HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE MONTAS,
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN HEADQUARTERS,
Thursday, October 1, 2009
U.N. TEAMS PROVIDE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOLLOWING STORMS, EARTHQUAKES IN PACIFIC REGION
UN teams have arrived in Indonesia and Samoa to help
those countries cope with recent devastating natural disasters. Meanwhile,
the World Food Programme (WFP) says it is rapidly expanding its relief
operation in the Philippines in the aftermath of last Saturday’s crippling
tropical storm.
In a
statement today, WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said, “When
nature strikes with such force, the world must come together.” And
the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), Koïchiro Matsuura, has
stressed that national authorities must maintain and constantly improve
their communications and warning systems to help protect vulnerable coastal
populations.
For its part, the UN Development Programme (UNDP)
is deploying a waste management team to Sumatra, Indonesia, to help with
rubble and debris clearance efforts. It is also helping the Indonesian
authorities with geographic information system (GIS) mapping of the disaster
areas.
In Samoa, UNDP has made available an initial emergency sum of $100,000 to support coordination efforts, a needs assessment and an early recovery plan.
DURING VISIT TO SWEDEN, SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON HIGHLIGHTS CLIMATE CHANGE
The Secretary-General is in Stockholm, Sweden, today,
where this afternoon he visited the grave of former Secretary-General Dag
Hammarskjöld and spoke at Uppsala University, where Hammarskjöld spent his
earliest years and received his education.
At the university, the Secretary-General
said that Hammarskjöld’s concerns and his ambitions remain ours. He said
that he was 17 when Hammarskjöld died, and was just beginning to think about
how to help build a better world. Today, he said, his hope is to create that
kind of solidarity at all times, in good times and bad, so that we can fight
common threats, and seize common opportunities.
The Secretary-General met earlier today with former
General Assembly President Jan Eliasson.
After that, the Secretary-General had a tete-a-tete
meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. That was followed by
a working luncheon hosted by the Prime Minister, during which they discussed
climate change, Afghanistan, Cyprus and Myanmar.
The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister then had a
joint press encounter, during which he applauded Sweden's leadership, on
its own and as European Union President, on climate change.
The Secretary-General also had an audience today with the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf.
VIET NAM ASSUMES SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY
With the start of a new month, Viet Nam has replaced
the United States in the rotating Presidency of the
Security Council. Ambassador Le Luong Minh, the new Council President,
is talking with other Council members bilaterally on the programme of work
for this month, and Council members expect to hold consultations Friday to
discuss that programme.
Then, Ambassador Le will talk to reporters at 12:30 on Friday about the Council’s work over the coming month.
GUINEA’S DEADLY VIOLENCE CONDEMNED BY SECURITY COUNCIL
The
Security Council issued a press statement following consultations
yesterday on Guinea, in which they had received a briefing by Assistant
Secretary-General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios.
The Council expressed its utmost concern at the
killings that took place on 28 September when members of the Army opened
fire on civilians attending a rally. The members of the Council condemned
the violence, which reportedly killed at least 150 people and wounded
hundreds of others, and included rapes in the streets in broad daylight.
Council members urged the authorities to put an end to the violence, bring
the perpetrators to justice and release all political prisoners.
In response to a question at the Wednesday briefing,
the Spokeswoman said that, as a member of the International Contact Group (ICG)
on Guinea, the Special Representative for West Africa and head of UNOWA,
Said Djinnit, represents the United Nations in the Group. He has undertaken
a number of visits to Guinea, both in his capacity as Special Representative
for West Africa and as a member of the Contact Group.
The ICG has been insisting on the early return to
constitutional order in Guinea and the non-participation of members of the
National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) in the forthcoming
elections, consistent with an earlier commitment that the military junta had
given to the international community.
Asked about reports that the coup leader in Guinea would ask the United Nations to investigate the killings, the Spokeswoman said that the United Nations had been very concerned about the killings and, if called upon to do so, would try to address the issue.
COTE D’IVOIRE: U.N. ENVOY NOTES TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH ELECTIONS BUT SAYS MOMENTUM IS STRONG
The Secretary-General’s
Special Representative in
Cote d’Ivoire, Young-Jin Choi, has warned that delays caused by
technical difficulties may adversely affect the electoral timeline.
In an interview with UN
Radio, Choi said that two months have already been lost, but he noted some
successful political developments, such as the establishment of mobile court
hearings across the country and the end of voter registration.
“The election is just around the corner and you can even feel it,” he added. Choi further noted that there is now a very optimistic atmosphere in Cote d’Ivoire, with a very strong electoral momentum that would be difficult to break.
THOUSANDS TRAPPED IN YEMEN AS INSECURITY AND FIGHTING IMPEDE HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs, (OCHA), says that insecurity and sporadic clashes in Yemen’s Sa’ada
town and its suburbs are impeding the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Thousands of trapped civilians and internally displaced persons (IDPs) have
not received any aid since the conflict escalated six weeks ago.
