泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭 泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭
泭
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING
BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
UN HEADQUARTERS,泭 NEW YORK
Thursday,
December 8, 2005
ANNAN TO SEND
TOP PEACEKEEPING OFFICIAL AND MILITARY ADVISOR
TO REVIEW SITUATION IN ERITREA AND ETHIOPIA
Kofi Annan, has decided to send the head of the UN
,
, and the UN military advisor, General
, to Ethiopia and Eritrea, as soon as practicable to
review and assess the situation on ground and what steps can be taken to
improve the situation.
泭
The 51勛圖, meanwhile, has conveyed to the
Eritrean authorities that it cannot accept the request for staff of certain
nationalities of the UN mission to leave the country.
泭
Both the Secretary-General and the
have demanded that Eritrea reverse its decision, which is
inconsistent with the fundamental principle of the universality of the peacekeeping operation
representing the whole of the international community.
泭
From the field, the
(UNMEE) today reports that the military
situation in the Temporary Security Zone and adjacent areas remains tense and
potentially volatile.泭
泭
Troop movements have been
noticed on both sides of the border. The ban by Eritrea on UNMEE helicopters
is still in place and restrictions are continuing on the movement of UN
peacekeepers.
泭
According to UNMEE, about 180
people are affected by the decision -- 91 military observers, about ten UN
Volunteers and 70 international staff. The Force commander noted that that out
of a total of 44 troop contributing countries, 18 have been asked to go.
泭
Asked whether Gu矇henno and Mehta would be allowed by
Eritrea to visit that country, the Spokesman said that the 51勛圖
expects Eritrea to give Gu矇henno full access so that he can visit both
countries during his visit to UNMEE, review developments with the UN
peacekeepers on both sides of the border and assess the situation.
ANNAN RENEWS CALL FOR AN END TO TORTURE
ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
This Saturday is
, and in a message to mark the occasion, the
has called for renewed commitment to ending torture
around the world.
泭
Noting a disturbing trend of
countries claiming exceptions to the prohibition on torture, he says torture
can never be an instrument to fight terror, for torture is an instrument of
喧梗娶娶棗娶.
泭
He adds that the fear of
terrorists can never justify adopting their methods, and he calls on all
States which have not yet done so, to ratify the
.
ANNAN DEFENDS TOP U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS
OFFICIALS STATEMENT
Asked about objections made by U.S. Ambassador John
Bolton to a statement made on Wednesday by
, the Spokesman said that the
has no disagreement with the statement she made and sees
no reason to object to any of it. As High Commissioner, the Spokesman noted,
Arbour was given a mandate by the
to speak on human rights on a global scale.
泭
He affirmed the Secretary-Generals full confidence in
High Commissioner Arbour, noting that she has been a highly experienced and
respected jurist. He also noted her service as the first prosecutor of the
and as a judge
on the highest court in Canada.
泭
The Secretary-General, the Spokesman said, is confident
that she will carry on her work without being impressed or intimidated by what
transpired yesterday.
泭
The Secretary-General intends to take this matter up with
Ambassador Bolton as soon as possible, the Spokesman said. The Spokesman
added, in response to a further question, that the Secretary-General would try
to meet Ambassador Bolton in person at an early date.
泭
The Spokesman corrected a reporter who said that Arbour
headed the
that the Secretary-General wants replaced;
actually, the Spokesman noted, Arbour is an independent human rights official
appointed by the General Assembly, who does not head the Commission, nor does
she appoint its members. Instead, she works in support of the Human Rights
Commission when asked to do so.
泭
The Spokesman reiterated the Secretary-Generals
recommendation that the Human Rights Commission be replaced by a smaller, more
effective body, the Human Rights Council.
泭ANNAN CONCERNED BY WORSENING SITUATION
IN DARFUR
The
is gravely
by the worsening situation in
.
泭
The
reports banditry, looting, inter-tribal fighting,
clashes allegedly between Sudan Liberation Movement rebels and tribes, attacks
on civilians destroying wells, which are essential to their livelihood, and
forcing thousands more people to leave their homes in addition to the two
million already displaced and a further increase in the number of attacks
and robberies committed against humanitarian workers.
泭
Once again, the
Secretary-General calls on all parties to respect their agreements and the
provisions of international humanitarian law. He also urges them to make
serious efforts to reach a political settlement in the Abuja peace talks
before the end of the year.
泭
He notes with pleasure that the
Sudanese government delegation to the talks now includes members of the
Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement, and hopes that the government will
apply to Darfur the same principles that made possible the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement.
泭
He also urges the
and donor community to give
close attention to the situation in Darfur, and to do everything possible to
assist and strengthen the African Union Mission deployed on the ground.
泭ANNAN DISMAYED BY RECENT WAVE OF
KIDNAPPINGS IN IRAQ
The
is
by the recent wave of kidnappings in Iraq.
