United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-04-11

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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, April 11, 2006

ANNAN CONDEMNS FIGHTING IN CHAD-SUDAN BORDER REGION

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is

deeply concerned by the recent intensification of fighting along Chads eastern border with Sudans Darfur region and the extension of the armed confrontations to the southern borders with the Central African Republic.

He observes that the increased violence is heightening political tensions in Chad and that its spill over effect is undermining international efforts to contribute to the stabilization of the situations in neighbouring Darfur and the Central African Republic.

He strongly condemns the attacks against refugee camps in southern Chad and stresses the need to respect the safety and dignity of refugees and internally displaced persons.

The Secretary-General also firmly condemns the killing in northern Central African Republic of two doctors on a mission supported by the United Nations system to deliver vital medical assistance to thousands of civilians trapped by the worsening violence in that part of the country. He calls on the authorities for swift action to bring those responsible for the killings to justice.

According to the Office of the

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, a large armed group entered a UNHCR-run camp in eastern Chad, housing refugees from Darfur yesterday afternoon during a food distribution. More than 100 staff from various aid groups, including three staff from UNHCR, were unable to leave the camp yesterday evening. The situation in the camp last night and early this morning was reported as calm and humanitarian workers who had overnighted in the camp, were able to leave the camp.

Asked whether the Secretary-Generals statement was calling for a UN peacekeeping force in Chad, the Spokesman said no, that the statement was, at this point, an expression of the Secretary-Generals concern of the deteriorating situation. The Secretary-General felt that bringing peace to Darfur would stabilize the region, he added.

SECURITY COUNCIL DEMANDS AGREEMENT BY APRIL 30 TO END DARFUR CONFLICT

The

Security Council President read out a presidential

statement covering various aspects of the situation in Darfur. For example, the Security Council demanded that all parties make the necessary make the necessary efforts to reach an agreement by the April 30th deadline for reaching an agreement on ending the conflict in Darfur.

Meanwhile, out as a document today is the Secretary-Generals monthly

report on Darfur. In it, he notes that the international community has a critical role to pay during this make-or-break period.

Also on Darfur, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi Annabi has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for consultations with officials of the African Union (AU) and relevant UN offices on matters related to the possible transition to a United Nations operation in Darfur.

On another Darfur-related matter, the African Unions chief mediator for the Darfur peace talks, Salim Ahmed Salim, is now scheduled to brief the Security Council on Tuesday, April 18.

Asked why the African Unions negotiator for the Darfur peace talks, Salim Ahmed Salim, had been delayed, the Spokesman advised the reporter to seek an answer from the African Union.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES U.N. MISSION IN ETHIOPIA & ERITREA

In addition to adopting the Presidential Statement on Sudan, the Security Council this morning held consultations on the

UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as other matters.

ANNAN NAMES NEW ENVOY FOR CÔTE DIVOIRE ELECTIONS

The Secretary-General has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Mr. Gérard Stoudmann of Switzerland as his High Representative for the Elections in Côte dIvoire.

Stoudmann will replace Mr. Antonio Monteiro of Portugal who relinquished his post in mid-March.

NEPAL: EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE IS DEPLORED

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal has

deplored the excessive use of force by security forces in that country over the last week of public protests.

The Offices monitoring teams have observed police officers firing rubber bullets into crowds and sometimes aiming their batons at peaceful protestors heads, causing serious injury. Women and children have been among the many victims.

GAZA CLOSURE COULD LEAD TO A FOOD CRISIS

John Ging, Director of

UNRWA Operations in Gaza, warned today about the continuing closure of the Karni crossing from Israel into Gaza. Continuing the closure could lead to a food crisis in Gaza where some 765,000 refugees depend on UNRWAs food distribution of flour, oil, sugar and other basic items.

Ging stated that the clock is now ticking and distribution will have to be shut down entirely for the second time in less than a month if the crossing does not open immediately.

Asked to comment on a media report that the United Nations has advised its agencies to avoid meeting with Hamas political leaders, the Spokesman said that working contacts between UN officials and the new Palestinian Government would continue, to ensure the continuation of the UNs program of assistance in the occupied Palestinian territories. The issue of political contacts will be dealt with as it arises, the Spokesman added. He refused, however, to speculate on how such issues might arise.

