HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY EDUARDO DEL BUEY, DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR
SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON FOR
FRIDAY, 1 JUNE, 2012
SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR LONG-TERM ASSISTANCE FOR SOMALIA
• The Secretary-General has co-chaired the Istanbul conference on Somalia on Friday.
• In his remarks to the conference, he said his message was for the world to commit to long-term assistance for Somalia. He said the United Nations would lead in helping achieve peace, stability and prosperity.
• The Secretary-General said Somalis had moved to complete the Roadmap for Ending the Transition and that Somali leaders had confirmed that the transition will end on August 20th.
• The end of that transition marks the beginning of a new phase of inclusive dialogue where all Somali voices should be heard.
• The Secretary-General emphasized the importance of applying the decision to include 30 per cent of women in institutions.
• Among the challenges Somalia faces, the Secretary-General highlighted attacks on journalists and the need to keep human rights at the centre of the political process.
• He urged donors to contribute to building the security sector and rule of law.
• He said that in the face of terrorism, piracy and drought, Somalia needs solidarity and a comprehensive investment plan.
• He has also had quite a few bilateral meetings.
NUMBER OF DETAINEES RELEASED IN THE PRESENCE OF U.N. OBSERVERS IN SYRIA
• On Thursday, in the presence of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) observers, 210 detainees in Damascus, and 13 detainees were released in Dara'a.
• This is the number that was released in the presence of UNSMIS military observers; we cannot at this stage verify other reported releases.
• Both the Secretary-General and the Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan have said repeatedly that we must see the release of all detainees being arbitrarily held, and that clearly many more must be released.
• On the reports of further execution-style killings in Qusayr (Homs) - UNSMIS has sent two teams to this area. We cannot yet confirm the reports but teams are right now working on this.
U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF SAYS ATROCITIES IN SYRIA MAY AMOUNT TO CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
• In her statement to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Friday, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said she was appalled by the atrocities committed in El-Houleh, and echoed the calls of the Secretary-General and of the Joint Special Envoy, Kofi Annan, for an immediate end to all forms of violence and human rights violations by all parties.
• She said that, according to preliminary reports, on Friday, 25 May at 12:30 p.m, shortly after a demonstration had taken place, the Syrian military allegedly unleashed a barrage of heavy weapons on the El-Houleh. Some reports suggest that pro-government Shabiha paramilitary groups also entered the villages and may bear responsibility for dozens of killings.
• The High Commissioner said the acts may amount to crimes against humanity and other international crimes, and may be indicative of a pattern of widespread or systematic attacks against civilian populations that have been perpetrated with impunity.
• Ms. Pillay said that the Government of Syria said that it established an inter-ministerial committee to investigate these events.
• Nevertheless, she said, there is a need for prompt, independent and impartial international investigations into all serious human rights violations in Syria, including those that have occurred in El-Houleh.
• She said that we must make all efforts to end impunity, to ensure accountability for perpetrators, and to provide adequate and effective remedies for the victims.
• She reiterated her call to the Government of Syria to grant the Commission of Inquiry full and unimpeded access to the country to carry out investigations into all human rights violations, including the El-Houleh events.
• The Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution on Syria.
• In it, the Council strongly condemned the use of force against civilians, including 49 children, in El-Houleh.
• The resolution also requests the Commission of Inquiry to urgently conduct a comprehensive, independent and unfettered special inquiry into the events in El-Houleh.
21 MILLION PEOPLE VICTIMS OF FORCED LABOUR – U.N. REPORT
• The International Labour Organization (ILO) released a new global estimate of forced labour on Friday.
• According to this estimate, 20.9 million people are victims of forced labour globally, trapped in jobs into which they were coerced or deceived and which they cannot leave.
• Women and girls represent the greater share of the total, 55 per cent as compared to 45 per cent for men and boys.
• Of the total number of 20.9 million forced labourers, 22 per cent are victims of forced sexual exploitation, 68 per cent are victims of forced labour exploitation in economic activities and the remaining 10 per cent are in state-imposed forms of forced labour, for example in prisons.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS SUDAN TO WITHDRAW ALL REMAINING POLICE FORCES FROM ABYEI: Asked about the situation in Abyei, the Deputy Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General has called on the Government of Sudan to withdraw all remaining armed police forces. He urges the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to immediately establish the Abyei Area Administration to provide the governance needed for civilians in the area to live in peace, as well as the other bodies provided under the 20 June 2011 Agreement on Temporary Security Arrangements for Abyei.
