HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, 21 August 2006
U.N. DELEGATION MEETS WITH ISRAELI & LEBANESE LEADERS IN
MIDDLE EAST
The delegation that the
Secretary-General dispatched to the Middle East to deal with the
implementation of Security Council
resolution 1701 is in Israel today, where the team met with Israeli
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
Following that meeting, one of the
delegation’s senior members, Terje Roed-Larsen, said that the delegation
discussed with Livni all matters related to the full implementation of all
provisions of resolution 1701. Among the topics discussed, he said, were the
issues of the release of prisoners, the necessity of implementing the Security
Council resolution’s call for an arms embargo and the lifting of the blockade
in Lebanon.
The delegation also met this morning
with the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Prime Minister's office, Yoram
Turbowicz. They are meeting now with Defense Minister Amir Peretz, and expect
to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres later this afternoon.
Over the weekend, the delegation,
headed by the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor Vijay Nambiar,
met with
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and other senior officials in Lebanon.
The delegation also met Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Foreign Minister Fawzi
Salloukh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Elias Murr,
and Minister of Interior Ahmed Fatfat.
In a press briefing yesterday as the
team left Beirut, Roed-Larsen said the UN delegation had impressed on all
interlocutors that the implementation of resolution 1701 should be reached
through national consensus, based on the Taef Accord and national agreement.
Nambiar said the discussion with
Lebanese officials also focused on the question of massive civilian losses and
destruction, in addition to the efforts of UN agencies to help in that regard,
including on the issue of reconstruction.
Asked about the delegation’s work, the
Spokesman said that the team would report back to the Secretary-General when
they return to New York, possibly by the middle of this week.
Asked when the Secretary-General would
visit the Middle East, the Spokesman said he had nothing to announce on any
eventual trip. He noted that resolution 1701 asks the Secretary-General to
report on developments by the end of the month, so first, the
Secretary-General would need to hear from Nambiar and Roed-Larsen once they
have returned.
Asked whether the Secretary-General
would travel to the region at all, the Spokesman said he would go when it is
best for him to go.
Asked whether he would seek advice
from members of the US Congress before visiting Iran, Dujarric said any such
decision on travel there would solely be the Secretary-General’s to make.
ANNAN CONCERNED BY ISRAELI VIOLATION OF CESSATION OF
HOSTILITIES
A
statement was
issued on Saturday expressing the Secretary-General’s deep concerned about a
violation by the Israeli side of the cessation of hostilities, as laid out in
Security Council resolution 1701. The incident involved an Israeli raid in
eastern Lebanon on Saturday. The Secretary-General spoke on Saturday to the
Israeli and Lebanese Prime Ministers on the matter.
According to the UN Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL), there have also been several air violations by Israeli
military aircraft.
All such violations of Security
Council resolution 1701 endanger the fragile calm that was reached after much
negotiation and undermine the authority of the Government of Lebanon. The
Secretary-General further calls on all parties to respect strictly the arms
embargo, exercise maximum restraint, avoid provocative actions and display
responsibility in implementing resolution 1701.
He has further instructed that daily
reports of compliance on the cessation of hostilities by the parties should be
provided to the Security Council.
Asked what the Secretary-General said
to Prime Minister Olmert, the Spokesman said the talks focused on the
fragility of the cessation of hostilities and the need for all parties to
exercise restraint.
Asked whether the Secretary-General
could regard the Israeli operation in Baalbek as a defensive operation that
was permitted under resolution 1701, the Spokesman said that the
Secretary-General clearly saw it as a violation of the cessation of
hostilities.
Asked further about interdiction of
arms into Lebanon, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General called on
all parties to respect strictly the arms embargo and display responsibility in
implementing resolution 1701.
Asked whether the Secretary-General
had spoken to the President of Syria over the weekend, the Spokesman said he
had not.
Asked about the implementation of
other UN resolutions on the Middle East, the Spokesman said that the
Secretary-General would like to see a successful implementation of resolution
1701 as a step towards the resolution of the situation in the Middle East.
LEBANESE DEPLOYMENT & ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL CONTINUING, U.N.
