HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
MIDDLE EAST QUARTET MEETS AT U.N. HEADQUARTERS
Secretary-General Kofi Annan
is meeting this afternoon with the other principal members
of the
Middle East Quartet – which brings together the European Union (EU),
the Russian Federation, the United States and the United Nations – in his
conference room.
Following that meeting, the
Secretary-General and the other principal members of the Quartet are to speak
to reporters to discuss today’s work.
In addition to the Secretary-General,
the other speakers are to include U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,
European Union High Representative for a Common Foreign and Security Policy
Javier Solana, European Commissioner for External Relations Benita
Ferrero-Waldner, and, representing the EU Presidency, Finnish Foreign Minister
Erkki Tuimioja.
Asked whether the
Secretary-General has met so far with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the
Spokesman said he had not.
LEBANON:
U.N. TROOP STRENGTH REACHES 5,000
The troop strength of the UN Interim
Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
has reached approximately 5,000 troops, following the arrival of contingents
from France, Italy and Spain in South Lebanon in recent days. This concludes
the first phase of UNIFIL deployment, with additional contingents planning to
join UNIFIL within the next few weeks.
The UNIFIL Force Commander,
Major-General Alain Pellegrini, said that he looks forward to inspecting all
the new contingents as soon as they are ready to deal with the tasks ahead.
Meanwhile, a trilateral meeting was
held yesterday between Pellegrini and senior officers from the Lebanese Armed
Forces (LAF) and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in which they discussed,
among other things, further Israeli withdrawals and Lebanese troop deployment.
Afterward, Pellegrini said, “The meeting was positive; we
are making progress. IDF withdrawals and LAF deployments are on track.”
Asked when UNIFIL will be at
full troop strength in Lebanon, the Spokesman said that was expected within 90
days, with deployment moving ahead well so far.
UNITED NATIONS
IS CONCERNED BY HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN IRAQ
The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)
today
expressed concern that human rights violations, particularly against the
right to life and personal integrity, continue to occur at an alarming daily
rate in Iraq.
In its latest human rights report, the
UN Mission affirms that number of civilians killed violently in the country
were at an unprecedented 3,590 in July and 3,009 in August. The report adds
that hundreds of bodies have continued to appear throughout the country,
bearing signs of severe torture and execution-style killing. Displacement of
population has also continued to grow and affects all Governorates.
The report also raises the alarm at
increasing number of “honour crimes” affecting women in a disproportionate
manner.
SECURITY
COUNCIL LOOKS AT COOPERATION
BETWEEN UNITED NATIONS AND REGIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS
The Security Council today is holding
an open debate,
at the ministerial level, on cooperation between the United Nations and
regional organizations in maintaining peace and security. The meeting is being
chaired by the Foreign Minister of Greece, Dora Bakoyannis, and Greece has
also submitted a
non-paper, available as a document, on the subject.
The Secretary-General
addressed the
Council debate, saying that the partnership between the United Nations and
regional organizations is stronger today than in the early 1990s, with
cooperation occurring in places from Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo to Afghanistan and Kosovo.
“We have a better sense today of our
respective strengths and advantages,” the Secretary-General noted. He added
that, as the demand for peacekeeping and other services grow, the time has
come to take the regional-global partnership to a new level of clarity,
practicality and seriousness.
ANNAN
ATTENDS AFRICAN UNION MEETING ON DARFUR
Prior to attending today’s Security
Council meeting, the Secretary-General this morning took part in African
Union’s Peace and Security Council meeting on Darfur,
Sudan at the African Union
(AU) mission. On the sidelines of the AU meeting, the Secretary-General met
with Heads of State of the 15-member Peace and Security Council.
Meanwhile, the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations reports that a troop and police contributors’ meeting
for Darfur is now scheduled to take place on Monday afternoon. More than 140
countries have been invited to attend.
Asked about U.S. President
George W. Bush’s criticism that the United Nations was moving too slowly on
Darfur, the Spokesman said that Darfur had been one of the main issues that
the Secretary-General had discussed with President Bush.
The Secretary-General, he
said, has expressed frustration at the pace of events, and has made it clear
that actions are needed by all nations to help Sudan accept a UN force. The
Secretary-General has also moved ahead as much as possible on the humanitarian
front.
However, Dujarric said, Darfur
is on the verge of a manmade catastrophe, and there is a need to push hard to
see whether UN troops can be brought in.
The Secretary-General, he
said, was in touch with anyone who can influence the issue and has worked hard
to convince President Omar al-Bashir to alter his position. But it is also the
responsibility of Member States who can influence Khartoum, including those in
the Arab world and in Africa, to find a solution to help the millions of
people who are now suffering.
