United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-09-09

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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

Friday, September 9, 2005

[Secretary-General Kofi Annan plans to hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. Monday.

There will be no noon briefing that day.]

WORK CONTINUES ON GENERAL ASSEMBLY SUMMIT DOCUMENT

Discussions are continuing in the

General Assembly on the draft outcome

document on UN reform or the 2005 World Summit.

The core negotiating group met throughout the day yesterday, and is scheduled to meet this morning and this afternoon.

Negotiations may continue during the weekend.

There is a possibility of a press briefing by General Assembly President

Jean Ping over the weekend.

UNITED NATIONS TO FOLLOW UP VOLCKER REPORT PROCUREMENT FINDINGS

The Department of Management has asked the

Office of Internal Oversight Services to follow up on the findings of the

Independent Inquiry Committees

report, which relate to procurement, to see if any action needs to be taken.

Asked about measures the United Nations is taking against those found in the latest report of the Independent Inquiry Committee (IIC) to have committed wrong-doing, the Spokesman said those found responsible will be held accountable.

He pointed out that the UN Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has been asked to follow up on the IICs findings and as a first step, will look in to the UNs procurement activities.

The Spokesman noted that the UN does not have the authority to prosecute criminal matters, which are the responsibility of national judicial authorities. He added that national authorities have received copies of the IIC report, and if charges are filed against any U.N. employee their immunity can be waived.

Asked about the extent of OIOSs powers, the Spokesman said OIOS investigates cases and if it finds that there has been an administrative violation of UN staff rules, then those responsible are charged against staff rules. If criminal activity is found to have taken place, then the case is forwarded to national criminal authorities for prosecution.

Asked if the United Nations was taking any measures to deal with the fact that there were, according to the IICs report, at least $79 million worth in contracts that were involved in bribery cases that were currently proceeding in criminal investigations, the Spokesman said that the UN was in contact with the U.S. Attorneys office and that the United Nations would not knowingly employ contractors that were involved in criminal activities. That matter would in fact be looked into through the upcoming OIOS procurement investigation.

Asked if the United Nations was currently transferring any money to Benon Sevan through any means, the Spokesman said he was not aware of any such transactions.

He did note, however, that Sevan was still entitled to his UN pension. In past cases where the United Nations had tried to withhold pension from former employees facing criminal charges, the UN tribunal had made it clear that UN employees could not be denied their pensions, Dujarric added.

Fielding a question about todays comments by U.S. Senator Norm Coleman, the Spokesman said the United Nations was happy that Coleman had come to the United Nations. Dujarric added that he knew of no planned meeting between the Secretary-General and Coleman, but that Coleman would be meeting with other UN officials.

Asked to respond to Colemans calls for the Secretary-General to resign, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General still enjoyed the solid backing of the Member States, which was demonstrated at last Wednesdays Security Council meeting.

Asked about the ability of the IICs chairman, Paul Volcker, to testify before the U.S. Congress, the Spokesman said the United Nations had not yet received any such invitation for Volcker to appear before the U.S. Congress.

In response to a question about Volckers diplomatic immunity, the Spokesman noted that only the Secretary-General can lift a UN staff members immunity and that is the case with all UN employees. He added that the IIC was formed under a UN Security Council mandate and that afforded its members the rights and privileges provided for under the relevant UN convention.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals reaction to the IIC report, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General has accepted the IICs reports criticisms of him, and that the Secretary-General had received the full backing of all 15 members of the Security Council to move ahead on the UN reform process.

Asked about references in the Volcker report that UN staffers had contact with outside contractors apparently in violation of UN regulations, the Spokesman said that the OIOS had been asked to look into the findings in regards to procurement.

Asked if the Secretary-General still had full confidence in his personal assistant, Wagaye Assebe, the Spokesman said he did.

Asked why a letter from the Secretary General to all staff about the Oil-For-Food report was not sent to journalists, the Spokesman said the Secretary-Generals target audience was the staff, and it was a matter between the Secretary General and his staff.