UNESCO CHIEF VOICES ALARM AT RISING NUMBER OF JOURNALISTS KILLED IN PAKISTAN: The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, voiced alarm on Friday at the number of journalists being killed in Pakistan, and called on authorities to investigate the two most recent murders which occurred last month.
THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS
2 - 8 JUNE 2012
(This document is for planning purposes and is subject to change.)
Saturday, 2 June
Today, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrives in Saudi Arabia for an official visit. While in the country, he is scheduled to meet Saudi leaders, including the Custodian of the Holy Mosques and King of Saudi Arabia, and co-chair the second meeting of the Advisory Board of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) with the Saudi Foreign Minister.
Sunday, 3 June
There are no major events scheduled for today.
Monday, 4 June
Today is the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression.
At 9:30 a.m., the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Peacebuilding Commission will hold a joint meeting on “Partnerships for job creation for young people in countries emerging from conflict” in the ECOSOC Chamber of the North Lawn Building (NLB).
At 10:30 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, Lourdes Aranda, Mexican Sherpa for the G-20, will hold a press conference on the Mexican Presidency preparations for the G20 Leaders' Summit to take place in Los Cabos, Mexico, in mid-June.
At 12 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, Georg Kell, Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact, will introduce the results of the Global Compact Annual Implementation Survey.
At 12:30 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, the President of the Security Council for June, Ambassador Li Baodong, will discuss the Council's program of work for the month.
At 3 p.m., the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) will hold a preparation forum ahead of the Rio+20 Conference on “Discourse on sustainable development” in Conference Room C (NLB). This event is being co-organized by the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Today, in Geneva, the International Labour Organization (ILO) will launch its annual report on the situation of workers in the Occupied Arab Territories. Participants will include Kari Tapiola, Head of the ILO mission, and Nada al Nashif, ILO Regional Director for the Arab States.
Today, in Geneva, there will be a press conference on the theme, “Trade and Development: a Central Issue for Rio +20.” Participants will include Guillermo Valles and Lucas Assunçao of the International Trade Division of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Tuesday, 5 June
Today is World Environment Day [United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)]. To mark the Day, the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG) and partner organizations will hold an award ceremony to honour winners of a student contest on sustainable development, in the presence of the UNOG Director-General and others.
Today, the 2012 annual session of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will begin in Conference Room 2 (NLB).
At 10:30 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, the Mission of Spain will sponsor a press conference by the non-governmental organization Women Together.
At 12 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, the Secretary-General will brief reporters on the forthcoming Rio+20 Conference.
At 1 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo will hold a press conference on Darfur.
Wednesday, 6 June
At 10 a.m., a formal meeting of the Guinea configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission will be held in Conference Room 3 (NLB).
At 10:30 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, Matthew Billot, Head of UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook Unit, will brief the press.
At 11:15 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, the President of the General Assembly will meet with the press.
At 1:15 p.m., there will be a panel discussion on “Cooperatives and the role of information and communications technology” in Conference Room 7 (NLB) organized by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
At 12 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Radhika Coomaraswamy, and Grace Akallo, former girl soldier from Uganda, will discuss the Report of the Secretary-General on the Situation of Children and Armed Conflict affected by the Lord's Resistance Army.
Today, in Geneva, the World Health Organization (WHO) will hold a press conference on gonorrhea. Participants will include Manjoula Lusti-Narasimhan and Carmen Pessoa Da Silva of WHO.
Thursday, 7 June
At 10:15 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, Gretchen Kalonji, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Assistant Director-General for Science, and Wendy Watson-Wright, Assistant Director General and Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) will discuss by video-link UNESCO's contribution to Rio + 20.
At 11 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, the World Economic Situation and Prospects Update will be launched at a press conference.
Friday, 8 June
Today is World Oceans Day.
At 10 a.m., there will be a workshop on “International criminal law” organized by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in cooperation with the Permanent Missions of Azerbaijan, Estonia and Finland. It will be held in Conference Room E (NLB).
At 4 p.m., the United Nations Population Award Ceremony, organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), will be held in the ECOSOC Chamber (NLB).
