Noon briefing of 11 February 2019

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2019

SG TRAVELS
The Secretary-General is expected back in New York this afternoon, after having been in Addis Ababa, where he attended the 32nd Session of the Ordinary Assembly of the African Union.
In his remarks yesterday at the opening session, the Secretary-General underscored his determination to build ever closer ties between the United Nations and the African Union. The Secretary-General saluted Africa’s inspirational leadership in finding durable solutions to forced displacement, saying that Africa has set a gold standard for solidarity with refugees and internally displaced people. And he outlined the shared agenda of the United Nations and the African Union on issues relating to peace and security, development and climate change.
At a press conference yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General said that many people see Africa as a continent of problems but that the United Nations sees Africa as a continent of hope and opportunity.
Asked about the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Secretary-General said that we must look ahead to support the Congolese institutions in ensuring stability and progress in the country and, at the same time, support an internal dialogue and an inclusive way of devising Congolese political life.
On Saturday, the Secretary-General met with a number of girls who are participating in the African Girls Can CODE Initiative, which is a programme of UN Women and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The four-year programme is designed to equip young girls with digital literacy, coding and personal development skills. The Secretary-General encouraged the girls to continue with their scientific education.
We have put out the remarks the Secretary-General gave over the weekend and the readouts of his bilateral meetings.

DSG
Over the weekend, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, spoke at the World Government Summit in Dubai.
She said that in this fourth year of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world must accelerate its work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. While there has been progress in many countries, it has not happened fast enough, and the world remains on a trajectory of increasing inequality.
“It is up to us to bring back the trust and demonstrate that global institutions can meet global challenges and meet people’s expectations,” she said adding that “we must all keep pushing the boundaries of transformation.”
While in Dubai, Ms. Mohammed also spoke at an SDGs in Action event, and met with senior government officials on climate change, the Sustainable Development Goals and the forthcoming World Expo 2020.

YEMEN
In a joint statement, Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock and Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said that the urgency of United Nations access to the Red Sea Mills in Hodeida is growing by the day.
The World Food Programme (WFP) grain stored in the mills - enough to feed 3.7 million people for a month - has been inaccessible for over five months and is at risk of rotting. At the same time, the United Nations is in the process of scaling up to provide food assistance to nearly 12 million people across Yemen who struggle to meet their daily food needs.
Mr. Lowcock and Mr. Griffiths said they are encouraged by the recent engagement of all sides, working with the United Nations on the ground, to create the necessary conditions for the team to reach the mills without further delay.
They emphasized that ensuring access to the mills is a shared responsibility among the parties to the conflict in Yemen. With safe, unfettered and sustained access, the United Nations can make this urgently needed food available to people in need.
Meanwhile, the Supervisory Committee on the implementation of the Prisoner Exchange Agreement finished its second meeting in Amman, Jordan last Friday evening. And there was a press release issued over the weekend on that.

LEBANON
Mr. Ján Kubiš arrived today in Beirut to take up his new position as United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon.
Upon his arrival, he said that he was very pleased to be here in Beirut at a time when Lebanon is also embarking on a new phase after the formation of the government. Mr. Kubiš looks forward to supporting this renewed momentum in close partnership with the Lebanese authorities, political leaders, civil society and other partners in Lebanon and the international community.

SECURITY COUNCIL
Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, briefed the Security Council today on the threats posed by Da’esh. He said that the group remains a threat as a global organization with centralized leadership, despite a fall in international attacks and plots in 2018. This threat, he said, is increased by returning, relocating or released foreign terrorist fighters.
Mr. Voronkov said that Da’esh is reported to control between 14,000 and 18,000 militants, including up to 3,000 foreign terrorist fighters, in Iraq and Syria. He added that the group has continued to evolve into a covert network operating at the local level and organizing itself at the provincial level, with a reported intent to undermine any form of stabilization on the ground.
Michele Coninsx, the Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), told the Council that Da’esh has retained its global intent and global networks. It remains one of the international terrorist groups most likely to carry out a large-scale, complex attack in the future.

NIGERIA
On Nigeria, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), is starting today a mission to the country ahead of the presidential elections, scheduled on 16 February.
This is part of the efforts of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel to support the consolidation of democracy and good governance in Nigeria, in line with the Secretary-General’s commitment on conflict prevention.
During his mission, Mr. Chambas will visit various states in Nigeria and meet with all stakeholders, local and national, to renew United Nations support for inclusive, peaceful and credible elections.

SENEGAL
And right before this mission to Nigeria, just to let you know that Mr. Chambas was in Senegal where he visited the campaign offices of the five candidates running for the presidential elections in that country – those will be taking place later this month.
The visit was part of the UN's efforts to support the holding of participatory and peaceful elections in Senegal. Mr. Chambas praised the commitment by the five candidates’ campaign leaders to ensure credible and peaceful elections in the interest of Senegal and the Senegalese people.

PHILIPPINES
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that, last week, the Philippines Government declared a major measles outbreak in Metro Manila and Central Luzon, and it has now expanded to other areas.
More than 4,300 suspected measles cases have been reported since January, with at least 70 deaths.
In 2018, nearly 22,000 measles cases were reported in the Philippines, a 376 per cent increase compared to 2017.
In support of Government-led efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) has provided technical support and funding to the National Immunization Programme and is monitoring the implementation of the vaccination campaign to contain the outbreak.

MYANMAR
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, has wrapped up a four-day visit to Myanmar.
Her mission comes after the United Nations and the Government of Myanmar, in December, signed a Joint Communique to address conflict-related sexual violence in the country.
During her visit, she met with Government Officials and representatives of women’s organizations, NGOs and others.
Ms. Patten stressed in her meetings that, while the Joint Communique is a positive signal, fighting is ongoing and it is critical that all parties undertake efforts to prevent conflict-related sexual violence.

HAITI
On Haiti, the Core Group has called on the Haitian society actors, and primarily the country's leaders, to engage in a constructive and inclusive dialogue in order to identify and implement realistic and lasting solutions to the political and economic crisis currently occurring in the country.
This follows a day of protest in Haiti last Thursday. The Core Group has taken note of the demands expressed by the demonstrators. It also deplores the loss of life and property damage caused by the acts of violence that took place on the margins of the rallies, while acknowledging the professionalism demonstrated by the Haitian National Police as a whole.

GIRLS IN SCIENCE DAY
Today is the International Women and Girls in Science Day. This year’s theme is "Investment in Women and Girls in Science for Inclusive Green Growth."
In his message the Secretary-General said that women and girls are vital in driving innovation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. However, he noted that they remain woefully under-represented due to gender stereotypes, a lack of visible role models and unsupportive policies and environments that keep them for pursuing those careers.
He said the world cannot afford to miss out on the contributions of half our population and urged countries to do more to promote access to learning opportunities for women and girls, particularly in rural areas.