HIGHLIGHTS OF
THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
Thursday,
January 17, 2008
SECRETARY-GENERAL “DEEPLY CONCERNED” AT ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE IN SOUTHERN
ISRAEL, GAZA AND WEST BANK
[According to a statement issued following the noon
briefing, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply
concerned at the
current escalation of violence in Gaza and southern Israel, as well as in the
West Bank. He is troubled by the heavy bloodshed, particularly the killing and
injuring of civilians on both sides and the potential for further casualties
unless the situation is de-escalated.
[The Secretary-General calls for an immediate cessation
of Palestinian sniper and rocket attacks into Israel, and for maximum
restraint on the part of the Israel Defense Forces.
[He reminds all parties of their obligation to comply
with international humanitarian law and not to endanger civilians.]
In response to questions about the recent violence in
Gaza, the Spokeswoman said that the UN Special
Coordinator, Robert Serry, has visited Gaza and Sderot and underscored UN
concerns.
In response to questions about the UN reaction to the
killings in Gaza, the Spokeswoman stressed that the Secretary-General has been
monitoring the situation closely and has been in touch with officials on the
ground to obtain as much information as possible on what has been going on.
She noted that, according to the information received, there have been
civilian victims.
Asked whether the violence is helpful to the process
begun in Annapolis, Maryland, she said it was not.
SECURITY
COUNCIL DISCUSSES MYANMAR
The Security Council,
in its consultations today, is discussing Myanmar.
The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, Ibrahim Gambari,
began those consultations with a briefing; Gambari intends to visit
India and China later this month, and has a standing invitation to make a
return trip to Myanmar.
He
spoke to reporters afterwards.
Following the consultations, in a
statement
read out by Security Council President, Ambassador
Giadalla Ettalhi of Libya, Council members
underscored the importance of further progress, noting that an early visit to
Myanmar by Mr. Gambari could help facilitate this.
SUDAN RELEASES
DARFUR REBEL OFFICIALS INTO U.N. CUSTODY
Eight members of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM),
who were arrested by Sudanese government officials in El Fasher, have been
released, according to the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).
They were officially handed over to the UNAMID Force
Commander and Chairman of the Ceasefire Commission, General Martin Luther
Agwai, in El Fasher today.
The handover ceremony took place in the presence of the
UN/AU Joint Special Representative, Rodolphe Adada, who welcomed the
development.
The release comes two days after the Sudanese government
military leadership notified the UNAMID Force Commander of its decision to
release the JEM representatives.
Seven of the men, including General Mohammed Al Bashar,
are members of the Khalil Ibrahim faction of the JEM and were arrested in
December, while the eighth, Adam Soulayman, a representative of JEM/Collective
Leadership, was arrested on January 8th by Sudanese Government authorities.
Following the incidents, Gen. Agwai stayed in contact
with both parties in an attempt to de-escalate the tension and ensure the safe
return of the men.
Meanwhile, negotiations for a Status of Forces agreement
for UNAMID continued today in Khartoum between senior UN and government
officials. The negotiations on the agreement, which will regulate the
mission’s deployment, have been proceeding smoothly, constructively and in a
friendly atmosphere, since they began early this week, according to UNAMID.
AFRICAN UNION/UNITED NATION ENVOYS ENDS
VISIT TO DARFUR
And the UN and AU Special Envoys for Darfur, Jan Eliasson
and Salim Ahmed Salim met today in North Darfur with the representatives of
Abdul Wahid's faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA).
They
traveled onward to Juba tomorrow.
The
visit today completed a three-day visit in Darfur where the Envoys met with
three different movement clusters.
They
discussed the political process and the possibility in the near future for an
"Arusha-style" meeting, or a gathering among the
non-signatory movements, hosted by the mediation, designed to allow the
movements to discuss among themselves a common negotiation platform and
positions and to form a common negotiation team.
BAN KI-MOON
CONDEMNS DEADLY ATTACKS IN SRI LANKA
In a
statement issued
on Wednesday afternoon, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the
indiscriminate attacks in the South-East of Sri Lanka, which left dozens of
dead and injured, including children. Those deadly attacks coincided with the
expiration of the Ceasefire Agreement.
The Secretary-General reiterated his firm belief that the
only way to stop further violence in Sri Lanka is through dialogue. He urges
the parties concerned to undertake genuine efforts to achieve a peaceful
negotiated solution.
