United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-06-24

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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

Friday, June 24, 2005

ANNAN WELCOMES AID-SHARING AGREEMENT IN SRI LANKA

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is pleased that today, the Sri Lanka Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure, a joint tsunami aid sharing mechanism that will allow for the distribution of relief funds to all affected areas in Sri Lanka.

He believes that this is an important day for the many tsunami-affected families and communities in the country, according to a statement issued through his Spokesman.

He would like to express his appreciation for the leadership shown by President Kumaratunga in achieving this result, and the joint commitment of the parties to the rebuilding of the devastated areas. They have done the right thing in placing peoples needs first. He welcomes the inclusion of the Muslim minority in the committees that will administer the funds.

The Secretary-general hopes the agreement will help place Sri Lanka on the road to full recovery from this unparalleled tragedy.

ANNAN TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL OF URGENT NEED

FOR DONOR SUPPORT FOR SUDAN

As a follow up to his visit to Sudan, the Secretary-General today is sending a letter to the

Security Council calling their attention to the urgent need for additional donor support for Sudan.

The outstanding needs for the remainder of the year, he will tell them, are expected to exceed $1 billion and unless the gaps are covered quickly, he will say, he is very concerned that grave humanitarian consequences will follow and the long awaited peace in Sudan may be threatened.

SECURITY COUNCIL HEARS OF CONSEQUENCE

OF VIOLENCE ON AFGHAN ELECTIONS

Recent months in Afghanistan have been marked by negative developments in the security situation, including violent attacks by extremists,

Jean Arnault, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for that country, told the Security Council today.

Arnault drew the Councils attention to the consequences a climate of violence would have on the countrys political transition and the legislative elections to be held this September. Arnault also noted progress on the electoral front, including a generally calm process of nominations for candidates last month.

Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the

UN Office on Drugs and Crime, also spoke to the Council, saying that his Office estimates that opium cultivation in Afghanistan will decline this year. But that drop has been uneven nationwide, he added. We have both speeches upstairs.

The Security Council followed its open meeting on Afghanistan with consultations on the same topic.

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF UN OPERATION IN COTE DIVOIRE;

AGREES TO RELEASE OVER $220 MILLION FOR IRAQ

The Security Council began its work this morning by unanimously adopting

a resolution extending the mandate of the UN Operation in Cote dIvoire and the French forces in that country by seven months, until 24 January. The Council also authorized an increase in the UN Missions military component of up to 850 additional personnel, as well as an increase of up to 725 civilian police and additional civilian personnel.

Council members also accepted a proposal, made earlier this week in a letter from the Secretary-General, to free up from the

UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commissions escrow account more than $220 million. Of that amount, $200 million is to go into the Development Fund for Iraq, and more than $20 million is to be used by Iraq to pay its arrears to the United Nations.

ANNAN WILL MEET COTE DIVOIRES PRESIDENT TODAY

The Secretary-General is scheduled to meet with President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote dIvoire at UN headquarters at 3:30 today.

President Gbagbo is expected to meet with the press afterwards.

SENIOR U.N. REFUGEE OFFICIAL TO VISIT KYRGYZSTAN

TO HELP UZBEK ASYLUM SEEKERS

Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees, Kamel Morjane, is scheduled to leave tomorrow (Saturday 25 June) for Kyrgyzstan to seek a suitable solution for some 450 Uzbek asylum seekers whose fate remains uncertain.

This week, the Office of the

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it has had to redouble efforts to prevent their forcible return. We are especially concerned for 29 of the asylum seekers who are being kept in detention in Osh, away from the rest of the group, and who are under imminent threat of being sent back to Uzbekistan.

Morjane is expected to remain in Kyrgyzstan for three days and he will meet with Kyrgyz officials to find an acceptable solution for this worrisome situation.

Under the 1951 Refugee Convention, of which Kyrgyzstan is a signatory, it is forbidden to forcibly return asylum seekers to their country of origin.

The Secretary-General issued a

statement two days ago appealing to the Government of Kyrgyzstan to strictly abide by its international obligations in the treatment of asylum seekers and urging the Government of Uzbekistan to refrain from any action aimed at ensuring forcible return of Uzbek asylum seekers to their country.

ANNAN SADDENED AT DEATH OF FORMER DEPUTY ENVOY TO ERITREA/ETHIOPIA

The

Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Ms. Sissel Ekaas, former Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the

United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).

Ms. Ekaas passed away in her home country of Norway as a result of serious illness. Before her laudable service with UNMEE, Ms. Ekaas had a distinguished career in the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Development Programme, as well as her countrys Government.

The Secretary-General extends his profound condolences to Ms. Sissel Ekaas family. She is warmly remembered by colleagues in the UN family, and she will be deeply missed.

LIBERIA MAKES ENCOURAGING PROGRESS IN PAST THREE MONTHS

The Secretary-General says that Liberia has made encouraging progress over the past three months, including its successful voter registration exercise and gains in strengthening the police force.

But there are still significant challenges that need to be addressed urgently, including dealing with disruptions by ex-combatants who are resorting to violence,

he says in a report to the Security Council.

He says that the remaining six months of the transition period are most important for laying the foundations for a peaceful and democratic Liberia. Any efforts to disrupt the electoral process should be expeditiously addressed.

He also recommends that the Security Council give favorable consideration to the authorization of an additional formed police unit of 120 officers, for an interim period of six months.

