HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

FRIDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2015

IN PARIS, SECRETARY-GENERAL VOICES OPTIMISM AT STATE OF CLIMATE CHANGE TALKS

• The Secretary-General is continuing his work in Paris at the Conference of Parties (COP21) talks on climate change. After meeting with COP President and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, the Secretary-General expressed his optimism at the ongoing discussions. He said that those discussions were by far the most complicated and most difficult that he had ever attended but they were also the most important for humanity. 
• The Secretary-General described the current draft text as a good basis for cordial negotiations and urged the negotiators to go beyond national interests. He told them “good global solutions will help good local solutions.”
• The main part of his day was spent in bilateral meetings, which included with the delegations of India, China, Turkey, Venezuela, the United States, Australia, Singapore, and others later in the day. 

SECRETARY-GENERAL WARNS RECENT VIOLENCE COULD RESULT IN FURTHER DESTABILIZATION IN BURUNDI

• In a statement, the Secretary-General condemns the attacks by groups of unidentified assailants on military camps in Bujumbura early this morning. Such acts of violence can lead to a further destabilization of the situation in Burundi.
• The Secretary-General urges the leadership of these groups and the national authorities to refrain from any further escalation of violence or retaliation and stresses that anyone responsible for ordering or committing human rights violations will be held individually accountable.
• The Secretary-General appeals to all national stakeholders to uphold the rule of law. He urges the authorities to help create the conditions for a credible and inclusive dialogue that can address the deep political challenges facing the country. The United Nations extends its full support and assistance to all efforts aimed at promoting a peaceful settlement of the crisis.

SYRIA: U.N., RED CRESCENT EVACUATES COMBATANTS, CIVILIANS

• The United Nations in Syria and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) have evacuated more than 300 combatants, along with their families and the critically injured, from Al Waer neighbourhood in Homs and transferred them into Idleb governorate, as stipulated in a local Agreement between the Government of Syria and the Local Committee of Al Waer. In an evacuation operation that was carried out on Wednesday, a United Nations team and its partners moved about 700 evacuees from Al Waer, including thirty wounded.
• This evacuation, in addition to the previous entry of humanitarian assistance on 5 December, made a significant change in the lives of more than 60,000 people with limited access to humanitarian assistance living inside Al Waer and the wider geographic area of Homs.
• The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said that the UN’s clear goal is to reach, as soon as possible, a nationwide ceasefire. Meanwhile, he added, initiatives like this one bring relief to besieged or isolated communities and have great value. They help the perception that a nationwide ceasefire brokered by the members of the International Syria Support Group is doable and that the UN can and will do its part.
• Meanwhile, the UN humanitarian chief, Stephen O’Brien, is scheduled to visit Syria from 12-14 December 2015 to review humanitarian work and see for himself the impact on civilians of the intensified fighting and military operations.
• As the fifth winter of this conflict gets underway, more than 13.5 million people need basic aid and protection. They face daily deprivation and brutality. Four out of five Syrian families now live in poverty, and millions do not have enough food, clean water or shelter.
• During his visit, Mr. O'Brien is expected to meet displaced families, as well as key officials and humanitarian agencies and partners, to discuss ways of strengthening access so that more lives can be saved.  
• The Agreement between the United Nations and the Syrian Government concerning the Status of the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) was signed in New York this morning.  With that Agreement, the Syrian Government agreed to provide support to the JIM to conduct its activities in accordance with Security Council resolution 2235 (2015).
• The Mechanism’s mandate is to identify to the greatest extent feasible individuals, entities, groups or governments who were perpetrators, organisers, sponsors or otherwise involved in the use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, in the Syrian Arab Republic, as determined by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) Fact Finding Missions.
• Pursuant to resolution 2235 (2015), the first report of the JIM will be submitted 90 days following its announcement of commencement of full operations. The Secretary-General announced the Joint Investigative Mechanism to be fully operational on 13 November, and its first report is expected sometime in February 2016.

