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MICHELE
MONTAS is the Spokesperson for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
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The
Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General and the Spokesperson for
the President of the General Assembly.
TV: UN
WEBCAST TV VIDEO
- 16 minutes
UN:
UNITED NATIONS BRIEFING AND TV: FRIDAY, 01/02/2008
(MaximsNews Network)
UNITED
NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network / - 01
February 2008 -- Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the
Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General and UN Webcast TV Video.
BY
MARIE OKABE
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
Friday,
February 1, 2008
BAN
KI-MOON DEEPLY CONCERNED BY LATEST FIGHTING IN CHAD
-
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon is deeply concerned
at the resumption of fighting in Chad.
-
He
reiterates the United Nations’ condemnation of the use of military means
to seize power.
-
He
also deplores any action that could worsen the already grave humanitarian
situation, especially in eastern Chad where the international community is
actively engaged in activities to provide relief and secure the voluntary,
safe and sustainable return of refugees and displaced persons in eastern
Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic.
-
The
Secretary-General calls on all parties to abide by their commitments under
the different peace accords signed by them and to urgently resort to
dialogue to reach a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the latest crisis.
-
Meanwhile,
more than 40 aid workers have been
relocated from the eastern Chad town of Guereda following a series of
armed attacks in the area amid growing concern over the security situation
in the country. The aid workers are being temporarily relocated by air and
road to the town of Abeche, the main center for humanitarian operations in
eastern Chad, where the UN refugee agency manages 12 sprawling refugee camps
for some 240,000 refugees.
-
In
a separate development, an estimated 5,800 refugees from the Central African
Republic had arrived in several border villages in southern Chad over the
past few weeks, fleeing attacks by bandits in the north of the Central
African Republic. With the new arrivals, there are now some 50,000
refugees from the Central African Republic in southern Chad, according to
the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
SECRETARY-GENERAL
APPALLED BY IRAQ BOMB ATTACKS
-
The
Secretary-General is appalled
by the bomb attacks in Baghdad today, which reportedly left more than 70
people dead and many more wounded.
-
These
attacks, the deadliest in the city in many months, were particularly callous
in targeting innocent civilians gathered at two popular pet markets.
-
In
the face of these provocative attacks, the Secretary-General stands in
solidarity with the people of Iraq. He hopes that Iraqi leaders will work
together in a spirit of national reconciliation to prevent further violence
and sustain the recent improvements that have been made on the security
front.
-
Also
today, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Staffan de
Mistura, described the double bombings as “a heinous crime that targeted
innocent civilians, and deserves universal condemnation.” Systematic or
widespread attacks against a civilian population are tantamount to crimes
against humanity, he said.
-
Asked
about UN plans to increase staffing in Iraq, the Spokeswoman noted, as de
Mistura has also mentioned, that the United Nations has been given an
expanded mandate in Iraq by the Security Council, so that, as conditions
permit, it will do what it can to help the Iraqi people.
BAN
KI-MOON MEETS KENYAN LEADERS IN NAIROBI,
CALLS FOR END TO CIVIL STRIFE
-
The
Secretary-General today traveled to Nairobi, where he met with his
predecessor, Kofi Annan, the chair of the Panel of Eminent African Persons,
to discuss the crisis in Kenya and emphasize his full support for the
Panel’s work. He followed that by meeting with Raila Odinga, head of the
Orange Democratic Movement. Yesterday, he had met with President Mwai Kibaki
in Addis Ababa.
-
The
Secretary-General told
reporters afterwards that he had appealed to both leaders to stop the
civil strife in the country, which has led to an intolerable level of
deaths, destruction, displacement and suffering, which, he said, is
unacceptable.
-
He
warned that the people and leaders of Kenya, particularly political leaders,
have the responsibility to wake up and reverse this tragic path before it
escalates into the horrors of mass killings and devastation that we have
witnessed in recent history. He appealed to all political leaders to look
beyond individual or partisan interests.
-
Prior
to the press conference, the Secretary-General had also met with a Kenyan
civil society group, the Citizens for Peace and Justice, as well as with UN
staff and the heads of agencies based in Nairobi. He will return to New York
over the weekend.