U.N. ENVOY TO VISIT CAMEROON, NIGERIA

FOLLOWING INCIDENTS ON BAKASSI PENINSULA

The Chairman of the

CameroonNigeria Mixed Commission,

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, issued a statement today, in which he condemned the recent incidents on the Bakassi Peninsula, which resulted in the death of one Cameroonian soldier and the wounding of another.

Urging an immediate return to calm, he said he trusted that Nigeria would conduct an investigation into the matter.

He also announced that he would visit the Nigerian and Cameroonian capitals over the weekend to find out more about what happened.

UNICEF APPEALS FOR $3 MILLION FOR ZIMBABWE

The UN Childrens Fund, or

UNICEF, has urgently appealed for nearly three million dollars, to continue its assistance to the children and women affected by Operation Restore Order. Saying that it is virtually impossible to reach everyone involved, the agency has also expressed concern that large numbers of children are now out of school.

Currently, UNICEF is providing more than 25,000 litres of water each day to the displaced. It has also handed out blankets, cooking pots, plastic sheeting and toys. In addition, the agency has been working to improve sanitation facilities, provide psychosocial support, and reunite displaced children with their families.

NEW REFUGEE AGENCY CHIEF TO MAKE FIRST VISIT TO U.N. HEADQUARTERS

The new

UN High Commissioner for Refugees,

Antonio Guterres, will be in New York from Monday to Wednesday, on his first visit to see the Secretary-General since his recent appointment.

In addition to briefing the Secretary-General on his recent visit to Uganda, he will address the opening session of the high-level Economic and Social Council meeting on Wednesday.

Guterres is expected to talk to reporters at 12:15 p.m. Monday at UN headquarters.

ANNAN WANTS MORE OPEN INTERACTION BETWEEN

MEMBER STATES AND NON-STATE ACTORS

The Secretary-General intends to speak this afternoon before the

General Assemblys informal hearings with civil society, and to tell them his hope that the hearings that have taken place yesterday and today herald a more open interaction between Member States and non-state actors.

He is expected to talk about the broad range of themes that have been brought forward by non-governmental organizations.

U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO SITES THEY NEED TO VISIT

In response to questions asked on Thursday about the question of access to Guantanamo Bay and other sites for several independent human rights experts of the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Spokeswoman said that this is an initiative taken by the independent experts.

The Secretary-General is concerned that human rights be applied universally and uniformly, she said. He hopes this matter can be resolved to allow the experts full access to wherever they need to go.

Asked about further support from the Secretary-General, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General just returned to New York from a recent trip and is learning more about what has transpired.

other announcements

UN HIRES NEW ENGINEERING CONTRACTOR: Asked about the effect of a change in the contractor for UN television services on those services, the Spokeswoman said that the Department of Public Information has given assurances that there will be no disruption in television services, and that the transition to a new contractor next month will proceed smoothly. She said that the new contractor was selected as a result of competitive bidding. Asked whether some of the previous staff would not be retained, the Spokeswoman said that those staff are hired by the contractor, and they are not UN staff members. Their hiring is a matter to be resolved between the contractor and their union.

UNHCR ASKS PANAMA TO GRANT REFUGEE STATUS TO COLOMBIANS: The

UN High Commissioner for Refugees has called on the Panamanian government to grant refugee status to more than 800 Colombians who have been living in the country under a precarious temporary status for over six years. Refugee status would enable them to integrate in legal and economic terms.

JEAN-MARIE GUEHENNO TO RETURN FROM HAITI THIS WEEKEND: Under-Secretary-General for

Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, will finish his trip to

Haiti over the weekend. Before departure, he will travel to Cap Haitien and meet with the UN Missions civilian, military and police leadership there. During his visit, Mr. Guéhenno met with government officials including the President and Prime Minister of the Transitional National Government, as well as with members of civil society, including key religious and NGO leaders.

F.A.O. urges increased vigilance FOR Desert LocustS in West Africaand Sudan: Survey operations should be intensified in Sudan and neighbouring Eritrea, since several locust swarms moved east across Sudan from Darfur towards the border with Eritrea in mid-June, according to the latest

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) desert locust update. To prevent a repetition of last year's disaster, intensive survey operations should be immediately launched in Mali, Niger and Chad, continued in Mauritania and maintained in all of those countries during the summer breeding season, the update

said.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Sunday, June 26

Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Shashi Tharoor will represent the Secretary-General at the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations in San Francisco.

Monday, June 27

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, the Department of Public Information has organized a commemoration of the signing of the United Nations Charter. The event will start at 9:30 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall, and the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General will speak.

The General Assembly will hold a High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development today and Tuesday. The Secretary-General will deliver the opening statement at 10:00 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall.

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on the UN Mission in Liberia.

The Executive Director of the UNs Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), Javier Rupérez, is leading a group of counter-terrorism experts on a five-day visit to Thailand, from today through Friday.

From 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the ECOSOC Chamber, there will be a Millennium Development Goals side event on Innovative Sources of Financing.

Tuesday, June 28

At 3:00 p.m., a press briefing by commissioners of the European Union has been scheduled.

Wednesday, June 29

The Security Council has scheduled an open briefing, followed by a private meeting, on Sudan and the International Criminal Court. It has also scheduled consultations on the UN Mission in Sudan.

The guest at the noon briefing will be Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Jose Antonio Ocampo.

Thursday, June 30

The Security Council has scheduled an open briefing on the work of the World Food Programme.

Friday, July 1

Greece takes over the rotating Presidency of the Security Council from France.

The guest at the noon briefing will be the registrar for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Adama Dieng.

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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