HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

FRIDAY, 3 MARCH 2017

 

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO TRAVEL TO KENYA, PLANS TO MARK INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY DURING VISIT

• On Sunday, the Secretary-General will travel to Kenya for a two-day visit. While in Kenya, the Secretary-General will meet with senior leadership of the Kenyan Government to discuss a range of regional issues.
• The Secretary-General will also participate in a number of events in the Kenyan capital to mark International Women’s Day. Prior to returning to New York, he will visit the UN Headquarters in Gigiri. 
• We expect the Secretary-General to be back in New York on Thursday.

• The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, today was in Kenya, where he visited one of the driest areas in the north and saw the devastating impacts of drought on rural communities.
• Travelling to the remote village of Bandarero in Moyale, Marsabit County, Mr. O'Brien spoke to families facing severe food insecurity. Many of them told him they had very little access to water, their livestock had perished, and their children were struggling to stay in school.
• He also visited several UN, Government and private sector-supported initiatives, including school feeding, malnutrition screening, water trucking, cash transfers and livestock support programmes.
• Mr. O’Brien stressed that the international community stands with the people of Kenya, where more than 2.7 million people are severely food insure. He added that, together, we will get through these difficult times. We must act early, together, now.
• Tomorrow, Mr. O’Brien is expected to travel to South Sudan.

• The Head of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), David Shearer, said today that South Sudan’s political leadership needs to support its own citizens, who are in desperate need across the country, and cease hostilities.
• While famine has been declared in parts of the country, humanitarian agencies and the UN, who want to reach people in need, are repeatedly refused access by local authorities. Humanitarian organizations have also been forced to leave several areas due to fighting or risk of fighting.
• Mr. Shearer deplored that it is the most vulnerable in society who are most affected by this shocking situation. He said he was alarmed at how little a response to the plight of these people has been heard from their leaders. Mr. Shearer added that those affected by the humanitarian crisis deserve protection but the constant fighting shows they are getting none.

• Our humanitarian colleagues report that the first humanitarian truck from Ibb since August 2016 arrived in Taizz city today, carrying eight tonnes of medicine and medical equipment. The distribution of the medicines to health facilities in Taizz city is expected to be conducted tomorrow. This follows the disappointing denial of the visit of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, to Taizz city on 28 February. 
• Parties to the conflict are reminded of their responsibility to respect humanitarian and international humanitarian law, including the provision of timely, full and unimpeded humanitarian access.

• The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched a $24.6 million dollar appeal to help more than a million Somalis affected by drought.  The funding would be aimed at scaling up life-saving interventions throughout the country.
• IOM says that an increasing number of Somalis are being forced to relocate in search of food and water. Without assistance, many will face malnutrition, as well as increased risk of disease and even death.

• The Secretary-General has appointed Major General Jean-Paul Deconinck of Belgium as the Force Commander of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA.
• Major General Deconinck succeeds Major General Michael Lollesgaard of Denmark, who completed his tour of duty on 31 December 2016. The Secretary-General is grateful for his dedicated and exemplary service during his tenure with MINUSMA.
• Major General Deconinck brings to this position 38 years of national and international military experience with the Belgian Army. Most recently he has served as Commander Land Forces of the Belgian Armed Forces since September 2014.

• The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said today that internal displacement in Mali can be resolved by the end of 2017, but only if there is no resurgence of communal violence or armed conflict.
• IOM is calling on all groups in Mali to help foster stability and peace to avoid further displacement and encourage the return home of those still displaced. There are currently 44,762 people internally displaced in the country.

• The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, Espen Barth Eide, met the Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades today, and he will meet the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, tomorrow.
• Mr. Eide is discussing the current status of the Cyprus talks and how to move the process forward with both leaders. The UN remains committed to facilitating the leaders' efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement as soon as possible.

• A new report by the UN Human Rights Office finds that the slow pace of transitional justice in Sri Lanka and the lack of a comprehensive strategy to address accountability for past crimes risk derailing the momentum towards lasting peace, reconciliation and stability.
• The report was mandated by the Human Rights Council to assess progress made in tackling the legacy of grave violations in Sri Lanka between 2002 and 2011.
• It notes that progress has been made on human rights and constitutional reform and the Government’s constructive engagement with the UN’s human rights bodies, marking a discernible change in policy.
• The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said that in many ways, Sri Lanka appears to be turning a corner on the promotion and protection of human rights, but he stressed that hard-won gains could prove illusory if they are not tethered to a comprehensive, robust strategy.
• He stressed that this critical opportunity in Sri Lankan history cannot be missed, urging the Government and people of Sri Lanka to prioritize justice alongside reconciliation to ensure that the horrors of the past are firmly dealt with, never to recur.

• We are closely following the recent developments in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and in the Western Balkans in general.
• While the formation of a government is an internal matter, we encourage all political parties to uphold constitutional standards and the rule of law.
• We hope that countries of the region will continue to prioritize progress towards achieving high standards of democracy, rule of law, and economic welfare for their populations.

• Today is World Hearing Day, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is using the occasion to draw attention to the 360 million people worldwide with disabling hearing loss.
• WHO says that hearing loss not only has a significant impact on the lives of those affected, but also poses high costs for the global economy.
• According to WHO’s estimates, some $750 billion dollars is lost annually due to unaddressed hearing loss.

• Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed delivered remarks earlier this morning at the General Assembly event marking World Wildlife Day.
• In her remarks, Ms. Mohammed noted that over the past four decades, the planet has lost as much as 50 per cent of its wild animals and plants due to climate change, habitat loss, over-exploitation, poaching and illicit trafficking.
• To combat the poaching and trafficking of protected species the international community must address both supply and demand, she stressed.