Daily Press Briefing: Security Council, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Mali, Niger, Central African Republic, Syria, Lebanon, Myanmar, Belarus, Covid-19/Bangladesh, Economic & Social Council, Global Trade Update, Protected Areas, Noon Briefing Guests

Briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

• Categories: Media / Press Conferences
• Video Length: 00:32:40
• Production Date: 19 May 2021
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: STEPHANE DUJARRIC
• Corporate Name: ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL - ECOSOC; SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: CORONAVIRUS DISEASE - COVID 19; TRADE
• Geographic Subject: BANGLADESH; BELARUS; CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC; LEBANON; MALI; MYANMAR; NIGER; PALESTINE; SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 2620547
• Parent Id: 2620547

Description

This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the Security Council virtual Open Debate on Peace and Security in Africa.

In a Flash Appeal, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said today that it urgently seeks $38 million to respond to the immediate needs and to carry out essential emergency interventions in Gaza.

In a joint communiqué, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) took note of the decision by the President of the Transition, Bah N’Daw, to reappoint Prime Minister Moctar Ouane to his functions.

In Niger, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that, in the western region of Tillabery, more than 10,000 men, women and children have fled their homes since last Friday.

In the Central African Republic, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today warned that nearly half of the population – 47 per cent – suffers from high and surging food insecurity.

The Secretary-General’s third report on Children and Armed Conflict in Syrian is out today. It shows that more than 2,700 children were killed or maimed between July 2018 and June 2020, by airstrikes, explosive remnants of war and indiscriminate ground shelling of civilian-populated areas. Meanwhile, more than 1,400 children were recruited or used by at least 25 parties to the conflict.

The International Support Group for Lebanon, which includes the UN and other international partners, met in Beirut today to take stock of the situation in the country. 

In Myanmar, the UN team on the ground is still gravely concerned over rising levels of displacement since the military takeover of the Government on February 1st.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, today announced the appointment of three high-level experts to the UN Human Rights Office’s fact-finding mission on Belarus.

In Bangladesh, the UN team there, led by our Resident Coordinator Mia Seppo, is helping to address the multiple impacts of the pandemic.

Yesterday afternoon at an Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) virtual meeting, the Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed discussed with Member States her report on the Development Coordination Office and the Resident Coordinator System, in her role as chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group.

A report released today by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) shows that world trade recovery from the COVID-19 crisis hit a record high in the first quarter of 2021, increasing by 10% year-over-year and 4% quarter-over-quarter.

A report released today by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and its partners says that while countries have made progress towards the global target on the number of protected areas, it is falling short on commitment on the quality of these areas.

Tomorrow, the guests at the noon briefing will be Elliot Harris, the UN’s Chief Economist, along with Nazrul Islam, the Lead Author of the World Social Report 2021, which is produced by our colleagues in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

For further details please see SOURCE below.
Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General