Â鶹APP

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

THURSDAY, 02 JULY 2026

PROGRAMMING NOTE 

A programming note, as a reminder, tomorrow the UN Headquarters will be closed given that it’s an official holiday in our host country for their Independence Day.  

On Monday, UN Development Programme Administrator, Alexander De Croo, and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, who will join us from Kabul to brief on their joint mission to Afghanistan. 

Then, at 1:15 p.m., Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and UN Police Adviser, Faisal Shahkar, will be here to brief ahead of the fifth Â鶹APP Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS 2026). 

TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT 

The Secretary-General will arrive in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday 5 July to take part in the inaugural session of the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance. 

You will recall that the Global Digital Compact, adopted at the Summit of the Future in 2024, included among its commitments the creation of a Global Dialogue on AI Governance, to serve as an inclusive space, within the UN, for governments, civil society and other stakeholders to deliberate on AI. 

Last year, the Dialogue was established by the General Assembly to build common approaches to the governance of artificial intelligence. In the same resolution, the General Assembly also created the International Scientific Panel on AI, the first global scientific body on Artificial Intelligence.  

In his remarks during the Dialogue’s opening session, the Secretary-General is expected to reiterate that as AI is already transforming our world, for the first time, the Global Dialogue on AI Governance is giving every country a seat at the table, something he has been advocating for since early on in his mandate. 

Also on Monday, Yoshua Bengio and Maria Ressa, the Co-chairs of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, will present their preliminary report to Member States, and you heard from them yesterday. 

Throughout the day, the Secretary-General will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders taking part in the Global Dialogue. 

In the afternoon, at the Palais des Nations, the Secretary-General will deliver remarks during a meeting of the International Law Commission. 

He will travel back to New York on Tuesday morning.  

DIGITAL WEEK IN GENEVA 

The Global Dialogue on AI governance – which takes place on Monday and Tuesday, kicks off what our colleagues have dubbed Geneva Digital Week.  

Also happening next week, from 6 to 10 July, is the World Summit on the Information Society, organized by the International Telecommunication Union.  

Finally, Geneva is also the host city of the AI for Good Global Summit, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) with UN partners, and co-convened by Switzerland.  

UKRAINE    

Turing to Ukraine. The Secretary-General strongly condemns the overnight missile and drone attack by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, which have reportedly resulted in at least 20 people killed and dozens injured, causing widespread destruction of residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure. Any attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur, are a clear violation of international humanitarian law and must stop immediately. The Secretary-General reiterates his appeal for urgent de-escalation, leading to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire. 

Following the attacks to the capital Kyiv, which were one of the largest since the escalation of the war, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, noted that the loss and fear caused by this attack by the Russian Armed Forces and every other attack intensify people’s psychological trauma.                               

He stressed that civilians in Kyiv and across the country should not be bracing for yet another attack, and they are protected under international law.  

Our humanitarian colleagues note that these latest attacks are part of a deadly pattern of strikes in densely populated areas across Ukraine. Between December last year and May of this year, civilian casualties rose by 40 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.    

Aid partners, including local NGOs and UN agencies, are providing psychological first aid, and registering impacted families for humanitarian cash assistance.   

UGANDA 

The Secretary-General is closely following recent developments in Uganda and notes with concern reports regarding the detention of political and civic actors, including cases in which the whereabouts of some individuals have not been clearly established. 

He recalls that freedom of expression, including the independence of the media, as well as the rights to liberty and security of person, are enshrined in Uganda’s Constitution and its international human rights obligations. 

He encourages all stakeholders to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law. 

SYRIA 

The Secretary-General expresses his deep concern about the explosion today near the Palace of Justice in Damascus. He extends his condolences to the families of those killed and expresses his sympathy to all those injured, wishing them a full and speedy recovery. 

The Secretary-General reiterates that attacks against civilians are unacceptable. He stresses that those responsible must be identified and brought to justice and takes note that the Syrian authorities have committed to investigating the attack.  

LEBANON/ISRAEL 

A quick update from southern Lebanon, where over the past few days, UNIFIL peacekeepers have observed extensive Israel Defense Forces ground activities throughout the mission’s area of operations. 

