É«¿âTV

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 Konar¨¦, at which they discussed Darfur and the need to push forward with the dialogue among all parties there; the Comprehensive É«¿âTV 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 É«¿âTV 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 É«¿âTVkeeping Operations Jean-Marie Gu¨¦henno 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 welcomes the ratification of the Comprehensive-Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty 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 debate on the Middle East. 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 ¨C 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 Lebanon 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 É«¿âTVkeeping Operations Dmitry Titov will brief the Security Council in closed consultations about the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 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 Mission 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 (MONUC) 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, Katal¨¦, 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 condemned 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 (WTO).

• 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 ¨C 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 teamed 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 Holocaust 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 Messenger of É«¿âTV 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 É«¿âTV 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 É«¿âTV 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 É«¿âTVkeeping 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 (WFP), 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 Panel 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 Bolivia. 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.