REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which heard statements from spokespersons and representatives from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Refugee Agency, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Labour Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Organization for Migration.

Secretary-General’s Travels / Climate Change Tour

Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier said that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, continuing his tour focused on climate change, was in Brazil today. Yesterday, he had met with President Lula for a working luncheon in Brasilia. Sunday, the Secretary-General had visited an ethanol plant in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, and in a press encounter afterwards had told reporters that he had been very impressed by the efforts of the Brazilian Government and business enterprises to address global warming issues by developing renewable and clean energy sources. The ethanol plant was one of many green technologies that showed promise in offsetting global warming, he said, at the same time underscoring that biofuels had a great potential for good and, perhaps, also for harm. It was up to national Governments to responsibly balance the social costs and benefits.

During an earlier visit to Chile, the Secretary-General had also visited the Grey Glacier in Antarctica, to see first-hand the effects of climate change, Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier said. In a statement issued over the weekend following his visit, the Secretary-General had said that Antarctica was on the verge of a catastrophe for the world, with the glaciers on King George Island having shrunk by 10 per cent. He had now seen Antarctica's beauty, as well as the danger global warming represented, and the urgency that we do something about it. “I am determined that we shall,” the Secretary-General said.

Next, the Secretary-General would be travelling to Valencia, Spain, for the launch of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which had opened its twenty-seventh session in Valencia yesterday. Over the next five days, delegates would synthesize the information gathered by the IPCC’s various working groups and released in a series of three reports earlier this year. The Fourth Assessment Report would constitute the core source of factual information about climate change for policymakers in the years to come. The launch of the report would take place this Saturday, Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier specified.

In response to a query, Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier confirmed that the Secretary-General would be in Tunis on 15 November to open the International Conference on Terrorism: Dimensions, Threats and Countermeasures. The Conference, to be held from 15 to 17 November, had been jointly organized by the United Nations, the Tunisian Government and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Situation in Somalia

Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier said the Secretary-General’s report on Somalia, released yesterday, found that the overall security, political and humanitarian conditions in Somalia had worsened. Under the prevailing conditions, the Secretary-General said that the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation was not a realistic and viable option. It might be advisable to consider other options, such as the deployment of a robust multinational force or a coalition of the willing. Copies of the report were available in the Documentation Centre.

Ron Redmond of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that UNHCR was sending more aid to thousands of displaced Somalis, as the exodus from Mogadishu to outlying areas continued amid ongoing fighting in the capital. Over the last two weeks, an estimated 173,000 internally displaced people had fled from Mogadishu – nearly 90,000 of them to nearby Afgooye, some 30 kilometres to the west. This morning, UNHCR staff in Mogadishu confirmed that trucks were still evacuating families to Afgooye, which was struggling to cope with more than 150,000 displaced persons who had fled there since the beginning of the year.

Yesterday, UNHCR had emptied its Mogadishu warehouse of the last remaining stocks of aid supplies – enough for just 2,500 families – and had sent them by truck to the Afgooye area for a planned distribution tomorrow. The drivers, however, were complaining of difficulties at checkpoints, where soldiers were demanding payments of up to $300 before letting the aid through, Mr. Redmond cautioned. The needs in the Afgooye area remained immense, with many families simply living under trees, and long queues around water trucks with waits of reportedly up to six hours for 20 litres of water. A briefing note was available at the back of the room.

Christiane Berthiaume of the World Food Programme (WFP) said WFP was concerned about the situation of both those who had fled the fighting in Mogadishu, and those that remained behind. Those who had fled had taken little with them and needed water and food, as well as other basic supplies. Malnutrition was also on the rise in Mogadishu, where people were hunkered down in their homes. Moreover, the markets had all been shut down and the prices of foodstuffs had skyrocketed. WFP had not been able to restart its food distribution programme in the capital, despite two failed attempts. It was, however, preparing a new food distribution for those who had fled the capital and had already distributed food supplies to 110,000 displaced persons between the end of February and the end of October.

UNAMID Report

In his latest report on the deployment of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), the Secretary-General said he was concerned that the security incidents over the past month and the continuing delays in the deployment of UNAMID could lead to a further deterioration of the situation on the ground, Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier said. Copies of the report were available in the Documentation Centre.

Latest Statements by the Secretary-General

Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier said that available in the press room were the Secretary-General's latest statements on the joint communiqué issued by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda regarding a common approach to peacebuilding, and on the situation in Myanmar.

Geneva Activities

Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier said that the Committee against Torture would be considering the report of Estonia this morning. This afternoon, it would hear the responses of the delegation of Norway to questions put by Committee experts yesterday, and tomorrow, the Committee would begin its review of the report of Portugal.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights was today continuing its consideration of the report of Belgium, Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier said. This afternoon, it would begin its examination of the report of Paraguay, and would continue its consideration during both its morning and afternoon sessions tomorrow. As always, press releases in English and French would be available following the meetings.

High Commissioner for Human Rights to Visit Afghanistan

José-Luis Diaz of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour would visit Afghanistan from 15 to 21 November, with a view to engaging the Government in its efforts to promote and protect human rights. During her visit, the High Commissioner would meet with senior government officials and representatives of the judiciary and the Parliament, and officials of the United Nations family. She would also meet with representatives of civil society and victims of human rights violations and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. At the end of her visit the High Commissioner would meet with President Hamid Karzai and would address the media. This would be the second visit to Afghanistan by High Commissioner Louise Arbour. The first visit was in 2005. A note on the visit would be sent to journalists later today.

In response to a question, Mr. Diaz said that the High Commissioner did not have any plans to meet with representatives of the Taliban there.

Situation in Sudan and Chad

Mr. Redmond said that Deputy High Commissioner L. Craig Johnstone was ending a three-and-a-half day mission to Chad tonight, most of it spent in the east of the country where UNHCR operated a dozen refugee camps for some 240,000 Sudanese from Darfur, as well as some of the 180,000 Chadians displaced by conflict in their own country.

On Saturday, the Deputy Commissioner visited the Abeche orphanage where 103 children at the centre of an alleged attempted abduction by the French non-governmental organization "Arche de Zoe" were currently being housed. Johnstone said it was urgent that the children be reunited with their families as soon as possible, to avoid any further trauma to them.

Today, the Deputy High Commissioner was in the capital of N'Djamena, were he would be meeting today with several government officials, UN partners, members of the diplomatic community and UNHCR staff before returning to Geneva.

Responding to a journalist who wondered what further aid would be provided, given that the Mogadishu warehouse was now empty, Mr. Redmond said that he had spoken with the UNHCR Nairobi Office this morning, which had reported that more supplies were being arranged. As for the Human Rights Watch report criticizing the United Nations response to events in Somalia, Mr. Redmond said that, in fact, working in Somalia was an "extremely difficult endeavour" for aid agencies. Fortunately, UNHCR was working with excellent local staff, as well as some very good NGO partners, and so was at least able to get some help to the people outside the city. UNHCR also worked in the far north, but actually functioning in and around Mogadishu was extremely difficult and dangerous.

Health Concerns for Displaced in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Veronique Taveau of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that UNICEF health workers had reported 439 cases of suspected cholera over the past few weeks in the five UNHCR camps for the internally displaced outside of Goma, in North Kivu Province (DRC). UNICEF was supporting humanitarian organizations in curbing the outbreak, in particular by providing technical and logistical advice. A press release was available at the back of the room.

At the same time, UNICEF was carrying out a measles vaccination campaign in North Kivu to vaccinate some 80,000 children, aged 6 months to 15 years. Since the beginning of the year, 1,854 cases of measles had been reported, with 179 deaths. A press release on the campaign would be sent out to journalists this afternoon.

Tripartite Agreement on Return of Mauritanian Refugees

Mr. Redmond reported that the governments of Mauritania and Senegal, together with UNHCR, had signed a tripartite agreement in Nouakchott yesterday afternoon, paving the way for the return of some 24,000 Mauritanian refugees, most of whom had fled from their country in the late 1980s. The repatriation operation was expected to begin in early December, although funding was needed. UNHCR had appealed for $7 million in August to carry out the operations, but so far, only $1.5 million had been received – which would only cover needs until the end of the year.

High-Level Forum on Multinationals and Social Policy

Corinne Perthuis of the International Labour Organization (ILO) announced that, on 15 and 16 November, ILO was marking the 30th anniversary of the ILO Declaration on Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy with a high-level forum gathering corporate, labour and civil society leaders at ILO headquarters. "Multiforum 07" was expected to draw over 120 leaders from the world of work – including the Chairman of the Board of Nestle, and senior managers from companies such as Panasonic and Manpower – to discuss the links between socially responsible business practices and productivity, enterprise growth and social progress. Meetings were open to the public. A press release on Multiforum 07 was available at the back of the room and more information, including bios on participants, was available on the ILO website (www.ilomultiforum.org/lp/multi07/multi07?1=1).

Rift Valley Fever in the Sudan

Teresa Buerkle of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said that, in response to the Rift Valley Fever outbreaks in the Sudan, FAO had sent a senior animal health expert to advise the Sudanese Government on prevention and control measures. "Rift Valley Fever is usually already well established in animal populations by the time the first human cases are observed" Ms. Buerkle said. "So control of Rift Valley Fever in livestock is very important." In terms of measures to be taken, locating infected animals and herds and disrupting the virus transmission cycles through a combination of control measures should be a priority, according to FAO's chief veterinary expert. A press release was available at the back of the room.

New Web Tool for Disaster Reduction

Brigitte Leoni of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDIR) said that on Thursday, 15 November, the UN/ISDR secretariat would be launching Prevention Web (www.PreventionWeb.net) – a new website for increasing knowledge sharing on disaster risk reduction issues, for both the general public and specialists. A press release was available at the back of the room, and more information was also available at the following website: www.preventionweb.net/english/about/.

Malnutrition in Kenyan Refugee Camps

Ms. Berthiaume was happy to report that, thanks to joint efforts of WFP, UNHCR, and UNICEF, as well as donor countries, the alarming levels of malnutrition reported in three refugee camps in Daddab, Kenya, last year, had now fallen – from 22.2 per cent to 13 per cent – according to a recent survey. Those numbers, which were now just under the alarm level of 15 per cent, were the lowest since 2000. Nevertheless, the malnutrition remained a concern and the three agencies were appealing for $18 million to successfully complete their operations.

Update on Tabasco Floods

Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that a UN Flash Appeal would be launched in the next few days for the victims of the floods in Tabasco, Mexico, following an official request from the Government for UN help. Some 2 million inhabitants had been affected by the floods, and 100,000 people had been evacuated from their homes. WFP, UNICEF, IOM, PAHO/WHO, UNDP, and the UN Population Fund were already mobilizing emergency resources for humanitarian assistance. A briefing note was available in the back of the room.

Dominican Republic Flooding

Ms. Byrs was alarmed that no pledges and no funds had been made in response the Flash Appeal for $14 million launched last week to assist the victims following the passage of Tropical Storm Noel in the Dominican Republic. With more rain predicted for the coming days, the Government was maintaining a status of alert in 25 provinces in which as many as 153 communities remained cut off. In addition, there had been at least 8 recent reports of acute diarrhoea, fever and cough outbreaks in the 19 shelters set up for the victims.

Other

Ms. Perthuis of ILO announced the launch today of a book on trade union responses to globalization. The collection of articles, entitled "Trade Union Responses to Globalization: A review by the Global Union Research Network", examined the role of trade unions in influencing policies aimed at achieving a fairer globalization, and how the trade union movement itself was adapting to the complex pressures of globalization. A launch event was being held today at 6 p.m. in the ILO cafeteria. Copies of the book and a media note were available at the back of the room.

Ms. Buerkle announced that FAO would launch its annual publication, the State of Food and Agriculture (2007) at a press conference in Rome on Thursday, 15 November. This year's edition of the report concluded that "carefully targeted payments to farmers could be a promising approach to protect the environment and to address growing concerns about climate change, biodiversity loss and water supply". Current incentives tended to favour the production of food, fibre and, increasingly, biofuels, but they typically undervalued other beneficial services that farmers could provide, such as carbon storage, flood control, clean water and biodiversity conservation. An advance copy of the report, embargoed until Thursday, 15 November, at 10 a.m., was available in PDF format on request.

Ms. Taveau said UNICEF was organizing a round table next Monday in celebration of the eighteenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The round table discussion, in which young people and leading experts would participate, would focus both on progress achieved and challenges that remained in promoting and protecting children's rights. The event would be held in the Council Chamber of the Palais des Nations on Monday, 19 November, from 12 to 1.30 p.m. A media advisory was available.

Ms. Taveau also announced that the prestigious Berliner Philharmonker had been appointed UNICEF's latest Goodwill Ambassador at a ceremony yesterday in New York. A press release was available.

Ms. Byrs announced a press conference on the humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic would be given by the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator for Central African Republic on Friday, 16 November at 12.30 p.m. in press room 1.

Jemini Pandya of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said a new study showed that the benefits of HIV work place programmes outweighed the costs, and could save companies money, valuable skills and knowledge among its labour force and improve the health and security of communities at large. The study also recommended that companies treated HIV as a strategic issue that required planning. The full report was available on the IOM web site (www.iom.int).