HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 30 MAY 2023

SECURITY COUNCIL/ THREATS TO INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY 
This afternoon the Security Council will hold a meeting on threats to international peace and security. Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency will brief Council members, and following the meeting, he and the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, Ignazio Cassis, are expected to speak to reporters at the Security Council stakeout.

SECURITY COUNCIL - RESOLUTIONS 
This morning, the Security Council unanimously voted in favour of the renewal of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq - for one year - until 31 May 2024. 
Also, the Security Council adopted resolution 2683 that renews sanctions on South Sudan until 31 May 2024 and renews the Panel of Experts of the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee until 1 July 2024, and that was done by 10 votes in favour, 5 abstentions.

SYRIA 
This morning, the Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pederson, told Security Council members that this past month has seen diplomatic activity quicken.  
At the same time, he underlined the importance for the Syrians to engage in dialogue and return to discussing their own future together in the Constitutional Committee.  
For her part, Ghada Eltahir Mudawi, the Deputy Director of Operations at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that a staggering 15.3 million people – that’s nearly 70 per cent of Syria’s population - require humanitarian assistance throughout the country.  
She called for greater solidarity and urgently increased humanitarian funding to save lives and prevent further suffering. 

YEMEN 
The Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated $18 million to address food security in the country to help reduce high levels of food insecurity and rising malnutrition rates driven by the conflict, economic shocks and climate change, among other factors. 
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that more than 17 million men, women and children, or around 80 per cent of the population, are facing high levels of food insecurity across Yemen.  
Recent UN analysis shows rising malnutrition rates, with children under the age of five being particularly impacted. 
The $4.3 billion appeal for Yemen in 2023 is currently just over 24 percent funded.
This allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund will allow humanitarian agencies and partners to support people in the governorates of Hajjah, Al Hodeidah and Ta’iz – which are among the most vulnerable and affected by both food insecurity and malnutrition. 

PERMANENT FORUM OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT 
The Second session of the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent began this morning and will run until 2 June. The theme of the Forum is: “Realizing the Dream: A UN Declaration on the promotion, protection and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent”.   
In a pre-recorded video message, the Secretary-General said that the establishment of this Forum by the General Assembly crystalized the commitment of the international community to accelerate along the path towards full equality and justice for people of African descent everywhere. 
In a separate video message, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, commended the Permanent Forum for its commitment to broad-based discussions of human rights issues that impact people of African descent.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL 
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed,  
participated in a conference held in Portugal, by the World Intellectual Property Organization - or WIPO - entitled “Thinking About Industrial Property, Sustainability and the Future of the Planet.”  In her remarks in Lisbon yesterday, she called for equality and the removal of barriers to science and technology.  
She said that by harnessing the power of industrial property, we can unlock the potential of ground-breaking technologies, advance inclusive growth, and achieve greater equality.  
She also met with the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, as well as other government representatives and the leadership team of WIPO.   
To conclude her trip, Ms. Mohammed visited the Oceanarium and the Blue Ocean Foundation, to discuss the oceans agenda and links to climate action. 

SUDAN 
In Sudan, as of Monday, at least 100 trucks loaded with humanitarian assistance had reached their destinations in several states and the capital Khartoum. They were carrying 2,600 tons of supplies, including nutrition, water, sanitation and health items for up to 2 million men, women and children.   
The World Food Programme has reached some 675,000 people across Sudan since restarting operations – and on Saturday, WFP began distributions in Khartoum. So long as the security situation allows, the agency plans to reach at least half-a-million people in the capital.
Meanwhile, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is warning that more than 13.6 million children in Sudan are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, after six weeks of conflict.  
the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, has welcomed the extension of the ceasefire in the country, as the humanitarian community there continues to scale up deliveries of aid.
For his part, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi concluded a three-day visit to Egypt with an urgent call for support for people fleeing because of the conflict, and support for the countries hosting refugees. He called for the borders to remain open.  
More than 170,000 people have entered Egypt since the start of the conflict, half of the more than 345,000 people who have reportedly left Sudan.

