Noon briefing of 26 April 2011

SRI LANKA: SECRETARY-GENERAL HOPES PANEL OF EXPERTS REPORT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO FULL ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE

• The United Nations on Monday made public the advisory report of the Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on accountability with respect to the final stages of the decades-long armed conflict in Sri Lanka, which was submitted to him on 12 April 2011. The decision to release the report was made as a matter of transparency and in the broader public interest.
  

• The report was shared in its entirety with the Government of Sri Lanka on 12 April. The Secretary-General has indicated his willingness to publicize the Government’s response alongside the report. This invitation was extended to the Sri Lanka Government throughout the week, including again on Saturday by the Secretary-General to the External Affairs Minister of Sri Lanka. The Government has not responded to this offer which nonetheless still stands.
  

• The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation to the advisory Panel of Experts who have provided their advice on how the undertaking on accountability in the joint communiqué that he had made with the President at the conclusion of Sri Lanka’s war can be fulfilled.
  

• The Secretary-General is carefully reviewing the report’s conclusions and recommendations with regard to events that took place during the final stages of the conflict, including its assessment that there are a number of allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed by both the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka, some of which could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
  

• The Panel’s first recommendation is that the Government of Sri Lanka should respond to the serious allegations by initiating an effective accountability process beginning with genuine investigations. The Secretary-General has consistently held the view that Sri Lanka should, first and foremost, assume responsibility for ensuring accountability for the alleged violations. This and a number of other short and medium-term recommendations that the Panel proposed in regard to steps that could be undertaken by the Government of Sri Lanka, have now been shared with the Government. He encourages the Sri Lankan authorities to respond constructively.
  

• The Secretary-General has decided that he will respond positively to the Panel’s recommendation for a review of the United Nations’ actions regarding the implementation of its humanitarian and protection mandates during the war in Sri Lanka – particularly in the last stages. The exact modality of such a review will be determined after consultations with relevant agencies, funds and programmes.
  

• In regard to the recommendation that he establish an international investigation mechanism, the Secretary-General is advised that this will require host country consent or a decision from Member States through an appropriate intergovernmental forum. The monitoring and repository functions it was suggested this mechanism undertake will continue to be performed by the United Nations Secretariat.
  

• The Secretary-General trusts that the Government of Sri Lanka will continue to respect the work of the UN and its agencies as well as its obligations to the safety of UN staff in Colombo. He regrets the inflammatory tone of some of the recent public statements emanating from Sri Lanka.
  

• The Secretary-General sincerely hopes that this advisory report will make a contribution to full accountability and justice so that the Sri Lankan Government and people will be able to proceed towards national reconciliation and peace.
  

• Asked whether the Secretary-General intends to follow the recommendations of the Panel in setting up an inquiry commission, the Spokesperson noted that the Secretary-General was advised that this will require host country consent or a decision from Member States through an appropriate intergovernmental forum.
  

• Asked which bodies could provide a mandate, the Spokesperson noted that there were a number of appropriate intergovernmental fora.
  

• The Secretary-General, Nesirky said, is reviewing the recommendations by the Panel. It is clear that this is a matter of international concern and that Member States will look at the report seriously, he added.
  

• Asked whether the Panel had been able to visit Sri Lanka, the Spokesperson said that it had not.
  

• Asked about the reaction from the Government of Sri Lanka, the Spokesperson said that the initial reaction has been negative. But the Government has also said it will provide carefully considered views, and we will be looking at those.
  

• The Government, Nesirky noted, has said it will continue to work with the Secretary-General in addressing post-conflict challenges including reconciliation and accountability.

SECRETARY-GENERAL HAS SPOKEN TO SYRIAN PRESIDENT, CONDEMNED VIOLENCE AGAINST PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS

• Asked about the violence in Syria, the Secretary-General has spoken twice to President Bashar al-Assad by phone about recent developments and had recently issued a statement condemning the ongoing violence against peaceful demonstrators in Syria and calling for it to stop immediately.
  

• He reminded the Syrian authorities of their obligation to respect international human rights, including the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as well as the freedom of the press.
  

• The Secretary-General reiterates that there should be an independent, transparent and effective investigation into the killings.
  

