Thank you for listening to Pictures Media Radio. Welcome to Policy and Rights, the show about Welcome to Policy, Thank human Rights. Hey, welcome back to Policy and Rachel Depictions
Media Radio. I'm your host, Michael Cloggs in Afghanistan, and we're going to hear Japan, the United States, and several other countries that are in the UN Security Council make statements about this new law in Afghanistan that further, at least to the way we're seeing it, that it further limits the rights of being a woman, that it takes away even more of their freedom and makes them subservient
to the men. The Italiban believe that that women are inferior and that they really should not be part of society. And it is a big human rights thing, amongst other things, of course, the right to be who you want to be with l g B t Q plus rights that are also squashed in several places around the world. That here it isn't is that we have should have be able to have the right to be who we want to be. That means that that we don't have to be looked at in a single measure and summed up
to be a gender. And with that we're seeing that the countries like Afghanistan under Taliban rule are saying that women are less than than human beings. There are other places around the world that would also wish to make a certain appearance be that you are less than a human being. We've heard in the ICC when the South Africa proclaimed that ira was committing genocide, and they use also a term that was used in the Israeli parliament to say that the Palestinian people are less than human.
I'm going to say this quite bluntly, that we are all human. We all have the same inherent rights as being a human being. That it shouldn't matter about gender. It shouldn't matter about race, skin color, however you want to put. There shouldn't be no limitations to that. It shouldn't even be about how much money you have in the bank. Because we also see the rich corporate officers in the United States and Canada circumvent laws, circumvent the constitutions of the land in order to do what they
want to do. It shouldn't be about any of those things. It should be that we are all equal because we are human beings, that we all have the same opportunities regardless of gender, cash in the bank religious beliefs. We all should be able to do that. A friend of mine, as I was picking him up from the train station and he apparently some people looked at my footwear, and
we're goggled, shall we say? And he said to one person, and he's like, shoes do not make a gender, And he's right, shoes should not make a gender a gender. The gender and gender only comes into play in certain areas of our lives, and it isn't an everyday thing. We should be able by now, as civilized, intelligent, enlightened beings, to be able to look past what is a gender or what the gender rules should be. We should be
creating laws that promote intelligence. We should be creating school curriculums that are open to all ideas in all histories that there should be. Our government should stop limiting us, shrink themselves so that they are no longer limiting us, so that we are enslaved to whatever corporation that owns the government at the time. All that should be abolished by now. We should all be looking inside of ourselves
to find the love that is there. And we all need to stand up as the human right and dismiss the haters tell them that we are no longer going to stand for what it is that they're putting up there, that we're going to stand for love, equality and for the idea that we all can be something great just because we are. Okay, So enough of that rant had to toss it out there, because hey, well, we're going to be talking about human rights violations in today's episode.
We're going to stick with the United Nations and we're going to talk about Sudan humanitarian efforts. We're going to speak about Afghanistan as we're going to hear certain countries come together that are evolved in the UN Security Council as they make a statement together and in hopes that Afghanistan will hear the message and allow everyone to have
the same rights. We are also going to hear about other humanitarian problems that are happening around the world from the press room in the United Nations in New York City, as they are talking about the flooding in Sudan, Libya and Occupied Palestine territories are still there. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, Venezuela. Food price index that is something really important, the International Food Price Index. It does have a direct on food that that is distributed throughout
the entire world. So there are some of the some of the things that that we're going to hear about today. And there are still continued efforts with with the vaccines from the w h O as they continue to do work to vaccinate children in Palestine against polio and UH.
