HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

BAN KI-MOON PLEDGES $10,000 OF HIS OWN MONEY
 TO HELP RWANDAN GENOCIDE SURVIVORS

• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is in Kigali, Rwanda, today, and he toured the Genocide Memorial, saying afterwards that he was deeply moved. 
   
• It is impossible, he said, to pass through the halls of the Memorial and not be affected – indeed, shaken to the core -- by what the Rwandan people have endured. The genocide will haunt the United Nations, and the international community, for generations to come, he said.
   
• Before leaving the Memorial, the Secretary-General pledged $10,000 of his own money to a fund set up by the Government to assist the survivors of the genocide, and help in the education of hundreds of orphans.
   
• The Secretary-General later met with President Paul Kagame, and addressed the country’s Parliament. The Secretary-General and President Kagame discussed the progress made by Rwanda in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular in primary education and gender equality. They also discussed the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda’s contribution to the hybrid force in Darfur, as well as support to the survivors of the genocide and the future of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
   
• The Secretary-General told the Parliament that Rwanda has made tremendous progress since the genocide, moving from successful recovery towards long-term sustainable development. And he noted Rwanda’s important contributions to UN peacekeeping operations around the world, including in Darfur.

 BAN KI-MOON IS DEEPLY CONCERNED BY ETHNIC CLASHES IN KENYA

• Responding to questions in a joint press conference with President Kagame, the Secretary-General told the press that he was deeply concerned by the situation in Kenya, the mounting death toll, and the ethnic clashes. 
   
• He noted that he had discussed the situation this morning by telephone with former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who is leading the mediation effort in Kenya. 
   
• The Secretary-General also said he is going to meet tomorrow on recent developments in Kenya with African leaders gathered in Addis Ababa for the African Union summit.
   
• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the security and humanitarian situation in Kenya is “sharply deteriorating.”
   
• The World Food Programme (WFP) is continuing to distribute food to displaced Kenyans and slum dwellers. However, a new round of food distribution in the Nairobi slums had to be cancelled yesterday because of security concerns. In addition, a WFP convoy going to the Rift Valley town of Kipkelion was stoned and had to turn back. WFP is working with the Kenyan Government to ensure military escorts for its trucks.
   
• The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) adds that it is “very concerned” about the worsening security situation. Yesterday, UNHCR had to call off a planned evacuation of up to 400 people from the town of Timboroa.
   
• UNICEF reports increasing cases of sexual violence. Recently, a UNICEF protection team at a camp in the Northern Rift Valley was interviewing young women who had been raped, when a group of over a dozen men appeared, threatening the women that if they continued to testify, they and their children would be subjected to renewed sexual violence. A UNICEF representative, who reported the incident to the camp security authorities, was told that there was nothing going on in the camp and that everything was fine.
   
• Asked about security measures to support for Kofi Annan, the Spokeswoman noted that the Secretary-General said that the United Nations would provide the support Annan needs to carry out his mission.
   
• Asked whether the Security Council would receive a briefing on Kenya, Okabe said that it was her understanding that Kenya would come up under "other matters" in its consultations today. She added that the Secretariat was ready to provide a briefing to the Security Council on Kenya.
   
• Asked about the UN presence in Nairobi, she noted that the city was one of the major UN headquarters in the world, housing the headquarter offices of the UN Environment Programme and Habitat, as well as having all major humanitarian agencies present on the ground assisting the victims of the current crisis.

 SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS LEBANON ATTACK

• The Security Council today held consultations on Georgia, with a briefing on the UN Mission in that country by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Jean Arnault.
   
• In his latest report on Georgia, the Secretary-General says that there have been no recent incidents between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides. Nevertheless, allegations concerning the deployment of forces on both sides of the ceasefire line have generated tensions during the reporting period.
   
• After Georgia, the Security Council held further consultations on the Middle East.
   
• The Security Council President delivered a statement to the press on Lebanon, condemning the 25 January terrorist attack in Beirut.

