REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Corinne Momal-Vanian, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was also attended by the Spokesperson for Joint Special Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan, Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, International Organization of Migration and the World Trade Organization.

Geneva Activities

Ms. Momal-Vanian announced that the Committee for the Protection of all Migrant Workers and the Members of their Families begins its sixteenth session on Monday 16 April. During the session it would consider the reports of Paraguay and Tajikistan. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities begins its seventh session on Monday 16 April, in which it would examine the report of Peru.

Sahel Crisis and Emergency Funding in West Africa

Ms. Momal-Vanian referred to a note by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on its emergency funding in the region of West Africa.

During the period January to March 2012, which includes the ongoing food crisis in the Sahel, the United Nations Central Fund for Emergency Intervention (CERF) allocated over US$61 million to ten countries in West and Central Africa: Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Cameroon, Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Congo. Of that amount, over US$23 million was allocated under the "underfunded emergencies" window to Côte d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, Chad and Congo. The food crisis in the Sahel received 55 per cent of all the allocations, with US$34 million given to the nutrition and food security sectors. Chad was the largest recipient with US$10.9 million, followed by Côte d’Ivoire and Mali each receiving US$7 million.

Syria

Ahmad Fawzi, the spokesperson for Joint Special Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan, updated the Geneva press corps on recent developments in Syria over the past 24 hours, including Kofi Annan’s briefing of the Security Council and implementation of the six-point plan.

Mr. Fawzi reported that Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan briefed the Security Council yesterday, and took questions from all 15 members of the Council. The session lasted about two hours. Mr. Fawzi confirmed that during the briefing Mr. Annan asked the Council to approve the deployment of an observer mission to Syria as soon as possible. It would take place in two phases: an advanced observer team that would operate under the same conditions as a full observer team. Next week, if the ceasefire holds, the Security Council could authorize a fully-fledged observer mission with all the capacities needed to support, on the ground, implementation of the six-point plan. The Security Council had a draft before it today, that it would discuss in its session at 10:00am EST, 4:00pm CET.

On Syrian approval of a fully fledged observer mission, Mr. Fawzi said they would not deploy without the full approval of the host country: that never happened unless it was a chapter seven operation, which this was not. Mr. Fawzi referred to the assessment team, led by the Norwegian Major-General Robert Mood, which was sent to Damascus last week. The team held extensive and exhaustive discussions with the Syrian side, both Government and military, to discuss all aspects and needs related to the eventual deployment of an observer mission. Major-General Mood returned to Geneva and reported back to Mr. Annan yesterday. The Syrians now had all the clarity they needed and asked for, and the United Nations should be able to proceed with deployment without further ado.

Mr. Fawzi confirmed that the Syrian Government had agreed to the six-point plan, and had expressed desire for it to succeed. The six-point plan included a provision for a UN supervision mechanism. There was no ambiguity there. The understanding was that the Syrian Government agreed to the deployment of a UN observer mission. Mr. Fawzi said the Joint Special Envoy’s team hoped that the Security Council would pass a resolution today authorizing deployment of an advanced team.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations was working around the clock to find the necessary number of troops for the full observer mission. At the moment the advanced team was stood by, ready to board planes and get themselves on the ground as soon as possible.

In response to a question about whether the Security Council resolution expected today would authorize deployment of the advanced observer mission or the fully fledged observer mission, Mr. Fawzi answered that the resolution expected today would authorize the deployment of the advanced observer mission as soon as possible.

In answer to a question about freedom of association in Syria, Mr. Fawzi said that over the past few days they had focused on point two of the six-point plan – cessation of hostilities. However, there were five other points which were equally important and had to take place, and could not take place without cessation of hostilities. One of those points was that peaceful protests, freedom of assembly and freedom of association be allowed. Another was access for journalists to visit the country and report freely, and have unimpeded access to all areas of the country. A third was the release of detainees. The fourth was humanitarian access. The fifth was the launch of a political dialogue which addressed the concerns and aspirations of the Syrian people.

All points were equally important, and the Joint Special Envoy and his team were moving almost in parallel on all of those points. The Joint Special Envoy and his team have been in touch with the opposition, both inside and outside, and were encouraging them, and helping them form an umbrella under which they could all come together to negotiate with the Syrian authorities.

Mr. Fawzi quoted Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan statement from yesterday before he briefed the Security Council: “This is the time for all Syrians to come together in the hope that they can begin to heal their wounds and initiate a political transition to a democratic, plural, political system, in which citizens have equal rights, equal opportunities, regardless of their affiliations, ethnicities or beliefs.”

Freedom of association, in both the Joint Special Envoy’s view and in the view of the world, should be allowed to take place, in a peaceful manner. It was important that all sides seized the opportunity and conducted themselves in a manner conducive to dialogue, so that Syrians could finally realize their aspirations.

In response to a question asking whether Mr. Annan was satisfied with the way yesterday (the ceasefire deadline of 12 April) passed off, Mr. Fawzi replied that one death was one death too many. Satisfied was a big word. He repeated Mr. Annan’s words, that he was “encouraged” by developments yesterday.

