HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MICHELE
MONTAS
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
U.N.
HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Friday, May
11,
2007
DARFUR: BOMBARDMENTS HAVE WORSENED
AN ALREADY DIRE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
The Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights has provided more information on the aerial
bombardments in North Darfur about which the Secretary-General had issued a
earlier
this week.
The High Commissioner’s
Office today reported that there were a series of attacks near El Fasher,
North Darfur, carried out between 19 and 29 April. The bombardments appeared
to have been indiscriminate and disproportionate, failing to distinguish
between military and civilian targets.
The disproportionate use
of force constitutes violations of international humanitarian and human rights
law. The Office went on to say the attacks were reportedly carried out with
helicopter gunships and Antonov aircraft. They resulted in numerous civilian
casualties and destruction of property, school buildings and livestock.
In one incident that was
cited by the Secretary-General in his statement, the school in the village of
Um Rai was struck by rockets fired from a Government helicopter. Some of the
170 pupils in the school at the time were injured in that particular attack.
Two civilians were killed in the attack on the village.
The Spokesman for the
Human Rights Office identified four other villages attacked during that period
and said more information was being gathered on those and their consequences.
What we do know, he said,
is that the attacks have contributed to an already critical humanitarian
situation, causing renewed displacement and spreading terror among the
civilian population.
Meanwhile, the Office of
the 山High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has
that its
Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie, and actor Brad Pitt have donated $1
million to provide humanitarian relief for those affected by the crisis in
Darfur. The money will be divided between UNHCR, the International Rescue
Committee and SOS Children’s Villages, an international non-governmental
organization.
SOMALIA:
U.N. ENVOY URGES RECONCILIATION
The Secretary-General’s
Special Representative for Somalia, François Lonseny Fall, is in Mogadishu
today for a series of
with key leaders and a visit to peacekeeping troops from the
African Union mission.
Fall held consultations
earlier today with President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Prime Minister Ali
Mohamed Gedi. He urged them to work toward an agreement on a cessation of
hostilities and to preserve the independence of the National Governance and
Reconciliation Committee in order to achieve genuine and inclusive
reconciliation. Fall then met with the chairman of the Reconciliation
Committee to survey preparations for the delayed reconciliation congress.
In all his meetings, Fall
stressed the Security Council’s concerns about the dire humanitarian
situation. Later, he will travel to the Puntland and Somaliland regions and
will seek, among others, to obtain the release of two aid workers abducted in
Puntland.
Still on Somalia, the
Office of the 山High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
that
people displaced by the recent fighting are gradually returning to Mogadishu.
Nevertheless, some have not been able to return to their homes because their
houses were destroyed by mortar shelling, or because of insecurity.
Meanwhile, UNHCR is
continuing to deliver relief supplies to the numerous families who remain in
the town of Afgooye, 30 kilometers away from Mogadishu. In the past weeks, it
has handed out plastic sheeting, mattresses, blankets and jerry cans to some
50,000 people there.
BAN
KI-MOON IS CONCERNED BY CHILD RECRUITMENT
IN SOMALIA & UGANDA
The Secretary-General’s
reports on in Somalia and Uganda are available today.
In the Somalia report, he
says the recruitment and use of child soldiers by Somalia’s Transitional
Federal Government and other armed groups is a significant concern.
In the Uganda
report, he urges the leaders of the Lord’s Resistance Army to take immediate
steps to end child recruitment and the use of child soldiers, and to
immediately release all children to child protection agencies.
Meanwhile, Radhika
Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and
Armed Conflict, briefed the Security Council’s working group on that topic
yesterday afternoon. She discussed her recent trip to the Middle East and
welcomed the group’s recommendations on Sri Lanka and Nepal.
HUMAN
RIGHTS CHIEF CALLS FOR UGANDA PARTIES TO REJECT IMPUNITY
High Commissioner for
Human Rights Louise Arbour today
the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to
reject impunity and uphold international standards during talks expected to
resume tomorrow in Juba, the capital of southern Sudan.
She recalled that
the International Criminal Court has issued warrants for the arrest of five
leaders of the LRA for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The High Commissioner also
appealed to the parties to commit to what she called a “victim-centered
consultative process.” That process would help to collect the opinions of all
concerned on the best way of delivering justice, and on an appropriate
mechanism for reconciliation.
