HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, September 18, 2006
ANNAN ENCOURAGED BY PROGRESS IN LEBANON CESSATION OF
HOSTILITIES
Secretary-General Kofi Annan today
briefed the Security Council in closed consultations on his recent report
concerning his travels to the Middle East and other recent developments in the
implementation of
resolution 1701, concerning Lebanon.
That
report,
which is out as a document, details some progress in ending the conflict
between Israel and Lebanon, including the expansion of the
UN Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the lifting of Israel’s blockade on that country. A
start has been made, the Secretary-General says in his report, but many other
steps are required.
The Secretary-General notes with
pleasure that Lebanon’s Government “has decided in clear terms that there can
only be one source of law, order and authority” and adds that he is “greatly
encouraged” by statements from relevant parties, including Syria and Iran,
during his recent mission. He says that a sustainable long-term solution can
only be implemented on the basis of inclusive political processes,
domestically in Lebanon as well as in the wider region.
In Lebanon itself, French Defense
Minister Michele Alliot-Marie met today with the Force Commander of UNIFIL,
Major-General Alain Pellegrini, and other officials at UNIFIL Headquarters in
Naqoura, where she was briefed on the continuing withdrawal of Israeli forces
from southern Lebanon.
Following the arrival in recent days
of personnel from France, Italy and Spain, UNIFIL now has about 4,800
personnel on the ground.
Asked about the meeting this
afternoon between the Secretary-General and the Lebanese Foreign Minister, the
Spokesman said that the meeting would focus on resolution 1701.
Asked about an offer from Gen.
Michel Aoun to provide his good offices for the release of the Israeli and
Lebanese soldiers, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General’s efforts
remain focused on supporting the work of his facilitator.
For that facilitator’s work to
be successful, the Spokesman said, the Secretary-General wants that person’s
work to be as much below the radar as possible; he consequently declined
further comment.
Asked about Palestinian
prisoners and Cpl. Gilad Shalit, Dujarric said that the facilitator’s work was
focused on the Israel-Lebanon prisoner issues, although that should not be
read as a lack of concern for the other prisoners. The Secretary-General, he
said, has expressed his concern at the arrests of Palestinian legislators and
called for the release of Corporal Shalit.
DE-MINING,
ELECTRICAL REPAIRS CONTINUE IN SOUTH LEBANON
Also on Lebanon, the
Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that electrical repairs
in the country are proceeding more quickly than originally projected.
Meanwhile, the
UN Mine Action Service reports that,
so far, nearly 17,000 cluster bomblets and more than 600 other items of
unexploded ordnance have been cleared and destroyed jointly by the Mine Action
Coordination Center of South Lebanon, which is overseen by the UN Mine Action
Service, UNIFIL engineers, and the Lebanese Armed Forces.
ANNAN
TO ATTEND HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON IRAQ
The Secretary-General will open a
high-level meeting on Iraq, at 3:00 this afternoon in Conference Room 4, which
is designed to review the implementation of Security Council resolution 1546
and to discuss the
International Compact with Iraq.
The meeting brings together 31
delegations, including 14 foreign ministers, as well as officials from
regional organizations and international financial institutions.
Most of the meeting is closed to the
press, but the first two speakers – the Secretary-General and Iraqi President
Jalal Talabani – will give statements that will be made public.
Asked whether relations
between the United Nations and some States had worsened since the Iraq war,
the Spokesman said that relations vary, but the work of the Secretary-General
and his staff have concentrated on assisting the Iraqi people, including on
their political and economic development, humanitarian concerns and human
rights.
ANNAN
URGES DIALOGUE IN IRAN NUCLEAR DISPUTE
Asked about the
Secretary-General’s views on Iran’s talks with the three European Union
nations and three other permanent Security Council members, the Spokesman said
that the Secretary-General has encouraged both sides to negotiate in a
positive atmosphere. He noted, in response to a further question, that the
United Nations was not directly involved in those talks.
The United Nations, the
Spokesman said, has encouraged those discussions, but it is up to the parties
to conduct them and find a negotiated solution.
Asked about reports that
several Iranians traveling to the United Nations this week had not received
visas to enter the United States, the Spokesman recalled that, under the Host
Country Agreement, the host country is expected to facilitate the entry of all
officials into the United Nations. He noted that there is a Host Country
Committee that can look into visa problems.
PROGRESS
SUSTAINED IN AFGHANISTAN DESPITE HURDLES, U.N. OFFICIAL SAYS
The Secretary-General’s Special
Representative for Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, said at a press conference today
that Afghanistan needs more sustained international support, at what he
described as a difficult time.
He noted that NATO and the
International Security Assistance Force have recently called for more
troops, and he supported their call.