The day before yesterday nobody believed that they would reach that point, but today there was a ceasefire that had been relatively respected since 0600 hours. There have indeed been a few clashes here and there between the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian Army, near the border with Turkey. And that was another danger of the crisis, that it might spill across the border into neighbouring countries. The Joint Special Envoy’s team hoped that the incident earlier in the week, when some people were killed in refugee camps, was the first and last of its kind. There were unconfirmed reports of violence in some cities, but Mr. Fawzi stressed that that was not unusual. Sometimes, in those situations, the parties tested each other.

Mr. Fawzi quoted the statement of Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon yesterday: “One shot, one bullet, can plunge Syria back into the abyss”.

Regarding humanitarian assistance, Mr. Fawzi repeated the words of Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, from his Geneva press conference yesterday: “An estimated one million Syrians need humanitarian assistance. Discussions are on-going about how best to help them. In coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the United Nations is already delivering supplies to displaced persons in Tartous Governorate in western Syria. The whole United Nations system would continue to do its utmost to help alleviate human suffering.”

Regarding the numbers in the team, as has been said before, there would be an advanced observer team of around 10 or 12, and Mr. Fawzi did not know if it would include human rights observers. Observing the implementation of the other points in the six-point plan would be part of the fuller observer mission, and a human rights element would be expected to be a part of that. The Security Council resolution would detail that.

The situation was rather fluid. There were never clear-cut black and white situations in any conflict. A mediator’s job, persuading both parties, was very difficult, and everybody could see how Mr. Annan had been globe-trotting, visiting capitals on both sides, pushing and persuading and nudging and appealing.

What happened yesterday was the culmination of many forces and many elements and the actions and words of many actors, including what we call ‘member states with influence’, whether on one side or the other. Yes, the Joint Special Envoy’s team was encouraged that they finally got there yesterday, and hoped that both sides sustained the relative calm.

The full mission would consist of up to 250 observers on the ground. Mr. Fawzi could not list troop-contributing countries, but said it was a subject discussed with the Syrian authorities during General Mood’s assessment mission last week, and they went through the countries that troops would probably be withdrawn from. There were already troops deployed in the region that could move fast, that were from countries acceptable to the host country. They could come from Asia, Africa or from Latin (South) America.

Regarding the withdrawal of heavy weapons and troops from built-up areas, Mr. Fawzi said that the Joint Special Envoy’s team was worried about the operational deployment of heavy armour in population centres. Such heavy weapons did not belong there, and do not belong there now. The team was working with the Government and the opposition for a full cessation of violence in all of its forms. It was thankful that there was no heavy shelling, that the numbers of casualties were dropping and that the numbers of refugees crossing the border were also dropping.

On the question of other issues, such as visits by journalists, there was no deadline or timeline, but assurances have been received from the Government that they were indeed granting visas to journalists. Today the Government said that 53 journalists had been given visas to enter Syria, and three days ago that entry visas had been granted to 21 organizations. It remained to be seen how many journalists would get on the ground, and whether those journalists would be given unimpeded access.

Concerning reports from the opposition of massive detentions taking place in Syria, Mr. Annan was aware that there was not a perfect situation in the country at the moment: there were credible reports and there were reports that needed to be verified. There were detainees who needed to be released, and humanitarian access was needed.

There was no illusion that it was the end of the conflict, Mr. Fawzi said. It was only the beginning of a long road towards reconciling, and towards building the future that Syrians aspired to, where there were no detentions without cause and where law enforcement, not the military, guaranteed peace and security in the streets. Mr. Annan was very conscious that there was a long way to go, and hoped that everyone would cooperate, including the international community which had been united and very helpful so far.

Mr. Fawzi reiterated that the situation on the ground was serious. He said that yesterday Mr. Annan told the Security Council: “We must now work to ensure full implementation of item two of the plan. The continued presence of Syrian armed forces, including armour, in and around population centres must end immediately. Violence in all of its forms, including arbitrary arrests, torture and abductions, must stop. In light of the fragile calm which appears to be prevailing, we need eyes on the ground quickly, to observe and monitor the situation, while parallel efforts are being made to implement the other aspects of the six-point plan”.

Of course the observer mission that went must enjoy freedom of movement and unimpeded access throughout Syrian territory, and Mr Fawzi hoped the Security Council would enumerate the capacity that the mission needed to have.

Mr Fawzi confirmed that Mr. Annan was in Geneva today.

Mr. Annan’s talks with the Iranian authorities were candid and constructive. He met the Foreign Minister, the National Security Minister and the President of Iran. All three expressed full support for his mission, they stressed their support for comprehensive reforms in Syria, and they said they would do whatever they could to help end the crisis.

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Ms. Momal-Vanian read out a statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, and issued today:

“Despite its failure, the launch of a so-called ‘application satellite’ by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 13 April 2012 was deplorable as it defies the firm and unanimous stance of the international community. The launch is in direct violation of Security Council Resolution 1874 and threatens regional stability. The Secretary-General urges the DPRK not to undertake any further provocative actions that would heighten tension in the region.

