HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, June 29, 2009
SECRETARY-GENERAL TO VISIT MYANMAR
At the invitation of the
Government of
Myanmar, the Secretary-General will visit Myanmar on 3 and 4 July.
The Secretary-General looks
forward to returning to Myanmar to address directly with the senior
leadership a broad range of issues, including longstanding concerns to the
United Nations and to the international community.
In particular, the
Secretary-General considers that three of the most important issues for the
future of Myanmar cannot be left unaddressed at this juncture of the
country’s political process. These are: the release of all political
prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; the resumption of dialogue
between the Government and Opposition as a necessary part of any national
reconciliation process; and the need to create conditions conducive to
credible elections.
The Secretary-General also
considers it important to consolidate and build on the joint humanitarian
effort following his visit last year in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.
The Secretary-General
believes that the sooner these issues are addressed, the earlier Myanmar
will be able to move towards peace, democracy and prosperity. He looks
forward to meeting all key stakeholders to discuss what further assistance
the United Nations can offer to that end.
Asked if the Secretary-General will be meeting
with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Spokeswoman said that Ban Ki-moon has asked to
meet with all major stakeholders, including the detained opposition leader.
Asked for the Secretary-General's reaction to the
fact that witnesses for the defense in the ongoing trial of Aung San Suu Kyi
were not allowed to testify, Montas reiterated the Secretary-General's
earlier demand that all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, be
released.
Montas, in response to a question on media
participation in the trip, explained that the Secretary-General's trip was
only confirmed this morning. She added that there was no formal invitation
to correspondents because of the uncertainties surrounding the trip, and
the small group of eight reporters selected came from a list of pending
requests.
BAN KI-MOON ON THE WAY TO JAPAN; WILL VISIT EUROPE
The Secretary-General is on
his way to Japan, where he is scheduled to meet with the country’s Foreign
Minister, Hirofumi Nakasone, on his arrival on Tuesday evening.
He also will meet with Prime
Minister Taro Aso and with Japanese business leaders during his trip.
The
Secretary-General will be traveling to Europe next week for visits to
Switzerland, Ireland and Italy.
In
Geneva on 6 July, he will open the substantive session of the UN Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC)
and address the Second Global Review of Aid for Trade, organized by the
World Trade Organization. He will also open the Innovation Fair at ECOSOC,
and hold a meeting with donors on H1N1 at the
World Health Organization.
He
will then travel to Ireland for his first official visit to the country,
from 6 to 8 July. While in Dublin, the Secretary-General will meet President
Mary McAleese, Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Foreign Minister Micheál Martin and
Defence Minister Willie O’Dea for discussions on UN-Ireland cooperation,
especially in the area of peacekeeping operations.
The
Secretary-General will also deliver an address on UN peacekeeping at Dublin
Castle which will be facilitated by the Institute for International and
European Affairs.
On
9 and 10 July, the Secretary-General will attend the meeting of the Group of
Eight (G-8) in L’Aquila, Italy. He will seek to press G-8 countries for
greater cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, financing the Gleneagles Scenarios
for Africa and weathering the consequences of the economic crisis on
developing countries.
He
is expected back in New York on the evening of 10 July.
SECRETARY-GENERAL STRONGLY CONDEMNS VIOLENCE IN IRAQ
In a
statement, the Secretary-General strongly condemns the attacks and
assassinations in Baghdad, Kirkuk and Anbar in recent days that have killed
and wounded a large number of Iraqis.
He expresses his solidarity
with the Government and people of Iraq in the face of these appalling acts
of violence.
The Secretary-General notes
that Iraq has been benefiting from an improving security environment, and
appeals to the people of Iraq to continue to reject these attempts to incite
further violence in the country.
As Iraq prepares to take full
responsibility for security in its cities, he calls upon all Iraqi political
leaders to work together towards achieving lasting peace through national
dialogue and reconciliation.
The United Nations remains
committed to supporting the Government's efforts toward this end.
HONDURAS: BAN KI-MOON DEEPLY CONCERNED AND URGES REINSTATEMENT OF
DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED LEADERS
The
Secretary-General, in a
statement issued on Sunday afternoon, expressed his deep concern at the
latest developments in Honduras. He expressed his strong support for the
country’s democratic institutions and condemned the arrest yesterday of the
constitutional President of the Republic.
He
urges the reinstatement of the democratically elected representatives of the
country and full respect for human rights, including safeguards for the
security of President Zelaya, members of his family and his government. He
calls on all Hondurans to engage peacefully and in the spirit of
reconciliation to resolve their differences.
The
Secretary-General welcomes the prompt diplomatic efforts of the Organization
of American States. He trusts that international and domestic efforts will
succeed in the promotion of a peaceful solution to the crisis through
democratic means. The United Nations stands ready to provide assistance in
overcoming this crisis.
In
light of the situation in Honduras and upon request from several Member
States, the President of the
General Assembly, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, convened the 91st plenary
meeting of the General Assembly at noon today in the General Assembly Hall.
The meeting was intended to consider the situation in Central America.
