HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
THURSDAY, 2 AUGUST 2018
 
SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR RESTRAINT AS ZIMBABWE AWAITS ELECTION RESULTS

• The Secretary-General is concerned about reports of incidents of violence in Harare following the elections on 30 July. He recalls commitments the stakeholders made in the Peace Pledge and the Code of Conduct to ensure a peaceful and orderly electoral process. 
• He calls on the political leaders and the population to exercise restraint and reject any form of violence while awaiting the announcement of the election results.  He further calls on political leaders and electoral contestants to pursue any disputes through peaceful means, dialogue and in accordance with the law.
• The elections mark an important step forward in Zimbabwe’s democratic development. The Secretary-General notes the peaceful and democratic spirit, which was commended by national and international observers, during polling day. He appreciates the commitment of the people of Zimbabwe to deepen democracy and their renewed focus on development of the nation.

AFGHANISTAN: U.N. CONDEMNS SUICIDE ATTACK ON PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES

• The Secretary-General condemns the 31 July suicide attack targeting the provincial government’s department of refugees and returnees in Jalalabad City, killing at least 15 civilians, including a staff member of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Any attack deliberately targeting civilians is unjustifiable and in clear violation of international law.
• The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.
• The United Nations stands with the people and Government of Afghanistan as they strive for peace and reconciliation in their country.

U.N. CHIEF COMMENDS SUCCES OF SUMMIT OF WEST AFRICAN AND CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES

• The Secretary-General commends the Central and West African regions for their successful Joint Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on Peace, Security, Stability and the Fight against Terrorism and Violent Extremism, which took place in Lomé, Togo, on 30 July 2018.
• The Secretary-General welcomes the renewed commitment of ECCAS and ECOWAS member States to strengthen cooperation on key peace and security challenges, and is particularly encouraged by the decision to sign a Criminal Cooperation Agreement by the end of 2018 and to establish a ministerial committee to monitor implementation of the Summit decisions. He also welcomes the decision of the Heads of State and Government of the two regions to hold consultations in the margins of the ordinary summit of the African Union in January, and to meet every two years to review implementation of the decisions contained in the Lomé Declaration adopted at the Joint Summit.
• The Secretary-General reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to continue to promote inter-regional cooperation and support the implementation of the decisions adopted by the ECCAS-ECOWAS Summit.

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED BY U.N. YEMEN ENVOY

• The Security Council heard from Martin Griffiths, the Special Envoy for Yemen, in an open briefing followed by closed consultations this afternoon.  John Ging, the Director of Operations of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), also briefed the Council members on Yemen.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY SHOCKED BY DEATH OF NIGERIAN ASYLUM-SEEKERS IN CAMEROON

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it is shocked to learn of the tragic death of six Nigerian asylum-seekers, among them three children, who were killed in a blast in the far north of Cameroon.
• UNHCR has learnt that on 29 July, 12 asylum-seekers were being forcibly returned to Banki, Nigeria, in a Cameroonian army truck which drove over an improvised explosive device that exploded. Six Cameroonian soldiers and six other asylum-seekers were also injured in the incident, which took place in Homaka, Mayo Sava Division.
• UNHCR once again calls upon the government of Cameroon to refrain from carrying out further forced returns of Nigerian refugees and asylum-seekers. It also reminds Cameroon of its obligations under international law relating to the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers and the commitments it made by signing the Tripartite Agreement for the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon in March 2017.

W.H.O. WORKING WITH D.R. CONGO GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS NEW CASES OF EBOLA IN NORTH KIVU

• The World Health Organization (WHO) today said that there have been new cases of the Ebola Virus in the North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• WHO said the new cluster of cases is occurring in an environment which is very different from previous locations as it is an active conflict zone, and added that the major barrier will be safely accessing the affected population.
• The agency added that it is working closely with the Government to quickly address the outbreak.

VANUATU: U.N. AND PARTNERS SUPPORT RESPONSE TO VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that volcanic activity on Vanuatu’s Ambae Island, which has a population over 10,000 people, has intensified in the last few weeks.
• The Vanuatu Council of Ministers has called for the immediate compulsory evacuation of Ambae residents to the neighbouring island of Maewo.
• The United Nations and humanitarian partners are supporting the response through the Government.
• OCHA is closely monitoring the situation and supporting the Resident Coordinator’s office with coordination.

PRICES OF GLOBAL FOOD COMMODITY EXPERIENCE SHARP DROP IN JULY – U.N.

• The that global food commodity prices fell sharply in July, causing the Food Price Index to drop by 3.7 per cent, the biggest monthly drop since late last year.
• In particular, export prices for dairy and sugar experienced sharp declines. The Dairy Index declined by 6.6 percent, with butter and cheese prices dropping faster than those for whole and skim milk powders. The Sugar Index fell by 6 per cent to a nearly three-year low, largely driven by improved production prospects in India and Thailand, both important sugar-producing countries.

CABO VERDE PAYS U.N. REGULAR BUDGET DUES IN FULL

• Today, Cabo Verde has paid its regular budget dues in full. The Honour Roll now totals 114 Member States.