É«żâTV

Secretary-General

Noon briefing of 28 April 2008

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

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

Monday, April 28, 2008

BAN KI-MOON: MOUNTING LOSS OF LIFE IN AND AROUND GAZA
IS DEEPLY WORRYING

  • Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemns the loss of civilian life earlier today in Gaza, including the tragic deaths of a mother and four of her children.

  • The Secretary-General calls upon Israel to exercise maximum care and restraint, and reminds the Israeli Defense Forces of its responsibilities to protect civilians under international humanitarian law during its military operations.

  • The Secretary-General also condemns the ongoing attacks and rockets fired today against Israeli targets by Hamas.

  • He calls on Hamas and other militant groups to cease such acts of terrorism. He also reminds them that civilian areas within Gaza should not be used as a base from which to launch its actions.

  • The mounting loss of civilian life in and around Gaza is deeply worrying and the Secretary-General calls for an immediate calming of the situation.

  • And according to the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East É«żâTV Process (UNSCO), the Palestinian Petrol Association today delivered some 55,000 litres of diesel to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). That delivery will allow UNRWA, which has been unable to deliver food for the past three days, to resume its food deliveries for about six days.

  • Nevertheless, UNSCO says that today’s delivery does not address the wider humanitarian situation in Gaza. Specifically, the fuel issue is affecting the transportation of doctors to hospitals, and teachers and students to schools.

  • Crops are not being irrigated, and cooking gas shortages have forced 20 of 47 bakeries in Gaza to shut down. In addition, the entire sardine season will be lost if more diesel is not brought in.

  • According to UNSCO, the Petrol Association is seeking a commitment from the Government of Israel for sufficient supplies, so that it can prepare an appropriate distribution plan and all services in Gaza can resume.

BAN KI-MOON CONDEMNS ATTACK ON AFGHAN PRESIDENT

  • In a statement issued from Bern, Switzerland, yesterday, the Secretary-General condemned in the strongest terms the attack against Afghan President Hamid Karzai that occurred at a victory parade in Kabul, which resulted in the deaths of two members of parliament and injuries to nine other bystanders.

  • The Secretary-General said that this attack against the legitimate institutions of the Afghan state and the Afghan people is unacceptable.

  • He expressed again the United Nations’ support for the reconstruction of Afghanistan through legitimate state institutions, in a manner that addresses the needs of the most vulnerable and that provides both justice and security.

  • The Secretary-General congratulated the Afghan security forces for reacting quickly to the attack, preventing further loss of life, and protecting the Afghan officials and foreign diplomats attending the event.

LEBANON: BAN KI-MOON REGRETS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DELAY

  • The Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council on the implementation of resolution 1559, concerning Lebanon, is out as a document today.

  • In it, the Secretary-General notes the continuation of the country’s severe political crisis, centred on the failure to elect a President.

  • He says that the Lebanese people have a unique opportunity to open a new chapter in their difficult history. They must rise to this occasion and elect a President without any conditions beyond those prescribed by the Constitution.

  • He regrets that, despite the numerous calls of the Lebanese people and the international community, such an election has still not been held, and he commends and supports the tireless efforts of Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa over the past few months.

  • The Secretary-General also continues to be deeply disturbed by the series of political assassinations and attempted assassinations in Lebanon.

UNITED NATIONS IS PLAYING ENHANCED ROLE IN IRAQ

  • The Security Council heard in an open meeting today from Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe, who had recently visited .

  • He told the Council that, despite improvements in security, the Government of Iraq continues to face formidable challenges to the process of national reconciliation.

  • Pascoe said that it is imperative that Iraqi leaders maintain the recent positive momentum and take further steps to resolve fundamental issues that continue to divide Iraqis, such as the sharing of natural resources and an agreement on the federal structure of the Iraqi state.

  • While taking strict measures to deal with the security situation, he added, the United Nations is playing an enhanced role in Iraq.

  • The Secretary-General has increased the UN presence in Baghdad to 140 and in Erbil to 40 international staff. In addition, the United Nations has re-established its presence in Basra and is contemplating an expansion of the UN presence to Najaf, Ramadi and Kirkuk.

  • Pascoe told the Council, “I returned from my Iraq visit absolutely convinced that the United Nations is doing its best.”

  • In addition to the open meeting on Iraq, Security Council members are discussing Somalia today in closed consultations.

BAN KI-MOON LEADS U.N. SYSTEM SESSION ON RISING FOOD PRICES

  • The Secretary-General is in Bern, Switzerland, where he is convening the spring session of the Chief Executives Board (CEB) that brings together the heads of the UN system. Today, he is leading talks that are focusing on the crisis in rising food prices; the safety and security of UN personnel; and climate change.

  • Speaking at a panel in Vienna last Friday, the Secretary-General underscored the importance of dealing with the food crisis, warning that, if we do not address this issue, we will lose the capacity to address global warming and will not be able to realize the . “This has been a global challenge, so we need to address it in a collective way—globally,” he said.

  • Later today, the Secretary-General will meet with the President of the Swiss Confederation, Pascal Couchepin.

  • Tomorrow, at 9:00 a.m. local time, the Secretary-General will give a press conference in Bern.

  • Asked about concrete results from the CEB meeting, the Spokeswoman noted the Tuesday press conference, and said that a plan of action would soon be presented.

  • The Secretary-General, she said, was aware that the food crisis was too big for one agency to handle, which is why he had brought the matter to the attention of the current gathering of 27 agencies, funds and programmes.

CONGOLESE MILITIA LEADER’S TRIAL IS A CRUCIAL STEP
IN FIGHT AGAINST IMPUNITY

  • The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, is visiting the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. She is following up on an “amicus curiae” brief that she filed last month in relation to the case of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

  • Lubanga, the founder and leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots, will be tried before the ICC for the conscription and enlistment of children under the age of 15 and the use of children for active participation in hostilities.

  • Coomaraswamy said Lubanga’s trial represents a crucial step in the fight against impunity and will have a decisive deterrent effect against perpetrators of this outrageous crime against humanity.

HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF IS ALARMED BY VIOLENCE IN ZIMBABWE

  • On Zimbabwe, High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour yesterday said that she was alarmed by reports of continuing violence in the aftermath of the elections.

  • She called for political leaders to restrain their supporters and clearly renounce the use of threats, intimidation and violence against opponents.

  • She said she was particularly concerned by reports of violence against non-governmental organizations, election monitors, human rights defenders and other representatives of civil society.

  • Arbour called on the Government of Zimbabwe and its legitimate security forces to discharge their lawful responsibilities in a non-partisan manner.

SECURITY COUNCIL REQUESTS BRIEFING ON ZIMBABWE

  • Asked about a Security Council briefing on Zimbabwe, the Spokeswoman said that the situation in Zimbabwe will be discussed in the Council’s consultation on Tuesday, under “other matters”, in response to a request from the Council.

  • Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe is expected to brief Council members.

SOARING ENERGY COSTS TAKING A TOLL ON THE WORLD’S POOR

  • In his message to the Ministerial Segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission’s annual session, the Secretary-General stressed that soaring energy costs are taking a toll on the poor around the world who “pay a much higher price” in human suffering.

  • He recalled that the victims pay the price through failing health, lost opportunities for education or employment, especially for girls and women, and degraded environment.

  • The Secretary-General urged members to find innovative ways to promote the efficient use of energy, better energy management, cleaner production and consumption, changes in lifestyle, and the wider use of renewable energy.

WEST AFRICAN FARMERS ARE TRAINED IN USING CLIMATE DATA

  • The World Meteorological Organization () is launching a programme to train more than 10,000 West African farmers to use climate information to improve their harvests.

  • WMO is organizing roving one-day seminars in villages in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. The one-day sessions will focus on weather and climate risk management, as well as the sustainable use of natural resources in agricultural production. WMO will also distribute low-cost rain gauges as part of the program.

  • Meanwhile, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is making available up to $200 million to help poor farmers improve their yields, as they prepare for the upcoming growing season.

REPORT ON U.N. PEACEKEEPERS IN D.R. CONGO IS MISLEADING

  • Asked about a BBC report alleging smuggling by UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Spokeswoman said that the BBC report raises serious issues concerning misconduct by UN peacekeeping forces in the DRC. The United Nations takes these issues very seriously.

  • While the UN takes these allegations very seriously, Okabe said, UN peacekeeping’s view is that the report is misleading and neglects to mention a number of important factors.

  • For example, she said, the BBC report is based on old allegations dating back 2-3 years which have been investigated by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS).

  • Much of the new information presented by the report is either hearsay or comes from sources such as militia leaders whose integrity and motivation are highly questionable, as they themselves were arrested and put in prison by MONUC peacekeepers, Okabe said.

  • The Spokeswoman said that the direct implication that senior UN officials are involved in a cover-up concerning these allegations is untrue.

  • The allegation that the UN covered up claims that its peacekeepers trafficked in weapons because of political sensitivities is false, she said, noting that UN Headquarters is following up with the Member States in question regarding disciplinary action they have taken on the basis of OIOS investigations.

  • The report implies that UN investigations into the allegations against the peacekeepers have intentionally been withheld from member states. This is not true, Okabe said.

  • The OIOS investigations found cases of misconduct by handful of individuals, but no evidence of systemic wrongdoing and no evidence of arms trafficking, she added. The allegations of gold trafficking concerned three individuals. One has to be careful not to smear whole countries or contingents of the UN as a whole on basis of action by individuals.

  • She noted that a letter from Under-Secretary-General for É«żâTVkeeping Operations Jean Marie GuĂ©henno to the BBC was being made available in response to the report.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UNIFIL REPORTS INCIDENTS PROMPTLY AND FACTUALLY: Asked about recent reports alleging that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had downplayed or declined to report on recent incidents in Lebanon, the Spokeswoman said that, according to UNIFIL, the media reports inaccurately represent the way in which UNIFIL operates and repeat factual inaccuracies. UNIFIL says that it follows standard response procedures that includes immediate action necessary to address the situation on the ground, promptly informing the parties, both the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and coordinating actions with them where required. She later added that the established procedure was duly followed by UNIFIL in the case of the 30/31 March incident, which was promptly and factually reported. She noted that she had mentioned that incident in press briefings last week.

PEACE-BUILDING FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR GUINEA-BISSAU: The Secretary-General has announced the first disbursement from the É«żâTVbuilding Fund for projects in Guinea-Bissau. Six million dollars will go to fund Guinea-Bissau’s Interim Priority Plan, which includes projects in the areas of security sector reform, judiciary police, youth employment and the upcoming legislative elections. The Fund is expected to make further disbursements to Guinea-Bissau once an integrated peacebuilding strategy is adopted in the coming months.

DISABILITIES BODY MOURNS DEATH OF EXPERT: It is with deep sadness that the Secretariat for the Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities announces the death of UN disability expert Thomas Schindlmayr, who passed away on Saturday after a long illness. He battled this illness with great strength, a quality that he brought to everything he did and accomplished.