HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
During August, the Spokesperson's noon briefings will take place on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's.
Developments within the UN system will be posted on the website daily during this time.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
BAN KI-MOON CONGRATULATES AFGHANS FOR EXERCISING THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE
TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY FOR AFGHANISTAN, U.N. ENVOY SAYS
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for
Afghanistan, Kai Eide, today
visited a local polling station in the capital, Kabul, midway through
Election Day. He said he was pleased with the way the country’s elections
were taking place and noted that there had been less violence than he had
feared.
Eide noted that the elections are, first and foremost,
important for the Afghan people but also crucial for the country’s
international partners.
Later, at a
press conference in Kabul, the Special Representative said that the fact
that the elections took place today across the country is in itself an
achievement for the Afghan people. He added that, “Overall, 20 August 2009
has been a good day for Afghanistan.”
Before concluding his press conference, Eide said, “I have underlined over and over again the complexity of organizing elections in this country in so many ways: the conflict, weak infrastructure, weak institutions, and remote inaccessible areas. To organize such elections, in such a situation, is a tremendous challenge that I have never seen before in my life. What is the sense that [I feel] the most today when this Election Day is over? I can tell you: It is a profound respect for the Afghan people, for those who have organized the elections, and for all those who have turned out, determined to take part in shaping the future of this country.”
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON LEBANON, SUDAN, DPRK SANCTIONS
The Security Council held consultations this morning on
Lebanon and Sudan. On Lebanon, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping
Operations Edmond Mulet briefed on the extension of the UN Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL),
as well as the Secretary-General’s
report on elections in Sudan.
Turkey, the chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718, which deals with sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), briefed on the work of that Committee.
LEBANON FORCE
COMMANDER BRIEFS PRIME MINISTER-DESIGNATE,
STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUED COOPERATION
The Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL),
Major-General Claudio Graziano, held his first meeting with Lebanese Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri in Beirut today.
Graziano briefed Hariri on UNIFIL's mission in
pursuance of UN Security Council resolution 1701 and related developments in
south Lebanon. He also updated the Prime Minister-designate on the upcoming
meeting of the UN Security Council next Thursday to consider the renewal of
UNIFIL’s mandate.
Graziano informed the Prime Minister-designate that he
considers the security situation in south Lebanon to be generally quiet. He
added that UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces are carrying out their
regular operational activities and any incidents or violations are promptly
addressed through the liaison channels of UNIFIL with the parties.
The Force Commander also stressed to Hariri the importance of the good cooperation UNIFIL has with the Lebanese Armed Forces and the necessity of continued support from the Government of Lebanon for their joint endeavor towards implementation of resolution 1701.
WFP MAY NEED CLOSE TO $1 BILLION FOR SUDAN OPERATIONS IN 2010
The World Food Programme (WFP)
says it will need some $870 million in 2010 for its humanitarian work
in Sudan.
The agency says that 1.3 million southern Sudanese
will continue to require its assistance due to food insecurity and violence
in the region.
It also expects to distribute 22,000 tonnes of
food in the most affected areas of southern Sudan, including the Jonglei
region where tribal fighting and other violence are recurrent.
Much of WFP’s current and projected budget for
Sudan also goes assisting some 3.6 million people in Dafur, 2 million of who
live in camps for the internally displaced.
Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is increasing preparedness for likely flood rains in southern Sudan. OCHA is working with Sudanese weather authorities to assess flood potential and prepare for its possible impact and response.
ZIMBABWE: U.N. WARNS OVER LINGERING HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Zimbabwe, Agostinho Zacarias, has warned
that there was need for the humanitarian community to remain vigilant as
Zimbabwe faces threats such as famine due to climate change and illnesses
like cholera caused by limited access to clean water and sanitation.
Speaking during a ceremony in Harare to mark the first ever World
Humanitarian Day, Zacarias said Wednesday it was sad to note that despite
Zimbabwe’s needs, only 44% of the country’s appeal of US$718 had been raised
by the end of July 2009.
The UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe, Peter Salama, has warned that a
cholera epidemic - that resulted in 98,592 cases and 4,288 deaths between
August 2008 and July 2009 – would almost certainly return.
In an interview with UN Radio today, Salama noted that Zimbabwe has over the last
few years suffered a cholera outbreak every rainy season, around
September/October. He added that the conditions that produced last year’s
outbreak still remained in Zimbabwe. Salama said UNICEF and other
international humanitarian partners have been working around the clock with
the Government of Zimbabwe on key efforts to prevent another cholera
outbreak.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, (OCHA) reports that some of these preventative efforts include public education to continue raising awareness of cholera and hygiene plus the continuing rehabilitation of hundreds of water supply systems. The humanitarian community is also focusing on the repair and replacement of communication equipment at health facility level and the pre-positioning of medical supplies – such as chlorine tablets – at cholera treatment centers (CTCs) in all districts.
U.N. PROGRAMME INCREASES FOOD PRODUCTION AND FARMERS’ INCOMES IN HAITI
A $10.2 million scheme to distribute and multiply
quality seeds in Haiti has significantly increased food production in the
Caribbean nation providing cheaper food for the population and boosting
farmers' incomes, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
The
programme, financed by a loan from the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD) and implemented by FAO, was introduced to
combat high international food prices.
Almost 250,000 smallholder and landless farmers have or will receive adapted quality seeds through the programme. FAO adds that the farmers also receive basic tools and advice or training via written material and radio broadcasts on best cultivation techniques. The programme initially covers three planting seasons in Haiti — winter 2008 and spring and summer 2009.
YOUNG PEOPLE CALL ON WORLD LEADERS TO TAKE RADICAL MEASURES AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
A youth gathering on climate change
honed in on their Governments’ track record in addressing climate
change, emphasizing the need for strong vision and leadership.
In a Declaration adopted by the 700 young participants
at the Tunza Children and Youth Conference on the Environment, held in
Daejeon in the Republic of Korea, as part of the global UN-wide “Seal
the Deal!” campaign, the young delegates expressed their “concern and
frustration that their Governments are not doing enough to combat climate
change”, adding that “we now need more actions and less talking.”
In a message to the gathering, the Secretary-General said: "This global youth and children gathering under the Seal the Deal! Campaign is the largest international gathering of young people this year advocating for climate change action. Their voices will and must be heard because they will inherit the outcomes of our actions."
ENERGY & CLIMATE CHANGE GROUP MEETS IN STOCKHOLM
The Secretary-General's Advisory Group on Energy and
Climate Change is holding its second meeting in Stockholm today to discuss
policy recommendations focused on energy efficiency and energy access, as
the two key issues of the energy dimension of the climate change
negotiations.
The Group was launched on 17 June in New York, where it
held its first meeting.
The Group brings together business leaders, experts and energy practitioners and is chaired by Mr. Kandeh Yumkella, Director General of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Chair of UN Energy.
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