HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2016

COLOMBIA: SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES REQUEST TO SET UP POLITICAL MISSION TO MONITOR CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES

• In a statement, the Secretary-General welcomes the joint communiqué issued by the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) in Havana yesterday announcing their decision to request the Security Council to establish a political mission in Colombia. The mission would constitute the international component of a tripartite mechanism to monitor and verify a future agreement on a bilateral and definitive ceasefire and cessation of hostilities and the laying down of arms.
• The Secretary-General also welcomes the parties’ request to the members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to contribute international observers to the mission to be established by the United Nations.
  The Secretary-General congratulates the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP on yet another significant step toward the peaceful resolution of the armed conflict. He reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to continue to support their efforts in the search for peace.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS DEADLY TERRORIST ATTACK ON UNIVERSITY IN PAKISTAN

• In a statement, the Secretary-General condemns the terrorist attack by armed militants at Bacha Khan University in the city of Charsadda, Pakistan, today, which killed at least 19 people and wounded dozens more. He is appalled by such acts of violence and calls for the perpetrators to be swiftly brought to justice.
  The Secretary-General recalls that just over a year ago Pakistan experienced one of the deadliest school attacks in its history near the city of Peshawar, where more than 150 people died, mostly children.
• He reaffirms that attacks against students, teachers or schools can never be justified. The right to education for all must be firmly protected. Schools and educational facilities must be respected as safe and secure spaces.
• The Secretary-General calls for proportionate and necessary measures to be taken to ensure that schools in areas of insecurity and conflict are adequately protected.
  The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Pakistan.

SECRETARY-GENERAL ARRIVES IN DAVOS TO ATTEND WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

• The Secretary-General arrived in Davos today to attend the 2016 World Economic Forum. He began his day by speaking at an event sponsored by the Prime Minister of Sweden, Stefan Lofven, on operationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals. The Secretary-General said that world leaders came together last September to adopt the 2030 Global Development agenda but he said that the test of commitment will be implementation.
• The Secretary-General also spoke at an event sponsored by the Global Compact. He told the gathered business leaders that they have an important part to play in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. He stressed that as the UN scales up its work with the business community, we all have to be guided by integrity, accountability and transparency. 
• Before attending a welcome dinner by the head of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, the Secretary-General is scheduled to meet with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.

LIBYA: NOMINATION OF MINISTERS FOR GOVERNMENT ‘IMPORTANT STEP’ TOWARDS RESOLVING CRISIS – SECRETARY-GENERAL

• In a statement issued yesterday evening, the Secretary-General warmly welcomed the announcement by the Presidency Council of the nomination of ministers for the Government of National Accord of Libya. This marks an important step towards the implementation of the Libya Political Agreement and the resolution of the crisis in the country.
• The Secretary-General looks forward to the endorsement of the new Government so that it can begin to address the many challenges facing the country. He commends the Presidency Council and all Libyan leaders who have demonstrated their commitment to place the national interest first and to engage in dialogue to resolve their differences.
• The Secretary-General reiterates his call on all Libyans to support the implementation of the Libyan Political Agreement so that Libya can continue its democratic transition.

AFRICAN UNION-U.N. MISSION REPORTS GOVERNMENT, REBEL CLASHES IN DARFUR’S JEBEL MARRA

• The Joint African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) continues to report fighting between Government forces and armed movements in Jebel Marra over the past few days, including reportedly aerial bombardment. UNAMID has observed the arrival of 200 civilians to the Straha camp for internally displaced persons in Nertiti and another 700 in the vicinity of its team site in Sortony who are being provided with basic assistance.
• Yesterday, on 19 January, the Mission conducted a mission to Nertiti to assess the situation and the status of the displaced population. The Mission has put contingency measures in place, intensified day and night patrols, and is working with the United Nations Country Team to respond to the protection and humanitarian needs of the civilian population in the area.

HALF OF CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC’S POPULATION FACES HUNGER, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME FINDS

• An Emergency Food Security Assessment by the World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners reveals that half of the population, or nearly 2.5 million people, of the Central African Republic faces hunger.
• The World Food Programme says this marks a doubling in the number of hungry people in a one-year period.
• It adds that it is extremely concerned by this alarming level of hunger.
• The World Food Programme is providing emergency food and nutritional support to those most vulnerable. In December 2015, WFP provided food for nearly 400,000 people through general food distributions, cash-based transfers, nutrition support and school meals, and food-for-assets activities.
• The World Food Programme needs urgent support to continue to provide food and nutritional assistance to displaced and vulnerable communities as well as to support recovery efforts. US$41 million is needed so that WFP can respond to urgent needs through to the end of June in the Central African Republic and the neighbouring countries hosting Central African refugees. To date, WFP’s operation is only 45 percent funded.

SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVES DECREASE IN NUMBER OF BLUE HELMETS IN COTE D’IVOIRE

• At a meeting this morning, the Security Council adopted a resolution by which it decided to decrease the authorized ceiling of the military component of the UN Mission in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) from 5,437 to 4,000 military personnel by 31 March 2016.

U.N. AGENCY CALLS FOR STEPPED UP FUNDING TO HELP SYRIAN FARMERS

• With the war in Syria now approaching its sixth year and food supplies at an all-time low, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today called on governments to provide a boost in funding targeted at helping farmers keep their lands in production to prevent the situation from deteriorating even further. 
• Food prices in Syria have soared, with prices in some markets for wheat flour and rice jumping by as much as 300 per cent and 650 per cent, respectively, over the past 18 months.

U.N. AGENCIES VOICE CONCERN OVER RISKS FACED BY REFUGEE WOMEN, GIRLS ON THE MOVE IN EUROPE

• The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), together with the Women’s Refugee Commission, today expressed concern over the grave risks to refugee and migrant women and girls on the move in Europe.
• The three agencies conducted a joint field assessment last November of risks involved for refugee and migrant women and girls in Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
• Their report found that those who are at particular risk include single women travelling alone or with children; pregnant and lactating women; adolescent girls; unaccompanied children; and early-married children, sometimes themselves with new-born babies.
• Also on this issue, with up to 3,000 refugees and migrants passing through Slovenia every day, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the country’s Government today announced that they are joining forces to improve the care and protection of children on the move.
• Despite Government efforts to provide shelter and essential services to people on the move, support systems are stretched because of the sheer scale of the crisis. UNICEF aims to scale up child protection services by training front line workers, carrying out hygiene promotion and distributing supplies for the winter.

LATVIA, SINGAPORE PAY U.N. DUES IN FULL

• Latvia and Singapore have paid their regular budget dues in full for 2016 and that brings the total number of countries to have paid up so far to nine.