HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE
MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N.
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Friday, March
16, 2007
CLEARLY MARKED
U.N. VEHICLES IS ATTACKED IN GAZA
The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
said in a statement just released that a three-car UN convoy traveling earlier
today between the Erez Crossing and Gaza City was attacked and fired upon by
masked men. All three cars were clearly marked as UN vehicles.
UNRWA says that the attack occurred about one kilometer
south of the Erez Crossing when a vehicle blocked the convoy and three men
jumped out and attempted to open the doors of one of the UN vehicles. When
they realized that the doors were locked, they opened fire directly on the
car, leaving 11 bullet holes on the vehicle’s side.
The UN convoy was transporting UNRWA Gaza Field Office
Director, John Ging, and other local and international staff, all of whom
escaped without injuries.
UNRWA’s chief, Karen Koning Abuzayd condemned in the
strongest terms this unprecedented assault on UN staff in Gaza and appealed to
the authorities to bring to justice the attackers.
IRAQ CANNOT BE LEFT TO COPE ON ITS OWN,
BAN KI-MOON SAYS
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
opened the
meeting on the International Compact with
Iraq aimed at developing a mechanism that would help Iraq realize its
national vision.
Saying that it is “heart-wrenching to see almost daily
attacks on innocent civilians,” the Secretary-General said a framework for
normalization is required now more than ever.
He outlined the Compact’s objectives – the need for a
“national” compact among Iraqis on the necessary security and political steps,
and an “international” compact between Iraq and its partners that would set
out the Government of Iraq’s agenda for the next five years.
Noting that the challenges ahead are immense, he told the
delegates from nearly 100 delegations, “We cannot leave Iraq on its own to
cope with them.”
Asked who or what entity had invited the delegations
represented at the Iraq Compact meeting, the Spokesperson said the Compact is
a year-old joint project of the Government of Iraq and the United Nations and
that the two institutions have invited the participation of these delegations.
Asked if this implied greater UN involvement, at both
economic and other levels, in the Iraq situation, Montas noted that so far the
meetings of the Compact have been preparatory consultations with the aim of
formally launching the initiative at a time still to be determined. She
emphasized that the United Nations and other partners were conducting these
activities in support of the people of Iraq.
Asked what level of political involvement the
Secretary-General envisaged for the United Nations in Iraq, Montas replied
that the Secretary-General has said that, at the very least, the Iraq Compact
should be viewed by Iraqis as a strong message substantially and politically
encouraging their efforts to live up to the challenges to peace and security
now confronting their country. She added that the Secretary-General has
repeatedly stated that inclusive political consultations must take place
within the region and that suggestions for a resolution of the Iraq crisis
should ideally come from the region.
Asked how independent the Iraq Compact is from the U.S.
Government Iraq policy and whether the United Nations was acting in concert
with the U.S. Government, the Spokesperson replied that the United Nations was
working with different international partners but that the Iraqi Government
and the United Nations were the co-chairs of this meeting.
IRAQ MUST MAKE PROGRESS ON POLITICAL
FRONT
Also yesterday afternoon, Ashraf Qazi, the
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq,
briefed
the Security Council in an open meeting.
To re-establish an acceptable level of security in
Baghdad and the rest of Iraq, there must be simultaneous progress on the
political front, he stressed. The Government of Iraq must take all necessary
measures to ensure that all its citizens perceived its actions to be on their
behalf and in their interest. Only then would security operations help bring
the Iraqi people together.
Asked later about today’s Iraq Compact meeting, Mr. Qazi
said that he hoped there will be agreement on a venue and date for the formal
launch of the process.
BAN KI-MOON SAYS U.N. CAN MOVE AHEAD ON
REFORM “WITH ONE VOICE”
AFTER GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS HIS PROPOSALS
The General Assembly yesterday
adopted
by consensus two landmark resolutions endorsing Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon’s reform proposals for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)
and the Department of Disarmament Affairs.
The realignment of DPKO, which includes the establishment
of a Department of Field Support, is aimed at providing better planning,
faster deployment and a more responsive process. The Department of Disarmament
Affairs, meanwhile, will be reformed into the Office of the High
Representative for Disarmament Affairs, the incumbent of which will be
appointed at the Under-Secretary-General level.
Addressing the General Assembly after the adoption of the
resolutions, the Secretary-General said, “Now, we can embark on a reform
initiative with one voice – a collaboration based on mutual trust,” and
pledged to continue to consult Member States “in a spirit of openness and
transparency.”
