United Nations Daily Highlights, 07-02-05

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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 MICHELE MONTAS

SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, February 5, 2007

SECRETARY-GENERAL ELABORATES ON RESTRUCTURING PROPOSALS

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in an informal meeting this morning, told the Member States about the need for restructuring to enhance UN efforts in the fundamental areas of peace operations and disarmament.

He said the number of peacekeeping operations is at an all-time high, and there is a need to deal with the surge in demand. He proposed the creation of a new Department of Field Support that can support field operations more effectively, coherently and responsively, and establish a clear point of responsibility and accountability for field support.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General also emphasized the need for sustained and determined leadership to deal with disarmament issues, and therefore proposes that the Department of Disarmament Affairs be constituted as an Office with a direct line to him to ensure access and more frequent interaction.

And he promised that he continues to listen to Member States and has adjusted his proposals in accordance with their concerns.

The Secretary-General also briefed the General Assembly on his first major overseas trip since assuming office.

Asked about the response from Member States, the Spokeswoman noted that consultations are still continuing. The Secretary-Generals presentation this morning, she noted, was in front of a full room, in what is just the beginning of consultations with the larger membership, following a period of discussions on a smaller scale.

She said that this morning, Member States had been answering the Secretary-Generals request for more views, while senior UN officials were on hand to provide more information.

The Secretary-General, she said, would provide more information to Member States as the process goes on.

Asked whether there were any more changes to the restructuring plan, Montas said that there had been clarifications, not changes.

Asked whether the Department for Disarmament Affairs was being downgraded, the Spokeswoman said that the proposal was that the office would be under the Secretary-Generals stewardship. She said that the Secretary-General would wait for a reaction, and would follow the legislative process at the United Nations.

Asked about the rank of the disarmament head, Montas said that has not been decided yet.

Asked whether the Secretary-General had changed his mind on incorporating the Department for Disarmament Affairs within the Department for Political Affairs, the Spokeswoman said that idea had simply been one of many suggestions made. The idea before the membership now, which does not include that earlier suggestion, is more concrete, she said.

ON FIRST DAY IN OFFICE, DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL

SAYS WILL STRIVE FOR AN INTEGRATED UNITED NATIONS

In a press encounter this morning, the Secretary-General introduced the new Deputy Secretary-General, Asha-Rose Migiro, who had just signed a declaration pledging to exercise in all loyalty, discretion and conscience, the functions entrusted to her, with the interest of the United Nations only in view.

The Deputy Secretary-General said that she will strive to bring about a more integrated United Nations in all that she does, and added of her first days on the job, I have had a hectic but very interesting beginning indeed.

The Secretary-General was also asked some questions, and, in response to a question on the Middle East, said that he fully supports a planned trilateral meeting among the United States, the Palestinian Authority and Israeli leaders. He added his hope that the trilateral meeting would be followed up by another Quartet meeting soon.

BAN KI-MOON DENOUNCES TOLL OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE POOR

On climate change, the Secretary-General today stressed that it is the poor in Africa, small island developing states and elsewhere who will suffer the most, even though they are the least responsible for global warming.

That was part of his message to the UN Environment Programmes

Governing Council, which is meeting in Nairobi today.

He also said that, despite our best intentions and some admirable efforts to date, degradation of the global environment continues unabated.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals position on moving the UNs environmental work out of Nairobi, the Spokeswoman said that the suggestion made at an international conference last week was to bring all environmental offices under one organization. That proposal, she said, is up to Member States to consider and does not imply moving the UN environmental bodies out of Nairobi.

U.N. ENVOY FOR IRAQ:

NEW THINKING IS NEEDED TO OVERCOME DEADLY VIOLENCE

Ashraf Qazi, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Iraq, over the weekend condemned in the strongest terms the upsurge in violence in Iraq, which targeted innocent civilians in popular markets and universities.

Qazi called on Iraqi leaders and citizens to exhibit fresh thinking in the face of the violence that is tearing their society to pieces. He welcomed Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistanis statement calling on all to remember the fundamental unity of Islam and the need to close ranks in defence of civilized values and the future of the country.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR

FURTHER ISRAELI RELEASE OF PALESTINIAN TAX REVENUES

The Secretary-General, in a message to a UN seminar in Qatar today on assistance to the Palestinian people, says that he is very alarmed by the precarious state of the Palestinian economy and the serious humanitarian emergency in the occupied Palestinian territory.

