REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Corinne Momal-Vanian, the Director of the UN Information Service, chaired the briefing, which was also attended by Spokespersons for and Representatives of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the World Health Organization, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the World Meteorological Organization, the Human Rights Council, the UN Development Programme, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Children’s Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the International Organization for Migration, the UN Refugee Agency and the World Food Programme.

Spike in violence by Israeli Settlers against Palestinian Civilians

Rupert Colville of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the UN human rights office was concerned about a spike in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank since the beginning of September. OHCHR was particularly concerned about the situation in the Palestinian village of Qusra, which lay close to Nablus in the northern West Bank. Qusra had been targeted by settlers at least six times in the past six weeks. The attacks had taken various forms and were emblematic of the phenomenon of settler violence throughout the West Bank. They had resulted in substantial property loss and damage in addition to cases of serious physical injury. A mosque had been torched, hundreds of trees had been cut down and a Palestinian civilian had been killed following the intervention of an IDF unit. Palestinians from this village had in the past already lost access to hundreds of acres of land due to settlement expansion and erection of outposts.

A report by the Secretary-General entitled “Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan” was due to be released in the next few days. It addressed the continuation of Israeli settlement construction and its impact on the human rights of the residents, including violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property and the lack of accountability for settler violence. The report had been prepared by the UN human rights office in the occupied Palestinian territory in cooperation with various other UN entities.

OHCHR called on the Government of Israel to fulfill its obligation under international human rights and international humanitarian law to protect Palestinian civilians and property in the occupied Palestinian territory. More needed to be done to effectively prevent attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and, when they did occur, they should be properly investigated by the Israeli authorities. Victims should also be appropriately compensated for their losses. With the olive harvest season beginning in a few days time, OHCHR urged the Israeli authorities to take effective measures to stop attacks by settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Executions in Saudi Arabia

Mr. Colville said that OHCHR was deeply distressed at the public execution in Saudi Arabia last Friday of 10 men, eight of whom were foreign migrant workers from Bangladesh. OHCHR noted that, of the at least 58 people reportedly executed in Saudi Arabia this year, 20 were migrant workers. It called on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all other States that still maintained the death penalty to respect international standards that provided safeguards to ensure protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty. About 140 of the 193 Member States of the UN were believed to have abolished the death penalty or introduced a moratorium, either legally or in practice. OHCHR called on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to join these States and establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

Violent Protests in Egypt

Mr. Colville said that at least 24 people were reported to have been killed – mostly Coptic Christians – and hundreds injured as a result of the protest against a church attack in Aswan which turned violent in Cairo on Sunday. Eyewitnesses to the incident claimed to have seen military vehicles driving into the crowd of protestors and running over some demonstrators. Several of the dead were found to have crushed limbs and others reportedly had bullet wounds. OHCHR expressed its regret over the loss of life as well as over those injured while attempting to exercise their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression. It recalled that the Egyptian revolution had been achieved through non-violence and responsible assembly and expression. It urged the authorities to ensure the protection of all, including minority groups, in their rightful exercise of such freedoms.

Ms. Momal-Vanian said that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had issued a statement last night, saying he was “deeply saddened by the loss of life in Cairo” and that he appealed to all Egyptians “to remain united and to preserve the spirit of the historic changes of early 2011. Mr. Ban called on the transitional authorities “to guarantee the protection of human rights and civil liberties for Egyptians of all faiths.”

Cholera in Africa

Marixie Mercado of the UN Children’s Fund said that this year had seen more than 85,000 reported cases of cholera, resulting in 2,466 deaths across West and Central Africa. The size and scale of the outbreaks meant the region was facing one of the biggest epidemics in its history. The case fatality ratios were unacceptably high, ranging from 2.3 per cent to 4.7 per cent, and could reach much higher levels at district-level in many countries – up to 22 per cent in the Adamawa region of Cameroon for example. Children were more vulnerable to cholera as they dehydrated faster and malnourished children were especially at risk. The most significant increases in 2011 were in Chad, where it was the largest outbreak recorded; in Cameroon, where 9 out of 10 districts were reporting cases; and in Western Democratic Republic of Congo, where the case fatality rate was above 5 per cent.

There were three major cross border cholera epidemic outbreaks – the Lake Chad Basin, the West Congo Basin, and Lake Tanganyika. The smaller cholera epidemics in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Togo appeared to be under control. UNICEF was providing treatment kits, conducting community awareness campaigns on hygiene and assisting with epidemiological surveys. However, there were challenges such as access, making sure medical staff and supplies where there were they were needed, as well as stronger surveillance, especially in north-eastern DR Congo.

In a context where cholera was spreading quickly along major water ways between and within countries, there were concrete steps that could be taken to limit the spread of disease. UNICEF was calling on Governments to work more closely together on coordinating preparation and response, not only within their borders but with each other. Information exchange about caseloads and population movements, making sure medical staff and supplies were where they needed to be, as well as cross-border inspections for disinfection and chlorination were all proven ways to contain the disease and save lives.

Tarik Jasarevic of the World Health Organization said that Ghana, the DR Congo, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad accounted for around 90 per cent of all cholera cases and deaths. Recognizing the need to better harmonize and coordinate response activities, a cross-border meeting had taken place on 20-21 September in Douala between Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and Chad to discuss common actions for the affected region. Another cross-border meeting had been held on 2 August between DR Congo and Congo with support from WHO.

Following the declaration of a cholera outbreak in the Central African Republic by the Ministry of Health on 30 September, WHO had deployed two epidemiologists to the affected villages. WHO was also working closely with the Ministries of Health of other countries to reinforce active surveillance, investigate new cases, train clinicians on case management, support rapid response teams and coordinate other partners. Preventive and control measures were the most important steps that health partners could take in order to contain these outbreaks. As well as conducting water and sanitation activities and ensuring access to clean and safe water, health partners were trying to distribute cholera kits and to enhance surveillance and case management. A map with a detailed breakdown of cholera cases by country, the number of deaths and case fatality ratios was at the back of the room and a WHO expert could brief the press on this issue next Tuesday.

Sudan

Mr. Chauzy said that a fourth IOM convoy of barges carrying nearly 1,800 South Sudanese from Kosti, a town south of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, had arrived in the South Sudanese capital Juba. The operation had brought the number of people making the 1,436 kilometers river journey with IOM to nearly 7,000 since 26 July, following South Sudan’s Declaration of Independence on 9 July.

Ms. Momal-Vanian said that some 350,000 people had been repatriated from Sudan to South Sudan since October 2010.

Libya

Mr. Chauzy said that many migrants and refugees at the Salloum border crossing between Libya and Egypt had been treated for a scabies infection by a team of IOM specialists, in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Health and UNHCR.

Pakistan

Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that nearly a month after the devastating monsoon rains and floods over 5.81 million flood-affected people in Sindh and Bolochistan continued to struggle to survive on meager resources, with some three million people being in need of immediate food assistance. The onset of the cold weather would further exacerbate the humanitarian situation as thousands of families were still living without shelter and over 850,000 persons were residing in temporary settlements in Sindh alone. With the Pakistan Flood Response Plan being only 18 per cent funded, additional funds were needed as many relief organizations would run out of stocks of relief items unless more funds were urgently committed.

Jean-Philippe Chauzy of the International Organization for Migration said that IOM had received some $4 million in response to its appeal for $18 million to assist flood victims in Pakistan. The assistance provided by the organization was limited as its pre-positioned aid had been distributed. Funds were needed urgently to aid people in need and avoid a further deterioration of the situation.

Ferry returns of Sri Lankan refugees from India due to start Wednesday

Adrian Edwards of the UN Refugee Agency said that UNHCR was expecting the first returns of Sri Lankan refugees by commercial ferry from India to start on Wednesday, 12 October. The returns were part of a voluntary, facilitated repatriation programme, supported by the Governments of both India and Sri Lanka. A welcoming ceremony at Colombo port was planned with Sri Lankan Government officials, port and shipping authorities, as well as UNHCR.

