United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-06-29

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MARIE OKABE

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, June 29, 2006

ANNAN CALLS ON ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS TO DEFUSE TENSIONS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, according to a statement issued shortly after the noon briefing, is deeply

concerned about developments in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian territory, including the continued detention of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants; the killing by Palestinian militants of an Israeli civilian, whose body was found this morning; further rocket attacks against Israel; and Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip which have resulted in a serious deterioration in humanitarian conditions there.

He is also concerned that Israel has detained 64 Palestinian officials, cabinet ministers and members of the Legislative Council, who were elected in January.

The Secretary-General calls on the Palestinian Authority to do its utmost to secure the release of the Israeli soldier, and to end rocket attacks against Israel and other action by militants.

The Secretary-General also calls on the Government of Israel to show restraint, to avoid actions that damages civilian infrastructure and that aggravates the hardship of the Palestinian population, and to abide by international humanitarian law.

To prevent a further decline in the humanitarian situation, Israel should also act urgently to facilitate the import of essential medical supplies, food stuffs, and particularly fuel into the Gaza Strip.

The Secretary-General yesterday told reporters that he had been in touch with the leaders in the Middle East, including the Prime Minister of Israel and the Palestinian and Syrian Presidents, to try to calm the situation.

ELECTRICITY CUTS AFFECTING WATER SUPPLY FOR GAZA RESIDENTS

The

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has been assessing the situation in the Gaza Strip, where it says that nearly half the population is currently without electricity, and this situation could persist for up to nine months. The reduced capacity is affecting the provision of water, with daily access for families being cut by up to 50% in some parts of the Gaza Strip.

The

UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has stepped up its activities in pre-positioning food and other supplies in parts of Gaza so that it can offer assistance to people in need. The World Food Programme and Food and Agricultural Organization have also been increasing food aid.

Asked whether the UNs humanitarian agencies were getting access to Gaza to get around the roadblocks there, the Spokeswoman said that UN humanitarian agencies as a rule talk to all parties to gain access for their aid deliveries.

INQUIRY BOARD APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE VIOLENCE IN TIMOR-LESTE

The Secretary-General has appointed three people Paulo Sergio Pinheiro of Brazil, Zelda Holtzman of South Africa and Ralph Zacklin of the United Kingdom to the Independent Special Commission of Inquiry for Timor-Leste. He has informed the Security Council of the appointment in a letter dated June 28.

That commission is tasked with establishing the facts and circumstances relevant to the violent incidents that took place in the country on 28-29 April and 23-25 May.

The mandate of the Commission includes clarifying the responsibility for the events and recommending measures to ensure accountability for crimes and serious violations of human rights allegedly committed during the period.

Pinheiro will chair the Commission of Inquiry, which is to begin its work next month and report its findings to the Secretary-General within three months. The panel will be based in Dili.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, set up the Commission of Inquiry at the Secretary-Generals request earlier this month.

TIMOR-LESTES POLITICAL LEADERS URGED TO RESTRAIN SUPPORTERS

The

UN Office in Timor-Leste says that some 3,000 demonstrators riding in about 150 trucks descended on Dili Thursday to show support for former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, following his resignation on Monday.

Speaking with political leaders today, the head of the UN Office, Sukehiro Hasegawa, reminded them that they must ensure that their supporters restrain themselves from any behavior that might result in violence.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy, Ian Martin, held a series of high-level meetings with government leaders in his dual roles of planning the next stages of UN assistance to Timor-Leste and offering his good offices to assist in the resolution of the present crisis.

Martin held a working meeting with a group of government ministers, including Senior Minister Jose Ramos-Horta and Minister of State Ana Pessoa, among others.

In a separate meeting with President Xanana Gusmao, he and UN Police Advisor Mark Kroeker exchanged concrete ideas on the role of an expanded UN police force in Timor-Leste.

Martin also briefed the diplomatic corps on his work and sought their opinions on the political situation.

