Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the media, and welcome to the United Nations weekly press briefing broadcast live on UN radio Miraya from UN House, in Juba. Also a warm welcome to our radio listeners who have tuned in.
Let me introduce our guest speaker Mr. Robert Thompson, Chief of Operations, United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in South Sudan, who will speak of the general impact of raising awareness on mine action such as during the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action which was held on Monday.
A few general statements from the UN to start with:
UNSG on International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action In his message on the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon mentioned South Sudan, and insisted on the criticality of mine eradication “for an effective humanitarian response in conflict and post-conflict situations. (…) Mine action is an investment in humanity. It helps nurture peaceful societies, where those in need can receive aid, and refugees and internally displaced persons can safely return home, and children can go to school. It provides the safe space to undertake development and reconstruction activities, and lay the foundations of sustainable peace”.
The post-conflict impact of mines and explosive remnants of war on civilians will be one of the subject of the first ever World Humanitarian Summit which will take place in Istanbul next month.
http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=9586
Briefing to the UN Security Council 31 March 2016
Last Thursday also, the UN Security Council was briefed on the situation in South Sudan. Among the briefers, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the Mission in South Sudan, Mrs Ellen Loej, the Chairman of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) President Festus Mogae, as well as the Deputy Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights. The briefers painted a mixed picture of the situation in South Sudan.
http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12311.doc.htm
They urged the parties to form a Transitional Government of National Unity and this, despite serious security, humanitarian and human rights concerns. Senior United Nations officials asked the UN Security Council to call on the parties to the conflict and armed actors to protect civilians and aid workers, and grant free access for delivery of life-saving supplies.