United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-05-27

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

BY MARIE OKABE

ASSOCIATE

SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, May 27, 2004

ANNAN HEARTENED BY PROGRESS IN SUDANESE PEACE PROCESS

In a

statement issued Wednesday afternoon, the

Secretary-General said he was heartened to learn that the Sudanese Government and Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army parties have initialled in Naivasha, Kenya, three protocols on political and power-sharing issues.

He welcomes this development and believes it is a major step forward in the peace process facilitated by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development.

He urges the two parties to sustain their commitment and persevere in reaching agreement on the remaining issues, especially the ceasefire arrangements, the implementation modalities and international guarantees for a future comprehensive peace agreement. He emphasizes the interest and readiness of the United Nations to contribute to such efforts.

The Secretary-General at the same time calls on the Government of the Sudan and the armed opposition in Darfur to seize the momentum created in Naivasha to reach a political solution in western Sudan, putting an end to the grave humanitarian and human rights situations there.

ANNAN, GREATLY CONCERNED OVER DARFUR CRISIS,

STANDS READY TO HELP MEDIATION

In the course of the last few weeks, the

Secretary-General has received numerous communications from individuals, groups and organizations all over the world containing expressions of deep concern about the humanitarian and human rights situations in the Darfur region of the Sudan, asking him to ensure that emergency assistance is delivered to those in need and calling on him the and the United Nations in general to do all possible to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

The Secretary-General fully shares the concerns of the public at large, and in that regard, would like to inform all those who wrote to him that he has been following the situation in Darfur very closely and with great concern.

In the early days of the crisis in Darfur, he engaged the Government of the Sudan, as well as external actors concerned, and sought a political settlement to the problem. He regrets that those efforts could not help in preventing the grave humanitarian emergency and the massive violation of human rights in Darfur.

On the political side, the Secretary-General stands ready to continue to help the Sudanese parties, in close coordination with the African Union, the Government of Chad and other parties concerned, to reach a political settlement soon. To that end, he will designate an envoy, who will represent him at the political talks due to resume in NDjamena, Chad shortly.

Asked if the Secretary-General had been in touch with the President of Sudan and the leaders in the Darfur region in the western part of that country, the Spokeswoman said the Secretary-General remains very engaged in this whole process as shown in his statements on Sudan and Darfur. The Secretary-General, the Spokesman added, should be reporting to the Security Council shortly now that the key protocols regarding the North-South peace process have been initialed.

Asked if the Secretary-General agreed with the view of the Khartoum government that the situation in Darfur has been depicted is designed to divert attention from progress achieved in the South, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General in his statement of yesterday was very clear about how he feels about the progress achieved in the North-South conflict, which has taken a huge humanitarian toll over the last 20 years. She added that the Secretary-General wants to encourage that peace process, but at the same time the Secretary-General wants to make his concerns on Darfur very clear.

AFGHANISTAN: SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON CRITICAL NEED

FOR INT'L SECURITY ASSISTANCE REMAINS

The

Security Council began the day with a briefing by

Jean Arnault,

Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan. The briefing was given during an open meeting and was followed by consultations on the same subject.

In his briefing, Arnault highlighted the negative trends in the security situation, and gave an update on the electoral, as well as the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process.

He said a robust international military presence in support of domestic security forces remains critical.

The persistent woes of

Afghanistan terrorism, factionalism and criminal networks are as much at work today as they were two years ago, he says, and their ability to subvert state-building and a genuine political process is hardly diminished.

He concluded by saying, that at this critical juncture for the Afghan peace process, international security assistance continues to make the difference between success and failure.

U.N. DISASTER ASSESSMENT TEAMS HEAD TO HAITI, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

As part of the UNs response to the devastating floods in the Caribbean region, the

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is sending Disaster Assessment and Coordination Teams to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The teams, comprising four to six disaster experts, are expected to leave between tonight and tomorrow morning. OCHA has provided Emergency Cash Grants of $80,000 for both countries.

