Addressing the General Assembly today on the Ebola outbreak, the Secretary-General acknowledged a significant decline of new cases. However, incident rates had risen again in Guinea and Sierra Leone, and he appealed to Member States to sustain the work against Ebola and provided resources needed to get to zero cases.
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Condemning in the strongest terms the killing of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya by Da’esh, the Secretary-General reaffirmed that the ongoing dialogue in Libya was the best chance to help the country overcome its current crisis and build a State and institutions able to confront terrorism.
The Secretary-General welcomed a “key milestone” in Geneva today towards a universal climate change agreement. He said the negotiating text covers such areas as mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology and capacity-building, and noted the Climate Convention Chief’s satisfaction with the swift pace of the work.
The Secretary-General briefed the Security Council on Yemen this morning, warning that “the country is collapsing before our eyes” and calling for all Yemeni parties to engage and cooperate in the negotiations being facilitated by Special Adviser Jamal Benomar in good faith towards a consensual and peaceful way forward.
Following the release two weeks ago of 249 children from an armed group in South Sudan, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partners are overseeing the release of another 300 children. The children surrendered their weapons and will spend their first night in an interim care centre that has health and psychological services.
The Secretary-General condemns, in the strongest terms, the killing on 6 February of Thierno Aliou Diaoune, National Coordinator for the UN Peacebuilding Fund in Conakry, Guinea. Mr. Diaoune was a trusted United Nations partner and a tireless advocate for the construction of peace, democracy and human rights in the country.
The Secretary-General, in his keynote address to the Government Summit in Dubai, said all were appalled by the recent upsurge in terrorism and violent extremism, and reiterated his condemnation of the “repugnant and cowardly” behaviour of those committing atrocities against innocent civilians.
Marking International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, the Secretary-General called for the elimination of the deeply harmful practice, which affects at least 130 million girls and women in 29 countries, so that every girl can grow up in a life of dignity that is free of violence and discrimination.
The Secretary-General remains gravely concerned over the situation in eastern Ukraine, particularly the plight of civilians trapped without basic services in the city of Debaltseve. He reiterates his call for a sustainable ceasefire, and for urgent diplomatic and political action.
The Special Representative for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, presented the Secretary-General’s latest report on that country to the Security Council today, saying that 2015 should be a year of federalism and delivery, thus determining whether and how Somalia could become a unified, peaceful federal State.