SECURITY COUNCIL
The Security Council held an open meeting this morning on Iraq. In her first briefing as the Secretary-General’s new Special Representative, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert told the Council that, although there had been a smooth transition of power to Adel Abdul-Mahdi as Prime Minister, the Government remains incomplete with four ministerial positions still vacant.
She noted that long government formation processes are not new, nor are they unique to Iraq, but stressed that in the context of Iraq, there is real urgency to complete the process to consolidate the security gains achieved, to focus on rebuilding the country, and to ensure a high- quality provision of services for their citizens.
Ultimately, the Special Representative said, the people of Iraq are bearing the burden of the political stalemate.
Yesterday the Security Council held an open meeting on Ukraine with Miroslav Jenca, the Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that the Minsk Agreements remain the only agreed framework for a negotiated settlement in eastern Ukraine.
Also briefing the Council was Ursula Mueller, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, who said that civilians continue to pay a high price, with more than 3,300 civilians killed and up to 9,000 injured since the start of the conflict in 2014.
 
APPOINTMENT
Yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General appointed Dr. Shannon Hader of the United States as the Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of Programme for UNAIDS.
She brings to the position more than 20 years of international experience in global health - from responding to HIV and infectious diseases to strengthening health systems. She has served in key health leadership roles emphasizing accountability, scale and impact for sustainable responses. Her full biography is online and the Secretary-General extends his appreciation to Tim Martineau, who had served as Acting Deputy Executive Director.
 
SENEGAL
The head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, has condemned the recent violence in the eastern part of the country -- which, according to local authorities, has caused the death of two people, injuring several others.
Mr. Chambas also called on presidential candidates and their supporters to reject violence and to respect their commitments to ensure a participatory and peaceful vote on February 24.
 
ILO
The International Labour Organization today (ILO) released its World Employment and Social Outlook which says that 3.3 billion people employed globally last year had inadequate working conditions. The report also found that while there’s been progress in reducing unemployment, the quality of work is not improving in many parts of the world.
The ILO said that millions of people are forced to accept inadequate working conditions without social protection or labour standards, and some 700 million people cannot make a decent living despite being employed.
The report also notes that the gender gap in the workforce remains with only 48 per cent of women working compared to 75 per cent of men.
 
WORLD RADIO DAY
Today World Radio Day. This year’s theme is “Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace.” In his message, the Secretary-General said that even in today’s world of digital communications, radio reaches more people than any other media platform, and added that for the UN, especially for UN peacekeeping operations, radio is a vital way of informing, reuniting and empowering people impacted by war.
 
HONOUR ROLL
The Russian Federation has paid its dues in full. The total is now 44.