HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2020
UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE
The Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on COVID-19 and Universal Health Care Coverage was published this morning. The report makes clear that the pandemic has shown that under-investment in health can have a devastating impact on societies and economies. The pandemic is costing the global economy $375 billion a month, with some 500 million jobs having been lost so far.
The report adds that at least half of the world’s population still do not have full coverage of essential health services, and over 800 million people spend at least 10% of their household budgets to pay for health care services.
The Secretary-General, in a video message launching the report, said that COVID-19 has shown that Universal Health Coverage, strong public health systems and emergency preparedness are essential to communities, to economies, and to everyone. We need Universal Health Coverage, including mental health coverage, now, to strengthen efforts against the pandemic and prepare for future crises, he added.
The report also recommends controlling further transmission of COVID-19 through proven public health measures and a coordinated global response; protecting delivery of other health services during the pandemic; ensuring that everyone, everywhere has access to future vaccines, tests and treatment; and strengthening preparedness.
CLIMATE
Today, the Secretary-General spoke by video message to the Daring Cities Virtual Forum: Urban Leaders and Climate Change.
He said that we need cities to commit to net zero emissions before 2050, and a 45 per cent reduction by 2030. He also told urban leaders that they are on the frontlines of the solutions to the climate crisis and called on them to invest in climate adaptation and resilience.
The Secretary-General also sent video remarks to the Climate Vulnerable Forum and stressed that vulnerable nations need support for adaptation and resilience as well as mitigation and should be funded equally by Multilateral Development Banks and the Green Climate Fund.
He underscored that climate-vulnerable countries are already leaders on climate ambition and are crucial to push the biggest emitters to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and reiterated the UN’s readiness to support their ambitious action to tackle the crisis.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL/MARITIME FORUM
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, spoke at the opening of the Global Maritime Forum's Virtual High-Level Meeting.
She thanked all seafarers for their work, saying they are essential to the functioning of our societies and economies. She reiterated the Secretary-General’s appeal to governments to formally designate seafarers and other marine personnel as “key workers.”
She also noted that the maritime industry plays a key role in tackling the climate crisis. She thanked the Global Maritime Forum for its commitment at last year’s Climate Action Summit to joining the “Getting to Zero Coalition”. The Coalition seeks to get commercially viable zero emission vessels operating along deep-sea trade routes by 2030.
Ms. Mohammed said the UN stands ready to work closely with the Forum to chart a course through the current COVID-19 pandemic and the climate emergency.
GLOBSEC 2020 BRATISLAVA FORUM
The Deputy Secretary-General also had a video message today for the 2020 Bratislava Forum for GLOBSEC, a think tank. She highlighted how technology is making a world possible where we can continue to work and learn during the COVID-19 pandemic. She pointed out that Central and Eastern Europe will see an immense growth in new technology users over the next decade, adding that groups such as GLOBSEC must push governments and companies to ensure that this growth comes with benefits for the environment, with new skills, new jobs, gains for privacy and advances that bridge the digital divide.
JOINT SDG FUND
Yesterday afternoon, she joined Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, the Director General of the Swedish International Development Cooperation, Carin Jamtin, as well as private sector partners, in an event moderated by Nathalia Kanem, the Head of UNFPA.
The event focused on boosting public-private partnerships to recover better from the pandemic and for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Amina Mohammed said that success is when we reach the billions of people that we need to reach and that success is when we reach the SDGs – we must not stop until then.
MALI
The UN Mission in Mali welcomes the designation of a transitional Government, following several weeks of negotiations. The Mission also welcomed the lifting of sanctions imposed by the Economic Organisation of West African States (ECOWAS), adding that all conditions are now in place to begin work in earnest over the next 18 months to implement the transition charter and to prepare for the holding of elections.
The UN Mission said it is critical that the Malian parties uphold their commitments under the peace agreement and prioritize the key institutional reforms of the peace process, which has been progressing too slowly over the past couple of months.
They are also encouraged to see that the signatory armed groups are part of the transition Government and call on all stakeholders to work constructively, in the spirit of compromise and for the common good.
