REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Marie Heuzé, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which also heard from Spokespersons for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the World Trade Organization, the World Food Programme and the International Organization for Migration.

Situation in the Middle East

Ms. Heuzé said that Secretary-General Kofi Annan had decided to dispatch a three-person team led by his Special Political Adviser, Vijay Nambiar, to the Middle East to help defuse the major crisis in the region. The other members would be senior United Nations officials Alvaro de Soto and Terje Roed-Larsen. The team would first visit Cairo, where it was expected to arrive today, to meet with Egyptian officials and consult with Arab League Foreign Ministers, who would be meeting there this Saturday. Mr. Nambiar and his team were also expected to travel to Israel, the occupied Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, and Syria. Other stops would be added as needed. Mr. Nambiar would emphasize to all parties the Secretary-General’s call to exercise restraint and to do whatever possible to help contain the conflict. He would also reiterate the Secretary-General’s message to respect international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Ms. Heuzé said that yesterday evening the Secretary-General spoke to the press in an encounter in Rome, in which he had expressed his deep alarm at the escalation of violence in Lebanon and Israel. The Secretary-General had been particularly concerned at the suffering that had been unleashed on civilians, with tens of Lebanese civilians already killed as a result of Israeli operations and many more injured, and Israeli civilians killed and wounded from Hezbollah attacks on Israeli population centres.

Ms. Heuzé said that the Secretary-General added that he was gravely concerned about the situation in Gaza, where Palestinian civilians are paying a bitter price from heavy Israeli military operations and an alarming humanitarian situation that threatened to get worse. Copies of the statements from the Spokesman of the Secretary-General were available in press room 1.

José-Luis Diaz of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that, regarding the current situation between Israel and Lebanon, the High Commissioner underscored the Secretary-General’s condemnation of all actions targeting civilians or which unduly endangered civilians due to their disproportionate or indiscriminate character. While Israel had legitimate security concerns, international humanitarian law required that parties to a conflict refrain from attacks directed against civilian objects. In particular, they had the obligation to exercise precaution and to respect the proportionality principle in all military operations so as to prevent unnecessary suffering among the civilian population. That prohibition on targeting civilians was also being violated by Hezbollah. The High Commissioner urged those detaining the captive Israeli soldiers to secure their immediate and safe release. That would be instrumental to bringing a halt to the current crisis.

Responding to a question, Mr. Diaz said that on 11 July a memorandum of understanding had been signed between the OHCHR and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The memorandum covered, among other things, information-sharing and the building of subregional, regional and national capacities for the adoption of policies and guidelines on human rights. It also covered the encouragement of the ratification of the different human rights treaties in the region and the subregion represented by the OIC.

Guantanamo: Geneva Conventions Endorsed by U.S.

Ms. Heuzé announced that yesterday the Secretary-General had welcomed the decision by the U.S. Government requesting its defence officials to promptly review all relevant directives, regulations, policies, practices and procedures within their purview affecting alleged Al Qaeda or Taliban militants detained in U.S. custody, in order to ensure that all such measures complied with the standards of common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. The Secretary-General believed that decision strengthened the international rule of law, and was true to the U.S.’s strong tradition of respect for civil liberties. He also believed, and had frequently stated, that strict compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law in no way contradicted or undermined efforts to counter terrorism, but on the contrary was essential to the success of those efforts. In that regard, the Secretary-General encouraged all countries to keep their legislation and practices under constant review, with a view to ensuring that they were in conformity with international humanitarian and human rights laws. Copies of the statement from the Spokesman of the Secretary-General were available in press room 1.

Secretary-General’s Report on the Lord’s Resistance Army

Ms. Heuzé said that yesterday the Secretary-General’s report (S/2006/478) on the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the humanitarian situation in LRA-affected areas had been made available. In it, the Secretary-General described the impact of the LRA rebellion on civilian populations in Northern Uganda and in the border region between Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and southern Sudan. Copies of the report could be obtained from the Documentation Service.

Geneva activities

Ms. Heuzé noted that today ECOSOC was beginning a segment dedicated to humanitarian affairs that would run from 14 to 19 July. Within that framework, on Monday, 17 July, the ECOSOC would discuss the issue of violence against women, in particular gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies. That meeting would be held in Room XIX.

Also today, a private donors meeting to discuss how to relieve the Palestinian people during the escalating humanitarian crisis organized by Norway, Switzerland and Spain was being held at the Palais Wilson. Following that meeting, Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, would hold a press conference in room III at 12.30 p.m.

Other

Michael Williams of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said that 12 August would mark the entry into force of the Caspian Convention – a broad framework convention on the environment and sustainable development – among the five littoral States of Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan. It was of interest for a few reasons: first, because it was the first-ever legal agreement among that group of five countries; and, second, given the major environmental crisis taking place in the region owing to the oil and gas boom and the industrial pollution it generated, as well as the overexploitation of caviar and the destruction of fisheries and habitat along the coastline. A detailed press release in English, French and Russian would be available around 27 July, with a list of contacts.

Mr. Williams said that sometime over the course of the next two weeks UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) would be issuing a joint press release on a new scientific assessment of the state of the ozone layer and how that impacted on the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The press release would contain contact information for WMO experts who would be available to discuss the report with journalists.

Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organization (WHO) recalled that WHO would participate at the G-8 Conference to be held in St. Petersburg, which would address the issue of infectious diseases as one of three themes it would consider. Fact sheets and press releases on the issue were available on the WHO website: www.who.ch. WHO would be sending a three-member delegation to the Conference, including Anders Nordström, acting Director-General of WHO. Christine McNab would be providing media support for the delegation, and could be contacted for further information.

Ms. Chaib also noted that WHO would be updating its website later today to reflect a new case of avian flu in Indonesia. A little girl of three had died of the H5N1 virus on 6 July.

Damien Personnaz of United Nations Children’s Fund said that available in the back of the room was a donor update on the situation in North Caucasus, covering Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetia. During the first half of 2006, the overall situation in the North Caucasus had not changed significantly, the report found. Of note, however, was the finding that for the first time in over 10 years the humanitarian and security situation in Chechnya showed slight signs of improvement and would seem to make an increased United Nations presence possible. However, the situation was still quite serious and there continued to be major concerns about violence and insecurity in the region and fighting, human rights abuses and abductions still occurred. UNICEF had received only 66 per cent of the funds needed for its programmes in the region in 2006. It still lacked $2.3 million to complete its work for this year.


Catherine Sibut-Pinote of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) announced that at on Monday, 17 July, UNCTAD would launch The Least Developed Countries Report 2006. The annual report, which would be produced biannually from now on, found that many of the world’s 50 least developed countries had achieved higher economic growth recently – practically 6 per cent in 2004 – but that there was a widespread sense that that had not being translated effectively into poverty reduction and improved human well-being. While aid and liberalizing of markets was important, they were insufficient. The report concluded that the key to reducing poverty in the world’s poorest countries was to develop productive capacities. The report was embargoed until Thursday, 20 July, at 5 p.m. Geneva time, as, owing to scheduling difficulties, a later date for the press conference had not been possible. A press kit, including the report and related documents and press releases was available in the back of the room. The press conference with Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Habib Ouane, Head of UNCTAD’s Least Developed Countries Division, and Charles Gore, the main author of the report, would be held at 11 a.m. in Room III.

Elizabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced that on 18 July Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affaris, would be holding a meeting on the Mid-Year Review of the Consolidated Appeals Process. A press encounter would be organized.

Aurelia Blin of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said that, in the framework of the Special Session of the Council for Trade in Services, there would be a briefing today by Hamid Mandouh Director of Service Division at 1 p.m. at the WTO in Room PCR. Next week, on Wednesday, 19 July, the Dispute Settlement Body would meet. A briefing would be arranged, and details would be communicated to journalists. Also on Wednesday, the Working Party on the Accession of Viet Nam would meet. Pascal Lamy, Director-General of WTO, would leave on Sunday to attend the G-8 Summit in St. Petersburg.

Christiane Berthiaume of the World Food Programme (WFP) said that there had recently been major population displacements in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the situation was very tense. Thousands had already fled to Bunia since 5 July following clashes between the Congolese Amy and the rebels. Some 7,000 persons were currently living in a camp 3 kilometres from the town. WFP would distribute supplies, but warned that, given the intensification of the conflict, the provision of humanitarian aid was difficult.

Ms. Berthiaume said that WFP was launching an operation this week in the Philippines, in the southern area the country that had been devastated by years of civil war. It was hoped that the WFP programme would help the ongoing peace process in that region to be successful. The $27-million programme targeted the 2 million people living in the five poorest provinces of that region, some 40 per cent of the population there. Just over $4 million of the funds needed had already been pledged by donor countries and the private sector. Among others, the programme would provide school feeding programmes, work-for-food projects, and nutrition programmes for women through health centres and childcare facilities.

Jemini Pandya of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that next week there was a two-day Iberoamerican Conference on Migration in Madrid, jointly organized by IOM and its partners, to discuss how to manage migration flows from, through and to member States. IOM's World Migration Report 2005 estimated that some 20 million Latin American and Caribbean nationals lived outside their country of birth, most of them in North America and 3 million within Latin America and the Caribbean. Over a five-year period from 1995 to 2000, the net emigration rate for Latin America and the Caribbean was the highest of any region in the world. Migration to Europe from Latin America and the Caribbean had grown rapidly over the last decade, with the largest Latin American communities in Spain, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Sweden. The Conference would be opened by President José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain.

Turning to the situation in Timor-Leste, Ms. Pandya said that, as the humanitarian relief effort continued in Dili and outlying districts, an IOM site visit into the hills east of Dili had revealed the existence of five more locations housing nearly 7,000 people who had fled their homes during the recent conflict. Hidden in the hills and dry river beds away from the main road, they had survived with little food or water since they left their homes in Dili and Hera in late May. Early this week, IOM had started to distribute government rice to the area. It was observed that the deliveries had resulted in an immediate reduction in tension in the camps.

Finally, Ms. Pandya drew journalists’ attention to the launch today of IOM’s new website at www.iom.int. Briefing notes on these topics and others, with contact details, were available at the back of the room.