SECURITY COUNCIL 
This morning, the Security Council held an open meeting on Ukraine. The Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, said that in all his contacts, the Secretary-General has unequivocally supported the ongoing diplomatic efforts on Ukraine at all levels. Still, she said, we remain greatly concerned that, even as these efforts continue, tensions keep escalating amid a dangerous military build-up in the heart of Europe. 
Ms. DiCarlo stressed that the Secretary-General has made clear that there can be no alternative to diplomacy and dialogue to deal with the complex and long-standing security concerns and threat perceptions that have been raised. She said that we welcome the steps taken so far by all involved to maintain dialogue and that we urge and expect all actors to build on these efforts and to remain focused on pursuing diplomatic solutions by engaging in good faith. 
Ms. DiCarlo emphasized that the UN agencies in Ukraine are committed to continue delivering on their mandates. She said that unimpeded humanitarian access must be respected, under any circumstances, to provide support to the 2.9 million people in need of assistance, with the majority in non-government-controlled areas. 

MYANMAR/SECRETARY-GENERAL 
On Myanmar, you will have seen the Secretary-General’s statement from yesterday, which noted that tomorrow, February 1st, marks one year since Myanmar’s military overturned the democratically elected civilian Government and arbitrarily detained members of Government, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.  
The Secretary-General stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations for an inclusive society and the protection of all communities, including the Rohingya. 
In the past year, there has been an intensification in violence, a deepening of the human rights and humanitarian crises and a rapid rise of poverty in Myanmar.  
The multiple vulnerabilities of all people across Myanmar and its regional implications require an urgent response.  
Access to people in need is critically important for the United Nations and partners to continue to deliver on the ground. Armed forces and all stakeholders must respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. The people of Myanmar need to see concrete results. And you heard what Noeleen Heyzer had to say on this as well. 
 
MYANMAR/HUMANITARIAN  
Also on Myanmar, the 2022 Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan is requesting a record $826 million to reach an unprecedented 6.2 million women, children and men, out of a total of 14.4 million people in need in the country.  
The new Plan reflects the political, human rights and humanitarian crisis that is now touching all corners of the country, posing grave protection risks for civilians, limiting access to services and leading to greater food insecurity. 

BURKINA FASO
On Burkina Faso, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, has begun a joint assessment mission in Burkina Faso. He arrived in the country yesterday and is now with an ECOWAS delegation, led by Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana and President of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers. 
The joint delegation will have meetings with military leaders, as well as various Burkinabé stakeholders. 

TONGA 
Our UN teams based there and in Fiji continue to support the recovery after the massive volcanic eruption earlier this month which affected more than 80 per cent of Tonga’s population. 
On the main island of Tongatapu, 90 per cent of power has been restored and efforts continue to clean up ash and to distribute aid to people in need. 
The damage to the underwater communications cable is greater than estimated, with repairs to communications expected to take longer than originally anticipated. Work continues to repair communications on the islands as well. The UN is providing satellite phones to allow Government staff to communicate. 
More than 1,500 people remain displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration. 
UNICEF is shipping sanitation supplies, such as latrines, to help more than 1,000 families, from Fiji to Tonga.  
The World Health Organization is working with the Government and partners on psychosocial health, water and air safety, while the World Food Programme is assisting on the food front. 

WOMEN IN PEACE OPERATIONS 
The Elsie Initiative Fund for Women in Peace Operations announced today that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon will be the first UN field mission to receive funding to create an enabling and inclusive environment for women peacekeepers.  
The Fund was jointly established by the UN and Canada in 2019. The secretariat is within UN Women. $30 million have been raised so far. 
UNIFIL will receive a $357,000 grant to build gender-sensitive accommodation and working conditions for women peacekeepers from the Ghanaian battalion. It will also enable the peacekeeping mission to attain gender parity and equality.  
With this project, UNIFIL seeks to support troop and police contributing countries to achieve the gender targets set in the UN’s Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy 2018-2028. 
 
HONOUR ROLL 
We round out the month with another full payment to the regular budget, this time from Georgia, which we thank very much. To date, 38 Member States are inscribed on the Honour Roll.  
  
HYBRID PRESS BRIEFING TOMORROW 
Tomorrow at 1 pm, the President of the Security Council for February, Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia of the Russian Federation, will be here to brief on the Council’s programme of work for the month of February.