United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-09-05

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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 STEPHANE DUJARRIC

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

ANNAN WILL DESIGNATE FACILITATOR TO WORK

ON ISRAELI-LEBANESE PRISONER RELEASE

Secretary-General Kofi Annan was in Egypt today, where he met in Alexandria with President Hosni Mubarak and Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Following those meetings, he held a joint press conference with the Foreign Minister, in which he said he was leaving the region quite satisfied with the discussions that he has had. He said that he was convinced that the countries in the region would work for the full implementation of Security Council

resolution 1701 and added, The ceasefire is fragile, but I believe we are taking steps to consolidate it.

With regards to the abducted Israeli soldiers and the Lebanese prisoners, the Secretary-General said that he has accepted appointing a facilitator who will work with the two parties to find a solution to this problem. Speaking to the press yesterday in Saudi Arabia, the Secretary-General said he would designate someone discreetly and quietly to work to find a solution.

Over the past three days, the Secretary-General met with the leaders of Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Following his meeting on Sunday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Secretary-General said that the President had reaffirmed his country's support for the implementation of resolution 1701. He has indicated that Tehran will work with us in a collective effort to reconstruct Lebanon, the Secretary-General added. He is now travelling to Turkey.

Asked about the identity of the facilitator, the Spokesman said he did not know who that person was, and said he had nothing to add to the Secretary-Generals comments.

The Secretary-General, he said, had received the accord of both parties to appoint a facilitator. The Secretary-General, Dujarric added, feels confident that he has the backing of both sides to continue on this path.

The Spokesman, in response to a question, clarified that the official was called a facilitator and not mediator.

Asked why the Secretary-General had announced the facilitators appointment, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General had felt that he needed to make that announcement. Dujarric said the announcement should come as no surprise, following the Secretary-Generals statements in Lebanon and in Israel that his good offices were available to resolve this issue.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals interlocutors in Lebanon, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General and his party have been talking to Lebanese Government officials, including ministers in that government who are from Hezbollah.

Asked about a possible exchange of prisoners among Israelis and Palestinians, the Spokesman said the Secretary-Generals focus has been on the Lebanese-Israeli prisoner issue, although the United Nations is aware of the reports concerning Corporal Gilad Shalit.

Asked about the Palestinian legislators who have been arrested, Dujarric said that the Secretary-General had raised the issue of the Palestinian legislators with the Israeli authorities and with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Secretary-General expressed his concern and called for their release.

Asked about the possibility that the blockade on Lebanon could be lifted, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General today had expressed his hope that the blockade could be lifted in the next 48 hours, following his conversations with a number of officials in the region and in Europe. It is one of the top issues on the agenda in his discussions with leaders he has met in the region.

Asked whether there is a need for a high-level Security Council meeting on a new Middle East initiative, the Spokesman noted that resolution 1701 points out the need to revitalize a comprehensive peace process in the Middle East. Dujarric added that he discussed this issue with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa.

Asked whether the Middle East Quartet is finished, the Spokesman said, that during this trip, the Secretary-General is fulfilling his work under resolution 1701, but that should not be interpreted as any step away from the Quartets work. "The trip should not be seen as an obituary for the Quartet," he added.

ISRAELI FORCES WITHDRAWS FROM SEVERAL AREAS IN SOUTHERN LEBANON

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reports that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) withdrew yesterday from several areas in

southern Lebanon. The UNIFIL Ghanaian Battalion established seven new checkpoints and carried out intensive patrolling in the area, confirming that the IDF were no longer present there.

The Lebanese Army is to deploy in the areas that were vacated by the IDF today. Earlier today, the Lebanese Army moved into the southern town of Bint Jubayl for the first time in three decades, a day after UN peacekeepers went into the town after Israeli forces vacated it.

Over the past 24 hours, a total of eight Israeli air violations were reported by UNIFIL.

A UN de-mining team from the Chinese contingent disposed of over 1260 unexploded ordnances during the past week.

On Saturday and Sunday, meanwhile, the first large contingent of 880 Italian troops arrived in Lebanon, joining UNIFIL II. It is expected that on 10 September, an additional Italian company of 120 officers and soldiers will arrive in South Lebanon. The total number of UNIFIL troops is currently estimated at approximately 3,100.

Asked whether Israel has accepted Muslim countries in the expanded UNIFIL, the Spokesman said that the United Nations is working with Indonesia to deploy their troops as soon as possible to the theatre. The United Nations is also talking to Qatar, which just announced that it would join UNIFIL.

He reiterated that the UN force was expected to include countries from various regions, and for it to have political and military legitimacy.

Asked about other troop contributors, Dujarric said that Spain and Turkey could also be expected to join the force.

The United Nations, he said, feels confident that UNIFIL can reach the level of 5,000 troops by mid-September, with the full force deployed within about 90 days.

Asked whether there is a troop contributors meeting for UNIFIL, the Spokesman later said that there is a technical level meeting today, just involving those countries that have offered support for the maritime task force in Lebanon.

Asked about the investigation into the attack on the UN base in Khiam, the Spokesman said that the UNs board of inquiry was at work talking to Israeli officials and to UNIFIL people on the ground.

Asked about the air violations, the Spokesman noted that those violations are reported to the Security Council on a daily basis.

Asked about demining work in Lebanon, the Spokesman said that the main UN demining unit from UNIFIL is Chinese, while a British non-governmental organization was working on the civilian side with the UN Mine Action Service.

EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO REHABILITATE LEBANONS WATER SYSTEM

The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) reports that it is working with the Lebanese authorities to try to rehabilitate the water system that used to serve up to 750,000 people in the south. UNICEF is also fixing labels on the bottled water it is distributing, to better inform families and children about the threat of unexploded ordnance.

Meanwhile, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has helped a Lebanese NGO to set up a summer camp in the town of Jezzine, to help children who were emotionally affected by the war.

ANNAN: DARFUR AT A CRITICAL STAGE;

CONSENT FOR U.N. FORCE NEEDED FROM SUDANESE GOVERNMENT

While in Alexandria, the Secretary-General was also asked about

Darfur, which he described was at a very critical stage and again reiterated his position regarding the need for the consent and cooperation of the Sudanese government for the UN operation there.

He went on to say, the international community has been feeding and helping about three million people in camps and elsewhere in Darfur, and if it were forced to leave because of lack of security, lack of access to the people, then what happens?

The government, he said, will have to assume responsibility for doing this and, if it doesn't succeed, it will have lots of questions to answer to the rest of the world.

He again said that the international forces were going to help the Sudanese people, to help the government protect the people and assist them. We are not going there to invade. We have no other intentions, he said.

Asked what the United Nations will do to deal with Sudan, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General had been explicit in his description of the situation there as tragic, and had made clear that the United Nations was not going in as an invading force.

The Secretary-General, he said, was worried by the presence of Sudanese military assets in Darfur, and wanted to see movement on this issue. The Secretary-General, he noted, had stressed governments responsibility to protect their own people.

Asked what happens if agreement cannot be obtained on a UN force, the Spokesman said it was clear that a long transition from an African Union force to a UN force is needed, and the United Nations is working with the African Union on that. The Sudanese Government must also make efforts in this regard, he said.

SECURITY SITUATION REMAINS VOLATILE IN DARFUR

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) says that the security situation in

Darfur remains volatile particularly in North Darfur with reports of clashes between the signatories and non-signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement.

In North Darfur, near El Fasher, a nurse working for the International Rescue Committee was killed last Friday, and the health centre where he worked was looted, along with a pharmacy and guesthouse.

UNMIS has condemned this latest death of another humanitarian worker in Darfur.

Also in North Darfur, a team from the African Union Mission in Sudan was held up over the weekend by twelve armed men while escorting women who were collecting firewood.

The armed men took away weapons and ammunition as well one vehicle belonging to the African Union.

SECURITY COUNCIL MET ON PROGRAMME OF WORK FOR SEPTEMBER

The Security Council held consultations this morning on the program of work for the month of September and other matters.

At 1:00 p.m., the Council President for the month of September, Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis of Greece briefed on that program.

U.N. ENVOY URGES CONSTRUCTIVE TALKS FOR SOMALIA

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall, attended the second round of talks between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the Union of Islamic Courts.

Speaking at the talks in Khartoum, Fall urged both delegations to enter into a meaningful and constructive dialogue, which would begin to address the key issues that divided the two parties.

And on the humanitarian front, the World Food Programme (WFP) reports that a WFP-chartered ship docked over the weekend in Mogadishu. It was the agencys first delivery in the Somali capitals port in more than a decade.The ship was carrying more than 3,000 tons of food, which will now be trucked to drought-stricken regions in the southern part of the country.

Asked about reports indicating an agreement among the Somali parties, the Spokesman said that the Department of Political Affairs was considering issuing a statement on that matter later today.

D.R. CONGO IS FIRST STOP ON HUMANITARIAN CHIEF'S TRIP TO AFRICA

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, arrived in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo today, on the first leg of an eight-day, three-nation mission to Africa.

Addressing the national press upon his arrival in Kinshasa, Egeland said he has a key message, which he will deliver to the national authorities and that is that the culture of impunity has to end.

During the course of the day, Egeland held meetings with the UN officials and donors, as well as staff from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Egeland is expected to travel to the southernmost province of Katanga tomorrow, where he will visit camps for internally displaced persons as well as some of the towns that have been seriously affected by fighting throughout the past decade.

Other stops on Egelands mission are expected to include Uganda and Juba,

Sudan.

