United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-07-27

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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

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

SECURITY COUNCIL HEARS BRIEFING ON ZIMBABWE

The

Security Council held consultations to consider a request from the United Kingdom for a Security Council meeting to discuss the

report on the fact-finding mission by the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy on Human Settlement Issues in Zimbabwe, Anna Tibaijuka.

Those consultations were followed by a closed meeting on the same subject, at which Ms. Tibaijuka briefed on the report.

Asked about reports that Tibaijuka was under pressure to write the report in a particular way, the Spokesman said that her report is clear and complete about the situation on the ground and the humanitarian situation. The report speaks for itself, he said.

Asked whether Tibaijuka has spoken to President Robert Mugabe since the report came out, the Spokesman said he was not aware that any UN official had spoken to Mugabe since the Secretary-General called the President a few days ago.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO HOLD CONSULTATIONS ON GEORGIA

This afternoon, at 3:00, the Security Council will hold a closed meeting, followed by consultations, on

Georgia.

During the afternoon consultations, Council members will also consider the text of a draft Presidential Statement on the attacks that took place over the weekend in Sharm el-Shaikh, Egypt, with a view to holding a meeting afterward.

In this morning's consultations, a draft presidential statement on the killings of two Algerian diplomats in Iraq was introduced for consideration.

KILLINGS OF ALGERIAN ENVOYS CONDEMNED BY KOFI ANNAN

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in

comments to reporters today, condemned the senseless and brutal killing of two Algerian diplomats in Iraq.

He said that this kind of barbaric act should press us to define terrorism and come up with a comprehensive convention on terrorism.

UN FORCE COMMANDER ASSESSES SITUATION IN COTE DIVOIRE

The Force Commander of the

UN Mission in Cote dIvoire, Maj. Gen. Abdoulaye Fall, has visited Anyama and Agboville to assess the situation on the ground following the reports of attacks on those two towns. He was accompanied by the Chief of Staff of Cote dIvoires armed forces and the chief of the UN human rights section.

As a result of the visit, the Force Commander established that there was no evidence of significant combat operations between the Ivorian security forces and the alleged assailants, the mission reported. There was also no evidence of large-scale killings or illegal detentions of the civilian population, it said.

EAST TIMOR COMMISSION SAYS JUDICIAL STRENGTHENING IS NEEDED

A

report transmitted by the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the work done by a three-member Commission of Experts that reviewed the prosecution of serious crimes in what was then East Timor in 1999 recommends that Indonesia strengthen its judicial and prosecutorial capacity by receiving advice from a team of international judicial and legal experts, preferably from Asia.

The Commission further recommends that Indonesias Attorney Generals Office review its prosecutions and re-open some as may be appropriate.

If the recommendations are not implemented within six months from a date to be determined by the Secretary-General, the report adds, the Commission recommends that the Security Council adopt a resolution to create an ad hoc criminal tribunal for Timor-Leste. That tribunal would be located in a third state.

D. R. CONGO EXPERTS SAYS SANCTIONS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED

On the racks today is a

report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, recommending, among other things, that the existing sanctions regime be maintained until well into the post-electoral period.

The Group observes that inter-State cooperation in the Great Lakes region is one of the most powerful tools available to counter violations of the arms embargo, which has been in effect in the eastern DRC since July 2003, and

countrywide since April of this year.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY HELPS UZBEKS LEAVE KYRGYZSTAN

The

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Wednesday that it has started airlifting 455 Uzbek refugees from Jalal-Abad and Osh, in western Kyrgyzstan, to that countrys capital, Bishkek, pending a further humanitarian transfer.

UNHCR has called for the emergency resettlement of this group, over concerns for their safety and the sensitive asylum climate in Kyrgyzstan. UNHCR is currently discussing the next stage of the transfer from Bishkek with various countries but plans are still being finalized.

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME TO AUGMENT SUPPLIES TO NIGER

The World Food Programme (WFP)

announced today that it will be using a series of airlifts to deliver emergency rations to 80,000 victims of the current food crisis. This is in addition to supplies already being trucked to victims.

The first airplane will take off on Thursday morning from WFPs humanitarian response depot in Brindisi, Italy, and will take supplies to Nigers capital, Niamey. It will be followed by two more flights over the coming days.

Asked whether the WFP decision to airlift food was in response to criticism of the UNs handling of the food crisis, the Spokesman said it was not, adding that it was part of a ramping up of humanitarian assistance to Niger. He noted that the United Nations had flagged the food crisis early on, and had mobilized assistance with the resources it had on hand. More money was needed, he said, but now, additional funding was coming in.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL DISCUSS U.N. REFORM ON THURSDAY

The informal General Assembly consultations on the revised draft outcome document on UN reform for the September summit, which were to start this morning, have been re-scheduled to begin tomorrow morning, at 10:00.

Asked about accusations made by the Italian Ambassador to the United Nations that one Member State was using illegal means to influence voting on UN reform, the Spokesman said that Member States are currently involved in intense negotiations on UN reform. The Secretary-General urged all Member States to continue to engage in these discussions in a constructive manner.

UNITED NATIONS ADVISES CAUTION ON CIRCUMCISION FINDINGS

UN agencies are

calling for caution in response to findings that circumcision could be effective in reducing the risk of HIV infection among men.

Those findings were presented yesterday at an AIDS conference in Brazil. The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the UN Population Fund and the UN Childrens Fund says that more research is needed, and that even if the findings are confirmed, it will not mean that men will be able to prevent HIV infection through circumcision alone.

Noting that the study has already led to heightened interest in male circumcision in a number of African countries, UNAIDS stresses that Governments should ensure that the procedure is conducted safely by trained practitioners.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UNITED NATIONS IS WATCHING DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO D.P.R.K: Asked how the United Nations was following the situation concerning the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea after the departure of envoy Maurice Strong, the Spokesman said that the United Nations was monitoring developments through its Department for Political Affairs.

F.A.O. CONCERNED OVER DEPLETED FISH STOCKS IN MEDITERRANEAN: The UN Food and Agriculture Organization today

called on countries bordering the Mediterranean to continue to work together to rebuild depleted fish stocks. The FAO said previous cooperation has been effective, but added that it is concerned about overexploitation of some species.

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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