HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, August 3, 2009
BAN KI-MOON
CONDEMNS WEEKEND ATTACK IN SOUTHERN SUDAN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
notes with extreme concern, the 2 August attack in Akobo, Jongeli State,
Southern Sudan, and condemns the reported killing of 161 people, including
100 women and children, 50 men and 11 SPLA soldiers.
The Secretary-General has directed the UN Mission in
Sudan, UNMIS, to extend all possible assistance to those affected by this
heinous act and work with local authorities to restore calm.
The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the
Government of Southern Sudan and the bereaved families.
He calls upon the Government of Southern Sudan to bring
to justice those responsible for these events and take the necessary
measures to protect civilians across Southern Sudan.
DARFUR: PEACEKEEPERS EXPAND PATROLS IN
NEW CAMPS FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED
Minor incidents of banditry and car-jacking continue to
be reported from North Darfur, says the UN/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
although the overall security situation has remained calm.
The Mission also reports that its Deputy Joint Special
Representative, Henry Anyidoho, yesterday visited the Kalma camp for
internally displaced persons near Nyala, in South Darfur. Anyidoho was there
to inspect progress on work being done by UNAMID engineers in the wake of
recent heavy flooding.
The Deputy Joint Special Representative also met
traditional leaders with whom he discussed living conditions at the camp as
well an IDP (Internally Developed Persons) voluntary return programme. He
also handed local civil society representatives some 250,000 dollars from
the Mission’s Quick Impact Project (QIPs) budget to build classrooms,
bathrooms and water pumps at the Kalma camp.
Meanwhile, the Mission on Saturday began all-day
patrols in an additional 14 IDP camps across Darfur. The expansion comes a
day after the arrival and deployment of 36 police advisors from Malawi. And
the Mission says another 80 police advisors are expected to join its ranks
later this week from South Africa.
SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES HIS CONCERN
AHEAD OF REFERENDUM IN NIGER
A referendum to endorse an amendment to Niger’s
Constitution is scheduled to take place tomorrow, despite sharp differences
among the country's political stakeholders.
In a
statement issued Friday, the Secretary-General expresses his concern and
reiterates his support for an inclusive process to resolve the current
crisis peacefully and in conformity with the country's democratic values.
The Secretary-General calls on the people of Niger to
exercise utmost restraint and urges all parties to refrain from any form of
violence. The United Nations stands ready to support initiatives that would
help resolve the current situation in a peaceful and sustainable manner.
In two other statements issued over the weekend, the
Secretary-General
congratulated the State institutions which participated in the
organization of the polls in Guinea-Bissau; and he
paid tribute to the late President of the Republic of the Philippines,
Corazon Aquino.
MIDDLE EAST COORDINATOR DEPLORES
EVICTION OF PALESTINIAN FAMILIES IN EAST JERUSALEM
The UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace
Process, Robert Serry, has
deplored the eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in the
Arab neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem.
Serry called those actions by Israeli security forces
“totally unacceptable.” He noted that settlers were allowed to take
possession of the properties, and that the Palestinian families in question
were refugees registered with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Serry added that such actions contravene the Geneva
Conventions, as well as calls by the international community for Israel to
refrain from provocative actions in East Jerusalem.
Serry rejected Israel's claims that this is a matter
for municipal authorities and domestic courts. And he called on Israel to
adhere to international law and its Roadmap obligations, and to cease and
reverse its recent provocations in East Jerusalem.
According to UNRWA, the
personal belongings and household property of the evicted families were
loaded onto trucks by the Israeli authorities and dumped in scrubland at the
edge of the busy thoroughfare in Jerusalem known as Route One.
Today, UNRWA helped the
evicted refugees recover their possessions, loaded them into trucks and
stored them in UNRWA warehouse facilities. UNRWA says the families who have
lived in these houses for more than half a century are still in shock and
trauma. Of the 53 people evicted, 20 are children and are reported to be
particularly traumatized, UNRWA adds.
Asked about the
Secretary-General’s views on the issue, the Spokeswoman noted that Serry was
speaking for the UN system and that the Secretary-General has repeatedly
expressed his concerns about settlements.
