.HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON
BRIEFING
BY MICHELE
MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
UN
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
UNITED NATIONS URGES
TRANSITION TO DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN MADAGASCAR
Asked about the UN’s reaction to the change in power in
Madagascar, the Spokeswoman said that the United Nations does not support an
unconstitutional change in government. Our concern, she said, is stability
and peace on the island, and a transition to a democratic process based on
broad consensus to legitimize any arrangements, as the Secretary-General
made clear in his
statement on Tuesday. We continue to appeal for calm and stability, she
said.
Asked whether the United Nations regarded what happened
in Madagascar to be a coup, Montas said that the legality of the situation
is not something the United Nations can determine. A court has said it is
legal, although, she added, the United Nations also hears reports that such
a decision was made under duress. The African Union is considering this
question at this moment.
She asserted, “We certainly do not condone
unconstitutional changes in government, as we have said, and our focus at
the moment is to urge a transition to a democratic process.”
SECURITY COUNCIL LOOKS AT WAYS TO
STRENGTHEN A.U.-U.N RELATIONSHIP
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
spoke at the open meeting of the
Security Council concerning ways to strengthen the relationship between
the United Nations and the African Union and to further enhance the AU’s
capacity for peacekeeping. At that meeting, former Italian President Romano
Prodi presented the
report of his high-level panel on modalities for support to African
Union peacekeeping operations.
Noting the report’s findings, the Secretary-General
said that many of the challenges facing the African Union result from the
difficulties it faces in securing the necessary resources to support both
its deployments and its own long term development. It was in this context,
he said, that the Panel made its recommendations to address issues of
funding and resources, which will require detailed analysis, particularly in
the case of assessed contributions.
The Secretary-General said the African Union continues
to develop its capacity for peacekeeping, and that the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations is supporting these efforts with a dedicated
capacity and, through specific programmes.
There are 35 speakers inscribed so far for today’s
meeting.
MULTIFACETED
APPROACH NEEDED TO TACKLE PIRACY OFF SOMALI COASTS
In a
report to the Security Council on piracy off the coast of Somalia, the
Secretary-General says that there is a critical need to tackle the problem
with a multifaceted approach, to ensure that the political process, the
African Union’s peacekeeping efforts, the strengthening of law enforcement
institutions and capacity-building initiatives work in tandem.
He encourages Member States to place an increased
emphasis on the resolution of the lawlessness in Somalia through the
development of the Djibouti peace process and support of the African Union
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
He adds that it is necessary for the international
community to implement effectively the existing international legal
framework and consider its further strengthening to facilitate the
apprehension and prosecution of those suspected of having committed piracy
off the coast of Somalia.
GAZA: HUMANITARIAN AID STILL BELOW URGENT
NEEDS
According to a
report by the office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, the overall levels of humanitarian aid allowed into
Gaza remain below what is urgently required.
A total of 671 truckloads of goods -- including 121
from humanitarian agencies -- were allowed entry into Gaza this past week.
That is less than the 1,080 trucks that were let in the week before. Items
banned by the Israeli authorities over the past week included jam, biscuits
and tomato paste.
The Humanitarian Coordinator’s office also notes that
Israeli clearance procedures for access into Gaza by international staff
from non-governmental organizations continue to be very lengthy -- thus
hindering the work of aid groups.
Meanwhile a report by the UN Development Programme
finds that 65% of Gazans live below the income poverty line and 37% live in
extreme poverty. Sixty-six per cent of the unemployed are extremely poor –
compared to 56% before the recent Gaza conflict.
Asked whether the
Secretary-General has received a letter from individuals who were asking for
an inquiry into alleged human rights violations in Gaza, the Spokeswoman
said that the letter has been received and is now being studied.
Asked about the status of UN
investigations into events in Gaza, she said that the Board of Inquiry that
was looking into the damage done at UN facilities is expected to complete
its work by the end of the month. The Secretary-General looks forward to
receiving the report, Montas said, adding that he will review it to decide
on any further action.
NEW TEXT MARKS
MAJOR TURNING POINT IN PREPARATIONS FOR ANTI-RACISM CONFERENCE
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay today
welcomed the release of a significantly shorter draft outcome
document for the Durban Review Conference, which is due to be held next
month in Geneva.
