HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 22 MAY 2023
G7 SUMMIT
Over the weekend, the Secretary-General took part in the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
In a press conference, the Secretary-General stressed that rich countries cannot ignore the fact that more than half the world – the vast majority of countries – are suffering through a deep financial crisis. He added that recovery from the pandemic has been extremely unbalanced, with many middle-income countries not qualifying for concessional funding and having no access to debt relief.
The Secretary-General underscored that this is the result of a global financial architecture that has become outdated, dysfunctional and unfair. He called for reform of the United Nations Security Council and the Bretton Woods institutions.
On climate change, he reiterated his call to G7 countries to reach net-zero emissions as close as possible to 2040, and for emerging economies to do so as close as possible to 2050. His remarks were shared with you.
And while in Hiroshima, he also paid tribute to the victims of the atomic bombing in that city, and he reiterated that the United Nations stands with them and that we will never stop pushing for a world free of nuclear weapons. He also met with several leaders on the margins of the summit and participated in two sessions on the first day.
SECURITY COUNCIL/SUDAN
This morning, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan, Volker Perthes, briefed Security Council members. He told them that he welcomes the new developments in which an agreement was signed two days ago between the parts.
Mr. Perthes told Council members that he continues to urge those parties to honour the agreement. He underscored that the agreed short-term ceasefire could and should pave the way for talks for a durable cessation of hostilities, adding that the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) stands ready to support a monitoring mechanism for a longer-term agreement or for a permanent ceasefire.
SUDAN/HUMANITARIAN
In Sudan, the United Nations, along with its partners, are continuing to do everything it can to scale up deliveries of life-saving assistance to those in need in Sudan.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has so far reached nearly 450,000 people with food and nutrition support since its distributions resumed on 3 May. WFP plans to start distributions in Wadi Halfa in Northern State to more than 9,000 people who are fleeing to Egypt.
WFP is also planning to assess the needs of 500,000 men, women and children who are currently trapped in Khartoum. That assessment should start in the coming days if the security situation allows us to do that.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners are providing access to clean water and sanitation, as well as hygiene in key locations. In North Darfur, UNICEF has helped deliver some 235,000 litresof clean water to health-care facilities, and in East Darfur it provided clean water to some 40,000 people in the Elneemcamp for internally displaced people.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has provided fuel for four maternity hospitals in Khartoum to ensure life-saving health services are available for women and girls who need.
MALI
In Mali, four peacekeepers of United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were injured yesterday when an armoured vehicle providing security to a logistics convoy hit an Improvised Explosive Device about 12 kilometers north-west of our camp in Tessalit, in the Kidal region. The peacekeepers from Sri Lanka suffered minor injuries and are receiving medical treatment. About 40 minutes after the incident, a search of the surrounding area discovered a second IED which was successfully detonated. Earlier in the day, the Mission had detonated another IED discovered some 23 km north-west of the Tessalit camp.
UN PEACEKEEPING
Every year, on 29 May, the UN marks the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. This year, the UN also celebrates the 75th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping under the global theme “Peace begins with me”.
On Thursday, 25 May, the Secretary-General will lay a wreath in honour of fallen peacekeepers. That will take place at the Peacekeeping Memorial site, in the North Lawn. He will also take part in the Dag Hammarskjöld ceremony to honour the women and men who lost their lives last year while serving in UN peacekeeping, and he will confer the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, this year to a Ghanaian peacekeeper, Captain Cecilia Erzuah. She serves with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and she will receive the Award.
All the ceremonies will be live on UN Web TV.
Also on Thursday, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of the Peace Operations department, will be the noon briefing guest.
And on Friday, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations - partnered with the Inside Out Project – by the street artist JR – will have a special art project in Times Square, in Manhattan. It features portraits of peacekeepers and community members and celebrate all those who work together for the cause of global peace.
JOINT COORDINATION CENTRE
The Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) today said that it is currently in receipt of 17 applications of new vessels to participate in the Initiative. Out of those, seven were registered and are waiting for inspection.
Since 19 May, nine inbound vessels were inspected and cleared and five of those vessels are now loading in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk. The port of Yuzhny/Pivdennyi has not received any vessels since 2 May. The UN is concerned by this restriction, and calls again for the full resumption of operations.
Since the beginning of the Initiative, more than 30 million metric tonnes of food and fertilizers have been exported from Ukrainian ports. There has been no export so far of fertilizers, including ammonia, under the terms of the Initiative from Ukrainian ports.
MYANMAR
One week after Cyclone Mocha hit Myanmar with devastating force, a clearer picture is now emerging of the depth of destruction, as humanitarians work to expand assistance across affected areas.
Shelter damage is significant across all communities. There are shortages and soaring prices of critical items – especially of shelter materials, which pose a challenge for reconstruction efforts, as you can imagine.
Destruction of public infrastructure, as well as disruptions to water systems, continues to limit access to clean drinking water in Rakhine, increasing the risk of waterborne disease. Health centres, hospitals and schools have also been damaged or destroyed in coastal areas.
Efforts are underway to transport additional supplies to the impacted areas to address stockpile shortages, pending the necessary approvals for movement within and from outside the country.
Tomorrow, the UN expects to launch a flash appeal for Cyclone Mocha response.
CHILDREN/HORN OF AFRICA
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today warned that children in the Horn of Africa are living through an unprecedented large-scale crisis of hunger, displacement, water scarcity, and insecurity. UNICEF noted that more than 7 million children under the age of five remain malnourished and in need of urgent nutrition support, and over 1.9 million children are at risk of dying from severe malnutrition.
UNICEF pointed out that while the rains have brought some reprieve, it has also led to floods, as the parched ground is unable to absorb large quantities of water so quickly, leading to further displacement, increased risk of waterborne diseases, livestock loss and crop damage.
GUYANA
The U.N. Country Team in Guyana today said in a statement that they are devastated to hear of the deaths of 20 children - and injuries to several others - as a result of an early morning fire at a Secondary School Dormitory. The Country Team sent deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.
The UN is in close contact with the Office of the Prime Minister and stands ready to provide assistance.
WESTERN SAHARA
We have been getting some questions about Staffan de Mistura, the Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, and the speculation that we have seen in some press quarters is that he is considering stepping down, and I just want to say that they are in fact speculation, and in fact, completely false.
The Personal Envoy is planning to maintain and intensify engagements with all concerned and broader international supporters in a variety of formats, including regional visits and bilateral opportunities. Mr. de Mistura appreciates the support of the members of the Security Council, as well as the Group of Friends for Western Sahara, as recently evidenced in his meetings in New York.
WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
The World Meteorological Congress opened today in Geneva with a focus on scaling up action to ensure that early warning services reach everyone on Earth by the end of 2027.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that between 1970 and 2021, extreme weather, climate and water-related events caused nearly 12,000 reported disasters, just over 2 million deaths and US$ 4.3 trillion in economic losses.
Improved early warnings and coordinated disaster management has slashed the human casualty toll over the past half a century.
However, only half of countries have early warning systems in place with coverage especially low in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and in Africa. A first set of 30 countries have been identified for the roll-out of the initiative Early Warnings for All in 2023.
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity. In his message, the Secretary-General warns that our actions are devastating every corner of the planet, and he calls to end the war on nature.
He underscores that last year’s agreement on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework marked an important step, and now is the time to move from agreement to action.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
North Macedonia has paid the Regular Budget dues in full. This brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 108.
