United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-06-07

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, June 7, 2004

SECURITY COUNCIL TO RECEIVE BRIEFING ON IRAQ

At 4:00 p.m. today, following a troop contributors' meeting on Cyprus, the Security Council will hold an open meeting on Iraq.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to open the meeting with a statement. His Special Adviser, Lakhdar Brahimi, will then brief Council members in that open meeting before they go into closed consultations.

Yesterday at 5:00 p.m., Council members met in closed consultations on Iraq. They also had discussions with Brahimi on Saturday afternoon, during their weekend retreat with the Secretary-General.

Asked whether todays meeting would be Brahimis last work on Iraq, the Spokesman said he could not predict that, adding that, although Brahimi has made some public statements about ending his work, it would need to be determined whether the Secretary-General needs him some more. Brahimi will remain as Special Adviser, dealing with a range of subjects.

In response to another question, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General does intend to name a Special Representative for Iraq, although he could not say when that appointment would be announced.

Asked about how units of a multinational force would work to provide security for UN staff, the Spokesman said that the intention was for a special unit or units, within the multinational force, to provide security for UN personnel. Those arrangements, he said, would have to be worked out with the multinational force.

He noted that some potential troop contributors expressed their interest in providing security for UN personnel, and that the United Nations had relayed that information on to coalition leaders and others who would be involved in the formation of the force.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals views on the draft resolution, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General over the weekend had presented some suggested changes in the draft, to deal with his own concerns. He had not heard any objections to those concerns from the Security Council.

ANNAN RELIEVED BY RELEASE OF AID WORKERS IN DARFUR, SUDAN

The Secretary-General is relieved at the news that the 16 Sudanese and international aid workers were released unharmed by the Sudan Liberation Movement in Darfur on Sunday. In a statement, he condemned these detentions, which are unacceptable violations of humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law. He underscores the crucial importance of safe and unhindered humanitarian access and urges all parties to facilitate it in this crisis, where every moment counts.

The humanitarian workers, who had been detained by the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/SLA), were released early Sunday, and have returned safely to their base in El Fasher, North Darfur.

The group includes workers from UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and donors. They were conducting assessments to prepare the way for delivery of relief assistance for displaced people in North Darfur when they were detained by an armed SLM/A unit on Thursday, June 3.

Asked why the humanitarian workers had been detained, the Spokesman said they had been at work when they wandered into territory controlled by the SLM/A and were detained by an SLM/A unit.

MEASLES VACCINATION BEGINS IN DARFUR

The World Health Organization and UNICEF say that an ambitious plan to vaccinate millions of children against measles in Sudans troubled Darfur region began over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Angelina Jolie, goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee agency, has stressed the urgency of funding more assistance for Sudanese refugees in Chad after seeing first-hand the dire situation in the border area.

The World Food Programme is also appealing to the international community for urgent funding to expand its operations in both Sudan and Chad.

SECRETARY-GENERAL COMMENDS SUDAN PEACE EFFORTS

In a message delivered in Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday, the Secretary-General commended the parties to the Sudan peace process who gathered in Nairobi to launch the final phase of peace efforts for southern Sudan. He urged everyone present in Nairobi to sustain the political will that has brought us this far, and added that the United Nations will continue to be a close partner in that effort.

Asked whether the naming of John Danforth as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations would help in dealing with the situation in Sudan, given Danforths previous experience on Sudan, the Spokesman said it was helpful that he had such experience. He said the Secretary-General looked forward to working with him, not least on Sudan.

ANNAN SADDENED BY REAGANS PASSING

The Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States of America. He extends his sincere condolences to Mrs. Nancy Reagan, to the family of the former President, and to the Government and people of the United States.

President Reagan will be remembered for his leadership and resolve during a period of momentous change in world affairs, as well as for the warmth, grace and humor with which he conducted affairs of state. The positive and optimistic attitude that he brought to ending long standing conflicts led to historic agreements on the reduction of nuclear arms as well as advances in peace processes in different parts of the world.

SOUTH AFRICAN PEACEKEEPERS DIE IN EASTERN DR CONGO

On Sunday, two South African peacekeepers for the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo died near Rutshuru, in the eastern DRC, after their convoy came under fire and a truck subsequently overturned. Another eleven peacekeepers sustained injuries.

