HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESPERSON’S NOON BRIEFING
BY VANNINA MAESTRACCI, ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2011
SECRETARY-GENERAL INAUGURATES NEW SUPPORT BASE IN
· The Secretary-General
arrived in
· In
· The Secretary-General said the base
provides a vital backup to the UN Logistics Base (UNLB)
in
· UN peacekeeping, peacebuilding and special political missions depend on
communications, he said. For too long, those operations were served by one hub,
leaving them vulnerable.
· Upon returning to
· The Secretary-General
attended a meeting hosted by the Prime Minister on food security, sustainable
development and the Millennium
Development Goals, before traveling on to
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DEPLORING HUMANITARIAN IMPACT OF CONFLICT IN
· In a statement
issued on Tuesday evening, the Secretary-General expresses his disappointment
that the parties to the conflict in
· The Secretary-General
calls on the parties to immediately cease hostilities, ensure the protection of
civilians and provide all support necessary for the delivery of humanitarian
assistance to those in need. The Secretary-General calls on the parties to
resolve the underlying issues to the conflict through political dialogue, as
agreed under the Framework Agreement between the Government of Sudan and Sudan
People's Liberation Movement (North) on 28 June 2011.
· The Secretary-General
offers the continued support of the United Nations to the Government of Sudan
and all stakeholders toward resolving the conflict, implementing a cease-fire,
and facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance to those in need.
· Asked about the status
of peacekeeping in
TRANSITION PROCESS ON TRACK, SAYS U.N.
· The Security Council was briefed by
the Special Representative for Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, on the
situation in the country.
· He said transition is
on track, adding that the process must not be just about security, but it
should also be tied to social, economic and human rights aspects.
· The Security Council
also adopted a resolution on the International Criminal Tribunal for
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U.N. REPORT: ABUSES IN EASTERN D.R.
· A new UN report
finds there has been a continuing lack of accountability, justice and security
for the hundreds of people who were raped last summer in the far east of the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
· An investigation into
human rights abuses, perpetrated in the Walikale
· A judicial inquiry into
the violations by the military prosecutor’s office was suspended due to concerns
over the protection of victims and witnesses. Some who cooperated with
authorities have suffered reprisals, according to the report.
· The High Commissioner
for Human Rights,
Navi Pillay, said that
since the Walikale attacks, there have been many
other instances of rape and other types of sexual violence being systematically
used as weapons of war and reprisal by armed groups.
· She said the Government
should pursue efforts to bring perpetrators to justice and ensure that victims
and witnesses are protected.
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· Asked about Israeli
media reports on the latest report on the implementation of Security Council
resolution 1701 (2006), the Associate Spokesperson said the Secretary-General
was aware of these reports.
· Maestracci added that the report
of the Secretary-General and its conclusions concerning events on the Blue Line
on 15 May are based on the investigation carried out by the UN Interim Force in
· The Secretary-General
stands by his conclusions and observations, Maestracci
said. She added that the Special
Coordinator for Lebanon, Michael C. Williams, enjoys the
Secretary-General's full trust and support, as does the Force Commander of
UNIFIL, General Alberto Asarta.
SENIOR HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL WRAPS UP
· Deputy High
Commissioner for Human
Rights, Kyung-wha Kang, wrapped
up her visit to
· She noted that the
massive destruction from last January’s earthquake is still very visible.
· Ms. Kang warned that
the humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of the disaster is not completely
over, with people still living in precarious conditions in camps.
· Complex human rights
issues which have prevailed in
WOMEN CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE INJUSTICE, INEQUALITY, WARNS NEW U.N. REPORT
· Justice remains out of reach for millions of women
around the world, according to a new report by UN Women.
· Although 139 countries
and territories now guarantee gender equality in their constitutions,
the publication says that too often, women continue to experience injustice,
violence and inequality.
· Among other
recommendations, UN Women calls on governments to repeal laws discriminating
against women and for stepped up investment in justice systems that can respond
to women’s needs.
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OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
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SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED ABOUT VIOLENCE IN
NO DATE SET ON PANEL OF INQUIRY REPORT INTO FLOTILLA INCIDENT: Asked about the
release of the report of the Panel of Inquiry on the 31 May 2010 Flotilla
Incident, the Associate Spokesperson said that the Panel is meeting this week
to finalize the report and that it intends to submit it to the Secretary-General
in the coming days. No specific date has yet been set for the report's
submission, she noted, adding that on substance, the Panel is working in an
independent manner and that the UN is not going to speculate as to the results
of its work.
U.N. RELIEF ARMS URGES DONORS TO CONTRIBUTE TO EASE EAST AFRICAN HUMANITARIAN
CRISIS: Asked about an
impending humanitarian crisis in
*** The guests at the noon briefing today were Dmitry Titov,
Assistant Secretary-General for the Office of Rule of Law and Security
Institutions of the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations; Ivan Simonovic,
Assistant Secretary-General for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights; Jarmo Viinanen,
Permanent Representative of Finland; Léo Mérorès, Permanent Representative of Haiti; and Remongar T. Dennis, Deputy Permanent Representative of
Liberia.
Office of the Spokesperson for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, SA-1B15
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax.
212-963-7055