Some of the things that they're going to talk about in the United Nations is also about the flooding in refuge refugee campuses across Cameroon, Chad and Mali, as there are already refugees and then we're going to see they're hit with even more devastation and occupied Palestine territory again, they're going to talk about how teams reached over three hundred and forty thousand children in just four days with vaccinations and alike. The Democratic Republic of the Congo Peacekeeping
Missions dispatched peacekeepers to protect civilians from the fighting. Ukraine. The East, the East and center of Ukraine have been particularly affected by local authorities report attacks UH today in uh Poper low Rode in the the bro region of UH, Ukraine and Venezuela Venezuela UH. The Inte International Organization of Migration UH and the Refugee Agency highly urgent need for increases support over four million Venezuela and refugees and migrants
in the Americas. The Food Price Index again the world food economy price has declined slightly in August due to decreases UH and quotations of of sugar, flour, meat in Cereal. So we're going to listen to the representative for Secretary General, Turno Guerrares as he speaks more about those things and
answers questions from their press from floor. So why don't we move forward, and we're going to start with a statement from the current President of the UN Security Council as he makes statements about humanitarian efforts.
Okay, okay, well, thank you, very thank you very much. I speak in the national capacity, not in the name of the console. I think I have to make this clear at the beginning. It's an echo. What do I have to do? How I take it out? Yea, yeah, okay, okay, sorry, yeah, So I'm speaking in we still echo. I'm speaking in national capacity, and I would just want to brief you
on the consultations that we had on Sudan. So we had a consultations on Sudan, Director Rosono was briefing us, especially on a humanitarian situation.
And UH, I believe that majority of the Council members recognized.
And welcome the decision of the Sudanese authorities to open the other crossing point for humanitarian assistance. This is something that Security Council was calling upon for months, including in the resolutions, and we we recognized and we welcome that the Sudanese authorities UH at the end open Adre, which enabled enables now delivery of humanitarian aid inside inside Therefore, so this is a new element, a positive element that
we recognize and we welcome. At the same time, of course we called for this for other to remain open and for the delivery uitarian delivery to sustain. There's their huge needs.
There are still.
Twenty six million of people in Sudan in in food with food shortages. There is still seven million that are starving. There is still problems in the camp of some some some camp. So it's not that the problems are over, but at least we have access, there is access to to the people in need. Next, I think that everybody express or majority of the Council or we express support for the ongoing efforts, un efforts by lateral efforts, regional efforts to help parties reach UH or start discussing the
cease fire and an agreement. I think we also all called on the parties to to to put additional urgent efforts and and find a solution to stop the conflict in in conflict in Sudan and we al saw several members express concern with the external interference which is still an issue and UH it's still important for the Council UH to to keep pressure or to call on the
foreign actors to to stop interfering in the conflict. When I was mentioning the the mediation efforts that are ongoing, we were also briefed by the US and Switzerland about the their efforts and there was also called there were calls by the security by the members of the Council for to enhance coordination of all these mediation efforts that
are ongoing. So, in principle, I think this was the discussion so that the Council remains remains ceased of the matter concerned with humanitarian situation which is still dire and and of course Visso had.
A very.
Dire UH briefing about about the situation, the lack of the funding and and the horrible atrocities that are continued to happen in Therefore, so it's important for the Council to remain ceased, to recognize the positive elopment about the Adre UH, but at the same time to call on the parties.
To UH to to.
Increase the efforts to reach the ceasefire. Yes, thank you.
Panela Falk from US News and World Report. In addition to the Adre crossing opening, is there any plan to try to increase a with such desperate famine, particularly since some of the bridges.
Have been crossed.
Yes, I think that mister Surm was briefing us on that. I think it's better if replies about those efforts. But yes, I think there are plans and they're working on other access points to deliver it. Because of the floods and everything she was mentioned in the issues and now, is there any season and problems even when the trucks come inside the country that they might get stuck on the road because of the of the huge water floods.
That's you said that a majority of the council supported the opening of the country crossing that to me that there are some Council members who don't support it. Is there any reason why why you wouldn't support the opening?
No, I said majority of the Council member, because I cannot speak in the name of all Council members. And I think probably we all spoke about Adre, but we didn't have agreement that I speak in the name of the console and that's why I said majority. But maybe some stress more, some stress less, but probably all of them, all of us really spoke about ad because it's a new element from the previous briefing that we had.
