Noon Briefings

The Secretary-General, addressing the third pledging conference for Syria today in Kuwait, said that the country has lost nearly four decades of human development.  The Syrian people are the victims of the worst humanitarian crisis of our time but that they are not asking for sympathy; they are asking for help.

The Secretary-General is in Kuwait, where he will participate in the third pledging conference for Syria.  Earlier today, he visited Baghdad, where he met with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, President Fuad Masum and Speaker Saleem al-Jabouri.  He also spoke by phone with President Massoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

At the Security Council’s open debate this morning, the Secretary-General expressed deep concern over the grave dangers facing minorities in parts of the Middle East, warning that millions of lives and the social fabric of entire countries are at stake.  He said the United Nations will launch an action plan in September to prevent violent extremism.

The Secretary-General notes that Saudi Arabia, at the Yemeni Government’s request, has begun military operations in Yemen, and is aware of reports that other States are supporting those operations.  He notes that despite escalation, negotiations remain the only option to ultimately resolve the Yemeni crisis.

The Secretary-General spoke at the open debate in the Security Council this morning on children and armed conflict and said that the world’s children are increasingly under threat in theatres of war.  He emphasized that the children of the world should be students, not soldiers.

The Secretary-General said that Angela Kane has informed him of her intention to step down as High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.  He expressed his gratitude for her outstanding service and advocacy of disarmament and non-proliferation issues.

In an emergency Security Council session yesterday afternoon, Jamal Benomar, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Yemen, said by videoconference that he was working with all sides to resolve the current standoff in the country and avert civil war.  The Council issued a statement supporting the legitimacy of President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi.

The Secretary-General called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to congratulate him on his recent electoral victory.  Urging Israel’s release of tax revenue owed to the Palestinian Authority, he also reiterated that the two-State solution was the only way forward.

The Da’esh group may have committed all three of the most serious international crimes — war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, according to a report issued today by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms today’s attack against the Bardo Museum in Tunisia’s capital as a deplorable act, extending condolences to the victims’ families and expressing solidarity with the Tunisian people and authorities.