HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2022
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT
The Secretary-General has just arrived in Morocco. Tomorrow, in Fez, he will deliver remarks at the opening of the 9th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilization.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General will highlight the importance of inter-religious dialogue and the urgency of finding pathways to peace, unity and solidarity rooted in mutual respect, human dignity and compassion. While in Fez, the Secretary-General will also meet with senior Moroccan officials.
He will be back in New York on Wednesday, 23 November.
CLIMATE
The Secretary-General, in a video message at the conclusion of COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh, said that the COP had taken an important step towards justice. He welcomed the decision to establish a loss and damage fund and to operationalize it in the coming period. Clearly this will not be enough, Mr. Guterres said, but it is a much-needed political signal to rebuild broken trust.
He also stressed the need to finally make good on the long-delayed promise of $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries; to have clarity and a credible roadmap to double adaptation finance; and to change the business models of multilateral development banks and international financial institutions.
Our planet is still in the emergency room, the Secretary-General said. We need to drastically reduce emissions now – and this is an issue this COP did not address. He added that the red line we must not cross is the line that takes our planet over the 1.5-degree temperature limit, and that, to have any hope of keeping to 1.5, we need to massively invest in renewables and end our addiction to fossil fuels.
The Secretary-General again emphasized the need for a Climate Solidarity Pact in which all countries make an extra effort to reduce emissions this decade in line with the 1.5-degree goal.
SECURITY COUNCIL/DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
This morning, the Security Council held a meeting on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Briefing Council members, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, noted that the Secretary-General has strongly condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch, the second ICBM launch this month. She stressed that the DPRK’s continued pursuit of its nuclear weapons programme and launches of ballistic missiles blatantly violate relevant Security Council resolutions and have led to a significant escalation of tensions.
Ms. DiCarlo pointed out that this was the tenth time the Council has met to discuss the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in 2022, yet the situation on the Korean Peninsula continues to head in the wrong direction. She stressed that it is critical to de-escalate and reduce tensions and that communication channels must be enhanced, particularly military to military, to lower the risk of miscalculation.
Ms. DiCarlo said that the Secretary-General counts on Members of the Security Council, as a united body as well as individually, to urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to refrain from carrying out further launches using ballistic missile technology or a seventh nuclear test. She stressed that unity in the Security Council is critical, and that a diplomatic solution is the only way forward.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) notes that clashes between the Congolese defence forces and the M23 resumed yesterday in the Kibumba area, in the North Kivu province. Further north, the M23 reached Katwiguru, 11km south of Nyamilima.
MONUSCO continues to conduct joint patrols with the national army along National Road 2 from Sake to Kibati, with strong support from the population in North Kivu. The UN peacekeepers maintain close contact with the local communities to better understand and rapidly respond to their security needs in line with the MONUSCO protection of civilians mandate.
MALI
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) report that this morning one of their convoys hit an improvised explosive device (IED) close to Douentza town in the Mopti region.
The MINUSMA convoy was traveling to Timbuktu. Three peacekeepers have been injured and they are receiving medical assistance. The UN condemns the attack and wish the peacekeepers a speedy recovery.
UKRAINE
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that it has successfully delivered a new inter-agency convoy of vital supplies to the people of Kherson today, in addition to supplies that have been delivered last week. This is the second inter-agency convoy to Kherson in one week, following the mission that entered the city last Monday, less than 72 hours after it was retaken by the Government of Ukraine.
Today’s 13-truck convoy prioritized the most urgent humanitarian needs of the more than 100,000 people who remain in the city. As the Humanitarian Coordinator, Denise Brown, said to you last week, people in Kherson are facing tremendous challenges to access food, water, electricity and heating, as well as health care. Recent attacks on the city and other areas of the Kherson region, including today, might lead to further needs.
Hospitals in Kherson will now have enough medical kits to treat 100,000 patients for three months, and additional supplies for women and girls’ reproductive health. The convoy brought supplies for surgery, chronic diseases, and trauma, as most health centres lack essential medicines and medical supplies. One week’s worth of food for nearly 2,500 people, water for more than 10,000 people, blankets, sleeping bags and other supplies to nearly 500 families have been delivered.
The convoy also brought nearly 2,300 solar lamps, which will help people in Kherson to have light at home as the city is cut off from energy supply, as well as hygiene items. More than 1,200 women will also receive dignity kits, which include clothes and female hygiene products.
INDONESIA
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that Indonesia was hit today by a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. The quake hit Cianjur District in West Java, which is home to 2.5 million people.
OCHA noted that the earthquake was felt in the capital Jakarta and nine aftershocks were recorded within two hours. There are also reports of landslides.
The Government has reported many dozens of fatalities, and this number may increase given that assessments are ongoing. National and provincial authorities are leading the response and the Indonesian Red Cross has mobilized emergency teams.
The Resident Coordinator in Indonesia, Valerie Julliand, expressed profound sadness at the loss of lives and injuries caused by the earthquake. She said that the UN team on the ground and the regional team of the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are standing by to assist as required.
MYANMAR
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, said over the weekend that she was encouraged by the announcement of the mass release of detainees in Myanmar. She reiterated the Secretary-General’s call for the immediate release of all of those who continue to be arbitrarily detained, including President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.
Special Envoy Heyzer reinforced her call for the release of all children and political prisoners who are being detained in prisons or other facilities in Myanmar, which she conveyed during her mission to Nay Pyi Taw in August, along with the requested release of Australian economist Sean Turnell, who was freed during the recent mass release.
MIDDLE EAST
On Saturday, Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, condemned the violent attacks by Israeli extremists against Palestinian residents in the Old City of Hebron. He said that such acts may aggravate an already tense environment.
All have a responsibility to act against extremists and to speak out against all acts of violence and incitement, he added.
ARGENTINA
In Argentina, the UN team joined many in the country and across the region to mourn the passing of Hebe de Bonafini, a human rights activist who co-founded the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo movement to search for missing people, including children, during the military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983.
The UN team on the ground added that they value her fight for memory, truth, and justice, and expressed condolences to her family and loved ones.
SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT
Today, the Secretary-General is appointing Mohamed Ag Ayoya of Mali as his new Deputy Special Representative for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Mr. Ayoya will also serve as Resident Coordinator for the Central African Republic as well as Humanitarian Coordinator.
He succeeds Denise Brown of Canada who was appointed as the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine. The Secretary-General is grateful for her dedicated commitment to recovery, humanitarian, and peacebuilding efforts in the Central African Republic.
Mr. Ayoya brings over two decades of professional experience and extensive knowledge of humanitarian affairs, with a particular focus on complex emergencies and child protection issues in field settings.
WORLD TELEVISION DAY
Today is World Television Day. The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1996, in recognition of the increasing impact that television has on decision-making - by bringing world attention to conflicts and threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues.
