HOLOCAUST
This evening the Secretary-General will make remarks at the Park East Synagogue at its annual ceremony in remembrance of the Holocaust. Just as a reminder this is a virtual event.
He will warn of the resurgence of antisemitism – the oldest form of hate and prejudice – while welcoming new efforts by the General Assembly and others to clearly define and actively combat Holocaust denial. Our response to ignorance, the Secretary-General will say, must be education. We expect the remarks to be delivered around 6 pm this evening.
SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT
I have a senior appointment to tell you about. Today, the Secretary-General is announcing the appointment of Volker Türk of Austria as Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Secretary-General’s own Executive Office.
In addition to coordinating global policy work, the Secretary-General has asked Mr. Türk to focus in particular on follow-up to the ‘Our Common Agenda’ report and to continue the strategic coordination work within the Executive Office. He will ensure coherence in the analysis provided to the Secretary-General and conduct system-wide coordination, including on the Secretary-General’s ‘Call to Action for Human Rights.’ He will continue to lead the Deputies Committee and obviously the secretariat to support to the Executive Committee and the Senior Management Group, as well as coordinate closely on matters related to the Chief Executives Board.
As you know, Mr. Türk has since 2019, served as Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in the SG’s office. We congratulate our friend Volker.
BURKINA FASO
This morning, the Secretary-General reiterated his deep concern following the coup d'état in Burkina Faso. The role of the military must be to defend their countries and their people, he said, not to attack their governments and to fight for power.
He urged the armies of the region to assume their professional role of armies, to protect their countries and re-establish democratic institutions.
The Secretary-General also repeated the values of democracy do not depend on public opinion at one moment or another. Democratic societies must be preserved, he added, and military coups are unacceptable in the 21st century.
Given the situation in Burkina Faso I wanted to give you a quick reminder and update on the humanitarian situation in the country.
Currently, one-fifth of the population needs humanitarian aid, but access is hampered by insecurity.
The number of security incidents reported has risen from 211 in 2019 to nearly 1,000 in 2021.
Conflict has exposed many people’s chronic vulnerability to droughts and flooding which, combined with the effects of COVID-19, have left 2.9 million people severely food insecure during the last lean season in August of last year. The outlook for 2022 indicates that the situation is likely to get worse.
Internal displacement is another challenge. Six out of ten people displaced in the Central Sahel region are in Burkina Faso. Most of the people displaced - 83 per cent of them
– fled attacks or threats by Non-State Armed Groups.
Last year, we appealed for $607 million for the Humanitarian Response Plan, which was only 42 per cent funded.
And, finally, I just want to flag that on Thursday, Denmark, Germany, the European Union and the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are organizing a senior officials’ meeting on Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to renew commitments for the mobilization of policy and financial support for the humanitarian and resilience response in the region.
SECRETARY-GENERAL – WAR IN CITIES
This morning, the Secretary-General addressed Security Council on the Open Debate on War in Cities: Protection of Civilians in Urban Settings.
The Secretary-General told Council members that the use of explosive weapons in urban areas is a choice that carries a high risk of indiscriminate impact. He noted the effects of urban war in countries like Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria, where civilian infrastructure like hospitals and schools have been damaged, disrupting the lives of millions of people.
He also called on countries to demonstrate the political will to investigate and prosecute alleged war crimes to the maximum extent, whenever they occur.
OLYMPICS
I want to flag the Secretary-General’s call for the observance of the Olympic Truce for the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, which are starting next week in China.
The Secretary-General said that the Olympic Truce, which starts on 28 January, calls on all parties to stop hostilities throughout the course of the games. With conflict spreading and tensions rising, this appeal represents a chance to overcome differences and find paths towards lasting peace.
“As we strive to end the COVID-19 pandemic, let’s unite for a safer, more prosperous and sustainable future for all,” he said, adding that through the power of sports and the Olympic ideal, we can build a culture of peace.
And as a reminder, the Secretary-General will be heading for the opening ceremony of the games, which take place on 4 February. While in Beijing, he will also meet with the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, and Chinese authorities.