Meanwhile, on the
humanitarian front, the World Food Programme today
it would
be able to restore rations for more than a million displaced Ugandans to
normal levels, following new donations.
MORE
THAN $20 MILLION NEEDED TO AID DISPLACED PERSONS IN CHAD
The United Nations today
a $23 million supplementary appeal to enhance international aid
to internally displaced persons in eastern Chad.
The Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that, over the past six months,
the number of internally displaced persons in that area has more than doubled
-- from less than 50,000 last November to some 140,000 today. That’s mainly
due to the growing insecurity in eastern Chad, which has been caused by
increasing violence and military activities.
This latest appeal will
cover the next three months.
DRAFT
RESOLUTION ON KOSOVO STATUS
TO BE CIRCULATED THIS AFTERNOON
The Security Council today
held consultations on Sierra Leone, in which it heard from the Executive
Representative for the 山Integrated Office in that country, Victor Angelo. He
briefed on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the Office.
Under other matters,
Council members received a new draft resolution concerning the mandate of the
山Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was circulated by
France.
Meanwhile, the Security
Council President, United States Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, announced to the
press that a draft resolution on Kosovo – sponsored by several European
members of the Council, Germany and the United States –will be circulated this
afternoon.
BAN
KI-MOON IS CONCERNED BY REPORTED
PLANNED ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS IN EAST JERUSALEM
The Secretary-General is
concerned about the media reports of plans for new settlement construction in
East Jerusalem. He and his senior advisers will discuss these reports with the
appropriate Israeli officials, and with Quartet members.
A halt to settlement
expansion is one of the basic obligations in Phase One of the Quartet’s
Roadmap. Furthermore East Jerusalem is occupied territory, and its ultimate
status is subject to negotiations between the parties.
ٱհ鳧’
WORK ON DPRK IS ONGOING
The
Spokeswoman, in response to a question, said that the External Board of
Auditors had not yet visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
and noted that, contrary to reports that they had been denied access, they had
not yet formally requested entry.
Montas
reiterated that the Auditors' report would go first to the Advisory Committee
on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) of the General Assembly.
Asked about
the auditors’ possible travels, she said that such trips would need to be
funded, with funds being approved by the ACABQ. The course of the
investigation was in the hands of the auditors, she added.
Asked about
the Secretary-General’s views on the DPRK’s cooperation with the auditors, she
said he would await the auditors’ report. She said he had not intervened in
their work.
Asked
whether the Secretariat had requested funding for the auditors, Montas said
that the process was not yet at that stage.
OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
UNITED NATIONS TO SEND
ASSESSMENT TEAM TO FLOOD-HIT URUGUAY:
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is mobilizing a Disaster
Assessment and Coordination team for deployment to
early next week. The worst flooding to hit the country in half a
century has driven some 12-thousand people from their homes. The situation is
expected to worsen when the flood waters reach low-lying areas.
BAN KI-MOON CLOSELY
FOLLOWING AFGHAN SECURITY SITUATION:
Asked about the Secretary-General’s reaction to recent aerial bombings in
Afghanistan, the Spokeswoman said that he is following the issue closely. She
later added that, in a last month, the Secretary-General expressed his deep concern at
the security situation throughout Afghanistan, which results in increasing
numbers of civilian casualties.
BAN KI-MOON TO DISCUSS
MIDDLE EAST WITH AMBASSADORS: Asked
about a meeting this afternoon between the Secretary-General and the ambassadors
of France, the United Kingdom and the United States, the Spokeswoman said the
meeting came at the request of the three Permanent Representatives. She said
that among the issues to be discussed would be Lebanon and other Middle East
questions.
LEBANON PLEDGES ARE NOT
UNDER U.N. CONTROL: Asked whether the
United Nations was following up to ensure that funds received by the Government
of Lebanon during a recent conference in Paris were not misspent, the
Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General had participated in the conference,
but had not organized it, and did not control the distribution of the money
pledged.
THE WEEK
AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS
[This document is for
planning purposes only and is subject to change.]
Sunday, May 13
High Commissioner for Human
Rights Louise Arbour begins a two-week visit to the Great Lakes region of
Africa. She will be in the Democratic Republic of the Congo until 18 May before
traveling on to Burundi and Rwanda.