Pressed for examples of working contacts, the Spokesman referred, as an example, to recent bird flu-related interactions between World Health Organization and Palestinian officials.

Asked about contacts between UN officials and the Palestinian Observer Mission, the Spokesman said that such contacts did exist, as they did between the UN and all Permanent Missions. Asked whether those contacts were considered political or working-level, the Spokesman said they were diplomatic.

When a reporter suggested that the Spokesman was contradicting the media report, which said the United Nations had advised its officials to avoid meeting Hamas officials, the Spokesman pointed out that the reporter was quoting an unnamed official, whereas he was offering the Secretary-Generals official position.

Asked how the UN position could not be seen as a punishment to the Palestinian people for electing the Hamas-run government, the Spokesman reiterated that humanitarian aid and services would continue.

Asked why staff from UN agencies would be advised to avoid Hamas officials, as the media report said, since such officials were not involved in political matters to begin with, the Spokesman said he had not seen the media report, but that working contacts for all UN officials will continue.

When a reporter asked if the United Nations was reducing its relations with the Palestinian Government to a working one only, and suggested that this reflected a change from past practices with the pre-Hamas Government, the Spokesman said that the situation was different than before the election.

Asked if this was therefore a new UN position, the Spokesman said that one must look at the political picture and noted that the Secretary-General, along with the Quartet, had not changed his position on the call to the Palestinian Government to recognize Israel, adopt a policy of non-violence, and accept previous agreements, including the Road Map.

Asked if there was then a contradiction between the Secretary-Generals position and his desire for the Palestinian peoples democratic choice to be respected, the Spokesman said there was no contradiction in his eyes. The Spokesman added that the Secretary-General had been working the phones with the Quartet, as he felt the Quartet should meet to discuss the broader political issues.

Asked when this new UN position had been instituted, the Spokesman said that the position had been evolving since the election of the Hamas Government. Pressed as to the date when this new position had filtered down from the Secretary-General to other UN officials, the Spokesman said he was not aware of any specific circular or order. He added that there had been much confusion among UN officials on the ground as to what sort of contacts, and at which level, they could have with the Hamas Government.

Asked for an example of a political interaction between UN and Palestinian officials that would no longer be allowed, the Spokesman said he was not saying that such interactions were no longer allowed. In general, political interactions, involved senior-level meetings not having to do with humanitarian or development assistance, he added.

Asked about the procedure concerning UN aid officials being invited to Hamas receptions, the Spokesman said he had no guidance on social contacts.

Asked if it would not be better to have a clear policy towards Hamas, as opposed to something that was as confusing as the just-articulated one, the Spokesman said that what was clear was that people who needed humanitarian assistance should not be punished.

Asked if Alvaro de Soto, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, would now have to check with the Secretary-General before speaking to any Palestinian minister, the Spokesman replied that it was not an issue of getting a permission slip from the Secretary-General. De Soto represented the Secretary-General, and one would hope that the Secretary-Generals representatives would not do anything that the Secretary-General did not want them to. As a UN official, de Soto was free to meet with whomever he chose. However, consultations on that matter might be necessary on a case-by-case basis, the Spokesman added.

Asked if the issue of political contacts was centered on the Palestinian President only, the Spokesman said no, it involved all political contacts with a variety of officials.

Asked if this new policy had come about after consultations with Member States, the Spokesman simply said, This is the UNs position.

In response to a further question, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General talked to all of his representatives on the ground as needed, and if they felt that they needed guidance from the Secretary-General, he gave it.

When a reporter claimed that the nature of de Sotos job seemed to be changing, the Spokesman said that, as Special Coordinator, de Soto coordinated all of the UN agencies that worked in the occupied Palestinian territory. He advised the reporter to consult de Sotos mandate, which had not changed at all. After the reporter insisted that de Sotos predecessor, Terje Roed-Larsen, had had a different mandate, the Spokesman said he had the same mandate but the situation on the ground was not exactly the same as when Roed-Larsen had held the title.

