HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
 
BY EDUARDO DEL BUEY, DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
 
TUESDAY, 17 APRIL 2012
 
SECRETARY-GENERAL PRAISES LUXEMBOURG FOR ITS GENEROSITY IN OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT AID

• On Tuesday, the Secretary-General visited Luxembourg. It’s the first official visit by a UN Secretary-General to the country since 1989.
• He had an audience with His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and met senior political figures including Mr. Jean-Claude Junker, the Prime Minister and Mr. Jean Asselborn, the Foreign Minister.
• He also addressed Parliament as well as the University of Luxembourg.
• In his speech to Parliament he praised Luxembourg for its generosity in official development aid.
• He told MPs that Luxembourg provides more than one per cent of its gross national income in official development assistance, far surpassing the global target of 0.7%.
• He later told students at the university that it used to be the case that if you wanted to be part of the United Nations, you studied political science. But today, he said, it doesn’t matter what degree you earn as long as you have passion and creativity, a sense of mission and a conviction that you can make a difference.
• The Secretary-General is expected to end his three nation European trip in Luxembourg on Wednesday and is due back in New York on Wednesday afternoon.

• On Tuesday, during his encounter with the media in Luxembourg, the Secretary-General discussed the current situation in Syria.
• He noted that the first task for the team of six unarmed military observers is to reach out to the Syrian authorities and security forces, as well as to the opposition, to ensure that their mandate and role on the ground is understood.
• He said that it is the Syrian government's responsibility to guarantee freedom of access and freedom of movement within the country for these observers.
• What is important at this time is that all violence cease and a peaceful environment be consolidated.
• On the humanitarian situation, the Secretary-General said that one million people are in need of humanitarian support. It is the responsibility of the Syrian authorities to protect the freedom and safety of the humanitarian workers whose impartiality and independence need to be respected.
• Humanitarian teams should be guaranteed their freedom of movement by the Syrian authorities.
• In an answer to a question on the complexity of the situation in Syria, the Deputy Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General was under no illusion. Del Buey said that he fully knew this was a very complicated mission.
• He added that the Secretary-General had called for violence to stop from all sides which was essential. He said that this was not an easy process but that the UN was hopeful that the Syrian people would be able to enjoy peace after a year of bloodshed.
• Asked about the activities of the monitors already in Syria, del Buey said they had been meeting with their Syrian counterparts as well as members of the opposition so that both side would understand their role.
• Asked if the total number of monitors would reach 250, the Deputy Spokesperson said that this was about the number which the Joint Special Envoy felt was necessary to carry out this task.

• In his address to the Luxembourg Parliament on Tuesday, the Secretary-General also spoke about what he called the cascading crisis sweeping the Sahel.
• He noted that, across the region, we see growing conflict and unrest … more people being displaced … rising food and fuel prices …and severe drought. 
• The statistics are sobering: 15 million people are directly affected. More than 200,000 children died of malnutrition last year – and another one million are threatened right now.  
• He said that many thousands returned home to the Sahel.  Some were migrant workers, others are armed fighters … criminal elements … bringing with them large quantities of light and heavy weapons and ammunition. 
• In Mali, the Tuareg rebellion in the north has uprooted at least 200,000 people.
• Neighbouring countries are assisting refugees who escape across borders, but those who are internally displaced receive little help. Humanitarian agencies cannot access many parts of the region. 
• He concluded by saying that a multifaceted crisis demands a multifaceted response. Yet still, international response plans across the region are less than 40 percent funded. And the crisis has yet to peak.
• He called on the global community to act quickly to address this crisis.

• On Tuesday, after a two-day mission to Yemen, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Catherine Bragg, underscored the need for strong commitment from the international community to support the millions of people in Yemen facing a worsening humanitarian crisis.
• New data shows that food insecurity in Yemen has doubled over the last two years. Five million people, or nearly a quarter of the population, are severely food insecure, meaning that they are not able to grow or buy enough food for their family and need urgent assistance. At least 800,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition. Degradation of health, water and education systems pose long-term challenges to Yemen’s recovery.
• In 2012, humanitarian partners have expanded their programmes in Yemen, requesting total funding of US$447 million dollars to address humanitarian needs. However, the humanitarian response plan is currently only 20 per cent funded, leaving a gap of almost $360 million.  Growing humanitarian needs, beyond the areas directly affected by conflict, will have to be considered when the humanitarian partners again review the 2012 response plan at mid-year in June.

• On Monday night, the Secretary-General issued a statement on the situation in Sudan and South Sudan in which he called on both parties to end the fighting immediately.
• He also called on the Government of Sudan to cease all aerial bombardment of South Sudan territory and on the Government of South Sudan to withdraw immediately from Higlig.
• The Secretary-General urged President Bashir and President Kiir to fulfill their responsibilities to maintain peace and stability and also urged them to recommit to resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful dialogue and to convene the planned presidential summit as soon as possible.
• Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Hilde Johnson, said that the loss of lives resulting from indiscriminate bombings in Bentiu and Mayom was unacceptable.
• She also called on both parties to abide by international human rights and humanitarian law, protect civilians and guarantee the safety of international aid organizations and United Nations personnel and assets.
• And the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, urged the governments to stem the violence on both sides before it seriously undermines the peace agreement that was reached after decades of armed conflict.

