HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, July 18, 2008

BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR FOOD 

• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this morning addressed the General Assembly’s meeting on the global food and energy crisis, saying that the double jeopardy of high food and fuel prices threatens to undermine much of the progress made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
   

• He said that a Global Partnership for Food is needed, comprising Governments and all other relevant actors, which should be guided in its actions by the Comprehensive Framework for Action that his High-Level Task Force has developed.
   

• He applauded today’s proposal by the European Commission for a special facility worth more than $1.5 billion for rapid response to the food crisis, with funds to be disbursed in coordination with the UN Task Force and other international organizations.
   

• The Secretary-General urged Assembly members to immediately and substantially scale up public spending to respond effectively to the pressing needs of the world’s hungry people.
   

• The cost of inaction would be unacceptably high, he said, warning that more than 100 million more people could slide into hunger.

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS TERM OF JUDGES ON RWANDA TRIBUNAL 

• The Security Council began its work this morning by unanimously extending the terms of nine permanent judges and 17 ad litem judges serving on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Those judges will be extended through 2009, or 2010 for appeals processes, unless the cases to which they are assigned are completed sooner than that.
   

• After that, Ian Martin, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Nepal, briefed the Council in an open meeting on the UN Mission’s work in that country. He said that the wishes of the Government of Nepal and leading parties on the Mission’s future have now been clarified, and that the Secretary-General recommends that the mandate of the UN Mission should be extended, as requested by Nepal, for six months.
   

• At 3:00 this afternoon, the Security Council has scheduled consultations to discuss the work of the UN Office in West Africa.

 SECURITY COUNCIL AFFIRMS NEED FOR STATES TO ASSURE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN 

• The Security Council wrapped up a day-long debate on children and armed conflict yesterday by adopting a Presidential Statement that reaffirmed the need for States to comply with their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, and for non-State actors to refrain from recruiting or using children in hostilities.
   

• The Council recognized the important role of education as a means to halt and prevent the recruitment and re-recruitment of children in conflict areas. It called on all parties concerned to continue to ensure that all children associated with armed forces and groups would be systematically included in every disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, with a particular emphasis on education.

U.N. ENVOY IN PRETORIA TO ENERGIZE EFFORTS TO RESOLVE ZIMBABWE POLITICAL CRISIS 

• The Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Haile Menkerios, is in Pretoria, South Africa, today to further the Secretary-General’s efforts to help resolve the political crisis in Zimbabwe.
   

• Mr. Menkerios has been in meetings with South African President Thabo Mbeki and with the African Union Chairperson Jean Ping, and was expected to be briefed on the state of the mediation efforts which are being led by South Africa at the request of SADC, the South African Development Community.

U.N. MISSION HOLDS MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR PEACEKEEPER KILLED IN WEST DARFUR 

• The African Union - UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) today held a memorial service in El Fasher for the peacekeeper killed in West Darfur on Wednesday.
   

• The ceremony was attended by UNAMID Force Commander Martin Luther Agwai and other civilian senior officials. 
   

• In response to a question, the Spokeswoman confirmed that an investigation was underway into the death of the UNAMID peacekeeper.
   

• The mission, meanwhile, reports that the situation in Darfur has been calm.  In the past 24 hours, UNAMID peacekeepers conducted 26 security and confidence-building patrols throughout the region and humanitarian activities are ongoing.

 SOMALIA: SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF DJIBOUTI AGREEMENT 

• In his latest report on Somalia, the Secretary-General says that among the key challenges in Somalia now is the implementation of the recent Djibouti agreement between the transitional government and the opposition.
   

• He notes that securing the withdrawal of the Ethiopian forces from Somalia remains an important test for the success of the agreement. But with just 2,650 peacekeepers deployed, the AU peacekeeping mission (AMISOM), which is expected to fill the security vacuum in the wake of an Ethiopian pullout, remains well below its authorized troop level of 8,000.
   

• The report also notes that the humanitarian situation has taken a dramatic turn for the worse due to conflict, increasing food prices, droughts and widespread insecurity that has claimed the lives of many humanitarian workers. And on piracy off the coast of Somalia, the Secretary-General reports that the UN, the African Union, the European Union and other groups are working together on appropriate measures to address the problem.
   

