REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Corinne Momal-Vanian, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was also attended by spokespersons and representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, the International Labour Organization, the Human Rights Council, the World Trade Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, the National Mine Action Coordinator of Chad and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Japan

Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that the Japanese authorities were working non-stop to assist the 390,000 homeless people who were sheltering in some 2,400 evacuation centers. The major concern concerning these people was that their condition was worsening, notably with regards to water, medication and heating. Rescue workers were confronted with enormous logistical challenges as they faced a lack of fuel, which was making it difficult to deliver the assistance to centers. This has become the priority of the authorities and 700 tank truckers had been or were being deployed, and the army had sent 40,000 liters of fuel. Logistical matters remained essential over the next hours and days to improve the situation of the sheltered, Ms. Byrs underscored.

Currently, 637 international search and rescue specialists were helping the Japanese authorities with 29 search dogs, but bad weather conditions continued to hamper operations, along with poor telecommunications, debris on roads and fuel shortages. Nevertheless, 26,722 people had been rescued to present, 150 yesterday alone. The Japanese authorities coordinated their efforts with the United Nations, providing assistance as needed, and aid was now being delivered through bilateral agreements. Japan had also requested that donations be managed by the Japanese Red Cross.

Gregory Härtl of the World Health Organization said several updates were available on the website of the WHO and that of its Western Pacific Regional Office. One update concerned the indiscriminate use of Potassium Iodide, which should only be taken when there was a clear public health recommendation to do so. Indiscriminate use of the product could cause side-effects such as inflammation of the salivary glands, nausea, rashes, intestinal upsets and possibly severe allergic reactions. It could also interact with other medications such as ACE inhibitors and receptor blockers. It was therefore essential to follow the advice of national and local authorities before self-medicating with Potassium Iodide.

Mr. Härtl said WHO would be posting advice to travelers on its website, notably saying that WHO was not advising travel restrictions to Japan. While all persons involved in the emergency response near the plant in Japan should undergo decontamination procedures when leaving the site, other travelers returning from Japan did not represent a health hazard. WHO had posted some questions & answers on food safety and there would be additional posting to highlight that food that had been dispatched before the emergency situation from the zone in question would not be affected. At the moment, concern about the radiation and food would be restricted to food from the affected zone around the power plant produced after the leaking of radioactivity had begun. However, given the reported winter conditions and other factors, it would be unlikely that substantial food production or harvesting intended for export was taking place.

Clare Nullis of the World Meteorological Organization said that WMO was posting regular updates on the weather situation in Japan on its website. It was also posting the most relevant information it was receiving from National Meteorological Offices, as these were the best sources of information.

Herbert Pümpel, the Chief of the WMO Aeronautical Meteorology Division, said that WMO was in constant liaison with the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as WHO and FAO. There had been a conference on air travel last night where all parties had agreed that under the current situation, unless there was a change in the radiological situation at the plant, there was

no reason to fear for international air travel. There was a small exclusion zone with a 30 km radius around the plant where no air traffic was allowed, but apart from this small area there were no restrictions to international air travel. In terms of the general weather situation in Japan, the humanitarian situation of the victims had been made worse by a very severe wintery spell. This wintery spell should, however, come to an end, as a high pressure range was moving in over Japan, meaning that temperatures were generally expected to rise. This would bring relief to victims and homeless people in the region. Dr. Pümpel added that WMO had no information on any release of nuclear material into the higher atmosphere as a result of this accident.

Côte d’Ivoire

Rupert Colville of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that OHCHR utterly condemned the shelling or rocketing of civilian areas of Abidjan’s suburb Abobo yesterday. It was hard to avoid the conclusion that this was an international crime and quite possibly a crime against humanity. OHCHR was also very concerned about the situation in general in Côte d’Ivoire, which seems to be deteriorating yet further.

Ms. Byrs said that OCHA expressed grave concern at the unprecedented escalation of violence in Côte d’Ivoire, adding its voice to organizations asking for an end to the hostilities and for the protection of civilians. Concern was notably sparked because the Abobo neighborhood had been shelled and more than 30 people had been killed on Thursday alone, according to ONUCI. It was increasingly difficult for women to feed their families as markets were insufficiently supplied and women were exposed to many risks. The 31 sites for internally displaced persons in Abidjan had registered 18,000 people. A large majority of the estimated 300,000 people who had been displaced within Abidjan were thought to have left the city or to be living with host families across Abidjan. The violence obstructed humanitarian workers from doing their work and reaching those in need, Ms. Byrs underscored. She added that the United Nations' regional USD 32 million appeal was funded to only 17 per cent, underscoring the urgent need for funds.

Marixie Mercado of the United Nations Children's Fund said that UNICEF was appealing for USD 51 million to respond to rapidly increasing needs in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia over the next three months. In Liberia, there were now around 90,000 Ivorian refugees. This meant there were now more refugees than Liberians in the host communities, which illustrated the enormous pressure being placed on the host communities. These refugees – the vast majority of them children and women – had fled the violence across the border only to find severe shortages of food, water and shelter in Liberia. One telling indicator of this was the elevated level of acute malnutrition now manifesting among both refugee and Liberian children. The Côte d’Ivoire portion of UNICEF's revised appeal was only 17 per cent funded and Liberia’s only 10 per cent.

Louis Vigneault, UNICEF Communication Officer in Abidjan, said Côte d’Ivoire’s women and children were particularly vulnerable. The USD 32 million that UNICEF had requested in order to respond to the needs of at least 2 million affected people was the first appeal that took into account all their needs given the magnitude of this humanitarian crisis. As Government services were paralysed, UNICEF intended to provide the population with basic services. Eight hundred thousand children were still not going to school, as these remained closed in parts of the country, and sexual violence continued throughout Cote d’Ivoire (68 cases had been reported to UNICEF, but the actual number was probably between 5 and 10 times higher). Also, health centers lacked basic medication and more than one in two health service staff did not come to work due to insecurity, Mr. Vigneault underscored. UNICEF also intended to offer emergency response for the most urgent needs of the moving population within 72 hours, including vaccination, provision of clean water and psychosocial support. Two million children could so far be vaccinated thanks to UNICEF and WHO, 500 people had been successfully treated for cholera in Abidjan, and 4,000 displaced children could go to temporary schools. About 120 UNICEF staff was currently in the country.

Ms. Fleming said that said that UNHCR believed that this week had been the most violent since the post-election crisis broke out. UNHCR was hugely concerned about this and particularly about the impact this had on civilians. On Wednesday morning, large numbers of internally displaced people could be seen in various areas of the city. Households hosting internally displaced persons

were seeing their resources being depleted. UNHCR was receiving desperate phone calls from host families whose food supplies were running out and trying to respond to their calls, but checkpoints, harassment and armed fighting were reducing humanitarian agencies’ ability to reach these people. Despite these obstacles, since Saturday UNHCR had distributed -- via its
partners -- aid to 13, 000 displaced people in and around Abidjan. In the West of the country, where ongoing violence raged, UNHCR was especially worried about the fate of some 3,000 to 5,000 internally displaced person trapped inside the Catholic Mission in Duékoué. The internally displaced person were asking for help, telling UNHCR they could not move as surrounding areas had many armed checkpoints. UNHCR was appealing to the warring parities to allow humanitarian access to displaced civilians. Still in the West, ongoing fighting along the Liberian border was forcing more civilians to flee across the border. The rapidly growing number of Ivorian refugees in Liberia had now reached 90,000, putting tremendous strain on the impoverished host country. With violence escalating inside Cote d'Ivoire, the 100,000 refugee mark in Liberia may perhaps by reached by the time the High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Gutierres, travelled there next week to witness himself the situation of refugees in Liberia. In Ghana, another of Côte d’Ivoire’s bordering states, we have seen for the first time this week a sudden rise in the number of Ivorians seeking asylum: over 500 people arrived from Abidjan, when only 160 refugees had previously fled since late November. UNHCR feared this marked the beginning of a trend since Ghana is only 150 km from Abidjan. The political instability was also affecting the 24,000 Liberian refugees who were residing in Côte d’ Ivoire. UNHCR would provide repatriation for those of them who wished to go back to Liberia.

Jemini Pandya of the International Organization for Migration said that IOM had announced on Tuesday that a group of Mauritanians migrants were due to leave on Wednesday. Instead, the upsurge in fighting in the area meant that the convoy had been unable to leave. However, IOM had confirmation that 490 had left this morning despite difficult circumstances. IOM was hoping to evacuate 490 on Sunday if conditions permit. Many of the Mauritanians had been shop keepers and owners and business workers, and many had been on the wrong end of violent attacks.

Launch of the Portfolio Mine Action Projects in 2011

Sara Sekkenes of UNDP’s Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery said that more than 65 countries were affected by landmines or explosive remnants of war, which together claimed nearly 4,000 casualties - a third of them children - around the world in 2009. Landmines and explosive remnants of war also took a heavy toll on people's livelihoods, countries' economic and social development, and international peace-building efforts. While tremendous work and progress had been made, particularly since important international treaties like the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and the Convention on Cluster Munitions and others had come into force, more work and funding is required. On behalf of the United Nations Mine Action partners of the Department of Peacekeeping operation, UNICEF and UNDP, Ms. Sekkenes was here today to announce the launch the 14th edition of the annual Portfolio of Mine Action Projects. This year’s edition of the Portfolio offered a snapshot of the negative impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war in 29 countries or territories with mine action programmes and the efforts underway by national authorities, international and national non-governmental organizations, and United Nations partners to eliminate this threat. Many of the initiatives aimed to remove and destroy cluster munitions, teach people how to stay out of harm's way, and assist the victims of these devices in some countries. The portfolio also included proposals for mine action projects and details their costs. For this year, the cost for these 238 projects included in the Portfolio totalled USD 498 million.

Ms. Sekkenes said that some of the highlights of the report included that while some 25 percent of the overall cost was funded, the funding gap remained USD 367 million. The largest funding appeals for 2011 were presented by Iraq and Sudan. Submissions from Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Eritrea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, MINURSO, Nepal and the Occupied Palestinian Territories each appealed for funding in amounts of USD 2 million or less. Mine clearance projects accounted for the largest funding shortfall (USD 131 million), while victim assistance and mine risk education projects combined had a shortfall of USD 28 million. Ms. Sekkenes highlighted the importance to maintain a collective focus and attention to this problem, saying that for many affected countries this problem could be solved through the combination of

resources and capacities. One such “Global Project” focused on the Completion Initiative which aimed to provide programmes that were within reach of meeting treaty obligations to clear all known minefields and cluster munitions to help take those last steps in time to meet important obligations under international humanitarian law. This Portfolio represented a funding appeal for mine action, but was equally a reminder of how close one could be to eliminating the threats posed by these weapons. It was a concern when receiving information of new contamination, as may now be the case in Libya, and it would be equally important to respond to these threats and to minimize the risk to affected populations, including for displaced persons. Regarding Libya, the United Nations, along with partners, was currently attempting to assess the situation and find out more of a possible weapons contamination. The United Nations fully supported the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The Secretary-General had urged all member states to join these conventions and it was hope that all parties abided by the norm these instruments have set. A press release, summaries and USB keys with the 400-page reports was available at the back of the room.

Saleh Hissein, National Mine Action Coordinator, Chad, said according to the international mine action standards, mine action was concerned with all activities aimed at releasing the social, environmental and economical impact of mines and unexploded of wars. The decades of conflict in Chad had resulted in a vast stretch of territory contaminated by mines and unexploded remnants of war. Chad was obliged under its conventional obligations to get rid of all mines by 1 January 2009, but due to funding shortages it had not been able to meet its obligations, requesting a 14-month extension, and another one until 2013, with the support of the UNDP. Chad was able to conduct the technical survey to determine the exact size of the contamination before January 2012, but was not able to continue unless receiving the general contribution of the international community. The priorities for 2011 included continuation of the ongoing clearing effort and capacity building. The portfolio for Chad was pledged for USD 14 million, of which at least USD 7.5 million are a must to continue the current survey and mine clearance.

Libya

Rupert Colville of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that OHCHR very much welcomed yesterday’s Security Council decision on Libya. As both the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Deputy High Commissioner had pointed out, there was an urgent need to protect civilians in Libya. The decision of the Security Council was an important manifestation of the international community’s commitment to the responsibility to protect civilians. OHCHR was extremely worried about reprisals by pro-Government forces and security agents in Libya. Nobody knew what was going on in the recaptured towns and in prisons and other State security premises across the country. OHCHR was very concerned that the Government could resort to collective punishment, and it had no illusions about what this regime was capable of.

Melissa Fleming of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said a briefing note with details and accounts from Libyans who had come across into Egypt was available at the back of the room.

Asked to comment on the situation of journalists in Libya, Mr. Colville said that OHCHR strongly urged the Libyan authorities to let journalists do their work and not harass them. OHCHR was very concerned about the New York Times journalists and other journalists in Libya who had disappeared or been seriously assaulted. Ms. Fleming added that UNHCR had yesterday spoken to a Reuters team that had just come across the border into Egypt, saying they had narrowly escaped a city falling to pro-Government troops and that they and other people had run for their lives.

Jemini Pandya of the International Organization for Migration said that IOM had yesterday repatriated 200 Mauritanians from Algeria and more Bangladeshis would follow later today. Donors were encouraged to provide more and sustained funding as the situation among the migrants who had been waiting for a long time was critical. There had been an increase in the number of frustrated, angry and at times violent migrants who wanted to be taken back home. One Chadian migrant had been killed in a stabbing incident in Egypt and an IOM team had been harassed by angry migrants. A press note would be issued later today.



Corinne Momal-Vanian said Security Council resolution 1973 and the Secretary-General’s statement on its adoption was available from the Information Service.

Agenda

Corinne Momal-Vanian said the Conference on Disarmament had held a meeting yesterday during which some twenty delegations had taken the floor on various subjects. The Ambassador of Japan had notably informed the members about the situation at the Fukushima nuclear plant and the efforts that were being made to control it. As of its next public meeting, on Tuesday 22 March, the Conference would be presided over by China for a period of four weeks.

The UNESCO Liaison Office invited journalists to the launch of the EFA global monitoring report 2011, entitled “The Hidden crisis: armed conflict and education”. The event would be held at UNHCR's premises (Rue de Montbrillant 94) at 10 a.m. on 22 March, with the participation of UNICEF and many other organizations. The report notably underlined that about 28 million children in conflict-affected countries were not enrolled in school.

Ms. Momal-Vanian said UNECE would give a press conference on Monday, 21 March at 1 p.m. in Room III to present the “State of Europe’s Forests in 2011” indicators in the presence of several experts.

Corinne Perthuis of the International Labour Organization said Michelle Bachelet had given a press conference at the ILO yesterday in her capacity as Chairperson of the Social Protection Floor Advisory Group. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Ms. Bachelet would be in Paris to meet the Foreign Minister and the Minister for Labour so that the French G20 presidency takes into account the Advisory Group’s requests that the G20 discuss social protection. The Advisory Group would publish a report in September. A press release, embargoed until Monday 21 March at 1 GMT, was available at the back of the room.

Ms. Perthuis said ILO's Administrative Council would meet next week for its second week and discuss the social aspects of globalization. On Monday morning, representatives from the Arab world, including the Egyptian Minister in charge of manpower, the representative of Tunisian labour unions and the representative of employers in Algeria, would address the body. There would be an opportunity to ask questions and interviews could be arranged, but there would not be a press conference. On Monday afternoon, the Administrative Council would discuss the situation in Spain, Brazil, Indonesia and Germany, notably in the presence of Spain’s Minister for Labour. Later in the afternoon, France’s representative to the Administrative Council would speak about how his country envisaged its G20 presidency.

Cédric Sapey of the Human Rights Council said there had been changes to the Council’s programme and the whole of Monday would now be devoted to the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The day would start around 9 a.m. with an interactive dialogue with the Committee of Experts on the following-up of the Goldstone report (the report should become available and be circulated today), to be followed by an interactive dialogue with Special Rapporteur Richard Falk at noon and the presentation of the High Commissioner’s reports. Twenty-seven draft resolutions had been received as of yesterday evening and would become available on the intranet during the day.

Ankai Xu of the World Trade Organization said the Dispute Settlement Body would meet on Friday 25 March. A background meeting would be held on Wednesday 24 March at 2.30 p.m. in Press Room I of the Palais des Nations, and there would probably be another briefing on Friday afternoon.

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy would speak at the Economic Section of L'Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques in Paris on Monday, before addressing the annual session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO on Tuesday. A press briefing would be held at 2.15 p.m. in Room B. On Wednesday 23 March, Mr. Lamy would speak on "Global Governance and Ethics in 21st Century" at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris, and on Friday he would meet in Geneva with Sharan Burrow, the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.

Clare Nullis of the World Meteorological Organization said next Wednesday was World Meteorological Day. The theme this year was “Climate for You” and the guest speakers were Martin Beniston, the Director of the Institute of Environmental Science at the University of Geneva, and Dominic Waughray, Senior Director and Head of Environmental Initiatives at the World Economic Forum. On another note, Ms. Nullis said that WMO had added a new Russian language version of the World Weather Information Service to its website.