Over the past week, registration efforts have continued
in relatively secure areas that are accessible to the United Nations and NGO
partners. The total number of registered internally displaced persons in the
Governorates of Al-Jawf, Amran, Hajjah and Sa’ada is more than 78,000.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has helped to distribute
a total of 481 metric tons of food to 32,172 beneficiaries in the Hajjah and
Sa'ada Governorates as of 27 September.
UNICEF has set up water, sanitation and hygiene
services at Al-Mazrak camp, and provided support to some 420 displaced
persons outside the camp. UNICEF is also taking part in a joint mission with
the UN Refugee Agency, WFP and the World Health Organization, led by the
Minister of Health, to Amran governorate. The mission is intended to
conclude negotiations for a planned IDP camp in Amran that will host an
estimated 3,500 displaced persons currently awaiting the delivery of basic
services.
The $23.7 million Flash Appeal for Yemen, launched on 2 September, is just under 2 percent funded. Several pledges towards the appeal have also been received, amounting to some $2.6 million, which still need to be confirmed.
ZIMBABWE: CALL TO ACTION INITIATIVE LAUNCHED TO ADDRESS H1N1 PANDEMIC
Four major UN and international humanitarian agencies
have launched an important initiative that aims to strengthen the country’s
capacities to respond effectively to a H1N1 pandemic.
The
“Call to Action” initiative is being undertaken by the World Health
Organisation, (WHO), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, UNICEF and the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs, (OCHA). It will prepare Zimbabwe’s health system to
deal with any public health and socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic and
all other health threats.
According to WHO, Zimbabwe is the
first country in the world to apply the Call to Action principles to its own
health system. A key aspect of the initiative involves the
application of valuable lessons learned during the unprecedented 2008-2009
cholera outbreak.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has officially presented hundreds of bicycles and motorcycles to the Zimbabwean Ministry of Health to strengthen health care and disease surveillance activities throughout the country. The 300 black bicycles and 124 bright red motorcycles were purchased with $500,000 acquired by WHO via the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund. These items strengthen Zimbabwe's ability to prepare for and respond to potential health concerns, including cholera outbreaks and the pandemic H1N1 2009.
SECRETARY-GENERAL SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA
The Secretary-General’s
report on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea (DPRK) expresses serious concern about continuing reports
that the situation of human rights remains grave and that the Government has
not taken significant steps to address persistent reports of systematic and
widespread human rights violations and to provide safeguards for human
rights.
The Secretary-General expressed deep concern at the
continued decline of food assistance made available by the international
community, despite the worsening shortage of food reported by humanitarian
agencies.
The Secretary-General urges the DPRK to provide safeguards for human rights and ensure domestic legal reforms in order to comply with its international treaty obligations.
DEBRIS IN OUTER SPACE STILL A THREAT TO SPACECRAFT AND SATELLITES
Orbiting debris remains a threat to a sustainable use
of outer space, the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
said, adding that the issue will feature prominently next week when the
world celebrates Outer Space Week.
The Office recalls that 300,000 pieces of debris orbit
the Earth at several thousands miles an hour, with potential impact force
likely to down, damage or destroy a spacecraft. Meanwhile, close to 1,000
satellites are also orbiting the planet, providing weather, mapping,
communications and other basic services.
As World Space Week approaches, Mazlan Othman, Director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, is calling on Member States to promptly implement space debris mitigation measures in humanity’s common interest. She said we must do so to “preserve the outer space environment for future generations.”
BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES NEW RESOLUTION TO COMBAT SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN ARMED CONFLICT
In a
statement, the Secretary-General welcomed the unanimous adoption on
Thursday by the Security Council of Resolution 1888. That text aims to
further strengthen the international community’s efforts to combat sexual
violence in armed conflict.
The Secretary-General reiterated his full commitment to
ensuring that the provisions of the resolution -- together with the earlier
Resolution 1820 -- are implemented. He also called for the Security
Council’s continued engagement to eradicate sexual violence.
Meanwhile, UNICEF has also welcomed the resolution, adding that sexual violence is a horrific violation of human rights and a despicable weapon of war used against women and children.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
I.M.F. URGES DONORS TO HELP LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES: The global economic crisis is hitting low-income countries harder than expected, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF is urging the donor community to do more, although debt reduction and increase in aid are currently helping to address the impact of the global food, fuel and financial crisis.
DISARMAMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM LAUNCHED: The third segment of the 2009 Disarmament Fellowship Programme was launched today at United Nations Headquarters, with the participation of young diplomats from 24 Member States.The three-and-a-half week programme aims to expose the Fellows to the work of the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security of the General Assembly, including attendance of the meetings of the Committee.
SECRETARY-GENERAL MARKS OLDER PERSONS DAY: Today is the International Day of Older Persons. In a message to mark the occasion, the Secretary-General calls for an end to age discrimination as well as abuse, neglect and violence against older persons.
*** The guest at the noon briefing was Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes. He briefed on UN assistance following the earthquakes, tsunamis and storms that have recently hit Asia and the Pacific.
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