HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
 

BY MICHELE
MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

UN
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, October 13, 2008

SECRETARY-GENERAL VOICES CONCERN ABOUT IMPACT OF WORLD FINANCIAL CRISIS, CALLS
FOR MULTILATERAL ACTION

• The Secretary-General said in a statement that
  the global financial crisis is hitting the world economy hard.  The
  concerted action taken by the finance ministers of key economies affected
  and by the International Monetary and Financial Committee of the
  International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington this weekend, aimed at
  restoring confidence in financial markets are laudable but more coordinated
  approaches, including direct intervention by governments of the major
  economies are necessary to recapitalize the banking system and guarantee the
  savings of ordinary people.
• The Secretary-General is deeply concerned
  about the impact of this crisis on the developing world, particularly on the
  poorest of the poor and the serious setback this is likely to have on
  efforts to meet major goals. The initiatives by the World Bank and the IMF
  to provide new emergency liquidity provisioning to poor countries could help
  them counteract some of the consequences of this crisis. But more needs to
  be done. 
• At the United Nations, he said, we need to
  consider urgent multilateral action to alleviate the impact of recent events
  on the development agenda of the organization, covering the entire gamut of
  issues from the implementation of the
  
  Millennium Development Goals to the food and energy crises, as well as
  the challenges of climate change. In this context, the Secretary-General
  feels strongly that the Financing for Development Conference next month in
  Doha provides an important opportunity to review developments and to ensure
  that the current financial difficulties do not undermine commitments already
  undertaken to provide more aid and other financial resources for the
  achievement of the internationally agreed development goals.
• Meanwhile, the ad hoc manner in which
  governments have had to respond to the management of this crisis is
  reflective of serious lacunae in the current world financial system. To
  ensure continued stability and protect the economic gains of both developed
  and developing countries, the Secretary-General said, we need to consider
  deep and systemic reforms based on an inclusive multilateralism for a global
  financial system that can better meet the challenges of the 21st century.
• A statement from UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social
  Affairs Sha Zukang was
  
  delivered over the weekend to the development and finance committees of
  the Bretton Woods institutions, meeting in Washington, DC. In the statement,
  the United Nations calls for international cooperation to restore economic
  growth and to regulate the financial sector.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES AGREEMENT ON DPRK’S
DENUCLEARIZATION

• The Secretary-General
  
  welcomes the agreement between the United States and the Democratic
  People’s Republic of Korea on denuclearization verification measures,
  allowing for the resumption of the six-party process and related activities.
  This is another step towards a verifiable non-nuclear Korean Peninsula.
  

• The Secretary-General urges
  all the participants of the talks to redouble their efforts to meet their
  respective obligations and to complete the “disablement phase” as soon as
  possible. The Secretary-General remains fully supportive of this process.

• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
  said that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea today granted the Agency
  access to the 5 Megawatt Experimental Nuclear Power Plant, the Nuclear Fuel
  Fabrication Plant and the reprocessing facility at Yongbyon.

• The Agency inspectors were also informed today that, as
  of 14 October, core discharge activities at the reactor would be resumed,
  monitored by Agency inspectors. Agency inspectors will also now be permitted
  to re-apply the containment and surveillance measures at the reprocessing
  facility.

U.N. PEACEKEEPERS IN D.R. CONGO ESCORTS HUMANITARIAN
AGENCIES

• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative
  for the
  
  Democratic Republic of the Congo, Alan Doss, says that UN peacekeepers
  have provided 21 escorts to humanitarian agencies on a field mission in
  North Kivu.
• Doss said this in a letter to Médecins Sans
  Frontières, after that organization said that civilians and aid workers were
  being harassed and abused by both the Government army and illegal armed
  groups.
• Doss also stressed that he is seeking support
  from the Security Council to temporarily raise troop levels in North Kivu in
  order to allow better protection for civilian populations.
• The Mission, meanwhile, has confirmed that UN
  peacekeepers this weekend rescued 13
  children under the age of 18 from forced recruitment by illegal armed groups
  in North Kivu. During that mission, the peacekeepers were fired upon by
  fighters loyal to General Laurent Nkunda. The peacekeepers returned fire,
  wounding one rebel.

INDONESIAN
FORMED POLICE UNIT ARRIVES IN DARFUR

• A contingent of 130 officers from the Indonesian Formed Police Unit has
  arrived in El Fasher aboard a special UN flight from Jakarta, at the start
  of a one-year tour of duty with the AU-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
• In his welcome address on Sunday, Deputy Police Commissioner Adeyemi
  Ogunjemilusi noted that the unit arrived at a crucial time, when their
  services are especially needed to support the work of the UNAMID Police,
  particularly in providing security to the Internally Displaced Persons
  throughout the region. 
• Meanwhile, UNAMID reports that the Deputy Joint Special Representative
  for Operations and Management, Hocine Medili, traveled to North Darfur today
  to inspect the readiness of the team site in preparation for the incoming
  troops’ arrival from Egypt.
• The Egyptian Infantry Battalion is expected to join UNAMID at the end of
  the month.  An Egyptian transport company is also expected to arrive at the
  same time and will be based in Nyala, South Darfur.

COTE D’IVOIRE GEARS UP FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

• Some 6 weeks before the planned presidential
  election in Cote d’Ivoire, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative
  for
  
  Cote d’Ivoire, Choi Young-jin, this weekend toured identification and
  voter registration centers in Abidjan.
• Choi said he wanted to collect first-hand
  impressions of how preparations for the vote are proceeding. Noting that
  some logistical challenges persist, including computer availability at the
  centers, Choi stressed that solid advances have been achieved overall. He
  was confident that the centers would be fully operational by November 30,
  which is scheduled to be Election Day.

NEW SPECIAL
COORDINATOR FOR LEBANON ARRIVES IN BEIRUT

• Michael Williams, the newly appointed UN Special Coordinator for
  
  Lebanon arrived yesterday in Beirut to take up his functions as the
  Secretary-General’s main representative in Lebanon. He will begin his round
  of meetings with Lebanese officials this week.
• In his capacity as Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Williams will be
  responsible for coordinating the work of the United Nations in Lebanon and
  representing the Secretary-General on all political aspects of the
  organization’s work in the country. He will also be in charge of following
  up the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701.

CYPRIOT LEADERS
MEET UNDER U.N. AUSPICES IN NICOSIA

• Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader
  Mehmet Ali Talat met this morning in the UN Protected Area of Nicosia.
• Speaking to the press after that encounter, the Secretary-General’s
  Special Adviser on
  
  Cyprus, Alexander Downer, said that today’s discussion featured resumed
  negotiations on the issue of the executive, namely the presidency and the
  vice-presidency. 
• This Thursday, the leaders’ representatives and experts will meet under
  UN auspices to continue the discussion. The two leaders will then meet again
  on Wednesday of next week.

U.N. ENVOY
WELCOMES NEW CABINET IN AFGHANISTAN

• Kai Eide, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for
  
  Afghanistan, said over the weekend that the Cabinet changes announced by
  President Hamid Karzai demonstrates the political determination to implement
  the agenda set in Paris last June, particularly the strengthening of the
  Afghan police and agricultural production, with a team that can move those
  issues forward.
• Eide said that he is fully committed to supporting the new Cabinet team
  and looks forward to working with them over the coming weeks and months.
• The Special Representative will brief the
  
  Security Council in an open debate on Afghanistan on Tuesday morning,
  and he intends to speak to reporters afterward.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TRANSMITS FINAL REPORT OF ETHIOPIA-ERITREA COMMISSION

• In a
  
  letter to the Security Council, the Secretary-General says that, with
  the termination of the mandate of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, he
  will no longer provide reports to the Council on the situation between the
  two countries on a regular basis.
• The Secretary-General has, however, transmitted to the Council the final
  report of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, which says that the
  Commission has now concluded all administrative matters connected with the
  termination of its mandate.

INTERNATIONAL
COURT RECEIVES REQUEST FOR OPINION ON KOSOVO DECLARATION

• The International Court of Justice has now
  
  received the General Assembly’s Request for an Advisory Opinion on
  whether Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence is in line with
  international law.
• The Secretary-General transmitted the Request to the Court in a letter
  dated 9 October 2008. Unlike judgments handed down in contentious
  proceedings between States, the Court’s Advisory Opinions are not binding.

UNODC, INTERPOL
AGREES TO ESTABLISH TRAINING CENTRE TO FIGHT DRUGS

• A new
  
  
  agreement between the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
  and INTERPOL sets the stage for the establishment of the world’s first
  training centre devoted to education, research and training to prevent and
  combat corruption.
• The International Anti-Corruption Academy, to be located in Laxenburg,
  just outside of Vienna, will develop curricula and training tools, as well
  as conduct training courses and anti-corruption education. Antonio Maria
  Costa, the Executive Director of UNODC, says that the Academy will
  strengthen efforts to prevent, measure and fight corruption.

SECRETARY-GENERAL’S FIRST REPORT ON FISTULA TO BE PRESENTED TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

• The Secretary-General’s first report on fistula is to be presented this
  week to the General Assembly. According to the report, Campaign to End
  Fistula, launched by the UN Population Found (UNFPA)
  in 2003, has seen a fourfold increase in the number of countries it serves
  -- from 12 in 2003 to over 45 today.
• The report outlines efforts to end fistula, a hole in the birth canal or
  rectum caused by labour that is prolonged, and help achieve Millennium
  Development Goal 5, which deals with maternal health. At least 2 million
  women in Africa, South Asia and the Arab region are living with fistula, and
  some 50,000 to 100,000 new cases develop each year.

BAN KI-MOON TO
MEET COUNTERPARTS ON GEORGIA THIS WEEK

• Asked whether the Secretary-General would
  attend an international meeting on Georgia to be held in Geneva this week,
  the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General would meet on Georgia with
  his counterparts on Tuesday, a day before the technical meetings take place
  in Geneva.
• On Tuesday, Montas said, the
  Secretary-General’s would meet, among others, with European Union High
  Representative for a Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, with
  the Secretary General of the OSCE, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, and with
  French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. The following day, his Special
  Representative for Georgia, Johan Verbeke, would attend the technical
  meetings.

U.N. MISSION
CONDEMNS KILLING OF MINORITIES IN IRAQ

• Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General’s
  Special Representative for
  
  Iraq, strongly condemned the killing of civilians and expressed his
  concern at the spike in violence that has targeted Christian communities in
  recent days, particularly in and around Iraq’s northern city of Mosul. He
  warned that these acts are aimed to fuel tensions and exacerbate instability
  at a critical time.
• De Mistura said that the United Nations and
  its partners are monitoring with concern and assessing the situation very
  closely.  They are further positioned to provide assistance to families in
  need around Mosul and in Dohuk. An initial 102 families were provided
  yesterday with emergency assistance, and another 400 are being currently
  assisted.
• De Mistura said that the current displacement
  comes at a very sensitive time, and he stressed the United Nations’ position
  that “respecting and guaranteeing the political and legal rights of
  minorities in Iraq is fundamental to a stable and democratic future for the
  country.”

 
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