United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-07-25

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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

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES MANDATE OF U.N. FORCE IN LEBANON

The Security Council began its work this morning by meeting with the countries that contribute troops to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The Council then held consultations on that Force, with a briefing by Lisa Buttenheim, Director of the Asia and Middle East Division of the Department for Peacekeeping Operations, on recent developments, including the Secretary-Generals latest report on that mission.

In his report, the Secretary-General recommends that the Council extend the mandate of UNIFIL for one month, to provide the time for the Council to consider all possible options for future arrangements in South Lebanon. In the current environment, he says, circumstances conducive to UN peacekeeping do not exist.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals recommendation for a one-month extension of UNIFIL, the Spokeswoman said that was intended to allow time while the Security Council and international community examine the shape of the mission in southern Lebanon. Clearly, she said, UNIFIL is not able to carry out its mandate under the current conditions.

ANNAN IN ROME FOR CONFERENCE ON LEBANON

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is in Rome to attend an international conference on Lebanon tomorrow. He told you before his departure that he hoped that a package would emerge from the discussions in Rome that would allow for concrete measures to resolve the Lebanon crisis.

Asked about participation in the Rome conference, the Spokeswoman said that the United Nations was participating as a member of the Core Group dealing with Lebanon. She said that the organizers, the United States and Italy, have invited other participants to the meeting, which takes place on Wednesday.

Asked whether the Secretary-General would make any other stops on his trip, she said that he was expected for now to return back to New York on Thursday following his visit to Rome.

In response to a question on the Secretary-Generals expectations for the Wednesday meeting, the Spokeswoman drew attention to the comments he made on Monday. [See also his statement to the Security Council.]

CIVILIANS STRANDED AMIDST FIGHTING IN SOUTHERN LEBANON

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported today that there are a number of civilians who are still stranded in southern Lebanese towns where intensive fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah is taking place.

The Mission says that four members of the Ghanaian UNIFIL battalion were lightly injured yesterday evening, when a tank round from the Israeli side impacted inside their position. This morning, Hezbollah opened small arms fire at a UNIFIL convoy consisting of two armoured personnel carriers (APCs), causing some damage to the APCs, but no casualties. The Mission also reports that a number of its positions were re-supplied yesterday, with additional re-supply convoys planned for today.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said today that it expects to have three convoys this week in Lebanon, which will be transporting both WFP food supplies and relief from other organizations. The first convoy was expected to depart tomorrow for Tyre, carrying 125 tonnes of wheat flour. The first supply of WFP food aid 25 tonnes of fortified biscuits that had arrived from Italy on Sunday is now being distributed to those that had been displaced in and around Beirut. The agency hopes that other humanitarian convoys would leave this week.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reports that all of its services are functioning through some 600 health care professionals working around the clock to provide health assistance to Palestinian refugees and Lebanese. UNRWA had been able to provide shelter in schools and camps in southern Lebanon for 4,000 Lebanese.

ANNAN STRONGLY CONDEMNS VIOLENCE IN COTE DIVOIRE

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the recent inflammatory statements by the leadership of the Front Populaire Ivoirien, which have incited the Young Patriots to resort to acts of violence aimed at disrupting the ongoing identification process in Côte dIvoire.

The violence resulted in the loss of human lives and an attack by Young Patriots on the vehicle of the High Representative for Elections, Gérard Stoudmann.

The Secretary-General strongly condemns these acts, which are in breach of the agreements reached among Ivorian parties, including during the high-level meeting he convened in Yamoussoukro on 5 July.

He urges all Ivorian parties to extend their full cooperation to the Prime Minister as the Government presses ahead with the simultaneous implementation of the identification and disarmament processes.

U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF SEES DAMAGE CAUSED BY CONFLICT IN GAZA;

PLANS TO VISIT HAIFA TOMORROW

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, toured the Gaza Strip this morning, following his arrival last night in Israel. He toured two schools run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and a health clinic that were damaged by Israeli incursions last week.

Egeland then visited the Gaza power station, which was destroyed by an air strike on 28 June, leaving the Gaza Strip without 45% of its prior electricity capacity.

Egeland later travelled to Gaza City, where he met with the UNRWA Commissioner General, Karen AbuZayd and held a town hall meeting with local community members, UN agencies, international and national NGOs and other international organizations.

After his return from Gaza, Egeland met with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. He is also expected to meet with the UN country team for the occupied Palestinian territory.

Tomorrow, Egeland plan to travel to Haifa, to view the destruction and human suffering that has been wrought there by rockets launched into Israel by Hezbollah.

U.N. ENVOY TRAVELS TO SOMALIA TO HELP EASE TENSIONS

The Special Representative of the Secretary-Generals for Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall, is in Somalia today on a mission to ease tensions between leaders of the Transitional Federal Government and the Supreme Council of the Islamic Courts.

Fall is scheduled to hold meetings with the president of the Transitional Federal Government in Baidoa, and with the chairman of the executive committee of Supreme Council of the Islamic Courts in the capital Mogadishu.

Before leaving for Somalia, Fall said in a press release issued by his office that the goal of his mission is to encourage the parties to enter into a genuine and meaningful dialogue.

Asked about reports that Ethiopian troops are present in Somalia, the Spokeswoman said that the United Nations could not confirm those reports. She noted, in response to a further question about UN-force presence in Somalia, that the United Nations has a political mission dealing with Somalia, not a peacekeeping mission.

