HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY
MICHELE MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON
FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday,
September 8, 2008
SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES CYPRIOT LEADERS ON NEGOTIATIONS
The Secretary-General spoke by phone this morning,
separately, with Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish
Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat to congratulate them personally on the
formal launch last week of full-fledged negotiations aimed at a
comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem.
The Secretary-General also spoke today with his
Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alexander Downer, who is currently in Athens,
where he met earlier today with top government officials, including
Prime Minister Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Bakoyannis. Downer will
visit Ankara on Wednesday where he is scheduled to meet President Gul,
Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign Minister Babacan.
He is scheduled to then return to Cyprus early
Thursday morning to attend the first substantive meeting between Mr.
Christofias and Mr. Talat in the context of the negotiations.
NEW HUMAN
RIGHTS CHIEF ADDRESSES HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL FOR FIRST TIME
In Geneva, the Human Rights Council
opened its ninth regular session today, hearing for the first time
an address by the new High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem
Pillay.
In her statement to the Council, Pillay highlighted
the need to tackle discrimination and inequality, and urged greater
efforts to prevent genocide, which she described as “the ultimate form
of discrimination.”
Pillay, who was herself the victim of both racial
and gender discrimination in apartheid South Africa, said that
development, security, peace and justice are all undermined “when
discrimination and inequality – both in blatant and subtle ways – are
allowed to fester and to poison harmonious coexistence.”
Pillay also urged States not to let “diverging
points of view” deter them from taking part in the Anti-Racism Review
Conference scheduled for April 2009. She added that Nelson Mandela had
taught her that “far from being appeasement, coming to terms with other
people’s experiences and points of view may serve the interest of
justice better than strategies that leave no room for negotiation.”
The Human Rights Council also heard this morning
from its new President, Martin Uhomoibhi, and 29 Member States.
U.N. FOOD
DISTRIBUTION IN DARFUR AT RISK OF SUSPENSION
The World Food Programme (WFP) has
warned that it will have to suspend food distributions in Darfur if
the security situation does not improve.
WFP said that relentless attacks on truck convoys
in Darfur are pushing to the brink the agency’s ability to feed more
than 3 million people each month.
While WFP managed to recover three hijacked trucks
and four staff yesterday, following the latest attack in South Darfur,
69 trucks and 43 drivers remain unaccounted for.
WFP says since the beginning of the year, more than
100 vehicles delivering WFP food assistance have been hijacked in Darfur,
with many more shot at and robbed. Drivers are refusing to travel along
certain routes, significantly slowing food aid deliveries to hungry
people.
FOOD
SECURITY SITUATION IN ETHIOPIA DETERIORATING TO ALARMING LEVELS
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs
reports that the food security situation in Ethiopia has
deteriorated to alarming levels, in the wake of drought conditions
throughout much of the country. Relief operations are also grappling
with considerable shortages of supplies. The World Food Programme, for
instance, needs US$136 million worth of food for its operations.
Meanwhile, flooding in Ethiopia’s southwestern
Gambella region has reportedly displaced nearly 35,000 people. The World
Health Organization has provided emergency drugs and medical supplies
for 10,000 people there.
U.N.
MOBILIZES AID ACROSS CARIBBEAN FOR HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM SURVIVORS
In response to the recent hurricanes and tropical
storms in the Caribbean, the UN is
mobilizing assistance across the region.
In Haiti, where as many as 800,000 people may have
been affected, UN agencies are making available emergency food
assistance, water, purification tablets, blankets and other supplies.
The World Food Programme (WFP), for its part, has distributed 140,000
liters of water, as well as hygiene kits and plastic sheeting.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative,
Hédi Annabi,
visited Gonaives over the weekend and promised that the UN
Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) will do all it can to get aid
to the area. A Flash Appeal for Haiti is also being organized.
The UN has also offered assistance to Cuba. The
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is preparing
an emergency cash grant, as well as an application to the Central
Emergency Response Fund. OCHA has also given a US$30,000 cash grant to
Jamaica.
In the meantime, a Disaster Assessment and
Coordination team has been dispatched to Turks and Caicos. The UN is
also closely monitoring the situation in the Dominican Republic, but
there is no special support needed at present.
