Myanmar, Syria, Venezuelan Refugees & other topics - Daily Briefing (9 February 2021)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:

- Myanmar
- Syria
- Venezuelan Refugees
- Sustainable Energy For All
- Burkina Faso
- South Sudan
- Lebanon
- Covid-19/Bolivia
- Honour Roll

MYANMAR
Our colleagues in Myanmar have been expressing their strong concern at today’s reported use of force by security forces against demonstrators.
The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Ola Almgren, called on the security forces to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
He stressed that the use of disproportionate force against demonstrators is unacceptable.
Mr. Almgren also reiterated the Secretary-General’s recent statement in which he urged the military leadership to respect the will of the people of Myanmar and adhere to democratic norms, with any differences to be resolved through peaceful dialogue.
For its part, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Myanmar today expressed its deep concern at the impact of the ongoing crisis on the wellbeing of children. UNICEF also reminds all parties of their obligations to uphold children’s rights as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Myanmar is a State Party, and under the Myanmar Child Rights Law enacted in July 2019.
In the context of ongoing demonstrations and current events, UNICEF calls on all parties, including security forces, to exercise the utmost restraint, to resolve differences through constructive and peaceful means, and to prioritize the protection and safety of children as they express their opinions.
SYRIA
Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy for Syria, briefed the Security Council in its closed consultations today about his diplomatic efforts.
You’ll recall that he had convened the fifth session of the drafting body of the Syrian Constitutional Committee two weeks ago. In his remarks at the close of that meeting, Mr. Pedersen said that the session had been a disappointment and that we cannot continue like this.
On the humanitarian situation, I can tell you that we remain concerned about the situation of almost 62,000 people living at Al Hol camp in Syria, 93 per cent of whom are women and children, including more than 31,000 children under the age of 12.
We and our humanitarian partners continue to provide comprehensive and lifesaving assistance at Al Hol, including through food, clean drinking water, health facilities, shelter, and a range of other services.
To help protect families against cold winter temperatures, close to 4,000 tents have been replaced, and essential items distributed, including heating fuel, blankets and winter clothes.
The UN stresses the need for full and regular humanitarian access to the camp so that all residents continue to receive essential assistance.
We also emphasize that durable solutions for all residents are needed. Any returns must be voluntary, safe, and dignified, as well as fully informed.      
VENEZUELAN REFUGEES
You will have seen that we issued a statement yesterday afternoon in which Antonio Guterres commended the announcement by the President of Colombia, Iván Duque, that the Government of Colombia will provide temporary protection to the 1.7 million Venezuelans living in that country. This will allow approximately a third of the 5 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the region to access services and contribute to the Colombian economy.
The Secretary-General noted that the inclusion of Venezuelan refugees and migrants will contribute to the pandemic recovery process and enable Venezuelans in Colombia to access the country’s health and other basic services.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN Migration Agency (IOM) also welcomed the announcement and said that they and their partners stand ready to contribute with their technical expertise, field presence, logistical capacity and resources to support the roll-out of this very important initiative.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=09%20February%202021

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