United Nations Daily Highlights, 08-07-14

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FARHAN HAQ

ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

UN

HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, July 14, 2008

ICC PROSECUTOR PRESENTS CASE AGAINST SUDANESE PRESIDENT

FOR GENOCIDE, CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY & WAR CRIMES IN DARFUR

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, today

presented evidence in The Hague that accused Sudanese President, Omar Hassan al-Bashir of criminal responsibility in relation to ten counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.

The Prosecution says that its evidence shows that President al-Bashir masterminded and implemented a plan to destroy in substantial part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa groups, on account of their ethnicity.

BAN KI-MOON EXPECTS SUDANESE GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE SAFETY OF U.N. PERSONNEL IN SUDAN

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was

informed that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has asked the Court to issue an arrest warrant for the President of Sudan.

The Secretary-General emphasizes that the Court is an independent institution and that the United Nations must respect the independence of the judicial process. The United Nations peacekeeping operations in Sudan will continue to conduct their important work in an impartial manner, cooperating in good faith with all partners so as to further the goal of peace and stability in the country. The United Nations will also continue its vital humanitarian and development work there.

The Secretary-General expects that the Government of Sudan will continue to cooperate fully with the United Nations in Sudan, while fulfilling its obligation to ensure the safety and security of all United Nations personnel and property.

The Secretary-General spoke by telephone with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Saturday. The Secretary-General emphasized the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the importance of managing the situation on the ground. He also stressed that the UN Secretary-General does not have any influence on the ICC Prosecutor.

The Secretary-General indicated that he was gravely concerned about the scale and brutality of the deadly attack on peacekeepers from the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) on 8 July and asked President al-Bashir to investigate the circumstances of that attack.

The Secretary-General indicated to President al-Bashir that he was concerned by a declaration made by the Permanent Representative of Sudan which linked the initiative of the ICC Prosecutor with the two UN peacekeeping operations deployed to Sudan. The Secretary-General also called for further contacts to discuss the situation in the coming days.

Asked how the request for an arrest warrant against President al-Bashir would affect the work of the United Nations in Sudan, the Spokesperson said that the announcement by the ICC Prosecutor does not affect the existing commitment and obligation of the United Nations to support peace in Sudan. Operationally, he said, the United Nations will continue to work with the Sudanese authorities to further the full implementation of the mandates of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).

Haq stressed that the United Nations will continue to act with full impartiality in Sudan, including supporting the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and together with the African Union, to work for peace in Darfur, in partnership with the Government of Sudan and in line with its mandates from the Security Council.

Haq noted, in response to a further question, that States parties to the

Rome Statute of the ICC are obliged to assist in the arrest and transfer of indicted suspects.

Asked whether the United Nations could continue to deal with President al-Bashir, the Spokesperson noted that the President has yet to be indicted. What happened today, he said, was that Moreno-Ocampo sent a request for the issuance of an arrest warrant against al-Bashir to a three-judge trial chamber of the ICC. That chamber will now consider that request, in a process that could take some weeks.

Beyond that, Haq said, the United Nations would continue to work with the authorities in Sudan to carry out its mandated tasks on the ground, including the work of the peacekeeping mission, humanitarian tasks and support for the political process.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals contacts with President al-Bashir, he noted that the two had spoken on Saturday, and declined to speculate whether they would meet again if an indictment is confirmed.

Asked whether the ICCs action was helpful, the Spokesperson said that the

ICC acts independently, and the judicial process must be allowed to take its course. He acknowledged that the Secretary-General had made clear his own worries about whether the UN system would be able to carry out its mandated tasks.

Asked whether the Security Council could ask the ICC to delay its consideration of the case, Haq said that was a matter for Council members to decide.

DARFUR: U.N. MISSION VOWS TO MAINTAIN OPERATIONS

The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) today vowed to maintain its operations in the region and continue implementing its mandate, as non-essential staff prepared to relocate due to the recent deteriorating security situation across Darfur.

General Martin Luther Agwai, UNAMID Force Commander, emphasized that force protection levels and patrolling would remain the same.

We are working on all those issues in our mandate and we will continue to work on them, he said. We will continue to conduct patrols and security, as well as protect UN personnel and UN facilities on the ground. In addition, we will continue to assist the humanitarian organizations to do their job of rendering humanitarian services to the people in Darfur.

On 8 July, seven UNAMID peacekeepers were killed and 22 injured, seven critically, in a well-organised attack by heavily armed militia in Um Hakibah, North Darfur. General Agwai said the Mission had been assessing recent security incidents and attacks against peacekeepers, including a series of car-jackings and the attack at Um Hakibah, the worst in UNAMIDs six-month history.

Asked whether UN peacekeepers could arrest the Sudanese President, the Spokesperson noted that the two peacekeeping missions, UNMIS and UNAMID, do not have a mandate to execute ICC arrest warrants. The mandate of peacekeeping missions, he added, is determined by the Security Council.

BAN KI-MOON MARKS 60 YEARS OF U.N. PEACEKEEPING AT PARADE IN FRANCE

The Secretary-General recently spoke to reporters today in Paris, after meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner; in that meeting, the Secretary-General reiterated the independence of the International Criminal Court. In addition to Sudan, they discussed Zimbabwe, the UN Mission in Chad and the Central African Republic, the Shaba Farms, Cyprus and Kosovo.

The Secretary-General was the guest of honor at a parade this morning in Paris that celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of UN peacekeeping, and members of the blue helmets from different parts of the world took part for the first time in that event. Two different contingents one comprising 145 soldiers from 25 different countries, and one of French soldiers returning from service with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) participated in the commemoration.

The parade was attended by Heads of State and Government, who had been present for the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean, which was held on Sunday. The Secretary-General took part in that summit, and,

speaking at its launch, he underlined a number of global challenges that require a common approach, including the food crisis and climate change.

In

closing remarks at the summit, the Secretary-General also spoke of the need for common solutions to political issues in the Mediterranean basin, saying that the coming months will be crucial. He noted encouraging signs in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, in Gaza, in Lebanon and in Cyprus.

The Secretary-General met several Heads of State and Government on the margins of the summit yesterday and today, including the Presidents of Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority and Syria, and the Prime Minister of Israel.

The Secretary-General discussed Cyprus in his meeting with Dimitris Christofias, and noted that he would meet with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, in Berlin tomorrow.

In his meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Secretary-General talked about Lebanon and the positive developments in the area, including the possibility of renewed relations between Lebanon and Syria. They also discussed the implementation of resolution 1701, the signs that the truce in Gaza is holding and the Israel/Hezbollah prisoner and hostage issue.

He also discussed the implementation of

resolution 1701 in his first meeting with the new Lebanese President, Michel Suleiman. They also talked about UNIFIL, the Shaba Farms and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

The Secretary-General also met yesterday with Ingrid Betancourt, following her recent rescue after years being held hostage in Colombia. He told reporters that he respected her exemplary courage during her years of captivity, and he invited her to a forum to take place in New York this fall to support the victims of terrorism.

Asked whether the Secretary-General was discussing tensions in the Middle East, including between Israel and Iran, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General had met a number of leaders from the region in the past two days and was discussing regional concerns with all of them.

SECRETARY-GENERALS IMPARTIALITY ON ZIMBABWE REITERATED

For the record, the Security Council

failed to adopt a draft resolution last Friday that, among other things, called for sanctions against specific individuals in Zimbabwe. Nine members of the Council voted in favour of the resolution, but two permanent members, China and Russia, vetoed the text, and three elected members, South Africa, Libya and Viet Nam, also voted against the resolution. Indonesia abstained.

A

statement was also issued over the weekend reiterating the Secretary-Generals impartiality in defending the right of the people of Zimbabwe to choose a legitimate government in a free and fair election. The Secretary-General will continue to support efforts to promote talks between both sides in Zimbabwe that can lead to a democratic transition and economic recovery for the people of that country.

Asked whether the Secretary-General would appoint an envoy to Zimbabwe, as the Group of Eight leaders had requested, the Spokesperson said that the UN Secretariat remains in touch with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) on how to proceed. If the United Nations and those two bodies agree on the need for an envoy, he said, one could be appointed at that stage. For now, he noted, the African Union was proceeding to discuss the matter and the United Nations would stay in contact with the AU.

DESPITE POSITIVE STEPS, COTE DIVOIRE STILL FACES CHALLENGES

Available today is the Secretary-Generals latest

report on Côte d'Ivoire. In it, he commends the Ivorian parties for their sustained implementation of the Ouagadougou peace agreement. He is particularly encouraged by the unanimous adoption of decrees in connection with the upcoming electoral process. Despite positive developments, Côte d'Ivoire still faces a host of challenges, including the continued existence of militias and insufficient cash to fund the cantonment of disarmed combatants.

As the Ivorian parties have agreed to defer the effective reunification of the army and disarmament until after the elections, the Secretary-General encourages government and former rebel forces to jointly ensure security during the elections.

He also recommends that the mandate of the UN Operation in Cote dIvoire (UNOCI) be extended until January 2009.

NEPAL: U.N. ENVOY SEEKS CLARIFICATION ON MANDATE EXTENSION REQUEST

The Secretary-Generals

report to the Security Council on the request of Nepal for United Nations assistance in support of its peace process is available today.

In the report, the Secretary-General said that the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) will continue to assist in the management of arms and army personnel in accordance with the 25 June Agreement of the Seven-Party Alliance but that the current monitoring arrangements should not be necessary for a substantial further period.

However, on the overall request by the interim Government for the continued presence of UNMIN, the Secretary-General has asked his Special Representative Ian Martin to seek further clarification from the new Government about the scope of support it would like to receive from UNMIN before submitting his formal recommendation to the Security Council.

Should the matter be clarified and a six-month extension of the political mission is mandated, the Secretary-General said the Security Council should receive a report after three months on the progress and further possible downsizing of the Mission.

U.N. MISSION CONDEMNS SUICIDE ATTACK IN AFGHANISTAN

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned in the strongest terms the suicide bomb attack that took place yesterday in a marketplace in the province of Uruzgan, which resulted in the deaths of a number of civilians and police officers.

To target civilians who were shopping for food shows a total disregard for the sanctity of life by the perpetrators of the attack, the Mission said.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SEEDS & FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTED TO FARMERS IN BURKINA FASO: The Food and Agriculture Organization is in the final

stages of a month-long distribution of seeds and fertilizer to more than thirty-thousand farmers in Burkina Faso. Parts of that country are facing food shortages, as a result of soaring prices and severe weather. In all, FAO is providing more than 400 tons of fertilizer and about 600 tons of millet, sorghum, maize, cowpea and peanut seeds. The agency is also training local producers to raise their crop yields and produce more seeds for next year.

U.N. AGENCIES RESPOND TO MADAGASCAR OUTBREAK: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are helping Madagascar

respond to an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in humans and animals. FAO and WHO have developed an Emergency Response Plan to address at-risk populations, and improve surveillance, reporting, and laboratory diagnostics capabilities.

GENEVA MEETING FOCUSES ON IVORY TRADE: Ivory trade is at the top of the agenda at the

meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), taking place all this week in Geneva. The 300 participants from all over the world will consider the quantities of raw ivory stockpiled in four Southern African countries approved for export and the importing countries that are allowed to buy it. The Secretariat of the Convention announced that China has now reached the required verification standards and could therefore be designated as a trading partner.

CLIMATE CHANGE CHAIR NAMED AS GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) today

designated Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as Goodwill Ambassador. The designation is in recognition of Dr. Pachauris work in the field of energy and the environment, one of UNIDOs three major thematic priorities. The IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, together with the former US Vice-President, Al Gore.