United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-06-07

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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

Tuesday, June 7, 2005

ANNAN WELCOMES HUMANE TREATMENT OF ETHNIC MINORITIES IN LAOS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan

welcomes the reports received of the humane treatment extended to the group of 171 men, women and children from ethnic minorities, including Hmong, who have come out from remote areas of the Xaysomboune Special Zone in Lao PDR early on Saturday morning.

He urges the Lao Government to continue to provide the necessary assistance to the Hmong should a larger number come out of the jungle in the days ahead.

The Secretary-General also reiterates the readiness of the United Nations to provide every kind of humanitarian assistance to such groups that the Lao Government may request.

DARFUR: U.N. ENVOY DEMANDS IMMEDIATE HALT

TO CEASE-FIRE VIOLATIONS BY REBEL GROUPS IN DARFUR

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for

Sudan,

Jan Pronk, is concerned about recent armed clashes between the two rebel groups in South Darfur, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and the Justice and Equality Movement.

He condemns these actions, which constitute serious violations of the NDjamena Ceasefire Agreement.

He deplores these irresponsible acts that led, according to the African Union, to loss of life amongst the civilian population.

He also expresses his disappointment that these violations are taking place at a time when the international community and the African Union are exerting every effort to assist the parties in achieving a breakthrough during the upcoming round of talks, scheduled to take place on 10 June.

Pronk calls upon the rebel groups to immediately cease hostilities and to heed the request of the African Union to pull out their forces from Graida and other locations.

He urges all parties, in particular the rebel groups, to fully comply with the letter and spirit of the agreements they signed and with the relevant provisions of the UN Security Council.

The Special Representative expects the parties to live up to their commitment to engage in the forthcoming round of talks in good faith and to fully cooperate with the African Union mediation.

SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS MEETING ON HAITI WITH PRIME MINISTER

The

Security Council held a closed, private meeting this morning on Haiti with that countrys Prime Minister, Gerard Latortue.

Earlier today, the Council held a meeting on the

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and approved a one-month extension for nominations for "ad litem" judges.

Then, this afternoon at 3:00 p.m., the Council has scheduled consultations on the

Democratic Republic of the Congo with

Jean-Marie Guehenno, the top UN peacekeeping official, as the briefer.

LACK OF COOPERATION IS HINDERING INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNALS WORK

The lack of cooperation of States in arresting and transferring people to the

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia remains the main factor hindering the Tribunal from completing its work, Carla Del Ponte, the Tribunals Prosecutor, says in a

report released today.

She says there has been progress in the cooperation provided by Serbia and Montenegro, while Croatia has provided unrestricted access to documents and witnesses. But a number of key fugitives remain at large in those countries (including Ratko Mladic, Radovan Karadzic and Ante Gotovina).

In a separate

report out on the racks today, Erik Mose, the President of the

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, estimates that by 2008, that Tribunal will have completed trials involving 65 to 70 people.

The

Security Council is to hold a public meeting on the Tribunals completion strategy next Monday.

ANNAN TO ADDRESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON U.N. BUDGET

The

Secretary-General is to present the proposed program budget for 2006 and 2007 to a key advisory body on the UN budget this afternoon.

In his remarks, he is to tell the

Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) that more will need to be done for the United Nations to address the challenges of a rapidly changing world fully and effectively.

Once we see what is achieved in September in advancing the strategy for UN reform, he is to say, he will present revised estimates for the budget period.

Asked about the budget, the Spokesman said that the proposed budget for the next biennium, before re-costing, comes to some $3.6 billion. That reflects real growth of less than 0.1 percent over the 2004-5 biennium.

That amount does not include any additional costs that may be incurred from the adoption of proposals under the In Larger Freedom report; the Secretary-General will revert to the ACABQ with revised estimates depending on what reforms are to be implemented. The amount also does not include the cost of peacekeeping missions.

ATTACKS CAUSE CIVILIAN DISPLACEMENT IN DR CONGO

Random, vicious attacks against civilians have led to new displacements from at least three localities in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in the past week,

says the

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

These displacements have also involved homes being burnt down, whole neighborhoods being looted, people having limbs hacked off and women being raped.

A particularly virulent rampage by Mayi-Mayi elements active in the area prompted the flight of some 100 individuals to the town of Manono, according to OCHA . During the attack, fifteen females including 8 girls were raped and forced to flee naked, able to move only at night due to their lack of clothing. The displaced arrived in Manono on 31 May; the UN Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) has sent a team of human rights investigators.

DEPUTY-SECRETARY-GENERAL LEAVES KOSOVO FOR BURUNDI

The

Deputy Secretary-General, Louise Frechette, is on her way to Burundi from Kosovo.

The main purpose of her visits is to reinforce the

Secretary-Generals zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse for UN personnel and to review the status of relevant prevention and enforcement measures in the UN missions in those countries.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO LINK BETWEEN SPECIAL ENVOYS TRIP TO SYRIA AND BAATHIST CONGRESS: Asked about the announced trip by Special Envoy

Terje Roed-Larsen to Syria, the Spokesman said that Roed-Larsen was going there as the

Secretary-Generals envoy dealing with the implementation of

resolution 1559. The implementation of that resolution, he said, is a live and ongoing process, with the Secretary-General reporting periodically on it. The Spokesman denied that there was any connection between Roed-Larsens trip and the Baathist Congress underway in Syria.

LEBANON WAS NOT DISCUSSED IN ANNAN-LEAHY MEETING: Asked about comments by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy that Syria was implicated in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the Spokesman said he was unaware of the source of the Senators information. The UNs focus, he added, was on the investigation of the murder being undertaken by the team led by

Detlev Mehlis. He also said Lebanon did not come up in yesterday's discussions between the Secretary-General and Leahy.

GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT HIV/AIDS WELCOMES AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS SUPPORT: The

Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today applauded the announcement by the Government of Australia that it will allocate AUS$50 million or about US$38.2 million in support of the Global Fund over the next three years. The Global Fund calls on all donor governments to follow the examples set by Australia and Canada, to at least double their pledges for 2005 and beyond.

WITHHOLDING FUNDS FOR THE UNITED NATIONS NOT SEEN AS WORKING: Asked about legislation being discussed in the U.S. Congress on withholding funds to the United Nations, the Spokesman said that the

Secretary-General has been clear that using withholding as a tool for reform does not work. He added that the United Nations would refrain from commenting on the legislation as Congress discusses the issue.

NO APPEAL LODGED YET BY DISMISSED U.N. OFFICIAL: Asked whether Joseph Stephanides, former Deputy Director of the Security Council Affairs Division, would appeal the decision to fire him, the Spokesman said that the United Nations expects an appeal, although one has not yet been filed. The United Nations would accommodate a request for an appeal, he said, adding that the appeal process would allow Stephanides to have a full hearing.

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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