HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
THURSDAY, 9 MARCH 2017
SECRETARY-GENERAL RELEASES REPORT TO IMPROVE PROTECTION FROM SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE
- The Secretary-General today released his report, Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: A New Approach, for consideration by the General Assembly. The report outlines a victim-centered strategy rooted in transparency, accountability and ensuring justice. It focuses on four main areas:
- Putting the rights and dignity of victims of sexual exploitation and abuse at the forefront of our efforts;
- Establishing greater transparency on reporting and investigations in an effort to end impunity for those guilty of sexual exploitation and abuse;
- Building a truly multi-stakeholder network to support the UN effort to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse; and
- Raising awareness and sharing best practices to end this scourge.
- In addition, the Secretary-General is convinced that increasing the number of women throughout UN activities, including service as uniformed peacekeepers, would help advance the UN efforts to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse. And the Secretary-General’s new approach to combat sexual exploitation and abuse also seeks to build a strong partnership with Member States and stamping out this scourge will require all relevant actors to find strength in unity. The Secretary-General calls on all parties to deliver on these goals together.
- In a video message today, the Secretary-General says, “Let us declare in one voice: We will not tolerate anyone committing or condoning sexual exploitation and abuse. We will not let anyone cover up these crimes with the UN flag. Every victim deserves justice and our full support. Together, let us deliver on that promise.”
CRISIS IN LAKE CHAD REGION DEMONSTRATES COMPLEX NATURE OF MODERN CHALLENGES: DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
- Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed spoke to the Security Council this morning at a meeting on its recent mission to the Lake Chad region. Council members spent nearly a week earlier this month visiting the Lake Chad area, including stops in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.
- The Deputy Secretary-General told the Council that the Lake Chad crisis provides a powerful illustration of the complex, multidimensional challenges that are facing our modern world. A successful response requires mobilizing our assets holistically.
- She went on to say that the UN’s response to the troubled region was focused on six main pillars of engagement; including political, humanitarian assistance, human rights, recovery and development, justice, law enforcement and terrorism financing.
- The Security Council was also briefed this morning by the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Burundi, Jamal Benomar. In his remarks, Mr. Benomar highlighted that that human rights situation in the country remains extremely worrying, while the humanitarian situation also continues to deteriorate. He went on to note that nearly two years after the crisis in the country began, the political impasse not only continues, but has actually deepened.
FORMER U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF NAMED TO NEW SENIOR POST FOR INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION
- Today, the Secretary-General is announcing the appointment of Louise Arbour of Canada as his Special Representative for International Migration.
- The Special Representative will lead the follow-up to the migration-related aspects of the 19 September 2016 High-level Summit to address large movements of refugees and migrants. Ms. Arbour will work with Member States, in partnership with other stakeholders, as they develop a first-ever global compact on safe, orderly and regular migration. She will lead the United Nations advocacy efforts on international migration, provide policy advice and coordinate the engagement of United Nations entities on migration issues, particularly in implementing the migration-related components of the New York Declaration.
- Ms. Arbour has a long and distinguished career in international affairs. She previously served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and as a Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. She is a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and of the Court of Appeal for Ontario. From 2009 to 2014, Ms. Arbour was the President and CEO of the International Crisis Group.
- The Secretary-General would like to thank for their dedicated service and effective leadership Mr. Peter Sutherland of Ireland, who served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Migration for over 11 years from January 2006; Ms. Karen AbuZayd of the United States, who served as Special Adviser on the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants; and Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu of Japan, who has been serving as Special Adviser ad interim on the follow-up to the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants since November 2016.
U.N. AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES ALARMED BY ESCALATION OF FIGHTING IN DERA’A, SYRIA
- The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is alarmed by the escalation of violence in Dera’a Governorate, south of the Syrian capital, Damascus.
- Fighting among parties to the conflict in the area is causing the displacement of Palestine refugees, impeding humanitarian access to critical aid and has resulted in the deaths of Palestine refugees in recent weeks.
HUMANITARIAN AID DELIVERED TO IRAQ’S WESTERN MOSUL – U.N.
- Humanitarian workers were able to distribute aid in newly retaken areas inside western Mosul for the second time on Wednesday. Emergency packages of food rations, water, and essential hygiene supplies were provided to more than 5,000 people in a south-western neighbourhood. Further such distributions are planned to assist the very vulnerable families in this area.
- Casualty figures and civilian displacement continue to rise rapidly. More than 57,000 people have been displaced from the area since military operations intensified on 19 February, with approximately 3,500 people in the last 24 hours. Also since 19 February, more than 700 people have been treated for trauma injuries at trauma stabilisation points just outside of Mosul city.
U.N. YEMEN ENVOY ARRIVES IN SAUDI ARABIA
- The UN Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to meet with Yemeni and Saudi officials to discuss a political solution to the conflict.
YOUNG WOMEN SCIENTISTS RECOGNIZED BY U.N.E.S.C.O.-BACKED AWARD
- Fifteen outstanding young women researchers have been named as the recipients of this year’s International Rising Talent fellowships as part of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science awards.
- These women were selected from more than 250 candidates and they come from all corners of the world.
- Their work spans topics such as comas, Alzheimer’s, neurodegenerative diseases, electronics, radiation and animal biodiversity.
