Noon briefing of 1 March 2010

MARTIN NESIRKY

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, March 1, 2009

BAN KI-MOON PLEDGES U.N. SUPPORT TO QUAKE-HIT CHILE

• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a statement issued Saturday morning, expressed his condolences to those who have lost family and friends and wished those injured a speedy recovery. He also said the United Nations system, through its Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, is on standby to offer rapid assistance to the Chilean government and people.
  

• Asked whether there had been a formal request for help from the Chilean Government, the Spokesperson said that a specific, detailed request had been received from the Chilean Mission in Geneva. The United Nations is responding, and is also playing a role in helping to coordinate other players.
  

• Nesirky said that the Secretary-General has been closely involved in dealing with the situation in Chile since early Saturday morning, when he had a conference call with his senior advisors about the response to the earthquake. Since then, there has been a regular dialogue with the Chilean authorities, including through the Executive-Secretary of UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, which is headquartered in the capital, Santiago.
  

• Asked whether there would be a flash appeal for Chile, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations would need to discuss further with the Chilean Government about what is required.
  

• Ms. Barcena spoke to reporters in New York via telephone, during which she commended the Chilean Government for being “very efficient, very well-organized [and] very quick to respond.”.
  
• Out of nearly 1,000 ECLAC personnel, no casualties have been reported but 64 staff are unaccounted for, she said.
  
• The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has offered 30 tons of food support, which is ready to be transported to Chile from nearby Ecuador.
  
• The World Health Organization (WHO) reported today that the quake has severely disrupted health services and has dispatched a disaster management expert to the South American nation to assist in the aftermath of the catastrophe.
  
• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/WHO noted that there is a shortage of healthcare personnel, but that everyone in need of medical assistance is receiving it at this time.
  

ON VISIT TO LOS ANGELES, BAN KI-MOON MEETS WITH LEADERS OF CREATIVE COMMUNITY

• The Secretary-General is in Los Angeles today, where he will be meeting with key players in the creative community to discuss ways that they can help support the UN’s work.
  

• Tomorrow morning, he will deliver an address at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). His remarks will focus on mobilizing the people of California to support the goals and mission of the UN, including its efforts to deal with climate change, global hunger and the financial crisis.

STATUS OF WOMEN IMPROVES GLOBALLY BUT CHALLENGES REMAIN

• In her remarks this morning to the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has designated gender equality and women’s empowerment as priority areas with clear opportunities for progress.
  

• Migiro said that 15 years after the landmark Beijing Declaration, many countries have achieved gains in the areas of education, development of national laws, policy and programmes. She said much of this progress can be attributed to the efforts of women’s groups and networks.
  

• The Deputy Secretary-General also condemned of the abuse of women’s rights, including sexual violence in conflict situations.

DARFUR MISSION INVESTIGATES REPORTS OF FIGHTING IN JEBEL MARRA

• While it continues to investigate reports of fighting between government and rebel forces in the Jebel Marra region of Darfur, the UN/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) says that it is developing a plan to increase its capacity to monitor the ceasefire signed recently between the government and the Justice and Equality Movement.
  

• The Mission says it will do so by setting up Mobile Monitoring Teams, which will liaise with the parties and monitor the security situation and probe reports of violence. To achieve this, the Mission notes that it is crucial that its freedom of movement is not restricted.
  

• Meanwhile, with the Sudanese elections just weeks away, the Mission has conducted training for 7,000 national police personnel across Darfur. The training focused on elections, human rights, civil rights and crowd management.

GABON ASSUMES SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH

• With the start of this new month, Gabon has replaced France as Security Council President for March.
  

• The Security Council is expected to hold consultations on its programme of work for the month tomorrow morning. Then, at 12:30 pm tomorrow, the Ambassador of Gabon will brief you in this room about the Council’s work during March.

ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY BOARD DISCUSSES IRAN, OTHER KEY ISSUES

• The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors began a meeting in Vienna today, and Director General Yukiya Amano updated the Board on the Agency’s safeguards work, including its recent report on Iran.
  

• Amano said that the Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran, but it cannot confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is used for peaceful activities, because Iran has not provided the Agency with the necessary cooperation. He requested Iran to take steps towards the full implementation of its Safeguards Agreement and its other obligations as a matter of high priority.
  

• Amano added that the Agency’s inspectors left the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in April last year and the IAEA is consequently no longer able to implement the ad hoc monitoring and verification arrangement in the DPRK. And he noted that Syria has not cooperated with the Agency since June 2008 in connection with the unresolved issues related to the Dair Alzour site and other locations.

INDEPENDENT EXPERTS TO EVALUATE IMPLEMENTATION OF CLIMATE PANEL’S PROCEDURES

• The Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Rajendra Pachauri, has said that an independent committee of experts would evaluate means by which the Panel’s procedures can be implemented fully. The independent committee will also examine any changes in procedure that may be required.
  

• In a statement issued over the weekend, Pachauri said the mechanism by which such an independent review will take place is under active consideration. He added that details for setting up the proposed independent committee will be shared sometime early this month.
  

