Noon briefing of 29 November 2022

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC​,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 2022

ADDIS TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT
 The Secretary-General will travel later tonight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to take part on 1 December in the 6^th session of the African Union/United Nations annual conference.  
The discussions will be co-chaired by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the Secretary-General. Throughout the day, they will discuss progress in the implementation of cooperation frameworks between the two organizations. They will also assess joint action and challenges linked to peace, security, development, human rights and the impact of climate change on the continent.  
While in Addis Ababa, the Secretary-General is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, as well as President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia.
The Secretary-General is expected back in New York on Friday.

INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM 
The Secretary-General today addressed via a video message, the 17^th Internet Governance Forum which is taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  
He said that while technologies are transforming lives and livelihoods, they are also outpacing regulations and worsening inequalities.  
The future of digital must be human-centered, he said, adding that his Global Digital Compact aims to deliver on universal connectivity, a human-centred digital space, and the safe and responsible use of data. 
The Secretary-General also underscored that we need to keep working for a safe, equitable and open digital future that does not infringe on privacy or dignity.

SHIPMENT OF FERTILIZER/RUSSIAN FEDERATION PRODUCERS
In a statement issued this morning, the UN welcomed the donation of 260,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer from Russian Federation producers, that were stored in the European ports and warehouses. This will serve to alleviate the humanitarian needs and prevent catastrophic crop loss on the African continent, where it is currently planting season.
Today, a shipment of over 20,000 MT of fertilizer left the Netherlands on a World Food Programme-chartered vessel, the Motor Vessel Greenwich, destined for Malawi via Mozambique. This is the first of a series of shipments of fertilizer destined for a number of countries on the African continent in the coming months.
The shipment will take an estimated 30 days to arrive in Beira, Mozambique, and from there, it will be transported overland to Malawi.
This fertilizer donation initiative is part of the agreements signed in Istanbul on 22 July to address global food insecurity and to ensure the unimpeded exports of critical food and fertilizers from Ukraine and the Russian Federation to world markets.
The Secretary-General thanks the Governments of the Russian Federation, Malawi and the Government of the Netherlands, in close coordination with the European Union, for their willingness to enable this critical humanitarian shipment of fertilizer by WFP for global food security.
The UN is continuing intense diplomatic efforts with all parties to ensure the unimpeded exports of critical food and fertilizers from both Russian Federation and Ukraine, that are exempt from sanction regimes, to the world markets.
As you know, fertilizers play a key role in food systems, as 50 per cent of the world population depend on agricultural products that are produced with the help of mineral fertilizers. Since 2019, fertilizer prices have increased by 250 per cent, which has produced a “fertilizer crunch” that is pricing farmers out of production, especially smallholder farmers from the developing world. Nitrogen fertilizer shortages this year could result in a production loss next year of 66 million tonnes of staple crops such as maize, rice and wheat. That is enough to feed 3.6 billion men, women and children - which is almost half of humanity, and enough to feed them for a month.
Reconnecting fertilizer markets is a critical step to ensure global food security for 2023 and we will continue to make every effort, with all parties, to achieve this goal.

APPOINTMENT
The Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Reena Ghelani of Australia as the UN Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator. Up to 222 million women, men and children are projected to face acute food insecurity this year and multiple famines are looming.  The situation in the Horn of Africa is especially concerning, with millions of lives at risk.
To address this situation, the Coordinator will lead and organize a cohesive system-wide response to rising food insecurity, as well as drought and famine, in the Horn of Africa and beyond.  She will work closely with humanitarian and development partners at the regional and global levels, as well as regional bodies and governments, to ensure a coordinated approach to preventing the worst impacts of food insecurity, resulting from climate-induced disasters and other causes.
Ms. Ghelani brings over 25 years of wide-ranging experience in international affairs, having served in many countries and across many fields, including humanitarian affairs, child protection, refugee assistance and human rights. She is currently the Director of Operations and Advocacy for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

SYRIA
Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy for Syria, warned the Security Council this morning that escalatory dynamics are taking place in that country, and this is worrying and dangerous. The Special Envoy noted that the Secretary-General has called for all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid escalation, whether in the air or on the ground.
Mr. Pedersen stressed that Türkiye, the armed opposition and the SDF should de-escalate now.The trend lines are deeply worrying and carry real dangers of further escalation, he said. He called on all actors to restrain themselves and engage in serious efforts to reinstate the calm, move towards a nationwide ceasefire and a cooperative approach to counter-terrorism, in line with international humanitarian law.

