HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
WORLD FOOD
PROGRAMME GETS NEW CHIEF
U.N. POLITICAL
HEAD TO VISIT MYANMAR
The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs,
Ibrahim Gambari, will
visit Myanmar from 9-12 November as an emissary of the Secretary-General,
within the context of the good offices mandate given by the General Assembly
and at the invitation of the Government of Myanmar. Mr. Gambari is expected to
meet with senior officials and with actors from across the political spectrum,
including all those with whom he met during his first visit in May of this
year.
The Secretary-General appreciates the invitation extended
to his envoy to visit the country once again, as part of a process of dialogue
that could lead to strengthened cooperation between the United Nations and
Myanmar. The Secretary-General emphasizes, however, that the continued value
of such engagement can only be demonstrated by tangible steps forward on
central issues such as human rights, democratic reform and national
reconciliation.
SECURITY
COUNCIL LAUDS PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN D.R. CONGO
The Security Council
began its work this morning with consultations on Somalia. It received a
briefing on recent developments in that country from the Secretary-General’s
Special Representative, Francois Lonseny Fall.
The Council also adopted a Presidential Statement on the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, which paid tribute to the civic
responsibility shown by the Congolese, who participate peacefully and in large
numbers in provincial elections and the second round of the presidential
election.
This afternoon, the Security Council has scheduled
consultations to receive an update on the talks underway in Juba, in southern
Sudan, between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Ugandan Government.
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari will provide
that briefing.
CLUSTER BOMB USE NEAR POPULATED AREAS
MUST STOP
The Secretary-General has sent a
message to the
Third Review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons,
which started today in Geneva.
In that message, the Secretary-General calls on parties
to freeze the use of cluster munitions against military assets located in or
near populated areas. At the same time, he reminds them that placing military
assets in such areas is illegal under international humanitarian law.
Urging parties to stop the transfer of those cluster
munitions that are known to be inaccurate and unreliable, and to dispose of
them, he also challenges parties to establish technical requirements for new
weapons systems so that the risk they pose to civilian populations can be
reduced.
Also in connection with the Review Conference,
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland released a
statement, which
said that the immediate freeze on the use of cluster munitions was
essential until the international community put in place effective legal
instruments to address urgent humanitarian concerns about their use.
Meanwhile, the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre (UNMACC)
in southern Lebanon reports that the density of cluster munitions in Lebanon
is higher than in Kosovo and Iraq, and denser in built-up areas.
LEBANON: U.N.
MISSION WELCOMES ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM AREA AROUND GHAJAR VILLAGE
Major General Alain Pellegrini,
the Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),
met today with senior officers from the
Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israeli Defense Forces at the UN Position at the
border crossing at Ras Al Naqoura.
It was
agreed
that the Israeli Defense Forces will withdraw their forces from most of the
surrounding area of Ghajar village today. UNIFIL will carry out
intensive patrolling and set up temporary checkpoints in the specified area to
confirm that the Israeli forces were no longer present there.
Pellegrini welcomed the Israeli
withdrawal from the area around Ghajar, and said he hoped that an agreement
will soon be reached for full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, in
accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Asked whether Israel had withdrawn from the northern part
of Ghajar, the Spokesman said that Israel had not fully withdrawn from Ghajar
and was still present in the northern part of the town, but added that
Pellegrini expected that an Israeli withdrawal from that area would take place
soon.
Asked about an Israeli withdrawal from the Shebaa Farms,
the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General was working on the Shebaa Farms
issue in accordance with the Council resolution.
RELIEF SUPPLIES
SENT TO DISPLACED PERSONS IN GAZA
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA) reports that the
Israeli military operations on the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun
finished in the early hours of this morning. The agency adds that Israeli
forces are still present in other parts of Gaza.
Since last Friday, a joint humanitarian convoy of UNRWA
and the International Committee of the Red Cross has been in Beit Hanoun,
delivering food, water, milk, blankets and mattresses to the hospital there.
Additional convoys entered Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
UNRWA staff delivering humanitarian supplies notes
significant damage to roads and houses throughout Beit Hanoun. In addition,
they say, the Israeli military destroyed phone lines, cut electricity in the
area and food and water supplies are scarce.
Also, the World Food Programme
said that it had provided 5,000 loaves of bread and 300 tins of canned meat
for 300 displaced persons in a hospital in Gaza.
Asked about the UN’s response to the violence in Gaza,
the Spokesman recalled that the Secretary-General had spoken over the weekend
with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, calling on him to exercise restraint
in the Gaza operations and to do his utmost to protect civilian life. He added
that the envoys of the Middle East Quartet remain in contact on the matter.
SUDAN: MILITIA ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS OCCURRING DAILY
Regarding Darfur, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs continue to
receive daily reports of militia attacks on civilians, as well as attacks
against humanitarian vehicles on key roads and even inside camps housing
displaced persons.
One report indicates that yesterday, on 6 November,
militia attacked villages southwest of El Fasher in North Darfur. According
to the report, the militia have burnt houses, destroyed crops and taken
animals. A number of people were wounded, and an unknown number of civilians
have been displaced as they were forced to flee their villages. Also in North
Darfur, armed men attempted to hijack two vehicles of an NGO from within a
displaced persons camp on Monday.
In South Darfur, vehicles belonging to the African Union
force (AMIS) and NGOs were forced to return to Nyala after being attacked by
villagers who were accusing AMIS of failing to provide protection.
