United Nations published this video item, entitled “Secretary General at COP27, Ukraine, South Sudan – Daily Press Briefing (9 Nov 22) | United Nations” – below is their description.
Noon briefing by Stephanie Tremblay, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Secretary-General at COP27
– Ukraine
– South Sudan
– Central African Republic
– Security Council
– Financial Contribution
– Edie Lederer
SECRETARY-GENERAL AT COP27
Today, at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Secretary-General spoke at the launch of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore’s climate TRACE initiative which seeks to track global greenhouse gas emissions. The Secretary-General said that initiatives like this one will be ushering in an era of radical transparency for emissions tracking, making it more difficult to greenwash or to cheat, as he said, and he added that this should be a wake-up call for Governments and the financial sector, especially those that continue to invest in and underwrite fossil fuel pollution.
The Secretary-General also heard from his Youth Advisory Group and the COP27 Youth Constituency. He stressed to them that their activism in the streets and on social media is crucial to the fight against climate change. He urged them to not give up and promised he wouldn’t give up fighting the cause either.
UKRAINE
In Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues are concerned about an increasing number of incidents involving mines and explosive ordnance, particularly affecting people in areas where Ukraine recently regained control.
Our colleagues say they received reports of at least five incidents in the first two days of November alone, all in the Kharkiv region, compared to four similar cases in the second half of October.
Since the beginning of the war, hundreds of civilians have been killed, injured or maimed due to accidents involving explosive ordnance. Yesterday, for example, two people were killed and two others injured while doing repair work on a road in Chuhuivskyi District, in the part of the Kharkiv region recently retaken by Ukraine.
Accidents involving farmers that are trying to get back to their land – until recently under Russian control – are becoming increasingly common, our colleagues say.
Aid organizations are supporting authorities to increase awareness about the risk of mines in Ukraine, which was already one of the world’s most mine-contaminated countries even before February.
Together, the UN and our partners have reached more than 3 million people with critical information about the risk of mines, in addition to demining and services to support survivors.
Authorities tell us that more than 150,000 explosive devices have already been removed and destroyed since March 2022, but there are millions more. Clearing landmines in Ukraine could take decades, they say.
SOUTH SUDAN
In South Sudan, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, Courtney Rattray, concluded their four-day visit with a press conference today in Juba.
Mr. Lacroix noted the positive steps made in the peace process but he stressed that more needs to be done to fully implement the Revitalized Peace Agreement and to ensure that free, fair and credible elections can be held at the end of the transitional period. He expressed concern over the persistent intercommunal violence in many areas of the country, in addition to an already dire humanitarian situation which has been exacerbated by devastating floods.
Mr. Lacroix emphasized the importance of keeping the situation in South Sudan high on the international agenda on the humanitarian front as well as a commitment to supporting the implementation of the peace agreement that will lead to a stable and durable political environment, peace, and development.
On the next leg of his trip, Mr. Lacroix will travel to Sudan, to Khartoum, for meetings with government officials about the situation in Abyei. He will also discuss with local authorities and local communities the ongoing efforts to protect civilians, to promote peace and to facilitate humanitarian assistance.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=09%20November%202022
United Nations YouTube Channel
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