• The Spokesperson noted, in response to further questions, that it is the initial responsibility of the national authorities to conduct such an investigation.
  

• Asked about violence against Syrian security forces, the Spokesperson noted the importance of peaceful protest.

SECRETARY-GENERAL HAS CALLED FOR RESPECT OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS IN BAHRAIN

• Asked about rights in Bahrain, the Spokesperson said that, since the onset of the momentous events in the region, the Secretary-General has expressed a consistent and principled message calling for the respect of fundamental rights and freedoms and encouraging dialogue on genuine political, economic and social reform.
  

• With regard to the situation in Bahrain, the Secretary-General has called on the Bahraini authorities to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid excessive use of force. He has also emphasized that he expects the Bahraini authorities and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) security forces to act in accordance with relevant international norms and standards with regard to human rights and fundamental freedoms.
  

• The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has also expressed strong concerns about the human rights situation in Bahrain on several occasions. The Secretary-General has also been keeping a close eye on the situation.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR MAXIMUM RESTRAINT AT THAILAND-CAMBODIA BORDER

• In response to questions, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General is troubled by reports of renewed fighting between Cambodian and Thai troops along the two countries' common border. He had been encouraged by the initial signs of progress in regional efforts to strengthen bilateral mechanisms for dealing with the dispute between the two neighbours.
  

• The Secretary-General calls on both sides to exercise maximum restraint.

BAN KI-MOON HIGHLIGHTS NEEDS TO STRENGHTEN GLOBAL NUCLEAR SAFETY REGIME, ON 25^TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHERNOBYL

• In New York this morning, the Secretary-General rang the Peace Bell at UN Headquarters to mark the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. He also addressed the General Assembly, which was holding a special commemorative meeting.
  

• In a statement issued earlier, the Secretary-General says that, on the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the worst nuclear accident in history, we remember the heroism of the fire-fighters and other emergency workers; the plight of millions of people who were uprooted from the contaminated regions and those who are still living in the affected areas of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. Their sacrifices must never be forgotten; their suffering must never go unaddressed.

U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF CONCERNED OVER ATTACKS ON HUMANITARIAN WORKERS IN SOUTHERN SUDAN

• Valerie Amos, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, has expressed her deep concern about recent attacks on humanitarian workers in southern Sudan.
  

• Most recently, last Saturday, a humanitarian staff member from the World Food Programme was killed during an attack by armed assailants in Jonglei state. Ms. Amos said that her thoughts and deepest condolences go to his family.
  

• Ms. Amos also expressed grave concern for the safety of two staff from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) who remain missing after being forced to drive into an area of active conflict on 19 April. She called for their safe return.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES EXTENSION OF SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON NON-PROLIFERATION

• The Secretary-General welcomes the extension of the mandate of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) for ten years. Concerted international cooperation and action remains vital to the prevention of proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery to terrorists and other non-State actors.
  

• The Secretary-General will continue to give priority to disarmament and non-proliferation issues and is ready to work actively with the Security Council to promote international efforts to achieve the objectives of resolution 1540 (2004).

HEAD OF U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME BEGINS VISIT TO INDONESIA

• The Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Helen Clark, is starting a three-day trip to Indonesia to highlight the country’s development agenda over the next five years, with special focus on addressing environmental challenges and growth with social equity.
  

• On Wednesday, the Administrator will visit the central province of Kalimantan, known for its tropical forests, to talk to local officials and communities about their involvement in the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) project—a pilot initiative for a national plan. Last year the Governments of Norway and Indonesia signed a letter of Intent for more than $1 billion in grant funding to help protect Indonesia’s forests.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

BAN KI-MOON STRESSES NEED FOR CEASE-FIRE IN LIBYA: Asked about Libya, the Spokesperson emphasized the importance of an immediate cease-fire and access for humanitarian aid. He noted that the World Food Programme had been able to get supplies into Misrata but added that the amount of aid getting in was far from enough.

DARFUR MEDIATOR SAYS HE IS LEAVING POST: In response to a question, the Spokesperson said that the AU-UN Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Yipènè Bassolé has informed the United Nations that he has decided to accept the offer of appointment as Foreign Minister of Burkina Faso.