“The Secretary-General renews his call on the DPRK authorities to work towards building confidence with neighbouring countries and improving the lives of its people. As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, he reaffirms his commitment to working for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and helping the people of the DPRK, in particular, by addressing the serious food and nutrition needs of the most vulnerable.”

Immunity in Suriname

A spokesperson for United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that the High Commissioner was disturbed by the recent decision by Suriname’s National Assembly to amend the amnesty law, granting immunity for human rights violations committed during a 12-year period, when the country was for the most part under military rule. The new law extended the brief period covered by an earlier amnesty law to include any offences that took place between 1 April 1980 and 19 August 1992 “in the context of the defence of the State,” thereby preventing any future investigations of the gross human rights violations that were committed between those two dates. The spokesperson highlighted one particular case that would be affected, or possibly halted altogether, which was against the former and current President Desi Bouterse and 24 others, who were accused of taking part in the arrest of 15 prominent opposition leaders, including journalists, lawyers and a trade union leader, in December 1982, and their subsequent summary execution in a colonial fort in the capital, Paramaribo. The High Commissioner believed the amendment to the law would deny most families of victims their rights to justice, truth and reparation, and sincerely hoped that the legislation would be reversed as soon as possible.

Mali

In response to a question on the situation in Mali, particularly in the north, the spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) referred to a recent press release on the subject. He said it was difficult to get information from the ground as OHCHR had no direct presence in Mali, although they had good contacts there. It was clear that serious violations were taking place in the north. Those included killings, rape, occupation of public buildings such as hospitals, threats against women, particularly women who did not wear veils, and allegations that non-Muslims in parts of the country may have been deliberately targeted and killed by religious extremist groups.

Displaced people in north-west Pakistan

A spokesperson for United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the number of people displaced by an ongoing government security operation in northwest Pakistan had now surpassed 181,000. Significant numbers of new arrivals had approached UNHCR at the Jalozai camp for the internally displaced, which was located near the city of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. UNHCR’s response was part of an inter-agency effort supporting the government’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority, and the operation was registering about ten thousand individuals per day. Around 50,000 individuals, or 11,000 families, had now moved into the Jalozai camp. UNHCR had so far distributed over 37,000 humanitarian relief kits, while sister United Nations agencies including UNICEF, WHO and WFP were providing assistance in the areas of mother and child health, child protection, water and sanitation, primary education, distribution of food rations and vaccinations. A total of more than 650,000 people were displaced in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakkhtunkhwa province, and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA region) as a result of security operations against militant groups.

Humanitarian assistance in Blue Nile State, Sudan

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) briefed on its response to the needs of refugees displaced by fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile State, where it was working with UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF and other humanitarian partners to provide relief to the displaced across the borders in both Ethiopia and South Sudan’s Upper Nile State. In the Upper Nile State more than 93,000 people have taken refugee in the two camps located in Doro and Jammam, a few kilometres from the border. In the past week alone nearly 3,000 refugees arrived at the Doro Camp. Many families arrived exhausted after a long and difficult journey. IOM was in charge of providing safe drinking water, setting up latrines and supplying hygiene materials. Since the outbreak of the conflict in September 2011, IOM have competed digging 642 common latrines, 574 household latrines, 450 bathing shelters, 407 garbage pits and has trained over 50 water and latrine management committees. IOM estimated that US$10 million was needed to cover the first three months of its emergency operations in support of UNHCR’s activities in Maban County. To date it has secured a US$2 million contribution from the United States Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration.

In response to a question, Ms Momal-Vanian read out a statement attributable to the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, dated 12 April: “According to reports received by the United Nations in the last two weeks alone more than 35,000 civilians have fled fighting in the Talodi and Higlig areas, adding to the large numbers of people already displaced by the fighting that began in South Kordofan in June 2011”.

World Trade Organization activities

The spokesperson for the World Trade Organization announced a press briefing on this morning’s Dispute Settlement Body meeting, at 12:30pm in Press Room I. The Dispute Settlement Body meeting concerned two cases of trading large civil aircrafts, namely Boeing and Airbus. The regular World Trade Organization schedule for next week began with a meeting on Monday 16 April of the Sub-Committee on Least Developed Countries and an informal meeting of the Safeguards Committee on the same day. The Negotiation Group of Trade Facilitation would meet from Monday to Thursday. On Wednesday 18 April there would be the Membership Accession Working Party for Kazakhstan.

World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy was due to travel to Minnesota in the United States next week. On Monday 16 April he would attend a conference at the University of St Thomas and on Tuesday he was due to address the Economic Club of Minnesota. On Wednesday the Director-General planned to travel to Mexico to attend the World Economic Forum, the G20 Trade Ministers meeting, to take part in a breakfast meeting with the ‘Business 20’ (so-called ‘B20’ group), and would also meet the Cambodian Minister for Trade and Commerce, and Korean Minister for Trade and the Secretary of the Economy of Mexico. On Saturday the Director-General would travel to Washington DC to attend the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group spring session meeting. On the same day he was due to attend both the International Monetary and Financial Committee meeting and the World Bank Development Committee meeting.