ANNAN MET WITH HEAD OF HARIRI BOMBING INVESTIGATION

Responding to a question on the Secretary-Generals meeting yesterday with Detlev Mehlis, head of the investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General and Mehlis had taken stock of the investigation so far.

The Spokesman added that the Secretary-General would be writing to the Security Council to ask for a 40-day extension for Mehliss investigation.

FUNDING SHORTAGES THREATEN HUNGER IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

The World Food Programme (WFP) today

warned that 430,000 vulnerable people in Mozambique would go hungry unless the international community immediately donated $19 million. Currently, WFP is reaching just over one third of that targeted population.

Across the region, WFP still needs nearly $200 million to feed up to 8.5 million people in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Zambia through the next lean season, which will probably run from December to next April.

Meanwhile,

Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, noted yesterday that the UNs $88 million appeal for Malawi, which was issued last week, has received zero pledges so far.

These developments come despite the Secretary-Generals letter on southern Africa, which he sent last month to 27 Heads of State, the European Commission and the African Development Bank, and which drew attention to the need for urgent funding to avert a catastrophe.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSES ERITREA AND ETHIOPIA

The

Security Council held consultations on Eritrea and Ethiopia today.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for those two countries, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, briefed on the latest report, which was issued this week.

The Council is also expected to discuss preparations for next weeks Security Council summit, scheduled for the 14th.

NEW COMMANDER APPOINTED FOR U.N. WESTERN SAHARA FORCE

The

Secretary-General has informed the

Security Council of his intention to appoint Brigadier-General Kurt Mosgaard of Denmark to the post of Force Commander for the

UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. The Security Council is expected to respond shortly.

The Brigadier-General has been on active service for 30 years, and this experience includes a previous stint with a UN peacekeeping mission.

TOP REFUGEE OFFICIAL CALLS FOR ACTION TO STOP SOMALIA REFUGEE DEATHS

Citing a steadily rising death toll,

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

António Guterres called Friday for an urgent international effort to stem the flow of desperate people who are resorting to ruthless smugglers to take them from Somalia across the Gulf of Aden in unsafe vessels.

At least 150 people have died in the Gulf of Aden over the past three weeks, including 25 reported dead on Friday off the coast of Yemen, says UNHCR.

ISRAELI, PALESTINIAN UNESCO UNITS MEET IN PARIS

The

UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, today

reported that the Israeli and Palestinian National Commissions for UNESCO held their first, ever, meeting yesterday in Paris.

The meeting was aimed at implementing reconstruction plans in the Palestinian territories and encouraging reconciliation through dialogue, UNESCO said.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS WOMENS RIGHTS KEY TO MDGS: Deputy-Secretary-General

Louise Fréchette today said that promoting womens rights and gender equality is not only a goal in itself, but also central to achieving all of the Millennium Development goals. In remarks delivered at a meeting of Women Speakers of Parliaments in New York, Fréchette said, there is no time to lose if we are to reach the Millennium Development Goals by the target date of 2015. Only by investing in the worlds women can we expect to get there.

SECRETARY GENERAL URGES PROTECTION FOR GREAT APES: The Secretary-General today said urged all countries with great ape populations to consolidate progress in protecting the dwindling number of the ape species. In a message to a meeting of the Great Apes Survival Project in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Secretary-General said that the numbers of great apes had been reduced to about 400,000 from 2 million fifty years ago. But he said recent conservation moves had showed signs of hope. The Secretary-General said the great apes still have a chance but their fate lies entirely in our hands.

U.S. ATTORNEYS OFFICE HAS LEAD INTO KUZNETSOV INVESTIGATION: Asked about the investigations into the activities of Vladimir Kuznetsov, the chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions who was arrested by U.S. officials in connection with the investigation of a former procurement officer accused of soliciting kickbacks the Spokesman said the U.S. Attorneys office had the lead in the investigation.