HIGHLIGHTS OF
THE NOON BRIEFING
BY FARHAN HAQ
ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON
FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, June 8, 2009
BAN KI-MOON
CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF LEBANON ON PEACEFUL ELECTIONS
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
congratulates the people of Lebanon and all Lebanese parties and
institutions concerned on the peaceful conduct of the parliamentary
elections.
He calls on all Lebanese to respect the results and
urges them to work together in the spirit of coexistence and democracy.
The Secretary-General hopes that the process of
government formation will commence expeditiously and that it will take place
in a calm and secure environment.
Yesterday’s elections and the formation of a new
government in the coming period represent further important steps along the
path of the revitalization of the State’s political institutions.
The Secretary-General looks forward to the full
consolidation of Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability, unity and political
independence in accordance with the Taif Accord and relevant Security
Council resolutions.
Asked whether the United
Nations had received reports of anomalies in the elections, the Spokesperson
said he was not aware of any irregularities that would have influenced the
outcome of the elections.
TOP UN OFFICIAL IN SIERRA LEONE CALLS
FOR MORE SECURITY COUNCIL SUPPORT
The
Security Council is holding an open session this morning on the
situation in Sierra Leone, with a briefing by the Executive Representative
of the Secretary-General for Sierra Leone, Michael von der Schulenburg.
Mr. Schulenburg said that the Government and the
opposition in Sierra Leone deserve praise for their handling of a recent
outbreak of political violence – the most serious such incident since the
end of the civil war in 2002.
He said that all the parties involved have signed and
committed themselves to a Joint Communiqué, which recognizes their
collective responsibility in building a democratic and prosperous Sierra
Leone.
He added that the UN family in Sierra Leone has
developed a Joint Vision strategy to support the government’s agenda for
change. This will cost $350 million dollars for a period of four years from
2009 to 2012.
He appealed to Members States and the Security Council
for financial and political support for this strategy.
TOP POLITICAL AFFAIRS OFFICIAL STARTS
WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA TOUR
The Under-Secretary-General
for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, is in Senegal today at the start of a
six-nation trip to West and Central Africa. He is holding consultations with
the senior leadership of these countries and the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) on current political developments and ongoing United
Nations efforts to help consolidate peace and stability in the region.
In Dakar today, he met with
President Abdoulaye Wade and discussed regional challenges facing West
Africa and the cooperation being provided by the UN Office for West Africa
(UNOWA) in dealing with conflicts in the region.
He told reporters following
the meeting that the United Nations appreciates the efforts led by President
Wade to help forge a consensual solution to the political crisis in
Mauritania.
Pascoe will be in Ghana
tomorrow where he is scheduled to meet with President John Atta Mills and to
hold discussions with Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Executive Secretary of
ECOWAS.
During the remainder of the
trip, which concludes on Saturday, Pascoe will also stop in Nigeria, the
Central African Republic, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau.
In addition to UNOWA, he will
visit a number of other UN political missions in the area, including the
United Nations Peacebuilding Office for the Central African Republic
(BONUCA), the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office for Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL)
and the UN Peace-building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS).
ENVOY ASSESSES
PROGRESS IN JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS IN EASTERN D.R. CONGO
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Alan Doss, was this past weekend in the
Kivu provinces in the east, to assess progress in the joint UN/Congolese
army operations against illegal armed groups. Doss was traveling with the
Congolese minister of defense.
Together they met with UN and Congolese commanders and
reviewed issues of cooperation and coordination between the two sides, and
how to improve protection for civilians. They also discussed issues around
the disarmament and repatriation of Rwandan Hutu rebels.
According to the UN Mission (MONUC),
the two sides agreed to strengthen the planning and execution of their
military and other joint tasks. They also agreed to hold a further
assessment meeting in July.
The Mission, meanwhile, has welcomed the 30-year
sentences against five militia fighters found guilty of a spree of rape and
other sexual crimes.
The verdict was delivered by a Congolese military court
in Kisangani on Friday.
Then five men were also sentenced to pay financial
damages to their more than 135 female victims.
The Mission assisted with the investigations and
monitored the trial to ensure it complies with international standards.
PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN DARFUR TAKES
DELIVERY OF NEW VEHICLES
The UN/AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
says it has come into possession of a new fleet of vehicles that arrived on
Sunday in El Fasher in a convoy from Khartoum. The fleet includes 21 fuel
tankers and 22 other vehicles.
As they travel by road for nine days across the
country, the Mission says the convoys usually provide its police personnel a
chance to establish closer contacts with Sudanese civilians along the road.
BAN KI-MOON NOTES SIGNS OF PROGRESS IN
IRAQ
The Secretary-General, in his latest
report to the Security Council on Iraq, says that there have been
“encouraging signs of progress” in that country in recent months, including
successful and largely peaceful provincial elections earlier this year and
an agreement on a new Speaker of Parliament.
