REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Ahmad Fawzi, Director a.i. of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was also attended by spokespersons for the United Nations Children Fund, United Nations Refugee Agency, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, International Organization for Migration, World Health Organization, and the World Trade Organization.

The United Nations Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General

The United Nations Secretary-General was traveling to Malta to attend the Commonwealth Summit on Climate Change, and would then head to Paris for COP 21.

The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, was in Bern on Thursday where he had a very interesting meeting with Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Didier Burkhalter. They discussed a wide range of issues, including the hottest issue of the day - Syria, as well as terrorism, the refugee crisis and the negative effects on development aid. Mr. Eliasson stressed the need to “bring back respect for human rights and international humanitarian law” and underlined the need for a political strategy to confront terrorism. He said the momentum created by the Vienna meetings on Syria must not be lost, the situation now was “very fragile.”

Mr. Eliasson expressed his gratitude and that of the Secretary-General to Geneva and Switzerland for its pivotal role in many UN peace and mediation processes, and as a venue for those processes, and for the Federal Government’s steadfast support for the work of the UN in Geneva. On Wednesday 25 November, the Deputy-Secretary-General participated in the Annual Democracy Forum 2015 in Bern, and also met Ambassador Mirjana Spoljaric, Head of the United Nations and International Organizations Division, and the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committees.

The Deputy-Secretary-General was now in Liechtenstein, attending the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Principality of Liechtenstein’s UN membership.

Paris Climate Change Conference (COP 21)

All eyes were on Paris, said Mr. Fawzi, noting some key moments of interest to the media, including a press conference on Sunday, 29 November “Looking Ahead and Looking Forward to COP 21”, which would be attended by French Foreign Minister and President of COP 21 Laurent Fabius, and the United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres.

The Paris Climate Change Conference would open on Monday, 30 November in the presence of the Secretary-General and French President François Hollande, during which 147 Heads of State and Governments would speak.

Fadéla Chaib, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that information would be published today on all WHO activities on climate and health during COP 21.

Geneva Activities

Mr. Fawzi said that the concert by the United Nations Orchestra would take place on Sunday, 29 November at 5 p.m. at Victoria Hall.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) would launch the 2015 edition of ITU’s flagship ICT statistics report in a press conference on Monday, 30 November at 11 a.m. in Press Room 1, said Mr. Fawzi. The report “Measuring the Information Society” and its information and communication technology (ICT) Development Index, ranked over 160 economies globally in terms of ICT access and affordability.

A Special Meeting to mark the annual observance of 29 November, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, would be held in Room XX of the Palais des Nations at 4 p.m. on Monday 30 November, said Mr. Fawzi. The list of speakers would include Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, representatives of the State of Palestine, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and others. A background release was issued on Wednesday, 26 November.

The World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), held every three to four years, addresses the regulation of satellite orbit and radio-frequency spectrum resources in the best interest of all end-users worldwide, with global implications for both policy-makers and the industry.

The closing press conference for the World Radiocommunication Conference would take place today, 27 November, at 2.30 p.m. at the Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG). Speakers would include Houlin Zhao, International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General, and Festus Daudu, Chairman of the Conference 2015.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was today considering a report by Lithuania. Next week, the Committee would consider reports by four other countries, starting with Egypt, and followed by Slovenia, Mongolia and Turkey. A report by the Holy See had been considered earlier this week.

The Committee against Torture was meeting in private until the end of the session on the morning of Wednesday, 9 December. Reports considered during this session were: Liechtenstein, Azerbaijan, Austria, Denmark, China, and Jordan.

The mural donated by the Argentine Mission would be inaugurated on Wednesday, 2 December, at 12.20 p.m., at Pregny Gate, Palais des Nations. UNOG Director-General Michael Møller will speak.

World AIDS Day was on 1 December and the theme of the day for 2015 was “Ending the ADIS epidemic as a part of Sustainable Development Goals”. For additional information on the Day and the Fast-Track to end AIDS, please visit the website.

Ms. Chaib, for WHO, announced a press conference on Wednesday, 2 December at 10.30 a.m. in Press Room 1. WHO would release the most comprehensive report to date estimating the global burden of foodborne diseases. The report would help address the lack of data on a leading cause of preventable illness and death worldwide.

Jessica Hermosa, for World Trade Organization (WTO), announced the schedule for next week, and a press briefing on General Council, which would take place at the WTO on Monday, 30 November at 5 p.m.

Child soldiers in South Sudan want out, want livelihoods and education

Christophe Boulierac for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), briefed on the situation of children in South Sudan, stressing that despite the signing of a Peace Agreement in August 2105, the situation of children remained grave: nearly 1,500 children had been killed, around 900,000 had been internally displaced and 650,00 had fled to neighbouring countries. Since the beginning of 2015, the situation for children had worsened, with sustained recruitment of children - primarily boys but also girls - by armed forces and groups. It was estimated that 16,000 children were forcibly recruited since the beginning of the conflict , and killing, abductions and sexual violence continued throughout the country. A quarter of million children under the age of five were suffering from severe acute malnutrition, double the rate of two years ago before the conflict had erupted.

UNICEF reiterated the call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and for all sides to uphold their commitment to the Peace Agreement including the release of children associated with armed groups or forces. Additional information in the briefing note.

Ishmael Beah, UNICEF Advocate for children affected by war briefed over the phone from Juba, South Sudan and said that young people had been affected by the conflict in many different aspects. The mood had changed: in 2011 people were hopeful for news things to come and for development, while now they were very tense. There were some armed groups which were working with UNICEF and other organizations to demobilize children, he said, welcoming the removal of 1,755 children from the ranks of one of them.

Mr. Beah said he had met with those children, who did not want to go to war and the only reason why they jointed armed groups was because it was the only choice they had left to protect themselves, to have access to basic necessities, and for many, war was the only way to even live. He further said that some of the commanders of armed groups expressed interest in continuing to release children and they hoped that other factions would follow. This was a crucial moment for the international community to support programmes on the ground to create opportunities for young people, to engage them and so ensure that development of the country wan not interrupted by their recruitment by armed groups and factions. War and violence cannot build nations, Mr. Beah said in conclusion.

There were no signs of parties to the conflict agreeing to peace, noted a journalist, and Mr. Beah said that there was cautious optimism in everyone’s mind. People did not want to go back to war, but if the parties did go back to war, children would not have much choice but to join the fighters. The children had a great understanding of what was going on in the country; for some, joining the fighting groups was the only way to survive, as the children had nothing going on in their lives.

Answering questions about the slow rate of demobilization of children, Mr. Beah said that certain factions had released more than 1,700 children, which was an important first step and it was hoped that this would be followed by others. Children did not want to stay with armed groups, they wanted out, they wanted livelihoods and education, he said, noting that many of the children associated with armed groups did not have families, so even if in school, they still needed community structures to support them, but this was currently not in place. Also, there was a great need for psychological assistance and support to the children associated with armed groups.

Answering a question, Mr. Boulierac clarified that children were never willing to join armed groups or be associated with them, they sometimes had to do so for protection, they were most of the time forcibly recruited. He stressed that no child should be involved with armed forces and armed groups.

Pope’s visit to the Central African Republic should be used to work for peace

Leo Dobbs, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that Pope Francis would visit Bangui this Sunday, 29 November and urged the country’s warring groups to take this opportunity to rebuild the national reconciliation process. The intra-communal fighting, which had started in September and flared again in late October and November, left scores of dead, hundreds of homes destroyed and had displaced more than 70,000 people, thus reversing a pattern of returns seen in much of the Central African Republic in the first nine months of the year. The number of internally displaced persons in the country was now 447,500, while the violence caused postponement in the presidential and legislative elections and stoked the sectarian divide and inter-communal tensions.

People continued to flee to the Democratic Republic of Congo across the Oubangui River. In November, 1,236 refugees had been registered in Equateur province. The worrying development over the past three months was an increase in humanitarian organizations being targeted, with at least ten organizations having their offices or warehouses looted and staff attacked.

Further information in the press briefing note.

Dalia Al Achi, Public Information Officer, UNHCR Office in Bangui, responding to questions about the post-electoral situation, said that before the September violence, there was increased return of people, both internally displaced and refugees - not necessarily to their homes, some of which were in insecure areas - but to Bangui. Many people were enthusiastic about the upcoming elections, and the registration of refugees in the neighbouring countries was considered as a step to rebuild the trust between the government and the population. There was a lot of hope, many refugees wanted to return and were waiting for the results of the elections.

Regarding campaigns to destabilize the country, and the attacks on humanitarian organizations, Ms. Al Achi said that they were increasingly directly targeted, which had not been the case during earlier outbreaks of violence. At least half of the territory was under the control of armed groups, people did not know who was protecting them and did not know who to trust. The population of the Boko site for internally displaced persons was 19,000 at the moment, confirmed Ms. Al Achi.

In terms of expectations surrounding Pope’s visit, Ms. Al Achi said that all people were excited regardless of their faith, as they hoped the visit would help reconciliation process and help bridge the artificial divide between the people.

The majority of refugee population were from marginalized minorities in the country; their inclusion in the political process and taking their concerns into consideration would support the return. Positive step was that they were allowed to vote in the upcoming elections. The root of the crisis were political and socio-economic, not religious, stressed Ms. Al Achi, and said that there was a need to restore traditional authorities, suprt traditional leaders in villages who were the only one left, to build consensus and contribute to sustainable reconciliation.

Fadéla Chaib, for the World Health Organization (WHO) said that on 27 November WHO had issued a communique on the health situation of children in the Central African Republic, highlighting obstacles to access to health, including significant lack of health personnel and inadequate health financing. One in four health centres in the country were not functional, she noted and said that Tarik Jašarevic of WHO was on the ground and was available to answer questions.

