Angola, COP30 & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

Attention.

All right. Good afternoon to you all. I hope our two cameramen had a good world television day. Yeah, you're over it. Not to.

All right. As you know, our Secretary General, Tony Guterres is in Angola and today he addressed the seventh annual African Union European Union Summit, which is taking place in in Luanda. Mr. Guterres pointed out that right now the world is changing at a radical rate. He noted that as technology barrels ahead, climate chaos reigns and inequalities deepen. The Secretary General said that we are moving towards a multipolar world with global power currently in flux against the risks of divisions of the world into two blocks led by two big powers.

He stressed that we need an interconnected multipolarity with an inclusive network of intense relations on trade, development, financial institutions and with increasing political coordination. The Secretary General said that together the African Union and the European Union make up 40% of the UN member state. He underscored that the African Union and the European Union have the power to uphold the charter brokerage agreements and steer the world towards a more stable, more inclusive reality where international law prevails and injustices inequalities are progressively eliminated. Today, he also spoke at the national assembly of Angola at a special session organized to hear from him. Speaking to the media afterwards, he emphasized that we need profound reform of the global financial architecture that reflects today's world, that provides accessible and predictable financing rather than penalizing the victims of crime crises they did not cause.

The Secretary General added that we also need to give African countries their rightful place in every international institution, including financial institutions and of course, the Security Council. Also this morning, he met with the President of the Republic of Angola, Joao Manuel Goncalves Lorenzo. And as you saw, we issued on Saturday morning a statement following the closure of the COP that took place in Belem. In the statement, the Secretary General said that the COP agreement shows that multilateralism is alive and that nations can still come together to confront the defining challenges no country can solve alone. The Secretary General noted that the COP30 has delivered progress, including call to triple adaptation finance by 2035 as a first step towards closing the adaptation gap, a just transition mechanism, a new dialogue aimed at enhancing international cooperation on trade and recognition that we are now heading for a temporary overshoot of the 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Mr. Guterres also mentioned the launch of a global implementation accelerator and recognitions to take forward the outcome of the UAE consensus, which includes a just, orderly and equitable transition away from fossil fuels. But COP is consensus based. The Secretary General said, and it appeared of geopolitical divide. Consensus is even harder to reach. Adding that he cannot pretend that COP30 has delivered everything that is needed, the Secretary General pointed out the gap between where we are and where science demands remains dangerously wide.

He understands that many feel disappointed, especially young people, indigenous peoples and all those living through climate chaos. He said that COP 30 is over, but our work is not, and he will continue pushing for higher ambition and greater solidarity. To all those who marched, to all those who negotiated, All those negotiated, advised, reported and mobilized, the Secretary General said do not give up, he told them, history is on your side and so is the United Nations. Also this weekend the Secretary General, as you know, was in Johannesburg, in South Africa, where he had participated in the annual G20 summit, which took place sorry in the G20's first session on inclusive and sustainable economic growth. He noted that inclusive, fair and broad based economic growth is the main weapon.

Excuse me, is the is the best weapon we have in fighting poverty, hunger and unemployment. But growth prospects, the Secretary General said, particularly in Africa, have dimmed due to recent crises, higher borrowing costs, geopolitical tensions and rising trade barriers. He stressed that we must help countries move beyond commodity dependence and build links to global value chains that drive jobs and prosperity, including in the digital, green and service economies. In the second session on disaster risk reduction, climate change, just energy, transition, food systems, the Secretary General noted that Africa will pay a deadly price despite doing very little to cause the problem. He emphasized that we need the G20 leadership and support as we build the resilient world people and planet require.

The Secretary General also spoke at the last session on critical minerals, decent work in artificial intelligence, warning that the global economy is at an inflection point with the breathtaking growth of new industries like artificial intelligence and renewable energy. Speaking to the press ahead of the G20, the Secretary General noted that as the world's largest economies, the G20 can hold enormous influence on to ease suffering, ensure that economic growth is widely shared, and set our world on a better, more peaceful course for the future. Full transcript of the remarks were shared with you. Back here, our colleague Ramiz Al Akhbarov, the Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace process, briefed the Security Council via videoconference and said this is a moment of renewed hope. But progress on the ground is fragile and deep uncertainty persistent persists.

