.HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON
BRIEFING
BY FARHAN HAQ
ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
UN
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday,
April 13, 2009
SECURITY
COUNCIL ADOPTS PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT ON D.P.R.K.; SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES
UNIFIED MESSAGE
The
Security Council held a formal meeting this afternoon and adopted a
draft Presidential Statement on the Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea (DPRK).
In it, the Council condemned
the recent launch by the DPRK, which is in contravention of Security Council
resolution 1718. The Council reiterated that the DPRK must comply fully with
its obligations under resolution 1718 and demanded that the DPRK not conduct
any further launch.
In a statement, the Secretary-General welcomed the
adoption of a statement by the President of the Security Council which sends
a unified message of the international community on the recent launch by the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
He further hopes that the Council’s unified response
will pave the way for renewed efforts towards the peaceful resolution of all
outstanding issues in the region, including through the early resumption of
the Six-Party Talks and the inter-Korean dialogue.
The Secretary-General stands ready to lend his full
support to these efforts.
On Saturday afternoon, the Council had held brief
consultations to discuss the draft text of the Presidential Statement, which
was circulated by the United States.
Asked whether the United Nations would appoint an envoy
to the DPRK, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations
has been working with the DPRK mission to revive the dialogue channel with
the DPRK. This dialogue is proceeding smoothly, he said.
SRI LANKA:
SECRETARY-GENERAL ASKS FOR CIVILIANS TO BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE CONFLICT ZONE DURING
PAUSE IN MILITARY OPERATIONS
The Secretary-General
welcomes the announcement made on Sunday by the Government of Sri Lanka
that it will observe a two-day pause in offensive military operations. This
is less than the full humanitarian pause of several days that the
Secretary-General had pressed for but is nevertheless a useful first step
and an opportunity to move towards the peaceful and orderly end to the
fighting now so badly needed.
The Secretary-General called on the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to take concrete and immediate steps to protect
civilians by respecting the pause, for its full duration.
The United Nations has been in discussions with the
Government of Sri Lanka and other concerned parties in recent months and
weeks to explore ways in which the suffering of innocent people in the Vanni
region can be brought to an end or lessened. The Secretary-General has
personally been involved through discussions with President Mahinda
Rajapakse.
The United Nations will therefore do whatever it can to
support this humanitarian pause and help end the grave predicament of
civilians in the conflict zone, including through the provision of more aid
to those still trapped in the zone.
During this period, civilians wishing to leave the
conflict zone should be allowed to do so without any hindrance and should
then be treated fully in accordance with international standards and
principles. In particular the LTTE must allow civilians to choose whether
they stay or leave.
This is a terrible conflict that must be ended as soon
as possible. In the meantime, with tens of thousands of lives at risk on the
beaches of northern Sri Lanka, the Secretary-General calls on the Government
forces to adhere scrupulously to the commitments of the Government about
non-use of heavy weapons. He also counts on key members of the international
community to support this pause and to continue to do all they can to avert
further death and suffering in Sri Lanka.
BAN KI-MOON
MEETS HAITIAN PRIME MINISTER BEFORE HEADING TO DONORS’ CONFERENCE
The Secretary-General met earlier today with
Haiti’s Prime Minister Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis. They discussed the
donors’ conference for Haiti to be hosted this afternoon and Tuesday by the
Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C.
The Secretary-General stressed the fundamental
importance of the conference in demonstrating the strong commitment of the
international community to work with the Haitian Government to consolidate
the country’s fragile stability. The Conference, the Secretary-General said,
is the beginning of a process. It is vital, he added, that the key reforms
required for Haiti to fully realize its economic potential move ahead as
quickly as possible. They also discussed the upcoming senatorial elections
in Haiti and the strengthening of Haiti’s institutions.
The Secretary-General will be heading to Washington
this afternoon to attend the conference.
SECRETARY-GENERAL REGRETS POSTPONEMENT OF ASEAN SUMMIT
The Secretary-General’s trip to Thailand was cancelled
after the postponement of the ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian
Nations) summit and its related meetings. The Secretary-General, in a
statement issued on Saturday, regretted the postponement but said he
understood the circumstances that led the Thai Government to take this
difficult decision.
He said that he strongly values the long-standing
relationship between ASEAN and the United Nations and their cooperation in
various fields. He hopes for an early restoration of normalcy in Thailand
and for the settlement of differences through dialogue and peaceful means.
On Saturday morning, the
Secretary-General began an official visit to Laos, where he met the
country’s President and Deputy Prime Minister. He also
spoke at the official opening of UN House, a compound in central
Vientiane. “At the UN House, we will all join forces to benefit the people
of this country, especially those who need it most,” he said.
He also took the occasion to
launch the second
Millennium Development Goals Progress Report detailing Laos’s progress
towards achieving the eight Goals.
