HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

THURSDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 2015

SECRETARY-GENERAL ‘DEEPLY SADDENED’ BY DEATHS OF HUNDREDS OF HAJJ PILGRIMS IN SAUDI ARABIA

• In a statement, the Secretary-General said that he was deeply saddened to learn of the death of more than 700 Hajj pilgrims and of injuries to many others as a result of a deadly incident in the Mina Valley in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This tragic incident is all the more distressing as it took place on the first day of the Holy Eid Al-Adha marking the end of the annual Hajj season.
• The Secretary-General extends his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and expresses his sympathies to all the Governments concerned.

YEMEN: SECRETARY-GENERAL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST DEADLY ATTACK AT SANA’A MOSQUE, SAYS SUCH ATTACKS CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED

• In a statement on the situation in Yemen, the Secretary-General condemns the terrorist attack today at the al-Bolayli mosque in Sana’a during prayers for the Eid al-Adha holiday. He expresses his deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims and to the people of Yemen.
• Such attacks against places of worship, or civilians anywhere, cannot be justified by any cause. The Secretary-General calls for a full investigation of the bombing and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES PROGRESS ON PEACE PROCESS BETWEEN COLOMBIA, REBEL GROUP

• In a statement on the agreement regarding Colombia, the Secretary-General welcomes the agreement reached by the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) in Havana, on 23 September, on the issue of victims. He commends the parties' commitment to place victims at the center of the peace process.
• The announcements made in Havana by the parties represent significant progress towards reaching a final peace agreement and bring Colombia even closer to ending the hemisphere’s longest armed conflict.
• The Secretary-General looks forward to welcoming President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia at the United Nations in New York and hearing his views about the way forward for the peace process.
• The Secretary-General commends the role of guarantor countries, Cuba and Norway, as well as of Chile and Venezuela as accompanying nations in assisting this peace process.
• The Secretary-General reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to continue supporting the parties as they advance in their work toward reaching a Peace Agreement, particularly through the work of his Delegate to the sub-commission on End of Conflict. He also reiterates the willingness of the United Nations system to provide the support required to ensure the successful implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia for the advancement of peace, human rights and development for all its citizens.

BURKINA FASO: SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES REINSTATEMENT OF PRESIDENT, URGEST RESTRAINT

• In a statement issued yesterday evening on the situation in Burkina Faso, the Secretary-General welcomes the reinstatement of President Michel Kafando and of the transitional institutions in Burkina Faso.
• The resumption of the transition process will enable the country to hold presidential and legislative elections in accordance with the country’s Constitution and Transitional Charter. He calls on all national stakeholders to exercise restraint and to ensure respect for the physical integrity and human rights of all Burkinabè citizens.
• The Secretary-General's Special Representative for West Africa, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, will continue to work closely with regional and international partners to support national authorities in the lead-up to peaceful and transparent elections.

SECRETARY-GENERAL, DAVID BECKHAM JOIN FORCES WITH U.N. CHILDREN’S FUND TO SPOTLIGHT IMPORTANCE OF GLOBAL GOALS

• This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the UNICEF Voices for Children event with the agency’s Executive Director, Anthony Lake, and their Goodwill Ambassador, David Beckham.
• Focusing on the new sustainable development agenda, the Secretary-General said that the new global goals, who will be adopted tomorrow, put people, especially children and young people, at the centre of development.
• He also thanked David Beckham for his commitment to UNICEF and efforts to help children and youth.
• The Secretary-General also spoke earlier today at the ministerial meeting of the Group of 77 and China. He commended the G-77 and China for playing an extremely important role in shaping the new development agenda, and added that now is the time to build awareness and commitment to the agenda at the national-level.
• The Secretary-General also held several bilateral meetings today with high-level government officials and heads of international organizations. The list includes the Head of State of the Transitional Government of the Central African Republic, President of Viet Nam, Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, as well as the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Chad, Myanmar and Niger.
• He will also meet with the heads of the African Development Bank, International Civil Aviation Organization, the League of Arab States, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie and the Secretary-General of Iberoamerican Summit.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY WELCOMES EUROPEAN UNION DECISIONS ON FUNDING, RELOCATION OF REFUGEES

• The UN Refugee Agency, or UNHCR, today welcomed a decision by European Union leaders to boost resources for humanitarian aid to countries neighbouring war-torn Syria.
• It also welcomed a parallel decision to relocate an additional 120,000 people in EU countries.
• High Commissioner António Guterres said that the relocation plan will not put an end to the problem, but it hopefully will be the beginning of a solution.
• Mr. Guterres added that the plan can only work if, at entry points in Europe, robust facilities are created to receive, assist, register and screen people.
• According to UNHCR, countries must also offer those in need of international protection a credible alternative to the present chaotic journeys across border after border at the mercy of criminal smugglers.
• On strengthening border control at the EU external border, the agency continues to stress that the management of borders needs to be consistent with national, EU and international law, including guaranteeing the right to seek asylum.
• It said that it was disappointed that, notwithstanding relocation, no further measures have been proposed to create more legal pathways for refugees to reach safety in Europe.
• For its part, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) welcomed the recognition by the EU that the best interests of children – who make up 1 in every 4 asylum-seekers in Europe this year – are paramount in their relocation within the EU.

IRAQ: U.N. CONCERNED ABOUT CHOLERA OUTBREAK

• The UN system in Iraq is concerned about the cholera outbreak there. Laboratory tests have confirmed 52 cholera cases in different parts of the country. More than 1,200 people have been treated for diarrhoea, according to data from health facilities.
• Primary school reopening has been delayed in the country by one month until mid-October to prevent the outbreak from spreading.

***The guest at the noon briefing was Santiago Villalpando, Chief of the Office of Legal Affair’s Treaty Section. He spoke about the Office’s annual treaty event whose theme this year is “Seventy Years of Multilateral Treaty Making at the United Nations.”