Mali, Secretary-General’s Travel, Syria & other topics - Daily Briefing (25 June 2021)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: - Mali - Secretary-General’s Travel - Trip Announcement - Syria - Yemen - Myanmar - Covax - Peacekeeping - Energy - International Day Of The Seafarer - Press Briefings On Monday - Financial Contribution MALI The UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) reports today that one of its Temporary Operating Bases in a village in the Gao Region was targeted earlier this morning in an attack involving a vehicle-borne explosive device. Preliminary information indicates that 15 UN peacekeepers from Germany were wounded. A casualty evacuation process is currently underway. This incident follows yesterday’s attack with another improvised explosive device on another UN patrol in the same area, which thankfully did not result in casualties. We joint the UN Mission in strongly condemning this attack and we all wish a speedy and full recovery to our colleagues. SECRETARY-GENERAL’S TRAVEL The Secretary-General wrapped up his trip to Brussels today. In the morning, he met with the King and Queen of the Belgians. He thanked them for their support on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. He also thanked Queen Mathilde for her continued engagement as an SDG advocate. Later in the morning, he met with the Cypriot leaders to discuss issues related to the Cyprus issue. Finally, he joined Emperor Naruhito of Japan virtually for the fifth UN Special Thematic Session on Water and Disasters. He said that the climate crisis is intensifying water-related disasters, creating complex challenges and threatening lives and jobs. The Secretary-General added that the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is a precious opportunity to rebuild societies and economies stronger and better. This, he said, includes investing in resilience, while meeting water management challenges like floods and droughts, and providing water and sanitation services to all. He called on the international community to use opportunities such as the International Decade for Action to mobilize around transforming the management of water and achieving the water-related Sustainable Development Goals. The remarks were shared with you. The Secretary-General will be back in New York on Monday.   TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT On Tuesday evening, the Secretary-General will travel to Paris to take part in the opening segment of the Generation Equality Forum convened by UN Women and co-chaired by France and Mexico. The Secretary-General will underscore the disproportionate impact that the pandemic has had on women and girls and how it has accentuated the great imbalances of power and the failures of the social order that end up harming women. He will also highlight the work of new generations of activists, politicians and women leaders of all ages which are creating a new dynamic to restore the balance of power. While in Paris, he is also expected to have a bilateral meeting with President Emmanuel Macron. On Thursday, the Secretary-General will go to Valencia in Spain where he will visit the UN logistics base at Quart de Poblet to mark its tenth anniversary. While in Valencia, he will also meet with university students and engage with them in a dialogue on today’s most pressing issues. He will then travel to Madrid where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and have an audience with His Majesty King Felipe VI. He will also meet with the Vice-President for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, and take part in a roundtable with climate entrepreneurs.  Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=25%20June%202021

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