HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 12 APRIL 2017

CONSENSUS NEEDED TO SUPPORT UN-LED NEGOTIATIONS ON SYRIA, UN ENVOY TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL

• The Security Council met this morning on Syria, and was briefed by the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura.
• Mr. de Mistura stressed that the stakes in Syria are very high, spotlighting that we have two paths before us: one is more destruction and death, stoked by international divisions. The other, Mr. de Mistura said, involves more serious discussion, de-escalation and rallying behind the only way out of the Syrian nightmare.
• Mr. de Mistura stressed the need for consensus to support the UN-led negotiations with the goal of a package for an orderly, mapped out, credible and irreversible agreed political transition as per Security Council resolution 2254.
• In the wake of recent events, the envoy underscored that this is a time for clear thinking, strategy, imagination and cooperation.
• He also noted that he remains at his post and is ready to reconvene the Geneva talks in May.
• This afternoon, the Council is expected to vote on a resolution on Syria. It will also receive a briefing from Said Djinnit, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region.

• The Secretary-General appointed Virginia Gamba of Argentina as Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. Ms. Gamba brings to the post more than 30 years of experience and leadership.
• Pramilla Patten of Mauritius was announced as Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, which will go to Pramila Patten of Mauritius. Ms. Patten is a practising Barrister at Law and has served since 2003 as a Member of the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
• The Secretary-General has selected Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu of Tonga as High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. Since January 2017 Ms.‘Utoikamanu has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Tourism in Tonga.

• The Secretary-General announced the members of the Independent Panel to Assess and Enhance Effectiveness of UN-Habitat after the Adoption of the New Urban Agenda.
• As part of the follow-up and review of the Habitat III Conference and in light of the New Urban Agenda, the Secretary-General was requested to submit an evidence-based and independent assessment of UN-Habitat to the General Assembly during its 71st session.
• This high-level panel will be in charge of that assessment. It is composed of eight members, and reports directly to the Secretary-General.

• The UN Mission in South Sudan reported that a UN patrol returned to Pajok in Eastern Equatoria this morning after a first visit yesterday. That a patrol was prevented from assessing Pajok last week. It reached its destination yesterday and visited several areas of the town, meeting with community members and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). Peacekeepers observed that Pajok was highly militarized with limited civilian presence.
• The Mission said the security situation is currently stable in Wau in Western Bahr El Ghazal following incidents of violence last week. Yesterday, UN peacekeepers conducted two patrols in the town and observed civilians on the main road, with little military presence.
• The UN Mission has also engaged the state and the leadership of the SPLA to exercise restraint. The Mission reported that 465 civilians arrived at the protection area adjacent to the UN base in Wau on Monday night, bringing to a total of more than 25,000 the number of civilians being protected by peacekeepers.

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the inter-agency Emergency Directors are currently in South Sudan. Yesterday, they travelled to Wau in Western Bahr El Ghazal and Mayendit in Unity and today they are meeting with government officials, humanitarian partners and the diplomatic community.
• Prior to South Sudan, the Directors were in Somalia, where they held discussions with the Prime Minister of the Federal Government and met with affected people in Mogadishu, Baidoa and Kismayo. They will hold a briefing on Monday, 17 April.

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that fighting continues in west Mosul and aid partners continue to respond to rising casualties and displacement. It is also providing assistance to families in newly-accessible areas.
• Nearly 1,700 people who have been injured have been received near the front lines, with more than 6,300 injured people having been referred to hospitals around Mosul since the start of military operations last October.
• Since late February, 292,000 people have been forced to flee west Mosul, with 362,000 people uprooted by fighting in both east and west Mosul.
• To date, emergency aid packages have been distributed to help 1.9 million people inside Mosul and surrounding areas.
• For its part, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has opened a new camp in Iraq’s Hammam al-Alil to house thousands of newly-displaced people fleeing the fighting in western Mosul.
• The first 500 families began arriving today at the site, which has 2,500 tents ready to house more than 15,000 people. When construction is completed, the camp will have capacity for up to 30,000 people.

• The World Food Programme (WFP) is scaling up its emergency food operations in Yemen to provide food assistance to up to 9 million people in one of the world’s worst hunger crises.
• The new emergency operation will cost up to US$1.2 billion over a one-year period and should allow WFP to gradually scale up assistance to feed all severely food insecure people in Yemen every month.
• The success of this operation hinges on immediate sufficient resources from donors.
• During April and May and until WFP can secure the funds it needs, it will prioritize 6.7 million people for urgent food assistance. Some 2.5 million of them – particularly those in governorates hardest-hit by food insecurity and at risk of slipping into a famine – will receive a package of assistance aimed at averting famine.

• The number of children used in ‘suicide’ attacks in the Lake Chad conflict has surged to 27 in the first quarter of 2017, compared to nine over the same period last year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a new report.

• The increase reflects an alarming tactic by the insurgents: so far, 117 children have been used to carry out bomb attacks in public places across Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon since 2014. Girls have been used in the vast majority of these attacks.
  As a consequence, girls, boys and even infants have been viewed with increasing fear at markets and checkpoints.
• The report highlights the challenges that local authorities face with children taken into administrative custody for questioning and screening, raising concerns about the prolonged periods of custody.
• In 2016, almost 1,500 children were under administrative custody in the four countries.

• The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, briefed Member States in a meeting convened by the President of the General Assembly on the new report by the Secretary-General on implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

• Mr. Feltman underscored that the evolving terrorist threat, together with the increase of mandates, demands from Member States and subsequent scope of work, are the main reasons to change the way in which UN counter-terrorism assistance is institutionally structured.
• Mr. Feltman noted that the Secretary-General considers that enhancing the UN leadership on counter-terrorism, strengthening coordination and coherence in the delivery of UN assistance to Member States, and increasing our impact on the ground, is crucial.

• The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) today welcomed a new set of guidelines from the European Commission to protect migrant and refugee children.
• The guidelines are the first of its kind, and cover issues such as the appointment of guardians for children, boosting child protection, and ensuring that there are alternatives to detention for children and their families.

• In response to questions, the Spokesman said that the UN is following developments in Zambia.
• The UN is not in a position to fully establish the facts but hopes that due process and an impartial investigation into the events will take place.
• Zambia has made great strides in consolidating its democracy and has a tradition of peaceful transition of power. Differences should be addressed through a constructive and inclusive dialogue to further advance on the path to sustainable peace and development.

• Kazakhstan has paid its regular budget dues in full, becoming the 80 Member State to have done so.