United Nations published this video item, entitled “Myanmar, Republic of the Congo, Racial Discrimination & other topics -Daily Briefing (19 March 2021)” – below is their description.
Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Myanmar
– Myanmar/Children
– Republic Of The Congo
– Secretary-General/Racial Discrimination
– Sexual Abuse And Exploitation
– Syria
– Jean-Pierre Lacroix/ Senegal
– Central African Republic
– Peacekeeping/Women
– Covax/Latin America
– Water
– Ethiopia
– Afghanistan/ Migrants
– Forests
– International Days
MYANMAR
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the continuing brutal violence by the military in Myanmar. The killing of peaceful demonstrators and arbitrary arrests, including journalists, is utterly unacceptable.
The military continues to defy calls, including by the Security Council, to end violations of fundamental human rights and return to the path of democracy. A firm, unified international response is urgently needed.
The Secretary-General will continue to stand with the people and their aspirations to achieve a peaceful, stable and prosperous Myanmar.
MYANMAR/CHILDREN
Also on Myanmar, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Save the Children said today in a joint statement that the occupation of schools across the country by security forces is a serious violation of children’s rights.
The acting Resident Coordinator, Andrew Kirkwood, noted that the agencies said that this will worsen the learning crisis for almost 12 million children and youth, who already experienced widespread school closures due to the pandemic.
Save the Children, UNESCO and UNICEF call on security forces to vacate occupied premises immediately and ensure that schools and educational facilities are not used by military or security personnel.
REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Ahead of Sunday’s presidential election in the Republic of the Congo the Secretary-General calls on all stakeholders in the country to work towards a peaceful electoral process. He stresses the need to respect civil and political rights, notably the right to vote.
He encourages the media and social media users to promote social cohesion and he calls on all stakeholders to refrain from hate speech or incitement to violence and of course, to resolve any disputes through dialogue and legal channels.
The Secretary-General stresses that peaceful, inclusive and credible elections are essential for sustainable peace in the Republic of the Congo.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the General Assembly commemorative meeting for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which is marked this Sunday.
The Secretary-General said that much of today’s racism is deeply entrenched in centuries of colonialism and enslavement. He said that we see it in the pervasive discrimination and exclusion suffered by people of African descent and in the injustices and oppression endured by indigenous peoples and other ethnic minorities.
We see it in the repugnant views of white supremacists and other extremist groups, as well as in anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred, the mistreatment of some minority Christian communities and other forms of intolerance and xenophobia. He added that we also see racism in the recent abhorrent violence against people of Asian descent, unjustly blamed for COVID-19.
The Secretary-General stressed that wherever we see racism, we must condemn it without reservation, without hesitation, without qualification, and he added that combatting it demands action every day, at every level.
Today, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, also provided an update on the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=19%20March%202021
United Nations YouTube Channel
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