The Secretary-General said that the Arms Trade Treaty being entered into force tomorrow was a new chapter in the world’s collective efforts to bring responsibility, accountability and transparency to the global arms trade, as well as a testimony to an international commitment to stop irresponsible arms transfers.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The World Food Programme (WFP), China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, and Tencent, one of the world’s largest internet companies, have launched a fundraising campaign supporting WFP’s emergency operations to meet basic food needs of affected families and communities in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, which have been most impacted by Ebola.
The Secretary-General, following his meeting with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, said there is reason to be cautiously optimistic that the Ebola outbreak can be defeated as the spread of the virus is slowing in Liberia. However, it is not the time to ease our efforts as just one case can trigger an epidemic.
Today is International Migrants Day. In the Secretary-General's message for the Day, he calls for the fulfilment and protection of the human rights of the world’s 232 million migrants.
The Secretary-General condemned today’s attack on a school in Pakistan, which took the lives of more than 130 people, the majority children. He extended his condolences to the people, Government and those touched by the tragedy, and urged the Government of Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released the latest report from the Monitoring Mission in Ukraine today. He said that the conflict is in its ninth month and the situation is becoming increasingly dire for the population living in the east.
The World Health Organization wrapped up in Geneva a two-day high-level meeting on rebuilding health systems in Ebola-affected countries. Those systems were deemed either not functional or not being used owing to fear of contracting the disease. WHO’s Chief invited Governments to develop country-specific plans.
The Secretary-General took part in the high-level ministerial meeting on climate action at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Lima this morning. With the Peruvian President and First Lady, he visited a reserve in the Andes to see first-hand how local communities are adapting and bolstering resilience to climate change and this afternoon will meet with the Green Climate Fund’s Executive Director, and with the Environment Ministers of Brazil, the Republic of Korea and Canada.
Marking Human Rights Day, the Secretary-General called on everyone to respond to the cries of the exploited and uphold the right to human dignity. He reiterated that human rights were for all, regardless of class, opinions or sexual orientation.
The World Food Programme, after suspending food aid to nearly 1.7 million Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries on 1 December, announced today that it is reinstating assistance thanks to $1.8 million in support from the public, the private sector and donor countries. By mid-December, Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt will have their electronic food vouchers uploaded with $30 for each family member, on average, to buy food from local shops.