United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-12-11

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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

Monday, December 11, 2006

ANNAN WELCOMES ANNOUNCED RESUMPTION OF KOREAN PENINSULA TALKS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomes the announced resumption on 18 December 2006 of the six-party talks aimed at achieving a non-nuclear Korean peninsula.

He hopes that the participants in the talks will use this opportunity to make meaningful progress towards implementing their Joint Statement of 19 September 2005. The United Nations Secretariat will remain steadfast in its support for this multilateral diplomatic approach.

ANNAN ENCOURAGED BY ELECTIONS IN ACEH, INDONESIA

The Secretary-General is encouraged by the orderly conduct of the 11 December 2006 local elections in Indonesias Aceh province.

This historic balloting marks the first such electoral exercise pursuant to the peace agreement signed in Helsinki last year between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

The Secretary-General calls on all parties to respect the results of these elections in order to help consolidate the peace process, which aims to build a secure and prosperous Aceh within a united and democratic Indonesia.

ANNAN CHALLENGES AMERICAN LEADERS TO LIVE UP TO

U.S. PRESIDENT TRUMANS MULTILATERAL LEGACY

The Secretary-General is in Independence, Missouri, today, where he delivered his last speech as Secretary-General to an American audience, at the Truman Presidential Museum and Library.

He spelled out five lessons derived from his 10-year experience at the helm of this organization, saying that five principles are essential for the future conduct of international relations: collective responsibility, global solidarity, the rule of law, mutual accountability and multilateralism.

The Secretary-General also challenged American leaders of today and tomorrow to live up to President Harry Truman's example of enlightened leadership in a multilateral system. And he also participated in a brief question and answer session at the Library.

Prior to delivering his speech, the Secretary-General laid a wreath at the Peace Plaza Monument in Independence, which is the only memorial in the United States dedicated to UN peacekeepers.

The Secretary-General will be back at UN Headquarters tomorrow.

IRAQ ON BRINK OF CIVIL WAR AND CHAOS, U.N. ENVOY SAYS

Ashraf Qazi, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Iraq, this morning told the Security Council in an open meeting that the Secretary-Generals latest report on that country provides a sober and urgent warning that Iraq stands on the brink of civil war and chaos.

He said that given the current disunity and violence, it is not realistic to expect the government and parliament to bring about progress without the active cooperation of the regional and international community. Qazi said it was encouraging that Iraq has decided to send envoys to its neighbours to prepare the ground for a regional conference.

He noted the Secretary-Generals call for a negotiated settlement to break the cycle of violence, and his suggestion that a regional contact group, assisted by the United Nations, could serve as the catalyst to bring about a credible forum to discuss and resolve issues.

Then, starting at 3:00 this afternoon, the Security Council will hold consultations on Lebanon, to receive briefings from Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi and from Michael Williams, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on the Situation in the Middle East, on the implementation of

resolution 1701.

Also, the Council intends to hold consultations on non-proliferation.

U.N. FORCE COMMANDER HOPES FOR

FULL ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM LEBANON

The Force Commander for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major-General Alain Pellegrini, today met senior representatives of the Lebanese Army and the Israeli Defense Forces at the UNIFIL position at the border crossing at Ras Al Naqoura.

They discussed the issue of the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the northern part of Ghajar village, which is located inside Lebanese territory.

Pellegrini described the meeting as constructive and productive, saying that progress has been made and adding, I hope that this will help pave the way for the full withdrawal of the IDF from Lebanese territory.

LACK OF ISRAELI COOPERATION STALLS HUMAN RIGHTS MISSION TO GAZA

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, head of the Human Rights Councils fact-finding mission to Beit Hanoun, today announced that his mission could not take place as scheduled because of a "very distressing" lack of cooperation from the Israeli Government.

Tutu added that, while the basic facts surrounding the shelling at Beit Hanoun are not in dispute, the broader context is complex and warrants a visit to Israel for high-level meetings with Israeli officials.

The Human Rights Council decided on 15 November to send a fact-finding mission to Beit Hanoun to assess the situation of victims, address the needs of survivors, and make recommendations on ways to protect Palestinian civilians against further assaults.

Asked what the next step for Tutus team is, the Spokesman said that Tutu had made clear that discussions were needed to iron out the differences and obtain Israels commitment for the mission to proceed.

ANNAN CRITICIZES SLOW PROGRESS OVER MISSING KUWAITIS IN IRAQ

The Secretary-Generals latest report on missing Kuwaiti persons and property in Iraq is out as a document, and it notes that the remains of three more missing Kuwaiti persons have been found, which he calls disappointingly slow progress, given that 370 Kuwaitis remain unaccounted for.

The report is scheduled to be discussed in the Security Council on Wednesday.

GUINEA-BISSAU TAKES CRITICAL STEP TOWARDS NORMALCY

Available today is the Secretary-Generals latest report on Guinea-Bissau. In it, he commends that countrys Government for recognizing the links between security, stability and development. By holding a conference on that topic in Geneva, Guinea-Bissau took a critical step towards normalcy, the Secretary-General adds.

He also strongly urges the political actors in Guinea-Bissau to put national interests above other considerations and to pursue negotiated solutions to their differences, so as not to jeopardize political stability or compromise development.

COTE DIVOIRE: ENVOY CONDEMNS ATTACKS AGAINST CIVILIANS

The UNs Acting Humanitarian Coordinator in Cote dIvoire, Youssouf Oomar, has vigorously condemned recent attacks against civilians in the western part of that country, and has called upon national and local authorities to assure the protection of civilians and the security of humanitarian workers there.

The Acting Humanitarian Coordinator will lead a joint inter-agency evaluation mission to the affected areas at the end of the week.

U.N. OFFICIAL RAISES PLIGHT OF ORPHANS WITH ZIMBABWEAN LEADERS

Asked about the trip to Zimbabwe by World Food Programme Executive Director James Morris, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in Southern Africa, the Spokesman said that Morris met with President Robert Mugabe and Government Ministers. Morris raised with everyone the plight of orphans, vulnerable children, and people with HIV/AIDS.

The Spokesman noted that Zimbabwe was one of many stops on Morriss trip to the region, and his goal for that trip is to urge governments and donors to take decisive actions to tackle long-term development problems.

Sorokobi said that Morris was heartened by the close working relationship between the United Nations and the NGO community to assist the people of Zimbabwe and to help avert a serious food crisis in Zimbabwe over the last few years.

ANNAN DEPLORES ALL VIOLENCE IN SOMALIA

Asked about reports of recent fighting in Somalia, the Spokesman noted that the United Nations does not have a presence in Somalia that would enable it to confirm such fighting. The UN office dealing with Somalia, headed by Francois Lonseny Fall, is a political one that involves working with the parties so that they maintain a dialogue.

The Spokesman said that the Secretary-General deplores all violence in Somalia and has indicated that the situation there can only be resolved through dialogue. He also has asked other countries not to intervene militarily in Somali affairs.

A.I.D.S. AGENCY SHOCKED BY RUSSIAN FIRE

THAT KILLED WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

expressed shock at the news of the tragic fire in Moscow that claimed the lives of 45 young women and two hospital staff members who were trapped behind locked doors and barred windows at the drug rehabilitation centre, Hospital No. 17. Many of the women were living with HIV and being treated for drug dependency.

It is really important that the cause of their death is fully investigated to determine whether this was arson, negligence or the result of insufficient safety standards, said UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEW UNICEF REPORT LAUNCHED TODAY: According to a new UNICEF report launched this morning, on the agencys 60th anniversary, eliminating gender discrimination and empowering women will have a profound and positive impact on the survival and well-being of children. The State of the Worlds Children 2007 adds that gender equality produces the double dividend of benefiting both women and children and is pivotal to the health and development of families, communities and nations.

PALESTINIAN REFUGEE AGENCY A FORCE FOR STABILITY: Available today is a message that the Secretary-General is providing to a meeting in Amman of donors and host authorities for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The Secretary-General says that, at a time when the Middle East is roiled by conflict and tension, UNRWA remains a force for stability, providing life-sustaining services to 4.3 million Palestinians.