HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 19 MARCH 2021
MYANMAR
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the continuing brutal violence by the military in Myanmar. The killing of peaceful demonstrators and arbitrary arrests, including journalists, is utterly unacceptable.
The military continues to defy calls, including by the Security Council, to end violations of fundamental human rights and return to the path of democracy. A firm, unified international response is urgently needed.
The Secretary-General will continue to stand with the people and their aspirations to achieve a peaceful, stable and prosperous Myanmar.
MYANMAR/CHILDREN
Also on Myanmar, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Save the Children said today in a joint statement that the occupation of schools across the country by security forces is a serious violation of children’s rights.
The acting Resident Coordinator, Andrew Kirkwood, noted that the agencies said that this will worsen the learning crisis for almost 12 million children and youth, who already experienced widespread school closures due to the pandemic.
Save the Children, UNESCO and UNICEF call on security forces to vacate occupied premises immediately and ensure that schools and educational facilities are not used by military or security personnel.
REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Ahead of Sunday’s presidential election in the Republic of the Congo the Secretary-General calls on all stakeholders in the country to work towards a peaceful electoral process. He stresses the need to respect civil and political rights, notably the right to vote.
He encourages the media and social media users to promote social cohesion and he calls on all stakeholders to refrain from hate speech or incitement to violence and of course, to resolve any disputes through dialogue and legal channels.
The Secretary-General stresses that peaceful, inclusive and credible elections are essential for sustainable peace in the Republic of the Congo.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the General Assembly commemorative meeting for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which is marked this Sunday.
The Secretary-General said that much of today’s racism is deeply entrenched in centuries of colonialism and enslavement. He said that we see it in the pervasive discrimination and exclusion suffered by people of African descent and in the injustices and oppression endured by indigenous peoples and other ethnic minorities.
We see it in the repugnant views of white supremacists and other extremist groups, as well as in anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred, the mistreatment of some minority Christian communities and other forms of intolerance and xenophobia. He added that we also see racism in the recent abhorrent violence against people of Asian descent, unjustly blamed for COVID-19.
The Secretary-General stressed that wherever we see racism, we must condemn it without reservation, without hesitation, without qualification, and he added that combatting it demands action every day, at every level.
Today, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, also provided an update on the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers.
SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION
The Secretary-General’s report on “Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and abuse” is out today as a document. This is the annual update, looking back at 2020, on the UN’s efforts to prevent and respond to this scourge in line with the Secretary-General’s strategy on this.
The report this year reflects the changed reality in every country that was brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the UN teams adapted their methods to continue their work without disruption. Despite the pandemic, we continued to improve and expand our efforts to reach victims and provide them with assistance.
Last year the number of UN entities that submitted action plans to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse more than quadrupled from 50 in 2019 to 207, showing an increased commitment within the UN system to address this issue. We also increased our work across the system and with implementing partners to ensure they have reporting mechanisms and address allegations that are in line with UN standards.
These are just a few examples of the long-term effort which the UN continues to work on.
SYRIA
In Syria, the UN is saddened by reports of the killing of a humanitarian worker in Idleb Governorate yesterday after being caught up in the cross-fire between two armed individuals. A family member was also injured.
This killing brings to at least 15 the number of documented cases of aid worker killings in northwest Syria in the last 14 months.
The enormous aid operation across Syria would be impossible without the extraordinary commitment and endurance of front-line humanitarian workers, many of them Syrians who are directly affected by the crisis.
Humanitarians must be able to carry out their critical, life-saving work. All parties to the conflict and the international community should do more to ensure the protection of all civilians in Syria, in accordance with international law. The safety and welfare of all humanitarians must be ensured.
JEAN-PIERRE LACROIX/ SENEGAL
The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, will arrive in Dakar, Senegal on Sunday. He will be there until 23 March.
He is expected to meet with President Macky Sall, as well as other high-ranking government officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Defence Minister.
He will discuss developments in peacekeeping and thank Senegal for its continued contributions to peace operations.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) continues its multifaceted support following last Sunday’s legislative elections. As of yesterday, the Mission has supported the transportation of documentation related to the provisional results from the 16 prefectures to the National Electoral Authority Authority’s data processing centre in Bangui.
