BAN VOICES APPRECIATION FOR PARTNERSHIP WITH EURASIA AGAINST GLOBAL TERRORISM

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the cooperation between the United Nations and the intergovernmental group known as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in combating global terrorism and other challenges through strengthened dialogue with Eurasian countries.

"The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has become an essential forum for addressing security in Eurasia in all its dimensions – political, economic, military, and environmental," Mr. Ban told the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, taking place in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

In a message delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe to the two-day gathering, Mr. Ban noted that the SCO's commitment to developing joint solutions to shared challenges is all the more significant today, as the world faces pressing, interconnected crises, such as food insecurity, climate change and the global financial and economic turmoil.

"We also continue to grapple with the menaces of terrorism, armed conflict and instability," noted the Secretary-General. "I am confident that the work of the SCO will further the collective efforts of the international community in responding to these threats – and in seizing common opportunities for trade, development and cultural exchange."

He added that through the UN Regional Centre for Central Asia, the world body can reinforce its cooperation with the SCO on preventive diplomacy.

"The series of meetings planned by the Regional Centre on implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia, culminating with a ministerial conference next year, could be an excellent vehicle for building our relationship," he said.

In addition, he said that the SCO's "observer status in the General Assembly offers an additional basis for intensifying our partnership."
________________

DEATH TOLL RISING FOLLOWING RENEWED HEAVY FIGHTING IN SOMALI CAPITAL – UN

DEATH TOLL RISING FOLLOWING RENEWED HEAVY FIGHTING IN SOMALI CAPITAL – UN
New York, May 15 2009 12:00PM
The United Nations refugee agency today voiced deep concern over the mounting death toll in Somalia amid some of the fiercest armed clashes the country has experienced this year, sparking a new wave of displacements.

Rebel attacks in Mogadishu have killed at least 135 people and wounded over 400, sending over 34,000 more fleeing the heavy fighting that erupted last week between forces loyal to the embattled Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and opposition groups, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a0d6d6c2.html">UNHCR).

The agency reported that hospitals in central Mogadishu are overwhelmed by the large number of casualties in need of urgent medical attention.

UNHCR's partner organizations in the capital say that some people have been trapped in their homes for days, unable to leave because of the raging street battles, and those who have escaped spoke of indiscriminate nightly bombings of residential areas. Some witnessed large numbers of people dying, including children and the vulnerable who were unable to leave the conflict area.

Many of the displaced are heading to an area some 30 kilometres south-west of Mogadishu, which already houses over 400,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), while other have looked for safer parts of the city to seek refuge.

UNHCR has pre-positioned blankets, sleeping mats, plastic sheets and kitchen sets for up to 108,000 people in Mogadishu and is making arrangements for the rapid distribution of these desperately needed items as security allows.

The agency noted that the latest fighting is a major set back to efforts to establish stability in Mogadishu, which saw the return of some 65,000 IDPs to the city between January and April.

"It is extremely sad to see that, while we were preparing to assist people to return home and resume a normal life after years of displacement and suffering, a new humanitarian catastrophe is erupting," said UNHCR Representative to Somalia, Guillermo Bettocchi.

"What is more frustrating is our inability to access the displaced people and give them the help they need," he added.

The agency assists more than 460,000 Somali refugees in neighbouring countries, as well as coordinating the protection and shelter for an additional 1.3 million displaced in Somalia.

On Wednesday, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told a meeting of the Security Council that the situation in the Horn of Africa nation remains "quite fragile" following the attempted coup on 9 May by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and Al Shabaab fighters, and noted that the latest surge in violence is clearly a response to the Government's strategy to reach out and build a critical mass in support of peace.
________________

FRAGILE SOMALI PEACE PROCESS NEEDS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT – UN OFFICIALS

FRAGILE SOMALI PEACE PROCESS NEEDS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT – UN OFFICIALS
New York, May 13 2009 3:00PM
Top United Nations officials today urged the international community to continue to nurture the fragile peace process in Somalia and help the country consolidate its hard-won gains, in spite of recent threats to the new Government.

"We meet today at a critical moment for Somalia," Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told a meeting of the Security Council. "One in which the response of the international community to an embattled Government's pleas for help could make the difference between consolidating hopeful steps toward peace and a descent once again into anarchy and hopelessness."

Mr. Pascoe said the situation remains "quite fragile" following the attempted coup on 9 May by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and Al Shabaab fighters, and noted that the latest surge in violence is clearly a response to the Government's strategy to reach out and build a critical mass in support of peace.

In a news release issued today, UN envoy for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah described the attackers as extremists who know do not have the support of the Somali people, and accused them of bringing in foreign fighters who have no connections to the situation in Somalia.

Mr. Pascoe said that despite heavy fighting, recent months have witnessed newfound reasons for hope, and the Somali people have the best chance in two decades to end their suffering and move towards a better and more stable future.

"The Government's efforts at building a consensus for reconciliation are slowly gaining ground, despite the serious challenge by well-funded radicals," he stated. "The international community must make a vital investment at this time to nurture the fragile peace process, help the Government establish its authority throughout the country and build its security and rule of law institutions.

"Now is not the time to analyze and discuss, but to provide concrete help while it can still make a difference," said Mr. Pascoe.

In January, the Council signalled its intention to establish a UN force, when conditions permit, in the Horn of Africa country. It also requested Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to establish a trust fund to help support the existing African Union (AU) force, known as AMISOM, and to facilitate a logistical support package, training and equipment, in anticipation of its eventual absorption into a UN force.

UN peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy informed the Council about the three-phase approach Mr. Ban has outlined for UN engagement in Somalia, saying that the incremental approach is the right strategy for the country at the present time. It is important to emphasize, he added, that this is a flexible strategy and not one based on a rigid timetable.

