HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Wednesday, July
16, 2008
BAN KI-MOON
EXPRESSES SATISFACTION OVER ISRAEL/HEZBOLLAH PRISONER SWAP
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply
satisfied that the humanitarian aspects of Security Council
Resolution 1701 (2006) have finally been met today.
His thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved
families. He conveys his heartfelt condolences to all.
He expresses his great appreciation to the work of the
UN Facilitator. He also thanks the International Committee of the Red Cross
and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
for their important logistical support.
The Secretary-General is looking forward to witnessing
further positive moves as envisaged during the negotiations. He has received
messages to that effect from both the Government of Israel and from the
leadership of Hezbollah.
Finally, the Secretary-General hopes that there will be
action soon for the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit and of Palestinian
prisoners. He believes these steps will contribute to improving the overall
humanitarian situation in the region.
BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES PROGRESS IN TALKS
ON DENUCLEARIZATION OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA
The Secretary-General
welcomes the recent progress at the sixth round of the Six-Party Talks
in Beijing, which includes an agreement to establish mechanisms to verify
the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to monitor the
implementation of related commitments.
The Secretary-General recognizes this continuing
progress as an important contribution to peace and stability in Northeast
Asia and urges all participants to intensify their efforts and dialogue to
further advance this multilateral process, and to contribute to the
resolution of bilateral issues.
Asked about tensions between
the Republic of Korea and Japan, the Spokeswoman recalled that the
Secretary-General had recently visited both countries, as well as China, and
had encouraged the progress being made by those three countries towards
improving their relations.
SECURITY COUNCIL TAKES UP U.N.-A.U.
MISSION IN DARFUR
The
Security Council this morning received a briefing by
Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean Marie Guéhenno on
the work of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur, known as
UNAMID. He earlier briefed troop contributing countries for UNAMID about
recent developments in Darfur.
Council members later adopted a President Statement on
UNAMID.
SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES
DISAPPOINTMENT IN LACK OF PROGRESS ON DARFUR
In his
latest
report on the deployment of UNAMID, covering the period from April to
June 2008, the Secretary-General says he is deeply disappointed by the lack
of progress that has been made towards resolving the Darfur conflict.
The parties continue to pursue the path of military
confrontation instead of dialogue, the deployment of UNAMID is far behind
schedule, sexual and gender-based violence continues with impunity, and
heightened insecurity and banditry has severely hampered the ability to
provide life-sustaining humanitarian aid.
The Secretary-General notes that tensions between Chad
and Sudan and the suspension of diplomatic relations between the two
countries should also be highlighted as a source of considerable instability
in Darfur.
The newly appointed Chief Mediator, Djibril Bassolé,
will face the enormous challenge of having to take all of these complicating
factors into consideration.
In the meantime, the Secretary-General says it is
critical to press forward with the maximum possible deployment of UNAMID.
Asked about the factors involved in the delays in
deploying UNAMID, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General, in his
report, was echoing his past appeals to get the force up to speed so that it
can carry out its mandated tasks. She noted that there has been no progress
in obtaining the needed helicopters yet.
ONE
PEACEKEEPER KILLED AS MISSION IN DARFUR CONDUCTS PATROLS AND HUMANITARIAN
ACTIVITIES
UNAMID reported that that one of its peacekeepers has
been killed today in Forobaranga in West Darfur whilst on patrol.
Investigations are ongoing and further information will be made available.
UNAMID condemns all acts of violence against its peacekeepers.
Meanwhile, the mission reports that during the past 24
hours, 16 security and confidence building patrols were conducted throughout
the region. Humanitarian activities also continued as usual.
UNAMID also reports today that a Chinese Engineering
Company (consisting of 175 officers) is expected to arrive in Nyala in South
Darfur tomorrow. This expected deployment will bring the number of the
Chinese contingent in Darfur to 318 and the total number of military
personnel on the ground to 8,003.
