HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Thursday, July 16, 2009
KILLING OF
HUMANITARIAN WORKER IN PAKISTAN SPARKS OUTCRY FROM SECRETARY-GENERAL
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was
shocked and saddened by today’s killing of a senior national staff
member of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr.
Zill-e-Usman, in Katcha Garhi refugee camp near Peshawar, Pakistan. One camp
guard was also killed in the attack. A UN national staff member and a camp
guard were injured.
The Secretary-General strongly condemns this brutal
attack on humanitarian personnel who are working for the well-being of the
Pakistani people. The United Nations remains committed to continuing
humanitarian operations to assist the large number of people in need. The
Secretary-General extends his condolences to the family of the victims and
the Government of Pakistan.
The United Nations in Pakistan also condemned the
brutal killing of one of its staff members.
Mr. Usman, was leaving the camp when his vehicle was
attacked and a kidnapping attempt. He was shot several times in the chest
and later died of his wounds.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan said the UN
community in Pakistan is once again devastated to have yet another staff
member a victim of a brutal attack. Stressing that there is simply no cause
or justification for such acts, he reiterated the U.N.’s determination to
continue humanitarian support to the Pakistani people and the ongoing
development work in spite of the daily difficulties and dangers the it may
face.
The High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres,
said: "It is unacceptable that humanitarian workers doing such vital and
selfless work are attacked in this way." And
he called on
armed groups of all descriptions to cease attacks on humanitarian
workers whose mission is to provide protection and assistance to the needy.
UN staff gathered at headquarters in Geneva on Thursday
at noon for a minute of silence to honor their colleague.
BHUTTO COMMISSION ARRIVES IN ISLAMABAD,
MEETS WITH PRESIDENT
The independent UN Commission of Inquiry into the facts
and circumstances of the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto arrived in Islamabad today and held a productive meeting with
President Asif Ali Zardari.
President Zardari was accompanied by his three
children. Also present at the meeting were the Minister of the Interior, the
Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Law and Justice and Human
Rights.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Commission, Ambassador
Heraldo Munoz and his two colleagues Mazurki Darusman and Peter Fitzgerald,
were given an extensive briefing by senior officials of the Ministry of
Interior, explaining some details about the assassination of the former
Prime Minister. The commissioners then engaged the officials in a period of
questions and answers and further clarifications.
The Commission continues its activities in Pakistan,
with meetings and interviews with relevant officials and individuals.
Asked how long the Bhutto Commission would stay in
Pakistan, and whether it would keep shuttling back and forth between New
York and Islamabad, the Deputy Spokesperson said she could not provide
additional details because of security concerns. She did reiterate, however,
that the Commission had a six-month mandate.
SECRETARY-GENERAL APPALLED BY MURDER OF
RUSSIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
The Secretary-General is
appalled and saddened by the murder of the Russian human rights activist
Natalia Estemirova following her abduction from her home in Grozny.
He urges the Russian authorities to conduct a thorough
and impartial investigation in order to bring the perpetrators of this
heinous killing to justice, and by so doing, to send a strong and
unambiguous message that the targeting of human rights activists will not be
tolerated.
The Secretary-General expresses his solidarity with
human rights defenders around the world who work courageously and selflessly
each and every day, in defense of basic rights and freedoms.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay added
that this case underlines the need for governments to do much more to
protect human rights defenders. She also noted that the work of human rights
defenders in Russia, and in particular the North Caucasus, is precarious.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR)
expressed shock and deep sorrow at the murder. The Russian
non-governmental organization for which Ms. Estemirova worked is one of
UNHCR’s implementing partners.
PROSECUTOR OF SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT
SAYS PROCEEDINGS
HAVE BROUGHT “HISTORIC DEVELOPMENTS” IN HUMANITARIAN LAW
The
Security Council held a meeting this morning on Sierra Leone. Addressing
Council members, Stephen Rapp, Prosecutor of the
Special Court for Sierra Leone, noted the Special Court’s importance for
the thousands who were mutilated, the tens of thousands who were murdered,
and the hundreds of thousands who were subjected to sexual violence.
Rapp also spoke of the trial of former Liberian
President Charles Taylor. He said that trial was proceeding smoothly, with a
high level of transparency, efficiency and fairness. He said he expected the
entry of judgment by mid-2010 and finalization on appeal by early 2011. Rapp
added that the proceedings in Freetown have resulted in historic
developments in international humanitarian law.
Justice Renate Winter, the Special Court’s President,
also briefed Council members. She noted that the Special Court was the first
court in history to establish as crimes against humanity the forcible
recruitment and use of child soldiers, attacks against UN peacekeepers, and
the use of forced marriages.
She also reiterated the importance of completing
Charles Taylor’s trial, which she called “so critical to preserving the
fragile peace and stability in West Africa.”
VIOLENCE IN SOUTHERN SUDAN IS THREAT TO
COUNTRY’S STABILITY
The latest
report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the UN
Mission in Sudan is out as a document today.
The Security Council is scheduled to take up the report
in consultations tomorrow and Alain Le Roy, the Under-Secretary-General for
Peacekeeping Operations will be briefing on the report.
In the report, the Secretary-General notes a
deterioration in the security situation in Southern Sudan, saying that
escalating inter-tribal violence is a significant threat to the stability of
the country as a whole. He warns that key milestones in the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement such as the elections and referendums could easily be
affected be the growing insecurity.
