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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

MONDAY, 13 JUNE 2016

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SYRIA: SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS ABHORRENT ATTACK AGAINST CIVILIANS IN IDLIB

• In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General the abhorrent attack carried out on 12 June in Idlib city, , which hit a vegetable market and the only bakery in the area.
• The apparent air strike took place while a ceasefire stipulated in the Four Towns Agreement, which covers Idlib city, had reportedly been restored over the weekend. Local sources reported that the attack left dozens of civilians, including women and children, dead or wounded.
• The Secretary-General extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. He called on all those responsible for attacks on civilians to be held accountable.
• Today, an inter-agency is delivering food, health, nutrition, water, sanitation and other essential supplies for 33,500 people in the hard-to-reach areas of Tir Mallah, Al Ghanto and Al Dar Alkabera in rural Homs. The last inter-agency convoy to the area was on 2 April 2016.
• Last Friday, the United Nations and partners completed the delivery of much needed life-saving assistance to the besieged city of Douma in Rural Damascus, the first of a multi-phase delivery to bring food, nutrition items, health, hygiene and other humanitarian supplies for up to 40,000 people. That convoy was the first UN inter-agency convoy to Douma since May 2014.
• Since the beginning of 2016, inter-agency operations have reached over 830,000 people in desperate need in besieged, hard-to-reach and priority cross-line areas. Many of these people have been reached more than once.
• While this progress is welcome, much more is required, and the UN continues to call for unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to the millions of people in besieged and hard-to-reach locations across Syria.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ATTACK IN ORLANDO “DESPICAPLE AND CONTRARY TO VALUES THAT UNDERPIN U.N.”

• The Secretary-General wrote to the Governor of and the Mayor of Orlando to convey his deepest condolences to the people of Florida for the loss of life and injuries in yesterday's horrific and hateful act of terror in Orlando that targeted members of the LGBT community.�� He said that such violence is despicable, and contrary to the values of equality, peace and mutual respect that underpin the United Nations.
• At this time of shock and sorrow, he added, the UN stands in solidarity with the families of the victims and with the people of the United States.
• Today, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, in Geneva and said that he condemned with the greatest possible force the outrageous attacks by violent extremists on innocent people, chosen at random, or because of their presumed beliefs, or opinions, or – as we saw yesterday – their sexual orientation.
• The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, was asked today in Geneva how the attack affected LGBT rights, and he expressed the hope that it would not prompt hate crimes.�� He added that we need to exercise restraint and make sure that we are not provoked.��
• The Deputy Secretary-General said that the intention of those who carry out such attacks is to scare and divide people and that we need to be strong in standing up for our own values and for every human being’s equal worth.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES NEED TO PLACE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AT HEART OF ALL EFFORTS

• The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, at the 10^th anniversary of the Human Rights Council () today in Geneva.
• Calling the recent attack in Orlando a horrific act of terror and a massacre, he said that terrorists and violent extremists aim to undermine the values we together stand for – democracy and inclusion, individual liberty, human rights and the rule of law.
• He added that they create fear which in turn can lead to polarization and division in our societies. The Deputy Secretary-General said that 10 years since the establishment of the Human Rights Council, we have much unfinished work and many new challenges ahead of us. He called on the international community to continue to place the victims and the vulnerable at the heart of all our efforts.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES NEW GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT-ELECT

• The Secretary-General today at the election of the President of the 71^st session of the . Congratulating President-elect Peter Thomson, the Permanent Representative of Fiji, the Secretary-General said that, in addition to Ambassador Thomson’s staunch commitment to development, he brings with him the very valuable perspective of a small island developing State to the post.
• The Secretary-General said that he counted on Mr. Thomson to help the international community carry out both the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
• The Secretary-General also thanked current General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft for his many important initiatives, including making the selection process for the next Secretary-General more transparent. The Secretary-General called this move “unprecedented and a very welcome attention around the world.”

NEW HUMANITARIAN REPORT HIGHLIGHTS NEEDS IN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

• The Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs’ () latest Annual Humanitarian Overview that the needs in the occupied Palestinian territory continue to be driven by Israel's prolonged occupation and continued conflict
• Deaths and injuries among West Bank Palestinians due to responses to attacks by Israeli forces were the highest since 2005, as were such casualties among Israelis from attacks by West Bank Palestinians, found the report.
• While no new displacement occurred in Gaza, at least 70,000 Palestinians remain displaced following the destruction of their homes during the 2014 conflict.

U.N. ENVOY IN LIBYA CONDEMNS KILLING OF PRISONERS

• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for , Martin Kobler, today in the strongest terms the recent killing of 12 prisoners in Tripoli after their release was ordered by the court.
• Stressing that the rule of law is the foundation of democratic institutions, Mr. Kobler said that the crime should be thoroughly and independently investigated and perpetrators must be brought to justice.

