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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
UN
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
[The United
Nations will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, 27 November.
News highlights from across the UN system will be posted here on Friday, 28
November.
The noon briefing will resume on Monday, 1 December.]
SECURITY COUNCIL TO TAKE UP KOSOVO &
LEBANON
This afternoon, starting at 3:00, the
Security Council will hold an open debate on
Kosovo.
Following that meeting, the Security Council will hold
consultations to discuss the Secretary-General’s recent
report on the implementation of resolution 1701, concerning Lebanon.
Michael Williams, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, will brief the
Council.
Meanwhile, the
Security Council mission currently visiting Afghanistan today flew to
the city of Herat, in the west of the country. The Council ambassadors met
with the Governor and local leaders, civil society representatives and
UN Mission staff. There are more meetings scheduled for the Security
Council in Kabul tomorrow.
Asked whether the
Secretary-General’s latest
report on Kosovo represents a shift away from his support for Special
Envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s recommendations, the Spokeswoman declined to
interpret the report that way. The evolving situation on the ground, she
said, had made it necessary to adapt to the new circumstances.
Asked about the Secretary-General’s next report on
the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the Spokeswoman said it was expected to go
to the Security Council shortly.
SECURITY
COUNCIL TAKES UP CRISIS IN NORTH KIVU, DR OF CONGO
The Security Council this morning heard in an
open meeting
from Alan Doss, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Doss gave the details of the Secretary-General’s latest
report on the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC),
which is available today. In that report, the Secretary-General says that
the crisis in North Kivu has entered a critical phase, with an immense
humanitarian toll on the civilian population.
Doss noted that diplomatic activity at the highest
level has been initiated to help end the military confrontation and revive
the peace process.
But he added that it is also necessary to establish a
solid defensive posture to discourage new military action, in order to give
the peace talks under the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Olusegun
Obasanjo, a chance to progress.
He asserted that the reinforcement of MONUC should not
lead towards charging the mission with unrealistic tasks and
responsibilities. MONUC, Doss said, should remain a peacekeeping and not a
peace enforcement mission.
The Secretary-General’s report recommends that the
Council renew MONUC’s mandate for an additional twelve months, until the end
of 2009. He firmly believes that the Security Council should review the UN
Mission’s structure and its objectives over the coming year.
Earlier this morning, Doss also spoke to troop
contributing countries about MONUC’s needs, a week after the Security
Council authorized some 3,000 additional personnel.
U.N. MISSION
CONDEMNS MILITARY ACTION BY CONGOLESE REBELS
The Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
has condemned so-called “police and pacification operations” by rebels loyal
to General Laurent Nkunda. The operations amount to full-fledged military
actions in violation of the ceasefire. They also add a new layer of danger
to ongoing humanitarian work, in addition to worsening the security climate,
the Mission said.
UN peacekeepers also report that fighting took place
yesterday afternoon between Nkunda’s rebels and ethnic Mai-Mai militias east
of Kiwanja. The fighting, whose toll remains unclear, caused the local
population to flee toward the Ugandan border.
Meanwhile, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees is
launching a 16-day campaign to improve awareness of gender based
violence and promote strategies to fight it back. The campaign will last
until December 10 and will consist of various countrywide events and
sensitization drive.
The Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says it has just
completed a training workshop for Congolese lawyers in Kinshasa. The
event focused on international cooperation against terrorism and was
requested by the Congolese Government.
Asked about reports that a
letter from the Congolese Government to the Secretary-General asked for no
further Indian troops to be deployed in MONUC, the Spokeswoman confirmed
receipt of a letter but noted that the letter does not single out a
particular country. Montas said that the United Nations will, as its
standard practice, take into account the concerns of the host country. She
added that the Indian contingent has been on the front line in the Kivus and
has played a vital role in the last few weeks, at a particularly crucial
time and under difficult circumstances.
SOMALIA: U.N. ENVOY WELCOMES PROGRESS IN
RECONCILIATION TALKS
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, has
welcomed the latest progress in the reconciliation talks between the
Transitional Federal Government and the opposition Alliance for the
Re-liberation of Somalia. The parties are reported to have agreed on matters
of power-sharing in government, justice administration and security.
Ould-Abdallah said today’s agreement “is very
encouraging because it advances the commitment made by both sides to form an
inclusive parliament and unity Government.”
The deal creates 75 additional seats in parliament and
promotes the inclusion of civil society, including women, business leaders
and Somalis abroad, in the reconciliation process.
SUDAN: BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES NATIONAL
ELECTORAL COMMISSION DECREE
On Sudan, the Secretary-General welcomes the decree
signed yesterday by Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir appointing the
National Electoral Commission.
The appointment of the Commission, a key requirement
for organizing free and fair elections next year, constitutes major progress
towards implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
The United Nations, in line with Security Council
resolution 1590 (2005), stands ready to support the electoral process.
EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR SPENDS
SECOND DAY IN DARFUR
John Holmes, the Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, on his second day
visiting Darfur, visited Hamadiya camp -- home for up to 40,000
displaced persons.
He also visited the town Zalingei in West Darfur for
the first time, where he met with Government and civic leaders and also
called attention to the devastating effect the conflict is having on the
environment. Earlier in the day, Holmes met with local governmental
officials.
He also visited Taiba, the only Arab internally
displaced camp in Darfur, and met with families and the elderly who told him
about the daily challenges they face including food and particularly the
need for secondary school education for their children.
On Thursday, the Emergency Relief Coordinator will
depart Darfur for a two-day visit to South Sudan which will include Agok,
Abyei and Juba.
GAZA: SUPPLIES GET IN BUT POWER CUTS
CONTINUE
The Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle
East Peace Process (UNSCO) reports that the Kerem Shalom crossing, the Karni
conveyor belt, and the Nahal Oz fuel pipelines were all open today.
As a result, the UN Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was able to get 12 trucks into
Gaza. Five of those trucks contained oil and rice. The remaining seven
contained medicines and food, which were donated by Jordan. But despite fuel
coming through for the power plant, UNSCO says spare parts are still needed
– meaning that Gaza City will still be experiencing rotating power cuts of
several hours.
Meanwhile, a humanitarian appeal for the occupied
Palestinian territory, which was launched last week in Geneva, was
launched locally in Jerusalem today. Speaking at the launch, the UN’s
Humanitarian Coordinator for the territory, Maxwell Gaylard, said the
situation there was “an assault on human dignity.”
He added that many people, especially in the Gaza
Strip, are paying a heavy price, struggling daily to have enough food and
water to feed and wash their children.
LEGAL FRAMEWORK NEEDED TO PROTECT IRAQI
WOMEN
Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General’s Special
Representative for Iraq, marked yesterday’s International Day on the
Elimination of Violence against Women by
calling for the urgent establishment of a national legal framework
guaranteeing the protection of women in Iraq.
He warned that the situation of women in some parts of
the country after years of conflict is very unsatisfactory, with women and
girls paying a disproportionate price for violence.
The UN Assistance Mission in Iraq, he said, urges all
law enforcing agencies to help redress the current climate of impunity by
prioritizing the resolution of cases of violence against women and bringing
those responsible to justice.
U.N. AGENCIES HELP FIGHT CHOLERA IN
ZIMBABWE
In an update on the response to the cholera outbreak in
Zimbabwe, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports
that UN agencies and non-governmental organizations are supporting cholera
treatment centers in 26 districts where cholera was reported.
A comprehensive cholera response operation plan has
been drawn up by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO is in the process
of procuring emergency stocks to run cholera treatment centers for one
month.
Around the country, humanitarian agencies have
constructed emergency latrines, and clean drinking water is being trucked in
to affected areas. Boreholes are being rehabilitated.
Hygiene promotion activities are being conducted, and
mobile clinics and support units are being set up.
Uncontrolled sewage, lack of sanitation in congested
areas, and general lack of hygiene practiced by vendors, food outlets and
transient populations are challenges in several areas. Accessing sufficient
water in Harare is also difficult. Solid waste and refuse removal is a major
cause of the continued increase of infections.
Asked about the
Secretary-General’s views of U.S. and European Union sanctions on Zimbabwe,
the Spokeswoman noted that the UN Secretariat has no role to play in dealing
with bilateral sanctions. UN sanctions regimes, she added, were the
responsibility of the Security Council. The Spokeswoman later added that the
situation in Zimbabwe is a result of poor governance and the country’s
political situation, as well as agricultural problems, climate change, land
degradation, HIV/AIDS. It is not realistic to single out any one factor.
Asked whether the United
Nations would try to get a black market exchange rate rather than relying on
the Zimbabwe Government’s exchange rates, the Spokeswoman noted that the
United Nations only works through legal exchange mechanisms. The United
Nations, she said, always tries to obtain the best exchange rates in
negotiations with the Governments in the countries where it operates.
Montas noted that the
Secretary-General has repeatedly made clear his concerns about the
humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe, while the UN system is working to deal
with that situation.
She later added that there is
a complex political process that is ongoing, and which the Secretary-General
monitors on a daily basis. The Secretary-General has repeatedly stated that
he is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation and has urged that a
solution be found to the political impasse. But while that political
solution is being determined, the humanitarian community is concerned that
the utmost be done to help Zimbabweans survive through this extremely
difficult time. Zimbabweans tell the United Nations that what they need is
food, water, sanitation, and those are the supplies the United Nations is
getting to them now.
MILLIONS OF WORKERS TO FACE WAGE CUTS
NEXT YEAR
In its annual Global Wage Report, released today, the
International Labour Office
finds that millions of workers will likely face wage cuts next year, as
a result of the global financial crisis. This comes after a decade in which
wages failed to keep pace with both economic growth and inflation.
Since 1995, inequality between the highest and lowest
wages has increased in more than two-thirds of the countries surveyed, often
reaching socially unsustainable levels, the ILO says.
This wage gap has been most pronounced in countries
like Germany, Poland, the U.S., Argentina, China and Thailand. France,
Spain, Brazil and Indonesia, on the other hand, have succeeded in reducing
wage inequality.
The pay gap between genders remains high and is closing
only very slowly. In most countries, women are paid between 70 and 90 per
cent of what men receive, and much less than that in some places,
particularly in Asia.
The report encourages governments to protect the
purchasing power of workers through minimum wages and other income support
measures.
VOLUNTARY TESTING & IMMEDIATE TREATMENT
CAN CUT NEW H.I.V. CASES BY 95% IN 10 YEARS
The World Health Organization (WHO) today
said that universal and annual voluntary testing, followed by immediate
antiretroviral therapy treatment, can reduce new HIV cases by 95% within 10
years.
WHO says that strategy could also have additional
public health benefits, including reducing the incidence of tuberculosis and
the transmission of HIV from mother to child.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
HAITI: U.N. MISSION FUNDS ROAD CONSTRUCTION: The UN Stabilization
Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) is
funding the construction of two roads in the Central Plateau region to the
tune of $250,000. The project will add 7 fresh kilometers of paved road in the
town of Marmont and pave 600 meters of road in the town of Hinche. The Mission
says the project will create temporary employment for some 2,500 people.
WORLD BANK
PARTICIPATION WILL BE CRUCIAL IN DOHA:
Asked about the non-attendance by World Bank President Robert Zoellick at the
Doha conference this week, the Spokeswoman said that Zoellick could not attend
because of unforeseen circumstances. She added that the Secretary-General was
encouraged that the World Bank was sending a 25-member delegation to Doha, with
Justin Lin, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, representing Zoellick at
the conference. She added that it is important to get results in Doha, and the
participation of the World Bank will be crucial.
U.N. MONITORING
DEVELOPMENTS IN THAILAND: Asked about
recent political developments in Thailand, the Spokeswoman said that the United
Nations was monitoring the situation closely.
SECRETARY-GENERAL
SUPPORTS COURT DEALING WITH FORMER YUGOSLAVIA:
Asked whether the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia will continue until the remaining suspects are apprehended and tried,
the Spokeswoman said that the Tribunal would determine how it deals with its
remaining cases. The Secretary-General supports the Tribunal’s work, she added.
THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS
Thursday,
November 27
U.N. Headquarters is closed
for an official holiday (U.S. Thanksgiving).
Today and tomorrow, the
International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors meets in Vienna.
In
London, U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa
launches the final Afghan Opium Survey 2008.
Friday, November 28
In Doha, Qatar, the
Secretary-General and the Emir of Qatar jointly convene a high-level retreat on
the global financial crisis.
In Geneva, the Human Rights
Council holds a special session on the situation of human rights in the east of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Saturday, November 29
From
today through Tuesday, the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for
Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus takes place
in Doha, Qatar.
Today
is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Sunday, November 30
Today
is the last day of Costa Rica’s Security Council presidency.
Monday, December 1
Today
is the first day of Croatia’s Security Council Presidency.
At 10.30 a.m. in Room S-226, Jimmy Kolker, Chief of
the HIV and AIDS section at UNICEF; Bertil Lindbladt, Deputy Director of the
UNAIDS Office in New York; Andrey Pirogov, Executive Director of the World
Health Organization office in New York; a representative from the U.N.
Population Fund; and Joan Laporta, President of the Futbol Club Barcelona,
present the Third Stocktaking Report on children and mothers affected by HIV and
AIDS.
From
today through 12 December, the latest round of U.N.-backed climate change talks
takes place in Poznań, Poland.
In
Doha, Qatar, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs is scheduled to
launch its World Economic Situation and Prospects 2009 report.
From
today through 15 December in Geneva, the Human Rights Council holds its 3rd
Universal Periodic Review session.
From
today through Friday in Rome, Italy, the 9th Meeting of the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals takes place.
Today
is World AIDS Day.
Tuesday, December 2
This
morning, the General Assembly is scheduled to take up the reports of its First
Committee.
At 12.30 p.m. in Room S-226, Ambassador Neven Jurica,
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia and President of the
Security Council for December, briefs on the Council’s programme of work for the
month.
Wednesday, December 3
Today
is the International Day of Disabled Persons. Numerous activities are scheduled
at Headquarters, with an opening event at 9:30 a.m. in Conference Room 4.
At 1.30
p.m. in Room S-226, International Criminal Court
Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo will be joined by other speakers to brief on the
Court’s report on the situation in Darfur.
Thursday, December 4
In
Geneva, the World Health Organization and UNICEF launch the World report on
child injury prevention.
Friday, December 5
The guest at the noon briefing is John Holmes, who
will brief on the Central
Emergency Response Fund.
Today
is the International Volunteer Day for Economic & Social Development.
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