HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
UN
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES RELEASE OF TWO U.S. JOURNALISTS BY DPRK
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomes the release of
the two U.S. journalists during the visit to Pyongyang by former US
President Bill Clinton.
He appreciates the decision of the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea (DPRK) to release them on humanitarian considerations,
responding to the repeated calls by the international community. The
Secretary-General commends and congratulates former President Clinton for
his successful humanitarian mission.
Taking this opportunity, the Secretary-General
reiterates his hope that dialogue will resume at the earliest possible time
between the DPRK and the parties concerned towards resolving outstanding
concerns including the nuclear issue.
Asked about the Secretary-General’s efforts to secure the release of the journalists, the Spokeswoman noted that he had said in a press conference last week that, on two occasions, he had conveyed his appeal to the DPRK authorities that they should look at the issue and release the journalists on humanitarian grounds. She added, in response to a question, that there is no appointment expected of a UN envoy dealing with the DPRK.
BAN KI-MOON TO MEET WITH MYANMAR GROUP TODAY
At 4:30 this afternoon, the Secretary-General will meet
with the Group of Friends dealing with Myanmar, to discuss recent
developments there, including his visit to that country early last month.
Once that meeting is done, the Secretary-General intends to speak to the press.
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON PEACEKEEPING CHALLENGES
The Security Council this morning is holding an
open debate
on UN peacekeeping, which began with a discussion of the non-paper
issued last month by the Departments for Peacekeeping Operations and Field
Services on the challenges that peacekeeping faces.
Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations
Alain Le Roy said that the non-paper highlights the importance of effective
partnership and identifies areas where the peacekeeping partnership is
currently not united: robust peacekeeping, the protection of civilians and
critical peacebuilding tasks for peacekeepers.
Le Roy said that he is confident that, in the coming
months, we can arrive at a revitalized partnership that sets out a common
vision for UN peacekeeping and shared commitment to strengthen it.
Susana Malcorra, Under-Secretary-General for Field
Services, outlined the progress made on her Department’s Support Strategy,
which aims to improve the response to the evolving and increasing needs for
support to field missions. The strategy foresees new and innovative ways of
delivering support and managing risk.
The open debate is expected to continue into the afternoon.
IRAQ: WITHDRAWAL OF MULTINATIONAL FORCES AN UNPARALLELED MOMENT OF OPPORTUNITY
Yesterday afternoon, the Security Council received its
first
briefing from the Secretary-General’s new Special Representative for
Iraq, Ad Melkert. He told the Council in an open meeting that the withdrawal
of multinational forces from Iraqi cities and their replacement by Iraqi
security forces is an unparalleled moment of opportunity, but also one of
great sensitivity.
Melkert added that, although statistics tell the story
of a downward trend in the overall level of violence, there is still an
unacceptably high level of indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
He also noted the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq’s
priorities, including preparations for national elections in 2010 and the
issue of disputed areas. He stressed that dialogue, rather than precipitous
decision-making, should be the way to deal with such issues.
Security Council members also heard from
Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy about the
latest developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Sudan.
Afterward, the Council President, UK Ambassador John Sawers, said that Council members condemned the “grave attacks” in southern Sudan over the weekend that have killed at least 185 people, many of them women and children. He expressed particular concern that the attacks seemed to target women and children and involved the use of sophisticated weaponry.
DARFUR ENVOY FOCUSES ON PROTECTING DISPLACED CIVILIANS
The Joint Special Representative of the UN-African
Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Rodolphe Adada, met today with
representatives of a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) whose
leader was murdered earlier this week along with his wife. Adada and his
hosts discussed how to improve security measures and protect the IDPs at
that camp.
Adada also invited camp residents to work with the
Mission and jointly ensure safety and security by sharing information and
making community policing a priority. Camp leaders are now expected to meet
with UNAMID Police to further explore these options.
Meanwhile, the Mission says that 151 Ethiopian
peacekeepers have
arrived in Darfur and another 151 are expected tomorrow. When fully
deployed by September, the new Ethiopian deployment will include 800
peacekeepers, which will bring the total Ethiopian contribution to well over
1400 troops.
And in related news, the Joint Chief Mediator for
Darfur, Djibril Bassolé, is in Tripoli where he is meeting a number of
Darfur movements willing to engage in peace talks with the Government of
Sudan. The Mission also reports that the security situation in Darfur is
relatively calm across Darfur despite reports of acts of banditry.
Asked about the trial of journalist Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein, the Spokeswoman noted that the United Nations has informed the Sudanese authorities that as a United Nations staff member, she is covered by immunity from legal process. There is an agreed procedure between the Host Government and the United Nations for dealing with cases in which the Government believes that a staff member has committed a criminal offence.
