United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-07-03

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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

Monday, July 3, 2006

[There will be no briefing tomorrow, Tuesday, July 4, which is a holiday at UN headquarters.

The briefing will resume on Wednesday, July 5.]

ANNAN: UNITED NATIONS COMMITTED TO WORKING IN SIERRA LEONE

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is in Sierra Leone today, where he met with the senior officials of the UN Office in the country and met with local staff.

He also visited Camp Solar, which houses the more than 200 Mongolian soldiers who protect the Special Court for Sierra Leone.

The Secretary-General also met Sierra Leones President, Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, and assured him that, while the UN peacekeeping mission has closed down, the United Nations remains dedicated to working in Sierra Leone. Among other things, he said that the United Nations stands ready to assist Sierra Leone on elections.

The Secretary-General then went to see the Special Court, where he was briefed by the Courts senior officials on its work and its completion strategy.

This evening, he is leaving for Liberia. After that, he will head on to Cote dIvoire, where he expects on Wednesday to continue the discussions with concerned leaders about that countrys Road Map.

In a separate programme, Nane Annan visited a centre for vulnerable girls, most of them street children or child sex workers, many having suffered violence and sexual abuse at home or on the streets. The centre provides shelter, food, health care, counseling, family tracing and mediation, education and skills training, including HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Mrs. Annan acknowledged the girls as role models for others to come forward and learn new skills to develop themselves. She encouraged them to continue their education, because that is the most important thing you can have, to become stronger and more confident and to help you achieve your dreams.

ANNAN: AFRICA IN NEED OF A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR THE FUTURE

The Secretary-General over the weekend attended the African Union Summit in Banjul, the capital of the Gambia, and said in a speech to the Summit that he celebrates the fact that most African States have democratically elected governments.

But he added that, to keep building on the progress we have achieved so far, we have to do far better in building a comprehensive strategy for the future -- one which gives equal weight and attention to the three pillars of development, security and human rights. That speech is available online.

Yesterday, the Secretary-General held a press encounter as he wrapped up his work at the Summit, and noted that he had held a long and substantive discussion with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir while in Banjul. He said that he and Bashir agreed on the immediate need to strengthen the African Union mission in

Darfur and to consolidate the Darfur Peace Agreement.

The Secretary-General added that they also agreed that the dialogue had to continue on the issue of the deployment of a UN force in Darfur.

Asked about the next steps following the Darfur Peace Agreement, the Secretary-General said that, among other things, the rebels who have not signed the agreement should be pressed to come on board, while those who have signed should begin effective implementation immediately. Those points, by the way, are also made in the Secretary-Generals monthly report on Darfur.

On Zimbabwe, the Secretary-General told the reporters in Banjul that he had met with President Robert Mugabe, who had told him that the former President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, has been appointed as a mediator. They both agreed that Mkapa should be given the time and space to do his work.

And he told the press that, during his meeting on Saturday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he had underscored the importance that every effort should be made to avoid any standstill in the diplomatic process.

On Sunday afternoon, Nane Annan, accompanied by national and local government officials, visited the Santa Yalla Support Society, a self-help group of people living with HIV/AIDS. Mrs. Annan praised the people for their courage in speaking about their HIV status and their efforts to reach out to others with the disease. You are doing so much, she said, more than many others in society in the fight against AIDS.

Asked how much time the Secretary-General would give to the mediation process in Zimbabwe, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General had given his backing to Benjamin Mkapa as mediator and would give him the time and space to do his work.

She stressed that what the Secretary-General wants to see is an end to the humanitarian suffering on the ground. The Secretary-General had earlier sent Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari to Zimbabwe, and his good offices are always available, but for now, he would support Mkapas work.

Asked whether the United Nations would have contact with Mkapa, the Spokeswoman said she was sure it would do so. She stressed that Mkapa was not a UN mediator, but worked independently of the United Nations.

Asked whether the United Nations was abandoning its effort to provide a conduit between Zimbabwes government and opposition groups, Okabe said that the Secretary-General wouldnt throw his weight behind a mediator if he didnt feel that mediator could provide energy to the process.

U.N. ENVOY WELCOMES EXTENSION OF AFRICAN UNION FORCE IN SUDAN

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Sudan, Jan Pronk, today welcomed the decision made by the summit meeting of the African Union to extend the mandate of its troops in

Darfur to the end of 2006.

While welcoming the recent announcement by the Sudanese Government to present a plan for the disarmament of the Janjaweed militiamen in Darfur, Pronk warned that continued militia attacks on internally displaced persons in Darfur were hampering implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA).

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) reports that the UNs Radio was inaugurated over the weekend in Southern Sudan in the presence of Salva Kiir, First Vice-President of the Government of National Unity and President of the Government of South Sudan, and Pronk. The event, which was held in Juba on 30 June, marked the opening of the first UN radio broadcasting station in Southern Sudan. UNMIS Radio has adopted the name Miraya/ Mirror FM for its radio service. The initial service extends to a radius of 80 kilometers around Juba, which will be expanded across southern Sudan before the end of 2006.

Pronk called on the Government to follow the example of the Southern Government and allow the radio station to broadcast in Northern Sudan. He said the U.N. radio station belonged to all Sudanese and was therefore a tool for dialogue among members of the society.

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AN ANTIDOTE TO ECOSOCS MIXED RECORD

The Deputy Secretary-General, Mark Malloch Brown, is in Geneva, where this morning he addressed the annual meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). That meeting started today and will run until 28 July.

