Noon briefing of 22 March 2016

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

TUESDAY, 22 MARCH 2016

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS TERRORIST BOMBINGS IN BRUSSELS

• The Secretary-General strongly condemned the terrorist bombings today in Brussels.
• He extended his heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families, and expressed his solidarity with the people and Government of Belgium.
• The despicable attacks today struck at the heart of Belgium and the centre of the European Union, said the Secretary-General.
• The Secretary-General hopes those responsible will be swiftly brought to justice.
• He is confident that Belgium9;s and Europe’s commitment to human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence will continue to be the true and lasting response to the hatred and violence of which they became a victim today.

U.N. MISSION IN WESTERN SAHARA CLOSES MILITARY LIAISON OFFICE IN DAKHLA

• Over the weekend, the UN Mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) received a request to close its military Liaison Office in Dakhla within 72 hours. This was completed yesterday. The three military observers based there were relocated to the Asward team site, on the western part of the Territory, controlled by Morocco. Morocco’s request to close the Liaison Office in Dakhla is the first request directly targeting the military component.
• The military Liaison Office in Dakhla is the face-to-face counterpart to the Royal Moroccan Army in the sub-region, to discuss all issues arising with regards to monitoring of the ceasefire and operations, such as MINURSO patrols.
• Dakhla is also a military evacuation point and MINURSO uses the military hospital there, in case of need.
• The three military Liaison Officers based there have been relocated to the Asward Team Site, making the direct dialogue with the Royal Moroccan Army, especially on ad hoc issues, more difficult.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES JUDGMENT AGAINST JEAN-PIERRE BEMBA, SAYS IMPUNITY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED

• The Secretary-General welcomed the judgment issued on 21 March by the International Criminal Court in the case of Jean-Pierre Bemba.
• The judgment of the Court reaffirmed that impunity will not be tolerated and sends a strong signal that commanders will be held responsible for international crimes committed by those under their authority. It also highlighted the critical need to eradicate sexual- and gender-based violence by addressing their widespread and systematic use as a weapon of war.
• The Secretary-General noted that the judgment is a significant step towards bringing justice to the victims of these horrendous crimes in the Central African Republic. He underlined in this regard the importance of addressing impunity for past crimes in both the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including to ensure lasting and sustainable peace.

U.N. MISSION IN THE D.R.C. CONDEMNS EXECUTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST

• The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the UN joint human rights office in the country strongly condemned the summary execution of the human rights defender Evariste Kasali.
• On 17 March Mr. Kasali, coordinator of the NGO Organisation populaire pour la paix (OPP), was reportedly killed by armed men in Kavumu, Kabaré territory, South Kivu province.
• The victim was a well-known human rights defender, working on allegations of abductions and rapes of children in Kavumu and on the inaction of the authorities to address these issues.

U.N. SYRIA ENVOY CONTINUES MEETINGS WITH PARTIES IN GENEVA

• Staffan de Mistura, the Special Envoy for Syria, is continuing his meetings with the Syrian parties in Geneva, and he met today with the High Negotiations Committee, a day after he met the delegation from the Syrian Government.
• On 21 March he spoke to the press in Geneva and told them that it was clear that the political transition was the “mother of all issues”.
• He noted that the cessation of hostilities is still holding, by and large, with some movement on humanitarian aid, but he added that progress on those two fronts cannot be sustained if we don’t get progress on the political transition.

HUMANITARIAN CONVOY TO DELIVER AID IN SYRIA’S HOMS REGION

• An inter-agency humanitarian convoy is to deliver food parcels, nutrition supplies and hygiene kits for some 56,000 people in Al Houla, Homs, Syria.
• An additional convoy is planned in the coming days to bring further supplies to the area, to reach a total of 71,000 people.
• Surgical items were removed from today9;s convoy by Syrian authorities. This practice continues to lead to unnecessary suffering and loss of life. The United Nations continues to urge the Government of Syria to allow the inclusion of all medical supplies, including surgical items.
• The UN continues to call for unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to all the 4.6 million people in the besieged and hard-to-reach locations across Syria.

SENIOR U.N. OFFICIAL DESCRIBES THE SITUATION IN YEMEN AS “TERRIBLE”

• Jamie McGoldrick, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, briefed the press in Geneva, saying that the last year has been a terrible one for Yemen, with airstrikes, shelling and localized violence.
• He said that one in 10 Yemenis are displaced - 2.5 million people. More than 6,400 people have been killed and more than 30,000 injured, with half of those killed and injured being civilians.
• More than 20 million people in Yemen - 80 per cent of the population - require some kind of humanitarian assistance: 14 million people need food assistance; 7 million people are severely food insecure; 20 million people do not have access to water and sanitation; and 14 million lack adequate health care. At the same time, human rights violations have soared.
• In February, humanitarian partners were able to deliver emergency health assistance to 100,000 people, water for 3 million people, while 4 million children have been vaccinated.
• Last year, the UN and its partners reached 8 million people with aid across Yemen.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY CALLS FOR SAFEGUARDS TO BE PUT IN PLACE BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION OF EU-TURKEY AGREEMENT

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed concern regarding the new refugee policy between the EU and Turkey. The policy became effective on 20 March and it allows the Greek authorities to return to Turkey all new arrivals.
• UNHCR said that the EU-Turkey deal was being implemented before the required safeguards are in place in Greece. The agency said that Greece did not have sufficient capacity on the islands to process asylum claims, nor the proper conditions to accommodate people and examine their cases.
• According to UNHCR, 934 people have arrived on Lesvos since 20 March, they were being held at a closed registration and temporary accommodation site in Moria on the east of the island. The remaining 880 people who arrived before Sunday were being hosted about a kilometre away at the Kara Tepe centre, which is run by the local municipality and remains an open facility.
• UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming emphasized that the agency was not a party to the EU-Turkey deal, nor will it be involved in returns or detentions. The agency will continue to assist the Greek authorities to develop an adequate reception capacity, to carry out protection monitoring and to ensure that refugee and human rights standards are upheld.
• The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also expressed concern regarding the new EU-Turkey refugee policy. The agency warned that the new agreement could push refugee families to take more dangerous routes including the Mediterranean Sea. According to UNICEF, 19,000 refugee and migrant children are at present stranded in Greece.