CHIEF EXECUTIVES BOARD
This morning the Secretary-General opened a virtual meeting of the Chief Executives Board to allow the heads of the UN system to reflect on current world affairs as they impact and relate to the United Nations system’s work.
The Board will discuss salient emerging trends, opportunities and challenges facing the system, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic response, as well as risks for human rights, biodiversity, climate action, global economic prospects and deepening inequalities.
The CEB members will also engage in a dedicated discussion on current and emerging root causes of conflict, within the context of a comprehensive prevention agenda.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
This morning, the Security Council held a debate by video conference on Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the meeting, Council members were briefed by the EU High Representative, Valentin Inzko, on the latest report from his Office.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FORUM
This morning, the Secretary-General sent a message to the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals.
In his message, delivered on his behalf by Maria Francesca Spatolisano, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The Secretary-General said that the pandemic has revealed as never before the importance of science, technology and innovation for our well-being and survival. Not only have we seen a vaccine delivered in record time, but the crisis has also increased innovation in medicines and digital communications technologies, he said in the message. However, he warned that billions of people remain almost entirely excluded from the benefits of the information and technology revolution and the pandemic has worsened existing digital and technological divides.
It is essential that we work together -- across borders, sectors and disciplines -- to make science and technology work for everyone, he added.
MYANMAR
Our team on the ground says they’re increasingly concerned over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Myanmar more than three months after the military seized control.
According to our humanitarian colleagues, the impact of ongoing and intensified armed clashes continues to be felt in Myanmar’s south-east, where an estimated 40,000 people have been displaced since December 2020. More people have been forced from their homes since late March due to attacks, including airstrikes, by Myanmar’s military, and other groups.
The continued fighting in Kachin and northern Shan states has caused thousands of people to flee their homes in recent weeks as a result of armed clashes.
SYRIA
I wanted to give you an update on Al Hol camp and tell you that we are concerned about the situation of the estimated 60,000 people who remain living in Al Hol camp in the northeast. We are particularly concerned about the rising cases of the COVID-19 virus across Syria, including in the camp.
To date, 39 cases have been discovered and six deaths have been reported at Al Hol. Humanitarian organizations are supporting contact tracing, recognizing that a wider outbreak could be devastating to the already vulnerable state of the families in the camp.
The UN and our humanitarian partners are supporting the COVID-19 Treatment Facility at Al Hol and providing health, water, and sanitation assistance to mitigate the transmission of the virus.
More than 31,000 children live in Al Hol camp - that’s over half the camp population - and are under the age of 12. No child should grow up in a place like Al Hol.
We continue to stress that long term, durable solutions are needed for all the residents of the camp – whether they be Syrian, Iraqi, or from another country. Any return to a third country must also be voluntary, safe, fully informed, and dignified.
We further emphasize the need for full and regular humanitarian access to the camp so that all 60,000 plus residents continue to receive essential services.
YEMEN
In Yemen, torrential rains and flooding have continued across many parts of the country since mid-April. Needs assessments are ongoing, with initial reports indicating that more than 22,000 people have been impacted so far, most of whom are internally displaced. Intensified rain over recent days has caused multiple deaths and injuries, as well as large-scale damage to infrastructure, homes and shelters.
Humanitarian partners are mobilizing to scale up the response. Work is underway to distribute food baskets, non-food items and cash assistance, as well as to relocate displaced people to higher ground.
Last year, once-in-a-generation flooding in Yemen killed scores of people and caused hundreds of thousands to lose their homes, incomes and livelihoods.
LIBYA
The Special Envoy for Libya, Ján Kubiš, today transmitted the draft proposal for the constitutional basis for the elections to the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum.
The Special Envoy thanks the members of the Legal Committee, in particular the Drafting Team and the Rapporteurs, for their excellent work and accomplishment.
He will convene a virtual plenary session of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum soon after the Eid holiday, so that they can discuss and debate the proposal.
