HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 11 JULY 2017
 
POLITICAL PARTIES IN DR CONGO AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS MUST BE MOBILIZED TO PUT AGREEMENT BACK ON TRACK – U.N. OFFICIAL

• The Head of the Peacekeeping Department, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, briefed the Security Council on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• He said that it was more necessary than ever for the national political parties and international partners to be mobilized in order to put the 31 December 2016 Agreement back on track.
• On the security front, he noted that instability persists in a number of areas in the East and in the West, with the violence in the Kasaï provinces reaching disturbing levels.
• In response to these developments in the Kasaï provinces, MONUSCO has established small and mobile presences in various locations, to help protect civilians. However, despite these efforts, disturbing reports of human rights violations and abuses continue to be received on a daily basis.
• Mr. Lacroix said that in the current financial context, it will be critical to ensure that the Mission make the best possible use of the resources placed at its disposal by focusing on a limited set of key priorities. The strategic review of the Mission is underway and the Council will be presented with options as requested by 30 September.  

 

• In a statement, the Secretary-General welcomed the establishment of a new UN political mission in Colombia.
• It is tasked with verifying the commitments in the Peace Agreement relating to the reintegration of FARC-EP and the implementation of security guarantees for the group and conflict-affected communities.
• The UN Verification Mission in Colombia will begin its activities on 26 September.

 

• Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, the largest atrocity on European soil since the founding of the United Nations.
• In a statement by the Secretary-General, he said: “We remember and honour the thousands of men and boys who were slaughtered, and express our solidarity with the families and friends of those whose lives were taken.”
• The terrible events that occurred at Srebrenica in July 1995 are historical facts and have been documented extensively. Both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Court of Justice have concluded that the acts committed at Srebrenica constituted genocide.  
• To help prevent future such atrocities, we must look honestly at the past, and acknowledge that these crimes occurred and our roles in allowing them to occur.

 

• The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said today that the retaking of Mosul from Da’esh by Iraqi Government forces, supported by their International Coalition partners, marks a significant turning point in the conflict. But he added that Iraq faces a series of human rights challenges which, if left unaddressed, are likely to spark further violence and civilian suffering.
• With Mosul now reclaimed, the extent of Da’esh’s violations and abuses has become even more evident. Information gathered by the UN Human Rights Office strongly suggests that international crimes may have been perpetrated by Da’esh during the three years that the group was in control not only of Mosul but of large areas of Iraq.
• Horrific though the group’s crimes are, there is no place for vengeance, the High Commissioner said.  As soon as practicable after re-taking of areas from Da’esh, he added, the Iraqi Government should ensure that responsibility for law and order is restored to civilian control and that the human rights and basic humanitarian needs of civilians in those areas are met.

 

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that over the last three days, the water situation in the Syrian city of Menbij and the surrounding area has improved after the water department managed to finalise some maintenance work and found a new temporary system for water distribution.  Throughout Syria, 51 per cent of the population does not have regular access to the public water network – with high regional variations.
• Meanwhile, the UN continues to be deeply concerned for the safety and protection of thousands of civilians trapped inside Raqqa, as fighting and military operations in the area continue.  As fighting intensifies, airstrikes are reportedly resulting in death and injury of civilians and hindering civilian movement out of the city.

 

• The UN Country Team in the occupied Palestinian territory released a report today that says that real GDP per capita in Gaza has decreased over the past decade, while the provision of health services has continued to decline, and the demand for additional health clinics, doctors, and hospital beds has not been met. Thanks in large part to the scale of services provided by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Gaza has maintained high education standards but average daily classroom time for students remains as low as four hours.
• The report calls on Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the international community to take action towards more sustainable development investments, reinvigoration of Gaza’s productive sectors, improvement of freedom of movement for both people and goods, as well as respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. Humanitarian Coordinator Robert Piper warns that the alternative will be a Gaza that is more isolated and more desperate.

 

• According to a report released today by the UN Migration Agency (IOM), only 23 million people representing less than 0.5 per cent of adults worldwide are actively preparing to migrate abroad.
• The countries with the highest number of adults planning to migrate abroad are Nigeria, India and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the most popular destination for those planning to migrate is the US followed by the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, France, Canada, Germany and South Africa.
• Adults planning to migrate are generally male, young, single, living in urban areas and more likely to have completed at least secondary education.

 

• UNEP has launched a partnership with eleven of the world’s leading banks to promote climate transparency in financial markets.
• The banks have committed to develop analytical tools and indicators to strengthen their assessment and disclosure of climate-related risks as well as opportunities. The data obtained will be made available to companies, investors, lenders and insurers with the aim of boosting climate-friendly investments.

 

• Today is World Population Day. This year’s theme is “Family planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations.”
• In London, representatives from at least 37 countries, as well as businesses and civil society are gathered at the Family Planning Summit, which is co-hosted by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed was also in attendance.
• In a statement, the Acting Executive Director of UNFPA Dr. Natalia Kanem noted that since its creation 50 years ago, the UNFPA has contributed to near doubling the use of modern contraceptives worldwide, from 36 per cent in 1970 to 64 per cent in 2016.
• She added that despite this dramatic progress, enormous challenges remain: some 214 million women in developing countries lack modern family planning, and fulfilling their demand would save lives by averting 67 million unintended pregnancies and reducing by one third the estimated 303,000 maternal deaths that occur every year.

 

• Regarding a previously asked question on settlements, the UN has seen the reports about the advancement of plans for a large number of housing units in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, which is alarming. The UN is also deeply concerned that the Jerusalem District Planning Committee is reportedly set to discuss plans for additional units in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, some of which may entail evicting current Palestinian residents. Once again, we condemn all unilateral actions that threaten peace and undermine the two-state solution.