Asked whether Timor-Leste has a prime minister yet, the Spokeswoman said that for now, that process has not happened.She added that the Secretary-General, as well as Hasegawa and Martin, had made repeated appeals to all parties for calm and called on them to bring about a swift solution. Martin, she added, would present specific proposals about what the United Nations can do in the country.

BAKASSI PENINSULA FOLLOW-UP COMMITTEE TO MEET IN JULY

The Secretary-General on 28 June wrote to the

President of the

Security Council informing Council members that the first meeting of the Follow-up committee on the implementation of the Greentree Agreement between Cameroon and Nigeria on the modalities of withdrawal and transfer of authority in the Bakassi Peninsula, will take place in Geneva during the first week of July.

The United Nations will be represented by Kieran Prendergast, who will serve as the committees chairman, and by General Seth Kofi Obeng. Cameroon is represented by Maurice Kanto, a Minister delegate at the Ministry of Justice, and Joseph Dion-Ngute, a minister delegate at the Ministry of External affairs in charge of the Commonwealth. Nigeria is represented by chief Bayo Ojo, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation and Sunday Ehindero, the Inspector General of the Nigerian Police.

The four witness states (France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States) will also be represented on the Follow-up Committee, whose establishment within sixty days was mandated by the 12 June agreement.

In that agreement, Nigeria conclusively recognized Cameroons sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula in accordance with the 10 October 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice, and agreed to withdraw its troops and administration from that territory.

SECURITY COUNCIL APPALLED BY MURDER OF RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS IN IRAQ

After brief consultations, the

Security Council adopted a

presidential statement in which it said it was appalled by the horrific death of members of the Russian diplomatic mission in Iraq who had been kidnapped by a terrorist group.

The Security Council condemned the crime in the strongest possible terms and urged all States to cooperate actively in finding and bringing to justice its perpetrators, organizers and sponsors.

Following that meeting, the Security Council began a second open meeting, in which it discussed the Councils mission earlier this month to Sudan and Chad. British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, who headed the mission to Sudan and Chad, and French Ambassador Jean Marc de la Sabliére, who headed the one to the Democratic Republic oft eh Congo, briefed Council members.

BETTER PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS NEEDED IN ARMED CONFLICT

Yesterday afternoon, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland

briefed the

Security Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

In his remarks, Egeland said that peacekeeping missions must be equipped with better, more comprehensive mandates and the means to fulfill them. Peacekeepers had to be given tools, guidance and support if they were to be able to respond flexibly to emerging threats and provide better protection, he added.

Regarding humanitarian access, Egeland said that, by not responding more forcefully in cases where access had been unreasonably denied, the Council risked exposing humanitarian workers to attack.

On the political front, he called for the activation and strengthening of the Secretary Generals good offices more often and earlier. He also said that targeted sanctions should be employed at the earliest opportunity where violations against civilians prevailed, to signal international concern.

ANNAN REAPPOINTS MEMBERS OF THE PANEL OF EXPERTS ON LIBERIA

A

letter from the Secretary-General to the

Security Council was issued today, in which the Secretary-General informed Council members of the reappointment, for a period of six months ending 21 December 2006, of members of the Panel of Experts on Liberia, as requested by Security Council

resolution 1689 (2006).

The Secretary-General has designated Arthur Blundell of Canada to serve as the Chairman of the Panel, which includes four other expert members from France, India, Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom.

NINE U.N. NATIONAL STAFF STILL DETAINED BY ERITREAN AUTHORITIES

The

UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea says it was informed today that Eritrean authorities released one of the Missions detained national staff members last week.

There are now a total of nine Eritrean national staff detained and the Mission continues to protest against their detention.

Elsewhere, the Mission

says that the military situation in the Temporary Situation Zone and Adjacent Areas is stable but tense, with routine troop movements noted on both sides of the border.

