REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Marie Heuzé, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which also heard from spokespersons and representatives from the World Health Organization, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Trade Organization, the International Labour Organization, the International Organization for Migration and the World Intellectual Property Organization.

International Day of Peace

Ms. Heuzé wished to begin the briefing on the International Day of Peace. As this year the 21st September fell on a Sunday, the United Nations had asked the international community to commemorate the day today.

In Geneva, in the Council Chamber this afternoon, in cooperation with a number of non-governmental organizations and the Spanish Society for International Human Rights Law, a debate would be chaired by the Director-General, Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze on the role of peace and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, from 2 to 4.30 p.m. The programme of the Day was available in the press room. After the round table discussion, a film “The Day After Peace” would be shown, in its first European screening, in the Council Chamber. Everyone was invited to attend.

In New York, the Secretary-General would today participate in a debate with 700 students linked by videoconference with junior staff in peace keeping operations in Afghanistan, Liberia and Sudan. The message of the Secretary-General is also available in all languages in the press room.

Climate Change

As everyone knew, climate change was one of the Secretary-General’s top priorities, Ms. Heuzé observed. Yesterday, the Secretary-General had appointed two new Special Envoys for climate change: Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana; and Srgjan Kerim, the former President of the United Nations General Assembly. Mr. Mogae’s experience in putting in place an environmental programme for Botswana in his term as President, as well as his experience in international development and financing, notably within the International Development Fund and the World Bank, were highlighted. Mr. Kerim brings his experience in international political and economic fields as well as his knowledge of the UN system. Biographies of both appointees were available. The new Special Envoys joined the two already-appointed Special Envoys of the Secretary-General for climate change – Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway, and Ricardo Lagos Escobar, former President of Chile.

Anti-Tobacco Campaign: Electronic Cigarettes

Fadéla Chaib of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that available at the back of the room was a press release in English in which WHO called for manufacturers of electronic cigarettes to halt their unproved therapy claims, and made it clear that, despite advertising to the contrary, WHO did not consider this to be a legitimate therapy for smokers trying to quit. A press release in French would be sent out soon.

Douglas Bettcher, Head of the Tobacco Free Initiative at WHO, said that several companies were manufacturing an electronic cigarette, which were being distributed in a number of countries around the world. It had a metal tube that looked like a regular cigarette, and when it was inhaled a red light lit up on the end. In the chamber was a rechargeable cartridge that contained nicotine and other undisclosed substances, including untested chemicals and flavourings. No smoke was produced, but a fine mist of nicotine – plus potentially many other toxic compounds – was emitted for the smoker to inhale.

WHO did not consider the electronic cigarette to be a legitimate nicotine replacement therapy to help smokers to quit, Mr. Bettcher stressed. WHO was very concerned that certain manufacturers of these electronic cigarettes around the world had included WHO’s name, for example on their website, in their advertising, or in their package inserts, asserting that WHO endorsed their products. That was false. WHO had in fact taken strict action, sending cease and desist letters to the manufacturers asking them to remove WHO’s name and logo from their products and advertisements, as well as calling on Governments to take appropriate action in these cases to that effect. WHO knew of no evidentiary basis for the marketers’ claim that the electronic cigarette helped people to quit smoking; and no rigorous studies had been conducted showing that the product was safe and effective. There were a number of chemical products used in the electronic cigarettes that could in fact be toxic.

Developed in China in 2004, the electronic cigarette was sold there and in numerous other countries, including Brazil, Canada, Finland, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. But “certain countries have already taken strict action to suspend sales of the product, such as Turkey”, Mr. Bettcher said.

The devices were expensive. In responding to questions, Mr. Bettcher reported that the electronic cigarettes with a few cartridges sold for about 70 euros, and the rechargeable nicotine cartridges went for about 10 euros each. With regard to a query about regulatory breaches for countries where such devices were marketed, Mr. Bettcher pointed out that these devices were largely marketed via the Web. “The rapidity with which this product has been made commercialised and made available on the Web has taken countries and WHO by surprise”, he said. “It has appeared and been mass marketed in a very short period of time.” Regulatory authorities were taking this matter very seriously and were expected to take appropriate action. While he would not name any manufacturers specifically, Mr. Bettcher confirmed that the pipe was originally invented by a Hong Kong-based company.

