Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoPress Conferences
Briefing by Spokesperson for Secretary-General
In a statement issued yesterday, Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien said he was extremely concerned for the safety of up to 1.5 million people living in Mosul who may be impacted by military operations to retake the city from Da’esh. He said that families are at extreme risk of being caught in cross-fire or targeted by snipers, and that tens of thousands of Iraqi girls, boys, women and men may be under siege or held as human shields.
He renewed his call on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and ensure they have access to the assistance they are entitled to and deserve.
The Secretary-General is in Quito today for Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development. In his opening remarks, he said the event marks the culmination of an intense period during which the international community has defined a universal vision for sustainable development. The Secretary-General recalled that approximately a quarter of urban dwellers live in slums or informal settlements, and that it is therefore clear that transforming our world for the better means transforming our towns and cities.
Saturday, on his way to Ecuador, the Secretary-General was in Haiti to visit communities affected by hurricane Matthew. He said he witnessed complete devastation.
During a press conference with provisional President Jocelerme Privert, he reiterated that he deeply regretted the loss of life and suffering from the epidemic. He stressed his resolve to intensify the fight against the epidemic and provide support to affected communities.
Regarding attacks on humanitarian convoys, including one on the very day of his visit, the Secretary-General said he understood the impatience and anger of the population but condemned the incidents, saying that they ultimately hurt those most in need.
Staffan de Mistura, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, today met with European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg. Speaking to reporters afterward, he said that he had insisted that the issue of Aleppo is vital and crucial. He said that history will judge us for any kind of discussion that ignores the needs of the people in Aleppo. He said that if the world is watching Mosul, Aleppo should not be forgotten.
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports that the situation in Malakal remains calm but tense after Friday’s exchange of heavy gun fire, including mortars and rocket propelled grenades, between Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and opposition fighters.
The Mission also reports explosions yesterday coming from the direction of Pillieny and Thornyor in Unity. 67 civilians then arrived at the UN compound seeking protection.
From the Central African Republic, the UN Mission in the country (MINUSCA) today condemned the repeated attacks against its peacekeepers. A UN convoy was attacked yesterday in the area of Dekoa and another one between Grimai and Sibut three days before. Five peacekeepers were wounded in the first attack. The UN Mission stressed that the perpetrators of these attacks will be held accountable, including, where necessary, for war crimes.
The Secretary-General released a message today marking the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, noting that about 1 billion people live in extreme poverty and more than 800 million endure hunger and malnutrition.
Yet, poverty is not simply measured by inadequate income, said the Secretary-General – it is also manifested in restricted access to health, education and other essential services – as well as the denial or abuse of fundamental rights.
In a statement issued over the weekend, the Secretary-General welcomed the adoption by governments meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, of a critically important amendment to the Montreal Protocol phasing-down production and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). As HFCs are also the fastest-growing of all greenhouse gases, curbing their use will help limit near-term warming of the planet.
The eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime began today in Vienna.
The five-day conference will help promote the strategies needed to counter transnational organised crime under the crime convention and its three protocols on human and firearms trafficking, and migrant smuggling.