U.N.D.P. HALTS DISARMAMENT PROGRAM IN UGANDA

FOLLOWING ARMY ABUSES

Asked about the

U.N. Development Programmes (UNDP) halting of its voluntary disarmament programme in eastern Uganda, the Spokeswoman said the action was taken because UNDP field officers found that Government troops were abusing the rights of civilians in the region targeted by the project.

The project was designed to provide people in the Karamoja region of Uganda who agreed to disarm with food, building materials or cash in exchange for their weapons.

To date, UNDP has spent about a third of the $1 million at its disposal for this project.

That programme, she said, had originated in response to international concerns about earlier reports of abuses within a local Ugandan disarmament programme.

Today, the Spokeswoman added, in a meeting with the local Donor Technical Working Group, the UNDP Deputy Representative for Programmes said that they had raised the issue of forced disarmament and its repercussions for development in Karamoja with the Government.

SPENDING CAP ON U.N. BUDGET LIFTED

The Spokeswoman for the President of the

General Assembly said that yesterday afternoon the

Fifth Committee adopted by consensus a draft decision authorizing expenditure of the remaining funds appropriated in the biennial budget.

Three countries Australia, Japan and the United States disassociated themselves from the consensus. This decision is expected to be acted on by the Plenary late on Friday.

Just prior to the Fifth Committee action lifting the spending cap, as a contribution to the process, the General Assembly President issued a letter summarizing the reforms achieved thus far, as well as the elements of a draft resolution on management reform, on which he understands Member States generally agree. He said that he expects that this draft resolution will be agreed on Friday, by the Fifth Committee and the Plenary.

The President also noted that Member States may wish to defer the comprehensive review of governance, oversight and accountability to the 61st Assembly session.

And finally, on the mandate review process, based on an interim report received from the Co-Chairs, he outlined the way forward, which he also hoped and expected to be agreed in a draft resolution.

It is expected that the Working Group will conclude the review of unrenewed mandates older than five years, preferably before the end of July.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNAN TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE OF ZIMBABWE Asked whether the Secretary-General would meet with the President of Zimbabwe at the African Union summit in Banjul, the Gambia, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General had publicly expressed that he would meet the President there. Aasked whether the Secretary-General would visit Zimbabwe, Okabe said she had nothing to add to the Secretary-Generals recent comments made on the matter.

SMALL ARMS REVIEW CONFERENCE HOLDS READING OF DRAFT OUTCOME PAPER: The

Small Arms Review Conference is continuing today. At 3:00 this afternoon, it will go into a closed session for its first reading of the draft final outcome paper. And then tomorrow morning at 10:00, the Conference will hear from 13 speakers representing the World Federation of Sport-shooting Societies and 15 speakers from the International Action Network on Small Arms.

IRAQ COMPENSATION COMMISSION ENDS 60th SESSION: The Governing Council of the

United Nations Compensation Commission, under the Presidency of Ambassador Tassos Kriekoukis of Greece, has today concluded its sixtieth session in Geneva. The Council considered a number of reports and information notes, including on the distribution of payments to successful claimants; the transparency of the distribution process and the return of undistributed funds; and continuing efforts to identify erroneous awards.

BASEBALL PLAYERS RECOGNIZED FOR AID TO FLOOD-STRICKEN TOWN: The

UN Development Programme will be honouring two Red Sox and one New York Mets players, as well as the Red Sox Foundation and that teams fans, at a ceremony today in Boston, ahead of the first pitch of the final game of the Red Sox-Mets series. The event is being held to honour their financial contributions to rebuild the town of Jimaní, in the Dominican Republic, following catastrophic floods in May 2004 that left more than 700 people dead and some 900 homes destroyed.

U.N. MEETING TO ENSURE SAFER FOOD: The Codex Alimentarius Commission, a joint venture of the

Food and Agriculture Organization and the

World Health Organization, will

meet in Geneva from 3-7 July 2006 to consider adopting proposals to improve protection from food contaminants. Issues on the agenda include maximum limits for lead in fish and cadmium in rice, ways to reduce PCB contamination in food and feed, and measures to prevent antimicrobial resistance.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

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