Marking the remaining 500 days to the Millennium Development Goals’ conclusion, the Secretary-General met with Malala Yousafzai and 500 other young people in the Trusteeship Council where he highlighted the progress made over the past 15 years, including global poverty cut in half and more mothers surviving child birth.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The acting United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq continued assessment today of the humanitarian emergency and response in Dahuk Governorate, meeting with displaced people in Zakhow, the majority of whom are from Sinjar. Zakhow is currently hosting least 100,000 displaced people.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Nickolay Mladenov, said that the United Nations “level-three emergency” declaration for Iraq – the Organization’s highest global humanitarian priority - will facilitate mobilization of additional resources to the humanitarian needs of communities affected by forced displacement.
Responding to atrocious reports of Yazidi, Christian, Turkomen and Shabak women, girls and boys being abducted, detained and raped by the “Islamic State”, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq and the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict condemned such barbaric acts and called for regional and international efforts to help release of those detained.
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov welcomed President Masoum’s decision to accept Parliament’s nomination of Haider al-Abbadi as Prime Minister-designate. He also urged political leaders to work within the Constitution’s framework, and for the Iraqi Security Forces to refrain from actions that might interfere with the democratic transfer of political authority.
The Secretary-General voiced deep disappointment that Israeli-Palestinian parties had been unable to agree to an extension of the humanitarian ceasefire. He urged them to “find a way back” to that ceasefire. Renewed hostilities resulted in the killing of a Palestinian boy and the wounding of several Israelis.
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory said that the scale of needs is unprecedented in the Gaza Strip. He said that teams are on the ground assessing needs and providing relief and emphasized the need for a sustained halt to the violence.
Briefing the Security Council today on South Sudan, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations said that the country was on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe and a protracted internal conflict. He stressed that the parties needed to reach an agreement without delay on how to end it and embark on the path of reconciliation.
The Secretary-General welcomed the new ceasefire in Gaza that began today, and urged the Palestinian and Israeli parties to commence talks in Cairo as soon as possible on a durable ceasefire and the underlying issues.
The Secretary-General condemned the killing of Palestinian civilians in shelling outside a school in Rafah, run by the UN Relief and Works Agency that was providing shelter to thousands of civilians. This attack must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.