 GAZA: MALNUTRITION TO RISE IF LOCKDOWN CONTINUES

• The Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) reports that all crossings into Gaza from Israel remain closed, except for fuel imports.
   
• Since 18 January, when comprehensive Israeli closures were imposed, only 32 truckloads of goods have entered Gaza. This compares to a daily average of 250 before June 2007.  
   
• UNSCO says that the influx of goods from Egypt is only temporary and that UN operations must continue. 
   
• A backlog of 224 trucks -- from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) -- has now accumulated. WFP distributions in some areas of Gaza have already run out of sugar and salt, and UNRWA says malnutrition will rise if the current lockdown continues.
   
• Complicating the situation is the fact that the UN’s Palestinian staff with permits to exit Gaza are currently not permitted to do so, resulting in the hampering of UN operations.
   
• In addition, WHO is concerned that fuel distributors in Gaza are on strike in response to the Israeli restrictions. As a result, health facilities are not getting the fuel they need. A UN team is planning to meet with the Distributors Union tomorrow to encourage them to allow the fuel to flow.
   
• Meanwhile, UNICEF reports that some water wells are functioning again after being reconnected to electricity and functioning generators. Nevertheless, 40% of Gazans still have limited access to safe water. 
   
• Asked about reported discussions between Egypt and the Palestinian Authority on control of the border crossings at Gaza, the Spokeswoman said that those are bilateral talks, which the Secretary-General is closely monitoring.
   
• She noted that the Secretary-General’s primary concern is the well-being of people in Gaza, with the UN system working to make sure that their desperate needs are met.

 WESTERN SAHARA POSITIONS REMAIN FAR APART

• In his latest report on the negotiations on Western Sahara, the Secretary-General presents an analysis of the latest round of talks, which took place in Manhasset earlier this month.
   
• He says that, while the parties reiterated their commitment to the process, their stated positions remained far apart on how to provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.  “Although the parties dynamically interacted with each other, there was hardly any exchange that could be characterized as negotiations”, the report says.
   
• But he noted that the parties welcomed the intention of his Personal Envoy, Peter van Walsum, to visit the region shortly.  They also agreed to meet again at the Greentree Estate from 11 to 13 March for a fourth round of talks. 
   
• Asked about UN efforts in Western Sahara, the Spokeswoman noted that the Personal Envoy is “very engaged” on the issue and will be traveling to the region shortly. She said that the willingness of the parties to meet again in March shows that the process is moving.

 VIOLATIONS AGAINST CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT
SHOULD BE REFERRED TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

• According to a new report by the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, child recruitment is still taking place in Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, the Central African Republic, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Uganda.
   
• Among other things, the Secretary-General says the Security Council should consider a range of measures -- including bans on military aid and travel restrictions on leaders -- to use against parties to armed conflict who continue to systematically commit grave violations against children.
   
• He also encourages the Security Council to refer violations against children in armed conflict to the International Criminal Court.

 FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE PROGRAM SETS HIGH BAR
 IN TACKLING CONFLICT OF INTEREST ISSUES

• Asked about the rules governing how senior UN officials can, on a voluntary basis, make their financial disclosures public, the Spokeswoman noted that the primary purpose of the UN financial disclosure program is to ensure that potential conflicts of interest arising from staff members’ financial holdings, private affiliations or outside activities can be identified, and advice provided as to how best to manage any potential conflicts of interests in the best interests of the United Nations. 
   
• She said that this may result in staff members being advised of an appropriate course of action, such as divesting themselves of holdings, or recusing themselves from a particular activity or aspect of their official functions. 
   
• Okabe said that, when completing a voluntary public disclosure summary, a staff member has two options: to simply state that he or she wishes to maintain the confidentiality of the information they have disclosed; or to complete a public disclosure summary per the policy guidelines and principles.
   
• Among other details about what may and may not be shared, the Spokeswoman said that the source and nature, but not the value, of a staff member’s personal assets, stock options, income from non-UN sources or profits from the sale of personal property, and liabilities greater than or equal to $10,000 USD will be disclosed. But the following assets or interests will not be disclosed publicly: cash or deposits with a financial institution; pension rights; and/or life insurance policies.
   
• Asked about disclosures concerning spouses, she said that staff will not be required to publicly disclose details provided within their statement in respect of one’s spouse or dependent children. While their confidential disclosures are needed to help PricewaterhouseCoopers better advise the UN staff member of a potential conflict of interest situations, there is no need to publicly disclose their private interests.
   
• Okabe emphasized that all the officials who had made their financial disclosures public had already been vetted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, with no further action required of them.
   
• Asked how many officials had voluntarily made public their financial disclosures, she said that 92 had decided to make their disclosures public, out of a field of 105 Assistant Secretaries-General and 85 Under-Secretaries-General.
   
• The Spokeswoman, in response to questions about how the financial disclosures were filed, emphasized that the United Nations had set a high bar for its officials to meet.

 AFGHANISTAN: U.N. MISSION CONCERNED ABOUT REPORTER ON DEATH ROW

• Asked about the case against Sayed Parwez Kambaksh, a journalist who was sentenced to death for blasphemy by a court in Afghanistan, the journalist was later informed that the Secretary-General’s acting Special Representative for Afghanistan, Bo Asplund, said the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is concerned about developments in that case. 
   
• Asplund said that the pressures for punishment, warnings to journalists, as well as the holding of this case in closed session without Kamabaksh having legal representation, point to possible misuse of the judicial process. This would not serve the cause of justice. He urged a proper and complete review of this case as it goes through the appeals process.

 OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

REFUGEE AGENCY APPEALS FOR FUNDS FOR THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED: The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today launched an appeal for an extra $90 million to fund programs for millions of internally displaced persons this year. The appeal covers UNHCR’s operations in the Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Uganda. 

DEPUTY HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF HEADS TO NEPAL: Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kang Kyung-hwa is en route to Nepal for a five-day visit to see firsthand the activities of the human rights office in Nepal, which is her organization’s largest field presence in the world. The Deputy High Commissioner will also assess the current human rights situation in the country and meet with representatives of the Nepalese government, the United Nations Mission in Nepal and the National Human Rights Commission, among others.

U.N. PEACEKEEPERS RESCUE LEBANESE SAILORS: The Maritime Task Force of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today rescued 14 sailors from a disabled Lebanese ship following an extensive search and rescue operation at sea over four hours. UNIFIL’s Force Commander, Major General Claudio Graziano, expressed relief at the safety of the ship’s crew and congratulated personnel from the Task Force and a French vessel which assisted the operation. “There cannot be a higher human endeavour than to save valuable lives,” he said.

DARFUR DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE: The African Union-United Nations Joint Special Representative for Darfur, Rodolphe Adada, today continued his discussions with Sudanese officials on ways and means to ensure the success of the African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID). Meanwhile, the UN Special Envoy for Darfur Jan Eliasson is expected to come to New York next week to brief the Security Council, which has not yet been confirmed.

ANNOUNCEMENT PENDING ON ALGIERS PANEL: Asked about the investigative panel that is to be set up to look into the 11 December Algiers bombing, the Spokeswoman said that she was awaiting an announcement on the panel.

BAN KI-MOON TRYING TO BRING PARTIES TOGETHER ON CLIMATE CHANGE: The Spokeswoman declined to respond to recent comments made by U.S. President George W. Bush on climate change, beyond noting that the Secretary-General has been trying to bring parties together on that important issue.

HUMANITARIAN CHIEF HAILS STREAMLINED APPROACH TO AID:  Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes, addressing the European Parliament today, voiced his support for the new EU Consensus on Humanitarian Aid.  The consensus document, adopted last month, is aimed at streamlining coordination between European institutions in order to promote common approaches to humanitarian assistance.