The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
reported some student demonstrations but said that the mission conducted its
regular activities, including daily police patrols in Juba and all sectors
and training for South Sudan police.
Asked about the Secretary-General’s remarks concerning
support for the International
Criminal Court’s work regarding President Omar al-Bashir, the
Spokeswoman drew attention to his
press encounter in Paris after he met with French Foreign Minister
Bernard Kouchner.
In that encounter, the Secretary-General said, “The
International Criminal Court is an independent judiciary organ. Peace and
justice are both very important elements and we need to respect and to
promote peace and justice. Peace and justice should go hand in hand. At this
time we have discussed in depth with the Foreign Minister how to address all
these situations. At this time what is important is that the Sudanese
Government do everything possible to ensure the safety and security of UN
peacekeepers and premises and all international humanitarian workers. I hope
that the Sudanese Government will address this issue widely with the full
cooperation of the United Nations.”
Asked about reported threats by an official of the
Justice and Equality Movement for further attacks in Sudan, Okabe noted that
the Secretary-General has repeatedly appealed for a negotiated solution to
the Darfur crisis and had recently appointed a mediator to work continuously
on the ground with the parties on a political solution.
U.N. POLITICAL OFFICIAL HEADS TO SOUTH
AFRICA TO DISCUSS ZIMBABWE
At the invitation of South Africa, Haile Menkerios, the
Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, is traveling today to
Pretoria, where he plans to meet with South African President Thabo Mbeki
and African Union Commission Chairperson Jean Ping.
During their meeting, scheduled for Friday, the
Secretary-General’s envoy plans to be briefed on developments up to now and
consult on the way forward.
SECRETARY-GENERAL WRAPS UP VISIT TO
GERMANY WITH VISIT TO U.N. OFFICES IN BONN
The Secretary-General today held a working breakfast in
Berlin with the German Minister of Defense, Franz Josef Jung, with whom he
discussed Kosovo, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Darfur. They also discussed at
length the situation in Georgia/Abkhazia. After that working breakfast, he
spoke to the press.
The Secretary-General then flew to Bonn, where he
received a warm welcome at the Old City Hall. He later addressed about UN
staff after visiting the UN campus where 17 UN agencies and programmes work.
The Secretary-General is now on his way back to New York.
U.N. IRAQ
MISSION OFFERS FULL SUPPORT IN NEGOTIATIONS OVER ELECTION LAW
Following months of hard work by members of Parliament,
the UN Mission in Iraq (UNAMI)
offered its full support to the efforts of the Council of Representatives to
reach agreement on the Governorate Council election law, which is scheduled
for next week.
The UN Mission urged the parliamentarians to reach
political agreement on the remaining clauses in dispute, so that the Iraqi
people may have an election in December 2008.
UNAMI is encouraged by the continued inclusion of
protections in the draft law that provides quotas and mechanisms for women’s
inclusion on party lists. Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General’s
Special Representative for Iraq, said, “Having Iraqi women on governorate
councils will contribute to the development of a more peaceful and stable
Iraq.”
SOMALIA:U.N.
ENVOY WELCOMES PROGRESS IN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for
Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, has
welcomed progress in the implementation of the agreement signed last
month in Djibouti by the Somali transitional government and opposition.
He said that the path towards Somalia regaining its
dignity and sovereignty is irreversible. He is encouraged by the
determination of the Somali parties to uphold the spirit and letter of the
Djibouti agreement, which came after indirect reconciliation talks endorsed
by the Security Council.
The Special Representative said that the international
community has also mobilized significant resources to implement the
agreement and that a joint Somali delegation might be visiting the Security
Council soon.
In the same statement, Ould-Abdallah also condemned the
recent spate of deadly attacks on UN workers and prominent Somali business
figures.
FOOD AID RESOURCES FOR DISPLACED PEOPLE
IN DR CONGO ARE STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT
In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the
World Food Programme (WFP)
says its resources in North Kivu are stretched to the limit.
Malnutrition is running at alarming levels, as increasing numbers of people
flee the fighting and seek refuge in camps.
