HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 22 APRIL 2020
MOTHER EARTH DAY
Today is the International Mother Earth Day. In his message, the Secretary-General says that all eyes are on the COVID-19 pandemic and we must work together to save lives, ease suffering and lessen the shattering economic and social consequences. But he also said that we must remember another emergency - the planet’s unfolding environmental crisis.
Greenhouse gases, just like viruses, do not respect national boundaries, he says, adding that we need to turn the recovery from the pandemic into a real opportunity to do things right for the future.
The Secretary-General has also proposed six climate-related actions to shape the recovery. These include delivering new green jobs, funding sustainable sectors and incorporating climate risks into the financial system and policymaking. That message has been shared with you already.
The World Meteorological Organization today released a report which says that while COVID-19 may result in a temporary reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, it is not a substitute for sustained climate action.
In fact, the pandemic will make it more difficult to tackle weather, climate and water-related hazards which are becoming more acute because of climate change. The report warns that we need to flatten both the pandemic and the climate curves and stresses the importance of post-COVID-19 stimulus packages that help the economy grow back greener.
EARTH SCHOOL
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in partnership with Ted-Ed, today launched an online “Earth School,” which provides free educational content to help students, parents and teachers around the world who are currently at home due to COVID-19.
Built for children and youth from the ages of 5 to18, it spans 30 school days that run between Earth Day and World Environment Day, which is on June 5th.
The content features videos, reading materials and activities — which will be translated into ten languages. This will also help students gain an understanding of the environment while considering their role within it.
UNEP will also be exploring how this content can be adapted and shared with children who aren’t able to access the Internet.
COVID-19/PAPUA NEW GUINEA
In Papua New Guinea, there are seven confirmed cases of the virus. The Resident Coordinator there, Gianluca Rampolla, has mobilized the humanitarian country team to assist with the national health preparedness and response plan.
The UN team is also helping the government in areas including water and sanitation, social protection, education, food security, supply and logistics, as well as information management and risk communication.
The UN on the ground quickly brought development partners, such as the World Bank and the European Union, together with donor governments like Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand and the United States, as well as local authorities to all work together to fund essential equipment to fight the disease.
A million sets of personal protective equipment, as well as ventilators, ambulances and tents are being procured. The UN team is also helping to set up isolation and quarantine wards and pre-triage facilities for the whole of Papua New Guinea.
We are also closely coordinating with the Government, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to carry out a socio-economic impact assessment to identify priority needs to save livelihoods and lift the economy.
COVID-19/SOUTH SUDAN
In South Sudan, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the already-dire food security situation there could worsen due to the pandemic.
Markets are under significant stress, as evidenced by sharp price increases. For example, the price of a 50 kg bag of maize increased by 36 per cent in March alone.
The removal of non-essential staff from the workforce and the closure of nonessential businesses, coupled with the lingering impact of the devastating 2019 flooding, as well as the desert locust invasion and rapidly rising food prices, will likely increase food insecurity and humanitarian needs.
Prior to the pandemic, 6.5 million people, that is 55 percent of the population, were already expected to face severe food insecurity at the height of the May to July annual hunger season.
Humanitarian partners have been adapting their response to deliver safely, responsibly and effectively in this COVID-19 environment.
COVID-19/DARFUR
In Darfur, where the UN Mission continues to support the Government of Sudan to combat the pandemic, the head of the Mission, Jeremiah Mamabolo, has donated five all-terrain vehicles, four high-capacity power generators and a refrigerator container unit to the Federal Minister of Health.
At the virtual handover ceremony in Khartoum, Mr. Mamabolo reiterated his call on all parties to the Sudan conflict to see reason to join the peace process in Juba for a comprehensive agreement that would foster genuine and speedy nation building.
COVID-19/MOZAMBIQUE
In Mozambique, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) expressed concern about the potential spread of COVID-19 in the country. The reason is the return of Mozambican migrants from South Africa.
