Today is the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. In a message to mark the occasion, the Secretary-General noted that 111 peacekeeping personnel died last year, and more than 3,100 have lost their lives during the UN’s 65-year history of peacekeeping.
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The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says there are severe humanitarian needs in Gao, eastern Mali, where the amount of drinking water available has declined by 60 per cent over the past weeks. Some neighbourhoods do not have water at all due to dysfunctional pumps and lack of electricity.
After meeting with Ugandan President Museveni and Government ministers, the Secretary-General and the World Bank President travelled to Addis Ababa to attend events celebrating 50 years of the Organization of African Unity and the African Union. While there, the Secretary-General will also participate in meetings addressing regional concerns.
In Rwanda, prior to meetings with the President and Government cabinet ministers, the Secretary-General and Dr. Jim Yong Kim, World Bank President, laid wreaths at the Gisozi genocide memorial site. The Secretary-General also spoke at the Rwandan police headquarters about combating violence against women and girls.
The Secretary-General arrived in Kinshasa, where he met with the President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, at the start of the first joint UN-World Bank visit of its kind. They had meetings with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Joseph Kabila, and Government ministers.
The Secretary-General and Mozambican President Armando Guebuza visited today and discussed a wide range of topics, including the country’s great progress and developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar. He also met with students about the “UNiTE” campaign to end violence against women and girls.
The Secretary-General arrived in Mozambique today to take part in an event on sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals, after which he met with the country’s parliament leaders. Tomorrow, he will meet with the President of Mozambique, and visit and speak at several educational institutions.
As you may be aware, today is marked by millions of people around the world as the International Day against Homophobia. This year, the United Nations Human Rights Office has put out a short, compelling video, called The Riddle, which you can view on YouTube.
The Secretary-General arrived in the Russian Federation earlier today. He is now in Sochi on Russia's Black Sea coast, and tomorrow he is scheduled to meet President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov there. After his visit ends on 19 May, he will travel to Mozambique.
At the launch of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction this morning, the Secretary-General said that trillions of dollars will be invested by the private sector in hazard-exposed regions in the years ahead, and such spending must address risk factors.