HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Wednesday,
February 28, 2007
IRAQ: BAN KI-MOON SUPPORTS NEW DIPLOMATIC
INITIATIVE
Asked for the
Secretary-General's position on reported plans for a preparatory meeting in
Baghdad of
Iraq's neighbors with the five permanent members of the Security Council,
at which the United States, Syria and Iran will be represented, the
Spokesperson said that Ban Ki-moon supports this new diplomatic initiative and
will be sending his Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, to
attend the meeting in Baghdad as an observer.
The Secretary-General, Montas
said, had discussed this idea with Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari during their
recent meeting in Berlin, and it is in keeping with the call the United
Nations has been making for a convergence of national, regional and
international efforts in support of the people and Government of Iraq.
The Secretary-General, Montas
added, hopes that the participants in the preparatory meeting will focus on
urgently needed steps to reduce violence in Iraq and help stabilize the
situation in the region.
BAN KI-MOON
URGES END TO AERIAL BOMBINGS IN DARFUR
The Secretary-General’s most recent
report on
Darfur is available today. It covers the months of November, December and
January.
In it, the Secretary-General says he is distressed by the
deteriorating humanitarian and security situation on the ground, and he
particularly deplores the aerial bombings by the Sudanese Armed Forces, which
have expanded to new areas since January 16, resulting in more civilian
casualties and suffering. He urges the Government to put an end to the aerial
bombings and to take immediate action to hold accountable the perpetrators of
attacks against civilians.
All parties, he says, must submit to dialogue and
negotiation, and commit themselves to a non-military solution to the
devastating conflict in Darfur.
U.N. ENVOY HOLDS TALKS WITH LEBANESE &
ISRAELI OFFICIALS
Michael Williams, the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor
on the situation in the Middle East, is continuing his mission related to the
preparation of the Secretary-General’s next report on Security Council
resolution 1701.
Following his meetings with Israeli officials in Israel
earlier this week, Williams met in Lebanon yesterday and today with Lebanese
officials concerned with the implementation of that resolution. The
discussions focused on a whole range of issues, including overflights, the
issue of prisoners, and respect for the arms embargo, as well as the situation
in the south, the Shebaa Farms and along the Blue Line. Williams stressed the
general need to sustain a commitment by all parties to resolution 1701.
Among the officials that Williams met were Lebanon’s
Prime Minister, Defense Minister, Interior Minister, former Energy Minister,
and senior security officials. Williams was accompanied by the UN Special
Coordinator for Lebanon, Geir Pedersen.
PALESTINE REFUGEE AGENCY APPEALS FOR
FUNDS
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA) has
appealed for $26 million to improve the living conditions of some 18,000
Palestine refugees living in Neirab camp near Aleppo, Syria.
The Agency explains the reason behind this appeal by
saying that the Neirab camp originally housed troops during World War II and
no renovations have been performed ever since. This has led to unsafe building
structures that pose health and safety hazards and overcrowding due to the
large number of refugee families set up there.
SOUTH AFRICA
ASSUMES SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY TOMORROW
There are no meetings or consultations of the Security
Council scheduled for today, the last day of the Slovakian Presidency.
Starting tomorrow, South Africa assumes the Council Presidency for the month
of March.
In related news, the latest
report on
Iran by the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Security Council has now
been made public.
D.R. CONGO: MILITIA LEADER SURRENDERS
170 TROOPS
After three weeks of intense negotiations, the UN Mission
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
reports that militia leader Peter Karim yesterday took an important first step
towards the consolidation of peace in the Ituri Province by
disarming and ordering
the surrender of some 170 fighters from his National Integrationist Front.
Among the surrendering fighters, 42 were identified as
children by UNICEF and the Mission’s Child Protection Division. The
disarmament operation, which was supervised by UN peacekeepers, also netted
heavy weapons including AK-47’s, machine guns, anti-tank mines and ammunition.
Asked if militia leader Peter
Karim had received any financial or other incentives to disarm his fighters
and if he would be prosecuted for recruiting child soldiers, the Spokesperson
said that Karim was integrated into the Congolese Army at the officer rank as
part of a deal between him and the Congolese government. On his recruiting
child soldiers, Montas said that the decision was for judicial authorities to
make.
NINE OUT OF TEN AFRICANS WITH EPILEPSY
DON’T GET TREATMENT
A new
report from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that neurological
disorders, ranging from epilepsy to Alzheimer disease, affect up to one
billion people worldwide. However, according to the report, health systems
need to be strengthened to deliver better care for people suffering from such
disorders.
In that context, Margaret Chan, WHO’s Director-General,
says that, despite the fact that highly effective, low-cost treatments are
available, as many as nine out of 10 people suffering from epilepsy in Africa
go untreated.
THREE NEW
U.N. SENIOR OFFICIALS TO BE SWORN IN ON FRIDAY
Asked for an
update on the appointments of senior officials by Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon, the Spokesperson said that three newly-appointed
Under-Secretaries-General would be sworn in Friday by signing a declaration in
the presence of the Secretary-General.
These include
John Holmes, the incoming Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and
Emergency Relief Coordinator; Lynn Pascoe, who was selected as head of the
Department of Political Affairs, and Muhammad Shaaban, who will lead the
Department for General Assembly and Conference Management.
Montas added that
John Holmes will hold a press briefing Monday at UN Headquarters.
Asked if top
officials who have not yet been replaced would be reconfirmed in their posts,
Montas said that the Secretary-General would decide on individual cases as the
officials' current contracts with the UN expire.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
NO PLANS NOW FOR CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT: The
Secretary-General is actively consulting with a range of actors on climate
change and is looking at all options for building consensus on how best to
address this common threat. He plans to attend the G8 meeting in June, where
climate change will be a central topic of discussion. The United Nations is also
preparing for a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
conference in
Bali in December. At this time there are no plans for a Summit.
SITUATION IN TIMOR-LESTE IS REPORTED CALM: The
United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT)
reports that 21 instances of fighting, stone-throwing and arson were reported in
Dili over the past 24 hours. The situation is now reported as calm but tense.
UNITED NATIONS HOPES FOR
RELEASE OF KIDNAPPED ISRAELI SOLDIERS:
Asked for a readout of the Secretary-General's meeting with relatives of Israeli
soldiers abducted by Palestinian and Lebanese militants, the Spokesperson later
said that the Secretary-General promised his visitors that he would keep working
hard to seek the release of the detained soldiers. He has been receiving reports
from and working with the special "facilitator" for this issue. The UN, Montas
added, strongly hopes for their release.
DRUG CONTROL BOARD LAUNCHES REPORT: The
International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)
-- which is an independent and quasi-judicial monitoring body for the
implementation of the UN international drug control conventions -- today
launched its annual report at the UN Office in Vienna. A similar launch will
also take place today in Washington, DC.
***The guest at the noon briefing today was Louise
Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
