HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 12 MAY 2023
 

SECRETARY-GENERAL TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT   
On Sunday, [14 May] the Secretary-General will travel to Jamaica.    
On Monday, he will meet Prime Minister Andrew Holness. They will discuss a wide range of issues, including the impact of the climate crisis in the Caribbean region and the upcoming mid-term review of the global framework for disaster risk reduction. They will also discuss the situation in Haiti and how to involve the international community more strongly, as well as Jamaica’s leadership in efforts to reform the global financial architecture so that developing countries, including middle-income countries, can restructure and sustainably manage debt and access technology and finance at affordable rates to invest for growth and inclusive, sustainable development. Jamaica is the co-chair of the Group of Friends on Financing for Development, alongside Canada. The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister are scheduled to hold a joint press encounter following their meeting.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL 
Tonight, the Deputy Secretary-General will travel to Abuja, Nigeria, as she has been invited to attend the 2023 Nigeria Governors’ Induction Forum for new and returning Governors, which will begin on 14 May.  
During the Opening Ceremony, the Deputy Secretary-General will give a keynote address on the topic of "The Task of Nation Building". She will also meet with senior government officials, the Diplomatic community and the UN country team in Nigeria. 
The Deputy Secretary-General will be back in New York on Tuesday, 16th of May. 

SUDAN
The Secretary-General welcomes the signing by the parties to the conflict in Sudan of the Declaration of Commitment to protect civilians and guarantee the safe passage of humanitarian aid in the country.  
While humanitarian workers, most notably local partners, have continued to deliver in very difficult circumstances, the Secretary-General hopes this Declaration will ensure that the relief operation can scale up swiftly and safely to meet the needs of millions of people in Sudan. He reiterates his call for an immediate ceasefire and expanded discussions to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities.
The United Nations will spare no effort to assist in the Declaration’s implementation and will continue to deliver humanitarian aid, ceasefire or not.
 
SUDAN HUMANITARAIAN 
In Sudan, the United Nations and partners continue to scale up the response, despite the violence. The World Food Programme (WFP) has reached some 50,000 people in the states of Kassala, Gedaref and White Nile with food assistance, since the agency resumed its operations in late April.
For its part, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is bringing in therapeutic food in response to the malnutrition crisis in Sudan. This includes 34,000 cartons of aid which is being shipped from France.  
These supplies are especially urgent following a fire which destroyed a factory in Khartoum. This facility produced therapeutic food for children suffering from the most dangerous form of malnutrition.  
UNICEF says the fire completely destroyed the factory’s machinery, as well as supplies to treat some 14,500 malnourished children.
As the violence continues in Sudan, UNICEF estimates that at least 450,000 children have been forced to flee their homes – this includes some 368,000 who are internally displaced and 82,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries.  
For its part, the UN Refugee Agency warns that the situation is critical, with the humanitarian response significantly underfunded in Sudan and some of its neighbors: Chad, South Sudan and Ethiopia. 
UNHCR has deployed teams and is rushing to deliver aid with its partners, but ramping up its operations will urgently require more funding.  
UNHCR says some 200,000 people have fled the conflict in Sudan so far.  
 
MYANMAR 
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, paid her first visit in that capacity to New Delhi on 9 to 10 May. During that visit, the Special Envoy held discussions with Minister of External Affairs of India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Joint Secretary (Bangladesh-Myanmar) Smita Pant.   
Special Envoy Heyzer highlighted India’s key role in the United Nations and as a leader of the Global South holding the current presidency of the G20. She appreciated India’s constructive efforts towards peaceful resolution of the situation in Myanmar and also expressed the United Nations’ gratitude to the Government and people of India for generously hosting over 53,000 people from Myanmar.   

MYANMAR HUMANITARIAN 
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says preparations for the arrival of Cyclone Mocha are underway, which is expected to make landfall this weekend in the area between Kyaukphyu in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. We and our partners have pre-positioned staff and supplies wherever possible. 
The UN Refugee Agency said it fears the cyclone will result in landslides and flooding of camps near the sea. UNHCR is carrying out emergency preparedness in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char working with authorities and partners. A call centre has also been established, and emergency communication systems have been reinforced.   
 
MALI  
In Mali, a fact-finding report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has concluded that there are strong indications that more than 500 people were killed – the vast majority summarily executed – by Malian troops and foreign military personnel during a five-day military operation in the village of Moura in the Mopti region of central Mali in March of last year. 
The report is the result of an extensive human rights fact-finding mission conducted over several months by UN staff in Mali. Malian authorities have denied requests by the team to access the village of Moura itself. The report is based on interviews with victims and witnesses, as well as forensic and other information sources, such as satellite imagery.  

FORESTS 
The UN Forum on Forests just concluded its eighteenth session today. Delegates took stock of progress towards the Global Forest Goals of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 and identified key opportunities and challenges in this regard. This included emerging issues related to forests, energy and livelihoods, challenges related to mobilizing increased financing for forests and the need to strengthen cooperation and collaboration. 
 
PLANT HEALTH 
Today is the International Day of Plant Health. The day raises global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development. 
 
HYBRID BRIEFING TODAY 
This afternoon, at 2:30 p.m., there will be a briefing here by Ambassador Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Sudan.
 
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS 
Moldova made payments to the regular budget, this brings us to 105 fully paid-up nations.