HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ, DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

WEDNESDAY, 17 JUNE 2015

SPECIAL ENVOY TO SYRIA ENDS VISIT TO DAMASCUS, CONDEMNS RECENT ATTACKS BY GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION

• The Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, ended a three-day visit to Damascus, which took place in the framework of the Geneva Consultations, which are aimed at operationalising the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012.  In the course of his trip, Mr. de Mistura met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem, with the aim of listening to their views in the context of the Geneva Consultations.
• During his meetings, Mr. de Mistura also emphasised the necessity of protecting civilians.  He underlined once again that the use of barrel bombs is unacceptable, and that it is an obligation under international humanitarian law for any government, in all circumstances, to protect its civilians. 
• The Special Envoy stresses that the heavy bombings by Government forces Tuesday night on Douma, which caused significant civilian casualties, calls for a strong condemnation.  No context justifies the indiscriminate targeting of civilian areas or the use of collective punishment by a government. 
• While in Damascus, Mr. de Mistura also reaffirmed his strong condemnation of the attacks on civilians by armed opposition forces that coincided with his presence in the country, such as Monday’s attacks in Aleppo that caused significant civilian casualties and Tuesday’s mortar shelling that hit central Damascus. 
• In the course of his meetings, the Special Envoy furthermore underscored the dire humanitarian situation on the ground and he insisted on greater access to besieged areas and conflict-affected communities, particularly in light of the month of Ramadan. 
• Mr. de Mistura also met with more than 30 political parties, religious figures and civil society organisations based inside the country, to hear their views in the context of the Geneva Consultations.

SPECIAL ENVOY FOR YEMEN SAYS GENEVA TALKS ARE START TOWARDS RETURN TO POLITICAL PROCESS

• Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Special Envoy for Yemen, spoke to the press in Geneva on Tuesday night, and said that the significance of having both delegations to the Yemen consultations in Geneva should not be underestimated. He called it the important start towards the return to a political process.
• Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that, after meetings with both parties, he clearly communicated to both delegations that the number of participants should be limited to an overall number of 10 persons per delegation.
• He said that both the Yemeni and international community are looking to the Geneva consultations as a peaceful way out of the conflict and to safeguard the achievement of Yemen’s transition as set out in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) agreement and its implementation mechanism, and supported and followed by various Security Council Resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2216 and the outcome of the National Dialogue.
• He added that discussions will hopefully foster mechanisms that create confidence, increase the chances of implementation of the different Security Council Resolutions and ensure that compromises on one side will not be abused by the other.
• The Special Envoy also met on Tuesday night with members of the "Group of Sixteen plus" to brief them on the Geneva Consultations.

SPECIAL ADVISER COMMENTS LEADERS IN CYPRUS FOR COMMITMENT TO REACH A COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT

• The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, commended the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders for their strong determination and commitment to reach a comprehensive settlement as soon as possible.
• Mr. Eide’s statement follows today’s meeting between the two leaders in Cyprus. The Special Adviser added that the leaders have jointly reviewed the work achieved by their negotiators to date, including the conclusion of the baseline assessment. The leaders are now entering substantive negotiations on unresolved core issues.
• The next meeting between the leaders is expected to take place on 29 June 2015, following further negotiations between both sides. And Mr. Eide’s full statement is available online. 

TRIPOLI RESPONDS FAVOURABLY TO 8 JUNE AGREEMENT ON LIBYA, WITH TOBRUK PARLIAMENT EXPECTED TO RESPOND

• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, Bernardino León, continues to engage with the Libyan parties on the agreement he put forward for their consideration on 8 June. Discussions are continuing, and we were pleased to see that Tripoli has favourably responded to the agreement.  We expect the same from the parliament in Tobruk in the coming days.
• As the UN Mission in Libya has made clear, we believe that this agreement offers the best chance for Libya to overcome the current crisis and set a path forward for the remainder of the transition that is consistent with the goals of the 2011 revolution. We expect Libyan leaders to show the required political will and to make the necessary compromises so that this can be achieved.

GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN NEEDS INCREASE TO RECORD $18.8 BILLION

• On Tuesday, the global humanitarian overview status report was released, revealing record-high financial requirements to respond to increasing numbers of people in need.
• In six months, the required funds have increased by $2.4 billion to a record $18.8 billion to assist 78.9 million vulnerable people across 37 countries.
• As of early June, the funding gap was $14 billion.
• The UN’s Humanitarian Chief, Stephen O'Brien, said that, while donors give more generously every year, the gap between funds needed and funds provided continues to widen.
• He added that this raises questions about the ability to continue to meet the needs, especially in protracted situations where 80 per cent of the work now takes place, and where humanitarians are asked to stay longer and to do more.

SECRETARY-GENERAL: INSURANCE INDUSTRY CAN PLAY STRONG ROLE IN SHAPING MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

• This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the Global Insurance Forum. He said that as a major source of long-term investment, the insurance industry can and must play a strong role in shaping a more sustainable future.
• He urged the industry to think more strategically about how climate risks can be reduced, and to adjust their investments accordingly, as well as to work with governments, especially in developing countries, to help bring about these changes.

FORCE COMMANDERS BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS

• This morning, UN Military Commanders briefed the Security Council on protection of civilians, operational threats and other matters.
• The commanders are in New York this week for the annual conference that brings together Force Commanders of 16 field missions from 15-18 June.
• On 19 June, the military commanders will be briefing the Special Committee on Peacekeeping.

W.H.O.: CONDITIONS NOT MET FOR PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY IN REPUBLIC OF KOREA

• The Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization met today on the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the Republic of Korea.
• They concluded that the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern have not been met.
• However, the Committee noted that there are still many gaps in knowledge regarding the transmission of this virus between people, and said this outbreak was a wakeup call.
• In a highly mobile world, the Committee said that all countries should always be prepared for the unanticipated possibility of outbreaks.
• The situation highlights the need to strengthen collaboration between health and other key sectors, such as aviation, and to enhance communication processes.

DESERTIFICATION UNDERCUTS HUMAN RIGHTS, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL

• In his message for the World Day to Combat Desertification, the Secretary-General said that land degradation and desertification undercut human rights, starting with the right to food. Adding that nearly 1 billion people lack adequate nutrition today, he warns that this situation could worsen if land degradation, as projected, reduces global food production by 12 per cent by 2035.
• He urges the international community to invest in healthy soils to secure our rights to food and freshwater.