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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING

BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
UN HEADQUARTERS,  NEW YORK

Monday,
December 5, 2005

MIDDLE EAST
QUARTET CONDEMNS SUICIDE BOMBING IN NETANYA

• Representatives
  of the Quartet – Secretary General Kofi Annan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
  Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, U.K. Foreign Secretary Jack
  Straw, High Representative for European Common Foreign and Security Policy
  Javier Solana, and European Commissioner for External Relations Benita
  Ferrero-Waldner – consulted today on the situation in the
  
  Middle East.
   

• The Quartet condemns today’s terrorist attack in Netanya
  in the strongest possible terms.  Representatives of Palestinian Islamic Jihad
  have claimed responsibility for the bombing through al-Manar television.  The
  Quartet repeats its demand that the Syrian government take immediate action to
  close the offices of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and to prevent the use of its
  territory by armed groups engaged in terrorist acts. 
   

• The Quartet denounces all acts of terrorism and urges all
  parties to exercise restraint, avoid an escalation of violence, and keep the
  channels of communication open.  The Quartet encourages and supports the
  Palestinian Authority’s efforts to take immediate steps to prevent armed
  groups from acting against law and order and the policy of the Authority
  itself.  The Quartet reiterates its support for efforts to assist the
  Palestinian Authority in the reform and restructuring of its security
  services.
   

• The Quartet believes it is imperative that all involved
  act decisively to ensure that terror and violence are not allowed to undermine
  further progress in accordance with the Roadmap. 
   

• The Quartet will remain seized of these matters.
   

• Separately,
  
  Alvaro de Soto, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace
  Process, said he was shocked and saddened at today’s suicide bombing in
  Netanya. He condemned this act of terrorism, saying that no cause can justify
  the deliberate killing and maiming of civilians. He sent his condolences to
  the bereaved families and to the Government of Israel. De Soto added that he
  had no doubt that whoever ordered and carried out this attack wants to
  undermine efforts to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians. “I hope
  that all concerned will not play into their hands,” he said.

 UNITED NATIONS IS CONCERNED WITH MASS
GRAVES IN LEBANON

• Asked about the reported discovery of mass graves in
  Lebanon, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General’s Representative for
  Lebanon,
  
  Geir Pedersen, expressed his deeply felt concern and said it was a matter
  that needs to be examined closely.
   

• Pedersen noted that the Lebanese authorities have already
  started the important work of identifying the victims. The United Nations will
  be following the matter with them, the Spokesman said.

UNITED NATIONS FOCUSES ON SUPPORTING
HARIRI INVESTIGATION

• Asked whether the Secretary-General has criticized the
  United States for its involvement regarding the
  
  investigation headed by Detlev Mehlis, the Spokesman said he was not aware
  of any such criticism. What the United Nations is focusing on, he said, is
  supporting Mehlis in his work in the run-up to his report later this month.
   

• Asked whether Mehlis will stay on, the Spokesman said
  that, if his investigation’s mandate is extended, the United Nations
  understands that he would not be able to stay on because of pressing
  commitments at his regular job in Germany. However, he added, Mehlis would
  help the United Nations to ensure a smooth transition to a possible successor;
  the Spokesman declined to provide a timeframe for such help.
   

• Asked whether the Secretary-General had failed to
  convince Mehlis to stay on, the Spokesman said the first matter to focus on is
  his report to the Security Council. Mehlis will be in New York for that
  report, and can then talk to the Secretary-General and other parties about his
  decision.

UNITED NATIONS DOING WORK IN IRAQ ON WIDE
RANGE OF ISSUES

• Asked whether Carina Perelli, the Director of the
  
  Electoral Assistance Division, has been fired, the Spokesman said he could
  not comment on the case until the Secretary-General’s decision on the matter
  had been conveyed to Perelli. That decision has been taken and is in the
  process of being communicated to her, he said.
   

• The Spokesman was asked how a decision on Perelli might
  affect the work the United Nations is doing in Iraq, by a reporter who claimed
  that electoral assistance was the only work the United Nations is doing in
  Iraq. The Spokesman countered that the United Nations is doing work in Iraq on
  a wide range of issues, from its support to the Constitutional process, led by
  Nicholas Fink Haysom, to its humanitarian efforts, detailed recently by Deputy
  Special Representative in Iraq
  
  Staffan de Mistura.
   

• As for electoral matters, Dujarric said, the senior
  international official dealing with electoral issues in Iraq is Craig Jeness,
  who has been on the ground there since the referendum as the international
  member of the Independent Electoral Commission. He will continue to work in
  that capacity, and will lead the UN efforts on the December elections.
   

• Asked about Perelli’s status, the Spokesman said that she
  currently heads the Electoral Assistance Division of the Department for
  Political Affairs.
   

