United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-06-07

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

FROM THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, June 7, 2001

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES IRAQ IN CONSULTATIONS

The Security Council met today in closed consultations to discuss the fifth quarterly report of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission on Iraq (UNMOVIC), which was issued a week ago. The Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC, Dr. Hans Blix presented the report to Council members.

Council members also discussed the Oil for Food programme. Last week, as a part of the discussions on the Oil for Food Programme, Council members decided that they would discuss this issue once a week at the ambassadorial level in consultations.

COUNCIL WORKING GROUP ON PEACEKEEPING SUBMITS FIRST REPORT

Published today is a letter from Ambassador Curtis Ward of Jamaica, the Chairman of the Security Council Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations in which he submits the groups first report. The group was assigned the task of examining the relationship between the Security Council, troop-contributing countries and the Secretariat, the letter says.

Ward recommends that the Security Council adopt the groups recommendations, which are contained in a draft resolution and annexes to the document.

The Security Council is scheduled to hold consultations on the report tomorrow.

UN SPECIAL ENVOY TO HEAD FOR CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Gen. Amadou Toumani Touré of Mali, whom the Secretary-General appointed as his Special Envoy to the Central African Republic earlier this week, will leave Bamako, Mali, on Saturday.

His first stop will Libreville, Gabon, where we expect him to meet with President Omar Bongo.

General Toure will arrive in the Central African Republic capital of Bangui either Sunday night or Monday.

UNICEF LAUNCHES NEW REPORT ON STATUS OF WORLDS CHILDREN

avoid;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in;mso-layout-grid-align: Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) today introduced the Secretary-Generals report We the Children an end-of-decade review of the status of the worlds children.

avoid;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in;mso-layout-grid-align: Bellamy outlined recent achievements in the areas of immunization and reducing severe and moderate malnutrition and said, "These are significant achievements, and they signal that the goals of the (1990) World Summit were realistic. But the report makes it clear that there is an unfinished agenda."

avoid;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in;mso-layout-grid-align: She pointed out that the areas of poverty, civil conflict and HIV/AIDS were challenges to be overcome in fulfilling the world's promise to children.

DONOR NATIONS ASKED TO RESPOND TO AFGHANISTAN AID APPEALS

The UNs top humanitarian official today urged a strong and quick response to appeals for assistance in Afghanistan, where a combination of conflict and drought has triggered a major population displacement.

The appeal by Kenzo Oshima, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, was made to the 16-member Afghan Support Group of donors, meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, to review the aid response in Afghanistan.

The UN humanitarian Coordinator has estimated needs this year to reach some $800,000 a day.

PROGRESS IN TRANSFERRING POWER TO EAST TIMORESE REPORTED

Speaking at a swearing-in ceremony of East Timorese Senior Civil Servants, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in East Timor, Sergio Vieira de Mello, said that that the so-called timorization of the public administration the recruitment, selection and placement of East Timorese as civil servants during the transition to independence has displayed impressive numbers.

More than 9,000 East Timorese civil servants of a total of 10,554 staff that we were authorized to recruit are already recruited, he said. Over half of the allocated managerial posts have been filled. Over 20 percent of the filled positions are women.

HAEMORRHAGIC FEVER OUTBREAK REPORTED IN KOSOVO

The UN mission in Kosovo ( UNMIK) reports an outbreak of haemorrhagic fever in southwest Kosovo.

The Institute of Public Health reported 21 cases of this very serious disease, resulting in three deaths, but said it is not an epidemic. The disease is transmitted by ticks, and the UN mission says it is not a problem in Pristina or in urban areas but in the countryside.

UN TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDA ANNOUNCES FIRST ACQUITTAL VERDICT

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda announced today the first verdict of acquittal.

Trial Chamber 1 found Ignace Bagilishema not guilty on all seven counts of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity and Serious Violations of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions. Judges Erik Mose, Asoka Guawardana and Mehmet Guney were unanimous in finding the former Bourgmestre of Mabanza Commune in the Kibuye Prefecture of Rwanda not guilty.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The United Nations Childrens Fund today announced that its Goodwill Ambassador, actor Harry Belafonte, will visit South Africa from June 11-19 to mobilize support for the campaign to fight HIV/AIDS. Belafonte will visit HIV/AIDS projects and hold meetings with Government officials and NGOs. On his return, UNICEF will hold a press conference at which he will launch the report Listening to the Children: child workers in the shadow of AIDS.

This afternoon, Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury of Bangladesh and Noeleen Heyzer, Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women will participate in the launch of the book Families As We Are: Conversations From Around the World. Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, wrote the forward to this collection of stories on many different types of families in vastly different settings around the world.

An update on the proceedings of the General Assembly Special Session on the Habitat Session is scheduled for this afternoon.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

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