HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
OF THE UNITED NATIONS
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Tuesday, 17 August, 2004
ANNAN CALLS FOR VENEZUELANS TO SETTLE ALL MATTERS RELATED TO REFERENDUM CONSTRUCTIVELY
In a statement released today though his Spokesman, the Secretary-General welcomes the peaceful and orderly manner in which the 15 August recall referendum on President Chávez’ mandate was conducted in Venezuela. He also welcomes the fact that an unprecedented number of Venezuelans participated in the referendum, demonstrating a great sense of responsibility and respect for democratic values.
The Secretary-General has taken note of the preliminary voting results announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE) as well as of the declaration made by the Organization of American States and the Carter Center confirming the preliminary results, indicating that the voters had rejected the recall of the President.
The Secretary-General once again appeals to all Venezuelans to settle all matters related to the referendum in the same civic and democratic spirit that prevailed during the voting.
He reminds the Government of Venezuela and all political sectors that, when his Special Adviser visited Caracas from 20 to 24 July, they all committed themselves to resolve issues related to the referendum through consultations and dialogue. Therefore, he calls them to engage in a constructive dialogue looking towards Venezuela’s future.
The United Nations will continue to support the people of Venezuela in their search for a peaceful solution to their political differences.
FUNERAL SERVICES HELD FOR REFUGEES MASSACRED IN BURUNDI
Yesterday funeral services were held in Burundi for the victims of the massacre in Gatumba transit camp on the night of Friday 13 August.
At least 147 refugees, mostly women and children, died in the attack. Four others succumbed to injuries in hospital, including one who died yesterday, bringing the overall death toll to 151. The head of the UN Mission, Carolyn McAskie spoke at the funeral.
In the aftermath of the massacre, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed this morning that members of the Human Rights Units of the UN Missions in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo had immediately begun a fact-finding mission on what happened at the camp.
According to a spokesperson in Geneva, the information that they gather will be reviewed immediately by the High Commissioner, Louise Arbour, in light of the possible need to set up an international commission of inquiry.
Meanwhile, the UN Mission in Burundi and the Office for the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), report that security has been tightened along the Burundi – DR Congo border and UN helicopters are patrolling the area.
According to UNHCR, peacekeepers operating on both sides of the border are helping local forces step up security along their respective frontiers where various armed elements roam.
In addition, troops have been deployed at two transit centres in the Cibitoke province in northern Burundi, where over 17,000 Congolese took refuge after a rebellion broke out in the DR Congo's south Kivu region in June.
Asked about reports that officials from Rwanda and Burundi have threatened to invade DR Congo if fighters believed responsible for the massacre are not disarmed, the Spokesman reiterated the response of the UN Mission in Burundi – namely, that violence will not solve the situation.
“It’s only through negotiations that this situation can be resolved, and we hope that the Burundian authorities will exercise restraint,” the Spokesman said.
U.N. ENVOY DISCUSSED VIOLENCE IN NAJAF WITH IRAQI PRIME MINISTER
In Baghdad, the UN Envoy, Ashraf Qazi, met this morning with Iraq's Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salah.
Discussions focused on, among other issues, the progress of Iraq's National Conference in addition to the situation in Najaf. Qazi reiterated the UN concern regarding the events in Najaf and hoped that human lives will not be at risk.
Over a working lunch, Qazi held a further meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salah during which several aspects of the UN role in Iraq were discussed.
Later, the UN envoy discussed the progress of the National Conference with its Chairman, Fuad Maasum. Maasum informed Qazi that a delegation designated by the Conference traveled today to Najaf to seek a peaceful solution to the standoff in the holy city.
Qazi also held a series of other meeting with a myriad of political, religious, tribal leaders in addition to civil society and professional unions' representatives.
Asked to provide information on the current situation in Najaf, the Spokesman said that the UN does not have a presence there.
“I’m sure the Iraqi authorities will brief our people on the ground, Special Representative Qazi and members of his team, on what they find there, and we will then have a first or second-hand account of the situation," the Spokesman said.
U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY SUSPENDS RETURN OF IRAQIS FROM IRAN
Over the last 10 days, the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has temporarily suspended its convoys to Iraq for refugees wishing to return from neighbouring Iran – both in the north and the south.
In the south, convoys have been stopped due to the ongoing fighting in Najaf and the overall security situation in the region.
In the north, UNHCR temporarily suspended the returns of Iraqi Kurd refugees after local authorities in Iraq expressed concerns over the housing situation in the area.
The Agency has not been encouraging Iraqi refugees to return home for the time being, but it has been facilitating the repatriation of those who insist on going home.
Some 13,000 people have gone back to Iraq from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon with UNHCR's assistance.
