REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Rhéal LeBlanc, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section, United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons for the Human Rights Council, the International Organization for Migration, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Refugee Agency and the World Food Programme.

Update on the itinerary of the Secretary-General

Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that the Secretary-General had arrived in Geneva that morning to speak at the International Labour Conference. In his remarks, he had congratulated the Conference on its centenary and on the new convention on harassment and violence in the world of work and welcomed the ambitious Centenary Declaration to be adopted that day as a historic opportunity to open a door to a brighter future for people around the world. The Secretary-General had said that the Centenary Declaration represented a shift in the paradigm of how development was viewed, that the well-being of people had to be at the centre of economic and social policies, and that special attention had to be devoted to those who had been left furthest behind. Among the many achievements of the International Labour Organization, the Secretary-General had mentioned the principle of decent work, which had been well established in the international policymaking arena and was interwoven in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and at the heart of development and the future of work. The full text of the Secretary-General’s remarks, as delivered, would be circulated to journalists.

Mr. LeBlanc, speaking on behalf of the International Labour Organization, said that, at 1 p.m. in Hall 14, there would be a press stakeout on the adoption of the new ILO convention on harassment and violence in the world of work. Delegates would be voting on the adoption of that convention that morning. The press stakeout would be with Ambassador Jean-Jacques Elmiger, President of the 100^th session of the International Labour Conference, and ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.

Mr. LeBlanc also said that the Secretary-General would be in Lisbon to attend the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, on Sunday. He would be accompanied by Jayathma Wickramanayake, his Envoy on Youth. It was expected that the Secretary-General, his Envoy on Youth and the Prime Minister of Portugal would take part in a press encounter on the same day. The transcript of the press stakeout would be shared as soon as it was available.

Responding to a question on the possibility of a media event with the Secretary-General while he was in Geneva, Mr. LeBlanc said that the Secretary-General regularly spoke to the press. He had taken part in a photo opportunity that morning, on his arrival at the Palais des Nations, but his tight schedule prevented him from taking part in any media events that day.

Responding to concerns raised regarding the distribution of the report of Agnès Callamard, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, on the unlawful death of Jamal Khashoggi, including concerns expressed by the President of the Association of Accredited Correspondents at the United Nations, Mr. LeBlanc said that the situation was still being analysed. UNIS would look into those concerns and discuss them with OHCHR.

Responding to questions on the substance of the report, Mr. LeBlanc said that the Secretary-General had condemned the killing, which was a horrendous crime, and had expressed his wish for a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation and accountability for those responsible with full respect for due process.

The Secretary-General had taken the position that, if a full and effective criminal investigation was not conducted by Member States, the only institutional means of pursuing such a criminal investigation, which would require the cooperation of all relevant Member States, would be through a Security Council resolution based on relevant Charter provisions. The Secretary-General had taken note of the recommendations contained in the report. They were currently being analysed. With regard to the legality of a unilateral decision by a Secretary-General to launch a criminal investigation, he would not supplement the remarks made recently by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Responding to questions on recent events in the Gulf, Mr. LeBlanc said the Secretary-General was concerned about the situation and had called for calm; the region did not need another conflit. The previous day, the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General had indicated that there had been contacts at various levels, but further information was not yet available.

Yemen

Hervé Verhoosel, for the World Food Programme (WFP), read the following statement:

“The United Nations World Food Programme has started a partial suspension of food assistance operations in areas of Yemen under the control of the Sana’a-based authorities. The decision was taken as a last resort after lengthy negotiations stalled on an agreement to introduce controls to prevent the diversion of food away from some of the most vulnerable people in Yemen.

WFP’s priority remains to feed the hungriest children, women and men of Yemen. But as in any conflict zone, some individuals seek to profit by preying on the vulnerable and diverting food away from where it is most needed. WFP has been seeking the support of the Sana’a-based authorities to introduce a biometric registration system that would prevent diversion and protect the Yemeni families we serve, ensuring food reaches those who need it most.

Unfortunately, we are yet to reach agreement. The integrity of our operation is under threat and our accountability to those we help has been undermined. WFP has repeatedly appealed to the Sana’a-based authorities to grant us the space and freedom to operate according to the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and operational independence, which guide our work in 83 countries around the world.

Too many Yemenis have suffered for too long during this ongoing conflict. We will continue to seek cooperation from the Sana’a-based authorities and we remain optimistic that a way forward can be found. We are ready to immediately resume food distributions once we reach agreement on an independent beneficiary identification exercise and the roll out of a biometric registration system.