• The World Food Programme (WFP) said today that attacks on aid workers and threats to ships delivering food aid are jeopardizing the lives of millions who now need urgent food assistance. WFP has appealed to governments to provide more naval escorts to protect its food ships against piracy. Right now, WFP faces a shortfall of $210 million for its current operation.

BORDER ASSESSMENT TEAM BEGINS SECOND MISSION TO LEBANON 

• The Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team (LIBAT), dispatched by the Secretary-General, has begun its second mission to Lebanon. The team will conduct a broad review of Lebanon's ongoing efforts to enhance its border management capacity, following the recommendations made by the Team after its first visit there in 2007.
   

• The team will carry out consultations with Lebanese officials as well as other partners already assisting Lebanon in this area. The team is expected to be in the country for two weeks and will issue a report to the Secretary-General following this mission.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SPOKESPERSON RESPONDS TO QUESTION ON WESTERN SAHARA: In response to questions earlier in the week concerning Western Sahara, there is nothing new to report at this time. Following the Secretary-General’s latest report and the last briefing in the Security Council, we are giving the process some additional time and thought before convening a fifth round of talks. Peter van Walsum’s status has not changed; he continues to be the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy and is part of the process of considering next steps. When a time and place for a new round of talks has been determined, those will make that public.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION STAFF BEGIN RETURNING TO IRAQ: The World Health Organization (WHO) has resumed the permanent placement of international staff in Iraq after a break of five years. This move will strengthen WHO's support to the Iraqi Government in responding to humanitarian crises and reforming the country’s healthcare system. WHO’s international staff were withdrawn from Iraq after the attack in August 2003 on the UN headquarters in Baghdad.

NEW CHAIR ELECTED TO HEAD PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION’S BURUNDI CONFIGURATION: The Peacebuilding Commission’s Organizational Committee yesterday elected Sweden as the new Chair for the Commission's Burundi Configuration. Sweden succeeds Norway, which has chaired the Commission’s meetings on Burundi since 2006. The current Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, Japan, and Vice-Chairs, El Salvador and Ghana, will continue to serve as interim Chair and Vice Chairs until such time as the next Chairs are elected.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, July 21

This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to hold a private debate on Georgia.

Through 24 July, the Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) General Segment continues in the ECOSOC Chamber.  At 10 a.m. today, ECOSOC holds a panel discussion on “An inclusive and coherent approach to climate change: The role of the United Nations system”.

In Singapore, Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes is scheduled to attend the launch of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Post-Nargis Joint Assessment.

From today through Saturday, the World Trade Organization’s Trade Negotiations Committee meets in Geneva.

From today through Thursday, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances visits Argentina, at the invitation of the Government, to take stock of the country’s efforts in addressing past cases of disappearances.

From today through Saturday in Incheon, Republic of Korea, the World Federation of U.N. Associations holds its 3rd Asia Pacific Model UN conference.

Tuesday, July 22

This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to adopt a resolution on the U.N. Mission in Nepal, followed by an open debate on the Middle East.

The guest at the noon briefing is Ian Martin, UN Special Representative and Head of the U.N. Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), who will brief on the extension of UNMIN’s mandate and the Secretary-General’s recent report on Nepal.

At 4:30 p.m. ECOSOC holds a panel discussion on "The Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission - the case of Guinea-Bissau" in the ECOSOC Chamber.

From today through Thursday, Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes is in Myanmar to meet with the Government and the humanitarian community and assess the effectiveness of the response in the wake of the Revised Appeal launch.

Wednesday, July 23

This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to hold a debate on Somalia.  In the afternoon, consultations on the U.N. Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are scheduled.

From today through 12 August in Geneva, the Universal Postal Union holds its 24^th Congress.

Thursday, July 24

This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to hold a private meeting with Troop Contributing Countries to the U.N. Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), followed by consultations on UNOCI.

The guests at the noon briefing are the five members of the U.N.’s recently-established Internal Justice Council, to brief on the Council’s activities and the implementation of the new system. 

Friday, July 25

This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to hold consultations on the U.N. Mission in Kosovo.

Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055

Back to the Spokesperson's Page