REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE
Marie Heuzé, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was also addressed by Spokespersons for the World Health Organization, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration, the World Meteorological Organization, the UN Environment Programme, the World Food Programme, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the International Labour Organization and the World Trade Organization. Also present was the spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Geneva activities
Ms. Heuzé said that this morning the Human Rights Council would conclude its discussion on the report of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Head of Delegation of the High-Level Fact-Finding Mission to Beit Hanoun. Thereafter, the Council would hear presentations of further reports and hold interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Vitit Muntarbhorn; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro; and the Independent Experts appointed by the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in Burundi, Akich Okola, and in Liberia, Charlotte Abaka.
Ms. Heuzé recalled that the Conference on Disarmament would finish the first part of its 2007 session on Friday, 30 March. Today it would hold a plenary session at 5 p.m. to discuss the programme of work proposed by the Six Presidents for the second part of its session. For convenience sake, as today's meeting would run late, it was suggested to hold a press conference following the Conference's next plenary meeting, on Tuesday, 27 March, to treat the topic of the Conference's programme of work.
Visit of the Secretary-General to the Middle East
Ms. Heuzé said that the Secretary-General was in Egypt today, continuing his first visit to the Middle East.
Yesterday, following an incident that occurred during the Secretary-General's press conference in Baghdad, the Security Council had issued a press statement, in which Council members expressed their unwavering support for the efforts of the UN and its Secretary-General to promote an inclusive and effective political process in Iraq aimed at reaching national reconciliation, preserving its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Council strongly condemned the abhorrent terrorist attack on the Iraqi Prime Minister’s office where the Secretary-General had participated in a joint press conference, Ms. Heuzé said. Council President Dumisani Kumalo, reading out the statement, had stressed that members of the Council condemned all terrorist attacks and had reaffirmed the need to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and by all means, in accordance with international law.
Ms. Heuzé said that yesterday Secretary-General Ban had met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and discussed the UN’s commitment to helping the people of Iraq. The Secretary-General had also stressed the need for all major political groups to be included in the political process, the importance of upholding international human rights standards and the willingness of the UN to move forward on the International Compact for Iraq. The Secretary-General had later attended a luncheon hosted by Mr. al-Maliki, meeting there with lawmakers and other Iraqi political leaders, before holding talks with members of the foreign diplomatic corps in Baghdad. The Secretary-General had also laid a wreath at the monument for UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello who, along with 21 others, had been killed in the terrorist bombing of UN headquarters in Iraq on 19 August 2003.
Ms. Heuzé recalled that, for security reasons, the exact movements of the Secretary-General on his visit to the Middle East could not be announced in advance. However, she could say that today he was in Cairo, and that Mr. Ban was also scheduled to visit the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Israel and Jordan, and to attend the Arab League Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 28 March, before going on to Lebanon.
Situation in Iraq
Ron Redmond of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said a new UNHCR report released this morning had listed Iraq as the top country of origin for asylum-seekers in the world's industrialized countries in 2006. Asylum applications by Iraqis in industrialized countries had risen 77 percent last year – from 12,500 in 2005, to 22,200 in 2006. The last time Iraq had been the main country of origin for asylum-seekers in industrialized countries had been in 2002, when over 50,000 asylum claims had been lodged. So although the number of Iraqi claims in 2006 had risen, the figures were still well below the peak levels of just a few years ago. Sweden was the top destination for Iraqis in industrialized countries in 2006, with some 9,000 applications, followed by the Netherlands (2,800), Germany (2,100) and Greece (1,400). However, it was important to remember that the vast majority of uprooted Iraqis remained in the region – an estimated 1.9 million within Iraq itself and some 2 million in neighbouring countries.
Mr. Redmond recalled that UNHCR had called an international conference in Geneva on 17 and 18 April focusing on the humanitarian needs of those uprooted by the conflict in Iraq. He also announced that UNHCR's Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Radhouane Nouicer, who had just returned from the region, would give a briefing on UNHCR's programmes for Iraq and the surrounding region, as well as on the upcoming international conference, on Monday, 26 March, at 3.30 p.m. in Press Room 1.
Responding to a query as to whether the United States should be accepting more Iraqi refugees, Mr. Redmond observed that resettlement was only a solution for a tiny fraction of those who had fled the country. The focus had to be on providing help to those Iraqis that had reached neighbouring countries, as well as the 1.9 million internally displaced.
Jean-Philippe Chauzy of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that IOM was increasingly worried about an emerging trend in labour exploitation in Iraq. Today, a group of five Sri Lankan migrants, who had been taken to work as cleaners in Iraq without having been informed they were going there, were the latest to be helped to return home by IOM. Since early February, when IOM had rescued 17 Sri Lankans stranded in northern Iraq after being taken to Erbil under similar circumstances, IOM had helped a total of 30 nationals from that South Asian country return home.
Climate Change
Carine Richard-van Maele of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced the adoption by 115 countries of a five-year action plan at the "Social and Economic Benefits of Weather, Climate and Water Services" Conference, which had closed yesterday in Madrid, Spain. The action plan provided for investment to improve weather, climate and water information services worldwide. A press release was available.
Ms. Richard-van Maele wished to highlight that today was World Meteorological Day. This year the theme of the Day was "Polar Meteorology: Understanding Global Impacts". For the occasion, WMO had produced a film entitled "Two poles – one planet", which was available in Beta SP, VHS and DVD in WMO’s six official languages. A brochure was also available.
