HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE
MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
UN
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, November 3, 2008
BAN KI-MOON, ON RETURN FROM ASIA, NOMINATES OLUSEGUN OBASANJO AS D.R.
CONGO ENVOY
[The following are Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s
opening remarks at a press briefing after the noon briefing::
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am
happy be back in New York.
“As you know, I just came back from a
week-long Asian trip this morning. I visited the Philippines to attend the
Second Forum on Migration for Development. Then, thereafter, I had paid
bilateral visits to India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
“I was very encouraged to see the progress
we have made in helping to build democracy in Nepal.
“Of course, Bangladesh will hold critical
Parliamentary elections on 18 December, and I have met both Government
leaders and political party leaders, and I urged them that they should make
this Parliamentary election in December a most credible and fair and
transparent one. And I told them that the United Nations will do all in its
power to provide technical assistance to aid their efforts.
“It is crucial that the vote take place
without violence and that it be free, fair and credible. I am going to
dispatch a team of highly qualified and experienced people who will stay
there before and during the election and report to me their assessment of
the election.
“During these travels, I spent, as you may
expect, a great deal of time on the telephone discussing the situation in
the Democratic Republic of Congo. I spoke with dozens of leaders and UN
officials working to manage the crisis.
“In all these conversations I emphasized
that there can be no military solution to the crisis in eastern Congo. Our
efforts must focus on political negotiation.
“To that end, I have held repeated
conversations with Presidents (Joseph) Kabila (of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo) and (Paul) Kagame (of Rwanda), directly and through my envoys. I
am also working closely with world leaders, including the Chairman of the
African Union, the Chairman of the African Union Commission, the President
of the European Union and other EU leaders, and the U.S. Secretary of State.
“Though they have not yet sat down
face-to-face, Presidents Kagame and Kabila have begun a direct dialogue,
along with their high-level technical teams.
“This is a promising development. I urge
again all parties to stick to the current cease-fire and devote their best
efforts to this nascent political process.
“Presidents Kagame and Kabila have also
expressed their willingness and readiness to meet with me, possibly this
week or early next week. I understand that the AU President will also
convene an urgent regional summit on this issue, in Nairobi or elsewhere in
Africa, sometime soon this month. Details of these meetings are being worked
out as we speak now.
“To ensure sustained United Nations
engagement, I intend to nominate Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President of
Nigeria, as my special envoy. He will work with the leaders of the region
and the international community to bring about a lasting political solution.
“I expect all those with a stake in the
region’s future — the Security Council, the African Union and the European
Union — to support him to the fullest. In fact, I have spoken with all the
leaders. This morning, I have spoken with the President of the Security
Council and important Member States, and also the African Union Chairman.
All the concerned parties have agreed to the nomination of Mr. Obasanjo.
“The conflict along the Rwandan and
Congolese border has gone on too long, with catastrophic consequences.
“We need peace – an end to fighting so that
the region’s people can enjoy a measure of stability and prosperity.
“With a cease-fire now in place, I have
mobilized UN agencies to provide assistance. It is essential that they be
granted unhindered access to the populations in need.
“I am relieved
that earlier this morning peacekeepers were able to escort a UN aid convoy
into the rebel-held zone. The humanitarian workers are bringing health
supplies, water and sanitation to areas cut off by the fighting.
“Under-Secretary-General Alain Le Roy is now
in the DRC to assess the situation and take all necessary measures. He spoke
to me earlier this morning.
“Also today, I reinstated the former Force
Commander of MONUC, Lt. Gen. Babacar Gaye of Senegal, as the new Interim
Force Commander. He will oversee this crucial mission for the next months.
“Once again, I wish to express my gratitude
to MONUC’s peacekeepers for holding steadfast in Goma — a thin blue line
against chaos.
“I am doing my best to reinforce our
peacekeepers and humanitarian teams, and I call on world leaders to support
us in every way possible.
“A final point: I look forward to attending
the Quartet meeting, to be held soon in the region. We expect to be briefed
by the parties on the progress of their negotiations. If all goes as
planned, it would mark the first such event. I hope this would contribute to
sustaining the momentum towards a comprehensive and lasting solution to the
Middle East conflict.
Thank you very much.”]
BAN KI-MOON RE-APPOINTS INTERIM FORCE COMMANDER FOR U.N. MISSION IN D.R. CONGO
The Secretary-General has informed the Security Council
of his intention to re-appoint Lieutenant-General Babacar Gaye of Senegal as
Interim force Commander for the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (MONUC).
The re-appointment of General Gaye is intended for a period of six months
and is in response to “events currently unfolding in the mission area.”
General Gaye served as MONUC Force Commander between March 2005 and October
2008.
