الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة

Noon briefing of 4 October 2007

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MICHELE MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

Thursday, October 4, 2007

BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES INTER-KOREAN PEACE DECLARATION

  • Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomes the Declaration on the Advancement of South-North Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity, signed in Pyongyang today by the leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea as a major step forward to enhance inter-Korean cooperation as well as peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.
  • The Secretary-General commends the two leaders’ commitment to expand and advance inter-Korean relations, as well as to move towards permanent peace on a non-nuclear Peninsula through increased bilateral dialogue, cooperation and multilateral diplomacy including the six-party talks.
  • The United Nations stands ready to provide assistance as may be required, in cooperation with the international community.

U.N. ENVOY GAMBARI RETURNS FROM MISSION TO MYANMAR

  • Ibrahim Gambari, the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor, is scheduled to meet with the Secretary-General at 5:00 this afternoon to provide a briefing about his visit to Myanmar.
  • Gambari intends to inform the President of the General Assembly and the members of the Security Council about his visit tomorrow.
  • The Secretary-General, speaking to reporters yesterday about Gambari’s visit to Myanmar, said that his envoy “was assured of his second visit in November sometime”.
  • Asked whether he was satisfied with the results of Gambari’s visit, the Secretary-General said, “We are doing what we must do. And I was relatively relieved that he was, first of all, able to meet with the leaders of the Myanmar Government as well as Madame Aung San Suu Kyi.” But he expressed his continuing concerns about the ongoing situation in Myanmar, including the human rights situation.
  • The Secretary-General noted the strong statement made by the Association of South-east Asian Nations on Myanmar, and underscored ASEAN’s collective responsibility on the matter.
  • Yesterday a UN Development Programme (UNDP) staffer, as well as her husband and two relatives, was arrested by the Myanmar authorities. That staff member and her family members were released to UNDP today at 16:30 local time.
  • Meanwhile, the Security Council has scheduled consultations at 3:00 this afternoon, in connection with Myanmar. Council members are considering the timing and format of Ibrahim Gambari’s briefing on Myanmar tomorrow.
  • Asked about reports from Myanmar state media concerning the results of the discussions between senior leader Than Shwe and Gambari, the Spokeswoman declined to comment until Gambari reports on his trip.
  • Asked about the arrest of the UNDP staffer, the Spokeswoman reiterated that she had been arrested early Wednesday morning during a sweep of a neighbourhood in Yangon. She added that the staff member and all those arrested with her had been released.

DIVERSITY IS A VIRTUE, BAN KI-MOON TELLS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  • The Secretary-General this morning addressed the General Assembly’s High-Level Dialogue on Inter-Religious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace.
  • In his remarks, he said it is time to promote the idea that diversity is a virtue, not a threat. It is time to explain that different religions, belief systems and cultural backgrounds are essential to the richness of the human experience. And it is time to stress that our common humanity is greater than our outward differences, he added.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HELPS IRAQ FIGHT CHOLERA

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that cholera is continuing to spread across Iraq.
  • Because poor water quality and sanitation are known to spread cholera contamination, WHO is procuring five million water-treatment tablets for Iraqis. It is also sending epidemiologists to help Iraq’s Ministry of Health.
  • WHO reports that more than 3,000 people have tested positive for cholera, and 14 have died.

DARFUR MISSION’S TROOP-CONTRIBUTING COUNTRIES TO MEET TODAY

  • This afternoon at 3 p.m. at UN Headquarters, there will be a meeting of the troop and police contributing countries for the African Union-Untied Nations hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
  • Then, at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow at UN Headquarters, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno and Jane Holl Lute, acting head of the Department of Field Services, are expected to brief the press.

D.R. CONGO: U.N. MISSION HELPS EVACUATE PLANE CRASH SITE

  • The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) has confirmed news reports that a commercial aircraft crashed in a popular residential area of the capital Kinshasa earlier this morning.
  • The latest update from the Mission indicates that 25 people have been killed in the crash. Many have been injured, and efforts continue to ascertain their number.
  • The Mission is providing fire-fighting equipment and is helping with the evacuation of victims from the site of the crash. UN humanitarian agencies remain on site to provide further assistance. UN photographers are helping to document the extent of the damage, and other UN staff will assist Congolese authorities in the investigation they are launching into the accident.

LIBERIA IS ELIGIBLE FOR PEACE-BUILDING FUNDS

  • The Secretary-General has declared Liberia eligible to receive funding from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund. He has also instructed the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to begin consultations with Liberian authorities and local civil society partners to draw up a priority plan.
  • That plan is expected to list up key activities to push forward the consolidation of peace in Liberia – the fifth country declared eligible for assistance from the Peacebuilding Fund.

U.N. APPEALS FOR $10 MILLION TO HELP FLOOD SURVIVORS IN GHANA

  • The United Nations and its partners are seeking nearly $10 million to fund flood relief efforts for 75,000 people in northern Ghana.
  • Entire communities along the Black and White Volta Rivers have been hit by persistent flooding since late August. Crops have been destroyed, and food storage and processing facilities are currently underwater.
  • The funds will be used to provide health services, temporary shelter and basic household items.

TOURISM SECTOR MUST ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE

  • The UN-organized second International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism has wrapped up in Davos, Switzerland. Participants included government ministers, environmental experts, and tourism officials. They ended the session by issuing a “Davos Declaration”.
  • That Declaration urges the entire tourism sector to address climate change by: reducing its own greenhouse gas emissions, especially from transport and accommodation; adapting tourism businesses and destinations to changing climate conditions; and securing financial help for poor regions and countries.

SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA MOST POPULAR INVESTMENT CHOICES

  • The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) launched its World Investment Prospects Survey for 2007–2009 in Geneva today.
  • According to the study, more than two-thirds of multinational companies believe their foreign investment will grow over the next three years, despite some concerns about global financial and political instability and protectionism in some countries.
  • According to the survey, South and Southeast Asia will remain the most popular investment choices for multinationals, with the United States being the third most favored location in the world.