Memorial Service For Fallen UN Staff & Other Topics - Daily Briefing (6 May 2019)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Daily Press Briefing:
- Memorial Service for Fallen UN Staff
- Deputy Secretary-General's Travels
- United Nations-African Union Conference
- Mali, Middle East, Libya, Syria,
- Yemen
- Cyclone Kenneth
- Cyprus
- Children in Armed Conflict
- Biodiversity
- Instragram
- Budget

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR FALLEN UN STAFF
This morning, the Secretary-General paid tribute to all the members of staff who have lost their lives in the line of duty in a memorial service here at UN Headquarters. 
Between January 2018 and March of this year, 115 UN staff from 43 nations lost their lives. Most were involved in peacekeeping and the vast majority were African. Among the fallen, there were also 19 civilians as well as 21 colleagues who perished in the Ethiopian air disaster.
The Secretary-General praised the commitment of this men and women to risk all to promote peace and provide assistance to some of the world’s most vulnerable people. He also offered his deepest condolences to all the families and loved ones and added that the United Nations is promoting better individual preparedness for crises and providing enhanced medical and psychological support for the victims and their families. It is also working to settle claims and provide comprehensive counselling, care and assistance to survivors and families.
The Secretary-General reiterated his commitment to ensure that the UN reviews and improves its practices related to the safety and care of staff.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL'S TRAVELS
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, will depart New York for Geneva to attend meetings on 8 May of the UN Sustainable Development Group, the United Nations Joint Steering Committee to advance Humanitarian and Development Collaboration, and the first regular session for 2019 of the UN System Chief Executives Board, which is scheduled for the 9 and 10 May. 
UNITED NATIONS-AFRICAN UNION CONFERENCE
The 3rd Annual African Union-UN Annual Conference is taking place at UN Headquarters; the Conference is led by the Secretary-General and the Chair of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
It aims to build on the close partnership between the two organizations, will address, among other issues, climate change and the African Union Theme of the Year 2019: “The Year of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons: towards durable solutions to forced displacement in Africa”
We expect a Communiqué at the end of the meetings.
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