He points to national reconciliation as the main
priority in the coming months, saying that the resolution of key issues,
including federalism, the sharing of natural resources and disputed internal
boundaries, could serve as a means to achieving lasting peace.
At the same time, he notes with concern rising tensions
in several areas, particularly in Ninawa, Kirkuk and Diyala.
The Secretary-General urges national and local leaders
to endeavour to ease tensions and work towards resolving the underlying
cases.
He added that the
UN Assistance Mission in Iraq’s report on the country’s disputed
internal boundaries could serve as a useful starting point for constructive
dialogue.
SRI LANKA: WATER AND SANITATION FOR
DISPLACED PERSONS REMAIN A CHALLENGE
In Sri Lanka, the United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says basic food was provided for
280,000 people last month when 2,230 metric-tons of food items were
distributed in the post-conflict period.
Supplemental food, in particular corn soya blend, is
supporting underweight young children as well as pregnant and lactating
women.
Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency and other shelter
agencies have erected some 6,500 emergency shelters and more than 13,000
tents to date in Vavuniya.
More shelters continue to be set up as more land is cleared.
However, water and sanitation remains a huge challenge,
but progress is being made. Half the latrines needed are in place; and
water is currently being provided for about 75 per cent of the overall
drinking and bathing needs.
In Jaffna, 75 per cent of students are now attending
school, while UNICEF has distributed 1,500 primary kits, 1,500 upper primary
and 500 secondary kits in Menik Farm zone 1.
As of 5 June, the funding for the 2009 Common
Humanitarian Action Plan, or CHAP, for Sri Lanka was at 40 percent, with
more than $61.5 million received out of the total $155 million required. An
additional $28 million has been pledged by various donors, which would bring
the level of funding up to 58 percent once the contributions are received.
Asked what action the Secretary-General would
take to investigate any violations of human rights during the fighting in
Sri Lanka, the Spokesperson noted that the Secretary-General
told reporters
on Friday that he has asked the Sri Lankan Government to take necessary
measures regarding human rights and hopes that the Sri Lankan Government
will follow up to implement the promises they made.
He added that the Secretary-General has kept the
members of the Security Council informed of his actions, participating in an
informal interactive discussion on Sri Lanka last Friday.
Asked about remarks from Sri Lanka’s Chief
Justice concerning displaced people living in camps, Haq said that the
United Nations at the highest levels has been insisting on the need for
freedom of movement for the people in these camps since the end of the
conflict. Freedom of movement for people in the IDP camps is essential, he
said. The Sri Lankan Government is trying to expedite the screening and
registration of IDPs but this needs be done faster.
He added that the Government must allow family
reunification and the issuance of ID cards and facilitate freer movement in
and out of the camps. The Government needs to facilitate early return and
resettlement of IDPs while ensuring the voluntary nature of such movements.
Asked about the access of
non-governmental organizations to the camps, he reiterated the need for all
humanitarian groups to have sufficient access.
PAKISTAN: U.N. AGENCIES EXTEND
ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE AFFECTED BY SWAT VALLEY CONFLICT
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) says that, according to
Pakistani authorities, there are now 2.5
million people who have been internally displaced in that country – two
million of them newly displaced, as well as 550,000 from the previously
existing caseload. |
Although the majority of the
displaced are living with their host communities, the UN Refugee Agency
(UNHCR) reports that there are 100,000 people living in 2,000 unstructured,
disorganized and un-serviced spontaneous camps.
As of 4 June, some 2.5
million ration packets had been distributed registered IDPs, at a cost of
over $30 million.
The World Food Programme
(WFP) is currently setting up wheat grain mill operations in Lahore,
Rawalpindi and Peshawar to meet the needs of displaced persons for wheat
flour. The operations are targeted to produce a minimum of 1,600 metric tons
per day.
Asked about the funding of the humanitarian
appeal for Pakistan, the Spokesperson later said that, as of 5 June, $136.5
million had been received out of a request for $543 million, with an
additional $15 million pledged.
AFGHANISTAN: AFTER ATTACK ON F.A.O.
OFFICES, U.N. MISSION CALLS FOR END TO SUCH ATTACKS
At around midnight on Saturday, the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization’s office in Kunduz, Afghanistan, was attacked by
six armed men.
A rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the compound,
injuring two guards.
The UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA)
says that the motive for the attack remains unclear. It called on those
behind the attack to stop and recognize the impartiality of the UN’s work in
delivering essential assistance to the people of Kunduz.
CLIMATE
CHANGE: SECOND WEEK OF NEGOTIATIONS UNDERWAY
In Bonn, Germany, a second week of international
climate change negotiations under the auspices of the UN got underway
this morning.
