Sources The United Nations
Media www.rajawalisiber.com – Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights: – Security Council – UN Relief and Works Agency For Palestine Refugees – Yemen – West Africa – Afghanistan – COVID-19/Thailand – Senior Personnel Appointment – Global Tobacco Trends Report – International Day For Tolerance.
SECURITY COUNCIL
Speaking at a Security Council meeting on Preventive diplomacy, the Secretary-General said that he has consistently used his good offices — sometimes publicly, sometimes behind the scenes — to seek to defuse conflicts and advance peace.
He reiterated that his agenda of prevention calls for a surge in diplomacy for peace, as well as a better integration of prevention and risk-assessment across UN decision-making. This, the Secretary-General added, includes connecting the dots among all drivers of conflict.
including poverty, inequalities, and climate change. For the women and men of the UN, Mr. Guterres said, preventive diplomacy and development go hand-in-hand. But we also know that we must do far more to join-up our humanitarian, peace and development efforts.
This, he said, means working to end inequalities that deny entire groups of people access to civil and economic life and the levers of decision-making. And it means transforming our commitment to human rights from words to practice in every context.
For preventive diplomacy to succeed, the Secretary-General concluded, we need the full support of the Security Council, and of all Member States.
UN RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES
The Secretary-General spoke by video message to the Conference supporting the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which is taking place in Brussels.
The Secretary-General described how UNRWA has been playing a pivotal role in promoting regional stability and yet it continues to face an existential crisis. We need to protect UNRWA from being used as a political pawn, he said, and focus on its ability to carry out its General Assembly mandate and its unrelenting commitment to humanitarian principles and shared UN values. Yet he added that overwhelming support for UNRWA is not adequately matched by sufficient funding for its operations.
The Secretary-General said that we need urgent and decisive support to maintain UNRWA’s ability to operate this year. He said that UNRWA’s essential health, education and services must not be interrupted. And he urged Member States to step up longer-term commitments and solidarity and match the generosity of the countries that host Palestine refugees.
YEMEN
The UN Mission in support of the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) said yesterday that the withdrawal of the Joint Forces from Hudaydah City, Al Durayhimi, Bayt al Fqih and parts of At Tuhayta districts and their subsequent takeover by Ansar Allah forces represents a major shift in the frontlines in the Hudaydah Agreement.
These events, the Mission said, warrant discussion between the parties of the Hudaydah Agreement, The Mission stands ready to facilitate those discussions within the framework of the Agreement. The Mission further urges all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations to protect civilians throughout the governorate, particularly in the south, where clashes have been reported.