At the same time, Koenigs said, “the
fear of failing is quite popular, but it is wrong. We are making real and
sustained progress in Afghanistan in spite of the problems in the south.”
ANNAN’S
DEPUTY: PROGRESS BY LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
INSUFFICIENT
The Deputy Secretary-General,
Mark Malloch-Brown,
this morning addressed a
High-Level Meeting of the Least Developed Countries.
In his remarks, Malloch-Brown said
that, over the past five years, least developed countries have experienced
higher economic growth, greater exports and larger investment flows. They have
also made some progress towards several human development goals, including
reducing maternal and child mortality and increasing universal primary
enrolment.
Yet, despite significant progress by
some least developed countries, their gains as a group have been insufficient
to meet the goals agreed to in 2001 in Brussels. And they have had minimum
impact where it is most needed, he said.
ANNAN WELCOMES SUPREME
COURT RULING ON D.R. CONGO VOTE
The Secretary-General
welcomes last
week's validation by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Democratic Republic
of the Congo of the results of the first round of the presidential election
held on 30 July. This confirms that a second round will be contested by
President Joseph Kabila and Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba.
The Secretary-General calls on the two candidates to
adhere to the electoral calendar, which sets 29 October as the date both for
the second presidential round and for the provincial assembly elections, and
to reach an early agreement both on the rules of conduct for the electoral
campaign and on mutual assurances for security and political engagement
thereafter.
He also calls on all candidates and political parties to
ensure that the 29 October elections are conducted in conditions of security,
and are credible and transparent, and to respect the outcome. Any incitement
to hatred and violence during the electoral period is unacceptable, and anyone
engaging in such activity must be held accountable.
The United Nations remains committed to provide all
possible support to the Congolese people in holding peaceful and successful
elections on 29 October.
IMPLEMENTATION
OF SUDAN PEACE AGREEMENT INCOMPLETE
The Secretary-General’s latest
report on
Sudan is out on the racks today – and the Secretary-General’s Special
Representative, Jan Pronk, is briefing the
Security Council later today.
In the report, the Secretary-General
says that one year after the inauguration of the Government of National Unity,
the parties have made progress in carrying out their commitments under the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement – but on a limited scale.
He says that while the parties are
observing their security commitments reasonably well, the implementation of
several other major provisions of the Agreement has fallen behind schedule –
and it appears that the implementation is being done on a selective basis.
He also says that efforts to implement
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement will prove inadequate until durable peace
also comes to Darfur.
Jan Pronk is expected to speak with
you on this at the Security Council stakeout area after his briefing.
Asked about the
Secretary-General’s position on sending troops to Sudan without the Sudanese
Government’s permission, the Spokesman said that the United Nations would be
hard-pressed to get countries to commit troops under those conditions.
The Secretary-General, he
said, continued to work to get the Government to ultimately accept a
transition to a UN force and to get the African Union force extended until the
end of December. He had discussed those matters when he met with Sudanese
President Omar al-Bashir in Havana last Friday.
The UN Department of
Peacekeeping Operations, Dujarric noted, was working with the African Union on
ways to strengthen its forces.
ANNAN APPEALS TO
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ON THE SITUATION IN DARFUR
The
Second Session of the Human Rights Council began today in Geneva and will
run for three weeks until 6 October.
Most of this session will be devoted
to considering all reports under the "special procedures" mechanisms of the
previous Commission on Human Rights, that is, all reports of the human rights
special rapporteurs and independent experts who have country-specific or
thematic mandates.
In a message delivered to the
Human Rights Council delegates by the High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Louise Arbour, the Secretary-General drew the Council’s attention especially
to the violations and abuses to which the people of Darfur are being
subjected, and which threaten to get even worse in the near future.
In a direct appeal to the
delegates, the Secretary-General said: “Do not disappoint the hopes of
humanity.”
In her own remarks to the Council,
Arbour
said the deteriorating situation in Darfur stands out as a tragic reminder
of the collective failure to protect civilians, with combatants routinely
making a mockery of the principles of international humanitarian law.
She also referred to Iraq, where
existing mechanisms for preventing and redressing human rights violations were
still insufficient due to the abysmal security situation and a lack of
adequate resources; to Sri Lanka, where there was an urgent need for the
international community to monitor the unfolding human rights situation; and
to Nepal, where despite significant positive developments, progress remained
fragile.
On the Council itself, she said it
should be equipped to seize itself of perilous and long-neglected situations,
and to intervene to defuse them before they escalate into full-scale brutality
or irreparable damage.
UNITED
NATIONS CONDEMN ATTEMPT ON SOMALI PRESIDENT’S LIFE
Speaking on behalf of the United
Nations and all member states of the European Union, the
Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall, strongly condemned
today’s car bombing attempt on the life of the Somali President.
President Abdullahi Yusuf escaped
unharmed, but at least five people are reported to have died and scores were
wounded.
