United Nations Daily Highlights, 07-02-28

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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 SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

IRAQ: BAN KI-MOON SUPPORTS NEW DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVE

Asked for the Secretary-General's position on reported plans for a preparatory meeting in Baghdad of

Iraq's neighbors with the five permanent members of the Security Council, at which the United States, Syria and Iran will be represented, the Spokesperson said that Ban Ki-moon supports this new diplomatic initiative and will be sending his Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, to attend the meeting in Baghdad as an observer.

The Secretary-General, Montas said, had discussed this idea with Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari during their recent meeting in Berlin, and it is in keeping with the call the United Nations has been making for a convergence of national, regional and international efforts in support of the people and Government of Iraq.

The Secretary-General, Montas added, hopes that the participants in the preparatory meeting will focus on urgently needed steps to reduce violence in Iraq and help stabilize the situation in the region.

BAN KI-MOON URGES END TO AERIAL BOMBINGS IN DARFUR

The Secretary-Generals most recent report on Darfur is available today. It covers the months of November, December and January.

In it, the Secretary-General says he is distressed by the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation on the ground, and he particularly deplores the aerial bombings by the Sudanese Armed Forces, which have expanded to new areas since January 16, resulting in more civilian casualties and suffering. He urges the Government to put an end to the aerial bombings and to take immediate action to hold accountable the perpetrators of attacks against civilians.

All parties, he says, must submit to dialogue and negotiation, and commit themselves to a non-military solution to the devastating conflict in Darfur.

U.N. ENVOY HOLDS TALKS WITH LEBANESE & ISRAELI OFFICIALS

Michael Williams, the Secretary-Generals Special Advisor on the situation in the Middle East, is continuing his mission related to the preparation of the Secretary-Generals next report on Security Council

resolution 1701.

Following his meetings with Israeli officials in Israel earlier this week, Williams met in Lebanon yesterday and today with Lebanese officials concerned with the implementation of that resolution. The discussions focused on a whole range of issues, including overflights, the issue of prisoners, and respect for the arms embargo, as well as the situation in the south, the Shebaa Farms and along the Blue Line. Williams stressed the general need to sustain a commitment by all parties to resolution 1701.

Among the officials that Williams met were Lebanons Prime Minister, Defense Minister, Interior Minister, former Energy Minister, and senior security officials. Williams was accompanied by the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Geir Pedersen.

PALESTINE REFUGEE AGENCY APPEALS FOR FUNDS

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has

appealed for $26 million to improve the living conditions of some 18,000 Palestine refugees living in Neirab camp near Aleppo, Syria.

The Agency explains the reason behind this appeal by saying that the Neirab camp originally housed troops during World War II and no renovations have been performed ever since. This has led to unsafe building structures that pose health and safety hazards and overcrowding due to the large number of refugee families set up there.

SOUTH AFRICA ASSUMES SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY TOMORROW

There are no meetings or consultations of the Security Council scheduled for today, the last day of the Slovakian Presidency. Starting tomorrow, South Africa assumes the Council Presidency for the month of March.

In related news, the latest report on Iran by the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Security Council has now been made public.

D.R. CONGO: MILITIA LEADER SURRENDERS 170 TROOPS

After three weeks of intense negotiations, the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) reports that militia leader Peter Karim yesterday took an important first step towards the consolidation of peace in the Ituri Province by disarming and ordering the surrender of some 170 fighters from his National Integrationist Front.

Among the surrendering fighters, 42 were identified as children by UNICEF and the Missions Child Protection Division. The disarmament operation, which was supervised by UN peacekeepers, also netted heavy weapons including AK-47s, machine guns, anti-tank mines and ammunition.

Asked if militia leader Peter Karim had received any financial or other incentives to disarm his fighters and if he would be prosecuted for recruiting child soldiers, the Spokesperson said that Karim was integrated into the Congolese Army at the officer rank as part of a deal between him and the Congolese government. On his recruiting child soldiers, Montas said that the decision was for judicial authorities to make.

NINE OUT OF TEN AFRICANS WITH EPILEPSY DONT GET TREATMENT

A new

report from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that neurological disorders, ranging from epilepsy to Alzheimer disease, affect up to one billion people worldwide. However, according to the report, health systems need to be strengthened to deliver better care for people suffering from such disorders.

In that context, Margaret Chan, WHOs Director-General, says that, despite the fact that highly effective, low-cost treatments are available, as many as nine out of 10 people suffering from epilepsy in Africa go untreated.

THREE NEW U.N. SENIOR OFFICIALS TO BE SWORN IN ON FRIDAY

Asked for an update on the appointments of senior officials by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Spokesperson said that three newly-appointed Under-Secretaries-General would be sworn in Friday by signing a declaration in the presence of the Secretary-General.

These include John Holmes, the incoming Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; Lynn Pascoe, who was selected as head of the Department of Political Affairs, and Muhammad Shaaban, who will lead the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management.

Montas added that John Holmes will hold a press briefing Monday at UN Headquarters.

Asked if top officials who have not yet been replaced would be reconfirmed in their posts, Montas said that the Secretary-General would decide on individual cases as the officials' current contracts with the UN expire.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO PLANS NOW FOR CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT: The Secretary-General is actively consulting with a range of actors on climate change and is looking at all options for building consensus on how best to address this common threat. He plans to attend the G8 meeting in June, where climate change will be a central topic of discussion. The United Nations is also preparing for a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference in

Bali in December. At this time there are no plans for a Summit.

SITUATION IN TIMOR-LESTE IS REPORTED CALM: The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) reports that 21 instances of fighting, stone-throwing and arson were reported in Dili over the past 24 hours. The situation is now reported as calm but tense.

UNITED NATIONS HOPES FOR RELEASE OF KIDNAPPED ISRAELI SOLDIERS: Asked for a readout of the Secretary-General's meeting with relatives of Israeli soldiers abducted by Palestinian and Lebanese militants, the Spokesperson later said that the Secretary-General promised his visitors that he would keep working hard to seek the release of the detained soldiers. He has been receiving reports from and working with the special "facilitator" for this issue. The UN, Montas added, strongly hopes for their release.

DRUG CONTROL BOARD LAUNCHES REPORT: The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) -- which is an independent and quasi-judicial monitoring body for the implementation of the UN international drug control conventions -- today launched its annual report at the UN Office in Vienna. A similar launch will also take place today in Washington, DC.