HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Wednesday, December
12, 2007
IN VIDEO ADDRESS TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BAN KI-MOON
SAYS
ALGERIA ATTACK WILL NOT DETER WORK OF UNITED NATIONS
Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon this morning by video link to the General Assembly to express his shock and
outrage at yesterday’s attack on the UN offices in Algiers, which he called a
despicable strike against individuals serving humanity's highest ideals under
the UN banner.
He said that we are still
counting the dead, tending to the wounded, and looking for the missing, and
added, “My heart goes out to the victims. Their sacrifice cannot and shall
not be forgotten.”
The Secretary-General
called on the General Assembly to stand united, and he asserted, “We must all
condemn this deed, just as we must work, together, to bring its vile
perpetrators to justice.”
He also said that "our brave men and women continue their
difficult and dangerous work, Our mission has been, and will always be, to
help those most in need."
The General Assembly also
paid a moment of silence in honor of those who died and were injured in the
attack.
Yesterday we provided
preliminary casualty figures, and we have available now a list of nine UN
staff who are confirmed to have died in yesterday’s car bomb attack and whose
families have been notified. These include staff from the International Labour
Organization, the UN Refugee Agency, the World Food Programme, the UN
Development Programme, the UN Population Fund and the Department of Safety and
Security.
Rescue efforts yesterday
helped to remove two UN staff alive from the rubble, and both are now
receiving medical treatment.
At this point, hopes for
finding any more survivors in the rubble have dimmed, and the local
authorities have started to use heavy machinery to clear the site.
The Secretary-General had
noted that UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Kemal Dervis will
arrive in Algeria today to determine how best to aid those injured in the
attack and the families of the victims. In a
issued by UNDP, Dervis said that he hopes that, beyond the words
of condemnation, the international community will appreciate the importance of
concrete actions to support the United Nations and development and
humanitarian workers.
Also, two stress
counselors are arriving in the country this afternoon to assist those who have
been traumatized by the bombing.
In response to questions
about the number of casualties and those who are missing, the Spokeswoman said
that there remain a number of staff who are missing. At this stage, she said,
the focus is on confirming through identification who has died and ensuring
that next of kin are notified. The current list of nine, she said, was of
those people who have both been confirmed dead and have had their family
notified.
Once further confirmations
and notifications are made, she added, the list will be amended accordingly.
She stressed that the
situation on the ground remains fluid and confusing, as search and rescue
efforts have been conducted and bodies have been removed from the rubble.
Okabe noted that the UN’s
security office in Algiers had been destroyed in the bombing, but the
Secretary-General had dispatched the top UN security official to Algeria, and
security on the ground had been reinforced.
She said that he would
first conduct a review of the security in Algiers and see what lessons can be
drawn. Then we will work with the heads of agencies in the UN system and with
members states to implement whatever recommendations that emerge.
Asked whether the
Secretary-General would travel to Algeria, the Spokeswoman said that he had
been following the situation in Algeria extremely closely, and had spoken to
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and to the General Assembly on the
matter.
She said he had sent a
letter to all staff, and he had sent his senior most officials to the scene
who would be reporting back to him about their findings and the
Secretary-General would do what was in the best interest of his staff and
organization.
SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES OUTRAGE
OVER LATEST TERROR ATTACK IN LEBANON
The Secretary-General was
by yet
another terrorist attack in Lebanon that killed General François el-Hajj of
the Lebanese Armed Forces and at least one of his bodyguards. The
Secretary-General extends his sincere condolences to the families of those
killed, the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Government of Lebanon.
The Secretary-General
strongly condemns this act of violence and terror on the Lebanese Armed
Forces, a symbol of Lebanon's sovereignty. He reiterates his position that
this and previous attacks aimed at undermining Lebanon's sovereignty are
unacceptable. It is imperative that the perpetrators of this heinous crime
are brought to justice.
The Secretary-General
calls on the Lebanese for calm and restraint at this critical juncture in
their history. Their political leaders must exert every possible effort to
resolve differences and arrive at a solution for an immediate presidential
election, without conditionality, in accordance with constitutional rules.
