HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Thursday, September 3, 2009
GABON: BAN KI-MOON URGES CALM AND RESTRAINT IN ELECTIONS AFTERMATH
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
takes note of the preliminary results of the 30 August presidential
elections announced by the electoral authorities of Gabon (CENAP).
He expresses concern over reports of disturbances in
some regions of the country, and urges calm and restraint by all concerned
so that tensions do not escalate.
He calls on the Gabonese political leaders to refrain
from any action which could jeopardize the peaceful conclusion of the
electoral process.
The Secretary-General urges all the presidential candidates and their supporters to resolve any electoral grievances through legal and institutional channels, and calls for any such complaints to be reviewed and adjudicated in a fair and transparent manner.
BAN KI-MOON STRESSES NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE DEAL
The Secretary-General this morning
addressed the World Climate Conference in Geneva, and he emphasized to
delegates the need to strike an “ambitious, comprehensive and fair” deal at
this December’s climate change conference in Copenhagen.
He discussed his visit this week to the Arctic region,
saying that the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth, and
may be virtually ice-free by 2030.
He emphasized the five key areas needed for action.
They involve the needs to adapt to the inevitable
impacts of climate change; for ambitious mid-term mitigation targets by
developed countries; for developing countries to act to slow the growth of
their emissions; for predictable financial and technological support; and
for all institutional arrangements and governance structures under a new
climate regime to address the needs of developing countries.
The Secretary-General later said at a press conference in Geneva that “our foot is stuck on the gas pedal. We have to pull it off.”
In two weeks, he noted, the United Nations will convene
a climate change summit in New York. He said, “I expect candid and
constructive discussions. I expect serious bridge building. I expect
strong outcomes.”
Meanwhile in Geneva today at the World Climate
Conference in Geneva, more than 2,000 climate scientists, experts and
decision-makers
established a Global Framework for Climate Services. The point of the
Framework is to strengthen production, availability, delivery and
application of science-based climate prediction and services.
Michel Jarraud, the head of the World Meteorological
Organization, (WMO), is convening the Conference, said today was a landmark
day for making climate services available to all people. “But the work has
really just begun,” he added.
Meanwhile, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes noted that climate change is now a major driver of natural disasters.
In answer to a question, the Spokeswoman confirmed that the Secretary-General had spoken by phone today with Yukio Hatoyama, the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, following the Party’s victory in elections this weekend. Their conversation focused on climate change, Okabe said, as well as continued UN-Japanese cooperation on this front. She noted that the Secretary-General encouraged the intention expressed by Hatoyama for Japan to play a leadership role on climate change.
BAN KI-MOON DISCUSSES ACCOUNTABILITY WITH SRI LANKAN MINISTER
Asked whether the Secretary-General
believes there should be an investigation into a video that purportedly
showed abuses in Sri Lanka, the Spokeswoman recalled that the Sri Lankan
Government had agreed with the United Nations, among other things, to put in
place a mechanism for accountability to address human rights violations,
which would include the most recent allegations.
She noted that the Secretary-General met
today in Geneva, with Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sri Lanka’s Minister for
Disaster Management and Human Rights, to discuss such matters.
[The Spokeswoman later said that the
Secretary-General and the Sri Lankan Minister for Disaster Management and
Human Rights of Sri Lanka discussed the conditions in camps housing
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), particularly with the approaching
monsoon season. They also discussed the return of IDPs as well as the
importance of free movements of people among the camps and free movement of
UN and international humanitarian workers. They talked about the importance
of reconciliation. They also discussed accountability, particularly in light
of the recent accusations of extrajudicial executions.]
HAITI MOVING TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE OF PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT
The Secretary-General, in his latest
report to the Security Council on Haiti, says there is substantial
reason to believe that the country is moving away from a past of conflict
towards a brighter future of peaceful development. However, he warns,
progress remains fragile and is susceptible to setbacks or reversals.
The Secretary-General says that it is incumbent upon
Haiti’s leaders to continue their efforts to identify broadly supported
solutions to the problems facing the country, including the strengthening of
State institutions and possible constitutional reforms.
He says that there is a need to adjust certain aspects
of the configuration of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
to better meet current requirements on the ground.
With less of a need to undertake large-scale security
operations, he says that MINUSTAH could replace some of its armored
personnel carriers with lighter patrol vehicles. Meanwhile, more police may
be needed to help the Haitian authorities with crowd control efforts.
With those adjustments, the Secretary-General recommends a one-year extension of the Mission’s mandate, until 15 October 2010.
SIERRA LEONE REMAINS CALM BUT POLITICAL INTOLERANCE MUST BE TACKLED
The latest
report of the Secretary-General on the UN Integrated Peacebuilding
Office in Sierra Leone, (UNIPSIL) has been released as a document today.
In this quarterly report, covering June to September
this year, the Secretary-General notes that the political situation in
Sierra Leone has remained calm with no incidents of political violence. But
the report warns that internal political intolerance and potential violence
must be addressed as a matter of priority, especially as political parties
prepare for elections in 2012.
The Secretary-General further notes that high youth unemployment and trafficking in illicit drugs continue to pose challenges to the consolidation of peace. He urges the international community to help the people of Sierra Leone reverse some negative trends, such as the country’s extremely high infant and maternal mortality levels, as well as poverty levels.
GAZA WATER AND SANITATION CRISIS PROMPTS U.N. CALL ON ISRAEL TO TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, Maxwell Gaylard -- together with the Non-Governmental
Organization Association for International Development Agencies -- today
said the deterioration and breakdown of water and sanitation facilities
in Gaza is compounding the already severe denial of human dignity there.
In that regard, he called on Israel to take immediate
steps to ensure the entry into Gaza of construction and repair materials
needed to respond to the Strip’s water and sanitation crisis.
According to the Humanitarian Coordinator, some 10,000 Gazans are currently without access to a water network. An additional 60% of the population does not have continuous access to water.
U.N. OFFICIALS CONDUCT JOINT ASSESSMENT IN EARTHQUAKE AFFECTED DISTRICTS IN INDONESIA
Following Wednesday’s earthquake in Indonesia, a team
of 10 officials from the United Nations Development Programme, the UN
Population Fund, World Food Programme, the World Bank and the United Nations
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) conducted
assessments today in Tasikmalaya, South Bandung, Garut and Bandung district.
The team is set to visit two other remaining affected districts tomorrow, while OCHA will hold a meeting to finalize the results of the assessment.
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION CAN HELP ACHIEVE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Sha Zukang, is in Monterrey, Mexico, where he is opening the Global Forum on ICT and Innovation for Education. The multi-stakeholder Forum is organized by the Government of Mexico, the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development, and Indigo Brainmedia.
In his statement, Mr. Sha stressed that technology and innovation are key to accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in countries that are falling behind.
Noting the advent of universally accessible information, the rapid development of next generation networks, low-cost hardware and innovative channels of communication, he emphasized the real opportunity for developing countries to employ ICT to lift the quality of education and make it universally accessible.
BAN KI-MOON TO TRAVEL TO MEXICO TO ATTEND CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT
The Secretary-General will travel to Mexico City next
week, from 8 to 9 September. The primary purpose of this trip is to open the
62nd Annual Department of Public Information-Non-Governmental Organizations
Conference. The theme of this year’s Conference is “For Peace and
Development: Disarm Now!”
It is expected that more than a thousand
representatives of non-governmental organizations from around the world will
be gathering to discuss how they can contribute to disarmament and
non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and to reducing conventional arms while
advancing peace and development.
On the margins of the Conference, the Secretary-General
plans to attend a number of side events, which will allow him to interact
with members of civil society, including youth delegates.
While in Mexico, the Secretary-General will also meet
with President Felipe Calderón to discuss issues of mutual interest ahead of
the upcoming General Assembly. Those issues will include climate change, the
Millennium Development Goals, and human rights. The Secretary-General will
also hold additional meetings with the Foreign Secretary and Ministers of
Health, Social Development, Environment and Education.
There will be a press conference on the 62nd Annual DPI/NGO Conference at 11 a.m. tomorrow. Ambassador Claude Heller, Permanent Representative of Mexico; Kiyotaka Akasaka, Under-Secretary General for Public Information; Sergio Duarte, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs; and Charles Hitchcock, Chair of the 62nd Annual DPI/NGO Conference, will discuss disarmament which will be the theme of the Conference.
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