REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE
Corinne Momal-Vanian, Director of the UN Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was attended by the Spokespersons for the Human Rights Council, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, International Organization for Migration, and the Secretariat for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Human Rights Council
Rolando Gomez, for the Human Rights Council (HRC), announced the start of the 28th session of the Human Rights Council on 2 March at 9:00 a.m. The President of the Human Rights Council, Joachim Rücker, would open the session, followed by two video messages from the President of the General Assembly, Sam Kutesa, and from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon. Afterwards, there would be a statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein and then, from Didier Burkhalter, Swiss Foreign Minister. At 9:50, the first 40 countries‘ speakers would be given the floor. From 2 to 5 March there would be a total of 98 high-level speakers.
In parallel to the Human Rights Council session, there would be some side events. One was taking place today, on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the adoption of the International Conference on Racial Discrimination in Room XXIV at noon, hosted by Slovenia and Belgium. Also, the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands would do a World Press Photo exhibition launch at 5 p.m. on 2 March, which would stand until 20 March in the Serpentine Bar area. The European Union would launch the #Idefend campaign close to the entrance to Room XX. Everybody was invited to take a photograph on the photo booth with a plaque, such as “I defend those who speak up for human rights”.
The list of informal meetings taking place every day would also be shared in advance. Most documents were available on the Human Rights Council webpage, including on combating intolerance, negative stereotyping, stigmatization, discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against persons, based on religion or belief, launched the previous night. The user name for HRC Extranet was hrc_extranet, and the password 1session.
Ms. Momal-Vanian said that the following week would be busy, with many high-level dignitaries at the Palais des Nations to attend the Human Rights Council and the Conference on Disarmament. The Human Rights Council session would start in Room XX on 2 March at 9 a.m, and once the room was full, security would not let any more people in. Some seats would be reserved for the journalists, as per usual practice, but there was a limited capacity. There would be an overflow viewing in Room XIX. A Note to correspondents had been sent summarizing information on access to meetings and documents.
Ebola vaccines
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), stated that a three-day meeting had been held with staff from the Ministries of Health of the affected countries, UNICEF, GAVI Alliance, the Gates Foundation, USAID and others to join forces and coordinate actions. Vaccine introduction was by no means a given, as it would depend on the vaccine trials and experts’ opinions. The earliest when a recommendation on the introduction of the vaccines could come was August, and the decisions on whether or not to introduce vaccines would be made by respective Ministries of Health. During the meeting, Mr. Lindmeier explained, issues such supplies, procurement, monitoring and evaluation had also been discussed.
Yemen
Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that the OHCHR was closely monitoring, with great concern, the critical situation in Yemen where the political dialogue was faltering. OHCHR urged a meaningful dialogue to avoid further instability.
In the context of the many mass demonstrations over the previous few months, the OHCHR had documented a number of unlawful arrests, arbitrary detention and the targeting of journalists. One protestor had been killed in Ibb the previous week, when special forces under the control of the Houthis reportedly used live ammunition to disperse demonstrations.
Thus far, no investigations appeared to have been initiated into such violations and abuses, fuelling a long-standing lack of accountability for violations committed in Yemen in recent years. OHCHR had shared its concerns with the relevant authorities, in particular its call for justice and accountability for human rights violations and abuses. It was crucial that all sides exercised restraint and worked to resolve the political impasse in a peaceful manner and to avoid the situation from spiraling out of control.
Malawi
Christophe Boulierac, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), briefed the journalists about the cholera outbreak in the southern border areas in Malawi, in the exact area where highly populated camps for those displaced by the floods were located.
Over a period of two weeks, the Ministry of Health had confirmed 39 cases of cholera, including two deaths. Five cases in Mwanza district that had not been affected by the floods were reported, the rest was in the Nsanje district, in the very south of Malawi.
Mr. Boulierac emphasized that if cholera was not properly treated, it could kill within hours and was particularly dangerous for young children. The displaced population were extremely vulnerable as well, particularly those with low-immunity, such as malnourished children.
Due to the floods, health services were already crowded and in case of a quick spread of the disease, that would be a factor which would make more difficult an optimal response in addition to the problem of access in the country.
UNICEF and its collaborators were working to support the Government by sending some materials, such as health kits and tents in the affected districts to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), by preventing cholera and diarrhea (reaching more than 100 000 people so far) and also by supporting mobile health services, as well as safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, which were critical factors in preventing the spread of cholera. Around displaced 1,400 children between six months and five years old had received such care. More than 78,000 people had access to sanitation and more than 79,000 to safe drinking water.
Mr. Boulierac said that UNICEF had also sent some materials such as beds, medicines, health kits there. In partnership with the MSF, Goal Malawi, the Red cross, UNICEF and partners were monitoring the cases on a daily basis.
Answering a question about the outbreak and its connection to the neighboring country of Mozambique, Mr. Boulierac said that, according to the specialists, all the cases in Malawi were directly linked to the current outbreak in Mozambique (Tete province). He added that regarding some figures from the Ministry of Health in Mozambique the situation there was much more alarming with around 3,900 cases of cholera including 39 deaths so far. It was therefore critical to ensure the outbreak could be contained in Malawi.
He added that the problems of access were a direct consequence of the floods.
Mali
Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stated that humanitarian organizations in Mali were seeking USD 377 million to cover the needs of over 1.5 million people in 2015. The requested funding would be used to support the second phase of their joint action plan for the period 2014-2016.
At the peak of the crisis, more than half a million people had left the north of Mali to seek refuge in the south or in neighbouring countries. Nearly 400,000 had since returned to the north where they faced numerous challenges to restart their lives. Communities had become more vulnerable, livelihoods were deteriorated, and social services were working only partially, especially in rural areas.
