United Nations published this video item, entitled “Chad, Burkina Faso, Nigeria & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (20 October 2022)” – below is their description.
Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Secretary-General/Travels
– Security Council
– Chad
-Burkina Faso
– Nigeria
– Central African Republic
– Democratic Republic of Congo
– Somalia
– Venezuela
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
Today is the last day of the Secretary-General’s visit to India. This morning, he met Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi and also participated in the launch of the Lifestyles for the Environment initiative, which took place at the Statue of Unity, in Ekta Nagar, in Narmada.
The Secretary-General emphasized that in these perilous times for the planet, we need all hands on deck. He stressed that all of us, as individuals and communities, can – and must – be part of the solution of protecting our planet and our collective future. The Secretary-General added that overconsumption is at the root of the triple planetary emergency of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. We are using the equivalent of 1.6 Earths to maintain our lifestyles.
After the event, Mr. Guterres headed to Modhera, the first solar village in India, with a population of about 6,400. He interacted with the community and saw first-hand the impact that solar power is having on them.
The Secretary-General is on his way now to Viet Nam, where tomorrow, he will meet the General Secretary of the Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong and the State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. He will also take part in a ceremony to commemorate the 45th anniversary of Viet Nam’s membership to the UN.
SECURITY COUNCIL
The Security Council this morning is discussing strengthening women’s resilience and leadership as a path to peace in regions plagued by armed groups. The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, briefed Council members on our work on that subject.
She said that we cannot separate the perilous state of peace in our world from the destructive effects of patriarchy and the silencing of women’s voices. We must call out misogyny as it manifests itself in the abuse and discrimination that women confront, she said, but we must also challenge the social, political, and economic structures and norms that sustain it.
CHAD
Following questions, the Spokesman said we are concerned about the violence in the context of the demonstrations that we have seen in Chad today. Those demonstrations have reportedly led to the loss of lives and injuries. We call on the authorities to ensure the security, safety and human rights of all Chadians, including the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association are respected. We also call on all parties to refrain from violence or excessive use of force, and to remain committed to the spirit of dialogue in the interest of peace and stability in the country.
The United Nations also expresses its solidarity with the population impacted by severe floods throughout the country and we call on international partners to continue to provide assistance to Chad during this unprecedented natural catastrophe.
BURKINA FASO
In Burkina Faso, Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs] whose name was just invoked, is there today.
Earlier in the day, he visited the town of Djibo in the country’s north. Hundreds of thousands of people have sought safety there due to what Mr. Griffiths called a devastating conflict and the impact of dangerously changing climate.
While in Djibo, he met with community leaders and displaced people and said he received three simple requests from them: first, to reopen the road by which food and other critical supplies enter the town; second, to provide aid to both displaced people and the host community; and lastly, to end the conflict so that people can go home, and their children can finally have a future.
He noted that Djibo is usually a busy market town, but currently, the stalls are empty and there is no food.
As we’ve mentioned to you before, some 4.9 million men, women and children in Burkina Faso need urgent assistance. This year’s Humanitarian Appeal for the country is only 33 per cent funded. We need more money to help people who need it now.
Martin Griffiths is in Burkina Faso for a one-day visit. He will be meeting also with top Government officials, members of the diplomatic community and humanitarian workers.
And we hope to have him here, in the flesh, next week, so that he can speak to you about his trip to Burkina.
United Nations YouTube Channel
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