Noon briefing of 14 July 2011
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESPERSON’S NOON BRIEFING
BY MARTIN NESIRKY, SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
THURSDAY, 14 JULY 2011
SOUTH SUDAN BECOMES U.N. MEMBER STATE; BAN KI-MOON URGES NORTH AND SOUTH TO RESOLVE OUTSTANDING DIFFERENCES
- The General Assembly decided by
acclamation this morning to approve the admission of the Republic of South
Sudan as the 193rd Member State of the United Nations.
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<![endif]> - The
Secretary-General welcomed
South Sudan to the community of nations,
saying of the problems the new nation faces, “Yes, the task ahead is
great. But so, too, is the
country’s potential.”
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<![endif]> - He urged the
leaderships of both North and South Sudan
to deal with matters of borders, sharing of resources and migration as
soon as possible. The Secretary-General said, “It is imperative that you resolve
outstanding differences with the same pragmatism and leadership that you
have each shown so far.”
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<![endif]> - The flag of the
Republic of South Sudan was raised outside the
United Nations Headquarters for the first time afterward.
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<![endif]> - The Secretary-General, speaking after the flag-raising, promised support for South Sudan on the long road ahead, saying, “Like your flag, let us rise. Let us rise, together, to the challenge.”
NEW HEAD OF U.N. SOUTH SUDAN MISSION LAYS OUT PRIORITIES
- The Secretary-General’s Special
Representative for South Sudan, Hilde F. Johnson, highlighted the mandate
of the new UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in
her first encounter with the press today in Juba.
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<![endif]> - She said that UNMISS would
support the new Republic
of South Sudan and
help stabilize and shore up peace and stability in the new country.
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<![endif]> - Ms. Johnson added that the Mission had three
main areas of activities, under its mandate: peace consolidation; conflict
management, conflict resolution and the protection of civilians; and support
to the nascent state, including in the security sector, in rule of law,
justice, human rights, and abiding by international laws and standards.
She stressed that, in the Security Council mandate given to UNMISS, human
rights has been highlighted significantly.
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<![endif]> - The Special Representative said that the priorities of the Mission right now were to establish the necessary understanding with the Government on how to implement the mandate and to get the Mission up and running at full capacity.
NEXT ROUND OF INFORMAL TALKS ON WESTERN SAHARA TO BE HELD 19-21 JULY
- As agreed during the last round
of informal talks on Western Sahara in June, delegations of the parties to
that conflict -- Morocco
and the Frente Polisario
-- and the neighbouring states – Algeria and Mauritania
-- will gather for another round of informal talks from 19 to 21 July 2011
in Greentree, Long Island.
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<![endif]> - This meeting will take place at
the invitation of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Mr. Christopher Ross, within the
mandate provided by the UN Security Council for UN-led negotiations.
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<![endif]> - During the upcoming talks, the
parties will, as previously agreed, further deepen their discussion of
their respective proposals on a settlement, including the issue of the
electoral corps and mechanisms for self-determination. They will also further discuss the new
ideas put forward by the Secretary-General in paragraph 120 of his report
(S/2011/249) and endorsed by the Security Council.
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<![endif]> - They will also have the opportunity to review the status of confidence building measures, continue their discussion on demining and engage in a preliminary examination of the specific topic of natural resources.
U.N. TEAM COMPLETES ASSESSMENT MISSION TO
LIBYAN CITY OF MISRATA
- The
United Nations has completed its second inter-agency humanitarian assessment mission to the
port city of Misrata,
which had seen some of the worst fighting over the past months during the
conflict in Libya.
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<![endif]> - Though
aspects of normalcy have returned to Misrata,
the team, whose four-day mission ended on Wednesday, said that the city
itself is still surrounded by the Libyan Government forces and remains
exposed to intermittent rocket attacks.
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<![endif]> - Mission members noted that some shops and
markets have re-opened. However, community leaders told the UN team that
rising food prices, a shortage of supplies, and an acute lack of cash have
prevented the majority of people from buying enough food.
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<![endif]> - Mission members also found that large quantities of explosive remnants of war remain in Misrata. Community leaders also said there is a 15 km minefield between the coastal towns of Misrata and Zlitan, which they said had killed two civilians and injured 30 others.
CIVILIAN DEATHS UP BY 15% IN FIRST HALF OF YEAR, SAYS U.N. MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN
- Afghanistan experienced
a 15 per cent increase in civilian deaths in the first six months of 2011,
a new report
released by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said today.
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<![endif]> - Nearly 1,500
civilians were killed in the reporting period from January to June, with
80 per cent of the deaths being caused by Anti-Government Elements, up by 28
per cent from the same time last year, the report added.
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<![endif]> - A further 14 per
cent of civilian deaths were attributed to Pro-Government Forces.
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<![endif]> - “All civilian
deaths and injuries, no matter what party is responsible, have tragic and
lasting impacts on families and communities,” said the Special
Representative of Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura.
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<![endif]> - The month of June also saw the highest-ever number of security incidents and attacks by Improvised Explosive Devices attacks in a single month.
U.N. CHILDREN’S FUND CHIEF VISITS KENYA
- The
Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Anthony
Lake, began a visit to Kenya
today to enhance the humanitarian response to the crisis in the region,
where some 10 million people are in need of assistance.
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<![endif]> - The
crisis is being fuelled by drought, soaring food prices and the conflict
in Somalia.
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<![endif]> - Nearly
500,000 children in Somalia,
Ethiopia and Kenya are
suffering from severe malnutrition, while more than 1.6 million others
under the age of five are acutely malnourished, UNICEF says.
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<![endif]> - During his visit, Mr. Lake will meet with representatives of UN agencies and relief partners. He will also travel to Turkana, in northwest Kenya. Home to pastoralists, the district has witnessed a deepening of chronic poverty.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE IS OPENED IN TUNISIA: Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, opened the UN human rights office in Tunisia. In remarks at the opening, she said that the office is not just the first one in Tunisia, but the first UN human rights office in any of the five North African countries bordering the Mediterranean. She added that the transition in Tunisia is far from over and there are still many major hurdles to overcome before it can claim unequivocal success. But great strides have already been made, including the signing of major human rights treaties.
U.N. ENVOY IN LEBANON PLEASED BY RELEASE OF ESTONIANS: Michael Williams, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, today told the press that he was pleased with the news of the release of the seven Estonian citizens who had been abducted in Lebanon months earlier. He thanked all the agencies of the Lebanese Government and others who have worked for their release.