Noon briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Highlights:
– Secretary-General
– Joint Humanitarian Appeal
– UN75
– European Immunization Week
– UNICEF And UNHCR Joint Statement
– Global Learning Platform
– Displaced and Stateless Women and Girls
– IFAD Goodwill Ambassadors
– Syria
– Nigeria
– Chad
– Peacekeeping Operations
SECRETARY-GENERAL
This afternoon, the Secretary-General will take part in the virtual Placencia Ambition Forum organized by the Alliance of Small Island States. The event shows that efforts to increase climate action are still ongoing even during the current pandemic.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General will stress that even though all eyes are fighting the virus, we must not lose focus on climate change, as its effects are still being felt around the world, most recently in the South Pacific, which was hit by Cyclone Harold.
The Secretary-General will stress that now is not the time for retreat and that we must commit now to building back better from the pandemic to secure a more sustainable and resilient future.
He will also reaffirm the UN’s support for small island states and their efforts to lead the way on sustainability.
On Saturday night, the Secretary-General took part in the “One World: Together at Home” concert, organized by Global Citizen and the World Health Organization.
In his message, he said that to overcome the current health crisis, we must unite and remember the most vulnerable. He also appealed to the audience to join the call for a global ceasefire to focus on our common enemy — the virus. “Together, we will defeat this virus and rebuild a fairer world — as united global citizens and united nations,” he said.
The Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed was also one of the figures who spoke during the event. She said that we must leave no one behind and accelerate in our race to find a vaccine. She thanked citizens around the world for their solidarity and support for the lifesaving work of the World Health Organization and the whole United Nations family.
JOINT HUMANITARIAN APPEAL
The UN’s humanitarian agencies and other humanitarian organizations issued a joint call today to the donor community to urgently support the global emergency supply system with an initial $350 million to enable a rapid scale-up of logistics common services.
The groups said that, in countries where the world’s most vulnerable need humanitarian aid and supplies to beat back the pandemic, cancelled flights and disrupted supply routes hit disproportionately hard. It is in everyone’s interest to stop the virus from spreading unchecked, destroying lives and economies, and continuing to circle around the world.
To get more deliveries off the ground, the World Food Programme (WFP), which runs the humanitarian air service, is setting up the vital logistics backbone that will help save lives and help halt the spread of the virus. WFP now urgently needs additional funding to establish the necessary transport hubs, charter vessels and provide aircraft for cargo, health workers and other essential staff.
All elements of the $2 billion Global Humanitarian Response Plan announced by the Secretary-General are crucial and need continued funding, but without these logistics common services, the global response could stutter to a halt, the groups said. Now is not the time to slow down. No one is safe until everyone is safe.
Full Remarks: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=20%20April%202020