U.N. OFFICIAL HIGHLIGHTS “DRAMATIC” SOMALI REFUGEE CRISIS IN KENYA
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres,
while visiting a sprawling, overcrowded camp complex in northeast Kenya, put
a
spotlight on the "dramatic" Somali refugee crisis and called on the
international community for more help.
Guterres, who is on an official three-day visit to
Kenya, also described the Dadaab camp on Tuesday as "the most difficult camp
situation in the world."
Located some 90 kilometres from the border with
Somalia, the three camps at Dadaab were built to house some 90,000 people.
Today, they are home to more than three times that number, mostly Somalis.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) says the long-term refugee population urgently needs improved
infrastructure in one of the world's oldest refugee camps, including water
distribution networks, and expanded services such as health and education.
It also needs more room for expansion.
During his day-long visit, Guterres highlighted UNHCR's priority areas. He called for urgent improvements in conditions in the camps by putting more resources into water, sanitation, health, nutrition and shelter.
U.N. TEAMS TO BOLSTER PROTECTION OF CONGOLESE CIVILIANS
The UN
Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) says it has
dispatched some 40 protection teams in the eastern Kivu provinces since
February. The teams, set up earlier this year, include child protection,
civil affairs and public information officers. They are tasked with helping
provide better protection to civilians. They do that through means including
early warning systems to identify potential threats to civilians, which
would allow peacekeepers to react rapidly to counter them.
The Mission also reports that its chief, the
Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Alan Doss, was in Kigali on a
working visit this past weekend. He met with President Paul Kagame, the
foreign and defense ministers. They discussed disarmament, the UN-DRC joint
operations against illegal armed groups in eastern DRC, and voluntary
repatriation of Rwandan nationals living in the DRC to their country. On
the latter, the Mission says that 1,284 former Rwandan rebels and their
dependents have returned home since January while the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has helped repatriate some 11,500 Rwandan
civilians in the same period.
Meanwhile, the Mission has sent to the east an evaluation mission to look into strengthening preventive measures against sexual exploitation and abuse involving UN peacekeepers. The evaluation is expected to produce a report very soon.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
U.N. CONCERNED BY CLANDESTINE DRUG PRODUCTION IN GUINEA: The United Nations is concerned that clandestine drug production may be widespread in Guinea. This follows the findings of a mission carried out by Interpol and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, in close consultation with the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa. Among the evidence – the best found by the UN in West Africa to date – were tools for making counterfeit antibiotics, substances used to produce ecstasy, and solvents commonly used in cocaine and heroin processing.
NEW MEDIATION TEAM BROKERING MADAGASCAR TALKS: The senior UN political adviser on Madagascar, Tiébilé Dramé, is part of an international mediation team brokering talks that began in Maputo, Mozambique, today, aimed at peaceful resolving the political crisis in Madagascar. The mediation effort is being chaired on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) by the former President of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano, and includes envoys from the UN, African Union, and Francophonie.
CUSTOMARY LETTER SENT TO ALL NEW LEADERS: Asked whether the Iranian President would receive a letter from the Secretary-General, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General sends a message to every Head of State and Government upon his or her inauguration. A customary letter on this occasion will be sent to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as well.
UNITED NATIONS HAS HELPED DEAL WITH PIRACY THROUGH LEGAL ADVICE: Asked about UN efforts to deal with the situation of piracy off the coast of Somalia, the Spokeswoman said that the United Nations is not involved with policing those waters; that is a matter dealt with by individual Member States. The United Nations, Montas added, has helped to deal with issues of legal jurisdiction concerning the people seized on the high seas, and UN Legal Counsel Patricia O’Brien traveled recently to Kenya to work with Somalia’s neighbouring countries on that issue.
SPOKESPERSON NOTES U.N. SUPPORT TO AFGHAN ELECTIONS: Asked about Afghanistan’s elections, the Spokeswoman noted the support of the UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) in the electoral effort and its work to ensure that the elections can be free and fair.
SPOKESPERSON NOTES SERIOUS NATURE OF SECURITY OFFICER’S INJURY: Asked about a security incident that took place on 22 June at the DC-2 building, the Spokeswoman underscored the serious nature of the incident, which resulted in the injury of a UN security officer, who was transported to the hospital because of the severity of his wound. The office has since had to endure several tests for specific diseases as a result of the wound, which are extremely stressful for anyone. Subsequently, he was out on sick leave for one week after the incident, based on the hospital's direction.
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