At this stage, with the support of the entire United Nations system, we are suspending in Sana’a city only, affecting 850,000 people. WFP will maintain nutrition programmes for malnourished children, pregnant and nursing mothers throughout the period of suspension.”

There are 30 million people living in Yemen. More than 20 million are food insecure, of which nearly 10 million are severely food insecure and do not know where their next meal will come from. WFP has in recent months been providing food assistance to more than 10 million people – even 11 million people in May. Our goal is to feed 12 million, 9 million of which are living in areas controlled by the Sana’a-based authorities.”

Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), read the following statement:

“Yesterday (20/06), a flight chartered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with 96 migrants on board took off from Yemen, headed for Ethiopia. This movement was the 18th flight from Aden to Addis Ababa under IOM’s Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) programme since 28 May, helping a total of 2,133 stranded migrants, including 570 children, return home.

On 21 April, the authorities in Aden began detaining irregular migrants in large numbers. At the peak (between 27 April to 03 May), IOM estimates that over 5,000 people were held across three sites. The majority of the returning migrants were detained, many for nearly two months, in a makeshift migrant detention site at the 22nd of May Stadium in Aden city.

Since April, IOM has been coordinating partners’ response to this acute humanitarian situation. IOM is providing emergency food, water, sanitation and 24-hour health services to migrants in the stadium. IOM also established a diarrhoea treatment centre (DTC) in Ibn Khaldoon Hospital to help those migrants suffering from acute watery diarrhoea (AWD).

While IOM has supported over 2,000 people to return home so far, an additional 2,000 migrants are still in the stadium, many of whom are children. In the coming week, IOM will support the voluntary return of the remaining children.

“IOM provides voluntary humanitarian return assistance to detained migrants, as a last resort, and does not support the further detention of migrants, especially children, women and vulnerable groups,” said Mohammed Abdiker, IOM Director of Operations of Emergencies.

“All governments are obliged to provide protection for all people within their borders, regardless of immigration status. This protection is extended to detained migrants, including access to food, water, sanitation, health services and safe accommodation,” he added.

Despite the conflict in Yemen, migrants seeking opportunities in Gulf countries continue to make the treacherous journey by land and sea to the Arabian Peninsula. All along the route, migrants face many challenges in accessing protection and assistance.

Abdiker reaffirmed IOM’s commitment to supporting Yemen and other governments in the region to better manage migration, ensuring the safety and dignity of migrants.”

Responding to questions from journalists, Mr. Verhoosel, for WFP, said that the entire United Nations system was in agreement with the decision. The biometric registration system ensured that the right people received food. Lists of recipients were drawn up, the recipients underwent fingerprint or iris scanning, and they were subsequently able to prove their identity in order to receive food. The biometric registration system had previously been implemented in the majority of countries in which WFP was active, including in other areas of Yemen.

Election of IOM Deputy Director General

Responding to a question on the election of the IOM Deputy Director General, Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said it was possible that the initial rounds of voting had already started. It was expected that the process would not be complete before noon. There were several rounds of voting. A press release would be issued as soon as more information was available. To his knowledge, there were five candidates, who were nationals of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, the Philippines and the Sudan, respectively.

Central African Republic

Hervé Verhoosel, for the World Food Programme (WFP), read the following statement:


“Over 1.8 million people in the Central African Republic - nearly half of the country’s population – are in severe acute food insecurity and do not know where their next meal will come from during the lean season from May to August, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report (IPC).

The report indicates that of the 1.8 million people in crisis, more than 465,000 are in emergency conditions during the lean season.

Nearly 1.35 million people - almost 30% of the population analysed- , will be in severe acute food insecurity including nearly 274,000 people in emergency during the harvest period between September and October 2019.

Despite a peace agreement signed in Bangui in February, security conditions remain volatile with regular attacks, mainly in the Haut-Kotto, Haut Mbomou and Basse-Kotto prefectures where non-signatory armed groups continue incursions on major supply routes and around major cities forcing many to flee their homes and hampering humanitarian access.

Violence and conflict have scarred C.A.R. for years but its people cannot be forgotten. The international community must back regional peace efforts and continue supporting humanitarian assistance to people in need.

