HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2021
PRODUCTION GAP REPORT
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) today released its Production Gap Report, which found that despite increased climate ambitions and net-zero commitments, governments still plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than what would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Over the next two decades, governments are collectively projecting an increase in global oil and gas production, and only a modest decrease in coal production.
The report also shows that countries have directed over $300 billion in new funds towards fossil fuel activities since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic — more than they have towards clean energy.
The Secretary-General said that the report shows there is still a long way to go to a clean energy future. He added that it is urgent that all remaining public financiers as well as private finance, including commercial banks and asset managers, switch their funding from coal to renewables to promote full decarbonization of the power sector and access to renewable energy for all.
SECURITY COUNCIL
At a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Great Lakes region, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Huang Xia, said that the region is at a crossroads. He reiterated that the main threat to peace and stability remains the persistence of armed groups.
But, Mr. Xia added, bilateral and regional initiatives attest to the awareness of the added value of dialogue and cooperation. More than ever, he said, it is necessary to consolidate these gains.
Turning to COVID-19, he said the pandemic has exacerbated vulnerabilities, but also demonstrated the resilience of societies in the region. He reiterated the Secretary-General’s call for greater solidarity to facilitate access to vaccines and to strengthen existing health systems and structures.
Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, the Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, also spoke to Council members.
This afternoon, the Security Council will have a meeting on Somalia, followed by consultations on Lebanon.
SOMALIA
On Somalia, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that climate shocks are worsening the situation in the country, which is bracing for a third consecutive below-average rainy season.
As a result, the November cereal harvest in the northwest of Somalia is projected to be 63 per cent below the average levels in the past decade.
More than 250,000 people are facing severe water shortages, half of them in Jubaland State. There is also a reduction in pasture for livestock, affecting vulnerable people’s food security and nutrition.
Without humanitarian assistance, nearly 3.5 million people across Somalia will face crisis or worse levels of food insecurity by the end of the year. Some 1.2 million children under the age of five are also likely to be acutely malnourished – of these, more than 213,000 are projected to be severely malnourished.
Water, food, and health assistance are the most urgent humanitarian needs, according to our partners on the ground.
Humanitarian organizations are trucking water, providing cash vouchers and delivering nutrition supplies to people in need.
They are, however, significantly constrained by the lowest funding levels in five years. Somalia’s 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan is only 50 per cent funded.
ETHIOPIA
On Ethiopia, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is alarmed by the escalating conflict in the north, especially following reports of the impact on civilians, including after an airstrike in Mekelle, in Tigray, today.
Initial information from the ground indicates that civilians – including women and children – were injured. We are trying to gather more information.
More than 5.2 million people across Tigray – that’s more than 90 per cent of the region’s population – need life-saving assistance, including nearly 400,000 people facing famine-like conditions.
The UN repeats its call to all parties to the conflict to de-escalate across Tigray, Amhara and Afar to avoid further casualties and the suffering of civilians.
Humanitarian needs are also increasing in Amhara and Afar due to the spill over into these regions of the conflict in Tigray.
All parties to the conflict must always uphold international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Just an update on UN operations – some 30 per cent of all our staff in Ethiopia are in different regions of the country, including Tigray. The UN and humanitarian partners are staying and delivering.
For safety measures, a small proportion of the UN team has been relocated – and that’s around 100 UN staff and 17 dependents. We currently have nearly 400 staff in Tigray alone, committed to delivering lifesaving needs to the most vulnerable people, those most affected by the conflict. Including national and international NGOs, that number is nearly 2,000 people in the region.
Across the country, our team on the ground notes multiple safety issues that are sparking an increasing number of internally displaced people, who urgently need humanitarian assistance.
SYRIA
The UN is deeply concerned about ongoing and increasing hostilities in recent months in the northwest and the impact that this is having on civilians.
Yesterday, artillery shelling was reported in Idlib. One civilian was killed, and four others injured. Artillery shelling was also reported in other parts of Idlib and in Western Aleppo.
Today, several civilian casualties have been reported following artillery shelling in Ariha town, south of the city of Idlib.
The recent escalation is the most significant increase in hostilities in northwest Syria since the ceasefire agreement of March 2020.
The UN condemns all violence in Syria. We remind all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law, including the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks and the obligation to take all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.
CABO VERDE/COVID-19
In Cabo Verde, the UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Ana Graça, continues to help authorities to address the health and socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic.
As of today, nearly 80 per cent of people over the age of 18 have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly half of them have been fully vaccinated. UN agencies have provided strategic support for the national vaccination campaign. Cabo Verde has received more than 700,000 vaccine doses, both through COVAX and bilaterally, and this is enough to vaccinate nearly all eligible people.
The UN team is also supporting health facilities, helping students with distance learning and providing meals for children, among other assistance.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/FINANCE IN COMMON SUMMIT
Today, the Secretary-General spoke by prerecorded video message to the Finance in Common summit, which brings together hundreds of public development banks, governments and others.
The Secretary-General called on Public Development Banks to align their operations and policies with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and keep the 1.5-degree goal within reach.
He stressed the need for a stronger, more integrated and networked multilateral system, with public development banks as central players. Mr. Guterres highlighted the importance of deepening the cooperation between multilateral and national development banks and encouraging the private sector to mobilize finance for climate action and sustainable development.
His full message is online.
GLOBAL MAP OF SALT-AFFECTED SOILS
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today launched the Global Map of Salt-Affected Soils, a key tool for halting salinization and boosting productivity. FAO said that the map, a joint project involving 118 countries and hundreds of data-crunchers, will allow experts to identify where sustainable soil management practices should be adopted to prevent salinization and sodification and to manage salt-affected soils sustainably.
FAO noted that the map can inform policy makers when dealing with climate change adaptation and irrigation projects.
NOON BRIEFING GUEST TOMORROW
Tomorrow our guest will be Christine Schraner Burgener, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar. She will be here in this room to brief on the situation in Myanmar.
***The guests at the Noon Briefing were Caitlin Williscroft, a specialist who works for UN Women on the Women, Peace and Security Programme in the Afghanistan Country Office. She will be joined by Nahid Fareed, Parliamentarian, Chairperson of House Standing Committee for Human Rights, Civil Society and Women Affairs., as well as Mariam Safi, Executive Director of the Organization for Policy Research and Development Studies (DROPS). They spoke to reporters in the context of the anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325 and the open debate tomorrow on Women, Peace and Security.
