HIGHLIGHTS OF
THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FARHAN HAQ

ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON
FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
 

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday,  June 5, 2009

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS BOMB ATTACK ON MOSQUE IN PAKISTAN

• The Secretary-General
  
  condemns today's bomb attack in a mosque in the Upper Dir district of
  Pakistan, which reportedly killed at least 30 people. He reiterates his
  rejection of such indiscriminate and reprehensible acts of violence and
  extends his condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government
  of Pakistan.
   

• On the humanitarian front, the
  
  UN Refugee Agency estimates that 20,000 more people are believed to be
  fleeing the conflict areas in and around the Swat Valley in Pakistan's North
  West Frontier Province (NWFP). They are heading for safer ground in the
  Mardan, Charssada and Peshawar districts. The new exodus follows the lifting
  of a curfew on the region earlier today. To accommodate the newly displaced,
  UNHCR is working with local authorities to develop two new camps established
  earlier this week.
   

• Camps supplied by the Refugee Agency in Mardan have
  reached capacity, and the new arrivals are being directed to sites that are
  further afield.
   

• To pay for operations in Pakistan through the end of
  2009, UNHCR is seeking an additional $67 million dollars out of a total
  appeal budget of $105 million.

BAN KI-MOON
VOICES CONCERN OVER PATTERN OF KILLINGS IN GUINEA BISSAU

• The Secretary-General is
  
  dismayed by the news of the assassinations of a candidate in the
  forthcoming presidential elections in Guinea Bissau, Mr. Baciro Dabo, and of
  a Member of Parliament and former Minister of Defense, Mr. Helder Proenca,
  along with others.  The Secretary-General is concerned about the emerging
  pattern of killings of high profile personalities in Guinea Bissau.  Coming
  so soon after the assassinations of President João Bernardo Vieira and
  General Tagme Na Waie, these criminal acts are a tragic setback for efforts
  to restore the rule of law and democratic processes in the country, but they
  should not be allowed to deter the forthcoming presidential elections.
   

• These developments underscore once again the importance
  and urgency of conducting a thorough, credible and transparent investigation
  into the circumstances surrounding the assassinations in Guinea Bissau. The
  United Nations will be consulting with national authorities and the
  International Contact Group on Guinea Bissau, to explore what more needs to
  be done to end impunity and restore respect for the rule of law in the
  country.
   

• Most urgently, the Secretary-General conveys his
  deepest condolences to the affected families and calls on the national
  authorities, including the country’s military, to ensure that the human
  rights of all citizens are upheld and protected.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL ON SRI LANKA

• This afternoon, the Secretary-General will participate
  in an informal interactive discussion with the members of the Security
  Council on
  
  Sri Lanka.
   

• Asked about the format of today’s informal interactive
  discussion on Sri Lanka, the Spokesperson said that the members of the
  Security Council had used a similar format in the past, adding that the
  Council members had agreed on it.
   

• Asked about the transparency of the arrangement, Haq
  noted that a press stakeout would be set up for the afternoon discussion. He
  recalled that the Secretary-General had also briefed the General Assembly on
  Sri Lanka on Monday.
   

• He disputed the claim that the Secretary-General and
  other senior officials had been downplaying the casualties in Sri Lanka,
  noting that the Secretary-General, in his public statements and
  conversations, had repeatedly expressed his concerns, as did other officials
  throughout the UN system.
   

• Asked about discrepancies in the number of people
  estimated to be internally displaced by the fighting, the Spokesperson noted
  that some of the recent lowering of those estimates resulted from taking
  into account information that some people had been double counted earlier.

SECRETARY-GENERAL DISCUSSES CLIMATE CHANGE WITH U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY, WRAPS UP
WASHINGTON D.C. TRIP

• The Secretary-General has wrapped up a trip to
  Washington, D.C. this morning and is on his way back to New York.
   

• This morning, he discussed climate change with US
  Energy Secretary Steven Chu. They talked about international cooperation to
  deal with climate change, including mitigation efforts in developed
  countries and efforts to bring in the broader international community,
  including through cooperation with developing countries.
   

