HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N.
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Friday, July
6, 2007
BAN KI-MOON IS HEARTENED BY U.N. BUSINESS SUMMIT
PLEDGE
TO MAKE GLOBALIZATION WORK FOR ALL
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today brought the
Global Compact Leaders Summit in Geneva to a close,
saying he was
heartened to see leaders from business, government, civil society, labour and
the academia display such a deep and broad commitment to the Compact’s
principles.
As the summit closed, business leaders from developed
and developing countries pledged to comply with labour, human rights,
environmental and anti-corruption standards.
They agreed on the text of the Geneva
Declaration, which expresses the belief that “globalization, if rooted in
universal principles, has the power to improve our world fundamentally --
delivering economic and social benefits to people, communities and markets
everywhere."
The Declaration spells out actions to be taken by the
now roughly 4,000 companies participating in the Global Compact.
The Secretary-General said that the
summit’s more than 1,000
participants clearly emphasized the links between market leadership and
development. This relationship, he said, “will help us build the supportive
measures needed to create more sustainable markets. And it will ultimately help
to improve the lives of many people around the world.”
The Secretary-General called on business leaders to
“ensure that the Global Compact is
implemented more fully with their organizations and through their suppliers and
partners.” He also urged civil society and labour leaders “to remain vigilant
and engaged, and to continue to hold business accountable to their commitments.”
He said that the participants at the summit would
plan to meet again in three years, and urged them all to do their part in giving
practical meaning to the Declaration.
BAN KI-MOON TO BEGIN OFFICIAL VISIT TO
PORTUGAL
Earlier in the day,
the Secretary-General visited the Geneva-based International Telecommunication
Union. It was the first visit of a Secretary General to the oldest UN agency. In
a meeting with the Secretary General of the ITU, Hamadoun Toure and later with
the staff, Ban emphasized the unique role ITU plays in connecting the
populations of the world and helping developing countries bridge the technology
gap .
The Secretary
General also paid the first visit of a Secretary General of the United Nations
to the Geneva headquarters of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies. Addressing the senior staff of the federation, Ban spoke of
his early ties as a young man in South Korea to the Red Cross and his wife’s
volunteer work of many years with the organization.
Ban also visited
the headquarters of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Later he held a joint meeting
with the Director General of the World Trade Organization, Pascal Lamy and with
his counterpart at the International labor Organization, Juan Somavia.
The Secretary
General will leave Geneva this weekend for an official visit to Portugal.
CALM MUST BE
RESTORED TO FOCUS ENERGIES ON
FINDING JUST AND LASTING PEACE IN MIDDLE EAST
The
Secretary-General is deeply
concerned at the
violence reported in Gaza in the context of the recent Israeli incursion.
Reports
indicate that during heavy exchanges of fire, including the use of tank fire in
populated areas, a number of Palestinian civilians were injured and at least one
was reported killed.
The
Secretary-General calls on all parties to do their utmost to protect civilians
and uphold international law.
In addition,
Palestinian rocket fire into Israel must stop.
Calm must be
restored in order to focus all energies on finding a just and lasting peace in
the Middle East.
BAN
KI-MOON URGES GREEK CYPRIOT AND TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADERS TO MOVE TO REAL
ENGAGEMENT IN POLITICAL PROCESS
This Sunday, 8
July, marks the anniversary of the agreement signed between the leaders of the
Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, which provides the framework for
a political process aimed at the resumption of full-fledged negotiations leading
to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.
Although the two
sides continue to be engaged through regular discussions under the auspices of
the United Nations -- and both leaders express their commitment to a solution
leading to a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation -- it is regrettable that one year
has passed without any start to the agreed process.
The
Secretary-General takes
this opportunity, therefore, to urge the two leaders to build on the progress
achieved to date, by showing the necessary imagination and political courage to
move from talks about procedures to real engagement on substance.
While emphasizing
once again that the responsibility for the solution to the Cypriot problem lies
with the Cypriots themselves, he also reiterates that the United Nations stands
ready to continue assisting the two communities in their search for a solution
to this protracted problem.
CHEIKH SIDI
DIARRA OF MALI IS NAMED HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES,
LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES
The
Secretary-General has appointed Mr. Cheikh Sidi Diarra of Mali as High
Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing
Countries and Small Island Developing States.
The full
mobilization and coordination of the UN System in support of the least
developed, landlocked and small island developing countries is a high priority
for the Secretary-General and reflects his commitment to the developmental
objectives of this organization.
In order to make
the United Nations more effective in serving the special needs of these
countries, it is essential to consolidate the limited resources of the
Organization and ensure reliable linkages with all key actors in the UN system
and beyond.
This includes
advocacy, in favour of the requirements of these countries with donor
governments and organizations, with civil society, media, academia and other
institutions. It also includes the crucial role of mobilizing international
support and resources in real terms. In order to achieve these goals, the
Secretary-General has been looking for ways and means to strengthen the
Office of
the High Representative and to build on its existing functions and resources.
As part of this
initiative, it is timely to strengthen the Organization’s focus on Africa.
After consultations with African leaders, and with a view to complementing the
re-configuration of the Office of the Special Adviser for Africa (OSAA),
the Secretary-General intends to designate the new High Representative to serve
as the focal point at UN Headquarters for African economic and social issues,
including the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).
ECA will remain the field focal point for
NEPAD. In this connection, we are addressing a letter to the Chairman of the
ACABQ for the information of members. The General Assembly will also be suitably
consulted in due course.
In order better to serve the needs of LDCs,
LLDCs, and SIDS, through improved institutional coherence between the Office of
the High Representative and UNCTAD, the Secretary-General intends to designate
the High Representative, in addition to his existing functions, as the Special
Representative of UNCTAD at UN Headquarters. In that capacity, the High
Representative will be fully supported by the substantive Divisions of UNCTAD,
especially the Division for Africa, LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS. The UNCTAD liaison
office in New York will also be placed under him.
CHOI
SOON-HONG OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA IS APPOINTED
CHIEF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
SYRIA AND JORDAN ARE STRUGGLING
TO HOST IRAQI REFUGEES
The UN Refugee Agency today
warned that Syria
and Jordan, the two countries caring for the biggest proportion of Iraqi
refugees, have still received next to nothing in bilateral help from the world
community.
Both countries,
UNHCR says, are
struggling to cope. Syria continues to receive about 2,000 Iraqis each day,
with about 30,000 of them staying in Syria each month.
UNHCR strongly urges governments to
step forward now to help the host countries for the Iraqis, and it reiterated
its call for international solidarity and burden sharing.
U.N.ENVOY
FOR DARFUR PREPARES FOR MEETING ON PEACE PROCESS
The Secretary-General’s Special
Envoy for Darfur Jan Eliasson is meeting today with the African Union Mission
Force Commander Gen. Martin Agwai and Rodolphe Adada, the Joint AU-UN Special
Representative for Darfur.
He is also meeting with the
ambassadors of the countries and organizations that were invited for scheduled
Tripoli meeting on the Darfur Peace Process, as well as NGOs, the UN
Development Programme (UNDP) and World Bank on developmental issues in Darfur,
and Minni Minawi, Senior Assistant to the President.
Tomorrow, his schedule includes
meetings with Government officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs,
civil society groups and tribal leaders, as well as AU envoy for Darfur Salim
Ahmed Salim who is arriving in Khartoum tomorrow afternoon.
TIMOR-LESTE: U.N. SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE HAILS DEMOCRATIC
CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS
At a meeting earlier today wit/h
representatives of all of Timor-Leste’s political parties, the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General, Atul Khare,
congratulated Timorese politicians for
their democratic conduct in the wake of last weekend’s parliamentary
elections.
The UN
Mission says that during the meeting, the
parties also thanked the UN and its agencies for the electoral and
post-election assistance.
Khare and the Timorese political
leaders agreed that the most important challenge facing the country now was
the formation of a government that would be inclusive and representative of
all the people of Timor-Leste.
Khare told his interlocutors that
the UN Mission would continue to host monthly consultative meetings with all
political parties in Timor-Leste.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
HEAD OF U.N. MISSION IN COTE
D'IVOIRE DISCUSSES PEACE PROCESS: The
Officer in charge of the United Nations
Operation met
yesterday with the facilitator of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement –
President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso.In their consultations, they discussed
the latest developments in the peace process, one week after the attack on Prime
Minister Guillaume Soro’s plane in Bouaké. ONUCI says the meeting is part of the
Operation’s ongoing efforts to keep the peace process on track and to ensure
that the Bouaké events do not slow down the implementation of the Ougadougou
Agreement.