Meanwhile, on the ground, a UN aid convoy dispatched
from Goma has reached Rutshuru, one of the towns now under rebel control.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the
convoy, which was escorted by UN peacekeepers, carried health supplies to
local health centers. Those included supplies of drinking water and other
goods to help local civilians deal with possible epidemics during the
approaching rainy season.
OCHA, meanwhile, has confirmed that “armed actors” have
been circulating at two UN camps for the internally displaced. The camps,
located some 10 kilometres north of Goma, were largely deserted last week in
a panic by its residents. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme says that
camps visited by its staff in the town of Rutshuru were almost empty of
their residents, and many shelters burned to the ground. The agency adds
that it remains unclear where all the camp residents have gone, but some are
believed to have returned to their original villages.
As other IDPs have been returning to camps near Goma,
the food aid they have received has included high energy biscuits, water and
medical supplies. But there remain serious concerns about their health, as
some 70 cases of cholera have already been recorded in camps near both Goma
and Rutshuru.
In a bid to prepare for any outflux of refugees from
North Kivu to Uganda,
World Food Programme Uganda is pre-positioning 500 tonnes of food –
enough to feed 30,000 people for a month at key spots along their likely
path. The same is being done at the Nkamira transit centre in Gisenyi, just
across the border with Rwanda.
BAN KI-MOON ANNOUNCES THAT U.N. ELECTION
EXPERTS WILL GO TO BANGLADESH
The Secretary-General is back in New York today. He
returned just this morning from a four-nation Asia visit, which ended with a
trip to Bangladesh, where he met with officials of the caretaker Government
and with the political leaders of the two main parties.
He
told reporters in Dhaka on Sunday that he has informed the Government
authorities and the political parties that the UN will dispatch a small team
of highly capable and prominent individuals, who will visit in the coming
weeks to assess the conduct of the election and report to him.
He asserted the importance of Bangladesh’s democratic
development through free and credible elections. The December ballot, he
said, is a historic opportunity. Now is the moment to stand against the
polarization and violence that have characterized past elections.
Earlier on Sunday, the Secretary-General visited the
Grameen Bank Projects, where he was extremely moved by the tremendous
efforts by the people of Bangladesh to attain self-sustainability, and he
also saw firsthand some projects to deal with natural disasters.
On Saturday, the Secretary-General finished a visit to
Nepal, where he met with senior Government officials and
addressed the Constituent Assembly. He
told reporters in Kathmandu on Saturday that the immediate challenge
ahead is to integrate and rehabilitate the Maoist combatants. He emphasized
that it would be especially inspiring for the entire world to see Nepal
overcome its own conflict and achieve lasting peace at home.
HUMANITARIAN
OPERATIONS IN EASTERN CHAD SUSPENDED IN WAKE OF WORSENING SECURITY SITUATION
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) is
warning of worsening insecurity and a deteriorating humanitarian
situation in eastern Chad, affecting more than 26,000 internally displaced
persons in the area of Dogdoré.
Humanitarian operations there have been suspended,
except for urgent activities such as responding to medical emergencies and
the provision of drinking water, OCHA reports.
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and
Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes is calling on the Government of
Chad to work closely with humanitarian agencies to improve security
conditions so that full-scale humanitarian operations may resume. He also
calls on all belligerent parties to allow humanitarian activities to
continue without hindrance.
U.N. MIDDLE
EAST COORDINATOR EXPRESSES ALARM OVER HOUSE DEMOLITIONS BY ISRAEL IN WEST BANK
The UN
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry,
issued a statement over the weekend in Jerusalem, saying that he was alarmed
at the recent resumption of house demolitions by Israel in the West Bank,
after a freeze dating back to April of this year. He added that the UN would
be raising its humanitarian concerns with the Israeli authorities directly,
as some of the most vulnerable populations in the West Bank had been hit
hard and many poor families left destitute.
Serry also said that Israel’s actions were a political
step backwards from its commitments and sent a discouraging signal. He
called on Israel to adhere to its commitments by reinstituting a moratorium
on house demolitions and protecting vulnerable civilians from displacement
and loss of livelihoods.
UNITED NATIONS HELPS
YEMEN RESPOND TO RECENT FLOODING
UN agencies are working with the Yemeni authorities to
respond to recent severe flooding, which the Government there estimates has
left between 20,000 and 25,000 people in need of assistance. A three-member
United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team is in Yemen to
assist the UN Resident Coordinator in coordinating response activities.
The UN Refugee Agency has been working on the ground in
close collaboration with the Government of Yemen. UNHCR last week
brought in non-food items for approximately 3,500 people, including
tents, mattresses, jerry cans and blankets, mosquito nets, soap, plastic
sheets and kitchen sets.
