United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-05-05

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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

STEPHANE DUJARRIC

ASSOCIATE

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, May 5, 2005

UNITED NATIONS LIAISING WITH NEW YORK CITY AUTHORITIES

ON EXPLOSION OUTSIDE U.K. CONSULATE

The United Nations is liaising closely with the New York City authorities following the explosion outside the British Consulate in Manhattan early this morning. There were no injuries, and damage is minimal.

Although there is no known specific concern, as a precautionary measure, we will be increasing security around the UN building and annexes.

All canine teams have been called out to duty and will be deployed to patrol UN buildings until further notice.

Also, there is an increased security presence at entry points to the UN Headquarters and annex buildings.

Asked whether the United Nations had received any threats, the Spokesman said he was not aware of any specific threat, but an attack on any target in New York was a cause for concern, and prompted the United Nations to take precautionary measures.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONFIRMS TWO SENIOR APPOINTMENTS

The

General Assembly today

confirmed

Kemal Dervis of Turkey as the next Administrator of the

UN Development Program (UNDP), for a four-year term; and

Inga-Britt Ahlenius of Sweden as the Under-Secretary-General for

Internal Oversight Services.

Asked when Dervis will take over at UNDP, the Spokesman said he believed that he would take office on 15 August. That, in turn, would allow Mark Malloch Brown to focus on his job as Chef de Cabinet, he added.

ANNAN SADDENED BY KILLING OF TWO TEENAGERS IN WEST BANK;

WELCOMES

ISRAELS ANNOUNCEMENT OF FULL INVESTIGATION Secretary-General Kofi Annan was saddened to learn of the killing of two teenage boys in the West Bank village of Beit Lakiya yesterday.

He took note of the suspension of the senior Israeli Defense Force (IDF) officer involved, and welcomes the Government of Israels announcement of a full investigation of the incident.

The Secretary-General sends his condolences to the families of the victims.

The Secretary-General is concerned about the increase in violence witnessed in recent days. He hopes such incidents will not be allowed to undermine the positive developments of the past months. The Secretary-General emphasizes again that violence cannot provide a solution to the conflict, and that only through negotiations can peace be achieved.

U.N. VERIFICATION TEAM ASSURED OF NO REPEAT OF SHOOTING INCIDENT

Asked about the work of the UN verification team in Lebanon, the Spokesman said that the team was continuing its work, and had made intensive contacts with field authorities in Lebanon to make sure that the shooting incident on Wednesday does not recur.

He underscored that the teams mandate is to have free and unhindered access throughout Lebanon, to verify the withdrawal of Syrian military forces and intelligence personnel.

He said that, in yesterdays incident, the team had been going to a camp run by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command when warning shots were fired at them. They did not enter the camp.

Asked about the work of the

UN Electoral Affairs Division in Lebanon, the Spokesman said it was there to assist the Lebanese authorities as they prepare for Parliamentary elections.

Asked whether Carina Perelli, the Director of that Division, has credibility given a review of the Division, the Spokesman said she is a top electoral expert, and the matter being looked into does not relate to her substantive work.

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF U.N. OPERATION IN COTE DIVOIRE

AND ISSUES STATEMENTS ON GEORGIA AND LEBANON

There are no meetings or consultations of the

Security Council scheduled for today.

Yesterday afternoon, the Security Council decided to extend the mandate of the

UN Operation in Côte dIvoire, and of the French forces supporting it, for one month, until 4 June 2005.

Then following a private meeting and consultations on Georgia, the Council

President, Ambassador Ellen Margrethe Løj of Denmark, read out a

press statement in which Council members welcomed the recent high-level meeting of the Group of Friends under UN Chairmanship in Geneva where both the Georgian and Abkhaz sides expressed their willingness to intensify the search for a settlement of the conflict by peaceful means only.

And finally, in a

presidential statement, the Council welcomed the fact that the parties concerned in Lebanon had made significant progress towards implementing some of the provisions contained in its

resolution 1559. The Council also expressed concern that the requirements of the resolution had not yet been met.