The UN migration agency noted that according to Mozambique’s National Migration Service, over 14,000 Mozambican migrants returned from the neighbouring country within a span of a few days, as South Africa declared lockdown due to the virus.
SECURITY COUNCIL/GREAT LAKES REGION
This morning, the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Huang Xia, told the Security Council members that with a growing number of Covid-19 cases, the countries of the region are facing significant challenges.
On the economic front, the measures taken to address the pandemic, combined with the reallocation of resources to address the health crisis, are likely to weaken already fragile economies. This, the Special Envoy said, could have implications for peace, security and development.
He welcomed the debt moratorium announced by the G20 and called for support from the international community to help Great Lakes countries deal with and recover from the pandemic.
Turning to the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Special Envoy said there is still a sense of optimism. However, he added, the greatest challenge undoubtedly remains the activities by armed groups, including the illicit exploitation of natural resources. Insecurity caused by armed groups, especially in eastern part of the country, also, of course, fuels the humanitarian crisis.
COVID-19/GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY
The Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) spoke yesterday with agriculture ministers of the G20 on behalf of the UN food agencies.
Qu Dongyu warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is not only a major public health concern but also a threat to global food security. This threat can be mitigated by avoiding measures that disrupt food supply chains.
He urged G20 ministers to include long-term goals in their policy frameworks. He said that the crisis opens an opportunity to accelerate food system transformation and cited e-commerce tools as a way to enhance local resilience and bolster direct links between producers and consumers.
PANGOLINS
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna today released new research on pangolins which, despite an international trade ban, are the most trafficked mammals in the world.
The research shows that, between 2014 and 2018, the equivalent of 370,000 pangolins were seized globally, suggesting that millions have been trafficked and killed.
As you know, the COVID-19 outbreak has been linked to a coronavirus originating in wild bats that jumped to people via an intermediary animal. Pangolins are among the leading suspects.
The Executive Director of the UNODC, Ghada Waly, said that said that “for the sake of preserving biodiversity and preventing the next public health emergency, the illegal wildlife trade must stop.”
The research from the UNODC will be included in their Office’s World Wildlife Crime Report, which is expected to be published in June.
COVID-19/MYANMAR
The Secretary-General strongly condemned an attack earlier this week in Myanmar’s Rakhine state on a WHO vehicle transporting COVID-19 surveillance samples.
That attack resulted in the death of a WHO colleague and serious injuries to a Government official.
The Secretary-General calls for a full and transparent investigation into the incident and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
IRAN
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, today condemned the second execution of a child offender in the space of just four days by authorities in Iran.
Shayan Saeedpour is reported to have been executed in a prison in the Kurdistan Province on Tuesday. He had been sentenced to death for a crime allegedly committed when he was under 18. The execution followed a judicial process that appears to have been deeply flawed, according to Ms. Bachelet.
This came after another person Majid Esmailzadeh was reportedly executed in Ardabil Province on Saturday. This also followed a conviction on a charge of murder allegedly committed when he was under 18.
“The executions of these two child offenders are absolutely prohibited under international human rights law,” Ms. Bachelet said. She repeated her call on Iranian authorities to honour its international human rights obligations, immediately halt all executions of juvenile offenders and commute all such death penalty sentences.
The Secretary-General supports the High Commissioner’s views and reiterates his opposition to the death penalty – particularly in cases involving child offenders.
YEMEN
In Yemen, heavy rains have caused more flooding over the last 24 hours. The Government yesterday declared Aden a disaster zone.
Our humanitarian colleagues have received reports that more than 14,700 people have been displaced across 21 sites for internally displaced people in Aden.
The UN agencies and our humanitarian partners are working with Government officials to assess needs and will provide relief based on these assessments.
Heavy rains were also reported in Raymah, in Taizz and in Ibb provinces over the past 24 hours, and UN agencies are working with local authorities to assess the needs in these areas.
REGULAR BUDGET
For the second day in a row, I can end with good news. Thanks to a full payment from Cambodia, 85 Member States have now paid in full for 2020. Thank you to our friends in Phnom Penh.
