Noon briefing of 12 May 2016

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

THURSDAY, 12 MAY 2016

DARFUR: SECRETARY-GENERAL AND HEAD OF AFRICAN UNION CONDEMN RECENT ATTACKS AGAINST CAMP FOR DISPLACED PEOPLE

• In a statement issued today, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and the Secretary-General condemned Monday’s attacks by armed groups on a Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp and the shooting at a nearby market in Sortoni, North Darfur.
• The attacks resulted in the killing of five people, including two children and the wounding of several individuals, including a peacekeeper from Ethiopia serving with the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
• The Chairperson and the Secretary General expressed their serious concern over the recent escalation of tensions between nomadic and IDP communities in the area. They called on them to refrain from acts of violence and resolve their disputes through dialogue. They urged the Sudanese authorities to investigate and promptly bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice.
• The Chairperson and the Secretary General underscored that the continued implementation of UNAMID9;s mandate is imperative to maintain security and protect civilians across Darfur, including those displaced as a result of the most recent fighting in Jebel Marra between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid.
• The Chairperson and the Secretary-General urged all parties to the conflict in Darfur to resume negotiations without further delay, under the auspices of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan (AUHIP), with a view to achieving a comprehensive political solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR CALM AND DIALOGUE IN BRAZIL

• In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General said that he has been following closely recent events in Brazil.
• The Secretary-General calls for calm and dialogue among all sectors of society. He trusts that the country9;s authorities will honour Brazil’s democratic processes, adhering to the rule of law and the Constitution. The Secretary-General is grateful for the important contributions of Brazil to the work of the United Nations.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO TRAVEL TO QATAR, TURKEY, REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND JAPAN

• In Lisbon, Portugal, the Secretary-General today met earlier with the Foreign Minister, Augusto Ernesto dos Santos Silva. They discussed the situation in Guinea-Bissau, Portugal 9; s contribution to peacekeeping, law of the sea and ocean affairs as well as the evolving situations in Mozambique and Brazil.
• The Secretary-General also met with a group of Syrian students. After hearing some of their stories, he commended them for their strength and resilience. He said that a growing number of Syrian students were unable to pursue their dreams and aspirations and that only a small number of Syrian refugees continued their education.
• Next week, the Secretary-General will travel to Qatar for the 16^th Doha Forum on 21 May, on the first leg of a trip that will take him to the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Istanbul, Turkey; the Jeju Forum in the Republic of Korea; the G-7 Summit in Ise-Shima, Japan; and the UN Department of Public Information (DPI)/NGO Conference in Gyeongju, back in the Republic of Korea.
• On 21 May, the Secretary-General will address the opening session of the 16th Doha Forum in Qatar, a meeting bringing world leaders together on issues related to development and free trade in the Middle East, Arab countries and the world.
• The next day, the Secretary-General will fly from Doha to Istanbul, Turkey, for the first-ever WHS that will bring together some 6,000 people and nearly 90 world leaders so far. The Summit will be a unique opportunity to generate the momentum for change and send a message of solidarity and support to the more than 125 million people in immediate crisis.
• Following the Summit, on 25 May, the Secretary-General will participate in the Jeju Forum, in the Republic of Korea, a regional multilateral dialogue for promoting peace and prosperity in East Asia. He will then travel to Ise-Shima, Japan, on 27 May, to participate in the Outreach Session of the G7 Summit hosted by Japan.
• The Secretary-General will return to the Republic of Korea for the opening session, on 30 May, of the DPI/NGO Conference in the south-eastern city of Gyeongju.
• Over 2,000 NGO representatives from all regions of the world will be in attendance to focus on the role of education in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF PEACEBULDING IN AFRICA

• The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, today delivered remarks this morning on the future of peacebuilding in Africa, highlighting the United Nations’ vital strategic partnership with the African Union.
• The Deputy Secretary-General said that the UN is looking forward to deepening its partnership with the organization to make sustaining peace a reality for the people of Africa.
• Peacebuilding in Africa has been a top priority for the UN, he said underscoring the importance of investing in initiatives in several countries through the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).
• He stressed that such investments require a shared responsibility and commitment between the UN and its Member States, including on financing, and urged for more support for the Fund to ensure predictable and sustainable financing.