Do you foresee any new Security Council product on Superman?
At the moment, nothing is on the table. But I think we are played by year. We're playing by year and as a situation well evolved.
If if there will be.
If we'll have a feeling that another product would help the efforts either mediation efforts of Lamamra or others, or if it will help with the humanitarian access, then of course we will go into that. Okay, thank you very much.
Good morning with the Security Council members. That about strong winters in the human rights situation in Afghanistan, Ecuador, France, Guyana, Marda, Mozambique, Republic of Korea, Sera Reone, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and my own country, Japan have come together today to express our deep concern about the so called morality role which was announced by the Taliban reasentry.
We condemned in the strongest terms the Taliban's continued systemic gender discrimination and oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan. On top of these existing edicts, this new directive confirms and extends wide ranging and far reaching restrictions on personal conduct and provides inspectors with broad powers of enforcement, thus deepening the already unacceptable restrictions on the enjoyment by all
Afghans of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is raising further serious concerns among the all Afghan citizens as it will negatively impact many years of their lives. The Security Council has discussed the dire humanitarian situations in Afghanistan since the Taribans take over three years ago and has raised
a united voice in multiple occasions. Among others, the Council unanimously adopted Resolution twenty six eighty one in April twenty twenty three to core for the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women and girls in Afghanistan. Today, we once again urge the Taliban to swiftly re reverse all the policies and practices that restrict the enjoyment by women
and girls of the human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Taliban need to reason and respond to the voices of Afrighan women and girls by respecting their rights to education and for women to work, as well as the freedoms of expression and movement. It is a prerequisite for stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan. We also urge all states and organizations to use their influence, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations, to promote an urgent diverser of
these policies and practices. We like to stress that the Taliban's actions of this find only undermine the international communities Air Force to engage with them, as demonstrated during the Special Voice meeting in Dhart two months ago, to realize and Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbors, who reintegrate, reintegrated into the international community and meeting the international obligations, Afghanistan has committed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and the Party to a number of human rights treaties, particularly the Convention of Elimination of All Home Adustics Discrimination against Women ZIDO. Afghan's obligations and the international rule must be refilled. We'd like to take this opportunity to reiterate our fough support to Special Representative of the Secretary General, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan UNANA and Special Rapport two on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.
In acring this issue. The Taliban's ban on the Special Rapper too to enter Afghanistan is disturbing and he he should be able to fully carry out his mandate. Afghanistan seasons, especially women and girls, have suffered for far too long. Day by day, Afrighan women and girls rush their opportunities and hope for their future. This is unacceptable. We are committed to doing about most to holistically address the applight and will continue to monitor the situation closely. Thank you.
Can I ask you something?
Young boys and men will not row to go out well.
Not order to go to school. Will you do more that you'll do?
Your white now talking but.
Taking actions, we are you know as do you know that we are having making effort as much as possible and we continue.
To do so.
So that is today's you know, this event is a you know, expression of a determination. So that's what I can say.
Thank you?
Why did you choose this format? Why isn't the Security Council speaking out? Did you attend to get the Security Council to say something?
I now give the floor to mister addji Abel.
Thank you, mister President, mister President, distinguished members of the Security Council, I thank Council members for the opportunity to brief you once again on the implementation of Security Council Resolution two one one eighth of twenty thirteen on the elimination of the chemical weapons program of the Syrian Arab Republic.
