Noon briefing of 30 June 2017

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 30 JUNE 2017

CONFERENCE ON CYPRUS OFFERS ‘HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY’ FOR SETTLEMENT – SECRETARY-GENERAL

• The Secretary-General chaired the Conference on Cyprus in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, today.
• He told reporters that the reconvening of the Conference offers an historic opportunity to reach a comprehensive settlement to the conflict that has divided Cyprus for too many decades.
• The Secretary-General noted that the road back to Switzerland has not been easy, but the path to lasting peace never is. He added that, to get to this point, the leaders have overcome significant challenges and making unprecedented progress, saluting the determination and common vision which has led them here.
• The Secretary-General said that he firmly believes that, through determination and political will, it will be possible to clear this final hurdle and reach a comprehensive settlement.
• He called on the leaders and other participants in the Conference to heed the call for peace of thousands of Cypriots at rallies on the island this week. The voices in support of a solution are indeed getting louder.

• On Sunday, the Deputy Secretary-General will depart New York for Addis Ababa to participate in the 29th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, which will take place on 3 and 4 July under the theme “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in the Youth”.
• She will also have bilateral meetings with senior Government officials of participating States, as well as with heads of regional and sub-regional organisations in the margins of the Assembly.
• The Deputy Secretary General will return to New York on 5 July.

• This morning, the Security Council adopted its first ever resolution on mine action.
• The new resolution stresses the importance of considering mine action during the earliest stages of planning and programming in peacekeeping operations and special political missions, as well as in humanitarian responses. It recognizes the positive contribution of mine action to peace sustainment and stabilisation efforts.
• The Council also requested that the Secretary-General provide information on threats posed by landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices, and efforts to mitigate these threats, when reporting on peace operations and humanitarian responses.

• The Security Council heard a briefing this morning by Jean Arnault, head of the UN Mission in Colombia. He said that the completion of the laying down of individual weapons by the FARC-EP has created new opportunities.

• The Mission and the FARC-EP, with the support of the armed forces and the police, can now devote their full attention to the disposal of hundreds of arms caches, the collection of weapons in them, and the destruction of explosives and unstable armament.
• Mr. Arnault also said that the first and most urgent challenge is the reintegration of the 10,000 FARC-EP combatants and militias. Beyond this, the peace process must also respond to the needs and expectations of the more vulnerable sectors of Colombian society.
• He said that the UN was honoured by the request from the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP to establish a second verification mission focused on reintegration and wider security guarantees, and to begin as soon as possible. Like the first mission, the second one will be as much about fostering cooperation and building confidence as it will be about verification as such, he said.
• As the peace process in Colombia enters a new phase, beyond the laydown of weapons, Jean Arnault stressed that the Security Council’s commitment to the peace process, would remain an invaluable contribution to the long-term success of this unique endeavour.

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is seeing a notable trend of spontaneous returns to and within Syria in 2017.
• Aid agencies estimate that more than 440,000 internally displaced people have returned to their homes in Syria during the first six months of this year. In parallel, UNHCR has monitored over 31,000 Syrian refugees returning from neighbouring countries so far in 2017. Since 2015, some 260,000 refugees have spontaneously returned to Syria, primarily from Turkey into northern Syria.
• Given the returns witnessed so far this year and in light of a progressively increased number of returns of internally displaced people and, in time, refugees, UNHCR has started scaling up its operational capacity inside Syria.

• In a briefing to the Security Council yesterday afternoon, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said that, two years after the conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Secretary-General is immensely encouraged by the continued commitment by all participants to the agreement. He said that the diplomatic achievement reflects the spirit, purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and gives us all hope that even the most difficult issues amongst States can be addressed through dialogue, understanding and reciprocity.
• Mr. Feltman provided details of what he called the plan’s steady implementation, cooperation and progress. He added that the Secretary-General believes that the comprehensive and sustained implementation of the JCPOA will guarantee that Iran’s nuclear programme remains exclusively peaceful, while allowing for transparency, monitoring and verification.

• The UN Human Rights Office today expressed its extreme concern at the situation of civilians in Iraq’s Mosul, where the fighting has become more intense in the bid to retake the whole city from Da’esh.
• The Office reminds all parties to the conflict that they must abide by the principles of humanity, distinction, proportionality and precaution in carrying out military operations.
• It says it is worried over reports that hundreds of families have been threatened with forced displacement, which would lead them to lose access to basic necessities, such as adequate housing, food, access to health services and education.
• The Office urges the Iraqi Government to take action to halt such imminent evictions or any type of collective punishment, and to reinforce the formal justice system to bring perpetrators to justice.
• For its part, the UNICEF Representative in Iraq, Peter Hawkins, says that thousands of children continue to be trapped in relentless violence in west Mosul’s Old City.
• Mr. Hawkins said that children stranded in the fighting are hiding in their basements, while those who try to flee risk being shot.
• He added that boys and girls who have managed to escape show signs of moderate malnutrition and carry psychosocial scars of the conflict, stressing that the plight of these children and their survival must remain a top priority now and in the weeks and months to come.

