United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-06-23

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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

Thursday, June 23, 2005

MIDDLE EAST QUARTET REAFFIRMS SUPPORT

FOR ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Early Thursday morning, Secretary-General Kofi Annan joined other members of the

Middle East

Quartet for a meeting at the American Ambassadors residence in London.

Also joining the meeting were: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov; Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean Hasselborn, representing the European Union (EU) Presidency; EU High Representative for a Common and Foreign Policy Javier Solana and European Commission External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner; Quartet Special Envoy James Wolfensohn and U.S. Security Coordinator Lt. Gen. William Ward.

The Quartet in a joint statement reaffirmed its support for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the Northern West Bank and reiterated that this moment of optimism should not be missed to revitalize the

Roadmap.

It encouraged Palestinians and Israelis to take full advantage of this opportunity and to work cooperatively and directly with each other. It urged both Israelis and Palestinians to avoid any escalation of violence so that the withdrawal can take place peacefully.

Quartet members also reiterated their full support for Wolfensohns efforts to strengthen the overall capacity of the Palestinian Authority. It also urged Israel to take immediate steps to relieve the economic hardship of the Palestinian people.

The members of the Quartet said they would convene again before the withdrawals.

UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED NOT TO LET IRAQ DOWN

In

remarks to the press in Brussels yesterday, the Secretary-General said the Iraqi government and the international community have promised to each other to be full partners in the emergence of a new

Iraq.

Within that partnership, the Secretary-General said, the United Nations was acutely aware of its responsibilities. He told journalists that UN personnel are today hard at work, both inside and outside Iraq, assisting in constitution-making, coordinating humanitarian and development aid, and supporting institution-building,

The people of Iraq, he said in closing, have many friends, and we are determined not to let them down.

COTE DIVOIRE: ANNAN TO APPOINT ENVOY

TO ENSURE CREDIBILITY OF OCTOBER ELECTIONS

The Secretary-General, in his latest

report to the Security Council on

Cote dIvoire, warns of protracted and dangerous delays in implementing key provisions of the Pretoria Agreement dealing with that countrys peace process. Only limited progress has been made in implementing that agreement in the past three months.

The Secretary-General says that the United Nations will support the electoral process by providing technical support, and that he intends to appoint shortly a High Representative to ensure the credibility of the elections, currently scheduled for the end of October.

Meanwhile, he warns, widespread human rights abuses are continuing in the north and the south of the country, with few steps being taken to combat the prevailing climate of impunity.

SECURITY COUNCIL TAKES UP GUINEA-BISSAU AND COTE D'IVOIRE

The Security Council today held consultations on

Guinea-Bissau and Cote dIvoire.

On Guinea-Bissau, Council members received a briefing from Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Tuliameni Kalomoh, on the elections that took place there over the weekend.

The Security Council then discussed Cote dIvoire, on which it was briefed by Pierre Schori, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for that country. Schori spoke to reporters after consultations.

HAITI: U.N. PEACEKEEPER SHOT IN CHEST BY UNKNOWN GUNMEN

In

Haiti yesterday afternoon, a Brazilian peacekeeper was shot in the chest by unknown gunmen during a routine patrol in the Cite Soleil area of Port au Prince. He was first treated at the Argentine hospital, and subsequently underwent surgery in the Dominican Republic, where his condition is reported to be stable.

On the same day, Brazilian peacekeepers in the Bel Air district assisted in the rescue of a Haitian customs officer who had been kidnapped two days earlier.

Meanwhile, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean Marie Guéhenno, continues his visit to Haiti where he will meet with UN mission leadership as well as members of the Transitional Government.

Asked whether the Security Council may send another mission to Haiti before elections there, the Spokeswoman said that decision was up to the Council, but noted that it had not scheduled any missions outside of New York for next month.

ANNAN CONCERNED BY FATE OF UZBEK ASYLUM SEEKERS IN KYRGYZSTAN

In a

statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General said he was seriously concerned about the fate of Uzbek asylum seekers in Kyrgyzstan and, in particular, reports about their possible forced deportation to Uzbekistan. Such a decision would contradict the commitments currently given to the Secretary-General by the Kyrgyz authorities and would constitute the violation of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention to which Kyrgyzstan is a signatory.

The Secretary-General yesterday received assurances that no decisions will be made on returning asylum seekers until this has been reviewed at the highest levels by the Government of Kyrgyzstan.

The Secretary-General appeals to the Government of Kyrgyzstan to strictly abide by its international obligations in the treatment of asylum seekers and urges the Government of Uzbekistan to refrain from any action aimed at ensuring forcible return of Uzbek asylum seekers to their country.

AFGHANISTAN: U.N. MISSION CONDEMNS ATTACK ON ELECTORAL CONVOY

The

UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan today

condemned an attack that took place against an electoral convoy two days ago, which resulted in the death of one person and the wounding of another. The attack occurred in Kandahar province as the convoy was transporting electoral materials to Helmand.

