LIBYA
The Secretary-General briefed the Security Council on Libya this morning and told Council members that time is not on our side in the country. He said that the conflict has entered a new phase, with foreign interference reaching unprecedented levels, including in the delivery of sophisticated equipment and the number of mercenaries involved in the fighting. The Secretary-General added that all opportunities to unblock the political stalemate must be seized. 
The Secretary-General said that de-escalation efforts, including the creation of a possible demilitarized zone, are being undertaken by the UN Mission to reach a negotiated solution and spare lives. He noted that UNSMIL remains on the ground in Libya despite the difficult circumstances. 
The Secretary-General added that the designation of a new Special Representative will greatly facilitate the Mission’s efforts and he counts on the Security Council to expedite the process. 
 
SYRIA
Yesterday afternoon, a draft resolution in the Security Council concerning border crossings in Syria failed to pass due to the vetoes by two permanent members.
 
WORK  
Today, via recorded video messages, more than 50 heads of States and Governments are addressing the International Labour Organization’s virtual Global Summit on COVID-19 and the World of Work. Prominent employers and trade union leaders are also delivering messages during the summit’s Global Leaders Days. In a video message for the Summit, the Secretary-General said that the world of work is the world of people, of dignity, of opportunity, of hope, and that the COVID-19 pandemic has shattered that world. The Secretary-General noted that the Global Summit is an opportunity for governments, workers and employers’ representatives to shape winning responses and, above all, initiatives that are grounded in unity and solidarity. He stressed that no country can solve this crisis alone and that we are in this together. For the Secretary-General, strong, effective multilateral solutions matter now more than ever. 
 
UNODC
Research released today by our friends at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime shows that the sudden increase in demand for medical products to address the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an expansion in the trafficking of substandard and falsified products. According to this research, the virus has further highlighted the shortcomings in regulatory and legal frameworks aimed at preventing the manufacture and trafficking of such products. The UN Office warned that the falsification of medical products bears significant risks for the public health as products may not properly treat the disease and may facilitate the development of drug resistance. The emergence of the pandemic has also seen data-compromise frauds, including phishing, scamming and business email compromise, or the manipulation of corporate websites, convincing purchasers that the source is genuine. 
 
HAITI
There are more than 6,300 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 100 deaths in Haiti. The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Bruno Lemarquis, and the UN country team are working with authorities to address the many challenges brought about by the virus in Haiti. The UN Haiti team has helped to set up advanced triage stations and isolation rooms in six departments and to renovate quarantine zones at three border areas. The UN has also strengthened local testing and tracing capacity. The UN has also helped to procure and distribute more than 42,000 items of personal protective equipment, as well as providing water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to 21 correctional facilities in order to reduce the spread of infection in prisons. To help the most vulnerable people, we have coordinated communication campaigns on gender-based violence and the rights of older people, people living with HIV and migrants – especially those on the border with the Dominican Republic. 
 
BURKINA FASO
In June, the number of people forced to leave everything behind had reached 921,000. The country is now the site of one of the fastest growing displacement crises in the world. Increasing insecurity has also made humanitarian access more difficult. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the country’s 13 regions are now impacted, with 90 per cent of the displaced people living in host communities. Food insecurity has also increased, and market disruptions will further affect areas hard hit by insecurity and displacement. The temporary suspension of schools has impacted 5.1 million children, in a context where more than half of primary and lower secondary school age children were already out of school. Right now, 2.9 million people impacted need humanitarian assistance in the country, that’s compared to 2.2 million in January. The revised Humanitarian Response Plan seeks US$ 424 million – about a third more than originally planned. It is sadly only 22.8 per cent funded. 
 
SOUTH SUDAN
In South Sudan, nine years since it gained independence, the UN Refugee Agency is calling on South Sudanese leaders to reinvigorate efforts to establish a lasting peace and end Africa’s largest displacement crisis. The High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said that, after years of conflict, the South Sudanese people deserve the chance to return to their homes, to live in safety in their communities and to focus on building a bright and prosperous future. UNHCR also calls on all parties to the violence to urgently implement a ceasefire, particularly as the pandemic is expected to reach its peak in the coming months. 
 
 
HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM
On its second day, the High-Level Political Forum, addressed the key issues of “building back better” after the pandemic, including how to respond to the economic shock, re-launching growth, sharing economic benefits and addressing developing countries’ financing challenges. The dialogue stressed that a fundamental reconfiguration is needed in economic policymaking and the production and consumption of goods and services, in tandem with a diminished environmental footprint and greater distributional justice that prioritizes gender equality, access to decent jobs, and social protection for all. Another session, dedicated to the Small Island Developing States, focused on mobilizing international solidarity and accelerating action to realize the 2030 Agenda and the Samoa Pathway. 
In the afternoon, the Forum will feature thematic review sessions on protecting the planet and building resilience and sustaining efforts to ensure access to sustainable energy. 
 
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Yesterday, note to correspondents was issued in which the Spokesman confirmed that on 6 July the United States of America notified the Secretary-General, in his capacity as depositary of the 1946 Constitution of the World Health Organization, of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, effective 6 July 2021. The United States is a party to the World Health Organization’s Constitution since 21 June 1948. The US’ participation in the World Health Organization was accepted by the World Health Assembly with certain conditions set out by the United States for its eventual withdrawal from WHO. Those conditions include giving a one-year notice and fully meeting the payment of assessed financial obligations.   
The Secretary-General, in his capacity as the depository, is in the process of verifying with the World Health Organization whether all the conditions for such withdrawal are met. 
 
BRIEFING GUEST TOMORROW
Tomorrow the noon briefing guest will be the Head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov. He will brief on the outcome of this week’s Virtual Counter-Terrorism Week under the theme “Strategic and Practical Challenges of Countering Terrorism in a Global Pandemic Environment.”