Noon briefing of 14 March 2016

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,

SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

MONDAY, 14 MARCH 2016

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR EVERYONE TO STEP UP FOR GENDER EQUALITY

• The Secretary-General addressed the opening of the 60^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) this morning.
• Speaking to the General Assembly, the Secretary-General stressed that as long as one woman’s human rights are violated, our struggle is not over.
• He said that he has travelled to some of the harshest places on earth for women in his nine years as Secretary-General. Sometimes in the toughest conditions you find the strongest heroines, he added.
• The Secretary-General said that the world is full of inequalities and injustices for women and girls, and called on governments, businesses and others to step up for gender equality, which, he added, demands nothing less than full respect for the human rights of women and girls everywhere.
• The head of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, also addressed the meeting, saying that the 60^th session marks the beginning of the countdown to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs).
• She added that “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end poverty and transform gender relations” is in our hands today.

U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA CONVENES TALKS IN GENEVA

• Staffan de Mistura, the Special Envoy for Syria, convened talks among the Syrian parties in Geneva today and spoke to correspondents, noting that the talks are taking place while the fragile cessation of hostilities has been holding.
• He said that there continues to be distance between the sides, so he has been proceeding with proximity talks, as he has done previously. He hopes over time to hold direct negotiations, as well.
• The Special Envoy said he was meeting today with the Syrian Government delegation and had met yesterday with the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board. He also had courtesy meetings yesterday afternoon with the Government and High Negotiations Committee delegations.
• Mr. de Mistura said that he expects that spoilers will try to upset the talks. He added that, if during these talks, he doesn’t see any willingness to negotiate, he will bring the issue back to those who have influence: the Russian Federation, the United States and the Security Council.
• He said that he will brief the Security Council in its consultations on Syria this afternoon.

IRAQ: MILITARY OPERATIONS DISPLACE 35,000 OVER THE WEEKEND IN ANBAR GOVERNORATE

• Military operations in Iraq’s Anbar Governorate have displaced around 35,000 people since 11 March. People are fleeing areas in the centre of the Governorate, including Kabissa, Heet, Al-Asriya village and Al-Saghriya village, and moving to areas west of Ramadi, in search of safety.
• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that most people have reportedly fled with few belongings and need shelter, basic household items, food and water. More than 12,000 of those people have received humanitarian aid as of yesterday.
• Overall, approximately 53,500 people have been displaced in Anbar since military operations escalated at the end of December. With funding insufficient to meet more than the basic needs of people, most of the displaced are being hosted in overcrowded camps and temporary settlements in eastern Anbar locations.
• The United Nations and our partners have appealed for $861 million to provide emergency relief in 2016. Of this, only 9 per cent has so far been received: totalling $74 million.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACKS IN TURKEY AND COTE D’IVOIRE

• In a statement issued Sunday evening, the Secretary-General condemned the terrorist attack in Ankara earlier that day, which had killed and wounded dozens of people. The United Nations continues to support and stand in solidarity with the people and the Government of Turkey at this trying time.
• In a separate statement on Sunday, the Secretary-General condemned the terrorist attacks carried out in three hotels in the town of Grand Bassam, Côte d9;Ivoire, in which at least 14 civilians were killed and many others injured.
• In a separate press statement issued today, the members of the Security Council also condemned that attack and underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice.
• Unfortunately we learned this morning that one civilian personnel from the peacekeeping mission ONUCI, a UN Volunteer, was among the fatalities. In addition a UN police officer serving with ONUCI was wounded on Sunday and her condition is reported as stable.

BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION TO FIGHT SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE BY PEACEKEEPERS

• On Friday, the Secretary-General welcomed the adoption by the Security Council of Resolution 2272 (2016) earlier that day.
• The resolution, which endorses the special measures recommended by the Secretary-General to prevent and combat sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers, is a significant step in our collective efforts to combat the terrible damage caused to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.
• The Secretary-General is pleased that the Members of the Security Council have echoed the concerns that he has been raising for months in order to shine a light on a difficult issue.
• Moving forward, the Secretary-General’s focus is to make a difference for victims, ensuring protection and support for victims, and to demand zero impunity, emphasizing that accountability is a shared responsibility requiring action by Member States.
• It is only by working with Member States, especially Troop Contributing Countries, that we will be able to ensure accountability and justice for the victims. The Secretary-General reiterates his call for to Member States to work closely with the United Nations to effectively implement the measures he has put forward.

SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH ONE OF THE SO-CALLED ‘COMFORT WOMEN’DRAFTED BY JAPAN DURING SECOND WORLD WAR

• On Friday, the Secretary-General met with Ms. Gil Won-ok, one of the victims who were drafted by Japan as so-called “comfort women” during the Second World War. After the meeting, the Secretary General said that he had share his sympathy with her about the suffering and pain that she and other victims have experienced, adding that it is crucial that the voices of victims and survivors are heard.

U.N. MISSION IN MALI INVESTIGATES PEACEKEEPER SHOOTING COLLEAGUES

• The UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) a peacekeeper in the Mission’s Tessalit camp fired at 3 of his colleagues on Saturday night.
• Two peacekeepers were killed, the other was injured.
• An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of this incident.

MYANMAR: FIGHTING IN SHAN STATE DISPLACES 4,200 PEOPLE

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that armed conflict that erupted in early February in Myanmar’s northern Shan State has displaced an estimated 4,200 people to in the area – and that is according to state authorities and local civil society organizations.
• Our humanitarian colleagues are following up with local partners for more information. State authorities, local groups, the Myanmar Red Cross Society, the UN and INGOs have provided relief items and services at displacement sites.
• Early recovery support will be needed to help some returning families rebuild their homes and livelihoods once the security situation allows.

DROUGHT AFFECTS 39 OUT OF 63 PROVINCES IN VIETNAM

• Our colleagues in Vietnam have warned that severe drought and salt intrusion in the Mekong Delta is affecting 39 out of 63 provinces in Vietnam
• As of 10 March, an estimated 195,200 families did not have sufficient water supply to meet their daily needs. Some 10 provinces have declared a state of emergency.
• According to the authorities, 159,000 hectares of rice paddy have also been lost, amounting to an economic loss of US $10.5 million – an additional 500,000 hectares are at risk of being lost by mid-2016.

COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS OPENS NEW SESSION

• The fifty-ninth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs opened today at the UN headquarters in Vienna.
• Speaking at the session’s opening, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Yury Fedotov said the Commission’s work was promoting a comprehensive understanding of the world drug problem and the need to put people first.
• The 59th Session of the Commission brings together around 1,500 delegates representing Member States, inter-governmental organizations, and civil society for a global discussion on the world drug problem.