MALI 
The Arab Republic of Egypt and the United Nations have jointly agreed to the gradual phasing out of the Combat Convoy Battalion from the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Mali  - MINUSMA - effective in June 2023 in light of the reconfiguration of MINUSMA Force to address the evolving security situation in Mali.   
The United Nations expresses gratitude to the Republic of Egypt for its continued contribution to MINUSMA and for Egypt’s commitment and the sacrifices made by the Egyptian Peacekeepers serving in Mali.

HUNGER HOTSPOTS/REPORT 
The World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization yesterday released a report warning that acute food insecurity is set to potentially increase in magnitude and severity in 18 hunger “Hotspots” comprising a total of 22 countries.  
The report notes that the risk of a spill-over of the Sudan crisis - raising the risk of negative impacts in the neighbouring countries, shows that deepening economic shocks continue to drive low- and middle-income nations deeper into crisis. It also warns that a likely El Niño climatic phenomenon is raising fears of climate extremes in vulnerable countries around the globe. 
WFP and FAO are calling for urgent humanitarian action to save lives and livelihoods and prevent starvation and death in hotspots where acute hunger is at a high risk of worsening from June to November 2023.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the hunger hotspots. 
According to the latest food security analysis released by the government – the IPC analysis – nearly 26 million (about one out of four) people continue to face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity, including 6.7 million people who are experiencing crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity in the provinces of North and South Kivu and in Ituri. The FAO and WFP are stepping up their action to support the most vulnerable, but they warn that record hunger levels in the country will also require livelihood support and long-term investment by the international community.  
 
PALESTINE 
The World Food Programme is facing a critical situation in Palestine, with the suspension of assistance to over 200,000 people set to take effect in June if funding is not secured urgently.  
In light of the recent escalation in Gaza, which has further worsened the struggles faced by vulnerable families, it is imperative that people in need continue to receive the vital assistance provided by WFP.  
This assistance serves as a crucial safety net, even more so now. 
Without the necessary support, WFP will be forced to suspend its operations entirely by August. That means 350,000 of the most vulnerable and food-insecure Palestinians will be deprived of assistance that allows them to feed their families. 
 
KOSOVO 
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, Caroline Ziadeh, said that she is alarmed by the violence in northern Kosovo, and the preceding actions over the past few days that led to that violence.
She strongly condemned the actions that resulted in serious injuries of the KFOR military personnel, as well as civilians, in Zvečan/Zveçan municipality yesterday.  
Ms. Ziadeh stressed that violence in any form, including against KFOR who are deployed to provide a safe and secure environment in relation to Resolution 1244 (1999), is unacceptable. She expressed solidarity with KFOR and wished all the injured, including civilians, a speedy recovery, stressing that the loss of life must be prevented at all costs.  
She has urged de-escalation and called for responsible leadership and actions to defuse tensions and moves toward sustainable political solutions as soon as possible.   
She said that the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo will continue to coordinate closely with international presence on the ground.
UGANDA
The UN Human Rights Office has said it is appalled that the draconian and discriminatory anti-gay bill is now law in Uganda. It added that it is a recipe for systematic violations of the rights of LGBT people and the wider population and it conflicts with the Constitution and international treaties and requires urgent judicial review.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, had recently expressed concern about the further worsening of laws criminalizing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, including in Uganda. He said these laws violate human rights, they lead to violence, and they drive people against one another.
 
PLASTICS 
The second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution started. The session is taking place at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters in Paris and will go on until Friday. The work of the Committee is facilitated by our colleagues at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  

PREVIOUS STATEMENTS 
During the weekend, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the recent attack against the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) base, staffed by Ugandan peacekeepers, in Buulo Mareer, Lower Shabelle, Somalia. In a statement, the Secretary-General conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed as well as to the Government and people of Uganda. 
Also, over the weekend, the Secretary-General congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on his re-election as President of the Republic of Türkiye and said he looks forward to further strengthening the cooperation between Türkiye and the United Nations.  

NOON BRIEFING GUESTS  
Noon briefing guests today are Achim Steiner, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme, and as you heard David Gressly, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen. They will update journalists on the FSO Safer in Yemen.