The Secretary-General welcomes the release of a US national during the visit to Pyongyang by former US President Jimmy Carter. He appreciates the decision of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to release Mr. Aijalon Mahli Gomes on humanitarian considerations. The Secretary-General commends former President Carter for his humanitarian mission.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Security Council today, through a press statement, expressed their outrage at the recent case of mass rape in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They also welcomed the Secretary-General’s decision to dispatch Assistant Secretary-General Atul Khare to the country, and his instruction to his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallström, to coordinate follow-up. Both officials will brief the Council on their findings.
The Secretary-General addressed the Security Council during its open debate on Somalia piracy this morning. He said that more could be done and he added that that would require political and financial commitment from Member States. He set out seven possible options to further the aim of prosecuting and imprisoning persons responsible for acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia. The Council later adopted a presidential statement.
The Secretary-General is outraged by the rape and assault of at least 154 Congolese civilians, during an attack by armed elements of the Mai-Mai and the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is another grave example of both the level of sexual violence and the insecurity that continue to plague the DRC. He calls on the Government to investigate and bring to the perpetrators justice.
United Nations agencies are continuing their work to provide relief in Pakistan, even as the floods there continue to affect more than 15 million people. To date, the World Food Programme has reached about 1.3 million people with a one-month emergency ration of food. But the agency says that approximately 6 million people in all are expected to require food assistance over the next three months.
The Quartet issued a statement today at 11 a.m. United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and United States Presidential Envoy George Mitchell also extended an oral invitation to the parties to join in launching direct negotiations on 2 September in Washington.
The Secretary-General will address the General Assembly this afternoon about the humanitarian needs in Pakistan. He will say that Pakistan is facing a slow-motion tsunami, with needs expected to grow. He will thank the international community for the generosity it has shown so far, while underscoring that the needs are great, and this disaster is far from over. He will ask nations to respond urgently to the UN emergency appeal for the $460 million to cover the next 90 days.
The Secretary-General is saddened by the deaths of three Indian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), who were killed early this morning following a surprise attack by a group of unidentified armed men. The Secretary-General condemns the assault and calls on the Government to launch an immediate investigation into this incident.
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) strongly condemns today’s terrorist attack on an Iraqi army recruitment centre in Baghdad, which claimed the lives of dozens of military recruits and left over a hundred injured. The UN Mission extends its condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and the Government of Iraq, and wishes a speedy recovery to those who were wounded.
The Secretary-General returned this morning from a day-long visit to Pakistan, where he saw for himself the human suffering and damage caused by the current floods. Speaking to reporters after seeing the flood-affected areas yesterday, the Secretary-General said: “This has been a heart-wrenching day, and I will never forget the destruction and suffering that I have witnessed.”