United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-08-30

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Monday, August 30, 2004

U.N. ENVOY TO SUDANTO HAND OVER REPORT TO ANNAN TONIGHT

Over the weekend, the joint mission of the United Nations and Sudanese officials to Darfur,

Sudan, concluded its visit to areas selected by the Sudanese government in South, North and West Darfur.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sudan,

Jan Pronk, who led that mission is scheduled to arrive this evening in New York and is expected to hand over his report to Secretary-General Kofi Annan tonight.

Pronk will brief the

Security Council Thursday on the report, which will include the findings of the Darfur mission.

Meanwhile, the political talks in Abuja, Nigeria, between the Government of the Sudan and the two rebel groups, Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), have resumed and will continue through the rest of the week. The parties agreed on the agenda which contains four items: humanitarian issues, security, political issues, and social and economic issues.

U.N. OFFICIAL: CHRONIC PROTECTION CRISIS IN DARFUR

Dennis McNamara, Director of the UNs

Internal Displacement Division, told reporters in Nairobi, Kenya, today that there is a chronic protection crisis in Darfur, which is inadequately addressed by humanitarian agencies, the Government of Sudan and the donors. He said the population is traumatized and humiliated.

Specifically, he said, despite the best efforts of the African Union, the United Nations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), there remains constant, regular pressure and harassment from the Government on the displaced population to return to their areas of origin.

Secondly, McNamara said the problem of sexual violence and rape against women and girls is widespread and of immense proportions. Attacks occur most frequently during trips to collect firewood and victims claim their attackers are the Janjiweed, he said, adding that women are both ashamed and afraid to report rapes to the police and under current Sudanese law, this excludes them from hospital treatment.

The

World Food Programme, meanwhile, reports that over the weekend, a convoy of trucks carrying the first consignment of emergency food aid across the Sahara desert for Sudanese refugees in Chad left Libya. In addition, the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) have signed a UN-facilitated agreement on a national mine action strategy.

ANNAN CALLS FOR END TO ETHNIC-BASED HOSTILITIES IN CENTRAL AFRICA

The

Secretary-Generals

report on the

UN Operation in Burundi has been released today. In it, the Secretary-General notes that the world was horrified by the massacre at Gatumba.

The United Nations has received reports that Rwandan ex-FAR/Interahamwe, and Congolese Mayi Mayi elements and Burundian FNL elements may have all been involved in the massacre. These reports are being investigated, as requested by the

Security Council.

In the meantime, the Secretary-General has called on the Governments of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda to put an end to the ethnic-based hostilities and abuse that has afflicted the people of the sub-region for so long.

The Secretary-General also expressed concern over the slow pace of the Burundian peace process, particularly in regard to negotiations on post-transition, power-sharing, security sector reform and the electoral timetable.

He called on all the Burundian parties to work together to fulfil their commitments to complete the transitional process and hold elections on schedule by October 31.

Asked when the Security Council would have access to a report on it requested on the Gatumba massacre, the Spokesman said there was no date set yet, but that the reports findings would be shared with the Council as soon as they were available.

ANNAN CONCERNED BY ATTACKS IN AFGHANISTAN

The

Secretary-General is deeply

concerned by the violent attacks that were carried out on Sunday in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and in Paktia province. He is particularly troubled by the high toll of dead and wounded, including children.

The Secretary-General calls on the Government of Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force for Afghanistan (ISAF), and the Coalition forces to take the necessary safety and security measures to support those working on the ongoing electoral process.

The Secretary-General expresses his profound condolences to the bereaved families.

In addition, the UN Mission in Afghanistan reported that a vehicle of the Joint Electoral Management Body was damaged by an explosive device on Saturday in the district of Rodat, in Nangarhar Province. The vehicle was transporting two National Field Coordinators and the driver. None of them were hurt, although the vehicle sustained some minor damage.

UNITED NATIONS ASKED TO SUPPORT REHABILITATION EFFORTS IN IRAQI CITIES

Ross Mountain, the Deputy Special Representative for

Iraq, arrived in Baghdad yesterday.

This morning, he and other UN officials, met with Mahdi al Hafez, Iraqs Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation. Preparations for the Tokyo Donor Meeting in October were discussed among a number of other important issues.

He thanked the United Nations for the cooperation received and reiterated a request for the Organization to support rehabilitation and reintegration efforts in Iraqi cities, which have recently witnessed armed confrontations including Najaf and Sadr (Al Thawra) city in Baghdad.