WFP food and nutrition assistance are critical to groups such as internally displaced people and refugees who rely solely on humanitarian assistance to meet their food needs. Each month WFP assists around 600,000 people in the country.”

Mr. Verhoosel, for WFP, continued his statement in French:

“En résumé, plus de la moitié de la population, 1.8 million de centrafricains, est en situation d’insécurité alimentaire sévère pendant cette période entre les récoltes. La situation générale actuelle est un peu meilleure que les trois années passées. Nous nous inquiétons toutefois sur le nombre de personnes en situation d’urgence (phase 4): un peu moins d’un demi-million de personnes se trouvent en situation d’insécurité alimentaire urgente.

Grâce à l’assistance du Programme Alimentaire Mondial et des partenaires, la situation demeure contenue et nous avons pu éviter le pire.

Nous devons impérativement maintenir l’assistance d’urgence pour s’assurer que la situation ne devienne pas encore plus sérieuse.

Les projections sont encourageantes puisque nous nous attendons à une amélioration sensible de la situation dans les prochains mois. L’insécurité alimentaire devrait diminuer à la sortie de la saison des pluies (septembre-octobre). Le rapport projette 1,35 million de personnes en situation de crise (phase trois et quatre): le meilleur résultat obtenu depuis 2014, même si ce chiffre est toujours important.

Mais attention. Ces projections sont faites à partir de trois hypothèses :

1. L’amélioration continue de sécurité et des conditions de sécurité dans le pays
2. La continuation de l’assistance alimentaire au même niveau que ces derniers mois.
3. Mise en œuvre effective des projets de fournitures d’intrants agricoles, notamment des semences
Le PAM a besoin de 35 millions de dollars pour supporter 800,000 personnes chaque mois dans le pays et ce jusque la fin de cette année.
Nous invitons la communauté internationale à ne pas oublier la crise centrafricaine. Cette crise est la principale raison d’une situation d’insécurité alimentaire très importante.”

Responding to a question on the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment, to be held in Geneva next week, Hervé Verhoosel, for WFP, said that the President of the Central African Republic would attend part of the Segment. There would also be a side event on the situation in the Central African Republic. In addition, WFP and certain countries, including Ireland and the Netherlands, were organizing a side event titled “Conflict and Hunger: Implementing Security Council Resolution 2417 for Humanitarian Impact”.

Responding to a question on the participants in the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment, Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said a draft programme with possible speakers was available and he would try to get confirmation on attendees. The Humanitarian Affairs Segment would take place from 24 to 26 June.

Migration in the Mediterranean

Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), read the following statement:

“The International Organization for Migration today (21/06) is launching an appeal to guarantee, as soon as possible, a safe disembarkation point for migrants rescued on 12 June in the Mediterranean by the ship Sea-Watch 3.

On Saturday, 10 medical cases were disembarked in Lampedusa, but 43 people remain in limbo at sea.

In recent days, the Sea-Watch 3 had been invited to bring migrants to Tripoli. Yet, in the eyes of the international community, Libya is still considered an unsafe port to disembark migrants.

“The situation in the country remains extremely dangerous due to the continuous and heavy military clashes around the capital that, since the beginning of April, have displaced over 90,000 persons,” said Federico Soda, Director of the IOM Coordination Office for the Mediterranean. “It is a very dramatic context, also confirmed by migrants recently landed in Italy.”

IOM wishes to emphasize that migrants (including children), after being returned to the Libyan coasts, are sent to detention centres where conditions are considered unacceptable and inhumane. It remains impossible to guarantee the protection of the rights of migrants once they are transferred into these centres.

To IOM, it remains of serious concern that in the absence of state-led approaches to reduce loss of life at sea, rescue operations of non-government organizations are deliberately discouraged.

The Central Mediterranean route continues to be the deadliest route for migrants in the world. As data show, over the past 12 months – from 12 June 2018 to 11 June 2019 – 1,151 people lost their lives along this route, or an average of just over three people per day. During the first five and a half months of 2019, 343 have died.

During summer months, departures generally increase. IOM, therefore, considers it imperative to give absolute priority to preserving lives and strengthening an international rescue system that can effectively help boats in distress. This is the humane response, much preferred over penalizing commanders who rescue people at sea, or who refuse to take migrants and refugees to unsafe ports in Libya.

It is crucial, today more than ever, that Member States of the European Union make a shared effort to find adequate solutions to what cannot be considered as an emergency in terms of numbers, but as a humanitarian emergency.”