Until now, all refugee returns to Sri Lanka had been by air. The numbers returning in this first “trial run” were small – 37 individuals representing some 15 families. However, the return by sea was significant as UNHCR was hearing from Sri Lankan refugees in India that many were waiting for ferry returns in order to transport their household possessions with them. Each person could bring up to 150 kilogrammes of belongings. The commercial ferry link between the port of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu and Colombo in Sri Lanka and India had re-opened earlier this year, paving the way for refugees to return by sea instead of air. Since the conflict ended in May 2009, Sri Lankan refugees had been steadily returning back to their home country, mainly from India with a few from other countries. Over 1,400 refugees had returned so far this year, compared to 2,054 refugees in 2010.

UNHCR assisted refugees once they returned with a reintegration grant and transport allowance to help them get back home. According to Indian Government figures, some 69,000 Sri Lankan refugees were living in 112 camps in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. UNHCR’s most recent statistics showed there were 141,063 Sri Lankan refugees in 65 countries, with the majority in India, followed by France, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Malaysia, the United States and Italy.

WMO Agenda

Clare Nullis of the World Meteorological Organization said that WMO and the Hong Kong Observatory had launched “MyWeather” – a mobile application on iPhone platform featuring the World Weather Information Service. It was the world’s first ever location-specific weather service providing official weather forecasts of more than 1,400 cities around the world for people on the move.

Last week had taken place the Tenth WMO Scientific Conference on Weather Modification in Bali. The conference had highlighted the growing desire of human kind to modify weather specifically to augment water resources and reduce the damage of hail and other severe and damaging weather phenomena. However, despite promising advances being made, several scientific issues remained unsolved. Fortunately the technology to observe, model and analyze the intentional interventions made by weather modification now existed to make great progress in this field.

WMO and the UN Institute for Training and Research were organizing a Symposium on Leveraging Satellite Applications for Global Challenges this afternoon and on Wednesday, 12 October. The Seminar was open to the press.

US Donates Record $56 Million To Ramp Up HIV Nutrition Activities In Ethiopia

Gaelle Sévenier of the World Food Programme said that WFP had welcomed a US$56 million donation from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) that would dramatically increase resources for programmes in Ethiopia providing vital nutrition assistance to people living with HIV. This donation, the largest ever from PEPFAR, would offer a critical boost to the HIV/AIDS activities conducted by WFP in Ethiopia, allowing the organization to reach an additional 375,000 vulnerable people over five years.

Ms. Sévenier noted that people living with HIV, especially children, needed higher than normal food intake to fight the disease.

Visit of the UN Secretary-General

Ms. Momal-Vanian said that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would be in Switzerland from 16 to 18 October for a three-day visit, during which he would attend the inaugural ceremony of the 125th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Berne. The Secretary-General would also meet with Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey, members of the Swiss Parliament’s foreign affairs committee and senior officials with the Swiss federal administration. Mr. Ban would then travel to Geneva to visit the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue and take part in the executive committee meeting of the UN Economic Commission for Europe.

Responding to a question, Ms. Momal-Vanian said that Mr. Ban would not have a full press encounter in Geneva but there may be a brief press encounter on Monday morning in Berne after the bilateral meeting with Ms. Calmy-Rey. More details would follow closer to the date.

125th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Anders Johnsson, the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, said that the Inter-Parliamentary Union would hold its 125th Assembly from 16 to 19 October in Bern. The last time a Secretary-General had participated in an IPU Assembly had been in 1932, and attendance by the UN Secretary-General this year was a reflection of the strengthening of the relationship between the IPU and the UN over the last years. There was a determined effort by Mr. Ban and by many Member States to improve and have a more strategic relationship between the IPU, National Parliaments and the UN.

Delegations from about 140 National Parliaments would be participating in the forthcoming IPU Assembly, representing both majority and opposition parties. All in all, there should be between 1,300 and 1,500 delegates during the day. There would be many bilateral meetings, as well as public debates. The economic situation in the world would figure prominently in the programme, notably with a panel discussion on regulating financial markets and a debate on the ownership of international institutions. There would also be discussions on the lessons learned from the Arab Spring and on the Palestinian request for UN membership, and the Assembly would elect a new President.

Human Rights Council UPR

Cédric Sapey of the Human Rights Council said that the Working Group was currently considering the report of Lithuania before adopting the outcome of the review of Syria at noon. The Working Group would then start to review the report of Uganda, at 2.30 p.m., and was then scheduled to adopt the outcome review of Venezuela at 5.30 p.m.

Tomorrow the Working Group would consider the reports of Timor-Leste and Moldova and adopt the outcomes of Iceland and Zimbabwe. On Thursday it would review the report of Haiti, and - by examining the last one of the 193 countries - complete the first cycle of the Universal Periodic Review.

New OCHA Office in the United Arab Emirates

Ms. Byrs said that the UN would next year set up a humanitarian office in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Rashid Khalikov, the Director of OCHA Geneva, was currently in Abu Dhabi, where he was meeting with the Saudi Foreign Minister. The office – the organisation's second one in the Emirates but the first in the capital – would aim to speed up response times to crisis situations and work with NGOs and Governments in the region.

UNDP Agenda

Adam Rogers of the UN Development Programme said that the Global Forum of Local Development Agencies had concluded last week in Seville, Spain, after 1,200 local development actors from 47 countries had gathered to promote a decentralized approach to development and to the Paris Declaration on Aid Efficiency. The outcome document would be sent to the Geneva press corps shortly.

The Second Ministerial Review Conference on the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development would be held on 31 October and 1 November at the CICG. The conference, hosted by the Swiss Government and UNDP, was aimed at reducing armed violence to foster development. The participants to the conference notably included UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey.

Mr. Rogers also invited journalists to a reception organized on 19 October at 6.15 p.m. to mark the opening of a photo exhibition by Gwenn Dubourthoumieu on the occasion of the Second Ministerial Review Conference.

The Match against Poverty, in which the club HSV Hamburg was playing this year, would take place on 13 December. More information would follow shortly.

Former French soccer star Zinedine Zidane was travelling to Mali this week with UNDP to visit programmes focusing on women’s empowerment and sustainable development.

Press Conferences

Fadéla Chaib of the World Health Organization said that Dr. Hiroki Nakatani, the WHO Assistant Director-General for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, and Dr. Katherine Floyd, the Coordinator of the TB Monitoring and Evaluation Unit at WHO’s Stop TB Department, would launch the 2011 Global Tuberculosis Control Report at a press conference taking place today at 3.30 p.m. in Press Room 1. The primary launching of the report would take place in Washington at the same time.

Catherine Sibut-Pinote of the UN Conference on Trade and Development said that UNCTAD would launch the “Information Economy Report 2011 - ICTs as an Enabler for Private Sector Development” at a press conference to take place on 18 October at noon in Press Room 1, under embargo until 19 October at 5 p.m. GMT.

Tarik Jasarevic of the World Health Organization said that the WHO Representative for Somalia would give a press conference by telephone at 10 a.m. on Friday to update journalists on the health situation in the country.

Mr. Rogers said that Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey may give a press conference on 31 October, the first day of the Second Ministerial Review Conference on the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development. UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and the author of the UNDP 2011 Human Development Report would further present that report to the Geneva press corps on 31 October (under embargo).

Other

Ms. Momal-Vanian said that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was examining the report of Lesotho today. It would review the report of Chad tomorrow before examining that of Kuwait on Thursday and that of Côte d’Ivoire on Friday.

Ms. Sévenier said that journalists were invited to take part in the opening of an exhibition of photographs of joint activities by FAO and WFP. The event would take place on 17 October with the presence of the Director-General of UNOG, the Director of WFP’s Geneva Office and the Director of OCHA Geneva.