CALM IN SIERRA LEONE HAS ALLOWED PROGRESS TOWARDS PEACE

The latest

report by the

Secretary-General to the

Security Council on Sierra Leone is out today.

In it, he notes the generally calm political and security situation in Sierra Leone, which has allowed for further progress to be made towards consolidating peace.

He also notes that the work of the

Special Court for Sierra Leone has proceeded satisfactorily. And with regard to the judicial process set in motion by the indictments of the former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor, and the former Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) leader, Johnny Paul Koroma, and subsequent Court decisions relating to the indictments, the Secretary-General says the law should be allowed to take its course.

He recommends that the Security Council extend the mandate for a final period of six months, until the end of 2005.

The Security Council is scheduled to take up the report on 17 May.

NEW PROSECUTOR FOR SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE

The

Secretary General has

appointed Desmond de Silva QC as the new prosecutor for the UN-backed

Special Court for Sierra Leone.

De Silva will replace David Crane, who completes his three year contract in July.

De Silva is from the United Kingdom, and he was nominated by the Government of Sierra Leone to the post of Deputy Prosecutor in 2002.

ANNAN CONCERNED OVER KIDNAPPING OF THREE ROMANIANS IN IRAQ

The

Secretary-General is following with concern the situation of the three Romanian journalists and their guide taken hostage in Iraq last March.

He expresses the hope that they will be released quickly and safely and reiterates his condemnation of all hostage-takings and killings of innocent civilians, which no cause can ever justify.

U.N. MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN CONDEMNS KILLING OF THREE WOMEN

The

UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan today

called on the Afghan authorities to spare no effort to swiftly bring to justice the murderers of three women who were killed in the province of Baghlan.

The seriousness of the crime, the Mission said, is compounded by the fact that a note was left at the scene, implying that the killing of the three women was linked to their work with a non-governmental organization. There is no confirmation that this was the motive for the killing, but the UN Mission strongly condemns any threat to women working for NGOs.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY EXPECTS TO REPATRIATE UP TO 400,000 AFGHANS

UN Goodwill Ambassador

Angelina Jolie saw off a convoy of trucks carrying Afghans home from Pakistan on Thursday as the total number repatriating under the UN refugee agency programme in the 2005 season passed the 50,000 mark.

The

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expects up to 400,000 Afghans to repatriate this year, following 2.3 million who came back under the programme in the three previous years.

Angelina Jolie has been a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador for nearly four years, and she has undertaken missions to meet refugees around the world including each of the last three Christmas seasons.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NUMBER OF TOGOLESE REFUGEES INCREASES: Regarding the outflow of refugees from Togo, the

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

reports that the situation appears calmer on the borders of the West African nation, with total new arrivals in both Benin and Ghana, now reported to be 21,675.

WAR-DISPLACED IN UGANDA BEING GIVEN SEEDS, TOOLS AND TRAINING: The

Food and Agriculture Organization will

provide 94,000 vulnerable households in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in northern

Uganda with seeds, tools and agricultural training to help reduce their dependence on food aid. The activities will focus on displaced and drought-affected families with safe access to land, with particular attention given to women- and child-headed households, the elderly, and families affected by HIV/AIDS. An estimated 1.4 million Ugandans live in IDP camps.

ANNAN HAS COOPERATED WITH INDEPENDENT INQUIRY COMMITTEE: Asked whether the

Secretary-General has cooperated with Paul Volckers

Independent Inquiry Committee, the Spokesman made clear that the Secretary-General has been extremely open with the Committee, providing access to him and to all his files. Regarding documents in the possession of Volckers staff, he said that the issue of confidentiality is one being dealt with between Volcker and members of the US Congress.

UNCTAD APPOINTMENT STILL BEING DISCUSSED BY GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Asked about why the nominee to head the

UN Conference on Trade and Development, Supichai Panitchpakdi, was not being considered by the General Assembly on Thursday, the Spokesman reiterated that the appointment is still being discussed by Assembly members. He said that Supichais name continues to be the one put forward by the

Secretary-General.

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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