We also have an update on the support provided by the peacekeeping mission to the National Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration and Repatriation Programme. Since December 2018, 2,860 combatants from 14 armed groups have been demobilized and disarmed. In addition to this, over 2,000 weapons, close to 120,000 rounds of ammunition and explosives have been collected. This programme is ongoing, as well as the Community Reduction violence (CVR) programme, which targets 3,600 people this year.
Meanwhile, in Kabo, in the Ouham Prefecture, the Mission dispatched patrols to provide security and ensure the protection of civilians. This happened after a humanitarian worker in the town was shot and injured by CPC combatants.
PEACEKEEPING/WOMEN
Today, the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) launched its annual report on Women, Peace and Security. It is entitled “Leaders and Changemakers - Women Transforming Peace and Security amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic.”
The report discusses the progress made and the challenges remaining towards women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace and political processes. This is a key priority of the Action for Peacekeeping initiative.
Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 – from the Central African Republic to Lebanon and beyond – women leaders in peacekeeping have played critical roles in conflict prevention and resolution. They have helped build trust across communities and promote peaceful solutions to political crises.
COVAX/LATIN AMERICA
The UN team in Paraguay is proud to have supported the arrival this afternoon of a batch of 36,000 doses of vaccine from COVAX. Some 4 million doses are expected to arrive this year in Paraguay.
The UN team has supported the country’s response and recovery plan, focusing on the most vulnerable groups and on protecting women and children against violence. We are also working to protect indigenous peoples by supporting the health response.
And Guatemala last week received more than 81,000 doses through COVAX. This was the first shipment of more than 6 million doses expected to arrive through COVAX to vaccinate 20 per cent of the population – that’s about 3 million human beings.
The UN team is helping women, including women who are the heads of their households, increase their access to social programmes. We are working to ensure that people in Guatemala with disabilities are part of the national protection scheme.
WATER
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) today said that globally, more than 3 billion people are at risk of disease because the water quality of their rivers, lakes and groundwater is unknown, due to a lack of data.
UNEP researchers surveyed more than 75,000 bodies of water in 89 countries and found that more than 40 per cent were severely polluted, suggesting that the world is falling behind on a global push to provide safe drinking water to all of humanity.
The data was released ahead of the World Water Day which is on Monday.
ETHIOPIA
Today, the UN Children’s Fund, Henrietta Fore, said in a statement that UNICEF remains deeply concerned about the continuing crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia, and its worrying implications for children and their access to basic social services.
Fore noted that five months since the start of the conflict, a clearer picture is emerging of killings and sexual violence against women and children in Tigray. She said that schools and health centres have been looted, vandalized and occupied by armed forces and groups.
UNICEF’S Executive Director added that according to assessments conducted at the end of February, violence and looting have left nearly 60 per cent of health care facilities not operational. Some 57 per cent of boreholes in 13 towns surveyed are not functional and a quarter of the region’s schools have sustained damage from the conflict.
Fore said that UNICEF is working with partners to ensure that critical supplies continue to reach those most in need and that populations can safely access essential services. She emphasized that parties to the conflict must ensure that children are protected from harm at all times.
AFGHANISTAN/ MIGRANTS
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) today said that over the last year, more than one million Afghan migrants have returned or been deported to Afghanistan from neighbouring Pakistan and Iran as COVID-19 continues to deprive many of employment and health care.
IOM estimates that more than 650,000 undocumented migrants will return in 2021.
The International Organization for Migration said that, combined with escalating levels of conflict and the ongoing consequences of COVID-19, the likelihood of additional waves of internal displacement, cross-border migration and a spike in humanitarian needs is high. Unfortunately, the Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan for 2021 is only 5 per cent funded as of 9 March.
FORESTS
Sunday is the International Day of Forests. This year’s theme is "Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being."
In his message, the Secretary-General says that humanity’s well-being is inextricably linked to the health of our planet and that of forests.
He warns that if we fail to act now to protect and reverse the degradation of our forests, we risk a point of no return, and he calls for urgent action by all - governments, international and civil society organizations, the private sector, local authorities and individuals.
INTERNATIONAL DAYS
This weekend will also mark the International Day of Happiness; French Language Day; World Poetry Day, the International Day of Nowruz and the World Down Syndrome Day.
***The guests at the Noon Briefing were Jane Connors, Victims' Rights Advocate and Christine Besong, the Field Victims' Rights Advocate from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They briefed reporters on the Secretary-General’s latest report on “Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Abuse.” Ms. Besong also discussed her experiences helping victims in the DRC over the past year.
