HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2018
 

SG/G20
The Secretary-General as you know is in Buenos Aires where he is attending the G20. Just a bit earlier, he spoke at a session entitled ‘Putting People First - Global economy, the future of work and women’s empowerment’. He called on leaders to ensure that all their citizens enjoy the benefits of technological and scientific advances, global trade and economic integration, noting that those losing out from globalization are losing trust in governments and institutions. He also emphasized that women’s empowerment and equality must be at the heart of every effort to address poverty and inequality.
This morning, on the margins of the Summit, the Secretary-General met with the Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, along with the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian. They also held a joint press encounter, in which the Secretary-General thanked both for their countries’ continued support for the Paris Agreement and their leadership and willingness to work together to address climate change. Those remarks are now online.
Last night, the Secretary-General met with the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. They discussed the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) and the importance of the completion of the Paris Agreement Work Programme, its transparency framework and climate finance. The Secretary-General also thanked Mr. Modi for his commitment to increase India’s nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement.
And you saw, the Secretary-General spoke to reporters also yesterday afternoon.

SOUTH AFRICA
Meanwhile, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, spoke at the African Youth Development Summit in Johannesburg today. She said that today’s young people are a historic phenomenon — the largest cohort of young people that our world has ever seen. There are 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the world today, she said, with Africa as the youngest continent, where young women and men constitute more than 60% of the total population.
The Deputy Secretary-General noted that in September this year, the Secretary-General launched the UN Youth Strategy: Youth 2030. She said that Youth 2030 will strengthen the UN’s ability to support young people – their participation in society, their ability to secure employment, the realization of their rights and their role as agents of peace in fragile contexts.
She also highlighted a campaign on education about menstruation, saying that lack of support for menstrual health can keep girls out of school and the workplace and out of leadership roles, with devastating consequences that can last lifetimes and across generations. Educating both girls and boys about menstruation as a normal biological process is the first step towards addressing these issues, she said. Her remarks have also been shared with you.
 
COLOMBIA
The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, begins a two-day visit to Colombia next Monday in order to learn more about and express support for the efforts underway by the Colombian Government and society to consolidate peace.  An additional purpose of the visit is to familiarize herself with the work of the United Nations in support of peace, particularly of the Verification Mission in Colombia, which is overseen by her Department.
During her stay in the country, Ms. DiCarlo will meet with senior Government officials, representatives of the FARC, civil society, the Catholic Church, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, the Truth Commission, as well as representatives of the international community and the UN system. She will also travel to one of the Territorial Areas for Training and Reintegration of former combatants.
 
YEMEN
At the end of a visit to Aden and Sanaa, the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Andrew Gilmour, urged the warring parties in Yemen to do “absolutely everything humanly possible” to prevent renewed fighting in the port city of Hodeidah. Renewed fighting would plunge millions more Yemenis into an even deeper crisis and could contribute to what may turn out to be a massive famine, he said.
Mr. Gilmour also underlined the utter unacceptability of any party to a conflict to deliberately create massive humanitarian suffering as a tactic of war and urged the immediate removal of restrictions on delivery of emergency food and medical supplies.
Mr. Gilmour was deeply moved by the testimonies of the Mothers of the Detainees whom he met in Aden, and who recounted harrowingly the tragic tales of missing husbands, sons and brothers. He requested the Government in Aden and the de facto authorities in Sanaa to end unlawful detention and to release all names of persons in their custody. The Human Rights Office has more information online.
And as you will recall, Mark Lowcock, our humanitarian chief, is continuing his travels to Yemen and we should have an update a bit later.
 
SYRIA
Turning to Syria, our humanitarian colleagues continue to receive disturbing reports of airstrikes harming the civilian population in Syria’s Deir Ezzour Governorate.
Yesterday, airstrikes reportedly hit a field hospital in the area, killing and injuring scores of civilians, including women, children and medical staff.
Airstrikes also reportedly hit the prison of Al-Kashma village, near Deir Ezzour on 28 November, killing and injuring prisoners and civilians.
We remind all parties to this conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians, including medical workers.
Targeting medical facilities and other civilian infrastructures is unacceptable and prohibited under international law.
 
CAR
The UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) tells us that peacekeepers are conducting patrols in Batangafo in Ouham prefecture, where violence triggered displacements of civilians to a nearby peacekeeping temporary operating base and a Doctors without Borders Hospital.
The Mission has also reinforced its presence in the town to protect civilians after recent clashes between anti-Balaka and ex-Seleka members.
And in Alindao in Lower Kotto prefecture, the Mission deployed additional peacekeepers today to protect civilians after recent violence and clashes between anti-Balaka and ex-Seleka members. The situation is reported to be calm.
 
BUDGET
Yesterday I was asked about money and percentages ...
I am happy to tell you that, as of yesterday, the amount received to the regular budget during 2018 represents 97.8 percent of the amount assessed.
While we do give credit publicly to those Member [States] which have paid their budget dues in full, many others are paying in tranches of varying sizes.