Daily Press Briefing: Financing for Development, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Cyclone Idai, Honour Roll

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Daily Press Briefing:
- Financing for Development
- Libya
- Syria
- Yemen
- Cyclone Idai
- Honour Roll
FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT
The ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development started today, bringing together representatives from governments, financial institutions, civil society and the private sector.
The four-day Forum will pave the way for the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development that is scheduled for later this September.
Speaking at the opening this morning, the Secretary-General stressed that we have the tools to tackle poverty, inequality and climate change but we need to act more boldly to face current challenges.
He said that 2019 is a defining year for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, adding that financing is key to making this happen.
“Everyone, and particularly developed countries, must meet their commitments in full,” he said, referring to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, which was adopted in 2015 by Member States as a blueprint to finance sustainable development.
At the global level, the Secretary-General said he is convening a Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance, comprising of the Chief Executives of large companies around the world, while at the regional and country level, the UN is working to increase access to private and public finance for developing countries.

LIBYA
Turning to Libya, the UN’s political and humanitarian teams continue to operate in Tripoli, providing urgent humanitarian assistance to civilians and migrants and refugees impacted by the ongoing fighting.
We have observed increased indiscriminate shelling in residential areas and attacks on civilian infrastructure, and again are reminding the parties of their obligations to follow to International Humanitarian Law. In statements to the media over the weekend, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ghassan Salame, said that the conflict is severely impacting the lives and the living conditions of the Libyan people.
Yesterday, Mr. Salame and his Deputy, Stephanie Williams, met in Tripoli with the President of the Presidency Council, Fayez Serraj and mayors from the western part of the country. Discussions focused on the necessity for an immediate halt to the fighting; protection of civilians and provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in need.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that thousands of civilians remain trapped in conflict-affected areas on the southern outskirts of Tripoli. Only a few hundred families have been able to be brought to safety so far due to ongoing clashes and reports of ambulance vehicles being deliberately targeted.
Close to some 3,000 refugees and migrants remain trapped in detention centers in or close to, conflict-affected areas. In some cases, guards have abandoned detention centres, leaving detainees to their own devices, without basic life-sustaining supplies such as food or water. Humanitarian partners are continuing their efforts to access these highly vulnerable people, and to provide assistance wherever access allows. So far, some 6,000 people have received some form of humanitarian assistance.
According to the UN Migration Agency (IOM), the overall number of people displaced since the eruption of conflict has reached well over 18,000.
Some 48 civilian casualties have been registered, including 13 fatalities. These number reflect only those cases that could be individually verified, and so should be considered a minimum.
The humanitarian community in Libya continues to operate on extremely low funding levels. Just six percent of the requirements of the $202 million humanitarian response plan for 2019 have been met, according to OCHA.
Full Highlights: