HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 17 JANUARY 2022
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
The Secretary-General delivered a special address to the World Economic Forum.
He said the global economic recovery remains fragile and uneven amid the lingering pandemic, persistent labour market challenges, ongoing supply-chain disruptions, rising inflation and looming debt traps.
“The last two years have demonstrated a simple but brutal truth — if we leave anyone behind, we leave everyone behind.”
Stressing that there is a global inability to support developing countries in their hour of need, the Secretary-General asked the global business community for its support, ideas, financing and voice to confront the pandemic with equity and fairness, starting with vaccine equity. He also underscored the need to reform the global financial system so it works for all countries and the need to support real climate action in developing countries.
YEMEN
In response to questions the situation in the UAE, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General condemns today’s attacks on Abu Dhabi’s International Airport and the nearby industrial area, which reportedly caused several civilian casualties and have been claimed by the Houthis. Attacks on civilian infrastructure and civilians are prohibited by international humanitarian law.
The Secretary-General calls upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any escalation amid heightened tensions in the region. There is no military solution to the conflict in Yemen. The Secretary-General urges the parties to engage constructively and without preconditions with his Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, and his mediation efforts with the aim to advance the political process to reach a comprehensive negotiated settlement and to end the conflict in Yemen.
TONGA
The Spokesman provided an update on UN activities in relations to Tonga, following the tsunami that occurred in the aftermath of the massive eruption of Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano that hit the country on Saturday.
UN humanitarian colleagues and the Government report significant infrastructural damage around Tongatapu. There has been no contact from the Ha’apai Group of islands, and we are particularly concerned about two small low-lying islands – Mango and Fonoi – following surveillance flights confirming substantial property damage. While no fatalities have been confirmed to date, two people are reported missing.
The World Food Programme is exploring how to bring in relief supplies and more staff. It has also received a request to restore communication lines in Tonga by deploying its Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Meanwhile, UNICEF said that, once the needs are confirmed by the Government of Tonga, the agency is ready to transport its pre-positioned emergency supplies from Fiji and Brisbane warehouses. These include essential water, sanitation, and hygiene kits, water containers and buckets, water field test kits, tarpaulins, recreational kits, and tents, that can be immediately mobilized in a crisis zone.
On Saturday, in a statement, the Secretary-General expressed his concern and offered the UN’s support to the people and Government of Tonga.
SUDAN
Since its launch on the 8th of January, the UN-facilitated consultations on a political process in Sudan continued to engage a wide range of Sudanese stakeholders, including political parties and civil society.
All the participants have welcomed the UN’s role in facilitating consultations, noting that their timing is critical, since an urgent solution to the ongoing crisis is needed.
During the meetings held so far, Sudanese stakeholders urged the UN Mission in Sudan to broaden consultations beyond Khartoum and organize sessions with constituencies in all states. Participants condemned the escalation of violence and stressed that violence must end before dialogue with the military could be possible.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Volker Perthes, will continue his consultations with political parties, resistance committees, women’s groups, and armed groups in the coming week. He continues to receive requests from other groups and entities who are interested in contributing to the consultations.
WESTERN SAHARA
Staffan de Mistura, the Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, met with Moroccan officials in Rabat and Frente POLISARIO officials in Tindouf/Rabouni. Today, he is in Nouakchott where he will meet with Mauritanian officials and later this week he is due to travel to Algiers to meet with Algerian officials.
In response to questions about what the Special Envoy saw during his visit to Tindouf, the Spokesman said there was a large crowd present when the Personal Envoy visited the camp. He did not see everyone but certainly did not identify any child soldier, as reported by some.
LIBYA
Stephanie Williams, the Special Adviser on Libya, is in Cairo today, where she reviewed the latest developments in the country with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Ms. Williams stressed the importance of consolidating international and regional efforts to implement the Security Council-endorsed Libyan Political Dialogue Forum roadmap and its timeline.
She also met with Ramtane Lamamra, the Algerian Foreign Minister. Ms. Williams noted the critical role of the neighbouring countries in supporting an inclusive political dialogue in Libya.
EL SALVADOR
On Sunday, El Salvador celebrated the commemoration of the 1992 Peace Agreements, which were followed by a milestone peacekeeping effort. The Agreements were of historical importance in bringing an end to a bloody armed conflict and setting the country on a path to democracy and respect for human rights. The country’s outstanding challenges underscore the importance of building peace and of ensuring responsible democratic governance. We remain committed to support the Government in facing these challenges.
MYANMAR
The UN country team in Myanmar says they are concerned over a further deterioration in the humanitarian and security situation in the southeast of Myanmar, particularly in Kayah and Kayin states, following a recent escalation in fighting in recent weeks.
According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the number of internally displaced people has been on the rise in the area since May 2021, while more than 650 homes and other civilian properties, including churches, monasteries and schools, have reportedly been burnt down or destroyed in Kayah State. Since 1 February 2021, more than 181,400 women, children and men have been newly displaced in the southeast.
While local partners continue to provide critical life-saving assistance where possible, several humanitarian partners have had to suspend operations in December due to continuing insecurity.
The UN continues to call for safe and unhindered humanitarian access to everyone in need in the area.
AFGHANISTAN
In Afghanistan, in line with the UN’s commitments to scale up the response in the country, UN humanitarian partners have since September 2021 provided 9.4 million people with food assistance and reached more than 145,600 children with community-based education activities. They have also provided more than 1.6 million people with primary and secondary healthcare and treated more than 275,000 children under five for acute malnutrition.
In addition, more than half a million people have been provided with water and sanitation assistance.
UN humanitarian colleagues warn that civilian casualties continue to be reported because of improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance. Last week, the UN Mine Action Service carried out mine clearance operations and provided Explosive Ordnance Risk Education in villages in the Lalpur District, of Nangarhar Province. Mine clearance operations are also ongoing in Pachiragam and Chaparhar districts of Nangarhar Province.
PHILIPPINES
In the Philippines, it’s been a month since Typhoon Rai hit 11 regions, impacting 8 million people. In a statement, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Gustavo Gonzalez, said that one month on, the extent of the damage is now all too clear, with millions of people displaced from their homes and services being overstretched, not just by the typhoon, but by the ongoing pandemic.
He said the humanitarian community is working to support the Government’s relief efforts by
distributing food, shelter and other essential items, supporting logistics, health care and education, protecting vulnerable people and assisting with voluntary returns.
He also called on donors to support the $107 million response plan, which right now is only 39 per cent funded.
MALI
In response to questions about Mali, the Spokesman said we are currently in discussions with our Malian partners on the new MINUSMA flight approval mechanism, proposed by them last week. The UN is confident that a solution will be found as soon as possible, which will allow us to resume the normal functioning of our services in accordance with our mandate, for the benefit of Malians and stability in the country.
In the meantime, we had to adjust to the new situation. This particularly concerns our regularly scheduled flights which have been temporarily suspended.
LABOUR MARKET
The International Labour Organization has downgraded its forecast for the labour market recovery in 2022. It projects a deficit in hours worked globally, equivalent to 52 million full-time jobs, relative to the fourth quarter of 2019. According to their World Employment and Social Outlook – Trends 2022 – which was issued today, while this latest projection is an improvement on the situation in 2021, it remains almost two per cent below the number of global hours worked pre-pandemic.
HONOUR ROLL
Luxembourg has paid its regular budget dues in full, which takes us to nine countries on the Honour Roll.
