HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

THURSDAY, 21 JULY 2016

UN EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR ALARMED BY DEVELOPMENTS IN ALEPPO

• The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, is gravely alarmed by the disturbing developments in the eastern part of Aleppo City in Syria, where civilian, humanitarian and commercial movements have been effectively cut off following the closure of Castello Road, the last remaining access route in and out of this area. An estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people are at risk of besiegement, and hospitals and other civilian infrastructure have also been affected by the fighting. 
• While the United Nations and our partners still have some stocks to respond to humanitarian needs, food in east Aleppo is expected to run out by the middle of next month. Our highest priority is to re-establish access to eastern Aleppo city, through both cross-line convoys and cross-border operations from Turkey, so that we can replenish critical life-saving assistance like food, medical supplies and fuel, and assure the continuation of basic services.
• Mr. O’Brien calls on all parties to the conflict to immediately enable unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to the millions of people in besieged and hard-to-reach areas across Syria. He urges them to lift all sieges, to respect the safety of medical and humanitarian workers, and to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
• The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that this week in Syria, more than 20 children were reportedly killed in air strikes in Manbij and a 12-year-old boy was brutally murdered on camera in Aleppo.
• The Children’s Fund highlighted the parties’ shared responsibility to respect international humanitarian laws that protect children in war.
• UNICEF estimates that 35,000 children are trapped in and around Manbij with nowhere safe to go. In the past six weeks, and as violence has intensified, over 2,300 people were reportedly killed in the area, among them dozens of children.
• The Children’s Fund deplores all forms of violence and urges all parties to the conflict in Syria to make every effort to avoid the loss of civilian lives.

UN MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN URGES LEADERS TO SANCTION SEXUAL VIOLENCE PERPETRATORS

• The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) notes that it is following up on the deeply disturbing reports of sexual violence reported earlier, including the rape and gang rape by soldiers in uniform of a number of civilians, including minors, around UN House as well as in several neighborhoods of Juba.
• The Mission reports that the number of victims could be in the dozens and that these acts have taken place since the start of the current spate of violence in Juba. The Mission’s Human Rights team is currently documenting these cases, which may constitute a war crime.
• UNMISS calls on President Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar to take personal responsibility for immediately sanctioning the soldiers responsible for these unacceptable acts of sexual violence.
• The Mission has stepped up its patrols in and around its Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites as well in Juba city, although with restrictions, and is taking measures to provide the required safety to women who need to go out of the PoC sites to collect firewood and procure other non-food items. The situation in the country remains tense and volatile.
• In response to a question on access to PoC sites, the Mission notes that protection of civilians, including in its PoC sites, is its main concern.
• Given the intense fighting that occurred close to the sites, extensive safety and security operations, including operations to clear any unexploded ordnance and weapons searches in both PoC sites, were the priorities for the Mission in the sites during the first week following the fighting.
• During this time, to minimise security risks, only the most critical UNMISS and humanitarian staff were allowed to enter the PoC sites.
• In the days since the conflict subsided, internally displaced people have been freely moving in and out of the sites whenever they deemed the situation safe enough. No displaced person has been stopped from speaking to the media outside the sites.
• Given the continued volatile situation, the Mission is evaluating the security situation on a daily basis and expects that media will be able to visit the PoC sites again in the coming days.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF CALLS FOR OPEN AND HONEST DIALOGUE IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

• The High Commissioner for Human Rights held a press conference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today.
• He said that the overall incidence of sexual violence and crimes appears to be decreasing in the country and commended President Kabila for his personal commitment to ensuring that justice is done in cases involving security forces. He added that the Government had shown commendable effort in investigating and bringing to trial several of its peacekeepers accused of sexual exploitation and abuse while deployed in the Central African Republic. This is noteworthy given the reluctance of so many other peacekeeping countries to do likewise, he said.
• On the political situation in the DRC, the High Commissioner said that advances may be in danger, with rising tension as crucial electoral deadlines approach and reports of increasing harassment of civil society representatives and journalists.
• To overcome the many challenges facing the DRC, there must be an open and honest dialogue, the High Commissioner said, with respect for human rights at its centre. Where there is criminal activity, including a clear incitement to violence, then investigation and prosecution should follow, he added – but where there are conflicting views on these allegations, only adherence to a transparent, effective and impartial rule of law can establish the required clarity.
• Regarding the situation in the eastern provinces, the High Commissioner reiterated that it was crucial to put an end to the pitiless violence and illegal activities of armed groups.

SOLIDARITY MORE NECESSARY THAN EVER AT TIMES OF CRISIS: DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL

• The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, spoke today at the Development Cooperation Forum.
• He stressed that at times of crisis, solidarity is more necessary than ever, adding that international development cooperation is based on the recognition that we cannot survive or overcome global challenges in isolation.
• The Deputy Secretary-General highlighted development cooperation’s great potential to be a catalyst for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He urged everyone gathered at the Forum to use the opportunity to pinpoint critical progress and areas for new or intensified efforts.

2016 COULD BE WORLD’S HOTTEST YEAR: UN METEOROLOGICAL BODY

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warns 2016 is on track to be the world’s hottest year on record. Global temperatures for the first six months alone have shattered yet more records.
• June 2016 marked the 14^th consecutive month of record heat for land and oceans. It marked the 378^th consecutive month with temperatures above the 20^th century average. Moreover, carbon dioxide concentrations have passed the symbolic milestone of 400 parts per million in the atmosphere so far this year.
• The organization says that that this trend underscores the need to approve and implement the Paris Agreement on climate change, and to speed up the shift to low carbon economies and renewable energy.

NEW COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN UNITED NATIONS AND INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION

• The Secretary-General will sign a new cooperation agreement today with the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Martin Chungong. There is growing recognition of the role parliamentarians play in legislating on issues with global repercussions and on overseeing the implementation by governments of the commitments they have made at the international level. Parliamentarians will be key players in realising the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Sendai Agreement.
• This new cooperation agreement between the UN and the IPU recognizes this growing role of parliamentarians. The signing coincides with the General Assembly’s discussion on the cooperation between the UN and parliamentarians, which takes place on 25 July.