• On Thursday, the
  Secretary-General met with US Vice President Joseph Biden. They discussed US
  financial support for the United Nations, a topic on which the Vice
  President was supportive. They also talked about Pakistan, including the
  humanitarian situation there; Afghanistan; the Balkans; Sudan, including the
  Comprehensive Peace Agreement and Darfur; Sri Lanka; Myanmar; the Democratic
  People’s Republic of Korea; non-proliferation and disarmament; and climate
  change.
   

• The Secretary-General also
  met with a bipartisan group of Senators in a meeting hosted by Senate
  Majority Whip Richard Durbin. The Secretary-General spoke of the need for US
  leadership on climate change and discussed US financial support of the
  United Nations. They also discussed issues ranging from the Democratic
  Republic of the Congo and Darfur to Iran.

BAN KI-MOON
STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF JAPAN’S LEADERSHIP ON REDUCING GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS

• On Thursday night, the Secretary-General had a
  telephone conversation with Taro Aso, Prime Minister of Japan, about the
  recent situation on the Korean peninsula following the nuclear test by the
  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and about climate change.
   

• On the DPRK, the Secretary-General reaffirmed his
  conviction of the urgent need to resume dialogue, including the Six-Party
  Talks. He expressed the UN’s readiness to provide any assistance required.
   

• Regarding climate change, the Secretary-General thanked
  the Prime Minister for his country’s strong commitment to resolving climate
  change – through its strong domestic actions and support for reaching an
  effective, inclusive, international agreement.
   

• The Secretary-General stressed the importance of
  showing leadership by setting an ambitious mid-term emissions reduction
  target for his country for 2020. He further underlined the importance of
  this being in line with the targets, which the Intergovernmental Panel on
  Climate Change (IPCC)
  has said are necessary to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences from
  climate change. Japan has said it will announce its mid-term targets soon.
   

• The Secretary-General welcomes Japan’s leading role in
  setting an ambitious domestic target, as it could well influence the targets
  set by other countries and generate critically needed positive momentum in
  the UN climate change talks.

DARFUR:
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT PROSECUTOR BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL

• In an open meeting this morning, the
  
  Security Council heard from the Prosecutor for the
  
  International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, about his continuing
  investigation into the alleged crimes committed in
  
  Darfur.
   

• Moreno-Ocampo said that over the coming six months, his
  office will continue to monitor crimes and to galvanize efforts to arrest
  fugitives. He said he does not plan to open a new investigation during those
  six months. He also noted the responsibility of the Government of Sudan to
  arrest indicted suspects.
   

• Following that open briefing, the Security Council
  continued its discussion of the Court’s actions regarding Darfur in a
  private meeting.
   

• Meanwhile, General Martin Luther Agwai, the Force
  Commander of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID),
  today visited the North Darfur town of Umm Barru to assess the situation
  there, following the recent deadly clashes between Sudanese Government
  forces and members of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).
   

• During his visit, General Agwai met with the Mission’s
  military and police personnel deployed in the area. The Force Commander was
  briefed on the general security situation in the area following the fighting
  last month. He also held discussions with civilians who moved to the
  vicinity of the UNAMID camp site near Umm Barru as a result of the clashes.

SOMALIA: NUMBER
OF DISPLACED REACHES 96,000

• More Somalis are
  
  continuing to flee the capital, Mogadishu, because of the continued
  heavy fighting in the city between Government forces and armed opposition
  groups.  According the UN Refugee Agency, (UNHCR),
  the latest number of people forced out of their homes in the city is now
  more than 96,000.
   

• The majority of the newly displaced are still in the
  city, looking for shelter in more secure areas because they have no means to
  leave. Another group of the internally displaced persons has fled to the
  so-called Afgooye corridor, about 30 kilometres south-east of Mogadishu.
   

• According to UNHCR’s local partners, other displaced
  Somalis continue to flee the country, with many risking their lives
  traveling with smugglers across the Gulf of Yemen. Hundreds are traveling
  into Ethiopia and in recent weeks neighbouring Kenya has seen a doubling of
  the number of new Somali arrivals, to nearly 200 a day.
   

