HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 6 SEPTEMBER 2023
CLIMATE
In a statement earlier today, the Secretary-General responded to the latest findings by the World Meteorological Organization and Copernicus to say that the dog days of summer are not just barking, they are biting.
WMO said that August was the hottest August on record – by a large margin – and the second hottest ever month after July 2023, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service ERA 5 dataset. This year so far – from January to August. is the second warmest on record behind 2016, when there was a powerful warming El Niño event.
The Secretary-General said that climate breakdown has begun. Our climate is imploding faster than we can cope with extreme weather events hitting every corner of the planet.
Surging temperatures demand a surge in action, he said. Leaders must turn up the heat now for climate solutions. We can still avoid the worst of climate chaos – and we don’t have a moment to lose.
AIR QUALITY
And according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization, extreme heat also has a measurable impact on air quality, human health (such as sneezing) and the environment.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, and this trend is expected to continue in the future, the report says, adding that air quality and climate are interconnected because the substances responsible for climate change and for the degradation of air quality are often emitted by the same sources.
The full report is available online.
SG TRAVELS
Earlier today, the Secretary-General arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is the host of this year’s summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - ASEAN.
Tomorrow, Thursday, he will deliver public remarks at the opening of the ASEAN-UN summit, which is traditionally held on the sidelines of the larger ASEAN summit. Just prior to that meeting, the Secretary-General will hold a press conference.
His remarks will highlight a number of issues from the strong cooperation between the United Nations and ASEAN to regional concerns and global challenges, including climate change and the reform of the global financial architecture.
You will be able to monitor both events on the UN’s Webcast page.
UKRAINE
Turning to Ukraine. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that new deadly attacks today hit Donetsk and Zaporzhzhia Region. A few hours ago, an attack in Kostiantynivka Town, Donetsk Region, hit an open market area where many local residents do their daily shopping, reportedly causing dozens of civilian casualties, including children.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, issued a statement saying that this tragic and unacceptable event is another example of the suffering that Russia’s invasion inflicts on civilians across the country.
She recalled that civilians and civilian infrastructure are protected under international humanitarian law.
Our humanitarian colleagues also tell us that earlier today, an education facility and houses were damaged in the neighbouring Zaporizhzhia Region, and port facilities were again hit in the Odesa Region in the south. Humanitarian partners on the ground are delivering emergency shelter materials and assisting the affected families.
Furthermore, the repetitive attacks on Ukrainian ports are depriving farmers of their livelihoods and the world of affordable food when millions are facing hunger in the poorest countries.
YEMEN
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, concluded a visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, where he met with senior Emirati officials and Yemeni stakeholders.
He underlined the need for concerted regional and international efforts to progress toward lasting peace and the value of peace and stability in Yemen for the security and stability of the entire region.
He also underscored the importance of reaching an agreement on measures to improve living conditions in Yemen and implementing a nationwide ceasefire.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
We have an update from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where our peacekeeping mission – MONUSCO - has welcomed the actions taken by the government in the wake of demonstrations on 30 August, in which protestors as well as security and defense officers were killed.
At a press conference in Kinshasa today, the Mission reiterated its condolences for the significant loss of life and acknowledged the government’s deployment of a high-level ministerial commission to Goma and the opening of trials against members of the armed forces of the DRC.
MONUSCO reiterated the importance of holding those responsible for the incident to account, regardless of their ranks, and ensuring that necessary measures are taken to prevent such a tragedy happening again.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
In the Central African Republic, our peacekeeping colleagues are telling us that the Head of the United Nations mission there, Valentine Rugwabiza, is in Birao today, in the Vakaga prefecture. She is accompanying the Prime Minister, Félix Moloua, as part of a joint mission.
As we have mentioned here, thousands of refugees from Sudan have arrived in the Vakaga prefecture over the past months. The Prime Minister and Ms. Rugwabiza are there today to assess progress, listen to the challenges and concerns of the local population and to mobilize support for the people of Vakaga.
This joint visit underscores the continued collaboration between the Government and the UN as they work together to deliver stability, peace and recovery in the Central Africa Republic.
COSTA RICA
The UN team in Costa Rica, led by Resident Coordinator Allegra Baiocchi, launched yesterday a new guide to protect women in politics from digital violence, ahead of the country’s local elections scheduled to take place in February of next year.
The UN team also released alarming new figures: While the overall rise in online hate speech rose 50 per cent in the past year, specifically targeted online hate against women jumped 72 per cent during the same period.
The Resident Coordinator said she hopes this new guide will be an important resource for women, encouraging them to run for office and helping them stay safe – online and offline. The new tool offers support for victims to report online hate and access legal assistance for individual or collective actions.
It also provides practical advice on reporting online violence against women on social media.
UN REFUGEE AGENCY/CAMPAIGN
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today launched a new global campaign entitled ‘Hope Away from Home’. The campaign calls for renewed solidarity and firm commitments from States to uphold the rights of people seeking safety from war, violence and persecution.
UNHCR notes that the campaign comes amid record global levels of forced displacement, with110 million people, with access to asylum under threat in many parts of the world - from increasingly restrictive policies and shrinking options for long-term solutions and resettlement.
In some places, UNHCR warns, populist anti-refugee sentiment, externalization of asylum obligations, rising discrimination and xenophobia, and tougher and more restrictive admission policies are threatening the right to seek safety.
NOON BRIEFING GUESTS & BRIEFING
The guest at the noon briefing was Mohamed Ag Ayoya, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, known as MINUSCA.
He briefed reporters on the humanitarian situation, response and challenges in the Central African Republic.
Tomorrow, the guests at the noon briefing will be Sarah E. Hendriks, UN Women’s Deputy Executive Director for Policy, Programme, Civil Society, and Intergovernmental Support; Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, in the Department of Economic and Social Afairs (DESA); and Cindy Cox-Roman, the CEO of HelpAge USA.
They will launch the Gender Snapshot 2023.
At 1:00 p.m., there will be a briefing by Gary Conille, UNICEF’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, on “The Changing Face of Child Migration in Latin America and the Caribbean”.