He said important benchmarks for establishing a UN force include implementation of a credible ceasefire, consent to the deployment by all the major Somali actors on the ground, and adequate pledges of troops and required military capacities by Member States.

"It remains the assessment of the Secretary-General that deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation at this stage, in the absence of these conditions, would be a high-risk option, and that an ill-timed mission would fail."

Susana Malcorra, Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, told the Council that the gains achieved in building peace by the Somali leaders and the international community must not be lost.

The current situation on the ground evidences that the Somalia's nascent and yet fragile peace process must be protected. Among other things, she said, the disbursement of donor pledges must be expedited.
________________

FLEXIBILITY, PARTNERSHIPS, KNOWLEDGE KEY TO MEDIATING CONFLICTS – UN OFFICIAL

To boost its ability to prevent and limit bloodshed, the United Nations must have flexible funding, regional partnerships and accessible information for mediation, the Organization's political chief said today.

"Mediation is a Charter activity of the United Nations and must be carried out with the highest degree of professionalism, transparency and preparation to promote peace and security," B. Lynne Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs told the Security Council at the start of an open debate for which some 40 speakers were inscribed.

In a recent report, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the world body's mediation capacity has been hampered by a limited number of experienced mediators and a lack of sufficient financial resources.

In his presentation, Mr. Pascoe described recent efforts of his Department of Political Affairs (DPA) to put in place the expertise, financial resources partnerships and knowledge-base needed to reverse that situation.

"These are part of a conscious effort to reshape the Department of Political Affairs into a more action- and field-oriented operation that can move more quickly and at an earlier stage to help prevent conflicts from spreading and to deliver faster and more reliable support to peace processes," he said.

In that context, he underlined the strengthening of Regional Divisions and the creation of a Mediation Support Unit (MSU), which had been complemented by a standby team of mediation experts, ready to deploy to negotiations around the world.

As a consequence, DPA had recently provided mediation support to over 20 peace processes, including reconciliation talks in Somalia that led up to the October 2008 Djibouti Agreement and national political dialogue in the Central African Republic (CAR).

It also deployed facilitators for discussions on technical issues in the ongoing Cyprus talks, including property and power-sharing matters, and is supporting Mr. Ban's representative in Nepal in implementation of the peace agreement there, Mr. Pascoe said.

In Iraq, DPA is supporting the Special Representative with mediation expertise on internal boundaries, Kirkuk, water-sharing and the constitution, and has supported peacekeeping missions in Darfur and Kosovo, among others, in mediation efforts.

Flexible funding in all these efforts is crucial, he said, noting that the establishment of a mediation start-up budget, funded by donors, has allowed mediation teams and envoys to be sent recently to Madagascar, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Department was increasing its partnership with regional organizations such as the African and European Unions, and looked forward to working together more, sharing expertise, developing joint training opportunities and creating a geographically diverse roster of mediation experts.

It will need to work closely with partners, he said, to further develop a web-based repository of information on mediation called "UN Peacemaker," which already has over 800 documents, more than 300 peace agreements and 15 operational guidance notes, with another 22 in development.
________________

EFFORTS TO END CURRENT GAZA ‘IMPASSE’ IMPERATIVE – UN POLITICAL CHIEF

A top United Nations official today called for progress to be made in implementing a January Security Council resolution – which calls for a durable ceasefire in Gaza, free access for relief workers and the re-opening of crossings – to break the current impasse and lift the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the region.

Two months have passed since unilateral ceasefires were declared to end the three-week offensive launched by Israel on 27 December with the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by Hamas and other groups.

At least 1,300 Palestinians were killed and some 5,300 were injured in the heavy bombardment and fighting in the densely populated areas of Gaza, which also reduced homes, schools, hospitals and marketplaces to rubble.

"Despite international engagement and support, very little concrete progress has been made on key issues" outlined in resolution 1860, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told the Council in an open meeting.

"The intolerable situation at Gaza's crossings remains the key impediment to bringing help – and hope – to the people of Gaza," he stressed.

Although the amount of goods entering Gaza has increased and the Israeli Cabinet announced earlier this week that more food would be allowed into the area, "the quality and quantity of imports are insufficient compared to needs," Mr. Pascoe underscored.

He repeated the UN's call on Israel to meet its obligations under international humanitarian law and open the crossings to allow supplies and reconstructions materials in to help rebuild Gaza.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the ongoing restriction on the entry of cash into the area and the inability of many, including Palestinian Authority (PA) employees, to withdraw their salaries from banks is impacting the livelihoods of some 500,000 Gazans.

"We continue to be concerned that, despite Egyptian efforts, no ceasefire regime is in place," Mr. Pascoe told the meeting, which heard from dozens of speakers.

In spite of stepped-up efforts, no breakthrough has been made in securing the release of Israeli captive Gilad Shalit and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Further, without a ceasefire in place, violence continues in the area, the Under-Secretary-General said, with over 100 rockets and mortars having been fired into Israel from Gaza and 12 Israeli airstrikes during the reporting period.

"We call for an end to all acts of violence, and for respect for international humanitarian law by all parties," he stated.

Mr. Pascoe also noted that the Board of Inquiry set up by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to investigate incidents involving death and damage at UN premises in Gaza during the hostilities will submit its report early next month.

He called on the so-called diplomatic Quartet – comprising the European Union (EU), Russia, the United States and the UN – and the international community to take concerted action to bring stability to Gaza and revive the Middle East peace process.

"We need to have both Israeli and Palestinian governments that are clearly committed to the two-State solution," the official said. "We need a combination of negotiations, the implementation of commitments on the ground, and a strategy for de-escalating tensions and addressing the urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza."
________________