Addressing the General Assembly today on the responsibility to protect, the Secretary-General said he is haunted by the fear of not living up to the call “never again”. He praised the Assembly’s response to the Syrian crisis, but said the immense human cost on Syrians of failing to protect was evident to all.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Secretary-General will speak to the General Assembly this afternoon, along with the new Joint Special Representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi. He will discuss developments and say the humanitarian situation is grave, both in Syria and in neighbouring States, but that the response plan is only half-funded.
The Security Council discussed the humanitarian crisis in Syria more widely in its ministerial meeting yesterday afternoon, and the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, said more than 2.5 million people — including refugees from Palestine and Iraq — are now in grave need of assistance and protection inside the country.
The Secretary-General spoke at the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Tehran this morning, and said that, by assuming the group's leadership, Iran had the opportunity to demonstrate that it can play a moderate and constructive role internationally. He urged the Government to build international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo has expressed his deep concern over reports of further massacres of civilians in North Kivu, in the east. The killings are the latest in a series of violent attacks by armed groups systematically targeting the civilian population.
The Secretary-General is travelling to Tehran for the Non-Aligned Movement Summit. He looks forward to the Summit as an opportunity to work with the participating Heads of State and Government, including the host country, towards solutions on issues that are central to the global agenda.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the number of deaths in Haiti caused by Tropical Storm Isaac stands at 13, with 27 people injured. The situation is gradually normalizing, but there is still the risk of floods and landslides, and in the longer term, concerns remain over food security.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports that the total number of Syrian refugees registered or awaiting registration has surpassed 200,000. The refugees are located in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. Turkey continues to host the largest number, about 75,000 to date.
A senior UN official told Lebanon’s Interior Minister in Beirut today that the Organization has been closely following with concern the recent security incidents in the country, particularly the kidnappings. Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon Robert Watkins also expressed deep regret for the loss of life in the city of Tripoli.
The Secretary-General will visit Tehran from 29 to 31 August to participate in the Sixteenth Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. He looks forward to the Summit as an opportunity to work with the participating Heads of State and Government, including the host country, towards solutions on issues that are central to the global agenda.