In his remarks, the Deputy Secretary-General said that, although ECOSOC has always been the UNs principal body for coordinating and advancing development policy, its track record has been decidedly mixed. Nevertheless, the Millennium Development Goals can serve as a good antidote, since they present an opportunity for ECOSOC to rally around a concrete set of clear, universally acclaimed and achievable targets.

Malloch Brown also said he was pleased that this years High-level Segment addressed the grave and growing problem of global unemployment. Noting the Secretary-Generals ongoing concern over youth employment in particular, Malloch Brown said that that phenomenon represented an appalling waste of human resources, energy and creativity.

While in Geneva, the Deputy Secretary-General also launched this years progress report on the Millennium Development Goals. The report says that, with 86% of the developing worlds children going to school in 2003/2004, the world looks like it is on track for achieving universal enrollment by 2015.

Also within sight is the target of cutting in half the proportion of people in the developing world who lack access to clean drinking water. At the same time, however, the related target of reducing by half the percentage of those without access to improved sanitary facilities is unlikely to be met without greatly accelerated efforts.

COURT FOR KHMER ROUGE TRIALS INAUGURATED IN CAMBODIA

Today in Phnom Penh, the Extraordinary Chambers for Cambodias Khmer Rouge trials were formally inaugurated, and the international and Cambodian judges and prosecutors were sworn in.

Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Nicolas Michel attended the inauguration, and in a statement, he said that a historic landmark has been reached today, on this road to justice and sustainable peace.

He said that the Cambodian people are thirsty for truth, justice and reconciliation and promised them the full support of the international community. The success of the Chambers, he said, would signal throughout the region that the sinister culture of impunity is being replaced by one of accountability.

U.N. ENVOY CONDEMNS BOMBING IN BAGHDADS SADR CITY

Ashraf Qazi, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Iraq, condemned in the strongest possible terms the bombing in the

Baghdad neighbourhood of Sadr City on Saturday, which caused the death and injury of dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians. Qazi described the bombing as "a particularly abhorrent and despicable crime apparently aimed at sabotaging the prospects of national reconciliation."

He also condemned the kidnapping of an Iraqi parliament member, Taiseer Al-Mashhadani, and called for his early and safe release.

He hoped the measures adopted by the new government will rapidly succeed in preventing such criminal acts of violence which targets innocent civilians.

SECURITY SITUATION IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC REMAINS PRECARIOUS

The Secretary-Generals latest report on the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in the Central African Republic was issued today.

In it, the Secretary-General notes that the security situation in that country remains precarious and worrisome, along with the overall situation in the border region it shares with Chad and

Sudan. He further reports that both the human rights and the political and socio-economic situations have noticeably deteriorated.

On the humanitarian front, the Secretary-General notes the essential role of UN agencies in delivering basic health care, food and non-food assistance to a population in great need.

COMMITTEE ON MISSING PERSONS IN CYPRUS IS NOW COMPLETE

The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus is now complete, following the official welcoming of third and final member Christophe Girod at a ceremony today in the UN Protected Area in Nicosia.

Attending the event which was overseen by the Secretary-Generals Special Representative in Cyprus, Michael Moller were the Greek Cypriot leader, Tassos Papadopoulos, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat. In his remarks, Moller said he hoped that Girods arrival would help accelerate the closing of a painful chapter in the history of Cyprus. We have a press release on that upstairs.

Meanwhile, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari has arrived in the region to assess the political situation, stopping first in Ankara before moving on to Athens and Cyprus.

[Later Monday, the Spokesman said Gambari today met with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara. The meeting was an opportunity for a frank and constructive exchange of views on where things stand and how those concerned wish to move forward. Mr. Gambari will meet with Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis on Wednesday, before traveling to the island of Cyprus on Thursday.]

U.N. TEAM ASSESSES SECURITY IN SOMALIA

Asked about a visit by a UN security team to Somalia, the Spokeswoman confirmed that a team went to Somalia today to perform a one-day security assessment, after which they departed. She declined to give further details about their work, citing policy in dealing with security matters.

She added, in response to a further question, that both the Secretary-General and his Special Representative for Somalia have expressed their hopes for a larger mission to go in, for which a security assessment was needed.

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE UP MATTERS IN A TIMELY MANNER

Asked about the Human Rights Councils decision last week to take up the matter of Israel, the Spokeswoman, while noting that the Secretary-General hasnt commented on the matter, said that the Secretary-General would want the Council to take up crises in a timely manner and to pay equal attention to all parts of the world.

She added that, in his speech to the Council, the Secretary-General had encouraged it to work vigorously.

FRANCE ASSUMES PRESIDENCY OF SECURITY COUNCIL

There are no meetings in the Security Council today.

France has assumed the rotating presidency and the Council President will brief the press on the Councils monthly programme of work on Wednesday.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

LACK OF RESULTS IN FINDING KUWAITI ARCHIVES IS DISAPPOINTING: The Secretary-Generals latest report to the Security Council on the return of Kuwaiti property by Iraq was issued today, and in it, the Secretary-General welcomes the return by

Iraq to Kuwait of Kuwaiti property found in Tunisia. The Secretary-General said that the absence of any results in finding the Kuwaiti archives, however, is disappointing.

UNESCO TO CONSIDER NEW HERITAGE SITE PROPOSALS: The

UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

says that thirty-seven new sites will be proposed for inscription on its World Heritage List during the 30th session of the World Heritage Committee which starts this Saturday in Vilnius. During this session the Committee will also consider measures to preserve heritage in view of climate change.

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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