PRESS BRIEFING BY THE UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION SERVICE
16 August 2022
Repatriation of Syrian refugees from Lebanon
Responding to a question from a journalist, Shabia Mantoo, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), reiterated the UNHCR principle that every refugee return had to be voluntary. Syrian refugees across the region were telling UNHCR that they remained concerned about a variety of factors related to repatriation, including instability in Syria and ability to provide for their livelihoods.
Monkeypox
Fadéla Chaib, for the World Health Organization (WHO), replying to questions, confirmed that the WHO was working on renaming the monkeypox disease. Everyone was welcome to propose a new name through an open consultation via an online platform. The goal was to find a name which would not be stigmatizing, cause offense, or expose any human or animal group to danger. For the time being, the focus was on monkeypox, not other diseases.
Announcements
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service, informed that the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was concluding this morning the review of the report of Azerbaijan. This afternoon, it would begin consideration of the report of Slovakia.
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had opened its 27th session on 15 August and would begin the review of the report of China on 17 August.
The Conference on Disarmament, still under the presidency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was having this morning a public plenary meeting.
Regarding the World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that there could be interview opportunities. Ms. Vellucci added that the event at the Palais des Nations would be held in Room XX and would be webcast at UNTV.
Fadéla Chaib, for the World Health Organization (WHO), informed about a webinar with Dr. Janet Diaz, WHO's Lead for COVID-19 Clinical Management Response, and other experts. The webinar, which would look into the post-COVID-19 conditions in children, would be held on 17 August from 1:30 to 3:30 pm.
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Press Conferences | OCHA , WHO , UNHCR , IFRC , ILO , UNCTAD
Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Federation of the Red Cross, the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Trade and Development.
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Press Conferences | ITU , OSE , UNIFIL , UNICEF , OHCHR , WHO , FAO
Rolando Gómez of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agricultural Organization, and the International Telecommunication Union.
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Press Conferences , Edited News | UNRWA
The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, confirmed on Monday that a large convoy of humanitarian aid was looted inside Gaza at the weekend, amid a near-total a breakdown in law and order and harassment of the agency’s staff by Israeli soldiers.
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Press Conferences | OCHA , WHO
UN Geneva briefing: Ukraine's humanitarian crisis deepens, with 12,000 dead and 3.6M displaced.
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Press Conferences , Edited News | OHCHR
Mexican actor, producer and director Diego Luna took a break from the big screen on Thursday to highlight the dangers faced by journalists in his country and beyond, condemning murders of reporters everywhere as “a scandal”.
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Press Conferences | UNWOMEN , UNHCR , UNDP , UNRWA , WFP
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by the Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, representatives and spokespersons of the United Nations Refugee Agency, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Food Programme, UN Women, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
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Press Conferences | UNHCR
Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, briefs the Geneva press corps about the upcoming “1,000 days of full-scale war on Ukraine: urging solidarity with innocent victims”.
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Press Conferences | OHCHR , UNHCR , IFRC , FAO
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
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Press Conferences | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Committee press conference to present findings on Ecuador, France, Greece, Iceland, Pakistan and Türkiye
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Press Conferences | FAO
Media launch of the State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2024
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Press Conferences | WHO
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by the representatives and the spokesperson of the World Health Organization.
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Press Conferences | UNCTAD
Presentation of the Least Developed Countries Report 2024: Leveraging Carbon Markets for Development