MISSION REPORTS
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
reports that the Israeli Army withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese
Army continue in accordance with the plan and timeline agreed during a
trilateral meeting that the UN Force Commander, General Alain Pellegrini, had
yesterday with senior representatives of the Lebanese and Israeli Army.
UNIFIL move into areas vacated by the
Israeli Defense Forces early yesterday afternoon. Today, the Lebanese Army
shall take control over those areas.
The UN peacekeeping mission also
distributed 35,000 litres of drinking water to several villages.
Asked about the arrival of additional
UN troops, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General had been on the phone
with leaders over the weekend and remains confident that the United Nations
can have a vanguard force in Lebanon within 10 days. In response to a further
question on when the force could be deployed, he reiterated the
Secretary-General’s conviction that it can be done in 10 days, “the sooner the
better”.
In response to several questions
concerning rules of engagement for the expanded UN force, the Spokesman said
that the Member States were provided with draft rules of engagement last week
for their comment. No comments or requests for clarification have been
received so far from any State he said, and added that the United Nations will
be pro-actively seeking responses from States. The Department of Peacekeeping
Operations is always available to provide further clarification.
He said that UNIFIL would not go in as
an offensive force but would have the authority to use force in cases where
combatants forcefully resist efforts to disarm them.
In response to further questions on
the rules of engagement, the Spokesman said that the creation of a
weapons-free zone in southern Lebanon is primarily the responsibility of the
Lebanese Government, and UNIFIL would support those efforts. In that capacity,
UNIFIL can under certain circumstances use force, but that, he added, would be
a tactical decision to be made by commanders on the ground.
Asked about comments from US President
George W. Bush about the need for a new resolution concerning the rules of
engagement, the Spokesman said that was a matter for the Security Council
Ambassadors, and reiterated that draft rules of engagement had already been
sent to Member States.
Asked whether UNIFIL would have a
force commander coming from Italy or another potential new troop contributor,
Dujarric said that the decision on appointing a Force Commander is up to the
Secretary-General.
He said that the Secretary-General
continues to have full confidence in General Pellegrini, of France, who he
feels has done an outstanding job, particularly during the past few weeks.
Asked when Pellegrini’s current term expires, the Spokesman said it would be
next February.
As for other top positions, the
Spokesman said that other senior officers at UNIFIL headquarters could come
from the largest contributors to the Force.
Asked about the composition of the
force, and whether it would include countries that do not recognise Israel,
the Spokesman said that the composition would be decided by the
Secretary-General, who has been in discussion with a large number of
countries.
The force, Dujarric said, would need
to have military and political legitimacy, and it should be no surprise if it
includes European and Muslim troops, among others.
Asked whether the United Nations would
require potential troop contributors to recognise Israel, the Spokesman said
that the first step is to put a force together, with the aim of resolution
1701 being to shore up the Government of Lebanon to assert its full authority
in southern Lebanon. The United Nations would support Lebanon’s Government in
those efforts.
Asked whether the United Nations would
help Lebanon to demarcate its borders, the Spokesman said that the United
Nations would help the Government of Lebanon at its request but noted that the
bulk of UN forces would remain in the country’s south.
Asked about the lessons learned by UN
troops in Bosnia following the Srebrenica massacre, the Spokesman said that
those lessons have been studied.
Asked where Under-Secretary-General
for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno is, the Spokesman said he is
currently meeting with French officials in France.
MORE THAN 50 HUMANITARIAN CONVOYS HAVE DELIVERED AID IN
LEBANON SINCE LATE JULY
The Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
reports that three humanitarian convoys were dispatched from Beirut today,
bringing the number of convoys sent since 26 July to 52.
Since the current crisis started, the
World Food Programme has fed 460,000 people, and UNICEF has provided essential
drugs for 70,000 people and carried out vaccination campaigns against measles
for 13,000 children and against polio for 9,000. UNICEF has also provided
water for 135,000 people, in addition to water kits for 80,000 throughout the
country.
OCHA also reports that the entire
Sidon region, with the exception of Marjayoun, is heavily contaminated by
unexploded ordnance; de-mining will take up to six months in the region of
Nabatiye alone. UN agencies have worked with the Government on a public
awareness campaign on the dangers posed by the ordnance -- TV and radio spots
have already aired, and 100,000 leaflets and 10,000 posters have been handed
out.