The Secretary-General, in a statement, voiced his deep sadness at the tragic deaths of the two UN peacekeepers and extended his most sincere condolences to the Government and people of South Africa, and to the families of the bereaved. The UN Observer Mission in the Congo (MONUC) is carrying out a full investigation into the incident.

The Mission reports that the situation in Kinshasa is calm today and that expected demonstrations by students were called off. The Secretary-Generals Special Representative, William Swing, is in constant contact with President Joseph Kabila and his Cabinet, working with the Transitional Government to restore its authority in Bukavu.

Efforts continue to ensure that all the rebel forces in Bukavu withdraw from the city. Latest reports from MONUC indicate that some 100 of Colonel Jules Mutebutsi's troops are back in Bukavu, having left the cantonment site they were in outside the town. No other troop movements have been registered.

General Laurent Nkunda has pledged to the UN Mission that he does not intend to return to Bukavu and will continue to relocate to areas close to and in Goma, from where his forces originated. However, his forces continue to be around Kavumu, the airport north of Bukavu.

UN MIDDLE EAST ENVOY WELCOMES ISRAELI CABINET DECISION

Terje Roed Larsen, the UNs Middle East envoy this morning welcomed the Israeli cabinets decision to begin preparations for a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.

Larsen said he took positive note particularly of Prime Minister Ariel Sharons announcement that his intention is to evacuate all settlements in the Gaza Strip.

The International Community, led by the Quartet, Larsen said, has repeatedly pledged its support to any Israeli plan that would lead to an end of the occupation of the Gaza Strip.

ANNAN CALLS FOR RENEWED SUPPORT FOR UNRWA

In a message delivered today in Geneva at the opening of a two-day conference on humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees, the Secretary-General called for renewed support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East UNRWA.

In the message, delivered by Peter Hansen, UNRWAs Commissioner-General, the Secretary-General underscored the continuing struggle of the Palestinian refugees to cope with increased socio-economic hardship. He also noted that since September 2000, the number of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip who relied on UNRWA for food aid has gone from 130,000 to 1.1 million. Concurrently, the percentage of Palestinians living below the poverty line had tripled from 20 percent to 60 percent.

Continued underfunding of the agency, the Secretary-General said in the message, is starting to occur, with decaying facilities and over-stretched classrooms and clinics. If this continues, he warned, the gains made in key health, education and social indicators could begin to unravel.

On a related note, ten UN agencies, including the UN Childrens Fund, the UN Development Programme and UNRWA today called on the Israeli authorities to ease restrictions on movement in the occupied territory to enable 60,000 Palestinian students to sit for their final high school exams, which get underway today. UNICEF says that failure to sit for these exams would result in the students forfeiting the entire school year.

Asked about the reasons for the rise in food aid needs, the Spokesman pointed to the steady decline in the Palestinian economic situation during the intifada. That decline, he said, resulted from the deterioration of the security situation and Israeli restrictions on Palestinian movements, among other factors.

UNMOVIC INVESTIGATES AFTER MISSILE ENGINES FOUND

The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission for Iraq (UNMOVIC), in its 17th quarterly report to the Security Council, reports that UNMOVIC experts have been conducting investigations following the discovery of Iraqi missile engines in a scrap yard in the Netherlands.

While continuing its monitoring work through the use of commercial satellite imagery, UNMOVIC says that a number of sites in Iraq previously known to have contained equipment and materials subject to UNMOVIC monitoring have been either cleaned out or destroyed.

The report also says that the U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group has made no information officially available to UNMOVIC on either the work or the results of its investigations carried out in Iraq.

ELECTORAL WORKERS ATTACKED IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN

A convoy of UN and Afghan electoral workers was attacked Sunday morning while traveling on a road in southern Afghanistan, in the district of Paktia. The four-vehicle convoy was attacked by two improvised explosive devices, small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades.

The police who were escorting the vehicles fired back at the attackers, and, after a firefight that lasted some two hours, the police escort pushed the attackers away.

