ÉñÂíÎçÒ¹¸£ÀûÍø

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

WEDNESDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 2015

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES GOVERNMENTS TO ENHANCE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

• In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General on the international community to meet the largest crisis of forced displacement without lessening its commitment to vitally needed official development assistance.
• The Secretary-General recognized the financial demands faced by host communities and partner governments as they seek to support the international response. He expresses sincere gratitude to governments and their citizens for their generosity.
• The Secretary-General underscored the importance of fully funding both efforts to care for refugees and asylum seekers in host countries as well as longer-term development efforts. Resources for one area should not come at the expense of another.
• Redirecting critical funding away from development aid at this pivotal time could perpetuate challenges that the global community has committed to address.
• Reducing development assistance to finance the cost of refugee flows is counter-productive and will cause a vicious circle detrimental to health, education and opportunities for a better life at home for millions of vulnerable people in every corner of the world.
• As we strive to meet the ambitious 2030 for Sustainable Development, the Secretary-General encouraged all governments to enhance international development assistance. Helping people in need should not be a zero-sum game.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO TRAVEL TO TURKEY TO ATTEND G-20 SUMMIT

• The Secretary-General will leave New York on Friday, 13 November, to participate in the G-20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey.
• While in Turkey, the Secretary-General will attend working sessions with the world leaders gathered for the Summit, including on and , growth strategies and employment, as well as terrorism and the refugee crisis.
• He will also hold bilateral meetings with other leaders attending the G-20 Summit, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• The Secretary-General will be back in New York on the evening of Monday, 16 November.

SAUDI ARABIA: SECRETARY-GENERAL DISCUSSES CRISES IN SYRIA AND YEMEN WITH KING SALMAN

• The Secretary-General yesterday with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He congratulated on the successful hosting of the Fourth Summit of Arab and South American countries.
• Among other topics, the Secretary-General and His Majesty discussed the situations in Syria and Yemen and agreed on the need for an end to these two conflicts.
• The Secretary-General expressed the hope that the next meeting in Vienna on Syria would devise a clear set of next steps in the political process.
• On Yemen, he hoped that all sides to the conflict would take extreme care not to cause civilian casualties and that the inter-Yemeni talks would take place this month.
• The Secretary-General also encouraged Saudi Arabia to further work closely with his respective Special Envoys for Syria and Yemen.

SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA STRESSES NEED TO SHOW RESULTS FOR SYRIAN PEOPLE, AHEAD OF VIENNA TALKS

• The Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, briefed the Security Council yesterday on developments following the Vienna meeting on 30 October.
• After the Security Council consultations, Mr. de Mistura left for Vienna to attend the next talks, which he told reporters would be important in maintaining the momentum following last month’s talks.
• He stressed the need to show results for the Syrian people, including a reduction of the violence on the ground.
• Mr. de Mistura added that his job is to make sure that big countries like the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and Iran come to the table and support the political process.

IRAQ: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE CALLS FOR UNITY AND EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE

• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Jan KubiÅ¡, briefed the Security Council today on the work of the UN Mission in the country ().
• He said that, while Prime Minister Haider aI-Abadi continues to actively lead efforts to fulfil the Government9;s programme and his reform agenda, he faces immense challenges to implement his planned reforms, primarily due to disagreements and political polarization among political forces.
• Mr. KubiÅ¡ emphasized the need for openness, partnership, inclusiveness and broad consultations in decision-making to work in unity and to promote effective governance. Deep political crisis at this point of time is the last thing the country needs, he warned.
• The Special Representative also talked about the residents of Camp Hurriya, which was hit by a rocket attack on 30 October that claimed the lives of 24 residents and wounded many others. He said that the only solution guaranteeing the security of the residents is their speedy relocation to third countries.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS KILLING OF PEACEKEEPER IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

• In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General the killing today of a peacekeeper from the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic () in Batangafo, located 400 kilometres north of Bangui.
• Following an outbreak of violence between armed anti-Balaka and ex-Séléka elements at an internally displaced persons camp in Batangafo, ex-Séléka elements confronted MINUSCA troops at a nearby MINUSCA checkpoint. During the incident, one peacekeeper went missing and was subsequently found dead.
• The Secretary-General deplored, in the strongest terms, any attacks against UN peacekeepers, and calls for swift action to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice.
• The Secretary-General strongly condemned the ongoing fighting in the Central African Republic and reiterates his call for all armed groups to immediately lay down their weapons and refrain from violence.
• He underscored the importance of creating an environment conducive to the holding of elections in line with the calendar announced by the National Electoral Authority to complete the country’s transition and bring sustainable peace and stability to the Central African Republic.
• The Secretary-General reiterated that MINUSCA will take all necessary measures in line with its mandate to protect civilians and foster stability.
• The Secretary-General offered his sincere condolences to the family of the victim and to the Government of Cameroon.

YEMEN: U.N. AGENCIES AND PARTNERS CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AID TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AFFECTED BY CYCLONES

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that 26 people are now estimated to have died as a result of cyclones in Yemen, including 18 on Socotra Island, according to local authorities.
• On the mainland, the World Food Programme () and its implementing partners are distributing high energy biscuits for about 25,000 people.
• The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and its partner distributed household kits and tents to some 2,700 people in Shabwa governorate yesterday, some of whom are sheltering in collective centres or staying out in the open. In addition, household kits were distributed to some 2,500 people in Hadramaut Governorate.
• Meanwhile, the UN and health partners are carrying out disease surveillance and monitoring potential outbreaks. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will provide hygiene kits in Hadramaut and Shabwah in the coming days.
• Fuel imports remain drastically below Yemen9;s needs and wheat prices remain high, despite increased imports. Given the high dependency of Yemen on fuel and food imports, humanitarian efforts can only meet a fraction of the needs.

U.N. MISSION CONDEMNS RECENT MURDER OF CIVILIANS IN AFGHANISTAN

• The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan () has the murder of seven civilians, including two women and three children, in the southern province of Zabul.
• The seven civilians were abducted last month and executed between the 6^th and 8^th of November in Arghandab district where armed clashes between two rival anti-Government groups have been reported.
• The head of the mission, Nicholas Haysom, called the killing senseless murders that may amount to war crimes, and stressed that the perpetrators must be held accountable.

ABYEI: U.N. CONDUCTS FIRST ROUND OF WEAPONS DESTRUCTION EXERCISE

• The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) today conducted its first round of a weapons destruction exercise, which was witnessed by a cross section of the Abyei community.
• UN agencies and national monitors from Sudan and South Sudan participated in the effort, as UNISFA continues its work towards a weapons-free Abyei.

U.N. CONCERNED OVER POSSIBLE DESERT LOCUST BREEDING DUE TO HEAVY RAINS IN YEMEN AND PARTS OF AFRICA

• The Food and Agriculture Organization () warned today that unusually heavy and widespread rains that fell recently in northwest Africa, the Horn of Africa and Yemen could favour Desert Locust breeding.
• Close monitoring is needed over the next six months to prevent the insects from forming destructive swarms.
• After becoming airborne, swarms of tens of millions of locusts can fly up to 150 kilometres a day with the wind, and a very small swarm eats the same amount of food in one day as about 35,000 people.