Asked about comments from
President Bashir that the push for action on Darfur came from “Zionist
organizations”, the Spokesman said that it was in the interests of everyone,
not simply those of one group, to find a solution in Darfur; that includes the
interests of Sudan’s Government. It is time, he said, for Member States to
follow up on their responsibility to protect civilians.
ANNAN
SENDS ENVOY TO GAMBIA IN WAKE OF ELECTIONS
In advance of the presidential
elections to be held in Gambia later this week, the Secretary-General has
appointed Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, the former Head of State of Nigeria, as
his Special Envoy for the Gambia. Gen. Abubakar will be traveling immediately
to Banjul.
He will work within the
framework of the Secretary-General’s good offices, to promote dialogue between
all concerned parties aimed at ensuring a smooth and peaceful electoral
process.
D.R. CONGO: U.N. PEACEKEEPERS CONTAIN VIOLENT RALLY
The UN Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
says that the countrywide campaigning for the run-off presidential election
will take place from 13 to 27 October. Campaign for the provincial elections
will run from 28 September to 27 October.
The UN Special Representative in that
country, William Lacy Swing, has commended Congolese police and UN
peacekeepers for their prompt and salutary intervention to contain yesterday’s
violent rally by supporters of Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba. Bemba’s
supporters were apparently angered by a fire that destroyed the Kinshasa
building housing two television stations owned by their leader.
COTE D’IVOIRE
MINI-SUMMIT TO BE HELD TODAY
The Spokesman, in
response to a question, noted that a mini-summit on Cote d’Ivoire was taking
place starting at 3:00 this afternoon at UN headquarters.
SECURITY REMAINS
STABLE IN LIBERIA, ANNAN REPORTS
Available today is the
Secretary-General’s latest progress
report on
Liberia. In it, the Secretary-General says that security has remained
generally stable in the wake of the transfer to The Hague of former Liberian
President and accused war criminal Charles Taylor.
The report says that the authority of
the Liberian state is being consolidated throughout the country, with the UN
Mission facilitating the redeployment of state officials to their duty
stations. Meanwhile, some 19,000 former fighters are expected to be absorbed
by UN-run projects as part of a disarmament and rehabilitation program.
MINISTERS GATHER TO DISCUSS
NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY
This morning, a ministerial meeting on
the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was held here at UN Headquarters.
In a
message to the
gathering, delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs
Nobuaki Tanaka, the Secretary-General said that each additional signature of
the Treaty would bring the world closer to achieving its longstanding goal of
outlawing all nuclear tests, thereby advancing both nuclear non-proliferation
and disarmament.
ANNAN TO RING BELL IN
HONOR OF PEACE
Tomorrow is the International Day of
Peace.
To mark the occasion, the
Secretary-General will ring the Peace Bell at 9.30 a.m in the West Court
Garden on the front lawn of the Secretariat Building.
Five Messengers of Peace will
accompany him – Vijay Armitraj, Anna Cataldi, Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall
and Elie Wiesel.
The Secretary-General will also
observe a minute of silence in the name of peace.
OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
THAI MISSION SAYS IT WILL
FORWARD NEW CREDENTIALS: Asked about the
change in speaking plans for the Thai delegation, the Spokesman noted that on
Tuesday, the Thai Mission to the United Nations had first informed the United
Nations that it was giving up its speaking slot, and then later informed the
United Nations that it had rescinded the credentials of Thaksin Shinawatra, who
had earlier been scheduled to speak as Prime Minister.
U.N. CONDEMNS KOSOVO ATTACK:
The Secretary-General’s Principal Deputy Special Representative in
Kosovo, Steven Schook, today
expressed outrage at an attack in the western town of Klina, in which four
members of a Kosovo Serb family were wounded. At the same time, Schook said he
was encouraged to see the immediate reaction of the Kosovo authorities to the
incident, including by the Prime Minister and the Mayor of Klina.
RWANDA COURT ACQUITS FORMER MINISTER:
A trial chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda today
unanimously acquitted André
Rwamakuba, a former Rwandan government minister, of all charges brought against
him. He was charged with complicity in genocide, extermination and murder as
crimes against humanity for his alleged involvement in specific incidents in
April 1994 in the areas of Gikomero and Butare. Rwamakuba had pleaded not guilty
to all of the charges.
U.N. APPEALS FOR FUNDS TO HELP
TAJIKISTAN QUAKE SURVIVORS: UN agencies and their
partners working in Tajikistan have
appealed for $1 million to help the survivors of two earthquakes, which
struck a southern district last July. The appeal aims to secure 500 winterized
tents so that survivors can cope with Tajikistan’s harsh winter. The gathered
funds will also be put towards the reconstruction of 200 houses and seven
schools damaged by the earthquakes.
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
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