The UN Mission condemns any violence that undermines the electoral process, and especially that which harms individuals working for or supporting the elections. Anyone disrupting Septembers parliamentary and provincial council elections is working against the interests of the Afghan people.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES

MEETING BETWEEN GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND CIVIL SOCIETY

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette today spoke at the General Assemblys hearing with civil society representatives, calling the event a significant new step in the way the United Nations relates to civil society.

She noted that, through a decision of the General Assembly, time has been reserved in its formal deliberative process to bring in the views of civil society in an organized fashion. She said she hopes that the format will be used again, as part of the Assemblys efforts to open up and interact much more with non-state actors.

The Deputy Secretary-General also discussed the

UN reform effort, saying we are entering the must crucial phase of the reform process for this year.

SIERRA LEONE: SPECIAL COURT CANT COMPLETE TRIALS

AS LONG AS TWO SUSPECTS REMAIN AT LARGE

The

Special Court for Sierra Leone says that it is not possible to determine when all its trials can be completed as long as two of the accused Charles Taylor and Johnny Paul Koroma remain at large.

In a

report to the Security Council, transmitted by the Secretary-General, it notes that Taylor has been afforded asylum in Nigeria, while Koromas whereabouts are unknown.

Meanwhile, the Court says that it requires a clear fund-raising strategy in order to secure stabilized funding for next year and onwards. It adds that the conduct of its work is highly dependent on the security situation in Sierra Leone.

TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORT HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARY

BUT JOB AHEAD STILL DAUNTING, CLINTON SAYS

It was almost six months ago that the Indian Ocean

tsunami devastated communities in Asia. But while the immediate relief effort has been extraordinary, the job ahead remains daunting. That is what former U.S. President Bill Clinton

said at a press conference in Geneva yesterday.

Speaking as the UNs Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, he noted that remaining challenges include how to quickly restore livelihoods, where to rebuild housing, and what are the priorities now that the relief phase is over.

So far, the World Food Programme has managed to bring food aid to 2 million people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) has been providing daily drinking water to more than a million survivors.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has supplied health kits for nearly 2 million people, and the UN Development Programme, the International Labour Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization are helping fishermen and farmers to rebuild their businesses.

HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS REGRET U.S. DENIAL OF REQUEST TO VISIT DETAINEES

IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN AND GUANTANAMO

Four independent experts of the UN Commission on Human Rights issued a

statement today saying that, a year after it first requested access to visit detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba, they deeply regret that the Government of the United States has still not invited them to visit the detainees.

Due to the seriousness of the allegations made about the detainees conditions and the lack of cooperation, the experts say they will jointly conduct an investigation based on all credible sources regarding the situation of the detainees in Guantanamo Bay.

In the meantime, should the Government of the United States extend an invitation to visit Guantanamo Bay, they would welcome this development and would incorporate the findings from their mission into their investigations.

In response to questions about the experts statement, the Spokeswoman noted that the four experts are the rapporteurs on the independence of judges and lawyers; on the right to health; on torture and on arbitrary detention. They are independent experts, who speak in their own capacity and report to the Commission on Human Rights.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

INTERNAL WATCHDOG HAS BEGUN TO INVESTIGATE U.N. PROCUREMENT OFFICER: In response to questions about former procurement officer

Alexander Yakovlev, the Spokeswoman said that an investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) began into his case last week, and she declined to comment further while the investigation proceeds.

U.N.D.P. DENIES PAYING KICKBACKS TO IRAQ: Asked about allegations that the UN Development Programme (UNDP) had encouraged the payment of kickbacks to the Iraqi Government, the Spokesman said that UNDP categorically denied that it had done any such thing.

MINE ACTION SERVICE GETS NEWS DIRECTOR: The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is pleased to announce the appointment of Modibo Touré of Mali as the new Director of the

UN Mine Action Service. Mr. Touré, who served most recently as Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia, is replacing Martin Barber, who retires at the end of July.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY HEARINGS CLOSED: Asked why General Assembly hearings on reform were closed, the Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly explained that had been because of a decision by the General Assembly.

GERMANY PAYS UNITED NATIONS DUES: Germany became the 84th Member State to pay its regular budget dues in full for the year, following a payment of more than $77 million.

CRIME HAMPERING DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, today

launched a study on crime and development in Africa, at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC. The

report shows that Africa has a very serious crime problem, which may be interfering with the continents development. It also notes that Africa has become a transit area for international drug traffickers, who have contributed to the development of cocaine and heroin problems in some urban areas.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS COULD BE HELPFUL BUT MUST BE MONITORED: Genetically modified (GM) foods can help enhance human health and development, according to a new report

released today by the World Health Organization. At the same time, however, the

report notes that potential human health effects should always be assessed before GM foods are grown and marketed, and that long-term monitoring must be carried out to catch any possible adverse effects as soon as possible.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY MARKS PUBLIC SERVICE DAY: Today is United Nations Public Service Day. At a brief ceremony this morning, United Nations Public Service Awards were presented to eight winners by General Assembly President Jean Ping and Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, José Antonio Ocampo. The winners are from Canada, India, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, and Singapore.

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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