HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,

SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

MONDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2014

DECISIONS IN PERU TO LEAD TO MEANINGFUL AGREEMENT IN 2015 SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL

• In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General welcomed the outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference that wrapped up in Lima. He congratulated Peru for successfully hosting the Conference.
• The Secretary-General said that the decisions adopted in Lima, including the Lima Call for Climate Action, pave the way for the adoption of a universal and meaningful agreement in 2015.
• He urged all Parties, at their first meeting in February next year, to enter into substantive negotiations on the draft text of the 2015 agreement coming from the Conference.
• He called on all Parties, especially the major economies, to submit their ambitious national commitments well in advance of next year’s Climate Change Conference in Paris.

SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES DISMAY AT LACK OF PEACE AGREEMENT IN SOUTH SUDAN, ONE YEAR AFTER START OF CONFLICT

• Today marks the one year anniversary since conflict broke out in South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation and the newest member of the UN.
• In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General expressed dismayed and sadness that the parties have yet to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. The leaders of South Sudan have allowed their personal ambitions to jeopardize the future of an entire nation.
• He called once again on the leadership of both sides to agree to an inclusive, power sharing arrangement to begin a transitional phase of governance that will address both the root causes of the conflict and ensure accountability for the crimes committed over the past year.
• The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, added his own words and highlighted the “dreadful” situation of civilians in South Sudan.
• He said they are victims of targeted killings, looting and violence, and have been surviving in increasingly desperate living conditions since the conflict broke out a year ago today.

U.N. NOTES CONTRAINTS ON LEBANON, SAYS DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL DURING VISIT

• The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, is in Lebanon, where he and Prime Minister Tamam Salam will meet today for the launch of the Lebanese Crisis Response Plan, which is designed to support Syrian refugees and the Lebanese communities that are hosting them.
• Mr. Eliasson earlier today met in Beirut with the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri. 
• Speaking to the press afterwards, he noted that the country has more than a million refugees and said that the UN understands the strains that are being placed on Lebanese communities.
• He told the Lebanese people that the UN will stand by them, saying, “You have been brave, you have been courageous and we will be at your side.”

U.N. ENVOY FOR SYRIA STRESSES NEED FOR FREEZE OF HOSTILITIES IN ALEPPO

• Staffan de Mistura, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, participated yesterday in a meeting in Brussels upon the invitation of the European Union.
• He provided an update on the latest consultations and meetings to advance the freeze of hostilities in Aleppo. He is currently traveling to the region to discuss that further.
• His deputy, Ramzy Ezzedin Ramzy, arrived in Damascus over the weekend to discuss the freeze with Syrian officials.

TIME TO RETURN TO NEGOTIATIONS URGES U.N. ENVOY IN MIDDLE EAST

• The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, briefed the Security Council on the region today and said that now is the time to deescalate and refrain from provocative steps, re-build trust and set conditions for a return to negotiations that will resolve the conflict.
• He noted that Israelis and Palestinians still demand an end to the conflict despite their strong malaise on the peace process itself.
• Mr. Serry also described the situation in Gaza, warning that the area can now go both ways. He said that we have the opportunity to make advances, but if critical issues remain unresolved, he fears that we may be heading towards another implosion with dire consequences.

FIVE MILLION PEOPLE FACE MOUNTING HARDSHIP, LATEST REPORT ON UKRAINE

• The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released its 8^th report from the Monitoring Mission in Ukraine today.
• As winter approaches, more than five million people living in conflict-affected of Ukraine are facing mounting hardship, with some struggling to survive. 
• The report adds that the breakdown in law and order, as well as the fighting in the eastern regions has had a direct impact on all fundamental human rights. These include the security, liberty and well-being of individuals living there.
• High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said that the conflict is in its ninth month and the situation is becoming increasingly dire for the population living in the east.
• The report covers the month of November and details how significant damage to infrastructure, economic breakdown, and the disruption of social and medical services are particularly affecting the most vulnerable.

CONGO: IMPLEMENTATION OF NAIROBI DECLARATIONS REMAINS SLOW

• One year ago, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the M23 rebel group signed two Declarations in Nairobi committing to immediate steps to find lasting solutions to end the conflict.
• The consensus reached during the peace talks included amnesty and repatriation for eligible members of the ex-M23, as well as commitments to continue work towards the return of refugees and internally displaced people, national reconciliation and justice, as well as social, security and economic reforms.
• In a joint statement to mark the one-year anniversary, the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Said Djinnit, the Head of the UN Mission Martin Kobler and the Special Envoys for the region from the African Union, the European Union, the United States and Belgium noted with concern that the overall implementation of the accord is slow.
• The Envoys called on the governments of the DRC, Uganda and Rwanda to strengthen their collaborations and speed up the repatriation to DRC of all eligible ex-M23 combatants, as well as their dependents.

HEAD OF PEACEKEEPING ATTENDS REGIONAL MEETING IN DAKAR

• The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, in Dakar, Senegal,  to take part in the International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa.

U.N. RELEASES LATEST YEARBOOK

• The latest addition of the UN Yearbook (2010) was released today.
• Print copies are available in the UN bookshop and in libraries around the world.