Babar Baloch, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), recalling a previously issued UNHCR press release on the situation, said that UNHCR was urging European States to call forth their principles of humanity and compassion. Europe had been one of the main architects of modern-day international refugee law. It should return to that proud history of assisting people fleeing war, violence and persecution by allowing the rescued passengers to come ashore to safety. Rescue at sea was a centuries-old tradition and an obligation that does not end with pulling people out of the water. A rescue could only be considered complete once the passengers had reached dry land in a safe port. Broader discussions on which States would host the group should be held once their safety had been assured. UNHCR reiterated that no port in Libya could be considered safe at that time, and that no one rescued on the Mediterranean should be returned there.

Responding to questions from journalists, Mr. Millman, for IOM, said that, according to Flavio Di Giacomo, of IOM Italy, some 80 people had been rescued the previous evening, apparently by a unit of the Italian coastal guard, and brought to Lampedusa. Tripoli had offered its port to Sea-Watch 3, and the Italian Government had said the ship should sail to that port.

Responding to the same series of questions, Mr. Baloch, for UNHCR, said the priority was to ensure that the migrants on the ship were able to disembark. States had an obligation under international law to allow migrants to do so if they were located on ships in their territory. The principle of non-refoulement prohibited States from sending refugees back to a situation in which their life was at threat. Prior to any decision to return the refugees, they should be allowed to disembark on dry land, and any claims that they had should be considered.

Refugees in Kenya

Responding to a question on the situation of the 76 refugees who had been returned to a camp in Kenya at which some of them had previously faced homophobic attacks, Babar Baloch, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that he could share a UNHCR statement containing more detailed information on the situation.

OCHA announcement

Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that a media advisory on the participation of OCHA in the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment, which would take place from 24 to 26 June, had been distributed to journalists. The media advisory included a link to a draft programme and extensive background information, including on the side events. Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Ursula Mueller, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, would speak at some of the side events and at the high-level panels. In accordance with tradition, the general debate would culminate in a resolution. There were some 15 side events in total.

Mr. Laerke also said that the attendees would include high-level representatives of Governments, United Nations agencies and the wider humanitarian community. Journalists should get in touch if they were interested in media opportunities with Mr. Lowcock or Ms. Mueller. The events that would be webcast by UNTV included a high-level side event on international humanitarian law on Monday, 24 June at 11.30 a.m., an event on the transition from relief to development that afternoon at 3 p.m., the official opening session of the Segment on Tuesday, 25 June at 10 a.m., the first high-level panel on preparing for the future in the face of climate change that afternoon at 3 p.m., the second high-level panel on localization on Wednesday, 26 June at 10 a.m. and the conclusion of the general discussion and closure of the Segment that day at 3 p.m.

Responding to a question as to whether any of the events would address the situation in Syria, Mr. Laerke said that one of the side events on Tuesday, 25 June, would address attacks on health care.

Syria

Responding to questions from journalists, Jennifer Fenton, for the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria, said that the Humanitarian Task Force would meet in Geneva on Thursday. The Special Envoy would brief the Security Council in New York on the same day. It was expected that the briefing would be streamed. With regard to recent events in Idlib, the lives of 3 million people remained in danger. The Special Envoy continued to call for a negotiated political solution to the conflict. It was clear, after eight years of war, that violence was not the answer. It had been reported that, on Wednesday, 19 June, an ambulance operated by the NGO Violet had been hit by an airstrike, killing three members of staff and a patient. The NGO in question had issued a statement on the situation. The Office of the Special Envoy had yet to verify the information contained in that statement.

Human Rights Council

Rolando Gomez, for the Human Rights Council, said that Coly Seck, the President of the Council, would open the 41st regular session of the Human Rights Council on 24 June 2019. He would be followed by Michelle Bachelet, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, who would give an oral update highlighting the activities of her Office and spotlighting several human rights situations around the world. States and NGOs would respond to that statement the following morning, on 25 June at 9 a.m. At approximately 9.30 a.m. on Monday, 24 June, immediately after the High Commissioner’s statement, a series of dignitaries would take the floor: the President of Bulgaria, the President of the Marshall Islands, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, the Minister for Women and Human Rights Development of Somalia, the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, the State Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova and the Deputy Minister for Development of Norway. The Vice Governor of Xinjiang, China, would not speak on Monday, as had previously been announced, but probably at another point during the session.

