REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Rhéal LeBlanc, Chief, Press and External Relations Section, United Nations Information Service, chaired the briefing attended by the spokespersons for the World Meteorological Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration, the Human Rights Council, the Anti Personnel Mine Ban Convention, and the World Trade Organization.

Paris Agreement

Mr. LeBlanc quoted the statement of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General issued on 1 June in reaction to the United States’ decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The statement said “the decision by the United States to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change is a major disappointment for global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote global security.” The Secretary-General had made repeated appeals over the past few days, including in a major speech at the NYU Stern School of Business, about the importance of maintaining countries’ commitment to the Paris Agreement. He remained confident that “cities, states and businesses within the United States - along with other countries - will continue to demonstrate vision and leadership by working for the low-carbon, resilient economic growth that will create quality jobs and markets for 21st century prosperity.”

In response to questions, Mr. LeBlanc added that the reason the decision was described as a major disappointment was the signal it sent to the rest of the world. As the Secretary-General had said, it was crucial that the United States remained a leader on environmental issues. He was looking forward to engaging with the US Government and other actors in the United States and around the world to build a sustainable future.

Mr. LeBlanc also said unity and strength were needed on the issue of climate change. What was historic about the agreement was the number of countries that had rallied around it. The United Nations was heartened by the expressions of support from other countries who were parties to the agreement. Leadership could come in many forms and from different directions, although it was critical that the United States play a major role.

Jonathan Lynn, for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), made a number of comments in response to questions which the IPCC had received following the announcement of the US decision. He said the scientific evidence was clear. The climate was changing and it was changing because of human activity. As the last report of the IPCC had put it: “Without additional mitigation efforts beyond those in place today, and even with adaptation, warming by the end of the 21st century will lead to very high risk of severe, widespread and irreversible impacts.”

The IPCC assessment had found that limiting climate change would require substantial and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, which, together with adaptation, could limit climate change risks.

In December 2015, Governments had agreed in Paris to limit the rise in global temperatures. Governments had set their own Nationally Determined
Contributions to reach that goal. The agreement called for regular reviews of progress
towards the goal.

In negotiating the Paris Agreement, Governments had drawn on the scientific evidence, including that contained in the reports of the IPCC, which was an independent scientific assessment body. The IPCC assessed scientific publications related to climate change to inform policymakers of the state of scientific knowledge about climate change, enabling them to formulate sound policies. In its analysis of decision-making to limit climate change and its effects, the IPCC had noted that climate change was a problem of the commons, requiring collective action at the global scale.

Effective mitigation would not be achieved if individual players advanced their own interests independently.

What effect would US withdrawal have on emissions?
Emissions in any country were the result of complex interactions between market forces, technological change, national policies and actions taken by regional and local bodies such as city and state Governments. It was not clear at this stage how the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement would affect future emissions. The next IPCC reports would assess global drivers and trends in emissions.

What effect would US withdrawal have on the Paris Agreement?
The US was the only major emitter to have withdrawn. Given the bottom-up nature of the Agreement and the commitment of other major emitters, it appeared that the Agreement would continue. The IPCC had been invited under the Paris Agreement to produce a Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C and would produce this timely and new assessment of knowledge about the climate in September 2018, in time for the facilitative dialogue that Governments would hold that year to review progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change had encouraged the IPCC to pay attention to the global stocktake provided for under the Paris Agreement in scoping its next assessment report. In starting to scope and schedule the next assessment report, the IPCC had responded to this encouragement.

Mr. Lynn added that science was needed more than ever to inform policymakers about climate risks and options to reduce risks. Sub-national action was key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing adaptation when that was not happening at the federal level. The IPCC conference on cities and climate change science in 2018 in Edmonton, Canada, would be a key opportunity to build and share action-oriented knowledge. Mr. Lynn also said support was needed for the production of new knowledge in each country and support for the work of the IPCC.

Asked about the impact of the US withdrawal on the IPCC budget, Mr. Lynn said the US was one of the biggest, if not the biggest contributor, and had been for many years. The leadership of the IPCC was working to ensure that the IPCC would be properly resourced to carry out the work programme that its member Governments had set out for the next six or seven years.

Asked about the timeline of the US withdrawal, funding in support of developing countries in the context of the Paris Agreement, and the possibility to re-negotiate the Paris Agreement, Mr. Lynn said the UNFCCC was better placed to address those questions and should be asked about any renegotiations.

Asked about President Trump’s statement asserting that the United States was the most environmentally-friendly country in the world, Mr. Lynn underscored that one had to be very specific about how that was measured, and it was difficult to comment on a very value-laden and general statement.

Mr. Lynn also clarified that there were many factors that could influence the trend of US emissions as a result of the decision. It was possible that US emissions would continue to fall, whether the US was part of the Paris Agreement or not.

Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said the WMO had been receiving many media inquiries about the decision made by President Trump. WMO was a scientific and technical agency. Its scientific reports about the state of the climate and greenhouse gas concentrations had informed the negotiations leading to the Paris Agreement, which aimed to keep global temperature rise in the 21^st century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The science clearly showed that human-induced climate warming had already increased the number and strength of some types of extreme weather, and that trend was expected to continue. WMO would continue to promote observations and research and services supporting weather and climate resilience, and disaster risk reduction.

In response to questions, Ms. Nullis said there was extraordinary public interest on the topic within the US right now, judging from Twitter traffic among other indicators.

She also said the actual implementation of the Paris Agreement was very much dependent in the action on the ground implemented by cities and states. She added that WMO aligned itself with the statement of the Secretary-General in reaction to the US decision.

Ms. Nullis introduced Deon Terblanche, Director of WMO's Atmospheric Research and Environment Department and Johannes Cullmann, Director of Climate and Water Department at WMO, who were available for questions.

In response to questions, Mr. Cullmann said there had been some questioning of the scientific bases that WMO had worked on for many years with support of some prominent US scientists. In the communication and dissemination of those results, the WMO may have perhaps not been clear enough and now had the chance to put knowledge and findings into more easily accessible contexts, and become better at explaining climate change to the public. He added that in his own speech, President Trump had mentioned that the US had already paid USD 1 billion into the Green Climate Fund. It had taken 20 years to negotiate the Paris Agreement, and it would not have been possible without the consent of major economic leaders around the world.

Commenting on President Trump’s statement asserting that the United States was the most environmentally-friendly country in the world, Mr. Cullmann said that any assessment needed to be based on indicators, such as greenhouse gas emissions per capita or as related to the GDP.

Mr. Terblanche said WMO would continue to ensure that scientific knowledge and information was out there so that decision-makers on all levels could make the best decisions. WMO needed to make sure its messages were clear and that it was providing the best information possible.

Mr. Terblanche said it would take some time to analyze the complex announcement that had been made by President Trump the previous day, and it would take a number of years for it to be implemented. It was hard to say right now what the implications of the announcement could be.

Asked about evaluations of the worst-case scenario impact of the US withdrawal on global warming, Mr. Terblanche said that while WMO had not run new models overnight, an assumption could be made that in the worst case scenario, temperatures could rise by an additional 0.3 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level by the end of the century. As long as greenhouse gases, especially CO2 continued to be emitted into the atmosphere, there would not be a reduction in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere as CO2 remained in the atmosphere for many years. The climate would continue to warm in any case.

Finally, Mr. Terblanche added that as a scientific organization who tried to inform decisions, WMO believed the world needed to move forward based on scientific facts and information.

Cholera in Yemen

Tarik Jasarevic, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said the second wave of the cholera outbreak that had started at the end of April was continuing and spreading. There were now close to 70,000 reported cases and more than 570 deaths related to this second wave. Those numbers were from 27 April until 1 June. Some 373 cases had been confirmed by lab analysis as being positive for vibrio cholera. The current fatality ratio nationwide was 0.8 per cent, but there were pockets with a higher case fatality rate, such as Ibb province with 2.2 per cent, Dhamar with 1.5 per cent and Aden with 1.4 per cent. The outbreak had spread to 19 out of 33 governorates. WHO and partners were trying to escalate the response to this outbreak as much as possible. Since the start of the second wave on 27 April, WHO had provided more than 150,000 bags of IV fluid and had supported 30 new diarrhoea treatment centres, in addition to the 26 centres set up when the outbreak had started in October 2016. On 25 May, WHO had chartered a Boeing 777 carrying IV fluids and cholera kits. This airlift had landed in Sana’a airport with 67 tons of cholera response material.

WHO was co-charing the national cholera taskforce, training health workers and supporting the disease surveillance teams.

Between 19 March 2015, when WHO had started to receive reports from health facilities on casualties, until 30 April 2017, health facilities had reported 8,053 deaths in Yemen, and some 45,000 injuries as a result of the conflict. Right now in Yemen, less than 45 per cent of health facilities were fully functioning. At least 274 facilities had been damaged and destroyed. Health workers had been forced to relocate and the ones still in their posts had not received their salaries regularly since August 2016. In some districts no more doctors were left, and providing surgical care to the injured was particularly challenging due to the shortage of specialized health staff. Medical supplies were in chronic short supply as well. People with chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, renal conditions, and cancer, were slowly dying as they lacked access to life-sustaining treatment.

In response to questions, Mr. Jasarevic said that at this stage the situation was very worrying and there were some 1,500 cholera cases per day. Access to clean water was very difficult in Yemen and there was garbage in the streets because public services and civil servants were not being financed. In many places, people did not have access to basic health services. In mild cases, ORS (oral rehydration solution) was needed but for severe cases antibiotic and IV fluids were necessary, and those were given in diarrhoea treatment centres. The health cluster had asked for USD 321 million for 2017 and had received only 13 per cent so far. There were also still some places which were very difficult to access because of the security situation. The health system as a whole was not functioning.

In response to a final question, Mr. Jasarevic said that WHO had offices across the country and was working with all the health authorities, who were not the same in Aden and in Sana’a. it was in the interest of everyone to try to do their best. WHO was trying to reach the most vulnerable areas and reach them as a priority, working with everyone.

Christophe Boulierac, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said in the past two weeks an average of 1,100 children suffering from acute watery diarrhoea were coming to health facilities every day, across the country. In the last four weeks, the disease had claimed close to 600 lives, of which nearly 25 per cent were children. The situation in Yemen was a perfect recipe for disaster. The collapse of the water and sanitation system, barely functional hospitals and a cash-stripped economy meant that more than 27 million Yemenis were staring at a humanitarian catastrophe. The biggest victims of this tragedy were Yemen’s most vulnerable population, its children. UNICEF had flown in three aircraft carrying over 41 tons of life-saving supplies including medicines, oral rehydration salts, diarrhoea disease kits and other materials to treat over 50,000 patients. Despite that, medicines were in short supply as the needs were increasing. UNICEF had also provided support to over 200 oral rehydration centres and to diarrhoea treatment centres. It was also very important now to reach households, disinfecting water tanker filling stations, as well as chlorinating drinking water, and to sensitize people to adopt the right practices and avoid drinking infected water.

Mr. Boulierac also added that there was currently no tap water in Sana’a. The water that was being trucked was disinfected, but people sometimes obtained water from wells which was contaminated. It was important to carry out prevention work with people on the ground.

In response to a question, Mr. LeBlanc said the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismaïl Ould Cheikh Ahmed, had recently had a three-day visit in Sana’a, where he had continued his efforts for a negotiated political settlement. He had briefed the Security Council on 30 May and Mr. LeBlanc referred the press to his statement.

South Sudan

Tarik Jasarevic, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that a joint statement had been issued on 1 June by the Ministry of Health of South Sudan, WHO, and UNICEF, following the completion of the investigation into the deaths of 15 children in Nachodokopele village in Kapoeta East County. WHO expressed its deep regret and sadness on the passing of 15 children related to the integrated measles vaccination campaign in the village. Following the deaths, with first reports coming on 8 May, the Ministry of Health of South Sudan, with the support of WHO and UNICEF, had conducted a fact-finding mission from 10 to 13 May. Following this mission, an independent team of investigators from the National Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) Committee, supported by WHO and UNICEF, had conducted a detailed field investigation.

According to the report, severe sepsis resulting from the administration of a contaminated vaccine had caused the event. Human errors had contributed to the unfortunate deaths of the children, namely, the use of unskilled and untrained personnel, non-adherence to vaccine handling standards, and an insufficient monitoring and supervision of vaccination activities. Evidence gathered by the investigators indicated that the vaccination team did not adhere to WHO-approved immunization safety standards, and that a single syringe had been used for multiple vaccine vials for an entire four days instead of being discarded after a single use. The use of the same syringe had caused it to become contaminated, which in turn had contaminated the measles vaccine vials and the vaccinated children. WHO was working with partners to put in place recommendations from the report. WHO would be examining how to select, supervise and manage the training of all those involved in vaccination campaigns in South Sudan to prevent and mitigate this type of tragedy in the future.

WHO did get reports of such events (mishandling of measles vaccines) several times a year. Some of those resulted in deaths and in other cases, people were hospitalized and recovered. The majority of adverse events following immunization were caused by human error and not by the vaccines themselves. The measles vaccine was safe and effective, and had been used all over the world to protect more than 2 billion children to date. In South Sudan, this was the fifth follow-up vaccination campaign. Past campaigns had been successfully implemented and the safety of the vaccine had been ensured. Around 300 children had been vaccinated during the current campaign. Some 32 other children apart from those who had died had suffered similar symptoms, but had recovered.

Asked about who was responsible for administrating the vaccines, Mr. Jasarevic said that local teams had been hired and trained by upper-level supervisors, who had in turn been trained by partners, including WHO. WHO held training sessions until the county level. The vaccination teams were not WHO staff. WHO provided technical assistance, planning and monitoring. WHO was looking at what exactly had gone wrong, and where. He also said that some of the areas in question were very remote and there were no experienced health workers, so the process of passing on training could be very challenging. It was part of the WHO protocol that in case of adverse events such as this one, independent experts led an investigation. In this case, it was a very serious human error.

Iraq

Andrej Mahecic, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said UNHCR urgently needed USD 126 million to meet critical needs of vulnerable children, women and men displaced from, and returning to, Mosul, until the end of 2017.

A shortage of funds threatened to undermine UNHCR’s humanitarian response at this critical time. Heavy fighting was continuing, and UNHCR was expecting more large movements of people from the west of the city where the fighting was currently concentrated. Iraqi authorities had said that more than three quarters of a million Iraqis had been forced to flee Mosul since military operations had started in October 2016.

The vast majority of the internally displaced were families with children and babies – groups that were especially vulnerable and would be most affected by aid shortages should international support wither.

Nearly half of the urgently requested funds – USD 60 million - was required to assist more than 100,000 newly displaced Iraqi families with emergency shelter in the camps, legal assistance to replace lost and missing documents, child protection, prevention of sexual and gender based violence, as well as to provide them with blankets, mattresses and other core relief items. UNHCR had so far established 12 camps in support of the overall efforts by the Iraqi authorities to provide shelter to currently 316,000 internally displaced Iraqis in relative proximity to Mosul.

A further USD 24 million was needed to assist and support Iraqi families returning to their homes. It was estimated that 125,000 internally displaced people had returned to their homes, many in east Mosul and on the outskirts of the city. Most of the returnees were living in damaged buildings and needed shelter assistance as well as cash support. In areas of return, UNHCR and partners would provide material assistance, including emergency shelter and sealing-off kits to help returnees living in unfinished buildings, as well as essential protection services, including psycho-social support, replacement of missing and lost documents and protection monitoring.

Lastly, USD 42 million was required for on time procurement of shelter and aid materials for the following winter. To cope with eventual drops in temperatures, UNHCR planned to assist 135,000 displaced and returnee families with a range of core winter items including blankets, fuel, jerry cans and heating stoves. This included the provision of one-time cash assistance of USD 150 per family to 100,000 IDP and returnee families to help them buy fuel to get through the winter.

In response to questions, Mr. Mahecic said that since 2014, Iraq had suffered massive internal displacement. It was estimated that up to three million Iraqis were still internally displaced and another quarter of a million lived as refugees in the neighbouring countries. Overall UNHCR protection and assistance programmes in Iraq amounted to 578 million in 2017. Those were currently 21 per cent funded which was a cause for concern halfway through the year. UNHCR activities were in support of those of the Iraqi authorities, but funds were running out.

Asked about the impact of budget cuts in the US for the funding, Mr. Mahecic said the US had been traditionally a strong supporter of UNHCR. The current funding situation was based on commitments made earlier, so it was impossible to speculate about what the situation might be in the future. Globally and especially in Africa, UNHCR was facing a chronic situation of underfunding, with some operations in Africa funded in the single digits. It was also necessary to include more contributions from the private sector into the financing of humanitarian operations.

Bangladesh

Andrej Mahecic, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said Cyclone Mora had swept across the Bay of Bengal earlier in the week, damaging thousands of homes in Bangladesh and Myanmar. Shelter was urgently needed for those affected. Many refugees and internally displaced people were among the local victims.

Some injuries had been reported among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar area and displaced people in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. An 11-year-old refugee had died on 31 May when he had been hit by a falling tree branch in Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. In Myanmar in central Rakhine state, a displaced boy aged 10 had been reported missing after being swept away by rising waters.

UNHCR assessments in Bangladesh’s Kutupalong and Nayapara camps had found that most of the refugees’ homes – which are built with mud, bamboo, corrugated iron and plastic sheets – had suffered some damage. Some 20 percent were completely destroyed. Communal structures such as schools, community centres and the offices of Government and NGOs were also damaged. UNHCR partners were assessing the situation in makeshift sites and local villages hosting refugees.