SECRETARY-GENERAL HOPEFUL ABOUT IRAQ’S
FUTURE
Iraq is entering a crucial period, highlighted by its
increased responsibility for its security and the important national
elections planned for next January. Yet a relative calm has been achieved,
and the Secretary-General is hopeful that this is a trend that bodes well
for Iraq’s future.
That’s what the Secretary-General says in his latest
report to the Security Council on Iraq, which notes the work being done
by the UN Assistance Mission in that country (UNAMI).
The Secretary-General writes that he is concerned about
the relationship between the Federal Government in Baghdad and the
leadership of the Iraqi Kurdistan region. He urges the Kurdistan Regional
Government and the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament to reconsider the provisions
in the draft Kurdistan regional constitution, which could have the potential
to aggravate tensions and affect ongoing discussions on the disputed
boundaries.
He also calls for an end to provocative statements,
including those which prejudge in any way the future of areas such as
Kirkuk. He warns against any unilateral actions on the ground which the
other side is likely to see as hostile in intent.
AFGHANISTAN: TOP U.N. REPRESENTATIVE
HIGHLIGHTS ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES FOR UPCOMING ELECTIONS
Kai Eide, the Secretary-General’s Special
Representative for
Afghanistan, in a press conference yesterday highlighted the measures in
place to discourage fraud in that country’s upcoming national elections. He
said that everything possible is being done to prevent and detect fraud and
irregularities.
Regarding detainees, Eide added that he recently
visited a detention centre in Kabul and plans to visit other ones in the
future. He said that there is a need to improve such facilities and to
provide as much information as possible to the families of detainees. It is
important, he added, that conditions are in accordance with international
standards and do not lead to further radicalization.
U.N. AGENCIES LAUNCH HEALTH CAMPAIGN FOR
DISPLACED CHILDREN IN SRI LANKA
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
and the World Health Organization (WHO)
have launched this week, a special health campaign for children in Vavuniya,
Sri Lanka. More than 36,000 internally displaced children under the age of
5 will be vaccinated against measles and polio. They will also each receive
dosages of vitamin A and de-worming tablets.
The acting UNICEF Country Representative says that
“Children under five are the most vulnerable part of a population especially
in emergencies; [and] this campaign will help save lives”.
UNICEF’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CONCLUDES
VISIT TO NORTHERN NIGERIA
UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman has concluded her
visit to Northern Nigeria.
She
announced 1.85 million dollars in additional support for UNICEF
nutrition programmes. The funds, says
UNICEF, will be used to scale up integrated community-based nutrition
stations where families can bring their children for preventative and
curative assistance.
During her visit, UNICEF’s Executive Director also
discussed with government and faith-based leaders the need to eradicate
polio. Nigeria is one of only four polio endemic countries in the world and
the only endemic country in Africa. Veneman announced the allocation of over
$5 million to contribute to polio eradication efforts in Nigeria.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
SECURITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT PROGRAMME OF WORK TOMORROW:
The United Kingdom has assumed the rotating Presidency of the
Security Council for the month of August. The new Council President, UK
Ambassador John Sawers, is today holding bilateral meetings with other Council
members on the programme of work for the month.
LETTERS SENT UPON INAUGURATION OF NEW GOVERNMENTS:
Asked when the Secretary-General would write a letter
to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his election, the Spokeswoman said that, in accordance
with regular practice, such a letter would go out once Ahmadinejad has taken his
oath of office and begun a new mandate.
UNESCO AWARDS 2009 INTERNATIONAL LITERACY PRIZES:
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
2009 International Literacy Prizes went to a newspaper produced entirely by
women in rural India and three innovative literacy projects in Burkina Faso,
Afghanistan and the Philippines. The Non-Formal and Continuing Education
Programme of the Ministry of Education of Bhutan also received an Honourable
Mention for its holistic approach to literacy. The UNESCO International Literacy
Prizes are awarded every year in recognition of excellence and innovation in
literacy throughout the world.
Office of the
Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
Back to the Spokesperson's Page
