HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, July 7, 2008
BAN KI-MOON
CONDEMNS SUICIDE BOMBING IN KABUL
The Secretary-General
condemns in the
strongest terms the suicide bombing in Kabul today, which took place in the
vicinity of the Afghan Ministry of Interior and the Indian Embassy. A
reported 40 people were killed, including numerous civilians and several
Indian Embassy guards.
The perpetrators of this attack targeted innocent
civilians. The Secretary-General reiterates that no political agenda or
grievance can justify such reprehensible means. He urges that those
responsible be brought to justice.
The Secretary-General sends his deepest sympathy to the
Governments of Afghanistan and India, his condolences to the families of those
killed, and his best wishes for a rapid recovery to those who were injured.
Kai Eide, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative
for Afghanistan, also condemned
today’s suicide attack in the strongest possible terms. He said that the total
disregard for innocent lives was staggering, and those behind this must be
held responsible.
The Secretary-General, in a
report
today, says that the level of insurgent and terrorist activity in Afghanistan
has increased, particularly in the south and the east of the country. He said
that it is of great concern that the highest number of security incidents in
the country since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001 was recorded this past
May. The report also outlines the priorities that the UN Mission in
Afghanistan has in fulfilling its mandate.
Also today, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime reports that
the farmers of Badakhshan Province have responded well to the Government’s
programme to reduce opium poppy cultivation, with the area under cultivation
dropping from more than 13,000 hectares in 2006 to 3,642 hectares in 2007.
SECRETARY-GENERAL DEPLORES BRUTAL
KILLING OF U.N. OFFICIAL IN SOMALIA
The Secretary-General
condemns the
brutal killing of the acting head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP)
office in Mogadishu yesterday by unidentified gunmen. He expresses his
heartfelt sympathies to the victim’s family and colleagues, as well as to
those injured in the attack. The killing of Osman Ali Ahmed is a loss not only
for the United Nations but also for the Somali people, who are the ultimate
victims when humanitarian workers and aid officials are targeted in this way.
The Secretary-General encourages all Somalis to reflect
on this latest senseless act of violence and to work together in the search
for peace and reconciliation.
The U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) has also strongly
condemned the assassination. A 14-year veteran of the development agency,
Ahmed was shot by unidentified gunmen as he left a Mogadishu mosque with his
son and brother, both of whom were wounded in the attack.
Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, the Secretary-General’s
Special Representative for Somalia, has also condemned the murder of
Ahmed, pledging that such killings will not deter the United Nations from
carrying on its vital work in Somalia.
Mark Bowden, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia,
has
denounced this apparent targeted killing of a UN development assistance
officer as particularly outrageous and worrying at this critical time when
Somalia’s need for assistance is rapidly increasing.
SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS BOMBINGS IN
GEORGIA
The Secretary-General
condemns the
recent bombings in the cities of Gagra, Sukhumi and Gali on Abkhaz-controlled
territory as well as in the immediate vicinity of the cease fire line on
Georgian-controlled territory. All together, the bombings on
Abkhaz-controlled territory have left four dead and 16 wounded, mostly
civilians. One of those killed was a national staff member of the UN Observer
Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), and another
UNOMIG national staff member is among the wounded.
The Secretary-General calls for an immediate and thorough
investigation of the incidents and for those responsible to be brought to
justice.
The Secretary-General notes that these incidents have
taken place against the background of a sharp increase in tension in the
Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. He calls on all parties to exercise maximum
restraint, to refrain from violence and to work together in search for a
peaceful and lasting settlement.
BAN KI-MOON DEPLORES SUICIDE BOMBING IN
PAKISTAN
The Secretary-General strongly
condemns
yesterday’s suicide bombing in front of a police station near the Red Mosque
in Islamabad, which has claimed the lives of a large number of people, many of
them police, and injured dozens more. There have also been reports today of a
series of explosions in Karachi, that have resulted in more casualties.
The Secretary-General urges all political forces to unite
against the scourge of terrorism and expresses his heartfelt condolences to
the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Pakistan.
SUDAN: U.N. ENVOY CONDEMNS SHOOTING OF
MILITARY OBSERVER
Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, the Secretary-General’s Special
Representative for Sudan, strongly
condemned the
Sudan People’s Liberation Army’s (SPLA) shooting of a UN Military Observer and
a Sudanese Armed Forces National Monitor in Agok this morning.
Qazi called upon the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement
to identify the SPLA soldier or soldiers responsible for wounding the two
officers and to bring the perpetrators of this egregious act to justice. Qazi
strongly urged the parties not to allow this incident to impede or interfere
with implementation of the Abyei road map, which is so vital to maintaining
the process of implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES G-8 LEADERS TO
ADDRESS FOOD, CLIMATE AND DEVELOPMENT CRISES
The Secretary-General gave a
joint press
conference with World Bank President Robert Zoellick at the end of the
first day of the outreach session of the Group of Eight Summit in Hokkaido,
Japan, today.
He said that the world faces three simultaneous crises: a
food crisis, a climate crisis, and a development crisis. The three are deeply
inter-connected and need to be addressed as such, he stressed.
The Secretary-General warned that, at the midpoint in our
efforts to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals by 2015, progress in many countries is off track,
particularly in Africa.
On climate change, he said that we need to set a
long-term goal of at least cutting by half emissions by 2050. But we also need
short and medium-term targets that will drive today's market forces toward
technological change and market transformations that are needed.
He suggested that we must take an investment approach,
emphasizing that every dollar, Euro, or Yen invested today, as well as every
ounce of effort, is worth ten tomorrow, and a hundred the day after.
The Secretary-General traveled yesterday to Japan from
the Republic of Korea, where he paid his first visit since taking up his
duties at the United Nations. On Saturday, he paid an emotional visit to Haeng-chi,
the village where he was born, to a rapturous welcome by relatives, villagers
and admirers. He paid tribute to his ancestors during that visit, and said, “I
am very grateful to the grace of my ancestors, my father. I wish my father
could have seen what I am now.”
JUNIOR DELEGATES PRESENT PROPOSALS TO
G-8 LEADERS
Parallel to the Group of 8 Summit, the “Junior 8”, or
J-8, is also holding its own summit in Japan. As part of the UNICEF-led
initiative, young people from both G-8 and developing countries today
presented their
recommendations to G-8 leaders.
These include: establishing an international organization
to evaluate products based on “Green Indexes”, such as energy efficiency,
waste management, packaging and product composition, having G-8 leaders sign a
declaration prohibiting tied-aid donations that are made for political gain
rather than the common good; and supporting educational programmes, such as
disease prevention, nutrition, sanitation and sexual education, while
preventing Governments from restricting access to contraceptives and health
education.
U.N. ENVOY CONGRATULATES SIERRA LEONE ON
PEACEFUL LOCAL ELECTIONS
The Acting
Executive Representative of the Secretary-General in Sierra Leone has
congratulated
that country’s people on the successful conduct of local council elections
over the weekend. Michael von der Schulenberg said he was pleased that
Saturday’s polls were generally peaceful, orderly and efficient.
Noting the exemplary conduct of the 2007 elections, he
called on Sierra Leoneans to ensure that subsequent electoral processes,
including the counting, collation and certification of election results, are
finalized without rancor, and that any disputes are resolved within the bounds
of law.
FOUR NEW SITES ADDED TO WORLD HERITAGE
LIST
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) has
added four new sites to its World Heritage List.
They are: the mountain of Le Morne, a former hideout for
runaway slaves in Mauritius; the Nabatean archaeological site of Al-Hijr, the
first World Heritage property to be inscribed in Saudi Arabia; the multi-story
earthen houses of China’s Fujian Province, some of which can house up to 800
people each; and fortified Armenian monasteries in northeastern Iran, the
oldest of which dates back to the seventh century.
The World Heritage Committee is meeting through Thursday
in Quebec City.
WINTER OLYMPICS FACILITIES TO BE MOVED,
FOLLOWING U.N. ENVIRONMENTAL RECOMMENDATIONS
The organizers of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, to be
held in the Russian town of Sochi, have
decided to move several facilities away from a protected wilderness area,
following recommendations from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Those facilities include the bobsleigh and luge tracks,
as well as the mountain village, which were to be built on the edge of a
fragile nature reserve.
UNEP’s Executive Director, Achim Steiner, said the
decision to relocate is a significant step forward in the greening of the
Games.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
SECRETARY-GENERAL DISCUSSED SAUDI INTERFAITH INITIATIVE
DURING RECENT VISIT: Asked about a Saudi interfaith initiative, the
Spokeswoman noted that this is not a UN initiative, but the Secretary-General
discussed it with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia when he visited that country
last month.
SECRETARY-GENERAL NOT PLANNING TO MEET ZIMBABWE’S
PRESIDENT: In response to a question, the Spokeswoman said she was no aware
of any plans by the Secretary-General to meet with President Robert Mugabe of
Zimbabwe.
TROOP CONTRIBUTING COUNTRIES RESPONSIBLE FOR
DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST PEACEKEEPERS: Asked about a decision by an
Indian court not to discipline some Indian soldiers who had served in the
UN Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, the Spokeswoman said that, although the United
Nations can press troop contributing countries to take actions against soldiers
suspected of any violations of the rules, any disciplinary action is the
responsibility of the countries that provide the troops.
**The guest at noon was Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, who briefed on her recent trip
to Afghanistan.
Office of the Spokesperson for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
