United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-03-17

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, March 17, 2005

ANNAN EXPECTS FULL SYRIAN WITHDRAWAL FROM LEBANON

BEFORE LEBANESE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

The Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for the Implementation of Security Council

Resolution 1559,

Terje Roed-Larsen, briefed today in New York the Secretary-General on his meetings in Europe, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

He particularly outlined the details of the understanding reached between the United Nations and the Syrian President in Aleppo on 12 March 2005.

On the basis of the briefing, the Secretary-General

said that he expects the full withdrawal of all Syrian troops, including the intelligence apparatus and military assets, to take place before the Lebanese parliamentary elections.

The Secretary-General further stressed the great importance that these elections be free and fair and take place as scheduled.

Finally, he urged all concerned parties to work together to safeguard the stability and national unity of the Republic of Lebanon.

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS SUDAN MISSIONS MANDATE

The Security Council this morning

extended the mandate of the UN Advance Mission in Sudan (UNAMIS) until 24 March by unanimously adopting resolution 1588.

Last week, the Council

adopted resolution 1585, extending the mandate of UNAMIS until today.

U.N. ENVOY SEEKS EUROPEAN CONTRIBUTIONS FOR DARFUR AND SUDAN MISSIONS

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for

Sudan, Jan Pronk, is traveling to Luxembourg, where he is scheduled to meet with the European Union (EU) Ministers of Defense to mobilize EU countries contributions to support the African Union deployment in Darfur and to the forthcoming UN peace support mission.

Meanwhile, the African Union-led assessment team arrived in Khartoum today having completed their week long assessment of peacekeeping requirements in Darfur. The team met with Pronk and now heads to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to complete its joint report over the coming days.

The World Food Programme (WFP), meanwhile,

warned that many poor people in Sudan may be short of food because of a poor cereal harvest and high prices of basic staples so the total number in need of food aid could soon climb.

WFP Sudan Country Director Ramiro Lopes da Silva said so far, WFP does not have enough food to provide for the 5.5 million people who need assistance in 2005 in the east, the transitional areas, the south and Darfur. If the numbers continue to rise, Sudan will face a new catastrophe unless more food gets here fast, he added.

And in West Darfur, UN agencies operating in some areas continue to restrict their movements to El Geneina town due to security concerns until further notice.

U.N. MISSION CONTINUES CORDON & SEARCH OPERATIONS IN D.R. CONGO

Peacekeepers from the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) continue their regular cordon and search operations in Ituri, in the countrys north-east.

Around 500 peacekeepers took part in such an operation yesterday, near the town of Zumbe a suspected headquarters for the militia known as the Nationalist Integrationist Front, or FNI.

Armored personnel carriers and helicopters were used to transport the peacekeepers, and they were backed up by helicopter gun-ships.

No contact was made with militia members, but weapons and ammunition were found.

The peacekeepers came from Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa, Morocco and Nepal.

D.R. CONGO: DISCIPLINARY ACTION TAKEN AGAINST SOME 17 U.N. SEX OFFENDERS

On the status of disciplinary cases relating to sexual exploitation by civilians in the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), action has been taken against some 17 individuals at this point.

One person was summarily dismissed and is currently being prosecuted in France. One resigned rather than face disciplinary procedures. Six have been suspended without pay pending disciplinary action. One is still under review. Five are UN Volunteers, and their cases have been referred to the UN Development Programme.

And finally, the cases of three individuals have been closed following a full investigation, because the allegations against them were not substantiated. One of these three is the former MONUC Chief of Staff, Jacque Grinberg. An investigation into the allegations against him was completed and no grounds for initiating disciplinary procedures were found. Grinberg was informed of this on 14 January of this year.

ARMY CAUSES FUEL SHORTAGES IN EASTERN COTE DIVOIRE

The UN Operation in Cote dIvoire (UNOCI) is drawing attention to the lack of fuel in the eastern town of Bouna, which has led to an acute water and electricity shortage in the area.

The mission says the trouble started two weeks ago when the government army, FANCI, blocked the main road to Bouna at a town inside the zone of confidence in the east of the country. FANCI has continued to deny passage to fuel tankers heading to Bouna.