Deputy UN Humanitarian Chief to visit in Iraq, Jordan and Turkey

Jens Laerke, for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), briefed on the upcoming visit to Iraq, Jordan and Turkey by the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Kyung-wha Kang. In Iraq, ASG Kang would visit central and northern areas, and meet with displaced communities in Erbil. In Jordan, Ms. Kang would review humanitarian operations for people affected by the conflict in Syria, while in Turkey, she would visit Gaziantep and discuss the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit with the authorities. Mr. Laerke clarified that a visit to Syria was not part of the itinerary.

One million people in Somalia urgently need food, as 300,000 young children acutely malnourished

In Somalia, nearly five million people would be in need of life-saving and livelihood support at the beginning of 2016, according to a Needs Overview 2016 just published, said Mr. Laerke; 1.1 million persons remained internally displaced. More than one million people already faced emergency levels of food insecurity and more than 300,000 children under the age of five were estimated to be acutely malnourished. Of those, 56,000 were severely malnourished and at risk of death if they did not receive urgent medical treatment and therapeutic food. Protection remained a major concern and many of the 1.1 million internally displaced were at risk of forced evictions, discrimination, violation of children’s rights and pervasive gender-based violence.

Answering a question about casualties from Russian air campaigns in Syria, Mr. Laerke explained that, when it came to displacement, it was practically impossible to single out one cause of it. Ms. Chaib from WHO said that those figures were not collected in a systematic manner, but were provided on request.

Tanzania confirms additional 9,871 cases of cholera, 150 deaths

Ms. Chaib, for WHO, said that the cholera outbreak continued in Tanzania, with Ministry of Health and Social Affairs confirming additional 9,871 cases across the country, including 150 deaths. Worst affected region was Dar es Salaam, with more than 4,482 cases. The island of Zanzibar was affected as well, with 425 cases including nine deaths. While there were signs of the outbreak abating, the fear was that the upcoming rainy season coupled with the impact of El Nino would cause extensive flooding and unusually high rainfalls, which would aggravate the situation and contribute to international spread of the disease.

The public health response was very aggressive, said Ms. Chaib, with WHO and a number of partners continuing to manage the outbreak under the leadership of the authorities. The country was implementing rigorous control measures and was receiving help from Who to obtain the best expertise in cholera control, from the renowned International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh, which had an extensive experience and expertise in controlling cholera. The outbreak was ongoing for more than two months, with first case recorded at the end of August 2015 – early September, said Ms. Chaib.

Additional information in the WHO Disease Outbreak News.

Responding to questions, Ms. Chaib said that cholera was endemic in Tanzania, and outbreaks usually happened because of disruptions in water and sanitation systems. Because aggressive measures were in place and because of the important mobilization of so many partners, the outbreak was quickly brought under control. Vaccination was only one measure to control outbreak, she stressed, explaining that the decision to vaccinate or not was a strategic one: it had been decided to vaccinate in Iraq because the affected population was all in one place, which was not the case in Tanzania.

Prevention, treatment and improving water and sanitation, and not vaccination, were the first line measures to control the outbreak of the disease, particularly in endemic areas.

Asked about what could be done if cholera spread to ISIS controlled areas, Ms. Chaib said that WHO did not have access to those areas. In Iraq, cholera outbreak was stabilizing and it was important now to work together to prevent the spread to neighbouring countries Kuwait, Bahrain, Iran and others, particularly in the light of the upcoming pilgrimages in the region. Syria was part of preparedness efforts and its health authorities had participated in WHO-organized meetings in Beirut and Amman.

The government of Iraq had reported 2,810 confirmed cases of cholera, with two deaths, as of 22 November. Update on cholera in Iraq available in this WHO Disease Outbreak News.

400 children die of tuberculosis every day

Ms. Chaib announced a WHO press conference on tuberculosis among children, to take place in South Africa. Every year, one million children get infected with tuberculosis, and 140,000 died.

Europe Refugee and Migrant Crisis

Joel Millman, for the International Organization of Migration (IOM), presented new figures about migrant flows from Greece and Balkans and said that the numbers were back up to levels seen earlier in November and October. Since the beginning of November, 110,000 migrants and refugees had arrived to Greece by sea, while estimated 105,000 had left for The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

This week, German Resettlement Programme and IOM concluded a three-month project which had brought 600 migrants and refugees who were granted temporary residence permits; half were Syrians, and others came from Somalia, Ethiopia, Iraq. There were many stages between rejecting people and granting asylum, and IOM hoped that humanitarian visas were one option that countries would consider.

Explaining the November 2015 figures, Mr. Millman said that tens of thousands were still leaving Turkey for Europe, and this had not changed since summer, despite a drop in the number of arrivals during three days in November. This might have been due to increased presence of the Turkish Coast Guard in the waters. IOM was told that those were training exercises, but it was not known whether they were also search and rescue operations.