-
Regarding
the humanitarian situation in Kenya, teams from the World Health
Organization (WHO) are visiting
hospitals and camps for internally displaced people in the towns of Eldoret
and Nakuru, in order to assess the health situation. The teams are also
coordinating health activities and monitoring disease outbreaks. WHO reports
that, for security reasons in several areas, health workers have been unable
to report for duty.
-
Meanwhile,
the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it has ferried
supplies to three displacement sites near Nairobi, following the evictions
of nearly 10,000 non-indigenous communities working mainly in tea
plantations and flower farms around the town of Tigoni. The supplies
included more than 1,800 family kits, enough for 9,000 people.
-
For
its part, the World Food Programme (WFP) is still working to distribute
food, but violence on the main roads and rising fuel prices are complicating
the agency’s work.
GAZA
SCHOOLS TO OPEN TOMORROW WITH NO HEAT OR TEXTBOOKS
-
The
Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO)
reports that the crossings remain closed today; no trucks were able to enter
Gaza from Israel.
-
According
to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA),
Gazans are currently dealing with unusually cold weather. But power supply
remains out for most of the day. Over the last 10 days, UNRWA has managed to
supply 112,500 liters of fuel to the Gazan officials dealing with waste
management. But this has fallen far short of demand, resulting in garbage
piling up along the streets.
-
According
to UNICEF, schools are to reopen in Gaza tomorrow, following the winter
break. But the schools will probably have no heating or electricity.
Students at UNRWA schools will also have no books, as Israel has thus far
not allowed UNRWA to take paper into Gaza.
-
Last
December, when the Consolidated
Appeal for the occupied Palestinian territory was launched, UNRWA
appealed for $237 million in urgently needed humanitarian aid. To date, it
has only received one per cent of that.
-
Asked
whether the Secretary-General will continue to urge Israel to allow aid into
Gaza, the Spokeswoman said that he has been following up on that issue
forcefully.
-
Even
in recent days as he has dealt with crises in Africa, she said, he has been
talking with leaders in his efforts to bring an end to the crisis in Gaza.
She noted the phone call he made on Thursday with the other principal
members of the Middle East Quartet.
PANAMA
ASSUMES SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY
-
With
the start of a new month, there is a new President of the Security
Council, and this month it is Panama.
-
There
are no Council meetings or consultations today, but Panamanian Ambassador
Ricardo Alberto Arias is holding bilateral consultations with other Council
members on the programme of work, discussing what the Council will do over
the coming month.
U.N.
AGENCIES RUSH SUPPLIES TO TAJIKISTAN AMID HARSH WINTER
-
Regarding
Tajikistan, which is suffering its coldest winter in 25 years, the Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says
electricity has been cut to only a few hours a day in most of the country,
including the capital, Dushanbe.
-
UNICEF
is distributing power generators and has launched an appeal for more than
$700,000 dollars to help meet the needs of children. The Office of the UN
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is rushing
stoves, blankets, jerry cans and other basic supplies to more than one
thousand desperate refugees, most of them from Afghanistan.
MORE
THAN $100 MILLION GIVEN TO FORGOTTEN HUMANITARIAN CRISES
-
Under-Secretary-General
for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes today allocated
more than $100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for
“forgotten humanitarian crises”. The money will go to life-saving
programmes in 15 countries.
-
The
largest recipients of these grants are Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Ethiopia, Côte d'Ivoire, Pakistan and Niger.
-
In
the last two years, the CERF has allocated more than $600 million to
projects in 60 countries affected by natural disasters and conflicts.
SENIOR
OFFICIALS TO SIGN COMPACTS TO INCREASE ACCOUNTABILITY
-
As
part of the Secretary-General’s ongoing efforts to increase accountability
within the Secretariat, he will on Monday preside over a ceremony during
which his senior managers will enter into a compact with him.
-
These
compacts outline each manager’s priorities for the coming year, as well
the targets for measuring their performance.
-
Each
of these compacts has already been reviewed by the members of the Management
Performance Board, which is chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General. This
group will also review each compact at the end of the year and make
recommendations to the Secretary-General.
-
This
important step is only one part of the Secretary-General’s vision of
establishing full and effective accountability, not only within the
Secretariat but also between the Secretariat and Member States and,
furthermore, between the Organization as a whole and the global public.
OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NO
NAMES CONFIRMED YET FOR ALGIERS PANEL:
Asked whether Lakhdar Brahimi would head the investigative panel on the 11
December attack in Algeria, the Spokeswoman declined to confirm any names for
the panel, saying that the names would be announced once they are ready.
NEPAL
COORDINATOR WASN’T SPEAKING ON INSTRUCTIONS:
Asked about comments made in the media by Matthew Kahane, UN Resident
Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal, the Spokeswoman clarified
that Kahane was not speaking on instructions. She said that a clarification is
expected soon.
PROCEDURES
PREVENTED CLOONEY FROM ADDRESSING MEETING:
Asked why Messenger of Peace George Clooney had not spoken to troop contributing
countries for several UN Missions on Thursday, the Spokeswoman cited procedural
reasons. She added that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations hopes to have
Clooney talk to troop and police contributing countries in the future.
THE
WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS
Saturday,
February 2
Through
tomorrow, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang visits Nepal
to see firsthand the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights in that country (visit began 30 January).
Sunday,
February 3
From
today through Tuesday in Dubai, the World Intellectual Property Organization and
INTERPOL convene the Fourth Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and
Piracy.
Monday,
February 4
At
10 a.m. in the Secretary-General’s Conference Room, the Secretary-General and
Deputy Secretary-General preside over a ceremony in which senior managers will
enter into compacts outlining their priorities and managerial targets for 2008.
At
1 p.m. in Room S-226, Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama briefs the
press, in his capacity as the President of the Security Council for February, on
the Council’s programme of work for the month.
From
today through 13 February, Prof. Yakin Ertürk, the Special Rapporteur of the UN
Human Rights Council on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences,
conducts an official visit to Saudi Arabia, at the invitation of the Government.
Tuesday,
February 5
At
10 a.m. the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) holds the second meeting of its
Organizational session for 2008 in the ECOSOC Chamber.
From
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Conference Room 6, the Peacebuilding Commission holds an
open, informal meeting of its Guinea-Bissau configuration.
All
day in Conference Room 4, a Civil Society Forum on “Making Copenhagen work:
Decent work for a decent life” takes place.
From
1.15 to 2.30 p.m. in Conference Room 6, the World Bank and the International
Fund for Agricultural Development present the “World Development Report 2008:
Agriculture for Development”.
From
1.15 to 2.30 p.m. in Conference Room 4, there will be a Round-table discussion
on “Women and peace talks: Meeting the challenges”, in preparation for the
52nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
From
today through 8 February, High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour
visits Mexico. During her trip, she is scheduled to sign an agreement with
the Mexican authorities on the renewal of her office’s presence in the
country.
Wednesday,
February 6
From
today through 15 February, the 46th Session of the Commission for
Social Development meets on the theme “Promoting Full Employment and Decent
Work for All”. At 10 a.m. in Conference Room 4, the Deputy
Secretary-General is scheduled to speak at the opening session.
From
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Conference Room 6, the Peacebuilding Commission holds an
open, informal meeting of its Burundi configuration.
The
UN Conference on Trade and Development releases its Information Economy Report
2007-2008, which focuses on “Science and technology for development : the new
paradigm of ICT”.
In
Tokyo, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Antonio Maria Costa launches the Afghanistan Opium Winter Rapid Assessment
Survey.
Thursday,
February 7
At
11 a.m. in the O’Keefe Room of the New York Marriott East Side, 525 Lexington
Ave., World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan and New
York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg hold a news conference to highlight the key
findings and recommendations of the WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic.
Friday,
February 8
From
9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Conference Room 7, there will be a High-level working
session on “Age of connectivity: Cities, magnets of hope”.
Office
of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
Labels: United
Nations, U.N. Daily
Press Briefing, Secretary-General
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