He says the conduct of peaceful, transparent and
credible elections is fundamental for the process of democratic
transformation throughout Sudan and it is only possible if all Sudanese
stakeholders, including those in Darfur, work together to enhance a
conducive political environment.
The reports notes the recent positive developments in
the joint efforts of the Government and the United Nations and its partners
to narrow the most critical humanitarian gaps in the aftermath of the 4
March expulsion of international NGOs. But the Secretary-General notes that
the current levels of assistance in some areas remain below the necessary
standards. He urges the government to do its utmost to provide a safe and
secure environment for these operations to continue.
Asked if Mr. Le Roy had met with Sudan’s President
during his visit to Sudan, the Deputy Spokesperson later announced that the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations said no such meeting had taken place.
SOMALIA: URGENT
ACTION NEEDED FOR HEALTH SECTOR
In Somalia, the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is
calling for urgent action in light of the deteriorating health situation
in the South and Central parts of the country, including in Mogadishu.
OCHA says that the increasing frequency of communicable
disease outbreaks, rising rates of severe acute malnutrition, decreasing
immunization rates, are symptomatic of the poor coverage and quality of
essential health care – as well as of the shortages of life saving medicines
and trauma supplies.
With the country already facing one of the highest
infant and maternal mortality rates in the world, the humanitarian health
community is finding itself constrained by the health funding deficit.
According to OCHA, a number of critical life saving health projects haven’t
been initiated and ongoing ones are under threat of cessation.
KENYA: INT'L CRIMINAL COURT PROSECUTOR
RECEIVES MATERIAL ON POST-ELECTORAL VIOLENCE
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
(ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo has
received material on post-lection violence in Kenya.
This week, he received two reports from the Kenyan
Attorney General. In the coming days, the Prosecutor will receive materials
transmitted by Kofi Annan, the Chairman of the African Union Panel of
Eminent African Personalities. These materials consist of six boxes of
documents compiled by the Commission of Inquiry into the Post-Election
Violence -- known as the Waki Commission-- and an envelope with a list of
possible suspects by the Waki Commission.
According to the ICC, the content of the envelope will
remain confidential and the Office of the Prosecutor will use all
information received in its analysis work.
The situation in Kenya has been under preliminary
examination by the Office of the Prosecutor since 2008. No decision has been
made yet as whether or not to open an investigation.
EXPLOSIONS IN SOUTHERN LEBANON BEING
INVESTIGATED
In response to a question concerning explosions in the
general area of Khirbat Silim, in southern Lebanon, the Deputy Spokesperson
said the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had been concerned that,
yesterday, some civilians had been attempting to hamper access to the site.
Nevertheless, Okabe added, UNIFIL was able to access
the site of the explosions, following coordination with the Lebanese Armed
Forces and after the site was deemed safe enough for specialized teams to go
in.
UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces are at the site
now, Okabe said, and the investigations are ongoing.
Asked about the implications for Security Council
resolution 1701, the Deputy Spokesperson later added that, based on the
information currently available, UNIFIL considers the incident of the
explosions a serious violation of that resolution, notably with regards to
the provision that there should be no presence of unauthorized assets or
weapons in the area of operation between the Litani River and the Blue Line.
OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ASSISTANCE TO
FLOOD SURVIVORS IN BENIN: The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) reports that UN agencies are working to help disaster survivors
in Benin, in West Africa, where heavy rainfall has led to severe
flooding. The UN Development Programme, for example, has made funds
available for relief coordination and needs assessments. For its part, UNICEF
has provided 3,000 chlorine tablets for water treatment and 1,000 mosquito nets.
The agency has also provided $100,000 to finance water and sanitation activities
and to fund a health awareness campaign. Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency has
donated blankets, mosquito nets, mats and tents. And the UN Population Fund is
working to fund maternal health care.
DETENTION OF
STAFF IN SRI LANKA: Asked about the detention of national staff in Sri
Lanka, the Deputy Spokesperson said the Secretary-General had raised the issue
during his bilateral meeting with the President of Sri Lanka yesterday. Okabe
added that the Secretary-General would continue to raise and follow up on that
issue.
OWLS BRED TO FIGHT RODENT ATTACKS ON FOOD SUPPLIES:
The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
has decided to breed barn owls in Laos to protect food supplies from further
rodent attacks. Rodents wiped out crops in seven provinces in the country last
November where hunger is already widespread. FAO says that the owl breeding
project is still in its planning stages, and that the birds will be distributed
in the areas hit by the food shortages.
MOBILE PHONES AS DEVELOPMENT TOOLS: This morning in
Geneva, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
held a Dialogue with Executive Heads of the United Nations funds and programmes.
They discussed the UN development system’s contribution to national capacity
building and technology innovation. Among the funds and programmes represented,
Ann Veneman, the Executive Director of UNICEF, discussed how mobile phones
proved to be an extremely powerful development tool in countries such as Nigeria
and Uganda.
*** The guests at the noon briefing today were Robert
Orr, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Planning, and Dr. David Nabarro,
Senior UN System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, and Coordinator of
the High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Crisis. They discussed issues
relating to global food security and Influenza A (H1N1).
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