab and the Svalbard Satellite Station.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO TAKE PART IN FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT MEETING IN ETHIOPIA

• The Secretary-General will leave New York on Saturday, June 11^th, for the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This Conference will gather high-level political representatives, including Heads of State and Government, and Ministers of Finance, Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, as well as all relevant institutional stakeholders, non-governmental organizations and business sector entities.
• It will result in an inter-governmentally negotiated and agreed outcome, which should constitute an important contribution to the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda.
• The Secretary-General will address the opening of the Conference on Monday, 13 July, and participate in several side events organized by UN Women, the Global Financing Facility (GFF) and the World Bank, among others.
  While in Addis Ababa, the Secretary-General is also scheduled to meet with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, as well as several other Heads of Governments and States and senior officials attending the Conference.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS SREBRENICA GENOCIDE ONE OF ‘DARKEST CHAPTERS’ IN RECENT HISTORY

• The Deputy Secretary-General spoke about the Srebrenica genocide at the Security Council meeting a short while ago. He said that the genocide there was one of the darkest chapters in recent history, noting that the United Nations has acknowledged its responsibility for failing to protect the people who sought shelter and relief in Srebrenica.
• The Deputy Secretary-General said that since then, the UN has worked in many ways to implement the recommendations made in subsequent reports that identified the mistakes by both the Organization by the wider international community.
• He also said that the Security Council has a central role to play, adding that we see today how situations can deteriorate and get out of control when the Security Council is divided. The carnage in Syria has undoubtedly taken a toll on the reputation and standing of the Council and of the United Nations. 
• The Deputy Secretary-General also said that he will travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina to represent the Secretary-General at the commemoration on 11 July marking 20 years since the Srebrenica genocide and to honour the victims.
• Also speaking at the meeting was the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.
• The draft resolution which was put to the Council for a vote failed to pass.

U.N. LEBANON ENVOY TO BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL

• This afternoon, Sigrid Kaag, the UN Special Political Coordinator for Lebanon, will brief the Security Council on the implementation of resolution 1701.

U.N. RELIEF CHIEF CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE HUMANITARIAN PAUSE IN YEMEN

• Stephen O’Brien, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, voiced his continuing worries about the humanitarian situation unfolding across Yemen, where more than 3,260 people have been killed and nearly 1.3 million people have been displaced since March. He noted reports in recent days of attacks on a kindergarten housing refugees in Aden and markets in Lahj, Amran and Hajjah, and firing of rockets fired in civilian neighbourhoods in Aden. If these reports are verified, they give an indication of a clear disregard for human lives by the parties to this conflict and the emptiness of statements of concern.
• Mr. O’Brien calls on all parties to agree to an immediate and unconditional humanitarian pause across the country. Civilians must be allowed to move to safer areas without fear of attack and humanitarian agencies must have safe and unhindered access so that they can treat the wounded, and deliver life-saving treatment and supplies in any areas where fighting is ongoing.
• He added that without full, immediate and unimpeded access to ports, and sufficient funding, aid agencies cannot provide the critical help that tens of millions of people need.

SECRETARY-GENERAL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST RECENT BOKO HARAM ATTACKS AGAINST CIVILIANS

• In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the attacks by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin countries, including the deliberate targeting of Christian and Muslim worshippers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the northeast States of Borno and Yobe, Nigeria. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.
• The Secretary-General took note of President Muhammadu Buhari's determination to root out this menace, and commends the countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin for their steadfast efforts in the fight against Boko Haram.
• The Secretary-General renewed his calls to support the operationalisation of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) through the provision of the requisite political, logistical, and financial resources and necessary expertise, consistent with international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.

ROOT CAUSES OF GAZA CONFLICT UNADDRESSED ON YEAR ON – U.N. OFFICIAL

• Pierre Krähenbühl, the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said that, one year after the devastating Gaza conflict that claimed more than 1,500 civilian lives, the root causes of the conflict remain unaddressed.
• He said that 315 days after the ceasefire took effect, not a single totally destroyed house, of which there are over 12,000, has been rebuilt. This leaves some 120,000 people homeless. Coming in addition to high levels of unemployment and lack of prospects for Gaza’s youth, this situation represents a time-bomb for the region, said the Commissioner-General
• Mr. Krähenbühl called for a lifting of the blockade, ensuring rights and security for all, allowing increased exports from Gaza to stimulate economic recovery and freedom of movement for civilians. While some steps have been taken in recent weeks, he said, they fall far short of what is needed to bring about fundamental change in the lives of the population.

DROUGHT-STRICKEN CHILDREN AT RISK OF MALNUTRITION IN D.P.R. KOREA, U.N. CHILDREN’S FUND WARNS

• The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned today that children are already suffering as a result of drought in some parts of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and many more may be at serious risk of malnutrition and disease if this continues.
• UNICEF personnel recently met with local health officials in impacted provinces who confirm reports of significant increases in diarrhoea among children, with the absence of rain threatening access to safe water and sanitation. Rainfall figures and information from humanitarian agencies says the Government indicated that parts of the country are already facing serious drought.

GHANA BECOMES 105^TH MEMBER STATE TO PAY U.N. DUES IN FULL

• Ghana is the 105th Member State to pay its regular budget dues in full.

***The guest at the noon briefing was John Ging, the Operations Director for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), who briefed reporters on his recent trip to Nepal.