AT SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON UKRAINE, U.N. OFFICIALS STRESS NEED TO IMPLEMENT MINSK AGREEMENTS

• The Security Council is meeting today on Ukraine.
• In his briefing, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson noted that last month, we passed the two year mark since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis. 
• He emphasized that the Minsk agreements remain the best available viable and accepted path to resolving the conflict, adding that the agreements must be implemented in full. 
• The Deputy Secretary-General said that all parties must, without delay, work toward a durable political solution.  Greater political will and flexibility must be demonstrated by all concerned.
• Also stressing the importance of the Minsk agreements was Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic, who said that they are the only viable strategy for achieving a peaceful solution in eastern Ukraine, which, in turn, is a key for resolving the human rights crisis in the country.
• He said that the UN Human Rights Office will continue to monitor and advocate on the human rights situation in Ukraine in 2016.
• For his part, John Ging, the Director of Operations of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), briefed the Council from Ukraine, where he said he saw the devastating impact of the conflict on people in the east, in particular on the most vulnerable.
• He noted that the conflict is having an unacceptable impact on those least able to bear it.
• Mr. Ging appealed to everyone with power and influence to put the humanitarian plight of civilians affected by this conflict at the centre of their attention for positive action.
• The Security Council is also scheduled to meet today on Libya. The Secretary-General's Special Representative, Martin Kobler, will brief the Council members via video from Tunis.

LIBYA: U.N. ENVOY SAYS SIGNING OF POLITICAL AGREEMENT IMMINENT

• The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Libya, Martin Kobler, held a two-day meeting with members of the Libyan political dialogue yesterday and today in Tunis.
• Speaking to the press following the meeting today, he said that there was consensus among the members on the need to reach an agreement and address the urgent issues facing the country, including the growing threat of Da’esh and other terrorists groups as well as the deteriorating humanitarian and economic situation.
• He added that there was wide consensus that only through a Libyan political agreement can the country be brought back to unity.
• Mr. Kobler noted the announcement by members of the House of Representatives and the General National Congress that 16 December would be the target date for the signature of the agreement.  He added that the signature must be followed by a strong resolution from the Security Council.
• Regarding the humanitarian situation in the country, earlier this week the UN and its partners earlier this week launched the response plan for 2016 appealing for more than $165 million to address the needs of 2.4 million people, including nearly half a million internally displaced people, across Libya. 

NEW U.N. REPORT SPOTLIGHTS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

• The UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued today a report on the human rights situation in that country.
• The report shows that between September 2014 and May 2015, human rights violations occurred on a daily basis in the country.
• At least 785 people, including 88 women and 43 children, were victims of human rights violations in the Central African Republic, including killings, torture, abductions, sexual violence and hostage-taking.
• The report also notes that these violations were mainly the result of armed groups’ ability to operate freely throughout parts of the country and the culture of impunity.
• It calls on the national authorities to put an end to impunity and says that the establishment of the Special Criminal Court will be a very important step to ensure accountability.
• High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein condemned on Friday the ongoing inter-communal violence and expressed deep concern at the increasing use of sectarian language in the country. He warned that this could have dramatic consequences given the highly volatile pre-election atmosphere.
• He also said he was deeply concerned that all sides, including the authorities at the highest level, are calling for vigilante groups to be established. He added that the increasing tendency among Christians and Muslims to organize in self-defence groups and to exclude any person not considered part of their community was deeply worrying.
• Zeid called upon the State authorities to take urgent action to stem incitement to violence and hatred, and to ensure accountability for human rights violations. He also urged political leaders to call on their supporters to peacefully participate to the constitutional referendum this weekend and to the presidential and legislative elections which are due in two weeks.
• He said that to bring the country back to peace and stability, one of the key priorities is to put an end to the long prevailing impunity.
• The UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) reports that the security situation remained relatively tense in the capital Bangui yesterday.
• Peacekeepers dismantling barricades erected in the fourth district were fired upon by anti-Balaka, and responded by exchanging fire.
• Also yesterday, outside Bangui, unidentified armed groups fired on a MINUSCA-escorted commercial convoy at Bormo on the Baoro-Bossemptele axis, but fled after peacekeepers returned fire.  Meanwhile on the preparations of the elections, the Mission organized more than 60 flights yesterday and today to transport approximately 100 tons of materials for Sunday’s constitutional referendum to all 15 préfectures.

