United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-04-29

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

THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF

THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, April 29, 2004

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS WESTERN SAHARA MISSION

The Security Council this morning unanimously adopted a resolution on the situation concerning Western Sahara.

In it, members reaffirmed their support for the Peace Plan for Self-Determination of the People of Western Sahara as an optimum political solution on the basis of agreement between the two parties, and decided to extend the UN Mission's mandate by six months.

Asked about the difference between that extension and what Secretary-General Kofi Annan had asked for, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General had asked for a ten-month extension of the Mission. A six-month extension is standard for most UN Missions, Eckhard added.

The Council then met on the situation in Georgia, and members heard from Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania. In closed consultations, Hédi Annabi, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, briefed members on the Secretary-Generals recent report on Georgia.

The Council also discussed Cyprus. After consultations ended, Council President Gunter Pleuger of Germany read out a press statement noting the outcome of the April 24 referenda and expressing the Councils respect for both results. Council members share the Secretary-Generals disappointment that an extraordinary and historic opportunity has been missed.

On Wednesday, the Security Council unanimously passed a resolution on weapons of mass destruction.

The Council decided that all States shall refrain from providing any form of support to non-State actors that attempt to acquire or use such weapons, and that they shall adopt and enforce appropriate and effective laws to achieve that goal, in accordance with their national procedures.

UN SEEKS ASSISTANCE TO CONGOLESE VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is reporting that many of the Congolese diamond workers and their families expelled in recent weeks from Angola have been subjected to sexual abuse and are in need of urgent medical attention.

Following a monitoring mission to the southwestern DRC to assess the conditions faced by over 60,000 expelled Congolese, OCHA made an urgent call for the financing of assistance programs to address the results of sexual violence and the prevention of HIV/AIDS.

TWO UN MISSIONS CONTINUE WORK IN DARFUR, SUDAN

Two UN missions, one looking into human rights abuses and another assessing the humanitarian situation, continued their work in Darfur, Sudan today.

The humanitarian mission headed by World Food Programme Executive Director James Morris met with the governor in El Fasher, North Darfur.

Today, the humanitarian team split into two to visit various areas of concern in North Darfur and will also meet with the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement and non-governmental organizations.

The team headed by Morris went to the town of Korma, where residents remaining in the town told the mission that 49 people were killed in a March 16 attack. The team also visited displaced persons in the Abu Shouk camp.

The second part of the team, headed by the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan, Tom Eric Vraalsen, met with the governor of South Darfur. That team went to Kas, in South Darfur, where displaced persons are staying in highly unsuitable conditions, including public buildings.

UN AGENCIES STEP UP HUMANITARIAN WORK IN NORTH KOREA

UN humanitarian agencies are stepping up their efforts to meet the health needs of people affected by last weeks massive blast in Ryongchon, in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

The World Health Organization reports that medical supplies such as eye treatments, topical creams, compresses for burns and certain antibiotics remain in short supply. One WHO team, which visited four hospitals in the area four days ago, says that an estimated two-thirds of the injured they saw are children.

The UN Childrens Fund, meanwhile, has delivered some 500 kilograms of therapeutic milk to a local hospital, for patients unable to eat solid food.

NO EVIDENCE OF CRIME IN KOSOVO DROWNINGS, UN MISSION SAYS

The UN Mission in Kosovo reports that an investigation into the drowning of three Kosovo Albanian children which was said to have helped spark the March riots has concluded that there is no evidence to support the suspicion that any crime was committed.

However, should any further credible evidence be uncovered in the future the investigation will be revived.

Investigations into the riots are continuing and police have made more than 260 arrests.

In relation to the shooting incident in the Mitrovica Detention Centre earlier this month, the detention period of three of the four Jordanian police officers who had been held for questioning expires this Saturday.

The three are in custody on suspicion of refraining from providing help to the victims of the shooting. Originally held for 30 days, a panel of judges ruled that the law allowed for the officers to be detained for only 15 days, given the nature of the charges against them.

The fourth officer, suspected of assisting in murder and grave bodily harm, remains in custody. The investigation into this matter is also continuing.

