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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY ERI KANEKO, ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

TUESDAY, 25 AUGUST 2015

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SECRETARY-GENERAL, FRENCH PRESIDENT HOLLANDE DISCUSS NEXT STEPS TOWARDS PARIS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

• The Secretary-General arrived in Paris, France, today. He with President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace, and they discussed the latest developments in the lead up to the Climate Change Conference in Paris in December (COP21) as well as the next steps to be taken to ensure an ambitious outcome.
• On the Central African Republic, the Secretary-General stressed his resolve and commitment in addressing issues of misconduct, including sexual exploitation and abuse, by UN peacekeepers.
• In the aftermath of his visit to Nigeria, the Secretary-General and President Hollande also discussed the threat of Boko Haram across the region and the need to address violent extremism everywhere.
• Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will address French ambassadors on the issue of climate change during their annual meeting in Paris. He is also scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
• Yesterday, before departing Abuja, Nigeria, the Secretary-General met with eight victims of violent extremism.
• He also at a dialogue on “Democracy, Human Rights, Development, Climate Change and Countering Violent Extremism,” in which he commended the role of Nigeria on the global stage.

SYRIA: SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS ACTS OF TERRORISM BY DA’ESH, U.N. AGENCY WARNS AGAINST USING��WATER TO ACHIEVE POLITICAL GAINS

• In a statement issued yesterday on Syria, the Secretary-General the continuing acts of terror and grave violations of international law committed by Da'esh in the country, including the systematic destruction and plunder of the country’s cultural heritage.
• He added that he is appalled by reports of the demolition by Da'esh of the ancient temple of Baal Shamin in the city of Palmyra, a UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s () World Heritage Site.
• The Secretary-General is also outraged by the brutal murder of Khaled al-Asaad, retired chief archaeologist of Palmyra, by the same terrorist group on 18 August, and extends his heartfelt condolences to Mr. al-Asaad’s family.
• The Secretary-General called on the international community to unite and act swiftly to put a stop to this terrorist activity.
• The UN Children’s Fund () has that amid the unremitting brutality of the war in Syria, and a scorching summer heat wave, there is increasing evidence that parties to the conflict are using water to achieve military and political gains.
• In recent months, up to five million people living in cities and communities across the country have suffered the consequences of long and sometimes deliberate interruptions to their water supplies.
• In the northern city of Aleppo, where fighting has crippled the main pumping station for months at a time, UNICEF has recorded 18 deliberate water cuts this year alone.
• UNICEF has reiterated that clean water is both a basic need and a fundamental right.

SECRETARY-GENERAL VOICES HOPE AGREEMENT ON INTER-KOREAN DIALOGUE WILL PAVE WAY FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF PROBLEMS

• In a statement yesterday, the Secretary-General the news of an agreement reached between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In particular, he said that he highly appreciated the agreement to hold regular inter-Korean dialogue, and hoped that this will serve as a mechanism to effectively manage any problems that may arise on the Korean Peninsula.
• The Secretary-General strongly encouraged humanitarian measures, such as reunions of separated families, to be regularized without being subject to political and security considerations. He expressed further hope that this hard-won momentum for inter-Korean dialogue will lead to the resumption of talks for addressing the nuclear issue.
• The Secretary-General stressed the importance of the full implementation of the agreement for the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. As Secretary-General, he said that he stands ready to support inter-Korean cooperation.

U.N. AGENCY CONCERNED OVER IMPACT OF VIOLENCE ON PALESTINE REFUGEES LIVING IN LEBANESE CAMP

• The UN Relief and Works Agency () today expressed its concern over the serious impact on the Palestinian refugee community of the armed clashes that started yesterday in in el Hilweh Camp in Saida, southern Lebanon between different armed groups.
• Although a ceasefire went into effect today, UNRWA says the situation remains extremely volatile and calls for restraint to prevent the situation deteriorating further.
• People are reportedly vacating the camp, with as many as 3,000 people may having been displaced. UNRWA does not have full access and movement in and around Ein el Hilweh camp and is deeply concerned over reports that civilians are endangered and that its installations, such as schools and health clinics, have been directly affected by the fighting. UNRWA condemns any armed group that fails to respect its obligations under international law to protect civilians and to respect the inviolability of United Nations premises. It calls on all parties to respect the neutrality of the UN and its installations, to desist from conducting armed hostilities in residential areas and to allow UNRWA to resume its services.
• UNRWA has mobilized its humanitarian response to these developments and is coordinating with partners to provide food, medical assistance and shelter.

U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER RETURN OF FORMER LEADER OF MALDIVES TO PRISON

• The High Commissioner for Human Rights today expressed his deep concern to the Government of the Maldives after former President Mohammad Nasheed was once again sent to prison late on Sunday.
• His Office said that it had been encouraged by the Government’s earlier decision to move Mr. Nasheed to house arrest after widespread national and international criticism of the clearly flawed trial which resulted in him being sentenced to 13 years in jail in March this year. ��
• However, Mr. Nasheed was suddenly transferred on Sunday to the high-security prison on Maafushi Island. The Office said that it understands that force was used against his supporters.
• The Office has conducted two missions to the Maldives in recent months to discuss these issues with the authorities, and had visited Mr Nasheed both in jail and when he was under house arrest at his residence.
• It said that the return of Mr. Nasheed to prison constitutes a serious set-back to the human rights situation as well as to moves towards finding a political solution in the Maldives.
• The High Commissioner has therefore urged the Government to consider former President Nasheed’s early release, and his Office also urged the review of pending criminal cases against several hundred opposition supporters in relation to the protests in recent months.

