BAN KI-MOON
WILL TRAVEL NEXT WEEK TO EUROPE

• Next week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is
  scheduled to begin a week-long visit to Europe that will take him to
  Turin in Italy, Geneva, and the Spanish cities of Zaragoza and Madrid.
   

• He will begin his travels by hosting senior
  managers of the UN system for a two-day retreat in Turin, which is home
  to the UN Staff College. He will share his vision for 2008 and formulate
  a plan of action for the year ahead.
   

• The meeting is also a chance to introduce the
  new members of the UN team, many of whom will take their oaths of office
  next week. Among them are: Alain Le Roy, the new head of Peacekeeping
  Operations; Navanethem Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights;
  Patricia O'Brien, the head of Legal Affairs and her deputy, Peter Taskoe-Jensen;
  and Jun Yamazaki, our new Controller.
   

• After that, the Secretary-General will travel
  to Geneva, where, on 31 August, he will address the Intergovernmental
  Panel on Climate Change as it opens its 29th session, during what will
  also be the Panel’s twentieth anniversary.
   

• The following day, 1 September, the
  Secretary-General will meet with the families of victims and with
  survivors of the August 2003 Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad, attending a
  memorial ceremony and a wreath laying for the fallen staff.
   

• Before attending the ceremony, the
  Secretary-General will witness signing of a memorandum of understanding
  between UNCTAD and the Iraqi Government covering cooperation in the
  areas of science and technology.
   

• He will then travel onward to Zaragoza, where
  he will attend Exposition Zaragoza 2008, whose theme is “Water and
  Sustainable Development”, and he will speak about the importance of
  water for social, economic and political security. While there, he will
  also meet with the Spanish Foreign Minister.
  The Secretary-General will also meet in Madrid with Spanish Prime
  Minister José Luis Zapatero and will speak to the press afterward,
  before returning to New York.

UN'S TOP REFUGEE OFFICIAL ENDS
MISSION TO GEORGIA AND RUSSIA

• UN High Commissioner for Refugees
  Antonio Guterres today
  concluded a
  four-day mission to Georgia and the Russian Federation that included
  visits with people uprooted by the Current crisis in the region.
   

• Following discussions with
  high-ranking Georgian authorities on Tuesday, Guterres met in Moscow on
  Wednesday with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. They focused on
  humanitarian cooperation between UNHCR and the Russian Federation in a
  number of areas, including strengthening joint emergency response
  mechanisms. Much of the discussion focused on humanitarian concerns
  linked to the South Ossetia situation as well as broader
  protection-related issues for affected civilian populations. 
   

• Today, Guterres is visiting South
  Ossetia on a mission aimed at evaluating the humanitarian situation as
  well as the possibilities for humanitarian access and seeing first-hand
  the conditions for the return of those uprooted by the crisis. He is the
  first senior international official to travel to South Ossetia since the
  conflict erupted in early August.
   

• Noting that under the current
  circumstances the only way to enter South Ossetia was from North Ossetia,
  Guterres expressed his appreciation to Foreign Minister Lavrov and
  Russian authorities for facilitating his humanitarian mission.
   

• The
  Security Council
  met yesterday afternoon to hold previously unscheduled consultations on
  Georgia. Council members heard briefings on the latest developments on
  the ground from Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn
  Pascoe and Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations
  Edmond Mulet. They also discussed possible draft resolutions on Georgia.

SYMPOSIUM ON VICTIMS OF TERRORISM TO
BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 9

• On 9 September, the Secretary-General
  will host a full-day symposium on supporting victims of terrorism at
  United Nations Headquarters.  The Symposium’s aim is to provide a forum
  which will assist Member States in their commitment under the Global
  Counter-Terrorism Strategy to “strive to promote international
  solidarity in support of victims and foster the involvement of civil
  society in a global campaign against terrorism and for its
  condemnation”. 
   

• The United Nations Global
  Counter-Terrorism Strategy (A/RES/60/288),
  adopted by the General Assembly, emphasizes the importance of victims of
  terrorism.  Among the measures to address the conditions conducive to
  the spread of terrorism, Member States called for putting in place
  national systems of assistance that would promote the needs of victims
  of terrorism and their families and facilitate the normalisation of
  their lives.  The strategy also encourages Member States to promote
  international solidarity in support of victims as well as to foster the
  involvement of civil society.
   

