HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2021
SECRETARY-GENERAL’S TRAVELS
The Secretary-General began his second day at the Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, COP 26, in meetings with a number of regional delegations involved in the negotiations.
He held separate meetings with groups representing the Independent Alliance of Latin America, the Alliance of Small Island States, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) and the Least Developed Countries.
He told them that we know what needs to be done: to deliver on the commitments already made on 1.5⁰C, 50 per cent of climate finance for adaptation, and $100 billion, starting in 2020.
We also know, he said, that we have a specific problem with adaptation and loss and damage: entire communities everywhere are getting hit now. We need a concrete plan by the end of the COP session, he underscored.
The Secretary-General said that countries need to act on their pledges – now. This means, for example, revising their climate plans every year, not every 5 or ten years, until we are sure that global emissions are cut by 45 per cent by 2030 compared to 2010 levels.
The Secretary-General also welcomed the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use as an important step to halt deforestation. Implementation is the critical part, he added.
This morning, the Secretary-General also met with HRH Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and the finalists for the Earth Shot Prize. He congratulated the Prince and the winners on the projects, stressing the importance of young global citizens keeping the pressure on governments to act in the face of climate change.
He also had a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. They agreed to work together to tackle issues such as climate change, launching the Common Agenda, and global challenges. The Secretary-General thanked the Prime Minister for [Japan’s] recent contributions on climate change, and for their strong support of and contributions to the United Nations and the multilateral system.
During the day, the Secretary-General also met with his Youth Advisory Group to hear from them on how he can best support their efforts.
He is expected to have more bilateral meetings today before travelling to Cambridge University tomorrow, where he will receive an honorary doctorate. The Secretary-General will be back in the office on Friday.
U.N.I.C.E.F./CLIMATE CHANGE
Staying on climate, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today released a new analysis that found that just 34 per cent of national climate policies address the needs and priorities of children.
UNICEF examined the Nationally Determined Contributions that were updated ahead of COP26, and found that of the 103 country plans, just 35 of them – or about one-third – are child sensitive. Only 1 in 5 reference child rights or intergenerational justice and equity in a meaningful way and only 12 per cent report that children participated in the development of the plan.
UNICEF called on countries to include young people in all climate negotiations and decisions and to create safer communities for the children affected now and agree on a path forward to prevent the worst impacts of climate change for people everywhere.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
The UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, MINUSCA, strongly condemns what appears to be a deliberate and unjustifiable attack on its blue helmets.
Yesterday afternoon, in the capital, Bangui, ten peacekeepers from the Mission’s Egyptian Police Unit were shot and wounded, including two seriously, by members of the Presidential guard.
The Egyptian police officers had landed at Bangui’s airport earlier in the day, as part of the periodic rotation and deployment of troops in the country. They were on their way to their base when they suffered heavy fire from members of the Presidential guard. The Mission said in a statement that the police officers were fired at without any warning or response. They were unarmed.
In its attempt to leave the site of the attack, located about 120 meters from the Presidential residence, the bus transporting the Egyptian Police Unit hit a woman, who died. A MINUSCA delegation later met the victim’s family to offer condolences. They also deplored this tragic accident.
The leadership of our UN peacekeeping mission and members of the Central African Government immediately initiated a dialogue for the opening of the necessary investigations into this incident, and to ensure accountability, in accordance with the obligations under the Agreement between the United Nations and the Government of the Central African Republic.
AFGHANISTAN
Moving to Afghanistan, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that earlier today, a hospital in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul City came under attack. The number of civilian casualties has not yet been confirmed.
We express condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and a swift recovery to the many people who were injured. This is a reminder that health facilities and infrastructure are not a target, and that all civilians must be protected.
Our colleagues also tell us that humanitarian aid delivery and needs assessments continue countrywide. The World Food Programme said that 170 trucks are delivering assistance across Afghanistan daily. This year, WFP has reached 11.5 million people with food assistance, including 4.7 million people in October alone.
In the last week of October, the International Organization for Migration reached 8,400 vulnerable Afghans across the country with humanitarian assistance, and 2,330 undocumented Afghans who returned to Afghanistan received emergency shelter. IOM also screened nearly 14,000 people for COVID-19 last week.
For its part, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that a plane carrying winter relief from the Agency’s global stockpiles in Dubai landed today in Kabul. The UNHCR-chartered plane took off from Sharjah carrying 33 tons of winterization kits for displaced Afghans.
This was the first of three UNHCR flights, with the next two scheduled to land in the Afghan capital on 4 and 7 November. UNHCR warns that humanitarian needs are rising rapidly in Afghanistan ahead of winter, when temperatures can dip to -25⁰C.
Afghanistan’s Flash Appeal, seeking $606 million to help 11 million people through the end of 2021, is currently 50 per cent funded.
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
From Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the UN team there continues to support authorities to recover, six months after the La Soufrière Volcano emergency.
We are helping to clean up ash and also provide people with emergency cash, water and sanitation, food assistance, temporary housing and healthcare.
The Resident Coordinator, Didier Trebucq, just visited the country and met with people and Government partners.
Nine shelters hosting nearly 130 evacuees remain active and most healthcare facilities have re-opened.
The World Food Programme has helped more than 3,500 families with emergency cash transfers while UNICEF provided psychosocial support to people affected by the volcanic eruption, hygiene kits and support for remote learning in dozens of schools. The Pan-American Health Organization is also helping to improve 20 healthcare facilities.
More than 1,200 metric tonnes of humanitarian relief cargo have arrived in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
MYANMAR
On journalists, from Myanmar, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization again voiced its concern over the plight of dozens of journalists detained in the country, nine months after the military seized control over the democratically-elected Government.
At least 126 journalists have been arrested in Myanmar since 1 February, while at least 47 journalists, including seven women, remain under detention, according to UNESCO.
Nine media outlets have had their licenses revoked. Since 1 February, 20 independent media outlets have suspended operations, while four media outlets have been charged and nine newsrooms have been raided. Dozens of journalists remain in hiding due to outstanding arrest warrants.
UNESCO says that threats of violence and attacks against journalists in Myanmar have created a climate of fear for media professionals, impeding the free circulation of information, opinions and ideas for all.
Our colleagues in Myanmar continue to be concerned over the systematic imposition of restrictive policies and practices by the military authorities on media outlets in Myanmar, and continue to urge the military to release all persons detained arbitrarily, including journalists.
INTERNATIONAL DAY TO END IMPUNITY FOR CRIMES AGAINST JOURNALISTS
Today is the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
In a message for the Day, the Secretary-General points out that, last year, according to UNESCO, 62 journalists around the world were killed just for doing their jobs.
The Secretary-General notes that many lost their lives while covering conflict, but in recent years, the number of media workers killed outside conflict zones has risen.
The Secretary-General says that crimes against journalists have an enormous impact on society as a whole because they prevent people from making informed decisions. He urges Member States and the international community to stand in solidarity with journalists around the world today and every day, and to demonstrate the political will needed to investigate and prosecute crimes against journalists and media workers with the full force of the law.
