HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 25 MAY 2018
 
SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH HIS ENVOYS IN SWITZERLAND

• The Secretary-General, accompanied by the Deputy Secretary-General, is convening today the 14th Seminar for his current Special and Personal Representatives and Envoys, which is taking place in Mont Pèlerin, Switzerland.
• Next week, he will travel to Mali, where he will spend Peacekeepers’ Day next Tuesday in Bamako with troops and personnel from the UN Mission in the country (MINUSMA).

• The Secretary-General has taken note with concern the latest report on the downing of MH17.
• He underlines that the Security Council, in its Resolution 2166 (2014), demanded that all states cooperate fully with efforts to establish accountability. In such instances, establishing the truth about this event is an important part of achieving justice for the victims and their families.

• Matthew Nimetz, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, spoke to reporters today about discussions he held over the past one and a half days with the Foreign Ministers of Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
• He described the talks as ‘very workmanlike’. While there is, as yet, no final resolution of the ‘name’ issue, he said that the issues have been narrowed. He noted that both sides are determined to try to reach an agreement and that they are working very hard to do that.

• The UN Mission in Libya has condemned the car bomb attack that took place today in Benghazi. The attack targeted a populated residential neighbourhood and left at least seven dead, including a toddler, and more than 10 injured.
• This week has seen a series of ruthless attacks in Libya. The Mission reiterates that there is no justification for such attacks, which may amount to war crimes, and that those who have organized and enabled this attack must be brought to justice.
• The Mission stands in solidarity with the people of Libya in resisting attempts to spread fear, intimidation and hatred. The UN is committed to a Libyan-led political process that will strengthen a unified Libya and build trust and mutual understanding through peaceful and inclusive dialogue.

• In Somalia, the United Nations and its partners expressed concern over today’s armed clashes near the Tukaraq area between Puntland and ‘Somaliland.’
• The UN is urgently calling for an immediate ceasefire from both sides and for the start of dialogue between military commanders on the ground.
• Violence is taking place amid an already-difficult humanitarian situation that has recently been aggravated by the impact of tropical cyclone Sagar, and the clashes only add to the suffering of the people in the area.

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Government in Ethiopia are today highlighting critical response priorities and funding gaps following a review of the humanitarian situation in the country.
• The gap analysis shows that US$280.4 million are urgently required to ensure life-saving response for the coming six months. 
• Humanitarian partners are focusing on the need to further scale up response to over one million people displaced by conflict over the last 12 months.
• An upsurge in conflict since early September 2017 in the border areas of the Oromia and Somali regions came on top of two years of back-to-back drought. Overall, the Ethiopia Humanitarian and Disaster Resilience Plan (HDRP) seeks US$1.66 billion and is currently 34 per cent funded.

• Yesterday, Mark Lowcock, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement that he is extremely concerned by recent developments in Yemen, where, over the past few weeks, we have seen an escalation in conflict, growing restrictions on humanitarian action and a reduction in essential commercial imports.
• He said that more than 22 million people in Yemen need humanitarian assistance or protection. Some 8.4 million people are severely food insecure and at risk of starvation. If conditions do not improve, a further 10 million people will fall into this category by the end of the year.
• Mr. Lowcock calls on the Government of Yemen, with the support of the Coalition, to take active steps to boost commercial imports of food, fuel and humanitarian supplies through all Yemen’s ports. He also calls on the Government of Yemen to take steps to ensure that all public servants receive their salaries wherever they are in Yemen. 
• And he urges all parties to engage meaningfully with the United Nations, without preconditions, to achieve a lasting, negotiated settlement towards sustainable peace.

• The UN Mission in the Central African Republic reports that investigations are ongoing in Bria (Haute Kotto) where, earlier today, UN Police arrested an anti-Balaka leader on suspicion of involvement in an attack on a Formed Police Unit patrol that resulted in the death of a peacekeeper in December last year.
• Meanwhile, the UN Mission reports that the situation is Bangui is calm today following violence on 23 May. The CAR internal security forces are investigating the violence with the support of UN Police. Also in the capital, the Mission reports that peacekeepers on Wednesday intervened and prevented the lynching of a family in the 2nd district.

• The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, welcomed the ruling issued unanimously in Guatemala against four high-ranking former military officials for crimes against humanity, aggravated sexual violence and enforced disappearance.
• The case is known as the Molina Theissen case: in 1981, Emma Guadalupe Molina Theissen was detained at a military checkpoint and subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as well as sexual violence. She escaped, but her 14-year-old brother Marco Antonio was then taken by force from the family’s home in Guatemala City, and has never been found.
• The High Commissioner said the ruling was a milestone judgement for Guatemala and beyond with regards to the investigation, prosecution and punishment of serious human rights violations committed by senior military officers during an internal armed conflict.
• It also sends a clear message that it is possible for Guatemala to advance in the fight against impunity of the past, which in turn, strengthens the fight against the impunity of the present.

• Today is Africa Day. In his message for the Day, the Secretary-General said that Africa is increasingly driving its own future and highlighted the relationship between the African Union and the UN. Over the past two years, both organizations have signed agreements on peace and security as well as the implementation of complementary development agendas, he said.
• The Secretary-General stressed that what is good for Africa is good for the world, and called on all nations to support peace and prosperity on the continent.

• Myanmar has paid its regular budget dues, bringing the Honour Roll to 100.