International Women's Day, Haiti, & Other Topics - Daily Press Briefing (7 March 2024)

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

Highlights:
-International women’s day
-Haiti
-Occupied Palestinian territory
-Sudan
-Democratic republic of the congo
-Somalia
-Small island developing states
-Financial contributions
-Briefings today and tomorrow

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Tomorrow is International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is “Invest in women: Accelerate progress.” In his message, the Secretary-General says that women and girls have made great gains – demolishing barriers, dismantling stereotypes and driving progress towards a more just and equal world. Yet they face immense obstacles with billions of women and girls facing marginalization, injustice and discrimination.
The Secretary-General underscores that ending patriarchy requires money on the table. He calls for investment in programmes to end violence against women, and to drive women’s inclusion and leadership in economies, digital technologies, peacebuilding and climate action.
And also I would encourage you to take a look at an op-ed published this week by the Secretary-General, in which he warns that at our current speed, full legal equality for women is some 300 years away and so is the end of child marriage.

Tomorrow, there will be a series of events to mark the day. The official commemoration will begin at 10 a.m. in the ECOSOC Chamber, and the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General will be there. You are welcome to join in the event.

And for the 10th year, over 100 stock exchanges around the world are hosting bell ringing ceremonies to mark the Day and raise awareness of the role the private sector can do to advance gender equality. The initiative is organized by UN Women in collaboration with the UN Global Compact and other partners. UN Women’s Deputy Executive Director, Kirsi Madi, will participate in person at the closing [bell] of Nasdaq, tomorrow.

At 10:00am on Monday in the General Assembly Hall, the official opening session of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place. The CSW68 priority theme is “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.”
You can also find a list of events on the UN Women’s website.

HAITI
And just turning to the situation in Haiti. The Security Council yesterday, as you know, held a private meeting on Haiti to discuss the alarming escalation in gang violence in the country. The head of our mission in Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador briefed Council members.
She underscored the need for urgent action, particularly in supporting the immediate deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission, to address the insecurity facing the Haitian people and to prevent the country from plunging even further into chaos, as gang violence in Haiti has reached unprecedented levels.
Ms. Salvador remains in close contact with the Prime Minister of Haiti, the government and other stakeholders from across the political spectrum to encourage a peaceful and constructive inter-Haitian dialogue to promote a nationally-owned political solution to this crisis.

And in answer to questions that were raised yesterday regarding official notification from Kenya, the Spokesman said that we have not yet received an official notification, in line with Security Council resolution 2699. However – as you have seen, as this was public - President Ruto of Kenya has publicly expressed that his country is ready to deploy police officers to Haiti in the context of the Multinational [Security] Support mission.

Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=07%20March%202024