Asked about the postponement of the announcement of electoral results in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Spokesman said that the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in that country understands that the announcement of the provisional results has been delayed, not only because of the arrest of election workers, but mainly because of the violent events in Kinshasa that took place on 20-22 August.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) was not able to work during the three days involved, and this affected its calendar. The most important thing, the Spokesman said, is that the IEC said this delay will not affect the electoral calendar; which means that the second round of the presidential election remains set for 29 October.

AFGHANISTANS OPIUM CULTIVATION HAS RISEN AT ALARMING RATE

Opium cultivation in Afghanistan rose 59% in 2006, largely due to a dramatic increase in the southern provinces, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said on Saturday.

UNODCs Annual Opium Survey for Afghanistan showed the area under opium cultivation reached a record 165,000 hectares in 2006, compared with 104,000 in 2005.

These are very alarming numbers, UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa said in Kabul after presenting the survey to Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Afghanistan is increasingly hooked on its own drug.

Meanwhile, a two-day

UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) workshop designed to help raise students' awareness of

HIV/AIDS has been held in Kabul.

LAST OF LIBERIAN REFUGEES RETURN HOME FROM SOUTHERN GUINEA

The final convoy of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) voluntary repatriation programme for Liberian refugees in the Kissidougou region of southern Guinea was

completed last week.

The stage has now been set for the closure later this month of UNHCRs field office in that region after 18 years.

Since the beginning of organised voluntary repatriation to Liberia in November 2004, over 38,000 Liberians refugees have been repatriated with UNHCR assistance.

Meanwhile, the Government of Liberia and the UN Childrens Fund yesterday launched a five-day campaign to give Vitamin A supplements and deworming tablets to more than 500,000 Liberian children under the age of five.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY EXPECTED TO MEET FRIDAY TO TAKE ACTION

The President of the General Assembly, Jan Eliasson, will be returning to Headquarters this afternoon, for a week of intensive work to wrap up the 60th session, according to the Presidents Spokesperson.

The President issued a letter to Member States last week outlining three important areas of outstanding work, and stated that he is convinced that, with flexibility and a constructive spirit, substantial outcomes on each of these issues are within reach. Those areas are: a counter-terrorism strategy; reform of the Economic and Social Council; and revitalization of the General Assembly.

It is anticipated that the Assembly will meet in Plenary on Friday to take action on some of these areas, with the remainder to be taken up at the closing meeting of the 60th Session on Monday, 11 September. President Eliasson will then give a wrap-up press briefing on 11 September. The time for this is to be confirmed.

Today at 4:00 p.m., the General Assembly will meet in Plenary to take action on a draft resolution on the situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. By this draft resolution, the Assembly would express concern at the wide-scale fires in that region, and stress the necessity of urgently conducting an environmental operation to suppress the fires. A vote has been requested by Armenia.

Also, the spokesperson for the President of the 61st session of the General Assembly will be Gail Bindley-Taylor Sainté, and Freh Bekele will be staying on as Assistant to the Spokesperson, at least through December.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

HIGH-LEVEL GROUP OF ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS HOLDS WORKING MEETING: The High-level Group of the Alliance of Civilizations is holding a working meeting at UN Headquarters today and tomorrow, to review the draft report that is scheduled to be presented to the Secretary-General in mid-November. On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., the co-chairs of the Group, Federico Mayor of Spain and Mehmet Aydin of Turkey, will brief the press on the Alliances work.

HOST COUNTRIES HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING ACCESS TO U.N. MEETINGS: Asked whether the host country could refuse entry to a Head of State, the Spokesman noted that every country that hosts UN offices has responsibilities regarding allowing access to UN meetings.

HEAD OF U.N. OFFICE IN BURUNDI REMAINS IN PLACE: Asked whether Burundi has asked for the expulsion of the head of the UN office in that country, the Spokesman said that the head of the office remains at work.

Deforestation causes global warminG: Between 25% and 30% of the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere each year 1.6 billion tonnes is caused by deforestation. 200 experts from developing countries met in Rome last week to address this issue in a workshop

organized by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). We are working to solve two of the key environmental issues deforestation and global warming at the same time, said FAO Senior Forestry Officer Dieter Schoene.

WORLD IS IN DANGER OF MISSING TARGETS FOR PROVIDING CLEAN WATER: A new

report from the World Health Organization and UN Childrens Fund

says that the world is in danger of missing targets, for providing clean water and sanitation. According to the report, the rapid population growth in urban areas is putting great pressure on the provision of services and the health of poor people.

FAO project achieveS Record rice yields for Egypt: Egypt has achieved record rice yields with varieties that included hybrids developed locally under a Food and Agriculture Organization-led project. Egypt's average yields were boosted by the introduction of newly-developed hybrid varieties such as SK 2034 and SK 2046, which outperformed the best local varieties by 20-30%.

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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