HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2018
 
TWO-STATE SOLUTION ONLY WAY TO ACHIEVE RIGHTS OF PALESTINIAN PEOPLE – U.N. CHIEF

  • The Secretary-General spoke today at the meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, telling them that, although he would like to see a Palestinian state and an Israeli state, both with capital in Jerusalem, we must face today’s difficult reality. He said that decades of convergence and global consensus could be eroding, making effective concerted action more difficult to achieve, at a time when it is more important than ever.
  • The Secretary-General warned that ongoing settlement construction and expansion is a major obstacle to peace and it must be halted and reversed. And he added that violence and incitement continue to fuel a climate of fear and mistrust. 
  • He said he was extremely concerned that the latest shortfall in UNRWA funding will gravely impair the agency’s ability to deliver on its mandate and preserve critical services such as education and health care for Palestine Refugees.
  • The Secretary-General reiterated that there is no Plan B. A two-State solution is the only way to achieve the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and secure a sustainable solution to the conflict.

 

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO LEAVE FOR REPUBLIC OF KOREA ON TUESDAY
  • The Secretary-General will leave tomorrow for the Republic of Korea where he will meet with President Moon Jae-in as well as Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha. He will also attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. He will be back in New York on Saturday.

 

FACT-FINDING MISSION CONTINUES TO INVESITAGE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN SYRIA – U.N. OFFICIAL
  • Izumi Nakamitsu, the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, told the Security Council in a briefing this morning that the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) continues to look into all allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the majority of which involve the use of toxic chemicals such a chlorine, in areas not under the control of the Government. The Fact-Finding Mission expects to submit a report on these allegations very soon.
  • In addition, she said, another Fact-Finding Mission team has been looking into allegations of the use of chemical weapons brought to the attention of the OPCW by the Government of Syria. At the time of our last briefing, an FFM team was in Damascus, at the invitation of the Government, to look into several of these allegations.
  • She said that, should the teams conclude that there has been the use, or likely use, of chemical weapons in any of these alleged incidents, our obligation to enact a meaningful response will be further intensified. Ms. Nakamitsu expressed the hope that such a response will favour unity and not impunity.
  • Regarding questions about a gift that the Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, received in Vienna from Ambassador Bashar al-Jaafari, the spokesman confirmed that, as per applicable UN rules and regulation, the replica of the old peace treaty offered by Ambassador Jaafari to Mr. de Mistura on 25 January in Vienna was registered as soon as the team came back from Vienna - in the UN Office in Geneva gift registry of UNOG (under number 442).  It was handed over to relevant colleagues in the Property Management office of the UN Office in Geneva. The Ethics Office was also informed accordingly.

 

YEMEN: CONFLICT IN TAIZZ AND HUDAYDAH HAS DISPLACED SOME 47,000 PEOPLE OVER PAST TWO MONTHS – U.N.
  • The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that escalating conflict in Taizz and Hudaydah since December 2017 has displaced nearly 47,000 people to Aden and other governorates in the south.
  • The situation in Aden is reported as calm, with schools, ports and airports operating as normal. Humanitarian activities are also resuming.
  • Although food, fuel and medical imports are flowing again through all ports, the blockade in the weeks leading up to 20 December 2017 had a severe impact on Yemeni families and businesses. Food prices during the blockade rose 47 per cent above average, compared to before the conflict escalated in March 2015.

 

3.2 MILLION DISPLACED IRAQIS HAVE RETURNED HOME – U.N.
  • The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that civilian returns to Iraq’s newly-accessible areas continue to increase since the conclusion of major counter-Da’esh military operations late last year.
  • Across the country, 3.2 million previously displaced people have returned to their home areas. In January, this number surpassed the number of people displaced in Iraq - currently 2.6 million people - for the first time since the start of the crisis in December 2013.
  • Returns have primarily been to Anbar, Ninewa and Salah al-Din governorates, which account for 82 per cent of the total returns, and 86 per cent of the remaining internally displaced people.

 

DR CONGO: U.N. OFFICIAL CALLS FOR MORE COLLABORATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES AND HUMANITARIAN ACTORS
  • The Humanitarian Coordinator for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kim Bolduc, concluded her first mission to the Kasai region and Tanganyika Province, where she witnessed firsthand the humanitarian needs in these two areas that are among the most affected by internal displacement in the country.  
  • She stressed the need for authorities to ensure that organizations are able work in accordance with humanitarian principles. She also called for greater collaboration between Congolese authorities and humanitarian actors.
  • The 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan for the DRC, which was launched in January, is seeking US$ 1.68 billion to help 10.5 million people. This is double the amount requested in 2017. 

