HIGHLIGHTS OF THE U.N. SYSTEM
FRIDAY, 2 FEBRUARY 2018

SECRETARY-GENERAL’S PRESS STAKEOUT

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for your presence.

Allow me to begin with a few words about the Syrian political process and the Congress that took place in Sochi earlier this week.  

Much has been written and said about Sochi.  I would like to share why I believe we are at a meaningful stage in the peace process.

The UN’s presence in Sochi was based on a common understanding between the United Nations and the Russian Federation on the nature and outcome of the meeting and its contribution to the Geneva process.

I want to express my appreciation for the way Foreign Minister [Sergei] Lavrov and the Russian Federation engaged with the United Nations.  The Congress concluded with a statement fully in line with that common understanding.

I would highlight three key points from the final Sochi statement.  

First, it embraced a vision of Syria for all Syrians – as reflected by the 12 living intra-Syrian principles put forward by my Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, in Geneva late last year.

Second, the Congress affirmed that a Constitutional Committee should be formed under UN auspices in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254.

There is an understanding that such a Committee should at the very least comprise the Government, opposition representatives in the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, Syrian experts, civil society, independents, tribal leaders and women.   It would also include adequate representation of Syria’s ethnic and religious components.

Third, the Congress made it clear that a final agreement on the mandate, terms of reference, powers, rules of procedure, and selection criteria for the composition of the Constitutional Committee is to be reached in the UN-led talks in Geneva.

My Special Envoy will now draw on this Sochi outcome to meet our shared goal: full implementation of Security Council Resolution 2254 and the Geneva Communique.  

He will also work for the talks to address the other areas determined by Resolution 2254.

We must never forget that progress towards a political settlement needs to be accompanied by progress on the ground.  

Yet in the last two months, not a single convoy of life-saving relief has reached a besieged area.  No medical supplies.  No food.      

Humanitarian aid is not getting in.  

And people suffering dire health conditions are not getting out.

We are seeing disturbing new reports about the possible use of chemical weapons.

Millions of Syrians have lost everything.  

I call on the government and opposition delegations and all States with influence to cooperate with my Special Envoy.  

We must ensure that the UN-led process moves ahead in Geneva, credibly and seriously.

And I appeal for humanitarian access, strict respect for international humanitarian law and, in particular, the protection of civilians.  

We don’t have a moment to lose.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to say a few words about sexual harassment, which is rightly gaining the attention and visibility it deserves.  

I reaffirm my total commitment to the UN’s zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment.

I am well aware of the male-dominated culture that permeates governments, the private sector, international organizations and even areas of civil society.

This creates obstacles to upholding zero tolerance policies on sexual harassment, including here at the United Nations.

I am determined to remove them.

Sexual harassment, like sexual abuse and sexual violence, is rooted in the historic power imbalances between men and women.

That is why equal rights and representation are so important, and that is why I launched a gender parity strategy at the UN.

I am pleased to announce that for the first time in United Nations history, we have now reached parity in the UN Senior Management Group.

That means 50-50 among the top leaders of the UN Secretariat.   In fact, it is slightly higher – we currently in the Senior Management Group have 23 women and 21 men.  

This is a start.

Equality at all levels, in line with the road map approved, is critical to taking on the challenge of sexual harassment.

We are addressing it with five concrete steps.

First, we are committed to taking every allegation seriously -- past and present.  I am pleased to see a strong institutional response from UN agencies in recent weeks.

Second, we must make sure all staff affected by harassment know what to do and where to go for help. We are launching a new helpline for staff within the Secretariat who seek confidential advice. This will be operational by mid-February.

Third, I have established a Task Force of leaders from across the UN system to step up efforts to tackle harassment and boost support for victims. A Rapid Response Team is producing key guidance, information and services – with an emphasis on improving support for victims.  We have also enhanced our mandatory training on this issue.

Fourth, I have strengthened the protection of whistleblowers and reminded staff of their duty to call out sexual harassment and to support those affected.

