Iraq, Demonstrations & other topics - Daily Briefing (04 October 2019)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
- Demonstrations
- Iraq
- Trip Announcement
- DSG Travels
- Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
- USG Lowcock
- DR Congo
- Tunisia
- Yemen
- Concert for Climate Action
- Budget Dues
Demonstrations
The Secretary-General has been following closely the recent waves of street demonstrations that have been taking place in several countries around the world.
He is deeply concerned that some of these protests have led to violence and, regretfully, in some instances have resulted in the loss of life and serious injuries.
The Secretary-General restates that freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental rights that must be respected. Upholding these rights is one of the bedrocks of our society and is crucial for advancing democracy, development and peace.
The Secretary-General reiterates his call for security forces to act at all times with maximum restraint and to respond to any acts of violence in conformity with relevant international human rights standards on the use of force by law enforcement officials. He also calls on protestors to demonstrate peacefully and to refrain from violence.
As he stated in his address to the United Nations General Assembly last week, the Secretary-General urges all States to safeguard civic space and to uphold human rights to help deliver on sustainable development and peace.

Iraq
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, welcomed last night’s address by Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, which emphasized the need for unity, dialogue and action.
The Special Representative said that there is an opportunity to move forward and that the interests of the country must be prioritized above all else. She said that dialogue must pave the way to understanding, reconciliation and progress.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights today called on the Iraqi Government to allow for people to freely exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The Office said that the use of force should be exceptional, and assemblies should ordinarily be managed without resort to force. Any use of force must comply with applicable international human rights norms and standards, including the principles of necessity and proportionality, the Office of Human Rights said.
Full Highlights: