HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2018
 
SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN SYRIA’S EASTERN GHOUTA WHERE 400,000 PEOPLE LIVE IN ‘HELL ON EARTH’

• At the start of today’s Security Council meeting, the Secretary-General said that he was deeply saddened by the terrible suffering of the civilian population in Eastern Ghouta in Syria -- 400,000 people that live in hell on earth.  He appealed to all those involved for an immediate suspension of all war activities in Eastern Ghouta.  He noted the need for medical evacuations of some 700 people, as well as the need to provide humanitarian assistance to the people in the region.  The Secretary-General warned that this is a human tragedy unfolding before our eyes.
• A statement we issued last night noted that Eastern Ghouta is part of a de-escalation agreement reached in Astana. The Secretary-General reminds all parties, particularly the guarantors of the Astana agreements, of their commitments in this regard. The United Nations has repeatedly called for a cessation of hostilities to enable humanitarian aid deliveries, and the evacuation of the sick and wounded.
• The Secretary-General urges all stakeholders to ensure that basic principles of international humanitarian law are adhered to, including unhindered humanitarian access, unconditional medical evacuations, and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

• The current and previous Secretaries-General both spoke at today’s Security Council meeting on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.
• Secretary-General Guterres told the Council members that the Charter’s Principles – non-use of force, peaceful settlement of disputes, non-intervention, cooperation, self-determination and the sovereign equality of Member States – remain the foundation of international relations.  The values it proclaims – equal rights, non-discrimination, tolerance and good neighbourliness – remain guideposts for global harmony.  However, he added, the challenges we face have evolved, the drivers of conflict have become more complex, new threats have emerged, and the consequences of instability now flow far beyond their source.
• Former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also spoke and said that the primary responsibilities vested in the Security Council to maintain international peace and security are needed now more than ever. In this regard, he values the Council’s improved working relations with the other interconnected pillars of the United Nations system and also its increased focus on the concept of “sustaining peace.”

• Ursula Mueller, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, is in the Central African Republic where she met today with President Faustin Archange Touadéra. 
• Ms. Mueller underlined the deteriorating humanitarian situation and the need to step up efforts aimed at protecting people. She also reiterated her commitment to continue to advocate for more funding for humanitarian activities in the CAR.
• The country’s 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan requires some US$516 million to meet the needs of 1.9 million people. Since 2014, funding for humanitarian programmes in the CAR have been woefully underfunded.
• Yesterday, Ms Mueller was in Paoua, in the north of the country. Clashes between armed groups since the beginning of December 2017 have prompted the displacement of over 65,000 people from villages around Paoua. The internally displaced persons are living with host communities and have depleted the limited resources that were available in the town.
• Ms. Mueller called on the international community to support the humanitarian response for Paoua. She stressed that while people need to go back to their villages of origin to restart their livelihoods, protection remains the main priority for the population.

• The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, will be travelling to Brussels, Belgium, from 22 to 23 February to participate in a high-level conference on the G5 Sahel.
• He will also be attending a side event on the G5’s compliance with human rights and will hold meetings with senior government officials on the side-lines of this conference

• A new report on newborn mortality by UNICEF shows that global deaths of newborn babies remain alarmingly high, particularly among the world’s poorest countries.
• Babies born in Japan, Iceland and Singapore have the best chance at survival, while newborns in Pakistan, the Central African Republic and Afghanistan face the worst odds.
• The report notes that 8 of the 10 most dangerous places to be born are in sub-Saharan Africa, where pregnant women are much less likely to receive assistance during delivery due to poverty, conflict and weak institutions.
• If every country brought its newborn mortality rate down to the high-income average by 2030, 16 million lives could be saved.

• In Rome, an international conference on halting deforestation is taking place until tomorrow.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization stressed that in view of the challenge to meet the demands of a growing and more urbanized population, changing the way we manage lands, food production and forests is key to guaranteeing food security.
• The International Conference on “Working across Sectors to Halt Deforestation and Increase Forest Area - from Aspiration to Action” is the first major technical conference on forests since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and of the first-ever UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030.
• As most of the drivers of deforestation lie outside the forest sector, the conference brings together officials from ministries from different sectors, including forestry, agriculture, livestock and environment, as well as the private sector, small producer organizations, civil society, and indigenous peoples’ associations.

• During yesterday’s briefing, and in response to a question about the immunity of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) staff in India, the Spokesman stated the general UN principle about the immunity of its staff around the world.
• However, on the particular case in India, he clarified that UNFPA India has already responded to the Ministry of External Affairs that the immunity of UN staff can be waived only by the UN Secretary-General.
• UNFPA has also informed the Ministry that, although the claimant has never been employed by UNFPA, she is welcome to make her claim of misconduct to the UNFPA Office of Audit and Investigation, which will investigate the matter. The facilities for filing claims with the Office are publicly available on the UNFPA website.

• Today is Mother Language Day. The theme this year is “Linguistic diversity and multilingualism count for sustainable development.” The theme stresses that local languages, especially minority and indigenous, transmit cultures, values and traditional knowledge, and thus play a key role in promoting sustainable futures.
• At least 43% of the estimated 6,000 languages spoken in the world are endangered, and every two weeks, one of the world’s language disappears.
• Today at 5 p.m. in Conference Room 4, there will be an event to mark the Day organized by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh.

• Bhutan, Micronesia, Montenegro and Romania have paid their regular budget dues in full.