HIGHLIGHTS OF
THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
Wednesday,
January 30, 2008
SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH AFRICAN LEADERS AHEAD OF SUMMIT
The Secretary-General is in Addis Ababa today, where he
will address the African Union summit tomorrow. This afternoon, he met with
some of the leaders gathered for that summit to discuss issues of mutual
interest.
He began those meetings with a working luncheon with
African Union Commission Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konaré, at which they discussed
and the need to push forward with the dialogue among all parties
there; the Comprehensive AV Agreement between North and South Sudan; the
situation between Chad and Sudan; and Kenya. On Kenya, they agreed that the
African Union and United Nations should support the current efforts by former
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
After that, the Secretary-General met for about an hour
and a half with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, and they agreed on the need
to accelerate the deployment of the African Union-UN hybrid operation (),
and the finalization of the status of forces agreement for UNAMID. The
Secretary-General also stressed the need to engage with the parties in Darfur
and to move forward on the Comprehensive AV Agreement.
Later today, the Secretary-General is also scheduled to
meet separately with three African Presidents: John Kufuor of Ghana, Omar
Bongo of Gabon and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
Tomorrow afternoon, he intends to hold a press conference
in Addis.
Asked whether the Secretary-General would travel to
Kenya, the Spokeswoman said she could not confirm those reports. Any further
information could come from the Secretary-General’s Thursday press conference
in Addis, she added.
She noted that the Secretary-General has been focused on
dealing with Kenya, and has been in touch with former Secretary-General Annan.
In Addis Ababa, he has also been contacting a wide range of leaders on the
issue.
Asked about the discussion with President Bashir on the
status of forces agreement for UNAMID, Okabe noted that
Under-Secretary-General for Jean-Marie Guéhenno has been in Khartoum and is
now in Addis Ababa to expedite agreement on the status of forces.
BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES COLOMBIA’S
RATIFICATION OF NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY
The Secretary-General in his capacity as Depositary of
the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
the
ratification of the Comprehensive-Nuclear-Test-Ban
by the
Government of Colombia on 29 January 2008.
Colombia is one of the 44 States listed in Annex 2 of the
Treaty, the ratification of which is essential for the entry into force of the
Treaty.
This brings the number of ratifications of the Treaty to
144, including 35 ratifications of the Annex 2 States.
VIOLENCE UNDERMINING ANNAPOLIS PEACE
PROCESS
The Security Council is currently holding an open
on
the
. Briefing Council members, Under-Secretary-General for
Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe said that recent events underscore the gap
between “the aspirations of the political process and the grim realities of
the situation on the ground.”
He added that continued efforts over the past month to
progress along the Annapolis track were overshadowed by an intensification of
violence in Gaza and southern Israel – which was combined with periods of
total closure of the Gaza Strip and increased humanitarian suffering and
violations of human rights.
“The crisis adds new urgency to the proposal of the
Palestinian Authority to operate the Gaza crossings,” Pascoe said. Reiterating
the Secretary-General’s strong support for these proposals, he welcomed the
recent Arab League and European Council resolutions to that end.
Pascoe also said the UN supports Egypt’s continuing
efforts to find a peaceful and orderly solution along its border with Gaza.
While noting that levels of violence have been
significantly reduced in the past week in Gaza and southern Israel, Pascoe
said the UN remains concerned that 77 rockets and mortars were fired in the
last week by Palestinian militants, and that there were also four Israeli
incursions and air strikes on Gaza.
Referring to today’s decision by Israel's Supreme Court,
which declared legal the reductions to Gaza’s fuel and electricity supply,
Pascoe reminded the Council of the Secretary-General’s previously stated
concern that the 1.4 million residents of Gaza should not be punished for the
unacceptable actions of militants and extremists.
Pascoe also expressed continuing UN concern over the
presidential vacuum in
and the recent grave security incidents in that country.
“Lebanon's leaders must act now to find a way to bridge their positions and
return the country to normal political activity,” he said.
Asked about the Security Council’s inability to agree on
a Presidential Statement on Gaza, the Spokeswoman noted that the
Secretary-General’s views on the situation in Gaza had been conveyed to the
Council today by his senior-most political official.
SECURITY COUNCIL TO BE BRIEFED ON
DEVELOPMENTS IN KENYA
This afternoon at 3:00, Assistant Secretary-General for
AVkeeping Operations Dmitry Titov will brief the Security Council in closed
consultations about the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the
Congo ().
Those consultations may be followed by a formal meeting on the DRC.
Also in consultations, Council members expect to hear a
briefing under other matters on Kenya, from Under-Secretary-General for
Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe.
Later this afternoon, the Security Council also expects
to vote on a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN
in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
U.N. SETTING UP MOBILE BASES IN EASTERN
D.R. CONGO TO PROTECT CIVILIANS
The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ()
is deploying new mobile bases in eight towns in eastern Congo’s North Kivu
province, as part of its effort to support the acts of engagement that were
agreed upon recently in Goma. Those mobile bases will be used to protect the
civilian population and to monitor the application of the cease-fire.
The new bases are to be located in Rwanguba, Rugari,
Kahira, Nyamilima, Karambi, Katalé, Mohito and Karuba.
MONUC also reports an exchange of fire on Monday in the
Masisi territory in North Kivu between forces loyal to General Laurent Nkunda
and elements of the Congolese Patriotic Resistance. MONUC forces sent patrols
to the area to stabilize the situation.
NEPAL: U.N. ENVOY CONDEMNS BOMBINGS OF
POLITICAL RALLIES
The
Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Nepal, Mr. Ian Martin, today
in the strongest terms the bomb attack during a political rally
promoting the Constituent Assembly election in Birgunj as well as bombings and
threats to other recent rallies.
