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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESPERSON’S NOON BRIEFING
BY FARHAN HAQ, ACTING DEPUTY
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
THURSDAY,
18 AUGUST 2011Ìý
SECRETARY-GENERAL STRONGLY CONDEMNS TERROR
ATTACKS IN ISRAEL
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- The Secretary-General strongly today’s
coordinated terror attacks in southern Israel.Ìý He expresses his condolences to the
families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
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- The Secretary-General hopes that the
perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice.
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- He is concerned at the risk of escalation
and calls for all to act with restraint.
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IN TALKS WITH SYRIAN LEADER, BAN KI-MOON VOICES
ALARM AT REPORTS OF WIDESPREAD RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
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- The Secretary-General
with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Wednesday afternoon, and he
expressed alarm at the latest reports of continued widespread violations
of human rights and excessive use of force by Syrian security forces
against civilians across Syria,
including in the Al Ramel district of Lattakia. The Secretary-General emphasized
that all military operations and mass arrests must cease immediately.
President Assad said that the military and police operations had stopped.
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- The Secretary-General reiterated his calls
for an independent investigation into all reported killings and acts of
violence, and for free access by the media. He called on the Government of
Syria to extend full cooperation to the Office of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights.
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- The Secretary-General also urged President
Assad to engage in a credible and peaceful process of reform towards
comprehensive change. The President enumerated the reforms he will
undertake in the next few months, including the revision of the
Constitution and the holding of parliamentary elections. The
Secretary-General emphasized the need for reforms to be implemented
swiftly without further military intervention.
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- The Secretary-General expressed
appreciation that the Syrian Government had agreed to receive a United
Nations humanitarian assessment mission. He stressed that it would be
critical for the mission to be provided with independent and unhindered
access to all areas affected by violence in order to assess the
humanitarian needs of the population, and to provide assistance if needed.
The President stated that the team would have access to different sites in
Syria.
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- Asked whether President Assad’s claims that
military operations had stopped were credible, the Spokesperson said that
the Secretary-General believed that the situation on the ground needed to
be examined, which is why he continues to push for access for the team
from the High Commissioner for Human Right’s office, as well as for an
independent investigation into the violence.
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- Asked about United States President Barack
Obama’s statement that President Assad needs to step down, the
Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General’s views on the need for
reform in Syria
had been expressed in the readout of his phone call.
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- He noted that the Secretary-General has
repeatedly stressed the need for people in the region to be able to choose
their leadership in an atmosphere free of fear.
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TOP U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMANITARIAN OFFICIALS TO
BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL ON SYRIA
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- The will hold closed consultations on the Middle
East on Thursday afternoon. The High Commissioner for ,
Navi Pillay, and the Emergency
Coordinator, Valerie Amos, briefed Council members on the human rights and
humanitarian situation in Syria.
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- Ms. Pillay will present the
of the Fact-Finding Mission that was established by the to look into the human rights situation in Syria. That mission did not
have access to Syria
but did conduct three field investigations outside Syria,
examined more than 50 videos and conducted interviews with victims and
witnesses, including some military defectors.
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- The mission received more than 1,900 names and
details of persons killed in Syria since the middle of
March; all are said to be civilians. The mission found a pattern of
violations of human rights, which the report says may amount to crimes
against humanity.
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- The mission recommends that Syria immediately put an end
to gross human rights violations and take immediate steps to end impunity.
It also recommends the Human Rights Council to urge the Security Council,
among other things, to consider referring the situation in Syria to
the International Criminal Court ().
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SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES CENTRAL AFRICA,
CONDEMNS ATTACKS IN IRAQ
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- On Thursday morning, the received a briefing
by Abou Moussa, the head of the new UN Regional Office for Central Africa
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who described the challenges that his Office faces.
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- The Security Council President read a statement on
that Office following consultations.
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- The Security Council President also put out a
press statement in which the members of the Council condemned in the
strongest terms the series of terrorist attacks that occurred on Monday in
, which caused scores of deaths
and injuries as well as damage.
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MALAWI:
SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES COMMITMENT TO PEACE
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- In a issued
on Wednesday afternoon, the Secretary-General welcomed the signing of the
Joint Communiqué by representatives of the Government of Malawi and the
civil society organizations.
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- The Secretary-General is encouraged by this
positive development, which reflects the commitment of both sides to
engage constructively in the search for a peaceful solution to the
country's current difficulties.
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ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT CANNOT BE
SUBSTANTIATED, SAYS U.N. MISSION IN HAITI
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- Asked about an investigation into allegations of
sexual exploitation in Port-Salut,
Haiti, the
Spokesperson said that the UN Mission in the country, known as , says
that the preliminary report of this investigation was finalized.
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- After discussions with local authorities and
members of this population in Port-Salut, the investigators found out that
these allegations of misconduct could not be substantiated.
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- The Mission
says that no supporting evidence was provided by anyone, and local
authorities confirmed that these allegations were unfounded.
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United Nations, SA-1B15
New York, NY
10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
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