I am providing this briefing on behalf of the Higher Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Zumina Kamitsu, who is currently away from office since the last consideration of this matter by the Council. I'm consistent with established practice, the Office for Disarmament Affairs has been in a regular contact with its counterparts in the opc W Technical Secretariat on activities related
to Resolution twenty one eighteen, Mister President. Since the Council's previous meeting on this matter, the opc W Declaration Assessment Team or THAT has continued its efforts to clarify all outstanding issues regarding the initial the declaration and subsequent declarations
submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic. As was reported at the last briefing to the Council on this matter, the twenty seventh round of consultations between the DAT and the Syrian National Authority was undertaken in Damascus in May twenty
twenty four. During and subsequent to this round of consultations, the DAT requested explanations from the Syrian National Authority regarding the results of analysis of samples collected by the DAT between September twenty twenty and April twenty twenty three at two formally declared chemical weapons related sites. These results indicated potentially undeclared activities related to several chemical warfare agents, including the full production cycle from research and development to production,
testing and storage for two of those agents. Although the Syrian Arab Republic provided some additional information on these results, the OPCW Technical Secretariat assessed this information as insufficient. This resulted in the opening of two new outstanding issues in July twenty twenty four, raising the total number of issues from twenty four to twenty six, of which seven have
been resolved and nineteen remain unresolved. This is an extremely worrying development, Mister President, I have been further informed that the Syrian National Authority did not accept the opc W Technical SECONDIAT proposals for two possible time periods for the
twenty eighth round of consultations. As a result, on fourteen August twenty twenty four, the opc W Technical Secretariat informed the Syrian Arab Republic of its intention to deploy a reduced team to the Syrian Arab Republic to conduct the twenty eighth round of consultations in mid September twenty twenty four. The planned activities were also updated accordingly, as did that would not be in a position to conduct any field
visits during the proposed deployment. Through a noteverable dated nineteen August twenty twenty four, the Syrian Arab Republic informed the opc W Technical Secretariat that it had no objection to receiving the data. In mid September twenty twenty four, however, I understand that negotiation of the relevant dates is still ongoing.
Mister President, I have been informed that the delayed deployment of the data will have an operational impact on the planned schedule for inspections of the Barza and Jamraya facilities
of the Scientific Studies and Research Center or SSRC. As of date of this month's report, the Technical Secretariat has not received any new information which may resolve the issues related to the presence of a scheduled two chemical in the sample collected during the November twenty eighteen inspection and to the origin and usage of a chemical of dual use nature observed by the inspection team during the September
twenty twenty two inspection at the SSRC Barza facilities. The opc W Technical Cecretariat will further engage on these issues with the Syrian national Authority during the next round of
SSRC inspections. As reported previously, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has also requested information regarding the unauthorized movement of the two cylinders related to the chemical weapons incident that took place in Duma on seventh April twenty eighteen, which were allegedly destroyed in an attack on a chemical weapons production facility. I have been informed that, as of the date of this report, the Technical Cecretariat has not received a response
to this quest. Mister President, the opc W Technical Secretariat remains fully committed to implementing its mandate aimed at verifying the fulfillment of the Syrian Arab Republics declaration obligations under the Convention, decisions by the oppsid W Policy Making Organs and Security Council resolutions. However, as has been previously emphasized, full cooperation by the Syrian Arab Republic with the opc W Technical Secretariat is essential to closing all outstanding issues.
Considering the identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies that remain unresolved at this time, the opci W Technical Secretariat assesses that the declared submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic still cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention. I call upon the Syrian Arab Republic to cooperate with the opc W Technical Secretariat and respond with
urgency to all of the Technical Secretariat's requests. Mister Presidents have been advised that the opc w Fact Finding Mission or FFM continues to study all available information related to allegations of the use of chemical weapons in the Syria Arab Republic and will issue further reports in due course.
The Investigation and Identification Team or IT also continues its investigations into incidents in which the Fact Finding Mission has determined that chemical weapons were used or likely used in the Saian Arab Republic and will issue further reports in due course. Mister President, Distinguished members of the Security Council, the United Nations will continue to support all efforts to uphold the norm against chemical weapons and to relegate these
dreadful weapons to history. As the Head Representative for Disarmament Affairs has emphasized on many occasions, any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable. I also echo the secretary generous call to end impunity for all those who dare to use such weapons, especially against civilians. I urge the members of this Council to unite on this issue and show leadership in demonstrating that impunity in the use of chemical weapons
will not be tolerated. The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs stands ready to provide whatever supports and assistance it can and Thank you very much for your attention.
Soon to you all.
After we're done, Monica will brief few on behalf of the President General Assembly. I'm going to start off with Sudan today. A quick update on our continuing efforts to deliver food assistance to communities most at risks of famine in Sudan, particularly in West Star four.
Our colleagues at.
The World Food Program in Sudan tell us that today trucks carrying one hundred metric tons crossed into Sudan through the Adre crossing. As you're crossed into Sudan through the Adre Tarry journal visited last week or earlier this week, excuse me. In total, the World Food Program transport over fifteen hundred metric tons of vital food and nutrition supplies over fifteen hundred metric tons of vital food and nutrition supplies, enough for nearly one hundred and thirty thousand people since
the crossing reopened on August twentieth. Some of this assistance has already been delivered to Mornee in West Star four, which is an area of famine risk, where over twenty two thousand people received emergency food rations and nearly four eight hundred children and pregnant and as well as nursing women receive nutritional supplements.
The rest of the assistance.
It's on its way to other communities in West dar four that are also at risk of famine and those are in the Karnake and Serba areas. The convoys progress, however, has been slowed by flooded and muddy roads as this is the peak of the rainy season, as the peak excuse me as the peak of the rain season approaches and just staying in that area and on the issue of flooding. Two allocations from the Central Emergency Response Fund
to share with you today. The first one from South Sudan, which, as you've seen, is facing massive floods impacting more than seven hundred thousand of people. Our acting Emergency Coordinator, Joyce Musuya, released ten million dollars to support our response there. Since May, floods have damaged homes, crops, and critical infrastructure. Education health
services have also been severely disrupted. Our partners report rising malaria cases, respiratory tract infections, and acute watery diarrhea and snake bite since the onset of the rainy season. The new funds will support life saving assistance in the most affected counties that are home to some nine hundred thousand people in need of emergency aid, and this figure is likely to increase with the floods. The flooding compounds the
already difficult humanitarian situation in the country. In June, we and the Government of South Sudan launched a flood Preparedness and Response plan and that for that we were seeking two hundred and sixty four million dollars to support two point four million human beings. That plan has yet to receive any funding. Zero zilch. Moving to Madagascar, which is facing a different sor and just staying on South Sudan
for sorry my bad, Just moving on to Madagascar. Also on surf Missmusuria has allocated a million dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund to mitigate the worst impact of a locust infestation in the country. More than one point two million people already facing high food insecurity in Madagascar even without the locust infection. We fear that hunger will increase during the lean season, which gets underway in October. FAO is working with the Ministry of Agriculture Madagascar to
respond to the infestation. The new allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund will allow for an additional eighty thousand hectares of land to be treated, benefiting some three hundred.
Thousand people.
And also just staying on the topic of flooding, our colleagues at the UN Refugee Agency say that severe flooding across Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Niger and Nigeria has significantly worse thened the situation of refugees and internally displaced people in those regions. The remind authorities that it is vital to ensure the needs of refugees and internally displaced people are
not overlooked when national response plans are drafted. Displace families, including refugees and IDPs are facing a catastrophic situation due to the compounding effects of conflict, climate change and now devastating floods. They also need They need emergency shelter, food, order, sanitation.
And medical care immediately.
Our Deputy Secretary General Mina Mohammad arrived in Kegali yesterday to participate in the High Level part of the Africa Food Systems Formed Summit twenty twenty four. The High Level Summit which serves as a catalyst to advance Africa's food systems transformation in this climate and digital era, while deepening
partnerships between countries. While in Kagali, she also participated in a retreat of imminent global personalities, business leaders and senior government officials to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the continent and identify solution to accelerate the achievements of the sustainable Development goals. The Deputy Secretary General met with the country team from the United Nations to take stock of
the cooperation between the United Nations and Rwanda. She will be returning over to New York over the weekend and also traveling is our Undersecretary General for Political and Peace Building Affairs, Rosemary de Carlo. Will be heading to Libya from the eighth to the eleventh of September.
During her visit, she will meet with.
Key stakeholders to discuss the situation in the country and ways to support the Libyan and international efforts to reinvigorate the political process with a view to restoring peace, stability and unity in Libya. Moving to the Occpipacian territory, our colleagues from our Humanitarian Affairs Department tell us that after the successful completion of the polio vaccination campaign in Central Gaza.
A new phase is now underway in South Gaza. The teams there aim to reach three hundred and forty thousand children in four days. UNICEF says about one hundred and sixty one thousand children were reached yesterday on the first day of the campaign in Southern Gaza. Since September one, WHO says some three hundred and fifty five thousand children have been vaccinated against polio in both the Center and
Southern Gaza. OCHO says that more than five hundred vaccination teams are now deployed in Southern Gaza, including at more than three hundred and eighty mobile teams, to.
Ensure that no child goes without a vaccine.
Four large health facilities in Central Gaza will continue to offer the vaccine for the next few days. The third phase of the campaign is due to take place in Northern Gaza between the ninth and the eleventh of September, and that will aim to reach about one hundred and fifty thousand children under the age of ten. Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues say the medical evacuation of critically ill and
injured patients outside of Gaza Strip remains generally suspended. Since the closure of the Rafa crossing.
A four months ago.
An estimated twelve thousand patients are waiting to leave Gaza to receive urgently medical urgently needed medical care. OCHA warns that limited access to clean water to sanitation facilities, coupled with the lack of affordable hygiene items is heidening the health crisis in Gaza. Just to give you example, in July, the price of soap in Gaza had reportedly increased by nearly twelve hundred percent, and that is comparing to last year. The price of shampoo had almost reached five hundred percent
increase over a year ago. Our partners have been working to ensure that hundreds of thousands of hygiene kids can reach people in need, but those efforts continued to be hampered by our usual hurdles, and that includes active conflict, access restrictions, the lack of public order and safety, and
evacuation orders issued by Israeli authorities. Turning to the West Bank, humanitarian colleagues report that last night Israeli forces reportedly withdrew from Janine until Karm and their refugee camps following the large scale operation that began on August twentieth. The death toll from the operation has risen to thirty six, including
eight children and two elderly men. That's according to OSHA. Additionally, significant damage to civilian infrastructure, residential and livelihood shelters has been reported, deepening the people's humanitarian needs. According to initial information from our humanitarian partners, more than a thousand families in Janine were displaced and are currently sheltering in various
locations across the Janine governorate. Those families need water, they need food, they need baby formula, they need medicine, and they need other essential items and supplies. Once again, we stress that Israeli forces must adhere to international law enforcement standards where lethal force and force and firearms should only be used as a last resort and only against immin
threats of death or injury. And In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our peacekeeping mission there tell us they dispatched peacekeepers to protect civilians in the Nyamusasi site for displaced people, which is located outside of Bunya in E Torri Province. This was a response to the presence of members of the Zayir Arm group in that area. Peacekeepers who were supporting the Congolese armed forces during the operation reported heavy gun fire during clashes nearby in North Kivu.
Are peacekeeping colleagues.
Launched a month long awareness campaign in Beni to engage community leaders on the work of the peacekeeping mission and to sensitize them on the impact of misinformation and the impact of disinformation. Moving on to Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that hostilities and attacks continue to impact civilians and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. The east and center of
Ukraine have been particularly affected. Local authorities report that attacks today in the Povlorad and in the de Nepro region and yesterday in Kunstan the Nifkap in the Donets region resulted in many civilian casualties, including several children. Homes and infrastructure were also impacted, including two hospitals.
In Caerson aid.
Organizations are mobilized in providing aid, including psychological support and emergency construction material and moving to this hemisphere. In Venezuela, the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency highlighted the urgent need for increased support for over four
million Venezuela and refugees and migrants in the Americas. The Refugee in Migrant Needs Analysis reveals that despite the efforts of host countries, many migrants and many refugees continue to face significant challenges in accessing essential services as well as formal employment. They're struggling with food insecurity, limited health care access,
and lack of documentation. Both agencies are calling for increased investment to save lives provide lasting, stabilization and integration opportunities for millions of refugees, migrants, as well as their host communities. Only thirteen percent of the one point five nine billion dollars requested for the twenty twenty four Regional Response Plan has so far been received.
Full analysis Online.
Food Price Index FAO reported that today that the benchmark for world food commodity prices declined slightly in August. This is due to decreases in quotations for sugar, meat and cereals that outweigh increases for those in vegetable oils and dairy products.
The FAO Food Price.
Index average at one hundred and twenty point seven point seven points in August, slightly down from revised July figure. Do you people have plans this weekend because they're a host of international days.
Tomorrow, we will.
Observe the International Day for Clean Air for Blue Sky Eyes, though I think you will be raining here. In a message, the Secretary General says that the pollution is a silent killer that can be stopped. Investing in clean air, he says, saves lives and combats climate change. Tomorrow is the International Day of Police Cooperation. Police integrity, accountability and oversight are essential for maintaining public trust and preventing abuse of power.
Tomorrow is also a World Dushen Awareness Day. Dushen muscular dystrophy is a rare progressive disorder that affects muscles.
And Sunday, grab a book. You know why.
It's International Literacy Day, celebrated under the theme promoting multi lingual education Literacy for mutual understanding and understanding in peace. But maybe we should do Literacy Day on Saturday because it's raining, and Blue Sky's Day on Sunday because it'll be nice.
Edie.
Thank you Steph. When you were talking about the convoys going through the Adre crossing into Sudan of West Darfor you didn't make any mention of elf Fasher. Is it still impossible to get near there.
That's my understanding, okay.
And a second question on Gaza, is there still a backlog of trucks at karen Sholam? Trying to I.
Mean there's a there's still is as far as i'm a backlog of goods that have to be picked up that were dropped off as as you know, the dropped off from the Israeli side into an area on the Palestinian end, and that remains a challenge for us to get that, uh deji.
Yeah, if up.
So there's still backlog in Karim Shalam, But what do you have any daily numbers like inside Gaza? How many trucks they picked up? All those backlogs. I'll try, I'll try to get you.
But there there is daily transfer.
I mean there.
Again, I think the best way to the way to describe it is is humanitarian aid through opportunity. Right, if there's an opportunity and this we feel the situation is safe for us to pick up goods, we do.
So it depends on the situation. Okay. So actually my question is the polio campaign.
We we know that the first phase, second phase and the maybe northern Gaza that that was due to that is due to happen in the coming days. What about the second phase, I mean the second dose of the vaccine, which.
Is that would have to be done for weeks four weeks, so we will need another round.
Any like, yeah, pauses, I mean one.
One can only hope that by then there will be uh a broader cease fire. But in case there isn't, we will need to go through the same process and get the humanitarian pauses because the vaccine needs to have two doses.
Which means so far you didn't really get promise from both parties.
We we very much hope that the same plant can be.
Applied, like better to have a ceasfire even.
Well it would be right, it would be best to have a ceasefire, so we don't have to negotiate pauses.
One last question on Gaza. Sorry border crossing. You just mentioned it's still closing. It's been quite a while. I mean, what what the uh the Israeli officials tell U N that they still need to remain that border.
I think you need to talk about the state of the Gaza, the rafasing gates of which we don't have the keys. You need to have asked questions of the Israelis and of the Egyptians, Miss Selume and then Sifi, thank you step.
Yesterday, the spokeswoman for the Pentagon indicated that a UN force to monitor a ceasefire in Gaza was on the table as part of the latest round of negotiations. Do you have any information on that as DPKO being consulted or asked to prepare anything. It would COG Sigrid Cog be involved in those discussions.
Nothing to share with you at this point on this.