Haiti

Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the situation in Haiti remained very serious. While the waters were receding in parts of Gonaives, what was being uncovered was a horrifying spectacle of destruction and death. OCHA had received pictures of children’s corpses piled up by the truckload. OCHA urgently needed support for its Flash Appeal for Haiti ($108 million), with only 2 per cent funded so far, and was relaunching an official appeal to the humanitarian community and donor States today in Haiti. Thankfully, the roads were now opened between Port-au-Prince and Gonaives, but logistical problems remained. Of particular concern was the fact that, with the school year set to start on 6 October, school buildings had been requisitioned for use as shelters, or were otherwise damaged by mud and water. The other critical concern was to reach those who had not yet received assistance, including the communities living in the departments of Artibonne, Nippes and Southeast. And the rains continued, thus further complicating relief efforts. A briefing note was available.

Emilia Casella of the World Food Programme (WFP) said that as of last night food assistance had been given to 298,000 since the beginning of the relief operation and more than half of them were in Gonaives – 165,000 people. A Canadian naval frigate had also left last night carrying 115 other locations, Les Anglais, Tiburon, Charbonnières and others, and a United States vessel was expected to arrive today in the community of Saint Marc, with 70 metric tons of food. Regarding the joint appeal for Haiti, she stressed that $54 million (or half) was for emergency food relief.

Jean-Philippe Chauzy of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) added that more than 50,000 were still in shelters in substandard conditions, without access to clean drinking water or sanitation. There were approximately 100 new cases of malaria reported daily, as well as cases of skin infections and other water-born diseases. In Gonaives thousands of houses had been completely destroyed. During this transition period, IOM and its partners was looking to rebuild and repair houses. The delivery of food assistance also continued, supplying some 15,000 hurricane-affected families. In terms of financing, the needs were great. IOM had launched an appeal of $13 million, which had only been very partially funded so far.

Somalia

Asked for an update on the situation in Somalia, Ms. Casella said WFP’s major preoccupation with Somalia was that, on 27 September, WFP would lose its Canadian naval escort for its relief ships. She recalled that 90 per cent of the food relief for Somalia arrived by ship. WFP had already received indications from some of the ship companies it worked with that they would not deliver food after 27 September because of the lack of a guaranteed naval escort. WFP had experienced a 6-week break in naval escorts – from the end of June until 18 August, when Canadians had taken over – during which, of the 40,000 metric tons of food WFP had needed to deliver, only 9,000 was able to be transported. WFP had almost completely depleted its stocks in Somalia during that period. So, if WFP did not quickly find a new commitment from another country to provide a naval escort for WFP ships, WFP had about a week to 10 days before things got “extremely serious” in Somalia. “There are 2.4 million people at risk of having no food assistance after that point.”

A journalist noted that the United States fifth fleet was in the region and wondered why it was not offering assistance. Ms. Casella said that WFP’s appeal had gone out to all countries. As was known, the European Union had indicated that it wanted to set up a naval patrol in the area. But at this time, that was not good enough, WFP needed a vessel to accompany their supply ships.

Afghanistan

Asked about Afghanistan, Ms. Casella said, for the very first time, WFP had five trucks delivering high nutrition biscuits to Afghanistan and that – for the first time ever – it had been able to pass from India through Pakistan. The new route would save WFP’s efforts in Afghanistan $7 million.

Situation of Schoolchildren in Georgia and North Ossetia

Robert Cohen of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that children in Georgia started the new school year on Monday, 15 September. In Tbilisi, 143 out of the 220 in the capital started classes. The authorities said that all internally displaced schoolchildren – around 10,000 – would be in school by 1 October. Many of the schools in the capital had not opened for classes because displaced persons were still living in them, or because repairs were being made. The students from those schools were being integrated into other schools, usually through a second shift system. Most of the internally displaced persons who were not being sheltered in schools had been moved into kindergartens, and now all kindergartens in Tbilisi were occupied. The Government was now constructing housing for the displaced and, according their plan, by 1 December that housing should be ready. Kindergartens could then reopen.

UNICEF had distributed some 265 school-in-a-box kits and 235 recreation kits to the Gori municipal authorities, Mr. Cohen said. Those materials would benefit some 26,000 conflict-affected children in and around Gori. A UNICEF team visiting villages in the buffer zone north of Gori yesterday had reported that schooling had not yet begun because the situation was not yet safe. UNICEF was working with partners to get children back to school through the collection and distribution of textbooks, provision of school-in-a-box and recreation kits, improving hygiene in the schools and providing psychosocial support through teacher training. Mine risk education had begun in communities in the Gori-Tskhinvali corridor.

WTO Public Forum

Janaina Borges of the World Trade Organization (WTO) invited everyone to the WTO Public Forum, which started next week on Wednesday, 24 September, at 10 a.m. and ran for two full days. It had become one of the most important platforms for dialogue among the stakeholders of the multilateral trading system. The theme for this year was “Trading into the Future”. UN and WTO badges would be accepted.

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy would open the Forum, Ms. Borges said. Afterwards, a High-Level Panel on the relationship of trade and climate change, with Minister Mari Panguestu of Indonesia and Thomas Becker, the climate change negotiator for Denmark, and Pascal Lamy. After that there were 42 other debates on themes ranging from the food crisis, to financial markets, to climate change, human rights, and electronic commerce, organized by non-governmental organizations, other international organizations and the WTO secretariat. The programme of the meetings was available in the press room.

Other

On Monday 22 September, Ms. Borges said WTO would hold a services symposium, a one-day discussion on trade and services related to the movement of natural persons, starting at 10 a.m. The symposium was open to the press, but those interested would have to send an e-mail to Josep Bosch today to be registered.

Pascal Lamy would receive Minister Fatima Fialho from Cape Verde on Monday and on Tuesday the there was a regular meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body at 10 a.m.

Samar Shamoon of the World Intellectual Property Organization said that the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO would meet from 22 to 30 September 2008 to review the organization’s work over the past year and to discuss the future work programme. As many might know, the fourth item on their agenda was the appointment of the new Director-General. As was known, in May, the WIPO Coordination Committee nominated Francis Gurry as the candidate for the post of Director General. Copies of the agenda for the meeting would be placed in the Press Room. UN press badges would be honoured.

Corinne Perthuis of the International Labour Organization (ILO) said that ILO was concerned and disappointed at the recent sentencing of Burmese labour activities U Thet Way to two years’ hard labour. The ILO Governing Body had been watching that case with interest, and it had been the subject of direct discussion with the Government at a senior level. U Thet Way had facilitated the lodging of complaints on behalf of victims of forced labour including underage recruitment to the army, many of which had been successfully resolved. Myanmar had signed a Supplementary Understanding with ILO, which provided full protection from prosecution and retaliation for persons making supporting complaints of forced labour including underage recruitment. ILO requested the Government of Myanmar to urgently review the sentence of and immediately release U Thet Way.

Ms. Perthuis also announced the launching on 24 September in New York by Juan Somavia of a report on “Green” jobs and their impact on the employment sphere. “Could climate change create new jobs, and how many?”: this report was being published by the ILO in conjunction with the United Nations Environment Programme and workers and employers unions. An embargoed press release would be available on Monday for journalists in Geneva.

A press release from the ECE was available in English in the press room on a study on the spreading of informal settlements. According to this report, 50 million people in more than 15 countries of the UNECE region live in informal settlements, substandard housing due to urban poverty and informal and illegal settlements in their many forms