And, fifth, we will shortly be undertaking a survey among Secretariat staff to give us better information on prevalence and reporting rates.

In this effort and beyond, my message is simple:  we will not tolerate sexual harassment anytime, anywhere.

And we will continue to change the dynamic and put greater power into the hands of women to prevent and end sexual harassment and all abuse of power in the UN.

Thank you.
 

U.N. VOICES CONCERN OVER SAFETY OF CIVILIANS IN IDLEB AND HAMA, SYRIA

• The UN is concerned for the safety of civilians in Idleb and Hama governorates, where death, injury and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, continue to be reported.
• On Thursday, in Saraqab town in Idleb, several people were reportedly killed by airstrikes, including women and children. Airstrikes on the town of Kafar Nabutha in northern Hama reportedly killed and injured several people. And airstrikes on Thursday on Kafar Zita town in northern Hama reportedly hit a hospital, resulting in injuries and rendering the hospital out of service. This is the fourth reported attack on the hospital this year.
• The UN continues to call on all the parties to the conflict to strictly adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

90 MIGRANTS REPORTEDLY DROWN AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES OFF LIBYAN COAST – U.N. MIGRATION AGENCY

• The UN Migration Agency (IOM) said today that at least 90 migrants are reported to have drowned, when a boat capsized off the coast of Libya this morning. According to IOM, 10 bodies are reported to have washed up on Libyan shores – two Libyans and eight Pakistani nationals. Two survivors are reported to have swam to shore, while another was rescued by a fishing boat. IOM is working to get more details of the tragedy and to see how best to assist survivors.
• This latest tragedy comes as IOM reports that 6,624 migrants and refugees had entered Europe by sea between 1-28 January. This compares with 5,983 coming ashore during a similar period in 2017.

• From 1 January to 31 January 2018, the UN Mission in Libya documented 102 civilian casualties – 39 deaths and 63 injuries – during the conduct of hostilities across Libya, a sharp rise from previous months. Victims included 33 men, one woman and five boys killed and 62 men and one boy injured.
• The majority of civilian casualties were caused by vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (30 deaths and 56 injuries) followed by explosive remnants of war (six deaths and five injuries), gunfire (two deaths and two injuries) and shelling (one death).
• UNSMIL documented civilian casualties in Benghazi (36 deaths and 63 injuries), Tripoli (two deaths) and Abu Kammash (one death).
• This month also witnessed an additional 32 casualties from other violations of international humanitarian law and violations or abuses of human rights in al-Zawiya, Benghazi, Derna and Sabha.

• Despite some improvement in the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip in January, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that daily outages still last up to 16 hours per day.
• The provision of emergency fuel remains indispensable for the minimum functioning of critical health, water, and sanitation services.
• Since 2013, the UN has been distributing fuel to ensure a minimum level of emergency service provision. Current stocks may become exhausted by mid-February 2018 and no new funding source has been identified.
• At a minimum, US$6.5 million is required in 2018 to provide 700,000 litres of emergency fuel per month for 175 facilities.
• The UN reiterates its call to resolve the electricity crisis, and until that happens, stresses that more funding is required for emergency fuel to prevent further deterioration.

• The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, on 5 February will begin official visits to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, at the invitation of the respective governments.
• From 5 to 7 February, Mr. Zeid will be in Jakarta, where he is due to meet President Joko Widodo and hold discussions with top officials, Indonesia’s national human rights institutions and civil society representatives working on human rights issues, as well as religious leaders.
• On 8 February, he will visit Port Moresby, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, other high-level officials, the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice, as well as civil society to discuss key human rights issues in the country.
• From 9 to 12 February, Mr. Zeid will visit Fiji, where he is expected to meet President Jioji Konousi Konrote, Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, and other high-level officials, as well as the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission, the Speaker of Parliament, opposition politicians and civil society representatives, including religious leaders.

