HIGHLIGHTS OF
THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE
MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON
FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
CLIMATE CHANGE
TALKS PROGRESSING, AHEAD OF COPENHAGEN CONFERENCE
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
says that the latest round of
talks on climate change taking place in Bonn, Germany, are progressing
well. It adds that the first drafts of a negotiating text for an
international climate change deal, to be agreed in Copenhagen, in December,
have been accepted as a good starting point for negotiations.
Countries have agreed to undertake two detailed
readings of the negotiating text which covers action on reducing greenhouse
gas emissions, adapting to the effects of climate change and the provision
of finance and technology to enable developing countries to act on climate
change.
In addition, says
UNFCCC, contact groups have been established to discuss negotiating
texts which specifically cover the emission reduction commitments of
industrialized countries. Other groups are discussing the issues of the
transfer of clean technology to developing countries and how to build the
capacity of governments in order to respond to climate change.
The Bonn meeting will continue through 12 June.
Meanwhile, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
is
calling for millions of poor farmers around the world to participate in
fighting climate change and global hunger. It says that their contribution
is crucial and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and alleviate hunger
around the world. Therefore, FAO is emphasizing the need for new and
additional funding for climate change activities through agriculture in
developing countries.
BAN K-MOON
SUPPORTS GAZA FACT-FINDING MISSION
Concerning the Secretary-General’s position relating
inquiries into what happened earlier this year in Gaza, the
Secretary-General has certainly not rejected the notion of an inquiry into
the recent Gaza conflict.
On the contrary and apart from the Board of Inquiry
that he had instituted into the damages against the UN, he has both
privately and publicly supported the Human Rights Council’s fact finding
mission. He has also counseled and urged the Israeli Government to cooperate
with this inquiry. Indeed he last did so yesterday at his meeting with the
Israeli Deputy Prime Minister. It is precisely because such an inquiry
exists that the Secretary-General did not contemplate establishing another
commission to undertake the very same task.
The Secretary General is conscious of the fact that the
Human Rights Council is especially well placed to commission an
investigation into whether breaches of International Humanitarian Law have
taken place, and had done so inter alia by selecting respected Jurists to
undertake this task and had revised their terms of reference to ensure a
balanced approach.
Asked about the Secretary-General’s meeting on Tuesday
with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom, the Spokeswoman said later
that they discussed the situation on the ground in Israel, the occupied
Palestinian territory, and the region, including Iran. They discussed the
need for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian political negotiations, and
for socio-economic projects in the West Bank. The Secretary-General
expressed his concern for the humanitarian situation of the people of Gaza
and urged the Government of Israel to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid
and reconstruction materials.
AFGHANISTAN:
FRESH FLOODING EXPECTED TO HIT AFFECTED AREAS IN NORTHEAST
A total of 12,000 households in nine provinces in
northern and northeastern
Afghanistan have been affected by floods since April, according to the
results of the latest assessments carried out by UN agencies, the Government
of Afghanistan and non-governmental organizations.
According to the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),
fresh flooding is expected to hit the northeastern region, as the remaining
snow in the mountains there begins to melt over the next two to four weeks.
Contingency plans for relocation of the affected population, as well as
pre-positioning of adequate stocks of relief supplies, are urgently needed.
OCHA is preparing detailed information on the situation
in these areas, as well as predictions based on past flooding patterns, and
will distribute these to humanitarian partners shortly.
U.N. WARNS OF LACK OF FUNDS TO ASSIST
DISPLACED IN COMING WEEKS
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA)
says that basic food needs can only be met for 2.6 million internally
displaced persons (IDPs) in
Pakistan for the month of June, and possibly for July. The United
Nations so far has received only 43% of the $280 million required for the
IDPs’ food needs.
Also, current stocks of essential drugs will be
depleted as of the end of this month, and urgent funding is required to
cover the health response for the next six months. There is a shortage of
hygiene kits and soaps for personal hygiene in all camps. The World Health
Organization (WHO) reports that out of 50,000 pregnant women expected to
deliver in the next six months, an estimated 5,000 will need emergency
obstetric care and hospital referral.
EX-SOMALI OFFICERS TO MEET IN U.S.
CAPITAL TO ASSESS SECURITY NEEDS IN WAR-RAVAGED COUNTRY
Former senior military officers of Somalia will be
meeting in Washington, D.C. tomorrow, June 4, for two days of talks
organized by the
UN Political Office for Somalia.
