SECRETARY-GENERAL
The Secretary-General has just now returned to New York from Ukraine and this afternoon, at 3 p.m., he will meet with Member States to launch two policy briefs to inform their thinking as they prepare for the Sustainable Development Goals Summit and the Summit of the Future.
These first two policy briefs are intended to start the consideration by Member States of the decisions and changes needed to equip the multilateral system for the challenges of today and the future. We will publish nine more by July.
The goal is simple, the Secretary-General will say - to breathe new life into the multilateral system so that it can deliver on the promises of the United Nations Charter and the 2030 Agenda.
LEAST DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
In Doha today, the Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed took part in the closing plenary of the fifth Conference on the Least Developed Countries, also known as LDC5.
Ms. Mohammed told participants that throughout the week “we have seen what can be achieved through genuine partnership and multilateral dialogue.” She added that “the Doha Programme of Action represents a clear blueprint for recovery, renewal and resilience in the world’s most vulnerable countries.”
Throughout the Conference, Member States committed to measures to deliver on the Doha Programme of Action, the ten-year plan adopted last year to put the world’s 46 most vulnerable countries back on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Some measures agreed by the Programme include the development of a food stockholding mechanism for Least Developed Countries; an online university focusing on STEM education – that’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math - especially for women and girls; an international investment support centre; a sustainable graduation support facility; and comprehensive crisis mitigation and resilience-building measures for these countries.
You can find much more on the commitments made by specific parties online.
UKRAINE
Turning to Ukraine. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the country has experienced another massive wave of strikes that, once again, killed civilians in several regions of the country. They also struck civilian infrastructure in many parts, including the capital, Kyiv.
The strikes – the first of this type in more than a month – hit power infrastructure across the country. In Kyiv, nearly 40 per cent of the people have been left without heat, while 15 per cent of homes and businesses lost access to electricity, according to the authorities.
In Kharkiv, it’s been reported that the entire population of the city, 1.4 million people, has no heating, electricity and water. In Kherson, the local authorities and our partners on the ground tell us that at least three civilians were killed at a bus stop in the city centre, which was understood to be hit by a missile.
Civilians were also killed and injured in Lviv, close to the border with Poland, and houses and other infrastructure were damaged in Zaporizhzhya and other front-line regions.
As the Secretary-General stressed yesterday in Kyiv, the United Nations has stayed on the ground delivering desperately needed humanitarian aid to millions of people in Ukraine.
ZAPORIZHZHYA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
And also today, Rafael Grossi, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant lost all off-site power. He noted that this is the first time the site has lost all power since 23 November 2022 and follows reports of missile strikes across Ukraine overnight.
He pointed out that this is the sixth time that the plant has had to operate in an emergency mode, stressing that this cannot go on and that he is astonished by the complacency.
Mr. Grossi warned that each time we are rolling dice, and if we allow this to continue time after time then one day our luck will run out. He emphasized that we must commit to protecting the safety and security of the plant, and we need to commit now.
Mr. Grossi said that he will continue his urgent consultations and contacts.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Our peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, reported that suspected Allied Democratic Forces killed at least 38 civilians, injured ten and abducted several others.
This happened in two separate attacks - in Mukondi and Mausa - located some 20 km south of Beni, in the North Kivu province.
Joint operations by the Congolese and the Ugandan armed forces are on-going in this area.
Our colleagues at the peacekeeping mission condemn in the strongest terms the brutal attacks against civilians and call for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
SYRIA
Turning to Syria, we continue to ramp up the response across the country, where at least 8.8 million people have been affected.
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the earthquakes, among other factors, significantly affected the cholera response.
Our partners launched a cholera vaccination campaign in earthquakes-hit areas of north-west Syria on Tuesday. They plan to distribute 1.7 million vaccine doses in high-risk areas. More than 53,000 suspected cholera cases and 23 associated deaths have been reported in north-west Syria as of 5 March.
Also, more than 100,000 people in communities where water infrastructure was damaged have received water since the start of the response across affected areas. Humanitarian workers have also provided hygiene kits to more than 100,000 people in reception centres.
Our colleagues also tell us that 3.7 million children in earthquake-affected areas across Syria are facing the risk of contracting diseases and lack access to basic services.
To date, the Syria Earthquake Flash Appeal has received $218 million, or 55 per cent, of the nearly $400 million needed.
TÜRKIYE
On Türkiye, we continue to support the Government-led response to the earthquakes.
The UN and our partners have provided more than 42,000 tents and hundreds of thousands of blankets, bedsheets and mattresses.
More than 900,000 people have received food assistance and the World Food Programme has supplied more than 5.7 million food packages and hot meals.
The World Health Organization has provided healthcare to nearly 24,000 people.
UNICEF reached 319,000 people, including more than 183,000 children, with hygiene kits and non-food items, winter clothes and heaters, among other critical supplies.
And the Türkiye earthquake appeal of $1 billion is currently 10.4 per cent funded with $104.3 million received.
VANUATU
We have an update from our team in Vanuatu, following the two consecutive Category-4 cyclones and a 6.5 magnitude earthquake which struck the country last week, impacting over 250,000 people. In addition to our staff in Vanuatu, our team in Fiji is deploying eight staff to support the coordination of international humanitarian assistance, relief and recovery efforts, as well as information management and human resource mobilization. Our colleagues will also boost support to authorities for rapid assessments, building, enhancing, and restoration of communications services. They will also support with needs assessments, including on logistical matters.
Our staff currently based in Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila, continue to work closely with the government and partners to support coordination and distribute hygiene kits, shelter, food, water and sanitation and other primary needs.
INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD
The President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Jagjit Pavadia, launched the Board’s Annual Report for 2022 in Vienna earlier today.
This year, the report focuses on the trend towards legalizing the non-medical use of cannabis. It analyzes the various policy approaches from the perspective of the drug control conventions.
In its report, INCB warns that the most concerning effect of cannabis legalization is the likelihood of increased use and a lower perception of risk, particularly among young people. The full report is online.
HYBRID BRIEFINGS TOMORROW
Tomorrow, at 10 a.m., there will be a hybrid briefing by the Minister of Equality of Spain, Irene Montero, on the sidelines of CSW.
Then at 1:15 p.m., there will be hybrid briefing by the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on the outcome of the Women in Islam Conference and Commemoration of the First Islamophobia Day, also on the sidelines of CSW.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
And last, the regular budget got a boost today, this time from our friends in Manila. This welcome payment from the Philippines takes the number of fully paid-up Member States to 65.
And we say salamat! With that, do you have any questions for me before we turn to our guests? Yes, James.
