HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY FARHAN HAQ
ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN HEADQUARTERS,
Thursday, October 15, 2009
GAZA: HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL STARTS SPECIAL SESSION, U.N. OFFICIAL CALLS FOR IMPARTIAL PROBES INTO REPORTED VIOLATIONS
Today in Geneva, the Human Rights Council
began its
special session on the “human rights situation in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory and East Jerusalem”.
In her
remarks to the special session, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi
Pillay called for an immediate halt to the recent wave of eviction orders
and demolitions of Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem. She said she viewed
such practices as violations of international humanitarian law.
Pillay also reiterated her support for the
recommendations of the Gaza fact-finding mission led by Justice Richard
Goldstone. She underscored the need for all parties to carry out impartial,
independent, prompt and effective investigations into reported violations of
human rights and humanitarian law in compliance with international
standards.
The Human Rights Council expects to continue its special session on Friday.
UNICEF GOODWILL AMBASSADORS MEET TRAUMATIZED KIDS IN GAZA
American actress Mia Farrow and Egyptian actor Mahmoud
Kabil, both UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, ended a two-day
visit to Gaza today. They went to see firsthand the hardships that
children are continuing to face there.
"The children appear traumatized,” Farrow said. She
added, “The teachers say that when they hear a loud noise they look to the
sky and cry out and weep. They don’t know what the future holds. They
deserve better." The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors also heard from children
who are now forced to work in tunnels in order to support their struggling
families. Those tunnels are used to smuggle in goods that are otherwise
unavailable in Gaza, UNICEF says. Farrow will also be visiting Sderot, in
southern Israel.
Meanwhile, the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) reports that 88 truckloads of goods were transferred into Gaza from Israel yesterday, through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Nearly half of those truckloads contained milk, fruit, and straw for animals. In addition, cooking gas and industrial diesel for the Gaza power plant made it into Gaza through the Nahal Oz pipelines. But the Karni conveyor belt crossing was closed.
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS STAND AS IMPORTANT MILESTONES FOR OFTEN NEGLECTED HUMAN RIGHTS
The Secretary-General plans to meet this afternoon with
Irene Khan, the head of Amnesty International. One of the themes of the
meeting will be Amnesty’s ‘Demand Dignity’ campaign, which highlights the
importance of fighting poverty using human rights perspectives.
The Secretary-General is expected to stress that the Millennium Development Goals represent not only a significant political commitment for development, but also stand as important milestones for often neglected human rights. After all, human rights values and principles permeate, underpin and are supported by all eight Goals, he will say.
IRAN: BAN KI-MOON URGES GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION TO RESOLVE DIFFERENCES THROUGH DIALOGUE
In a
report on human rights in Iran, available today, the Secretary-General
notes the violence that erupted in the aftermath of the June elections. As
he has also said earlier, the Secretary-General urges the Government and the
opposition to peacefully resolve their differences through dialogue and
legal means. He has been deeply troubled by reports of the excessive use of
force, arbitrary arrest and detention and possible torture and ill-treatment
of opposition activists.
He also urges the Government of Iran to continue to revise national laws, particularly the new penal code and juvenile justice laws, to ensure compliance with international human rights standards and prevent discriminatory practices against women and ethnic and religious minorities, among others.
GUATEMALA: PROBLEMS WITHIN JUDICIAL SYSTEM CONTINUE TO HAMPER FIGHT AGAINST IMPUNITY
The latest
report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the International
Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) is out. In it, the
Secretary-General notes the high level of international support, both
financial and political, that the Commission has received since its
inception.
He also says that frequent personnel changes within
Government institutions have proved to be a challenge for the interaction of
the Commission with the authorities, and that problems within the judicial
system continue to hamper the fight against impunity.
The Secretary-General says that the Commission’s main
objective over the next year will continue to be to solve serious criminal
cases of impunity related to clandestine security apparatuses. He adds that
it will also promote the urgent application of the Law on Criminal
Jurisdiction in High-Risk Proceedings and the establishment of the
specialized courts.
The Secretary-General also says that the Commission is expected to develop a consolidation strategy to ensure that its capacities are transferred to national institutions and that sustained international assistance continues to build on those capacities.
CYPRUS LEADERS PLANT OLIVE TREES IN SYMBOLIC PEACE GESTURE
In a symbolic gesture of peace and unity, the Greek
Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders
planted two olive trees at the entrance to the site where they are
currently engaged in talks aimed at unifying the divided island. That site
is located within the UN Protected Area in Nicosia. The leaders also
received a petition from civil society representatives from both communities
conveying a message of hope and solidarity for the negotiations process and
for a united Cyprus.
Following the ceremony, Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris
Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met to continue
discussions, under the auspices of the UN, focusing on how the executive of
a future united country could function.
Speaking to the media following the talks, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Cyprus, Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, said the two leaders had "discussed each other's proposals in a very constructive manner" and planned to meet next week to continue their discussion on governance and then take up the issues of external relations and property rights.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECIDES ON NEW MEMBERS FOR SECURITY COUNCIL
The General Assembly
decided today that the new elected members of the Security Council for 2010
and 2011 shall be Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and
Nigeria.
The Security Council will meet at 3:00 this afternoon to hold consultations, followed by an open debate, on Kosovo. Council members will receive a briefing on the Secretary-General’s latest report on Kosovo by the head of the UN Mission there, Lamberto Zannier.
