HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC​,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 2024

SECRETARY-GENERAL TRAVEL 
The Secretary-General is now on his way to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the 37th African Union Summit. 
A few hours ago, he delivered an address at the Munich Security Conference’s opening session. He told participants that today’s global order is not working for everyone – or even for anyone. As our world is facing existential challenges, the Secretary-General said, the global community is more fragmented and divided than at any time during the past 75 years. 
Turning to the situation in Gaza, he said that it is an appalling indictment of the deadlock in global relations. He warned that an all-out offensive on Rafah would be devastating for the 1.5 million Palestinian civilians there who are already on the edge of survival. 
He reiterated his call for an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and a humanitarian ceasefire.  
That, Mr. Guterres said, is the only way to massively scale up the aid delivery in Gaza. 
Immediately after his remarks, the Secretary-General took part in a panel discussion with Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados; Nana Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana; and Gustavo Petro Urrego, the President of Colombia. 
Throughout the day, he also met with leaders attending the conference.   
 
RUSSIA 
The Secretary-General is shocked by the reported death in detention of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.  
The Secretary-General expresses his condolences to Mr. Navalny’s family and calls for a full, credible and transparent investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Navalny’s reported death in custody. 

SENEGAL
The Secretary-General takes note of the Constitutional Council’s ruling declaring the postponement of presidential election in Senegal as unconstitutional and of President Macky Sall’s decision to fully implement the decision of the Constitutional Council.
The Secretary General  urges  all national stakeholders to ensure the holding of an inclusive and transparent presidential election within the framework of the Senegalese constitution.
 
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that as intensified airstrikes on Rafah continue, and people are reportedly moving out of Gaza’s southernmost governorate toward Deir al Balah. 
Meanwhile, a consistent and dependable food supply to serve the entire population of Gaza continues to be hindered by frequent border closures, longstanding import restrictions of goods into Gaza, damage to critical infrastructure, and the security situation. Food insecurity in North Gaza and Gaza governorates has especially reached an extremely critical state, given significant restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian assistance.  
In Rafah, humanitarian conditions have become increasingly severe, with continued reports of people stopping aid trucks to take food. Vulnerable segments of the population, including children, the elderly, and people with underlying health conditions, are particularly susceptible to the risk of malnutrition. 
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL 
This weekend, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, will travel to Bangkok, Thailand to attend the eleventh session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum for Sustainable Development.  
She will engage with the Regional Coordination Mechanism.  She will meet with United Nations Resident Coordinators in the region as well as senior government officials and other stakeholders to advance action on the Sustainable Development Goals following the SDG Summit last year and in the leadup to the Summit of the Future. She will then travel to Brazil, to participate on behalf of the Secretary-General in the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting. The Deputy Secretary-General will then proceed to the Republic of Namibia, where she will attend the State Funeral of former President Hage G. Geingob, on behalf of the Secretary-General. 
The Deputy Secretary-General will return to New York on 26 February 2024. 
 
TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT 
The head of Peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, will travel to South Sudan and Abyei from 18-23 February. He will be accompanied by Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa. 
The purpose of the visit to South Sudan is to assess progress made on the peace process and the preparations underway for the upcoming elections, the country’s first since independence, scheduled for December.  
In Juba, they are expected to hold meetings with leaders of the Transitional Government of National Unity, civil society representatives, and other key stakeholders involved in the peace process. 
Mr. Lacroix and Ms. Tetteh will also visit the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), and engage with the Juba-appointed Chief Administrator, Khartoum-appointed administration officials, traditional leaders as well as women’s groups and civil society representatives.  
They will also use the visit to assess the prevailing situation in Southern Abyei following the increase in intercommunal tensions, and UNISFA’s continuing efforts to protect civilians and de-escalate the situation. 
Mr. Lacroix will also interact with civilian and uniformed peacekeeping personnel in South Sudan and Abyei and thank them for their dedication and service in very challenging environments. 
 
TOURISM RESILIENCE DAY 
Tomorrow is Global Tourism Resilience Day. sustainable tourism - including ecotourism - can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals by fostering economic growth and creating full and decent work for all. 
 
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION 
Saudi Arabia and Georgia paid their dues in full, taking us to 60 fully paid-up Member States.