HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN HEADQUARTERS,
Thursday, October
29, 2009
BAN KI-MOON
URGES MEMBER STATES TO CONSIDER PROPOSALS TO STRENGTHEN STAFF SECURITY
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will brief the
Security Council on
Afghanistan in closed consultations at 3:30 this afternoon.
He then intends to speak to reporters at the Security
Council stakeout.
Speaking to the Fifth
Committee of the General Assembly this morning, the Secretary-General
expressed once more his shock and indignation at the heinous attack in Kabul
on UN personnel and his sincere condolences to the families of those who
lost their lives in yesterday’s attack.
He also asserted his pride
and admiration at the bravery shown by the officials in the face of the
attack.
The Secretary-General said that a strengthened and unified security
management system should be of paramount importance to all of us. The
proposals, he said, will enable us to strengthen security for our staff,
their dependents and UN premises. He urged Member States to consider these
proposals favourably, saying, “After all, our people are your people.”
Meanwhile, UN agencies in
Afghanistan met today to review security for their staff in the wake of
yesterday's attack. A number of recommendations for immediate actions have
gone forward, and further discussion of longer-term measures will continue
in the coming days.
Steps are ongoing to care for
the survivors of the attack, and arrangements are being made for those who
died.
The Security Council was
briefed on the attack yesterday by Assistant Secretary-General for
Peacekeeping Operations, Edmond Mulet.
The Security Council members,
in a
press statement issued afterward, condemned the attack in the strongest
terms and reiterated their steadfast support for the UN role in Afghanistan.
Asked whether the elections
would be postponed, the Spokeswoman said that was not planned and added that
the United Nations is determined to continue with its support to the
elections. She noted that the Secretary-General had made clear at his
Wednesday press conference
that the United Nations is committed to doing all that it can in support of
the Afghan people.
In response to a question,
she said that the afternoon meeting of the Security Council would be a joint
effort by the Secretary-General and the Council to determine the challenges
that the United Nations faces in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Asked, in connection with the
Secretary-General’s meeting with the Fifth Committee, about the
Secretary-General’s authority to ask his senior managers for cuts in costs,
the Spokeswoman noted that the Secretary-General has managerial
responsibilities to diminish expenses, and has the authority to act in that
regard.
DO NOT ABANDON POST-CONFLICT COUNTRIES DURING TOUGH TIMES
The Secretary-General today
addressed the Special Forum on the Food and Economic Crises in
Post-Conflict Countries.
He said that, unfortunately, aid to post-conflict
countries far too often tapers off prematurely -- and just when countries
are better placed to use it more effectively.
The Secretary-General added that sustainable peace is
the most important goal for aid.
He also said it makes no sense to abandon post-conflict
countries in times of budget constraints.
This afternoon, the Secretary-General will observe
World Food Day at an event in the Economic and Social Council Chamber. He is
expected to stress that vulnerable people – especially women and children –
must get the food they need for nutritional security and well-being.
DAVID NABARRO IS APPOINTED U.N. ENVOY ON FOOD SECURITY
AND NUTRITION
The Secretary-General has
appointed Dr. David Nabarro as his Special Representative on Food Security
and Nutrition.
As Special Representative, Dr. Nabarro’s role will be
to assist the Secretary-General as he encourages and supports country-led
actions for food security and nutrition through comprehensive approaches,
coordinated strategies, a strong role for multilateral agencies and
increased international assistance.
Dr. Nabarro has been working on the food issue since
January of this year.
SECURITY
COUNCIL EXTENDS SANCTIONS ON COTE D’IVOIRE
The
Security Council began its work this morning by hearing a briefing in a
closed meeting from the President of the
International Court of Justice, Hisashi Owada.
The Security Council then adopted a resolution
extending sanctions on Cote d’Ivoire by one year.
The Council will also hold a formal meeting to consider
the draft report of the Council’s annual report to the General Assembly.
The Security Council yesterday adopted a Presidential
Statement welcoming the support by a Summit of the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) for the Secretary-General’s decision to
establish an international commission of inquiry that would investigate the
killings that occurred in Guinea on 28 September. The Council takes note
that the authorities of Guinea have officially committed to support the work
of the international commission of inquiry in secure conditions. The
Security Council strongly condemned the violence in Guinea, which reportedly
caused more than 150 deaths and hundreds of wounded and included numerous
rapes and sexual crimes against women.
ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS ON SOMALIA PRESIDENT CONDEMNED
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Ahmedou
Ould-Abdallah, has strongly condemned yesterday’s assassination attempt on
the life of President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed of Somalia.
The president was apparently targeted as he returned to Mogadishu from a
trip. A similar attempt was made last week Thursday at Mogadishu airport as
President Sharif boarded a plane for Uganda to attend an African Summit.