We must seize the opportunity before us to chart a better future for Palestinians, Israelis and the wider region, he said. Mr. Al Akhbarov said since coming into effect last month, the ceasefire has largely held in Gaza. However, recent Israeli airstrikes on populated areas in Gaza have caused numerous casualties and significant destruction. Palestinian militants in Gaza have also continued sporadic attacks on Israeli soldiers, causing fatalities. This violence, he says, is jeopardizing the fragile ceasefire.

He urged all parties to exercise restraint and fulfill their commitments under the agreement while still facing unbearable conditions and seemingly unsurmountable destruction. The Deputy Special Coordinator said that the people of Gaza have experienced at least the first glimmers of respite from the near constant bombardment of the last two years, adding that two years of fighting has left almost 80% of Gaza's buildings damaged or destroyed. That's 250,000 buildings, while over 1.7 million people remain displaced. Many of those people are trying to live in overcrowded shelters without adequate access to water, food or medical care. Dr. Alekbarov added that settler violence in the west bank has already reached emergency levels.

Impunity for this must end and Palestinian communities must be protected. Turning north to Lebanon and I can tell you that we are seriously concerned about the deadly Israeli strike on a residential area in southern Beirut yesterday. We urge all actors to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any further escalation and remind the parties that civilians and civilian errors must not be be targeted. Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty must be respected and we reiterate our call for the parties to uphold their obligations to maintain a cessation of hostilities and to fully implement security council resolution 1701.

And I also want to flag that our Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Janine Hennes Plashert, said that she is exercising her good offices to call for de escalation and encourage the parties to fully uphold their respective obligations under the Security Council resolution. As for the granules, excuse me for the situation in Gaza itself. We and our partners remain focused on preparing for winter as well as ensuring that the most vulnerable communities are able to receive essential assistance. Our partners managing displacement sites note that living conditions are extremely dire across Gaza. The estimated 214,000 people living in coastal, flood prone and structurally unsafe areas are among the most vulnerable.

Humanitarian community is working together to get aid to people safely, to get it to them quickly and with dignity. As part of the preparations ahead of winter, between Thursday and Saturday, our partners reached 7,100 families with shelter assistance that includes 900 tents and 5,100 tarps and 2,300 blankets. However, they tell us that they could only bring in 32 trucks with shelter supplies into Gaza between Sunday and Wednesday last week as NGO registration requirements continue to hamper our Partners ability to deliver Meanwhile, our partners leading the malnutrition response in Gaza report that they continue to focus on early detention section and treatment of acute cases. Last week, UNICEF dispatched 4,000 cartons of ready to use therapeutic food, enough to provide treatment for the current caseload of 10,000 patients for one month. Currently, total treatment stocks are sufficient to last through March of next year.

Work also continues on improving access to healthcare across Gaza. Our partners leading the health response report that they managed to access the European hospital in Rafah, which is not currently functional. They reached it in order to transfer vital equipment to functioning facilities in northern Gaza. This is the first successful attempt to access the hospital since October, as previous requests to reach it were repeatedly denied by Israeli authorities and to help people cope with supplements basic assistance Our partners working on providing cash support Note that since the ceasefire and as of last Wednesday, 93,000 families received cash distribution with the support of more than a dozen of our partners. Our partners working on emergency telecommunications tell us that on Saturday a team of technicians finally managed to access an area of northern Gaza near the Erez Crossing to repair a fiber optic cable that had severed.

Excuse me. In early November. Previous attempts to coordinate access to the site remains for repairs has been denied by Israeli authorities. OCHA continues to stress that civilians and civilian infrastructure must always be protected, and they also call for an impeded, safe and sustained access throughout Gaza to reach civilians in need wherever they are. Turning to Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that hostilities continue to devastate frontline communities, harm civilians and urban centers and inflict damage on energy infrastructure.

Authorities say the cities in the cities of Kharkiv, Dnipro Descent, Japrica came under attack over the weekend and this morning with at least 20 civilians killed and more than 100 injured, including children. Humanitarians have also been impacted. Yesterday, a drone strike damaged the premises of a humanitarian organization in the city of Koryukivka in the Chernihiv region. No one was injured. Just a few days earlier, on November 20th in Japurica, an aid worker from a national NGO was killed while off duty in an airstrike that claimed the lives of at least five civilians.

According to our partners, since September, three aid workers have been killed, including two in the line of duty, and 11 others have been injured. Hostilities have also damaged critical services. Authorities report rolling power outages continue nationwide due to cumulative damage on the energy infrastructure. Some parts of the Kharkiv region were left with electricity and water. The port and energy facilities in Odessa were also struck, including a ferry terminal on the border near Romania.

Ocha says that despite access and security challenges, humanitarian organizations continue to deliver assistance. On November 21, Anocha coordinated humanitarian convoy delivered winter supplies to frontline areas communities of Dariska in the Kherson region. And this year, 27 interagency convoys delivered aid to about 30,000 people in frontline areas. Our colleague Jean Pierre Lacroix, the head of the Peace Operations Department, will visit the Central African Republic from the 26 27th of November. His visit aims to take stock of the developments on the ground, reaffirm the mission's commitment to peace and stability in the country and hear directly from national stakeholders and peacekeepers about current challenges and priorities.

During the visit, he scheduled to meet with senior national authorities, including the President, the Prime Minister and other ministers, as well as the President of the National Assembly. All of this to discuss political situation, ongoing peace and electoral processes and of course, the UN support for national priorities. He also met with political parties. He will also meet with political parties or women's organizations, civil society groups, religious leaders and the UN country team and the diplomatic community. Mr. Acqual will further engage with UN colleagues on the ground.

And a quick update from Sudan where we're happy to report that under the leadership of our resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Denise Brown, the team met in the capital Khartoum today. This is the first time the UN country team has been able to convene in Khartoum. Since the start of this conflict In April of 2023, 28 of our UN agencies, funds and programs have maintained their presences in operations from port towards Sudan. The gradual move back to the capital marks an important step signaling strengthened UN coordination and engagement on the ground. We'll continue to update you as the situation develops.

Meanwhile, the situation on the ground for on the humanitarian situation remains dire, particularly for those who've been displaced from their homes. Our colleagues at UN refugee agency and their partners continue to respond to displacement placements for Mal Fascia as well as Cordofon. In Tawila and daba, teams are conducting in person protection monitoring to identify urgent needs and refer cases of sexual violence survivors, separated children and others requiring specialized support. Immediate priorities include psychosocial support, family tracing and reunification, food assistance, non food items and identity documents. Many of those tend to get lost.

Displacement zones across the board In Chad, site development extensions and infrastructure construction are ongoing in camps, integrated zones and relocation sites. Reception sites continue to face critical shortages of shelter and latrines, increasing vulnerability and requiring urgent action to ensure dignified conditions and reduce exposure to the weather. We continue to call for an end to the hostilities so that civilians can receive the respite and protection they urgently need. Moving south to South Sudan where the ongoing violence. There continues to be ongoing violence in parts of the country.

Our peacekeeping mission there says they've been reporting renewed fighting and rising tensions in Eastern Equatorial State. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and remind the parties that such violence directly contravenes the commitments under the revitalized Peace Agreement. These incidents follow last week's intercommunal violence in Upper Nile State which resulted in civilian deaths, injuries and displacement. For its part, the peacekeeping mission has strengthened patrols in and around hotspots and continues to work with all stakeholders, including authorities and local communities, to deter further attacks. We call on the authorities to uphold their responsibility to prevent conflict, to protect, protect civilians and to respond to community needs.

Especially at a time where a peacekeeping mission has been required to close its field offices in Torit and Eastern Equatoria due to the UN wide financial crisis. And you saw that over the weekend we issued a statement from the Secretary General in which he strongly condemned the deadly attacks carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As you recall, these horrific attacks took place between 13th and 19th of November and have resulted in the deaths of 89 people including 20 women and an under still under, under the term undetermined number of children. Seventeen of those people were killed inside a health center. The Secretary General reaffirms his commitment through our peacekeeping mission that we remain fully committed to supporting the Congolese authorities in their efforts to protect civilians and prevent human rights violations and combat impunity.

