United Nations Daily Highlights, 07-03-14

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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, March 14, 2007

MEETING ON IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION TO BE HELD THIS FRIDAY

In accordance with the United Nations mandate under Security Council Resolution 1546 to assist in the reconstruction and recovery of Iraq, the Secretary-General will convene a meeting at U.N. headquarters this Friday, 16 March, to bring the Government of Iraq and the international community together to review the substantive progress made in the development of the International Compact with Iraq (ICI). His Excellency, Mr. Adel Abdul Mahdi, Vice-President of Iraq, will lead Iraqs delegation and brief participants. All Member States and representatives of multilateral institutions have been invited to attend.

Together with the Government of Iraq, the United Nations continues to serve as co-chair of the ICI. The Secretary-General recently appointed Ibrahim Gambari to be his Special Adviser for the International Compact. He will serve as UN co-chair.

The Secretary-General looks forward to the participation of the broader international community at Fridays meeting to help put Iraq on a credible path towards sustainable development and economic prosperity.

Asked if the UN hosting of the meeting of the Iraq Compact could be seen as a sign that the UN might increase its presence in Iraq, the Spokesperson said that any such expansion of UN presence in that country was dependent on the security environment there.

Asked why the meeting was being held in New York, Montas explained that the Compact is an initiative of the Government of Iraq for a new partnership with the international community which started in July 2006. Jointly chaired by the Government of Iraq and the United Nations, with the support of the World Bank, the initiative is focused on Iraqs long-term economic development, while stressing progress in the political and security fields, through a mutually re-enforcing relationship. Montas added that following a request by the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mr. Nouri al-Maliki, the Secretary-General agreed to host a meeting on the International Compact with Iraq in New York on 16 March 2007. The meeting offers an opportunity to involve the larger international community in a discussion on how best to support the Government of Iraq under the framework of the Compact. The Government of Iraq is expected to formally present the Compact document at the meeting, as well as brief participants on the latest developments in the implementation of commitments made under the Compact.

FORMER U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF APPOINTED AS SPECIAL ADVISER

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has decided to appoint Jan Egeland of Norway as his Special Adviser, at the Under-Secretary-General level.

With more than 25 years of experience in peace processes and humanitarian operations in conflict zones around the world for the United Nations, the Norwegian Government and non-governmental organizations Mr. Egeland will be a valuable asset to the Secretary-General on matters relating to the prevention and resolution of conflict.

This appointment complements existing efforts to bolster UN capacity for peacemaking and good offices, being led by the Department of Political Affairs (DPA). One of Mr. Egelands duties will be to coordinate a standby team of technical experts that can be called upon at short notice to assist envoys in peacemaking efforts around the globe. The standby team is currently being developed as an initiative of the recently created Mediation Support Capacity within DPA.

Asked to explain the Mr. Egeland's functions, the Spokesperson said that Egeland did not have an immediate country or mediation assignment and that his immediate task would be to set up the stand-by support team.

POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR IMPROVING PEACE PROSPECTS IN MIDDLE EAST

The Security Council this morning is discussing the situation in the

Middle East, including the Palestinian question, during an open meeting at which Lynn Pascoe, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, gave his first monthly briefing to the Council on the Middle East. Pascoe noted that after a year of diminishing peace prospects, recent developments such as the Mecca Agreement and the renewed Israeli-Palestinian dialogue "hold out the potential, if not yet the promise, to begin turning that trend around."

Pascoe hoped that a new Palestinian government will take positions and actions" that demonstrate respect for agreements signed by Palestine Liberation Organization renouncing terrorism and recognizing Israel's right to exist. He also noted the Quartet's "wait and see" approach and called on the international community to be engaged with "both firmness and flexibility."

After hearing Pascoes briefing, Council members moved into the consultation room for a closed meeting on the same topic and other matters. This afternoon, the Council will hold a closed meeting on Cote dIvoire, followed by consultations on non-proliferation and other matters.

The High Representative for Elections in Cote dIvoire and the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for that country will brief.

DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES SHOULD ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE ON EXCAVATIONS IN OLD JERUSALEM

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today released the report of its technical mission that recently went to Jerusalem. UNESCO sent the team following concerns over Israeli excavations on a pathway between the Western Wall and the Haram es-Sharif. The northern wall of that pathway had collapsed in February 2004.

The mission noted that no work is being conducted inside the Haram es-Sharif, nor may the nature of the works underway be reported, at this stage, as constituting a threat to the stability of the Western Wall or the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

At the same time, however, while recognizing that the archaeological works underway are being carried out according to professional standards, the mission recommended that the Government of Israel be asked to immediately stop the excavations, given that they were already sufficient for the purpose of assessing the structural conditions of the pathway.

