HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 30 OCTOBER 2017

• This morning, the Secretary-General briefed the Security Council on the Sahel. He said that given the urgency of the situation in the region, there is a need for innovative actions in support of the G5 Sahel’s efforts on the security front, but also on development and governance. Time is against us, he said, and we need to unite our efforts to address the root causes of instability in the region. He warned that not acting could have severe consequences for the region and beyond.
• The Secretary-General said that the creation of the Joint Force demonstrates the will of G5 Sahel countries to cooperate and to address the threat together. We have the opportunity to support them and to reverse the course of events, he said.
• The Secretary-General therefore asked the Council to be ambitious in its choice. He said strong political support for the G5 Sahel, as well as material and operational support are critical. However, he added that while security cooperation is essential, only a multidimensional response will put an end to instability in the region. Together, he said, we need to strengthen our action on governance, development and resilience. 

• The UN Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) condemned today’s killing of a journalist in Kirkuk, as well as an assault on a journalist in Erbil yesterday.
• The Mission also spoke out against the intimidation and violence against members of the Parliament of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and political offices in the Kurdistan Region.
• The Mission said that it appreciates the appeal by the Kurdistan Regional Government and Kurdistan Region Security Council for calm, as well as the Iraqi Government’s calls for de-escalation and compliance with the law.
• UNAMI also takes note of the Iraq federal authorities’ decision to ban some broadcasts in the Kurdistan Region, adding that, at times of crisis, a free media becomes even more essential to safeguard the public interest and protect democracy. It also stresses that hate speech and incitement to violence based on religion, race or political affiliation have no place in a democracy.
• The Mission has steadfastly called for de-escalation between the Federal Government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil.

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that civilians continue to flee clashes in Iraq’s Erbil, Ninewa and Dohuk governorates, with the UN Migration Agency saying that more than 182,000 people are currently displaced.
• Aid workers are closely monitoring the situation after the Government of Iraq unilaterally declared a temporary suspension of military operations over the weekend.
• Humanitarian workers continue to provide assistance wherever access allows and is needed.

• Over the weekend, Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock wrapped up a five-day visit to Yemen, appealing for more funding and better humanitarian access to people in need, as well as for all parties to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians.
• Mr. Lowcock heard stories of atrocious suffering from hundreds of Yemenis during his mission, noting that it was shocking to see the terrible impact of the man-made conflict.
• He met with Government leaders, including the Prime Minister, in Aden, and those in positions of authority in Sana’a. In his meetings, Mr. Lowcock discussed the need to pay salaries to civil servants; to get Sana’a’s airport reopened; to improve the operation of ports, especially Hodaidah; and serious concerns about the environment in which the UN and other aid workers operate.
• Mr. Lowcock stressed that the end to the horrendous suffering in Yemen requires an end to the conflict, for which a political resolution to the crisis is needed.
• Mr. Lowcock is in Amman, from where he will brief the Security Council on Syria this afternoon at 3pm.

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the number of Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar and arrived in Bangladesh has reached 607,000.
• More than half of these refugees are staying in the Kutupalong Expansion Site, an area merging pre-existing makeshift settlements and adjacent land allocated by the Government of Bangladesh.
• Aid workers continue to provide food, shelter, water, and health care, among other assistance.
• Despite the substantial scaling up of the humanitarian response, enormous gaps remain, primarily due to the lack of land, the growing scale of needs, funding shortages and logistical constraints.
• The revised appeal for this crisis is currently 31 per cent funded. The pledging conference last week raised $360 million, and donors are urged to disburse these funds as soon as possible.

• The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) called over the weekend for full respect for the neutrality and inviolability of United Nations premises at all times. It warned that any activities or conduct that put beneficiaries and staff alike at risk, and undermine the ability of UNRWA staff to provide assistance to Palestine refugees in safety and security, must cease.
• On 15 October, the Relief and Works Agency discovered the existence of what appeared to be a tunnel underneath one of its schools in Gaza. In accordance with its protocol, the Agency has taken the necessary measures immediately to render the school safe and has sealed the cavity underneath its premises. The school resumed its operations on 25 October. 
• UNRWA has robustly intervened with relevant parties to protest the violation of the sanctity and disrespect of the neutrality of UN premises. The presence of a tunnel underneath an UNRWA installation, which enjoys inviolability under international law, is unacceptable. It places children and Agency staff at risk.

• The Foreign Ministers of Guyana and Venezuela met in New York over the weekend to discuss the border controversy between their two countries. 
• The Personal Representative of the Secretary-General, Dag Nylander, facilitated discussions.
• The Foreign Ministers and their delegations exchanged views on issues related to the controversy with the aim of exploring options for a full agreement for its solution. They also reaffirmed their commitment to the Good Offices process.

 
TWO THIRDS OF UNACCOMPANIED REFUGEE AND MIGRANT CHILDREN IN GREECE IN NEED OF PROPER CARE – U.N. AGENCY

• UNICEF today warned that only a third of the nearly 3,000-unaccompanied refugee and migrant children currently in Greece are receiving proper care and shelter.
• UNICEF said some 1,800 children are living in open sites, reception centres, or are stranded on the islands or in detention centres. Some of these children are even living on the streets, and the approaching winter is adding to the risk.
• UNICEF is also calling for policy and legal reforms to strengthen community-based care after years of economic hardship in Greece. For those children who have family elsewhere in Europe, UNICEF is urging other European countries to step up family reunification.

• The World Meteorological Organization today warned that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased at record speed last year and hit a level not seen in 800,000 years.  
• According to WMO’s Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, globally averaged concentrations of carbon dioxide reached 403.3 parts per million (ppm) in 2016, up from 400.00 ppm in 2015 because of a combination of human activities and a strong El Niño event.
• The report says that these rapidly increasing atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have the potential to initiate unprecedented changes in climate systems, leading to severe ecological and economic disruptions.