• The Secretary-General is organising
  the 9 September event to advance all of these goals identified in the
  Strategy passed two years ago.  This will be the first Symposium of its
  kind in UN history.  The focus here is not on politics – the Strategy is
  clear that terrorism is unacceptable.  The focus of this event is solely
  on the victims and how states, international organizations and civil
  society can better address their needs. 
   

• As Member States themselves point out
  in the General Assembly resolution, one of the instruments to put an end
  to terrorism is to highlight and give support to victims.  This is
  precisely what the Secretary-General is trying to facilitate.
   

• Invitees to the event will include all
  Member States, victims, representatives of civil society and the media,
  and regional and sub-regional organizations.  Participants will come
  from all regions, cultures and religions, representing a diversity of
  terror-victim experiences and have a record of constructive engagement
  with governments and civil society in support of victims.  Invitations
  were made in consultation with victims’ organizations, civil society and
  Member States. 
   

• Asked about the funding for the event,
  the Spokeswoman said that all 192 Member States have been repeatedly
  briefed on the activities of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation
  Task Force and its working groups, including on the voluntary funding
  needed to support the activities of the Task Force and the working
  groups. All activities of the Task Force and its working groups,
  including the working group on Supporting and Highlighting Victims of
  Terrorism, are
  posted online.
   

• Okabe said that contributions to this
  and other activities are welcome from any UN Member State. Three
  countries have thus far come forward to support the Symposium on
  Supporting Victims of Terrorism. Any additional contributions from other
  Member States to support this and other UN efforts in the fight against
  terrorism would be most welcome.
   

• Asked about the criteria for selecting
  participants, she said that the governing guidance is drawn from the 13
  universal anti-terrorism conventions and three protocols that identify
  acts of terrorism. Invitees are expected to have had a record of
  constructive engagement with governments and civil society in support of
  victims and with acknowledged contributions in this area.
   

• Invitations will be made following
  consultations with victims’ organizations, civil society, and the Member
  States, Okabe said. Efforts are being taken to ensure that participants
  come from all regions, cultures and religions, and represent a diversity
  of terror-victim experience.
   

  SECRETARY-GENERAL RECOMMENDS
  12-MONTH MANDATE EXTENSION FOR U.N. MISSION IN LEBANON

   

• The
  Secretary-General, in a letter
  to the President of the Security Council that is out on the racks today,
  notes that the Prime Minister of Lebanon had written to him to request a
  one-year extension of the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
  The Secretary-General recommends that the Council extend UNIFIL’s
  mandate by twelve months, until the end of August 2009.
   

• He writes
  that UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces continue their efforts to
  ensure that that the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River is
  free of any unauthorized personnel, assets and weapons. He added his
  hope that the recent formation of a new government will contribute to an
  improvement of the overall security environment that would permit, in
  the near future, the return to southern Lebanon of units of the Armed
  Forces that have been redeployed to maintain security in other parts of
  the country.

SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS SUICIDE
ATTACKS IN PAKISTAN

• Afterwards,
  the Council held a formal meeting to adopt a
  Presidential Statement
  in which it condemned in the strongest terms the twin suicide terrorist
  attacks that occurred in Wah Cantonment, in Pakistan, earlier yesterday.
  
   

• No Council
  meetings or consultations are scheduled at present for today.

MORE THAN 3 MILLION SOMALIS AT RISK
OF SERIOUS FOOD SHORTAGE

• Some 3.2
  million Somalis, including internally displaced people and residents of
  urban areas, will remain at risk of serious food shortage until the end
  of the year. That’s according to Food and Agriculture Organization in
  its latest food security assessment for Somalia. Those in need represent
  43 percent of the country’s total population.
   

• The Office
  for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the crisis is
  caused by the combined effects of drought and decreased cereal
  production. Overall insecurity, rising cost of living, including food
  prices, and the devaluation of the Somali currency have also contributed
  to this emergency. The current situation is unprecedented as nearly the
  whole country is in crisis. In southern Somalia, some 70 percent the
  rural population and 50 percent of urban residents are at risk.
   

• The World
  Food Programme, meanwhile, handed out some 34,000 tons of food to 1.7
  million people this past month. And some 54,000 displaced children under
  the age of 5 received supplementary rations from UNICEF.
   

  NEW SENIOR OFFICIALS TO
  TAKE OATH OF OFFICE MONDAY
   

• On Monday,
  at 9:00 in the Secretary-General’s Conference Room, five new senior
  officials in the Secretariat will take their oaths of office, formally
  starting their work at the United Nations.
   

• The
  officials are: Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Patricia
  O’Brien; Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le
  Roy; Assistant Secretary-General for Central Support Services Warren
  Sach; Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Jane Holl
  Lute; and Controller Jun Yamazaki.

OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

UN
ENVOY TO MYANMAR EXTENDS HIS VISIT: Asked about the visit by the
Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, Ibrahim Gambari, to Myanmar, the
Spokeswoman said that Gambari’s visit to Myanmar his being extended and his
programme is being developed accordingly. Asked whether he would meet with
Aung San Suu Kyi, she added that Gambari expects to meet with her, as he did
on all his previous visits.

 

THOUSANDS DISPLACED IN SOUTHERN
COLOMBIA: The UN refugee agency says it is becoming increasingly
concerned about
the humanitarian situation along southern Colombia's Pacific coast, where
thousands of people have been displaced or caught in fighting. You can read
more about this situation in the briefing notes from UNHCR. The agency has
been present in Colombia for 10 years, supporting national efforts to assist
and protect a large population of internally displaced people, and
cooperating with other UNHCR bureaux in neighbouring countries hosting
Colombian refugees, including Ecuador, Venezuela and Panama.

 

UNICEF DRAWS ATTENTION TO RECENT
MEASLES OUTBREAKS IN UNITED STATES: UNICEF
says measles, a
highly contagious viral disease, can result in serious complications and
death. As a result of a successful vaccination program, measles was
eliminated in the Americas in 2002. However, from January through July 2008,
131 cases have been reported in the United States. This is more cases than
have been reported through July in any year since 1996. Nearly all of the
cases (89 per cent) were imported or associated with the importation of
measles from other countries. As international travel continues to surge,
the threat to children within the U.S. and other developed countries remains
high..

 

STUDY OUT ON HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF
CLIMATE CHANGE: A new

study commissioned by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) and the humanitarian relief agency CARE International has
identified a number of countries as being particularly vulnerable to climate
change. The study looks at the most likely humanitarian consequences of
climate change over the next 20 to 30 years. It also maps specific hazards
associated with floods, cyclones and droughts. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan
and Indonesia are among those identified as hotspots. The study notes that
countries in the Horn and Sahel regions of Africa and in South East Asia are
already facing enormous political, social, demographic, economic and
security challenges brought about by climate.
 

UNDP TO ASSESS PROGRESS IN HAITI: The
Associate Administrator of the UN
Development Programme, Ad Melkert, will
travel to Haiti next week for an official visit to assess the progress made
in UNDP’s projects in the country, especially those meant to increase
Haiti’s capacity to respond to natural disasters.  Mr. Melkert is
expected to meet with President René Préval and other senior government
officials, as well as the leadership of the UN peacekeeping mission in
Haiti.

 

 

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS[1]
23 August 2008 – 29 August 2008

Saturday, August 23

Today is the International
Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition.

Sunday, August 24

U.N. General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim begins a three-day official
visit to the Republic of Korea.

Monday, August 25

At 9:00 a.m. in the Secretary-General’s Conference Room, five new senior
officials in the Secretariat take their oaths of office, formally starting
their work at the U.N.

This afternoon, the
Security Council is scheduled to hold a private meeting with Troop
Contributing Countries to the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon.

Today and tomorrow,
Special Representatives of the Secretary-General and Heads of U.N.
Peacekeeping Missions in West Africa meet in Guinea-Bissau to review the
overall situation in the region.  

From today through 29
August in Dhaka, Bangladesh, several U.N. agencies co-sponsor an
International Symposium on Climate Change and Food Security in South Asia.

From today through
Wednesday, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo visits
Bogota, at the invitation of the Government of Colombia.

Tuesday, August 26

This morning, the Security
Council is scheduled to hold a debate on Burundi, followed by consultations
on Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo sanctions.  In the
afternoon, consultations on Somalia are scheduled.

From today through Friday
in Libreville, Gabon, the First Inter-Ministerial Conference on Health and
Environment in Africa takes place

Wednesday, August 27

This morning, the Security
Council is scheduled to adopt a resolution on the U.N. Interim Force in
Lebanon, followed by an open debate on document S/2006/507 (on the Council’s
working methods).

In Santiago, the Executive
Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
launches the Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Secretary-General begins a visit to Torino, Italy, where he will host a
two-day retreat for senior UN managers. From there, he will travel next week
to Geneva and to Zaragoza and Madrid in Spain.

Thursday, August 28

No major events are
scheduled.

Friday, August 29

No major events are
scheduled.