Noon Briefings

The Secretary-General took note of the indefinite suspension of the inter-Burundian dialogue that started on 14 July.  He reiterates his appeal for the resumption of a frank dialogue among all parties and urges them to avoid undermining progress achieved in building democracy.

The Secretary-General today welcomed the adoption of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015), which he said will ensure the enforcement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear programme.

The Secretary-General congratulates Member States on their adoption today of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the far-reaching outcome of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, as a major step forward in building a world of prosperity and dignity for all.

Stephen O’Brien, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, expressed deep concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen.  He said millions of people are facing terrifying violence, extreme hunger and little medical aid, and renewed his call for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian pause.

The Secretary-General welcomed the historic agreement reached in Vienna today between the P5+1 and Iran on Iran’s nuclear programme.  He believes the accord is a testament to the value of dialogue and will lead to greater mutual understanding and cooperation on the many serious security challenges in the Middle East.

The Secretary-General attended the opening of the Third Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa today, urging world leaders and ministers to agree on an outcome commensurate in ambition with the sustainable development goals and calling on them to exercise flexibility and compromise and to overcome narrow self-interest in favour of working together for the common well-being for humanity.

The Secretary-General addressed the International Ebola Recovery Conference stressing the need to forge a partnership for a future free of Ebola and urging the international community to support Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in returning to a path of sustainable development.  Applauding the African Union and its plan to convene an International Conference on Africa’s Fight against Ebola later this month in Equatorial Guinea, he asked donors to continue to give generously to help impacted countries carry out their plans for recovery over the next two years.

The Secretary-General has received assurances through his Special Envoy from the Houthis, the General People’s Congress and other parties to the conflict in Yemen of their acceptance of a humanitarian pause starting Friday.  The Humanitarian Affairs Office reports that 80 per cent of the nation’s population needs food aid.

Ahead of South Sudan’s Independence Day tomorrow, the Secretary-General said he will never forget the hope he felt as the flag rose for the first time over the United Nations’ newest Member State.  Those memories are all the more painful to recall today, he said, as that hope, four years later, is in short supply.

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.