FIJI:
SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR RESTORATION OF LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT AND
CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER
In a
statement issued on Friday, the Secretary-General expressed deep dismay
at the abrogation of the Constitution of Fiji, the dismissal of the
judiciary, a declaration of public emergency and a clear attempt to prolong
rule by an unelected executive by setting a new time-frame of five years for
parliamentary elections.
The latest measures are a clear rejection of the legal
process and are contrary to the stated common objective of returning the
country to an elected government as soon as possible. The Secretary-General
strongly deplores these steps and calls for urgent action towards their
reversal and the restoration of a legitimate government and constitutional
order.
Asked how the recent events
would affect Fijian participation in UN peacekeeping operations, the
Spokesperson said that future Fijian participation would be evaluated on a
case-by-case basis.
DARFUR HUMAN
RIGHTS FORUM TO MEET ON TUESDAY
The second regular meeting of
the Darfur Human Rights Forum will be held on Tuesday in West Darfur’s state
capital, El Geneina. This one-day forum will bring together officials from
the Government of Sudan at the local and national level; members of the
Advisory Council on Human Rights, which also represents the Government;
members of the diplomatic community; the African Union; and human rights
officials from the two UN peacekeeping missions,
UNAMID and
UNMIS. It will also include participants from the Darfur State
Committees on Combating Violence against Women and Children.
The purpose of the Forum is
to promote transparent and constructive dialogue on human rights issues
between the Government of Sudan and UNAMID. It will also form part of the
ongoing efforts by UNAMID to support the Government in the discharge of its
responsibilities in the promotion and protection of human rights.
During the past 72 hours,
UNAMID reports that the security situation in Darfur is relatively calm;
however, car-jacking incidents and banditry activities continue to occur in
most parts of North and West Darfur.
AFGHANISTAN:
U.N. MISSION CONDEMNS MURDER OF PROVINCIAL LEGISLATOR
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
said today that it was sickened by the senseless murder on Sunday of a
provincial legislator, Sitara Achikzai, in Kandahar. The Mission described
Achikzai as a committed and brave woman who served her country without fear,
in one of Afghanistan’s most volatile areas.
UNAMA condemned her murder in the strongest possible
terms, saying that her killers have clearly shown their disrespect for true
Afghan honour and traditions.
Also today, a polio immunization campaign started
throughout the country.
U.N. SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE FOR CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT STARTS VISIT TO D.R. CONGO
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, will start a
visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo on14 April. The objective of
her visit is to ascertain firsthand the situation of children and ensure
their greater protection in the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Coomaraswamy will pay particular attention to the
issues of children associated with armed groups, sexual violence, internally
displaced and refugee children and impunity for crimes against children.
During her week-long visit, the Special Representative
will meet representatives from the Government and from civil society, among
others, in an effort to address grave violations against children as part of
the regional peace process.
UNICEF
CONCERNED OVER DECISION TO MAINTAIN MARRIAGE OF 8-YEAR-OLD IN SAUDI ARABIA
UNICEF is deeply concerned by reports that Saudi Arabian tribunals have
decided not to annul the marriage of an eight-year- old girl, Executive
Director Ann Veneman said. Irrespective of circumstances or the legal
framework, the marriage of a child is a violation of that child’s rights.
The right to free and full
consent to marriage is recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, UNICEF said. Consent cannot be free and full when either party to a
marriage is too young to make an informed decision.
UNICEF said it joins many in
voicing concern that child marriage contravenes accepted international
standards of human rights. It can also have a long term detrimental effect
on the child’s emotional, physical and psychological welfare.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
SECRETARY-GENERAL ENCOURAGES
COUNTRIES TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIGHT PIRACY:
Asked about the UN reaction to the resolution of an incident of piracy off the
coast of Somalia over the weekend, the Spokesperson said that the
Secretary-General has encouraged Member States to work together to fight piracy
and welcomes cooperation in that regard. In response to further questions, he
noted that the Security Council last year adopted resolution
1851, also concerning cooperation in dealing with piracy off the coast of
Somalia.
BOARD OF INQUIRY REPORT ON GAZA EXPECTED TO BE PRESENTED
NEXT WEEK: Asked when the Board of Inquiry report concerning Gaza would go
to the Secretary-General, the Spokesperson recalled that a
statement issued a week ago had said that the final report would be
presented to the Secretary-General approximately two weeks from then – in other
words, in a little over a week from today.
U.N. MISSION TO EXAMINE REPORTED INCIDENT IN W. SAHARA:
Asked about an incident reportedly concerning the Frente Polisario in Western
Sahara, the Spokesperson said that the UN Mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO)
was trying to obtain more information. He noted that the Security Council
President had received a letter from Morocco’s Government on the incident.
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