United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-04-13

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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

Thursday, April 13, 2006

[Tomorrow is an official holiday at UN headquarters. The briefing will resume on Monday, April 17.]

UNITED NATIONS CONDEMNS ATTEMPT TO SEIZE POWER IN CHAD;

WARNS OF POSSIBLE IMPACT ON 200,000 DARFUR REFUGEES IN CHAD

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is greatly troubled by the worsening security situation in Chad, resulting from the ongoing fighting between government forces and rebel fighters. He strongly

condemns once again any attempts to seize power by force or other unconstitutional means, and appeals to the protagonists to resolve their political differences through peaceful negotiations.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has

expressed alarm over violence in Chad and the possible consequences for the security and welfare of some 200,000 refugees from Darfur in camps in the east of the country. Guterres urgently appealed to all sides in this political upheaval to respect the civilian character of the refugee camps and to leave in peace those who have already fled the terrors of Darfur.

[After the noon briefing, the Security Council, in a press statement read out by its President for April, Ambassador Wang Guangya of China, expressed deep concern regarding the deteriorating situation in Darfur and recent attacks by armed groups in Chad. They condemned attacks on refugee camps and condemned any attempt to seize power by force. They called urged the Governments of Sudan and Chad to respect previous peace agreements and implement commitments made in them.]

Asked what the Secretary-General would be doing with regards to Chad and if he had been in contact with the Chadian President, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General had not had any contact with the President but was planning to have a conversation with the Chairman of the African Union. The Secretary-General was following the situation very closely, and the Secretariat had briefed the Security Council on the matter this morning, the Spokesman added.

Asked for a reaction to the actions of the French military in Chad, the Spokesman said that, at this point, he was seeing unconfirmed, contradictory reports of what the French military was or was not doing.

Asked if the United Nations frustrated by recent developments in Chad since it had been flagging the situation there for quite some time now, the Spokesman said the United Nations was not feeling so much frustrated as increasingly worried by the developments, especially in the refugee camps.

Pressed further, the Spokesman said that the United Nations was focusing on a number of fronts, e.g. securing the safety of hundreds of thousands of refugees in Chad, making sure the Chadian population was protected from the fighting, and trying to stabilize the situation in Darfur.

Asked if Chad warranted its own attention, as opposed to being considered in connection with the UN Mission in Sudan, the Spokesman said the situation in Chad did indeed warrant its own attention, and the Secretary-General was flagging that. At the same time, while there were internal political factors in Chad that were leading to the present situation, the situation was also linked to the greater instability to the region.

Asked about what kinds of resources the Secretary-General had at his disposal to tackle a situation like Chad, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General had a wide variety of resources, including his contact with leaders and the UN refugee agency.

ANNAN ON NEPAL: "LOSS OF LIFE AND DENIAL OF LEGITIMATE RIGHTS

SHOULD END WITHOUT DELAY"

The Secretary-General is more than ever concerned about the deteriorating situation in Nepal, particularly the absence of any movement towards a political solution. He

reiterates his call for an inclusive national dialogue of all Nepalese political forces, and for His Majesty King Gyanendra to take courageous steps to find a way out of this situation and avoid further bloodshed. It is quite clear that the Nepalese people want a swift end to the conflict and instability and the immediate restoration of democracy. The loss of life and denial of legitimate rights should end without delay.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, today

said that she was shocked by the excessive use of force by security forces in Nepal, as well as the extensive use of arbitrary detention in violation of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.

Reminding the Government of its international obligation to respect the right of peaceful assembly, Arbour also flagged to the security forces their obligation to use only minimum necessary force, even when faced with demonstrators throwing rocks.

Noting that Nepals Police and Armed Police Force have helped the UN uphold the rule of law in peace operations, she, nevertheless, said she would provide the Department of Peacekeeping Operations with information regarding individuals implicated in human rights violations.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme has appealed to all parties in Nepal to allow safe passage for its food convoys in that country. And UNICEF has expressed concern that children have been injured, arrested and detained in the recent demonstrations.

Asked if there were any concerns about Nepalese soldiers serving as UN peacekeepers, since they were beating up on their own people, the Spokesman said the High Commissioner for Human Rights would keep the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) informed about which soldiers and police officers were violating human rights norms. DPKO would then follow up on that information, the Spokesman added.

Questioned about a perceived trend that the Secretary-General had of late been issuing many statements but not getting specifically involved in various issues throughout the world, the Spokesman said that assertion was not true, and in the case of Nepal, the Secretary-General had been involved. He had sent a number of high-level envoys there, for example.

