Security Council Media Stakeout and Israel and Palestine Voilent Weekend Final 8 August 2022

SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRIP
The Secretary-General arrived in Ulaanbaatar, today – the capital of Mongolia today. This is his second stop during this current trip. As you know, Mongolia is a nuclear weapon free zone, and has also been an important interlocutor of the United Nations in relation to the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The issue of the Peninsula will come up in discussions the Secretary-General will have on his current trip. He will then go to the Republic of Korea.
Earlier today in Tokyo, the Secretary-General spoke to the media where he stressed that at a time when geopolitical tensions are rising and the nuclear threat is back in focus, nuclear-armed countries need to commit to “no first use” of nuclear weapons and must never use or threaten non-nuclear armed countries with the use of nuclear weapons.  
He also said that he hoped that these requests will be taken seriously because we are witnessing a radicalization of the geopolitical situation that makes the risk of a nuclear war something we cannot completely forget.
In addition, he urged Japan to take climate action by cutting emissions, stop funding coal plants abroad and partner with countries to help them transition to renewable energy.   And this afternoon, before leaving Tokyo, he met with Emperor Naruhito of Japan. 
You will have seen that on Saturday, he took part in the Peace Memorial Ceremony in Hiroshima. In his message there the Secretary-General said his message to world leaders is simple: Stop flirting with disaster. Take the nuclear option off the table — for good.

MIDDLE EAST
The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, is continuing to closely follow implementation of last night’s Ceasefire agreement and commitments, including the opening of Gaza for humanitarian assistance. He will be briefing the Security Council at 3:00 p.m. today on the ceasefire and developments related to the escalation.
Deputy Special Coordinator, Lynn Hastings, entered Gaza this morning, leading the UN and humanitarian response on the ground. She has spent the day meeting with UN and humanitarian agencies, families affected by the escalation, and civil society groups, in order to begin assessing the damage and needs in the aftermath of the hostilities.
Essential personnel of the UN Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) are working around the clock to monitor the
situation and ensure critical service delivery. The electricity situation in Gaza is improving and rolling daily power cuts are expected to decline from 20 to 14 hours per day, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The World Food Programme (WFP) is set to distribute cash assistance to 5,000 people in need.
Last night, the Secretary-General welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza and Israel.  He is deeply saddened by the loss of life and injuries, including children, from airstrikes in Gaza and the indiscriminate firing of rockets toward Israel from population centres in Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militant groups.  
The Secretary-General calls on all sides to observe the ceasefire.  He reaffirms the United Nations’ commitment to the achievement of the two-State solution based on relevant United Nations resolutions, international law, and prior agreements and the importance of restoring a political horizon.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.