He notes that Israels recent release of some withheld tax revenues was a welcome step, and he urges Israel to take further steps in this direction without delay. He also calls for the Palestinians to take firm steps to cease rocket fire and other indiscriminate attacks against Israeli civilians.

Asked what was accomplished at last weeks Quartet meeting, the Spokeswoman referred to the joint communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.

AID AGENCIES ALARMED AT UPSURGE IN PALESTINE VIOLENCE

In a joint statement, the UN agencies working in the occupied Palestinian territory on Saturday expressed their alarm at the deteriorating security situation in Gaza.

The upsurge of violence, which has taken the lives of innocent civilians, is also putting UN workers on the ground at serious risk, the agencies said, making it extremely difficult to fulfill their humanitarian mandates to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. Yet the agencies asserted that they remain determined to continue with their humanitarian work.

The UN agencies jointly call for an immediate end to the violence and respect by all parties for the human rights of the population in Gaza, and they condemn in the strongest possible terms the killing of women, children and other unarmed civilians. They appeal to the parties to refrain from any action which endangers civilian life and which prevents the United Nations from fulfilling its humanitarian responsibilities.

ATTACKS ON HUMANITARIAN WORKERS IN SUDAN UP 67 PERCENT

The UN Mission in Sudan continues to report violence in the form of fighting and attacks in Darfur.

Meanwhile, despite strong appeals from United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Darfur, threats against the worlds largest relief operation have become even more severe, warned Margareta Wahlström, the Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Darfur was already one of the most dangerous areas for relief workers in 2005. But security incidents involving relief workers surged by another 67 per cent in 2006, she said. Even more disturbing is that security incidents involving internally displaced people have more than tripled. All parties have to act now to stop these attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice.

MULTI-AGENCY PROBES BEGIN IN D.R. CONGO LATEST UNREST

Two UN multi-agency teams are investigating the circumstances around last weeks violence in Matadi and its humanitarian and security implications for the Bas-Congo province, where more than 70 were reported dead in the aftermath of local elections.

Over the weekend, the Mission reinforced its presence in the region by deploying a 35-strong additional UN police unit.

The Mission also deplored the fact that local police appear to misinform the public that UN troops are responsible for the violence. Such unfounded charges have led to the stoning by angry youth of two UN vehicles earlier today, the Mission says.

Meanwhile, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, William Lacy Swing, said he was gravely concerned about mounting evidence of serious human rights abuses by the Congolese security forces.

UNITED NATIONS STANDS READY TO HELP TIMOR-LESTE JUDICIARY

In his latest report to the Security Council on the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste, the Secretary-General says that the overall situation in Timor-Leste has improved, but the security situation remains volatile and the political climate fluid.

The Secretary-General also reiterates that the UN Mission stands ready to assist in strengthening Timor-Lestes judicial sector, a key component of the rule of law, which remains weak in a number of areas.

SENIOR U.N. POLITICAL OFFICIAL TO SRI LANKA FOR WIDE CONSULTATIONS

Angela Kane, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, will visit Sri Lanka, starting tomorrow, through 12 February.

She looks forward to holding meetings with Government officials, political leaders, civil society and representatives of the international community. This visit is a routine part of her consultations.

LIKELIHOOD IS SLIM OF WIDESPREAD BIRD FLU AMONG HUMANS

In response to last weeks bird flu outbreak in the United Kingdom, David Nabarro, the UN System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, said the chances of human infection as a result of that outbreak were very small.

At the same time, however, he warned that the world needs to remain vigilant for up to a decade to ensure the viruss eradication.

Nabarro is currently en route to Geneva from Indonesia.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

TOP U.N. OFFICIAL FOR AFGHANISTAN BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL: The Security Council this morning heard in its closed consultations a briefing by Tom Koenigs, head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan, on recent developments in that country.

CONSULTATIONS CONTINUE ON KOSOVO STATUS PROPOSALS: Asked whether the Secretary-General plans to bring the leaders from Pristina and Belgrade together on the Kosovo proposals, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General is waiting for his Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, to finish his consultations before considering any intervention.

MANDATE OF LEBANON FORCE IS UNCHANGED: Asked whether the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon has changed, the Spokeswoman said that there has been no 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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