HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 2021
CLIMATE CHANGE
The Secretary-General is back in New York after attending the closing of the Climate Change Conference, COP 26, in Glasgow. As he said in his statement following the close of the conference, the approved texts are a compromise. They reflect the interests, the conditions, the contradictions and the state of political will in the world today. They take important steps, he said, but unfortunately the collective political will was not enough to overcome some deep contradictions.
The Secretary-General said we must accelerate action to keep the 1.5 degree goal alive. We are still knocking on the door of climate catastrophe, he warned.
He reaffirmed his conviction that we must end fossil fuels subsidies, phase out coal and put a price on carbon.
At the same time, he said, we have some building blocks for progress. Those include commitments to end deforestation, to drastically reduce methane emissions and to mobilize private finance around net zero.
We are in the fight of our lives, the Secretary-General said, urging everyone to keep pushing forward and adding that COP 27 begins now.
SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, the Security Council discussed Syria in its closed consultations. Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy for Syria, and Martin Griffiths, the head of humanitarian affairs, briefed the Council on the latest developments there.
This afternoon, the Council will meet on Sudan and South Sudan, followed by a meeting on Somalia.
ETHIOPIA
The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, today allocated $25 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support humanitarian assistance and the protection of civilians in Ethiopia.
A $15 million allocation from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund was also announced.
These funds will help scale up emergency operations in Ethiopia’s conflict-affected northern regions and support early response to the drought in southern Ethiopia.
In the regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar, the funds will help aid agencies provide protection and other assistance to people affected by the conflict.
In the drought-affected Somali and Oromia regions, agencies will provide drinking water to prevent waterborne diseases and help pastoral communities to maintain their livestock.
Today’s allocation brings CERF’s support to Ethiopia this year to $65 million, making Ethiopia the second-highest recipient of CERF funds in 2021. Support from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund this year now totals $80 million.
Humanitarian operations throughout Ethiopia face a funding gap of $1.3 billion, including $350 million for the response in Tigray.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
A new report by the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict says that the protection and well-being of children in the Central African Republic has gravely deteriorated since the end of 2020. This, the report says, coincided with renewed hostilities in the country.
The report documents violations affecting close to 1,300 children between July 2019 and June this year, with girls accounting for more than 40% of all victims.
The report also notes progress, including the release of 653 children by armed groups, as well as the promulgation last year of a new Child Protection Code that criminalizes grave violations against children.
The Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, is calling on the Government and parties to the conflict to develop a national strategy to prevent grave violations against children, and reiterated the UN’s support for efforts to better protect Central African children.
DETENTION OF CHILDREN DURING COVID/REPORT
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today released a report showing that governments and detaining authorities in at least 84 countries have released more than 45,000 children since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, UNICEF drew attention to their increased risk of contracting COVID-19 in confined and overcrowded spaces, and called for their immediate release.
According to a second UNICEF analysis also released ahead of the World Congress on Justice with Children, an estimated 261,000 children in conflict with the law – those who have been alleged, accused or recognized as having committed an offence – are held in detention worldwide.
UNICEF notes that COVID-19 has profoundly affected justice for children, shuttering courts and restricting access to essential social and justice services.
AFGHANISTAN
In Afghanistan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the Uruzgan COVID-19 provincial hospital has suspended its medical services since Saturday due to a shortage of funds and the lack of medical supplies and equipment.
Humanitarians also say that yesterday an inter-agency team assessed the needs of families displaced by drought from Badghis and Ghor provinces to Hirat province. About 1,000 people are staying in the open.
Needs assessments are also ongoing across the country to identify people in need of help to cope with the winter. The International Organization for Migration is providing winterization assistance in districts of Badakhshan Province for 1,000 families, including shelter, non-food items and clothing.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stress that while the response in Afghanistan continues, much more must be done by the international community. They warn that one in four pregnant women and one in two children are malnourished in the country, and half of all people do not know where their next meal is coming from.
The Flash Appeal for Afghanistan, targeting 11 million people with aid through the end of 2021, is currently 86 per cent funded. So far, $524 million has been received.
SOUTH SUDAN
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) recently held a series of workshops to increase women’s participation in the security and rule of law sectors.
In Malakal in Upper Nile State, UNMISS brought together some 28 officers, including 17 women, to discuss the Revitalized Peace Agreement, UNMISS’ mandate, security and women’s rights.
In Western Equatoria, UNMISS conducted a two-day workshop on community policing, gender-based violence and human rights. Participants discussed challenges related to community policing, as well as how to promote human rights and how to prevent violence against women.
In Bor in Jonglei State, the UN Mission conducted a forum on accountability, the rule of law, investigation and prosecution of sexually based gender violence cases. Participants discussed the need to prevent sexually based gender violence and to promote gender equality by ensuring that women’s voices are included in political processes and peace negotiations.
COVAX/Latin America and the Caribbean
Nicaragua and Venezuela have received new shipments of COVAX-backed COVID-19 vaccines yesterday.
Over 130,000 doses of vaccines landed in Nicaragua to support the vaccination campaign. To date, through COVAX and with support from the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), over 3 million doses are being used to vaccinate Nicaraguans.
Venezuela received over 2.5 million vaccine doses, also through COVAX. This was the third COVAX shipment that Venezuela has received and so far, the country has gotten almost 6 million doses –half of the number that Venezuela officially requested to COVAX.
Our colleagues from PAHO and the World Health Organization have supported health authorities in the surveillance and investigation of disease cases. They also provided laboratory supplies for the diagnosis and material to prevent infection, especially in health facilities. Our team on the ground is also training health care personnel to manage cases, providing logistical support and supplies to health services in the country.
RESIDENT COORDINATORS
Three new Resident Coordinators are starting their roles this week.
Maria Jose Torres Macho of Spain and Jose Miguel Barreto of Peru took up their posts as Resident Coordinators in Chile and Guatemala, respectively, yesterday. Shombi Sharp of the United States is starting his new post today as Resident Coordinator in India.
These appointments follow the approval of the host Governments. As you know, Resident Coordinators lead the work of our UN teams on the ground, including our continuing support to national COVID-19 response plans to recover better for the Sustainable Development Goals.
These senior UN officials are also the representatives of the Secretary-General for development at the country level. You can find their full biographies in our office and on the UN Sustainable Development Group website.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Belize and St. Kitts & Nevis have paid their contributions to the Regular Budget in full. This brings us to 138 Member States who have paid in full.
HYBRID PRESS BRIEFING TOMORROW
Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m., there will be a hybrid press briefing following the High-Level Event to launch the School Meals Coalition. Representatives from the Permanent Missions of Finland and France will brief reporters on the School Meals Coalition.