• Asked whether Perelli could appeal any decision that is
  taken, the Spokesman said that there is an appeals process in place for any UN
  staff member, whether facing suspension or dismissal.

 U.N. ENVOY  SAYS  IMPUNITY MUST STOP IN
COTE D’IVOIRE

• From Cote d’Ivoire,
  
  Juan Mendez, the Secretary General’s  Special Advisor for the Prevention
  of Genocide,  told a press conference in Abidjan Saturday,  that he believed
  it was necessary to break the circle of impunity in that country.
   

• Mendez said the lack of responsibility and punishment for
  massacres had aroused the indignation of the international community.
   

• He spoke at the end of a four-day visit to Cote d’Ivoire.
   

• Meanwhile, the
  
  Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, that the Humanitarian
  Coordinator in Cote d’Ivoire has condemned the destruction of two communities
  in Abidjan.

 U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF IN ZIMBABWE TO
ASSESS NEEDS

• UN Emergency Relief Coordinator
  
  Jan Egeland arrived in Zimbabwe over the weekend, on a three-day mission
  on behalf of the Secretary-General to assess the humanitarian needs of the
  population, including those affected by Operation Restore Order.
   

• On Sunday, Mr. Egeland met with the Minister of Local
  Government, Public Works and Urban Development, Ignatius Chombo.
   

• During the meeting, there was discussion as to how the
  United Nations, non-governmental organizations and other humanitarian partners
  in Zimbabwe can better support the many people in need of humanitarian
  assistance, including temporary shelter.
   

• Egeland emphasized the critical role of the government in
  facilitating the work of the humanitarian community, particularly in regard of
  granting access to humanitarian organizations and helping them to expedite
  bureaucratic procedures.
   

• Today, Egeland visited areas where he assessed the living
  conditions of those who had been affected by the government’s clean-up
  operation and an orphanage caring for HIV-positive children.
   

• He also met with church leaders, representatives of
  national and international non-governmental organizations, and others.
   

• Tomorrow, Mr. Egeland will visit Bulawayo and
  Matabeleland South to assess the humanitarian situation there. He is also
  expected to meet with President Robert Mugabe during his mission and brief the
  press before leaving for South Africa.

 U.N. FOOD AGENCY GUARANTEES CHOPPER AID
TO QUAKE VICTIMS

• The UN World Food Programme (WFP)
  said over the weekend that it can guarantee winter food supplies for 400,000
  earthquake survivors in remote villages in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. But
  the agency said continuing donor support is vital. 
   

• The Pakistani government has agreed that the United
  Nations and its choppers should ferry food to those people who can be reached
  only by air.
   

• The United Nations is capable of flying in 6,000 tons of
  food a month, the agency said.
   

• The helicopter program is part of a coordinated winter
  feeding plan the United Nations has developed for all of the affected areas.

SECRETARY-GENERAL REPORTS ON REFORM ITEMS

• The Secretary-General’s
  
  report to the General Assembly on the ethics, governance, external 
  evaluation and oversight plus other reform items  requested by the 2005 World
  summit is out on the racks today.
   

• In it he presents recommends the establishment of an
  ethics office, the conduct of an independent external evaluation of
  governance, oversight and auditing, and the establishment of an independent
  audit advisory committee.

 OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N. KOSOVO ENVOY CONDEMNS ATTACK:
Soren Jessen-Petersen,  the Secretary-General’s Special
Representative for Kosovo, condemned
the weekend bus attack in Prizren, which fortunately failed to cause any major
damage or injuries.

URBAN PROBLEMS DISCUSSED BY 25,000 ON LINE: The UN

Human Settlements Programme  (UN-Habitat) said today that some 25,000
persons worldwide had participated in a “Habitat Jam” online discussion session
on urban problems. Habitat organized the global chat to prepare for its World
Urban Forum in Vancouver next June. Even people who could not read or write
participated -- through town meetings arranged by Habitat, the agency said.

THERE’S NO RISK OF BIRD FLU
FROM PROPERLY COOKED CHICKEN:
Chicken and other poultry are safe to eat if cooked
properly, according to a joint statement by the UN

Food and Agriculture Organization  (FAO) and the

World Health Organization (WHO) issued to national food safety authorities.
However, no birds from flocks with disease should enter the food chain. FAO/WHO
made the statement to clarify food safety issues in relation to the current bird
flu crisis. The statement
has been issued through the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN)
and is available in six languages.

INTERNATIONAL
HIV/AIDS MEETING STARTS: The 14th
International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (ICASA)
started today in Abuja, Nigeria.  The group is expected to press governments to
honour commitments and examine new intellectual property policies and trade
arrangements that can help ensure access to life-saving drugs for nearly 26
million Africans infected with HIV, according to the UN

Development Programme (UNDP), one of the conference sponsors.
 

  Office
of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
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Fax. 212-963-7055

All other inquiries to be addressed to (212) 963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org

 


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