VIET NAM: U.N. EXPRESSES ALARM AT ATTACKS ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

• The UN Human Rights Office said today that it is alarmed at the recent spate of violent attacks on human rights defenders in Viet Nam and is concerned by what it calls the apparent failure of the authorities to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators.
• The Office has expressed its concern to the Vietnamese authorities over these attacks and sought clarification on serious allegations that plainclothes policemen were involved.
• Human rights defenders are entitled to particular protection by State authorities under international human rights law.
• The Office urges the Government of Viet Nam to take urgent measures to ensure the security of all human rights defenders and to undertake prompt, thorough and impartial investigations of all the reported incidents involving them.

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME WARNS OF POTENTIAL HUMANITARIAN CRISIS DUE TO IMPORT RESTRICTIONS ON INDIA-NEPAL BORDER

• The World Food Programme (WFP) today said that major disruptions in food and fuel imports across the border between India and Nepal have severely affected Nepal’s supplies and caused a worrying increase in food prices.
• With Nepal heavily dependent on imports, especially from India, severe shortages are now being felt in local markets. The cost of some basic food staples, such as cooking oil, rice, lentils, sugar and salt have soared in recent weeks as supplies dwindle.
• The World Food Programme says that if trade remains restricted and food prices continue to rise, a serious humanitarian crisis will be hard to avoid. Coming so soon after the recent earthquake, this crisis could severely test people’s ability to cope, and may lead to an increase in malnutrition.
• It urges all sides to once again allow the free flow of food items across the border to ensure that Nepalis, especially those who struggle on a day-to-day basis to feed their families, are not the ones who bear the burden of this protracted political stand-off.

MARKING UNIVERSALT HEALTH COVERAGE DAY, SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES NEED FOR STRONG, RESILIENT HEALTH SYSTEMS

• Tomorrow is Universal Health Coverage Day, and in his message, the Secretary-General stresses that our best defences against any health emergency are strong and resilient health systems that serve all people without exposing them to financial hardship.
• He notes that today, at least 400 million people lack access to essential health services, and that every year, health care costs plunge millions of people into poverty, or keep them trapped there.

NUMBER OF HUNGRY PEOPLE IN MOUNTAIN AREA CLIMBS 30 PER CENT, NEW U.N. REPORT FINDS

• While global hunger figures are decreasing, the number of food insecure people in mountain areas rose 30 per cent between 2000 and 2012, according to a new study released today by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership, on International Mountain Day.
• This study found that one in three mountain people, both urban and rural, in developing countries face hunger and malnutrition, compared to one out of nine people globally.
• Numbers get even starker for rural mountain populations, which depend on natural resources such as land, water and forests for their livelihoods: almost half of them are food insecure.

BANGLADESH BECOMES 139^TH MEMBER STATE TO PAY U.N. DUES IN FULL

• Bangladesh has paid its dues in full, becoming the 139th Member State to do so.

U.N. MISSION TO CONTINUE MONITORING SECURITY SITUATION IN SOUTH SUDAN’S WESTERN EQUATORIA

• In response to a question on the follow up of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) concerning incidents earlier this week in Western Equatoria State, the Deputy Spokesperson said that the Mission State Coordinator met with the Governor of Western Equatoria State to discuss the current security situation and urge that individuals who have been arrested, including Angelo Bakote, should have due process respected, including right to fair trial respected. The Mission will continue to monitor the situation.