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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

TUESDAY, 11 AUGUST 2015

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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: SECRETARY-GENERAL DISMAYED BY SERIES OF ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE BY PEACEKEEPERS

• In reference to the latest troubling allegations of abuse by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (), which were raised today by Amnesty International, the Spokesman said that the UN is very much aware of the situation.
• The Secretary-General is personally dismayed and disappointed, not just by these latest reports, but by the series of allegations that has surfaced in the Central African Republic mission in recent months, relating to both the period before UN peacekeepers were deployed in that country and since.
• The Spokesman emphasized that, according to the UN, no misconduct of this nature can be tolerated and that every allegation will be taken extremely seriously and investigated vigorously and thoroughly.

MALI: U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE CONCERNED OVER REPORTED RELEASE OF DETAINEES CHARGED WITH SERIOUS CRIMES

• The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) again said that it is deeply concerned at the reported release of detainees who were suspected of involvement in, or already formally charged with serious crimes, including war crimes, terrorist acts and gross human rights violations.
• The Office says that any measures which would de facto amount to an amnesty would be contrary to international law, and in violation of the commitment by the parties to the ����AV and Reconciliation Agreement.
• The Human Rights Office emphasizes the critical importance of the fight against impunity and the need to investigate and prosecute all gross violations of human rights, to ensure accountability.

LATEST ROUND OF U.N.-FACILITATED TALKS ON LIBYA RESUMES IN GENEVA

• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, Bernardino León, is briefing the press in Geneva at the resumption of the Libya dialogue. ����
• Mr. León is in Geneva for a new round of Libyan political dialogue and participants are expected to discuss the annexes to the political agreement that was initialled in July.

U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF VISITS CRISIS-AFFECTED FAMILIES IN YEMEN

• The Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), Stephen O'Brien, went to Amran in Yemen, where he met displaced communities and local authorities. He visited a food distribution centre and a school where over 50 displaced families from Sa'ada are living.
• Speaking to the media in Sana'a upon his return, the ERC said that despite all the challenges, UN agencies and their local partners are delivering supplies of food and water to displaced people in Amran. The scale of the humanitarian needs, however, remains urgent and vastly greater.
• Mr. O’Brien is scheduled to arrive in Aden tomorrow, by ship from Djibouti, where he is expected to meet with senior representatives of the Government of Yemen and civil society.

DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR IRAQ WELCOMES PRIME MINISTER’S PROPOSED REFORMS TO IMPROVE LIVES

• The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for , Gyorgy Busztin, today Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi’s proposed reforms aimed at improving the lives of people, rationalizing state institutions and rooting out corruption.
• He said that reforms that eliminate corruption, streamline state institutions, bring much needed expertise into government, and improve service delivery to the people, will strengthen national unity and accelerate reconciliation at a time when all Iraqis need to combine their efforts to fight against terror.

U.N. CHILDREN’S FUND CALLS RECENT REPORTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE IN PAKISTAN “APPALLING”

• The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today recent reports of children being sexually abused over a period of several years in Paksitan’s Kasur district appalling.
• In a statement, UNICEF’s Regional Deputy-Director for South Asia Philippe Cori said that the agency is in contact with Government authorities to understand the full dimension of the crime.
• It stressed that it is vital that the children and families affected are immediately offered the necessary care and protection that will prevent further victimization and allow the difficult process of healing to begin.

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME AIMS TO REACH NEARLY HALF A MILLION FLOOD-AFFECTED PEOPLE IN MYANMAR

• The World Food Programme (WFP) said today that it is working with the Government of Myanmar, other UN agencies and local NGOs to provide emergency food assistance to some 435,000 people in the most flood-affected parts of the country.
• A one-month supply of rice, chickpeas, cooking oil, salt and, in some cases, a one-week ration of high-energy biscuits is being provided. So far, more than 213,000 people have been reached with food aid.

U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE APPALLED BY DISPROPORTIONATE PRISON TERMS IN THAILAND

• The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) that they are appalled by what they call the shockingly disproportionate prison terms handed down in recent months in lèse-majesté cases in Thailand.
• On 7 August, the Bangkok Military Court sentenced one individual to 30 years in prison for violating the Criminal Code, and on the same day, the Chiang Mai Military Court handed a 28-year prison term to a worker for posting seven comments on a social media site.

AUSTRALIA SUBMITS NEW CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AHEAD OF PARIS SUMMIT

• The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) today that Australia has submitted its new climate action plan, making it the 53^rd country to submit its intended nationally determined contribution ().
• It said that Australia’s submission comes well in advance of a new universal climate change agreement that will be reached at the 21^st session of the Conference of Parties (COP) in Paris in December 2015.
• The Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, Christiana Figueres, is encouraging countries to come forward with their submissions as soon as they are able, underlining their commitment and support towards a successful outcome in Paris.