HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N.
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Tuesday, July
31, 2007
BAN KI-MOON DEPLORES KILLING OF HOSTAGES IN AFGHANISTAN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
deplores the
killing of two of the hostages from the Republic of Korea held by the Taliban.
He offers his sincere condolences to the family of the victims and to the
Korean people.
He remains deeply concerned for the safety and
welfare of the 21 Korean hostages, the German national and the four Afghans,
who are still being detained. The Secretary-General notes that these hostages
include many young women who came to the country to help the people of
Afghanistan and they should not be made part of the conflict in that country.
The Secretary-General fully supports the Afghan
authorities in their continuing efforts to ensure the safe return of all those
being held against their will.
SECURITY
COUNCIL TO VOTE ON RESOLUTIONS
ON HYBRID FORCE FOR DARFUR, AND ON DR CONGO
At 3:00 this afternoon,
the Security Council has scheduled a
formal meeting to vote on extending the sanctions on the flow of arms within
and into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Immediately after that,
the Security Council has scheduled another formal meeting, to vote on a draft
resolution concerning the mandate for establishing an African Union-UN hybrid
operation in
Darfur. A draft resolution on that hybrid operation was circulated by its
co-sponsors last night.
The Secretary-General has
been invited by the Security Council President to attend that meeting, and he
is scheduled to speak then.
Today is the last day of
the Chinese Presidency of the Security Council. Tomorrow, the Republic of
Congo will assume the Presidency of the Council for the month of August.
Asked whether the
Secretary-General was happy with changes in the draft resolution on Darfur,
the Spokeswoman said that he cannot comment on a draft text and would express
his views when he speaks at the Council meeting.
U.N.
AGENCIES TO LAUNCH POLIO VACCINATION CAMPAIGN IN WEST DARFUR
The Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
notes that, following reports of two confirmed cases of polio across the
border in Chad, UNICEF, the World Health
Organization (WHO) and other
partners are set to launch an emergency vaccination campaign in West Darfur in
the coming days.
OCHA also notes that so
far this year, 87 humanitarian vehicles have been hijacked, including two on
Sunday. One of them was later recovered, and no one was injured in the latest
attack.
SECRETARY-GENERAL
CALLS FOR DECISIVE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
This morning, the
Secretary-General
addressed the General Assembly’s informal debate on “climate change as a
global challenge”.
He said that the time had
come for decisive action on a global scale. He called for a comprehensive
agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
that tackles climate change on all fronts. He urged all countries to reach an
agreement by 2009 that would be in force when the current Kyoto Protocol
commitment period expires in 2012.
The Secretary-General
noted that this week’s debate helps lay the groundwork for the 24 September
high-level session he is convening on climate change, and in turn for the
upcoming UNFCCC negotiations in December.
He added that he is
determined to minimize the UN System’s own carbon footprint, and make it a
climate-neutral organization.
Asked whether the
Secretary-General had pushed U.S. President George W. Bush on commitments to
combat climate change, the Spokeswoman noted that the Secretary-General sees
climate change as an important issue needing the participation of all
countries.
BAN
KI-MOON SAYS MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS STILL ATTAINABLE
The Secretary-General this
morning met with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and attended the Prime
Minister’s launch of a new initiative on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
He
noted the Prime
Minister’s proposal for a summit-level meeting on the Goals at the United
Nations next year, saying that, to make such an event a success, the UN
membership will need to be fully engaged in the preparations and follow-up.
He said that we are
seriously off track on some of the Goals, with some regions further behind
than others. “Some say we will not make it,” the Secretary-General said. “But
I say we still can.”
The Secretary-General
added that he was very much encouraged by Prime Minister Brown’s strong
commitment and support for the Goals and for peace and security initiatives
around the world, including Darfur.
Asked whether the
Secretary-General and Prime Minister Brown had held a bilateral meeting and
whether they had discussed Iraq, the Spokeswoman confirmed that they had, and
that they also discussed the Millennium Development Goals, Darfur, the Middle
East, efforts to combat climate change, Afghanistan and UN reform.
U.N.
CYPRUS MISSION WELCOMES SIGNING OF DE-MINING CONTRACT
The UN Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)
is welcoming the signing of a 4 million Euro contract between the European
Commission and the UN Development Programme (UNDP)
in order to complete the de-mining of the UN-patrolled buffer zone in Cyprus.
The mission commends the
ongoing financial support provided by the European Commission to continue the
important work of rendering the buffer zone free of all mines, and ultimately,
returning the land to civilian use.
Last year, Nicosia was
declared mine-free and so far, 2,810 mines have been removed from Cyprus.
U.N.-LED
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY GROUP DELEGATION
ATTENDS SOMALIA MEETING
As was reported in the
media over the weekend, the United Nations led a delegation of the
International Advisory Group to Somalia on Saturday to attend and to receive
an update on the ongoing National Reconciliation Congress.
The delegation to
Mogadishu was led by the Deputy Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Somalia, Per Lindgarde, and also included
representatives from Norway, Sweden, Italy, Yemen and Egypt.
The delegation expressed
its intention for members of the international community to have henceforth a
frequent presence at the Congress.
In addition to their
conversations with delegates and organizers of the Congress, the group also
met with representatives of the Transitional Federal Government and with the
Hawiye Council.
NIGER:
UNICEF SCALING UP EFFORTS TO COMBAT MALNUTRITION
UNICEF is
stepping up its
efforts in Niger to take care of an estimated 275,000 children who will be at
risk of malnutrition during the months of the lean season, from July to
October.
Among other measures,
UNICEF will scale up therapeutic care to reach children in need not yet
covered by the existing feeding centers. It will also provide, in cooperation
with the World Food Programme (WFP),
a two month free distribution of supplementary food for children under three
years old.
SECRETARY-GENERAL
URGES GUATEMALA TO ESTABLISH INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION TO COMBAT ORGANIZED CRIME
AND IMPUNITY
In an editorial in today’s
edition, the New York Times referred to a proposal before the Guatemalan
legislature to establish an International Commission against Impunity in
Guatemala (CICIG), in which a UN commissioner and experts would work alongside
Guatemalan prosecutors to combat organized crime and impunity. That proposal
is up for a critical vote tomorrow in Guatemala.
We would like to
reiterate, therefore, the position expressed by the Secretary-General in a
statement earlier
this month about the Commission. He hopes and urges Guatemala to seize this
opportunity to use international assistance to strengthen its justice system
in a way that is completely respectful of Guatemalan sovereignty.
We would also like to
stress the commitment of the United Nations to do everything it can, provided
that the Commission is approved, to make this Commission a success in helping
the Guatemalan people and authorities in their difficult fight against crime
and impunity.
FORMER
KHMER ROUGE OFFICIAL HANDED OVER TO TRIBUNAL
A spokesman for the
Extraordinary Chambers in Cambodia (ECCC)
said that Kaing Khek Iev, a former Khmer Rouge official also known as Duch,
was driven in a car escorted by Cambodian government security forces and
arrived at the tribunal headquarters early this morning.
He has been formally
handed over to the court, and is to have an initial interview with the judges
soon.
OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NETHERLANDS RESPONSE ON
LEBANON TRIBUNAL EXPECTED IN NEXT REPORT BY SECRETARY-GENERAL:
Asked whether the United Nations has received a response from the Netherlands
about hosting the Special Tribunal on the 2005 assassination of Lebanese
Prime Minister Rafik Hariril, the Spokeswoman
said that a response could be contained in the Secretary-General’s next report
on the matter, due towards the end of August.
NEXT ROUND OF WESTERN
SAHARA TALKS TO TAKE PLACE IN MID-AUGUST:
Asked about the next round of talks in Manhasset on Western Sahara, the
Spokeswoman said that the parties have confirmed their participation in the
10-11 August talks. The Secretary-General will be represented by his trusted
Personal Envoy, Peter van Walsum.
UN REFUGEE AGENCY IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSISTING REFUGEES FROM CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC:
Asked who is responsible for assisting refugees from the Central African
Republic who are fleeing to Cameroon, the Spokeswoman said that is the
responsibility of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
NO MIDDLE EAST TRIP BY
SECRETARY-GENERAL PLANNED AT THIS TIME:
Asked whether the Secretary-General would visit the Middle East, the Spokeswoman
said that no upcoming trip there was planned. He will travel, starting
Wednesday, to Haiti and Barbados.
BAN KI-MOON MEETS WITH
UNDP ADMINISTRATOR: In response to a
question, the Spokeswoman noted that the Secretary-General and UN Development
Programme (UNDP) Administrator Kemal Dervis
had spoken on Monday on a range of issues, including the examination into UNDP
operations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Office of the Spokesman for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