The mission also noted that, since the project concerns different religious and cultural communities, it is of the utmost importance that there be dialogue and communication between all concerned parties, including the Jordanian Government, which Israel has recognized as having a supervisory role on the Haram es-Sharif.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL ADDRESSES PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN U.N. & EUROPEAN UNION

The Deputy Secretary-General is in Strasbourg today where she is holding a number of bilateral meetings at the European Parliament.

She is scheduled to deliver a speech to the European Parliament on the occasion of the launch of the report: The Partnership between the United Nations and the European Union.

Tomorrow, she will be in Brussels where the UN system will make public the first ever comprehensive report on UN-EU cooperation in the area of development and humanitarian aid.

NEPAL: U.N. CONCERNED BY REPORTS THAT MAOISTS KEEPING WEAPONS OUTSIDE CANTONMENT AREAS

The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) in a statement expressed concern over recent media reports quoting Maoist chairman Prachanda, as saying that the Communist Party of Nepal retains weapons and combatants outside the cantonment sites.

The Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for Nepal, Ian Martin, today raised the issue with the Maoist leadership. Although they maintain that the reports are incorrect, UNMIN will continue to seek further clarification from the Maoist leadership.

HAITI: U.N. MISSION WELCOMES ARREST OF GANG LEADER

The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has warmly welcomed the arrest yesterday of gang leader Evans Lejeune, also known as Evens Ti Kouto, by a special squad of the Haitian National Police. The UN Mission also congratulates the Haitian population for its support of this operation.

After eluding several sweeps by joint UN-Haitian police teams in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Evens was arrested in the southern town of Les Cayes and transferred, with logistical support from UN peacekeepers, to a detention center in the capital.

MEASLES VACCINATION CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED IN NORTH KOREA

UNICEF and the World Health Organization today launched an immunization campaign aimed at combating a major outbreak of the measles in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Some 3,500 people have been diagnosed with the disease there since November. During the first phase of the campaign, more than six million children between the ages of six months and 15 years will receive the vaccine. During the second part, which begins next month, some 10 million people between the ages of 16 and 45 will be vaccinated.

UNICEF and WHO are providing the vaccine, while the Government of the DPRK is providing the health workers to administer it and covering the campaigns operating costs.

TIMOR-LESTE: U.N. MISSION REPORTS VIOLENCE IN CAPITAL

The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) reports that some 22 instances of violence broke out in capital Dili over the past 24 hours. Some were targeted at UN police and UN vehicles. The situation is now stable but tense.

Disturbances and thefts from WFP warehouses also continued and three people were arrested.

The situation in Same meanwhile, is returning to normal. UN and Timor local police are conducting joint patrols in the town, and efforts by the International Security Forces to apprehend Maj. Reinado are continuing elsewhere.

BAN KI-MOON DISCUSSES MIDDLE EAST WITH ISRAELI OFFICIALS

Asked for a readout of the meeting today between the Secretary-General and the Foreign and Defense Ministers of Israel and if that meeting was scheduled early in the day because of the urgency of its agenda, the Spokesperson said that there were no particularly urgent items discussed at that meeting.

As for a readout, Montas said that the Secretary-General and his guests discussed a wide range of issues including Lebanon, the upcoming report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701, Iran and the current situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The Secretary-General also informed his interlocutors of his planned visit to the Middle East and reaffirmed that the promotion of dialogue and peace in the Middle East is one of his top priorities.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

FOOD AGENCY APPEALS FOR FUNDS FOR IRAQI REFUGEES: The World Food Programme (WFP) is appealing for nearly $2 million so that it can provide additional assistance to the poorest of the more than one million Iraqi refugees who have fled to Syria to escape escalating violence in their home country. WFP hopes to purchase more than 2,800 metric tons of rice, vegetable oil and other foodstuffs through the end of the year, and distribute them to up to 30,000 refugees who are unable to afford their basic food needs.

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CONTINUES WORK IN GENEVA: The Human Rights Council in Geneva is holding an interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights who presented her report to the Council this afternoon. Earlier in the day, the Human Rights Council concluded its high-level segment, after hearing statements from 15 dignitaries who raised issues among other things pertaining to the Universal Periodic Review and other institution-building measures. Also, Members of the Council adopted without a vote a decision by the President of the Council to convene the fifth session of the Council from 11 to 18 June.

U.N. OFFICIAL CALLS FOR GREATER HUMANITARIAN ACCESS IN SRI LANKA: Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes today urged all parties of the Sri Lanka conflict to grant access to UN humanitarian agencies so that they can operate in frontline areas to help the civilians trapped in the crossfire. In a meeting with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Holmes also reiterated the UNs readiness to support the government of Sri Lanka, to heighten efforts to respond to the growing needs of internally displaced peoples in the conflict-ridden East.

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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