HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2023
COP 28
In a statement issued earlier today, the Secretary-General said that COP28, the climate change conference in Dubai, occurred at a decisive moment in the fight against the climate crisis – a moment that demands maximum ambition both in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and climate justice. The issues of the energy transition and the future of fossil fuels were front and centre.
The Global Stocktake clearly reaffirmed the imperative of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees which requires drastic reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions in this decade, Mr. Guterres said.
In addition, for the first time, the outcome recognizes the need to transition away from fossil fuels – after many years in which the discussion of this issue was blocked.
To those who opposed a clear reference to a phase out of fossil fuels in the COP28 text, the Secretary-General said that a fossil fuel phase out is inevitable whether they like it or not. Let’s hope it doesn’t come too late, he added.
Of course, he said, timelines, pathways and targets will differ for countries at different levels of development. But all efforts must be consistent with achieving global net zero by 2050 and preserving the 1.5 degree goal. And developing countries must be supported every step of the way. The era of fossil fuels must end – and it must end with justice and equity.
Simultaneously, he said, COP28 agreed to commitments to triple renewables capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030. There was also progress in relation to adaptation and finance.
COP28 offered some other building blocks for progress – including the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, even though financial commitments are very limited. Pledges to the Green Climate Fund now total a record $12.8 billion for the most climate vulnerable communities.
Over the next two years, governments are required to prepare new economy-wide national climate action plans. These plans must be aligned with the 1.5 degree temperature goal and cover all greenhouse gases. They must also be underpinned with credible climate policies and regulations, including a price on carbon and ending finance for fossil fuel. And both the preparation and implementation of these plans must be fully funded and supported.
But much more is needed to keep the hope of the 1.5 degree limit alive and deliver climate justice to those on the frontlines of the crisis, the Secretary-General said.
Many vulnerable countries are drowning in debt and at risk of drowning in rising seas. It is time for a surge in finance, including for adaptation, loss and damage and reform of the international financial architecture.
The Secretary-General is working with the Government of Brazil in its capacity as G20 President to help advance these critical reforms. This will also be a major focus of next September’s Summit of the Future.
The world cannot afford delays, indecision, or half measures.
The Secretary-General remains confident that despite many differences, the world can unite and rise to the challenge of the climate crisis. Multilateralism remains humanity’s best hope. It is essential to come together around real, practical and meaningful climate solutions that match the scale of the climate crisis.
GUYANA-VENEZUELA
The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement of the meeting of the presidents of Guyana and Venezuela to be held on 14 December in St. Vincent and the Grenadines under the regional auspices of CARICOM and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
The UN received an invitation from the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and pro-tempore President of CELAC, Ralph Gonsalves, to attend the meeting as an observer. The Secretary-General has designated his Chef de Cabinet, Courtenay Rattray, accompanied by Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, Miroslav Jenča, to participate in the meeting as observers.
The Secretary-General commends efforts by the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva, and the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, to bring the parties together, and the support expressed by Mexico and the international community.
He trusts this meeting will result in an immediate de-escalation of tensions and calls on the parties to settle their differences through peaceful means, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
The border controversy is before the International Court of Justice and the Secretary-General does not take a position in relation to ongoing judicial proceedings.
GAZA
Lynn Hastings, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, spoke to the press in Geneva by VTC today, and she pointed to the need for a humanitarian ceasefire, given the conditions on the ground. She emphasized that Israel needs to provide for unimpeded humanitarian access and to ensure that the conditions inside Gaza allow for the provision of humanitarian aid.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the spread of diseases in Gaza has reportedly intensified, especially due to overcrowded living conditions, which adds to the strain on an increasingly overwhelmed health system and an increased risk of people dying. Yesterday, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the occupied Palestinian territory announced that cases of meningitis, jaundice, impetigo, chickenpox and other upper respiratory tract infections had been recorded.
Yesterday, for the first time since 7 October, aid trucks were screened at the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, and then allowed to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing. While this should help alleviate some of the logistical delays, humanitarian agencies report this is not sufficient and are requesting that aid be allowed to transfer through Kerem Shalom crossing.
As of last night, 107 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies entered Gaza from Egypt, the same volume recorded on most days since the resumption of hostilities on 1 December. Also yesterday, some 129,000 litres of fuel and 45,020 kilogrammes of gas entered Gaza from Egypt.
SECURITY COUNCIL
This afternoon, Abdou Abarry, the Head of our UN Regional office for Central Africa, will brief the Security Council on the situation in this region and present his latest report.
UKRAINE
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that an airstrike on Kyiv this morning has left dozens of civilians injured, including children. This is the third attack on Ukraine’s capital in less than a week.
According to humanitarians on the ground, critical infrastructure in at least four of the capital’s 10 districts have been damaged, including homes, a hospital and a kindergarten. Water and electricity systems were also hit, but authorities managed to quickly restore these vital supplies.
Humanitarian partners have rapidly mobilized emergency assistance and distributed blankets and hot meals for more than 400 people. They also provided psychosocial and medical assistance and legal support, in addition to registering those impacted by the attack for cash assistance.
Sites to help people stay warm have been set up, complementing the efforts of the authorities to find accommodation for people whose houses were damaged.
Due to a cyberattack on one of Ukraine’s largest mobile phone operators, millions of people are currently without access to an air raid warning system in Kyiv Region, but also in some parts of the north and the centre of the country, according to national authorities.
The UN stresses that deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure are forbidden under international humanitarian law – including telecommunications and other infrastructure that help people to be informed and protected during times of war.
GLOBAL REFUGEE FORUM
Today, in Geneva, at the opening of the Global Refugee Forum, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, noted that 114 million represents the number of refugees and displaced people whom persecution, human rights violations, violence, armed conflict, serious public disorder have forced from their homes: 114 million shattered dreams, disrupted lives, interrupted hopes. He said that this is a figure that reflects a crisis — in fact many crises — of humanity.
However, Mr. Grandi added, it also represents the generosity and hospitality of the people who open their hearts and homes to those fleeing. People who often have as little resources as those who had to leave everything behind. The three-day Global Refugee Forum is being attended by some 4,000 delegates from 165 countries.
GUEST TODAY/TOMORROW
The guest for the noon briefing is Leni Kinzli, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Spokesperson in Sudan. She will be joining virtually from Nairobi to brief on a new food security analysis for Sudan, which shows the highest levels of hunger ever recorded during the harvest season (October through February).
On Thursday, WFP's Deputy Executive Director, Carl Skau, will be here to brief on his recent visit to Gaza, and the World Food Programme's latest assessment released on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
