REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Yvette Morris, Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the briefing which was attended by spokespersons for and representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the World Trade Organization.

G-20 Meeting in Pittsburgh

Ms. Morris said that the United Nations Secretary-General was in Pittsburgh today for the meeting of G-20 leaders. Secretary-General Ban had written to the G-20 and asked for their commitment to protect poor countries during the financial crisis and to accelerate action on climate change and on the Millennium Development Goals. The Secretary-General had asked leaders to deliver on earlier commitments, including to deliver the $2.1 trillion promised in London last April, especially the $50 billion for poorest countries, and to honour the Gleneagles pledges to increase official development assistance. He had also urged the G-20 to set the stage for significant progress on climate change by establishing a fair financing mechanism to reach the estimated $250 billion a year needed by 2020.

Activities of the Security Council

A Summit meeting of the Security Council yesterday adopted unanimously a resolution calling on all States that are not parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to accede to it as non-nuclear weapon States, Ms. Morris said. The Council affirmed its commitment to the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. The Secretary-General welcomed the agreement, adding that the summit was “an historic event that has opened a new chapter in the Council’s efforts to address nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation”.

Ms. Morris noted that the Security Council was meeting on Honduras today at the request of Brazil. Earlier this week, the Secretary-General had decided to suspend temporarily the technical assistance currently provided by the United Nations to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Honduras. He did not believe that conditions were currently in place for the holding of credible elections that would advance peace and security.

On a related note, Ms. Morris said that she had nothing more at this time on the issue of Honduran credentials [i.e. for the Honduran representative to the Human Rights Council].

Human Rights

Rolando Gomez of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the Human Rights Council was continuing its consideration of Universal Periodic Review reports. Today it would review the reports on Vanuatu, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Comoros, and this afternoon, Slovakia. That would be followed by a general debate on the Universal Periodic Review process.

This afternoon was the deadline for the submission of draft resolutions to be considered during this session, Mr. Gomez recalled. However, there had only been three submitted so far – on missing persons; regional arrangements on human rights; and a draft by Mexico on women’s equality before the law. As they were expecting close to 30 draft resolutions in total that meant there would be a mini-avalanche coming within the next few hours. This afternoon he would share with journalists the complete list.

Looking ahead to next week, on Monday, 28 September the Council would hold its annual panel discussion on the integration of gender perspective in the Council’s work with focus on the Universal Periodic Review, and in the afternoon there would be a presentation of the report of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, followed by a presentation by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of indigenous peoples, James Anaya.

Mr. Gomez highlighted that on Tuesday, 29 September, the Council would hold its follow-up to its ninth special session on the Gaza conflict at which the report of the Fact Finding Mission headed by Richard Goldstone would be presented. That presentation would be made at 10 a.m. It would be followed by statements by concerned countries, then statements by members, observers and non-governmental organizations. Given the high level of interest, it was expected that those statements would spill over into the afternoon meeting. Professor Goldstone and his team would hold a press conference on the report on Thursday at 1.45 p.m. in Room III.

Following the conclusion of the debate on the Fact Finding Mission report there would be the presentation of the report by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, also on the special session on the Gaza conflict, followed by a general debate on the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories.

Rupert Colville of OHCHR said that yesterday saw a new milestone in the fight to end torture, after a key United Nations treaty on the prevention of torture received its fiftieth State ratification, which triggered the significant expansion in the capacity of an Expert Committee that monitored compliance with the treaty. That fiftieth State was Switzerland, and OHCHR warmly welcomed that development. The Committee against Torture, the parent convention of the Optional Protocol, had been adopted in 1984 and was currently ratified by 146 States. The High Commissioner urged all States that had signed the Convention to sign on to the Optional Protocol as well. She called on the quarter of the world’s States that had signed neither the Treaty nor the Protocol should do so without delay. Mr. Colville explained the significance of the development: the Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture – which was expanded quite dramatically by this fiftieth ratification – had very unusual powers for this type of body, including making unannounced visits to places of detention where torture might be taking place as well as undertaking more conventional activities, such as technical assistance to States. More details would be posted later today on the OHCHR website (www.ohchr.org).

Questioned about whether the High Commissioner had written to the authorities in Colombia to protest the fact that the High Commissioner’s Offices in Colombia had been wiretapped, Mr. Colville confirmed there was a dialogue with the Government on that issue, but he could say nothing further on the issue.




H1N1 Influenza

Ms. Morris said that there would be an audio briefing this afternoon by telephone with Dr. David Nabarro, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator on Avian and Pandemic Influenza and the Global Food Crisis. He would brief on the report called “Urgent Support for Developing Countries’ Responses to the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic”. That was the report that had been discussed at the briefing on Tuesday. The press conference would be held in Room III at 2 p.m. today.

Gregory Hartl of the World Health Organization said there would be two Web updates today on anti-viral use in H1N1 nations with a risk of drug resistance; and the normal Friday weekly epidemic update.

More Somali Refugees Flee to Kenya

Andrej Mahecic of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that more than 50,000 Somalis had fled to Kenya since the beginning of the year, escaping the fighting and the growing humanitarian crisis in their country. The refugees were arriving at an overwhelming rate of 6,400 a month, adding more pressure on the already overstretched facilities and resources in the Dadaab camps in northern Kenya, which currently hosted three times the population they had been designed to hold. In mid-August UNHCR had embarked on a campaign to decongest the Dadaab camp. However, despite the fact that UNHCR had already moved 9,570 refugees to another camp, the population in Dadaab remained virtually unchanged. There were now 281,600 Somalis there. Among the causes were floods in Kenya following torrential rains, and deadly clashes between government forces and rebel groups that had forced some 250,000 Somalis out of their homes in Mogadishu alone since May.

Responding to a question about the failure of the Kenyan Government to provide land for an expansion to the Dadaab camp, as requested by UNHCR, Mr. Mahecic said that UNHCR was still talking with the Government about the issue. It was still on the table. It was not just a matter of the Government in Nairobi, but an issue of the local authorities. The border was closed formally, but the border was porous and people were crossing and arriving at the Dadaab camp daily, queuing up and waiting to be registered.

UNHCR Annual Executive Committee Meeting

Mr. Mahecic said that the sixtieth session of UNHCR’s 78-member governing body would begin next Monday (28 September) at the Palais des Nations. The Executive Committee reviewed and approved the Agency’s programmes and budget and advised the High Commissioner in the exercise of his functions, and discussed a whole range of issues with UNHCR. The five-day meeting would be opened by High Commissioner Guterres at 10 a.m. on Monday, and his opening remarks would be issuing a press release that morning. At the conclusion of the meeting, High Commissioner Guterres would hold a media briefing, which would take place on Friday, 2 October, at 1 p.m. in Room III.

Sydney Dust Storms

Gaëlle Sévenier of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that everyone had probably seen the extraordinary images coming out earlier this week from Sydney, Australia, which had been engulfed in a storm of red dust. An information note on the dust storm had been sent to journalists yesterday. There was also a joint press release by WMO and the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), calling for an immediate global response to the growing number of dust and sand storms.

Len Barrie, Director of the Research at WMO, said that that the incident on the east coast of Australia just served to highlight a phenomenon that was not unique to Australia. In fact, dust and sand inundated two thirds of the world’s population living in arid areas and was highly frequent in areas in and down wind of Northern Africa, Sahara, the Gulf States and Asia. In response, WMO had established in the last five years the WMO Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory System that was coordinating a global network of sand and dust storm research and operational forecast centres, as well as groups that were assessing the impacts of dust, which were manifold. Sand and dust was like air pollution and was of concern for human health, transport and marine ecosystems. There were two nodes – one for Asia, which centred on China, Korea and Japan and the Northern Asian States; and one for Northern Africa, the Middle East and Europe. People might be surprised to know that at least once a month there was a major incursion of Saharan dust north of the alps here in Europe. It was thought that through these WMO efforts a coordinated international community would be able to address many problems.

Asked about early warning time frames for dust storms, Mr. Barrie said that dust and sand storm prediction was very much like weather prediction. In Australia, that forecasting had not yet moved into operation.

Urgent Humanitarian Situation in Yemen

Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the situation in Yemen was a humanitarian emergency that was being neglected by the international community and by certain media. The Yemen Flash Appeal for almost $24 million launched on 2 September had still not received any concrete funding, although they had begun to receive donation pledges. Worse, the humanitarian situation was continuing to deteriorate. In addition, the displacement of the population over four Governorates was making it difficult for the humanitarian agencies to access those affected, posing an obstacle both to rendering assistance as well as to any global assessment of the needs of the affected population. It was very hot and there was a lack of clean drinking water and sanitation and hygiene facilities. OCHA and others were continuing their efforts to try to establish humanitarian corridors and protected zones to bring needed assistance to the displaced. A briefing note on the situation in Yemen was available at the back of the room.

Asked about reports that 85 people had been killed at a camp for the displaced in the conflict area, Ms. Byrs could only say that air raids had allegedly killed over 80 civilians on 16 September. Investigation into the incident and the need for urgent assistance were ongoing. These were the only details that she had.

Other

Jean Rodriguez of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) said that an International Conference on Promoting Innovation-based Entrepreneurial Opportunities in the ECE Region would be held on Monday and Tuesday, 28 and 29 September in Room V at the Palais des Nations. The Conference would look at how innovation policies could help ECE economies in facing the new challenges on the road to recovery from the financial crisis. On Monday, the Minister of the Economy of Kazakhstan and the President of the Institute for Industrial Production of Italy, and the Chief of the Structural Policy Division at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, would speak, as well as the Deputy Director of the Global Centre for Competivity. On Tuesday, among others, the President and Founder of the International Innovation Fair (Salon International de l’Innovation), which was held in Geneva each year, would make a presentation. The complete list of participants would be sent to journalists following the briefing.

An ECE expert, Mr. Edward Pepke, then presented the outcome of a seminar held in Riga, Latvia, last week on biomass (wood) energy – which was growing in the ECE region of 56 countries. Principally because of policies promoting wood energy, that sector grew by 3.5 per cent between the last two periods and it was expected to increase even further. What was surprising for ECE was that that increase in renewable wood energy was definitely related to climate change and Governments’ policies to promote such energies. That meant that even in the current economic slump the markets for wood energy were quite buoyant and were keeping the forest sector alive. The meeting also highlighted the importance of wood energy for Europe to meet its 20 per cent renewable energy targets by 2020.

Janaina Borges of the World Trade Organization (WTO) noted that there was a briefing at 1.30 p.m. in press room I on the dispute settlement body meeting taking place during the morning. Next week, WTO would hold its annual Public Forum, which this year was being held under the theme “Global problems, global solutions: towards better global governance”. The Forum would open on Monday, 28 September, at 10 am. with a an inaugural speech by WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy. A high-level session would follow with guest speakers Thabo Mbeke, former President of South Africa; Gro Brundtland, the United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Change; Sergio Abreu, a Uruguayan Senator and former Foreign Minister; and Mr. Lamy. Over 40 different sessions on themes ranging from the role of the WTO in the current crisis and the post-crisis agenda for the WTO would take place over three days, from 28 to 30 September. Programmes were available at the back of the room as well as on the WTO website (www.wto.org).

Thursday and Friday, WTO would resume negotiations. There were meetings scheduled for agriculture negotiations on Thursday and Friday mornings and intellectual property negotiations on Friday at 10 a.m.. There would also be a meeting for Montenegro’s membership negotiations on Thursday afternoon. The full schedule was available in the press room.