The meeting, being held under auspices of Somalia’s
Ministry of Defense, aims to solicit the support and participation of these
former officers in current efforts to address the security needs of the
war-ravaged country.
According to the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, these Somali
officials are, “respected for their past professional experience during a
period in Somalia’s history when it was called upon to help train soldiers
from other African nations.”
U.N. MISSION IN DR CONGO TRAINS
CONGOLESE POLICE FOR UPCOMING ELECTIONS
The Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
says its police advisors have
begun training some 2500 Congolese police in Kinshasa. This is part of a
UN effort to help ensure public safety during upcoming local elections.
The training programme will include courses on
intelligence gathering, managing voter lines at polling stations and
escorting and transporting voting material. After their training, the
Mission says the Congolese police will deploy the officers at 143 voter
registration centers in Kinshasa.
Training will also be provided next week by the UN to
police officers in the Bas-Congo region. The Mission expects to train a
total of 75,000 officers nationwide in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the Mission says it expects revision of the
voters’ lists to start this coming weekend.
CÔTE D’IVOIRE: DISCUSSIONS START ON
SECURITY OF ONGOING ELECTORAL PROCESS
In Côte d’Ivoire, the United Nations Operation in the
country (UNOCI)
took part yesterday in discussions on the deployment of mixed units
–made up of former rebels and government forces-- to ensure the security of
the ongoing electoral process.
This was the first in a series of weekly military
meetings aimed at creating a discussion framework for monitoring the Fourth
supplementary accord to the Ouagadougou Political Agreement (OPA).
The head of the UN police in Côte d’Ivoire and Deputy
Force Commander of
UNOCI, participated in the meeting, held at Office of the Special
Representative of the Facilitator in Côte d’Ivoire.
CYPRUS LEADERS DISCUSS ECONOMY, WILL
TURN TO TERRITORY ISSUE NEXT WEEK
Talks between the Cyprus leaders continued today in
Nicosia under UN auspices.
Speaking after the leaders’ meeting, the Secretary-General’s Special
Adviser on Cyprus, Alexander Downer, said that they had tête-à-tête session,
and had further discussions in the open session on economic matters.
He added that the leaders would continue discussing
these topics when they meet again, next Thursday. Downer also said the
leaders will at that time begin discussion on the issue of territory.
EMERGING EUROPEAN DONORS MEET IN ESTONIA
John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian
Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, today participated in a meeting of
Emerging European Donors in Tallinn, Estonia.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA)
has been actively engaged in efforts to build on its partnerships with
countries involved in international aid through the multilateral system.
The meetings have resulted in the successful
development of regional response networks; common needs assessments and
methodologies and better cooperation, says OCHA.
LACK OF JOBS AND SOCIAL PROTECTION COULD
BREED INSTABILITY
The Director-General of the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), Juan Somavia, has
called for a fair and sustainable global economy where sustainable
enterprises and Decent Work can thrive.
Addressing the International Labour Conference – the
highest governance body of the ILO – today, Mr. Somavia criticised the
dominant economic policies that produced the current global financial
crisis. He added that the ILO’s values were ignored.
The ILO Director-General said that the world may be
looking at a jobs and social protection crisis that could last for six to
eight years. He warned that lack of jobs and social protection could breed
instability.
MORE INVESTMENTS IN RENEWABLE THAN
FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY IN 2008
A new report
launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says
that renewable energy drew more investments than fossil-fueled energy
technologies during 2008.
More than $150 billion was invested in clean energy in
2008 – more than two-thirds of which were spent directly developing power
generation for wind, solar, and other geothermal sources of energy.
SPOKESWOMAN EXPLAINS DISCREPANCY IN
ESTIMATES OF DISPLACED IN SRI LANKA
Asked about a discrepancy of some 13,000 people between
a previous UN estimate of the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs)
in camps in Sri Lanka and the present estimate, the Spokeswoman noted that
the registration process in the camps is ongoing and in the course of that,
some double counting has shown up. This is not unusual in such a situation
when there is such massive influx of people in a short time.
She added that the camps were not run by the United
Nations, which is present to ensure that the IDPs are treated adequately.
**** The guest at the Noon Briefing today was Michael
Adlerstein, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Capital
Master Plan (CMP), who provide an update on the CMP.
Office of the
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