HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ, DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

MONDAY, 16 MAY 2016

DESPITE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS, KOSOVO CONTINUES TO FACE HARD REALITIES, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL

• The Security Council today met on the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) covering the period from mid-January to mid-April.
• Speaking at the briefing, the Secretary-General Special Representative in Kosovo and head of the Mission, Zahir Tanin, stressed that Kosovo continues to be at the centre of issues vital for overall security in Europe.
• He said that the election of a new President of Kosovo and the newly mandated government of Serbia provide an excellent opportunity to draw a line under a period which has often been marked by political infighting and other distractions.
• The Special Representative noted the recent proposal of the EU Commission to transfer Kosovo to the list of visa-free short term travel to the Schengen countries.
• Despite some positive developments, the Special Representative said that Kosovo still faces the hard realities caused by unemployment, inequality, the challenges of developing a productive economy to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), overcome legacies of impunity, and weaknesses in its rule of law institutions. All these factors are serious challenges to the mandate of promoting peace and stability, he said.

YEMEN: SPECIAL ENVOY NOTES PROGRESS IN PEACE TALKS, URGES CONSENSUS TO DETERMINE FATE OF COUNTRY

• Over the weekend, the Yemeni Peace Talks continued in Kuwait, including meetings with the heads of the two delegations and other senior delegates from both sides.
• The United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said that progress is being achieved, albeit at a relatively slow pace. He called on all the parties to work towards finding a comprehensive solution as soon as possible.
• In remarks to the press yesterday, the Special Envoy said that the situation is complicated, but the time has come to make clear decisions and to determine the fate of the country. He noted that an improved security situation has enabled the various humanitarian agencies to expand their operations and provide aid to more than 13 million people.
• He told the parties that this is an historic opportunity that might not come around again. He added that providing concessions is not unusual; what is unusual is determination to continue the conflict and not provide any concessions. 

U.N. MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN CONCERNED OVER RECENT VIOLENCE NEAR BASE IN BENTIU

• The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reported that there were various instances of rocket-propelled grenades and machinegun fire yesterday, close to its base in Bentiu. Reports received by the Mission indicate fighting between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and opposition forces.
• The Mission reiterated its concern over these reports of violence. The Mission urged an immediate end to the fighting and called for all parties to fully abide by the agreement to resolve the conflict that was signed last August.
• The Mission is protecting some 105,000 civilians at its base in Bentiu, with more than 177,000 being protected in various parts of the country.

NIGER: U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF VISITS DISPLACED COMMUNITIES AHEAD OF WORLD HUMANITARIAN SUMMIT

• The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, has arrived in Niamey, Niger, as part of a four-day trip to areas of the Lake Chad Basin affected by Boko Haram violence.
• He is meeting with President Mahamadou Issoufou today to discuss the humanitarian situation in the country and across the Sahel region.
• Tomorrow, he is expected to visit the spontaneous displacement site for people in Assaga, in the Diffa region, where 240,000 people have been displaced by Boko Haram-related violence. He will also travel to Nigeria on Wednesday.

MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE HAVE FLED CONFLICT IN AFGHANISTAN SINCE BEGINNING OF 2016

• The United Nations and its humanitarian partners said that more than 118,000 people have fled conflict in Afghanistan the first four months of this year. In Kunduz, north-eastern Afghanistan, more than 22,400 people have been displaced in April alone.
• Humanitarian partners reported that insecurity and access constraints remain the major challenges to the delivery of assistance. US$20 million from the Common Humanitarian Fund has been allocated to provide emergency trauma services as well as lifesaving aid for displaced communities.

COLOMBIA: U.N. WELCOMES AGREEMENT TO SEPARATE AND REINTEGRATE CHILD SOLDIERS

• The United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, travelled to Havana on 15 May to witness the signing of the agreement between the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) to separate and reintegrate children associated with the FARC-EP.
• She congratulated the parties who led this process, as well as the guarantors and others, for the signing of this agreement, which she said is an historic moment for all Colombians. As part of the commitment, children under the age of fifteen will be released first, following by the separation of all children under 18.

ONE MONTH AFTER EARTHQUAKE, NEEDS IN ECUADOR REMAIN ACUTE – WARNS U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF

• One month after the earthquake in Ecuador, Stephen O’Brien, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement that the needs of the Ecuadoran people are still acute and communities are still struggling to get back to normal daily life.
• Although some people will need assistance for a very long time, Mr. O’Brien said that he was optimistic that the strong spirit of resilience he saw when he visited the country will help them get through this. He noted that the appeal launched on 22 April remains less than 15 per cent funded and he urged donors to give generously.
• The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today that up to 100 babies on average are born every day in Esmeraldas and Manabí, the provinces worst hit by the Ecuador earthquake; and that it is essential to provide these babies with the basic needs to survive and thrive.
• One month after the earthquake that killed 660 people, thousands are still staying in informal shelters which lack basic services and 120,000 children are in urgent need of temporary educational spaces. Yet funding remains extremely low; UNICEF alone will need $15 million and has so far received only 15 per cent of this amount.

U.N. CHILDREN’S FUND LAUNCHES NEW SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO HIGHLIGHT IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN EMERGENCIES

• The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) today launched its Emergency Lessons’ campaign, highlighting the importance of education for children in conflict and disaster zones.
• This social media campaign launched with the European Union aims to reach 20 million Europeans, especially those 25 and under, in Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.
• Over the next seven months, children living through emergencies in countries such as Guinea, Iraq, Nepal and Ukraine, will share their story, using the hastag, #EmergencyLessons.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION RELEASES NEW RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE CARE FOR FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION SURVIVORS

• The World Health Organization (WHO) today released new recommendations to help health workers provide better care to the more than 200 million girls and women worldwide living with female genital mutilation.
• Female genital mutilation has no health benefits, can cause grave harm, and violates the rights of girls and women, with procedures causing severe bleeding, other health problems and even death.
• WHO stressed that international migration has now made the practice, prevalent in 30 countries in Africa and in a few countries in Asia and the Middle East, a global health issue.

GROUND-BREAKING ILLEGAL FISHING ACCORD TO COME INTO FORCE, SAYS FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today that illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing is about to become much more difficult thanks to the imminent entry into force of the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA).
• Now that the required threshold of 30 Members has been reached, the count down to the entry into force of this ground-breaking international accord is underway: on 5 June 2016, it will become international law.

**The guest at the noon briefing was Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education. Speaking by telephone, Mr. Brown briefed on the forthcoming World Humanitarian Summit (WHS).**