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Briefing by Spokesperson for Secretary-General
In Bonn, Germany, the UN Climate Change Conference opened today. The Conference aims to raise the level of ambition that is needed to tackle a climate change and put the world on a safer and more prosperous path.
Governments will work to increase climate action under the terms of the Paris Agreement, and other actors such cities, states, business and civil society will also work to expand initiatives in support of national climate action plans, the internationally-agreed temperature goal, and the wider objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Continuing with climate-related news, the World Meteorological Organization today said it is very likely that 2017 will be one of the three hottest years on record, with many high-impact events that have already taken place including catastrophic hurricanes and floods, debilitating heatwaves and drought.
WMO’s provisional Statement on the State of the Climate says the average global temperature from January to September 2017 was approximately 1.1°C above the pre-industrial era. As a result of a powerful El Niño, 2016 is likely to remain the warmest year on record, with 2017 and 2015 being second and/or third, and the period from 2013 to 2017 is set to be the warmest five-year period on record.
The Secretary-General is in Lisbon today, where he will speak at the Web Summit 2017 this afternoon. He is expected to talk about the need for much greater collaboration between those who invent new technologies and those who invent new public policies. He will also highlight the need for a new generation of strategic thinking, ethical reflection and frameworks for action.
The Secretary-General will be back at the office tomorrow.
The Head of the UN Mission in the Central African Republic, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, briefed the Security Council this morning.
He stressed that the security situation in the country remains volatile and the humanitarian situation disastrous.
In that context of incredible brutality, where there is often no peace to keep, UN peacekeepers are risking their lives on a daily basis, he stressed, recalling that during his recent visit to the country, the Secretary-General had urged for greater international solidarity with the CAR.
Mr. Onanga-Anyanga emphasized the need to engage all in an inclusive political process, adding that stability in the country will require stronger State institutions at the local level.
The Secretary-General’s request to increase MINUSCA force levels by 900 troops is part of a comprehensive strategy to address the deteriorating situation, working closely with the Government, and to create space to advance the political process, he added.
A joint study on food security in South Sudan released by the Government and humanitarian partners such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP), warns that the current harvest season will not end the hunger crisis.
Conflict persists in most of the country and hyperinflation puts food out of reach for many.
The number of people experiencing severe food insecurity across the country is likely to drop to 4.8 million for October to December, down from six million in June. However, the 4.8 million who are severely food insecure are 1.4 million more than at the same time last year, and much of this growth has been in the Emergency category.
The food security situation is projected to deteriorate at the start of 2018 and the ‘hungry season’ – when households typically run out of food before the next harvest – is forecast to start three months earlier than usual.
WFP and its partners assisted 4.6 million people in South Sudan so far in 2017 with cash or food, including nutrition support for children under the age of five years.
Emergency mobile teams usually travelling by helicopter on over 135 missions to areas isolated by conflict have supported 1.8 million people this year.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General expressed concern at the news of the offer of resignation of Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Saad Hariri. He hopes all sides will focus their efforts on supporting the continuity of Lebanon's State institutions, in adherence with the constitution, and safeguarding the country's security and stability.
The United Nations remains committed to supporting the security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon.
Jamie McGoldrick, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, expressed his horror yesterday at the continued violence perpetrated by all parties to the conflict in Yemen which again, this week, claimed the lives of innocent civilians, including thirteen children.
He repeated the wide array of calls by the international community to all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations and responsibilities under international humanitarian law. In particular, he asks them to adhere to the principles of distinction between civilians and combatants and proportionality in the conduct of hostilities and refrain from directing attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Mr. McGoldrick also reiterated his calls on States who have influence over the parties to step up their engagement to bring about a political solution to the crisis.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said almost 3,000 people have been recorded as displaced due to clashes in Warshafana and surrounding areas, to the west and south of Tripoli.
Clashes have been ongoing since 31 October, killing at least two people and injuring eight, and forcing local schools to close as of 1 November.
The total number of people displaced from the area is likely higher, as many families are reportedly staying with relatives in safer areas and have not been registered as displaced so far.
The shortage of essential drugs and medical supplies in Gaza continues to deteriorate, severely impeding the provision of health care, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In October, some 130 critical medical items and drugs, including 50 items for medical surgeries, have reached zero-stock level. The drug shortage is worsening with 45 per cent of the total list of critical items at zero level, a rise from 41 per cent recorded in September 2017.
Despite the reconciliation agreement signed in October and the Government of National Consensus assuming authority over Gaza, the situation has not improved. The UN hopes that the recently signed reconciliation may lead to alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Following the Iraqi Security Forces’ recapture of Ka’im district and surroundings over the weekend, civilian displacement from the area has slowed.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that more than 11,000 people were displaced from Ka’im district since military operations to recapture the area resumed on 26 October. Overall, some 65,000 people have been displaced in the context of military operations in western Anbar since the start of the year, according to displacement tracking by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The Iraqi Government and humanitarian partners are providing assistance to fleeing families at transit sites and in areas of displacement. Preparations are also underway for missions into Ka’im and surrounding areas to establish access and assess conditions.
The Deputy Secretary-General was in Haiti over the weekend.
In a press conference at the end of her visit, she said it was important to acknowledge the work done against cholera, with a 99% reduction in transmission, while emphasizing that the glass is only half full.
She said her visits to cholera centres and communities impacted had only increased her commitment and passion to do what is needed to get to zero transmission, along with Special Envoy Josette Sheeran and the leadership of the UN Mission, MINUJUSTH.
Following her visit to development projects in the country, Amina Mohammed stressed the importance of investing in Haiti in agriculture, in roads, in water and sanitation. To do all this will take some time but the United Nations is not in the country for a quick fix. We're here for the long term, she added.
She also emphasized the renewed commitment of the Secretary-General against sexual exploitation and abuse. We have to rebuild the confidence of the Haitian people and we are willing to do that in this new era, the Deputy Secretary-General said.
UN Police Week kicks off at UN Headquarters today.
Heads of United Nations police components from 12 peacekeeping and special political missions are here this week to discuss how to make UN police even more nimble and effective.
This afternoon, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, as well as Police Commissioners from our missions in Mali, Haiti and Darfur will brief the Security Council on the role of UN Policing in peace operations.
Today is the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, which aims to prevent the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources from fueling conflict or threatening peace.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, over the last 60 years, at least 40 percent of all internal conflicts have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources.
To mark the Day, the UNEP has teamed up with the Environmental Law Institute, the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Duke University, and the University of California at Irvine to develop an open online course on Environmental Security and Sustaining Peace. The course is based on the experiences and lessons learned of over 1,000 experts and 10 UN agencies.
In Bangkok, Thailand, the final regional preparatory meeting for the Global Compact on Migration began today.
Speaking at the Conference, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for International Migration, Louise Arbour, said the adoption of the Compact next year will encourage States to cooperate on a whole range of international migration issues, thereby facilitating safe, orderly and regular migration, not curtailing it. She added that when drafting the Compact, countries should pay particular attention to the need for robust social inclusion programmes that focus on benefitting all members of the community, and not encourage—even unintentionally—suspicion and discord between newcomers and hosts.
The Secretary-General António, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General José Graziano da Silva and World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley announced their appointment of Valerie Guarnieri of the United States as Assistant Executive Director, Operations Services, of the WFP, at the Assistant Secretary-General level.
Ms. Guarnieri succeeds Ramiro Lopes da Silva of Portugal to whom the Secretary-General, Director-General and Executive Director express their deep appreciation for his leadership of WFP’s Operations Services over the last seven years. He retires after close to 33 years with WFP, in which he has led and supported the responses to some of the largest humanitarian crises the world has had to face, saving countless lives.
Currently WFP Regional Director for East and Central Africa, Ms. Guarnieri brings to the position extensive experience in humanitarian and development operations. Having served in senior positions in Zimbabwe, Philippines and Headquarters, she has led efforts to tackle some of the world’s most protracted and complex hunger challenges.