He added: “The road ahead will not be without its
challenges. But I look forward to working hand in hand with you as we advance
together. I look with confidence to our collective journey, and I promise, for
my part, to make it as free as possible of unnecessary obstacles and detours.”
And both resolutions requested the Secretary-General to
provide details on the practical application of his reform proposal in reports
to be submitted to the General Assembly as soon as possible.
U.N. OFFICIALS CONDEMN KILLING OF HUMAN
RIGHTS ACTIVIST IN SOMALIA
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour,
and the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Eric Laroche, have both
strongly
condemned the killing of Somali human rights activist Isse Abdi Isse.
Attacks on human rights defenders and threats to
journalists and the media are far too common in many parts of Somalia,
Arbour’s office said today.
CIVILIANS ARE VICTIMS OF CRIMES AGAINST
HUMANITY IN DARFUR
From Geneva, the
Human Rights Council
today discussed the
report of its high-level mission on the human rights situation in Darfur.
Jody Williams, the mission’s head, presented the
report, which says the Government of Sudan has worked together with the
Janjaweed militia in counter-insurgency efforts. The report also notes that
rebel forces are guilty of human rights abuses and violations of humanitarian
law.
Williams said that civilians are victims of war crimes
and crimes against humanity, which continue across the region. She added that
killing, rape, torture, arbitrary arrest, political repression, and abuses of
political freedoms occur with chilling frequency. Furthermore, ineffective
mechanisms of justice, the free flow of weapons, the absence of meaningful
disarmament, and a climate of impunity have left the region a stranger to the
rule of law.
LIBERIA: SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON
DONORS TO STAY THE COURSE
Available as a
document is the Secretary-General’s latest
report on
Liberia, in which he notes that the country has remained relatively stable in
recent months despite some divisions among members of the Legislature.
The training and reform of the Liberian National Police
continues to make steady progress. The Secretary-General also writes that the
reintegration of the remaining former combatants will be a key factor in the
exit strategy of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
And he welcomes continued human rights promotion by the Mission as the overall
weakness of Liberian legal institutions impede the administration of justice.
The Secretary-General also appeals to the international
donor community to remain steady at Liberia’s side and generous in supporting
the country’s economic recovery.
FUNDING SHORTAGE THREATENS AID EFFORTS
IN UGANDA
The World Food Programme (WFP)
says it will be forced to cut food rations in half for nearly 1.5 million
displaced people and refugees in Uganda starting April 1st, due to a critical
lack of funds.
WFP has received less than a third of the $127 million it
is seeking from donors for Ugandan relief efforts this year.
The agency says more than a million people remain in
squalid camps, unable to provide enough food for their families. Ninety
percent of the displaced, mostly women and children, depend on WFP for their
survival.
MADAGASCAR: FLASH APPEAL IS LAUNCHED
FOLLOWING STORMS
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) today
launched a 10-million dollar flash appeal for Madagascar, in the wake of
recent flooding and storm damage there.
The island nation is experiencing an unusually heavy
rainy season and has been hit by six cyclones since December.
Up to 80 percent of crops have been destroyed in some
areas. OCHA estimates that nearly 300,000 people will need assistance in the
coming months.
TIMOR-LESTE: U.N. MISSION HAILS SIGNING
OF
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CODE OF CONDUCT
The UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT)
welcomes the signing of the Code of Conduct for the 2007 Presidential
Elections, by all of the eight candidates that are running.
The Secretary-General’s special envoy for Timor-Leste,
Atul Khare, also signed the Code as a witness, along with the representatives
of Organs of Sovereignty, the church and civil society.
Khare noted the importance of the Code of Conduct as a
whole, as a clear commitment of all candidates to free and fair elections.
U.N. BANS TWO VENDORS FOLLOWING INTERNAL
INVESTIGATION
On procurement
issues, the Spokesperson was asked about the removal and suspension by the UN
of certain companies from its roster of registered vendors, the Spokesperson
stated that on 14 March the United Nations considered several cases related to
the conclusions of the internal investigations conducted by the Procurement
Task Force (PTF) of its Office of Internal Oversights Services (OIOS) into the
relationships between several vendors and a former UN official indicted by the
US Southern District Attorney's Office.
Montas said that in light of the conclusions reached by
the Procurement Task Force, the United Nations has decided to remove two
registered vendors from the Vendor Database, namely: Cogim , S.p.a. and Avicos
Insurance Company. She added that the UN has also prohibited the two
companies from doing business with the UN as a result of inappropriate
relationships between the above-named companies and the indicted former UN
official.
