Noon briefing of 10 May 2016

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

TUESDAY, 10 MAY 2016

SECRETARY-GENERAL VISITS WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAURITIUS BEFORE LEAVING FOR MADAGASCAR

• The Secretary-General arrived in Madagascar a little earlier today, where he was received by the President. This afternoon, he met with representatives of civil society as well as UN staff in Madagascar.
• Today before leaving Mauritius, the Secretary-General visited two UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage sites linked to the history of slavery in that country: Aapravasi Ghat, which testifies to indentured servitude in the 19th century, and Le Morne Cultural Landscape, where runaway slaves formed small settlements.
• The Secretary-General will be in Madagascar until tomorrow night and will then travel to Portugal. In Lisbon, he is scheduled to meet with President Marcelo Rebel de Sousa, Prime Minister Antonio Costa and Foreign Minister August Ernesto dos Santos Silva.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR PREVENTION AT HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON PEACE AND SECURITY

• The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, spoke on behalf of the Secretary-General today at the high-level plenary on international peace and security convened by the General Assembly.
• Stressing that the number of civil wars has tripled in the past ten years with some 125 million people today in need of humanitarian assistance, the Deputy Secretary-General said that prevention; inclusive, long-term political solutions; and solid partners are critical in ensuring that the UN is better fit for addressing the current global security threats.
• He highlighted the UN system’s full commitment to its reform agenda and urged Member States to champion the change, including through engagement, oversight and investment both politically and financially.

U.N. OFFICIAL IN SUDAN CONDEMNS VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS IN NORTH DARFUR

• The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Marta Ruedas, has today condemned the reported shooting and killing of six civilians, including two children, by armed people in Sortony, North Darfur, close to a site for people recently displaced by fighting in the Jebel Marra area.
• Increased hostilities between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Abdul Wahid faction of the Sudan Liberation Army, since early this year, have forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes to other areas in the Darfur region, including Sortony.
• In Sortony, humanitarian workers have been providing assistance, including emergency food aid for an estimated 20,000 internally displaced people, as well as water and sanitation, health, nutrition and education support. Water provision is a major concern, as water trucking from Kebkabiya has been interrupted since 7 May.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY CALLS ON KENYA TO RECONSIDER DECISION TO CLOSE CAMPS

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has taken note with profound concern of the recent announcement by the Government of Kenya of its intention to end the hosting of refugees, citing economic, security and environmental burdens.
• A statement issued by the Ministry of Interior, said the Government had disbanded its Department of Refugee Affairs and was working on a mechanism for the closure of Kenya9;s refugee camps – a move that could affect as many as 600,000 lives.
• UNHCR stressed that Kenya has played an extraordinary role over many years as one of the world9;s frontline major refugee hosting nations, and that inevitably this has had many consequences for the country and its population.
• It is for these reasons that the Agency has been a prominent advocate for robust international support for Kenya. UNHCR is calling on the Government to reconsider its decision and to avoid taking any action that might be at odds with its international obligations.

TURKEY: U.N. RIGHTS CHIEF CONCERNED OVER ALLEGED VIOLENCE COMMITTED BY MILITARY IN SOUTH-EAST

• Reports that more than 100 people burned to death in shelters that were surrounded by the Turkish military must be investigated independently, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said today.
• The UN Human Rights Chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein expressed concern about alleged violations committed by Turkish military and security forces in south-east Turkey over the past few months.
• High Commissioner Zeid said that there are credible reports about the actions of the Turkish security forces in the town of Cizre during the extended curfew there from mid-December until early March and that the emerging picture is “extremely alarming”.
• Mr. Zeid also said he had received reports of unarmed civilians - including women and children - being deliberately shot by snipers, or by gunfire from tanks and other military vehicles.
• The High Commissioner urged the Turkish authorities to give independent investigators, including United Nations staff, unimpeded access to the area to verify the veracity of such reports.

NO EVIDENCE THAT DEATH PENALTY IS A STRONGER DETERRENT TO VIOLENCE IN AFGHANISTAN, WARNS U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE

• The Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today expressed regret at the execution of six people in Afghanistan.
• This comes amid persisting serious concerns about compliance with fair trial standards, and reports about the widespread use of torture and ill-treatment as a means of extracting confessions, said the Office.
• Although OHCHR recognized the increasing security challenges in Afghanistan, it warned that there is no evidence to confirm that the death penalty is a stronger deterrent than other forms of punishment. It has urged the President to refrain from approving death sentences and to immediately introduce an official moratorium on the use of death penalty.

U.N. AGENCIES LAUNCH NEW GUIDELINES TO CONTROL USE OF HAZARDOUS PESTICIDES

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have released new guidelines to reduce the damage done by pesticides.
• In industrialized countries, highly hazardous pesticides may be no longer permitted or subject to strict use limitations, but they often remain widely available in developing countries.
• Even hazardous products that still are permitted can cause severe problems as small-scale farmers in developing countries often do not have, or use, the necessary protective gear, using back-pack sprayers that pose high risk of exposure.

SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES THREATS TO MIGRATORY BIRDS ON INTERNATIONAL DAY

• To commemorate the World Migratory Bird Day today, the Convention on Migratory Species announced the creation of Intergovernmental Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean composed of Governments and the European Commission.
• In a statement, the Secretary-General said that he fully supports the global campaign dedicated to celebrating this natural wonder and raising awareness about the threats these birds face, from habitat destruction to pollution and climate change.
• UN organizations such as the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), international environmental treaties, INTERPOL, law enforcement and judiciary organizations, hunting communities and non-governmental organizations will also be part of the coalition.
• The aim of the Task Force is to develop recommendations for action which will help reduce the number of illegally killed migratory birds. According to some estimates, 25 million birds are killed illegally each year around the Mediterranean Sea alone, undermining efforts to protect them.

**The guest at the noon briefing was the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), Gyan Chandra Acharya. He briefed reporters on the forthcoming Midterm Review of the Istanbul Programme of Action in Antalya, Turkey (27-29 May).**