Beyond the consequences of the conflict, Mali was facing a high level of food insecurity and malnutrition, which characterized Sahelian countries. Nearly 2.6 million people in Mali (15 per cent of the total population of the country) would suffer from food insecurity this year. More than one in 10 children would be affected by acute malnutrition, facing a threefold to nine-fold increased risk of mortality. Faced with that major challenge, national authorities and humanitarian partners were coordinating their work to respond to people’s needs throughout the country.
To support an exit to the crisis, the three-year humanitarian response plan in Mali was based on a twofold approach: meeting the immediate needs of the most vulnerable people while at the same time working to strengthen livelihoods and communities’ resilience. The plan focused on reinforcing the abilities of national partners and state structures in an effort to lay the foundations of a transition from humanitarian response to development interventions. It also included actions to support the prevention of, and preparedness to, emergency situations, especially to help Mali fight against epidemics and natural disasters.
Evacuation of Senegalese from Libya
Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that the IOM was happy to report what would be the first of many evacuations of stranded third-country nationals from Libya. A group of 133 Senegalese men was on their way out from Libya at the moment. Two more such groups were expected to leave Libya the following week. Since the eruption of violence in Libya in 2011, the IOM had helped close to 200,000 migrants leave Libya. It was a difficult process, not just because the continuing violence hindered the organization’s presence on the ground, but also because many stranded migrants no longer had their original travel documents.
IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix
Mr. Millman said that the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix had reviewed its estimate of the number of internally displaced persons in Iraq. While the previous figure from December was around 2.1 million individuals, the current figure stood at 2,472,444 persons displaced by the current crisis across the country.
Automated vehicles
Jean Rodriguez, for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), said that automated vehicles would appear on the market only once the necessary regulatory steps had been taken by two of UNECE’s bodies. The World Forum for the harmonization of vehicle regulations was assessing proposals covering semi-automated driving functions, such as autopilot systems to be used in traffic jams, self-parking functions and highway autopilots, which would ultimately pave the way for more highly-automated vehicles. The Working Party on Road Traffic Safety (WP.1) had adopted in March 2014 an amendment to the article of the 1968 Vienna Convention which stipulated that the driver had to remain in control of the vehicle at all times. The amendment, which was expected to enter into force in September 2015, would ensure that safety rules did not hamper the advancement of new technologies aimed at improving road safety.
UNECE invited all parties involved, countries, the motor industry, the telecom and software industries, as well as other standard developing organizations, to be fully engaged in the work of the World Forum in the coming months and years to develop the regulatory framework for autonomous cars.
Mr. Rodriguez also informed that a Symposium on The Future Networked Car would take place at the Geneva Car Show on 5 March at 9:30 a.m. Opening remarks would be delivered by Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, and Christian Friis Bach, UNECE Executive Secretary.
Geneva activities
Ms. Momal-Vanian said that the Conference on Disarmament would hold several public sessions the following week, where some 30 dignitaries, who would be in Geneva for the Human Rights Council, would speak. The schedule of speakers for the Conference on Disarmament was available online, and no password was needed to access it.
On behalf of International Development Law Organization (IDLO), Ms. Momal-Vanian announced the global launch of the exhibit "In Focus: Justice and the Post-2015 Agenda", which would take place on the margins of the Human Rights Council meeting. The exhibition would be shown at Door 40, 3rd floor in E Building, from 2 till 19 March. The IDLO Director-General Irene Khan would join Permanent Representatives from the country missions of Costa Rica, Italy, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Switzerland for the inauguration of the exhibition at 12:30 p.m. on 2 March.
Melissa Begag, for the World Trade Organization (WTO), informed that the following week, from 2 till 4 March, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo would be in Brasilia to meet with senior government representatives, including with the President of the National Confederation of Industry Robson Andrade.
Negotiating Group on Market Access would hold an informal meeting at 3 p.m. on 3 March, while the Agriculture Committee would take place at 10 a.m. on 4 March, and possibly continue on 5 March, when there would be a briefing at the Palais des Nations. On 6 March, the Working Party on the Accession of Azerbaijan would meet at 10 a.m.
Ms. Shamdasani informed that the launch of the new OHCHR report on the human rights situation in Ukraine would take place at the stakeout position by Room XX on 2 March at 8:15 a.m. Speakers would be Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonoviæ, and Deputy Head of the UN Human Rights Mission in Ukraine Fiona Frazer.
Juan Carlos Vasquez, for the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), informed that 3 March marked the second observance of the World Wildlife Day, which would this year have the theme “It is time to get serious about wildlife crime”. On that occasion, there would be an event at Salle de Presse at the Geneva Airport, from 9:30 till 11:00. Opening remarks would be delivered by US Ambassador to the UN Office at Geneva, Pamela Hamamoto.
A number of events would take place at the General Assembly and Central Park in New York, as well as in Berlin and Sao Paolo. New figures on the illegal killings on elephants would be released that day.
Mr. Lindmeier said that today was the 10th anniversary of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The briefing had taken place the previous day, but any further requests for interviews and information were welcome.
International Ear Care Day would be on 3 March and the World Health Organization would be highlighting, and quantifying for the first time, the risks posed – in particular to young people – to hearing by exposure to high levels of sound from personal music devices, concerts, nightclubs, sporting events and other recreational activities and drawing attention to ways to make listening safe. Speakers at the press conference, which would take place in Press Room III on 27 February at 11:30 a.m, would be Dr. Etienne Krug, WHO, Director, Management of Non-communicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention, and Dr. Shelly Chadha, WHO, Technical Officer, Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Loss. Press release was available.
Spokespersons for the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Refugee Agency were also present, but did not brief.
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The webcast for this briefing is available here: … http://bit.ly/unog270215