REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Marie Heuzé, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which also heard from Spokespersons for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the International Labour Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the World Meteorological Organization. Spokespersons from the World Food Programme and IOM were also present.

Secretary-General’s Statements

In connection with the Secretary-General, who had held his monthly press conference yesterday in New York, Ms. Heuzé said that UNIS had put transcripts of the Q&A session following his press conference, which had dealt with a number of high profile topics, such as the situations in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Lebanon, as well as the issue of who would be the new Director-General at UNESCO and whether Mr. Ban was looking towards a second mandate himself as Secretary-General.

Geneva Activities

Ms. Heuzé announced that from 22 to 23 June discussions would be held in Geneva on the nomenclature for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Negotiations would be held between Greece and that country to try and find an official country name that was acceptable to both parties.

Human Rights Council

Rolando Gomez of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that this morning the Council would conclude its consideration of Universal Periodic Review outcomes, looking at the reports on Malaysia and Jordan. That would be followed by a general debate on Universal Periodic Review-related matters, which was largely procedural at this stage. At 3 p.m. this afternoon there would be a panel by the President – another procedural format – which would discuss the objectives and modalities of panels. It was basically a panel on panels.

On Monday, President Lula of Brazil would address the Council at 10 a.m., making a 20-minute statement. He would arrive shortly before that time to hold a brief meeting with the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of the Council. Following his statement, there would be a discussion on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, which included a progress report on the follow-up to the Special Session on the Gaza conflict. However, Mr. Gomez reminded journalists once again that that would not be a final report by Justice Goldstone. That would be presented in September. This was just a progress report on developments thus far regarding the efforts of the fact-finding mission.

Raising of H1N1 Flu Alert Level / ACANU and Others Lodge Official Complaint

John Zarocostas, President of the Association of Journalists Accredited to the United Nations Office at Geneva (ACANU), noted that he had lodged an official complaint of discrimination because the head of World Health Organization had only given the briefing on the raising of the H1N1 flu alert level to a select group of journalists, saying “you have been selected because you speak to critical audiences and because you know the subject”. Joining the official discrimination complaint were Agence France Presse, who, as third largest wire service in the world, expressed their “shock” at not having been invited to the WHO briefing given by Ms. Chan. Other journalists complained that this was not the first time this had happened with this particular agency, and this was not the first complaint. The problem was that their complaints did not resonate and had no impact at all. Journalists based in Geneva were insulted and embarrassed that they were giving the wrong information to their services, while the story had already broken, unbeknownst to them.

The President of ACANU also asked UNIS to seek advise from the UN Legal Advisor whether such behaviour by a specialized agency was in conformity with UN norms concerning non-discrimination in the work place and core human rights principles.

Fadéla Chaib of the World Health Organization (WHO) observed that WHO Director-General Margaret Chan had apologized yesterday to ACANU following their complaint. The Communications Group would meet this afternoon to discuss the format for information dissemination over the following days, including whether they would continue their virtual briefings, etc. She would let journalists know the outcome of the meeting.

Ms. Heuzé noted that there was a standard practice set out for cases in which only a limited number of journalists could be invited to an advance briefing. In that case, the rule was that the journalists attending had to share their information with everyone.

A journalist noted that WHO had said that some time in September the first H1N1 flu vaccines would be available, and very few at that; but at the same time, last night the United States Secretary of Health announced that in late September the United States was launching a “massive” vaccination campaign. He asked for some clarity on the conflicting information. Ms. Chaib said she would try and organize a briefing next week with the WHO official responsible.

Mr. Zarocostas lodged a second complaint on behalf of the ACANU that a number of journalists had been asked to sign a waiver saying that accredited journalists “will not be able to conduct media interviews of WHO staff ... except by prior arrangement ... Attempts to interview staff members who happen to be passing through the public areas will not be permitted and will result in your right to enter the WHO headquarters being cancelled.” While Ms. Chaib tried to explain those were part of “house rules” developed to deal with a massive influx of journalists following the advent of the outbreak of H1N1 flu in Mexico and the U.S.. Mr. Zarocostas recalled that these were rules that regulated who journalists could speak to, noting that the freedom of speech was a basic human right under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Ms. Heuzé said that UNIS would organize a meeting between ACANU and WHO to discuss this issue further.

Situation in Pakistan

William Spindler of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that this morning in Islamabad, UNHCR and other United Nations staff had held a special ceremony to pay homage to colleagues killed in the bombing of the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar on Tuesday night. UNHCR staff member Aleksandar Vorkapic had been killed alongside another colleague from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and three from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Mr. Vorkapic, 44 years old, had been deployed to Pakistan last month, along with a team of other specialists, to help the hundreds of thousands of displaced people in north-west Pakistan.

UNHCR had been grappling with the operational challenges posed by security risks in Pakistan for some time, Mr. Spindler noted. Despite the difficult security environment, they had continued their work in the region helping 1.7 million Afghan refugees and more recently some 2 million internally displaced Pakistanis. UNHCR had a strong field presence with more than 200 regular staff in three offices in Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta, with additional staff deployed recently as part of the emergency response team. In the wake of this recent attack, however, UNHCR was reviewing the way it operated and assessing what adjustments needed to be made to ensure the safety of UNHCR staff.

“There is no question of pulling out”, Mr. Spindler stressed. UNHCR was committed to helping the millions of displaced people in the region, and UNHCR operations had continued this week, registering new arrivals in camps and improving conditions by installing fencing, shades over tents and privacy walls. UNHCR intended to remain responsive to humanitarian needs and flexible in how it delivered them.

There are currently 1.9 million people registered displaced people verified and confirmed by the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), Mr. Spindler concluded, with thousands of family forms from the fast-track registration process yet to be cross checked.

Veronique Taveau of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said UNICEF had lost an important member of UNICEF’s team in Islamabad in the attack, Perseveranda So of the Philippines. UNICEF was also holding a ceremony today at UNICEF Geneva and elsewhere around the world. Another member of UNICEF, a young German woman, had been injured in the attack and had since been evacuated from the country. These were people who had paid the ultimate price to carry out their humanitarian work in the field.

In response to whether other United Nations agencies were going to pull out staff, Mr. Spindler said he could only speak for UNHCR. Ms. Taveau noted that Pakistan was listed at Phase Three on the United Nations security alert system, that triggered certain reductions and displacements of United Nations staff on the ground. At this point, UNICEF was not evacuating any staff from Islamabad, but was simply cutting to the minimum any travel by staff. Ms. Byrs said that there was no information to indicate that the attack was aimed at United Nations staff.

Thailand: Update on Karen Villagers from Myanmar

Mr. Spindler said that following the visit of UNHCR staff to five sites in northern Thailand, UNHCR had now verified the presence of 2,000 Karen villagers who had crossed the Moei River to Thailand since 3 June. The Karen villagers were taking shelter mostly in temples, in a communal hall and in private Thai homes in four villages. A large group who were reported to be sheltering in a cave were actually in a large field that had once been the site of a refugee camp many years ago. That group, estimated at between 700 and 900 people, was living in seasonal agricultural houses that farmers used when harvesting crops, but which were normally empty at this time of year. The new arrivals at that location had received rice, blankets and other relief items from.

UNHCR staff reported that most of the new arrivals seem to be women and children. Some of the Karen women said their men had stayed behind to protect crops and livestock, while others were scattered throughout Thai villages trying to find day labour. Many of the new arrivals said they would like to go back to Myanmar if the situation calmed down. The Thai authorities had responded quickly and sympathetically to the needs of the new arrivals, Mr. Spindler noted, and UNHCR was working with them and with non-governmental agencies to meet the needs of the Karen villagers.

World Day Against Child Labour

Ms. Taveau said that today, the tenth anniversary of the World Day Against Child Labour, UNICEF and its partners were calling for action to tackle the underlying poverty that led to child labour. However, progress achieved in recent years to improve access to education and to halt child labour could be compromised by the impact of the current financial and economic crises. Of particular concern were the estimated 100 girls involved in child labour around the world, many of whom performed the same work as boys, but often had to endure additional hardships and faced extra risks.

To address the underlying conditions of child labour, some 10 years ago UNICEF, IKEA and the Indian Government had formed a partnership to combat child labour in India, to address the root cases of child labour in the carpet bet of India. The programme, launced in 500 villages in the Eastern Uttar Pradesh region, had allowed for 80,000 out-of-school children to get an education, and there were plans to expand the programme to further villages.

A journalist asked what were the guidelines for UNICEF in accepting sponsors, given that IKEA had been singled out and named as a major abuser against trade union rights in some developing countries. Ms. Taveau said that she would check on that. She knew that before entering into partnerships with the private sector, UNICEF screened companies very carefully in the areas of child labour and exploitation.

Humanitarian Situation in Somalia – Update

Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) adding on to the previous briefing in which UNHCR had amply described the dramatic situation in Somalia following the fighting in Mogadishu, noted that at least 3.2 million people, or 43 per cent of the country’s population, would need humanitarian assistance of some form, in particular food aid, for the next six months, while the security situation was hindering humanitarian agencies from carrying out their work in a systematic manner. To date, the OCHA appeal of almost $1 billion remained only 35 per cent funded.

In parallel to the humanitarian crisis, Ms. Byrs highlighted that journalists were increasingly the target of attacks, with five journalists killed in Somalia since the beginning of the year, and dozens of others had received death threats and had been obliged to flee.

Other

Corinne Perthuis of the International Labour Organization (ILO) said available on the ILO website and at the back of the room was a programme for the high-level segment of the Conference, which would run from Monday to Wednesday next week, 15 to 17 June. Also available was a list of heads of State and Government and other major players that would be present. Special badges would be needed for the Conference. A press room would be set up in Room XVI, but there would also be space for the press in the gallery on the sixth floor, available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Conference would also be webcast live on the ILO website.

Sanjay Acharya of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced that President Lula of Brazil would be at ITU headquarters on Monday, 15 June at 3 p.m. to receive the ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Award 2009 for protecting children online. There would be a press opportunity with President just after the presentation, at around 3:30 p.m.

Brigitte Léoni of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) recalled that the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction started next Tuesday, 16 June. On Monday there would be an initial press conference at 11 a.m. in press room 1 at the Palais des Nations at which a new index on mortality rates, showing the least and most at-risk territories for disasters, would be presented. Ms. Byrs of OCHA noted that John Holmes, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, would hold two associated press conferences, one for the opening and one for the closing. For the closing press conference, on Friday, 19 June, journalists would be able to ask both about the Global Platform and climate change issues, in a first part, and address the issue of humanitarian crises, such as in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Somalia, in a second part.

Catherine Sibut-Pinote of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said today UNCTAD was publishing a study on the combat against cybercrime in Latin America, which in particular reviewed legislation in force and provided guidance in this area. She also announced that UNCTAD was holding a regional workshop in Kuala Lumpur next week on international investment agreements.

Mr. Spindler noted that the UNHCR Global Trends Report 2009, with the latest information on the number of refugees and other people uprooted throughout the world, would be issued next Tuesday, 16 June. A media package would be sent to journalists on Monday, with a copy of the report and a press release, under embargo till Tuesday afternoon.

An information note by IOM was distributed to the media.

Marie Heuzé, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which also heard from Spokespersons for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the International Labour Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the World Meteorological Organization. Spokespersons from the World Food Programme and IOM were also present.

Secretary-General’s Statements

In connection with the Secretary-General, who had held his monthly press conference yesterday in New York, Ms. Heuzé said that UNIS had put transcripts of the Q&A session following his press conference, which had dealt with a number of high profile topics, such as the situations in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Lebanon, as well as the issue of who would be the new Director-General at UNESCO and whether Mr. Ban was looking towards a second mandate himself as Secretary-General.

Geneva Activities

Ms. Heuzé announced that from 22 to 23 June discussions would be held in Geneva on the nomenclature for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Negotiations would be held between Greece and that country to try and find an official country name that was acceptable to both parties.

Human Rights Council

Rolando Gomez of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that this morning the Council would conclude its consideration of Universal Periodic Review outcomes, looking at the reports on Malaysia and Jordan. That would be followed by a general debate on Universal Periodic Review-related matters, which was largely procedural at this stage. At 3 p.m. this afternoon there would be a panel by the President – another procedural format – which would discuss the objectives and modalities of panels. It was basically a panel on panels.

On Monday, President Lula of Brazil would address the Council at 10 a.m., making a 20-minute statement. He would arrive shortly before that time to hold a brief meeting with the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of the Council. Following his statement, there would be a discussion on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, which included a progress report on the follow-up to the Special Session on the Gaza conflict. However, Mr. Gomez reminded journalists once again that that would not be a final report by Justice Goldstone. That would be presented in September. This was just a progress report on developments thus far regarding the efforts of the fact-finding mission.

Raising of H1N1 Flu Alert Level / ACANU and Others Lodge Official Complaint

John Zarocostas, President of the Association of Journalists Accredited to the United Nations Office at Geneva (ACANU), noted that he had lodged an official complaint of discrimination because the head of World Health Organization had only given the briefing on the raising of the H1N1 flu alert level to a select group of journalists, saying “you have been selected because you speak to critical audiences and because you know the subject”. Joining the official discrimination complaint were Agence France Presse, who, as third largest wire service in the world, expressed their “shock” at not having been invited to the WHO briefing given by Ms. Chan. Other journalists complained that this was not the first time this had happened with this particular agency, and this was not the first complaint. The problem was that their complaints did not resonate and had no impact at all. Journalists based in Geneva were insulted and embarrassed that they were giving the wrong information to their services, while the story had already broken, unbeknownst to them.

The President of ACANU also asked UNIS to seek advise from the UN Legal Advisor whether such behaviour by a specialized agency was in conformity with UN norms concerning non-discrimination in the work place and core human rights principles.

Fadéla Chaib of the World Health Organization (WHO) observed that WHO Director-General Margaret Chan had apologized yesterday to ACANU following their complaint. The Communications Group would meet this afternoon to discuss the format for information dissemination over the following days, including whether they would continue their virtual briefings, etc. She would let journalists know the outcome of the meeting.

Ms. Heuzé noted that there was a standard practice set out for cases in which only a limited number of journalists could be invited to an advance briefing. In that case, the rule was that the journalists attending had to share their information with everyone.

A journalist noted that WHO had said that some time in September the first H1N1 flu vaccines would be available, and very few at that; but at the same time, last night the United States Secretary of Health announced that in late September the United States was launching a “massive” vaccination campaign. He asked for some clarity on the conflicting information. Ms. Chaib said she would try and organize a briefing next week with the WHO official responsible.

Mr. Zarocostas lodged a second complaint on behalf of the ACANU that a number of journalists had been asked to sign a waiver saying that accredited journalists “will not be able to conduct media interviews of WHO staff ... except by prior arrangement ... Attempts to interview staff members who happen to be passing through the public areas will not be permitted and will result in your right to enter the WHO headquarters being cancelled.” While Ms. Chaib tried to explain those were part of “house rules” developed to deal with a massive influx of journalists following the advent of the outbreak of H1N1 flu in Mexico and the U.S.. Mr. Zarocostas recalled that these were rules that regulated who journalists could speak to, noting that the freedom of speech was a basic human right under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Ms. Heuzé said that UNIS would organize a meeting between ACANU and WHO to discuss this issue further.

Situation in Pakistan

William Spindler of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that this morning in Islamabad, UNHCR and other United Nations staff had held a special ceremony to pay homage to colleagues killed in the bombing of the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar on Tuesday night. UNHCR staff member Aleksandar Vorkapic had been killed alongside another colleague from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and three from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Mr. Vorkapic, 44 years old, had been deployed to Pakistan last month, along with a team of other specialists, to help the hundreds of thousands of displaced people in north-west Pakistan.

UNHCR had been grappling with the operational challenges posed by security risks in Pakistan for some time, Mr. Spindler noted. Despite the difficult security environment, they had continued their work in the region helping 1.7 million Afghan refugees and more recently some 2 million internally displaced Pakistanis. UNHCR had a strong field presence with more than 200 regular staff in three offices in Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta, with additional staff deployed recently as part of the emergency response team. In the wake of this recent attack, however, UNHCR was reviewing the way it operated and assessing what adjustments needed to be made to ensure the safety of UNHCR staff.

“There is no question of pulling out”, Mr. Spindler stressed. UNHCR was committed to helping the millions of displaced people in the region, and UNHCR operations had continued this week, registering new arrivals in camps and improving conditions by installing fencing, shades over tents and privacy walls. UNHCR intended to remain responsive to humanitarian needs and flexible in how it delivered them.

There are currently 1.9 million people registered displaced people verified and confirmed by the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), Mr. Spindler concluded, with thousands of family forms from the fast-track registration process yet to be cross checked.

Veronique Taveau of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said UNICEF had lost an important member of UNICEF’s team in Islamabad in the attack, Perseveranda So of the Philippines. UNICEF was also holding a ceremony today at UNICEF Geneva and elsewhere around the world. Another member of UNICEF, a young German woman, had been injured in the attack and had since been evacuated from the country. These were people who had paid the ultimate price to carry out their humanitarian work in the field.

In response to whether other United Nations agencies were going to pull out staff, Mr. Spindler said he could only speak for UNHCR. Ms. Taveau noted that Pakistan was listed at Phase Three on the United Nations security alert system, that triggered certain reductions and displacements of United Nations staff on the ground. At this point, UNICEF was not evacuating any staff from Islamabad, but was simply cutting to the minimum any travel by staff. Ms. Byrs said that there was no information to indicate that the attack was aimed at United Nations staff.

Thailand: Update on Karen Villagers from Myanmar

Mr. Spindler said that following the visit of UNHCR staff to five sites in northern Thailand, UNHCR had now verified the presence of 2,000 Karen villagers who had crossed the Moei River to Thailand since 3 June. The Karen villagers were taking shelter mostly in temples, in a communal hall and in private Thai homes in four villages. A large group who were reported to be sheltering in a cave were actually in a large field that had once been the site of a refugee camp many years ago. That group, estimated at between 700 and 900 people, was living in seasonal agricultural houses that farmers used when harvesting crops, but which were normally empty at this time of year. The new arrivals at that location had received rice, blankets and other relief items from.

UNHCR staff reported that most of the new arrivals seem to be women and children. Some of the Karen women said their men had stayed behind to protect crops and livestock, while others were scattered throughout Thai villages trying to find day labour. Many of the new arrivals said they would like to go back to Myanmar if the situation calmed down. The Thai authorities had responded quickly and sympathetically to the needs of the new arrivals, Mr. Spindler noted, and UNHCR was working with them and with non-governmental agencies to meet the needs of the Karen villagers.

World Day Against Child Labour

Ms. Taveau said that today, the tenth anniversary of the World Day Against Child Labour, UNICEF and its partners were calling for action to tackle the underlying poverty that led to child labour. However, progress achieved in recent years to improve access to education and to halt child labour could be compromised by the impact of the current financial and economic crises. Of particular concern were the estimated 100 girls involved in child labour around the world, many of whom performed the same work as boys, but often had to endure additional hardships and faced extra risks.

To address the underlying conditions of child labour, some 10 years ago UNICEF, IKEA and the Indian Government had formed a partnership to combat child labour in India, to address the root cases of child labour in the carpet bet of India. The programme, launced in 500 villages in the Eastern Uttar Pradesh region, had allowed for 80,000 out-of-school children to get an education, and there were plans to expand the programme to further villages.

A journalist asked what were the guidelines for UNICEF in accepting sponsors, given that IKEA had been singled out and named as a major abuser against trade union rights in some developing countries. Ms. Taveau said that she would check on that. She knew that before entering into partnerships with the private sector, UNICEF screened companies very carefully in the areas of child labour and exploitation.

Humanitarian Situation in Somalia – Update

Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) adding on to the previous briefing in which UNHCR had amply described the dramatic situation in Somalia following the fighting in Mogadishu, noted that at least 3.2 million people, or 43 per cent of the country’s population, would need humanitarian assistance of some form, in particular food aid, for the next six months, while the security situation was hindering humanitarian agencies from carrying out their work in a systematic manner. To date, the OCHA appeal of almost $1 billion remained only 35 per cent funded.

In parallel to the humanitarian crisis, Ms. Byrs highlighted that journalists were increasingly the target of attacks, with five journalists killed in Somalia since the beginning of the year, and dozens of others had received death threats and had been obliged to flee.

Other

Corinne Perthuis of the International Labour Organization (ILO) said available on the ILO website and at the back of the room was a programme for the high-level segment of the Conference, which would run from Monday to Wednesday next week, 15 to 17 June. Also available was a list of heads of State and Government and other major players that would be present. Special badges would be needed for the Conference. A press room would be set up in Room XVI, but there would also be space for the press in the gallery on the sixth floor, available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Conference would also be webcast live on the ILO website.

Sanjay Acharya of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced that President Lula of Brazil would be at ITU headquarters on Monday, 15 June at 3 p.m. to receive the ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Award 2009 for protecting children online. There would be a press opportunity with President just after the presentation, at around 3:30 p.m.

Brigitte Léoni of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) recalled that the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction started next Tuesday, 16 June. On Monday there would be an initial press conference at 11 a.m. in press room 1 at the Palais des Nations at which a new index on mortality rates, showing the least and most at-risk territories for disasters, would be presented. Ms. Byrs of OCHA noted that John Holmes, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, would hold two associated press conferences, one for the opening and one for the closing. For the closing press conference, on Friday, 19 June, journalists would be able to ask both about the Global Platform and climate change issues, in a first part, and address the issue of humanitarian crises, such as in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Somalia, in a second part.

Catherine Sibut-Pinote of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said today UNCTAD was publishing a study on the combat against cybercrime in Latin America, which in particular reviewed legislation in force and provided guidance in this area. She also announced that UNCTAD was holding a regional workshop in Kuala Lumpur next week on international investment agreements.

Mr. Spindler noted that the UNHCR Global Trends Report 2009, with the latest information on the number of refugees and other people uprooted throughout the world, would be issued next Tuesday, 16 June. A media package would be sent to journalists on Monday, with a copy of the report and a press release, under embargo till Tuesday afternoon.

An information note by IOM was distributed to the media.