SECURITY
COUNCIL EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN
OVER POSTPONEMENT OF LEBANESE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
The Security Council, in a
Presidential adopted yesterday evening, stressed its deep concern at the
repeated postponements of the presidential election in Lebanon.
The Council reiterated its
call for the holding, without delay, of a free and fair presidential election
in conformity with Lebanese constitutional rules, without any foreign
interference or influence, and with full respect for democratic institutions.
It called upon all Lebanese political parties to continue to exercise
restraint and to show responsibility with a view to preventing, through
dialogue, further deterioration of the situation in Lebanon.
This afternoon, the
Security Council will hold consultations on
, to hear from the Secretary-General’s Special Coordinator for
Lebanon, Geir Pedersen, and Assistant Secretary-General for ɫTVkeeping
Operations Edmond Mulet. They will brief Council members on the implementation
of resolution 1701, concerning Lebanon; the Secretary-General’s most recent
report on that subject came out at the end of last month.
SECRETARY-GENERAL
IS DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT FIGHTING
IN EASTERN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
The Secretary-General is
deeply
about the intense fighting in North Kivu in recent days which has caused
further suffering of the civilian population.He is particularly troubled by
reports of massive displacement and mistreatment of the population.
The United Nations,
through the action of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC) known as MONUC, supports the Government of the DRC in its efforts to
establish legitimate State authority in the eastern DRC, and to meet its
commitments under the Nairobi Communiqué.
The Secretary-General
calls on the Government of the DRC to take all measures necessary to protect
civilians.
The United Nations is
working closely with the Government of the DRC and with others to help bring
peace security and stability to this troubled region.
The Secretary-General
calls on the forces of Laurent Nkunda to lay down their arms.
DR
CONGO: U.N. PEACEKEEPERS HOLD NORTH KIVU TOWN
William Lacy Swing, the Special Representative
of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, confirmed
in a statement today that the town of Sake in the North Kivu province remains
under the control of UN ɫTVkeepers.
Swing said that the 4,500 UN ɫTVkeepers
deployed in the region will do everything within their powers to prevent
rebels led by General Laurent Nkunda from an advancing on the towns of Goma
and Sake in the eastern DRC.
He added that UN ɫTVkeepers will continue to
support the Congolese Army and protect civilians, whom he advised to stay
calm.
Meanwhile, the UN Mission
(MONUC) that
peacekeepers have conducted 33 reconnaissance missions, airlifted 25 tons of
provisions for the Congolese Army, and evacuated more than 150 wounded
soldiers.
In the light of the rebel
advance, the Mission also expressed grave concern about the safety of women
and young girls in North Kivu, noting that some 2,700 cases of rape have been
recorded between January and October 2007 in North Kivu alone.
NORTH
KIVU TOPS LIST OF HUMANITARIAN NEEDS FOR DR CONGO
The Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ()
says it is concerned about reports of displacement there. This week alone, an
estimated 60-70,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are reported to be on
the move again, this time fleeing from camps toward the provincial capital
Goma.
Currently, all
humanitarian movements outside of Goma are proceeding only under the UN
Mission’s escort. OCHA reports that several humanitarian organizations have
temporarily withdrawn their staff from areas close to clashes and that most
aid convoy activities have had to be postponed.
Protection of civilians is
of particular concern at this time. This week, a UN inter-agency mission went
to the area and is currently preparing recommendations on how best to ensure
the immediate protection of IDPs and local populations.
deposited several thousand basic
supply kits in zones that might soon become inaccessible due to the fighting.
And the World Food
is distributing food
to 3,000 IDP families in the Kibumba camp; a further 10,000 IDP families will
be helped this week.
According to the 2008
Humanitarian Action Plan for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was
launched yesterday by the UN, nearly 30% of the requested $575 million is
needed just for North Kivu.
SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR RESTRAINT IN
GEORGIAN-ABKHAZ CONFLICT
The Secretary-General has
note of the
concerns expressed by the two sides to the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict and
allegations made by both sides about impending threats and major build-up of
armed forces in the zone of conflict and the Kodori valley.
(UN Observer Mission in Georgia) has been conducting daily verification of
these claims, many of which have, so far, not been confirmed by the situation
on the ground.
In the current volatile
context, the Secretary-General calls for calm and restraint.
He supports the call
made by the Security Council in its resolution 1781 (2007) of 15 October,
which “strongly urges all parties to consider and address seriously each
other’s legitimate security concerns, to refrain from any acts of violence and
provocation, including political action or rhetoric, and to comply fully with
previous agreements regarding ceasefire and non-use of violence.”
BAN
KI-MOON CALLS CLIMATE CHANGE
“THE MORAL CHALLENGE OF OUR GENERATION”
Turning to the climate
change conference in Bali, the Secretary-General addressed the high-level
segment, which began today. He
the six
heads of state and 144 government representatives gathered there that climate
change is “the moral challenge of our generation”, and that “the eyes of the
world are upon us” to do something about it.
The Secretary-general said
he was encouraged by progress in the negotiations so far, including agreements
on adaptation, deforestation and technology, and called for the adoption of an
agenda, with a roadmap and time-line, for reaching a deal by 2009.
Answering questions from
the media later, the Secretary-General said that it might be too ambitious to
expect delegations to reach an agreement on emissions targets while at Bali,
but he stressed the importance of launching an urgent negotiating process.
Meanwhile, the U.N.
Environment Programme has
that the greenhouse gas emissions linked with travel to and from
the event by all UN staffers, including the Secretary-General and his team,
will be offset through investment the Kyoto Protocol’s soon-to-be operational
adaptation fund. The fund will help developing countries cope with the
impacts of climate change.
Asked about the
Secretary-General’s comments on climate change targets, the Spokeswoman
reiterated the Secretary-General’s view that it might be too ambitious to
reach an agreement while at Bali. What he had stressed was the importance of
launching an urgent negotiating process, she said.
Asked whether the
Secretary-General would travel back to New York from Asia to attend a concert,
the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General has a strong work ethic and
honors his commitments, and he would keep the appointment that he has made.
SECURITY
COUNCIL BRIEFED ON DRUG THREATS TO GUINEA-BISSAU
This morning, the Security
Council held consultations on Guinea-Bissau, on which it heard briefings from
Shola Omoregie, the head of the UN Office in that country, and from Antonio
Maria Costa, the Executive Director of the UN
on Drugs and Crime,
who discussed recent developments there.
Costa provided evidence to
the Council of the threat that cocaine trafficking is posing to stability and
development in West Africa, and he warned that the 33 tons of cocaine seized
in West Africa since 2005 may only be the tip of the iceberg.
U.N. ENVOY
TO BEGIN TALKS ON PEACE PROCESS FOR NORTHERN UGANDA
The Special Envoy of the
Secretary-General for the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)-affected areas, former
President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, is arriving in Kampala today to
begin a week of consultations intended to facilitate the peace process for
Northern Uganda as it heads into a critical stage.
Chissano intends to meet
with heads of state in Kampala, Kinshasa and Kigali before traveling to Juba
for consultations with the mediation team of the Government of Southern Sudan,
and then on to meetings with the LRA leadership and civil society
representatives. He is expected to be in the region until 18 December.
U.N.
ENVOY HOPEFUL THAT DARFUR PEACE TALKS CAN PICK UP SPEED
The Special Envoy for the
peace process, Jan Eliasson, has told a press conference in
Khartoum that he hopes to try to speed up the momentum of the talks in the
weeks to come.
He noted that the Security
Council, the Regional Countries, the Government of Sudan and the Movements all
have to pull in the same direction.
Eliasson added that we
have now an improved climate in the Security Council; we have the growing
cooperation of the regional countries and now the big question mark is how the
Government of Sudan and the Movements will move in the same directions with
the talks.
“That is the crucial
issue,” he said. “We will do our very best to bring that about but the
environment in some regards not conducive, and I hope that the Government of
Sudan and the Movements will take the responsibility to prepare for the talks
to begin as soon as possible in the New Year,” Eliasson told reporters
yesterday in Khartoum.
RESETTLEMENT
REFERRALS OF IRAQI REFUGEES EXCEEDS 20,000
The Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
that it
has exceeded its target of 20,000 Iraqi refugee resettlement referrals for
2007.
