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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

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BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

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U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

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Friday, April 24, 2009

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TOP
HUMANITARIAN OFFICIAL TO VISIT SRI LANKA OVER WEEKEND;

SECURITY
COUNCIL URGES SRI LANKA TO EXTEND SUPPORT TO U.N. MISSION, ALLOW ACCESS TO
DISPLACED

• The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs
  and Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, will travel to Sri Lanka
  tomorrow for a three-day mission.
  ��

• There, he will discuss issues of pressing importance
  with the Government of Sri Lanka, including the need for the Government to
  actively facilitate humanitarian missions to the conflict area, access to
  those displaced persons at screening centers, the release of �山����staff
  members detained in camps, and the humanitarian response to the situation in
  the camps for Internally Displaced Persons.
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• Meanwhile, Neil Buhne, the �山����Humanitarian and Resident
  Coordinator in Sri Lanka, is scheduled to travel to Jaffna in northern Sri
  Lanka today. He will be leading the �山����mission to the conflict zone referred
  to by the Secretary-General yesterday.
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• [In remarks to the press, the Security Council
  President, Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller, later urged the government of
  Sri Lanka to extend all necessary support to the �山����mission, to allow the UN
  and ICRC access to all sites where displaced persons are being registered
  and provided with shelter, and to fulfill their commitments with regard to
  facilitating humanitarian access.]
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• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
  (OCHA) says that the humanitarian situation in the Vanni continues to be
  critical. Civilian casualties have been tragically high, and their suffering
  horrendous. Fighting continues to be reported.
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• Civilians remaining in the conflict zone, which we
  estimate at least 50,000 are in extreme peril.
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• The security situation in the conflict zone has not
  allowed for humanitarian assistance to be delivered since 1st April 2009.
  However 30 metric tons is planned for delivery today.
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• The United Nations continues to be concerned about
  malnutrition and health issues, and injuries for people still in the
  conflict zone and the evacuees.��
  ��

• The United Nations is also very concerned about
  overcrowding in the camps, and is continuing to work with the government to
  identify new sites and advocating that IDPs be allowed to go to host
  families.��
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• Meanwhile, the �山����High Commissioner for Refugees is
  to
  ramp up its already sizeable humanitarian operations in Sri Lanka to address
  the needs of tens of thousands of people displaced by the recent fighting in
  the north-east of the country. Plans include an emergency airlift of 5,000
  family tents and other aid items from the refugee agency's regional
  stockpile in Dubai to the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, for use in some 38
  camps in and around the towns of Vavuniya, Jaffna and Trincomalee. At a
  later press conference, Amin Awad, the UNHCR Representative in Sri Lanka,
  on the
  humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka.
  ��

• The Spokeswoman said, in response to a question, that
  although reported casualty figures are unverified numbers, �山����humanitarian
  officials have noted that the numbers being reported appear to be a
  reasonable estimate.

UNITED NATIONS CONDEMNS BACK-TO-BACK
BOMBINGS IN IRAQ

• Secretary-General Ban K-moon condemns the
  appalling suicide bombings since yesterday in Baghdad and Diyala, which
  reportedly killed at least 140 people including a large number of visiting
  Iranian pilgrims. He expresses his deepest condolences to the families of
  the victims. The Secretary-General is particularly dismayed by reports that
  one of the bombers was a woman accompanied by a five-year-old child. No
  cause or grievance can justify such reprehensible acts.

  The Secretary-General joins the people of Iraq in rejecting these attempts
  to incite further violence in the country. He reiterates the United Nations’
  commitment to supporting Iraq in the efforts to achieve lasting peace and
  national reconciliation.
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• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for
  has also strongly condemned yesterday’s and today’s bombings in
  Baghdad. Staffan de Mistura said these attacks on pilgrims and others are
  horrific crimes against civilians, some of whom had gathered at a food aid
  distribution center when they were killed. De Mistura said he is concerned
  at the spike in such criminal attacks in recent weeks. He added, however,
  that he is confident that the Iraqi people will remain united in their
  resolve to combat violence.

��SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS OPEN MEETING ON
SITUATION IN CHAD

• The Security Council this morning held an
  open meeting on the situation in Chad and the Central African Republic. They
  then held consultations on the same subject followed by other matters.
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• During the open meeting, Council members
  heard a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations
  Edmund Mulet. Mulet said that the �山����peacekeeping force in that region is
  now halfway to its full strength after much difficulty generating troops at
  short notice. He said it’s now crucial for member states to contribute the
  necessary equipment for the force. Mulet said the Mission has received
  pledges for just 6 out of the required 18 military helicopters.
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• He also noted that the humanitarian situation in
  northeastern Chad remains worrisome. Some 250,000 Sudanese refugees, 160 000
  IDPs and 700 000 local civilians were entirely dependent on humanitarian
  assistance, he said.

����DURBAN REVIEW CONFERENCE CLOSES WITH
SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME

• The anti-racism Durban Review Conference
  in
  Geneva today, after hearing statements from a number of non-governmental
  organizations.
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• In a closing press conference, High Commissioner for
  Human Rights Navi Pillay called the final outcome a “good document.” She
  also stressed that, since day one of her tenure as High Commissioner, she
  had been committed to the Durban Review Conference – despite having to face
  a widespread, highly-organized disinformation campaign.
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• Pillay reiterated that it was unfortunate that a few
  States had disengaged from the process. But she noted that they could still
  add their countries’ names to the list of 182 States that did adopt the
  outcome document.

UNITED NATIONS MARKS 23^RD
ANNIVERSARY OF CHERNOBYL

• Four �山����agencies today marked the 23rd anniversary of
  the Chernobyl nuclear accident by launching a new programme, which is
  designed to meet the priority information needs of affected communities in
  Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine.
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• The three-year initiative aims to translate the latest
  scientific information on the consequences of the accident into sound
  practical advice for residents of the affected territories. The
  participating agencies are the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
  the �山����Development Programme (UNDP), UNICEF, and the World Health
  Organization (WHO).
  ��

• According to Helen Clark, UNDP’s Administrator and the
  �山����Coordinator of International Cooperation on Chernobyl, people need sound
  information to make good decisions. And translating science into accurate,
  practical advice will help people live safely and productively in
  Chernobyl-affected areas, ease their fears, and contribute to bringing the
  region back to normal.
  ��

• UNDP adds that the current Chernobyl response also
  provides a good example of �山����agencies working together, in the spirit of
  “Delivering as One.”�� We have more on that upstairs.

BAN KI-MOON AND
BILL CLINTON TO RECEIVE REPORT ON LESSONS LEARNED ON 2004 TSUNAMI

• This afternoon, the Secretary-General and his Special
  Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, former US President Bill Clinton, will receive a
  report on the lessons learned during the 2004 tsunami.
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• Delegations from India, Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka
  and Thailand will present country experiences on “The Tsunami Legacy:
  Innovation, Breakthroughs and Change.”
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• The Secretary-General is expected to underline the
  importance of crisis response to natural disasters through foresight and
  advanced planning – not just emergency relief. He is also expected to note
  that measures such as good building designs, proper land-use planning,
  public education, community preparedness and effective early warning systems
  can reduce the impact of severe weather events.��

��TOMORROW IS WORLD MALARIA DAY

• Tomorrow is World Malaria Day. In a message to mark the
  occasion, the Secretary-General says tomorrow is more than a commemoration –
  it is a time to rally our forces to stop the disease. He also warns that, in
  this time of economic crisis, we must protect investments in global health
  and not allow malaria to resurge.
  ��

• There are now just over 600 days remaining until 31
  December 2010, the Secretary-General’s deadline for all endemic countries to
  achieve universal coverage with essential malaria control interventions. And
  there have been major signs of progress towards that goal.
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• According to UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman, “We
  are, for the first time in history, poised to make malaria a rare cause of
  death and disability.” Pointing to a new
  by her agency and other partners, called “Malaria and Children,”
  she notes that endemic African countries received enough nets between 2004
  and 2008 to cover more than 40 per cent of their at-risk populations.
  ��

• At the same time, however, Veneman stresses that
  malaria still kills some one million people each year, most of them children
  in Africa.

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OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

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HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS WORSENING IN DR
CONGO: Humanitarian conditions are
in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the
�山����Refugee Agency. UNHCR estimates that 100,000 civilians in North Kivu have
fled raids by Rwandan rebels in recent months. They are unable to return to
their homes for fear of further attacks by the Democratic Forces for the
Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).�� UNHCR says the rebels are engaged in a
house-to-house terror campaign in the region around Goma. This month alone they
torched some 360 homes, and killed scores, including children.