ANNAN ENCOURAGES DONORS TO PLEDGE GENEROUSLY TO HAITI

The Secretary-General welcomes the holding of an international donors conference for

Haiti. The fact that it is being organized in Port-au-Prince for the first time illustrates the firm commitment of the Haitian authorities to shape their countrys own destiny.

The support of the international community has been essential to the success of Haitis electoral process and the work to stabilize the country. It will remain vital as Haiti works to reform its rule-of-law institutions, rebuild economic life and restore dignity and hope to the daily lives of its people.

The Secretary-General encourages donors to pledge generously in support of national priorities, including direct budgetary support. He appeals to the international community to work closely with the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti in mandate-related areas, and with the UN Country Team on other activities.

He wishes the Haitian people every success on the road to building a stable, inclusive and prosperous nation.

ANNAN IS DISAPPOINTED BY OUTCOME OF WORLD TRADE TALKS

Asked about the Secretary-Generals reaction to the reported failure of the Doha round of trade talks, the Spokeswoman noted that the Secretary-General has been in touch with Pascal Lamy, the head of the World Trade Organization. The Secretary-General, she said, is disappointed about the outcome.

He urges the parties to exert another effort and not walk away without an agreement that benefits the developing countries of the world that need genuine market access opportunities.

U.N. ENVOY CONDEMNS KILLING OF GOVERNMENT WORKERS IN SUDAN

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sudan, Jan Pronk, has condemned the killing of three Sudanese government officials in

West Darfur last Thursday at the Hissa Hissa camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The three officials were members of the Government State Water Corporation and were testing water in the camp when they were beaten to death by IDPs.

Pronk said the State Water Corporation has been an effective partner to the UNICEF in reaching people affected by the conflict in Darfur, and he urges community leaders in IDP camps to play a proactive role in preventing attacks on all those working for the benefit of the Sudanese people.

Separately, the latest report by the Sudan sanctions committee was issued today.

FOOD STOCKS STRETCHED TO BREAKING POINT IN D.R. CONGO

The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that, due to violence and the displacement of tens of thousands of people, its food stocks are now stretched to the breaking point in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The situation is particularly dire in the eastern Ituri province, where the tense security situation is disrupting humanitarian relief work. WFP has launched an appeal for $253,000 to feed some 1.7 million people in that region for three years.

Also on the DRC, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

reports that an assessment mission conducted in the eastern Katanga Province earlier this month found that more than 2,000 families of internally displaced people had spontaneously returned to their villages of origin in recent weeks. Overall, an estimated 170,000 people are displaced within Katanga province.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals reaction to reports that Peter Karim had been brought into the DRCs national army, after the Secretary-General earlier said there should be no impunity regarding Karim, the Spokeswoman said the Secretary-Generals position had not changed.

ANNAN ENCOURAGES BROAD PARTNERSHIP TO RESPOND TO AIDS EPIDEMIC

The Secretary-General made a statement yesterday evening, following his AIDS-related meeting with the top executives of nine of the worlds leading research-based and generic pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies.

He noted that, among other things, the companies committed themselves to reviewing their prices, especially for children, to make them more affordable, accessible and appropriate for use in low- and middle-income countries. The companies will also give greater priority to research and development of pediatric formulations of HIV medications.

The United Nations, for its part, agreed to devise, promote and update guidelines on diagnosis, treatment and product quality for adults and children. The UN will also work on developing forecasting models to predict demand and supply of HIV medications and diagnostics in developing countries.

All participants stressed the importance of intellectual property in encouraging and ensuring research and development of new therapeutic and diagnostic options.

The companies also agreed to meet with UNAIDS and the UN Secretariat at a high level once a year to review progress and identify further measures.

SECURITY COUNCIL STRESSES NECESSARY INVESTMENTS

FOR RE-INTEGRATING CHILD SOLDIERS

The Security Council yesterday adopted a

Presidential Statement on children and armed conflict. In it, the Council underscored the importance of sustained investment in health, education and skills training, to secure the successful reintegration of children into their communities and prevent re-recruitment.

The specific situation of girls exploited by armed forces and groups must be recognized and adequately addressed, the Statement added.

The Statement also welcomed the ongoing implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism on children and armed conflict, and looked forward to receiving the forthcoming independent review of that mechanism.

U.N. REFUGEE CHIEF TO MEET DISPLACED PEOPLE IN SRI LANKA

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, begins a three-day mission to Sri Lanka today to meet displaced people in the north and east of the country.

Guterres will also be meeting with staff of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN country team, and high-level government officials to discuss humanitarian issues in the region.

It will be the first visit by a head of UNHCR to Sri Lanka, where the agency has been working with conflict-displaced

persons since 1987.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

MORE THAN TWO MILLION AFGHANS NEED AID: The United Nations, together with the Government of Afghanistan, today launched a six-month humanitarian appeal. Amounting to over $76 million, the appeal aims to meet the urgent needs of more than 2.5 million

Afghans suffering from drought and food insecurity.

REPORT ON IRAQS PROSCRIBED WEAPONS PASSED ON TO SECURITY COUNCIL: The Secretary-General, in a report issued today, transmitted to the Security Council a summary of the compendium of Iraqs proscribed weapons programmes, which was prepared by the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC). That summary covers the history of Iraqs proscribed biological, chemical and missile programmes and the links between them, and described lessons that can be drawn from them. The report summarizes the information contained in a five-volume, 1,500-page compendium that was put together by UNMOVIC.

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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