Following the large-scale attack in the Jebel Moon area
of West Darfur less than 10 days ago, which the Secretary-General condemned,
there are still serious concerns about further militia attacks in areas of
West Darfur. There is also fear that inter-tribal conflicts in several areas
could increase with the end of the rainy season.
In response to a question about material support to the
African Union (AU) Mission in Darfur, the Spokesman said that support has been
identified and will be made available immediately after the conclusion of a
Memorandum of Understanding with the AU and the Government of Sudan.
The UN Mission in Sudan has acquired land and has started
to move equipment and prefabs to El Fasher. The mission has also confirmed
that close to 200 night vision goggles had arrived in Khartoum.
As part of the immediate UN support package to AMIS, nine
military officers and nine police advisers were deployed to El Fasher and
Nyala in mid-October. Eight military officers and nine police advisers are in
Khartoum, ready for deployment, and 13 additional police officers have been
recruited and will deploy soon.
The UN has also agreed to provide eight fly-away kits, 36
Global Positioning Systems, 36 armed personnel carriers and public information
services equipment, as well as pharmaceuticals.
HUMAN RIGHTS
CHIEF WELCOMES SRI LANKA INQUIRY COMMISSION
High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has
welcomed the Sri Lankan President's establishment of a Commission of
Inquiry into extrajudicial killings and disappearances, expressing hope that
it will see the perpetrators of serious human rights violations brought to
justice.
The High Commissioner underlined the significance of this
initiative in addressing impunity for human rights violations related to the
on-going conflict in Sri Lanka.
IRAQ: LATEST
FINDINGS OF MONITORING BOARD RELEASED
The International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB)
that oversees the Development Fund for Iraq met in Paris last week and
received follow-up special audits looking into single-sourced contracts in
Iraq.
One of the auditing firms, Crowe Chizek, reported that in
their opinion the settlements between the company Kellogg Brown and Root, or
KBR, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were reasonable.
The findings also provide additional information about
the transportation costs incurred by KBR in providing humanitarian fuel
supplies to Iraq from May 2003 to March 2004. These costs were very high, in
some cases as much as 86 percent of the total contract costs. The IAMB
continues to question the reasonableness of these costs and the adequacy of
the administration of contracts.
The final meeting of the IAMB is tentatively scheduled
for December 11-12. Its mandate expires at the end of this year. Its statement
and the work of the auditors are available on its web site,
www.iamb.info.
Asked about the timing of the information even though the
IAMB meeting took place last week, the Spokesman said that the information was
announced as soon as the IAMB posted it. He noted the time it takes for the
Board to put out information, and denied any other reason for the time lag, in
response to a question about today’s US elections.
POLITICAL
DEPARTMENT SETTING UP MEDIATION SUPPORT CAPACITY
Asked about the work of the UN mediation support
capacity, the Spokesman said that capacity was currently being set up by the
Department of Political Affairs to provide advice and support to UN and non-UN
mediators working to prevent and resolve conflicts around the world. It would
involve six staff workers.
Dujarric said the initiative was the outgrowth of the
2005 World Summit, whose outcome document recognized the “important role of
the good offices of the Secretary-General, including in the mediation of
disputes” and supported “the Secretary-General’s efforts to strengthen his
capacity in this area.”
Asked about its funding, the Spokesman said that seed
money was provided by the General Assembly. But, he noted, no decision has
been made on who will lead the unit.
OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
U.N. APPEALS TO ABKHAZ SIDE
NOT TO DISRUPT CIVILIAN AR TRAFFIC: In response to the announcement by the
Abkhaz de facto authorities of a joint air force and air defence exercise in
November, the UN Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)
has emphasized the need to avoid disrupting, let alone endangering civilian air
traffic. The Mission has made an appeal to the Abkhaz side to desist from
actions that could directly or indirectly pose any risk to the normal operation
of civilian aircraft.
U.N. Agencies Call for Greater
Integration of Health Services to STOP Spread of H.I.V.:
With an estimated 930,000 new HIV infections in Asia and the Pacific in 2005, UN
agencies have called for
urgent efforts to prevent the escalating spread of the virus and reduce
mortality by better integrating HIV prevention, treatment and care into maternal
and newborn health services. Calls for strengthening integration of these vital
health services came at the opening of the first Asia-Pacific Joint Forum, a
conference of health professionals, government officials, people living with
HIV, and civil society groups from 22 countries in the region.
NOT UP TO ANNAN TO COMMENT ON INDEPENDENT EXPERTS’ VIEWS:
Asked whether the Secretary-General agreed with the criticism of the trial of
former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, made by a UN special rapporteur for human
rights, the Spokesman noted that it is not up to the Secretary-General to
respond to the views expressed by independent human rights experts. He added
that he had conveyed the Secretary-General’s views on the trial on Monday.
BACKGROUND BRIEFINGS TO BE HELD: At 12:45 tomorrow,
a senior UN official will brief the press on the final report of the High-Level
Group of the Alliance of Civilizations, which the Group will be presenting in
Istanbul on Monday next week. Then at 3:00, there will be another background
briefing by a senior official, this time on the report of the
Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence, which will be
presented to the Secretary-General and General Assembly this Thursday, November
9.
***The guest at the noon briefing was the
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall.
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