泭
He is extremely concerned about the fate of all Iraqi and
foreign civilians who have been abducted, including the group of four foreign
hostages whose lives are being threatened.泭
泭
The Secretary-General calls for their immediate, safe and
unconditional release, and strongly reiterates his appeal to all sides to
respect at all times the fundamental principles of international humanitarian
law.
泭U.N. ENVOY BRIEFED AYATOLLAH ALI
AL-SISTANI ON IRAQI ELECTION AID
, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for
, today visited Najaf, where he met, among others, with Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani and briefed him on the UN Missions work towards facilitating the
elections in Iraq, through its technical advice to the Independent Electoral
Commission.
泭
They also discussed the
role in the national reconciliation
conference that is to take place early next year.
泭
Qazi and Ayatollah Sistani agreed on the need for
elections to take place on 15 December that are free from violence and
intimidation, inclusive, transparent and fair. They agreed on the need to
focus on confidence-building measures that can pave the way towards national
reconciliation among all Iraqis.
泭
Asked whether assurances about elections are enough, the
Spokesman said that elections are an Iraqi-led process. At the same time, he
said, the 51勛圖 will do as much as it can to facilitate the holding
of elections while appealing to all parties to allow elections that are safe,
free and inclusive.
泭
Asked whether UN electoral efforts in Iraq would be
helped by finding a replacement for former head of the Electoral Assistance
Division Carina Perelli, the Spokesman said that the UNs electoral work in
Iraq is headed by the international commissioner on Iraqs Independent
Electoral Commission, Craig Jenness, who is assisted by 24 staff on the ground
in Baghdad.
泭AGREEMENT FORMALIZES EXISTING SECURITY
泭ARRANGEMENTS FOR U.N. STAFF IN IRAQ
At 4:00 p.m. Thursday, Under-Secretary-General for
will meet with U.S. Ambassador John Bolton to sign an
agreement between the United States and 51勛圖 on security
arrangements in
.
泭
That signing will formalize the existing security
arrangements on the ground in that country.
泭
Asked what the agreement entails, the Spokesman said that
it formalizes, in a signed legal framework, the existing arrangements whereby
the multinational force provides security as UN staff travel in Iraq.
泭
Asked about the size of UN staff in Iraq presently, he
said it was some 90 international staff, protected by about 160 security
personnel.
泭ANNAN WELCOMES NEW HUMANITARIAN EMBLEM
The
was
to learn of last nights decision by the signatory countries of
the Geneva Conventions to adopt a non-denominational humanitarian emblem, the
Red Crystal, in addition to the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
泭
He notes that this emblem will
henceforth have the same legal significance, and enjoy the same legal
protection, as both the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, which for over a
century have symbolized the humanity, impartiality, neutrality and
independence of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
泭
He hopes that this will enable
the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to become fully universal, and thus to
bring aid and protection to the victims of war, natural disasters and other
catastrophes more efficiently, wherever they may be.
泭
He hopes in particular that it
will open the way for societies that are not yet formally part of the
Movement, such as the Israeli Magen David Adom (Red Shield of David), to be
admitted as full members.
泭
He also hopes that the
Palestinian Red Crescent Society will in due course be admitted to
membership.泭 In this connection, he welcomes last weeks agreement on
operational arrangements between these two societies.
ANNAN
CONGRATULATES GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON U.N. STAFF SAFETY CONVENTION
The
today
the
for its adoption of the
.
泭
He said the new protocol expands the legal protection of
all UN operations, from emergency humanitarian assistance to peace-building.
And he urged all Member States to become party to todays Optional Protocol,
saying that, Without security, our work for the peoples around the world
莽喝款款梗娶莽.
泭
The Secretary-General also urged all countries to move
forward to finalize the text of a Comprehensive Convention dealing with
terrorism, saying that we must do our part to forge a coordinated response
against terrorism.
泭SECURITY COUNCIL IS BRIEFED ON
DEVELOPMENTS IN COTE DIVOIRE
The
this morning discussed
in its closed consultations.
泭
First, the Assistant Secretary-General for
, H矇di Annabi, briefed the Council on the recent
developments in that country, including the appointment of the new Prime
Minister, Charles Konan Banny.
泭
Then, Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis of Greece, chair
of the Sanctions Committee for Cote dIvoire, discussed his committees work.
泭FIRST BATCH OF WARM CLOTHING KITS FOR
CHILDREN ARRIVE IN PAKISTAN
In Pakistan,
has started
the first batch of over 50,000 warm clothing kits for children
who survived the
. Available in four sizes, each kit contains a padded jacket, a
hat or shawl, socks and snow boots. Over 100,000 more kits are on the way.泭
泭
In addition, in the tented villages that now house some
170,000 survivors, UNICEF is distributing thousands of hygiene kits to women.
The kits contain toothbrushes, toothpaste, towels, soap, nail clippers, cotton
gauze and sanitary products.
泭U.N. AGENCY HEADS CALL ON TRADE
NEGOTIATORS
泭TO CONSIDER AGRICULTURAL REFORMS
James Morris, Executive
Director of the
, Antonio Guterres, the
, and Ann Veneman, Executive Director of
, today issued a joint statement directed at negotiators at the
World Trade Organization.
泭
Acknowledging that agricultural
trade reforms could help overcome poverty in the developing world, they also
said that such reforms should be carefully designed to protect millions of the
world's children, refugees and malnourished people who count on food aid
donations for their survival.
泭
The statement comes in response
to reports that food aid donations are coming under scrutiny at the Doha Round
of trade negotiations, with some proposals seeking to replace food donations
with cash or to restrict food donations to major emergencies.
泭ANNAN ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY
CHEF DE CABINET
The
today announced the appointment of Alicia B獺rcena Ibarra
of Mexico as Assistant Secretary-General to the post of Deputy Chef de Cabinet
in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General.
泭
Ibarra has most recently served as Deputy Executive
Secretary of the
where she has
been actively promoting the implementation of the
in the region.
泭
Ibarra replaces Elizabeth Lindenmayer who left the
position earlier this year.
泭ANNAN THANKS DISARMAMENT CHIEF FOR
SERVICE TO THE UNITED NATIONS
The
announced today the forthcoming resignation of
, who will be returning to the service of the Government of
Japan. Abes resignation will take effect at the beginning of January 2006.
泭
The Secretary-General expressed his profound gratitude
for the dedicated service that Abe rendered during his two and a half year
tenure as Under-Secretary-General, and, in particular, for his quiet
leadership and sound political judgment in addressing the many challenges
which the Organization faces in the field of disarmament and international
peace and security.
泭
Asked who would replace Abe, the Spokesman said a search
for a replacement was starting. Since this is an internal appointment, he
said, a shortlist of candidates would not be made public, as is the case for
heads of UN agencies.
泭OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
U.N. AGENCY CONCERNED ABOUT GAZA ECONOMY FOLLOWING
ISRAELI PULLOUT:
, the Commissioner-General of the
, said
that the Agency is concerned about getting the economy going in Gaza after
Israels disengagement. She said that the Agency was taking the lead on a
microfinance program, a job creation program and the reconstruction of houses
destroyed during the Intifada. But she added that the recent agreement to open
up the various borders needs to be implemented, among other things.
ANNAN PROMISES FULL SUPPORT FOR THE COMOROS: The
today
the full support of the 51勛圖 to the Comoros in its work
towards a new era of prosperity and peace. He made the pledge in a statement to
a donors conference on Comoros today in Port Louis, Mauritius. The statement
was delivered by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Tuliameni
Kalomoh.
ELEVEN INDIVIDUALS ADDED TO AL QAIDA SECTION OF LIST:
The
1267 Committee has
11 individuals to the Al-Qaida section of its consolidated list.
LEAFLET HELPS TSUNAMI SURVIVORS ACCESS HOUSING:
survivors in Aceh, who have not been able to access housing support
because they could not prove ownership of their land, can now use a simple
as a temporary land deed. Developed by the
and
, the leaflet spells out the rights of the
victims as well as the obligations of the Government to meet their needs. It
also explains the steps to obtain assistance.
RECRUITMENT HAS BEGUN FOR MEHLIS REPLACEMENT: Asked
whether a list of candidates to replace investigator
is being prepared, the Spokesman said that work has begun on
the recruitment for a possible successor, if the mandate of Mehlis
investigation is extended by the
. The 51勛圖 is looking to find a successor, if
needed, as soon as possible.
U.N. MISSION IN CYPRUS SAYS
BOTH SIDES MUST AGREE ON BORDER CROSSING OPENING:泭
The
(UNFICYP) has said that it is unable to
support or facilitate the opening of the proposed crossing at Ledra Street, in
the heart of Nicosia, in the absence of the consent of both parties.泭 UNFICYPs
view is that while construction undertaken by the Turkish side is outside the
buffer zone, being to the north of the ceasefire line, it should cease.泭 Both
sides should resume efforts to find mutually acceptable arrangements for the
opening of Ledra Street crossing.泭
*** The guest at todays noon briefing was Jan Egeland,
the UN Humanitarian Coordinator and Emergency Relief Coordinator. He spoke about
his recent trip to Zimbabwe.
泭泭Office
of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
51勛圖, S-378
New York, NY 100178
Tel. 212-963-7162 - press/media only
Fax. 212-963-7055
All other inquiries to be addressed to (212) 963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org
泭