HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY FARHAN HAQ
ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N.
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Thursday, March
29, 2007
BAN KI-MOON: NEW FIGHTING THREATENS SOMALIA’S
PEACE PROCESS
The Secretary General is deeply
disturbed by the
intensification of fighting in Mogadishu today, which resulted in the tragic
loss of civilian lives. He is highly concerned about the introduction of
tanks, heavy artillery and air strikes into densely populated parts of the
city, further worsening the threat to the security of a large number of
innocent civilians.
This is a dangerous and troubling new
development that can unravel the peace process. He urges all the parties to
put an immediate end to the fighting and to honor the cessation of hostilities
agreed to last week.
The Secretary General emphasizes once again
that sustainable peace in Somalia can only be attained through an inclusive
dialogue leading to a political solution and national reconciliation.
SOMALIA FACES DISARMAMENT AND RECONCILIATION
DILEMMA
Francois Lonseny Fall, the Secretary-General’s
Special Representative for Somalia, says the situation is becoming very
dangerous and the dilemma now facing Somalia is whether to secure Mogadishu
before the planned reconciliation congress by forcing disarmament or to broker
a political settlement to the crisis before any disarmament can take place.
Even so, Fall remains confident that the Somali parties are open to genuine
dialogue.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
estimates that
57,000 people have fled the outburst of deadly violence in the Somali capital
in the past 2 months, and that figure includes some 12,000 Mogadishu residents
who escaped last week.
UNHCR says that some among the dead of the
latest violence are internally displaced people whose settlements were hit by
rounds of mortar.
SUDAN LEADER AFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO MOVE DARFUR
PROCESS AHEAD
On Wednesday evening in Riyadh, the
Secretary-General, President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, African Union
Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare, and the Secretary-General of the League of
Arab States, Amre Moussa, met to discuss the situation in
Darfur, in a meeting chaired by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
In a statement issued afterward, the
participants recognized the need for the United Nations, African Union and
League of Arab States to work together to seek an early and comprehensive
settlement to the conflict and humanitarian suffering in Darfur.
Based on this recognition, they agreed to
redouble efforts to bring all parties concerned, including non-signatories and
the Government of Sudan, to the peace process to accelerate political
reconciliation.
In parallel with the political process, they
also agreed on the shared need to move expeditiously ahead with the AU-UN
peacekeeping operation. Reaffirming the commitment of the Government of Sudan
to the Abuja and Addis agreements, they agreed to hold a technical
consultative briefing at the earliest possible date, to finalize the agreement
on the heavy support package.
The Secretary-General told reporters after the
meeting, “I think we made progress, where there had been an impasse.”
BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR RESOLUTION OF IRAN/U.K.
DISPUTE
On the last day of his visit in Riyadh, the
Secretary-General hosted a breakfast meeting with Manouchehr Motaki, the
Foreign Minister of Iran. In the meeting, the two discussed Iran’s nuclear
programme and the detention of 15 British marines and sailors in Iran.
The Secretary-General urged Iran's compliance
in full, with Security Council
Resolution 1747 and earlier Council resolutions. On the issue of the
British marines and sailors, the Secretary-General expressed his wish to see
an early resolution of this problem.
The Secretary-General also held separate
bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Algeria, Yemen and Iraq and with the
Emir of Kuwait.
Then, in the afternoon, he attended the closing
session of the Arab Summit before leaving Saudi Arabia for Lebanon, where he
is scheduled to meet tomorrow with Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and other
senior officials.
Asked if the United Nations could help settle
the dispute between the United Kingdom and Iran by pronouncing itself on the
exact position of the British vessel at the time of the arrest of the 15
sailors, the Spokesman said that the UN was not in a position at this time to
rule on the position of the ship.
Asked if UN had a cartography team capable of
deciding the exact maritime border between Iran and Iraq, the Spokesman said
that the UN does have an active cartography unit, which has worked, among
others issues, on delineating the Lebanon/Syria border around the disputed
Shebaa Farms. Haq added that it is premature at this time to discuss any
possible UN cartographers' involvement in the Iran/UK dispute.
Asked if the Secretary-General would meet with
Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament during his ongoing visit
to Lebanon, the Spokesman said that Ban Ki-moon's earlier draft schedule for
Lebanon had listed meetings with a number of officials, including Berri.
SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES GUINEA-BISSAU AND
ZIMBABWE
The Security
Council held consultations this morning on Guinea-Bissau. Shola Omoregie,
the head of the UN Peace-building Support Office in that country, briefed
Council members on the Secretary-General’s latest report on Guinea-Bissau, in
which he says that the persistent and bitter divisions among key national
stakeholders threaten to compromise the independence and authority of the
judiciary and the legislature.
After that, the Security Council heard, under
other matters, a briefing on the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe by an
official from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Rashid
Khalikov.
SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVES NEW COTE D’IVOIRE
PRIME MINISTER
The Security Council concluded its open meeting
yesterday on cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations
in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and peacekeeping, by adopting a
Presidential Statement that
asked
the Secretary-General for a report with specific proposals on how the world
body could foster collaboration and deeper partnerships with other
intergovernmental organizations and regional and subregional actors,
especially the African Union.
The Security Council, in another Presidential
Statement yesterday afternoon,
welcomed
and endorsed the agreement signed by President Laurent Gbagbo of Côte d’Ivoire
and Guillaume Soro, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on 4 March, and supported
the appointment of Guillaume Soro as Prime Minister.
The Council also unanimously approved a
resolution
amending the sanctions placed on Rwanda.
U.N.: CHAD MUST INCREASE SECURITY FOR
DISPLACED CIVILIANS AND RELIEF WORKERS
The UN
Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes expressed concern about the
humanitarian situation in the eastern part of Chad.
