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U.N. outlines secretary-general's Hague visit, borrower platform launch and updates from Sudan, Ukraine and DRC
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Summary
The U.N. spokesperson said the secretary-general attended the International Court of Justice's 80th anniversary, supported a World Bank 'water forward' initiative and helped launch a borrowers' platform; updates also covered Sudan's Berlin conference, renewed violence in Ukraine and a Munusco rescue in the DRC.
Steph, the U.N. spokesperson, said the secretary-general arrived in The Hague to participate in the 80th anniversary of the International Court of Justice at the Peace Palace and met with The Hague mayor Jan Van Zanem. The spokesman said the secretary-general is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Dutch officials and with the president of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.
At the World Bank's closing of the 'water forward' initiative, the secretary-general told participants the United Nations "fully backs the bank's initiative" and that access to water must be part of any sustainable development strategy. The spokesperson said the secretary-general helped launch a borrowers' platform, calling it a "historic breakthrough" to address inequities in global financial and debt architecture and noting UNCTAD will serve as the initiative's secretariat.
On Sudan, the spokesperson said this week marked three years since the start of a phase of the conflict, reported continued drone attacks and cited a market strike in West Darfur that killed five civilians and injured four. She welcomed the leadership of Germany, the European Union, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the African Union in co-hosting an International Sudan conference in Berlin and said U.N. partners are working to build momentum toward de-escalation.
Turning to Ukraine, the spokesperson said large-scale attacks between yesterday and today caused civilian casualties and wide damage to residential areas; authorities reported 21 civilians killed, including a child, and about 145 injured, with cities such as Odesa, Dnipro and Kyiv among those affected. The U.N. and humanitarian partners are supporting national responders in search and rescue, first aid and debris clearance.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the spokesperson reported that on April 10 Munusco conducted a rescue operation in Ijugu territory and secured the release of four people who had been held hostage since January 27; they have been reunited with their families.
Reporters pressed the spokesperson on operational matters, including a proposed fertilizer mechanism and whether a U.N.-led effort could move shipments via the Strait of Hormuz. The spokesperson said there was no operational update, called discussions "delicate," and said there has been "some very positive reaction" but that key pieces still need to be in place before the U.N. can be more public.