Quick update on Jamaica where our colleagues at the UN Development Program have mobilized an initial 2 million United States dollars in resilient recovery grants for Jamaica's hurricane recovery efforts. This will be used to restore community life and livelihoods and to support support national vision for resilient recovery. UNDP's offer includes a cleanup and management of debris, estimated 4.8 million metric tons across impacted areas as well as recycling opportunities through cash and work modalities. This builds on UNDP's immediate crisis response and contributions from the CARICOM Development Fund and the European Union. An additional $8 million is under consideration by realigning ongoing UNDP programs in Jamaica to advance climate resilient recovery, nature based solutions and long term community resilience.

I'm almost done. This morning Guy Ryder, our Under Secretary General for Policy addressed a high level event on Global Plan of Action to combat trafficking in persons. In his remarks delivered on Behalf of the Secretary General, Mr. Rider said it is intolerable that members of our human family, including youngest, are trafficked for labor, domestic service, marriage, criminality and sexual exploitation. The Secretary General urged a renewed focus on strengthening laws and remedies to end impunity and supporting measures that place victims at the center of the response. Today is World Conjoined Twins Day.

This rare condition occurs in an estimated 1 in 550,000 births when identical embryos are divided divide later than usual. On this day, we reaffirm our commitment to universal health coverage and to ensuring the highest attainable standard for health for all. It's a very interesting exhibit sponsored by Saudi Arabia on the ground floor, which at least I found interesting on this. Tomorrow there will be guests from UN women and the UN Office of Drugs and Crime who will brief on this year's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. I'll be joined in the room by Sarah Hendricks, the UN Women Director of Program Policy and Intergovernmental Division, and Calliope Minjeriu, Chief of Ending Violence Against Women Section remotely.

We'll have Candace Welch, UNODC's director of division for Policy Analysis and Public affairs, and David Rouses, UNODC's data analytics division.

Today we have another member state who paid its dues in full. We thank our friends in Asmara. Eritrea's payment to the regular budget brings us up to fully paid up. Excuse me. To 144 fully paid up member states.

On that note, I'm done talking, so it's up to you now. Yes, Pam.

Thanks, Stephen. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund shuttered its Gaza operation today, or announced it today. It had been suspended under the terms of the peace deal.

How does that impact UNWRA and other aid deliveries? And they also said that they're not shuttered for good. They would hope to be able to come back. Any comments on any of that?

It has no impact on our operations because we never worked with them.

Them. All right.

And is enough aid getting in?

No, I mean, there's more aid getting in, but not enough to meet. To meet all the needs.

Yes, Nemo.

Thank you, Stefan.

And that the Syrian Democratic Forces have been closed that border with Turkey and Iraq for quite some time. And yesterday a senior, senior official admitted that those areas.

Sorry. That's right. Try again.

The border crossings won't open until the areas are returned to Syrian government control. I mean, and this. This has created. Sorry about that. This has created a virtual economic blockade on that part of Syria.

And given the fact that they played a very pivotal role against the Islamic State and they continue to fight isis. Where does SG stand on this?

Well, what I can tell you is that, I mean I haven't seen the reports you mentioned, but what is clear to us is that northeast Syria continues to face some of the higher, highest concentration of needs in Syria and it is a top priority for humanitarian response. We want to see more efforts to improve conditions in this area. But it goes beyond humanitarian aid, including enhancing security and economic recovery.

Your other.

Yeah, my second question is also on Syria. SDF accused Damascus affiliated groups of carrying out drone and rocket attacks on their positions in Deir EZ Zor. And this comes at a time when the new government under President Ahmad Al Shara is gaining rapid international recognition. Doesn't SG have any concerns that when the international community recognizes the new government without much precondition, the new government, government aligned forces might be emboldened by that and this is one example of that.

You know, the issue of recognition is a bilateral issue. What has been clear is that the government in Damascus has a responsibility to protect all of its people regardless of ethnicity, religion or any anything else. We continue to work with the government to help them in that effort. I know there have been agreements, there have been agreements agreed to between the SDF and the government and the government and it's important that everyone makes sure that those agreements are upheld. Deji and then I'll go to the back.

Yes. First a question on the Sunday talk on Ukraine issue. We know that Ukrainian officials and the US officials met to discuss their 28 point plan and then there might be some revisions. Has the UN been informed on the revision by any parties? European unions, by us, by Ukraine.

And what's the position of the Secretary General on a possible say deadline of Thursday?

On the. I'm not aware that we have been briefed on the outcome of those discussions in Geneva so. But it doesn't mean that we haven't. I'm just, I'm not aware.

So maybe there have been some contacts within, within the House. On that we have no comment on, on the deadline. Given that it wasn't. We did not give our deadline and I think I'm happy to read out our position on what we want to see. But I think you know it by heart as much as I do.

If there is a territory, let's say swap or secession, how does that fall into what you always said in the statement respect to the charter and sovereignty?

I'm not going to get dragged in to hypotheticals. You can as a journalist, as an analyst, you can do the compare and contrast on that front.

All right. Another issue, we know that there is a long standing policy of Japan which called three non nuclear principles which basically said that Japan shall neither possess nor manufacture nuclear weapons nor shall it permit their introduction into Japanese territory. Excuse me. But currently the Japanese government, they are under a discussion of revision some of those security documents, including this policy which draws quite anger from people from Hiroshima and Nagasaki and some of the Nobel Peace. Bless you. Sorry.

What'S the position of the UN on the nuclear.

Look, I mean I think the Secretary General's position on denuclearization I think has been clear and he stated a number of times, obviously Member States will set whatever policy they wish to set. What is important for us is that the current tensions between the People's Republic of China and Japan be dealt with through dialogue is to lower the tensions. That we're currently seeing non proliferation. I think that's part of my first answer to your question.

I think the Secretary General's position on denuclearization non proliferation is well known and has been unchanged. Lenka.

Thank you. Steph. Just to clarify, has the UN been officially presented with the draft on Ukraine?

No, by neither of the parties.

And you said that there have been some contacts within the House.

Could you clarify what kind of contacts?

No, no, I said I did not know if there had been contacts within the House. That's my clarification.

Thank you, Stefan. On Friday, Chinese Ambassador sent a letter to the Secretary General regarding Japan's comment on Taiwan.

And he also says the letter will be circulated among Member States. Can you confirm that? Has the letter been circulated?

If it hasn't yet, it will be. We're very diligent in our responsibilities to distribute letters as requested by Member States.

And is the Secretary General in contact with either China or Japan regarding the issue?

Not on this issue, not that I'm aware of. But I would refer you to what I just told Deji is our hope for dialogue between both the People's Republic of China and Japan to try to de escalate the current tensions as we see them. Gabriel then Stefano. Thanks.

Steph. Has the UN had any made any progress with Israel on allowing more aid in or opening up more border crossings?

We continue to have three crossings that are open. Karim Shalom, Kerem Abu Salem and Ysufim and Zikim. On alternate days we continue to push for more aid to go in, for more NGOs to be registered, to be officially allowed to import material under the 2720 mechanism.

So you know, has there been a breakthrough?

No, but we continue to push on these. On these issues.

What about the. The roads that were having problems with congestion?

Yeah, I mean, that. That continues to be a challenge. That continues to be a challenge as well. Senor Vaccara. Grazie.

It's a follow up on Ukraine.

Did the President of Ukraine, Zelensky. Contact. Or have had in the last days any contact with the Secretary General in the last few days?

No.

Okay. Any other questions? Sorry. Go ahead, Iftikar.

Thank you. Steph, can you hear me?

Yes, sir.

My question is about the terrorist attack. In the city of Fishhar in Pakistan. Any comments on that?

We obviously condemn this attack against the government of Pakistan.

Pam,

just a quick follow up to Stefano's question. Has the Secretary General had any conversations on Ukraine with any of the parties since this latest plan was revealed?

No official conversation that I can report.

Okay, thank you all. Enjoy the week.

We'll be here Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We will not be here Thursday and we will not brief on Friday.