REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Marie Heuzé, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which provided information about report of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Human Settlements in Zimbabwe, the opening of the fifty-seventh session of the Sub-Commission-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and humanitarian assistance to Niger, Mali and Sudan. Spokespersons for the United Nations Children's Fund, the International Organization for Migration, the World Food Programme and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights participated in the briefing. Spokespersons from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Health Organization were present but made no announcements.

The guest speaker at today's briefing was Ms. Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (Please see separate summary)

Zimbabwe

The Director announced that the report of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Human Settlements Issues in Zimbabwe, Anna K. Tibaijuka, was available on request in the documentation centre since Friday. The Secretary-General, she added, spoke by telephone with President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe on Friday who invited Mr. Annan to Zimbabwe to see for himself the measures taken by the Government of Zimbabwe to rectify the situation resulting from operation "Restore Order". The date of the Secretary-General's travel to Zimbabwe had not been set.

Damien Personnaz of UNICEF drew attention to a press release issued by his agency calling for an immediate end to the operation, which has led to the demolition of homes and evictions in Zimbabwe and for full humanitarian access to more than 585,000 people who have been made homeless by the Government crackdown. The press release states that more than 200,000 children are homeless, without access to food, water or health care. UNICEF has expressed its concern that it remained virtually impossible to reach all those affected by operation "Restore Order". He added that UNICEF had appealed for $US 2.7 million three weeks ago, for which $US 1.5 million was received.

Jean-Philippe Chauzy of the International Organization for Migration announced that his agency, through its implementing partners, mostly national and international non-governmental organizations and churches, was distributing food and non-food items to families displaced by operation "Restore Order", which had left an estimated 700,000 people homeless. To date, more than 25,000 households countrywide (125,000 persons) have received IOM's assistance. IOM is seeking $US 4.5 million to fund its emergency humanitarian assistance programme for vulnerable populations.

High-level Meeting Between the United Nations and Regional and Other Inter-Governmental Organizations

Yesterday, the Secretary-General addressed a high-level meeting between the United Nations and regional and other inter-governmental organizations. In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that to promote progress in security, development and human rights, we needed to reinvigorate our multilateral institutions. In that regard, the United Nations relationship with regional organizations was critical. As announced previously, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, also attended the meeting.

Human Rights

The Director informed correspondents that the Human Rights Committee was expected to conclude its current session Friday, 29 July, and that the Sub-Commission of the Promotion and Protection of Humans Rights began its fifty-seventh session yesterday at which time it heard a statement by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour. She also announced that the forty-first session of the International Law Seminar was continuing this week in Room XXVII and the second part of the International Law Commission in Room XXI.

David Chikvaidze of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights announced that the Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee had authorized the release of the Concluding Observations for Yemen and for Tajikistan, as both of these had been communicated to the respective governments. There were 20 copies of each in the back of the room. The Committee was currently working on the remaining Concluding Observations for Syria, for Thailand and for Slovenia, which would be released on Friday, 29 July, on the last day of the Committee. Journalists would be able to pose questions on all of the Concluding Observations directly to the Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee Ms. Christine Chanet, who was scheduled to hold a concluding press conference next Friday, 29 July at 11: 20 a.m. in Room III, following the regular press briefing.

Mr. Chikvaidze informed correspondents that the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) would hold its 67th meeting from next Tuesday, 2 August to 19 August 2005 and that the Secretary of CERD, Ms. Nathalie Prouvez, would be briefing on the Committee's role and issues for its 67th session on Thursday, 28 July 2005 at 10:30 a.m. in Press room 1. At the upcoming session a number of country reports would be considered, including: Venezuela, Georgia, Zambia, Barbados, Malawi, Tanzania, Iceland, Seychelles, Turkmenistan, Nigeria, Saint Lucia, Mozambique.

Turning to the 57th session of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Mr. Chikvaidze reported that it was formally opened by Ms. Françoise Jane Hampson, Vice-Chairperson of the 56th session, who read out a statement on behalf of the outgoing Chairperson, Mr. Soli Jehangir Sorabjee (who was unable to attend the opening). Mr. Vladimir Kartashkin (Russian Federation) was elected Chairperson of the 57th session, with Mr. Marc Bossuyt (Belgium), Ms. Florizelle O’Connor (Jamaica), and Mr. Ibrahim Salama (Egypt) as Vice-Chairpersons, as well as Mr. Yozo Yokota (Japan) as Rapporteur.

The High Commissioner made a statement in which she noted several issues on the Sub-Commission’s agenda that were of particular interest to her, such as the relationship between human rights law and international humanitarian law, and non-discrimination in the context of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. While generally addressing UN reform and the proposed reform of the Commission on Human Rights, the High Commissioner's statement focused more specifically on the recommendations contained in the Plan of Action. With regard to the future of the Sub-Commission, the Mrs. Arbour affirmed that there would always be a need for normative and analytical work in any future human rights body although the appropriate forum for such work was a question that was now in the hands of several stakeholders, including States.

In his opening statement, Mr. Kartashkin highlighted general issues related to the Sub-Commission’s organization of work, such as time constraints, the choice of subjects for working papers and reports, agenda item 2 (country-specific HR violations), the increased politicization of its work, and the increasing number of State representatives in United Nations human rights bodies.

Other issues related to the agenda and to the Sub-Commission’s organization of work were discussed and in this regard, suggestions were made for a meeting to be organized with the High Commissioner on the Plan of Action and on the future role of the Sub-Commission; for public meetings to be organized on UN reform, in particular reform of the Commission on Human Rights and its mechanisms; and for joint meetings to be held with various treaty bodies in session.

The Working Group on the Administration of Justice (item 3) met yesterday afternoon. This morning, the Sub-Commission was meeting in closed session to discuss its organization of work (item 1), including the adoption of the timetable. A closed meeting with the Expanded Bureau of 61st session of the Commission on Human Rights has been scheduled for 11.30 a.m. This afternoon, the Sub-Commission will continue its consideration of item 1, including a possible exchange of views on UN reform, and it is also scheduled to begin its consideration of agenda item 2 (country-specific HR violations).

During the opening session, Ms. Hampson presented her working paper on the Work of the Sub-Commission under agenda item 2. This agenda item was entitled: “Questions of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including policies of racial discrimination and segregation, in all countries”. The interactive dialogue on this paper would be held this afternoon. Ms. Hampson, and her close collaborator Ms. Parker of the NGO Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, will brief the press in Press room 1, tomorrow, at 3:00 p.m. The subject of the briefing was: Violations of human rights at the country level: current and future role for the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights?

Mr. Chikvaidze also announced that the Chairman of the 57th session of the Sub-Commission, Mr. Kartashkin, together with the members of the Bureau of the Sub-Commission, would hold a mid-point press conference in this room on Wednesday, 3 August 2005 at 3:00 p.m.

Niger

Simon Pluess of the World Food Programme reported that the WFP had accelerated its emergency operations in Niger where nearly 4,200 tons of food were distributed to assist some 273,000 persons. This week, WFP was planning to send nearly 80 tonnes of energy biscuits to Niamey and planned to distribute 23,000 tonnes of food in nineteen districts of Niger by September. As to the appeal for funds amounting to $US 16 million, WFP had received nearly $US 6 million to date.

Mali

Turning to Mali, Mr. Pluess reported that the agricultural production in the country had been reduced by 42 per cent as a result of the invasion of locusts. Nearly 2.2 million people depended on WFP assistance in northern Mali alone. WFP's operation in Mali, which began last February, aimed to provide assistance to 450,000 people considered to be most vulnerable. However, due to a lack of donations, WFP was only able come to the assistance of 86,000 people. Out of the $US 7.4 million appealed for Mali, WFP had received only $US 800,000 to date.

Sudan

Jean-Philippe Chauzy of IOM announced that his agency had provided transportation assistance to more than 8,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were successfully relocated from Abu Shouk camp in north Darfur, to Al Salaam, a new campo located a few kilometers away. This operation was carried out in response to a request from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and followed assessments carried out by IOM's Verification and Monitoring Units which were set up to ensure IDP movements in north and south Darfur were both voluntary and appropriate.

On Sudan, Mr. Pluess of WFP reported that last Sunday WFP air dropped nearly 24 tonnes of food aimed for some 3,000 displaced Sudanese who left a camp in Mabia over three months ago by foot headed for Bahr el Ghazal, in the south-west of Sudan. This was the fourth such airdrop carried out by WFP.

Other

Mr. Chauzy also announced that the IOM Office in Buenos Aires and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay presented results of an exploratory study on human trafficking and smuggling for sexual exploitation purposes, which was available in Spanish.

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