U.N. WILL DO ITS UTMOST TO DEEPEN CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
The Secretary-General this morning
spoke at a ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the Office of
Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and he noted the changes made since then
to make the United Nations more efficient, transparent and accountable.
He noted that an Ethics Office has been established,
providing protection for whistleblowers, and we have tightened rules on
procurement and on financial disclosure by senior officials, including those
with responsibilities for procurement and investment. And
OIOS itself has undergone reforms to better respond to the growing demand on
its services and to new governance challenges, he added.
The Secretary-General pledged that the United Nations will do its utmost to use its resources responsibly; to improve its performance at all levels, at all locations; and, in the broadest sense, to deepen a culture of accountability, transparency and meaningful results.
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT PROSECUTOR LOOKS INTO GUINEA VIOLENCE
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC),
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, today
confirmed that the situation in Guinea is under preliminary examination
by his Office.
Guinea has been a State Party to the Rome Statute since 14 July 2003. As such the ICC says it has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide possibly committed in the territory of Guinea or by nationals of Guinea, including killings of civilians and sexual violence.
U.N. AGENCIES DISTRIBUTE RELIEF SUPPLIES IN QUAKE-HIT INDONESIA
Wrapping up his two-day mission to Indonesia,
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief
Coordinator John Holmes today met with the Indonesian Foreign Minister,
donors, as well as the Director-General of the National Disaster Management
Agency. He also held meetings with representatives of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as United Nations agencies and
other humanitarian agencies.
The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination
(UNDAC) team has ended its deployment in Padang City, one of the most
directly affected areas from the 30 September earthquake.
Early food and nutrition assessments reveal
approximately 190,000 people in the most affected areas are experiencing
temporary shortages of staple foods such as rice. The World Food Programme
has been providing fortified biscuits to children under 5 and to pregnant
and lactating women, and has also started its school feeding program.
As some 90,000 students are estimated to be in urgent need of teaching materials, UNICEF has distributed 228 school tents, 80 school-in-a-box kits and 80 recreational kits in 6 districts.
LAKE CHAD FACING A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
Lake Chad is facing a humanitarian crisis as shrinking
water resources are threatening people and livelihoods, says the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO),
as it calls to urgently address this situation.
FAO adds that the lake, which is surrounded by
Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, was once one of the world's largest water
bodies but has shrunk by 90 percent over recent decades. If water continues
to recede at the current rate, Lake Chad could disappear in about twenty
years from now, says the FAO.
The Secretary-General visited the shrinking lake two years ago to draw attention to how seriously and negatively global warming affects our environment and our lives. He had noted the shrinking lake was a vivid example of how the management of the ecosystem and the movement of mass population can affect our livelihoods.
UPDATE PROVIDED ON SENIOR CONGOLESE OFFICERS
In answer to questions, the Associate Spokesperson gave an update on the
five senior officers of the Congolese Armed Forces whose dismissal had been
sought following allegations of participation in atrocities.
Colonel Bebi Mobuli is currently in Kinshasa's main prison on charges of rape and war crimes. Colonel Safari is also in prison in Kinshasa, awaiting prosecution. General Jerôme Kakwavu has been relieved of his command and is presently in Kinshasa under "controlled supervision." Colonel Mosala has been relieved of his command and is in Kinshasa awaiting proceedings. Major Pitchen has also been relieved of command but has fled. It is believed that he is in hiding, possibly in Bukavu.
SECRETARY-GENERAL TO “STAND UP” AGAINST POVERTY
On Friday morning at 9:00
a.m., the Secretary-General will lead all students at the UN International
School (UNIS) in "standing up" as part of the global campaign "Stand Up,
Take Action, End Poverty Now!"
From Friday through Sunday,
millions of citizens around the world are expected to take part in events to
call on their leaders to meet their commitments to end poverty and achieve
the
Millennium Development Goals. The initiative is coordinated by the UN
Millennium Campaign, with support from the UN Department of Public
Information and civil society partners.
Media are welcome to attend the event at UNIS, on FDR Drive at 23rd Street in New York.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
UNICEF STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF WASHING HANDS: Today, UNICEF is stressing the importance of washing hands with soap and water as one of the most effective and affordable health interventions. UNICEF is participating in the second annual Global Handwashing Day, celebrated today.
BAN KI-MOON LAUDS CONTRIBUTIONS OF RURAL WOMEN: Today is the International Day of Rural Women. In a message, the Secretary-General calls to put the rights, needs and aspirations of rural women much higher on the global agenda. Recognizing the contributions of rural women to sustainable development and the sound management of natural resources, he says that many of them continue to face severe deprivation in enjoying their rights. The Secretary-General calls for increased investments in the resources, infrastructure and services which would ease rural women’s workloads and release their time and energy for engagement in the labour market and public life.
CYPRUS ADVISER WAS SHARING HIS PERSONAL VIEWS: Asked about an opinion column published by the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alexander Downer, concerning the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to US President Barack Obama, the Spokesperson said that the subject was not a matter that falls within Downer’s remit and is his personal view. He noted that Downer’s column does not reflect the views of the Secretary-General, who spoke out at length on the awarding of the Nobel Prize to President Obama.
*** The guest at the noon briefing today was Jordan Ryan, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator of UN Development Programme and Director of the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery. He discussed recovery and relief in the tsunami-hit islands of Tonga and Samoa.
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