AFGHANISTAN
The Secretary-General told reporters today that the humanitarian crisis is growing in Afghanistan and so is the United Nations response to deliver for the Afghan people. He said that the UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs in the country are in a race against time to deliver life-saving aid to crisis-affected people and preposition supplies ahead of winter, and that they won’t let up.
The Secretary-General also pointed out that already before the Taliban takeover in August, Afghanistan’s fragile economy -- which has been kept afloat by foreign aid over the past twenty years -- suffered from the impact of drought and COVID. Right now, he said, with assets frozen and development aid paused, the economy is breaking down, and we need to find ways to make the economy breathe again.
The Secretary-General urged the world to take action and inject liquidity into the Afghan economy to avoid collapse. He also strongly appealed to the Taliban to keep their promises to women and girls and fulfill their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law.
The full transcript of his remarks is available here.
IRAQ
In a statement on Iraq’s parliamentary elections, the Secretary-General said he commends the women and men of Iraq for their determination to make their voices heard through the ballot box on 10 October. He notes the extensive efforts made by the relevant electoral and security bodies to ensure the largely peaceful conduct of the early parliamentary elections, called for by the people of Iraq in their quest for reform, accountability and a better future.
The Secretary-General urges all stakeholders to show patience and respect for the electoral timeline while the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) tabulates the results, to resolve any electoral disputes that may arise through established legal channels, and to complete the electoral process by forming a government as soon as possible.
The Secretary-General reaffirms that the United Nations remains fully committed to supporting the Government and people of Iraq.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL’S TRAVEL
This afternoon, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, will travel to Edinburgh, Scotland to deliver remarks at the TED Countdown Summit 2021, on October 12. She will discuss how climate action is not only vital to keeping the goals of the Paris Agreement within reach, but can also help deliver dignity and equality for all, and drive forward progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
She will also hold bilateral meetings with senior Government leaders and other stakeholders, ahead of COP26 to be held in Glasgow, in less than three weeks’ time.
She will return to New York on Wednesday, 13 October.
COVID-19 AND FRAGILE STATES
This afternoon, the Secretary-General is scheduled to address an event organized by the International Monetary Fund on COVID-19 and Fragile States.
In his remarks, he will recall that the pandemic has pushed more than one hundred million people into poverty. Of those, people living in fragile and conflict-affected states are suffering most of all.
The Secretary-General will highlight areas for immediate action to launch a recovery that benefits all, including the most fragile states.
The event will stream live on the IMF website.
LIBYA
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said on Sunday that it had received a statement titled “Statement by Barqa Officials in the Government of National Unity,” issued today following a meeting that took place in Benghazi.
The Mission takes note of the issues set out in the statement and calls on the Government of National Unity to address them without delay. The Mission calls on all parties in Libya to engage in direct and constructive dialogue to resolve all arising concerns and to continue to adhere to the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF)’s Roadmap.
UNSMIL strongly urges all parties to avoid an escalation and refrain from any action that could threaten the unity of the country and its institutions and the wellbeing of the Libyan people; pose a threat to domestic or international peace and security; and could directly or indirectly hinder the holding of elections on 24 December 2021.
SAHEL SONG
Today, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and a group of artists from the Sahel have launched The Sahel Song.
The song was written and produced by Vieux Farka Touré, a well-respected Malian musician and strong advocate for the Sahel. Amadou and Mariam (Mali), Oumy Gueye (Senegal), Tal National (Niger), Songhoy Blues (Mali) and Bassekou Kouyate (Mali) joined him for the recording.
The song celebrates the resilience, generosity, solidarity and strength that Sahelians continue to display despite the crisis that surrounds them, said Bounena Sidi Mouhamed, OCHA’S Deputy Head of the Regional Office for West and Central Africa.
You can listen to the song here: https://soundcloud.com/unocha/the-sahel-song. You can also watch the making-of video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWnGa7x7g1M.
The Sahel crisis is one of the world’s fastest-growing emergencies. This year, almost 29 million people need life-saving assistance and protection — that’s 5 million more people than last year.
VENEZUELA
Over the weekend, Venezuela received its second COVAX shipment through the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). The newly-received 2.5 million doses will allow the country to continue its vaccine campaign.
Nearly 10 million people in Venezuela have received a first dose and more than 5 million have been fully vaccinated.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) continues strengthening the cold chain, supporting national efforts to store and transport vaccines throughout the country. The UN team on the ground continues working with Venezuela to address the multiple impacts of the pandemic, including providing vital supplies to hospitals with hygiene and sanitation equipment, as well as strengthening the capacities of the health system.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL
Marking the International Day of the Girl today, the Secretary-General said the strength, health and empowerment of the world’s girls is a matter for every single day of the year.
He noted how today’s girls are part of a digital generation, calling it our responsibility to join with them in all their diversity, amplify their power and solutions as digital change-makers, and address the obstacles they face in the digital space.
The Secretary-General stressed that girls have equal ability and immense potential in these fields, and when we empower them, everyone benefits. He noted how he saw this long before he began his political career, when he was a teacher in Lisbon and witnessed the power of education to uplift individuals and communities.
Also in a message for the Day, the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Natalia Kanem, said that girls are born with power – every girl has within her possibilities that should flourish as she moves into adulthood, shaping her future and, with it, the world.
But, she noted, there are so many girls in the world whose inherent power is unrealized.
Dr. Kanem said girls are harnessing the power of new technologies to carve out a better future for all; yet as we do so, we must also call urgent attention to those left behind by gender discrimination that systematically limits girls, now and across their lifetimes.