Monday, May 14
From today through 24 May at
Headquarters, the 山Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues holds its Sixth
Session, focusing on the theme of “Territories, Lands and Natural Resources.”
The opening ceremony will be held at 11:00 a.m. in Conference Room 2.
At 1:15 p.m. in Room 226,
there will be a press conference by Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chairperson of
the Permanent Forum, and Ms. Ida Nicolaisen and Mr. Hassan Id Balkassm, members
of the Permanent Forum, on the opening of the Forum.
The three-week 38th
Session of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW) gets underway in Conference Room 4.
The 2007 Resumed Session of
the Economic and Social Council’s Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations
meets from today through Friday in Conference Room 1.
At 3 p.m. in Conference Room
D, there will be a presentation on “Integrity in reconstruction: Findings from
research in eight post-conflict countries”.
From 3 to 6 p.m. in
Conference Room 7, the Group of Least Developed Countries will meet at the
expert level to discuss its ministerial conference in Istanbul and other
matters.
King Albert II of Belgium is
scheduled to visit 山Headquarters today.
From today through 23 May in
Geneva, the World Health Organization holds its Sixtieth World Health Assembly.
From today through 18 May,
the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest
attainable standard of physical and mental health, Paul Hunt, will conduct an
official visit to Ecuador investigate the spraying of illicit crops along the
Ecuador-Colombia border.
From today through 18 May,
the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom
of opinion and expression, Mr. Ambeyi Ligabo, will visit Ukraine, at the
invitation of the Government.
From today through 18 May,
the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights
and impeding the exercise of the rights of peoples to self-determination will
conduct a fact-finding visit to Fiji, at the invitation of the interim
Government.
Tuesday, May 15
This morning, the Security
Council is scheduled to adopt a resolution on the 山Mission in the Democratic
of the Congo (MONUC).
Today is the International Day of Families. From
1:15 to 2:30 p.m. in Conference Room 4, there will be a panel discussion on
“Families and Persons with Disabilities”.
At 6:15 p.m. in the Visitor’s Lobby, there will
be an opening of an indigenous cultural exhibit timed to coincide with the UN
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, with performances by indigenous artists
from around the world.
Wednesday, May 16
This morning, the Security
Council is scheduled to hold a debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Organizational Committee
of the Peacebuilding Commission is scheduled to hold its 7th meeting
all day in the Economic and Social Council Chamber.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in
Conference Room 6, informal consultations are scheduled on the 山Population
Fund Strategic Plan and Related Matters. Consultations will continue tomorrow
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Conference Room 8.
The guest at the noon
briefing will be Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Under-Secretary-General for Management,
who will discuss the Capital Master Plan and the greening of the United Nations.
From 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. in
Conference Room 9, there will be an interactive dialogue on recent trends in
lands, territories and resources in Asia.
From 3 to 6 p.m. in Conference Room 7, a United
Nations University panel discussion on “Environmental refugees: The forgotten
migrants” is scheduled to take place.
From today through 25 May, the 山Special
Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental
freedoms while countering terrorism, Mr. Martin Scheinin, will visit the United
States of America, at the invitation of the Government.
Thursday, May 17
The General Assembly is
scheduled to elect 14 new members to the Human Rights Council.
Today is World
Telecommunication and Information Society Day. From 3 to 6 p.m. in the Economic
and Social Council Chamber, the Global Alliance for Information and
Communication Technologies and Development is scheduled to hold a special
commemorative event on “Tale of Two Worlds: Keeping Pace with a Moving Target”.
Today and tomorrow in
Vienna, the 山Office on Drugs and Crime is hosting a symposium on practical
measures to implement the United Nations global counter-terrorism strategy.
From today through 23 May in
Almaty, Kazakhstan, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
is scheduled to hold its 63rd Session.
At 3:30 p.m. in Room 226,
H.E. Ms. Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, will brief the press after her
meeting with the Secretary-General.
Friday, May 18
This morning, the Security
Council is scheduled to hold consultations on Côte d’Ivoire.
At 11 a.m. in Room 226,
there will be a press conference by the Save Africa Concerts Foundation, an NGO
that promotes HIV and AIDS awareness through entertainment and education.
From 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. in
Conference Room 2, the launching of the International Decade of the World’s
Indigenous People Final Report will take place.
Office of the Spokesman for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