Pillay said she hoped the introduction of this latest
version of the draft would be a “major turning point” in preparations for
the Conference.
She noted that States now had a “good, solid basis” to
consider as they enter the final stretch leading up to the gathering.
She added that she hoped the new document is the
breakthrough needed to achieve consensus on a text, which will offer help to
hundreds of groups and millions of individuals who are subjected to racism
and other forms of intolerance all across the world. No continent is free of
racism, she said, and it would be inexcusable if States failed to reach
consensus on such an important issue.
Pillay urged all States to refrain from taking narrow
politicized or polemical stances on particular issues, and to work together
for the remainder of the process towards a successful outcome.
Meanwhile, also in Geneva today, the Human Rights
Council
adopted Universal Periodic Review reports on Botswana, the Bahamas, and
Burundi.
BANDITRY,
HARASSMENT CONTINUE IN DARFUR
The African Union-United Nations mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
reports that banditry activities and harassment of civilians continue to
take place, particularly in South and West Darfur.
Today, at about 07:25 a.m. local time, a UNAMID vehicle
was carjacked in Nyala, South Darfur, by two unidentified armed men in
military uniforms. The gunmen ordered the driver out of the vehicle and
drove off. No injuries were reported. The incident was reported to the
Sudanese police.
UNAMID also reported that on Monday, two UNAMID
national staff members were harassed and beaten by five armed men dressed in
civilian clothes in El Geneina, West Darfur. The two staff members were
stopped while they were driving a UN vehicle, beaten and left by the
attackers. The incident was reported to the police.
In addition, the mission says the number of new
arrivals in the Zam Zam Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in North
Darfur continues to rise, bringing the total to about 80,000. The majority
of the newcomers are from villages and IDP camps in South Darfur, but there
are also arrivals from elsewhere in North Darfur.
On the humanitarian front, the joint UN/Government of
Sudan assessments of humanitarian gaps in Darfur were extended by one day
and will completed tomorrow. The three teams will have wrap-up meetings at
the state level tomorrow and then travel to Khartoum where they will sort
through the data for the following few days.
Asked whether the Secretary-General has spoken to
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir since the decision was taken to expel
humanitarian groups from Sudan, the Spokeswoman said that he has not.
However, she said, the Secretary-General has been in contact with a number
of other leaders as part of his effort to obtain a reversal of the expulsion
decision and to ensure that humanitarian aid will get to those in Sudan who
need it.
UNITED NATIONS VOICES CONCERNS OVER
HEALTH OF ABDUCTED STAFF MEMBER IN PAKISTAN
In a press release issued
today in Pakistan, the United Nations reiterated its
concerns that the group which claims to hold John Solecki reported that
his health was deteriorating.
The United Nations is keen
for Solecki to receive immediate professional medical care in a clinic or
hospital where the necessary medical tests can be carried out. The swift
delivery of medical help is important. John Solecki’s well-being is the
responsibility of the group who is holding him.
The United Nations
appreciates all efforts on behalf of the Baloch tribal leaders to ensure
Solecki’s safe release and remains in active communication and contact with
them to support this goal.
Asked about the difference
between the amount of information put out concerning Solecki’s abduction and
the information provided in other cases of abduction, the Spokeswoman
pointed out that the UN’s response varies with circumstances, depending on
whether providing information on an abduction is deemed to have an effect on
the safety of the abductee.
EDUCATION IS
FIRST STEP TOWARD RE-ESTABLISHING HOPE AND SECURITY IN EMERGENCIES
Today, the General
Assembly is holding a
thematic debate on the right to education in emergency, post-crisis and
transition situations caused by man-made conflicts and natural disasters.
In her remarks, the
Deputy-Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro
said that where children have been thrown into chaos, schools can
provide some measure of stability. “Education is the first step toward
restoring security and hope” she added. “We must act -- for the sake of
children everywhere caught in crisis, where education makes the difference
between hope and despair.”
The Deputy-Secretary-General
also noted that protecting children and teachers was a moral imperative --
in Afghanistan alone, she said, there were more than 275 attacks against
schools last year.
