HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 15 JUNE 2022
BURKINA FASO
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the appalling attack on the night of 11 June 2022 against the town of Seytenga, in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso, which resulted in the deaths of scores of civilians and the displacement of large numbers of people from their homes. The Secretary-General expresses his sincere condolences to the bereaved families of the victims, as well as to the people of Burkina Faso.
The Secretary-General calls on the Burkinabè authorities to spare no effort in identifying and bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice. He reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to continue to support Burkina Faso in its efforts to end insecurity and foster social cohesion.
WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY
This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the Security Council’s open debate on women, peace and security.
He told Council members that gender equality offers a path to sustainable peace and conflict prevention, “and yet we are moving in the opposite direction.”
Today’s conflicts are amplifying gender inequality, poverty, climate disruptions, and inequalities, he said. The Secretary-General underscored that “women’s equality is a question of power” and that today’s political deadlocks and entrenched conflicts are “just the latest examples of how enduring power imbalances and patriarchy continues to fail us.”
He urged Council members to reflect on the fact that, despite consistent agreement on the value of women at the peace table, there is still a huge gap in their participation, and in the implementation of promises made for their protection, human rights and dignity.
The Secretary-General also encouraged Council members to commit to increasing support to women’s civil society, conflict prevention and peacebuilding work.
NORWAY
In a readout of the Secretary-General’s phone call with the Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, of Norway, the Secretary-General conveyed his deep gratitude for the reinstatement of funding in support of UN organizations, that was done by the government of Norway. The Secretary-General expressed hope that other countries would follow Norway’s example.
YEMEN
Hans Grundberg, the Special Envoy for Yemen, briefed the Security Council yesterday afternoon. He said that the truce in Yemen has now been holding for two and half months, which is something that seemed unimaginable at the beginning of this year. He noted the truce continues to hold in military terms and there has been a significant reduction in civilian casualties. The truce offers a rare opportunity to pivot towards peace that should not be lost, Mr. Grundberg said.
SYRIA
We are very much saddened by the death today of a Syrian humanitarian aid worker, who was killed by a car bomb on his way to work in Al Bab in northern Aleppo.
This tragedy is a stark reminder of the continuing hostilities in Syria, which are claiming the lives of civilians and aid workers. There have been 23 fatalities among humanitarian workers in the north-west of Syria since 2020. The Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the UN, Mark Cutts, condemned today’s attack and called for a full investigation.
Meanwhile, the UN cross-border operations from Türkiye into Syria continues, reaching 2.4 million people every month in north-west Syria. Last month, more than 1,000 trucks crossed from the Bab-Al-Hawa crossing point, carrying food, shelter, nutrition and health supplies.
Some 4.1 million men, women and children need humanitarian aid in north-west Syria this year. That is up from 3.4 million last year. Most of these people are women and children.
SOUTH SUDAN
In South Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that needs are expected to increase as the country enters the rainy season and access to those in need will become even more difficult.
This is happening at a time when the humanitarian community is forced to make the difficult decision of cutting back aid due to funding shortages.
We told you yesterday about how the World Food Programme will need to scale back on its food assistance and will now reach 4.5 million out of the 6.5 million people who need aid and who had been initially targeted.
Now, the Food and Agriculture Organization also had to reduce plans for seed distributions to allow the agency to focus on people with extreme needs.
Our humanitarian appeal for South Sudan seeks $1.7 billion, but it is only 26 per cent funded.
Despite this aid shortfall, aid workers have managed to reach more than 3 million people so far this year. Flexible funding – available earlier in the year, is needed to prevent a dangerous deterioration of the food security situation.
SOUTH SUDAN PEACEKEEPING
The peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan says they have provided training on the protection of children to 30 senior officers of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in Opposition.
Meanwhile, in Warrap State, the Mission continues to conduct air patrols in the Marial Lou area. When intercommunal conflict spiraled in the area last year, the Mission set up a temporary base and deployed peacekeepers to reduce tensions. The temporary base is now closed, but our colleagues say the sustained presence of blue helmets there, as well as concerted efforts by all partners, helped stabilize the community, including through the reopening of schools and hospitals.
ECUADOR
In Ecuador, following protests this week, the UN team is calling for peace, to lower tensions and to seek the path of dialogue.
In this regard, the UN country team urges unrestricted respect for the constitutional and legal guarantees for the exercise of social protest, and the rules of due process applicable to all persons detained, in accordance with international human rights standards.
It also calls on all social actors to exercise their right to protest in a peaceful manner, within the framework of the rule of law and the necessary social coexistence for peace.
WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY
Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and this year’s theme is “Combatting Elder Abuse.” In a Tweet, the Secretary-General noted that elder abuse is a global issue that impacts the human rights, health and wellbeing of millions of people around the world. He called for greater respect for the rights and dignity of older people.
According to the World Health Organization, every year 1 in 6 people aged 60 and older experience some form of abuse. Like many forms of violence, abuse of older persons has increased during the pandemic, and with rapid population ageing in many countries, this growing trend is expected, unfortunately, to continue.
HATE SPEECH
Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., the Department of Global Communications for the United Nations is organizing a virtual event entitled “Fighting Hate Speech: Global Perspectives”. The event will mark the first International Day for Countering Hate Speech – and that is 18 June- and is the seventh episode of the discussion series entitled “Beyond the Long Shadow: Engaging with Difficult Histories”. The event will focus on strategies of countering hate speech on university campuses and beyond. The keynote speaker is Alice Nderitu, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the panel includes scholars and researchers from universities located in the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. You can find more information and the registration link on the websites of the Holocaust and the UN Outreach Programme or the UN Academic Impact.
NOON BRIEFING GUESTS
General Michael Beary, the head of the UN Mission to support the agreement in Hudaydah, briefed reporters today.
Tomorrow, the guests at the noon briefing will be Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Liu Zhenmin, along with the Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN, Ana Paula Zacarias, and the Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya to the UN, Ambassador Kinyungu. They will brief you on what to expect at the forthcoming UN Ocean Conference, which will take place from 27 June to 1 July in Lisbon, Portugal.