MADAGASCAR
An update from Madagascar, where we’ve been telling you of the dire conditions. The UN team is working there with authorities to address record-high food insecurity and an upsurge of severe acute malnutrition caused by droughts, sandstorms and caterpillar plagues in the southern part of the island.
Joint efforts have so far supported 1.3 million people in the 10 most impacted districts. The World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization have provided over 820,000 people with food and livelihood assistance, while UNICEF provided nutritional support to more than 93,000 children under age five as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women.
UNFPA and UNICEF have supported nearly 170,000 people with access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as prenatal services to nearly 110,000 children and women.
Authorities and the UN jointly launched a flash appeal in January, calling for nearly $76 million dollars. The appeal is 67 per cent funded as of April, but additional resources are needed for large-scale food and nutrition assistance.
SOUTH SUDAN
Our colleagues at the International Organization for Migration warned that, due to funding shortages, more than 800,000 people in the country could see their access to health care cut.
Prior to the pandemic, South Sudan’s health system was already overwhelmed and heavily dependent on aid organizations who now face troubling funding shortfalls.
IOM just needs under $750,000 a month to continue providing life-saving care to 800,000 people.
BRAZIL
The Development Coordination Office says that Silvia Rucks of Uruguay has been appointed as the new Resident Coordinator in Brazil. Her appointment follows confirmation from the host Government, and she took up her post just two days ago.
Resident Coordinators are the designated representatives of the Secretary-General for development at the country level. They lead the work of the team on the ground, including to support the authorities' response to the on-going pandemic and its multiple impacts. Ms. Ruck’s full biography is available on the UN Sustainable Development Group website.
BRAZIL/COVAX
Brazil has now received more than 3.9 million doses of the COVAX-backed vaccine over the weekend to support the national vaccination efforts. This has been facilitated by our continuous support to national and local authorities, complementing bilateral agreements made by the country and its national vaccination rollout, prioritizing older adults and at-risk people.
This second batch complements the arrival of another 1 million vaccines received in March, also via COVAX, with the World Health Organization's global headquarters and UNICEF and partners playing a key role.
MIGRANTS/CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN
Today, the UN Refugee Agency warned that the mounting number of refugee and migrant deaths in the Central Mediterranean. So far in 2021 at least 500 persons are known to have lost their lives trying to make the dangerous sea crossing in the Central Mediterranean. That’s compared to 150 in the same period in 2020.
UNHCR notes that while total arrivals to Europe have been decreasing since 2015, the latest disembarkations bring the number of sea arrivals in Italy in 2021 to over 10,400. This is more than a 170 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2020.
UNHCR commends Italy for keeping its ports open during the pandemic. Solidarity from other EU member states however is urgently needed, as the deteriorating situation in Libya will continue to force people to resort to desperate measures to seek safety.
GLOBAL YOUTH SUMMIT DIALOGUE
This morning, the UN Food Systems Summit hosted a Global Youth Summit Dialogue, which brought together 100 youth advocates from across the globe who champion a range of issues in their local contexts – from agriculture to education to climate.
The event also marked the launch of the Good Food for All campaign, to galvanize ideas towards better food systems. The Youth Dialogue is part of the forthcoming UN Food Systems Summit which will take place in September.
PRESS BRIEFINGS TOMORROW
The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme will launch of the 2021 Global Report on Food Crises and that will be at 11:00 a.m. The speakers will be Dominique Burgeon, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva and Arif Husain, WFP’s Chief Economist.
Then at noon, after our briefing I will be joined by the WHO’s Chief Nursing Officer, Elizabeth Iro and the Chief Executive of the International Confederation of Midwives, Dr. Sally Pairman. They will brief on the State of the World’s Midwifery 2021, jointly released by WHO, the UN Population Fund and International Confederation of Midwives.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Chile has paid its dues in full, taking us up to 99 fully paid Member States.