PEACEKEEPING DEPARTMENT CONFERENCE STARTS TOMORROW

The

Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) is hosting the annual Heads of Mission conference from 18-20 March 2005 in Glen Cove, New York. Sixteen Heads of Mission will attend, and two missions will be represented by Principal Deputies.

The conference provides an opportunity for the UNs senior field leadership to interact directly with each other and their counterparts from headquarters, and provide a forum for an informal exchange of information and opinions on issues of common concern.

This years programme will be informed by the work of the

High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, and will be organized around two broad themes: integration, and management and accountability.

The conference will focus on the need to strengthen DPKOs management and accountability processes while working closely with partners in the UN system and regional organizations to forge a clearer and more effective division of labour in multi-dimensional peacekeeping operations.

It will also provide an opportunity for discussions on the ongoing system-wide review of disciplinary procedures.

AFGHANISTAN: U.N. SEEKS ALMOST $150 MILLION FOR ELECTORAL SUPPORT

The United Nations yesterday told a high-level donor conference in Kabul that it is seeking $148 million to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process in

Afghanistan this year. In a welcome move to support the process, the United States announced a contribution of $12 million for the elections.

Afghanistans Joint Electoral Monitoring Body estimates the elections later this year will involve nearly 8,000 national and international staff, with an additional 180,000 people being employed on Election Day.

TANNING BEDS NOT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, HEALTH AGENCY SAYS

For those planning to visit the tanning salons before summer hits, the World Health Organization (WHO) today

recommended that no person under 18 years of age should use a sunbed.

WHO says that young people who get burnt from ultraviolet rays will be more likely to develop skin cancer later in life, and that there is a direct link between the fast growth of skin cancer and the popularity of tanning beds.

The agency also reports that, in Norway and Sweden, the annual incidence rate for melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, has more than tripled in the last 45 years. In the United States, the rate has doubled in the last 30 years.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UNICEF CALLS FOR MORE AID FOR ZIMBABWES CHILDREN: The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) today

said that, despite the worlds fourth worst rate of HIV/AIDS and the highest rise in child mortality of any nation, Zimbabweans receive just a fraction of donor funding compared to other countries in their region. The world must differentiate between the politics and the people of Zimbabwe, said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy, speaking in Johannesburg.

NO DATE YET FOR MAKING LEBANON INVESTIGATION TEAM FINDINGS PUBLIC: Asked when the findings of team headed by

Peter Fitzgerald that was to examine the circumstances, causes and consequences of the killing of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri would be released to the public, the Spokesman said a date has yet to be set. Nothing new since I told you yesterday that they would be reporting to the Secretary-General sometime next week, and I dont think weve set a date yet, the Spokesman said.

ANNAN AND AFRICAN UNION CHAIRMAN DISCUSS SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM: Asked what issues the Secretary-General had discussed with Alpha Oumar Konare, the Chairman of the African Union, the Spokesman said there was only one item on the meetings agenda. The African Group has formulated a common position in reaction to the Secretrary-Generals

High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, including Security Council reform, so they met with him to present him with the African Groups position, the Spokesman said.

SPOKESMANS OFFICE WILL DISCLOSE ANNANS POSITION ON TIMING OF SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM: Asked about the Secretary-Generals impression of comments made during a trip to Asia by

Shashi Tharoor, the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, to the effect that it may be too soon to expect major change in the Security Council, the Spokesman said the Spokesmans Office would be for the conduit for any messages from the Secretary-General. Anything that the Secretary-General wants us to say on the timing will come from this podium, he said.

FOREST MANAGEMENT MUST BE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE: Economic

viability, including the environmental and social benefits deriving from forests, is a pre-requisite for wider adoption of sustainable forest management practices, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said today. That is one of the conclusions of the

2005 edition of the State of the World's Forests, a report presented this week to about 100 heads of national forestry agencies at the international Committee on Forestry.

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM JOINS UNESCO: A representative of Brunei Darussalam today

signed the

Constitution of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) completing his countrys accession to full membership. The Organization now numbers 191 Member States, with Brunei Darussalams accession following that of Timor-Leste in 2003, and the return of the United States in 2003.