NEW SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ASSUMES HER
DUTIES IN LIBERIA
The Secretary-General’s new Special Representative for
Liberia, Ms. Ellen Margrethe Løj, has
arrived in Monrovia and
assumed her duties.
Speaking after arrival, Ms. Løj said that, while much has
been accomplished since the war ended there, the UN still has a lot to offer
the Liberian people. She added that she looks forward to working with the UN
and its partners to support the Government of President Johnson Sirleaf in
transforming the lives of all Liberians.
Ms. Løj replaces Alan Doss, who is now the Special
Representative for the UN Mission in the Democratic of the Congo.
VIOLENCE-SCARRED HOUSES EXPOSE GAZA
FAMILIES TO COLD WEATHER
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
has highlighted the recent cold weather that has hit Gaza and the West Bank,
saying that families with insufficient housing are being especially affected.
Some of these houses are partly destroyed from past
violence, leaving holes in walls and roofs, which allow cold air to enter.
The fuel and electricity cut in Gaza, which lasts up to
12 hours a day in certain regions, compounds the problem, according to OCHA.
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON ON KOSOVO
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Kosovo,
Joachim Rücker, gave his regular
update to the Security Council in a closed session yesterday afternoon.
He said the November 17th elections were a success and
that he considered them a sign of political maturity among Kosovo’s leaders
and population. At the same time, however, he expressed concern at the low
turn-out of Kosovo Serbs and the cases of intimidation against those who
wished to vote.
Rücker also noted that, while the overall security
situation in Kosovo remains calm, there has been a troubling emergence of
radical fringe groups, who could exploit growing frustration among the local
population.
DEPUTY
SECRETARY-GENERAL ADDRESSES
CONFERENCE ON MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Deputy
Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today
addressed a conference
on migration and development here in New York.
In her remarks,
she said migration has become a truly global phenomenon, which requires deep
cooperation to make it a safe, legal, and orderly process. It would be an act
of profound irresponsibility to ignore the enormous interplay between
migration and development, she said.
The Deputy Secretary-General leaves for Egypt tonight to
attend an Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) symposium on south-south
cooperation.
While in Egypt, she will also attend a conference on
regional dialogue, and hold meetings with Government officials, the
Secretary-General of the Arab League, and UN staff. She’ll return to New York
on January 22nd.
NEW INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT JUDGES
TAKE OATH OF OFFICE
This morning in The Hague, the International Criminal
Court held a
ceremony to swear in three new judges. Daniel David Ntanda Nsereko of Uganda,
Fumiko Saiga from Japan and Bruno Cotte from France each made a public solemn
undertaking before the President of the Court, Philippe Kirsch and the other
14 ICC judges.
The three new magistrates were elected by the Court’s
Assembly of States Parties in December during the Assembly’s annual meeting
here in New York.
NEW INITIATIVES LAUNCHED AT FIRST
ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS FORUM
A $100 million investment in a Global Youth
Employment Initiative and a multi-million dollar Media Fund were among the key
initiatives that were
launched at
the first Alliance of Civilizations Forum, which ended yesterday.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon participated in the Forum
that explored ways of building partnerships to promote greater understanding
and respect among cultures.
LETTER FROM
WIDOWER OF BENAZIR BHUTTO
REGARDING HER ASSASSINATION HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED
Asked whether the Secretary-General has responded to a
letter from Benazir Bhutto’s widower, Asif Ali Zardari, calling for an
investigation into Bhutto’s assassination, the Spokeswoman said that the
letter has not yet been received. She noted that the United Nations has
received a letter, on 4 January, from Bhutto’s party, the Pakistan People’s
Party, that requested such an investigation.
The Secretary-General, she added, has not responded to
that letter.
Asked whether the Secretary-General may meet a delegation
from the People’s Party that would visit next week, the Spokeswoman noted that
the Secretary-General would be traveling, starting next Monday.
MEMBERS OF INDEPENDENT PANEL LOOKING AT
ALGIERS ATTACK
TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
Asked whether Algeria has officially
expressed its opposition to an investigative panel that is to look into the 11
December Algiers
bombing, the Spokeswoman said that the Algerian Prime Minister had
expressed his position to the Secretary-General when he met him in Madrid.
The Independent panel she said will be
announced soon and will include experts provided by different countries but
acting in their personal capacity.
Office of the Spokesperson for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