DEPUTY-SECRETARY-GENERAL
CALLS ON STATES TO SIGN CLUSTER MUNITIONS CONVENTION
The Deputy-Secretary-General
will also spoke at a signing event on the Convention on Cluster Munitions
today.
In her remarks, she called on
all States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Convention so
that it can enter into force as soon as possible.
The Deputy-Secretary-general
highlighted the role of the Convention in helping to address the
humanitarian, socio-economic and environmental damage these weapons cause
and the need to consign cluster munitions to the pages of history.
The event is organized by the
United Nations Mine Action Team in coordination with the Cluster Munitions
Coalition.
SRI LANKA:
UNICEF HEAD WARNS OF RISKS OF DISEASE AND MALNUTRITION IN CONFLICT ZONE
Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF), Ann Veneman today
stressed that children and their families caught in the conflict zone in
Sri Lanka are at risk of dying from disease and malnutrition.
Highlighting that hundreds of children have been killed
and many more injured as a result of the conflict in Sri Lanka, the
Executive Director said thousands are now at risk because of a critical lack
of food, water and medicines.
She also said that the rights of children caught in the
conflict must be fully respected and every effort should be taken to prevent
civilian casualties.
Stressing that children are the innocent victims of Sri
Lanka’s conflict, the Executive Director added that extraordinary efforts
must be taken to protect them.
Asked about information
obtained by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
concerning casualties in Sri Lanka, the Spokeswoman clarified that the
information was an estimate based on data obtained by local groups. She
could not confirm the casualty figure.
UNAIDS STRESSES
IMPORTANCE OF FIGHTING NEW H.I.V. INFECTIONS
UNAIDS issued a
statement today, stressing that its number one priority is universal
access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. It adds that, with
more than 7,400 new HIV infections each day, the world can not stop the AIDS
epidemic without stopping new HIV infections.
According to UNAIDS, condoms are an essential part of
combination prevention, which includes among other elements: access to
information about HIV; access to treatment; harm reduction measures; waiting
longer to become sexually active; being faithful; reducing multiple partners
and concurrent relationships; male circumcision; ensuring human rights; and
the reduction of stigma.
OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
U.N. AGENCIES REGISTER REFUGEES IN
SOUTHEASTERN CHAD: The High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
has registered more than 5,200 refugees who fled to a village in southeastern
Chad after fighting between the Central African Republic’s (CAR) army and rebels
intensified in northern CAR towards the end of 2008. UNHCR and
WFP carried out food aid distribution to the refugees this week, the second
time they have been provided with food rations since their arrival.
UNICEF has also started distributing high-protein biscuits to all children
in the two sites where the refugees are camped. The agency has started the
construction of five water wells for the refugees and the host population.
W.F.P. SCALES UP FOOD DISTRIBUTION IN
KENYA: In Kenya, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is scaling up
food assistance to feed 3.5 million people hit by drought and high food prices.
The new WFP operation – set to start on 1 April -- will allow to increase the
numbers of people in Kenya receiving general food distributions from 1.2
million people to 2.5 million through February 2010. It will also provide
655,000 children with a meal at school and assist another 340,000 people
including pregnant and nursing mothers. WFP is appealing to donors for a total
of $244 million dollars to prevent the most vulnerable from going hungry.
U.N. PROGRAMME TO REDUCE
GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS FROM FORESTS SUPPORTS FIVE PILOT COUNTRIES:
UN-REDD, the United Nations programme aimed at
reducing greenhouse gas emissions from forests and boosting livelihoods in
tropical nations has
approved $18 million in support of five pilot countries in Africa, Asia and
Latin America. The funds will help the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia,
Papua New Guinea, Tanzania and Viet Nam prepare their national plans for the
inclusion of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in a
new climate deal. UN-REDD was launched in September of last year by UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg.
UNIFIL LAUNCHES OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today
announced the launch of its official public website (http://unifil.unmissions.org).
The website provides comprehensive information on UNIFIL’s history, mandate and
activities in south Lebanon.
Office of the
Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
Back to the Spokesperson's Page
