DEVELOPMENT
This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the Economic and Social Council’s Segment on Operational Activities for Development. He said that, in a world in crisis, rescuing the Sustainable Development Goals is more important than ever.
“The world is on fire and so far, international cooperation has not delivered for those who need it most,” he said, adding that we have no alternative but to keep pushing our limits and stepping up our efforts.
The Secretary-General outlined five areas for urgent attention for UN Country Teams. These are: ensuring that teams can support countries’ transitions in energy, food systems and digital connectivity; helping governments expand and improve partnerships; changing our approach to collaboration where humanitarian, development and security challenges interact; and improving the efficiency of our business operations and strengthening collaboration at the regional level.

CLIMATE
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will have a climate announcement, setting out five urgent and concrete actions to jumpstart the renewable energy transition. This will accompany the launch of the World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Global Climate 2021 report.

LIBYA
Turning to Libya, in a statement, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed its serious concern about armed clashes on Sunday that involved indiscriminate fire and the alleged use of heavy weapons, in the Janzour area, a densely populated neighbourhood in Tripoli. The current mobilization of forces affiliated with different armed groups creates tensions and increases the risk of clashes that could spiral into even more armed conflict.
Such incidents highlight again the urgent need to address the proliferation and use of weapons outside the control of the state, according to the Mission. The Mission calls on all Libyan actors to maintain calm on the ground at this critical juncture in the country. The Mission also calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to use dialogue to resolve contentious issues. The Mission reminds all parties of their obligations to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as public calm.

UKRAINE
Turning to Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that hostilities are continuing to severely impact eastern and southern parts of Ukraine over the past day, resulting in civilian casualties and further aggravation the already dire humanitarian crisis. Eastern Luhanska oblast remains the epicentre of the ongoing clashes.
Local authorities report that water and electricity have not been available for over a week, as access to these areas for humanitarian organizations remains extremely limited. This is also preventing the evacuation of civilians on a larger scale.
Access to piped water supply remains a critical issue in the non-Government-controlled areas of eastern Donetska oblast, with water reserves expected to last only for a few more weeks.
Our colleagues note that, while we are pleased to see that small-scale Government-led evacuations from hard-hit areas in eastern Ukraine, that they have resumed, people in southern Khersonska oblast now face enormous difficulties with relocation to safer areas. There have been reports of civilians waiting to cross the oblast’s administrative boundary to central Dnipropetrovska oblast for days without success.
The delivery of humanitarian aid to Khersonska oblast is also challenging, leaving civilians in extremely dire conditions. Local authorities in Khersonska oblast warn that medicines could run out in two weeks if safe passage for the delivery of humanitarian assistance is not opened.
As a reminder, yet again, parties to the conflict have an obligation, under international humanitarian law, to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to ensure that civilians can safely leave conflict-affected areas in the direction they want. Further human suffering can only be avoided if the parties to the conflict fulfil these obligations.

MALNUTRITION
On a related note, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today warned that a combination of global shocks to food security worldwide – led by the war in Ukraine, economies struggling with pandemic recovery, and persistent drought conditions in some countries due to climate change – is creating conditions for a significant increase in global levels of severe malnutrition.
UNICEF said that currently, at least 10 million severely wasted children do not have access to the most effective treatment for wasting – that is, ready-to-use therapeutic food. Meanwhile, the price of ready-to-use therapeutic food is projected to increase by up to 16 per cent in the next six months due to a sharp rise in the cost of raw ingredients.
The UN Children’s Fund notes that this could leave up to 600,000 additional children without access to life-saving treatment at current spending levels. Shipping and delivery costs are also expected to remain high.

SYRIA
Turning to Syria, yesterday, a UN cross-line convoy crossed from Aleppo to north-west Syria. The convoy, as part of the extended inter-agency cross-line plan, carried food for 43,500 people in need in north-west Syria. It consisted of 14 trucks transporting 13,200 World Food Programme food parcels and wheat flour bags.
This is the fourth cross-line convoy in line with the UN inter-agency operational plan.
Humanitarian conditions are deteriorating in the north-west due to the ongoing hostilities and a deepening economic crisis. Some 4.1 million people rely on aid to meet their basic needs, and 80 percent of them are women and children.
Cross-line missions complement the cross-border operation, which includes 800 trucks a month delivering food and other lifesaving aid to 2.4 million men, women and children.
We urge increased access to all communities in Syria in need of humanitarian assistance.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Our humanitarian colleagues on the ground expressed their concern about the persistent insecurity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s East, notably the attacks on sites for displaced people, which constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Since early last week, close to 100 civilians have been killed in a series of attacks in the province of Ituri. Women and children were among the victims.
In the province, more than 500 civilians have reportedly been killed since the beginning of the year. At least 12 attacks on schools and hospitals have also been reported.
Over 165,000 people have been displaced by attacks in the past month in Djugu Territory.
Insecurity is also affecting humanitarian access, restricting movements of teams and delaying the distribution of much needed aid.

LEBANON
In a statement issued today, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, congratulated Lebanon on the conduct of parliamentary elections on Sunday.
She said that the elections are not an end but rather a starting point. The Special Coordinator urged Lebanon’s political leaders to put the country’s interests first and engage constructively to ensure there will be no vacuum nor paralysis in much-needed institutional decision-making, in particular, through the swift formation of a reform-oriented government.
In a statement we shared yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General also congratulated Lebanon and said he looks forward to the swift formation of an inclusive government that can finalize the agreement with the International Monetary Fund and accelerate the implementation of reforms necessary to set Lebanon on the path to recovery.

WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SOCIETY DAY
Today is World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. This year's theme raises awareness of the important role of telecommunications and Information and Communication Technologies in supporting people to stay healthy, connected and independent.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) hopes to foster initiatives to accelerate digital technologies for older persons that will contribute towards the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing.

INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA, BIPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA
Today is also the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
In a message, the Secretary-General said around the world, millions of LGBTIQ+ people are continuing to face injustice, simply for who they are, or whom they love.
He voices his deep concern by continued violence, criminalization, hate speech and harassment against LGBTIQ+ people, and by new attempts to further exclude them from education, employment, healthcare, sports, and housing.
The Secretary-General also noted that LGBTIQ+ people are among the marginalized groups that are worst impacted by the many interlinked crises in our world, from COVID-19 to the climate crisis to ongoing conflicts and growing [inequality].
He underscored that we need to combat violence against LGBTIQ+ people; outlaw harmful practices; provide justice and support for victims, and end persecution, discrimination, and criminalization.
The heads of UN Women, the UN Human Rights Office, the UN Refugee Agency, and the UN Population Fund, among other UN officials, also issued statements.

NOON BRIEFING GUEST TOMORROW
Tomorrow, we will have, as briefing guests, Shantanu Mukherjee, the Director of the Economic Analysis and Policy Division and Hamid Rashid, the Lead Author and Chief of the Global Economic Monitoring Branch, both from the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). They will be here to discuss the launch of the World Economic Situation and Prospects Report, as of mid-2022.

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
And we end on a positive note because it involves money! We thank the Republic of the Congo for paying its regular budget dues. We have reached, as they say in cricket, a century.

***The guest at the Noon Briefing was Hans Grundberg, the Special Envoy for Yemen, who had briefed the Security Council earlier in the day