REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Corinne Momal-Vanian, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which was also attended by the Director-General of United Nations Office at Geneva, as well as spokespersons and representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS, the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Population Fund, the World Trade Organization and the International Organization for Migration.

UNOG 2009 Annual Report

Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, announced the launch today of the 2009 Annual Report of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG). The title of the report was “Momentum for Multilateralism: building consensus and capacity for action”. That title, together with the contents of the report, illustrated a marked expansion in multilateral activities over the past year. In 2009, UNOG had serviced 9,923 meetings, an increase of almost 8 per cent over just 12 months. In comparison, in 2008 UNOG held only 9,145 meetings. That statistic showed a greater readiness on the part of Member States and non-governmental organizations to discuss issues on a multilateral basis. It also confirmed Geneva’s status as a key platform for multilateral diplomacy.

Geneva was not simply the largest United Nations duty station outside of Headquarters, Mr. Ordzhonikidze observed – it was also one of the busiest multilateral centres in the world. More Member States had also opened Missions here to be able to contribute, he highlighted, and there were now 177 Missions, as compared with 174 last year. It was hoped that that trend would continue.

All of that impacted the work of journalists: last year, 981 press releases had been issued by UNIS, as opposed to 815 the year before, an increase of 17 per cent. The number of press conferences had also gone up dramatically, by close to 70 per cent, from 140 in 2008 to 237 this year. Such indicators – and many were provided in the report – proved that there was a need to maintain a strong press presence at the Palais des Nations.

The report also included special features and sections on key priorities of the Secretary-General and focus areas of UNOG, including strategic disarmament; “greening” of in-house practices, which helped to limit both carbon emissions and costs for the Organization; the need for a Strategic Heritage Plan in order to preserve the Palais des Nations in the long term; and UNOG’s Cultural Activities Programme, which contributed to building tolerance and understanding among Member States. The special feature on disarmament that could be found in the report was particularly interesting because it highlighted the unfulfilled potential of the disarmament machinery here and the need to persist in that area for peace and for development. That was much needed as a peace dividend.

So, the Report functioned both as a substantive overview of activities and a reference work for those who worked here on a daily basis. Mr. Ordzhonikidze hoped that it might be of use to journalists in their daily work and in that of all UNOG’s partners – Governments, the wider United Nations family, other intergovernmental organizations and civil society – by demonstrating the scope of the work of the United Nations system here in Geneva. Copies of the report were available at the back of the room and could also be downloaded through the UNOG website (text of the report).

Ms. Momal-Vanian added that a press release summarizing the report had been published in English and French this morning

The Director-General then responded to questions by journalists.

Responding to a question on declarations attributed to the Libyan Head of State announcing a jihad against Switzerland, the Director-General said that such declarations, if actually made, were inadmissible in international relations in terms of the United Nations Charter. Asked about possible security threats to the United Nations offices in Switzerland, the Director-General noted that the United Nations security services were always prepared to prevent any attempt against the Organization.

A journalist also asked whether a request by the Libyan leader that the United Nations office be moved outside of Switzerland had been received by the United Nations in Geneva. The Director-General said that such a demand, if it had been made, would have been sent to Headquarters in New York. For his part, he could confirm that he had received no such letter.

Regarding renovation plans for the Palais des Nations and projected costs, the Director-General said the estimate of the Strategic Heritage Plan would be decided by the General Assembly. Before that, extensive studies must be conducted. One study had already been completed, with financing by the Government of Switzerland. Now, the General Assembly had accepted that a second, more detailed study, be carried out as per normal practice. After the submission of that second study, the General Assembly would decide when and how much the project would cost.

Asked if there was a contradiction between the observation that the United Nations Office at Geneva was becoming an increasingly important centre for multilateral activities and the fact that security was being tightened at the Palais, Mr. Ordzhonikidze replied that the Security Service was making sure that the multilateral activities conducted at the Palais des Nations were held in safe conditions. In the present world, all persons working on United Nations premises, be they staff members, representatives of Governments, non-governmental organizations or the media, needed to know that they could do so safely. Mr. Ordzhonikidze assured them that UNOG security was doing its best to provide such assurance.

Geneva Activities

Ms. Momal-Vanian said today the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities would conclude the work of its one-week third session, which had mainly been devoted to organizational matters. This morning the Committee would hold a meeting with States parties, before closing the session.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was today wrapping up its consideration of the report of Iceland, and this afternoon it would take up the report of Kazakhstan. The last country report to be considered at this session was that of Panama, which would be presented by a delegation from that country on Monday and Tuesday next week.

Ms. Momal-Vanian also drew attention to the announcement at the Conference on Disarmament’s public plenary yesterday that a number of high dignitaries would address the Conference next week – the Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Republic of Korea; the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland; the Secretary of State of Romania; the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan; and, on Friday, the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan.

Turning to the Director-General’s agenda, Ms. Momal-Vanian noted that he had a number of bilateral meetings at the beginning of next week. He would meet, among others, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Manouchehr Mottaki, on Monday, as well as the Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Republic of Korea, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa and the Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Claire Kaplun of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said the thirteenth regular session of the Human Rights Council would open next week at 9:30 a.m. in Room XX. The list of dignitaries speaking during the High-Level Segment (1 to 3 March) and the provisional work programme had been sent to journalists and were also available on the Internet and Extranet sites.

Asked whether the Council had decided to debate the report on secret detention centres, Ms. Kaplun replied not yet. There had been a Bureau meeting yesterday afternoon and discussions were still going on. The next step would be taken on 4 March, when the Council would discuss its programme of work.

Situation in South Sudan

Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said there had been an intensification of intertribal fighting in South Sudan since mid-December 2009, which had continued all of January and February this year. Since then, there had been 39 intertribal conflicts, leaving 541 dead. Since the beginning of the year, more than 34,000 had been displaced by the fighting. The most violent clashes had taken place along the border between the states of Warrap and Jonglei. The fighting had delayed distribution of humanitarian assistance and had also greatly limited access for humanitarian actors to areas in need. A press note was available.

Haiti

Ms. Byrs said that the Government and humanitarian organizations and engineers were working to organize the registration of displaced persons, the selection of sites for debris removal, the assessment of building damage, and the identification and planning of relocation sites for those who could not return to their homes. An estimated 285,000 houses had been damaged or destroyed during the earthquake, so that was a gargantuan task. A partnership between the National Geographic Information Centre had been established to support the drawing up the necessary maps to carry out that decongestion strategy. Together with the decongestion of the spontaneous settlements, creating adequate sanitary conditions and waste disposal systems would be crucial to mitigate the risk of a large-scale outbreak of disease.

The security situation in Haiti was relatively stable, although some isolated cases of criminal activity had been reported, Ms. Byrs said. The handover of the airport and port to Haitian authorities and commercial operators was under way. The humanitarian cargo village at the airport would be closing at the end of this week.

Finally, Ms. Byrs noted that the Humanitarian Appeal for Haiti was 48 per cent funded. A real concern was that the agricultural sector was only 8 per cent funded. Food security in the long and medium-term depended on the revitalization of the agricultural sector, she underscored. A news note was available in the back of the room.

Marc Vergara of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), addressing the issue of education, said that UNICEF and partners were setting up provisional schoolrooms in Port-au-Prince and other affected areas, while awaiting the rebuilding of the schools that had been destroyed. Haiti’s education system had virtually ceased functioning in the affected areas, with an estimated 2.5 million children out of school since the quake. Along with the Ministry of Education, UNICEF was setting up more than 150 tent schools with the goal of getting children back to school before April. Around 80 per cent of the schools in the affected zones had been damaged completely destroyed, or more than 5,000 schools in total. UNICEF was also working with the Education Ministry to identify and train teaching staff on an expedited basis.

Mr. Vergara pointed out that, before the earthquake, more than half of school age children did not attend school in Haiti. UNICEF’s long-term goal therefore was not only to “build back better”, but to create the conditions that would allow for many young Haitians to go school for the first time.

Tim Martineau, Director of Country and Technical Support of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), said that today UNAIDS had launched a report on HIV/AIDS in Haiti, which it was hoped could strengthen a more coordinated and sustained response to the epidemic in Haiti, and link it with the humanitarian actors there. This was the first really significant natural disaster in a country with a high HIV epidemic, and that posed new and significant challenges. At the end of last year there were roughly 120,000 people living with HIV in Haiti, with around 19,000 people receiving treatment. A concern was to maintain the treatment for that population group; but UNAIDS had also anticipated that that figure would rise to 32,000 through this year. So there was a need to maintain services, but also to scale them up. Among priorities, were finding ways to re-establish the networks and civil society groups to ensure continued access to treatment for the estimated 40 per cent of those living with HIV who were now no longer accessing services. There was also a concern around the displaced population groups, who were vulnerable to violence and particularly sexual violence, and the risk of further spread of HIV that that posed. There were also roughly 1 million living in camps, and the risk of further spread of HIV was quite substantial.

The response needs for HIV had been $130 million in Haiti prior to the earthquake, Mr. Martineau noted. UNAIDS anticipated that that would need to be doubled for this year to manage effectively. Seven priority areas of work had been highlighted, including rebuilding the health system; protecting displaced persons for HIV; and rebuilding the local and national networks of people living with HIV. For its part, UNAIDS would certainly scale up its presence in the country. A press kit was available.

Madrid Meeting on Health of Migrants

Fadéla Chaib of the World Health Organization (WHO) said WHO, IOM and the Spanish Government, which currently held the rotating European Union presidency, would hold a Global Consultation on Migrant Health from 3 to 5 March 2010 in Madrid to address the multiple health risks millions of migrants faced during their sometimes perilous journeys in search of a better life. The meeting, which followed the 2008 World Health Assembly resolution on the health of migrants, aimed to reach consensus on priority areas and strategies to address health issues associated with the speed, volume, and complexity of modern migration.

Jacqueline Weekers, Senior Migrant Health Officer at WHO, said that migration had become a fact of life for all societies. That had many impacts on societies, including health-related impacts – not only on individual migrants but also on public health. There were an estimated 240 million international migrants. At greatest disadvantage were migrants in irregular situations, such as undocumented migrants and trafficked populations and also those who were forced to move, such as refugees and internally displaced persons. It was also important to realize that many migrants lived in poverty; they were marginalized, lacking access to health and social services. In addition to often-harsh living conditions, such as overcrowding and lack of proper nutrition over long periods, that made them more vulnerable to infection. In addition, unattended chronic problems caused a great burden on the health of migrants over time. Most migrants migrated to look for work and they ended up in work situations that were degrading, dangerous and dirty. They did jobs others would not do and very often without health insurance. Moreover, more than half of all migrants were women, and many migrated on their own. They could be in very unprotected situations and sexual abuse was a threat in particular for migrant women in irregular situations. Finally, with regard to mental health, that was an issue for the many migrants who found themselves greatly isolated and marginalized, unable to communicate with those around them.

Ms. Weekers said the meeting was being held essentially to take stock of what had and had not been achieved since the adoption of the 2008 World Health Assembly resolution, and trying to reach consensus on the way forward to improve the health of migrants. The meeting would bring many stakeholders from different sectors, different geographical regions and disciplines. A press release was available.

Other

Fadéla Chaib of WHO recalled that all this morning at WHO headquarters there were discussions on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. A press conference would take place in Press Room I, at 2:45 p.m. with the President of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention and with the Head of the Framework Convention Secretariat. The full text of the statement made by the Director-General on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the anti-tobacco convention had been sent to journalists this morning.

Gaëlle Sévenier of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced a room change for the press conference on the High-Level Task Force for the Global Framework for Climate Services, which was being held today at 11:45 a.m. at WMO Headquarters. The meeting would be in room C2. At the meeting, the names of the co-Chairs for the Task Force would be announced.

Anne Wittenberg of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said that UNFPA would be inaugurating an award-winning exhibition on violence against women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo next week, on Thursday, 4 March, at 4:30 p.m. in the Salle des Pas Perdus at the Palais des Nations. The exhibition was in commemoration of both International Women’s Day (8 March) and the fifteenth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Programme of Action. A press kit was available in the back of the room.

Janaina Borges of the World Trade Organization (WTO). announcing the schedule for the global trade body, said that next week there were meetings on intellectual property. Starting on Tuesday it was the TRIPS Council and on Thursday there were intellectual property negotiations on the Doha Round. Also, starting on Tuesday and running throughout the week the rules negotiating group on the Doha Round was meeting. On Friday, there was a meeting for Serbia’s accession process. Turning to the agenda of WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, he was going to Bern on Tuesday, 2 March to talk to members of the Swiss National Council. On Wednesday, he was meeting Micheál Martin, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland, and Guido Westerwelle, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany. Mr. Lamy would travel to London later in the week to participate in an event at the Centre for European Reform. The full schedules were available in the press room.