Noon briefing of 18 July 2017

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 18 JULY 2017

• Today is Nelson Mandela International Day.
• The Secretary-General addressed the General Assembly in an informal meeting to observe the Day. He said that Nelson Mandela “continues to inspire the world through his example of courage and compassion, and his commitment to social justice and a culture of freedom and peace.” He added that the greatest tribute we can pay him is not in words or in ceremonies, but actions that improve our world.
• UN staff around the world are marking this day by volunteering in their communities.

• The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti, Sandra Honoré, spoke to the press following her briefing to the Security Council.
• She said that a little less than three months before the closure of MINUSTAH and the transition to a smaller peacekeeping Mission, MINUJUSTH, Haiti has remained on the path of stabilization and democratic consolidation.
• Looking ahead, for the country to make full use of the window of opportunity that emerged following the electoral process, additional measures will be needed to consolidate the security and stabilization gains of the past few years, create greater social and political cohesion and truly reinforce State institutions.
• Ms. Honoré stressed that without a properly functioning justice system, the Haitian National Police cannot effectively deliver security for all Haitian citizens; and the domestic and international investments in the national police force will not develop to their full potential.
• As MINUSTAH continues the implementation of its integrated drawdown plan until the Mission's closure on 15 October and ensures an orderly transition of core mandated tasks to MINUJUSTH, the partnership of the international community with Haiti as well as continued and coordinated support of Haiti's reform agenda will be critical, she concluded.

• Today, the Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed will begin a trip to Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She will be joined by the Executive Director of UN Women, Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, and the African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Bineta Diop.
• The trip, which is being carried out in conjunction with the African Union, seeks to raise awareness of the importance of women’s participation in peace and security processes, and of ensuring that the women’s voices are heard in all aspects of society.
• The three officials will travel to Abuja, where they will meet with the acting President and hear from women leaders and young women who have been affected by conflict.
• On Friday, the Deputy Secretary-General will attend the funeral of Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, the former Executive Director of the UN Population Fund.
• The Deputy Secretary-General will briefly be back in New York to attend a Member States’ retreat over the weekend and will then rejoin the mission in the DRC. We will bring you more details on the DRC visit next week.
• This trip is the first part of a two part mission focused on women's meaningful participation in peace, security and development. A similar mission will cover two further countries later in the year.
• The DSG is expected to be back in New York on 28 July.

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned today that recent violence in southern border areas of the Central African Republic is driving more people to flee, including into remote areas of northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, putting immense pressure on difficult-to-reach local communities close to the border.
• Local authorities estimate that over 60,000 people have fled since May. UNHCR continues to work to verify the numbers and is organizing to bring in relief aid.
• However, moving help there quickly is difficult. Roads are mud-filled and in places virtually impassable for normal transport, hence tractors and other specialized vehicles are needed.
• Of the US$55.3 million needed in funding for the DRC-Central African Republic situation this year, only $2.8 million has so far been received.

• The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, today concluded his visit to the Central African Republic, before travelling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Bangui, he called on the international community to sustain support to the CAR to avert the risk of a repeat of the devastating large-scale crisis that gripped the country only four years ago. Mr. O’Brien expressed extreme concern at the upsurge of violence in the country since the beginning of this year. If we do not act now, he said, we will see increasing need and even greater vulnerability of already weakened people.
• UNICEF warned that months of renewed fighting in the Central African Republic have led to an increasing number of violent acts committed against children, including murders, abductions, rape and recruitment into armed groups. The agency said that the true number of atrocities suffered by children over the past three months is almost certain to be much higher than officially reported figures because humanitarian access has been severely limited by insecurity.

• In the Lake Chad basin, an innovative radio education programme is supporting 1.3 million children who have been displaced by the violence of the conflict with Boko Haram.
• The radio education programmes supported by UNICEF, the European Union, the Governments of Cameroon and Niger, offer an alternative platform for the 200,000 children in crisis affected areas who are unable to go to schools in the Far North of Cameroon and in the Diffa region of Niger.
• The 144 episodes of educational programming on literacy and numeracy, life-saving and other child protection messages will be broadcast in both French and the local languages of Kanouri, Fulfulde and Hausa.
  

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned today that the Republic of Congo is currently confronted with a humanitarian emergency in the Pool region.
• The Government, the UN and 16 other humanitarian partners are calling for a $ 23.7 million financial support to help 138,000 people in need.
• The food security and nutrition analysis which was conducted in June 2017 revealed that more than half of families face great difficulties in accessing food and meeting their basic needs.

• The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is deeply concerned that, after recent fighting in Benghazi, people taken prisoner by members of the Libyan National Army may be at imminent risk of torture and even summary execution.
• The Human Rights Office says their concern is based on reports suggesting the involvement of the Special Forces, a unit aligned with the Libyan National Army, in torturing detainees and summarily executing at least 10 captured men. It urges the Libyan National Army to ensure there is a full, impartial investigation into these allegations and calls on the group to suspend its field commander pending the conclusion of such an investigation.
• The Office reiterates that the fight against terrorism cannot be used to justify summary executions or other grave violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

• The World Food Programme (WFP) said today that, while the fight for Iraq’s Mosul has ended, there has been extensive damage to homes and essential infrastructure, leaving thousands of families with nothing to return to and in continued need of emergency food assistance.
• WFP said that it will continue to provide food assistance for all families displaced by the Mosul crisis until they can safely return home and rebuild their lives.
• This month, the agency will provide food assistance to nearly 850,000 displaced people living in camps.
• WFP also stands ready to support up to 200,000 more people who may be displaced from the remaining Da’esh-held areas, where the conflict is expected to continue.

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today said it’s appealing for $421.2 million dollars to help provide alternatives to refugees undertaking dangerous journeys to Europe.
• The funds would be used to deal with complex population movements involving shifting routes, and UNHCR is proposing interventions in the countries of origin and transit in sub-Saharan Africa, in North Africa, and in the destination countries in Europe.
• Services would include raising awareness of the risks of irregular migration, supporting law enforcement mechanisms addressing human trafficking, and ensuring humanitarian assistance to those rescued at sea, among others.

• UNICEF said that Italy’s proposed code of conduct for NGOs carrying out search and rescue missions could put many lives at risk, especially those of children.
• The code would limit the movement and operations of NGO rescue vessels in the Central Mediterranean, and inadvertently prevent lifesaving work to save children from drowning.
• UNICEF praised Italy’s efforts to save refugees and migrants but warned that restrictions on sea rescues is not a solution and called on the EU and international community to step up their efforts to help Italy.

• Burkina Faso and Lithuania have become the 114^th and 115^th Member States to pay their UN dues in full.

• The Inter Parliamentary Union press briefing has been rescheduled to tomorrow at 11a.m.
• Tomorrow the noon briefing guests will be Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, Under Secretary-General and High Representative of the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) and Masud Bin Momen, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh and Chair of the least developed countries (LDC) Group. They will brief on the launch of OHRLLS’ flagship report entitled "Financing the Sustainable Development Goals and the Istanbul Programme of Action in the Least Developed Countries".