Thank you for joining us here at the UN office at Geneva today, the 7th of August, for this press briefing.
Exceptionally, we don't have a active agenda.
We have a number of colleagues, however, a number of UN spokespeople who are available online to take your questions, should you have any.
I have a few announcements myself.
We have just for the record, we have UN AIDS connected, we have the World Health Organisation connected, we have the UN Refugee Agency connected, World Meteorological Organisation and UNICEF colleagues are all connected to take any questions you might have.
But before we take any questions that you might have, and I see there's one hand that's popping up, but let me just, if you would indulge me, let me just announce a couple of things from my side.
I wanted to make sure that you're aware of the press statement that we issued after hours last night.
It's a statement attributable to the spokesperson for the secretary General pertaining to the situation in Ukraine and the Russian Federation through which the Secretary general strongly condemns the largest, the latest large scale missile.
Secretary General strongly condemns the latest large scale missile and drone attacks by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on Kiev and other cities in Ukraine that reportedly killed and injured dozens of civilians and LED to extensive damage to civilian infrastructure.
That's the start of the statement that we shared with you yesterday.
Among other things, the SG reiterates his call for urgent de escalation leading to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire and for just sustainable and comprehensive peace in line with international law, including the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions.
So do take a look at that statement we shared with you last night.
There's another statement which pertains to the situation in Pakistan.
It's it's from the press statement from the Security Council that through which the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the quote, heinous and cowardly suicide terrorist attack outside the police station in Kabul in the Swat district in Khyber province of Pakistan.
That was on the 2nd of August.
So that's a statement that we we received early this morning.
Terms of meetings this week, we have nothing happening here.
However, next week we'll resume with the human rights treaty bodies.
We have two commencing next week.
That is the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, otherwise referred to as SERD, will open its 118th session next, this coming Monday, the 10th of August.
Throughout this session, the SERD will review reports submitted by Kuwait, India, Honduras and Finland.
So do take a look at the background note you should have received from the colleagues at Human Rights.
And then on Wednesday next week, the 12th will start off with the 35th session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the CRPD, during which the Committee will review reports of Qatar, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Chile and Slovakia.
And on a light note, I should mention in about 25 minutes, we have some new colleagues from new staff members.
5 Peacocks, as we say, Pont in French, I believe Spanish is pavo real.
5 Peacocks have have been deposited here at the Pallis de Nacion.
We were down to 1, now we have 5.
So our one soul Peacock colleague now has companions.
There's an event, a ribbon cutting to announce their arrival there will be just taking place at 11:00.
The kind donation is from the Indian permanent representative.
The Director General will be at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
And if you want to go out there, if this, if not at 11:00, maybe thereafter to visit our new feathered friends out in the park, Ariana.
If you have questions for our briefers or for me, go ahead.
So my question is about this new antivirus case that has been announced yesterday by the French authorities, which is a case isolated in in Spain.
I would like to know what they can tell us about that more than what the French authorities have said and how much worried it should be or not.
And then on the logistics, I know that today they were supposed to publish a report about vaccine trials against Ebola.
So if you could, The Who could let us know if we should expect that this morning or later in the afternoon or evening.
And yes, Tarek I believe is connected.
Hi, can can you let me just adjust the camera?
Ron, Text on your first question, we are aware of of this case and we are in touch with the French authorities.
Unfortunately, I don't have much more than that on that when it comes to to Ebola as what we may have today hopefully is the report of technical advisory group that is looking into into treatments and vaccines.
And as you have heard from Doctor Vasi on Tuesday, they'll be looking into different a number of issues, including including new data on possible efficacy of existing Ebola vaccine.
So let's wait for the for this report to come out.
As soon as it's out, we will be sending it to to media list.
OK, Thank you so much for that.
Anyas any further questions for WHO?
OK, then let's turn to FA.
My question is for WMO, if you can provide an update on the current draft situation in Europe, which areas are most affected and what are the prospects for the coming weeks and months?
Thank you for the question.
Obviously a large part of Europe is in really, really bad drought right now.
We've all seen the, you know, the, the, the photos of the, you know, the, the, the Danube, etcetera.
As to the prospects for the coming months, I would need to do some research on that.
I'm not sure that anybody is issuing forecasts on that.
But what what I can do is I can be there on Tuesday in the briefing room, hopefully with an expert just to give you, you know, much more information on what happened in, in July, the climate, the state of wildfires in July, but also, you know, obviously going into August with the terrible drought in some parts of the world.
We're seeing extreme heat right right now in the Republic of Korea in, in, in, in Japan Meteor Swiss and other national meteorological services in Europe are, you know, warning of yet more high temperatures for next week.
There's, you know, no rainfall, no real rainfall in insight.
So I'll come to the briefing on Tuesday and I'll try and bring an ex what I put a climate or a wildfire Expo with me.
And you know, we'll, we'll have more information then on, on, on the situation, including on on the drought.
I think that would be more than OK.
Are there further questions, colleagues looking online in the room?
OK, well, this might set a new record for the shortest briefing.
On that note, going once, going twice.
Sorry, almost in the nick of time.
Just to make it a a a bit longer, Claire, it's very useful.
But if you have some information before Tuesday, please don't hesitate to send us a press release or a small note on this because we are very worried.
And also, yeah, because it's a, it's a live Friday and I think Rolando is very interested in the story of the Peacocks.
And I'm not in the Palais.
Is it possible that UNTV makes a small video of this this event?
Well, I think it would maybe.
Claire obviously nodded in in approval.
Obviously she'll share with you what you we have as soon as she has, as soon as possible.
Yeah, we are doing a nice little social clip and there's some videos that we'll make available to you.
It'll be public in the coming days.
So indeed, when you do come back here, Antonio, do visit.
They're in the park, as I mentioned.
But thanks for that interest and maybe colleagues, let me just draw your attention before we do conclude there.
There is a usual note from the our colleagues in the Humanitarian Affairs Orcha.
They shared an important update as they do every day.
This one pertains to the situation in the in Gaza, particularly child death tolls mounting and UNICEF also issued a statement on that settler violence in the West Bank, Lebanon, Sudan, Chad, lots of important issues which we typically highlight at these briefings.
So do take a look at that note and I think on that note, I wish you, unless there are further questions.
No, I wish you a very good afternoon, a good weekend.