UNICEF has been
distributing relief items to an estimated 2,500 families, and it is also
planning a measles and polio vaccination campaign in the Hadramout
Governorate, the most affected region.
The
World Food Programme, meanwhile, will distribute food to 20,000
beneficiaries in southern Yemen.
U.N.
HUMANITARIAN CHIEF CONDEMNS ABDUCTION OF AID WORKER IN AFGHANISTAN
John Holmes, the
Emergency Relief Coordinator, strongly condemned the abduction today of
an aid worker in Kabul, Afghanistan, who serves as a consultant for Amitié
Franco-Afghane (AFRANE), a non-governmental organization active in education
and development. Holmes called for the immediate and unconditional release
of the staff member.
Holmes is deeply concerned about the worsening trend of
killings and abductions of both civilians and aid workers in Afghanistan,
and reminds the Government of Afghanistan and all parties to the conflict of
their obligation to protect civilians, including all aid workers.
Also today, the
UN Refugee Agency provided details about the returns this year of more
than 276,000 Afghans to their home country.
U.N. CONVOY HEADS TO SRI LANKA’S VANNI
REGION
The Office of the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator in
Sri Lanka
reports that a U.N. food convoy is on its way to the Vanni region.
Twenty-nine World Food Programme trucks, carrying 438 tonnes of food, will
make deliveries to three locations before returning to government-controlled
territory tomorrow.
This is the fourth such convoy since fighting forced
the UN to temporarily withdraw from the Vanni region in mid-September. Since
the beginning of October, the UN has delivered 2,300 tonnes of food to the
region, as part of a continuing effort to reach an estimated 230,000
civilians displaced by fighting.
TOP HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL WARNS
COLOMBIAN AUTHORITIES AGAINST ARBITRARY DETENTIONS/ARRESTS
Over the weekend, High Commissioner for Human Rights
Navi Pillay
wrapped up a six-day visit to Colombia, where her Office has a large
presence. The High Commissioner met with President Alvaro Uribe and other
senior officials, as well as civil society representatives.
Pillay heard testimonies from people whose relatives
had been arrested and detained, often for periods of two years or more, on
the basis of accusations that were not always well-founded. In response,
Pillay cautioned the relevant authorities against arbitrary detentions and
arrests.
Pillay urged the Government to avoid de facto amnesties
for past and current serious human rights abuses and to ensure that respect
of the rights of victims remain at the core of any demobilization policy.
She also conveyed her alarm that illegal armed groups continue to victimize
and target the civilian population.
The High Commissioner applauded the brave work of the
Supreme Court and the Attorney General’s Office in investigating and
bringing to trial public officials linked to mafias and drug trafficking. At
the same time, however, she expressed concern at the vulnerability of human
rights defenders, trade unionists, journalists and public officials who are
stigmatized and often targeted or threatened for their work.
TWO THIRDS OF
WORLD’S POPULATION WILL LIVE IN CITIES BY 2030
In a
message to the
World Urban Forum, which started today in Nanjing, China, the
Secretary-General says the world has never before witnessed such rapid
urbanization. By the year 2030, cities will be home to two-thirds of the
global population, he adds.
Speaking at the related World Urban Youth Forum, the
Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Anna Tibaijuka, said that the creativity
and innovation of youth is crucial to overcoming the challenges of poverty
and urbanization.
The World Urban Forum was established by the United
Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today:
rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies and
policies.
COSTA RICA ASSUMES SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY FOR
NOVEMBER
With the start of a new month, Costa Rica has replaced China in
the rotating Presidency of the
Security Council.
Ambassador Jorge Urbina of Costa Rica has been conducting
bilateral discussions with other Council members today on the programme of work
for the coming month.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
SECRETARY-GENERAL ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN MAKING
INTERFAITH DIALOGUE MEETING A SUCCESS: Asked about the interfaith dialogue promoted by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia,
the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General had actively engaged with the
King and others to make the high level meeting of the General Assembly a
success. Terje Roed-Larsen, she noted, was in Riyadh on Sunday, on behalf of the
Secretary General, and is in Rome today to help prepare for a successful
dialogue.
WORLD BANK NEGOTIATING REDUCTION OF HAITI’S DEBT:
Asked about
World Bank efforts in Haiti, the Spokeswoman noted accounts suggesting that
half of Haiti’s debt with the Bank might be eliminated, with the other half
still being negotiated.
ENFORCEMENT OF SMOKING BAN AT U.N. HEADQUARTERS UP TO
MEMBER STATES: Asked about smoking at UN
Headquarters, the Spokeswoman said that a ban on smoking is in place throughout
the building, although it is up to Member States to determine how that ban is
enforced. She added, in response to a question, that the Secretary-General does
not smoke.
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