Secretary-General

Noon briefing of 23 March 2009

.HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FARHAN HAQ

ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, March 23, 2009

BAN KI-MOON BRIEFS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON CHALLENGES AHEAD

  • The Secretary-General spoke at an informal meeting of the General Assembly this morning, briefing them on his upcoming travels and listening to their views on the upcoming G-20 Summit in London. He said that the stakes at that Summit are large.

  • The Secretary-General said that he has sent a letter to all G-20 leaders, urging them to show leadership in four areas: providing a substantial and truly global stimulus package that also meets the needs of all developing countries; standing firm against protectionism; moving towards a “Green New Deal”; and reforming global rules and institutions.

  • He expressed his continuing concerns about the expulsions of 13 international non-governmental organizations from Sudan. He told the Assembly that, in the aftermath of the decision, the United Nations and the Government of Sudan had agreed to undertake a series of joint rapid assessments in the three Darfur states. The results of those assessments, he said, indicate significant gaps. Capacity on the ground is insufficient to sustain relief assistance in the short or medium term.

  • The Secretary-General also drew attention to his participation in two conferences on Afghanistan in the days ahead, in Moscow and The Hague. He said that he intends to press the international community to produce a clear, unified course for helping to bolster Afghan security, stability and development. He will also stress the need to strengthen regional and international cooperation.

SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVES ONE-YEAR EXTENSION FOR AFGHANISTAN MISSION

  • The Security Council unanimously approved the extension by one year of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

  • The Secretary-General welcomed the renewal today of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and, in particular, the Security Council’s reaffirmation of the United Nations’ “central and impartial role” in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan.

  • The Secretary-General commends the leadership of his Special Representative to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, who has overseen a significant expansion of UNAMA over the past year. The Secretary-General also warmly welcomes the Security Council’s recognition of Eide’s leadership, who working closely with Afghan political leaders, has led the efforts of the international community to set priorities and rationalize their assistance to Afghanistan.

  • Asked about the discussion underway in the United States about an “exit strategy” in Afghanistan, the Spokesperson noted that discussions between the United Nations and United States regarding policy in Afghanistan have been continuing. Kai Eide, he said, is in Washington, D.C., at present for talks with US officials on Afghanistan.

  • Haq noted that the Secretary-General has repeatedly called for political efforts to secure peace and stability in Afghanistan, and that he expected to discuss that topic in conferences on Afghanistan that take place in Moscow later this week and in The Hague on 31 March.

BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES RELEASE OF STAFF MEMBER ABDUCTED IN NIGER

  • The Secretary General is pleased to know that Soumana Mounkaila, one of the three UN staff members who was abducted in Niger on 14 December 2008, has been released unharmed. He appreciates the efforts that have been made by Governments and concerned individuals around the region to help secure the release of the missing staff members.

  • The Secretary-General renews his call on those holding Robert Fowler and Louis Guay to release them both without any further delay.

  • Asked what message the release of Mounkaila sends regarding Fowler and Guay, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations continues to hope for and work for their safe release without further delay. He declined to provide further details, noting the need to ensure their release.

DARFUR PEACEKEEPERS KEEP UP EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN WORK

  • The UN-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) reports that the security situation in Darfur remains calm; however banditry activities were reported. UNAMID’s military forces conducted 25 confidence building patrols, 14 escort patrols, 9 night patrols and 2 Investigation patrols, covering 59 villages and camps for the internally displaced (IDPs). Similarly, UNAMID Police conducted 105 patrols in and around the villages and IDP Camps.

  • UNAMID distributed 52,000 litres of water to the new arrivals at the Zam Zam Internally Displaced Persons Camp on Sunday, as part of efforts to assist the new arrivals. UNAMID has supplied a total of 495,000 litres of water to that camp. Water distribution began on 11 March, to support the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the area assisting the new arrivals at the camp. So far, UNAMID has been providing a total of 45,000 liters of water per day and intends to continue until a long term solution is found.

  • Also on Sunday, the UN Mission in the Sudan’s (UNMIS) Force Commander, Major General Pagan Jung Thapa, paid a one-day visit to UNAMID Headquarters. Upon arrival, Major General Thapa had a meeting with the UNAMID Joint Special Representative, Rodolphe Adada, and the UNAMID Force Commander, General Martin Luther Agwai. They discussed issues of cooperation and collaboration.

  • Late last Friday, Rashid Khalikov, the Director in New York of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), briefed the Security Council in an open debate on the humanitarian situation in northern Sudan. He stressed that the United Nations continues to advocate at all levels for a reversal of the decision to suspend the operations of three national non-governmental organizations and to expel 13 international NGOs from Sudan.

  • Khalikov said that there are significant signs of an erosion of humanitarian response capacity, with a concurrent impact on the lives of people in Darfur. In addition to problems with the loss of operational capacity, he pointed to an increase in insecurity, affecting both aid workers and beneficiaries. He warned, “There is no doubt that our ability to help the people of Darfur and northern Sudan has been seriously compromised.”

  • Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes will be the guest at the noon briefing on Tuesday to discuss the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

  • Asked whether the Secretary-General would meet with President Bashir when both are scheduled to attend the summit of the League of Arab States in Doha, Qatar, the Spokesperson said there were no plans for such a meeting.

  • Asked about comments made by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on the International Criminal Court verdict against President Bashir, Haq said that Obasanjo is the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region and does not speak for the United Nations on the issue of Darfur.

SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS DEBATE ON KOSOVO

  • The Security Council held an open debate today on Kosovo. Briefing Council members this morning, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Kosovo, Lamberto Zannier, noted that the situation in Kosovo has remained relatively peaceful over the last eight months.

  • But while both Pristina and Belgrade have made noteworthy attempts to maintain peace, they have stopped short of where one needs to be to feel confident that Kosovo is truly heading towards lasting peace and prosperity.

  • That goal will only be reached if both Pristina and Belgrade look to the interests of all of Kosovo’s communities and beyond their own political considerations, Zannier added.

GAZA BOARD OF INQUIRY TO DELIVER REPORT LATER THIS MONTH

  • Asked when the Secretary-General would receive the report of the Board of Inquiry dealing with deaths, injuries and damages at UN premises in Gaza, the Spokesperson said that he was expected to receive the report by the end of this month. At that point, he would review it to decide on any further action.

  • Asked about the request from non-governmental groups for a broader UN inquiry into Gaza, Haq said that the request had been received by the Secretary-General and was being studied. He noted that, besides the Board of Inquiry, the Human Rights Council had also authorized an investigation into rights violations in Gaza.

  • He added in response to further questions that the Secretary-General, in his conversations with Israeli leaders, had asked to be provided with any information that Israel produces in its own investigations into events in Gaza.

DR CONGO: GOVERNMENT, REBELS TO SIGN KEY PEACE AGREEMENT

  • The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) says it expects the signing today of a key political and security agreement between the Congolese government and the CNDP (National Congress for the Defense of the People). Alan Doss, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the DRC, is in Goma to take part in the signing ceremony. The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Olusegun Obansanjo, and his African Union counterpart, Benjamin Mkapa, are also expected to be present.

  • Government and CNDP representatives had been locked in marathon negotiations to end their hostilities and set up a joint security programme in the Kivus for the past few months.

  • MONUC says that the overall security situation in northeastern Congo remains tense but calm today.

WORLD METEOROLOGICAL DAY IS OBSERVED

  • Today is World Meteorological Day. The theme this year is “Weather, climate and the air we breathe”. On this occasion, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is calling attention to the interaction between weather patterns, climate and air quality.

  • According to WMO estimates, two million people, in average, die prematurely every year due to air pollution. The Organization is actively involved in international efforts to assess the air pollutants in the atmosphere.

  • World Meteorological Day marks the entry into force, in 1950, of the Convention that created the WMO.

UNITED NATIONS TO OBSERVE “EARTH HOUR” THIS WEEK

  • This weekend, the United Nations will join in observing “Earth Hour” at its Headquarters in New York and at other facilities around the world. This is part of an effort to mobilize global support for a new UN agreement to address climate change when governments meet in Copenhagen in December.

  • The Secretary-General is urging citizens everywhere to join this effort and to send a strong message on climate change – in what promises to be the largest demonstration of public concern about climate change ever attempted.

  • Launched two years ago, Earth Hour calls for people, communities and cities to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour, starting at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, 28 March. The symbolic effort will be observed by more than a 1000 cities and close to a billion people this year.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UNITED NATIONS ENDING CONTRACTS WITH SATYAM: Asked about UN contracts with the company Satyam, the Spokesperson reiterated that UN contracts with Satyam are being wrapped up.

LEGAL EXPERTS ON OUTER SPACE ISSUES RESUME WORK IN VIENNA: Legal experts from member states are meeting today in Vienna to discuss the peaceful uses of outer space in a resumed session that is expected to last until 3 April. The experts will discuss the status and application of the five UN treaties on outer space; and review and possibly revise some of the legal principles on the use of nuclear power sources in outer space, among other tasks.

TOGOLESE FOOTBALL STAR NAMED GOODWILL ENVOY FOR HIV/AIDS: Togolese football star Emmanuel Adebayor has been named a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The Arsenal star and “African Footballer of the Year” will use his sporting popularity to raise awareness about the epidemic globally, and he will stress the importance of preventing new infections among young people.

Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055