• The Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Bintou Keita, will travel to Haiti next Monday.
• During her visit she is expected to meet with President Jovenel Moïse and senior government officials, civil society, and other key interlocutors to discuss the next steps for the post-peacekeeping UN presence in Haiti.  
• Ms. Keita will also engage closely with the UN Country Team to help nurture a collective one-UN approach and place the work of the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) within the wider 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2017-21 UN Development Assistance Framework.
• The Assistant Secretary-General will also meet with staff as well as peacekeepers, including during her travels to Jeremie on 7 February.
• She will return to New York on Friday.

• The Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth Jayathma Wickramanayake today called on countries to redouble their efforts so that every young person has free access to quality education.
• Ms. Wickramanayake made her call during the opening of the Conference on financing the Global Partnership for Education in Dakar, which is jointly sponsored by the Senegalese President, HE Mr. Macky Sall and French, HE Mr. Emmanuel Macron.
• She urged leaders to rethink approaches to youth skills development. “Beyond traditional classroom interventions, investing in non-formal and informal learning is essential to developing skills that fit the world of tomorrow.”

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its partners are ramping up efforts to mitigate some of the expected impacts of the upcoming monsoon season in Bangladesh.
• The findings of an initial risk analysis, mapping the world’s largest refugee settlement area in Kutapalong and Balukhali which shelters more than 569,000 refugees, indicate that at least 100,000 refugees could be in grave danger from landslides and floods.
•  In addition, key services in the settlement, installed by humanitarian agencies, working with the Government of Bangladesh, are also at risk of being washed away, including latrines, washrooms, tube wells, and health centres. 
• UNHCR has already taken steps to better protect refugees. They include providing families with upgraded shelter kits, including biodegradable sandbags to help to anchor the structures, which are sturdier and can better protect them in heavy rains. 
• Several engineering projects are also underway to build bamboo-reinforced footpaths and stairs, raised bridges, bamboo/brick/concrete retaining walls for soil stabilisation and drainage networks.  
• Early warning systems are also being put in place, with public information campaigns also underway to alert the refugee population of the risks they could face. The refugees lived in low-lying plains in the Maungdaw area of the Rakhine State in Myanmar and have not previously experienced landslides.

• The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights says today it deeply regrets the continuing detention of two Reuters journalists in Myanmar, following yesterday’s decision by a court in Mingaladon to refuse bail.
• The Office repeats its calls for their immediate release and for the charges against them to be dropped.
• The United Nations is in contact with both Reuters and the Myanmar authorities over the case of the two men.

• The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights says it is concerned that three TV stations remain suspended for the third day today in Kenya after the Government accused them of “complicity” for airing footage of opposition leader Raila Odinga’s “inauguration ceremony”.
• They are also concerned at the Government’s attempts to interfere with the rights to freedom of expression by reportedly warning that participation in the “inauguration ceremony” would lead to revocation of licences. Media organisations that disregarded this advice were shut down.
• The Human Rights Office urges the Government and the opposition in Kenya to work towards resolving the current situation through dialogue, with full respect for the rule of law and the rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly and political participation.

• The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights urges the Government of the Maldives to fully respect yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court to overturn the conviction and order a retrial of former President Mohamed Nasheed and to release eight other political prisoners who have been detained in the Maldives, as well as the Court’s reinstatement of 12 suspended opposition Members of Parliament.
• The Office recalls that it has been expressing concerns about the situation in the Maldives for several years, and is closely watching how the situation develops in the aftermath of yesterday’s decisions by the Supreme Court, and in particular the reactions of the Government, military and police.
• It also expresses concerns at what appears to be an initial heavy-handed reaction by security forces in the capital Malé against people celebrating the Court’s decision, and urges them to show understanding and restraint, and to act in full accordance with international laws and standards governing the policing of protests and other forms of public assembly. All those celebrating, or protesting, are also urged to do so in a peaceful fashion.

• Algeria has paid its 2018 regular budget dues in full, taking the Honour Roll to a total of 37 Member States.