NEPAL: U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS ARM WARNS OF CONTINUING VIOLENCE UNLESS ALL SIDES CHANGE APPROACH

• The UN Human Rights Office () today its concern over reports of continuing political violence in Nepal, where seven members of the security forces and three protestors were reportedly killed yesterday.
• On 8 August, an agreement, the product of extended negotiations to draw up a new constitution further to the Comprehensive ̽����ѡ Agreement that ended the ten-year internal conflict in 2006, was reached by political parties on redrawing internal state boundaries. Since the agreement was reached, increasingly violent protests and strikes against the proposed delineation have taken place throughout the country, including the deaths of five protestors.
• The Office warned that there is a clear risk that the protests and violence will continue to feed off each other in the coming days unless all sides change their approach.
• It urged the Government to create a climate where minority or dissenting views or beliefs are respected, and security forces only employ force as a last resort and in full accordance with the standards laid out under international law for maintaining public order, including detailed guidelines governing the use of live ammunition.
• It also called on political leaders and protestors to sit down together to find a peaceful solution to the current situation before the rising violence spirals out of control.
• The Office also said that it supports the call of the Nepal National Human Rights Commission for an independent, thorough and impartial investigation into all deaths and injuries resulting from the alleged use of disproportionate force by security personnel, as well as into the deaths of the seven security personnel killed on Monday.

SOUTH SUDAN: DURABLE PEACE AND SUSTAINED EFFORT NEEDED TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES

• Ellen Margrethe Loej, the Head of the UN and Special Representative of the Secretary-General in South Sudan, briefed the Security Council today from Juba.
• She announced that a Mini-Summit has been called for tomorrow in the South Sudanese capital, where the Government is expected to sign the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Plus peace agreement.
• However, she said that despite this hopefully positive development, the security situation on the ground has been volatile and tense, and that the escalation of fighting has sparked further displacements.
• Ms. Loej added that the UN Mission is now providing protection to 200,000 internally displaced persons at six protection of civilians’ sites.
• On the human rights situation in South Sudan, Ms. Loej said she was deeply shocked by the parties’ utter disrespect for human life and concerned by the recent restrictions placed on press freedom in the country.
• The UN Mission has continued to face serious obstacles to its operations, including grave obstructions, by both parties, to its freedom of movement, she added.
• Ms. Loej said that following the hopefully successful conclusion to the peace talks, we must bear in mind that implementation will have significant resource implications. ̽����ѡ, stability and prosperity will not come to South Sudan overnight, she added, this process will require concerted and sustained effort from both national stakeholders and international partners.
• The Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Stephen O’Brien, also briefed the Security Council, that over 2.2 million people have been displaced by the conflict, an increase of 200,000 since the start of the year. Severe food insecurity is affecting a 4.6 million people this year compared to 3.8 million at the height of the lean season last year.
• The Emergency Relief Coordinator called for a credible cessation of hostilities to give people breathing space and allow humanitarians to deliver assistance to families cut off from life-saving aid by security.
• Mr. O’Brien also called for a durable peace agreement to allow people to return home and rebuild their lives. He warned that any peace agreement which is not inclusive and does not bring an end to the fighting will ultimately fail the people of South Sudan.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY DELIVERS AID IN LIBYA DESPITE GROWING INSECURITY

• The UN Refugee Agency () that amid heaving fighting in Libya, it has managed to distribute aid to tens of thousands of displaced people in and around Tripoli and in the south-west of the conflict-ridden country over the past month.
• Despite the progress, the agency needs to reach thousands more people in need across Libya.
• The distributions took place against the background of some of the worst fighting in the south of the country since Libya's civil war resumed in May 2014.
• Escalated conflicts in Sabha and Awbari in the south-west and in the Kufra area – a major transit point for goods and people being smuggled from sub-Saharan Africa – have since late July displaced thousands of people, added UNHCR.

SERBIA/FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA: U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY URGES COLLECTIVE ACTION ON MIGRATION ISSUE

• The UN refugee agency () today it was working closely with the Serb authorities to help meet the needs of more than 10,000 refugees and others who have arrived in Serbia in recent days following dramatic scenes at the Greek border with former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
• At the Greece-FYR Macedonia border itself -- reported calm after chaotic scenes late last week -- people are now crossing in groups of up to 300 to 400 and then travelling onwards by train or bus to Serbia.
• UNHCR is still concerned about the conditions for people making this journey, many of whom are from countries affected by on-going conflicts, such as Syria and Afghanistan.
• While understanding legitimate concerns facing countries in the region due to increasing arrivals of asylum-seekers and migrants, the UN Refugee Agency appeals to the Governments involved to implement border management measures with humanity and in accordance with their international obligations. Family unity and protection of persons with specific needs must be upheld.
• UNHCR said it is clear that this problem cannot be solved by any one country working alone, and that a comprehensive European response is urgently required based on solidarity and equal sharing of the burden.