Michael Williams of the UN Environment Programme, said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) would launch its second volume of its assessment report on the global impact of climate change on Friday, 6 April in Brussels. The launch would be webcast on the IPCC website (ipcc.ch), and copies of the report would be available online after the launch. A press conference would be organized in Geneva on the impacts of climate change on the Alps.
Avian influenza and HIV/AIDS
Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a "High Technical Meeting on Responsible Practices for Sharing Avian Influenza Viruses and Resulting Benefits", which would meet next week in Jakarta on 26 and 27 March. The purpose was to ensure access by all to vaccines in the case of the outbreak of a pandemic, given that there was a production gap of several million doses. In particular, WHO wished to ensure that developing countries would be able to produce and/or access vaccines. WHO's other objective was to monitor closely the avian virus as it evolved and mutated, in case a particular strain allowed for human-to-human transmission. More information was available in a press release that had been sent to journalists which provided an update on the issue of access to vaccines in the event of a flu pandemic. Dr. Heyman, who was attending the Conference in Jakarta, would hold a virtual press briefing next Tuesday, 27 March, at 3 p.m. Geneva time. Available was a media note on progress made in ensuring access by developing countries to pandemic flu vaccines.
Ms. Chaib also announced a press conference on WHO/UNAIDS recommendations on male circumcision for HIV prevention, which would be held by Teguest Guerma, Associate Director of the HIV/AIDS Department, and Kim Dickson of the prevention division, next Wednesday, 28 March, at 11 a.m., in Room V.
Other
Mr. Redmond of UNHCR outlined some of the trends found in the UNHCR report, "Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries 2006". The report showed that, despite an increase in Iraqi asylum-seekers for 2006, there had been an overall decrease in the number of asylum-seekers during that year. In 50 industrialized countries, some 300,000 applications for refugee status had been submitted last year, 10 per cent fewer than in 2005. In Europe as a whole, as well as in the 25 European Union countries, the number of asylum-seekers had been the lowest in 20 years. Over the past five years, asylum applications in industrialized countries had more than halved. The decreasing number of overall applications could be attributed to improved conditions in some of the main countries of origin of asylum-seekers, but also to the introduction of restrictive policies in many industrialized countries which, in some cases, were discouraging asylum-seekers from applying. The main countries of origin of asylum applicants in 2006 were Iraq (22,200), China (18,300), the Russian Federation (15,700), Serbia and Montenegro (15,600) and Turkey (8,700).
Mr. Redmond then announced that High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres was travelling this weekend to Angola to attend a ceremony in Luanda at which regional leaders would mark the successful conclusion of the largest repatriation of refugees in Africa in the last decade. Since the end of the 30-year civil war in Angola in 2002, when 457,000 Angolans were believed to be refugees in neighbouring countries, nearly 410,000 had returned home.
Turning to the situation in Yemen, Mr. Redmond said that, over the past six days, Yemen had again received more than 1,100 Somalis and Ethiopians who arrived on smuggling boats from Bosaso, Somalia, across the Gulf of Aden. According to UNHCR's latest information, it was believed that at least 28 people had died during those recent voyages, and many were badly injured by the smugglers. Others were suffering from various skin problems from prolonged contact with seawater, human waste, diesel and other chemicals. Those latest dramas in the Gulf of Aden had taken place during and just after a recent five-day mission to Yemen by UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Erika Feller, and the Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Radhouane Nouicer.
Christiane Berthiaume of the World Food Programme (WFP) announced a contribution of $410,000 from the Swiss Government for Bhutanese refugees living in seven refugee camps in eastern Nepal. As regarded staff on board a the boat carrying 8,000 tons of WFP food supplies, which had been in the hands of pirates in Somalia for four weeks now, WFP reiterated its appeal that the staff, the supplies and the boat be released. As far as WFP knew, the 12 members of the team who had been seized with the boat were in a satisfactory state. Press releases on both topics were available.
In Afghanistan, Ms. Berthiaume said torrential rains had caused inundations in the south and the west of the country, with at least 11,000 affected and there who urgently needed tents, blankets, food and medicines. An emergency team including WFP, UNHCR, UNICEF and others were currently assessing the situation.
Muriel Scibilia of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) announced the launch of a joint UNCTAD/WTO report on Asian investment in Africa next Tuesday, 27 March. A press release and the report would be available on Monday, but the report was embargoed till 5 p.m. Tuesday, Ms. Scibilia said.
Hans von Rohland of the International Labour Organization (ILO) said that, in the context of the plenary sessions of the Administrative Council being held next week, a panel discussion at the ministerial level would be held in the Council Chamber on Monday, at 10.30 a.m. with the Director-Generals of the WTO and the ILO. The panel discussion was open to journalists. On Wednesday, the subject of forced labour in Myanmar would be taken up by the Council, and on Thursday, a discussion would be held on the issue of labour union freedom.
Anoush der Boghossian of the World Trade Organization (WTO) announced negotiating group meetings next week on the topics of agriculture; market access for industrial products; fishery subsidies; and the environment.
Ms. Heuzé announced two press conferences by special procedures who had just presented reports to the Human Rights Council. At 11.30 a.m. in Room 1, Mr. Petit, the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, would hold a conference on the sale of children’s organs and rapid response programmes for abducted children, as well as on his mission the Ukraine. Then, at 12.30 p.m., José Luis Gomez de Prado, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on the use of Mercenaries, would hold talk with the press about the Working Group's report.
Finally, Ms. Heuzé wished to draw attention to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message to the UN International Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace, which had been delivered yesterday, 22 March, in Rome, by Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director-General and which had been distributed to the press in English, French and Arabic.