United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-05-11

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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

MARIE OKABE

ASSOCIATE

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

ANNAN MEETS PRESIDENTS OF CAMEROON AND NIGERIA IN GENEVA;

DISCUSS NIGERIAN WITHDRAWAL FROM DISPUTED AREA

Secretary-General Kofi Annan met in Geneva for over 90 minutes today with the Presidents of Nigeria and Cameroon, to review the situation regarding the Bakassi peninsula. After the three men held that meeting, they joined with their delegations for further talks.

During the meeting, it was agreed that a new program of withdrawal of Nigerian troops would be worked out and agreed upon by the two Presidents and the Secretary-General. The two Presidents agreed to continue with the process of the delimitation of the maritime boundary, based on the judgment of the International Court of Justice.

After that meeting, the Secretary-General, President Paul Biya of Cameroon and President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria addressed the press.

The Secretary-General said the meeting had provided a useful opportunity to evaluate the work of the

Mixed Commission dealing with the follow-up to the 2002

decision by the International Court of Justice, regarding the border between the two countries.

The Secretary-General stressed the need for the Commission to continue its work as expeditiously as possible and called on both Presidents to do their share.

Looking back at the progress already made, the Secretary-General commended both Presidents for the smooth transfer of authority that took place along the land border in 2004 as well as for the generally good atmosphere which prevails in the area.

The Secretary-General met yesterday evening with President Biya. Before the start of todays meetings, he had breakfast with President Obasanjo.

NEW HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL WOULD STAY IN GENEVA, ANNAN SAYS

In todays press conference in Geneva, the Secretary-General was also asked about UN reform, including his proposal to replace the existing Commission on Human Rights with a smaller Human Rights Council. He said, I think if we do it, it will help strengthen human rights, adding that it would work all year and not suffer from selectivity in the matters it considers.

He added that he would expect a new Human Rights Council to be based in Geneva, saying, Human rights has a very nice home here in Geneva and I don't see any reason for it to be moved elsewhere.

UGANDA: SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS ATROCITIES BY LORDS RESISTANCE ARMY

There are no meetings or consultations of the Security Council scheduled for today. The Haiti meeting has been rescheduled from tomorrow to Friday morning.

Following the consultations on Africa yesterday afternoon, the Council President, Ambassador Ellen Margrethe Løj of Denmark,

spoke to reporters on behalf of Council members and expressed deep concern over the humanitarian situation in many parts of Africa.

Regarding northern Uganda, she said members of the Council condemned the atrocities carried out by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and called on the LRA to cease all acts of violence and enter into peace negotiations.

The Council President also mentioned that members discussed insufficient funding for humanitarian crises in Africa, and Council members acknowledged the need for prompt and predictable funding.

Her remarks followed a closed-door briefing by UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland.

UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS HEAD TO SUDAN TOMORROW

The Secretary-Generals Special Advisor,

Lakhdar Brahimi, and the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations,

Jean-Marie Guéhenno, will be visiting

Sudan starting tomorrow.

Brahimi, who has been in close contact with the African Union (AU) on the scope and nature of UN support to the AU mission Darfur, will be following up on those contacts during his visit, which will focus on Darfur.

Guéhenno is on a fact-finding mission to gain the best possible understanding of the situation, in his case in the whole of Sudan, and the UN response.

They are to stay until 19 May.

Asked whether Guéhennos visit was linked to the deployment of UN forces in Sudan, the Spokeswoman said that the deployment has started, and that Guéhennos trip coincides with the start of the implementation of a peace agreement between northern and southern Sudan. She added that Guéhenno wanted to have a firsthand look at the overall situation in the country.

AFGHANISTAN: EXPLOSIVE DEVICE THROWN INTO U.N. COMPOUND DURING RIOT

The

UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported today that a student demonstration in Jalalabad, in the countrys south, turned violent, with demonstrators throwing stones and, at one point, setting on fire a guard post outside the UN compound in the city. An explosive device was also thrown into the compound.

No UN staff members were hurt, although some vehicles inside the compound were damaged by the stone-throwing and the explosive device. The crowd has since dispersed, and the situation in Jalalabad is described as calm.

Asked about the deteriorating security situation in the country, the Spokeswoman said that todays incident is another reminder of the need for improved security in Afghanistan. As the UN Mission has repeatedly stated, improved security is particularly important in the context of the upcoming elections.

Asked whether the UN has considered help from the International Security Assistance Force, the Spokeswoman noted that security is the responsibility of the Afghan authorities and the international forces. She added that there is no reason to believe that the United Nations was specifically targeted.

ETHIOPIA TO GET WEATHER INSURANCE

The World Food Programme (WFP) says it is planning to launch a weather insurance scheme in Ethiopia early next year.

The plan, which will get technical support from the World Bank, will address the recurrent problem of famine and malnutrition in the African country, by basing insurance contracts on a rainfall index.

If rainfall measurements fall to a level that suggests severe drought, insurance companies will pay out. Premiums will be met by aid donors.

WFP says the plan will allow beneficiaries to feel more secure, while allowing donors to make consistent payments, as opposed to being hit with major appeals for billions of dollars in emergency aid.

MORE THAN 12 MILLION TRAPPED IN FORCED LABOUR, REPORT SAYS

At least 12.3 million people throughout the world are subjected to forced labour, the International Labour Organization (ILO)

said in a new study released today. Of that total, some 9.5 million are in Asia.

The report, entitled A global alliance against forced labour, adds that more than 2 million forced labourers are victims of human trafficking.

The report also provides the first global estimate of profits generated from the exploitation of trafficked workers, calculating that $32 billion are made each year.

ILO Director-General Juan Somavia has called forced labour a social evil which has no place in the modern world.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY SLATED TO CONFIRM APPOINTMENT OF NEW HEAD OF U.N. CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT

The General Assembly is scheduled to meet this afternoon at 3:00 to confirm the appointment of Supachai Panitchpakdi of Thailand as the new Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Also this afternoon, the Assembly will hold a closed meeting to discuss a draft resolution on the organization of its High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, which is scheduled for 27-28 June.

Then, tomorrow morning there will be a special closed GA meeting to establish the list of speakers for the September 2005 General Assembly Summit, by a drawing of lots.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNANS POSITION ON NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION REMAINS FIRM: In response to questions concerning problems of nuclear non-proliferation, the Spokeswoman noted the Secretary-Generals strong statement on the matter last week as he addressed the start of the

Review Conference for the Non-Proliferation Treaty, as well as his comments to the group Mayors for Peace. Asked about the Democratic Peoples Republic of Koreas nuclear program, she said that the Secretary-General had repeatedly mentioned his support for the six-party talks and his hopes that those talks would get back on track.

MILLIONS OF DISPLACED COLOMBIANS NEED HUMANITARIAN AID: Millions of people displaced by years of conflict in Colombia are living in conditions of severe poverty and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance just to cover their basic needs, according to a

report by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The report is based on a joint assessment of food and basic needs by WFP and the ICRC in six provinces.

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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