HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 5 JUNE 2017
 
SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR ACTION ON OCEANS TO PREVENT GLOBAL CATASTROPHE

• The Ocean Conference opened this morning with a traditional Fijian ceremony in the General Assembly.
• In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that the relationship we have with the oceans is under threat like never before due to pollution, overfishing and the effects of climate change, and stressed that countries must put aside short-term national gains, to prevent a long-term global catastrophe. 
• “We are here today to turn the tide. We created these problems. With decisive, coordinated global action, we can solve them,” he said.
• For his part, the President of the General Assembly, Peter Thomson, said the Conference “represents the best opportunity we will ever have to reverse the cycle of decline that human activity has brought upon the Ocean.”
• The Conference will continue until Friday, and its Spokesman, Damian Cardona, will brief reporters every day after the noon briefing on the developments and outcomes of the Conference.

• The Secretary-General said he was profoundly saddened by the sudden passing of his good colleague and friend, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). He offered sincere condolences to his family, to the staff of UNFPA, to the Government and people of Nigeria, and to all those around the world touched by this loss.
• The Secretary-General said that the world has lost a great champion of health and well-being for all. Dr. Babatunde was admired globally for his leadership of the UN Population Fund and for his forceful advocacy for the world's women and girls in particular.
• Sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights are among the most important, and often sensitive, on the international agenda; Dr. Babatunde's calm yet ardent efforts helped families get the sexual and reproductive health services they need, and helped the world advance the landmark 1994 Cairo Programme of Action on Population and Development.
• UNFPA also issued a statement, saying Dr. Babatunde’s death was a devastating loss for UNFPA and for the people. UNFPA is dedicated to continuing his grand vision for women and young people and will continue to stand up for the human rights and dignity of everyone, particularly the most vulnerable adolescent girls.

• Today is World Environment Day. The theme this year is “Connecting People to Nature” and highlights the vast benefits that clean environments provide to humanity including food security, improved health and climatic stability. The theme seeks to encourage people to “simply get back outdoors.”
• In his message, the Secretary-General said that without a healthy environment we cannot end poverty or build prosperity and stressed that we all have a role to play in protecting our only home.
• Celebrations are underway in Canada, this year’s host country, but also around the world, where thousands of people are taking part in massive clean-ups of beaches and parks, according to the UN Environment Programme. In addition, over 30 iconic landmarks are lighting up in green to mark the Day.
• And here at Headquarters, the UN Green Fair is taking place in the Visitors’ Plaza to promote ways to lead a sustainable lifestyle.

• Yesterday we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in London on Saturday.
• He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a swift recovery, and also expressed hope that those responsible for this unjustifiable violence will be quickly found and brought to justice.

• The Secretary-General met yesterday evening with the Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akıncı.
• Speaking to the press afterwards, the Secretary-General said that he and the leaders agreed on the need to reconvene the Conference on Cyprus in June, as well as that the chapter on security and guarantees is of vital importance to the two communities.
• The leaders agreed to continue in parallel the bi-communal negotiations in Geneva on all other outstanding issues, starting with territory, property and governance and power-sharing.
• The leaders and the Secretary-General agreed that all issues will be negotiated interdependently and that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, as per the joint declaration of 11 February 2014.

• Over the weekend, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, called for urgent measures to halt the cycle of violence in the country.
• He condemned Saturday’s attack on a peaceful funeral procession which reportedly killed seven people and injured dozens, and urged everyone not to respond to violence with more violence. In the context of so much suffering, now is the time to seek unity and solidarity, he said.
• Mr. Yamamoto spoke with political leaders in the country highlighting the importance of unity and has reiterated the UN’s readiness to facilitate discussions to halt the nationwide violence.

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to be deeply concerned for the safety and protection of over 400,000 men, women and children in Syria’s Raqqa governorate who continue to be exposed to daily fighting and airstrikes.
• On Saturday, 3 June, three internally displaced people, including a pregnant woman, were reportedly killed by a landmine in Atabqa city. Yesterday, airstrikes on the Mashlab neighbourhood in Raqqa city reportedly resulted in the destruction of two schools, while mortar shelling in the vicinity of another school in the city injured several people.
• The humanitarian situation in Raqqa governorate remains dire, with the majority of people having difficulty meeting their immediate needs, with reports in Raqqa city of increased shortages of food and medical supplies.
• Since March, UN agencies, through their local partners, have continued to provide assistance, including hygiene kits, nutrition, medical treatment and vaccinations throughout the governorate, including internally displaced people in camps.
• The United Nations calls for unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to the more than 4.5 million people in besieged and hard-to-reach locations.

• The UN Mission in the Central African Republic reports that yesterday the Mission deployed ground and air patrols to dissuade anti-Balaka fighters from going to Zémio in Haut-Mbomou prefecture, following reports of their mobilisation. The Mission is also intensifying efforts to promote social cohesion in the area.
• In Alindao, in Basse-Kotto prefecture, peacekeepers exchanged fire yesterday with intruders at a local internally displaced persons camp. Three suspected anti-Balaka fighters are believed to have been killed and two others were captured. Peacekeepers also seized six weapons. A similar exchange of fire took place between peacekeepers and an unidentified armed group yesterday in Bouar in Nana-Mamberé. No casualties were reported.

• UNICEF’s Representative in Iraq today said that they are receiving alarming reports of civilians, including several children, being killed in west Mosul.
• Peter Hawkins said that some were reportedly killed as they desperately tried to flee the fighting, which is intensifying by the hour.
• He stressed that children’s lives are on the line, as they are being killed, injured and used as human shields. Children are experiencing and witnessing terrible violence that no human being should ever witness. In some cases, they have been forced to participate in the fighting and violence.
• As the fighting continues, UNICEF calls on all parties in west Mosul to protect children and keep them out of harm’s way at all times, in line with their obligations under humanitarian law.

• The World Food Programme (WFP) has begun dispatching more than 2,800 metric tonnes of rice from China to support people in need of food assistance in 18 regions of Somalia. This contribution is a concrete outcome of China’s commitment to food assistance at the Belt and Road Forum held in May. The rice will feed some 223,000 people for four months.
• UNICEF is boosting its work to respond to the acute watery diarrhea and cholera outbreak which has affected more than 40,000 people, most of them children, thanks to a contribution of $4.4. million dollars from Sweden. The funding will be used to set up cholera treatment centres, with facilities for safe water and handwashing; and to conduct social mobilization and awareness raising to prevent the spread of the disease.
• In addition, UNICEF said it has been able to increase its drought response thanks to a $25.8 million contribution from the United Kingdom. The funding has helped the agency treat some 67,000 children for malnutrition, and provide more than half a million women and children with emergency health services and safe drinking water.
• However, UNICEF said its operation in Somalia still requires $55 million to carry out its work for the remainder of the year.