United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-06-06

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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

Monday, June 6, 2005

DARFUR: INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT OPENS INVESTIGATION

The Chief Prosecutor of the

International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has

decided to open an investigation into the situation in Darfur,

Sudan.

The investigation will be impartial and independent, and will focus on the individuals who bear the greatest criminal responsibility for crimes committed in Darfur.

Moreno-Ocampo said that the investigation will require sustained cooperation from national and international authorities.

He added that traditional African mechanisms can be an important tool to complement these efforts.

In response to a question, the Spokesman said the ICC Prosecutor had received from the Secretary-General a sealed list of names of individuals linked to crimes in Darfur. The Prosecutors Office has also requested information from a variety of sources, leading to the collection of thousands of documents, and has interviewed over 50 independent experts. The Government of Sudan provided some of the documents to the Prosecutors Office during its analysis, leading to its decision to begin an investigation.

U.N. ENVOY ON LEBANON TO TRAVEL TO SYRIA

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has

instructed his Special Envoy for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559,

Terje Roed-Larsen, to travel as soon as possible to Syria to meet with President Bashar Al-Assad.

The Secretary-General expects that the United Nations and the Government of Syria will continue to work closely together to ensure the full implementation of

Security Council

Resolution 1559.

Asked why it was urgent for Roed-Larsen to visit Syria and what aspects of resolution 1559 would be discussed, the Spokesman said that the implementation of resolution 1559, in its many facets, is ongoing. He said it was only normal for Roed-Larsen to travel to the region.

Asked about whether the investigation headed by

Detlef Mehlis should be expanded to look at other killings besides the 14 February assassination of Rafik Hariri, the Spokesman said that was a matter for the Security Council to decide. The Council set up Mehliss mandate, and it would be up to them to change it.

Asked about recent elections in southern Lebanon, the Spokesman said the United Nations was pleased that the latest round took place in a peaceful atmosphere. These elections constitute a major opportunity for the Lebanese people to shape their own future, to strengthen their political institutions and to restore their full sovereignty. He said that the

Secretary-General hopes that the remaining rounds of the elections will take place in the same peaceful atmosphere. His electoral team, based on the ground, stands ready to extend its further support and expertise, as and if required.

ANNAN CONDEMNS BOMBING DEATHS IN SOUTHERN NEPAL

The

Secretary-General

condemns the senseless deaths of dozens of people in the explosion that tore through a passenger bus traveling on a road in southern Nepal on Monday.

The Secretary-General calls for an immediate end to such utterly reprehensible tactics that expose civilians to danger in the conflict in Nepal.

He expresses his condolences to the bereaved families and those injured in the incident.

ANNAN SADDENED BY DEATH OF FORMER MEXICAN AMBASSADOR

The

Secretary-General was deeply

saddened to learn of the death of Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, who served as Mexicos Permanent Representative to the United Nations from February 2002 until November 2003.

The Secretary-General extends his profound condolences to Aguilar Zinsers family, as well as to the Government of Mexico.

He notes that Aguilar Zinser served his country with dedication, wit and independence of spirit at a crucial time for the multi-lateral system, and will be remembered with respect and affection by many colleagues and friends around the world.

U.N. ENVOY TO MEET AFRICAN UNION MEDIATOR FOR DARFUR PEACE TALKS

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for

Sudan,

Jan Pronk, left Khartoum for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for a one day visit to meet with the newly appointed African Union (AU) mediator for the Abuja peace talks on Darfur, Salim Ahmed Salim.

Pronk will discuss with the AU mediator preparations for the forthcoming round of Abuja talks between the Government of Sudan and two rebel groups of Darfur the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement scheduled to start on 10 June.

The

UN Mission in Sudan, meanwhile, reported a number of security related incidents over the past week in the Darfurs, as well as in Southern and Eastern Sudan. In one incident on 31 May, suspected members of the rebel SLA detained members conducting a UN mortality survey near Nyala in South Darfur. Their vehicles were searched and staff were interrogated and released after three hours.

ANNAN WELCOMES GENERAL ASSEMBLYS DRAFT OUTCOME

ON REFORM PROPOSALS

In a

statement issued last Friday, the

Secretary-General said that the draft outcome produced by the

President of the

General Assembly is an important step towards decisive action for halving poverty by 2015, reducing the threat of war, terrorism, and proliferation, and promoting human dignity in every corner of the world.

The document, which captures important points raised by Member States during months of deliberation, is a valuable guidepost for advancing development, security, and human rights, he said, adding that the world's leaders will need to move forward on all fronts to ensure an outcome that reflects the needs of all Member States.

In the coming weeks, under the leadership of the President, Member States will begin the next round of discussions.

Much is at stake, and I am confident that when world leaders meet in New York this coming September, they will agree on the most far-ranging and ambitious reforms of the United Nations in its 60-year history. I pledge my best efforts to assist the membership and the President in reaching that goal, the Secretary-General said in the statement.

U.N. ENVOY CONGRATULATES KURDISH LAWMAKERS

AT INAUGURAL SESSION OF KURDISH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

On Saturday, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for

Iraq,

Ashraf Qazi, addressed the inaugural session of the Kurdish National Assembly.

He congratulated the lawmakers and told them that they, and the people of Kurdistan, should be proud of their achievements in the face of great adversity.

He added that the extraordinary diversity of people living in Kurdistan is a priceless national asset. The Assembly, Qazi said, has a opportunity and capability of providing a beacon and example to the rest of Iraq.

Asked about a report that Bulgaria would provide troops to protect UN staff in Iraq, the Spokesman said he could not confirm that.

He went on to note that Fiji provides an inner circle of troops that offer close protection to UN staff in Baghdad. An outer ring of troops, comprised of dedicated units of the multinational force, protects UN staff as they travel. Discussions on that outer ring are led by the multinational force, in consultations with the United Nations.

RE-VOTE TO BE HELD IN SIX COMMUNES IN BURUNDI

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Burundi,

Carolyn McAskie, has announced that a decision had been made by the Independent National Electoral Commission to organize a re-vote in six communes, where violence disrupted local elections last Friday.

Tight security measures have been taken to secure the areas around the communes where the re-vote will take place Tuesday. More than 2,000 UN peacekeepers from the

UN Operation in Burundi will be deployed.

With a rate of participation of around 72% in last Friday's elections, McAskie congratulated Burundians, saying they had shown the world that they are ready for democracy and peace.

U.N. MISSION CONDEMNS VIOLENCE IN AFGHANISTAN

The

UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan today condemned any type of violence that aims to derail the electoral process in that country.

Last Friday, an Afghan election worker was killed in the province of Uruzgan. Responding to that killing, the first to involve election workers this year, the UN Mission noted that the Afghan people demonstrated last year the importance of voting and rebuilding a democratic

Afghanistan through elections.

ANNAN HELD MEETING WITH U.N. STAFF UNIONS COMMITTEE

The

Secretary-General today met with the Coordinating Committee for the UN systems staff unions, thanking them for their unflagging commitment to the United Nations.

In the private meeting, he said he knows that staff continue to have serious concerns about issues of integrity and accountability, and he assured them that there is no impunity in the United Nations for wrongdoing and no tolerance for breaking the rules.

The Secretary-General also took questions from the staff representatives on management issues.

In response to questions, the Spokesman said the meeting was a private one, which provided an opportunity for the Secretary-General and staff to exchange views.

DEPUTY-SECRETARY-GENERAL IS IN KOSOVO FOR ZERO-TOLERANCE VISIT

The

Deputy Secretary-General, Louise Fréchette, arrived in Kosovo yesterday afternoon as part of a series of visits to UN peacekeeping operations to stress the Secretary-Generals zero tolerance policy for sexual abuse and exploitation.

