HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING
BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, 17 April 2006
KOFI ANNAN CONDEMNS TEL AVIV SUICIDE BOMBING
The Secretary-General strongly condemns today's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. He calls on the Palestinian Authority to take a clear public stand against such unjustifiable acts of terrorism, noting that President Abbas has done so and regretting that the new government has not.
The Secretary-General is deeply concerned that civilians continue to be killed by violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. He calls on all parties to abide by their obligations under international law, and to refrain from actions that further escalate the situation and put civilians at grave risk.
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON IRAQ’S RETURN OF KUWAITI PEOPLE & PROPERTY
The Security Council held consultations this morning. It began with a briefing by Ambasador Yuli Vorontsov, the Secretary-General’s High-Level Coordinator for the repatriation or return of the Kuwaiti and third-country nationals, or their remains, and of Kuwaiti property from Iraq.
Afterwards, it was briefed on the Secretary-General’s latest report on Cote d’Ivoire by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for that country, Pierre Schori.
This afternoon at 3:00 p.m., the Council is holding an open meeting on the Middle East.
CHAD WILL NOT DEPORT SUDANESE REFUGEES, U.N. OFFICIAL TOLD
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres today reported that the President of Chad had confirmed in a telephone conversation, that refugees from Darfur, now in Chad, would not be forcibly returned home and that Chad will abide by international principles on the treatment of refugees.
Guterres said President Idriss Deby had also told him of his concerns about the difficulties involved in providing security for refugees and humanitarian organisations that are helping them.
In that regard, Guterres today issued an appeal to the international community to do everything possible to urgently establish peace and security in Darfur and to preserve the security of refugees and internally displaced people in Darfur and Chad.
Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that, despite recent security incidents, food distribution has been completed in five refugee camps. However, it has been disrupted and postponed in five others.
In the Chadian town of Goz Beida, five to six trucks of internally displaced persons are arriving daily. The refugees there are now sharing their water points with the internally displaced on a rotational basis. UNICEF, for its part, is working on restoring out-of-service boreholes in three outlying villages.
Asked if the Secretary-General is considering sending a representative to try to diffuse tensions between Chad and Sudan, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General had been in contact over the past weekend with the African Union as well as Chadian President Idriss Deby on this issue.
The Spokesman said the Secretary-General welcomed Deby’s decision to re-commit himself to international principles on the protection of refugees, in particular the protection of Darfurian refugees in Chad.
The Spokesman added that, judging from recent events, it was clear that a comprehensive solution was needed for the crisis in Darfur, and Chad’s recent decision to withdraw from the peace talks in Abuja is disturbing.
Asked if the Secretary-General had been in contact with Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General had not but other UN officials in Sudan had been in contact with the president.
KOFI ANNAN LAUNCHES NEW BODY FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT
The Secretary-General has approved the launch of a Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development.
The Alliance’s mission will be to promote the integration of such technology and development through dialogue among a wide variety of stakeholders – including non-governmental participants from developing countries, the media, academia, youth and women’s groups.
The Alliance will hold its inaugural meeting on 19 June in Kuala Lumpur.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
CAPITAL MASTER PLAN DIRECTOR HEADS TO BRAZIL TO MEET LAST LIVING ARCHITECT OF U.N. BUILDING: The Executive Director of the Capital Master Plan, Fritz Reuter, will be heading to Brazil tomorrow to meet architect Oscar Niemeyer. At 94 years old, Niemeyer is the last living architect from the team of twelve that designed the UN Headquarters building. Reuter will be talking to Niemeyer about his views on the Capital Master Plan.
INVESTIGATOR’S REPORT ON DILEEP NAIR NOT FINALIZED YET: Asked about the status of Jerome Ackermann’s report into the activities of former Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight, Dileep Nair, the Spokesman said the investigator’s report was still being worked. He promised to share with reporters any further information as soon as he received it. Asked by one reporter if it could be assumed Mr. Nair would not be cleared since the Secretary-General's office had not received any advance information from the investigator, the Spokesman stressed that nothing should be assumed until the report was finalized.
U.N. & OIL-FOR-FOOD INQUIRY STILL IN DISCUSSIONS OVER ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS: Asked about the status of and access to the documentation of the Independent Inquiry Committee (IIC), the Spokesman said it remains in the possession of the IIC which has had its mandate extended until the end of the year, and the UN and the IIC are still in discussions on how to best provide access to the documents. Asked about a report which said that the UN Development Programme (UNDP) had obtained and then re-paid a loan from the Oil-for-Food Programme, the Spokesman said the question should be addressed to UNDP.
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 100178
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
