Press Conferences | OHCHR , UNHCR , WHO , UNOG , UNITED NATIONS , WIPO
Dire consequences for refugees from COVID-19 underfunding
Ann Burton, Chief of the Public Health Section at the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), stated that the UNHCR was calling for more global support for COVID-19 measures to help displaced people around the world. Only one third of the budgeted requirements of USD 924 million had been received thus far, leaving a huge gap in UNHCR’s ability to protect the most vulnerable. Safe and effective vaccines could relieve pressures on health systems and save lives, but vaccine inequity continued to be a major challenge. A vast majority of vaccine doses had been given in high- and mid-income countries, said Ms. Burton. UNHCR was reiterating its call to States to share their extra doses with the COVAX vaccine-sharing mechanism. UNHCR was encouraged by the approach of some host States, but many barriers in access to vaccines remained, nonetheless. Creating information materials in refugee populations’ languages was one way to overcome some of the obstacles, for example.
UNHCR called upon States to include refugees in national social safety nets. UNHCR’s COVID-19 response covered every region of the world and a wide spectrum of needs. The largest areas of unmet needs included cash assistance, primary health care, primary education, and displaced people with special needs.
Answering to questions, Ms. Burton said that the most urgent shortfall was that of USD 74 million for cash assistance to displaced people. Needs of refugees varied greatly depending on where they were living and the country context. Cases among refugees were highest in Central and South America, she explained; an increase was now being observed in Sub-Saharan Africa. Leaving one segment of the population unprotected, such as refugees, would translate into more risks for the host community as well; nobody was safe unless we were all safe.
COVID-19
Responding to a series of questions on Covid-19, Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that teenagers with comorbidities were considered the same as adults with underlying conditions and should thus be considered as the same priority category. The Pfizer-Biontech vaccine could be used for people over the age of 12, but those without comorbidities were not a priority.
On another question, Alessandra Vellucci, for the UN Information Service (UNIS), said that the UN in New York was working intensely with Member States, the host country and the host city to ensure that the upcoming General Assembly would be as safe as possible, including by taking a number of mitigation steps. Ms. Vellucci explained that the Secretary-General had authority over UN Secretariat staff only. Member States had to ensure a safe participation for their representatives and the Secretariat was assisting and cooperating on pilot solutions.
Ms. Harris explained that all WHO staff in Geneva had been offered vaccines and were strongly recommended to get their jabs. Both Ms. Harris and Ms. Vellucci stressed that data on staff vaccination figures could not be shared as it contained confidential information.
Announcements
Alessandra Vellucci, for the UN Information Service (UNIS), informed that world leaders were going to gather for the high-level segment of the seventy-sixth General Assembly in New York the following week. The overall theme would relate to building resilience and hope in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. There would be a number of key events in the coming week, including the SDG Moment on 20 September, a high-level meeting on the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action against Racism on 22 September, the Food Systems Summit on 23 September, and the high-level event on energy on 24 September. The UNGA76 press kit was available here.
On 23 September, from 7:30 pm, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, an event would be held at the Ethnographic Museum of Geneva, celebrating reggae as an instrument of the collective memory of slavery. The event would be also webcast live at webtv.un.org and on UN Geneva Facebook page. Questions could be asked from the room, but not online. Interview requests should be shared with UNIS.
On 21 September, the ninth edition of Geneva Peace Talks would take place in Room XVIII of the Palais des Nations, under the theme “Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World.” More information was available here.
The Committee on Rights of the Child was concluding this morning its day of general discussion devoted to children’s rights and alternative care. During this session, the Committee was reviewing the reports Eswatini, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
The Committee on Enforced Disappearances would have this afternoon at 3 pm a dialogue with Spain to review additional information. On 20 September at 3 pm, the Committee would also have a dialogue with France.
Edward Harris, for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), spoke about a virtual press conference on 21 September at 11 am and a launch of the Global Innovation Index 2021 at 1:30 pm the same day, in the presence of several presidents and ministers. Aside from the economy rankings for which it was known, the report would include a new section looking at the immediate impacts of COVID containment measures on human innovation. Materials under embargo (20 September, 1 pm) would be shared soon.
Rolando Gomez, for the Human Rights Council, informed that the Council today was continuing an interactive discussion on the right to development. It would soon hear from the new special rapporteur on the contemporary forms of slavery, to be followed by the High Commissioner’s report on mainstreaming human rights of women and girls in conflict. Finally, climate action at the national level, in the context of the right to development, would be discussed at the end of the day. On 20 September, the Council would discuss deprivation of liberty of human rights defenders, and ageism.
Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that today, Dr. Tedros was in Lebanon and would address the media there at 12:30 Geneva time. At 2 pm today there would be a joint WHO-ILO conference on estimates on the burden of occupational hazards and work-related injuries. On 22 September, at 3 pm, the WHO would present a report on air-quality standards. It was still not known if there would be a regular press conference on COVID-19 in the coming week, as there were many commitments related to the UN General Assembly.
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Press Conferences , Edited News | OCHA
Multiple unending conflicts, climate change and a glaring disregard for long-established international humanitarian law are set to leave a staggering 305 million people in need of lifesaving assistance next year, the UN’s top aid official warned on Wednesday.
Embargo Wednesday, 4 December 2024 at 0600 CET / 0000 ET
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Press Conferences | UNRISD , UNHCR , IFRC , OHCHR , WHO , OCHA
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva (UNIS), chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by representatives and spokespersons for the World Health Organization (WHO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC).
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Press Conferences | FAO , ITU , OHCHR , WHO , UNHCR
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva (UNIS), chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by the Deputy Secretary-General for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), representatives and spokespersons for the World Health Organization (WHO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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Press Conferences , Edited News | ITU
An estimated 5.5 billion people have access to the internet in 2024, an increase of 227 million people based on revised estimates for 2023, the UN specialized agency for telecommunications, ITU, said on Wednesday.
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Press Conferences | FAO
Media launch of the FAO State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO) 2024 "Trade and Nutrition: Policy Coherence for Healthy Diets"
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Press Conferences , Edited News | UNAIDS
Launch of World AIDS Day Report 2024—Take The Rights Path
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Press Conferences | UNECE , ITU , OHCHR , WHO , IFRC , WFP
Michele Zaccheo, Chief, UNTV, Radio and Webcast Section, United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, International Telecommunication Union, World Health Organization, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the World Food Programme.
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Press Conferences | OCHA , WHO , UNHCR , IFRC , ILO , UNCTAD
Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Federation of the Red Cross, the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Trade and Development.
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Press Conferences | ITU , OSE , UNIFIL , UNICEF , OHCHR , WHO , FAO
Rolando Gómez of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agricultural Organization, and the International Telecommunication Union.
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Press Conferences , Edited News | UNRWA
The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, confirmed on Monday that a large convoy of humanitarian aid was looted inside Gaza at the weekend, amid a near-total a breakdown in law and order and harassment of the agency’s staff by Israeli soldiers.
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Press Conferences | OCHA , WHO
UN Geneva briefing: Ukraine's humanitarian crisis deepens, with 12,000 dead and 3.6M displaced.
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Press Conferences , Edited News | OHCHR
Mexican actor, producer and director Diego Luna took a break from the big screen on Thursday to highlight the dangers faced by journalists in his country and beyond, condemning murders of reporters everywhere as “a scandal”.