HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

THURSDAY, 1 OCTOBER 2015

VIOLENCE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC CAPITAL UNDERSCORE FRAGILITY OF SITUATION IN COUNTRY – SECRETARY-GENERAL

• The Secretary-General spoke this morning at the high-level meeting on the Central African Republic.
• He said that recent events in Bangui underscore the fragility of the situation. It is clear that the latest violence in Bangui is designed to destabilise the country and jeopardise the transition process, he added.
• He said that we must work together to ensure against a relapse of the horrific violence that tore the country apart.  All those who perpetrate or instigate crimes – including human rights violations – or incite violence must be held accountable. 
• The Secretary-General also stressed importance of international support and the need to bridge religious and communal divisions and to find common ground.
• He called for the mobilization of the necessary support for the speedy implementation of the outcomes of the Bangui Forum, the successful conclusion of the Transition, and the building blocks for long-term peace and development that the people of the Central African Republic demand and deserve.
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says today that more than 42,000 people have been displaced in Bangui since violence began over the weekend.
• This brings the total number of people displaced in the capital to nearly 70,000.
• Insecurity is restricting access to displaced communities and the delivery of assistance.
• Two national NGOs were looted yesterday and sporadic unrest continues to impede humanitarian work across the country.

SECRETARY-GENERAL: MAJOR REVIEWS OF U.N. PEACEKEEPING, PEACEBUILDING UNDER WAY

• The Secretary-General also spoke this morning at the General Assembly’s high-level thematic debate marking the UN’s 70^th anniversary, focusing on international peace and security. He said that UN peacekeeping operations and special political missions today deploy more than 128,000 people around the world, which is more than ever before.
• In order to improve our performance, he said, major reviews are under way encompassing UN peace operations, the UN peacebuilding architecture and the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.

ADDRESSING PACIFIC LEADERS, SECRETARY-GENERAL UNDERLINES NEED TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE

• The Secretary-General spoke this morning at a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum.
• He said that the Forum is crucial to realizing our global vision for a sustainable future, and that now we need action on climate change, which has a severe impact on the Pacific region.
• The Secretary-General noted that the Forum’s Declaration on Climate Change Action rightly emphasized the need for global responsibility.
• Now, he said, we must do even more, adding that he will continue to call on major economies to raise their level of ambition and will press for priority attention to the needs of small island developing States and least developed countries. 
• The Secretary-General said that the Pacific region is known for being on the frontlines of climate change, and thanked it for being at the forefront of positive change for our world.

MIDDLE EAST QUARTET REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO TWO-STATE SOLUTION

• Yesterday, a statement was issued on behalf of the Quartet, comprising Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, US Secretary of State John Kerry, European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, and the Secretary-General. They met amongst themselves and also with key Arab and other partners.
• The Quartet reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to achieving a two-state outcome that meets Israeli security needs and Palestinian aspirations for statehood and sovereignty, ends the occupation that began in 1967, and resolves all permanent status issues in order to end the conflict.

U.N. EVENT ON REFUGEES, MIGRANTS SPOTLIGHTED VALUES, INTERNATIONAL LAW – DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL

• The Deputy Secretary-General addressed the press at the end of yesterday’s high-level event on migration and refugees.
• He called it an enriching meeting which covered the values and principles, as well as international law, that guides us in addressing the issue.
• With more than half a million people – most of them refugees – having crossed the Mediterranean Sea this year to find safety in Europe, UNHCR today has revised its appeal upwards for funding needed to find solutions to both the causes and effects of these movements.
• This updated appeal includes activities in Europe but also incorporates programmes in countries of asylum or transit in the Middle East and Africa.
• UNHCR is planning for up to 700,000 people to seek safety and international protection in Europe this year, and says that it is possible that this number could rise next year.

SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS YEMEN LEADER, VOICES CONCERN OVER HIGH TOLL OF AIRSTRIKES ON CIVILIANS

• The Secretary-General met yesterday with the President of Yemen.
• During that meeting, the Secretary-General expressed his extreme concern over the increasing number of civilian casualties, especially as a result of airstrikes, and the increasingly massive humanitarian crisis.
• He called on the Government to use its influence with its partners and do its utmost to protect civilians and to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.

IN MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER, SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES NO MILITARY SOLUTION TO SYRIAN CONFLICT

• This morning, the Secretary-General met this morning with Walid Al-Moualem, the Deputy Prime Minister of Syria. 
• The Secretary-General stressed that there was no military solution to the conflict and that the Government had to fulfil its responsibility to engage constructively in the political process. He noted that the creation of extremism and terrorism in the country was largely a consequence of the lack of political dialogue.  The Secretary-General expressed the hope that the Government of Syria would work closely and collaboratively with his Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura.
• He also expressed the hope that the Government of Syria would allow unfettered humanitarian access to all hard-to-reach and besieged areas in the country. 

NEW FORCE COMMANDER OF U.N.’S HAITI MISSION NAMED

• The Secretary-General is today announcing the appointment of Lieutenant-General Ajax Porto Pinheiro of Brazil as the Force Commander of MINUSTAH, the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti.
• Lieutenant-General Ajax will succeed Lieutenant-General José Luiz Jaborandy Junior of Brazil, who tragically passed away on 30 August 2015.  The Secretary-General was deeply saddened by Lieutenant-General Jaborandy’s untimely death, and reiterates his appreciation for all his work in Haiti.
• Lieutenant-General Ajax brings to this position over 30 years of national and international military experience.

***The guest at the noon briefing was Leonard Doyle, the Spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM).