ARCHIVES
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESPERSON’S NOON BRIEFING
BY MARTIN NESIRKY, SPOKESPERSON
FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
THURSDAY,
28 JULY 2011
LIBYAN PARTIES CONTINUE
TO EMPHASIZE MAXIMAL DEMANDS, SAYS U.N. POLITICAL CHIEF
- The Security Council heard a briefing on
Libya
this morning from the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Lynn
Pascoe. He told the Council that, as the fighting in Libya
continues for a fifth month, there have been some marginal gains on the
battlefield by opposition forces but no dramatic changes in the overall
situation.
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- Mr. Pascoe said that both sides
are willing to talk, but they are still emphasizing maximum demands at
this point and patience is clearly required before detailed discussion can
begin.
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- The Secretary-General and
Special Envoy Abdul Ilah al-Khatib have stressed to all their
interlocutors that a ceasefire tied to transitional arrangements which
addresses the aspirations of the Libyan people is the only sustainable
political solution to the crisis in Libya.
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- Mr. Pascoe added that both the
Libyan Government and the National Transitional Council have requested the
use of frozen assets to meet humanitarian needs. The Secretary-General has
forwarded these communications to the Security Council’s Sanctions
Committee for their attention.
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- In response to a question, the
Spokesperson said that Mr. al-Khatib has been the interlocutor designated
by the Contact Group for Libya
to talk with both sides and has been shuttling between them. His task is
not easy, Nesirky said, but he is continuing with his work.
U.N. POLITICAL CHIEF TO
BRIEF COUNCIL ON TUNISIA, EGYPT, SOMALIA VISITS
- After the Security Council discusses Libya, Council members will hear from
Under-Secretary-General Pascoe about the countries he has recently
visited, including Tunisia,
Egypt and Somalia,
as well as other countries in the region. That will be in closed
consultations.
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- Also, the Security Council this
morning extended the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) by one year.
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- And this afternoon, the
Security Council will hold consultations on Sudan and the UN Mission in
Kosovo (UNMIK).
HEAD OF KOSOVO MISSION CALLS ON PARTIES NOT TO EXACERBATE SITUATION IN NORTHERN KOSOVO
- Robert Sorenson,
Officer-in-Charge of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, or UNMIK, expressed his deep concern
for the ongoing situation in northern Kosovo. He calls upon all parties to
refrain from any action which could further exacerbate the situation.
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- UNMIK strongly condemns the
violence and believes that dialogue based upon mutual respect is the way
forward for resolving issues.
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- UNMIK stands ready to assist in
efforts to calm the situation, Mr. Sorenson said. The European Union Rule
of Law Mission (EULEX) and the Kosovo Force (KFOR) have a role to play to
restore order and resolve issues through discussion and mutual
understandings.
U.N. RELIEF AGENCY
PLEDGES CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR PAKISTAN’S
FLOOD VICTIMS
- In a video message issued today,
Valerie Amos, the Emergency Relief
Coordinator, said that a year has passed since Pakistan
faced the largest natural disaster in its history. Nearly 20 million
people were affected as floodwaters swept across the country, covering an
area the size of the United
Kingdom.
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- She said that the scale of this
disaster galvanized everyone, including those people and countries who
provided emergency funding to the largest appeal in the history of the
United Nations.
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- In close cooperation with the
Government, the humanitarian community provided emergency aid, including
food, water, shelter and health care. Today, Ms. Amos said, we continue to
support families, helping them to rebuild their lives, their homes, their
livelihoods. And she pledged that we will continue to support the people
of Pakistan,
who showed remarkable resilience, courage, and strength in overcoming a
crisis of such immense magnitude.
HORN OF AFRICA: U.N. AGENCIES CALL FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO EXPAND
AID EFFORTS IN FAMINE-HIT AREAS
- The World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a surge in donations, as it
scales up its operations and assistance to those affected by drought and
famine in the Horn of Africa.
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- In recent days, the Programme
has received more than $250 million in pledges from governments, companies
and individuals.
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- So far, half of the $2 billion
in aid required for the humanitarian response has been committed.
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- Nearly 12 million people are in
need of urgent assistance, and this number is expected to rise.
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- For its part, the UN Refugee
Agency (UNHCR) today renewed its calls
for additional funds to expand its activities in the region. In Somalia,
the extra money will allow the Agency to ramp up its assistance and
deliver relief supplies, including blankets and high-energy biscuits to
those in need.
SECRETARY-GENERAL TO
APPOINT BERT KOENDERS AS NEW SPECIAL ENVOY TO CÔTE D’IVOIRE
- The Secretary-General is today
announcing his intention to appoint Bert Koenders of the Netherlands as his Special Representative
for Côte d’Ivoire and
Head of the United
Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire.
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- Mr. Koenders will replace Choi
Young-jin of the Republic
of Korea, who will
complete his assignment on 31 August. The Secretary-General is grateful
for Mr. Choi’s dedicated service and excellent leadership of the Mission for the past
four years during a critical period and under very challenging
circumstances.
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- Mr. Koenders is the Co-Chair of
the Working Group for the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness
—the Busan Conference — and the Chair of the Rutgers World Population
Foundation.
ATTACK CONDEMNED ON
SUMMER GAMES VENUE IN GAZA
- The UN Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
said that, at ten
minutes past midnight last night, ten men attacked and vandalised its
Summer Games site in north-west Gaza.
The attackers damaged a large billboard, burnt a UN flag and torched part
of the stage. None of the UN security personnel at the venue were harmed.
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- Regardless of the attack, the Agency said
that later today, children participating in the Gaza Summer Games will
attempt a world record for the largest number of children flying kites.
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- The Relief and Works Agency condemned this
attack, which is an attack on the children of Gaza as much as on the United Nations.
It called on the authorities in Gaza
to investigate and bring those responsible to account. It also said it
would repair and rebuild the damaged infrastructure and go ahead with the
event as planned today.
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- The Secretary-General shares the Agency’s
views on the attack and he wishes the children the best as they seek to
break the kite flying record today.
U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY MARKS
ANNIVERSARY OF LANDMARK CONVENTION
- The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today marked the 60th
anniversary of the Geneva Refuge Convention.
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- The anniversary comes as forced
development becomes increasingly complex and as developing countries
struggle to host the large majority of the world’s refugees.
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- The Convention was intended to solve the
refugee problem in Europe after World War
II. It defines who qualifies as a refugee – a person with a well-founded
fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality,
membership in a particular social group or political opinion – and spells
out the rights and obligations between host countries and refugees.
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- It is the legal
foundation on which the Agency’s work is based, allowing UNHCR to help
millions of uprooted people to restart their lives in the past six
decades.
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OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES
SOLIDARITY WITH FLOOD VICTIMS OF REPUBLIC
OF KOREA: The
Secretary-General has written to President Lee Myung-bak to convey his
condolences to the families of the victims of the flash floods and mudslides
that took place in recent days, and to express his solidarity with the people
and Government of the Republic
of Korea.
Office of the
Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
United Nations, SA-1B15
New York, NY
10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
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