Noon briefing of 31 January 2023

Tomorrow will mark two years since the Myanmar military’s takeover of the civilian Government, and you will have seen the statement we issued for that occasion.
The Secretary-General said that he continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and to support their democratic aspirations for an inclusive, peaceful and just society and the protection of all communities, including the Rohingya. He strongly condemns all forms of violence as the multidimensional crisis continues to deteriorate and fuel serious regional implications.
He also expressed concern at the military’s stated intention to hold elections amid intensifying aerial bombardment and burning of civilian houses, along with ongoing arrests, intimidation and harassment of political leaders, civil society actors and journalists.
And his Special Envoy, Noeleen Heyzer, also released a statement urgently calling for international unity on humanitarian aid and a unified stance on elections and civilian protection.

PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS
The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, today wrapped up his trip to the three peacekeeping missions in the Middle East. In Lebanon, Syria and Israel, he met with senior government and security officials to discuss matters related to mandate implementation and the operational activities of these three operations.
Mr. Lacroix arrived in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) last Sunday and visited a number of UN positions, as planned, within the area of separation and on the Israeli-occupied Golan.
He joined a patrol on the Blue Line and met with peacekeepers at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura and in positions in the Area of Operations to thank them for their efforts to strengthen the capacities of Lebanese authorities in the south.
He also visited the Irish peacekeeping contingent in Camp Shamrock to express his condolences for the tragic loss of Private Seán Rooney. In this regard, he stressed to the Lebanese authorities the importance for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
Finally, yesterday, Mr. Lacroix capped off the trip by visiting the UN Truce Supervision Organization, or UNTSO, which is headquartered in Jerusalem.
Before heading back to New York, he will visit Jordan on Wednesday where he is expected to meet with senior civilian and military leadership.

SUDAN
The UN Refugee Agency, together with 41 international and national partners, launched today the 2023 funding appeal to assist more than 900,000 refugees in Sudan. The interagency Country Refugee Response Plan is appealing for over $500 million.
UNHCR underscores that the response plan aims to deliver life-saving assistance while also engaging essential linkages between humanitarian and development actors to promote resilience and to work towards durable solutions.
The agency notes that Sudan is the second largest asylum country in Africa, hosting about 1.1 million refugees and asylum-seekers from South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Chad, Syria, Yemen and other countries.

BURUNDI
In Burundi, our UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Damien Mama, is working with authorities and partners to combat the devastating effects of climate change. Around 90 per cent of Burundi’s 75,000 internally displaced people are on the move due to climate-induced disasters, and over half of them are women.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are combating chronic malnutrition, promoting agricultural diversification and raising climate awareness. Last year, they helped more than 42,000 small-scale local producers transform their food systems, establishing 1,000 Farmer Field Schools to support communities with improved agricultural and livestock practices. They also rehabilitated 750 climate-damaged education centres and provided a safe space for 43,000 children in the most affected areas.
UN Women provided dignity kits to over 1,200 women and girls and health care support to 14,000 internally displaced people last year, including free medical consultations and distribution of medicines.
For its part, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) provided shelter and other items to over 40,000 people, while also implementing a programme to mitigate disaster risks. Following a national needs assessment, our team and partners developed nearly 100 local contingency plans to strengthen community resilience.

HYBRID BRIEFING TOMORROW
tomorrow, at 1:00 pm, there will be a briefing here by the Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of February, Ambassador Vanessa Frazier.
She will discuss the Council’s programme of work for the month.

HONOUR ROLL
And last, today, we thank our friends in Ottawa and Oslo.
Full payments from Canada and Norway to the regular budget have taken the Honour Roll to 20. And that’s it from me.