 

IN THE GAMBIA, U.N. YOUTH ENVOY SPEAKS UP AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL MUTILIATION
  • In The Gambia, the Secretary General’s Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake spoke at the International Forum on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). She said this harmful practice deprives women of their human rights and derails millions of girls from achieving their full potential. She also called on all parties for the effective implementation of the end OF FGM Laws and praised the youth-led movement in The Gambia to end this practice.
  • “Wherever I go, I have learned, one can always count on young people to stand up for what is right, to fight against injustice and to push us all to create a world that is better and more equal for all,” she said.

 

  UN WOMEN NAMES ACTIVIST JAHA DUKUREH OF THE GAMBIA AS REGIONAL GOODWILL AMBASSADOR
  • The UN will mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) tomorrow – 6th February. Coinciding with the Day, UN Women will appoint renowned activist Jaha Dukureh of The Gambia as Regional Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women.
  • Ms. Dukureh will dedicate her efforts to support UN Women’s advocacy to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage in Africa, with focus on mobilizing youth. 

 

U.N. ENVIRONMENT MOURNS DEATH OF RENOWNED IVORY RESEARCHER ESMOND BRADLEY-MARTIN
  • A sad note from our colleagues at the UN Environment, who are mourning the death of Esmond Bradley-Martin, a renowned ivory trade researcher, who was killed in Kenya on Sunday according to multiple media reports.
  • Mr. Bradley-Martin was once a former UN Special Envoy on rhino conservation, and he worked for decades researching the markets for wildlife products across Africa and Asia. His research informed many of the decisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, a global agreement that regulates trade in wildlife products.
  • Our colleague Lisa Rolls, who leads the Wild for Life campaign, said "Esmond was always willing to lend his decades of expertise to explore approaches to tackling the illegal wildlife trade with complete objectivity. His commitment to securing a future for wild rhinos and elephants was steadfast. To lose such a gentle and wise conservationist in this way is a shocking tragedy."
  • Mr. Bradley-Martin was 75.

 

AFRICAN UNION AND U.N. VOICE CONCERN OVER POLITICAL CRISIS IN GUINEA-BISSAU
  • Over the weekend, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the Secretary-General issued a joint statement on Guinea Bissau.
  • They expressed concern over the protracted political crisis in Guinea-Bissau despite the multiple opportunities to arrive at a consensual arrangement, and denounced the actions being taken by those who seek to obstruct and prevent a resolution of the crisis.
  • The Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Secretary-General reaffirm their commitment to continue to closely follow all political developments and to support ECOWAS in its efforts, and said they stood ready to employ additional measures, should the situation warrant it.

 

U.N. STUDY REVEALS DIFFERENCES IN OPINIONS BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE ECONOMISTS IN EUROPE
  • A survey released today by the International Labour Organization and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln reveals marked differences in the opinions of European male and female economists when it comes to policy.
  • The survey, which was administered in 18 European countries, showed that female economists are less likely than their male counterparts to favor market solutions over government interventions and more likely to favor environmental protection policies.
  • For example, women economists are more likely than men to disagree with the notion that stronger employment protection results in weaker economic growth, and more likely to agree that the European Union should continue its ban on the planting of genetically modified crops.
  • The ILO said the results demonstrate the need to include both women and men in economic policy debates and development.

 

U.N. STUDY SHOWS GAPS IN INVESTMENT BETWEEN HEALTH ISSUES
  • The World Health Organization shared today the first conclusions of its Global Observatory on Health Research & Development, created one year ago.
  • The 2014 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa dramatically exposed the lack of investments in products and approaches to prevent and minimize the impact of pathogens with epidemic potential.
  • The Global Observatory is a new initiative to gather information and provide an accurate picture of where and how R&D monies are being spent, helping governments, funders and researchers to make better decisions on investment and policy making priorities.
  • One year on, it has identified striking gaps and inequalities in investment both between countries and between health issues, with frequent disconnects between burden of disease and level of research activity.
  • Serious imbalances in funding flows mean countries with comparable levels of poverty and health needs receive strikingly different levels of Official development assistance (ODA) for medical research and basic health sectors.
  • Among other findings: The United States continues to be the lead country in investments on neglected diseases from public and philanthropic sources, and as little as 1% of all funding for health R&D is allocated to diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis, despite these diseases accounting for more than 12.5% of the global burden of disease.

 

LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES RISK FALLING BEHIND ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS – U.N. AGENCY
  • In Switzerland, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) today warned that economic development in the world’s most-disadvantaged countries is stalling, risking widening inequality.
  • In its latest study, the agency found that the 47 least developed countries will fall short of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals unless urgent action is taken. The growth of these countries averaged just 5 per cent in 2017 and will reach 5.4 per cent in 2018 – way below the target of 7 per cent growth envisaged by SDG 8 on promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
  • UNCTAD said the results of the study are a clear call for action, and stressed the international community needs to pay increased attention to their commitments toward least developed countries.

 

IRELAND PAYS ITS REGULAR BUDGET DUES
  • Today, Ireland paid its regular budget dues in full for 2018.  The Honour Roll now totals 38.