SOMALIA
In a statement issued this morning the Secretary-General strongly condemned Al-Shabaab’s latest attack on the Villa Rays Hotel in Mogadishu, resulting in multiple casualties. He said that he is saddened that Somalia continues to be plagued by such heinous acts of terrorism and calls for the perpetrators to be held to account.
The Secretary-General expresses his condolences to the families of the bereaved and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. He reiterates that the UN stands firmly with the Government and people of Somalia against terrorism and violent extremism.

INDONESIA
In Indonesia, where the population is still feeling the impacts of the earthquake that struck West Java last Monday, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has been supporting reproductive health through the distribution of 350 customized kits to affected women, dignity kits for pregnant women, newborns, and older females. Adolescent girls and boys also received dignity kits and other products tailored for those living with HIV.
UNFPA has also deployed midwives and established a reproductive health centre, enabling women to give birth to three babies so far in west Java since the earthquake.

CHAD/REFUGEES
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned today of an imminent cut to food assistance to crisis-affected refugees in Chad unless urgent funding to bridge major funding shortfalls is received immediately. WFP needs $161 million by the end of 2022 to avert a suspension of its refugee assistance programme and provide life-saving assistance to crisis-affected communities in Chad, including 519,000 Sudanese and Central African refugees.
The UN Agencies note that refugee communities in Chad already face severe malnutrition levels, with some areas seeing acute malnutrition rates of over 19 per cent and chronic malnutrition rates of 42 per cent - a situation expected to worsen without additional funding that could stem the food aid cuts.
Starting in June 2021, WFP was forced to provide half rations to refugees and other groups due to major funding shortages. WFP and UNHCR are concerned that any further suspension of food assistance will have a severe impact on the food security, nutrition, and protection of refugee communities – especially the most vulnerable - including children being pulled out of school, forced to work, or forced into marriage.

UGANDA
Today, the UN Refugee Agency called on the international community for urgent support to preserve Uganda’s model refugee policy amid surging needs, funding cuts to humanitarian programmes and fresh displacement into the country.
UNHCR said services and systems for refugees are bursting at the seams. Uganda was already hosting over 1.5 million refugees at the start of 2022. However, this year, 130,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan have fled violence to Uganda, putting pressure on an overstretched humanitarian response.
Globally, funding shortfalls have forced UNHCR to introduce cuts to its aid to refugees and forcibly displaced people in a number of operations across the world. Uganda is one of UNHCR’s most underfunded operations, with just 46 per cent of $ 343.4 million received for this year.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
Today is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. In a message, the Secretary-General notes that we commemorate the Day at a time of diminished hope for peace. He says that he is deeply saddened by the growing number of Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives in the spiral of violence engulfing the occupied West Bank, and that each casualty fuels fear and yet more violence.
The Secretary-General urges all parties to take immediate steps to reduce tensions and break this deadly cycle. He emphasizes that the UN’s position is clear: peace must advance – the occupation must end. And he stresses that we are steadfast in our commitment to realize the vision of two States – Israel and Palestine – living side by side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

WATER
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) today published its first State of Global Water Resources Report, which found that large areas of the globe recorded drier than normal conditions in 2021. It also showed that significant flood events with numerous casualties were reported, among others, from China, northern India, western Europe, and countries impacted by tropical cyclones, such as Mozambique, the Philippines and Indonesia.
In contrast, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia have faced several consecutive years with below-average rainfall causing a regional drought.
The report aims to provide a concise overview of water availability in different parts of the world to inform climate adaptation and mitigation investments as well as the UN campaign to provide universal access in the next five years to early warnings of hazards such as floods and droughts.

AIDS/REPORT
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today released a report showing that inequalities are obstructing the end of AIDS. The report notes that on current trends the world will not meet agreed global targets on AIDS.
According to UNAIDS, the effects of gender inequalities on women’s HIV risks are especially pronounced in sub- Saharan Africa, where women accounted for 63 per cent of new HIV infections in 2021. Adolescent girls and young women are three times more likely to acquire HIV than adolescent boys and young men of the same age group in sub-Saharan Africa.
The reports also says that harmful masculinities are discouraging men from seeking care. While 80 per cent of women living with HIV were accessing treatment in 2021, only 70 per cent of men were on treatment. The full report is available online.

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Malawi has now paid its regular budget dues. This contribution takes us to 137 fully paid-up Member States.

***The guest at the Noon Briefing was Dr. César Núñez, the Director of the UNAIDS Office in New York. He spoke to reporters in advance of the World AIDS Day.