Briefing by Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

Briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

• Categories: Media / Press Conferences
• Video Length: 00:20:56
• Production Date: 15 October 2015
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: YUKIO TAKASU
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: FINANCIAL SITUATION
• Geographic Subject: BURUNDI; GUYANA; IRAQ; ITALY; MYANMAR; VENEZUELA
• MAMS Id: 1471553
• Parent Id: 1470099

Description

In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General welcomed the signing today in Nay Pyi Taw of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement by the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Myanmar Defence forces and several Ethnic Armed Organizations. This marks an important step in advancing national reconciliation and consolidating the reform process in the country.

In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General condemned the killing of nine civilians and two police officers in Bujumbura on 13 October, amid exchanges of heavy of gunfire in several neighbourhoods of the city.

The Secretary-General today in Rome addressed a joint meeting of Italian Senate and Chamber of Deputies in a special session to mark the 60th anniversary of Italy’s membership in the United Nations.

The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, spoke to the press recently in Geneva and discussed his travels over the past several days to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran, and Turkey. He said that he had discussed the wars in Syria and Yemen as well as the situation in the Middle East region during his visits to those countries.

The General Assembly just voted to elect the next five non-permanent members of the Security Council for terms in 2016 and 2017. Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay will all join the Security Council in 2016.

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, visited Erbil yesterday and discussed concerns about the recent political tensions and violence in the region with political party leaders and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). He expressed regrets at the latest developments in a region that has been a source of stability in recent years.

The United Nations Chef de Cabinet, Susana Malcorra, headed a United Nations mission to Georgetown, Guyana, on 12 October and to Caracas, Venezuela, on 13-14 October.

Preliminary results of a study into persistence of Ebola virus in body fluids show that some men still produce semen samples that test positive nine months after the onset of symptoms.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned today that lack of access to hygiene could endanger the new Sustainable Development Agenda.

Handwashing with soap remains dangerously low in many countries, UNICEF reports, despite its proven benefits to child health.

**The guest at the noon briefing was the Under-Secretary-General for Management, Yukio Takasu, who briefed on the financial situation of the Organization**