HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
THURSDAY, 23 MARCH 2023
SECRETARY-GENERAL
The Secretary-General is in Brussels, where today he attended a session with the members of the European Council, which included a working lunch. Before the session, in a joint press encounter with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the Secretary-General said that the visit to Brussels demonstrates the excellent cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations.
The Secretary-General warned that we have a perfect storm in many developing countries and a combination of factors that lead to a very dramatic situation. He noted that Sustainable Development Goals are moving backwards and there is more hunger, more poverty, less education and fewer health services in so many parts of the world. He added that it is clear that our international financial system is not fit for purpose to deal with such a huge challenge, and we very much count on the European Union to lead the transformations that are necessary in order to be able to put the 2030 Agenda back on track.
The Secretary-General added, following the last report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, that we need dramatic action.
We have issued a readout of his meeting with the members of the European Council, saying that it offered a timely opportunity to discuss pressing global matters, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its far-reaching consequences, the climate emergency and growing global inequalities. The readout adds that the Secretary-General discussed the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, stressing his call for a just peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law and the resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 23 February.
APPOINTMENT
The Secretary-General is announcing today the appointment of Jorge Moreira da Silva of Portugal as Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). The Secretary-General wishes to extend his appreciation and gratitude to Jens Wandel of Denmark, for his service as Acting Executive Director.
Mr. Moreira da Silva is currently a Visiting Full Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of Oporto University and Adjunct Professor at the Paris School of International Affairs (Sciences Po).
He was most recently Director of the Development Co-operation Directorate of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). We have more details in a bio note.
SYRIA
This morning, Geir Pederson, our Special Envoy to Syria, told members of the Security Council that the situation today is so unprecedented that it calls for leadership, bold ideas and a cooperative spirit. He added that a political solution is the only way forward for Syria, and this may not be reached in one step – but he believes “we can progress towards it gradually.”
For his part, Tareq Talahma, the Acting Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), spoke about the immense needs, especially after the earthquakes. He pointed out that these needs will require continued resolve from the international community, and that further action is required to create a more enabling environment, one where humanitarian assistance can reach communities in a safe, predictable, and timely fashion.
SYRIA/HUMANITARIAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has an update on the response to the earthquakes in Syria. On the health front, humanitarian workers have vaccinated some 1.7 million people against cholera during a 10-day vaccination campaign in northwest Syria.
More than 235,000 people have received access to water and sanitation after some water infrastructure was fixed in some parts of the country.
In areas under Government control, our partners have assessed thousands of schools for safety and structural integrity and have started conducting light rehabilitation in some of the affected areas. They have also provided recreational kits, early childhood education kits, heaters and stationery to over 2,800 girls and boys in collective shelters and schools.
Our humanitarian colleagues also note that torrential rains have impacted displacement sites in north-west and north-east Syria. We and our humanitarian partners are assessing needs and responding accordingly, including by replacing damaged shelters.
SOUTH SUDAN
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) says they have initiated proactive steps to help the country address potential challenges from the onset of this year’s rainy season.
As South Sudan has witnessed unprecedented flooding in recent years, UNMISS has started maintaining vital dykes to protect civilians and their properties from floodwaters in places like Bentiu, in Unity state.
In Jonglei state and other parts of the country, where there are tremendous mobility challenges in the rainy season, UNMISS peacekeepers are using all-terrain vehicles to navigate difficult territory, and if needed, support the delivery of humanitarian aid to areas inaccessible due to floods.
AFGHANISTAN
On the earthquakes that struck Afghanistan and the region on Tuesday, our humanitarian office has deployed teams to support relief efforts and assessments which are still ongoing.
They have received reports of five people killed and 55 injured, with more than 900 houses destroyed or damaged. Our assessment efforts continue and the numbers could rise.
HAITI
In Haiti, a new analysis of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification – better known as the IPC – was published this morning.
This analysis shows a steady increase in the number of people facing food insecurity in the country. Nearly half the population - 4.9 million people, are now struggling to feed themselves.
According to this analysis, 1.8 million people are estimated to be in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), up from 1.7 million in September last year.
The areas most affected are Cité Soleil and the town of Jérémie, on Haiti’s southern peninsula.
However, one slight improvement to note is that increased humanitarian food assistance in Cite Soleil pulled the most vulnerable people from Phase 5 – which catastrophic food insecurity- down into lower phases.
Our WFP colleagues in Haiti stress that it is critical to continue lifesaving food assistance for the most vulnerable Haitians and to continue to prioritize resilience and safety-net initiatives to address the root causes of hunger, and they are calling for support.
COLOMBIA
In Colombia, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that there has been a rise in the number of people affected by clashes, with 7.7 million people in need of assistance.
Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities are facing increased protection risks. In the first three months of 2023, more than 25,000 people have been newly displaced or forcibly confined due to violence.
Despite indigenous people representing only 4 per cent of Colombia’s population, they comprised more than 40 per cent of the people affected by humanitarian emergencies of mass displacement and confinement in 2022.
We and the Government have jointly launched a humanitarian response plan to reach 1.6 million people, mostly women, children, people with disabilities, indigenous people and others.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Turning to the Central African Republic, our peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, supported national efforts to ensure accountability for crimes under international law and other serious violations or abuses, which culminated with the sentencing of 32 defendants, including five in connection with the killing of a Burundian peacekeeper in March 2020. This is the third conviction for crimes against United Nations peacekeepers, in line with Security Council resolution 2589(2021), which called for a renewed focus on measures to “bring to justice the perpetrators of the killing of, and all acts of violence against United Nations personnel” serving in peacekeeping operations.
Over the past week, the Mission also stepped up robust patrolling to strengthen the protection of civilians, including between Beloko and Ndiba in Nana-Mambéré prefecture, and around Sam Ouandja in Haute-Kotto prefecture, following the arrest of the regional commander of the armed group Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique (FPRC) on Saturday.
WORLD METEOROLOGICAL DAY
Today is World Meteorological Day. In his message for the day, the Secretary-General said that humanity faces a difficult truth, which is that climate change is making our planet uninhabitable. He added that this year’s theme — The Future of Weather, Climate and Water Across Generations — compels us all to live up to our responsibilities and ensure that future generations inherit a better tomorrow.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Jamaica has paid its Regular Budget dues in full. This brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 79.
HYBRID BRIEFINGS
Today at 1:15 p.m., David Cooper, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and Dr. Musonda Mumba, the Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands briefed journalists on the coordinated manner in which the two Conventions will work to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the Ramsar Strategic Plan.
Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., there will be a hybrid briefing by the Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women 67, Ambassador Mathu Joyini, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations.
At noon, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Li Junhua, will brief reporters on the closing of the 2023 Water Conference.