On the fuel front, the UN facilitated
the entry of 135,000 tons of fuel for the Government and aid agencies into
Lebanon between 2 and 17 August.
On the Lebanon
oil spill, the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP) has
announced that aerial surveys of the Lebanese coast will be getting
underway quickly, as a result of assurances given today by the Israeli
authorities. The surveys will determine the quantity of oil remaining at sea,
which will, in turn, determine the exact next steps for the clean-up
operation.
Meanwhile, the UN Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is today sending a team of
experts to Lebanon to meet Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and members of his
government, in an effort to determine how UNESCO can help the country’s early
recovery efforts, with regard to cultural heritage and education.
LEBANON: ANNAN ENCOURAGED BY RESULTS OF CESSATION OF
HOSTILITIES BUT WARNS SITUATION STILL FRAGILE
The Security Council is holding
consultations this morning on Lebanon and other matters. Assistant
Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi Annabi is briefing on the
Secretary-General’s
report on
the implementation of resolution 1701, which was given to Council members last
Friday.
In that report, the Secretary-General
provides an update on the cessation of hostilities and on ways to reinforce
the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
The Secretary-General says that he is
encouraged by the positive first steps that have followed the coming into
effect of the cessation of hostilities, but he cautions that the situation is
still very fragile. He calls on all parties to do their utmost to ensure that
the cessation of hostilities holds and to transform it into a durable
ceasefire.
He says that a reinforced UNIFIL is
not going to wage war on any of the actors in the theatre, nor can it be a
substitute for a political process. But that political process will need the
kind of help, assistance and confidence that only a robust peacekeeping
presence can provide.
U.N. COMMENDS HIGH PARTICIPATION IN CONGOLESE ELECTIONS BUT
REPORTS TENSION IN CONGOLESE CAPITAL
The UN Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
says that it has taken note of the poll results for the presidential election
and commends the massive participation of the Congolese people. However, the
Mission also reports that the situation in the capital Kinshasa remains
volatile and tense following clashes yesterday between armed guards for the
two leading candidates, President Joseph Kabila and Vice-President Jean-Pierre
Bemba, who are scheduled for a run-off on 29 October.
The Secretary-General’s Special
Representative, William Lacy Swing, is currently negotiating a dialogue
between the President Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba and we will update you on
that.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General in a
statement
yesterday urged the Congolese parties and candidates to abide by the electoral
law in the resolution of any disputes related to the electoral process. He
also urged them to accept and respect the final results of the elections, in a
spirit of peace and reconciliation. He said that it should be noted that the
elections are a vital step in the long process of peace consolidation, with
many major challenges ahead. He added that the UN remains deeply committed to
supporting the people of Congo in their efforts to achieve lasting stability
and democracy throughout the country, as well as sustained economic
development.
Asked about reports of a gun battle in
Kinshasa, the Spokesman said that the United Nations was trying to obtain more
information and was working with the parties to restore calm. He said that
Special Representative William Swing was talking to all parties, and he and
others had appealed for calm.
Asked about the challenges in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Spokesman said that the main challenge
is that all political parties accept the electoral process and deal with any
complaints through that process rather than through the streets. Also, he
added, the country faces the challenging task of reconstruction.
ANNAN APPEALS TO IRAN TO SEIZE HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY
In a
statement issued
yesterday, the Secretary-General said he was pleased that the Islamic Republic
of Iran has indicated it will respond to the proposal of the EU3 plus 3 for a
comprehensive solution to the nuclear issue on Tuesday, 22 August 2006. He
appealed to the Government of Iran to seize this historic opportunity. The
Secretary-General trusts that Iran's reply will, be positive and that this
will be the foundation for a final, negotiated settlement.
In a time of acute crisis in the
Middle East, the Secretary-General believes that progress on the nuclear issue
is essential for the stability not only of the region, but the international
system itself. It is time to take steps in the right direction. He is
convinced that a way is now open for setting a milestone for international
non-proliferation efforts.