Specifically, it says it
has transferred the files of 20,472 of the most vulnerable Iraqi refugees for
consideration by 16 resettlement countries.
Nevertheless, UNHCR says
it is extremely concerned about the low rate of actual departures. So far,
only 22 percent of the total referred cases have actually left for
resettlement countries.
U.N.
TRIBUNAL FOR EX-YUGOSLAVIA SENTENCES
GENERAL WHO LED SIEGE ON SARAJEVO
The International Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia today
Dragomir
Milošević, a former Bosnian Serb Army general, to 33 years in prison.
He was found guilty of
crimes against humanity and violation of the laws or customs of war, in
addition to crimes against civilians committed in the final months of the
1992-1995 siege of Sarajevo.
Milošević was originally
convicted on 5 counts of terror, murder and inhumane acts conducted during a
campaign of sniping and shelling resulting in the injury and death of
civilians in Sarajevo. He also faced 2 counts of unlawful attacks against
civilians, which were eventually dismissed.
And yesterday, the
Tribunal’s Appeals Chamber granted Veselin Šljivančanin provisional release
pending the hearing of his appeal. The accused is a former senior officer of
the Yugoslav People’s Army who was convicted of aiding and abetting torture
and was sentenced to 5 in prison in September 2007.
Also yesterday, the
Tribunal granted provisional release for 10 days on compassionate grounds to
Vinko Pandurević, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Bosnian Serb Army. The
accused is expected to attend a memorial service for his father and will
reappear in the Hague court, at the latest, on January 8th.
PEACEBUILDING
COMMISSION ADDS GUINEA-BISSAU TO AGENDA
This morning, the
ɫTVbuilding
approved the Sierra Leone ɫTVbuilding Cooperation Framework.This landmark,
three-year compact between the Commission and Sierra Leone’s Government
outlines peacebuilding priorities and commitments, such as good governance,
security and justice sector reform, youth employment, and energy sector
development.
Meanwhile, the Security
Council yesterday referred the situation in Guinea-Bissau to the ɫTVbuilding
Commission. Guinea-Bissau is the third country to be placed on the
Commission’s agenda, following Sierra Leone and Burundi.
U.N.
BUDGET SUBJECT TO NEGOTIATIONS AMONG MEMBER STATES
In response to a question
yesterday about budget discussions in the General Assembly’s Fifth
, approval of
the organization’s budget is the prerogative of Member States.It is a result
of a negotiation process, where different Member States come with different
proposals and the general practice is to approve the budget by consensus.
The Secretary-General has
put forward a budget in line with the guidance provided by Member States in
the budget outline approved last year, but is also submitting a number of
reports in response to requests notably from earlier reform/outcome summit
decisions.
The Fifth Committee is
currently seized with these proposals. The Secretariat will continue to
assist Member States in their deliberations and in servicing decisions from
other legislative bodies and committees and the Security Council.
OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
U.N. PEACE COORDINATOR
CONCERNED ABOUT ISRAELI INCURSION INTO GAZA:
Asked about the Israeli incursion into Gaza on
Tuesday, the Spokeswoman said that the Office of the UN Special
for the Middle East ɫTV
Process says it is concerned by the escalation in violence, the potential for
further loss of life, and the worsening of an already worrying situation in Gaza
and Southern Israel.
HEAD OF CAPITAL MASTER PLAN TO BRIEF ON MONDAY:
In response to questions on the Capital Master , the Spokeswoman noted that the Executive Director of the UN office for
the Plan would brief the press next Monday.
SECRETARY-GENERAL IS NOT
COMMENTING ON KOSOVO REPORT BEFORE SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING:
Asked about comments from the Russian Foreign Minister concerning Kosovo, the
Spokeswoman noted that the Secretary-General had transmitted the Contact Group’s
report on Kosovo to the Security Council, and would not comment until the
Council takes up that report next week. The Secretary-General would attend that
meeting
**The guests at the noon
briefing today were Ambassador Panayiotis Goumas, Special Coordinator for Human
Security Network from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, and Hilde
Johnson, Deputy Executive Director of ,
who briefed on the impact of climate change on children.
Office of the Spokesperson for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