On a related investigation by the PTF, Montas noted, the
United Nations has also decided to suspend the registered vendors Corimec
Italiana S.p.A and Volga Dnepr Airlines and its subsidiary, Volga-Dnepr
(Ireland) Ldt. from the Vendor Database in light of alleged inappropriate
relationships between the above-mentioned companies and a former UN official.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
IRANIAN PRESIDENT HAS FULL RIGHT TO ADDRESS SECURITY
COUNCIL: Asked for the UN position on the stated intention of Iran's
President to come to UN headquarters to address the Security Council and whether
or not the Iranian head of state had been granted a visa by U.S. authorities,
the Spokesperson reiterated the Secretary-General's view that every Member State
has the right to come to the UN to defend its position on a matter that is
before an organ of the UN. She referred questions on the granting of visa to the
U.S. authorities.
SECURITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS WEST AFRICAN CROSS-BORDER
ISSUES: The Security Council is holding consultations this morning on
cross-border issues in West Africa, as well as other matters. The
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa, Ahmedou
Ould-Abdallah, is briefing on the Secretary-General’s latest
report on
that region.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION LEADS AFRICA MENINGITIS
RESPONSE: The World Health Organization (WHO)
is currently coordinating the response to meningitis outbreaks in four African
countries: Burkina Faso; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Sudan; and
Uganda. WHO and its partners have provided drugs for case management and
emergency supplies for outbreak investigations, as well as technical guidance
for outbreak control and management.
U.N. BODY TO GIVE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO INDIAN
NOBEL LAUREATE: The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific has chosen
Nobel Laureate and Harvard professor Amartya Sen to receive its first-ever
lifetime achievement award. The Commission’s Executive Secretary hailed
Professor Sen’s “seminal contributions” on social choice, welfare distribution,
individual freedom and human identity. The award ceremony will take place on
March 28th, as part of the Bangkok-based Commission’s 60th anniversary
celebrations.
***The guest at the noon briefing was Radhika
Coomaraswamy, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children
and Armed Conflict. She briefed on her recent visit to Burundi and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
THE WEEK AHEAD
AT THE UNITED NATIONS
[This document is for planning
purposes only and is subject to change.]
Saturday, March 17
General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa
today starts a series of official visits, which will include trips to Kuwait,
Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
Sunday, March 18
Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs
Margareta Wahlstrom today begins a four-day mission to Brazil.
Monday, March 19
The Security Council is scheduled
to hold a private meeting this morning, followed by consultations, on the UN
Interim Administrative Mission in Kosovo. The Secretary-General’s Special
Representative for Kosovo, Joachim Rücker, will
brief. At 4:00 p.m. the Security Council is scheduled to hold consultations on
Sudan.
The 9th session of ECOSOC’s
Committee for Development Policy will open today and last until Friday in
Conference Room 8. It will focus on strengthening the global partnership for
poverty alleviation.
At 11:00 a.m., there will be a press briefing in Room 226
with Sri Lankan business leaders involved with the UN Global Compact. They will
be launching a new advocacy and implementation program.
Tuesday, March 20
The Security Council is
scheduled to hold a debate this morning on Afghanistan.
Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes today begins a two-week mission to Sudan, Chad
and the Central African Republic.
Wednesday, March 21
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of
Racial Discrimination.
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Darfur, Jan
Eliasson, will be in Eritrea today and tomorrow, to discuss how to best
coordinate Eritrean mediation efforts with those of the African Union and UN to
reenergize the Darfur political process.
The Security Council is scheduled
to hold a meeting and consultations this morning on the latest report of the UN
International Independent Investigation Commission. Commission head Serge
Brammertz will brief. In the afternoon, the Council is scheduled to hold
consultations on nuclear disarmament.
Thursday, March 22
Today is the World Day for Water.
This morning, the Security
Council is scheduled to hold a private meeting with troop-contributing countries
of the UN Mission in Liberia, followed by
consultations on Liberia. In the afternoon, the Council is scheduled to hold
consultations on the Great Lakes region.
At 10:30 a.m., there will be a press conference in Room 226
by the World Health Organization (WHO) in
advance of World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. Briefers will include: the
Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Stop TB, former Portuguese President Jorge
Sampaio; UN Messenger of Peace Anna Cataldi; award-winning photographer James
Nachtwey; and WHO Stop TB Director, Mario Raviglione.
Friday, March 23
Today is World Meteorological Day.
This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to vote on
a resolution on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
That will be followed by a briefing on the 1737 Sanctions Committee, which deals
with Iran. The Council is also scheduled to hear a briefing this afternoon by
the Minister of External Affairs of Chad.
Office of the Spokesman for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
