HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N.
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Friday, June
15, 2007
GAZA: BAN KI-MOON IS CLOSELY CONSULTING WITH PARTIES
AND REGIONAL AND QUARTET PARTNERS ABOUT WAY AHEAD[
The shocking violence of recent
days in Gaza, much of which has involved violations of international
humanitarian and human rights law,
has caused great alarm and sadness around the world. Secretary-General Ban
ki-moon is deeply
concerned for the welfare of ordinary Palestinians and calls for full respect
for their human rights.
The ongoing crisis is of deep concern to the United Nations, particularly in
view of the work of the UN Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA),
World Food Programme (WFP) and other agencies in delivering humanitarian
assistance to a large majority of the population in Gaza.
The United Nations is determined to ensure the safety and security of the
large number of United Nations employees working in Gaza, and to ensure that
they can continue their vital work to assist a large section of the
Palestinian population in Gaza, many of whom are dependent on emergency aid
for daily sustenance.
This will require the cooperation of all parties to
ensure appropriate security and access conditions for the passage of
humanitarian goods and personnel both within the Gaza Strip and at key
crossing points.
The Secretary-General is deeply
disappointed at the failure of the National Unity Government, and the
violence, destruction and fragmentation that has brought about its demise.
This must end immediately and calm must be restored.
The Secretary-General renews
his support to President Abbas as he moves to discharge his responsibilities
under the Palestinian Basic Law.
The Secretary-General remains
in close consultation with the parties and regional and Quartet partners about
the way ahead.
HUMANITARIAN
AGENCIES RAISE ALARM ABOUT GAZA NEEDS
Several UN agencies are expressing deep concern about the
humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. The World Food Programme says it is
carrying on as best as it can, given the current security situation. It
continues to distribute bread to Gaza hospitals. Noting that the crossing
points from Gaza into Israel have all been closed, WFP estimates that there
are enough food supplies in the markets to last a week.
The World Health Organization (WHO), meanwhile, says that
the escalation of violence is posing particular problems for health workers
and patients, many of whom are not able to leave their homes. At least four
hospitals in Gaza have been fired upon, and the increased number of patients
with grave injuries is overwhelming emergency wards, according to WHO.
SECRETARY-GENERAL IS SHOCKED AND
SADDENED
BY DEATH OF RADIO OKAPI JOURNALIST IN D.R CONGO
The Secretary-General was
shocked and
saddened to receive the news
of the brutal killing of Mr. Serge Meheshe, a
respected national radio
journalist at Radio Okapi in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC).
The Secretary-General extends his
condolences to Mr. Meheshe’s family, to his colleagues in MONUC’s Radio Okapi
and to its partner, Fondation Hirondelle.
The free flow of information and ideas
and the freedom of expression are the lifeblood of democracy. Mr. Meheshe’s
death is a great loss for the United Nations and the
people of the DRC as they continue their efforts to build a sustainable peace
in their country.
The United Nations will do everything
possible to support the authorities of the DRC to identify the perpetrators of
this crime and bring them to justice.
SECURITY
COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF
U.N. PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS
The Security Council this morning unanimously
voted to extend the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus by six
months, until the middle of December. The Council also expressed its full
support for the process enshrined in the 8 July 2006 Agreement on a
comprehensive settlement, and noted with concern the lack of progress on that
process.
Yesterday, the Council ended its consultations on Somalia by adopting a
Presidential Statement on the situation there, reiterating its support for the
National Reconciliation Congress as a mechanism for much-needed political
dialogue and reconciliation in Somalia. The Council expressed its grave
concern at the recent pattern of attacks by extremist elements in that
country.
SECURITY COUNCIL
MISSION TO DISCUSS SUDAN AND OTHER ISSUES WITH
WITH AFRICAN UNION IN ADDIS ABABA ON SATURDAY
Tomorrow in Addis Ababa, the traveling Security Council delegation will begin
its official programme in the morning with the Chairperson of the African
Union Commission, Alpha Oumar Konaré, in a meeting expected to focus on AU-UN
cooperation, Sudan and Somalia.
After that the Council delegates will hold a working lunch with Konaré and
Commissioner Said Djinnit to discuss Sudan and AU-UN peacekeeping issues.