We expect him back on 6 February, a Sunday.
SYRIA
Yesterday you heard from Mark Cutts about the severe winter weather in northern Syria and its humanitarian impact. Given the urgency of the crisis, the current priority is to keep the roads open. Humanitarian partners are also targeting 10,000 households with a range of shelter, cash assistance and other aid, which needs cleared roads to get to where it’s needed most.
Heavy snowfall has led to disruptions on the cross-border transshipment operations. The UN Transshipment Hub near the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Syria-Turkey border is working every day to reschedule shipments.
YEMEN
Our colleagues, Hans Grundberg, the Special Envoy for Yemen, and David Gressley, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, said today that they are alarmed by the escalating spiral of violence that continues to harm civilians and is spilling over its borders. January will almost certainly be a record-shattering month for civilian casualties in Yemen, they warned.
They reminded the parties that being at war does not absolve them of their obligations under international humanitarian law, which strictly prohibits disproportionate attacks and requires that all feasible precautions be taken to avoid civilian harm. And they reiterated the importance of accountability for violations of international humanitarian law.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
The UN Mission in the Central African Republic reports that its Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration component inaugurated a Community Violence Reduction project in several localities in Ndele, in the Bamingui-Bangoran prefecture. The project aims to help reduce violence within the communities and provide a platform for young people, women and others for dialogue. They registered around 500 people, with more than 53 per cent of them being women.
The Mission intends to conduct several similar community projects through the year as well as income-generating activities to support communities in Ndele to foster social cohesion.
SOUTH SUDAN
From South Sudan, the UN Mission there said today that it is deeply concerned about reports of an attack in Baidit, in Jonglei State, allegedly carried out by people from the Murle community.
Reports say that, on Sunday, armed young people from the Murle community carried out attacks and cattle raids, with some 32 people from the Dinka Bor community killed, including three women killed by gunshots and three children who drowned in a river while trying to escape the violence.
The UN Mission strongly condemns any attacks on civilians and calls on all groups and people to immediately avoid further escalation. The Mission also calls on authorities to carry out timely investigations and hold the perpetrators accountable.
For its part, UNICEF spoke out against this latest attack in Jonglei, stressing that children are paying the heaviest price for the continued sub-national violence in South Sudan.
SOMALIA
Moving to Somalia. The International Organization for Migration today warned that the deteriorating drought conditions in the country could displace more than 1 million people by April if urgent action is not taken now. IOM noted that water scarcity is the worst in 40 years in some parts of the country and boreholes and shallow wells are running dry.
IOM said they’re working closely with the government, UN agencies and local partners to address the acute water needs of Internally Displaced Persons, migrants, and vulnerable groups. Water trucking, distribution of hygiene kits, and construction of boreholes and shallow wells are underway at 103 locations. IOM says ongoing interventions are expected to reach 255,000 people by the end of March.
HAITI
Just to let you know that in Haiti we are participating with the Government’s initial assessment following the earthquake in the department of Nippes – in the South-West- it was hit yesterday by two earthquakes. Our colleagues are monitoring the situation closely and remain in contact with local authorities.
HONDURAS
I was asked recently about the situation in Honduras and I can tell you the Secretary-General is following political developments in that country. He calls for constructive and peaceful dialogue to resolve differences within the framework of the constitutional process.
INDIA
In India, the UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp, continues to support authorities to curb the spread of the virus. This includes developing robust surveillance and monitoring measures, boosting lab capacity, developing response plans, procuring and distributing personal protective equipment, training health care workers, and disseminating life-saving information.
The UN team has worked to develop a comprehensive Risk Communication and Community Engagement strategy, training over 1.3 million healthcare workers in risk communications. To date, we and our partners have reached some 600 million people in India with COVID prevention and mitigation messages.
We are supporting India’s vaccination drive, which is the world’s largest.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
We want to thank four countries today. Estonia, Malta, Poland and Sweden, who have joined the Honour Roll.
