The Secretary-General says, three years after the Geneva communiqué on Syria was agreed, the suffering of the Syrian people continues to plumb new depths; more than 220,000 are dead, parts of the country are controlled by a patchwork of Syrian and non-State actors, and its cultural heritage is under assault.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Secretary-General spoke to reporters this morning after speaking at the General Assembly’s High-level Event on Climate Change. He reiterated that 2015 is a year for global action, stressing the importance of the twin priorities of sustainable development and addressing climate change.
The Secretary-General arrived in San Francisco late last night and will take part in the Charter Day commemorations in the city. He is currently in a meeting on how the tech industry can be an active partner in the post-2015 development agenda.
The High Commissioner for Refugees warns that funding to meet the most basic survival needs of the 3.9 million refugees who have fled the conflict in Syria is “dangerously low”, causing cuts in food aid, declining school attendance, costly lifesaving health services and potentially unsafe births.
The Commission of Inquiry for Eritrea says that the situation there can no longer be ignored. The body’s reportdescribes a State that rules through fear and a vast security network that reaches into every level of society. It urges the Human Rights Council to scrutinize violations, which may be crimes against humanity.
In Geneva, the Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria told the Human Rights Council that the war in that country had mutated into a multi-sided and highly fluid war of attrition. Surges and setbacks have fuelled the illusion that a military victory is still possible.
The Secretary-General today appointed an external independent panel to review the United Nations response to allegations of sexual abuse of children by foreign military forces that are not under the Organization’s command in the Central African Republic.
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, said that he has seen several positive signs in his separate talks with the Yemeni parties in Geneva in recent days, and believes a ceasefire and withdrawal of forces can be reached following further consultations.
The Secretary-General welcomed the papal encyclical released today. He said that he and Pope Francis agree that climate change is a moral issue that requires collective action. It is an issue of social justice, human rights and fundamental ethics.
Ending a visit to Syria, Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura called for a strong condemnation of the heavy bombings by Government forces last night on Douma. No context justifies the indiscriminate targeting of civilians or collective punishment by a Government. He urged greater aid access to besieged areas.