After an initial round of comments on a proposed draft
for an international climate change deal, to be agreed in Copenhagen in
December, countries will start making more details proposals – starting
tomorrow.
"We are getting down to the nitty gritty of the
negotiations" said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
In parallel discussions, industrialized countries are
considering specific actions they can undertake to reduce their greenhouse
gas emissions.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), industrialized countries would need to reduce their emissions
by 25 to 40% by 2020 in order to avoid serious climate change impacts.
Yvo de Boer said that these recommendations were still
some way from being met and called for speeding up work in this area.
Also in Bonn today, a group of key UN and non-UN aid
agencies
called on nations to take into account the humanitarian impacts of
climate change.
The 18 organizations – including the UN Refugee Agency,
UNICEF and the World Food Programme – say that the next agreement on climate
change has to set out a workable approach to help the world counter the
impacts of extreme weather events and environmental degradation on
vulnerable communities. The group says that the Copenhagen agreement
presents a rare opportunity to shape and guide the international response to
the humanitarian consequences of climate change over the next decade.
ON WORLD OCEANS DAY, BAN KI-MOON NOTES
THREATS POSED BY HUMAN ACTIVITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Today is the first observance of
World Oceans Day. In a
message, the Secretary-General says that human activities are taking a
terrible toll on the world’s oceans and seas – adding that increased sea
temperatures, sea-level rise and ocean acidification caused by climate
change pose a further threat to marine life, coastal and island communities
and national economies. He also says that oceans are affected by criminal
activity.
The Secretary-General underlines the individual and
collective duty to protect the marine environment and carefully manage its
resources. Safe, healthy and productive seas and oceans are integral to
human well-being, economic security and sustainable development, he says.
U.N. ENVIRONMENT AGENCY DRAWS ATTENTION
TO DANGERS OF GROWING MARINE LITTER
Also in light of the World Oceans Day, the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
says that growing marine litter is harming oceans and beaches worldwide. It
launched a report that takes stock of the growing garbage in 12 major
regional seas.
UNEP’s Executive Director says that “marine litter
could be dramatically reduced by improving waste reduction, waste management
and recycling initiatives.” He also calls for a world-wide ban on thin film
plastic bags.
In addition to this report, UNEP introduced a new
online system which has the most globally comprehensive list of marine and
terrestrial protected areas.
Meanwhile the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
released today technical guidelines on deep sea fishing, in an effort to
provide guidance on reducing the impact on fragile deep-sea fish species and
ecosystems.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
UNITED NATIONS IS CONCERNED ABOUT HARSH SENTENCING OF
TWO JOURNALISTS IN DPRK: Asked about the
sentences given to two journalists in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,
the Spokesperson said, “We are concerned about the harsh sentencing of the two
reporters and their wellbeing. We hope that the governments concerned
expeditiously resolve the matter.”
BASIC FOOD
COMMODITIES PRICES ROSE BY 60 PERCENT: The Director-General of the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO),
Jacques Diouf, called today for the correction of world policies and
international trade systems that have resulted in more hunger and poverty. He
was addressing the
World Grain Forum which opened today in St. Petersburg, Russia, and is being
attended by agriculture ministers from more than 50 countries. Mr. Diouf said
that international prices of basic food commodities rose by about 60% in the
past two years, while those for grains doubled. And he added, “Now is the time
for action. The food crisis has taught us that to defeat hunger, we have to
deal with its root causes and not to continue coping with the consequences of
past mistakes”. Mr. Diouf also called for more funds to assist developing
countries increase their agricultural output.
BAN KI-MOON STRESSES INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO REACH
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: The Incentive2Innovate Conference, which
started today here at UN Headquarters, brings 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 or MDGs.
In a
message to the conference, the Secretary-General stressed that innovative
solutions and partnerships between the public and private sectors are essential
to reaching the MDGs. This conference is organized by the UN Office for
Partnerships or UNOPS along with the X PRIZE Foundation, BT Global Services and
the John Templeton Foundation.
AGREEMENT ON TRANS-ASIAN RAILWAY LINKING 28 COUNTRIES TO
ENTER INTO FORCE: On Thursday, countries throughout Asia will commit to
coordinate the development and operation of international rail routes linking 28
countries throughout the region, as the Intergovernmental Agreement on the
Trans-Asian Railway Network enters into force. The Agreement comes into effect
90 days after China became the 8th country to have ratified the treaty.
UNDP HEAD VISITS AFRICA:
Helen Clark, the Administrator of the
UN Development Programme, leaves tomorrow for Africa on her first official
trip since assuming her new post. She will go to Liberia, the Democratic
Republic of Congo and Ethiopia to visit UNDP projects and meet with senior
officials in each of those countries.
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