Asked if the new policy represented a downgrading of the UNs political relationship with the Palestinians, the Spokesman pointed out that the different situation on the ground had led to different kinds of interactions.

Asked why the United Nations was not acting harder to hurt the Palestinians, the Spokesman said, Were not in the business of hurting people.

ANNAN TO ATTEND INTL COURT ANNIVERSARY IN THE HAGUE

The Secretary-General is in the Netherlands.

Tomorrow he will be attending a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

He will also be meeting with the Dutch Prime Minister.

U.N. ENVOY AFGHANISTAN CONDEMNS ATTACK ON CHILDREN

Tom Koenigs, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for

Afghanistan, has issued a statement on todays attack on a school in the eastern part of that country.

In it, he says that he is shocked and saddened by the incident, which resulted in the death of six children and the wounding of fourteen other people.

Stressing that the children of Afghanistan should not be targeted by such violence, he adds that he knows that all Afghan communities and the entire international community will join him in condemning this atrocity.

ANNAN URGES MORE EFFECTIVE U.N.-ARAB LEAGUE PARTNERSHIP

The Secretary-General today

urged delegates to the general meeting of the United Nations and the League of Arab States to make their existing partnership more strategic and operational.

In a message delivered in Vienna by Antonio Maria Costa, the Director-General of the UN Office there, he said the UN provides a framework for thinking globally and regional organizations offer the means to act locally.

He said let us consider what more we can do to make our organizations more effective and dynamic instruments of service to the peoples who look to us for security, dignity and peace.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N. INTERNAL WATCHDOG LOOKING INTO IRAQ ALLEGATIONS: Asked if it was true that the Secretary-Generals Special Representative in Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, had refused to be questioned by UN investigators during a recent investigation at the UN Mission in Iraq, the Spokesman said that was false. In response to a further question, the Spokesman said that the allegations were being looked into by the Office of Internal Oversight Services. Asked if anyone had been suspended as a result of the investigation, the Spokesman said the investigation was ongoing. Asked about Qazis whereabouts, the Spokesman later added that he was in the UN Mission in Iraqs mission area, which includes Iraq, Kuwait and Amman.

NUCLEAR WATCHDOG HEAD IS ON HIS WAY TO IRAN: Asked for reactions to remarks by the Iranian President on uranium enrichment, the Spokesman said he had not seen the remarks, but the Secretary-General had repeatedly called on Iran to respect its nuclear obligations. The United Nations was now focused on International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed Elbaradei, who was on his way to Iran to ensure that Iran understood what was required for compliance.

HARIRI INVESTIGATOR STILL AT WORK: Asked for updates about Serge Brammertz, the head of the UN investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the Spokesman said Brammertz had maintained a low media profile but was still continuing his work.

ANNANS GIFT MONEY TO GO TO CHARITY: Asked about who had contributed to the escrow account which was holding money that had been recently awarded to the Secretary-General in Dubai, the Spokesman clarified that the money had been given as a gift to the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General had not solicited any further funds for the charity, which he was in the process of setting up. The Spokesman added that all monies that had been officially awarded to the Secretary-General during his term had been given to charity.

NORWEGIAN PRINCESS TO REPRESENT UNAIDS: Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has

accepted an appointment as Special Representative for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). As Special Representative, she is planning to generate more attention and support for young people living with and affected by HIV. She also plans to raise awareness on the stigma surrounding people living with HIV.

RESTORING WETLANDS COULD HELP FIGHT BIRD FLU: A new

report from the UN Environment Programme said today that restoring tens of thousands of lost and degraded wetlands could go a long way towards reducing the threat of avian flu pandemics. The loss of wetlands around the globe is forcing many wild birds onto alternative sites like farm ponds and paddy fields, bringing them into direct contact with chickens, ducks, geese, and other domesticated fowl, the agency said.

HONOUR ROLL OF PAID UP MEMBER STATES REACHES 76; The United Nations received two dues checks today, bringing to 76 the number of Member States paid up in full for the current year. Egypt sent in just over $2 million and Yemen about $100,000.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 100178

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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