CAMEROON-NIGERIA COMMISSION HOLDS MEETING ON BAKASSI PENINSULA

A special meeting of the

Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission took place at the level of Heads of delegations in Yaounde, Cameroon, yesterday to discuss issues related to the Bakassi Peninsula.

The meeting was chaired by

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Chair of the Mixed Commission.

To follow up on the issue of withdrawal and transfer of authority in the Bakassi Peninsula, the Chairman will convene another meeting before September 15, 2004.

The Cameroon/Nigeria Mixed Commission is a mechanism established by the Secretary-General in November 2002 at the request of Presidents of Cameroon and Nigeria to follow-up on the implementation of the decision of the International Court of Justice on the border dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria.

HIV INFECTIONS AMONG SWAZILANDS TEENAGE GIRLS LOWER THAN ESTIMATED

The

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that a newly released report has found that a dramatically lower number of teenage girls in Swaziland is being infected by

HIV than was previously estimated.

The report, commissioned by

UNICEF, the UN Childrens Fund, suggests a turning point in the battle against HIV/AIDS in the country with the world's highest HIV infection rates.

The findings revealed that only six percent of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 were HIV-positive, with most of the HIV infections occurring among older girls.

OCHA says that analysts have attributed the decrease in numbers to the differing attitudes towards AIDS between older and younger girls, with younger teenagers having sought out as much information as possible to avoid infection.

UNESCO CONDEMNS DEATHS OF JOURNALISTS IN IRAQ AND BANGLADESH

In a statement issued Friday, the

UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organziation (UNESCO) condemned the assassinations in

Iraq of an Italian journalist and his interpreter.

UNESCO today also condemned the murder on an investigative reporter in Bangladesh.

Enzo Baldoni and his interpreter were kidnapped on August 20 and reported executed last week; while Bangladeshi reporter Kamal Hossain was murdered on 22 August.

UNESCOs Director-General,

Koïchiro Matsuura, voiced outrage at the increasing targeting of media professionals in Iraq, adding that its encouraging to see that the professions commitment remains unflagging despite the heavy death toll.

UNESCO said that according to the International News Safety Institute, 51 journalists and media workers have been killed in Iraq in the past 17 months, making the conflict one of the bloodiest for the profession.

Matsuura also voiced alarm at the unacceptable pressures exercised on the profession in Bangladesh.UNESCO added that according to the NGO Reporters without Borders, Hossain is the third journalist to be murdered in Bangladesh this year.

UNITED NATIONS CALLS ON GOVERNMENTS TO HELP PREVENT DISAPPEARANCES

On International Day of the Disappeared, the

UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances is

calling upon all governments to take action to prevent disappearances, and in particular to end the practice of secret detentions.

In particular, the Working Group has expressed concern over reports from reputable NGOs on the situation in countries such as Nepal, Colombia and the Russian Federation.

Meanwhile, in

Kosovo, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative,

Søren Jessen-Petersen,

called for more action in this area in an appeal to individuals and organisations.

Jessen-Petersen urged all concerned with missing persons issues, as well as civil society and the international community, to establish the fate and whereabouts of the missing persons approximately 3,000 people are missing in Kosovo.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N. TEAM REVIEWING MANDATE OF CYPRUS MISSION: A team from UN headquarters arrived has arrived in Cyprus to review the

UN Missions mandate. In his

report of May 26, the

Secretary-General said that as a result of the vote April 24 referendum, he intended to conduct an in-depth review of the forces concept of operations, force level and mandate.

NEW DEPUTY PROSECUTOR STARTS AT INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL: David Tolbert of the United States today

began his duties as Deputy Prosecutor of the

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, following his appointment by the

Secretary-General.

NEW CHIEF MILITARY OBSERVER STARTS AT UN MISSION: The

Secretary-General announced today the

appointment of Major-General Guido Palmieri, of Italy, as Chief Military Observer in the

UN Observer Group in India and Pakistan. Major-General Palmieri has served in the Italian armed forces since 1967, and has worked with NATO since 1994. His appointment will initially be for one year.

ETHIOPIA FACING SHORTFALL IN FOOD REQUIREMENTS: The

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that Ethiopias gross relief food requirements for the time period of August-December this year are around 523,000 tons. Taking into account the overall number of confirmed contributions, the current shortfall for that period is 81,000 tons. Unless further contributions are confirmed, there may be shortfalls in cereals starting in November.

REVIEW OF U.N. HEADQUARTERS EVACUATION DRILL UNDERWAY: Asked if the United Nations had put together a report on last Fridays evacuation drill at UN Headquarters, the Spokesman said that evacuation procedures are reviewed after such events and that a review is currently underway.

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

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article