KYRGYZSTAN/TAJIKISTAN
The Secretary-General has been following developments along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border with concern. He extends his condolences for the lives lost in the clashes last week and wishes a speedy recovery for those involved.
The Secretary-General also welcomes the ceasefire that was agreed on on 1 May. He also welcomes the contacts that have taken place between the Presidents, Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of the two countries and urges both sides to take all measures necessary to ensure that the ceasefire holds.
The Secretary-General also notes that his Special Representative for Central Asia Natalia Gherman remains in direct contact with the authorities on both sides and reiterates the UN readiness remains ready to provide support, as necessary.    

EL SALVADOR
On El Salvador, we are also following that situation very closely.
The Secretary-General takes note of the concerns expressed regarding the procedures used in the dismissal of the members of the constitutional chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice and its impact on the system of checks and balances in El Salvador.
The Secretary-General calls for respect of constitutional provisions, the rule of law and the division of powers, with a view to preserving the democratic progress achieved by the Salvadoran people since the signing of the peace agreement.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The Secretary-General will deliver remarks today to a special session of the General Assembly in memory of late President Idriss Déby of Chad.

WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
Today is World Press Freedom Day, and this year’s theme is “Information as a Public Good”.
In his message for the Day, the Secretary-General said that the global challenges we have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic underline the critical role of reliable, verified and universally accessible information in saving lives and building strong, resilient societies. He noted that, in too many countries, journalists and media workers run great personal risks, including new restrictions, censorship, abuse, harassment, detention and even death, simply for doing their jobs.
The Secretary-General also pointed out that the economic impact of the pandemic has hit many media outlets hard, threatening their very survival. He urges all governments to do everything in their power to support a free, independent and diverse media.
 
MYANMAR
In relation to press freedom, the UN country team in Myanmar calls for the immediate release of dozens of journalists who are still detained more than three months after the military seized control of the Government. 
To date, military authorities have revoked the operating licenses of six major Myanmar media outlets. Some 82 journalists have been arrested and more than half of them are still detained.

COVID-19/INDIA
In India, the UN team is supporting authorities to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including by addressing misinformation. Our team is working to promote the Secretary-General’s Verified campaign, which was launched last year to deliver trusted information and life-saving advice.
UNICEF in India continues to help with the national vaccination strategy. The agency is translating messages in many languages and stepping up its work with communities across 16 states. Myth-busting campaigns and others have reached more than 21 million people in both rural and urban areas. Nearly 650,000 frontline workers have been trained on promoting key messages on vaccines.
The UN team is also working with community radio stations across the country to reach more than 17 million people in rural areas on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and also on the importance of vaccines.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Turning to the Central African Republic, over the weekend, the UN Mission in that country has deployed engineering materials and equipment in the capital, Bangui, to repair electrical towers and cables damaged during a rainstorm on 23 April, which caused a power outage. The water supply was also impacted by the power outage and our colleagues at the peacekeeping mission provided a generator to help ensure access to water.
Power is now partially restored in Bangui and the Mission’s ongoing work, in support of the Government, continues to bring the normalization of electricity in the capital.
On the electoral front, the Mission is telling us that the Constitutional Court validated the election of 68 Members of Parliament, elected on 14 March. This brings the total number of elected MPs to 90, who will be sworn in on May 3rd. There are 11 women among them.
Fifty seats in the National Assembly are now to be contested in the next round of legislative elections, scheduled for 23 May.

EBOLA
Today marks the end of the 12th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The virus re-emerged in North Kivu, in February, nine months after the previous outbreak in the same province was declared over.
The head of WHO in Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said that we must stay alert for a possible resurgence of the virus, while using the growing expertise on emergency response to address other health threats that the country faces.
WHO continues to work with the Democratic Republic of the Congo to fight other public health problems such as outbreaks of measles and cholera, the COVID-19 pandemic and a weak health system.
 
SOMALIA
In a statement issued over the weekend on Somalia, the Secretary-General welcomed the decision of the Lower House of the Federal Parliament in Somalia to nullify the “Special Law on Federal Elections” and return to the electoral modalities outlined in the 17 September Electoral Agreement.
The Secretary-General reiterates his call for all Somali stakeholders to resume dialogue immediately and to forge a consensual agreement on the holding of inclusive elections without further delay. He further stresses the importance of a broad-based consensus for the country’s stability.

AFGHANISTAN
In another statement issued over the weekend, the Secretary-General condemned the suicide attack in Puli-e-Alam in Afghanistan, that took place on Friday, 30 April.
He hopes that the observation of the holy month of Ramadan, a time for contemplation and compassion, will be an occasion to reflect on those who have been affected by the prolonged conflict in the country and to come together in renewed efforts towards peace.
 
PRESS BRIEFINGS
At 3:30 p.m. this afternoon, the Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China, Ambassador Zhang Jun, will be here to brief you in his capacity as President of the Security Council for the month of May.
Tomorrow, at 11:00 a.m., there will be a press briefing here by the President of the General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir.