Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoPress Conferences
Briefing by Spokesperson for Secretary-General
The Secretary-General said earlier today that he was horrified at news reports and video footage showing African migrants in Libya reportedly being sold as slaves. He abhors these appalling acts and calls upon all competent authorities to investigate these activities without delay and bring the perpetrators to justice. He has asked the relevant United Nations actors to actively pursue this matter.
Slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amount to crimes against humanity.
The Secretary-General urges every nation to adopt and apply the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocol on trafficking in persons and the international community to unite in fighting this scourge.
This also reminds us of the need to address migration flows in a comprehensive and humane manner: through development cooperation aiming at addressing its root causes, through a meaningful increase of all the opportunities for legal migration and through an enhanced international cooperation in cracking down on smugglers and traffickers and protecting the rights of their victims.
The World Health Organization said today they have received reports from the Sabha medical centre on the recent kidnapping of one of its doctors. The agency strongly condemns any attack on medical personnel and health facilities and calls upon parties responsible for the kidnapping of the doctor to ensure his safety and immediate release.
Today is World Children’s Day and as part of the activities to mark the Day, children from around the world are taking over key roles in media, politics, business, sport and entertainment in more than 130 countries.
Also speaking at the noon briefing was Lathitha Beyile, a 14-year old from Johannesburg, South Africa, and an advocate for issues that children face around the world, including child labor, poverty, lack of education and gender inequality.
Ms. Beyile said that World Children’s Day is a fun day with a serious message: Despite global progress, 1 in 12 children around the world live in countries where their prospects today are worse than those of their parents. 180 million children live in 37 countries where they are more likely to live in extreme poverty, be out of school, or be killed by violent death than children living in those countries were 20 years ago.
A UNICEF survey released today of children between 9 and 18 years old in 14 countries shows that children are deeply concerned about these global issues affecting us, including violence, terrorism, conflict, climate change, unfair treatment of refugees and migrants, and poverty.
The message on World Children’s Day is clear: the world is failing to fully deliver on behalf of the world’s children, and we are speaking up on behalf of ourselves and our peers to make the case for why we should do more.
There have been global commemorations taking place across the world. The Secretary-General spoke at the ‘Kids take over the United Nations Headquarters’ event and he told us that the UN is working every day, every hour, and every minute for their best interests.
He said that in a world that can so often seem to be a hopeless place, we need children’s hope, more than ever.
Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the Security Council today that the handover of Gaza crossing points, if translated into the full civilian and security control by the Palestinian Authority of Gaza, could be a step towards the normalization of movement in and out of the Strip. He encouraged all sides to use tomorrow’s Cairo meeting to reinforce their commitment to a gradual process of implementing the Cairo agreement, and to ensure that positive momentum is sustained through upholding commitments and ensuring follow-up.
He said that many previous attempts to bridge the Palestinian divide have failed. We cannot allow this current effort to become another missed opportunity.
Regrettably, the Special Coordinator said, there is also some not-so-good news. Despite progress in implementing the Cairo agreement, Gaza residents have not seen any improvements to their daily lives.
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Burundi, Michel Kafando, briefed the Security Council this morning.
He informed the Council of his recent visits to Bujumbura, his meetings with representatives of the opposition and civil society, as well as with other African leaders and partners of Burundi.
He stressed that the United Nations has the obligation to continue to support the efforts of the sub-region to help Burundi out of the current crisis. The political process remains the only way forward to solve this crisis, he said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the blockade by the Saudi-Led Coalition – now in its 15th day – is continuing to exacerbate the country’s humanitarian crisis with food, fuel and medical stocks dwindling and the prices for food and fuel rising.
The interruption in the importing of key items are pushing at least 7 million people, at least one third of the country’s population, closer towards famine.
Fuel is becoming scarcer by the day and is disrupting the transport of goods, including food and water, as well as the use of generators needed to pump water and to support the power supply of hospitals and sanitation plants.
Milling is also being affected, with remaining wheat grain stocks unable be milled, resulting in further increasing food prices. The existing cereal stocks are expected to run out in three months.
In addition, our humanitarian colleagues are very concerned about the inability of humanitarian workers to reach Sana’a – the gateway to Yemen’s largest populations of people in need – and for those remaining in-country unable to even leave, including for emergency medical evacuation.
They once again emphasize that, to avoid this humanitarian catastrophe, the Hodaidah and Saleef ports and the Sana’a airport need to open immediately.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the number of Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh since 25 August has now reached 621,000.
They are arriving traumatized and destitute, with more than half living in a single camp in Cox’s Bazar.
As of this morning, the Rohingya Refugee Crisis Response Plan has received nearly $140 million, or 32 per cent of requirements. Donors had pledged a total of $360 million for the response last month, and the UN urges them to disburse this money as quickly as possible.
Kristin Davis, a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), who is currently in Bangladesh, called for global attention and funding to provide more life-saving aid for Rohingya refugee children in the country.
Ms. Davis visited the Kutupalong camp and said she was shocked by how more than half of the refugees there are children, some of them have lost one or both parents and are on their own.
She noted that this is currently the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world, but said that she was seeing hope, with UN agencies, their partners and the Bangladeshi Government working around the clock to ensure refugees are safe, sheltered, and protected.
However, Ms. Davis stressed that there is so much more to do and more international support is desperately needed.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the Government and aid agencies have helped most of the people in Iraq affected by the earthquake earlier this month.
The nearly 300 families displaced by the earthquake have received tents, and work is underway to fix water infrastructure which has affected water shortages.
Regarding Sinjar, OCHA says that the district remains difficult for aid agencies to access due to checkpoints and roadblocks in the area. This has resulted in it taking longer to deliver relief supplies. Humanitarian partners continue to remind all parties of their responsibility to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to all populations in need.
The Peacebuilding Commission met today to discuss Sri Lanka, focusing on comprehensive efforts made by the country to achieve sustainable peace and prosperity and looking at socio-economic development, reconciliation and transitional justice initiatives undertaken by the Government to date.
The Commission discussed the challenges and risks it has encountered in advancing this agenda and how the UN system can continue to support the Government in the future. It also focused on the importance of constitutional reform to achieve a political settlement and ensure non-recurrence of violent conflict, noting the recent debate in the Constitutional Assembly to advance this process.
The event also underlined the need for an inclusive process, highlighting the positive role women, youth and civil society can play in Sri Lanka’s peacebuilding process.
Over the weekend, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Miroslav Jenča, wrapped up a three-day visit to Papua New Guinea, accompanied by the Permanent Representative of Papua New Guinea to the United Nations, Max Rai.
In the capital, Port Moresby, he met with the Minister for Bougainville Affairs, Simon Dumarinu; the Acting Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Barbara Age; and other Government officials, as well as with diplomats and UN staff.
In Bougainville, Mr. Jenca met with officials, including the President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, John Momis; and the Speaker of the Bougainville House of Representatives, Simon Pentanu; and the Minister for Peace Agreement Implementation, Albert Punghau. He also met with representatives of ex-combatants and women’s representatives.
Mr. Jenča welcomed the progress made in implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, and encouraged all parties to step up their efforts including with preparations for the referendum in Bougainville. He particularly welcomed the scheduling of the Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) of the Bougainville Peace Agreement for 14-15 December 2017, in Port Moresby, a forum that brings together the leaders of the Government of Papua New Guinea and of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, and that has not met since May 2016.
He assured all parties that the United Nations remains committed to supporting the process through to a peaceful conclusion and will continue to provide ongoing assistance at the request of the parties.
Today is Africa Industrialization Day. This year’s theme is “African Industrial Development: A Pre-Condition for an Effective and Sustainable Continental Free Trade Area.”
In his message for the Day, the Secretary-General highlighted the importance of investments in cross-border infrastructure, green technologies and low-carbon solutions to increase commerce and industrialization in Africa. He also stressed the need for governments, business and civil society to forge partnerships to spur innovation and create incentives to power sustainable growth, and reaffirmed the UN’s support for Africa to implement a continental free trade agreement.
The UN Environment Programme says that the Montreal Protocol is celebrating a milestone as its Kigali Amendment reached the threshold to enter into force over the weekend.
The Amendment, which seeks to phase down climate-warming hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs, was ratified by more than 20 parties and is now set to enter into force on 1 January 2019.
Countries will now be required to gradually phase down HFCs by more than 80 per cent over the next 30 years and replace them with more environmentally-friendly alternatives.
Costa Rica has paid its budget dues in full, becoming the 143rd Member State to do so.