• UNHCR continues to rush assistance to the displaced.
  The Agency is leading a task force to coordinate the activities of all the
  humanitarian actors dealing with this new emergency.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MAURITANIAN PARTIES

• In a
  
  statement issued on Thursday afternoon, the Secretary-General welcomed
  the signing of the agreement between the Mauritanian parties in Nouakchott.
  The agreement constitutes a solid basis for a return to constitutional order
  and the consolidation of democracy in Mauritania. He congratulated the
  parties for the spirit of compromise demonstrated during the negotiations.
   

• The Secretary-General will closely follow developments
  in Mauritania leading up to the Presidential election scheduled for 18 July
  2009.

CHOLERA
OUTBREAK ON THE WANE IN ZIMBABWE

• In
  
  Zimbabwe, there are indications that the cholera outbreak that has
  claimed the lives of more than 4,000 people is now on the wane, with the
  number of cases and deaths continuing to fall. The UN Office for the
  Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, (OCHA),
  stresses that concerted efforts are still required in specific areas which
  continue to report a high number of new cases.
   

• As of the end of May, the cumulative number of cholera
  cases since August last year stood at 98,429, with the number of deaths
  stabilizing at 4,276. New cases are still being reported mostly in Harare,
  Manicaland and Masvingo provinces.
   

• OCHA highlights the fact that the problem of lack of
  safe water and sanitation facilities, which was main the cause of the
  epidemic, has still not been addressed in most parts of the country.

SECRETARY-GENERAL ENCOURAGES ALL TO WORK FOR GREENER AND CLEANER PLANET ON WORLD
ENVIRONMENT DAY

• Today is World Environment Day. The theme this year is
  “Your planet needs you.”
   

• In a
  
  message to mark this occasion, the Secretary-General says that while the
  Earth faces the grave threat of climate change, there is an opportunity to
  change course.  He calls on governments to “Seal the Deal” for a new climate
  agreement in Copenhagen, in December.
   

• The Secretary-General adds that the planet needs more
  than just action by governments and corporations. It needs each of us, he
  says, and he encouraged all people to take concrete steps toward making the
  planet greener and cleaner.
   

• Mexico is the host this year of
  
  World Environment Day. Most celebrations are taking place in that
  country but other activities are being held worldwide. The global premiere
  of the new film 'HOME', by photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, will be one of
  the major worldwide events taking place with more than 100 screening
  locations around the world.
   

• Also on World Environment Day, Ethiopia, Pakistan and
  Portugal have
  
  announced that they will promote low-carbon, green growth by joining the
  Climate Change Network – an initiative led by the United Nations Environment
  Programme (UNEP)
  aimed at global action to de-carbonize economies and societies.
   

• UNEP has a new report out today which
  
  says that boosting investments in the conservation, rehabilitation and
  management of the Earth’s forests, peatlands, soils and other key ecosystems
  could deliver significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

COUNTRIES
SUBMIT PROPOSALS ON CLIMATE CHANGE TREATY

• In Bonn, countries are continuing their discussions on
  an international climate change deal, to be agreed in Copenhagen, next
  December, in a constructive spirit, according to the UN Framework Convention
  on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
   

• It also says that the US, Japan, Australia and Tuvalu
  have requested the UN Climate Change Secretariat to circulate their
  proposals for a new international climate change treaty to the capitals of
  the world by Saturday evening. Costa Rica has also just announced that it
  will submit the full version of the existing negotiating text.
   

• Meanwhile, negotiations in the Kyoto Protocol Working
  Group are focusing mostly on the issue of reduction targets for
  industrialized countries post-2012. UNFCCC says that these discussions are
  moving forward well. It adds that the Group is examining the tools available
  to industrialized countries, such as the rules for the use of land and
  forests by rich countries, in order to meet their future commitments.

