Noon briefing of 24 April 2018

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 24 APRIL 2018


SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS WORLD’S BEST PREVENTIVE TOOL AGAINST CONFLICT – U.N. CHIEF

• This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the High-Level meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace. He said that in a world in which many countries are experiencing violent conflict, “we need greater unity and courage – to ease the fears of the people we serve; to set the world on track to a better future; and to lay the foundations of sustainable peace and development.”
• Above all, he said, sustainable, inclusive development, is the world’s best preventive tool against violent conflict and instability, and he called on Member States to continue implementing the 2030 Agenda.
• He also stressed that sustaining peace will only be realized through national ownership that considers the needs of the most marginalized, including women, young people, minorities and people with disabilities, and he welcomed the new report presented yesterday by his Jayathma Wickramanayake, his Envoy on Youth, saying that “it is beyond time to recognize the major contribution young people can make to peace and security. I hope you will support my reforms in this area, aiming at putting young people in charge and taking full advantage of their knowledge, ideas and initiatives.”

• Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock spoke at the Brussels Conference on Syria today, and he warned the participants that, as the number of people in urgent need of assistance continues to grow, the United Nations has exhausted its resources to respond.
• Within the resources the United Nations can plausibly expect to mobilize this year, he said, we cannot meet even all the urgent needs. Our focus is now to ensure that the 5.6 million people who are assessed as being in acute need inside Syria are made the priority.
• The United Nations and humanitarian partners are looking for $3.51 billion to provide life-saving assistance and protection for 13.1 million people inside Syria this year. So far, the Humanitarian Response Plan for 2018 is only 23 percent funded.

• The Security Council is holding closed consultations today to hear briefings on Sudan, South Sudan and the UN peacekeeping force in Abyei, UNISFA.
• Council members are hearing briefings from the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Special Envoy Nicholas Fink Haysom.

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that unusually early seasonal rains across Somalia have resulted in flash flooding in some areas in the south and central part of the country, causing displacement, and worsening conditions in overcrowded settlements for internally displaced people.
• The flash floods, have affected approximately 60,000 people so far, but if the water continues to rise, up to half a million people could be impacted. Humanitarian partners, in collaboration with the Government, are stepping up efforts to mitigate the impact of flooding. Medical supplies have been prepositioned to address potential disease outbreaks, and stocks of hygiene and sanitation supplies are ready for deployment in Banadir and Somaliland.

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that insecurity and population displacement have left nearly one million people severely food insecure in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Tanganyika province. That includes more than 350,000 people who are in the emergency phase of food insecurity.
• Meanwhile, some 667 public primary schools have been destroyed – or 40 percent of the 1,633 schools in the province - depriving over 66,000 children of access to education.
• Humanitarian workers have mobilized to provide immediate assistance to those in need in Tanganyika, and in neighbouring Haut-Katanga and Haut-Lomami provinces, reaching 527, 000 people with life-saving assistance since October 2017. However, humanitarian access has at times been hindered by insecurity and administrative impediments.

• The UN Refugee Agency and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, today launched an action plan to expand employment opportunities for refugees so they can integrate in their host communities from the very start and contribute to the local economy.
• The Plan identifies action areas that are key to ensure the successful labour market integration of refugees such as matching of refugees’ skills with employers’ needs, the need for legal certainty on the length of stay of refugee workers and helping employers navigate the administrative procedures dealing with refugee employment.

• In a statement issued yesterday afternoon on Yemen, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the airstrikes on a wedding party in Hajjah and on civilian vehicles in Taizz, where at least 50 civilians, including children, were reportedly killed and scores of others injured.
• The Secretary-General reminds all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law concerning the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure during armed conflicts. He calls for a prompt, effective and transparent investigation.

• In a statement issued last night, the Secretary-General noted the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia. He welcomed the peaceful nature of the unfolding events and encourages all relevant actors to continue to exercise restraint and prioritize dialogue.
• At this important time for Armenia, the Secretary-General calls for the continued respect of the rule of law and human rights, as well as for the maintenance of peace and stability in Armenia and the wider region.

• Last night a statement was also issued in which the Secretary-General said he is concerned about the casualties in recent protests in Nicaragua and called for restraint on all sides. He also called on the Government to ensure the protection of human rights of all citizens, particularly the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

• UNICEF is warning that the extremely dry winter in Afghanistan is threatening the access to food and safe water of some one million people across the country.
• UNICEF said the impact of drought could be devastating in a country where some 1.6 million children and 443,000 pregnant and lactating women already suffer from malnutrition.
• The agency is calling for an additional $10 million dollars to respond to the needs of children and their families. This includes providing safe water and hygiene assistance for 200,000 people and giving lifesaving nutrition assistance to 65,000 children.

• Today, Sri Lanka paid its budget dues in full. The Honour Roll is now 85.