United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-07-13

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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 STEPHANE DUJARRIC

ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE

SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, July 13, 2004

ANNAN PRAISES

THAILANDS EFFORTS IN FIGHTING AIDS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan met today in Bangkok with the Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, with whom he discussed the response to the global AIDS crisis and the outcome of the International AIDS Conference that is currently taking place. They also discussed Thailands support for Timor-Leste, the UN role in Iraq, Myanmar and the Thai-UN relationship.

The Prime Minister then presented the Secretary-General with a report on Thailands efforts to meet and to exceed the Millennium Development Goals.

The Secretary-General thanked him, saying that the report is elegant testimony to Thailands remarkable success in reaching most, if not all, the MDG targets, well ahead of schedule.

Following a luncheon hosted by the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General was asked by a journalist about the appointment of Ashraf Jehangir Qazi as his new Special Representative for Iraq. He said the United Nations had considered three excellent candidates one each from India, Pakistan and Thailand and asserted, It was a difficult choice, but I think we have selected the right man, who has experience with the region.

Asked about security in Iraq, the Secretary-General added, We dont live in a risk-free environment, but the risk has to be managed.

The Secretary-General and Nane Annan then had an audience with the King and Queen of Thailand, after which they had an informal dinner with the Prime Minister and his wife.

Earlier in the day, the Secretary-General had interviews with two TV stations, discussing AIDS. Speaking to Phoenix China TV, he said of AIDS victims, Whether they are drug users, whether they are prostitutes, whether they are homosexuals, they are human beings and their problems should be a concern to you and me. He was asked by BBC about whether policies should focus on abstinence or condom use, and responded, I think its a false debate. Frankly, you need both.

SOUTH ASIA

FACES TWO MAJOR CHALLENGES IN AIDS PREVENTION

Stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and gender inequality remain the two biggest challenges to AIDS prevention in south Asia. That was one of the findings of experts gathered at a satellite session at the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok

today.

The UN-supported Global Media AIDS Initiative today announced new HIV-focused public education efforts in Russia, India, China, Indonesia and the United States. The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Peter Piot, said, The coming together of media organizations to harness their collective power to the fight against AIDS is one of the most important partnerships forged to date.

ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL OFFERS CHANCE TO REVIVE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

The diary of violent acts in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to be painfully long, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Terje Roed-Larsen told the Security Council today.

Speaking to an open meeting of the Council, Larsen reiterated that the proposed Israeli withdrawal from Gaza offers a unique opportunity to revive the peace process. But he noted that some Israelis and Palestinians still raise reservations about this initiative and its possible impact on the peace process.

Some Palestinians, he said, fear that the withdrawal is a smoke screen that would divert world attention away from the implementation of the Road Map, while some Israelis fear it might turn Gaza into an incubator for terrorism. But fears, though legitimate, should not become an excuse for inaction and passivity, Larsen said.

He warned that the Palestinian Authority, despite consistent promises by its leadership, has made no progress on its core obligation to take immediate action on the ground to end violence and combat terror. Larsen said that Israels lack of compliance on the sensitive issue of settlements is equally frustrating, adding that settlement expansion has to come to a complete stop.

The Council followed its open meeting with consultations, also on the Middle East.

LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS HINDER FOOD SUPPLY IN WESTERN DARFUR

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that conditions in Western Darfur, Sudan, are such that many of the aid workers are themselves falling sick.

Logistical problems, as well as a shortage of resources and staff, have prevented the World Food Programme (WFP) from pre-positioning any food for the rainy season as planned.

Also in Western Darfur, in the town of Al-Junaynah, aid workers are finding it almost impossible to tell the difference between internally displaced persons and the town's 100,000 residents. Despite the difficulties, however, WFP managed to register 40,000 displaced persons last week.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has opened its ninth camp for Sudanese refugees fleeing Darfur into Chad. In all, more than 123,000 refugees are now in the nine camps in Chad.

Also, UNHCR's emergency airlift to bring assistance to Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad continues with a flight from Denmark today. The airlift will bring in nearly 180 metric tons of blankets, jerry cans, plastic sheeting, kitchen sets and prefabricated warehouses.

NIGERIA, CAMEROON

TO TRANSFER AUTHORITY OVER CONTESTED AREAS

Cameroon and Nigeria today begins the second stage of their implementation of the International Court of Justices decision concerning the border dispute between them.

The UN Office for West Africa said the two nations are set to transfer authority today over two contested areas, with one zone being turned over to Nigeria and Cameroon assuming control over another one. Observers of the Mixed Commission, set up by the United Nations in 2002, will be deployed in the area to reinforce the process.

Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for West Africa, said, It is the right decision at the right time and for the right reasons.

MORE THAN 500 EX-COMBATANTS DISARMED IN

SOUTHEAST LIBERIA

The latest round in the disarmament and demobilization of combatants in southeast Liberia

continues. Between last Friday and yesterday, more than 500 ex-fighters have disarmed to peacekeepers from the UN Mission in Liberia in Zwedru, about 400 kilometers southeast of the capital, Monrovia.

Elsewhere in Liberia, the Chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia, Charles Gyude Bryant, and the Secretary Generals Special Representative, Jacques Klein, yesterday launched a training program for Liberias new police service at the newly reopened Police Service Training Academy

in Monrovia.

Also, over the weekend, Klein launched a Face Lift project at the University of Liberias Louis Arthur Grimes Law School. The project will rehabilitate the dilapidated law faculty building.

REFUGEE AGENCY WELCOMES ITALIAN GOVERNMENTS DECISION

TO ALLOW REFUGEE BOAT TO DISEMBARK

The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, warmly welcomes the Italian government's decision to allow 37 refugees on the Cap Anamur boat to disembark in Italy.

UNHCR said it is grateful to the Italians for putting humanitarian considerations to the forefront, rather than continuing with the impasse that had developed over the past 10 days.

It is not yet clear where the rescued people are from. Reports from the boat were suggesting that some or all of them are from Sudan, but reports from Italy yesterday were citing their countries of origin as Ghana and Nigeria.

UNHCR has a team in Sicily, and they are closely monitoring the situation. Some in the group had already made asylum claims while still on board the boat. However, it's still unknown whether any of them have claimed asylum in Italy. UNHCR is seeking access to the centre where they are being held.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

TWO NEW FORCE COMMANDERS APPOINTED: Two new force commanders have been appointed to UN peacekeeping operations. They are Major-General Rajender Singh of India, the new Force Commander of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), and the UN Operation in Burundis Force Commander, Major General Derrick Mgwebi. Mgwebi previously headed the forces of the African Mission in Burundi. Those forces were re-hatted as Blue Helmets on 1 June.

U.N. AGENCIES HELP

CENTRAL AFRICAN

REPUBLIC

WITH INFANT MORTALITY: UN agencies are helping the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) launch a "2004-2015 Operational Plan" to reduce maternal and infant mortality. The plan includes improvement of services in rural areas, the promotion of breast feeding, and global care for HIV/AIDS patients. In CAR, there is only one health centre per 6,000 inhabitants and one hospital bed for every 1,095 patients across the country. Separately, last weekend, almost no population movement was registered at the border between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

DATE PRODUCTION FACING SERIOUS PROBLEMS: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is warning that global date palm production is facing serious problems. These include low yields, due to the lack of research, and the spread of pests as well as marketing constraints. Date palms are mainly grown in southwest Asia

and North Africa, and theyre an extremely important subsistence crop in most of the desert regions. The FAO has recently launched a network to promote research and exchange of information on production, and on the ecological and social benefits of date palms.