Protests in Iraq & other topics - Daily Briefing (31 October 2019)

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
- Secretary-General Travels
- Iraq
- Security Council
- Philippines
- Somalia
- Kenya
- Southern Africa
- World Cities Day
Secretary-General Travels
The Secretary-General today spoke at the start of the sixth Istanbul Mediation Conference and said that mediation is one of our most important tools to reduce and end conflict. He said that the tragedy in Syria is a clear illustration of the importance of political solutions to conflict, adding that Wednesday’s first meeting of the Constitutional Committee was a landmark but also “in itself a clear success of mediation.” The Secretary-General hopes that this will be the first step towards a political solution that will end this tragic chapter in the lives of the Syrian people and create the opportunity for all Syrians to return to their places of origin, in safety and in dignity, to end their status as refugees.
The Secretary-General said that mediation cannot wait for a military stalemate or a request for help. Rather, he said, “There is a need for mediation at all stages of the peace continuum, from prevention to peacekeeping, peacebuilding and development, including between parties to protracted conflicts.”
On the sidelines of the conference, the Secretary-General met his High-Level Advisory Board on mediation and reviewed political situations around the globe with them.
In the afternoon, the Secretary-General visited the UN Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries. Inaugurated in 2018, the bank was created by the General Assembly to improve the Least Developed Countries’ scientific research and innovation base, promote networking among research institutions and help the LDCs to access and utilize critical and appropriate technologies in the effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Secretary-General met with the bank’s staff and toured an exhibit of companies showcasing innovations by companies that have partnered with the technology bank to deploy SDG-related technologies in a number of key sectors, including water, agriculture health and waste management. 
The bank, the Secretary-General said, is already having a very important role in supporting the least developed countries to have access to new technologies, and to be able not to be left behind in the implementation of Agenda 2030.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General is scheduled to meet with President Erdoğan before heading to Thailand.

Iraq
The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said today that it has consistently called for the protection of peaceful protestors and the need to address their legitimate demands in the country. The Mission continues to condemn in the strongest terms the loss of life, the many injuries and the destruction of property.
After visiting the demonstrators, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said that violence only breeds more violence. She emphasized that a public national dialogue can bring Iraqis together to draw a roadmap towards a more inclusive, stable and prosperous Iraq.
She added that today, the United Nations stands by Iraq’s side and is ready, if called upon, to bring together all parties and move forward on a roadmap that meets the legitimate demands of the Iraqi people.
Full Highlights: