REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Marie Heuzé, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, gave the floor at the beginning of the meeting to Michel Kazatchkine, the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, who spoke about progress in the fight against malaria, and at the end of the meeting to the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, who spoke about his mission to Cuba. Spokespersons for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration also took the floor.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Michel Kazatchkine, the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said he was here to announce some spectacular results concerning the fight against malaria. The programmes that the Global Fund supported had so far delivered 46 million bed nets to families at risk of contracting malaria, a 155 per cent increase over last year’s result of 18 million. He said with approved financing for 146 programmes fighting malaria in 78 countries worth more than $ 3.6 billion over five years, the Global Fund also provided the financing for effective drugs to treat approximately 44 million people suffering from malaria. He said malaria still claimed more than a million lives a year, and the challenge was to make bed nets available for everyone at risk of malaria, and to expand access to the latest treatment. A number of countries suffering from endemic malaria had shown reductions of mortality rates among children below the age of five, reductions of severe cases of malaria among children and pregnant mothers, and reductions in the prevalence of malaria as a result of the work of the Global Fund.

According to an article being issued in a medical journal today, in Zanzibar, the double campaign of distributing bed nets and treating malaria patients had resulted in a 90 per cent reduction in the transmission of malaria. Ethiopia, in the coming few months, would reach the figure of 60 per cent coverage by bed nets, after which it was known that mortality and morbidity rates among children were reduced significantly. While he had no global figures for how the bed nets affected the reduction of malaria infections, Mr. Kazatchkine said he could say that in certain provinces of Tanzania, the double campaign, between 2002 and 2007, had resulted in a reduction of 50 per cent of mortality rates for children below the age of five. In Eritrea, there was a reduction of 70 per cent in the number of malaria cases, and mortality and morbidity rates for children below the age of five had reduced by 60 per cent. These figures represented or illustrated the feasibility of the programmes.

Mr. Kazatchkine said that the annual figures for progress in the fight against AIDS and tuberculosis would be announced at the end of the week. A press release with more details on the progress made in the fight against malaria was available in English and in French.

United Nations Activities

Ms. Heuzé said available in the press room was the joint declaration issued yesterday by the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East, made up of the United Nations, European Union, Russian Federation and United States, which voiced its full support for a conference on the region being held in the United States city of Annapolis.

Ms. Heuzé said journalists had already received the note to correspondents concerning the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which would be commemorated on Thursday, 29 November at the Palais des Nations.

The new Rector of the University for Peace, John Maresca, was in Geneva to attend a meeting at the Palais des Nations on 28 November on his vision for the future of the University’s activities. This was the first time that Mr. Maresca had the time to meet with journalists and she could set up appointments for those interested starting 11 a.m. tomorrow. Headquartered in Costa Rica, the United Nations-mandated University for Peace was established in December 1980 as a Treaty Organization by the UN General Assembly. The University was governed by an independent Council. The Secretary-General was the President of the Council and other members included Mohamed Sahnoun, Ruth Dreifuss and Carolyn McAskie.

Ms. Heuzé said the World Health Programme had asked her to ask journalists if they were interested in an embargoed briefing on Tuesday, 4 December on the campaign for medicines for children, which would be launched on Thursday, 6 December in London. It was agreed that a press briefing would be organized.

Earthquake in Indonesia

Elizabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said an earthquake of 6.7 on the Richter Scale had affected West Nusa Tenggara Province in Indonesia on 26 November. This was one of many earthquakes which had been affecting Indonesia. According to preliminary figures, three persons had been killed, 55 persons wounded and 400 homes damaged. UNICEF and the World Food programme had sent assessment missions to the affected areas.

Bangladesh Cyclone

Veronique Taveau of the United Nations Children’s Fund said according to the UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh, the latest figures showed that more than 7 million persons had been affected by the cyclone, including 2.8 million who were severely affected. What was of concern to UNICEF was that among the worst affected persons were 300,000 children below the age of five who were today in a position of serious vulnerability. These children who were already suffering from malnutrition could be facing even worse consequences if aid did not reach them. Nights were becoming colder and the victims needed shelter and warm clothing. Many children had been seriously affected by the cyclone, evidenced by the look in their eyes and the stupor on their faces, and psychological aid was of fundamental necessity for them. Also a lot of the food had been distributed to men, but not to women and children. UNICEF and its partners were trying to ensure that the priority was now given to children in the aid distributions. Water and sanitation conditions remained urgent problems for the victims and UNICEF was trying to re-establish provisions of clean water and sanitation facilities. UNICEF considered that it would take at least six months for it to re-establish the distribution of water to thousands of persons. UNICEF had sent a large number of staffers to help on the ground.

Elizabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the amount of received contributions and confirmed pledges for the cyclone was $ 223 million. A coordination sub cell had been established in Barisal. A total of 732 medical teams were working in the affected areas, including teams from the Government of Bangladesh and United Nations organizations and other partners. The Cyclone Response Plan, which was being prepared, would provide support for the Government of Bangladesh’s efforts to help the victims.

Pierre Kremer of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the International Federation had launched an appeal for 24 million Swiss francs for its middle term and long-term aid efforts for Bangladesh. The International Federation’s main efforts were concentrating on providing shelter for the victims.

Other

Elizabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said John Holmes, the Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, was in Ethiopia. He arrived yesterday in Addis Ababa. On 28 November, he would go to the Ogaden region to speak with persons affected by the conflict, and then go to Khartoum, Sudan. He would be in Darfur from 30 November to 1 December. On 2 December, Mr. Holmes would arrive in Nairobi to meet with UN agencies and representatives of the international community. He would leave Nairobi on 3 December. A number of UN appeals would be launched on 10 December and she would try to get documentation to journalists as early as possible during the day. A press briefing by Mr. Holmes would be held at 3:15 p.m. on 10 December. The UN Work Plan for Sudan, which was actually another appeal, would be issued on 11 December.

Pierre Kremer of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the International Federation had launched an appeal for Papua New Guinea, which had been affected by a cyclone, for 100,000 Swiss francs to help the 143,000 affected persons.

Florian Westphal of the International Committee of the Red Cross said on 29 November at 2 p.m., ICRC would hold a press briefing on the critical humanitarian situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mr. Westphal said the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Conference was still ongoing, and there had been lively debates yesterday on four elements of increasing importance which were environmental degradation including climate change, international migration, violence in urban areas, and health problems. The discussions on these topics were continuing today.

Mr. Kremer said there would be a press briefing at 2:30 p.m. this afternoon on the four issues which were debated yesterday.

Corinne Perthuis of the International Labour Organization said the International Day of Disabled Persons was commemorated on 3 December, and ILO’s theme for this year was “decent work for persons with disabilities”. ILO was organizing two events, the first being a public debate on 3 December from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. which would hear about efforts taken by governments, worker and employer organizations and other actors to overcome the barriers preventing persons with disabilities from fully participating in the labour market. On Friday, 30 November at the end of the briefing, an ILO report on “the right to decent work of persons with disabilities” would be launched.

Veronique Taveau of the United Nations Children’s Fund said available was a note to correspondents on Roger Federer starring in a World AIDS Day public service announcement to raise awareness about the transmission of HIV from mothers to their children. The video message would be released to mark this year’s World AIDS Day on 1 December. Also, on 28 November at 11 a.m. in press room 1, there would be a briefing with UNICEF’s representative in Chad.

Jean-Philippe Chauzy of the International Organization for Migration said the 94th Session of the IOM governing body opened this morning in Conference Room XVII at the Palais des Nations. This year's "International Dialogue on Migration", which would open this afternoon, would focus on Managing Migration in the Evolving Economy.

Right to Food and Cuba

Jean Ziegler, Special Rapporteur on the right to food, said he wished to clarify two misunderstandings concerning his mission to Cuba. Usually he gave a press conference once he concluded a mission, and then when he presented his report to the Human Rights Council. But a number of journalists had asked for a press briefing now because they had a number of questions on his mission to Cuba. He supported the freedom of the press everywhere around the world and had no intention to avoid them. At the back of the room was his detailed itinerary for his trip to Cuba from 28 October to 6 November. In a radio broadcast on Radio Suisse Romande entitled “Jean Ziegler in Cuba, a United Nations scandal”, as well as in newspaper articles, journalists had written things about his mission which were the result of misunderstandings.

Mr. Ziegler said it was true that his trip to Cuba had come right after the particularly harsh speech by President Bush of 24 October. However, there was no political consideration on his part or on the part of the Cuban Government concerning the dates of the visit. The dates had been determined exclusively by his presence in New York and practical considerations.

Journalists had also accused him of refusing to meet with dissidents, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Mr. Ziegler said. He had refused because he was the Special Rapporteur on the right to food and he was in Cuba working exclusively on issues concerning his mandate. This did not mean that he was not aware of other problems in the country, but his visit agreed upon with the Cubans was about the right to food. It was hoped that this trip was going to be the start of renewed contacts in total transparency between Cuba and the Human Rights Council, and it would have been totally irresponsible for him to endanger this opening with a scheme on his part.

A journalist said if the Special Rapporteur wanted to concentrate only on his mandate, in what context did his comments come in an interview upon his return that there was no torture in Cuba and Cuba was not a dictatorship. Mr. Ziegler said as a free citizen and intellectual, he had said that he did not think that there was torture in Cuba, adding that the Special Rapporteur against torture had said that no allegations of torture in Cuba had ever been proven.

Announcement

It was announced that Peter Capella of Agence France Presse and Simon Pluess of the World Food Programme would both be concluding their work at the Palais shortly and journalists wished them good luck.