In Myanmar, the Government was conducting assessments with the contribution of UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies. Hundreds of shelters in the camps housing internally displaced people in central Rakhine state had suffered damage in the strong winds. This included 186 shelters that had collapsed while 339 were severely damaged.

In both countries, UNHCR and partners were supporting Government-led relief efforts to assist refugees, displaced people and their host communities who were affected by this natural disaster.

Leonard Doyle, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said IOM had a strong presence in Cox’s Bazar where they worked with the Bangladeshi population of Rohingyas, otherwise known as undocumented Myanmar nationals. He added that the settlements were housing 130,000 ethnic Rohingyas and the destruction from Cyclone Mora had been extensive with 80 per cent of the settlements being damaged. Those settlements were very flimsy.

IOM was appealing for USD 3.7 million in order to sustain the response and ensure that there was shelter, wash, and other support for those displaced people, including plastic sheeting and mosquito nets.

Nigeria

Leonard Doyle, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), spoke about the tragic event in the Sahara Desert on 1 June, in the north of Agadez. Some 40 people, perhaps 44, had died of thirst. Those were primarily Ghanaian and Nigerian migrants, attempting to get to Europe via Libya. He added that six survivors of the group had returned, and that they now were being supported by IOM. They included women, babies, and young people.

The rate of deaths on the Mediterranean route had approximately doubled compared to what it had been in 2016. The numbers were still low relative to 2016 as 1,650 people had died so far in 2017, trying to get to Europe, while the entire number for 2016 had been 2,500. IOM was particularly concerned about the uncounted and unknown deaths in the Sahara. It was a very valuable trade for smugglers, and the response IOM was seeing so far in terms of supporting migrants and helping them avoid getting into the hands of smugglers was rather insufficient.

Geneva Events and Announcements

Rolando Gomez, for the Human Rights Council, said that many of the issues discussed at the press briefing today would be covered at the upcoming 35th regular session of the Human Rights Council, including building capacity in public health in conflict situations such as in Yemen, and climate change, among many others. The session would open on 6 June at 9 am and would run until 23 June.

On 6 June, the session would open with brief remarks from the President of the Council, Ambassador Joaquín Alexander Maza Martelli of El Salvador. His remarks would be followed by an address by the President of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez, around 9.15 a.m. Thereafter, the Council would hear an update by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, on the activities of his Office and recent human rights development around the world. At approximately 10 a.m. the Council would hear from the first in a series of human rights experts presenting thematic and country reports. The newly-appointed Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity (which was also a newly-created mandate), Vitit Muntarbhorn, would present his report spelling out his vision for the mandate and the key challenges in combating discrimination and violence against LGBT persons. Following that, the Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnès Callamard, who was also a new mandate holder, who would present a forward-looking report on her mandate, as well as the report of her predecessor, Christof Heyns, on his visit to Honduras.

At 11.45 a.m., the Council would briefly suspend to hear an address from Ambassador Nikki Haley of the United States. The US Mission should be contacted for further details on her agenda. At 12 p.m., the Council would resume with a discussion with the afore-mentioned Special Rapporteurs. At 1 p.m., the Council would hear from Dainius Pûras, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, whose report focused on mental health as a global priority, as well as on his missions to Algeria and Croatia. The Independent Expert on international solidarity, Virginia Dandan, would then present her report focusing on her recent visit to Norway. At approximately 4 p.m., the new Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Annalisa Ciampi, would present the report of her predecessor, Maina Kiai, on the achievements of civil society and participation and his visits to the United Kingdom and to the United States in 2016.

Mr. Gomez also announced a press conference on 6 June at 2 p.m. in Press Room 1 by the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Vitit Muntarbhorn.

Many side-events would take place throughout the 35^th session of the Council. Mr. Gomez mentioned a particular event by the US Mission on human rights in Venezuela, which would take place in the early afternoon on 6 June. All meetings would run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. uninterrupted. Live webcast and press coverage would be available as usual. Statements would be available on the Council’s extranet. Space would be reserved for the press as usual on the left side in the press gallery, but it was advised that the press arrive early on busy days such as 6 June. The press was invited to follow @UN_HRC on Twitter and @UnitedNationsHumanRightsCouncil on Facebook for timely updates.

In response to questions, Mr. Gomez said Nikki Haley would be participating in the side-event on human rights in Venezuela. It had not been confirmed if the High Commissioner would meet with her but the press would be informed. The High Commissioner’s speech would be shared with the press ahead of time by email. Regarding the mandate on sexual orientation and gender identity, there had indeed been controversy when the mandate had been approved in 2016. It had gone through by a narrow margin. There may very well be more controversy when he would present the report on 6 June, but the fact of the matter was that the resolution had gone through and it was an important step forward. No-one could deny that there were problems in terms of discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and Mr. Muntarbhorn would certainly address them in his maiden speech.

Regarding side-events, Mr. Gomez specified that they were not official Council events. The Council provided a space for them and there were close to 200 side events taking place in parallel to the main event. Organizers had to be contacted directly for questions about modalities and possibility to cover them. The majority of side events were public.

Asked about the presence of any officials or opposition representatives from Venezuela, Mr. Gomez said he would check and get back to the press.

Laila Rodriguez-Bloch, for the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, said 2017 marked the 20^th anniversary of the Convention, and there would be several events organized by Switzerland, Germany, Austria, South Africa, Norway and Canada, which had been the core States that had brought the Convention to fruition, as well as by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). An intersessional meeting would take place at the WMO on 8-9 June and interviews could be prepared via Skype with participants. Ms. Rodriguez-Bloch highlighted that Algeria had finally succeeded in removing all mined areas from its territory and would provide a formal statement and declaration of completion. Belarus had received full support from the European Union to destroy over 3 million dangerous landmines. There were only two more European countries which still needed to destroy landmines: Ukraine and Greece, and both had missed their deadlines. In Yemen, there was an increased use of landmines by armed non-State actors and there were more and more landmine victims. Yemen was deploying an emergency programme to try to address that. There would be five countries, including two of the most mine-affected countries in the world, Angola and Iraq, which would be presenting requests to extend their mine clearance deadline as they would not be able to complete their demining by 2018 as requested by the Convention. The statements would be sent in summary form to the press.

Fernando Puchol, for the World Trade Organization (WTO), said WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo would be participating in the OECD ministerial meeting in Paris on 7 June. On 8 June he would attend the informal gathering of Ministers responsible for WTO Trade, hosted by the Australian Minister of Trade and Investment. The Negotiating Group on Rules would meet on 6 June to study a proposal for disciplines on fisheries subsidies circulated at the request of the delegations of Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru and Uruguay. Those disciplines had to do mainly with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, overfishing, over-capacity and small-scale artisanal fishers. The aim was to advance towards an agreement that could be presented at the ministerial conference in Buenos Aires in December.

Also on 6 June at 2 p.m., there would be a lecture at WTO by Professor Ralph Ossa from the University of Zurich on trade talks and trade wars. The lecture was part of the WTO Trade Dialogues.

The Committee on Agriculture would meet on 7 and 8 June with a broad agenda and with the objective of advancing the agricultural negotiations ahead of the ministerial conference in Buenos Aires.

Finally, on 8 June, the Appellate Body would present its annual report for 2016.

Mr. LeBlanc reminded the press of a press conference by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), today, on 2 June at 2.30 p.m. in Press Room 1, on the publication of the World Investment Report 2017: Investment and the Digital Economy (under embargo until 7 June 2017 at 5 p.m. GMT). The speakers would be Mukhisa Kituyi, UNCTAD Secretary-General, and James Zhan, UNCTAD, Director, Division on Investment and Enterprise.

Mr. LeBlanc announced a press conference on 7 June at 10.30 a.m. in Press Room 1 by Dainius Pûras, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, who would share with the media his latest report to the Human Rights Council: “There is no health without mental health and no mental health without human rights”.

On 8 June there would be a press conference at 10.30 a.m. in Press Room 1 by Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons. She would discuss her report on trafficking in supply chains, and the efforts of multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions to address the issue. Ms. Giammarinaro identified and analysed main challenges in adopting voluntary standards and certification schemes to detect trafficking in companies’ supply chains. She also provided recommendations to strengthen voluntary standards and the certification processes to improve detection and remediation of cases of trafficking in persons. The report would be presented to the Human Rights Council on Friday 9 June.

Mr. LeBlanc said the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), would close today at 5 p.m. its 75^th session, following which it would publish its concluding observations on all of the reports reviewed during the session, those of the United States, Bhutan, Lebanon, Qatar, Romania, Mongolia, Antigua and Barbuda, and Cameroon.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) would complete today its review of the periodic report of the Netherlands, before starting its review of the report of Liechtenstein on 7 June at 3 p.m.

The Conference on Disarmament (CD) was holding this morning a public plenary at 10 a.m., under the presidency of Slovakia (who would ensure the presidency until 25 June).

The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/UNOG2617