In progress at UNHQ

Noon Briefings


UNICEF chartered a plane carrying 1.6 million doses of oral cholera vaccines to Sudan, delivering the medicine at a critical time as cholera cases continue to be reported.  The agency and its partners are also strengthening water treatment systems, distributing water purification products and providing technical support.

The International Atomic Energy Agency and its partners kicked off a five-day conference today on climate change and the role of nuclear power.  Topics include challenges and opportunities for existing nuclear power plants and the prospect for synergies between nuclear power and other low-carbon energy sources.

Acknowledging the 1,000th person in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to survive Ebola after treatment, the head of the emergency relief operation, in a joint statement with WHO, WFP, UNICEF and Save the Children, commended the country’s health leadership and the efforts of local health workers and partners.

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced today the launch of Stop the Waste, a global campaign to raise awareness about the 4 billion tons of edible food that is discarded daily, costing the global economy nearly $1 trillion annually.  Top restaurateurs and celebrity chefs can join the movement through #StopTheWaste.

Vulnerable migrants are still being taken to the Tajoura detention centre despite persistent calls for its closure due to its proximity [to] a military location, and just three months after an air strike killed 53 people and injured more than 130, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said today.

Following days of protests in Haiti, the United Nations peacekeeping mission — concerned by reports of violence and arson — says it is in discussions with local stakeholders and international partners to find a peaceful way out of the crisis.  It praised the Haitian National Police, which has done its utmost to provide security.

A group of 66 vulnerable refugees was evacuated from Libya to Rwanda yesterday evening on a flight chartered by the Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the first group to be moved under the Emergency Transit Mechanism established by the Government of Rwanda, UNHCR and the African Union.

Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights, signed an agreement in New York with the Government of Sudan to open several offices in that country.  Ms. Bachelet said that with this milestone pact her office is poised to offer its support to make the transition a success for the human rights of all Sudanese.

An immersive show called “Voices for the Future: Antarctica While You Were Sleeping” will light up the United Nations General Assembly and Secretariat buildings from 7:30 p.m. today, ahead of the Climate Action Summit, setting the scene for the voices of six young climate advocates, including Greta Thunberg.