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 HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
 



BY MARIE OKABE

DEPUTY
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK


Monday, July 20, 2009
 

 

 SOMALIA: LOOTING OF U.N. COMPOUND FORCES
SUSPENSION OF WORK IN BAIDOA

  • Two UN compounds were looted today in Baidoa and Wajid,
    in

    Somalia
    . Al Shabaab men entered both compounds and took UN equipment and
    vehicles, according to the United Nations in Somalia.
     

  • In Baidoa, the looting of all emergency communication
    equipment and the lack of security officers makes it impossible for the
    United Nations as a whole to continue its operations. The UN Office in
    Somalia deeply regrets having to relocate staff and temporarily suspend its
    operations in Baidoa.
     

  • In Wajid, where the minimum security conditions are
    unchanged, operations will continue.
     

  • The United Nations is re-assessing the situation on the
    ground and is optimistic that the minimal conditions on the ground will be
    restored to allow the critical humanitarian work to resume in Baidoa and
    continue elsewhere in Somalia.
     

  • Asked about threats from
    al-Shebab that claimed that UN bodies would no longer be welcome in Somalia,
    the Spokeswoman said that Special Representative Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah’s
    office could not confirm any official notification of such remarks. At the
    same time, she said that the United Nations was aware of press reports and
    was concerned about the actions that have taken place today.

SUDAN: U.N.
ENVOY CONCERNED BY REPORTED VIOLATIONS OF ABYEI ROADMAP AREA
 

  • Ashraf Qazi, the Special Representative of the UN
    Secretary-General for Sudan, welcomed the renewed commitment by the National
    Congress Party and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to respect
    the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on Abyei.
     

  • Mr. Qazi is scheduled to be in Abyei on Wednesday when
    the ruling will be announced.
     

  • However, Mr. Qazi voiced concern over several confirmed
    or reported violations of the Abyei Roadmap Area by armed elements other
    than Joint Integrated Units and Joint Integrated Police Units.
     

  • He emphasized the need for the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
    to have full freedom of movement in the broader Abyei area.
     

  • UNMIS has reinforced its presence in Abyei to protect
    civilians in case of any incidents.
     

  • The Secretary-General, in his latest report on Sudan to
    the Security Council, welcomed the public commitments made by the parties to
    accept and peacefully implement the decision of the Court, and he assured
    the parties that the United Nations stands ready to assist them and the
    local communities in these efforts.

 BAN KI-MOON CALLS ON CHAD & SUDAN TO
WORK TOGETHER TO BRING STABILITY TO REGION
 

  • The Secretary-General’s latest

    report
    on the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and
    Chad (MINURCAT) is out as a document.
     

  • In it, the Secretary-General says that the brief rebel
    incursion in eastern Chad in May and the fighting that ensued with
    Government forces exacerbated the security situation in eastern Chad. The
    incursion opened a fresh opportunity for banditry, which undermined the
    achievements of the European Force (EUFOR) and the UN Mission.
     

  • He adds that the further deterioration of relations
    between the Governments of Chad and Sudan was also a setback for the
    security of the broader region. The Secretary-General calls on the two
    Governments to redouble their efforts to build confidence and address the
    sources of their tensions, in order to bring stability to the region and
    improve the humanitarian situations in Darfur and eastern Chad.
     

  • In addition, the Secretary-General urges the Government
    of Chad and all stakeholders to create the foundations for an inclusive and
    comprehensive political process in Chad, which should address the sources of
    conflict in the eastern part of the country. Such a process is urgently
    needed to alleviate the plight of the hundreds of thousands of refugees and
    internally displaced persons in Chad and to help create the conditions for
    MINURCAT to complete its mandate, he says.
     

  • The Secretary-General also notes that MINURCAT
    continues to operate without the support of vital enablers – including 14 of
    the 18 required military helicopters needed to achieve its full force
    projection. He also voices concern over delays in deployment, which risk
    creating security gaps, and encourages Member States to assist
    troop-contributing countries in acquiring the necessary equipment and
    expediting the deployment of their contingents.

 SECURITY COUNCIL IS BRIEFED ON NEPAL 

  • The

    Security Council
    held consultations this morning to receive a briefing
    on the work of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN). Karin Landgren, the
    Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Nepal, briefed Council
    members on the Secretary-General’s new

    report
    on Nepal’s request for UN assistance in support of its peace
    process.
     

  • In that report, the
    Secretary-General says that the two major tasks at the current stage of the
    peace process are the integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist army
    personnel and the drafting of a new constitution. He says that the Nepalese
    Government has asked for a further six-month extension of the UN Mission
    there, and he accordingly recommends that the Council extend its mandate by
    six months, until 23 January 2010.

 OPERATION
TO SUPPORT AFGHAN ELECTIONS MOVING FORWARD
 

  • A month before the beginning of the elections in
    Afghanistan, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
    says that the huge logistical operation to support Afghanistan’s Independent
    Election Commission is moving forward.
     

  • Over the weekend, millions of ballot papers arrived in
    Kabul. Meanwhile, the special free phone helpline concerning the elections
    is now taking 30,000 to 40,000 calls a week, while more than 1,600 civic
    educators are briefing voters around the country.

 HUMANITARIAN CHIEF HORRIFIED BY RISING
ATTACKS ON AID WORKERS
 

  • In Geneva today, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
    opened its Humanitarian Affairs Segment, focusing on the strengthening of
    the coordination of humanitarian assistance.
     

