United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-12-06

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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 YVES SOROKOBI

ASSOCIATE

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

ANNAN CONGRATULATES NEW CONGOLESE PRESIDENT

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) reports that Joseph Kabila was sworn in earlier today in Kinshasa as the first democratically-elected Congolese president in more than four decades.

In a message prepared for the occasion and delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the Secretary-General warmly congratulated President Kabila and the Congolese people. The Secretary-General said that the Congolese peoples peaceful, enthusiastic and determined participation was critical in ensuring the success of the electoral process.

He encouraged the incoming administration to work closely with the people and with civil society throughout the country in order to stimulate economic growth, reform the security sector, protect human rights, and strengthen economic governance, democracy and the rule of law. Reconciliation, he said, will be crucial, especially given what the country has been through.

Asked about violence in the eastern Congo, the Spokesman said that the UN Mission was concerned about it, and was working to resolve the situation. Meanwhile, he added, humanitarian agencies are trying to deal with the needs of the people displaced by the fighting. Sorokobi said that today should have been a historic and joyful day, with the swearing in of the first democratically elected President. The violence that took place today, he added, was a flare-up following incidents in the same region last week.

Asked whether the United Nations would determine who started the latest round of fighting, the Spokesman said that the priority would be to halt the fighting before trying to make such a determination.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO MEET ON SOMALIA, D.R. CONGO

The Security Council this morning discussed in its closed consultations the text of a draft Presidential Statement, concerning the inauguration today in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) of President Joseph Kabila. Under other matters, Council members also discussed a draft resolution on Somalia.

At 4:00 this afternoon, the Council has scheduled two formal meetings, first to vote on the Somalia draft resolution, and then to adopt the Presidential Statement on the DRC.

Earlier today, in a formal meeting, the Security Council adopted its annual report to the General Assembly on its activities.

HAITI: U.N. MISSION GETS NEW DEPUTY CHIEF

The Secretary-General has appointed Joel Boutroue of France as his Deputy Special Representative for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). The post also carries the responsibilities of Humanitarian Coordinator, Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative. He assumed these new responsibilities yesterday.

Mr. Boutroue has had a long career with the UN, beginning in 1984 when he worked for UNHCR and culminating in his most recent appointment as Deputy Director of the Coordination and Response Division in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL APPOINTS NEW MEMBER

OF MIDDLE EAST FACT-FINDING MISSION

In Geneva today, the President of the Human Rights Council announced the appointment of Christine Chinkin of the United Kingdom as the second member of the high-level fact-finding mission to Beit Hanoun, which was authorized by the Human Rights Councils special session on 15 November.

Chinkin will join Desmond Tutu, who was appointed last week to lead the mission. The two hope to travel to the region this weekend and will report back to the Human Rights Council by the middle of this month.

Currently a professor of international law at the London School of Economics and a faculty member of the University of Michigan Law School, Ms. Chinkin has devoted much of her distinguished career to the law of treaties and human rights, with a particular emphasis on the protection of women's rights and international dispute resolution.

ANNAN RECOMMENDS EXTENSION OF GOLAN HEIGHTS MISSION

The Secretary-General, in his latest report on the UN Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights (UNDOF), says that the situation in the Israel-Syria sector has remained generally quiet.

However, the situation in the Middle East remains tense, and the Secretary-General considers UNDOFs continued presence to be essential. He recommends that the Security Council extend its mandate by six months, until the end of next June.

UNITED NATIONS TO STUDY IRAQ STUDY GROUP REPORT

Asked about the report of the Iraq Study Group chaired by James Baker and Lee Hamilton, the Spokesman said that the United Nations had yet to see the full report although it was aware of information in that report. The United Nations would study the full report before commenting on it.

He added that some of the recommendations in that report are in conformity with proposals that have been made by the Secretary-General, including the idea of holding an international conference for Iraq.

RWANDA GENOCIDE CONVICT IS RELEASED

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda says that Elizaphan Ntakirutimana, a former pastor sentenced in February 2003 to ten years imprisonment for aiding and abetting genocide in Rwanda, was released today from prison.

This is the first time that a person convicted of genocide by the Tribunal has been released after serving their full sentence. The former pastor was first arrested in September 1996 in the United States.Credit was to be given for the time the accused had already served on remand in the United States and Arusha, Tanzania.

U.N. ENVOY CONTINUES TO MEET WITH SOMALI PARTIES

The United Nations has

appealed for $18 million to help hundreds of thousands of flood survivors in Somalia. The appeal was launched today in Geneva, and the funding that it receives will complement the $10 million already provided through the Central Emergency Response Fund for this crisis.

Asked whether the United Nations is receiving analysis of the situation in Somalia, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Francois Lonseny Fall, had recently visited Mogadishu and Baidoa in that country and continued to meet with regional and international actors, as well, in his efforts to provide such an analysis.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNANS ENVOY STILL IN TOUCH WITH ALL PARTIES IN LEBANON: Asked about reports that the Lebanese Government was recruiting militias, the Spokesman said he was not aware of such reports. He noted that the Secretary-Generals Personal Representative, Geir Pedersen, continues to be in touch with all the parties in Lebanon.

L.R.A. ENVOY APPOINTED DUE TO SECURITY COUNCIL REQUEST: Asked about the Secretary-Generals appointment of Joachim Chissano as his Special Envoy for Lords Resistance Army-affected Areas, the Spokesman said that the appointment had been made in response to a request from the Security Council. He added that the Secretary-Generals office has informed Secretary-General-designate Ban Ki-moon of the initiatives it is taking during the transition period.

SPOKESMAN GOT INFORMATION FROM U.N.D.P. REPORT: Asked about a UN Development Programme (UNDP) Ombudsmans report, the Spokesman noted that his office had received information from a recent report concerning UNDP whistle-blowing policies that have been put in place to make sure that staff can feel that they can speak freely. As for other questions about UNDP, he noted that Administrator Kemal Dervis would brief the press on 18 December.

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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