The Security Council will then meet with the AU Peace and Security Council
that afternoon, and the two Councils are expected to adopt a joint communiqué
detailing their consultations when the meeting adjourns. There will be a press
conference afterward.
The delegation will depart from Addis Ababa early on Sunday for Khartoum,
where a meeting is planned with the senior management of the African Union
Mission in Sudan. The Council mission will also meet with President Omar al-Bashir
and other senior Sudanese officials and hold a press conference in Khartoum.
Asked about the future status
of the High Representative dealing with elections in Cote d’Ivoire, Gerard
Stoudmann, the Spokeswoman noted that the Security Council, which deals with
that issue, would also visit Cote d’Ivoire on its current mission to Africa.
She later told the reporter that the Secretary-General in his latest report on
Cote d'Ivoire had referred to this issue.
The Spokeswoman, in response to a question, confirmed
that the Secretary-General had written an opinion column on Darfur that was
scheduled to appear in the Washington Post on Saturday.
SECRETARY-GENERAL ENVOY TO HOLD TALKS ON WESTERN SAHARA
Asked whether the
Secretary-General would personally attend the talks on Western Sahara next
week, the Spokeswoman said that he was not scheduled to attend in person.
However, she said, he had shown his interest in the issue by convening the
meeting, and deputizing his Personal Envoy, Peter van Walsum, to lead the
discussion, following up on the Security Council's latest resolution on the
matter.
The Spokeswoman said that the
talks are private, but said that a readout was requested to be provided
afterward.
Asked who requested that the
talks be held at an undisclosed location, Okabe said that was done at the
parties’ request.
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL TO CONCLUDE SESSION
MONDAY
In Geneva, the
Human Rights Council continued its consultations today in preparation for
adopting the various proposals on its institution building measures, which it
must decide by Monday.
Those proposals relate to a Universal Periodic Review
mechanism to monitor the human rights records of Member States, a review of
mandates of the special procedures of the Council, the agenda for the
Council’s future sessions, a complaints procedure and an expert advice body.
The Council is planning to hold informal consultations on
Sunday, at which time the President intends to circulate a revised Text on
Institution Building.
U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF MEETS WITH SRI
LANKA PRESIDENT
High Commissioner
for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, held what she characterized as a “very
productive” meeting with the President of Sri Lanka yesterday.
Arbour relayed the concerns of the international
community about the situation there and explained what role her office could
play in extending the national human rights protection system in that
country.
She also stressed the value of accurate and independent
reporting of the human rights situation on the ground.
U.N.
HUMANITARIAN OFFICE LEADS MISSION TO MOGADISHU
In
Somalia, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
reports that its Coordinator for the
country led a mission to Mogadishu yesterday to continue discussions with the
Transitional Federal Government on how to improve the distribution of
humanitarian assistance.
An
estimated 112,000 displaced Somalis have returned to the capital of Mogadishu
since the beginning of May. According to OCHA, many have lost properties and
need water, sanitation and hygiene assistance, as well as shelter and
household items.
UNICEF MARKS
DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD
TOMORROW
UNICEF
is marking the Day of the African Child – which is tomorrow -- by supporting
the African Union’s call to increase efforts to prevent child trafficking.
An
estimated 1.2 million children worldwide are the object of trafficking each
year. UNICEF is calling on governments, communities and families to work
together to put an end to these crimes. The agency stresses that achieving
the Millennium Development Goals will help families stay together and keep
children in school – two vital safeguards against child trafficking.
SECRETARY-GENERAL
ATTENDS MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR WALDHEIM
The Secretary-General this morning
spoke at the
General Assembly’s memorial service for former Secretary-General Kurt
Waldheim, saying that Waldheim’s 10 years at the helm covered a deeply
challenging time in the world and in the life of the United Nations. When he
left office in 1981, the world had undergone profound changes which could
hardly have been imagined 10 years before.
The Secretary-General express his condolences today to Waldheim’s family, and
to the people and Government of Austria, and paid tribute to him and to all
his predecessors, who have served in what has been called the most impossible
job on Earth.