While outlining guidelines for staff members of the

UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) during a town hall meeting this morning, she stressed that the demanding standards regarding sexual exploitation and abuse to which UN peacekeepers were required to adhere were a necessity because of the fragile conditions of countries in which they were deployed. Those standards, she remarked, were often in excess of legislation of many beneficiary countries.

Following a meeting with Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova, Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi and President of the Assembly Nexhat Daci, the Deputy Secretary-General expressed satisfaction that President Rugova agreed that the level and standard of conduct of UNMIK staff members and personnel were quite good.

We want to ensure that our Mission does everything in its power to maintain this good record on which our reputation stands, she stated.

Referring to the improved situation in Kosovo, the Deputy-Secretary-General pointed out that while UNMIK had assisted significantly in stabilizing the territory, the contribution of Kosovars themselves to improvements since her last visit here in 1999.

The Deputy Secretary-General also met with heads of UN agencies, funds and programmes based in Kosovo and briefed them on measures being developed by the Organization to improve its reporting and investigative capacities in efforts to enhance transparency, efficiency and accountability when dealing with the phenomenon.

ANNAN TO LAUNCH PROGRESS REPORT ON MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

On Thursday, the

Secretary-General will launch a progress report on reaching the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Prepared by 25 UN agencies and international organizations, the report presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date statistics available on all eight of the MDGs.

The Secretary-General will speak with the press this Thursday at 11:45 a.m., followed by a briefing from the Under-Secretary-General for

Economic and Social Affairs,

Jose Antonio Ocampo, and possibly from other agency chiefs.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNAN HAS STRESSED IMPORTANCE OF SIX-PARTY TALKS FOR NORTH KOREA: Asked whether the question of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea should be dealt with by the

Security Council, the Spokesman noted that the

Secretary-General has stressed the importance of international support for the six-party talks, which he believes are the best way to deal with the situation.

SECURITY COUNCILS WORKING GROUP ON PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS MEETS: The

Security Council has scheduled a morning meeting of its working group on peacekeeping operations. Otherwise, there is nothing else on its agenda today.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO ELECT PRESIDENT NEXT WEEK: Next Monday, the

General Assembly will elect the President of its 60th session, as well as the 21 Vice-Presidents for that session.

DJIBOUTI DROUGHT RELIEF APPEAL IS UNDER-FUNDED BY 95%: The

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that six weeks into its $7.5 million Flash Appeal for drought relief in Djibouti, donors have failed to provide funding for 95% of needs. The appeal is aimed at combating the severe food crisis threatening three of six rural zones in the country following three consecutive failed rainy seasons and worsening drought. The under-funding leaves the agricultural, food and coordination sectors of the appeal wholly unfunded.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY WELCOMES RELOCATING OF UZBEK ASYLUM SEEKERS: The

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees today

welcomed the Kyrgyz authorities' successful operation to relocate more than 450 Uzbek asylum seekers away from the makeshift border camp where they had been living since the violent crisis that erupted in the Uzbek town of Andijan on 13 May.

CHINA TO HOST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MARINE PROTECTION: In connection with this week's

General Assembly meeting devoted to

Law of the Sea issues, the

UN Environment Programme and the Chinese Government have announced that Beijing will be hosting a major international conference in October 2006 on protection of the marine environment from land-based activities. The Conference will look at how well the relevant international agreements are working.

ANNAN HAS MET U.S. SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY MANY TIMES: Asked about the

Secretary-Generals meeting today with U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, the Spokesman noted that the two have met each other many times.

TALKS CONTINUE ON EFFORTS TO FIND TEMPORARY OFFICE SPACE FOR UNITED NATIONS: Asked about the progress of efforts to find temporary office space for UN staff, the Spokesman said that the

General Assemblys Fifth Committee continues to discuss the U.S. loan offer and the Capital Master Plan.

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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