Secretary-General

Noon briefing of 5 July 2019

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE U.N. SYSTEM
FRIDAY, 5 JULY 2019
SECRETARY-GENERAL’S STATEMENT ON SUDAN
  • In a statement on Sudan, the Secretary-General said that he is encouraged by the agreement reached between the Forces for Freedom and Change and the Transitional Military Council on 5 July towards the establishment of transitional governing bodies. He congratulates the African Union and Ethiopia for their role in mediating the Sudanese-led talks and commends the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for its support to the process.
  • The Secretary-General encourages all stakeholders to ensure the timely, inclusive, and transparent implementation of the agreement and resolve any outstanding issues through dialogue. He also welcomes the parties' commitment to conducting an independent investigation into the violence perpetrated against peaceful protesters, including the events on 3 June.
  • The Secretary-General expresses his solidarity with the people of Sudan and reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to assist in the transition process.
SECRETARY-GENERAL’S TRAVELS
  • The Secretary-General is back from Saint Lucia. On 4 July, he visited the Praslin Bay, where he saw first-hand the devastating effects of Sargassum seaweed and heard from fishermen and sea moss farmers on the impact it is having in their community.
  • “Praslin Bay is an example of how climate change is affecting vulnerable communities, but its effects are rapidly affecting people and economies worldwide. I was heartened to see that Saint Lucia is working on innovative solutions to the problem and that it is working with other Caribbean countries to lead the way in climate action, adaptation and mitigation. The international community should support these efforts by providing the necessary public and private resources needed to tackle these pressing issues.” the Secretary-General said.
  • And on Wednesday, the Secretary-General spoke at the opening CARICOM meeting, in which he praised Caribbean countries for their leadership in tackling climate change. He also expressed the UN’s commitment to help these countries access financing, so that they can continue addressing this issue and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Also, while in Saint Lucia, the Secretary-General met with the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg, on the margins of the 40th CARICOM Summit on 4 July. The Secretary-General expressed strong support for the Norwegian facilitation initiative on Venezuela. He calls on all parties in Venezuela to avoid any actions that might increase tensions in the country and undermine the facilitation initiative.
VENEZUELA/HUMAN RIGHTS
  • Earlier today in Geneva, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, briefed the Human Rights Council on her office’s new report on the human rights crisis in Venezuela.
  • Essential institutions and the rule of law in Venezuela have been profoundly eroded, she told members of the Council. She also pointed out that excessive and lethal force has been used repeatedly against protestors. Her Office has also documented excessive use of force in the context of security operations by the Special Action Forces, with multiple killings, mainly of young men. Bachelet said many may constitute extrajudicial killings, and should be fully investigated, with accountability of perpetrators, and guarantees of non-recurrence.
  • On a positive note, Bachelet said she was hopeful that the access she was granted – together with the authorities’ subsequent acceptance of a continuing presence of two human rights officers to conduct monitoring, and commence providing technical assistance and advice – signify the beginning of positive engagement on the country's many human rights issues.
  • Asked about the Secretary-General’s views, the Spokesperson noted that the Secretary-General fully supported the High Commissioner’s intervention today in Geneva.
SYRIA
  • Mark Cutts, the Deputy Regional Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said today that he was horrified by the ongoing attacks on civilian areas and civilian infrastructure as the conflict in northwest Syria continues. He noted that on 4 July, there was yet another attack on a civilian hospital in Kafr Nobol in Idlib.
  • Shockingly, he said, this is the second time in two months that this hospital has been hit by airstrikes. The previous attack was on 5 May. In both instances, some of the hospital infrastructure was damaged.
  • Moreover, Mr. Cutts said, the attacks happened despite the fact that the coordinates of this hospital had previously been shared with the parties to the conflict in a deliberate, carefully planned effort to prevent any attacks on it.
BANGLADESH/ROHINGYA REFUGEES
  • United Nations agencies are stepping up their assistance in the wake of several days of heavy rains in Bangladesh, which destroyed hundreds of shelters in Cox’s Bazar, where more than 900,000 Rohingya refugees are living.
  • The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its partners worked to rescue refugees from shelters destroyed by landslides and have temporarily relocated more than 2,000 people.
  • For its part, the World Food Programme (WFP) has provided food for nearly, 5,000 people following the rains.
  • WFP will begin its next cycle of general food distribution early and also has 65 metric tons of high energy biscuits prepositioned to feed more than 160,000 people in an emergency.
  • Both agencies are appealing for more funds to continue their work.