UN Information Centre DC

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Washington, D.C.

UN Security Council Passes New Iran Sanctions

Nuclear watchdog will be required to report within 90 days

UN Security Council members voted unanimously on Monday to impose a third set of sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program.

The sanctions require the inspection of cargo suspected of carrying prohibited goods, impose tighter monitoring of financial institutions, and extended travel bans and asset freezes.

Under the resolution, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei is required to report within 90 days on whether Iran has fully suspended uranium enrichment activities, in line with a previous Council demand.

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Security Council

The Council's five permanent members - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - and Germany (currently not a Council member) also said they were willing to develop "all-round relations and wider cooperation with Iran," starting with direct talks and negotiations, if it was willing to suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.

Member States are called on to inspect cargo entering or leaving Iran reasonably suspected of transporting goods prohibited as part of any one of the three Council resolutions on this issue, and then to report to the Council on the details of those inspections.

In addition, the resolution bans the trade and supply of "dual-use" items, materials and technologies that can be adapted for military as well as civilian purposes.

Travel bans have been imposed on an extra five Iranian officials and 12 Iranian companies face having their assets frozen, while all States are asked to step up their monitoring of financial institutions in their territories that have dealings with banks based in Iran, particularly Bank Melli and Bank Saderat.

If Iran does not comply with the resolution, and with the earlier two resolutions imposing sanctions, Council members reserved the right to take further steps to pressure Tehran to comply.

Mr. ElBaradei called on Iran to be as "active and cooperative as possible in working with the Agency to clarify this matter of serious concern."

In Texas and Geneva, Ban Calls for U.S. Partnership, Protection of Human Rights

The United Nations and the United States are essential partners in finding solutions for the Darfur conflict, global warming, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and a host of other issues, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told US officials on his first official visit to the state of Texas as Secretary-General last week.

Ban Ki-moon

© UN File Photo

"The United Nations has no better friend than America," Mr. Ban said in remarks to the William Waldo Cameron Forum on Public Affairs at the Bush Presidential Library.

"According to opinion polls, three quarters of Americans believe the United Nations should play a larger role in the world," he added. "Why? Because working together is in the best interest of the United States. It's in the best interest of the UN and the best interest of the world."

Mr. Ban said the US and UN were working together on the Darfur conflict because Americans, including President George W. Bush, want action to end a conflict that has claimed more than 200,000 lives and forced 2.2 million from their homes.

Darfur, he said, was also about climate change, since drought and other climate effects had boosted tensions there and in many parts of the world.

He said the UN must work on climate change because it is a global problem, and the engagement of the US is crucial because markets, technology and entrepreneurship are a big part of the solution.

Protection of Human Rights

Mr. Ban also spoke to the opening of the 7th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday where he called on its members to ensure that all nations are held equally accountable for the protection of rights as the new body begins its first-ever universal review of their performance.

Ban Ki-moon "No country, however powerful, should escape scrutiny of its record, commitments and actions on human rights," Mr. Ban said, hailing the start of the Universal Periodic Review, under which all UN Member States will be reviewed to assess whether they have fulfilled their human rights obligations.

"The Review must reaffirm that just as human rights are universal, so is our collective respect for them and our commitment to them. It must help prevent the distrust that surrounded the work of the Commission on Human Rights in its final years," he added, recalling the accusations of bias and politicization that dogged the predecessor body whose work was taken over by the new Council in 2006.

Meet the UN

USG Visiting Washington This Week

Kiyotaka Akasaka

Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information

United Nations

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Kiyotaka Akasaka of Japan as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information on April 1 2007.

Prior to joining Secretary-General Ban's senior management team, Mr. Akasaka held the position of Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) from August 2003 until March 2007.

At the OECD, he was responsible for sustainable development, the environment, and partnerships with other international organizations. He developed a reputation as the source of innovative reforms and initiatives that greatly improved coordination between the various OECD departments and thereby strengthened the efficiency of that organization.

Madagascar: UN aid agencies appeal for $36 million after deadly cyclones

Americas

Secretary-General Ban urges restraint as tensions rise along Colombian border

Widespread floods in Ecuador prompt UNICEF to begin distributing aid

Asia Pacific

UN confirms 10 dead in Nepal helicopter crash

UN rushes aid to over 8,000 Bhutanese after fire destroys refugee camp in Nepal

Europe

Secretary-General Ban calls for equal scrutiny of all countries by UN human rights organ

Deputy Secretary-General Migiro travels to Vienna and Brussels

Middle East

UN rights chief urges probe into Gaza killings

Lebanon: UN envoy holds talks with Egyptian leader over presidential stalemate

Other

Actress Drew Barrymore donates $1 million to UN anti-hunger program

Globalization must benefit 'bottom billion' of poor - Secretary-General Ban

Calendar

March 3

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the Human Rights Council and the board of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva.

March 3 - 7

UNCITRAL's working group on insolvency law holds its 34th session in New York.

IAEA Board of Governors meets in Vienna.

March 3 - 28

UN Human Rights Council holds its 7th session in Geneva.

UN General Assembly resumes its 5th Committee session in New York.

March 4 - 7

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Executive Council holds its 52nd session at The Hague.

March 6

The United Nations Information Center in Washington, the UN Foundation and the Women's Foreign Policy Group co-host the 2008 International Women's Day Luncheon in Washington, DC.

California Congresswoman Barbara Lee and UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka are scheduled to speak.

March 7

Special Committee on the Charter of the UN and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization meets in New York.

New UN

Agency Reports

Here is a sample of UN agency reports recently released:

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo released a new report entitled Monthly Human Rights Assessment: January 2008

The World Health Organization published the following new reports:

Health Action in Crises