HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

THURSDAY, 11 JUNE 2015

SECRETARY-GENERAL TRAVELS TO OSH, EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH VICTIMS OF TRAGIC EVENTS IN KYRGYZSTAN

• The Secretary-General was in Kyrgyzstan today, where he attended the opening of the International Conference on the “Development of Parliamentarianism.” He then met with President Atambaev. Speaking to reporters together, the Secretary-General said since his last visit to the country in 2010, a time of high tension, Kyrgyzstan has made great progress.  He also stressed the pivotal role of civil society, independent media and human rights defenders.  He also met with the Speaker of Parliament and with women members of Parliament.
• The Secretary-General also visited the city of Osh, together with the Prime Minister.  Speaking to reporters with the Prime Minister at a wreath-laying ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the tragic events in Kyrgyzstan, the Secretary-General acknowledged the efforts of the Kyrgyz authorities to tackle the many challenges they face.  But foremost in his mind, he said, were his deepest feelings of regret and solidarity for the victims and their relatives, in particular women and children, still waiting for justice.
• In Osh, he also met with civil society representatives and local authorities. The number of registered civil society organizations in this country runs into the thousands, he said. He added that this was a healthy sign, setting Kyrgyzstan apart, while attesting to the openness and democratic space of the country. 
• The Secretary-General later travelled to Uzbekistan, the next leg of his visit to Central Asia.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO ATTEND AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT IN JOHANNESBURG

• On Friday, 12 June, the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, to represent the Secretary-General at the 25^th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit, which will take place on 14-15 June.
• On Saturday, the Deputy Secretary-General will participate in the Meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council. During his visit, he will meet with officials of the African Union Commission, as well as Heads of Delegations of Member States attending the Summit.

SAID DJINNIT FNISHES WORK AS FACILITATOR FOR BURUNDI DIALOGUE

• Said Djinnit has left his work as facilitator for the dialogue in Burundi, but will remain Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region.
• The United Nations will consult with leaders of the Great Lakes Region, the African Union Commission, the East African Community as well as the International Conference on the Great Lakes to see how best the United Nations can continue supporting international efforts to encourage political dialogue among Burundian stakeholders. 
• The United Nations believes this will be the subject of discussion at the ongoing African Union summit. It will have more clarity on the situation, including on the role of facilitator, after these consultations.

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON CONTINUING TENSIONS IN CENTRAL AFRICA

• The Security Council heard a briefing this morning by Abdoulaye Bathily, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa.
• Mr. Bathily stressed that the political and security situation in the sub region remained marked by pre-electoral tensions, worsening economic conditions and the activities of armed groups, such as Boko Haram and the Lord’s Resistance Army.
• On the Central African Republic (CAR), he said that moving forward, it will be critical to capitalize on the momentum generated by the Bangui Forum and to mobilise the required resources.
• On Boko Haram, he stressed that the threat remained for the Lake Chad Basin region, with a dire humanitarian situation also affecting hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians in Cameroon and Chad.
• Insecurity and insufficient resources continue to strain the already stretched response capacities and while the fight against Boko Haram is not over, we must start looking ahead to the stabilization phase in order to secure the military gains, Mr. Bathily told the Council.

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME WARNS IT MAY NEED TO CUT FOOD RATIONS IN KENYA

• The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that starting next Monday, half a million refugees in Dadaab and Kakuma camps in Kenya will receive 30 per cent less food due to shortage of funds for relief operations.
• The agency is reducing the size of rations as the only way to make its supplies last longer. It expects ration cuts to continue at least through September, unless new funds become available very quickly.
• WFP is currently struggling to raise $39.4 million to cover shortfalls through January next year, of which $12.4 million is urgently required to avoid a critical food gap in August and September.
• The agency continues to appeal to the international community to support its efforts. Last year in November, WFP was forced to cut rations by half, but new funding helped to reduce the size of the cut and eventually resume distribution of full rations.

U.N. MIDDLE EAST ENVOY WELCOMES DECISION TO OPEN RAFAH CROSSING

• Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, welcomes Egypt’s decision to open the Rafah crossing from 13 to 15 June in both directions, following consultations between President Abbas and the Egyptian authorities.
• He hopes that the security conditions will allow for this decision to be extended and that Rafah can be open on a regular basis. The need for the full lifting of all closures remains. A sustainable solution to address the situation also requires the return of control of the crossings in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority.
• Mr. Mladenov said that a permanent end to the suffering of the Palestinian people can only be achieved through an end to occupation and realization of the two-state solution, in which Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian State.

U.N. WELCOMES KUWAIT’S PLEDGES FOR AID TO IRAQ AND YEMEN

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today welcomed the announcement of an allocation of $200 million from Kuwait to help alleviate the suffering of people in Iraq.
• Kuwait also announced a decision to allocate $100 million to help the people of Yemen.
• The details about how the generous donations will be distributed are being discussed currently with Kuwait.

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER REGRETS SURGE IN EXECUTIONS IN PAKISTAN

• The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, expressed deep regret today that Pakistan has executed more than 150 people, including juvenile offenders, since it cancelled its moratorium on the death penalty in the aftermath of the Peshawar school attack in December.
• The High Commissioner said that the execution on Wednesday of Aftab Bahadur suggests a very troubling approach to the use of the death penalty in the country.  Aftab Bahadur was only 15 when he was convicted of a murder 23 years ago, and his claims that he was tortured into confessing were not listened to.
• High Commissioner Zeid said he was very disturbed that the response of the Pakistani authorities has been to execute just as many people in the six months that have passed since the massacre as died during the Peshawar attack.
• Pakistan has gone from zero to 154 executions in just six months, making it the third most prolific executioner in the world, according to the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER IS CLOSELY FOLLOWING SITUATION IN VENEZUELA

• A day after a hunger strike of Venezuelan students in front of the Secretariat building, staff from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights met with the students and the High Commissioner for Human Rights was then briefed on the reasons for their action.
• The High Commissioner conveyed to the students that he is closely following the human rights situation in Venezuela and that he is seriously concerned about the legality and conditions of those who are being detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful right to assembly.
• The High Commissioner added that he intends to continue his advocacy for the protection and promotion of human rights in Venezuela.

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS NEW DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

• The Secretary-General is announcing today the appointment of Kelly T. Clements of the United States as Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees.
• Ms. Clements will succeed T. Alexander Aleinikoff, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedicated service and commitment to the work of UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
• Most recently, Ms. Clements has served as United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

• In response to an earlier question about a breakdown of civilian casualties in Yemen, the Spokesman noted that the Human Rights Office says that at least 1,037 civilians, including 130 women and 234 children, lost their lives in Yemen between 26 March and 20 May, while at least another 2,453 civilians have been wounded.
• Sunday is World Blood Donor Day – and ahead of that day, the World Health Organization is calling for increased regular blood donations from voluntary, unpaid donors. In 2012, almost half of the blood donations worldwide were collected in high-income countries, home to just 15% of the world’s population.