Last July, WFP was planning to distribute 800 metric
tons of food per month; now that number has risen to 10,000 tons of food per
month. The agency is also helping to establish new feeding centres, but it
has already been forced to cut rations in half for some people. WFP needs
more than US$ 142 million in additional donations to continue its operations
there.
In other news, the Food and Agriculture Organization
has
launched an emergency rice programme in 11 West African countries.
Consumer prices for this staple food doubled over the past year in parts of
the region, and rice seed for upcoming plantings is in short supply. FAO is
helping to address that shortage by ramping up seed production during the
next few months and making sure the seeds are in place in time for the first
crop in spring 2009.
BAN KI-MOON TO ADDRESS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ON GLOBAL FOOD AND ENERGY CRISIS
And this Friday, the Secretary-General is scheduled to
address the
General Assembly plenary session on the global food and energy crisis.
The finalized Comprehensive Framework for Action (CFA)
on the global food crisis, along with a
letter from the Secretary-General, has been sent to Member States this
morning.
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE ORDERS
U.S. TO DELAY EXECUTIONS OF FIVE MEXICAN NATIONALS
The International Court of Justice this morning
ordered that the United States take “all measures necessary” to ensure
that five Mexican nationals on death row in US prisons are not executed
pending the ICJ’s final ruling on the matter. The Court also ordered the US
to report to it the steps taken to enforce this decision.
The decision is an “interim injunction,” protecting the
rights of Mexico and of its nationals pending a final decision of the Court
on the request for interpretation of its earlier judgment in the case.
The ICJ had earlier ruled that the US was in breach of
its international obligations for not granting Mexican consular services to
the prisoners.
UNAIDS UNVEILS
NEW POLICY ON HIV AND INTERNATIONAL LABOR MIGRANTS
UNAIDS, in collaboration with the International Labor
Organization and International Organization for Migration, has
developed a new policy on the HIV-related needs and rights of
international labor migrants -- irrespective of their legal status.
The policy, which contains guidance and recommendations
for national authorities, notes that migrant workers face particular risks
and vulnerabilities to HIV which must be addressed.
According to UNAIDS, around 100 countries restrict
people living with HIV from entering or remaining in a country. Among other
things, the new policy urges countries to remove such restrictions and make
services available to migrants.
SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS AS PEACEBUILDERS
The Secretary-General today called for strengthening
cooperation among world religions in a
message to the World Conference on Dialogue, an initiative by King
Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi-Arabia.
He noted that many conflicts that appear to be rooted
in religion often have their origins beyond the confines of faith. He also
called for more outreach to young people who feel alienated and stressed the
importance of religious leaders as peacebuilders.
The conference is taking place in Madrid over the next
three days.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
MORE THAN $33
MILLION NEEDED FOR VICTIMS OF CHINA EARTHQUAKE: The United Nations
today
launched a US$33.5 million appeal for Early Recovery Support to assist
victims of the devastating earthquake that hit China in May killing nearly
70,000 people, and leaving over five million people homeless. The Appeal
addresses the needs of the poor and vulnerable among the affected population,
focusing on shelter, health, sanitation, and education.
GLOBAL COMPACT
LAUNCHED IN ISRAEL: The
Global Compact was officially launched in Israel today, in a ceremony hosted
by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. The event set the stage for the future
establishment of a Global Compact country network in Israel. Leading Israeli
businesses are expected to join the initiative in the weeks ahead.
SECRETARY-GENERAL TO FINALIZE CONSULTATIONS ON NEXT HIGH
COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: Asked about
progress towards appointing a High Commissioner for Human Rights, the
Spokeswoman said that the selection process for that post is continuing. Okabe
said that the Secretary-General would finalize consultations with Member States
on the appointment upon his return to New York later today.
**The guest at noon was Eric Laroche, Assistant
Director-General for Health Action in Crises of the World Health Organisation,
who briefed on treating climate change, the food crisis and other global health
challenges.
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