HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, 14 August 2006
ANNAN RELIEVED THAT CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IS HOLDING IN LEBANON
In a statement released this morning, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that he is relieved to note that the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon called for by the Security Council appears to be generally holding.
The Secretary-General again urged the parties to make every effort, in the interest of the civilian population on both sides, to continue and consolidate the cessation of hostilities. He also urged them to move swiftly to convert it into a lasting ceasefire, in cooperation with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), through the measures prescribed in the Security Council resolution.
The Secretary-General added that the UN is actively carrying out its part in those measures, and he strongly urged all parties to do likewise, including especially those Member States that can contribute to the enhanced UN force.
Millions around the world have pinned their hopes for peace on the implementation of this agreement, the Secretary-General said. He added that neither side should have any reason to disappoint those hopes, and if either were to do so it would pay a heavy price in terms of world public opinion.
Asked what the latest developments on the ground mean for the Secretary-General’s
Special Envoy for the Implementation of resolution resolution 1559, the Spokesman said that the job of implementing 1559 is more current than ever, and the Secretary-General would report back to the Council on that aspect of the resolution within 30 days, as required to by the Council.
Asked if the Secretary-General is satisfied with the operations of the Human Rights Council given its recent meetings on Israel and Lebanon, the Spokesman reiterated the Secretary-General’s stated position is that in light of what has happened during hostilities, it warrants an examination of violations of international and human rights law on both sides.
LEBANON CALM BUT TENSE ON FIRST DAY OF CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says the situation on the ground is calm but tense, and that the while there have been a number of sporadic clashes, in general both sides seem to be exercising restraint.
UNFIIL sent a number of patrols throughout its area of operation this morning to assess the situation on the ground and to monitor the cessation of hostilities.
There were no reports of incidents or breaches of the agreement in the UNIFIL area of operations as of 1300 hours today.
Earlier today, the UNIFIL Force Commander, General Alain Pellegrini, met with senior officers of the Lebanese and Israeli armies, inside the UNIFIL position at the border crossing at Ras Naqoura, to discuss the implementation of and compliance with the agreement.
They also discussed the withdrawal of the Israeli army and the deployment of the Lebanese armed forces in south Lebanon.
UNIFIL said the meeting was open and productive, and has welcomed it as a positive and encouraging development. A follow up meeting is planned for later this week.
UNIFIL adds that during the 24-hour period prior to the cessation of hostilities coming into effect, exchanges of fire continued with same intensity throughout the UNIFIL area of operation.
Yesterday and during last night, there were a number of serious incidents of firing from the Israeli side directly on UN positions in various locations, with a total of 85 artillery shells impacting directly inside various UNIFIL positions, and causing massive damage. All UNIFIL personnel were forced into shelters for the entire period, and UNIFIL strongly protested to the Israeli Defense Force command all these incidents.
Asked about the Secretary-General’s involvement in the deployment of the enhanced UNFIL force, the Spokesman said the United Nations is working under an accelerated process in order to build up the UN forces on the ground.
The Spokesman added that the United Nations has held discussions with some potential troop contributors over past days and more are expected over the coming days, with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations hoping to convene a more formal meeting soon.
The Spokesman said the Secretary-General has been in telephone contact with various parties today – including French officials and the European Union’s High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana – on the issue of force generation.
“As the Security Council resolution states, it’s important the international community commit what it can to the United Nations in order to help us create this mobile and robust force,” Dujarric said. He added that that at this point no formal commitments have been made by troop-contributing countries.
Asked about the size of the expanded UNIFIL, the Spokesman noted that the Security Council resolution mentions a mandate which calls for a total of up to 15,000 peacekeepers.
Asked about the time-table the United Nations had in mind for the deployment, the Spokesman said the United Nations would like to see the beefing up of UNIFIL as soon as possible, but “it depends on the willingness of the troop-contributors to step up to the plate.”
“As opposed to past situations, we do have one leg up here as there already is a UN force in south Lebanon,” Dujarric said. “It is a challenge and we’re working hard to try to get these troops but we don’t face the situation that we’ve faced in other countries where there is no UN infrastructure on the ground.”
Asked what else the Secretary-General and the United Nations is working on besides beefing up UNIFIL, the Spokesman said a key development in this regard was the three-way meeting involving General Pellegrini and an Israeli general and a Lebanese general on the time-line for an Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese armed forces. He stressed that in New York, the Secretary-General and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations have been trying to drum up troops for the expanded UNIFIL presence.