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER INTENDS REPORT ON IRAQ

Asked about recent media reports concerning the abuse of prisoners in Iraq, the Spokesman said that kind of topic could be included in a report on human rights that the acting High Commissioner for Human Rights intends to produce. That effort, he noted, is at an early stage and there are no specific details yet on how that report would be compiled.

Asked about a letter from some civic officials in Fallujah to the Secretary-General, the Spokesman noted that, in response to the letter, the Secretary-General had contacted the US authorities about the need for caution in Fallujah.

UN ENVOY TO CYPRUS MEETS TURKISH, GREEK OFFICIALS

Alvaro de Soto, the Secretary-Generals Special Advisor for Cyprus, continues to pay his farewell calls.

Earlier today, he met in Ankara with a number of senior Turkish officials, including Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Under Secretary Ziyal.

He then arrived in Athens, where on Friday, he will meet with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis.

UN ENVOY CONDEMNS KILLING OF TWO NGO STAFF IN AFGHANISTAN

Jean Arnault, head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan, today voiced shock at the brutal slaying of two Afghan employees of a non-governmental organization on Monday night in southern Kandahar. He strongly condemned yet another tragic and unacceptable act directed at the aid community in Afghanistan.

This and other recent attacks in Kandahar, he said, point to the need to make more forces available to the provincial authorities, so that they can uphold the law and facilitate reconstruction.

The UN Mission today noted that the temporary suspension in UN activity in Kandahar has now been lifted, with voter registration taking place.

UNHCR NOTES PLIGHT OF DETAINED ASYLUM SEEKERS IN US

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is drawing attention to the plight of tens of thousands of detained asylum seekers in the United States, including over 5,000 children per year.

UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie has visited detained asylum seekers at three facilities in the Arizona desert as part of her continuing efforts to give a voice to them.

One 12-year-old girl gave Jolie a tour of her room and dormitory area. Later that day, Jolie met the girl's mother at a separate facility. The two had not seen each other since two months ago, when they were caught at the border and detained in separate facilities. The girl's mother sobbed upon hearing that Jolie had met her daughter that morning and was relieved to hear that she was healthy and being well looked after.

UNHCR CALLS FOR EFFORTS TO HELP DISPLACED IN SRI LANKA

The UN Refugee Agency today called for renewed attention to the plight of more than 370,000 people displaced from their homes in Sri Lanka.

UNHCR Inspector General Dennis McNamara, who ended a two-week visit to the country, welcomed efforts to help the displaced Sri Lankans return home since a cease-fire between the Government and the Tamil Tigers took effect in February 2002.

He called for a renewed focus on dealing with such issues as the destruction of housing, the return of property to its rightful owners and the clearance of landmines.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UN RELIES ON MEMBER STATES TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL TROOPS: Asked about allegations that some UN troops are unprofessional, and may include civilians and even criminals, the Spokesman said that the United Nations relies on donor nations to provide professional soldiers for its formed military units. If individuals are found to have committed crimes, they are repatriated. He added that the United Nations, on the whole, has been satisfied with the quality of soldiers that have been provided.

UN DOES NOT SUSPECT IT WAS TARGETED IN SYRIA: Asked whether the United Nations believed it had been targeted in Damascus this week, the Spokesman said the United Nations did not have enough information about the Tuesday incident. A building was attacked that had housed the UN peacekeeping forces headquarters years ago, but, he added, the United Nations does not suspect that it was the target of the attack.

UNEP, EU WARN OF SPECIES LOSS BY 2010: The European Union wont reach the goal of halting species loss by 2010 if it doesnt do more to prevent the decline of its most nature-rich areas of farmland. That warning comes from a joint report by the European Environment Agency and the United Nations Environment Programme.

IAEA SUPPORTS FIGHT TO NUKE MALARIA: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is supporting the worlds fight against malaria by targeting the mosquito that transmits the disease. In coordination with the Food and Agriculture Organization, IAEA scientists are applying a radiation-based method, to control the malaria mosquito. Up to 500 million cases of malaria are diagnosed each year. The global aim is to cut this figure in half by the end of this decade.