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS BY ONE MONTH MISSION IN ETHIOPIA/ERITREA

This morning the Security Council

decided to extend the mandate of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea by one month, until 15 May, 2006.

The Security Council also held consultations on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, as well as other matters. Those consultations resumed at 3 p.m.

Asked why the Security Council had not taken up any of the Secretary-Generals suggestions regarding the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Spokesman said that, according to the resolution, the UN Mission might be converted into an observer mission after the one-month rollover, which was indeed one of the Secretary-Generals suggestions.

ANNAN APPEALS FOR REINFORCEMENTS IN COTE DIVOIRE

The Secretary-Generals latest report on Côte dIvoire is out on the racks today.

In it, he says that despite setbacks from the January violence, encouraging prospects for advancing the Ivorian peace process have emerged as a result of initiatives taken by Prime Minister Banny with the support of President Gbagbo.

He said, however, that considerable challenges lie a head, especially in the area of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.

To that end, he reiterated his appeal to the Security Council for reinforcement for the UN Mission there.

BLUE HELMETS HELP IN OPERATION AGAINST RWANDAN REBELS

The UN

mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) reports that the Congolese army, with some Blue Helmet assistance yesterday launched a new operation against suspected Rwandan rebels in North Kivu province, in the eastern part of the country.

The operation is part of ongoing efforts under MONUCs Chapter VII mandate, to take robust military action to contain these foreign armed elements and to encourage their repatriation to Rwanda, through the exertion of military pressure. There were no initial reports of casualties.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNAN URGES OPEN PROCESS IN SELECTION OF SUCCESSOR: Asked about the Secretary-Generals views on how the next Secretary-General should be chosen, the Spokesman said the selection process for the next Secretary-General is laid out in the UN Charter. The current Secretary-General would encourage as open a process as possible within those parameters, the Spokesman added.

SECURITY COUNCIL CONTROLS ITS OWN SCHEDULE: Asked if the Secretary-General felt it was okay for the Security Council to schedule briefings on the Middle East on Jewish holidays, the Spokesman said the Security Council controlled its own schedule.

NO NEW STATEMENTS OR INTERIM REPORTS ON IRAN: Asked if there had been any recent communications by the Secretary-General on Iran, the Spokesman said he was not aware of any. Asked if the UN would receive any interim feedback from International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors on Iran before a final report, the Spokesman he did not expect any.

U.N. BODY SETS CAVIAR QUOTAS: A

ruling by the UN body concerned with endangered species has disallowed all exports of Caspian Sea caviar, with the exception of Irans production from Persian sturgeon. The secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) said five Caspian Sea states failed to send the information it needed to establish this years quota for caviar, and therefore there is no allowable quota for them. CITES said adequate information was provided to make it possible to publish quotas for one species, the Persian sturgeon, which is unique to Iran.

U.N. POPULATION AWARD GOES TO BANGLADESH, HAITI: Halida Hanum Akhter, the Director-General of the Family Planning Association of Bangladesh, and Haitis Foundation for Reproductive Health and Family Education have won this years UN Population Award, the UN Population Fund announced today. The Awards go each year to individuals and institutions for their outstanding work in population and in improving the health and welfare of individuals.

RUSSIA JOINS F.A.O.: The Russian Federation has joined the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the agency

announced today. Russia will take the seat of the USSR which was a founding member but did not actively participate in FAO affairs, the agency said. The decision brings the FAO membership to 189 countries and one member organization, the European Community.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, April 17

The Security Council is holding consultations on Iraq/Kuwait and Cote dIvoire.

The Secretary-General will attend the monthly Security Council luncheon today.

At 11:30 a.m., Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman will present the Secretary-General with a framed first-day edition of an Israeli postal authority envelope and stamp dedicated to the UNs 27 January Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Tuesday, April 18

In the morning, the Security Council is holding an open briefing on Bosnia and Herzegovina. In an open meeting in the afternoon, the Council will be briefed by the African Unions Salim A. Salim on Sudan, followed by a private meeting on the same topic.

Wednesday, April 19

The Secretary-Generals report on the implementation of resolution 1559 on Lebanon is due in the Security Council.

Thursday, April 20

The Security Council is holding consultations on the work of the 1540 committee, which deals with the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In the afternoon, the Council is holding consultations on the humanitarian situation in Africa.

Friday, April 21

At 12:30, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Fouad Siniora, will hold a press conference in room S-226.

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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