Mr. Gomez also said that more than 20 human rights experts would give presentations over the course of the three-week session, including 6 on Monday. The Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Victor Madrigal-Borloz, would present a report focusing on data collection and management as a means to heighten awareness on violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), and on his missions to Georgia and Mozambique. The Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Diego García-Sayán, would present a report focusing on the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly by judges and prosecutors, both offline and online. The Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Dainius Pûras, would address the determinants needed for mental health promotion, and on his missions to Canada and Kyrgyzstan. The Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, Alice Cruz, would address wrongful stereotyping and structural violence against women and children affected by leprosy. The new Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Felipe Gonzalez Moráles, would present a report containing a thematic study on the impact of migration on migrant women and girls, and on his mission to Niger. Lastly, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, Obiora C. Okafor, would present a report addressing the criminalization or suppression of rendering humanitarian assistance to migrants and refugees who enter a State in an irregular manner, and on his missions to the Netherlands and Sweden.

Mr. Gomez added that further information on the 41st regular session would be circulated in due course. Agnès Callamard, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, would present her reporting on the unlawful death of Jamal Khashoggi at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 26 June. The Commission of Inquiry on Syria would give an oral update on 2 July and would address the latest developments. That update would be given by three experts, who would presumably have an opportunity to speak with journalists.

Responding to questions from journalists, Mr. Gomez said that it was his understanding thata Michelle Bachelet, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, would give a press conference at the conclusion of her visit to Venezuela. A statement would be issued at some time on Saturday morning. Venezuela was among the countries that the High Commissioner would highlight in her oral update to the Council. A written report on the situation in Venezuela would be presented to the Council on Friday, 5 July.

Cameroon

Toby Fricker, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), gave the following statement:

“Some 1.3 million people, including around 650,000 children, are now in need of some form of humanitarian assistance in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, as the security situation and living conditions continue to deteriorate. Around 450,000 of these people, half of whom are children, are internally displaced.

Children and their families are suffering amidst and fleeing armed violence, attacks on their homes and schools, abduction, sexual violence and recruitment into armed groups. Imposed lockdowns, or ghost-town days, set in place by non-state armed groups, are affecting people’s freedom of movement and the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Thousands of people lack access or have reduced access to basic services such as healthcare and safe drinking water, and livelihoods have been destroyed. As of December 2018, an estimated 40 per cent of health facilities in the South-West region were not functioning.

The crisis escalated out of protests in the Anglophone region calling for greater autonomy nearly three years ago and has also had a devastating impact on children’s right to an education.

For many children, it has been three years since they last stepped foot in a classroom. Due to a ban on education by non-state armed groups and attacks, over 80 per cent of schools have been closed, affecting more than 600,000 children. At least 74 schools have been destroyed, while students, teachers and school personnel have been exposed to violence, abduction and intimidation. Since 2018, more than 300 students and teachers have been kidnapped. After traumatic experiences, they were all subsequently released.

The targeting of education is putting the future of an entire generation of children at risk, children who with the right support and opportunities can build a more stable and prosperous future.

Schools and classrooms must provide safe spaces for children to learn, to be with their friends and to restore a sense of normalcy in their lives. When children are out of school they face a higher risk of recruitment by armed groups and are more likely to be exposed to child marriage, early pregnancy, and the accompanying trauma and long lasting emotional distress that these experiences bring.

While humanitarian access continues to be a challenge, UNICEF and partners are doing what we can to reach and improve the lives of children and people in need.

Over the past year, UNICEF has provided support to almost 140,000 children. Working with partners, UNICEF has distributed water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) kits to more than 78,000 people. Some 30,000 children have received psychosocial support through 33 child friendly safe spaces and youth clubs, and 972 separated and unaccompanied children have been identified and are receiving support, with the aim of reuniting them with their families.

Some 15,000 displaced children are now attending formal schools in host communities outside the region and teachers have been trained on providing psychosocial support for children who are dealing with the effects of conflict and displacement. UNICEF is also working with religious and community leaders to support advocacy efforts to re-open schools and to develop risk mitigation plans for schools in the conflict affected area, should attacks occur during class-time.

UNICEF and partners are working out of Field Offices in Buea in the South-West region and Bamenda in the North-West, positioning experts in child protection, education, health and WASH as close to affected populations as possible.

UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict to:

• Protect all children and their families and to allow humanitarian access to all people in need, according to international humanitarian law.
• Protect and re-open schools and ensure safe learning spaces for children without condition.

