This Week at the United Nations 

3-7 February 2020

Monday, 3 February

Belgium serves as President of the Security Council for the month of February. Ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, Permanent Representative of Belgium, briefs reporters about its plans.

Report launch: Global Programme on Security of Major Sporting Events, and Promotion of Sport and Its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism by the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), in partnership with the UN Interregional Crime Research Institute (UNICRI), the Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) and in consultation with the UN  Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED).

In Geneva:

• Report launch:“Implementing the ILO Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention No. 169: Towards an inclusive, sustainable and just future,” by the International Labor Organization.
• Ute Kollies, the Head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Mali, presents an update on the humanitarian situation in the country.
• The 146th session of the World Heald Organization’s Executive Board will take place at WHO Headquarters in Geneva starting today and until 8 February 2020. Also, the 83^rd session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child continues until 7 February. The Conference on Disarmament continues until 27 March.

Tuesday, 4 February

Today is World Cancer Day. 

The Secretary-General briefs the press on his priorities for 2020. 

The Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect presents a discussion, “Addressing hate speech and preventing incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence: Synergies within the United Nations System.”

The UN General Assembly holds a preparatory meeting for the 2020 UN Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

In Geneva, “The Accountant of Auschwitz,” is screened, followed by a discussion on how the United Nations works to hold perpetrators accountable for crimes against humanity” led by Catherine Marchi-Uhel and Nicholas Koumjian, who head the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Syria and Myanmar, respectively.

Wednesday, 5 February

Ambassador Ngedikes Olai Uludong of Palau, Ambassador Martin Hermann of Denmark, and Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, brief reporters on the UN Ocean Conference (2 to 6 June in Lisbon). 

In Geneva, the UN Refugee Agency releases the 2019 refugee resettlement data. The report will be presented by Grainne O’Hara, Director of UNHCR Division of International Protection.

Thursday, 6 February

Today is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. WHO releases new estimates of the health costs exacted by FGM – globally, and across 27 countries.

In case you missed it: 

• SG António Guterres deeply concerned by military escalation in northwest Syria
• UN political chief USG Rosemary DiCarlo focuses on preventing the next war
• Security Council renews Central African Republic arms embargo
• World Health Organization declares coronavirus a global health emergency
• Envoy urges Security Council to find unity to halt Libya’s “senseless unraveling”
• Solutions needed urgently to quell ongoing violence, break political deadlock in Iraq

For more information: 

• To find out which events will be webcast see: http://unwebtv.live/schedule
• UN News Centre: https://news.un.org/en/
• UN Secretary-General: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg
• UN Security Council: https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/
• UN Spokesperson: http://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson