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Secretary-General

Noon briefing of 7 April 2017

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 7 APRIL 2017

U.N. SPEAKS OUT AGAINST ATTACK IN SWEDISH CAPITAL, CALLS FOR PERPETRATORS TO BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE
  • On Sweden, we condemn the violent attack in Stockholm today.
  • Our sympathy goes to the families of the victims and all those affected and we wish the injured a prompt recovery. The United Nations stands in solidarity with the people and Government of Sweden.
  • We hope that those responsible for the attack will be swiftly brought to justice.
SYRIA: SECRETARY-GENERAL APPEALS FOR RESTRAINT, STRESSES NEED FOR POLITICAL SOLUTION
  • In a statement, the Secretary-General said: “I continue to follow the situation in Syria closely and with grave concern.
  • I was abhorred by the chemical weapons attack in Khan Shaykhun, Syria, and the death and injury of many innocent civilians.
  • I have long stated that there needs to be accountability for such crimes, in line with existing international norms and Security Council resolutions.
  • I have been following reports of the air strikes against the Shayrat Airbase in Syria conducted by the United States.
  • Mindful of the risk of escalation, I appeal for restraint to avoid any acts that could deepen the suffering of the Syrian people.
  • These events underscore my belief that there is no other way to solve the conflict than through a political solution. I call on the parties to urgently renew their commitment to making progress in the Geneva talks.
  • A political solution also remains essential for progress in the fight against terrorism.
  • The Security Council has the primary responsibility for international peace and security. I call on the Council to unite and exercise that responsibility.
  • For too long, international law has been ignored in the Syrian conflict, and it is our shared duty to uphold international standards of humanity. This is a prerequisite to ending the unrelenting suffering of the people of Syria.â€
WORLD MUST BE EVER ALERT TO WARNING SIGNS OF GENOCIDE, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS RWANDA COMMEMORATION
  • Today is the .
  • The Secretary-General will speak at the commemoration this afternoon and will stress that the best way to honour the memory of those who were murdered is to ensure that such events never occur again, which is why the world must be ever alert to the warning signs of genocide, and act quickly and early to avert it.
  • He will reiterate that the United Nations is working hard to strengthen its capacities for preventive diplomacy, including through mediation and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
U.N. PATROL REMAINS UNABLE TO REACH SOUTH SUDAN’S PAJOK
  • Yesterday, the Secretary-General announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi of Rwanda as Force Commander of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
  • The Mission reports that its patrol has not yet been able to reach Pajok in Eastern Equatoria to assess reports of fighting, between SPLA troops and the opposition.
  • UNMISS reiterates its calls on the Government to allow access to Pajok, as obligated by the Status of Forces Agreement, so it can fully implement its mandate.
  • As a consequence of the violence in Pajok, the UN Refugee Agency says that more refugees are fleeing for safety, who report witnessing their loved ones shot dead at a close range, with many arrested or slaughtered, including children.
  • Many people are still hiding in the bush trying to find their way to Uganda. Though Uganda’s approach in dealing with refugees is among the most progressive, chronic under funding continues to affect relief activities.
  • The current appeal of $781.8 million is only 11 per cent funded.
INFLUX OF FUNDING ALLOWS WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME TO RESUME FOOD AID IN KENYAN REFUGEE CAMPS
  • The World Food Programme (WFP) says that, thanks to new donor contributions, they have been able to resume providing full food rations to refugees in Kenya’s Dadaab and Kakuma camps starting on 1 April.
  • This comes after more than a year of ration cuts.
  • However, WFP stresses that the funding currently available for cash transfers – which make up 30 percent of the refugees’ food assistance – will last only until May.
  • The Secretary-General met with the new Executive Director of the World Food Programme, David Beasley.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TRAVELS TO MOROCCO
  • Yesterday evening, the Deputy Secretary-General departed New York for Marrakesh to participate in the 2017 Governance Weekend of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, where she is delivering the keynote address today.
  • Tomorrow, she will be on the panel of the Ibrahim Forum: ‘Africa at a Tipping Point’ session on the risk of a democratic recession.
  • While in Morocco, the Deputy Secretary-General will also engage with representatives of the UN system and other leaders.
  • She will return to New York on Sunday.
U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE SOUNDS ALARM ON GAZA EXECUTIONS
  • The UN Human Rights Office today strongly condemned the execution of three men in Gaza yesterday, despite appeals by the Office and by other international and Palestinian organizations for the sentences not to go ahead.
  • The Human Rights Office says that these executions were carried out in breach of Palestine’s obligations under international law, including stringent conditions on the use of the death penalty.
  • The Office urges the authorities in Gaza to halt further executions and comply with Palestine’s obligations under international law and calls on the State of Palestine to immediately establish an official moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to its abolition.
ONE-QUARTER OF CHILDREN IN CONFLICT AREAS OF EASTERN UKRAINE NEED HELP TO OVERCOME TRAUMA – U.N.I.C.E.F.
  • In the two regions most affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine, more than 200,000 children – or 1 in 4 – require urgent psychosocial support to overcome the trauma of living through more than three years of violence, UNICEF said today.
  • These children live in Donetsk and Luhansk, within 15 kilometers of each side of the so-called contact line.
  • UNICEF’s Ukraine Representative Giovanna Barberis said that the world has forgotten about this invisible crisis in eastern Ukraine, but hundreds of thousands of children are paying a heavy price, one that could last a lifetime without adequate support.
  • She issued an urgent appeal for funds to reach these traumatized children.
MORE PEOPLE CONTINUE TO FLEE IRAQ’S WEST MOSUL, REPORTS U.N. RELIEF WING
  • The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that displacement from west Mosul in Iraq continues, with more than 9,000 people were recorded as displaced from west Mosul yesterday.
  • This brings the number of people displaced from west Mosul to over 264,000 since the start of the west Mosul military operation on 19 February.
  • An estimated 334,000 people are currently displaced in total as a result of fighting in both east and west Mosul, according to the Iraqi authorities.
U.N. LAUNCHES $40 MILLION APPEAL TO HELP 400,000 PEOPLE AFFECTED BY PERU FLOODS
  • The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is launching today in Lima a Flash Appeal to request a little less than US$40 million to assist over 400,000 people impacted by recent flooding in Peru.
LOSSES FROM ZIKA VIRUS TOTALS $18 BILLION IN LATIN AMERICA, CARIBBEAN – NEW U.N. REPORT
  • In a report launched yesterday, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) says that the social and economic cost of the recent spread of the Zika virus in Latin America and the Caribbean will total up to US$18 billion between 2015 and 2017.
  • Even though larger economies such as Brazil are expected to bear the greatest share of the absolute cost, Caribbean countries are the most affected, with an impact five times that of South America, particularly due to reduced revenues from tourism.
  • The report recommends preparedness strategies with community involvement and placing women at the centre of the response. It also recommends protection programmes and care systems adapted and strengthened to reach those most in need, including women, girls and persons with disabilities.
  • The promotion of gender equality and sexual and reproductive health are imperative for any Zika response to be effective, the report argues.
2017 WORLD HEALTH DAY SPOTLIGHTS DEPRESSION
  • Today is World Health Day and this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) is leading a one-year campaign on depression, the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.
  • According to latest estimates, more than 300 million people are now living with depression.
  • The overall goal of the campaign is that more people with depression, everywhere in the world, both seek and get help.
U.N. URGES MALDIVES TO UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS
  • In response to questions regarding the situation in the Maldives, the Spokesman said that we are closely monitoring the situation in the country and urge the national authorities to uphold necessary conditions for democracy, the rule of law and human rights, in line with the country’s constitution.
  • We reiterate our call for all political stakeholders to find common solutions through an inclusive dialogue process.
SECRETARY-GENERAL TO DESIGNATE NOBEL LAUREATE MALALA YOUSAFZAI AS U.N. MESSENGER OF PEACE
  • On Monday, the Secretary-General will designate Malala Yousafzai, global advocate for girls' education and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate, as a United Nations Messenger of Peace with a special focus on girls’ education.
  • The designation will be followed by a conversation between the Secretary-General, Ms. Yousafzai and youth representatives around the world on the theme of girls’ education.
  • Ms. Yousafzai is the first Messenger of Peace designated by Secretary-General Guterres.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BECOMES 77TH U.N. MEMBER STATE TO PAY FULL DUES
  • Trinidad and Tobago has paid its regular dues in full, bringing the total number of Member States which have done so to 77.

Transcript

The Secretary-General said that he has been following the situation in Syria closely and with grave concern.  Mindful of the risk of escalation — following reports of the United States air strikes against the Shayrat Airbase in Syria — he appealed for restraint to avoid any acts that could deepen the suffering of the Syrian people.