HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING
BY STEPHANE
DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
ESCALATING
VIOLENCE IN DARFUR THREATENS LIFE-SAVING AID DELIVERY
Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and
Emergency Relief Coordinator, gave a
press conference in Geneva today, in which he touched on three major
issues: humanitarian reform proposals; troubling developments in Darfur,
Sudan; and
natural disasters and climate change.
On humanitarian reform, he said that, by the beginning of
next year, there would be a humanitarian response fund for emergencies, which
he hoped would eventually reach $500 million. Such a fund was needed because
the world was routinely late in responding to crises such as Niger, he said.
Turning to Darfur, Egeland drew attention to sharply
escalating levels of violence, saying that if unarmed humanitarian workers
continued to face such danger, they might not be able to keep helping the 2.5
million people currently requiring life saving assistance.
U.N. ENVOY TO PROTEST AGAINST ARREST OF
SUDANESE LAWYERS
In Khartoum today, the Secretary-General’s Special
Representative in
Sudan, Jan Pronk deplored two recent attacks in Darfur and expressed
concern over fighting in Chad.
At a press conference, Jan Pronk indicated that he would
officially protest against the arrest of seven Sudanese lawyers who were
taking part in a meeting event organized by a UN agency on human rights,
displaced persons and issues relating to the conflict in Darfur.
He also said he would be traveling on Friday to Abuja,
Nigeria, the site of peace talks on Darfur.
U.N. OFFICIAL CHARGED WITH VERIFYING
SYRIAN WITHDRAWAL
FROM LEBANON ARRIVES IN EGYPT FOR TALKS
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the
Implementation of
Resolution 1559, Terje Roed-Larsen, arrived in Cairo today, where he is to
meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak tomorrow.
Upon his arrival, Roed-Larsen
met with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. They
discussed the implementation of the relevant provisions of Resolution 1559.
The Palestinian President expressed his full support for Roed-Larsen's mandate
and for the full and complete implementation of all the provisions of the
resolution. They agreed to remain in close contact.
After that, Roed-Larsen had
talks with the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa. They reviewed
the latest developments in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon. They also
discussed the upcoming report to the Security Council on the implementation of
Resolution 1559.
Later on today, Roed-Larsen
will have a working dinner with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboulgheit.
ANNAN REITERATES SUPPORT FOR HOLOCAUST
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Last night the Secretary-General
spoke at a memorial ceremony for Simon Wiesenthal, the Holocaust survivor
and human rights activist who died last week.
The Secretary-General took the opportunity to reiterate
his support for a General Assembly resolution to establish an annual
international day of commemoration in memory of the Holocaust and its
universal lessons.
The Secretary-General said we cannot just consign this
evil to the past and forget about it. Every generation must be on its guard,
he said.
ANNAN CALLS FOR MORE U.N. PEACEKEEPERS
IN D.R. CONGO
Available today is the Secretary-General’s latest
report to the Security Council on the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC). In it, he urges the transitional government to adopt an electoral law
and to stop what he calls gross human rights violations by armed groups and
the armed forces.
He asks the Security Council to act on his recommendation
for more 2,850 more peacekeepers for the UN Organization Mission in the DRC (MONUC).
He also asks for an extension of the MONUC mandate for
one more year, which would ensure its presence in the DRC through the
elections and the immediate post-transitional period.
Meanwhile, a UN team arrived
today in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. The mission – comprised of
Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Margareta Wahlstrom, Assistant Secretary
General for Peacekeeping Operations Jane Holl Lute, and UN Development
Programme Assistant Administrator Kathleen Cravero – is there to examine the
humanitarian and developmental challenges facing the country.
Before arriving in Goma, the
mission examined progress and challenges in the disarmament and reintegration
of militias in the Ituri district and visited a camp for internally displaced
persons near the town of Bunia.
The team will proceed tomorrow
to Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, before returning to Kinshasa.
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON DRAWDOWN
OF SIERRA LEONE PEACEKEEPING MISSION
The Security Council this morning held consultations on
Sierra Leone. Council members received a briefing on the drawdown of the
UN Mission in Sierra Leone by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative
for that country, Daudi Mwakawago.
Following consultations, the Council issued two press
statements today. In the first statement, Council members strongly condemned
the attempted assassination of May Chidiac, a prominent and respected Lebanese
journalist. In the second, the Council referred to its recent consultations on
Sudan, during which it expressed serious concern at renewed violence in Darfur
and condemned the rise in banditry there.
ANNAN’S CHIEF OF STAFF BRIEFS U.S.
CONGRESS ON U.N. REFORM
Chef de Cabinet Mark Malloch Brown is in Washington,
D.C., today, where he briefed the International Relations Committee of the
United States House of Representatives on what was and was not achieved at the
UN World Summit, as well as the
way ahead on reforming the United Nations.
He said that advances in the reform agenda did take place
at the Summit, although not to the extent that the UN originally hoped. Still,
he said, the result was a document which marks an important step forward, and
is a good basis for further progress.
He also detailed the Secretary-General’s priorities for
management reform.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
TWELVE MILLION SOUTHERN AFRICANS NEED EMERGENCY FOOD:
The Food and Agriculture Organization today
reports that about 12 million people in southern Africa need immediate
emergency food deliveries because of poor cereal harvests. The report lists 24
countries in sub-Saharan Africa in need of immediate assistance. The agency said
that in addition to the poor harvests, the countries have been afflicted by
problems ranging from civil strife and war to adverse weather and economic
crisis.
ITALIAN PRESIDENT HONORED FOR FOOD WORK: The Food
and Agriculture Organization today
awarded its Agricola Medal to Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. The
agency cited Ciampi for his “untiring efforts to promote a more effective and
efficient global commitment against hunger and poverty."
DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO MARK WORLD HABITAT DAY NEXT MONDAY:
Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the
Millennium Development Goals,
will be the keynote speaker Monday for the New York celebration of World Habitat
Day. The celebration will be at Columbia University.
**The guest at the noon briefing was Eric Scwartz, the
UN’s Deputy Special Envoy for
Tsunami Recovery.
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