• The Secretary-General issued a statement on Guinea-Bissau on Monday.
• In the statement, the Secretary-General says he is gravely concerned that despite calls by the international community for the immediate restoration of constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau, the leaders of the 12 April 2012 coup d’état are instead deepening the political crisis in the country by announcing plans to establish a national transitional government. This is particularly disturbing as it comes at a time when the people of Guinea-Bissau should be preparing through multi-party democratic elections to elect a new President.
• The Secretary-General remains concerned about the continued detention of Guinea-Bissau's interim President, the Prime Minister and other national officials and reiterates his call for their immediate release.
• The Secretary-General has spoken with Their Excellencies Mr. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mr. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Mr. Paulo Portas, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Portugal, to intensify cooperation with regional and other leaders towards finding a speedy and lasting solution to the political crisis in Guinea-Bissau.
• The Secretary-General welcomes the efforts undertaken by ECOWAS, the AU and other partners of Guinea-Bissau to facilitate the restoration of constitutional order in the country and reaffirms the continued support of the United Nations to these efforts, including through the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office for Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS).

• In response to a question about a UN project in the Walikale area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Spokesperson said that the UN Mission in that country, MONUSCO, informed us that the Community Development Project in the Walikale area to assist female survivors of sexual violence was approved by the Mission's Local Project Review Committee (LPRC) in Goma on 21 February 2011. It consists of 2 manioc mills and 3 rice huskers, and the initial budget was $12,000 dollars.
• The Local Project Review Committee decided to allocate an additional $3,000 dollars in March 2011 following a consensus on the necessity of constructing buildings to protect the equipment which would also serve as storehouses.
• According to the agreement between MONUSCO and the local partner, Coordination Locale des Actions Feminines pour le Developpement (CLAFD), this local partner is responsible for ensuring the timely construction of these buildings, which unfortunately has yet to be completed.
• The delivery of cement has proven particularly problematic. Walikale is very difficult to access from Goma, and MONUSCO logistics experts determined that air transport of cement would be too dangerous. The only alternative was to purchase cement directly from the Walikale market, and that option has been very expensive.
• To cope with the unexpected financial burden, the Local Project Review Committee has agreed to release an additional $10,000 dollars; however these funds will only be made available upon receipt of the second interim progress report for the initial $3,000 dollars and that progress report from the local partner is still pending.
• MONUSCO has consistently taken corrective measures to ensure the completion of this important project. Through colleagues based in Goma, the Mission will continue to liaise with the local partner to ensure that the project becomes a reality which will enhance the quality of life for the survivors of sexual violence in the Walikale area.
• Further asked about the project, the Deputy Spokesperson said that these types of projects aim to give people access to the livelihood they need. He added that the purpose of this was for women who had been victims of sexual abuse to earn a living and be self-sustaining.

• On Tuesday, the Secretary-General issued a statement and congratulated Dr. Jim Yong Kim on his appointment as the 12th President of the World Bank.
• In the statement, the Secretary-General said that Dr. Kim brings to the Bank the mix of professional development expertise and personal commitment required to advance the global development agenda at this difficult time. A pioneer in the struggle to address HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and with an extensive track record as an institutional reformer, Dr. Kim has long emphasized empowerment, grass-roots action and holistic approaches that put people first.
• The Secretary-General looks forward to working closely with him on efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and promote sustainable development, and assures him of the UN system’s full support.
• The Secretary-General would also like to thank Mr. Robert Zoellick for his dedicated service over the past five years. At a time of crisis for the world economy, Mr. Zoellick forged strong partnerships with developing countries and other multilateral institutions in addressing common challenges. He brought greater transparency to the Bank and the development process. And under his guidance, the Bank has made significant contributions to the development debate, including through its flagship World Development Reports addressing key issues such as food security, climate change, gender equity and the links among conflict, security and development.
• The Secretary-General thanks Mr. Zoellick for these and many other contributions and offers best wishes for his future endeavours.

 
U.N. EXPECTS PALESTINIAN PRISONERS IN ISRAELI JAILS BE TREATED ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW: Asked what the United Nations was doing about prisoners in Israeli jails who were on hunger strike, the Deputy Spokesperson said that Robert Serry, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, was in constant contact with authorities in the region. He added that the United Nations expects prisoners to be treated according to international human rights law.
 
U.N CALLS FOR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENTS FOR MISSIONS: Asked about restrictions of movements on the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the Deputy Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General always calls for freedom of movements for all UN missions.
 
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AZERBAIJIANI JOURNALIST SELECTED FOR ANNUAL UN PRESS FREEDOM AWARD: 35-year-old Eynulla Fatullayev, an Azerbaijani journalist and human rights activist, was announced as the laureate of the 2012 UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, named in memory of a Colombian newspaper publisher murdered in 1987 for denouncing the activities of powerful drug barons in his country.