REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Marie Heuzé, Director of the Information Service at Geneva, chaired the biweekly press briefing, during which she informed journalists about statements of the Secretary-General; the latest report of the Secretary-General on Liberia; activities in Geneva; and human rights.

Also, participating in the briefing were representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); World Health Organisation (WHO); United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); World Food Programme (WFP); World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); and the International Office of Migration (IOM).

Statements of the Secretary-General

The Director of the Service the Secretary-General had written to members of the Security Council informing them that the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC), investigating the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri and 20 others, was fully operational as of 16 June. That notification marked the start of the three-month period given by the Security Council to the Commission to carry out its investigation established in resolution 1595 (2005). The statement was available for correspondents.

The Secretary-General also welcomed the important agreement reached today to expand Iraq’s Constitution Drafting Committee, so that it was more inclusive of the country’s Sunni Arab community. The Secretary-General hoped that the people of Iraq would seize that historic opportunity to pursue a constitutional process that was responsive to the key demands of all Iraqi political constituencies. The United Nations would continue to do everything possible to support the constitution-making process, and to facilitate Iraq’s political transition in accordance with its mandate under Security Council resolution 1546. That statement was also in the press room.

Secretary-General’s report on Liberia

Ms. Heuzé stated that the Secretary-General had issued a report released to review the sanctions imposed on Liberia. A report of the Panel of Experts on Liberia, released on 16 June, concluded that until the rule of law could be re-established in Liberia, exploitation of resources and abuse of fundamental human rights would continue to be practiced with impunity. The report made various recommendations, including paying urgent attention to unregulated and illegal harvesting of timber and rubber, and creating short- to medium-term employment and training for ex-combatants and others.

Geneva activities :

Conference on Disarmament

The Director underlined that the Conference on Disarmament had held a plenary session on 16 June on matters related to the agenda. The newly elected President of the Conference on Disarmament, Ambassador Wegger Strommen of Norway said he intended to convene four formal plenary meetings, which would take place on 23, 28 and 30 June as well as on 7 July.

Human rights

José Luis Diaz, Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, announced that on Monday 20 June in room XVII, the Commission on Human Rights would meet for informal consultations in Geneva on the reform of the United Nations human rights machinery. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) had decided on 9 June to request that the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights should organize informal consultations with unlimited participation during a maximum of two days. The consultations should examine the recommendations of the Secretary-General related to the UN’s human rights machinery, which he made in his report on “In Larger Freedom”, with a view to contributing to the intergovernmental deliberations on UN reform.

In response to a question, Mr. Diaz answered that High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour; the President of the Commission on Human Rights, as well as representatives of regional groups would make statements during the session of work.

Ms. Heuzé added that the Service would issue a round-up summary on the course of the consultations.

Other:

Fadela Chaib, spokesperson for WHO, announced that Mr. Jorgen Schlundt, head of sanitary security at WHO would give a press conference on 23 June in room 1 on the launch of a report on genetically modified foods.

Elisabeth Byrs, spokesperson for OCHA, announced that on 24 June, Mr. Jan Egeland, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, would take part in a press conference in Luxembourg together with the European Commissioner for Development Aid, Mr. Louis Michel, and the Minister of Luxembourg for Cooperation between the European Union (EU) and UN. The press conference would give an updated of the efforts of the UN and the EU six months after the tsunami in South Asia.

Yvette Stevens, Director of the Geneva Bureau of OCHA, would give a press conference on 29 June to take stock of the halfway stage of the Consolidated Appeals launched this year.

Catherine Sibut-Pinote of UNCTAD announced the holding of the fifth inter-regional meeting on debt management from 20 to 24 June in Geneva. The conclusions would be presented to the UN General Assembly.

Rupert Colville of UNHCR said the agency had published its annual global statistics this morning, just ahead of World Refugee Day on Monday. The main findings were as follows: The global number of refugees fell 4 percent in 2004 to 9.2 million, the lowest total in almost a quarter of a century. However, the numbers of internally displaced and stateless people remained high. Despite the drop in refugee numbers to the lowest level since 1980, the total "of concern" to UNHCR – which also includes asylum seekers, returnees, stateless people and a portion of the world's internally displaced people – increased to 19.2 million from 17 million over the course of last year.

The total number of people "of concern" to UNHCR grew last year by just over 2 million to 19.2 million. Among the top 10 refugee populations, the only other nationality to show an increase was Congolese (from the Democratic Republic of the Congo), who went up 2.4 percent to 462,000. The top countries of asylum were Iran (1,046,000 refugees, mostly Afghans) and Pakistan (961,000, almost all Afghans). The next three largest asylum countries are Germany, Tanzania and the United States.

Simon Pluess of WFP announced that that up to 3.5 million people - or more than half the entire population of western Sudan’s Darfur region – would need food aid at the height of the annual "hunger season" from August through the month of October. A press release was now available.

Catherine Jewel of WIPO announced the holding of an intergovernmental inter-sessional meeting on the agency’s plan of action for development from 20 to 22 June. Jean-Philippe Chauzy said the a press conference would take place on 21 June concerning the launch of the agency’s 2005 annual report on world migration. The report was under embargo until midnight 22 June.
Marie Heuzé, Director of the Information Service at Geneva, chaired the biweekly press briefing, during which she informed journalists about statements of the Secretary-General; the latest report of the Secretary-General on Liberia; activities in Geneva; and human rights.