The EU3 plus 3 have reaffirmed Iran's
right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. It is important that
Iran now assures the world that its intentions are peaceful, and that it
re-builds confidence in its nuclear programme, as both the IAEA and the
Security Council have called for.
Asked whether the Secretary-General
has in mind a nuclear-free Middle East, the Spokesman noted that the
Secretary-General has repeatedly expressed his disappointment that Member
States have not been able to come to agreement on strengthening the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty. He hopes that a resolution of the Iranian issue will
strengthen nuclear non-proliferation efforts. This is an issue that the
Secretary-General wishes that Member States would focus on more, he added.
Asked who would receive Iran’s reply,
the Spokesman said the United Nations believed the information would go to
Javier Solana, the European Union High Representative, who had been dealing
with the issue.
ANNAN WELCOMES POLITICAL AGREEMENT IN TOGO
The Secretary-General
welcomes the
signing yesterday by Togolese political parties, the Government and civil
society of an agreement aimed at promoting lasting political reforms in the
country. He sees this as an important undertaking by Togolese as a whole to
put the past behind them and to build a brighter future based on
reconciliation, transparency and the rule of law.
The Secretary-General commends
President Compaore for facilitating the process that led to the successful
conclusion of the inter-Togolese dialogue. He is encouraged by the spirit of
conciliation and compromise demonstrated by Togolese political leaders
throughout the process and welcomes President Faure Gnassingbe’s commitment to
ensure the agreement is implemented fully and rapidly.
The Secretary-General calls upon the
international community to help Togo consolidate the new chapter in the
country’s process of democratic reform through renewed and increased
cooperation and support, in particular to revitalize the economy.
SUDAN: U.N. MISSION CONDEMNS ATTACK ON AFRICAN UNION TROOPS
The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), in a
statement issued
over the weekend, strongly condemned the attack on the African Union Mission
in Sudan (AMIS) and the killing of two of its soldiers on Saturday by an
unidentified group of armed men. That attack took place in the Kuma area in
North Darfur.
The UN Mission called on all parties
to the Darfur conflict to respect the neutral and impartial status of AMIS and
recalled that any attack against the African Union personnel deployed in
Darfur is a serious violation of international law.
The UN Mission supported the AMIS
decision to carry out a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators of
the attack and urged all parties to fully cooperate to ensure that those
responsible for this attack are held accountable and brought to justice.
ANNAN CALLS FOR MORE RESOURCES TO PROMOTE CONFLICT PREVENTION
Available today is the
Secretary-General’s
report on
conflict prevention, in which the Secretary-General says that that conflict
prevention can be achieved through greater efforts on three different fronts:
Addressing the sources of tension within and between societies, States and
regions; strengthening norms and institutions for peace; and strengthening
mechanisms for resolving inter-State disputes.
Among its recommendations, the report
calls for states to dedicate an amount equal to a percentage of peacekeeping
budget to conflict prevention; to strengthen the UN Department of Political
Affairs and its capacity for analysis, early warning and conflict mediation
and increased support for development assistance through UN Development
Programme.
This is the Secretary-General’s second
comprehensive report on the prevention of armed conflict, and it responds to
resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council. The first was
issued in 2001, followed by an interim report in 2003.
And the report and its recommendations
will be formally discussed on 7 September in the General Assembly in an open
debate, with the Secretary-General introducing the document and making an
opening statement.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNAN CONCERNED BY ARREST OF SENIOR
PALESTINIANS: Asked about the recent arrests of
members of the Palestinian Parliament, the Spokesman said that the arrest of
many senior Palestinians is a cause of particular concern to the
Secretary-General, since it further undermines the Palestinian institutions
which must be preserved if a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict is to be achieved.
BIRD FLU VIRUS STILL A THREAT:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
said
today that the bird flu virus continues to threaten 55 countries in Africa, Asia
and Europe. Among them, the Caucasus and southern Balkans are considered
high-risk areas. To efficiently contain the spread of the virus, weak veterinary
services must be improved and long-term funding is needed, FAO says.
*** The guest today was Thomas
Schindlmayr from the Secretariat for the Disability Convention. He briefed on
the progress of the negotiations on the Convention.
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