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HIGH-LEVEL CONFERENCE ON RELIABLE AND
STABLE TRANSIT ENERGY HELD THIS WEEK: The Under-Secretary General for
Economic and Social Affairs, Sha Zukang, is this week in Turkmenistan, where he
is representing the Secretary-General at a High-level conference on "Reliable
and Stable Transit of Energy and its Role in Ensuring Sustainable Development
and International Cooperation."�� In his address to the conference, he said that
the ultimate goal of stable and reliable transit of energy, whether for trade or
consumption, was to ensure continued progress towards sustainable development.
He added that in that regard, access to clean, reliable and affordable sources
of energy was vital. The Under-Secretary-General noted that with proper energy
management, economic development could be boosted and effectively safeguarded
against future crisis.

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WORLD
TELECOMMUNICATION POLICY FORUM WRAPS UP TODAY IN LISBON: Turning to the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), its World Telecommunication Policy
Forum is wrapping up today in Lisbon, Portugal. Among the initiatives
today by ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré was a new
international e-school project that will include the dissemination of laptops to
children in developing countries. In addition, Forum attendees stressed the need
for a “digital Marshall Plan,” that would extend broadband access to every
corner of the planet. Touré also noted that there is now widespread recognition
that information and communication technologies will play a vital role in
powering economic growth and creating jobs.

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SECRETARY-GENERAL JOINS FOOTBALL EVENT TO SUPPORT PEOPLE
TORN APART BY ARMED CONFLICT: Tomorrow, the Secretary-General plans to
attend a charity soccer match between �山����Ambassadors. Organized jointly by the
Permanent Missions of Chile and the Principality of Liechtenstein to the United
Nations, each team player is sponsored by an individual or an organization, and
will make a donation to benefit the organization "Play31".

Play31 uses the power of soccer -- or football -- to bring
together people who have been torn apart by armed conflict. By donating
footballs and facilitating community gatherings, Play31 helps to create peaceful
societies where children can exercise their right to play. Play31 was founded on
the basis of Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which
stipulates that every child has the right to play. Radhika Coomaraswamy, the
Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, will
also attend that match.

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***The guest at the noon briefing was Radhika
Coomaraswamy, Special Representative for the Secretary-General for Children and
Armed Conflict. She presented the latest Annual Report of the Secretary-General
on the situation of children and armed conflict, and brief on her recent trip to
the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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��THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS[1]
25 April – 1 May 2009

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Saturday, 25 April

Today
is World Malaria Day.

The
Permanent Missions of Chile and Liechtenstein to the United Nations are jointly
organizing a fundraiser soccer match to benefit the organization Play31, which
brings together people who have been torn apart by conflict through this sport.
The Secretary-General is expected to attend the soccer match.

Sunday, 26 April

Today
marks the 23^rd anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Monday, 27 April

This morning, the Security Council will hold a briefing and
hold consultations on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in
Darfur (UNAMID).

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Today, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC) will host a meeting with the Bretton Woods Institution, WTO and
UNCTAD, in the ECOSOC Chamber. More than 100 high-level officials are expected
to attend, including ministers of finance, economy, development cooperation, and
central bank governors. Also expected are a number of Executive Directors of the
Bank and the Fund. This meeting follows the 25-26 April Bretton Woods Spring
Meetings in Washington DC.

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Tuesday, 28 April

The Security Council will hold consultations on the
United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (ONUCI) and on Côte d’Ivoire
sanctions.

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From 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the ECOSOC Chamber, there
will be a powhiri, a traditional Maori ceremony, to welcome the new UNDP
Administrator, Helen Clark. Deputy-Secretary-General of the United Nations
Asha-Rose Migiro and UNDP Associate Administrator Ad Melkert will also be
present.

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Today and tomorrow, the
U.N. Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the �山����Population Fund
(UNFPA) and the MacArthur Foundation hold the Migration and Development Seminar
Series to discuss the role and inclusion of diasporas in formal peacebuilding
processes.

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Wednesday, 29 April

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The Security Council will hold an open debate on children
and armed conflict.

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At 1p.m. in Room-S226, Carlos Lopes,
Assistant-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR and William Lacy
Swing, Director-General of IOM, discuss the Migration and Development Seminar
Series.

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Thursday, 30 April

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The Security Council will meet to adopt resolutions on the
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the
United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS).

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Friday, 1 May

Today, the Russian Federation will assume the rotating
presidency of the Security Council for the month of May.

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