HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 27 MARCH 2023
 

GUEST TODAY 
After this briefing, Jean-Martin Bauer, the UN World Food Programme’s Country Director in Haiti will brief reporters on the current food security crisis in that country.   
  
SLAVERY 
The Secretary-General spoke at the General Assembly event this morning commemorating the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which took place on Saturday. 
The Secretary-General said that the history of racialized chattel slavery is a history of suffering, crime, violence, and exploitation. But, he added, it is also a history of awe-inspiring courage that shows human beings at their best – starting with enslaved people who rose up against impossible odds and extending to the abolitionists who spoke out against this atrocious crime.   
Mr. Guterres said that it is incumbent on us all to fight slavery’s legacy of racism. Governments everywhere should introduce lessons into school curricula on the causes, manifestations, and far-reaching consequences of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. We must learn and teach the horrific history of slavery, he said. Farhan 
  
SYRIA 
In Syria, since last month’s earthquakes, more than 1,070 trucks have crossed into the northwest of the country from southern Türkiye, carrying aid provided by seven UN agencies.  
UN staff have completed 37 cross-border missions to the northwest since the first inter-agency visit to Idleb on February 14th.  
In Government areas, the United Nations and humanitarian partners continue to help remove debris. Technical support was provided to committees assessing the damage in the governorates of Idlib, Aleppo and Latakia.  
So far, the UN and partners have carried out safety assessments of nearly 3,700 schools and set up 8 temporary learning spaces in shelters and community centres. The United Nations and partners have provided 185,000 ready-to-eat meals and 785,000 hot meals to people affected by the earthquakes.  
  
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) say there is a cholera outbreak in the North Kivu province.  
The areas of Goma, Karisimbi, Masisi and Nyiragongo are particularly impacted. 
Health authorities have registered 1,800 confirmed and suspected cases between 13 and 19 March compared to some 1,000 cases in the previous week.  
In total, over 6,200 cases have been registered between the beginning of the year and last week. 
The areas impacted host over one million internally displaced people with precarious living conditions in many displacement sites.  
The United Nations is concerned that people’s limited access to water and inadequate hygiene conditions facilitates the spread of cholera. 

SOUTH SUDAN 
The peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is increasing its presence in the conflict hotspots following a spate of attacks on humanitarian convoys last week, in the Greater Jonglei area. The Mission is collaborating with the World Food Programme to improve security around the movement of convoys across the country.  
UNMISS continues to engage with Government, State officials, and other leaders to prevent any further escalation of tensions. It appeals to national and community leaders to exercise restraint and commit to peace and dialogue as this violence risks jeopardizing the stability of the region and provoking retaliatory attacks. 
Also, the Mission is supporting the Government in conducting dialogues in Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, to address inter-communal violence affecting civilians in Akobo, Uror and Duk counties.

LIBYA 
The 5+5 Joint Military Committee met yesterday in Tripoli with a group of eastern, western, and southern military and security commanders under the auspices of Abdoulaye Bathily, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya. This is the first inclusive meeting inside Libya in a decade. 
The aim of the meeting was to follow up on participants’ commitments during the meeting in Tunisia on 15 March to work together to create conducive conditions for the 2023 elections. 
Mr. Bathily called on all leaders in the east, west and south to support consolidating peace in Libya. 
  
ASIA-PACIFIC FORUM ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 
The Tenth Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development opened today in Bangkok with a call for countries to make radical changes as development gains in the region have never been at such risk of being swept away by overlapping and intensifying crises.   
In this region, the cost-of-living crisis has deprived 400 million people of safe and nutritious food. Climate related catastrophes, coupled with biodiversity loss and pollution are also causing immense hardship and suffering. 
The Forum is organized by ESCAP - the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific - and will continue until Thursday.  
  
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS 
Zambia and Saint Lucia paid their dues in full to the United Nations.