Haiti, Syria, Occupied Palestinian Territory & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (25 April 2024)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
-Haiti
-Syria
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Democratic Republic of the Congo
-Sudan
-Ukraine
-Social Media and Girls
-International Days

HAITI
We welcome the official installation of the Transitional Presidential Council that took place in Port-au-Prince today.
We call on the new authorities and all stakeholders to expedite the full implementation of the transitional governance arrangements.
We have taken note of Ariel Henry’s letter - dated yesterday, in which he is resigning as Prime Minister, as well as the publication in the official gazette announcing that Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert is now the interim Prime Minister.
The Secretary-General reiterates his call for the swift deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti to support the Haitian National Police in addressing the dire security situation.
The Secretary-General appeals to all Member States to ensure the Multinational Security Support mission receives the financial and logistical support it needs to succeed.

SYRIA
This morning, Geir Pedersen, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, briefed Security Council members. While addressing other vital issues, Mr. Pedersen underscored that renewing the Constitutional Committee is essential and he remains open to any alternative venue to Geneva that attracts the consensus of both the Syrian parties and the host.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pedersen continues to appeal for sessions to resume in Geneva as a bridging option.
For his part, Ramesh Rajasingham, the Director of the Coordination Division at OCHA, told Council members that humanitarian needs in Syria are already at record levels. He added that the cross-border operation from Türkiye continues to enable vital aid to enter north-west Syria, adding that we are currently engaging with the Government of Syria for the use of the Bab al-Salam and Al Ra’i crossings beyond 13 May – which would make a difference in the lives of so many people who are in need of humanitarian assistance.
And just to flag that later today, at 3:00 pm, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, our friend, Mr. Volker Türk, will brief the General Assembly on the implementation of the GA resolution that establishes the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria. The mandate of the Institution is to clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria and, in relation to that, to support all victims, including survivors and family members. The High Commissioner’s statement will be available to you under embargo about an hour before his briefing gets underway.

Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=25%20April%202024