HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

MONDAY, 16 MARCH 2015

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS PANEL TO EXAMINE NEW INFORMATION ON DAG HAMMARSKJOLD DEATH

• On 29 December 2014, the General Assembly in its resolution 69/246 requested the Secretary-General to appoint an independent panel of experts to examine, and assess the probative value, of new information related to the tragic death, in September 1961, of Dag Hammarskjöld and the members of the party accompanying him.
• The General Assembly also encouraged Member States to release any relevant records in their possession and to provide to the Secretary-General relevant information related to the death of Dag Hammarskjöld.
• The Secretary-General is today pleased to announce that he has appointed the following as members of the Independent Panel of Experts: Mr. Mohamed Chande Othman (United Republic of Tanzania) as Head of the Panel; Ms. Kerryn Macaulay (Australia); Mr. Henrik Larsen (Denmark).
• The Independent Panel of Experts will, inter alia, review and assess the probative value of the information provided to the Secretary-General by the Hammarskjöld Commission as well as any relevant records or information released by Member States or by other sources. 
• The Independent Panel of Experts will commence its work on 30 March 2015 and submit its report to the Secretary-General no later than 30 June 2015.

PAKISTAN: SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACKS ON CHURCHES IN LAHORE

• The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attacks on two Christian churches in Lahore, Pakistan, during morning services on Sunday, 15 March 2015.
• The Secretary-General notes with grave concern that the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attacks while threatening to carry out more such acts in the future. He calls on the Government of Pakistan to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice and to do its utmost to prevent attacks against places of worship and protect religious minorities. 
• The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Pakistan.

IN JAPAN, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS IMPORTANCE OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION UNDERSCORED BY CYCLONE IN VANUATU

• The Secretary-General arrived this morning in the Japanese capital, Tokyo.
• In Tokyo today, he met with political leaders and spoke, together with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at a symposium on the 70th anniversary of the United Nations.
• As the United Nations marks its 70th anniversary, the Secretary-General, who is also 70 years old, said that the Organization is laying plans to rise to today’s challenges and seize tomorrow’s prospects. He added that the Sendai conference was the first step on our 2015 journey to a better future.
• He said that the importance of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, which he attended over the weekend, was tragically underscored by the terrible cyclone that hit Vanuatu and other parts of Oceania. The Secretary-General said that he had immediately met with Vanuatu’s President and had instructed the immediate sending of an assistance team to Vanuatu. He added that the United Nations will take necessary action to mobilize humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu. 
• Also over the weekend, the Secretary-General had an audience with the Emperor and Empresses of Japan, and met with leaders attending the Sendai Conference.
• The Secretary-General also toured parts of Sendai and met with people who were affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and saw first-hand the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts.
• The Secretary-General wraps up his visit tomorrow to Japan, and will travel onwards to Italy.

VANUATU: U.N. TEAM ARRIVES, HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE BEGINS

• On Vanuatu, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team arrived in Port Vila today, to support Government in coordination, information management and assessment efforts.
• Humanitarian assistance has begun in areas that partners have been able to reach. UNICEF is for example on the ground providing clean water and sanitation support, and household items are being provided to families in need.
• Other countries in the region as well as Vanuatu are also affected, such as Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands. Given the widespread extent of the geographic area affected by the cyclone, it is expected that the response operation will be logistically challenging.
• Tropical Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila on the evening of 13 March, killing at least 24 people and leaving 90 per cent of structures on the most populous island, Efate, damaged or destroyed, according to the Government.
• In a message, the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Martin Sajdik, said that cyclone Pam is an urgent reminder that disaster risk reduction must be part of national, regional and global development strategies.
• He added that Vanuatu is now facing a major humanitarian emergency and that there was no time to lose to take action.
• He also said that while addressing the immediate crisis, we must begin to think of medium and long-term actions to support Vanuatu’s recovery.  The Economic and Social Council stands behind Vanuatu, its president said.
• His full statement is available in my office.

HEAD OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS TRAVELS TO NIGERIA AHEAD OF GENERAL ELECTIONS

• Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman arrives in Nigeria today for a two-day visit to convey the Secretary-General’s support and solidarity to the people of Nigeria ahead of the general elections starting on 28 March. He is accompanied by the Secretary-General’s High-Level Representative to Nigeria, Mohamed Ibn Chambas.
• In his meetings, Mr Feltman will underscore the Secretary-General’s message on the importance of holding the elections in accordance with the new electoral calendar issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He will encourage all relevant national institutions to work with the Electoral Commission to ensure that all eligible Nigerians can exercise their constitutional right to freely vote on the new dates set. He will also reiterate the need for all Nigerians to work together to create an environment that is conducive for the holding of credible and peaceful elections.
• Mr. Feltman will also discuss the situation in the north-east of Nigeria resulting from continuing indiscriminate and brutal attacks by Boko Haram against civilian populations.

U.N. AFGHANISTAN ENVOY SAYS THERE ARE “RENEWED HOPES” FOR ACTICE PEACE PROCESS

• The Security Council extended the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) by a year today, with the mandate now running until 17 March 2016.
• The head of the Mission, Nicholas Fink Haysom, briefed Council members in a meeting this morning. He noted recent developments that have brought renewed hopes for an active peace process in Afghanistan, including reports on possible peace talks between the Afghan Government and the Taliban.
• The UN Mission believes that there is currently an alignment of circumstances that could be conducive to fostering peace talks. Mr. Haysom added that parties need to be given sufficient space to build a level of trust.
• He added that UNAMA is continuing a frank dialogue with the Taliban on humanitarian access and on human rights, notably on the protection of civilians. As a result, access for immunization teams in Helmand Province has been restored.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO TRAVEL TO ITALY AND SWITZERLAND

• The Deputy Secretary-General travelled to Stockholm yesterday for one day of annual leave. 
• Tomorrow, he will travel to Turin, Italy, to attend the Climate Change Retreat and the Senior Advisers’ Meeting.  From there he will proceed to Mont Pélérin in Switzerland to attend the retreat for the Secretary-General’s Special Representatives.
• On Tuesday, 24 March, he will travel to Geneva to meet with the President of the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and members of the Human Rights Council.
• He will return to New York after his travel to Geneva.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HOSTS MINISTERIAL MEETING ON DEMENTIA

• In Geneva, the World Health Organization (WHO) is hosting today its first Ministerial Conference on Global Action Against Dementia.
• Ministers from around the world, as well as experts from the research, clinical and NGO communities, are coming together to discuss the global problems posed by dementia, from research and drug regulation to care and human rights.
• Over 47 million people live with dementia worldwide and this figure is expected to almost triple by 2050.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION REVIEWS PHYTOSANITARY STANDARDS

• Today in Rome, international experts gathered for a four-day meeting at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to review phytosanitary standards for trade in plants and plant products.
• The purpose of the standards is to minimize the risks of plant pests circulating across borders and regions in the increasingly vast context of global trade.
• FAO estimates that between 20 and 40 percent of global crop yields are reduced each year due to the damage wrought by plant pests and diseases.

SOUTH AFRICA BECOMES 60^th MEMBER STATES TO PAY ITS CONTRIBUTION IN FULL

• On the honour roll, South Africa is the latest country to have paid its budget in full, becoming the 60th Member-State to pay its contributions in full.