HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2021
AFRICAN UNION/UN CONFERENCE
Tomorrow, the fifth African Union – United Nations Conference will take place here, at the Secretariat.
This is an annual meeting during which we discuss several areas of our cooperation with the African Union, and you know, there are quite a bit of those areas of cooperation.
There will be discussions on the pandemic’s impact on the African continent, climate, as well as the situation in the Horn of Africa, Libya, the Sahel and other areas of concern.
At 1:00 p.m., in the press briefing room, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, will join the Secretary-General to answer journalists’ questions.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/G77
This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at a meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Group of 77 and China, which he called a steadfast supporter of multilateralism and the United Nations. He said their founding principles of unity, complementarity, cooperation and solidarity are especially relevant in these times of crisis.
The Secretary-General said that vaccine inequality and lack of solidarity is entrenching many other inequalities and injustices between countries and regions, between rich and poor, and between the global North and the global South. He pointed to the extremely uneven pace of recovery, which can have terrible consequences.
Beyond universal access to COVID-19 vaccines, the Secretary-General said that we must provide developing countries with the liquidity they need so that they can invest in a sustainable recovery, restart their economies and restore their vibrant societies.
He also said that, even before the pandemic, our world was far off track to meet the commitments of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, calling for intensified efforts to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals.
PLANET BUDAPEST SUSTAINABILITY EXPO
Also today, the Secretary-General spoke in a video message to the Planet Budapest Sustainability Expo and Summit.
He said that as we’re reeling from COVID-19 and careening towards climate catastrophe, we must all act with greater ambition and urgency. The pandemic must be the wake-up call to jolt us into bold action – not simply to reset, but to transform, he said.
Investment in recovery is a generational opportunity to put climate action, sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, and a new social contract at the heart of our strategies and policies.
He underscores that we need a recovery that is transformative, inclusive, and sustainable.
Governments are in the driving seat, but all of us – the private sector, civil society, cities and academia – must step up.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
This evening, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, will depart to Nigeria, where she will have meetings with senior Government officials, the UN Global Compact private sector network, as well as the UN team on the ground. She will discuss a number of development issues, including acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals and climate change.
MIDDLE EAST
Tor Wennesland, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the Security Council this morning that we face a series of heightened and interrelated risks across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
He said that in the West Bank, a severe fiscal and economic crisis is threatening the stability of Palestinian institutions. Meanwhile, in Gaza, the fragile cessation of hostilities continues to hold, but further steps are needed by all parties to ensure a sustainable solution that ultimately enables a return of legitimate Palestinian Government institutions to the Strip.
Mr. Wennesland said that it is essential that the parties avoid unilateral steps, reduce flashpoints and violence across the occupied Palestinian territory, solidify the cessation of hostilities, and support economic development in the Gaza Strip.
AFGHANISTAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affair (OCHA) today said that temperatures have already dipped below zero in the country and people are in need of winter clothing, emergency shelter, heating and fuel, as well as rental support.
Recently, the UN distributed winterization assistance to 32,200 people in Kunar, Nangarhar and Nuristan provinces, and partners are also responding.
Yesterday, the UN launched a distribution of cash assistance in Jawzjan Province. The distribution covers 1,750 people, with a focus on internally displaced and drought-affected people, returnees, vulnerable communities, and female-headed households, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
The 2021 Afghanistan Flash Appeal, seeking $606 million, is 112 per cent funded. While the Humanitarian Response Plan, the broader plan, seeking $869 million, is 84 per cent funded.
OCHA is grateful for the generous contributions by the donor community. However, all financial commitments have not been translated into actions on the ground due to financial system challenges amid the cash and liquidity crisis.
SOUTH SUDAN
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) today said that they are responding to the worst floods in the last six decades in Unity State. This flooding has led to many people being displaced.
Heavy rains this weekend have made the main road linking the city of Bentiu to the airport and the UN Mission’s base impassable. The Mission’s engineering contingent, with the help of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), immediately deployed heavy equipment and water pumps.
In Bentiu, the Mission also organized a forum to promote the global 16 Days of Activism campaign against gender-based violence. More than 100 women leaders, community and traditional leaders, as well as youth representatives took part in the event designed to encourage people to speak up and take action against gender-based violence.
ETHIOPIA
From Ethiopia, the World Food Programme (WFP) today said that four convoys carrying humanitarian aid have arrived in Mekelle, in Tigray, since November 25th. More than 150 trucks have arrived so far, with WFP sending in more daily to meet the overwhelming needs of the 5.2 million people in Tigray.
As you’ll recall, all roads into Tigray had been closed for nearly a month due to clashes and lack of the appropriate clearances.
In Amhara, WFP has delivered food to 100,000 people in the towns of Dessie and Kombolcha in the past week. These are the first distributions in these towns in nearly one month. WFP and its partners will deliver aid food to more than 450,000 people there in the next two weeks.
WFP stresses that the humanitarian response in Ethiopia continues to be threatened by insecurity, impeded road and air access, and a lack of fuel and cash. It calls on authorities to facilitate even more the movement of supplies across battle lines and to allow access to those in need wherever and whenever needed.
WFP has more than 67,000 metric tons, that is about 1,700 truckloads of supplies stored in northern Ethiopia.
This is more than enough food to meet the needs of 3.7 million people for two months, but they are hampered by the lack of fuel and access to people in need.
UKRAINE
The Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Osnat Lubrani, today launched the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan in a call to alleviate the suffering of 2.9 million conflict-weary people in eastern part of Ukraine. The Plan seeks $190 million to provide humanitarian aid and protection to 1.8 million of the most vulnerable in 2022.
The Plan encompasses different sectors, including education, food, health, protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene.
Since 2014 the UN, along with its partners, have been working in eastern Ukraine to provide relief and protection assistance worth more than $1.3 billion and reaching more than one million people on both sides of the “contact line” annually. The number of people who received assistance and protection services during the first nine months of 2021 is already more than 1.5 million. This is the highest level since 2017.
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR ALL VICTIMS OF CHEMICAL WARFARE
Today is the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare. In his message for the Day, the Secretary-General says that this is an occasion to pay tribute to those who lost their lives or suffered from these heinous weapons; to assess our progress in preventing their use; and to renew our commitment to achieving a world free of chemical weapons.
Any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable and a clear violation of international law.
The only appropriate tribute to the victims of chemical warfare is to rid the world of chemical weapons once and for all.
HYBRID BRIEFING TOMORROW
Tomorrow, at 2:00 p.m., Ambassador Abdou Abarry, Permanent Representative of Niger to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of December will brief journalists on the Council’s programme for the month. The briefing will also have interpretation.
