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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
UN
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, March 9, 2009
HAITI: BAN
KI-MOON, BILL CLINTON BEGIN VISIT TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON RECOVERY NEEDS
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is due to arrive this
afternoon in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, accompanied by former US
President Bill Clinton and a group of potential investors, as well as
humanitarian actors. The trip is designed to focus international
attention on
Haiti’s recovery and reconstruction needs.
The first part of the afternoon will be devoted to
visiting education projects, including a feeding programme, at a school in
Cite Soleil and meeting with honour students from severely disadvantaged
backgrounds at a Leadership Programme.
Later this evening, the Secretary-General and President
Clinton are expected to meet with President René Préval and Prime Minister
Michele Pierre Louis, along with members of the Haitian private sector and
civil society.
Included in the delegation are representatives of NGOs
active in Haiti, like Dr Paul Farmer, who has established a hospital in the
village of Canges, and musician Wyclef Jean whose Foundation Yele Ayiti has
worked extensively on community projects in the country.
BAN KI-MOON PLANS TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT
OBAMA TUESDAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE
The Secretary-General is
pleased to have received an invitation from United States President
Barack Obama and looks forward to meeting him in Washington D.C. on 10
March.
The Secretary-General and the President expect to
discuss a wide range of issues including managing the consequences of the
global economic crisis, climate change, challenges in Sudan, Afghanistan and
the Middle East, non-proliferation and disarmament, human rights, United
Nations reform, and United States-United Nations relations.
While in Washington D.C. from 10 to 11 March, the
Secretary-General will also meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as
well as members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House
Foreign Affairs Committee.
SUDAN: BAN KI-MOON SEEKS TO AVERT
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS ON THE GROUND
The African Union-United Nations
peacekeeping operation in Darfur (UNAMID) reports that the security
situation there is relatively calm. During the past 24 hours, UNAMID
conducted 32 confidence-building patrols, 11 escort patrols and eight night
patrols covering 65 villages and camps for displaced persons.
The AU-UN Joint Special Representative, Rodolphe Adada,
today met with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mr. Jean
Ping, in Khartoum to discuss the current situation in Sudan, especially in
the aftermath of the International Criminal Court’s announcement. Jean Ping
urged UNAMID to continue discharging its responsibilities to help the people
of Darfur.
Special Representative Adada stressed that UNAMID has a
specific mandate to implement, including providing protection for civilians
and facilitating humanitarian assistance to those in need.
[The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs
and the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes told reporters at the
noon briefing there have been no new suspensions—there are still 13
international Non-Governmental Organizations and three national NGOs that
have had their operations stopped. The latest count of those staff affected
is up to 7,610, across northern Sudan, including Darfur.
Holmes said the Secretary-General, OCHA staff and other
UN agency officials have been in touch with all relevant stakeholders at all
levels.
UN Agencies and NGOs are working with partner line
ministries to identify the most critical, life-threatening gaps in aid
provision created in key sectors of food, water, and health – where
possible. This is a bridge in the short term only to make sure aid continues
to get to the most need, but in no way covers any real portion of the gap –
it only allows for a response to situations where imminent loss of life is
possible. ]
Asked about comments attributed to President Omar
al-Bashir, threatening to expel international personnel from Sudan, the
Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General was aware of media reports. The
Secretary-General had not spoken to President Bashir over the weekend, she
said in response to further questions. Okabe said that the Secretary-General
had placed a number of calls to leaders, last week and over the weekend,
concerning the situation in Sudan. His top priority there, she said, is to
avert a humanitarian crisis on the ground.
ATTACKS AND
RETURN OF FIRE ACROSS BLUE LINE A CHALLENGE TO PEACE IN SOUTHERN LEBANON
The Secretary-General, in his latest
report to the Security Council on the implementation of resolution 1701,
concerning Lebanon, said that the attacks and return fire along the Blue
Line during the hostilities in Gaza was the most serious challenge since
that resolution was adopted more than two years ago.
He said that the firing of rockets from southern
Lebanon towards Israel constitute serious violations of resolution 1701. He
also said it was a cause of serious concern that the Israel Defense Forces
on two occasions returned fire without providing prior warning to the UN
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
In the report, the Secretary-General says he is pleased
that the parties have made progress, in cooperation with UNIFIL, to visibly
mark the Blue Line. He reiterates his call upon Israel to cease immediately
all overflights of Lebanese territory. And he calls upon all Lebanese
leaders to exercise restraint ahead of the 7 June parliamentary elections.
The
Security Council is expected to discuss the report tomorrow in its
closed consultations. Michael Williams, the UN Special Coordinator for
Lebanon, will be on hand to brief Council members on the report.
UNICEF CHIEF TOURS WAR-RAVAGED SCHOOLS,
HOSPITALS IN GAZA AND ISRAEL
According to the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), all crossings from Israel into Gaza, with the
exception of the Sufa crossing, have been open today. OCHA also reports that
9 truckloads of medical supplies from Libya entered Gaza yesterday through
the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
Meanwhile, over the weekend, UNICEF’s Executive
Director, Ann Veneman, wrapped up a week-long
mission to the region that included stops in Jordan, the West Bank,
southern Israel and Gaza.
In Gaza, Veneman visited a damaged school, a pediatric
hospital and a psychosocial counseling center. She also saw a school in
Sderot, in southern Israel. During these visits, she spoke with Palestinian
and Israeli children affected by the recent hostilities.
Veneman also met with senior officials including
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, as well
as Israel’s Minister of Social Welfare and the Head of the Israeli Supreme
Court.
ZIMBABWE
CHOLERA DEATHS NOW EXCEED 4,000
The Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Health Organization
report that the total number of deaths from cholera during the outbreak in
Zimbabwe has now exceeded 4,000, reaching 4,011. The cumulative number of
cholera cases in Zimbabwe has risen above 89,000.
At the same time, OCHA and
WHO report that the fatality rate in treatment centres has declined
significantly, to 1.8.%, down from a rate which had exceeded 4%. The decline
results from improved monitoring and response mechanisms instituted by the
Ministry of Health in conjunction with international partners. Over 60 % of
deaths occur in rural areas where limited or no treatment is reaching
people. And we have more upstairs.
STRONGER INSTITUTIONS ENSURING RIGHT TO FOOD
COULD HELP DEFEAT HUNGER
In Geneva this morning, the Human Rights Council took
up the right to food. In her remarks, High Commissioner for Human Rights
Navi Pillay
said that, clearly, the global food crisis is not over yet. And efforts
to tackle it will only bear fruit if they are grounded in the very basic
human right to adequate food.
In that regard, Pillay said, the Human Rights Council's
efforts should be directed towards protecting the most marginalized segments
of society. She said she was especially concerned by the situation of the
rural and urban poor, landless and small-scale farmers, and households
headed by women.
Pillay noted that any successful strategy to defeat
hunger should involve: stronger institutions with better accountability;
sustainable investments in agricultural production and research; and
targeted support to and empowerment of smallholders and the poor.
POVERTY
LIKELY TO RISE AS FINANCING SHORTFALL HITS DEVELOPING WORLD
Developing countries face a
financing shortfall of $270 billion to $700 billion this year, according to
the World Bank. The Bank
adds that only one quarter of the most vulnerable countries have the
resources to prevent a rise in poverty.
In a report released ahead
of next Saturday’s meeting of the Group of 20 finance ministers and central
bank governors, the World Bank also says that many of the world’s poorest
countries are becoming more dependent on development assistance. It also
voices concerns over the increasing volatility of aid flows -- as some
countries cut their aid budgets.
“LAW & ORDER” CREW SHOOTS EPISODE ON CHILDREN AND
ARMED CONFLICT AT U.N. HEADQUARTERS
The cast and crew of the hit
television series, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” were at United
Nations Headquarters on Saturday, 7 March to film part of an episode that
brings to the fore themes of children and armed conflict as well as
refugees. This collaboration marks the first occasion a network television
show has been granted access to film at the United Nations.
It also represents the first
official project under the Secretary-General’s newly established Creative
Community Outreach Initiative (CCOI), within the Outreach Division of the
Department of Public Information, which aims to partner with the
international film and television industries to raise the profile of
critical global issues.
Emmy-nominated actor
Christopher Meloni (Detective Elliot Stabler) and Stephanie March (Assistant
District Attorney Alexandra Cabot) were at United Nations Headquarters on
Saturday, along with nearly 200 cast and crew.
Scenes filmed include the
traffic circle outside of the Secretariat building, the Visitors’ Entrance
Plaza, and the Public Lobby. The episode is currently scheduled to air on
Tuesday, 24 March at 10 pm Eastern Standard Time on NBC Universal.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
HEAD OF
AFGHANISTAN MISSION VISITS TEHRAN: Kai Eide, the Secretary-General’s Special
Representative for
Afghanistan, visited Tehran yesterday to further explore areas of
cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan. The visit is part of a series that
Eide has made to improve regional cooperation. Today, he is scheduled to address
a Council of Ministers meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization, a
10-nation group whose summit this week is being hosted by Iran.
INDIA IS A STRONG PARTNER OF U.N. PEACEKEEPING:
The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)
has dismissed as unfounded recent news reports alleging that the United Nations
has asked India to cancel new Indian deployments to the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC).
The
UN Mission’s
Indian air force contingent is currently at full strength and remains in the
DRC. The United Nations both greatly appreciates and relies on India's continued
participation in its peacekeeping operation in the DRC.
BAN KI-MOON REMAINS “EXTREMELY CONCERNED” ABOUT
CIVILIAN DEATHS IN SRI LANKA: Asked about a
report citing thousands of casualties in Sri Lanka, the Spokeswoman recalled
that the Secretary-General, in a strong
statement issued last week, was extremely
concerned over the deteriorating situation for civilians trapped in northern Sri
Lanka. He strongly deplored the mounting death toll of civilians and stressed
the need to bring the conflict to a speedy end without further loss of civilian
life.
LIBERIA: AN INTEGRATED U.N. OFFICE OPENS IN
SOUTHEAST: The second joint-UN office in
Liberia was inaugurated today in Zwedru, the provincial capital of southeastern
Grand Gedeh County. The office brings together five agencies – the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the
World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and
UNHCR—together with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
The Mission says this joint office is an opportunity for the UN to bring
together all of its extensive expertise to maximize the benefits for the people
of Liberia.
ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL COUNCIL TO TAKE UP GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES:
The
Committee for Development Policy – an expert body of the Economic and Social
Council -- opened its 11th session today, at Headquarters. One of the main
topics of the Committee's deliberations will be on global public health. The
Committee will also conduct the 2009 triennial review of the list of Least
Developed Countries, and address the current financial turmoil and its
implications for developing countries. In his opening remarks,
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Sha Zukang, underlined
the “enormous challenges” facing the world right now. He said these also
presented a unique opportunity for the United Nations to provide leadership in
addressing the crisis and forging a new partnership for governance of the world
economy. The 11th session of the Committee for Development Policy runs through
13 March.
*** Our guest at the noon
briefing today, John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs
and Emergency Relief Coordinator, will be here shortly to update you on the
humanitarian situation in Sudan.
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