SYRIA: SPECIAL ADVISER DISAPPOINTED OVER LACK OF AID ACCESS IN BESIEGED AND HARD-TO-REACH AREAS

• The Special Adviser to the Special Envoy for Syria, Jan Egeland, briefed reporters in Geneva today on humanitarian access to besieged and hard-to-reach parts of Syria, saying that the first ten days of May have been frankly disappointing in terms of humanitarian access.
• He said that we have not had permission to get access to half of the 905,000 people that we hoped to reach this month, including all of the locations in Aleppo.
• Of the 18 besieged areas, humanitarian workers have only had access to Yarmouk, through the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees’ (UNRWA), and Deir Ezzour, through the continuous air drops from World Food Programme (WFP).

U.N.-FACILITATED PEACE TALKS CONTINUE IN KUWAIT

• The Yemeni delegations to the peace talks in Kuwait continue to meet in parallel committees. Yesterday, the political committee discussed aspects of the resumption of state institutions and political process.
• Meanwhile, in the security committee, the parties began to present their visions on withdrawals and the handover of weapons, specifically mechanisms of withdrawal and assembling of forces. In the prisoners and detainees committee, the delegates considered a proposal to release 50 per cent of all prisoners and detainees held by the parties before the month of Ramadan.
• The Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said that he was pleased by the seriousness demonstrated by both parties and hopeful that this collaboration will lead to real peace. The three committees reconvened this morning.

SOME 80,000 PEOPLE NEWLY DISPLACED BY CONFLICT IN IRAQ SINCE BEGINNING OF MARCH

• Approximately 80,000 people have been newly displaced by escalating armed conflict in Iraq since the beginning of March, as military operations by the Iraqi security forces and allied armed groups intensify against Da’esh. New displacement has occurred in three areas: the Anbar corridor, the Mosul corridor, and in northern Salah al-Din.
• Humanitarian assistance is being provided to affected people in all locations, including through provision of ready-to-eat food, water, sanitation facilities and shelter support.
• Insecurity, strict security screening procedures, the remote location of displaced people, serious protection concerns, and overcrowded camps, however, remain critical challenges. In addition, hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped in areas effectively under siege – like Fallujah – and lack access to regular humanitarian assistance.

CONCERT FOR ECUADOR RAISES OVER $230,000 TO HELP EARTHQUAKE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES

• There was a concert yesterday in Miami, Florida, featuring more than 20 Latin music artists, including names like Carlos Vives, Chayanne and Franco De Vita, in support of the victims of the earthquake in Ecuador.
• More than 5,500 people attended the concert, which was supported by many outlets and included a fund-raising campaign through text messages.
• The show, “Ecuador Aquí Estoy,” (Ecuador, I am here for you) raised more than US$230,000 that will be managed by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to support impacted communities in Ecuador.

VENEZUELAN AMBASSADOR MEETS SECRETARY-GENERAL’S CHEF DE CABINET

• In response to a recent question regarding Ambassador Rafael Darío Ramírez Carreño, the Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the United Nations, the Spokesman said the Ambassador met yesterday with Edmond Mulet, the Secretary-General’s Chef de Cabinet.
• During the meeting, Ambassador Ramírez Carreño reiterated again his regret for the language he had used in a recent Security Council Arria formula meeting on Palestinian Civilians.
• He stressed to Mr. Mulet that he stands against any form of anti-Semitism and fully respects the millions of victims of the Holocaust. He also informed the Chef de Cabinet that he had personally apologized to Ambassador Danon of Israel.
• Mr. Mulet thanked the Ambassador for this important clarification and assured him that the Secretary-General and his staff value their productive relationship with him, as the diplomatic representative of Venezuela, as a member of the Security Council and of course as the Chair of the Special Committee on Decolonization.

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF URBAN DWELLERS IN LOWER INCOME COUNTRIES EXPOSED TO LOW AIR QUALITY

• More than 80 per cent of people living in urban areas that monitor air pollution are exposed to air quality levels that exceed the limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• While all regions of the world are affected, populations in low-income cities are the most impacted: 98 per cent of cities in low- and middle income countries with more than 100,000 inhabitants do not meet WHO air quality guidelines.
• In the past two years, the database – now covering 3,000 cities in 103 countries – has nearly doubled. Ambient air pollution is the greatest environmental risk to health - causing more than 3 million premature deaths worldwide every year.

U.N. HEALTH AGENCY RELEASES NEW GUIDELNESS FOR TUBERCULOSIS TREATMENT

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new recommendations today to speed up detection and improve treatment outcomes for multidrug resistant tuberculosis - through the use of a novel rapid diagnostic test and a shorter, cheaper treatment regimen.
• At less than US$1,000 per patient, the new treatment regimen can be completed in 9 to 12 months, and is also expected to improve outcomes and potentially decrease deaths due to better adherence to treatment and reduced loss to follow-up.