National authorities in Haiti report that 638 persons have been killed or are missing as a result of the floods. Additional assessments are planned in outlying areas where death tolls could very high.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Dominican Republic report that 205 people are confirmed dead and another 375 are missing. Several UN agencies are carrying out a rapid assessment of relief needs in the hard-hit area of Jimani.

Today, Multinational Interim Force helicopters will travel to Fonds Verrets in Haiti, transporting humanitarian personnel, 12 metric tones of food provided by the

World Food Programme as well as plastic sheeting and water purification tablets provided by

UNICEF.

ANNAN NOTES INFLUENCE OF PRIVATE SECTOR IN CONFLICT

More than 150 representatives of the private sector, civil society, and governments are meeting in Bogotá, Colombia, today, to discuss the Role of the Private Sector in Conflict Prevention and Peace-Building. This is the third in a series of regional dialogues organized by the

UNs Global Compact Office to help the private sector in contributing to conflict alleviation.

In his

message to the meeting, the

Secretary-General noted that private companies operate in many conflict zones or conflict-prone countries around the world. Furthermore, some manufacture and sell weapons, and some are involved in the extraction and sale of lucrative natural resources.

The Secretary General added that the private sector has an enormous stake, responsibility and potential influence in the search for peaceful solutions. He said that the bottom line can no longer, and should no longer, be separated from some of the key goals of the United Nations and the responsible global community - namely, peace, development and equity.

NO DATE FINALIZED FOR IRAQI GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

Asked when and where

Lakhdar Brahimi would make the announcement regarding the new Iraqi interim government, the Spokeswoman referred to a statement released by the Secretary-Generals Special Advisor yesterday in which he said he had not yet finalized his recommendations and that, contrary to speculation, the process of consensus-building is still ongoing.

No further information on the time and place is available, the Spokesman added.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNAN HASNT SPOKEN TO NEW INDIAN PRIME MINISTER: Asked if the Secretary-General had recently spoken to the new Indian Prime Minister, the Spokesman later said that he had not.

FIVE PEOPLE DEAD FROM EBOLA IN SUDAN: As of yesterday, the health authorities of

Yambio County in south

Sudan have

reported a total of 20

ebola cases including five deaths. A

World Health Organization team is continuing to work with authorities to control the outbreak, and the governments of neighbouring countries Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have enhanced surveillance in bordering areas.

U.N. NUCLEAR WATCHDOG WELCOMES GLOBAL INITIATIVE: The

International Atomic Energy Agency has

welcomed the U.S. Governments announcement of a new comprehensive global initiative to address the issue of nuclear security and reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism. The Global Threat Reduction Initiative was announced yesterday at a meeting with senior IAEA officials in Vienna. It aims to minimize as quickly as possible the amount of nuclear material available that could be used for nuclear weapons, and put into place mechanisms to ensure that these materials and related equipment are not used for malicious purposes.

NEW PRESIDENT APPOINTED TO THE SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE: The

Special Court for Sierra Leone has announced that Justice Emmanuel Ayoola of Nigeria was named yesterday to be the Presiding Judge of the Appeals Chamber, a position which makes him the President of the Special Court. The Special Court is an independent tribunal established jointly by the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone. It is mandated to bring to justice those who bear the greatest responsibility for atrocities committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996.

U.N. DRUG CHIEF TO MEET AFGHAN GOVERNORS AND FARMERS DURING VISIT:

Antonio Maria Costa, the Executive Director of the

UN Office on Drugs and Crime, is

beginning an eight-day visit to Afghanistan on Saturday. His visit comes amid growing concern that this years

opium crop in Afghanistan may reach a record level. He will review the situation on the ground and urge a more effective implementation of the countrys drug control strategy. On his way to Kabul, Costa will visit some opium-producing provinces, meet key governors, police chiefs and military commanders, as well as some opium-growing farmers.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162 -

press/media only

Fax. 212-963-7055

All other inquiries to be addressed to (212)

963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org

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