Asked about the expansion of UNIFIL throughout the area between the Israeli-Lebanese border, the Spokesman said UNIFIL is already there, having kept 19 of its positions throughout the fighting.
“The cessation of hostilities allows us to become more mobile again,” Dujarric said, adding that these are early stages in the cessation of hostilities and that more patrols would be carried out as possible.
Asked if anyone had come forward to help the Lebanese army replace some of its reportedly out-dated equipment, the Spokesman said this would be something to be considered in a bilateral framework.
Asked if General Pelligrini will now leave UNIFIL, the Spokesman he would not be leaving and stressed that Gen. Pelligrini had done and outstanding job under extremely difficult circumstances in the past few weeks.
Asked about the Lebanese Government postponed its cabinet meeting on a decision to deploying 15,000 Lebanese troops in the south, the Spokesman said he understood that the postponement was technical and the Lebanese Government is expected to meet again later this week. He again stressed the fact that Lebanese officers were already meeting with their Israeli counterparts under UNIFIL auspices.
Asked if UNIFIL will be able to monitor the Syrian-Lebanese border, the Spokesman noted that the resolution states that UNIFIL will be assisting the Lebanese Government.
U.N. HUMANITARIAN CONVOY ARRIVES IN TYRE WITH FOOD AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES
A UN humanitarian convoy made up of 24 trucks which left the Lebanese capital earlier today arrived in the southern city of Tyre. The trucks are carrying food, medical supplies, water and sanitary goods.
This is part of the humanitarian agencies effort to step their activities to bring relief to the hundreds of thousands of civilians affected by the conflict and in particular to deliver supplies to the area south of the Litani river, which has borne the brunt of the fighting.
The UN is also setting up humanitarian hubs in key locations inside Lebanon to facilitate and speed up the distribution of aid. These hubs will be in the ports of Tyre, Sidon and Tripoli, where they can be supplied by land and sea, as well as in the eastern town of Zahle, in the Beka’a valley.
Yesterday, a roll-on roll-off ferry docked in Beirut, bringing food and other relief supplies for UN agencies and several non-government organisations. It is planned to use this vessel to bring further aid supplies to the south, with the first shipment to Tyre expected this week.
Asked about unexploded mines, the Spokesman said this was a primary concern for the United Nations, adding that a number of UN agencies, as well as the UN Mine Action Service, are working with local and international NGOs to raise awareness of the issue among people trying to return to their homes in southern Lebanon.
The Spokesman noted that the United Nations was able to have its convoys leave for southern Lebanon early today and thus were able to avoid the heavy traffic of people heading to southern Lebanon.
SECURITY COUNCIL PASSED RESOLUTION ON LEBANON LAST FRIDAY
The Security Council on Friday unanimously passed a resolution calling for a full cessation of hostilities, the deployment of Lebanese and UN troops throughout southern Lebanon and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from that region.
The Security Council resolution also provides for an expansion of the mandate and scope of operations of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as well as a reinforcement of the Force by up to 15,000 additional troops to monitor the cessation of hostilities, to assist the Lebanese forces in their deployment throughout southern Lebanon, and to ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations.
The Secretary-General, in a statement on Saturday, said he was very happy that the Prime Ministers of both Lebanon and Israel had agreed to abide by the Security Council’s resolution and end the fighting effective today at 0500 GMT. The Secretary-General also said that he assured both sides that UNIFIL would work with them to implement the agreement and monitor compliance.
U.N. PALESTINE RELIEF AGENCY DEPLORES DEATH OF STAFF MEMBER
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees the Near East (UNRWA), reports that one of its staff members at the Ein el Hilweh camp in Lebanon was killed just an hour and half before the cessation of hostilities came into effect during an Israeli air strike against the camp.
Displaced Lebanese and Palestinians who had taken refuge in UNRWA schools and in camp areas have started leaving this morning, to return home
UNRWA’s Lebanon Field Office reports that it is facing a critical shortage of basic food commodities, to meet the needs of both the IDP population being cared for by the Agency (20,000 persons) and UNRWA’s normal caseload of special hardship cases, persons unable to support themselves.
ANNAN ALARMED AT INCREASING DEADLY VIOLENCE IN SRI LANKA
The Secretary-General is increasingly alarmed about the ongoing violence in Sri Lanka.
He is profoundly concerned at the rising death toll, including the seven people killed in a bomb attack in Colombo today, and reports of dozens of students killed in a school as a result of air strikes in the North-east. The Secretary-General extends his sincere condolences to the families of the bereaved and to the Government of Sri Lanka.