Also, participating in the briefing were representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); World Health Organisation (WHO); United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); World Food Programme (WFP); World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); and the International Office of Migration (IOM).

Statements of the Secretary-General

The Director of the Service the Secretary-General had written to members of the Security Council informing them that the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC), investigating the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri and 20 others, was fully operational as of 16 June. That notification marked the start of the three-month period given by the Security Council to the Commission to carry out its investigation established in resolution 1595 (2005). The statement was available for correspondents.

The Secretary-General also welcomed the important agreement reached today to expand Iraq’s Constitution Drafting Committee, so that it was more inclusive of the country’s Sunni Arab community. The Secretary-General hoped that the people of Iraq would seize that historic opportunity to pursue a constitutional process that was responsive to the key demands of all Iraqi political constituencies. The United Nations would continue to do everything possible to support the constitution-making process, and to facilitate Iraq’s political transition in accordance with its mandate under Security Council resolution 1546. That statement was also in the press room.

Secretary-General’s report on Liberia

Ms. Heuzé stated that the Secretary-General had issued a report released to review the sanctions imposed on Liberia. A report of the Panel of Experts on Liberia, released on 16 June, concluded that until the rule of law could be re-established in Liberia, exploitation of resources and abuse of fundamental human rights would continue to be practiced with impunity. The report made various recommendations, including paying urgent attention to unregulated and illegal harvesting of timber and rubber, and creating short- to medium-term employment and training for ex-combatants and others.

Geneva activities :

Conference on Disarmament

The Director underlined that the Conference on Disarmament had held a plenary session on 16 June on matters related to the agenda. The newly elected President of the Conference on Disarmament, Ambassador Wegger Strommen of Norway said he intended to convene four formal plenary meetings, which would take place on 23, 28 and 30 June as well as on 7 July.

Human rights

José Luis Diaz, Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, announced that on Monday 20 June in room XVII, the Commission on Human Rights would meet for informal consultations in Geneva on the reform of the United Nations human rights machinery. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) had decided on 9 June to request that the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights should organize informal consultations with unlimited participation during a maximum of two days. The consultations should examine the recommendations of the Secretary-General related to the UN’s human rights machinery, which he made in his report on “In Larger Freedom”, with a view to contributing to the intergovernmental deliberations on UN reform.

In response to a question, Mr. Diaz answered that High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour; the President of the Commission on Human Rights, as well as representatives of regional groups would make statements during the session of work.

Ms. Heuzé added that the Service would issue a round-up summary on the course of the consultations.

Other:

Fadela Chaib, spokesperson for WHO, announced that Mr. Jorgen Schlundt, head of sanitary security at WHO would give a press conference on 23 June in room 1 on the launch of a report on genetically modified foods.

Elisabeth Byrs, spokesperson for OCHA, announced that on 24 June, Mr. Jan Egeland, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, would take part in a press conference in Luxembourg together with the European Commissioner for Development Aid, Mr. Louis Michel, and the Minister of Luxembourg for Cooperation between the European Union (EU) and UN. The press conference would give an updated of the efforts of the UN and the EU six months after the tsunami in South Asia.

Yvette Stevens, Director of the Geneva Bureau of OCHA, would give a press conference on 29 June to take stock of the halfway stage of the Consolidated Appeals launched this year.

Catherine Sibut-Pinote of UNCTAD announced the holding of the fifth inter-regional meeting on debt management from 20 to 24 June in Geneva. The conclusions would be presented to the UN General Assembly.

Rupert Colville of UNHCR said the agency had published its annual global statistics this morning, just ahead of World Refugee Day on Monday. The main findings were as follows: The global number of refugees fell 4 percent in 2004 to 9.2 million, the lowest total in almost a quarter of a century. However, the numbers of internally displaced and stateless people remained high. Despite the drop in refugee numbers to the lowest level since 1980, the total "of concern" to UNHCR – which also includes asylum seekers, returnees, stateless people and a portion of the world's internally displaced people – increased to 19.2 million from 17 million over the course of last year.

The total number of people "of concern" to UNHCR grew last year by just over 2 million to 19.2 million. Among the top 10 refugee populations, the only other nationality to show an increase was Congolese (from the Democratic Republic of the Congo), who went up 2.4 percent to 462,000. The top countries of asylum were Iran (1,046,000 refugees, mostly Afghans) and Pakistan (961,000, almost all Afghans). The next three largest asylum countries are Germany, Tanzania and the United States.

Simon Pluess of WFP announced that that up to 3.5 million people - or more than half the entire population of western Sudan’s Darfur region – would need food aid at the height of the annual "hunger season" from August through the month of October. A press release was now available.

Catherine Jewel of WIPO announced the holding of an intergovernmental inter-sessional meeting on the agency’s plan of action for development from 20 to 22 June. Jean-Philippe Chauzy said the a press conference would take place on 21 June concerning the launch of the agency’s 2005 annual report on world migration. The report was under embargo until midnight 22 June.

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