Yesterday, the peacekeepers also detected 37 air violations in the area of operations. On Tuesday, they detected two trajectories of projectiles launched from south to north, in Sector East, as well as one airstrike in the vicinity of Deir Siriane in Sector East. 

Peacekeepers continue to face obstructions to their freedom of movement, including routes blocked by barriers, debris, and other obstacles, which have impacted their ability to conduct their Security Council mandated work. 

Despite these challenges, UNIFIL continues to facilitate humanitarian access. Yesterday, in coordination with OCHA, the Mission facilitated 13 humanitarian missions in Sector West, following 14 missions on Tuesday across Sectors West and East. 

LEBANON/HUMANITARIAN 

We and our humanitarian partners continue to provide assistance across Lebanon. The focus is now on supporting the returnees and vulnerable families with food, water, health, shelter and cash assistance. 

If you will recall, last month [on June 5th], we alongside the Government of Lebanon launched a revised and extended Flash Appeal covering the period from March through August 2026. The appeal seeks a total of nearly $640 million to provide life-saving assistance to 1.4 million vulnerable people. As of today, the Flash Appeal is less than 38 per cent funded, with just over $242 million received. 

Additional resources are urgently needed to sustain critical assistance and support safe, voluntary and dignified returns. 

Many returnees are arriving to find their homes damaged and critical services disrupted. People are also contending with limited opportunities for their livelihoods.  

We underscore over and over again that all returns must be safe, voluntary and dignified, and stresses the importance of unimpeded humanitarian access, as well as the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and health workers. 

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 

Turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, today reported that it continues implementing cleaning campaigns, community awareness activities and targeted pesticide application in the Gaza Strip, alongside solid waste disposal and other efforts to improve environmental conditions. In total, UNRWA says that since 7 June, measures to control the spread of disease-carrying animals and pests have been implemented in over 370 displacement sites across Gaza, which are jointly hosting more than 680,000 people.  

The UN and our partners also continue to support people in Gaza with food. Last month, partners provided general food assistance to over 750,000 people through three dozen distribution sites as part of the monthly distribution cycle. As of earlier this week, about 120,000 two-kilogram bread bundles were produced every day by nearly 30 subsidized bakeries.      

Additionally, and this is as of last Wednesday, partners were preparing more than 700,000 meals every day through nearly 100 kitchens. These meals are delivered across over 1,100 locations, including hospitals.  

Our partners working to support food security warn of shortages in refrigeration, without which people have less access to fresh food. Approvals are urgently needed to bring in relevant equipment, especially as temperatures rise.  

Meanwhile, our partners working on shelter say that last week, they provided some 4,000 households with tents, tarpaulins, bedding kits and clothes, including through vouchers. They also repaired and upgraded about 850 makeshift shelters and completed the repair of over 450 damaged homes.  

Still, they warn that stocks are nearly depleted because of supply chain disruptions and funding gaps.                  

On malnutrition, screening and treatment are ongoing. In the first half of June, partners screened over 31,000 children, identifying acute malnutrition in nearly 1,500 of them, including more than 200 severe cases. All have been enrolled in treatment. They also screened nearly 24,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and are providing treatment to those affected.  

However, the humanitarian response in Gaza is still falling short of what is needed and more must be done to enable and fund aid operations. 

SUDAN 

Turning to Sudan. Our colleagues at the UN Refugee Agency deeply deplore an incident that took place yesterday [1 July 2026], where a UNHCR-contracted truck was reportedly struck by a drone near Tendelti in White Nile State. Thankfully, the driver was unharmed. 

However, 50 metric tonnes of UNHCR humanitarian relief items that were being transported to Abu Jubeyha in South Kordofan were destroyed, comprised of 1,000 non-food item kits, including 3,000 blankets, 2,000 jerry cans, 1,000 kitchen sets, 3,000 sleeping mats, 2,000 plastic sheets and 1,000 solar lamps, which were intended to support vulnerable populations affected by the conflict. As a result, thousands of people who depend on this assistance will now go without urgently needed relief items.