U.N. TO
ASSIST CASH-STRAPPED FARMERS IN SWAZILAND
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will
help cash-strapped farmers in Swaziland purchase seeds in time for
the next planting season. FAO Director General Jacques Diouf made the
announcement today during a trip to a school-based farming project
outside the capital of Mbabane.
Starting September 29th, FAO will set up Input
Trade Fairs, where farmers will be able to choose seeds and other
supplies from local producers. Farmers will be able to use vouchers to
pick and choose the varieties they prefer.
The programme is part of FAO’s Initiative on
Soaring Food Prices, which includes emergency projects planned for
nearly 80 countries.
WORLD COURT
HOLDS URGENT PROCEEDINGS ON GEORGIA
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is holding
three days of urgent proceedings in connection with Georgia’s recent
case against the Russian Federation.
The proceedings, which began today, are taking
place as a result of Georgia’s request that the Court, as a matter of
urgency, order a number of
provisional measures, pending its determination of this case on the
merits.
Included in the provisional measures requested by
Georgia is a demand that the Russian Federation ensure that no ethnic
Georgians are subject to violent or coercive acts of racial
discrimination.
A binding decision on these provisional measures is
expected within weeks.
U.N. WILL
KEEP TRYING TO SEND HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS INTO GEORGIA
Asked about reports that a UN convoy had been
blocked in Georgia, the Spokeswoman confirmed that, today in Georgia,
the United Nations was attempting to undertake a preliminary
humanitarian assessment mission in the area north of Gori, while at the
same time delivering some basic relief supplies. The mission was not
allowed to move beyond a Russian checkpoint in Karaleti.
Montas added that she did not have a specific
reaction at this point to that blocking. But she confirmed that the
United Nations will keep trying to send humanitarian missions to the
area in question.
She noted that the Office of the High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and
UNICEF, under the leadership of the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs, had been involved in today’s convoy.
TODAY IS
INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY
Today is International Literacy Day, which is
dedicated to the concerns of the one in five adults – some 774 million
people – who are illiterate, and thus live with no access to the vast
global store of written communication.
The theme of this year’s observance of
International Literacy Day, “Literacy and Health”, is meant to draw more
attention to impact of illiteracy on human health.
In a message to mark the Day, the Secretary-General
says that literacy is indispensable for achieving the Millennium
Development Goals targeting maternal health and combating HIV and
malaria, and for addressing some of the world’s most important public
health challenges. Literacy for all will benefit us all, he says.
UNITED
NATIONS EXTENDS ‘COOL U.N.’ INITIATIVE, CONSIDERS SIMILAR MOVE FOR WINTER
"Cool UN," the initiative announced by the
Secretary-General on 30 July to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save
energy by turning up thermostats in the UNHQ for the month of August
from 72 to 77°F in the offices and from 70 to 75°F in the conference
rooms, has been successful.
The initiative saved about 30 million pounds of
steam, which translates into the equivalent of 2,000 tons of CO2. This
is the carbon-footprint equivalent to a passenger making 710 round-trip
trans-Atlantic flights.
In view of these concrete results, the
Secretary-General has decided to extend the "Cool UN" initiative until
15 September. A winter program is under consideration.
UNICEF VOWS
TO PROVIDE AID TO FLOOD VICTIMS IN INDIA
With the humanitarian crisis due to unprecedented
floods in northern India continuing, UNICEF has
reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to work with the Government and
partners to provide relief to the flood affected people, especially the
most vulnerable children and women.
UNICEF stressed that their immediate priority is to
work with the government to ensure that children and women receive all
necessary relief aid, including medicine, nutrition, clean water and
access to sanitation.
So far over 500,000 water purifying tablets,
200-litre water tanks, over 2,500 bags of bleaching powder, 65,000 oral
rehydration salt, first-aid kit and other materials among others have
already reached the worst-affected districts.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
DIALOGUE WITH STAFF CONSIDERED HEALTHY:
Asked about concerns expressed by some staff regarding the
Secretary-General’s recent comments on staff mobility, the Spokeswoman said
that the Secretary-General believes that it is healthy to have reaction from
staff on the issue. She noted that his views on staff mobility include
ensuring that there is proper training and preparation before staff are to
change positions.
**The guest at noon was U.N. Police Adviser Andrew
Hughes, who briefed on the outcome of last month’s 4th International
Policing Advisory Council meeting.
Office of the
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