W.H.O.
RECOMMENDS GLOBAL USE OF ROTAVIRUS VACCINES

• The World Health Organization (WHO) is
  
  recommending the globally use of rotavirus vaccines in immunization
  campaigns. This would provide protection against the most common cause of
  lethal diarrhea -- a virus that is responsible for more than 500,000 deaths
  a year among children. Some 85% of these deaths occur in Africa and Asia.
   

• This new WHO recommendation extends an earlier one on
  vaccination in the Americas and Europe, where clinical tests had
  demonstrated the safety and efficacy of using this vaccine. New data has now
  evaluated the vaccine’s efficacy in countries with high child mortality.
   

• WHO says that this new policy will help ensure access
  to the vaccines in the world’s poorest countries.

OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSED IMPORTANCE OF LEBANESE
ELECTIONS: Asked about this weekend’s elections in Lebanon, the Spokesperson
noted that the Secretary-General, in his recent

report on the implementation of resolution 1559, had highlighted the
importance of the elections and had called on all sides to ensure a calm and
peaceful vote.

ARRESTED U.N. STAFF MEMBER PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE
LEAVE: Asked about the arrest of a UN staff member on allegations of child
pornography, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations is aware of the
arrest and that the staff member has been placed on administrative leave in
accordance with established procedures until further action is taken. There was
no further information at this time, he added.

SEVENTY COUNTRIES TO PARTICIPATE IN W.F.P. END HUNGER
WALK: In an effort to raise awareness and money for hungry school children
in some of the poorest countries in the world, the World Food Programme (WFP) is
leading the seventh annual

Walk the World Event this Sunday in some 70 countries. Among those who will
participate in the walk are employees from supporting companies, their friends
and families, celebrities, local dignitaries, WFP employees and in some
countries, the children who have actually benefited from the WFP school feeding
programme.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS[1]
6 June – 12 June 2009

Saturday, 6 June

There
are no major events scheduled for today.

Sunday, 7 June

Starting today and until 10 June, the World Health Organization (WHO) will hold
the International Conference on Children's Health and the Environment, in Busan,
Republic of Korea.

Monday, 8 June

Today is World Oceans Day. To
mark the occasion, at 1 p.m. in S-226, there will be a press conference on
challenges regarding the world’s oceans. There will also be an expert panel
discussion on the theme “Our oceans, our responsibility,” from 3 to 5 p.m. in
the Trusteeship Council Chamber; and the screening of the documentary “A Sea
Change,” at 6 p.m. in Conference Room 1.

This morning, the Security
Council will hear a briefing on United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office
in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL).

Today and tomorrow, the
Incentive2Innovate Conference, at UN Headquarters, will bring together leaders
from the private sector, foundations, NGOs, and the UN to highlight the
innovation necessary to solve today’s challenges and achieve the Millennium
Development Goals. The conference is organized by the UN Office for Partnerships
(UNOP) along with the X PRIZE Foundation, BT Global Services and the John
Templeton Foundation.  

Tuesday, 9 June

Today
the Security Council will hear a briefing and then hold consultations on the
United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB).

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy will be on
official travel to West Africa until 23 June. The trip includes visits to
Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Liberia.

Wednesday, 10 June

At 10 a.m., in the General Assembly Hall, the General
Assembly will hold a plenary meeting to elect the President of the General
Assembly at its sixty-fourth session.

From 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., the Sierra Leone
configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission will hold a high-level special
session in Conference Room 4. The Secretary-General is expected to participate,
as well as the President of Sierra Leone, via videolink from Freetown.

In Geneva, on the occasion of the World Day against Child
Labour, the International Labour Organization (ILO) will launch a new report
highlighting the exploitation of girls in child labour and warning that the
crisis could force more girls out of education and into child labour.

Thursday, 11 June

At 11 a.m. in S-226, the Secretary-General will hold his
monthly press conference.

This morning, the Security Council will hear a briefing on
Sudan, followed by consultations on the same subject. It will also hold
consultations on the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate.

In Geneva, the World Health Organization (WHO) will launch
the Global status report on road safety.

Friday, 12 June

There are no major events scheduled for today.

Office of the
Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

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