UNICEF needs US$20 million to effectively respond to the emergency in the North-West and South-West regions this year. We call on donors and the wider international community to:

• Provide flexible and multi-year resources to scale up the immediate response and to ensure that every child receives the support needed to recover and to thrive again.”

Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that the number of people in need of aid in the north-west and south-west parts of the country had increased eightfold in one year: in 2018, it had been estimated that 160,000 people were in need of humanitarian assistance in that region; currently, there were more than 1.3 million in need of aid. The overall humanitarian appeal for the entire country was funded at only 18 per cent. For the north-west and south-west parts of the country, USD 93 million had been asked for, to cover all sectors, but only USD 19 million had been received. Donors and the international community needed to wake up to the urgency of the situation, both by contributing funding and trying to influence various actors.

Responding to questions from journalists, Mr. Laerke, for OCHA, said that Mr. Lowcock had briefed the Security Council on the situation in Cameroon in mid-May. He had also spoken about it with various media outlets. There was an enormous mismatch between the rapid deterioration in the situation and the response of the international community.

UNCTAD announcements

Catherine Huissoud, for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said that 66th session of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board would be held from 24 to 28 June. On Monday, 24 June, a high-level segment would address inequality as a drag on reducing poverty and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. The other presentations given over the course of the week would concern such matters as the digital economy and the role of statistics in the context of development.

On the afternoon of Monday, 24 June, the Minister of Tourism of Barbados would make the case for his country to host the fifteenth session of UNCTAD, and a cultural event would follow. The quadrennial conferences gave Member States an opportunity to discuss the organization’s mandate and adapt it to prevailing economic conditions at the international level. The previous day, the United Arab Emirates had informed the UNCTAD Secretary-General of its intention to host the fifteenth session. The final decision was for Member States to make.

The Economic Development in Africa Report would be launched at a press conference on Wednesday, 26 June at 2.30 p.m. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement would enter into force on 7 July. The official ceremony would take place in Niamey, the Niger. The report dealt with rules of origin, which played a key role in free trade. It was available through the UNCTAD virtual newsroom, and copies would be printed in English and French. Economists, including the co-authors of the report, would be available to respond to questions.

Geneva announcements

Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that the Conference on Disarmament would hold its next public meeting on Tuesday, 25 June, at 10 a.m. under the presidency of Viet Nam. The Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) would address the Conference at that plenary meeting. Venezuela would continue to preside over the Conference until 23 June. Viet Nam would take over the presidency until 18 August, and it would be then be taken up by Zimbabwe from 19 August until 13 September.

Press Conferences

Tuesday, 25 June at 11.30 a.m. in Room III
Press conference by UN Geneva Director General
Subject:
Key achievements, challenges and progress for UN Geneva during the last six years (end of mandate press conference)
Speaker:
• Michael Møller, Director General of UN Geneva

Tuesday, 25 June at 3:00 p.m. in Press Room 1
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Subject:
Publication of the SME Competitiveness Outlook 2019: Big Money for Small Business – Financing the Sustainable Development Goals
Speakers:
• Arancha González, Executive Director, ITC
• Marion Janson, Director of Market Development and Chief Economist, ITC

Wednesday, 26 June at 1.00 p.m. in Room III
OHCHR / Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, arbitrary or summary executions
Subject:
Sharing of the main findings of the Special Rapporteur’s inquiry into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khasshoggi
Speaker:
• Dr. Agnès Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions

Wednesday, 26 June at 2.00 p.m. in Press Room 1
UNCTAD
Subject:
Publication of the Economic development in Africa Report 2019 - Made in Africa: Rules of Origin for Enhanced Intra-African Trade (embargo until 26 June 2019 at 5 p.m. GMT)
Speakers:
• Mukhisa Kituyi, UNCTAD Secretary-General
• Paul Akiwumi, Director, Division for Africa, Least developed Countries and Special Programmes, UNCTAD

Thursday, 27 June at 1.00 p.m. in Room III
United Nations Press Conference
Subject:
International Conference on the question of Jerusalem “Preserving the cultural and religious character of Jerusalem”
Speakers:
• H.E. Mr. Cheikh Niang, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations in New York
• H.E. Mr. Ahmad Majdalani, Minister for Social Affairs of the State of Palestine
• H.E. Mr. Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations in New York
The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/unog210619