He deplores the assassination over the weekend of Ketheshwaran Loganathan, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Government Peace Secretariat and a veteran Tamil human rights advocate.
The Secretary-General calls on both parties to allow humanitarian agencies free and unimpeded access to the affected population. He draws attention to appeals by Sri Lanka’s humanitarian community for both sides to allow the civilian population to leave the contested areas.
The Secretary-General stresses that a return to civil war will not resolve the issues involved. He joins the Sri Lanka Co-Chairs in calling on the parties to cease hostilities immediately and to return to the negotiating table.
VOTE COUNTING NEARLY COMPLETE IN D.R. CONGO
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, William Lacy Swing, yesterday welcomed in Kinshasa former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, who is serving as Chairman of the International Committee of the Wise, a UN-backed advisory group on the Congolese elections.
In a statement issued soon after his arrival, Chissano and his fellow members of the Committee called on Congolese to remain calm and patient as ballot counting continued. Special Representative Swing welcomed the statement, saying it sent a positive message against violence and threats of violence aimed at disrupting the electoral process.
Meanwhile, the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) in that country reports that some 90% of ballots have been compiled so far but election officials are not in a position yet to issue formal provisional results as they wait for the compilation of the remaining 10%.
However, MONUC says that complete results will be out and official on schedule, on 20 August, as announced earlier.
CEREMONY MARKS NIGERIA’S HANDOVER OF BAKASSI TO CAMEROON
In the presence of Kieran Prendergast, the Chairman of the follow-up committee on the implementation of the Greentree Agreement between Nigeria and Cameroon on the transfer of authority in the Bakassi Peninsula, a formal ceremony was held earlier today in Archibong Town, the capital of northern Bakassi, to mark Nigeria’s withdrawal from, and handover of, the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.
At the event, Prendergast and the Chiefs of defense of both countries signed a transfer of authority paper. Following that, the Nigerian flag was lowered and the flag of Cameroon hoisted.
In his speech, Prendergast commended the Cameroonian and Nigerian Presidents for their determination to carry out their engagements under the Greentree Agreement, saying that the peaceful resolution of the dispute over Bakassi was a powerful example of conflict prevention not just for Africa but for the whole world. Both Prendergast and the Nigerian and Cameroonian representatives commended the role of the Secretary-General in bringing about the agreement.
ANNAN APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF U.N. MISSION IN KOSOVO
The Secretary-General has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Ambassador Joachim Rücker, of Germany, as his Special Representative and Head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) as of 1 September 2006. He replaces Søren Jessen-Petersen, of Denmark, who completed his assignment in July.
Rücker was the Deputy Special Representative and Head of the Economic Reconstruction component in UNMIK and has held several positions in the German Foreign Ministry.
CONVENTION ON RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES UNDERWAY
At a two-week session beginning today, delegates and leaders of the global disability movement will seek to finalize the text of the first-ever draft convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.
The eighth session of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities will focus on some still unresolved issues and revisit the language of the 33-article working text.
ANNAN: MOMENTUM IN FIGHT AGAINST AIDS NEEDS TO BE MAINTAINED
The 16th International Aids Conference kicked off in Toronto, Canada, yesterday.
The Secretary-General, in a message delivered on his behalf, said that the task before us now is to sustain the momentum generated by the declaration adopted in June at a High Level Meeting of the General Assembly, in which governments committed themselves to a range of actions vital to the struggle against AIDS.
Dr. Peter Piot, the Executive Director of UNAIDS who delivered the Secretary-General’s message, also gave an opening address at the conference.
He said that the conference can be a milestone, a turning point in the AIDS response, by building on emergency actions and put in place a long-term sustainable response.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
INDICTED UGANDAN REBEL LEADER MUST FACE JUSTICE: Asked about the United Nations’ stance on the arrest of Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army located in north Uganda, given comments made by a UN official in southern Sudan, the Spokesman said the United Nations’ position is that it would like to see Kony brought to justice, but the resources of the UN Mission in Sudan and the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo do not allow the United Nations to proactively search for Kony.
UZBEKISTAN SHOULD TREAT DEPORTED REFUGEES LAWFULLY: Asked about the United Nations’ position on the return of Uzbeki refugees, from Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan where they could face the possibility of torture, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General agrees wholeheartedly with comments made last week by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, in which she called on Uzbekistan to treat the five "in accordance with its human rights obligations.”
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
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