United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-08-09

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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

Tuesday, August 9, 2005

KOFI ANNAN IS ENCOURAGED BY LATEST ROUND OF KOREAN TALKS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is

pleased that the fourth round of the six-party talks on achieving denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula took place in Beijing in the spirit of mutual respect, and is encouraged that the participants were able to increase understanding and broaden the areas of consensus.

The Secretary-General would like to pay special tribute to China as host of the talks, for its dedication and tireless efforts to facilitate progress.

The Secretary-General urges the Governments concerned to use the time before the round is resumed in three weeks to identify ways to reconcile their needs and concerns.

NEW DONATIONS SOUGHT FOR NORTH KOREAN FOOD EMERGENCY

The World Food Programme (WFP) today

said new donations were urgently needed for its severely under-funded emergency operation in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

At present, WFP is unable to provide cereal rations to nearly one million North Koreans, mainly elderly people and poor urban residents. Without fresh pledges, that number will rise to more than three million by November.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES EXTENSION OF U.N. MISSION IN IRAQ

The

Security Council today is discussing

Iraq in its closed consultations. Council members heard from Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Tuliameni Kalomoh about the work of the UN Mission in Iraq.

The Secretary-General in a recent

letter recommended that the Council extend the mandate of that Mission, which expires this Friday, by another 12 months. A draft resolution on the extension of the Missions mandate was circulated in the Council today.

Meanwhile, in Baghdad today, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, met with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari, to discuss the constitution, UN support for elections and the current political situation.

ANNAN URGES RESTRAINT IN IRAN NUCLEAR ISSUE

The Secretary-General spoke yesterday to Irans new President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, about the Iranian nuclear program and the negotiations with the three European Union nations.

The Secretary-General urged restraint and encouraged the continuation of the ongoing process. He hopes both sides will remain engaged in the search for an acceptable solution.

This afternoon in Vienna, the

International Atomic Energy Agencys Board of Governors began a meeting to discuss the situation in Iran.

IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei today

told reporters in Vienna that he hopes that latest developments in Iran are simply a hiccup in the process and not a permanent rupture. He called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, desist from taking any unilateral actions and continue the negotiation process.

Asked whether the Iran case might be brought before the Security Council, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General hopes this issue will be resolved through negotiations between the three EU states and Iran. The United Nations remains focused on supporting that effort, he said.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals role in that effort, the Spokesman said that the three EU states remain in the lead, and the Secretary-General is supporting the process in whatever way he can.

Asked about U.S. threats not to grant a visa to President Ahmadinejad when he attends the General Assembly next month, the Spokesman said that the United Nations had neither heard from the United States that it would take such action, nor had it heard from Iran that it had any concerns about getting a visa for its Head of State.

UNITED NATIONS IS STRENGTHENING PROCUREMENT METHODS

Asked whether the United Nations is looking more closely at how its procurement office works, in light of the charges against former procurement officer Alexander Yakovlev, the Spokesman noted that the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) does not consider Yakovlevs case to be closed and continues to look into his activities.

He said that the U.S. National Institute of Governmental Purchasing has given some 47 recommendations on how to strengthen the UN procurement process, and OIOS will also make recommendations. Anything that the United Nations can do to strengthen oversight will be done, he added.

BLUE HELMETS IN HAITI FREE ANOTHER KIDNAP VICTIM

The UN Mission in Haiti

reports that its Blue Helmets have freed another kidnap victim in Port au Prince. This is the sixth time in recent weeks that UN troops have freed a kidnap victim.

The latest rescue came in a large operation which secured an area previously controlled by gangs. No shots were fired.

Asked about the UN Missions new approach in dealing with kidnapping, the Spokesman said it was part of a robust UN effort on the ground to bring security to the residents of Port au Prince.

U.N. EFFORTS IN NIGER CONTINUE DISPUTE LOW FUNDING

Of the $81 million that the United Nations requested for Niger, only $26 million has been received. And within the

appeal, funding for health and nutrition programs stands at just 4 percent.

Nevertheless, UN agencies are still working to surmount the food crisis in the country. The World Food Programme, for example, yesterday

handed out food in a village near the capital, Niamey, marking the start of large-scale distributions.

And the World Health Organization, which is concerned that malnutrition contributes to disease outbreaks, is

planning to ship eight cholera kits to Niger, which will be able to handle up to 800 severe cases of the disease.

For its part, the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) is

supporting the creation of cereal banks and helping to train health workers.

U.N. ENVOY AND IVORIAN PRESIDENT WORK TO AVOID OBSTACLES

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative in Cote dIvoire and Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo have agreed to a rapid communications system to avoid repetition of incidents, which the United Nations claimed hampered its work.

The United Nations had complained that its troops had been blocked by local armed forces repeatedly in recent weeks. The U.N. representative, Pierre Schori met with Gbagbo yesterday and agreed on ways to stop the blockades, including better communications.

MALARIA WARNING ISSUED FOR ETHIOPIA

In Ethiopia, a sharp increase in the number of reported malaria cases has prompted the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to

warn that the country may be inadequately equipped to confront an epidemic in 2005.

The World Health Organization (WHO), together with Ethiopias Ministry of Health, is currently assessing areas at risk, and the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) is planning to help WHO and the Ethiopian Government to distribute the malaria treatments that are currently in the country.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNAN HOPES STATES AGREE ON SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM: Asked about the Secretary-Generals views on Security Council reform, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General hopes that Member States can agree on reforms by the time of the World Summit next month. He said that the reform discussions were a membership-led process which was led by the General Assembly President, with the Secretary-General assisting and making himself available to Member States.

ANNAN SENDS MESSAGE TO LANDLOCKED COUNTRY MEETING: The Secretary-General today

sent a message of encouragement to ministers from landlocked and developing countries meeting in Asuncion, Paraguay. In the message, delivered by Under-Secretary-General Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Kofi Annan said the work of group was important in helping landlocked and developing countries, and in achieving the worldwide Millennium Development Goals He said their meeting would strengthen their collective voice and draw international attention to the special needs of their countries.

BENON SEVAN TO RECEIVE PENSION: Asked whether the United Nations could prevent the former head of the

Oil-for-Food programme Benon Sevan from receiving his UN pension, the Spokesman said it could not, noting that the UN Administrative Tribunal has made it clear that the United Nations cannot withhold pensions from staff members.

U.N. MISSION TO HELP HOUSE DISPLACED SERBS IN KOSOVO: During a visit yesterday to Plementina, a camp for displaced Serbs that lies close to Kosovos capital, Pristina, the Secretary-Generals Principal Deputy Special Representative in Kosovo, Larry Rossin,

announced that the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) would commit 200,000 for the construction of housing facilities there. That sum matches a similar contribution by Kosovos Provisional Institutions for Self-Government.

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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