Ould-Abdallah warns that extremists are again trying to terrorize the Somali
people in order to wreak further havoc on the nation. He added that
assassination attempts that kill innocent Somali bystanders, including women
and children, are absolutely the wrong way to gain power. Committing
suicide goes against all religious teachings, he added.
Ould-Abdallah stated that such attempts undermined efforts to bring a
semblance of normalcy and stability to Somalia.
BAN KI-MOON IS DISAPPOINTED BY ZIMBABWE
GOVERNMENT’S DENIAL OF ACCESS TO U.N. EXPERT ON TORTURE
The Secretary-General is disappointed that the Special
Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment, Mr. Manfred Nowak, was not given access to enter Zimbabwe, as
had been previously agreed. He supports the High Commissioner's call on the
Government of Zimbabwe to give full access to the human rights mechanisms of
the United Nations.
More generally, the Secretary-General regrets the
circumstances that led to the decision of the Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) to temporarily disengage from the Cabinet and Council of Ministers in
Zimbabwe. He believes that the Inclusive Government has brought an
improvement in the lives of Zimbabweans and hopes that this latest challenge
will be overcome as soon as possible.
In this context, he welcomes the mission of the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministerial Troika, expected
in Harare today. He urges all parties to respect the commitments they made
in the Global Political Agreement of 15 September 2008 and ensure that the
Agreement is implemented in its entirety.
I.A.E.A. HEAD HOLDS CONSULTATIONS WITH IRANIAN GOVERNMENT
International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei has received an initial
response from the Iranian authorities to his proposal to use Iran's
low-enriched uranium to manufacture fuel for the continued operation of the
Tehran Research Reactor.
The Director General is engaged in consultations with
the Government of Iran as well as all relevant parties, with the hope that
agreement on his proposal can be reached soon.
SUDANESE GOVERNMENT URGED TO STEP EFFORTS TO FREE HOSTAGES
The Acting Head of the African Union – United Nations Mission in Darfur,
Henry Anyidoho, has held discussions in Khartoum with senior government
officials over various issues, including ways to address banditry and
criminality in Darfur.
During discussions with the Sudanese Minister of Interior, Ibrahim Mahmoud
Hamid and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Al Saman Al Wasila,
Anyidoho raised the issue of the UNAMID staff members who are still being
held hostage in Darfur and the situation of the ICRC staff member recently
kidnapped in the troubled region.
Anyidoho urged the Government of Sudan to step up efforts for the safe
release of the hostages and also for measures to be taken to end kidnappings
and abductions.
GUINEA BISSAU: BAN KI-MOON COMMENDS SUCCESSFUL ELECTIONS
The latest
report of Secretary-General on developments in Guinea-Bissau and on the
work of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in the country has been released
today.
In the quarterly report, the Secretary-General commends the people, the
Government and the Electoral Commission plus the defence and security forces
for the peaceful and well-organised elections in June and July, following
the political assassinations of key political leaders earlier this year.
The Secretary-General has been encouraged by preparations being made by the
National Assembly to hold a national conference to identify the root causes
of conflict and political instability in Guinea-Bissau.
The Secretary-General further notes with satisfaction the decision by the
newly-elected president, Malam Bacai Sanha, and the Government to hold
investigations into the assassinations in order to combat impunity and also
foster justice and national reconciliation.
LEBANON: U.N.
FORCE PROBES FIRING OF ROCKET
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
reports that the investigation into the firing of a rocket from Lebanon into
Israel on 27 October is ongoing. There has so far been no claim of
responsibility.
UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces are continuing
intensive patrolling and search throughout the area from where the rocket
was launched. During the joint search operation yesterday, four other
rockets, three of them set to be fired, were found in the same area and
deactivated.
UNIFIL says that the launch of rockets from Lebanon
into Israel is a serious violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701.
Such attacks are evidently aimed at provoking renewed hostilities to
undermine the security and stability in south Lebanon. It is also a cause
for concern that the Israeli Defense Force returned fire with artillery
shells into Lebanese territory.
The Secretary-General
condemned the firing of the rocket in a statement we issued yesterday.
UNESCO: NEW MEMBERS ELECTED TO WORLD
HERITAGE COMMITTEE
UNESCO, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
reports that States Parties to the 1972 World Heritage Convention have
elected new members to the World Heritage Committee.
The 21-member Committee reviews requests by States
Parties to inscribe new cultural and natural heritage properties on the
World Heritage List. It also reviews the state of conservation of sites
already inscribed.
The newly elected members are: Cambodia, Estonia,
Ethiopia, France, Iraq, Mali, Mexico, the Russian Federation, South Africa,
Switzerland, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. They join Australia,
Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, China, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria and Sweden.
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