HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE
MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N.
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Friday, June
22, 2007
BAN KI-MOON TO
ATTEND DARFUR MEETING IN PARIS MONDAY
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to attend the
High-level Meeting of the Enlarged International Contact Group on Sudan in
Paris on Monday.
Also attending that meeting from the United Nations are
the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for
Darfur, Jan Eliasson, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping
Operations Jean-Marie
Guehenno and Margareta Wahlstrom, Assistant Secretary-General for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Asked whether the Secretary-General would meet with
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora while in Paris, the Spokeswoman said
that they were not scheduled to meet. His meetings, she said, would focus on
Darfur and would include one with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
NEW REPORT LINKS CLIMATE CHANGE AND
CONFLICT IN SUDAN
Sudan is unlikely to see a lasting peace unless
widespread and rapidly increasing environmental degradation is urgently
addressed. That’s according to an
assessment, issued today, by the UN Environment Programme.
Among the most serious concerns are land degradation and
desertification, the report said. It noted that deserts have spread
southwards by an average of 100 kilometers over the past four decades.
The report noted a clearly marked decline in rainfall,
especially in Darfur, adding that the scale of climate change as recorded in
Northern Darfur is almost unprecedented. Those impacts are closely linked to
conflict in the region, as desertification has added significantly to the
stress on traditional agricultural and pastoral livelihoods, the report says.
With declining rainfall,
crop yields are expected to fall by as much as 70 percent in the most
vulnerable areas.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
FOR PALESTINIANS IN GAZA REMAINS DIRE
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
said that the main crossing
points into Gaza remain closed, and it stressed that a reopening of the Karni
crossing was crucial to prevent a general food shortage in two weeks’ time.
The Agency said that the refugee poverty rate has now risen to 88 percent,
with UNRWA now providing food aid to 860,000 refugees in Gaza alone.
The World Food Programme said it had been able to use one crossing point, at
Kerem Shalom, today to transport some 400 tonnes of food aid to Gaza, and
added that more food aid needs to come in, with commercial stocks running low.
UNICEF said it is
delivering emergency medical supplies and vaccines to help prevent outbreaks
of measles, tuberculosis and other diseases among children in Gaza.
Tomorrow, UNRWA will start a
10-week programme of games for 192,000 children and youth in Gaza.
Asked about new dates for a Quartet meeting, the
Spokeswoman said that Quartet members were consulting with each other on that.
She said that the Quartet’s envoys would meet next week.
Asked about the Secretary-General’s reaction to the
scheduled meeting next week between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Montas said that the Secretary-General has
always encouraged and supports meetings between them. She noted his
participation last May in the Sharm El Sheikh consultations on the Arab peace
initiative and his many exchanges with regional players in recent days.
UN HUMANITARIAN
CHIEF CALLS FOR AN END OF TARGETING
CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT
John Holmes, the UN Emergency Relief
Coordinator, this morning addressed the
Security
Council’s open meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict
and said that he had seen in his travels how hundreds of thousands of
civilians have been uprooted from their ordinary lives by conflict.
He
highlighted particular concerns about the targeting of civilians, citing
recent fighting in Somalia, the occupied Palestinian territory, Afghanistan
and Iraq, among other places. Holmes also discussed the continuing
displacement of civilians, including in Darfur and Sri Lanka, and the need for
access and security for humanitarian workers.
If
there is one thing we need to do above all, Holmes said, “it is to end the
culture of impunity which underlines so many abuses.”
In
a press statement read after the meeting, Security Council President,
Ambassador Johan C. Verbeke of Belgium,
said Council members welcomed progress in, and increased awareness of, the
issues surrounding protection of civilians, but expressed their grave concern
that civilians continue to account for the majority of casualties in
situations of armed conflict. They reaffirmed that parties to armed conflict
bear the primary responsibility to take all feasible steps to ensure the
protection of affected civilians.
SECURITY
COUNCIL TO DISCUSS KOSOVO THIS AFTERNOON
In
the afternoon at 4 p.m., the Security Council is scheduled to hold
consultations to discuss a draft resolution on Kosovo.
DETERMINATION OF
KOSOVO’S FUTURE STATUS
SHOULD REMAIN A SECURITY COUNCIL PRIORITY
Asked about the Secretary-General’s reaction to the presentation at the
Security Council of a new draft resolution on Kosovo, the Spokeswoman said
that there is a need to bring forward the process to define Kosovo’s future
status.
The forward momentum in the future status process should be kept up, she said.
Maintaining the current status quo is not a viable solution.
The Secretary-General’s view is that the determination of Kosovo’s future
status should therefore remain a priority for the Security Council and for the
international community as a whole.
The proposal
for a settlement of Kosovo’s status prepared by the Secretary-General’s
Special Envoy has the Secretary-General’s full support, Montas said. It
includes all the right elements for a fair and sustainable solution to
Kosovo’s status.
Sustaining and consolidating the progress made by Kosovo under the interim
administration of the United Nations will require concrete prospects for the
conclusion of the future status process and the active and constructive
cooperation of all involved, the Spokeswoman added.
UNITED NATIONS IS
READY TO SUPPORT
DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVES IN BOLIVIA
The Secretary-General is
following with
interest the process of change underway in Bolivia.
His Special Adviser, Jan Egeland, visited Bolivia from 29 May to 2 June 2007.
The Secretary-General underscores the exceptional opportunity that Bolivia’s
Constituent Assembly represents to establish, through broad national
agreement, a democratic society based on ethnic and cultural diversity,
inclusion, equal opportunities and social justice.
The Secretary-General notes that resources of the United Nations system are
available to support these efforts to strengthen Bolivia’s democracy.
PLAN TO FIGHT
DRUG-RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS LAUNCHED
Today in Geneva, the World Health Organization and the
Stop TB Partnership
launched a two-year, $2.15 billion dollar plan to combat drug-resistant
tuberculosis.
The plan aims to achieve a tenfold increase in detection
and treatment of such strains of TB, including by increasing the number of
fully equipped TB labs in countries with high levels of the disease.
The plan is part of an effort to reach a 2015 goal of
providing access to drugs and diagnostic tests to all patients with
drug-resistant tuberculosis, thereby saving potentially more than a million
lives.
WORLD FOOD
PROGRAMME APPEALS TO KENYA
TO ALLOW TRUCKS TO CROSS INTO SOMALIA
The
World Food Programme
appealed today
to Kenyan authorities to allow 140 trucks of food assistance to cross into
Somalia. The trucks have been stopped at a Northeastern border crossing since
May 25.
WFP says
that the delays in distributing food this month in the Gedo district, which
borders Kenya, risk aggravating the already alarming malnutrition rate.
In all, 290 trucks carrying 8,500
metric tonnes of food and non-food supplies are presently stuck at the
Kenya/Somalia border, according to the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs.
UNICEF URGES IRAQI GOVERNMENT TO ASSESS ALL ORPHANAGES
UNICEF
expressed its
concern over the welfare of orphans and vulnerable children in Iraq – after
the discovery of children in a Baghdad orphanage suffering horrific neglect
and abuse. According to the agency, the ongoing conflict in the country is now
a serious threat to their welfare.
UNICEF
is urging the Iraqi Government to assess all the country’s orphanages and
juvenile centres as soon as possible and to improve the skills of caregivers.
SECURITY PROBLEMS HAMPER RELIEF EFFORTS IN
AFGHANISTAN
The World Food Programme today
warned that
continuing security problems are hampering operations in some parts of
Afghanistan, especially in the west of the country where food stocks are
running short and thousands of the most vulnerable people may soon see
critical food supplies curtailed or interrupted.
Asked about a reaction to the NATO strikes in
Afghanistan, the Spokeswoman recalled that the Secretary-General had expressed
his concerns over the situation in Afghanistan in a
statement
earlier this week.
ONE FIFTH OF
TIMOR-LESTE’S POPULATION IN NEED OF FOOD ASSISTANCE
One-fifth of Timor-Leste’s population is in need of food assistance, according
to a report
issued today by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food
Programme.
The two
UN agencies say persistent drought and plagues of locusts have ravaged the
country’s harvest this year. They say 15,000 tons of emergency food assistance
will be required in the coming months.
U.N. OFFICIAL
RESIGNS TO TAKE UP ELECTED POST
WITHIN HIS NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
The Secretary-General has
accepted the
resignation of Mr. Hama Arba Diallo as Executive Secretary of the United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
effective 19 June 2007.
Mr. Diallo was recently elected as a member of the
National Assembly of Burkina Faso and, accordingly, had tendered his
resignation effective that date, in accordance with applicable UN Rules and
regulations.
The Secretary-General has accepted Mr. Diallo’s
resignation effective 19 June 2007 and, pending the selection of his
successor, has designated his Deputy, Mr. Grégoire de Kalbermatten, as
Officer-in-Charge.
The Secretary-General has expressed to Mr. Diallo his
appreciation for the valuable service he has rendered to the Organization and
for his leadership role in steering the Convention process. The
Secretary-General intends to initiate the search process in order to identify
a suitable successor shortly. This will be done in consultation with the
Bureau of the Conference of Parties (COP) through its President with a view to
completing the process before the next COP, which will be held in Madrid from
3 to 14 September 2007.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
SECRETARY-GENERAL IS SATISFIED WITH MEETING WITH U.S.
LAWMAKERS: Asked about the Secretary-General’s visit on Wednesday to
Washington, D.C., the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General was satisfied
with his meetings. She said, in response to a question, that different aspects
of the United Nations' work were raised during his meetings with bipartisan
members of Congress .
INFORMATION ON DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL’S
RESPONSIBILITIES PROVIDED TO BUDGET COMMITTEE: Asked whether the
Secretary-General had responded to a request from the Advisory Committee on
Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) on the role of the Deputy
Secretary-General, the Spokeswoman said that specific information about the
responsibilities of the Deputy was provided to the ACABQ.
U.N. POLICY IS TO ACCREDIT ONLY JOURNALISTS FROM MEMBER
STATES: Asked about a letter from the Committee to Protect Journalists
concerning the accreditation of journalists at the United Nations, the
Spokeswoman noted that, as an organization of Member States, UN policy is to
give accreditation only to journalists from Member States. She also noted in
that regard the UN General Assembly’s one-China policy.
SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED ABOUT LATEST TALKS ON DOHA
ROUND: Asked about the Secretary-General’s concerns that the Group of Four’s
talks on the Doha trade round were not successful, the Spokeswoman said that the
Secretary-General was very concerned. The failure of those negotiations is
disappointing, she said, but it is hoped that there will be further talks on the
issues.
THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS
[This document is for planning purposes
only and is subject to change.]
Saturday, June 23
Today is United Nations Public Service Day.
Through July 2 in Christchurch, New Zealand, the World
Heritage Committee will consider requests for the inscription of 45 new sites on
UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Monday, June 25
The Secretary-General will be in Paris to attend the
High-level Meeting of the Enlarged International Contact Group on Sudan.
This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to hold an
open debate on natural resources and conflict. The General Assembly President
is among those scheduled to speak.
At 3 p.m. in Room. 226, Mr. Georg Kell, Executive Director
of the UN Global Compact, will hold a press conference to preview the UN Global
Compact Leaders Summit to be held from 5-6 July in Geneva.
All this week in Conference Room 1, the eighth meeting of
the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea
will take place.
All this week in Conference Room 2, the first substantive
session of the Open-ended Working Group to consider the objectives and agenda,
including the possible establishment of the preparatory committee for the fourth
special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, takes place.
All this week in Conference Room A, the Expert Group
Meeting on Tourism Statistics will review, amend and endorse the provisional
draft of International Recommendations on Tourism Statistics, which is expected
to be submitted to the UN Statistical Commission in February 2008.
From today through 12 July in Vienna, the UN Commission on
International Trade Law will hold its 40th session.
From today through 29 June, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, will be visiting Myanmar
at the invitation of the Government.
Tuesday, June 26
In Jerusalem, envoys of the
Quartet will meet to discuss the current situation in the Middle East.
This morning, the Security
Council is scheduled to hold consultations on the UN Monitoring, Verification
and Inspection Commission.
From today through Friday in
Vienna, the 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Governance is scheduled
to take place, with a focus on the theme of “Building Trust in Government”. UN
Public Service Day will be observed in a ceremony during the Forum’s plenary
session, at which time the UN Public Service Awards for 2007 will be presented.
Today is the International Day
against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, as well as the International Day in
Support of Victims of Torture.
In Vienna, the UN Office on
Drugs and Crime will release its 2007 World Drug Report.
Wednesday, June 27
This morning, the Security is scheduled to hold a private
meeting with Troop Contributing Countries to the UN Mission in Côte d’Ivoire, as
well as consultations on Côte d’Ivoire.
The guests at the noon briefing will be Ms. Ann Erb
Leoncavallo, Speechwriter in the Office of the
Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and Ms.
Anika Rahman, President of Americans for UNFPA, who will launch the State of the
World Population 2007 report.
The Peacebuilding Commission will
meet to review its first year of work, endorse its first annual report and elect
a new chairperson.
At 1.30 p.m. in Room. 226, Ms.
Carolyn McAskie, Assistant Secretary-General,
Peacebuilding Support Office; Ambassador Gaspar Martins (Angola), outgoing chair
of the Peacebuilding Commission; Ambassador Johan L. Løvald (Norway), Vice-Chair
of the Peacebuilding Commission and Coordinator of Burundi Country-specific
Meeting; and the Commission’s newly-elected chairperson will brief on the first
year of work of the Peace-building Commission, as well as provide a look ahead
at the Commission’s next steps and challenges.
Thursday, June 28
This morning, the Security
Council is scheduled to hold a private debate on Somalia.
The guest at the noon briefing
will be Mr. Anwarul Chowdhury, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High
Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing
Countries and Small Island Developing States, who will launch the Climate Change
Report 2007.
Friday, June 29
This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to adopt a
resolution on the UN Mission in Côte d’Ivoire.
Office of the Spokesman for the
Secretary-General
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