Initial reports indicate that no one in the convoy was hurt. Until further notice, the UN Mission says, UN vehicle movements along the road between Gardez and Khost have been suspended.

UN ENVOY VOICES DISTRESS AT SHOOTING INCIDENT IN KOSOVO

Harri Holkeri, the head of the UN Mission in Kosovo, Sunday voiced his deep distress at the shooting incident that took place on Friday night in Gracanica, in which a young Serb boy was murdered. He said that violence will only set Kosovo back, and any provocation that aims to flare up ethnic tensions will be firmly countered.

Holkeri added that, due to the effective action of UN and Kosovo police, two suspects were arrested on Saturday.

COTE DIVOIRES FUTURE DEPENDS ON LEADERS, ANNAN SAYS

The Secretary-Generals report to the Security Council on the UN Operation in Cote dIvoire says that the future of the countrys peace process will clearly depend on whether the political leaders of the country will be able to rise above their personal ambitions and interests and give priority to the national interest. The only alternative would be further confrontation with the possibility of widespread violence, he warns.

He appeals to the Security Council, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other stakeholders to continue to play an active role in encouraging all Ivorian parties to resume political dialogue and to the opposition parties to return to the government.

PANEL FINDS NO EVIDENCE OF WEAPONS TRAFFICKING INTO LIBERIA

The Security Council Sanctions Committee on Liberia has transmitted the report of the Panel of experts on Liberia, which says that the panel has found no evidence of weapons trafficking into Liberia since August 2003, but organized, international smuggling networks remain in place and could be reactivated at any time.

On diamonds, it says that mining in Liberia has virtually ceased, and current levels of smuggling are negligible.

On timber, it says that sanctions appear effective, but notes that the UN Mission is not deployed in forest-rich south-eastern parts of the country. Given the past complicity with human rights abuses and widespread corruption within the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), the panel recommends a comprehensive review of the industry by an independent authority. Until the FDA is operational and security is achieved, the conditions necessary to lift sanctions will not be met, as the revenue from forestry and the security forces used by logging companies could be a source of regional instability.

Liberia sanctions are on the Security Councils consultation agenda for Thursday afternoon.

CIVILIANS BEAR BRUNT OF ARMED CONFLICT, ANNAN SAYS

In a report out today, the Secretary-General notes that, in the past 18 months, civilians have borne the brunt of armed conflicts in places stretching from Sudans Darfur region to Cote dIvoire, Nepal and Iraq.

He notes that the conflict in Darfur has displaced more than one million people, leaving them to struggle in harsh conditions while entire villages have been destroyed. In Cote dIvoire, he adds, more than half a million people have been displaced.

In Iraq, the Secretary-General warns, the fighting and insecurity has resulted in disproportionate and avoidable civilian deaths and injuries, while detainees have been subjected to torture and other serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

SOME 5,000 HAITIANS STILL NEED URGENT AID

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than two weeks after heavy rains devastated western Haiti, some 5,000 families in the hard-hit Mapou district still need urgent humanitarian aid. As the area remains inaccessible by road, relief supplies are being flown in by helicopter today.

An assessment by a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team indicates that the families will require food, clean water and other supplies for the next two months.

As further rains during the hurricane season (which lasts from June to November) could produce more mudslides, some villages in the area are expected to be fully or partially evacuated.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

FRECHETTE NOTES TERRIFYING RISE IN AIDS INFECTION RATES: Speaking at a meeting held at UN headquarters in New York on Monday, the Deputy-Secretary-General, Louise Fréchette, described HIV/AIDS as a global emergency that must be addressed swiftly, especially at a crucial time when infection rates are showing an terrifying rise among women.

ANNAN URGES VENEZUELANS TO COOPERATE TO END IMPASSE: In a statement issued on Friday, the Secretary-General noted the National Electoral Councils announcement of the preliminary results of the reparos (correction) process. The Secretary-General commended the work carried out by the OAS and the Carter Center, both of which have observed the entire process. The Secretary-General urges all Venezuelans to cooperate constructively to ensure a peaceful electoral and constitutional solution to the countrys political impasse.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

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Fax. 212-963-7055

All other inquiries to be addressed to (212)

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