• The UN Human Rights Office said today that the decision by the Venezuelan Supreme Court on 28 June to begin removal proceedings against the Attorney General, freeze her assets and ban her from leaving the country is deeply worrying, as is the ongoing violence in the country.
• The Supreme Court’s decisions appear to seek to strip her Office of its mandate and responsibilities as enshrined in the Venezuelan Constitution, and undermine the Office’s independence, they said.
• They urged all powers of the Venezuelan State to respect the Constitution and the rule of law, and call on the Government to ensure that the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of opinion and expression are guaranteed.
• They also called on all people in Venezuela to only use peaceful means to make themselves heard and urged all parties to renounce violence and harassment of opponents.

• The UN Human Rights Office said today that it is concerned about the situation of some 100 families who have been displaced from their homes in the Laguna Larga community in the Petén region of Guatemala.
  These families, who are currently living on the border with the Mexican state of Campeche, fled in anticipation of a forced eviction and have since then been living in extremely precarious conditions.
  The Human Rights Office notes that this situation is heightened by the weak presence of the State, and the operation of illicit activities, including drug trafficking, in the region.
  Given the widespread problem of land tenure insecurity in Guatemala, it is essential that the Government takes urgent steps to establish a dialogue in good faith with the displaced families in order to find adequate and acceptable alternative solutions.

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says that it is extremely worried over the resurgence of violence in parts of the Central African Republic.
• In the towns of Zemio, Bria and Kaga Bandaro in southern and northern CAR, clashes are reported between self-defence groups and other armed groups, and civilians and humanitarian workers are also being targeted.
• UNHCR renews its call on all parties to immediately end attacks against civilians and aid workers. It is also seeking immediate and unhindered humanitarian access.
• Some 503,600 people have been uprooted inside the country including more than 100,000 in 2017, and more than 484,000 have been registered as refugees in neighbouring countries.
• Over the last weeks alone, some 21,500 have fled across the border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has announced this year’s winners of the Equator Prize, which recognizes organizations and communities which showcase innovative solutions for tackling poverty, environment, and climate challenges.
• Among the winners are a cooperative in Honduras that sells an essential ingredient in the fragrance and flavour industry; an initiative promoting conflict resolution in Mali to protect the endangered African elephant; a family homestay network in Indonesia; and an insurance scheme in Pakistan that protects the endangered snow leopard while paying farmers damages for livestock losses.
• The winners will be honoured at a celebratory gala in New York on 17 September this year.

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says that a UN-led initiative to improve early warning systems and increase resilience will be expanding to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Niger with two new projects worth $5.9 million dollars.
• The initiative is also assessing progress in existing projects in Burkina Faso, Mali and the Pacific and plans for new projects in the Caribbean and Papua New Guinea.
• WMO said the ultimate goal is to mobilize more than $100 million dollars by 2020 for early warning systems in least developed countries.

• Today marks the first International Asteroid Day, which seeks to raise public awareness about the impact hazard of asteroids and inform the public about the crisis communication actions to be taken at the global level in case of a credible near-Earth object threat.
• The Day coincides with the anniversary of the Tunguska impact over Siberia, Russia, in 1908, which is the largest impact event in recorded history.

• Former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has joined The Elders, the group announced today.
• Kofi Annan, Mr. Ban’s predecessor as Secretary-General and current Chair of The Elders, said that, as a new member from East Asia, Mr. Ban will bring a unique and valuable perspective based on his record of global leadership and understanding of geopolitics.
• For his part, Mr. Ban said that it is an honour and a privilege to join the august group, whose work he has admired for many years. He added that the Elders and the United Nations share the same values of justice, solidarity and a determination to fight for peace and human rights, and that he eagerly awaits the task ahead in this new chapter of his career.

• Together with the Government of Tajikistan, the World Food Programme (WFP) has provided food aid to people affected by mudslides in Panjakent, in the country’s east.
• Heavy rains and strong winds earlier this week resulted in mudslides that damaged infrastructure and killed livestock.
• After a joint rapid assessment, food was delivered to 500 people who were affected the most.
• Over the last 24 years, WFP has distributed food worth more than $300 million to more than one million people in Tajikistan.

• The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has become the latest UN Member State to pay its annual dues in full, bringing the total number which have done so to 110.