HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY
FARHAN HAQ
ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Tuesday,
September 8, 2009
BAN KI-MOON
REGRETS DECISION TO EXPEL UNICEF SPOKESMAN IN SRI LANKA
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly
regrets the decision of the Sri Lankan Government to expel Mr. James
Elder, Spokesman for UNICEF in Sri Lanka.
The Secretary-General expresses his full confidence in
the work of the United Nations in Sri Lanka, which includes making public
statements when necessary in an effort to save lives and prevent grave
humanitarian problems. The United Nations is working impartially to assist
the people of Sri Lanka, and the Government should be supporting and
cooperating with its efforts.
The Secretary-General will take up this issue with
President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the earliest opportunity and will continue to
urge him to implement all the commitments made in their joint-statement
after the Secretary-General’s visit to Sri Lanka in May.
BAN KI-MOON
ARRIVES IN MEXICO FOR TWO-DAY VISIT
The Secretary-General this morning traveled to Mexico
City, where he will meet this afternoon with President Felipe Calderón to
discuss issues of mutual interest ahead of the upcoming General Assembly.
Those issues will include climate change, the Millennium Development Goals,
and human rights.
The Secretary-General will also hold additional
meetings this evening with the Ministers of Health, Social Development,
Environment and Education.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will speak at the
opening of the 62nd Annual Department of Public Information-Non-Governmental
Organizations
Conference. The theme of this year’s Conference is “For Peace and
Development: Disarm Now!”
BAN KI-MOON
VOICES DEEP CONCERN OVER STRING OF ATTACKS IN SOUTH SUDAN
A statement attributable to
the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on South Sudan was issued over
the weekend.
In it, the Secretary-General
says he is deeply
concerned over the string of attacks and counterattacks in South Sudan
and the killing and displacement of innocent civilians.
The Secretary-General calls
on all groups to find peaceful means of settling their differences. He also
calls on the Government of South Sudan to re-double its efforts to ensure
the protection of civilians and to work with UNMIS and the United Nations
Country Team in strengthening security mechanisms, resolving the root causes
of the tensions and addressing the humanitarian situation. Abatement of
violence and intertribal reconciliation in the south are vital to the
forthcoming elections in 2010 and the subsequent referendum in 2011.
Asked about the sentence made
by a Sudanese court against former UN Mission in Sudan staffer Lubna Ahmed
al-Hussein, the Spokesperson noted that the Office of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights today said that the arrest and conviction of Ms. Hussein
was a violation of Articles 9 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights, to which Sudan was a state party, and Article 29 of
Sudan’s own Interim National Constitution.
Asked about the departure of
former Joint AU-UN Special Representative for Darfur Rodolphe Adada, the
Spokesperson recalled that Adada’s secondment by the Government of the
Republic of the Congo had ended.
AFGHANISTAN:
U.N. ENVOY CALLS FOR FULL RIGOR IN INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION’S WORK
Kai Eide, the Secretary-General’s Special
Representative for
Afghanistan, today
called on the country’s Independent Election Commission and Electoral
Complaints Commission to redouble their efforts to ensure full rigor in
their work at every stage, in light of the concerns that have arisen over
irregularities over the elections. This includes excluding from the
preliminary count results from ballot boxes where there is evidence of
irregularities.
Eide said that the integrity of the elections is of the
utmost importance to Afghanistan and to its international partners.
He trusts that the respective Commissions will carry
out their mandated work to high standards and will ensure that the final
outcome faithfully reflects the will of Afghanistan’s voters.
Asked when it could be
determined whether a run-off election is needed in Afghanistan, the
Spokesperson said that would happen only after the electoral results were
finalized, which in turn would take place after the respective electoral
commissions had completed their work, including a review of all complaints.
Asked about reported civilian
casualties during a NATO air strike last week, Haq said that the UN
Assistance Mission for Afghanistan had sent a team to the area to review the
situation. He noted that the United Nations has repeatedly raised its
concern about civilian casualties with the relevant military authorities.
LEBANON:
SPECIAL COORDINATOR CALLS FOR CONTINUED WORK TOWARD A UNITY GOVERNMENT
The
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams, today met with
the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih
Berri, and expressed his concern that no agreement had been reached on the
formation of a government, more than ten weeks after the designation of Saad
Hariri as Prime Minister-designate.
Williams called on all
Lebanese to continue to work towards the goal of a unity government.
“Democracy needs compromise,” he said. “Lebanon must not return to the old
days of polarization and crisis.”
U.N. AGENCIES
REPORT CONTINUING HEAVY FIGHTING IN NORTHERN YEMEN
UN humanitarian agencies
report that heavy fighting is continuing between Al Houti forces and
Government troops in and around Sa’ada city in northern Yemen, with utter
disregard for the safety and well being of the civilian population.
The Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) cites estimates that some
150,000 persons are displaced in the Governorates of Sa’ada, Amran, Al Jawf
and Hajjah. This number includes persons displaced by previous rounds of
fighting, many of whom have been forced into their second or third
displacement.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
says that most of the displaced are stranded and dangerously exposed to the
fighting as they are unable to reach safer areas. Mines and unexploded
ordnance on the roads increase the risks for those trying to flee the area.
There is also a severe fuel shortage, with some reports that there is no
electricity in Sa’ada city.
UNHCR is again appealing for
a ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian corridors which would
allow the civilian population to escape the fighting and enable aid workers
to resume deliveries of humanitarian assistance.
According to the World Health
Organization’s surveillance system, there has been no outbreak of
communicable diseases occurring amongst the IDPs and the host community in
Amran and Hajjah. WHO epidemiologists are making plans to establish disease
early warning systems in the Hajjaf and Amran Governorates.
HEAD OF I.A.E.A WARNS OF STALEMATE REGARDING IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAMME
Mohamed ElBaradei, the Director General
of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
yesterday briefed the Agency’s Board of Governors on its work, and he warned
that there is stalemate regarding Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran has not
suspended its enrichment related activities or its work on heavy water
related projects as required by the Security Council, nor has Iran
implemented the Additional Protocol, he said.
At the same time, ElBaradei stressed
that all of the information made available to the Agency, relevant to Iran’s
nuclear programme, has been brought to the attention of the Board of
Governors. He said that he was dismayed by the allegations of some Member
States, which have been fed to the media, that information has been withheld
from the Board. These allegations are politically motivated and totally
baseless, he said.
ElBaradei also urged Syria to cooperate
with the Agency in its verification activities related to the nature of the
Dair Alzour site.
DEPUTY SPECIAL ENVOY FOR HAITI CONCLUDES FIRST TRIP TO THE
COUNTRY
In Haiti, Paul Farmer concluded today
his first visit to the country as UN Deputy Special Envoy.
According to the Office of the
UN Special Envoy for Haiti, Farmer’s five day visit served as a follow
up to President Clinton’s July mission. The main objective was to assess how
to best support the Government of Haiti in the implementation of its
national recovery plan.
During his trip, the Deputy Special
Envoy met with President Préval and Prime Minister Pierre-Louis as well as
with representatives of the United Nations, NGO leaders, international
donors, and members of the private sector. Farmer said he would support
President Clinton and the people of Haiti in the joint effort of creating
new jobs, improving the delivery of basic services, strengthening disaster
recovery and preparedness, attracting private sector investment and
garnering greater international support.
Tomorrow afternoon, the Security
Council will hold an open debate on Haiti.
BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR ON COLOMBIAN PARTIES TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES
AGAINST CHILD SOLDIERS
The latest
report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in
Colombia is out on the racks.
In it, the Secretary-General calls on
the parties in Colombia to comply without delay with international law and
the provisions of the Security Council resolutions on children and armed
conflict. He also calls for the implementation of action plans against child
recruitment as well as against sexual abuse perpetrated against children by
the illegal armed groups.
The Secretary-General calls on the
Government of Colombia to implement, as a matter of priority, measures to
eliminate extrajudicial executions of children.
WFP RESPONDS TO WEST AFRICA FLOODS WITH VITAL FOOD ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS
One hundred and fifty-nine people have been
killed and some 600,000 others have been badly affected by heavy rains
across West Africa, since June. This is according to the
U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs, (OCHA), which lists the most affected countries as, Sierra Leone,
Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Niger.
Damages, from Mauritania to
Nigeria, also include the destruction of properties and social
infrastructure, including hospitals and roads.
In response to the flooding,
the World Food Programme, (WFP), has started distributing vital food rations
to victims across West Africa. WFP is launching emergency operations in
Burkina Faso, Niger and Mauritania for thousands of people in the worst
affected areas.
“People’s lives have been turned upside-down overnight and WFP is moving as
swiftly as possible to provide life saving food assistance,” said Josette
Sheeran, WFP Executive Director.
In the Burkinabe capital, Ouagadougou, WFP began food distribution last
Friday, and has already provided rations to 50,000 flood-affected people.
In Niger, food assistance is
being given to 41,000 people, who were left hungry and homeless after a dyke
near the northern town of Agadez burst its banks.
WFP is planning to reach more
flood victims across the West African region.
HEAD OF U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY VISITS NORTH AFRICA
The High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres arrives in Algiers
today for a
5-day visit to Algeria and Morocco, including visits to Western Sahara,
and to Saharawi camps in Tindouf, western Algeria.
He will review first-hand the situation in the refugee sites and assess the
overall conditions of the refugees, including measures being taken to
address the effects of prolonged separation between the refugees and their
families in Western Sahara.
This is the first visit by a High Commissioner for refugees to the regions
since 1976.
Guterres will hold meetings with top government officials in both countries
and discuss the issue of refugee protection in North Africa. Efforts being
made by the concerned governments in building their respective national
asylum systems will also be discussed.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS IMPACT OF ISRAELI
RESTRICTIVE MEASURES ON PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
today
released a 2009 Report on UNCTAD Assistance to the Palestinian People.
The report highlights the impact of Israeli restrictive
measures and the recent devastation in Gaza.
It reflects on the renewed debate over the future of
Palestinian-Israeli economic relations and looks at the Palestinian policy
framework that would be most conducive to building a sovereign Palestinian
State.
Asked about the announcement of new settlement activity by Israel’s
Government, the Spokesperson reiterated that the Secretary-General has
called for a freeze in settlement activity, and he also noted the Quartet’s
statements expressing its concerns about settlements. He added that there
were efforts to have the principal members of the Quartet meet over the
coming month.
NUMBER OF BHUTAN REFUGEES RESETTLED FROM NEPAL PASS THE 20,000
MARK
Under one of the largest resettlement
programmes by the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) more
than 20,000
refugees from Bhutan have now left Nepal to begin new lives in third
countries.
The 20,000th refugee from Bhutan to be
resettled was 8-year-old Sita Budhathoki who left Nepal Monday with her
parents and siblings for Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. The U.S.
has received the highest number of refugees from Bhutan, with 17,612
resettled there to date.
Other countries offering new homes to
these Bhutanese refugees who had come to Nepal since the early 1990's to fee
ethnic tensions include Australia, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, Denmark and
The Netherlands.
SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS LITERACY IS TOOL FOR INDIVIDUALS TO
REALIZE THEIR RIGHTS
Today is International Literacy Day.
Some 776 million adults – most of them women – have no secure command of the
fundamentals of literacy and numeracy, and 75 million children are not in
school, notes the Secretary-General in a
message to mark this Day. Yet it wouldn’t take much to change the
appalling status quo, he adds.
The Secretary-General stresses that
literacy gives people tools with which to improve their livelihoods,
participate in community decision-making, gain access to information about
health care, and above all, enables individuals to realize their rights as
citizens and human beings.
SECRETARY-GENERAL HOLDS RETREAT WITH U.N. SENIOR OFFICIALS
Yesterday, the Secretary-General held a one-day retreat
with the senior officials in the UN system, which took place in two
simultaneous locations, using a video link between New York and Geneva.
In its third year, this retreat is an essential
exercise for taking stock, sharing ideas and proposing recommendations for
how the United Nations can continue to fulfill our mandate and meet the
needs of the people we serve.
A very productive and engaging discussion considered
three main topics: strengthening accountability; improving communications;
and becoming more effective and efficient.
Participants expressed, on occasion with passion and
conviction, their desire to take forward the recommendations found in the
detailed background papers and in this statement. They committed themselves
to ensuring that we make concrete progress on these issues, progress on
which we can build further. In so doing, collectively, we can and will
continue to build a stronger and more effective Organization.
What you can expect as an outcome of this gathering?
More briefings by more senior officials to explain better the work the
United Nations is doing. The first of these is expected in the form of a
briefing shortly on what you can expect during the week of the High-level
General Assembly debate.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
BOOK SHOWS RICHNESS OF INDIGENOUS FOOD RESOURCES: A
recent book published by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
finds that there are more healthful, nutritious foods in remote tribes in
dense tropical forests or frozen polar wastes, than in developed countries. The
book shows the wealth of knowledge in indigenous communities, in diverse
ecosystems, and the richness of their food resources. FAO warns that wild
habitats are receding under economic pressures and globalization, and that these
healthful diets are diminishing along with it.
TEN STORIES THE WORLD SHOULD HEAR MORE ABOUT: The
Department of Public Information (DPI) has released the latest edition of its
annual list of
stories that it feels the world's public should hear out more about. This is
part of a continuing effort to highlight important issues and developments that
sometimes do not receive sufficient attention. The stories are not listed in any
order of priority.
UNITED NATIONS HAS NO INFORMATION ON ALLEGED LEAK
LEADING TO ABDUCTION: Asked about remarks
by former UN Special Envoy for Niger Robert Fowler that speculated about whether
a leak had led to his abduction last year, the Spokesperson said that the United
Nations had no information about any such leak. He added, in response to further
questions, that Fowler has debriefed UN officials about the work he had done as
Special Envoy.
*** The guest today at the Noon Briefing was Janos
Pasztor, Director of the Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team, who
briefed on the preparations for the upcoming High-level Event on Climate
scheduled for the 22nd September, as well as on other climate change-related
developments.
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