Noon briefing of 13 July 2011

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESPERSON’S NOON BRIEFING

BY MARTIN NESIRKY, SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

WEDNESDAY, 13 JULY 2011

SECURITY COUNCIL PASSES RESOLUTION ON ADMISSION OF REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN AS NEW U.N. MEMBER STATE

• The Security Council adopted Resolution 1999, on the admission of the Republic of South Sudan as a UN Member State, without a vote, this morning. The request for South Sudan’s admission has now been transferred to the General Assembly for its consideration, with the recommendation of the members of the Security Council.
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• The Secretary-General congratulated the Security Council for its step, adding that he was proud to attend the Independence Day ceremony in Juba last weekend. He said that, following fighting that had casualties that could be counted in the millions, South Sudan, like any newborn, needed help. The Secretary-General reiterated that a viable South will need a viable North, and vice versa. And he added that the role of the United Nations and of the Security Council will be crucial in the months and years ahead.
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• Alain Le Roy, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, added that the new State will face tremendous initial challenges, and promised that the new UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan will work with the Government to meet those challenges. The transition to the new Mission is well underway, he said.
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• Asked whether the South Sudanese flag will be flown at the United Nations, the Spokesperson said that all UN Member States have the same privileges, including having their flags flown outside UN Headquarters and having seats in the General Assembly.

BAN KI-MOON’S FOOD SECURITY TASK FORCE MEETS ON HORN OF AFRICA

• The Secretary-General’s High-Level Task Force on Global Food Security (HLTF) met on Wednesday morning to review the deteriorating situation in the Horn of Africa, and to consider options for its overall global strategy.
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• In the Horn of Africa, ensuring people’s access to nutritious food is the number one priority. The need is urgent but will continue for months as the suffering is not likely to peak until September.
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• The eleven million people who are now affected and others at risk are also receiving social support, water and sanitation. Pastoralist communities are especially vulnerable, and women and children are worst affected. The HLTF concluded that short-term relief must be linked to building long-term sustainability and resilience through climate-smart agriculture, so an end can be put to the cycle of recurring crises.
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• The Horn of Africa is a flagrant example of food and nutrition insecurity. The Secretary-General stressed that the global effort should be in synch with energy and climate change strategies, such as will be taken up next year in Rio de Janeiro. The Task Force also emphasized the role of trade and commodity markets in helping with improved agricultural productivity and enterprise building among small-scale farmers, especially women, in the developing world.

STUDIES SHOWING EFFICACY OF DAILY PILL IN CURBING H.I.V. TRANSMISSION HAILED BY U.N. AGENCIES

• The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organizations (WHO) have hailed the results of two new studies which show that a pill taken once daily can significantly reduce the transmission of HIV.
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• UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé voiced hope that the studies could help us to reach the tipping point in the HIV epidemic, while WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said they could have an enormous impact in preventing heterosexual transmission.
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• It is estimated that at present, only half of the 33 million people living with HIV know their HIV status.

DARFUR: DETAINED U.N. STAFF MEMBER RELEASED

• A Sudanese staff member of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Ms. Hawa Abdalla Mohamed, was released from detention on Tuesday in Khartoum. She underwent a medical examination and appears to be in good health.
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• Ms. Mohamed was arrested on 6 May by National Security personnel at her residence at the Abu Shouk Internally Displaced Persons camp, near El Fasher, in North Darfur.
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• The senior leadership of the Darfur Mission continues to press local authorities for the immediate release of another staff member, Mr. Idriss Abdelrahman, who has been in detention in Nyala since late April.

U.N. HEALTH AGENCY HELPING D.R. CONGO HALT CHOLERA OUTBREAK

• On the cholera outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that as of 8 July, 3,245 cases have been reported and 192 people have died. Since last March, cases were first reported in Kisangani, Province Orientale, and the outbreak then spread along the Congo River to Equateur and Bandundu provinces and to the capital, Kinshasa.
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• To contain the outbreak, the World Health Organization and partners are helping the Government to organize hygiene promotion campaigns, to set up water chlorination points and to ensure that those affected by cholera get free treatment.
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• In response to a question on Tuesday about the request for funds, the Spokesperson said that the question refers to the measles outbreak also in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are seeking an additional $9 million to carry out two vaccination campaigns next September and early next year.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY STEPPING UP AID TO NORTHWEST PAKISTAN

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is scaling up its assistance in Pakistan to help people fleeing fighting in the country’s northwest.
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• A UN assessment team recently went to Kurram, which borders Afghanistan and is the scene of Pakistani military operations against insurgents.
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• Local authorities believe that more than 80,000 people could be displaced by the fighting.
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• The Agency has already provided hundreds of tents and emergency supply kits, and will deploy expert site planners and camp managers to help distribute hot meals and build kitchens.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N. MISSION IN SUDAN IS WINDING UP WORK: Asked about the UN presence in South Kordofan, the Spokesperson said that the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is being wound down, with no mandate for further operation, but there might be other UN presence in the area.

ALL RIGHTS ALLEGATIONS IN LIBYA MUST BE INVESTIGATED: Asked about alleged human rights abuses in rebel-held parts of Libya, the Spokesperson said any human rights violations would be condemned regardless of which side was responsible. All allegations need to be investigated, he added.

SECRETARY-GENERAL HOPES FOR INCLUSIVE BAHRAINI DIALOGUE: Asked about Bahrain, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General is aware that the dialogue has started and that he wants it to be as inclusive as possible.