GAZA: FACT-FINDING MISSION DEEPLY MOVED BY TESTIMONIES
The
UN fact-finding mission on the recent Gaza conflict, mandated by the
Human Rights Council and led by Justice Richard Goldstone, today completed
its first round of public hearings in Gaza City.
After hearing two days of
sometimes harrowing testimony – from witnesses, victims and experts –
Justice Goldstone said, “As fellow human beings we would like to put on
record how deeply moved we were by many of the accounts of profound
suffering and grief.”
This is the first UN inquiry
of its kind to hold public hearings. And the mission says, it is holding
them to “let the face of human suffering be seen and to let the voices of
the victims be heard”.
In addition to hearing from
people in Gaza, the mission had also wished to hold hearings in the West
Bank and in southern Israel, where the population had been on the receiving
end of rocket attacks launched from Gaza. But that has not been possible, as
the Government of Israel is so far not cooperating with the mission.
For that reason, the mission
will hold additional public hearings in Geneva, on July 6 and 7, where they
will hear from victims from Israel and the West Bank.
Asked for a reaction to new settlements being built by Israel, Montas said
that the Secretary-General has repeatedly made it clear that there must be a
full freeze on settlement building, including from natural growth.
SECURITY COUNCIL HEARS PROPOSALS ON REVIEWING BASIC MODELS OF PEACEKEEPING
The
Security Council today is holding an open debate on UN peacekeeping, and
heard from Under-Secretaries-General Alain Le Roy and Susana Malcorra about
the changes in peacekeeping over the years.
Le
Roy told the Council that, in the current global environment, financial
constraints press us to review the basic models of peacekeeping. Costs,
troop numbers, and capability requirements cannot all continue to rise
indefinitely. And there is no sign, he said, that demand is decreasing.
He
said that the Departments for Peacekeeping Operation and for Field Services
have been working on a New Horizon initiative, to help form a new
Partnership Agenda for peacekeeping. Member States have already received an
executive brief of a Non-Paper, which will be released in July. The
non-paper will focus on critical peacekeeping tasks and functions that
require a renewed consensus, measures to improve mission design, resourcing
and deployment; proposals on assessing and building the capacities needed
for future peacekeeping; and a strategy to create a stronger, more flexible
support system.
Malcorra then briefed Council
members on the Field Support Strategy on which her Department has taken the
lead. The Council’s open debate will continue into the afternoon.
DARFUR: FORCE COMMANDER CONTINUES VISIT TO TROOPS
The UN/African Union Mission
in Darfur (UNAMID)
says that its Force Commander, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, continued his
visits to the troops across Darfur this weekend. He met with peacekeepers
under his command at their bases in Graida and Marla in South Darfur. They
discussed operational matters and he also listened to their concerns.
Meanwhile, other Mission
officials were in Kutum in North Darfur to verify reports of the spontaneous
return of refugees and displaced persons to their original villages, as well
as to assess their living conditions. Villagers there told the Mission that
some 2,300 families have effectively returned to the area. They are
receiving food and other aid from the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF.
Mission officials also visited Masri and El Manara for similar meetings.
The security situation across
Darfur is reported calm today.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO ADDRESS AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT IN LIBYA
Deputy Secretary-General Asha
Rose Migiro is leaving New York this evening for Sirte, Libya, where she
will attend, on behalf of the Secretary-General, the 13th Ordinary Session
of the Assembly of the African Union. That meeting will last from July 1-3.
Ms. Migiro will address the
opening session of the Assembly on the Summit's theme, which is, “Investing
in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security”.
She will also conduct
bilateral meetings with officials from Governments and multilateral
organizations. She is expected back in New York on July 3.
SRI LANKA: ACCESS TO INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IMPROVES BUT DELAYS AND
DENIALS REMAIN
At the Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) camps of Vavuniya, Sri Lanka, there have been some
improvements with regard to humanitarian access. However, agencies continue
to report delays and occasional denials in gaining access to the IDP sites.
Access procedures differ between the sites.
On funding, as of 25 June,
the Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) for Sri Lanka is 48 percent
funded, with more than $74 million received out of the $155 million
required. In addition, $24 million has been pledged by various donors.
LEBANON: SECRETARY-GENERAL APPEALS TO PARTIES TO RESOLVE DIFFERENCES
PEACEFULLY
The Spokeswoman, in response to a question about
the formation of a government in Lebanon, said that the Secretary-General
would wait to see a fully-formed Lebanese Government before giving any
reaction. Meanwhile, Ban Ki-moon has appealed to the parties to resolve
their differences peacefully, she said.
The Spokesperson added that the Secretary-General
spoke earlier this month on the telephone with new Prime Minister Saad Hariri
and other officials.
She also said that Michael Williams, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, is
on the ground at this moment to consult with the Government and other
parties.
AT RWANDA GENOCIDE TRIBUNAL, TRIAL OF FOUR MILITARY OFFICERS VERDICTS AWAITED
AS TRIAL CONCLUDES
The International Criminal
Tribunal for Rwanda says that both the prosecution and defense lawyers have
completed their arguments in the second so-called “military trial”. The
case involves four former Rwandan military officials. They include Gen.
Augustin Bizimungu, former chief of staff of the Rwandan army and Gen.
Augustine Ndindiliyimana, former chief of staff of the Gendarmerie Nationale.
The accused are jointly charged with genocide or complicity in genocide and
crimes against humanity.
The Prosecution is seeking
life imprisonment for the accused.
The trial began in September
2004 and lasted 392 days of hearings, with 208 witnesses testifying. No date
has been set yet for the verdict.
SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES NEW U.K. PROPOSAL ON CLIMATE CHANGE FINANCING
The Secretary-General
welcomes the initiative shown by the U.K. Government in announcing its “Roadmap
to Copenhagen” proposal on financing for climate change.
This initiative comes at a
critical time, and is precisely the kind of leadership that developed
countries must demonstrate if the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC)
negotiations on a new post-2012 climate change framework are to succeed.
Without a serious commitment
on financing from developed countries, a deal in Copenhagen is unlikely.
The Secretary-General
believes the focus on adaptation, which is at the core of the U.K. proposal,
is particularly important given that the poorest, most vulnerable developing
countries are suffering first and most acutely from the effects of climate
change.
He also welcomes the
reaffirmation of the principle that additional public funding, beyond
existing pledges for development assistance, is necessary to finance
adaptation.
The Secretary-General hopes
the U.K. initiative, which includes a concrete resource figure, will
catalyze discussion and commitments on financing from other Member States.
He strongly encourages developed countries to engage in the same spirit.
Asked for a reaction on the adoption by the US
House of Representatives of a major climate change bill, the Spokeswoman
said that the Secretary-General welcomes the passage of the Waxman-Markey
bill in the U.S. House as an important first step. This is the first time,
she added, that either chamber of the US Congress has approved a mandatory
ceiling on greenhouse gas emissions.
She added that the Secretary-General has urged all developed nations to take
urgent action on climate change in line with the demands of science.
NEW SITES ADDED TO WORLD HERITAGE LIST
The UN Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
has
added thirteen new sites to its World Heritage List. Meanwhile, three
sites have been added to the Danger List in order to help raise
international support to their preservation.
UNESCO says that this is the
first time that three countries have sites included on the World Heritage
List. The sites are Burkina Faso’s Ruins of Loropeni, Cape Verde’s Historic
Centere of Ribeira Grande, and Kyrgyzstan’s Sulamain-Too Sacred Mountain.
U.N. HEADQUARTERS STAFF DRESS FOR ‘COOL UN’ FOR SUMMER
Summer is finally here, and
it may be noticed that fewer UN male staff members will be sporting ties and
that more UN employees will wear their national dress.
That’s because, although the
weather hasn’t quite encouraged people to dress in lighter clothing these
past weeks, the “Cool UN” initiative has resumed at UN Headquarters.
The Cool UN initiative was
first implemented in the summer of 2008. Due to its success, this year it
will run for a period of three months. Since mid-month, the thermostat
settings were raised from 72 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit in offices and from 70
to 75 degrees Fahrenheit in the conference rooms at Headquarters.
The programme reduces CO2
emissions, has the effect of increasing awareness among staff and allows the
United Nations to lead by example in the global fight against climate
change.
The "Cool UN" trial period in
August 2008 resulted in savings of 30 million pounds of steam, translating
into 2,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. This is the carbon footprint equivalent
of a passenger making 710 round-trip trans-Atlantic flights.
Similar programmes have since
been adopted by other UN offices away from Headquarters.
NEW STEPS MADE TO CREATE SMOKE-FREE U.N. HEADQUARTERS
Last December, the General
Assembly called for a complete smoking ban at UN premises.
For his part, the
Secretary-General has taken a number of steps to help create a smoke-free
Headquarters, including new "No Smoking" signs at building entry points and
the creation of partially sheltered areas now designated for outdoor
smoking. Also, if you want to buy tobacco products at UN Headquarters,
you’re now out of luck, since they’re no longer sold there.
In addition, the UN Medical
Services Division offers a six-week monitored smoking cessation programme
with individual follow up.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
TOP U.N. OFFICIAL IN
AFGHANISTAN STRESSES NEED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE: Kai Eide, the
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for
Afghanistan, addressed the Group of Eight Summit in Trieste, Italy, last
week and stressed the need for investment in large infrastructure projects in
Afghanistan. Eide said that the development of infrastructure was “the most
critical precondition for economic growth.” He identified two key sectors to
invest in: transport infrastructure and energy.
UNCTAD TO MEET ON ADDRESSING
AFRICA’S FOOD CRISIS: The United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD)’s governing board is
meeting on Tuesday to address the lingering food crisis in Africa. UNCTAD
stresses that the food crisis has not disappeared from Africa and must not be
ignored as governments focus on world economic difficulties. According to UNCTAD
economists, more than 300 million Africans are chronically hungry, about one
third of the continent’s population.
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