We remain concerned about the escalation of violence across the country and the mounting humanitarian needs. In White Nile State, humanitarian partners reported on July 1 multiple drone strikes in Kosti city. At least three civilians were injured in the attack. 

Despite these severe challenges, we continue to provide assistance whenever we can. In South Kordofan State, the World Health Organization announced a few days ago that a convoy carrying 8.5 metric tonnes of medical supplies, including cholera kits, joined an inter-agency convoy bound for Dilling and Kadugli. These supplies are expected to help address growing health needs in the state and strengthen outbreak preparedness and response efforts. 

OCHA continues to call for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure across Sudan. We also urge donors to scale up funding to meet the increasing humanitarian needs. 

SECURITY COUNCIL 

Elizabeth Spehar, Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, briefed the Security Council this morning on the situation in the Gulf, saying that the past weekend witnessed a troubling resurgence of military confrontations between the United States and Iran. 

The Â鶹APP welcomes the resumption of dialogue between the United States and Iran and encourages both sides to sustain engagement to advance the implementation of the 17 June Memorandum of Understanding.                    

Ms. Spehar said that the Secretary-General welcomes the joint decision to de-escalate and exercise restraint. This decision offers a measure of hope that dialogue and diplomacy can regain momentum. At the same time, the events of the weekend serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of the current situation, and the acute risks of further escalation. 

She added that the Secretary-General unequivocally condemns all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Such actions are unacceptable. Residential areas, ports, energy facilities, commercial vessels and maritime personnel must be protected.  

EBOLA 

From the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the response to the Ebola outbreak continues across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North and South Kivu. 

Starting with the Ituri province, health authorities have confirmed at least two Ebola cases in the Kigonze displacement site in the town of Bunia. This site hosts some 15,000 people displaced by conflict. We and our humanitarian partners are responding to both the health emergency and the broader humanitarian situation in support to the authorities,.  

An Ebola treatment centre is currently being established at the displacement site, and a new programme providing free healthcare to displaced people was launched today.  

Partners are also scaling up community outreach and disease prevention efforts, including the installation of handwashing stations.                                         

However, lack of community trust continues to hinder public health interventions.  

Earlier this week, on June 30th, local authorities reported that one civilian was killed after protesters set fire to a health facility in Bafwabango, in Ituri. 

You will recall that a few days ago, we announced that Julien Harneis was appointed as Senior Ebola Coordinator. He arrived in Kinshasa yesterday to officially assume his new role. Julien will be based in Bunia – and as we mentioned in his appointment, he will be working closely with national authorities, WHO, and partners to support the scale-up of the response, reinforce coordination, address operational challenges and help ensure support reaches people who need it as quickly as possible.  

UGANDA/WHO 

And we also wanted to flag another health issue, this time in Uganda. Authorities have notified the World Health Organization of one confirmed case of Marburg virus disease in Kyegegwa District, in the country’s west.  

WHO is supporting the local response, including investigations, active case finding, contact tracing and community engagement.  

Uganda has responded to four previous Marburg outbreaks, using similar measures to those applied in Ebola responses. 

Meanwhile, there have been no new confirmed Ebola cases in the country since 21 June. The total number of Ebola cases there remains at 20.   

NIGERIA 

The World Food Programme warned today that the number of food-insecure people in three northeast states in Nigeria has increased to 6.2 million, WFP is currently able to support only 740,000 people, leaving 5.5 million, particularly children, without lifesaving food and nutrition assistance. This is down from 1.3 million people reached at the height of the lean season last year. 

This dire situation has been compounded by ongoing access constraints and severe funding shortfalls, making it increasingly difficult for the food agency to reach people in need. 

WFP needs $89 million over the next six months to sustain food and nutrition assistance, ensuring that vulnerable families are not forced to make impossible choices as hunger deepens.       

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF COOPERATIVES 

Since it’s a long holiday weekend, I want to flag that Saturday is the International Day of Cooperatives.  

More than 12 per cent of humanity belongs to one of the world's 3 million cooperatives, which provide jobs or work opportunities to 280 million people globally.