  • Addressing the meeting, John Holmes, the Under
    Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator,
    said that in 2009, complex emergencies had taken an even heavier toll than
    in previous years. 
     

  • He added that long-running conflicts, such as those in
    Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Occupied Palestinian
    Territory, and Somalia, continued to affect millions. Also, outbreaks of
    conflict in Pakistan, and the end game of the long running conflict in Sri
    Lanka had disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands more. 
     

  • Holmes also said he was deeply saddened and
    increasingly horrified by the rising attacks on humanitarian workers. He
    urged the Economic and Social Council to join him in strongly condemning
    these unacceptable and extremely damaging attacks on humanitarian staff.

 FUNDING FOR H.I.V. VACCINE RESEARCH
DECREASES
 

  • A new report has

    found
    that funding levels for HIV vaccine research decreased for the
    first time since investment trends started being tracked. This may have been
    influenced by shifts in scientific priorities, the declining economy, and
    competing priorities in the larger global health agenda.
     

  • Responding to the report, UNAIDS Executive Director
    Michel Sidibé said that research to develop new HIV prevention tools and
    strategies is essential to prevent new infections. Such research should be
    sustained and increased, he added. He also said that an HIV vaccine still
    holds the greatest hope to ending the epidemic.
     

  • The report was put out by the HIV Vaccines and
    Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group -- of which UNAIDS is a
    partner.

U.N. OFFICIAL
DISCUSSES RECOVERY PROCESS WITH SRI LANKAN REPRESENTATIVES
 

  • Jordan Ryan, Assistant Secretary-General and Director
    of the UN Development Programme’s Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery,
    visited Sri Lanka from 12 to 15 July 2009, where he discussed the recovery
    process with senior government, non-governmental organization and civil
    society representatives in Colombo, Vavuniya and Jaffna.
     

  • Mr. Ryan raised and discussed issues and concerns about
    security, access, freedom of movement, the rapid release and return of
    internally displaced persons (IDPs), and reunification of families.
     

  • The government is taking the lead on the resettlement
    and recovery processes, and note was taken of the continued improvement in
    camp conditions for the IDPs and the gradual handover of camp management to
    civilian authorities.
     

  • Asked about reports that two UN staff members
    detained in Sri Lanka had been tortured, the Spokeswoman noted that the
    Secretary-General had raised the issue of the two staff members when he
    spoke to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the margins of the summit
    of the Non-Aligned Movement last week in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

 SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON TO TRAVEL
TO CHINA AND MONGOLIA
 

  • Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to travel
    this week to China and Mongolia.
     

  • During his working visit to China, he will pursue his
    dialogue with the Chinese leadership on climate change and other global
    issues. He is scheduled to meet on Friday with President Hu Jintao, Premier
    Wen Jiabao, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and other Chinese officials in
    Beijing and later, on Saturday in Xi’an.
     

  • He will participate during his stay in China in climate
    change events including a “Green Light” event focused on energy efficient
    technologies and the extensive production and use of energy saving lamps in
    China.
     

  • The Secretary-General is then scheduled to go to
    Mongolia on Sunday 26 July for an official visit. There he will also address
    the challenges of climate change and adaptation with an emphasis on the
    special needs of landlocked countries. He will meet President Elbegdorj
    Tsakhia, Prime Minister Bayar Sanj and Foreign Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold.

     

  • In his continuing focus on how climate change affects
    the lives of populations, the Secretary-General will also spend time in a
    traditional Mongolian herder community, faced with water shortages and
    desertification.

OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

FORMER GHANA PRESIDENT TO BE GLOBAL AMBASSADOR AGAINST
HUNGER
:  The World Food Programme (WFP) today

named
former Ghanaian president John Kufuor as a Global Ambassador against
Hunger. He joins an elite team of celebrities and statesmen to fight global
hunger.  WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran says Kufuor is bringing critical
support during a time when hungry people in the world are expected to top one
billion this year.  Notably, Kufuor will emphasize the need to provide good
nutrition for children in school.

 

BHUTTO COMMISSION WRAPS UP 1ST VISIT TO
PAKISTAN
: Asked when the Bhutto Commission is returning to New York from
Pakistan, the Spokeswoman noted that the Commissioners gave a press conference
in Islamabad last Friday to mark the end of its initial working visit to the
country. A team of core staff will remain and be based regularly in Pakistan to
carry out the commission’s activities. The Spokeswoman also said it would submit
a report at the end of its six-month period of work.

 

SECRETARY-GENERAL WANTS MORE DETAILS ABOUT MYANMAR
AMNESTY
: Asked about details of the amnesty announced in Myanmar, the
Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General, in his

press comments
following that announcement, had made clear that he wanted to
ascertain further details about the amnesty. The ball remains in the court of
the Government of Myanmar, Okabe said.

 

DISASTER ASSESSMENT TEAM STARTS TRAINING
COURSE IN WEST & CENTRAL AFRICA:
The UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination
team (UNDAC)
started today in Bamako, Mali, its first induction course targeting mainly West
and Central Africa. The two-week training would allow some 35 participants to
join the UNDAC family by acquiring specialized skills that are needed to save
lives in times of crises. The new members, particularly those from the region,
will strengthen West and Central Africa’s to response capacity to future
disasters and emergencies as the region is increasingly prone to such disasters.

UNDAC was established in 1993. Since then it has responded
to disasters and emergencies in over 90 countries.

 

 

Office of the
Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

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Fax. 212-963-7055



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