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

BAN KI-MOON IS CONCERNED ABOUT INCLUSION OF WEST BANK SITES ON ISRAELI HERITAGE LIST: Asked about recent protects in Jerusalem, the Spokesperson noted that the Secretary-General, in his recent conversations with Israeli and Palestinian officials, had made clear his concerns about the inclusion of holy sites in the Occupied West Bank on an Israeli heritage list.

PRESS FREEDOM IS CRUCIAL, MORE SO IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS: Asked about comments on the press attributed to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the Spokesperson said that freedom of the media is crucial, including in its coverage of armed conflicts.

***The guests at the briefing today were: Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC), who joined in by telephone, to brief on the situation in Chile following Saturday’s devastating earthquake; and Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, who briefed on her recent trip to Afghanistan.

BAN KI-MOON CONDEMNS ATTACKS IN KABUL

• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemns the attacks that took place in Kabul, Afghanistan, this morning, which caused the death and injury of many Afghan and foreign residents and for which the Taliban claimed responsibility.
  

• This deliberate targeting of civilians demonstrates once again a senseless disregard for human life on the part of the perpetrators.
  

• The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and sends his wishes for a speedy recovery to those who were injured.

BAN KI-MOON IS DISAPPOINTED OVER CONTINUED HOUSE ARREST OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI

• The Secretary-General is disappointed to learn that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal against her continued house arrest was again rejected today.
  

• The Secretary-General reiterates his call for the release of all political prisoners and their free participation in the political process. These are essential steps for national reconciliation and democratic transition in Myanmar.
  

• Asked whether the Secretary-General will appoint a full-time successor to the former Special Adviser on Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General remains fully engaged on Myanmar, as the issuance of the statement demonstrates. For now, Nesirky said, the Secretary-General is comfortable with having his Chef de Cabinet, Vijay Nambiar, in charge of the good offices role on Myanmar, with staff at the United Nations working regularly on that matter.

BAN KI-MOON HAS CONSISTENTLY CALLED FOR TOLERANCE/UNDERSTANDING AMONG RELIGIONS

• Asked about comments reportedly made against Switzerland by Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General feels that it is unfortunate that this matter has escalated in this way.
  

• He strongly believes that differences of opinion should be resolved peacefully through dialogue.
  

• The Secretary-General, his Spokesperson noted, has consistently called for tolerance and understanding among different religions.

BHUTTO ASSASSINATION COMMISSION COMPLETES VISIT TO PAKISTAN

• The Commission of Inquiry that has been looking into former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination has completed its latest visit to Pakistan.
  

• During the three-day visit, the Commission, headed by Chilean Ambassador Heraldo Muñoz, met with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and other senior Government officials and civil society members. Ambassador Muñoz was accompanied by Commissioner Peter Fitzgerald of Ireland and Commission staff.
  

• This was the third visit of the Commissioners to Pakistan. The Commission’s commission staff has been also working on the ground since the start of operations.
  

• The Commission’s term ends on 31 March, and it expects to submit its report to the Secretary-General within its current deadline.
  

• The Secretary-General will then share the report with the Government of Pakistan and submit it to the Security Council for information.

U.N. MISSION IN COTE D’IVOIRE WELCOMES CONSENSUS ON NEW GOVERNMENT

• The UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire has welcomed the consensus reached last night to establish a new government as well as a new Bureau of the Independent Electoral Commission in the country.
  

• It adds that this opens the way to achieving the essential tasks that will lead to the holding of the presidential elections in Côte d’Ivoire – which have been scheduled for this spring.

OUTBREAK OF VIOLENCE REPORTED IN NORTHWEST LIBERIA

• The UN Mission in Liberia has reported an outbreak of violence in the northwest Liberia.
  

• UN police and troops are now in the affected Voinjoma region to provide hands-on assistance to their Liberian counterparts in an effort to ascertain the circumstances that led to the incident.
  

• So far, there have been no reports of casualties or damage to property.

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF U.N. MISSION IN TIMOR-LESTE

• The Security Council this morning voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the UN Mission in Timor-Leste by one year, until 26 February 2011.
  

• The Council also adopted a Presidential Statement in which it welcomed a letter sent by Iraq’s Foreign Minister confirming that the Iraqi Government supports the international non-proliferation regime and complies with disarmament treaties.
  

• The Council underlines its readiness, once the necessary steps have been taken, to review its restrictions in its past resolutions concerning weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

GABON TO ASSUME SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY IN MARCH

• Today was the last day of Council work scheduled during the French Presidency of the Security Council.
  

• Next Monday, Gabon will take over the rotating Presidency of the Council for the month of March.

DISPLACED PEOPLE IN HAITI ARE BEING REGISTERED

• In Haiti, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the registration of displaced persons is being organized as is the selection of sites for debris removal, the assessment of building damage, and the identification and planning of relocation sites for those who can not return to their homes.
  

• Together with the decongestion of spontaneous settlement sites, creating adequate sanitary conditions will be crucial in order to mitigate the risk of a large-scale outbreak of waterborne diseases in Haiti in the coming weeks.
  

• OCHA adds that, as of today, a total of 86,403 workers are engaged in cash-for-work activities including clearing small debris, drainage and irrigation of canals and solid waste management.
  

• Concerning education, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners are setting up more than 150 tent schools with the goal of getting children back to school before April. An estimated 2.5 million children have been out of school since the quake according to UNICEF.
  

• Finally, food assistance is moving into a second surge phase, with planned distribution of full food baskets.
  

• Meanwhile, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), launched a report on HIV/AIDS in Haiti to strengthen a more coordinated and sustained response to the epidemic in Haiti. It says that this is the first really significant natural disaster in a country with a high HIV epidemic.
  

• At the end of last year there were roughly 120,000 people living with HIV in Haiti, with around 19,000 people receiving treatment. UNAIDS is concerned about maintaining treatment for that population group and adds that it also anticipates that the number of people living with HIV will rise to 32,000 through this year.
  

• Among priorities, UNAIDS stresses the need to rebuild the health system, to protect displaced persons for HIV; and to rebuild the local and national networks of people living with HIV.

THOUSANDS EXPECTED AT UN HEADQUARTERS FOR COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN

• The 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women starts on Monday at UN Headquarters.
  

• Dozens of government ministers and more than 2,000 women activists will gather to examine progress since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action - the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, which remains the most comprehensive global policy framework to achieve the goals of gender equality, development and peace.
  

• The session runs until 12 March and there are plenty of media events planned for the duration which you can find more about from the media advisory available from my office.

ANNOUNCEMENT SOON ON REVIEW OF CLIMATE CHANGE PANEL

• Asked about reports that an independent review will be conducted of the work done by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Spokesperson said that an announcement is expected in the coming days of how such a review will be carried out.
  

• He said that it would not focus on the overall work of the IPCC as much as it would on how assessments done by the IPCC are reviewed by peers and related matters.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

YOUTH VIDEO FESTIVAL LAUNCHED: The UN Alliance of Civilizations, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, are today launching PLURAL + 2010, a youth video festival aimed at involving youth in addressing the key challenges in their communities related to migrant integration, inclusiveness, identity, diversity, human rights and social cohesiveness. Last year, PLURAL + attracted young media makers from around the world. Eighteen of them were selected and received awards from the PLURAL + International Jury and partner organizations.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, 1 March

At 12:00 p.m., Ms. Radhika Coomarswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, will brief journalists on her recent visit to Afghanistan.

At 3:00 p.m., the Permanent Mission of Canada, and the Organisation internationale de la francophonie will hold a press conference on Francophonie mobilization to fight violence against women. Participants include H.E. Ms.. Josée Verner, Minister of La Francophonie, H.E. Mr. Moussa Makan Camara, Permanent Observer of the Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) to the United Nations, Ms. Hary Andriamboavonjy, Director of Strategic Planning (OIF), and Ms. Dilek Elveren, Project Manager (OIF).

Tuesday, 2 March

At 12:30 p.m., the President of Security Council for the month of March, H.E. Mr. Emanuel Issoze-Ngondet, will brief correspondents on the programme of work of the Council for the month of March.

At 1:00 p.m., Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of the Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability of the World Health Organization (WHO), will hold a press conference on the General Assembly draft resolution on improving global road safety. The draft resolution is scheduled to be taken up by the Assembly on that day.

At 2:00 p.m., Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, Annie Lennox, Singer and HIV activist and Suksma Ratri, Indonesia Positive Women’s Network will be at a press conference to address specific needs of women and girls which are still not being met after nearly 30 years into the HIV epidemic.

Earlier in the morning of the same day in response to the injustice UNAIDS and partners are launching an Agenda for Accelerated Country Action for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV (2010–2014) to counter the persistent gender inequalities and human rights violations that put women and girls at greater risk of HIV infection. The launch will take place during the Commission on the Status of Women. UNAIDS and partners will support the country roll-out of the Agenda for Action in pathfinder countries, including Liberia.

Wednesday, 3 March

At 11:00 a.m., The United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM) will hold a press conference about Haitian Women, and their role in maintaining family and community well-being. The press conference will focus on challenges and opportunities presented in the aftermath of the 12 January earthquake. Participants include Marjory Michel, Minister of Women of Haiti, Sheelagh Kathy Mangones, UNIFEM’s Country Programme Manager for Haiti, and a representative of civil society.

At 1:00 p.m., there will be a press conference by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on the launch of the World Map of Women in Politics 2010. Participants include Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Senator Pia Cayetano, President of the IPU Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians, and Mr. Anders B. Johnsson, moderator, and Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Thursday 4 March

Friday 5 March

At 11:00 a.m., Equality Now will hold a press conference to highlight governments’ progress made in revoking laws that discriminate against women over the last fifteen years since the Beijing Conference. At the Press Conference they will launch its Beijing +15 campaign urging governments to revoke any remaining sex discriminating laws, and will release its new report, Words and Deeds: Holding Governments Accountable in the Beijing +15 Review Process. Participants include Meryl Streep (Member of Equality Now Advisory Council), Cécile Sportis (Representative of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Taina Bien-Aimé (Executive Director, Equality Now), and Sapana Pradhan-Malla (Equality Now Board Member in Asia).