U.N. REPRESENTATIVE VISITS INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS CAMPS IN DARFUR
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Sudan, Jan Pronk, dispatched his Deputy and Humanitarian Coordinator, Manuel Aranda da Silva, to North and South Darfur yesterday.
There he visited camps for internally displaced persons, in particular Kalma camp where an incident related to Care-International took place on 12 August.
Humanitarian workers including several NGOs have resumed their activities in the camp. CARE-International still has not resumed its operations but the local authorities, on the recommendation of the Deputy Special Representative, agreed to meet in order to discuss procedures of conduct of CARE-International operations.
In Khartoum today, Special Representative Pronk received a delegation from the American Muslim Society, headed by its President, Shaikh Muhammad Nur Abdullah. They discussed current and future humanitarian and political issues relating to the situation in Darfur and southern Sudan, including ways and means to assist the Sudanese people.
Also today, as part of the Darfur Plan of Action, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration, Brunson McKinley, is expected in Khartoum to sign an agreement with the Sudanese government to oversee and assist in the safe and voluntary return of the internally displaced.
ANNAN: NATIONAL CONVENTION IN MYANMAR NEEDS TO ADHERE TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY’S RECOMMENDATIONS
In a statement released today, the Secretary-General said that in his judgment that the National Convention in Myanmar does not currently adhere to the recommendations made by successive resolutions of the General Assembly.
The Secretary-General believes that unless and until the views of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and other political parties are sought and considered, the National Convention and the roadmap process will be incomplete, lacking in credibility, and therefore unable to gain the full support of the international community, including the countries of the region.
As a first step towards democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar, the Secretary-General calls on the State Peace and Development Council to make full use of the National Convention’s adjournment by immediately releasing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and engaging the NLD and other political parties in a substantive dialogue on how they can work together for the benefit of the people of Myanmar.
The Secretary-General further urges the SPDC to allow his Special Envoy to return to Myanmar as soon as possible to continue his facilitation efforts.
UNITED NATIONS REPORTS HEIGHTENED THREATS TO PEACE IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan has experienced a heightening of the challenges posed by the three main threats to peace and stability there – namely, extremist violence, factionalism and the drug trade. These are some of the observations made in the Secretary-General’s latest report on Afghanistan , which was released today.
In it, he also stresses the importance of security assistance, and is encouraged by NATO’s decision to make more troops available there – hopefully, well ahead of the presidential elections and beyond.
SOMALIA MONITORING GROUP MANDATE EXTENDED FOR SIX MONTHS
In a formal meeting today, the Security Council voted unanimously on a draft resolution which calls for the re-establishment, for a period of six months, of the Monitoring Group which focuses on arms embargo violations in Somalia.
In addition, the Council has pushed back the public meeting on Afghanistan, originally scheduled for Wednesday, 18 August, to Wednesday, 25 August. Consultations on the UN Mission in DR Congo, which had been scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, 25 August, will now be held in the afternoon on that same date.
FOOD SITUATION IN LIBERIA REMAINS DIRE
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the food situation remains dire in Liberia.
Dwindling food stocks and a funding shortfall have now forced the World Food Programme to cut rations for more than 700,000 Liberians, for the second time in two months.
The Programme is now distributing just 70% of the normal food ration, and more cuts are likely unless donors make immediate contributions.
In addition, the food situation could grow worse in October, when the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) begins repatriating over 300,000 Liberian refugees from neighboring countries. Currently, nearly a quarter of Liberia's three million people receive food aid.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
UNICEF HELPS WITH MEASLES VACCINATIONS IN MADAGASCAR: UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, is helping Madagascar’s health authorities with the largest vaccination campaign that country has ever had. Measles vaccines and related material will be provided to 7.5 million children across the country from mid-September to mid-October – through a strategy that targets schools, health centers and hard-to-reach areas. Measles officially accounted for 1% of all hospital based deaths and 350,000 reported illnesses in 2002, and only half of all children in the country are completely vaccinated.
UNICEF PROVIDING EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE IN SOUTH OSSETIA: UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, is the process of providing rapid emergency assistance to displaced women and children from South Ossetia. The women and children are fleeing an outbreak of fighting between government of Georgia troops and separatist forces in the region. The women and children have been temporarily moved to sanatoriums in southern and western Georgia.
U.N. DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION LAUNCHES WEBSITE FOR NGO CONFERENCE: Today, the NGO Section of the United Nations Department of Public Information is launching an interactive web site in order to make the 57th Annual DPI/NGO Conference accessible to a broader public. The Conference is entitled “Millennium Development Goals: Civil Society Takes Action” and will take place from 8-10 September 2004. The website address is: http://www.undpingoconference.org/
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162 - press/media only
Fax. 212-963-7055
All other inquiries to be addressed to (212) 963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org
