Maternal Health & other topics - Daily Briefing (3 June 2019)

Briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the President of the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Highlights:
Sudan
- Mozambique
- Women Deliver
- Syria
- Somalia
- Mali
- MINUSCA
- Maternal Health
- Bicycle Day
- Press Briefing Tommorow.
SUDAN
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the violence and reports of the excessive force used by security personnel on civilians, that have resulted in the deaths and injury of many. He condemns the use of force to disperse the protestors at the sit-in site and he is alarmed by reports that security forces have opened fire inside medical facilities.
The Secretary-General reminds the Transitional Military Council of its responsibility for the safety and security of the citizens of Sudan. He urges all parties to act with utmost restraint. This includes responsibility for upholding the human rights of all citizens, including the right to freedom of assembly and of expression. The Secretary-General also calls for the unimpeded access to deliver essential care at the sit-in site in Khartoum and in hospitals where the wounded are treated. The Secretary-General urges the Sudanese authorities to facilitate an independent investigation into the deaths and to hold those responsible accountable.
The Secretary-General urges the parties to pursue peaceful dialogue and to stay the course in the negotiations over the transfer of power to a civilian-led transitional authority, as required by the African Union. The United Nations is committed to working with the African Union in support of this process and stands ready to support the Sudanese stakeholders in their efforts to build lasting peace.

MOZAMBIQUE
Over the weekend, a statement was issued from the Secretary-General to the International Donors Conference in Mozambique to help people of the country in the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclones Idai and Kenneth.
The Secretary-General noted that the United Nations and its humanitarian partners were on the ground from the start of the crisis to support the Government’s efforts, as well as to provide food, water, shelter and medicine.
The Secretary-General reiterated his appeal to the generosity of the international community, stressing that these weather-related catastrophes warn us about the urgency of tackling climate change.
More than 700 people from Governments, international organizations and others took part in the two-day conference, which wrapped up with pledges and announcements totaling $1.2 billion.

WOMEN DELIVER
The Secretary-General sent a video message to the Women Deliver Conference taking place in Vancouver, in Canada.
In the message to the participants he stressed that gender equality has been one of his top priorities and that the United Nations will continue to work to achieve gender parity not just at the senior level but across the whole system.
He also reiterated that gender equality is essentially a question of power and encouraged participants to use their power to build a world where women and men have equal rights and opportunities.
Highlights: