BAN KI-MOON CONCERNED BY VIOLENCE IN S. OSSETIA, GEORGIA

• The Secretary-General expresses his serious concern about the mounting violence in South Ossetia, Georgia.

• He urges the parties to refrain from any action that could further escalate the situation and threaten the stability of the region.

 

NIGERIA-CAMEROON TRANSFER A MODEL FOR BORDER DISPUTE SETTLEMENTS ELSEWHERE

• The Secretary-General is following with interest and anticipation the preparations for the final transfer of authority in the Bakassi Peninsula from Nigeria to Cameroon, scheduled to take place on 14 August, in implementation of the 2002 ruling of the International Court of Justice and the 2006 Greentree Agreement. In his capacity as Facilitator of that Agreement, the Secretary-General intends to send a senior official to lead his delegation at the transfer ceremony.

• For the United Nations, this will be a landmark event, culminating in the peaceful resolution of a potentially dangerous boundary dispute through respect for international law and good-neighbourly cooperation. It is an example that should serve as a model for the negotiated settlement of border disputes elsewhere.

• Asked about criticisms of the Greentree Agreement by senior Nigerian officials, the Spokeswoman noted that the Nigerian President had recently said that Nigeria would abide by that Agreement.

 

IRAQ: U.N. MISSION REGRETS MISSED OPPORTUNITY ON PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS LAW

• At 3:00 this afternoon, the Security Council will hold a formal meeting, to vote on a draft resolution concerning a 12-month extension of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

• In response to questions about the UN’s reaction to the failure yesterday of the Iraqi parliament to pass an electoral law, the Spokesperson said that UNAMI has said it regrets that an opportunity was missed yesterday to come to agreement on the provincial elections law. It hopes that the Iraqi leaders will reach an agreement on outstanding issues through dialogue as soon as possible to enable elections, which the Mission says is the wish of the vast majority of the Iraqi people.

• The United Nations has been doing all it can to encourage the Iraqis to reach a compromise at the earliest, so that election preparations can move forward as soon as possible. As requested by the Iraqi parliament, UNAMI stands ready to continue to assist the parties in finding an agreement through the work of the parliamentary committee.

 

SUDAN: U.N. ENVOY CONCERNED THAT JUDICIAL PROCESS LEADING TO DEATH SENTENCES MAY NOT HAVE MET INTL. STANDARDS

• Ashraf Qazi, the head of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), today said in a statement that the Mission was concerned that the judicial process leading to the recent death sentences passed against 30 members of the Justice and Equality Movement may not have met international standards.

• According to information available to UNMIS, it would appear that the accused were only given access to lawyers after the trials began, and confessions were obtained while the accused were held incommunicado and in the absence of legal counsel. The court did not investigate allegations of ill treatment, as requested by defence counsel, through proper medical examinations.

• UNMIS recognizes the right and the responsibility of the Government to prosecute and sentence those who committed criminal offences in the context of the Omdurman attacks last 10 May. But it calls on the Government to ensure compliance of proceedings with international legal standards. It also encourages Sudan to abolish capital punishment, and, in the meantime, to establish a moratorium on executions, as called for by the General Assembly in November 2007.

 

DEPUTY HEAD OF U.N.-A.U. MISSION TO HEAD TO SOUTH DARFUR

• Henry Anyidoho, the Deputy Joint UN-African Union (AU) Special Representative for Darfur, will visit Nyala, South Darfur, on 10 August, and he will be accompanied by representatives of various substantive sections of the UN-AU Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). The visit is planned to include, among other activities, a meeting with the UN country team, talks with the sheiks (traditional chiefs) in the Kalma camp for internally displaced persons, as well as with the Wali (Governor) and non-governmental organizations working in that camp.

• At Shangil Tobayi, the home-base of the troops which were recently attacked, Anyidoho expressed his sympathy with the peacekeepers about the ambush they faced on 8 July. He expressed his hopes for the quick recovery of the wounded and voiced his deep appreciation for the courage and commitment of the troops.

 

PEACEBUILDING SUPPORT OFFICE GETS NEW CHIEF

• The Secretary-General has appointed Ms. Jane Holl Lute of the United States as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support.  Ms. Holl Lute will replace Ms. Carolyn McAskie.

• The Secretary-General is grateful for Ms. McAskie’s dedicated service in establishing the peacebuilding architecture since the creation of the Peacebuilding Support Office in 2006, and her leadership which contributed greatly to the achievement of its goals.

• Ms. Holl Lute currently serves as Assistant Secretary-General in the Department of Field Support.  She joined the UN in August 2003 as Assistant Secretary-General for Mission support in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, and led her current department at its creation.  Her background within and outside the UN puts her in a unique position to ensure that the Peacebuilding Support Office will continue to grow in addressing its challenges.

 

HUMANITARIAN CHIEF ALARMED BY INCREASING CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AND TARGETING OF AID WORKERS IN SOMALIA

• Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes today expressed alarm at the growing number of civilian casualties in Somalia and the increasing targeting of humanitarian workers.

• “All parties to this conflict have an obligation under international law to protect civilians and to refrain from indiscriminate attacks,” Holmes said.

• He noted that far too many of those killed are women, children and aid workers, who have no part in the conflict. Bomb and mortar attacks in Mogadishu have claimed the lives of dozens of civilians in just the past week, including 20 women who were participating in a Food-For-Work supported street cleaning programme.

• At least 70,000 civilians have been displaced by fighting in Belet Weyne.  The manager of an orphanage in the Afgooye corridor became the 21st aid-related worker killed in Somalia since January.

 

EMERGENCY GRANT TO BE USED TO REPLACE SUPPLIES FOLLOWING WARFARE IN EASTERN CHAD

• Round-table talks on Chad, initiated by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in the Central African Republic and Chad, Victor Angelo, are taking place today and tomorrow in Stockholm, Sweden. The talks are intended to provide a forum for different partners to exchange ideas on possible ways of supporting Security Council Resolution 1778, which established last year the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT).

• The two-day meeting will allow participants to discuss the ongoing multidimensional presence made up of MINURCAT and the European Force, or EUFOR. Participants will also look at key recommendations of the UN/EU Technical Assessment and Mid-term Mandate review, the Dakar Process, and regional initiatives.

• Also on Chad, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund has granted an amount of US$1.2 million, for the emergency replacement of basic supplies that were burnt or looted as a result of warfare in eastern Chad in mid-June.

• The grant will partly fund a project by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and will allow for the supply of emergency household items, like blankets, mats, mosquito nets, kitchen sets, plastic sheeting, tents, and soap, to refugees and internally displaced persons

• Since its launch in 2006, the Fund has made available over US$890 million for rapid disaster relief, helping the United Nations save tens of thousands of lives in 62 countries struggling with disasters, armed conflicts, or both.

• The Fund comprises voluntary contributions from Member States, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local governments, the private sector, and individual donors. 

 

TIMOR-LESTE: U.N. MISSION CALLS FOR FOLLOW-UP ON HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT

• The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) says it welcomes the recent report by the Truth and Friendship Commission on the serious human rights abuses of 1999 and urged both Governments to follow up on the recommendations.

• Adding that a Truth and Friendship Commission is only one mechanism for addressing past atrocities, UNMIT, in a press conference, said the UN will continue its support to the Prosecutor-General through the Serious Crimes Unit to support both mechanisms for the process of prosecutions and for addressing crimes committed in the past. 

• On the humanitarian front, internally displaced persons (IDPs) today began moving out of the Airport IDP camp to return to their homes. UNMIT expect that it will take 2 or 3 weeks for the entire camp of more than 900 families to move out. So far, a total of 20 camps around the country have been closed.

• With the return of the IDPs from the Airport camp, more than 4,500 displaced families will have received a recovery package under the National Recovery Strategy.

• Meanwhile, a document called the “United Nations Development Assistance Framework” will be signed tomorrow by the Timorese Prime Minister, which sets forth on how the UN country team, which are the funds, agencies and programmes, will be spend $314 million dollars in Timor-Leste over the next five years.

 

NEW GUIDE TO HELP PREVENT H.I.V. AMONG GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN

• At the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, which the Secretary-General helped open last Sunday, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and its partners have launched a new guide to help prevent HIV among girls and young women. The guide, called “Make it Matter,” focuses on improving access to sexual and reproductive health services, expanding socio-economic opportunities, and ending child marriage.

• Meanwhile, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) reports that five community organizations – from Ghana, India, Iran, Malawi and Mexico – have been presented with Red Ribbon Awards for their extraordinary creativity, courage and leadership in the fight against AIDS and for achieving tangible results with limited resources.

 

U.N. ENVOY WELCOMES WORLD BANK INITIATIVE TO FIGHT MALARIA IN INDIA

• The Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Malaria, Ray Chambers, today warmly welcomed the recent announcement from the World Bank of more than US$520 million to assist India's efforts to fight malaria and other diseases.

• The financing package is the largest single project the World Bank has ever financed for malaria control in one country. The project will bolster malaria prevention efforts, through bed nets and spraying, as well as provide effective treatment to over 100 million people in India. 

• Malaria infects millions of people every year in India and causes the country to lose the equivalent of 79 million days worth of productivity each year. Chambers congratulates both the Government of India and the World Bank for their tremendous commitment to fighting the disease.

 

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY TO EXCHANGE MAIL DIRECTLY WITH UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION MEMBER COUNTRIES

• Israeli and Palestinian postal authorities have pledged to start facilitating direct mail exchanges between the Palestinian Authority and the Universal Postal Union (UPU)’s 191 member countries.

• According to a joint declaration read out by UPU Director General Edouard Dayan yesterday, the exchanges will begin immediately, with mail transiting via Amman, Jordan. 

• Dayan noted this development will improve the operations and quality of the Palestinian Authority’s postal service and help it become better integrated into the world postal community.

• It will also establish the rights and duties associated with terminal dues, which are compensation for international mail arriving from other countries.

 

IRAN SANCTIONS A MATTER FOR THE SECURITY COUNCIL

• Asked about reported threats made by Israel against Iran, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General had no specific comment on the issue, although he was concerned and, as always, believes in the importance of a negotiated resolution of outstanding problems.

• She added, in response to a further question about the need for sanctions regarding Iran, that the matter was one for the Security Council to consider, and the Secretary-General would have no comment.

 

U.N. COMMITTED TO FINDING SOLUTION FOR CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS AT CAMBODIA COURT

• Asked about reported allegations of corruption in the Extraordinary Chambers in Cambodia, the Spokeswoman said that the United Nations and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) are aware of the issue and committed to finding a solution as soon as possible.

• Montas said that funding for July was initially held up pending a work plan from the Cambodian side to the Project Board, which is a standard procedure to preserve the integrity of the funds.

• Since then, and in light of the allegations of kickbacks, UNDP is reviewing the implications with its donors in order to come to a decision as to what to do about the allegations. We are all aware and concerned about the impact of the delay and are committed to finding a solution as soon as possible, Montas said.

 

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES STILL A PROBLEM IN MYANMAR: The Spokeswoman, in response to a question about the problems that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has had in dealing with the foreign exchange rates in Myanmar, said that the problem continues to exist.

 

U.N. NOT THE MEDIATOR FOR ZIMBABWE: Asked about a reported draft agreement between the political leaders in Zimbabwe, the Spokeswoman said that the United Nations did not have that agreement, and noted that South African President Thabo Mbeki is the mediator for Zimbabwe, not the United Nations. The United Nations is a member of the reference group on Zimbabwe, she said, and Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios is discussing the Zimbabwe issue in Pretoria.

 

SECRETARY-GENERAL NORMALLY ASKS MEMBER STATES TO SUBMIT CANDIDATES FOR SENIOR U.N. POSTS: Asked whether the Secretary-General, in a meeting with Spain’s Vice President in Mexico this week, had requested that Spain submit a candidate for Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General, as normal practice, asks a range of Member States to submit candidates to senior UN posts.