SOUTH KOREAN PEACEKEEPERS ARRIVE
IN LEBANON: An advance party of South
Korean peacekeepers arrived in southern Lebanon yesterday, ahead of the
impending deployment of a South Korean mechanized infantry contingent, to serve
as part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).The
rest of the South Korean peacekeepers will arrive sometime at the end of July,
and once fully deployed, the unit will have a total of 350 troops. The
peacekeepers will be based near the city of Tyre. UNIFIL’s strength now stands
at 13,306 peacekeepers.
SECRETARY-GENERAL RECEIVES LETTER
FROM U.S. CONGRESS MEMBER ON UNDP EMPLOYEE:
Asked if the Secretary-General had received a letter from a member of the U.S.
Congress about a former UNDP employee in the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea and a reaction from the UN Secretariat, the Spokeswoman confirmed that the
Secretary-General was in receipt of that letter and would be responding soon.
Okabe added that the UN Ethics Office was considering a request by the former
UNDP employee seeking whistleblower protection.
NO CONFIRMATION ON DATE OF NEXT
QUARTET MEETING: Asked to confirm press
reports that the next Middle East Quartet meeting was scheduled for July 16, the
Spokeswoman said she could not confirm that date at this time.
THE WEEK AHEAD
AT THE UNITED NATIONS
[This document is for planning purposes only and
is subject to change.]
Saturday, July 7
Today is the International Day of Cooperatives.
Through Tuesday, the United Nations Special
Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental
freedoms while countering terrorism, Martin Scheinin, is visiting Israel, at the
invitation of the Government. He also plans to visit the Occupied Palestinian
Territories during his mission.
From today through 15 July, Professor Yakin Ertürk,
the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences,
will conduct an official visit to Ghana, at the invitation of the Government.
Entry into force of the International Convention for
the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.
Sunday, July 8
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention visits Equatorial Guinea, at the invitation of the Government, from 8
to 13 July.
Monday, July 9
This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to
hold consultations on the UN Mission in Kosovo.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise
Arbour, begins a week-long visit to Indonesia, at the invitation of the
Government.
The Human Rights Committee will hold its 90th session
in Geneva until 27 July.
The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a
means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of
peoples to self-determination will conduct a fact-finding visit to Chile from 9
July to 13 July 2007, at the invitation of the Government of Chile.
Marking International Gun Destruction Day, the
Organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is organizing
the destruction of 14,000 weapons in Colombia, a country with one of the highest
rates of homicide in the world.
The UNESCO Committee for NEPAD will meet today and
tomorrow in Paris, to advise UNESCO on its contributions to further the
implementation of the African Union/NEPAD’s action plans within its fields of
competence.
Tuesday, July 10
This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to
hold consultations on Guinea-Bissau, its 1718 Committee report, Children and
Armed Conflict, and its Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other
Procedural Questions.
Starting today and through July 13, the Operational
Activities Segment of the ECOSOC Substantive session will open in Geneva with a
high-level interactive panel discussion on the contribution and effectiveness of
the UN development system.
The Global Forum on Migration and Development,
organized by the Government of Belgium, takes place today and tomorrow in
Brussels. It will mark the start of a new global process designed to enhance the
positive impact of migration on development. The Secretary-General is expected
to make an opening statement.
Wednesday, July 11
This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to
hold a private meeting with the Troop Contributing Countries to the UN Mission
in Côte d’Ivoire, followed by consultations on Côte d’Ivoire and Western Sahara.
Today is World Population Day.
From 11 to 13 July in Vienna, the IAEA is hosting a
three-day steering committee meeting, in close collaboration with WHO, to plan a
regional consultation on nutrition and HIV/AIDS for Southeast Asian countries.
The Counter-Terrorism Committee's Executive
Directorate (CTED) is hosting a one-day informal meeting between technical
assistance providers/donors and West African countries.
Thursday, July 12
This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to
hold a debate on the report of its recent mission to Africa.
At 1.30 p.m in Room 226, Ambassador Peter Burian
(Slovakia), Chairman of the Security Council’s 1540 Committee that deals with
the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, will update the press on
the work of the Committee.
Office of the Spokesman for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