Meeting with Chad’s Prime Minister, he stressed
the need for the Government to increase its protection of internally displaced
persons and to deal with nearly 300- thousand refugees from Sudan and the
Central African Republic.
He underscored the need for the Government to
work with the UN to increase security in the refugee camps and their
surroundings, noting the impunity prevailing for perpetrators of carjackings
and other crimes. Even though humanitarian actors have not been directly
targeted, this underscores the dangerous environment in which they work.
UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE CLEARED FROM KEY SUDANESE
TRADE ROUTE
Organized return operations of internally
displaced persons (IDPs) are continuing in Southern
Sudan, with nearly 1,200 additional people returning from South Darfur,
Khartoum and other areas.
On a related front, clearance of mines and
unexploded ordnance (UXO) on one of Southern Sudan’s main routes for trade and
delivering humanitarian aid was completed last week.
U.N MISSION SETS UP CRISIS MANAGEMENT CELL IN
FLOOD-STRICKEN HAITIAN TOWN
The United Nations is helping out in relief
efforts in Haiti following recent heavy rains and flooding. In Ouanaminthe, in
the Northeast, a “crisis cell” has been set-up under the leadership of the
Mayor and with the support of the UN mission,
MINUSTAH, and other humanitarian
partners.
MINUSTAH is also helping the Haitian Government
assess damage, evacuate populations in high-risk areas and provide drinking
water. The World Food Programme (WFP),
meanwhile, has sent two trucks of food to provide assistance to approximately
500 people in temporary shelters for two weeks.
SPEAKERS AT RIGHTS COUNCIL DECRY VIOLENCE IN
ZIMBABWE
In Geneva, the
Human Rights Council
today held a debate on reports presented and issues raised throughout the
week, during which several delegations expressed concern about the human
rights situation in Zimbabwe.
A number of speakers called on the Government
of Zimbabwe to cease human rights violations, restore the rule of law, and
allow Zimbabweans to freely express their opinion and expression. Zimbabwe was
also urged to start a dialogue with opposition figures in the country, aimed
at forging national unity and reconciliation.
Earlier in the day, the Council concluded its
interactive dialogue on the reports of experts on human rights and
transnational corporations and other business enterprises; the right to
health; and the situation of human rights defenders.
On Friday, the Council is scheduled to vote on
a number of drafts resolutions before it which have either been tabled during
this session or deferred from previous sessions. More information is available
on the Human Rights Council
webpage.
U.N., UGANDA LAUNCH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT CAMPAIGN
UN agencies led by UNICEF and the Ugandan
government and civil society organizations have
launched a campaign
to improve primary-school enrollment in the Lango sub-region of war-affected
Northern Uganda.
This is part of a countrywide campaign aiming
to speed up enrollment, and strengthen retention and completion of school by
both boys and girls. “Go to School, Back to School, Stay in School” – as the
campaign is known, looks to benefit some 1.3 million children in and out of
school as well as 13,000 teachers in 1,600 schools in 18 districts.
UNICEF is taking the lead in providing
educational and teacher-training materials for people in the region.
IN A FIRST, U.N TRIBUNAL TO TRANSFER CASE TO
SERBIA
The Appeals Chamber of the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia yesterday
dismissed a
filing by detainee Vladimir Kovacevic in his attempt to stop the transfer of
his case to the Republic of Serbia, thus clearing the way for the Tribunal’s
first-ever referral of a case to the Serb jurisdiction.
The Tribunal’s Registrar now has 30 days to
transfer the accused and the Prosecution is also expected to hand over
material and supporting evidence for Kovacevic’s indictment to the relevant
Serb authorities.
To date, the Tribunal has transferred 9 accused
to Bosnia and Herzegovina for trial and referred one case involving two
accused to Croatia.
DRUG OFFICE, U.A.E. SIGN LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGREEMENT
The UN Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC)
is teaming up with authorities in the United Arab Emirates in the battle
against illicit drugs. UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa and
Dubai’s Police Chief today signed an agreement to work together to tackle drug
abuse and trafficking in the UAE and elsewhere in the region.
As part of the project, UNODC will help upgrade
the Dubai Police Training Centre and assist in developing a national action
plan for reducing drug demand, as well as develop drug abuse and HIV/AIDS
prevention programmes for schools and universities.
ENERGY-EFFICIENT BUILDINGS CAN HELP FIGHT
GLOBAL WARMING
In a new report, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
is highlighting the significant gains that can be made in the fight against
global warming by reducing energy use and improving energy efficiency in
buildings.
Emissions from the building sector account for
30 to 40 per cent of global energy use, UNEP says. The right mix of government
regulation, energy-saving technologies and behavioral change can substantially
reduce CO2 emissions.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
KOSOVO SPECIAL ENVOY TO BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL
EARLY APRIL: Asked when the Special
Envoy for the Kosovo final status process would be briefing the Security Council
on his proposals to settle the province's status, the Spokesman said that Martti
Ahtisaari would be in New York whenever the Council set a date for a briefing
and that the Council would soon be announcing a specific date for his briefing.
Haq added that the Special Envoy would also speak to correspondents on the day
he reports to the Council.
FIRST APPOINTMENTS EXPECTED IN MOBILITY
PROGRAMME: Asked if the posts in the Secretary-General's Executive Office that were
advertised as part of the Mobility Programme had been filled and if there would
be any announcements to that effect, the Spokesman said that, to the best of his
knowledge, those posts had not yet been filled and that most were fairly
low-level and might not warrant a public announcement. For the higher-level
posts advertised, Haq said that there would be announcements once they were
filled, as per established UN practice.
*** The guest today was Thomas Schindlmayr, the
UN Disability Expert, who briefed on the opening for signature of the Convention
on the Rights of persons with Disabilities.***
Office of the Spokesman for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
