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

TUESDAY, 08 MARCH 2016

WE MUST EMPOWER WOMEN AS AGENTS OF CHANGE, STRESSES SECERTARY-GENERAL ON INTERNATIONAL DAY

• In his message for International Women’s Day, the Secretary-General said that we can only address gender inequality by empowering women as agents of change.
• Although the Secretary-General remains outraged by the denial of rights to women and girls, he is touched by people everywhere who act on the secure knowledge that women’s empowerment leads to society’s advancement.
• He called on everyone to devote solid funding, courageous advocacy and unbending political will to achieving gender equality around the world, adding that there is no greater investment in our common future.
• The Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, has called for greater participation of women as one of the necessary conditions for an inclusive 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. She added that each one of us is needed to ensure decisive, visible and measurable actions are taken to promote gender equality.
• UN Women said that in honour of International Women’s Day, many events are taking place in more than 60 countries across the globe to rile up support for several of the organization’s campaigns.
• At headquarters, there is a special event called “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality,” which is the theme of this year’s commemoration, took place in the Trusteeship Council Chamber.

GERMAN CHANCELLOR SHOWS GREAT STATEMENSHIP AND COMPASSION IN RESPONDING TO REFUGEE CRISIS - SECRETARY-GENERAL

• The Secretary-General was in Berlin today where he met with Chancellor Angela Merkel. They discussed the situation in Ukraine as well as in Syria and the refugee crisis in Europe.
• Speaking to reporters after their meeting, the Secretary-General said that Chancellor Merkel had shown great statesmanship and compassion in trying to ensure an effective, rights-based approach to this challenge.
• He said that at a time when many want to build walls and turn their backs on people in need, she has stood firm in defence of international law, human rights and our common humanity.
• While in Berlin, the Secretary-General also received the order of merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He met with the President of the Parliament and the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
• In Bonn, the Secretary-General took part in an event to mark the 20^th anniversary of the presence of UN offices there. He also met Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeir.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY CONCERNED OVER RECENT STATEMENT BY EUROPEAN UNION AND TURKEY

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has expressed concern at yesterday’s statement of the European Union Heads of State and the Government of Turkey.
• It is particularly concerned about any arrangement that involves the blanket return of all individuals from one country to another without sufficiently spelling out refugee protection safeguards in keeping with international obligations.
• However, it welcomes the EU's financial contribution to support Turkey and the refugee communities in Turkey. UNHCR stressed that Turkey currently hosts close to 3 million refugees and has made enormous contributions for years and just recently adopted a work regulation for Syrian refugees, but, in light of the enormity of the task, it still struggles to provide for all the basic needs of the swelling Syrian population.
• The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reiterated that in the implementation of such decisions the fundamental humanitarian principle of ‘do no harm’ must guide authorities across Europe, the Balkans and Turkey at every step when it comes to care of refugee and migrant children.
• It added that the current dire situation unfolding on the borders of Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia remains unacceptable for children who are now in the majority of those on the Idomeni border in northern Greece.

U.N. INDEPENDENT HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTIGATION ON BURUNDI CONCLUDES FIRST MISSION TO COUNTRY

• The UN Independent Investigation on Burundi, created by the Human Rights Council (HRC) last December, ended its first visit to the country today.
• Speaking to the press in Bujumbura, Pablo de Greiff, one of the three members of the investigation noted that the visit was aimed at gathering information and views from all relevant actors.
• During the eight-day visit, the experts met with government officials, including one of the country’s two Vice Presidents as well as other political leaders, civil society groups, and victims of human rights violations. They also visited a prison in Gitega, two hours away from Bujumbura, and met with detainees allegedly involved in a failed coup d’état in May 2015.
• The experts are scheduled to visit Burundi again in June and July this year. Meanwhile, as part of the investigation, a team of monitors will also be deployed to Burundi in coming weeks. In September, the experts are scheduled to issue their final report to the Human Rights Council.

SOUTH SUDAN: U.N. REPRESENTATIVE REITERATES COMMITMENT TO PROTECT CIVILIANS

• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for South Sudan, Ellen Margrethe Løj, visited Malakal today to assess the situation there and to meet with parties on the ground, including community leaders within the protection site and Malakal town.
• During her visit, Ms. Løj reiterated the UN’s commitment to the mission’s mandate to protect civilians and urged all responsible parties to refrain from any actions or statements that escalate tensions and to respect the rules governing UN protection sites, including the no weapons rule inside the sites.
• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that an inter-agency humanitarian team has managed to reach Mundri West County earlier this month, following clashes in the area in February.
• Aid partners have distributed hygiene and emergency medical items as well as survival kits and clean water kits for people in the area.

OVER 2.4 MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED IN YEMEN SINCE START OF CONFLICT, WARNS U.N.

• The Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, concluded a four-day visit to Riyadh today. He met with the Yemeni President, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and several ministers in the Government of Yemen.
• He also had constructive meetings with members of diplomatic corps and the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Dr. Abdellatif Ben Rashid Al-Zayyani, in addition to Saudi counterparts.
• The Special Envoy will continue his diplomatic efforts in the region before announcing a new date for the next round of peace talks.
• The Special Task Force on Population Movement, led by UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has issued its latest report saying that more than 2.4 million people have been forcibly displaced in Yemen since the start of the conflict almost a year ago.
• The report added that the situation is likely to get worse, amid increasingly dire humanitarian and socio-economic conditions and with no political settlement in sight. UNHCR and IOM have stressed the need to keep humanitarian access open for deliveries of essential services.

TUNISIA: SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACKS ON POLICE AND ARMY POSTS IN BEN GUERDANE

• In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General condemned the terrorist attacks carried out earlier that day on police and army posts in the town of Ben Guerdane, Tunisia. He expresses his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims as well as to the people and Government of Tunisia and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.
• The Secretary-General reiterates the commitment of the UN to stand with the people of Tunisia as they confront the scourge of terrorism and work to preserve the gains of the revolution.

SECURITY COUNCIL CONCLUDES VISIT TO WEST AFRICA

• Security Council members today wrapped up their three-day mission to West Africa with a final stop in Dakar, Senegal, where they met with President Macky Sall and the leadership of the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWAS).
• They arrived in Mali on the 5 March and spent most of the day in Mopti and Timbuktu. They also met with Prime Minister Modibo Keita in Bamako.
• On 7 March, they travelled to Guinea-Bissau, where they met with Prime Minister Carlos Correia and members of his government. Council members are expected to arrive back in New York tomorrow, the 9 March.

U.N. AGENCIES LAUNCH NEW INITIATIVE TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

• The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) today launched a new multi-country initiative to accelerate action to end child marriage and help protect the rights of millions of the world’s most vulnerable girls.
• Called the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage, the new initiative will focus on proven strategies, including increasing girls’ access to education and health care services, educating parents and communities on the dangers of child marriage, and strengthening and enforcing laws that establish 18 as the minimum age of marriage.