SIP, Thank you Stefan. I want to ask you about the Turkish American citizen, twenty six year old is Gage was shot in the head and killed by Israeli occupation forces in Nouveless West Bank and as far as I know, that is not a war zone. What is your reaction to this?
Do you condemn it?
Do you have a call for the idea of who has also taken responsibility for her death?
I had not heard of this case.
I can tell you that with of course, we would want to see a full investigation of the circumstances and that people should be held accountable and again civilians must be must be protected at all times.
I have a follow up.
I fear this is becoming some sort of a pattern because you've also formally called for thorough investigations in similar incidents also where you and personnel were killed. So have you received any outputs from these investigations or do you know of any of those responsible? Have they been held accountable?
We have In terms of you and personnel, we have not seen anything. I think a lot of these things will have to happen once the fighting stops. We have seen some movement towards accountability on the issue of mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, but we also very well known that number of civilian casualties have not been investigating.
Just to go back to you condemn this steath like shut in the.
Head, let me, I.
Need to I don't have enough first, I've heard here of it.
I will get back to you.
Thank you.
Uh, just one say from.
Hi Steph, thank you. On mister Carlos visit to Libya, can you give us a bit more information? Is this by invitation from the government there? And who will she be meeting and what's the main message that she's carrying She will meet.
The key intralocutors. I think, as you can imagine in a place like Libya. I think we will uh, we will confirm and report back on her meetings once they've
actually what when they've actually happened. I think the UN's message on Libya is for is to push for all of the political actors to work together for the betterment of the lives of Libyan civilians who have been suffering for you years and years because of the lack of unity, uh, and the focus on on power struggles instead of the focus on the struggle of the people.
And it is this part of her regular trips that's something prompt.
I think she.
Regularly travels to political missions.
Yes, thank you ste My Christian. Is about Afghanistan.
Today's Security Council issues a press statement of Afghan and some of them issues that joint press take also, so does the Secretary General have any comment of Afghan.
So I didn't I didn't understand that the Security Council issued.
The press state press statement today and then some of them are issues are joint press stakeout, so as you know. And now Afghan Uhman not only Afghan security station, so Afghan it's gonna be yet giftguard. Now, so does Secretary General have any comments the station on Ghanistan.
I mean, our focus in Afghanistan is on trying to do whatever we can to improve the lives of the Afghan people, right through development work, through our humanitarian work, and also through our political work. We continue to be extremely concerned, worried, and frankly, I think devastated by the state of human rights for women and young women and girls in Afghanistan, especially the latest edicts from the de facto authorities which go in the opposite direction of what
we will want to see. Our Special Representative for Afghanistan will be in New York shortly, I think to brief the Council in person, and I'm sure she will speak.
To as well.
But if I may follow up on my earlier question, hypothetically speaking, how long would it take to get a peacekeeping force together for a place like Gaza? And how difficult would it be to find nations who are willing to put their troops in that volatile situation?
Is it even?
Is it realistic?
Hypothetically speaking, you probably have the answers to all the questions you've asked, and I don't you know, I really don't want to speculate on Gaza itself, but I think we all know the process of putting peacekeeping missions together, which involves first and foremost a mandate from the Security Council and then Member States stepping up and volunteering troops equipment for what is actually for what is actually needed, and then deploying those Sorry, Evelyn, I thank you, good.
To see you again. A couple of questions on the quote bad guys in in Darfur? Who who is harassing the civilians? Who are the successors to the so called Jendrewe?
Well, I think I would, Evelyn, I would refer you to the very.
Comprehensive and frankly horrific report put out by the Independent UH Investigation Commission that was issued in Geneva today, which I.
Think answers all of your questions.
Thank you, and the answer I think is all those in power are of using civilians.
Right.
And the second question on the same topic the UN, as very common in people watching developments in the in the Ukraine, why is it we never say where, the where, the firing and the death who's responsible?
Well, I think we have been very very clear if you look at everything we've said.
No, we haven't.
I think we have.
Okay, I don't see any other questions. Thank you all, and I will leave you in the good hands of Monica.
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