HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2022
CLIMATE
A new report by the UN Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC) shows that countries are bending the curve of global greenhouse gas emissions downward, but the report underscores that these efforts remain insufficient to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
Today’s report shows that current commitments will increase emissions by 10.6 per cent by 2030, compared to 2010 levels. This is an improvement over last year’s assessment, which found that countries were on a path to increase emissions by 13.7 per cent by 2030, compared to 2010 levels, but it is still not good news.
UKRAINE
In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that scheduled power outages continue across the country following the latest attacks on energy facilities.
We, along with our partners, continue to support communities who are dealing with the fallout of the attacks. The NGO “Project Hope” is providing mobile medical units and rehabilitating medical facilities in parts of Kyivska oblast in north-central Ukraine, where hospitals have been damaged and looted, leaving them stripped of equipment and beds, and facing severe staffing shortages.
Aside from the physical toll on people, humanitarian workers warn that mental health issues are emerging, and this will be one of the most devastating and longer-lasting impacts of the war.
We along with our partners are working to strengthen our capacity to address the growing psychosocial needs in Ukraine, including for medical staff and other service providers who remain where attacks are taking place.
In the southern city of Mykolaiv, which has also been under attack, UNICEF has provided a desalination unit to a bakery, enabling it to produce about 30 tons of bread daily for residents. Since February, UNICEF has provided 3.5 million people with access to safe water in Ukraine, mainly by providing water purification supplies.
SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, in the Security Council, Huang Xia, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, briefed members of the Council. He reiterated his concerns about the deteriorating security environment and rising tensions in the region resulting from the resurgence of the M23 armed group.
He said that during his many missions in the region, strong expectations were expressed to the United Nations for political, technical and financial support to peace efforts. Mr. Xia told Council members that stabilizing the region and restoring confidence require a sustained and significant mobilisation of the international community. Only coordinated, coherent and harmonious action will enable the Great Lakes to follow the path of peace and sustainable development, he said.
This afternoon, there is an open meeting on the maintenance of international peace and security.
The briefer from the Secretariat side will be Miguel de Serpa Soares, the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel.
MALI
In Mali, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of our peacekeeping mission there, El-Ghassim Wane, met with the President of the National Transition Council, Colonel Malick Diaw, to follow up on the recent briefing to the Security Council and to discuss the ongoing internal review of the Mission. The President of the National Transition Council expressed his gratitude for the UN mission’s support to disseminate the electoral law across Mali.
CHAD
In Chad, another example of what happens when we run out of funds.
The World Food Programme may be forced to drastically cut assistance for up to 300,000 refugees from Sudan, the Central African Republic, Nigeria and Cameroon. This means that by November, only 10% of the refugees WFP is targeting for assistance could receive food assistance due to the funding shortfall.
As of September, Chad hosts the largest number of refugees in West Africa - with 575,000 people. In addition, the number of people displaced in the country has more than doubled, from 169,000 in 2020 to 381,000 in 2022.
As we mentioned a few days ago, Chad is also experiencing the worst flooding in recent years, which has impacted more than 1 million people.
In support of the Government’s National Response Plan for the floods, WFP is currently providing food and cash assistance to affected families.
The agency is telling us they need $102 million to continue providing emergency assistance to cover the next six months to refugees and displaced men, women and children, as well as people most impacted by the floods.
MYANMAR
The UN team in Myanmar there says the increase in food prices is having serious implications on food security. It also continues to force people to adopt negative coping mechanisms, which includes lowering food intake, selling of assets, illicit activities, dropping out of school and early marriage.
The World Food Programme notes that the cost of a basic food basket in Myanmar is now 64 per cent higher than at the same time last year, with rice prices rising 53 per cent. In some areas, including Rakhine state, which is already facing a lot of challenges, our colleagues report a food price increase of 110 per cent. The average price of cooking oil has gone up by 137 per cent compared to a year ago, fuel, almost 94 per cent.
Nationwide poverty levels in Myanmar are estimated at about 40 per cent—reaching 75 per cent in Rakhine. The lack of income opportunities and household savings are being depleted. While food insecurity is highest in the conflict-areas of the country, it continues to impact people across Myanmar. Our team stresses the importance of complementing ongoing humanitarian food assistance interventions with support to strengthen community resilience, including by supporting livelihoods and enhancing productivity.
LEBANON/ISRAEL
In response to questions about the ceremony that will take place tomorrow, relating to the Israel-Lebanon Maritime border agreement the Spokesman said that the negotiation process with respect to the delineation of the maritime boundary between Lebanon and Israel is scheduled to conclude with a handover event, which will be hosted at the UN peacekeeping premises (UNIFIL) in Naqoura, in southern Lebanon.
The agreement on the maritime boundary will take the form of two exchanges of letters, one between Lebanon and the United States, and one between Israel and the United States.
The UN Special Coordinator, Joanna Wronecka will represent the United Nations at the event, where she will receive the coordinates of the maritime boundary which both countries have agreed to deposit with us, here at the United Nations.
UNIFIL is coordinating closely with the US Embassy and of course, our colleagues at the UN Special Coordinator’s office (UNSCOL) to organize arrangements for the event.
Naqoura, as you know, is the same location where UNIFIL has since 2006 regularly chaired the Tripartite Forum that brings together Lebanese Armed Forces, the Israel Defense Forces and the United Nations.
BRIEFINGS TOMORROW
Tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m., there will be a virtual briefing by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) ahead of the COP27 to launch its annual Emissions Gap Report. Speakers will include Inger Andersen, UNEP’s Executive Director, and Anne Olhoff, Chief Scientific Editor of the UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2022. We will send you the link for you or your colleagues in different time zones.
At 11:15, hybrid briefing by Javaid Rehman, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
At 1:15 p.m., there will be a hybrid briefing by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. Navi [Navanethem] Pillay, the Chair, along with members, Miloon Kothari and Chris Sidoti, will brief. I believe they will be here in the flesh.
**BRIEFINGS TODAY
At 10:00 a.m., the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Martin Griffiths, briefed on his recent trip to Burkina Faso.
At 12:00 p.m., Professor Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), briefed on the launch of the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.
At 1:00 p.m., the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Mr. Tom Andrews, briefed reporters.
At 3:00 p.m., the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Mr. Richard Bennett, also briefed reporters.