In
observance of the former Secretary-General’s passing, the UN flag is flying at
half-mast today, and no other flags are flying at UN Headquarters.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
ENVIRONMENT GROUP WRAPS UP TWO DAY BIENNIAL MEETING:
The Advisory Group on Environmental Emergencies wrapped up its two-day biennial
meeting in Stockholm today. Environmental experts and disaster managers called
for a stronger global regime to meet the challenge of environmental emergencies,
especially given additional pressure from climate change and related natural
disasters.
WORLD
LABOUR ORGANIZATION AWARDS FIRST ‘DECENT WORK RESEARCH PRIZE’:
The International Labour
Organization today awarded its first annual “Decent Work Research Prize”.
Nobel peace laureate and former South African President Nelson Mandela received
an exceptional prize for his extraordinary lifetime contribution to
understanding and advocating ILO’s central concerns.
Professor
Carmelo Mesa-Lago from the University of Pittsburgh also received an award for
his research on social security in Latin America.
THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS
[This document is for planning purposes only and is
subject to change.]
Saturday, June 16
Through Wednesday, a Security Council delegation is
visiting Africa. Stops are planned in Addis Ababa, Khartoum, Accra, Abidjan,
and Kinshasa.
Sunday, June 17
Today and tomorrow in Doha, Qatar, the General Assembly is
scheduled to hold an informal meeting on “Financing Development to Achieve the
Millennium Development Goals.”
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Union Square Park, New York
City’s first International EarthBox Day, sponsored by the Food and Agriculture
Organization, takes place. The event will feature demonstrations of the
EarthBox, a breakthrough tool for growing high-value produce.
Today is World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
Monday, June 18
The Security Council is scheduled to hold a debate this
morning on the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and
for Rwanda.
From 3 to 6 p.m. in Conference Room 4, Assistant
Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Larry Johnson will moderate an expert panel
discussion on the preparedness of the international community to face threats
posed by nuclear terrorism.
In Geneva, the Human Rights Council is scheduled to
conclude its fifth session today.
Also in Geneva, a one-day meeting of the Preparatory
Committee for the first Conference of the High Contracting Parties to Protocol V
of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, on Explosive Remnants of War,
is taking place.
All this week in Geneva, the World Intellectual Property
Organization’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights is meeting to
continue work on a treaty to update the protection of broadcasting organizations
on a signal-based approach.
Paul Hunt, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the
right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of
physical and mental health, will visit Sweden at the invitation of the
Government.
Tuesday, June 19
At 11
a.m. in Room 226, Mr. José Antonio Ocampo,
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, will hold a press
conference to launch the World Economic and Social Survey 2007.
From 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. in
Conference Room 6, there will be UN University panel discussion on “How can
regional integration contribute to social equity?”
Today through Thursday, the
General Assembly President is visiting China.
From today through Friday, the
Group of Governmental Experts of the States Parties to the Convention on Certain
Conventional Weapons is meeting in Geneva.
Wednesday, June 20
This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to adopt
resolutions on the UN Disengagement Observer Force and on Liberia sanctions
before it hears a briefing and holds consultations on the Middle East.
From 6 to 9:30 p.m. in the Delegates Dining Room, the
Secretary-General and the UN Development Programme Administrator, Kemal Dervis,
will host the 2007 Human Development Awards “Celebrating People’s Participation
in Development”.
In Freetown, the Special Court for Sierra Leone is
scheduled to hand down its first verdicts.
Today is World Refugee Day. High Commissioner António
Guterres will be in Southern Sudan, where tens of thousands of refugees and
internally displaced people are returning home after decades of conflict.
Thursday, June 21
This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to receive
a briefing on its 1737 Sanctions Committee.
The guest at the noon briefing
will be Mr. David Shearer, Head of the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, who will be
briefing on the situation in the Gaza and the West Bank.
Today and tomorrow in
Santiago, Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, José Antonio
Ocampo, will attend a workshop on Development Options for Latin America,
organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Friday, June 22
This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to hold an
open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
*Saahir Lone, Senior Liaison
Officer of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East (UNRWA) Office in New York, was the guest at the noon briefing to give an
update on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and UNRWA's emergency assistance.
Office of the Spokesman for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
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