United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-07-23

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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

Friday, July 23, 2004

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSING SUDAN DRAFT RESOLUTION

The Security Council is discussing a draft resolution on Sudan at the expert level.

Meanwhile in Geneva, the leadership of the two rebel movements of Darfur -- Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) -- engaged in consultations that took place today have agreed to participate in substantive political negotiations.

The Secretary-Generals Special Advisor, Mohamed Sahnoun, led the UN team to Geneva.

The consultations will now continue with the government to decide on the specific venue and timing of the substantive negotiations.

Asked about the resolution passed by the U.S. Congress on Thursday night, which called what is happening in Darfur genocide, the Spokesman said that it is up to the parties to the Genocide Convention to decide when genocide is taking place and what action can be taken.

There is no monitoring or implementation mechanism for the Genocide Convention, he added, but the signatories are free at any time to bring a case, as they see it, before a UN body, including the Security Council and now the International Criminal Court.

The Spokesman noted that, in June, the Secretary-General had said he was not prepared to call what was happening in Darfur genocide, but that there was clear evidence of massive violations of human rights. He has called repeatedly for the Sudanese Government to punish those who have been carrying out such acts.

HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES PLEAD FOR FUNDS FOR DARFUR

Humanitarian agencies are saying that urgent funding is still needed to address the Darfur crisis. Currently, the United Nations has only 37 percent of the funding required. It is still calling for an additional $156 million.

The Secretary-General made a strong appeal Thursday afternoon at his joint press encounter with Secretary of State Colin Powell. He asked for food, work on sanitation, logistical support, helicopters, and planes. He said the United Nations was appealing to governments to give it the necessary tools to do its work. And he said, We will continue to insist that the Government performs."

Also, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights announced that the Secretary-Generals Representative on Internally Displaced Persons, Francis M. Deng, is to visit the Sudan for a weeklong visit starting Saturday.

Asked about aid donations for the work in Sudan, the Spokesman said the United States has been the largest donor of humanitarian aid in Sudan, with the United Kingdom second, the EC in third place and Netherlands in fourth. He said that the United Nations would like to see more contributions from other countries with the means to give who havent yet contributed.

HUMANITARIAN WORKERS CAN SET UP PRESENCE THROUGHOUT LIBERIA

Because of improvements in the security situation, humanitarian actors, including UN agencies, have now been given increased access to Liberia, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. They can now set up a permanent presence throughout the whole country.

Meanwhile, a $23 million shortfall is threatening the planned launch of UN refugee agencys repatriation program. Slated to begin this October, the three-year plan aims to repatriate 100,000 Liberians in 2004, 150,000 in 2005, and some 50,000 in 2006.

PROJECT TO RESTORE IRAQS MARSHLANDS TO BE LAUNCHED

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) today announced the launching of an $11 million project to restore the environment in the Marshlands of Iraq, the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East and Western Eurasia.

The project, funded by the Government of Japan, will support the installation of drinking water and sanitation systems in key communities and restore pilot wetlands for the benefit of people and wildlife.

The Marshlands, home to a 5,000-year-old civilization, were massively damaged in the late 20th Century, partly as a result of new dams on the Tigris and Euphrates river systems and partly as a result of massive drainage operations by the previous Iraqi regime.

In 2001, UNEP released satellite images showing that 90 percent of these fabled wetlands, home to rare and unique species and a spawning ground for Gulf fisheries, had been lost. The challenge now is to restore the environment and provide clean water and sanitation services to the almost 85,000 people living there.

U.N. ENVOY WRAPS UP VISIT TO VENEZUELA

Diego Cordovez, the Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on Latin American Issues, wrapped up his trip to Venezuela today. In remarks to the press in Caracas, Cordovez urged Venezuela's political actors to move away from the polarization which has prevailed in the months leading up to the referendum, scheduled for August 15, and to move towards a dialogue to ensure a broadly acceptable constitutional and political solution.

The purpose of Cordovezs visit was to keep the Secretary-General abreast of the latest developments regarding the referendum.

RESTORED BRIDGE IN BOSNIAN CITY OF MOSTAR INAUGURATED

The Old Bridge standing over the Neretva River in the Bosnian city of Mostar, was inaugurated today in its newly rebuilt form by UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura and the chair of Bosnias tripartite presidency, Sulejman Tihic.

The bridge had been destroyed in 1993 during the Bosnian war, but has been rebuilt with assistance from UNESCO, on technical and scientific coordination, and the World Bank, which helped to deal with financing the project.

Matsuura said that the bridge, having been used as a target, now needs to become a rallying sign the powerful symbol of a plural identity founded on mutual trust.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECURITY COUNCIL MEETS WITH TROOP CONTRIBUTORS: There are no Security Council consultations scheduled for today. The Council this morning held one private meeting with troop contributing countries for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, and is now holding another one with the troop contributing countries for the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

UNHCR CRITICIZES EXPULSIONS BY ITALY: The UN Refugee Agency has written today to the Italian authorities, criticizing the process that led up to Thursdays expulsion from Italy to Ghana of 25 asylum seekers. UNHCR has expressed its strong concern over apparent disregard for accepted international and European standards and for fundamental elements of due process.

GLOBAL COMPACT RECEIVES SUPPORT OF FORUM BARCELONA: Forum Barcelona, a public-private partnership to advance sustainable development and peace-building, has announced its support of the Global Compact and the establishment of a Global Compact Centre in Barcelona, Spain. The Centre will work with the various Global Compact country networks around the world to increase the understanding, adopting and implementation of the Global Compacts human rights, labor, environmental and anti-corruption principles.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, 26 July

The Security Council will hold consultations, as well as a meeting with troop contributors, concerning the UN Mission in Georgia. In the afternoon, it has scheduled consultations on the work of the International Advisory and Monitoring Board for Iraq.

At 3:00 p.m., Ambassador Philippe Djangone-Bi of Cote dIvoire will hold a press conference on the latest developments in Cote dIvoire.

Tuesday, 27 July

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and on the sanctions committee for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At 12:30 p.m., there will be a signing ceremony at the Dag Hammarskjold Library Penthouse between the United Nations and the French clothing company Le Monti, which will donate two full sets of uniforms for all the UN tour guides for the next two years.

Wednesday, 28 July

Thursday, 29 July

The Security Council has scheduled formal meetings to consider draft resolutions on the UN peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Georgia and Lebanon.

Friday, 30 July

The Security Council expects to receive reports on Kosovo and Afghanistan by the end of the month.

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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