SOUTH SUDAN: PEACEKEEPING CHIEF CONCLUDES VISIT, URGES LEADERS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT PEACE AGREEMENT

• The Under-Secretary-General for Operations, Hervé Ladsous, wrapped up a three-day visit to and spoke to the press there. He said that he had come to evaluate the situation on the ground as well as progress made in the implementation of the peace agreement following the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity.
• Over the weekend, Mr. Ladsous travelled to Bentiu and Malakal, where he also visited the Protection of Civilians camps. In Juba, the Under-Secretary-General met with President Salva Kiir, First Vice President Riek Machar and Vice President James Wani Igga and urged them to continue working towards the full implementation of the peace agreement.
• He also indicated that with the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity, the relationship of the United Nations with South Sudan is on a new footing. Mr. Ladsous also separately met with the Chair of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, former President Festus Mogae of Botswana.

SOME 40,000 PEOPLE DISPLACED BY RECENT BOKO HARAM ATTACK IN NIGER’S BOSSO AREA

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs () said that the security situation in ’s Bosso department remains volatile following the deadly attack, reportedly led by Boko Haram on 3 June. An estimated 40,000 people have been displaced.
• Since 7 June, authorities and humanitarian partners have been progressively conducting assessments and delivering assistance in accessible areas. They have, so far, distributed water and high energy biscuit and provided ambulatory health care.
• However, only 25 per cent of the required $74 million needed for assistance in the Diffa region have been mobilized so far. Emergency stocks have been diverted from other programmes to provide lifesaving assistance. Aid organizations warn that additional resources are urgently required and must be made available immediately to prevent a humanitarian disaster.

NEW U.N. ENVOY ARRIVES IN CYPRUS

• The new Special of the Secretary-General in , Elizabeth Spehar, arrived today in the country.
• She will meet with senior officials, civil society representatives, members of the diplomatic community and UN colleagues across the island over the coming days.

OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE EXPECTED TO BE RESETTLED IN 2017 – U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY

• The UN Refugee Agency () today its Projected Global Resettlement Needs for 2017, which states that 1.19 million people will need resettlement in 2017.
• With a multitude of conflicts and crises causing record displacement around the world, resettlement has become an increasingly vital part of UNHCR’s efforts to find solutions and advocate for fairer responsibility-sharing for refugees.
• Despite increased resettlement quotas from some countries, the number of people in need of resettlement far surpasses the opportunities for placement in a third country. In 2017, Syrians are projected to account for 40 per cent of needs, followed by Sudan, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• UNHCR also reports that 2015 was a record year for submissions which reached 134,044, up 29 percent from the previous year. In 2015, the United States accepted 62 per cent of all submissions, followed by Canada, Australia, Norway and the United Kingdom.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO VISIT FIRST SOLAR PLANE

• At 5 p.m. today at the John F. Kennedy Airport, the Secretary-General will briefly meet the pilots and founders of the Solar Impulse – the first solar plane that does not use any fuel.
• The plane is flying around the world and New York is its 14^th stop on a journey that begun in Abu Dhabi in March last year. The media advisory is available in my office.
• Following this, the Secretary-General will be on his way to Brussels where he will in the European Development Days. He will then head to St. Petersburg and Greece. In Greece, as you are aware, he will travel to Lesvos to meet refugees, migrants and asylum seekers, as well as local volunteers and authorities.

U.N. STARTS 100-DAY COUNTDOWN TO INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

• The Department of Public Information () today launched the 100-day countdown to the International of ̽����ѡ, which will be observed on 21 September.
• The theme this year is: "The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for ̽����ѡ." And in his message for today, the Secretary-General urges everyone to recognize that development and peace are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
• To celebrate, DPI’s Education Outreach Section has launched a new hip hop music video -- in partnership with the Brooklyn-based education company Flocabulary.
• The video aims to teach young people throughout the world about the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals and how they can help build peace. DPI has also called on youth from around the world to submit short videos on the topic.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION CALLS FOR INCREASED UNPAID BLOOD DONATIONS

• Ahead of World Blood Donor tomorrow, the World Health Organization () that voluntary, unpaid blood donations must be increased rapidly in more than half the world’s countries.
• Nearly 50 per cent of blood donations are collected in high-income countries, home to less than 20 per cent of the world’s population.
• WHO encouraged all countries to establish blood services based on full voluntary non-remunerated blood donations.
• Today, only 62 countries get close to 100 per cent of their national blood supplies from voluntary unpaid blood donations, with 34 countries still dependent on family donors and even paid donors for more than 75 per cent of their blood supply.

POPE FRANCIS URGES COUNTRIES TO INCREASE COOPERATION WITH WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

• Pope Francis visited the World Food Programme () in Rome today. In remarks to staff, he support to the goal of eradicating hunger. He called on Member States to increase their cooperation with WFP.
• He said, “In this way, the World Food Programme will not only be able to respond to emergencies, but also implement sound and consistent projects and promote long-term development programmes, as requested by each of the governments and in keeping with the needs of their peoples."

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**The guest at the noon briefing was Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, who briefed on the situation in Fallujah.**

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