Adding that violence and intimidation have
no place in a democratic transition, and in particular in Nepal’s Constituent
Assembly election process, Martin stressed that political differences must be
resolved through peaceful means.
Martin also urged that acts of terror will
discredit any cause claimed by the bombers and expressed hope for those
responsible to be identified and brought to justice.
WORLD
TOURISM AT RECORD HIGH
World tourism continued to set
records in 2007, according to the latest figures from the World Tourism
Organization ().
The WTO says international
arrivals grew by more than six percent last year, to nearly 900 million
people. Fast growth in emerging markets and developing economies is driving
the increase, and demonstrates tourism’s potential for the developing world,
WTO says.
Europe remained the top
destination, with more than 50 percent of international tourist arrivals. But
the Middle East – led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt -- saw the greatest percentage
growth (+13%). Meanwhile, Asia and the Pacific region also saw strong growth
(+10%), with Malaysia and Cambodia posting nearly 20 percent increases above
their long-term averages.
WTO says the outlook for
tourism in 2008 remains good, although this could be affected by the
volatility in the world economy, global imbalances and high oil prices.
U.N.
JOINS SUSTAINABLE COCOA FARMING INITIATIVE
The UN Development Programme (UNDP)
has
up with the British chocolate maker Cadbury and the Government of
Ghana to promote sustainable cocoa farming.
As part of the multi-million
dollar initiative, Cadbury will invest in small farming communities, helping
farmers to increase yields and produce top-quality beans. UNDP will help
determine how best to spend the money, which will also be used to provide
support for businesses and community projects ranging from schools and
libraries to wells for clean water.
Cadbury eventually plans to
expand the project to India, Indonesia and the Caribbean.
U.N. PERMANENT HOLOCAUST EXHIBIT TO BE
UNVEILED TONIGHT
The Department of Public Information will unveil a new
exhibit at 6:00 this evening on the third floor of the Conference Building.
This Headquarters exhibit will present an overview of the tragedy of the
Holocaust in the context of World War II and the founding of the United
Nations. It will also highlight the role of the UN in helping to promote human
rights and prevent genocide.
The speakers tonight will include
Deputy-Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, Under-Secretary-General for
Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka, Israeli Ambassador Dan
Gillerman, and a representative from the Office of the Special Adviser on the
Prevention of Genocide.
NEW U.N.
MESSENGER OF PEACE GEORGE CLOONEY TO VISIT U.N. TOMORROW
Filmmaker, actor and human
rights activist George Clooney will visit United Nations Headquarters for the
first time as a United Nations
on 31 January 2008. His parents, Nina and Nick Clooney, will accompany him.
In the morning, he will meet
with the Deputy Secretary-General, who will present him with the United
Nations Messenger of AV certificate and dove pin, as is the tradition with
all newly-designated Messengers. Kiyo Akasaka, United Nations
Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, who is the
focal point for the Messengers of AV and Goodwill Ambassador Programmes for
the United Nations system, and Ms. Jane Holl Lute, United Nations Assistant
Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of the Department of Field Support,
will take part in the ceremony.
To lend his support to United
Nations peacekeeping efforts, Mr. Clooney will make a statement to the meeting
of troop contributors, which will be chaired by Major General Per Arne Five,
Acting Military Adviser (Norway). During the meeting, Assistant
Secretary-General Lute will brief Member States on the start-up operations of
UNAMID, the joint African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur;
MINURCAT, the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad;
and MONUC, the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo.
Following that meeting, Mr.
Clooney will take part in a press conference from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in
room S-226. He is expected to share his impressions on his visit to Darfur,
Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he accompanied Assistant
Secretary-General Lute on her recent technical mission. The team also
traveled to India, the third largest Troop Contributing Country, which has
more than 9,300 uniformed personnel serving in United Nations AVkeeping
Operations.
FOOD AGENCY FEEDING MORE THAN 800,000 PEOPLE IN HAITI
In response to a
question on reports that some people in Haiti are eating dirt, the Spokeswoman
said she had no independent confirmation of the reports.
She highlighted
the efforts by the World Food Programme (),
which annually supports more than 800,000 people in Haiti by providing
assistance to primary schoolchildren and improving the nutritional and health
status of vulnerable people.
Okabe said that
WFP is the main actor in school feeding, providing a daily meal to more than
300,000 pupils in some 700 primary schools. It also supports anemic mothers,
underweight children under 5, people living with HIV/AIDS, and those suffering
from tuberculosis. In addition, she added, WFP provides food-for-work
activities.
OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
SECRETARY-GENERAL NAMES FIFTH EXPERT TO DARFUR SANCTIONS
PANEL: In a letter to the President of the Security Council on the Sudan
of
Experts, which helps to monitor Darfur sanctions, the Secretary-General says
that he has appointed a fifth expert to serve on the Panel until October 2008.
With the addition of the new expert, Patrick Schneider of Germany, the Panel is
now at its full strength of five members. The Security Council decided last
September to extend the Panel’s mandate until 15 October 2008.
U.N. ENVOY ARRIVES IN NEW DELHI TO DISCUSS MYANMAR:
The Special Adviser of the Secretary-General, Ibrahim Gambari, has arrived in
New Delhi where he will continue consultations with senior Government
interlocutors in the context of the Secretary-General's good offices mandate for
Myanmar. Over the next two days, Mr. Gambari is scheduled to meet with
Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari; Foreign Minister Pranab Mukerjee, and
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon.
U.N. HELPING THOSE AFFECTED BY
BOLIVIA FLOODS: The World Food Programme ()
is currently providing assistance to nearly 40,000 people affected by recent
floods in
. WFP plans to start giving food to another 25,000 people in the
near future. Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) has allocated US$40,000 in emergency cash grants for humanitarian
operations.
Office of the Spokesperson for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