The Head of the mission, Mahamat Saleh Annadif met with transitional President N’Daw this week to convey his message and reiterate the United Nations’ readiness to support the transition authorities.
VAROSHA/CYPRUS
In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General said he is concerned by the announcement made on the opening of the beach/coastline of Varosha, in Cyprus. He recalled that the position of the United Nations on Varosha remains unchanged and is guided by relevant Security Council resolutions.
The Secretary-General stressed the need to avoid any unilateral actions that could trigger tensions on the island and undermine the return to dialogue or the future success of talks. He called on all parties to engage in dialogue in order to resolve their differences. And he reiterated his readiness to bring the parties together.
SYRIA
The UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Imran Riza, and the UN’s Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Kevin Kennedy, both strongly condemned the horrific bombing that reportedly killed and injured dozens of civilians in Al Bab in northern Syria yesterday. Early reports indicate that more than a dozen civilians were killed and up to 40 injured.
In a statement, the two senior UN officials expressed their profound condolences to the families of the victims and those impacted by the attack.
After more than nine years of crisis, they said, civilians living in Syria have already endured suffering and deprivation for far too long.
They urged all parties to fully adhere to their obligations under International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law to ensure the safety and protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
COVID-19/CAMEROON
In Cameroon, the UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Matthias Naab, continue to support national efforts to boost livelihoods impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several UN agencies are using local data to help authorities tailor their response and recovery plans in cities targeting groups such as women, young people and persons with disabilities to prevent them from falling into poverty.
UNICEF supported a Government survey on behavioural changes during the pandemic. It found that, while nearly all people who took part in the survey have heard of COVID-19, only 7 in 10 respondents have specific knowledge about the disease, including how to prevent it, its symptoms and risks. Also, 6 in 10 respondents fear being stigmatized if they contract the disease.
The UN team, therefore, is focusing on spreading science-based messages to curb misinformation.
DRC
Yesterday, the Security Council heard from Leila Zerrougui, the head of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She addressed the political situation and warned that an increased focus on the 2023 elections could undermine the much-needed progress in governance reforms and stabilization measures.
She reiterated that the 2018 elections and resulting peaceful transfer of power were a historic turning point but concluded that much remains to be done to place the country on the path to long-term stability and long-term development.
SOUTH SUDAN/WFP
The World Food Programme in South Sudan strongly condemned an attack on its boat convoy carrying food assistance.
The river convoy had 13 crew people aboard when it was attacked near Shambe North. One person is missing and presumed killed, while three people suffered gunshot wounds.
WFP stresses that humanitarian workers and contractors risk their lives delivering much-needed food assistance to the most vulnerable.
The food aid was intended for people displaced after losing their homes and crops to floods. Over 800,000 people have been impacted by floods in South Sudan, on top of years of conflict that have caused widespread hunger and malnutrition.
IRAQ
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has come out with a new report on Iraq’s economic recovery from COVID-19. According to the policy paper, the country’s GDP is expected to reduce by nearly 10 percent in 2020, and the fiscal deficit is forecast to reach the unprecedented level of nearly 30 percent of GDP in 2020.
UNDP recommends expanding social security coverage for vulnerable groups, increasing revenue generation to fund key Government programmes, and allocating more resources to develop the private sector.
It says that while Iraq’s macroeconomic and fiscal conditions were broadly positive in the last few years, two major shocks have disrupted this progress: the oil crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
BURKINA FASO
In Burkina Faso, the UN Refugee Agency has strongly condemned an attack that killed 25 internally displaced people.
Survivors of the attack, which took place on the night of October 4th, said that 25 men were killed, and one seriously injured when a convoy carrying 46 people was ambushed by an armed group near the town of Pissila, in the Centre-Nord region.
The men were separated from the group and executed. The women and children were later released, and the armed group fled the scene.
Innocent civilians in search of safety are paying with their lives with alarming frequency, said Ioli Kimyaci, UNHCR’s Representative in Burkina Faso.
The survivors managed to reach the nearby town of Pissila, where a UNHCR partner is now providing them with psychological support.