Fall said that he was relieved that
the President and other leaders had survived the attempt. He also expressed
sadness at the loss of life and injuries to innocent bystanders.
ANNAN SAYS MORE MUST BE DONE TO HELP THE DISABLED
The Secretary-General attended the
presentation ceremony for the
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
International Disability Award at UN Headquarters.
Addressing the event, he
said that people
with disabilities form a group that’s larger than many realize and for many
years, their needs and rights tended to be overlooked – but, while that
situation has been changing, much more must be done.
He told the audience there’s a need to
remember that equal participation requires not only dismantling barriers, but
creating opportunities; and he spoke of the inspiring example provided by
Poland where the rights of persons with disabilities are enshrined in the
country’s Constitution and in the Charter of Disabled Persons.
ANNAN VOLUNTARILY SUBMITS FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM
Asked whether the
Secretary-General’s financial disclosure form would be made public, the
Spokesman said it would not, nor would those of the UN staff who filed. The
forms would be handled by the UN Ethics Office.
The Spokesman said the
Secretary-General has always abided by the commitments required of him by the
organization.
During the Volcker commission, he
submitted all his financial statements. In its report in September 2005, the
Commission found that nothing in his finances raises any suspicion.
On advice of lawyers, the
Secretary-General had not filled out a financial disclosure form, which he was
not required to, so as not tie the hands of his successor.
However, in order to avoid
misinterpretation of his position, the Secretary-General
has decided to voluntarily submit a financial disclosure form. That decision
was made on Friday.
Asked whether filing a
financial disclosure creates any problems for the Secretary-General’s
successor, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General had taken his
decision voluntarily, and whoever succeeds him would have to decide whether to
follow that example.
ANNAN
TO ADDRESS UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The
Secretary-General will be addressing the General Assembly tomorrow.
His address will
review of some of the major challenges the world has faced during his ten
years as Secretary-General, and still does now. It argues that many of these
challenges have become more acute, and above all more divisive, to the point
where they now "threaten the very notion of an international community, upon
which this institution stands".
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNAN APPOINTS DEPUTY
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER: The
Secretary-General has appointed
Ms. Kyung-wha Kang of the Republic of Korea as Deputy High Commissioner for
Human Rights. The appointment is at the Assistant-Secretary-General level. Ms.
Kang is currently Director-General of International Organizations at the
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea, with a portfolio
that covers a wide range of UN issues, including human rights.
ENVOY CONDEMNS BOMB ATTACKS IN
KOSOVO: Principal Deputy Special Representative of the
Secretary-General Steven Schook condemned two explosive attacks targeting parked
vehicles in Gjilan/Gnjilane and Ferizaj/Uroševac on Friday and Saturday nights.
The explosions, which heavily damaged the vehicles, were caused by bombs placed
under them.
ANNAN TO DISCUSS DARFUR, IRAN
WITH U.S. PRESIDENT: Asked about the
discussions the Secretary-General will have with U.S. President George W. Bush,
he said that they have wide-ranging discussions when they meet. He said, in
response to a specific question, that it would be expected that Darfur and Iran
would be among the topics.
ANNAN HOLDS BILATERAL
MEETINGS AT NON-ALIGNED SUMMIT: Asked
about the Secretary-General’s trip to the Non-Aligned Summit, the Spokesman
noted that the Secretary-General spoke at the summit and also met, among others,
with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, to discuss Darfur; with Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh; and South African President Thabo Mbeki, with whom the
Secretary-General discussed Cote d’Ivoire.
ANNAN HAS NO COMMENTS ON RACE TO
REPLACE HIM: Asked about the inclusion of
the Latvian President in the race to succeed Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the
Spokesman said that the Secretary-General will not discuss his successor with
Member States; it is up to them to decide. The Secretary-General, Dujarric
noted, has spoken in the past in favour of having a woman serve as
Secretary-General, but that should not be interpreted as support for any
specific candidate.
NO U.N. RESPONSE YET ON COTE
D’IVOIRE PRESIDENT’S REFUSAL TO ATTEND MINI-SUMMIT:
Asked about reports that Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo is not coming to the
United Nations, the Spokesman said the United Nations was aware of press reports
that he was not coming but had not received an official indication.
BETTER HEALTH SERVICES NEEDED IN
POORER COUNTRIES: Political leaders and health
experts are gathering in New York today at a Symposium on Child Survival,
hosting by the Government of Norway, the Lancet and the UN Children’s Fund as
part of the Millennium Development Goal project. The symposium calls for
stronger health services in countries with high child mortality, better access
to medical supplies and low-cost health measures to prevent child deaths.
*** The guest at the noon briefing
today was Antonio Maria Costa, the
Executive Director of the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNODC). ***
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
