United Nations Daily Highlights, 07-03-28

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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 FARHAN HAQ

ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

U.N.

HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

BAN KI-MOON URGES ARAB SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS TO RENEW SUPPORT FOR ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE PROCESS

The Secretary-General today addressed the Summit of the League of Arab States taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and he urged the leaders gathered at the Summit to reaffirm their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative, which he called one of the pillars of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

The Secretary-General noted the positive signs for that peace process, including the formation of a National Unity Government in Palestine and the prospect of an

Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. Solving the conflict, he said, is a moral and strategic necessity.

The Secretary-General also underscored other priorities, including the need to resolve the situation in Lebanon through dialogue; support for the security and recovery of Iraq, including through the International Compact for

Iraq; and the need for peace and an end to strife in

Darfur.

The Secretary-General today also attended a mini-summit on Somalia, chaired by the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud, which brought together senior officials of the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the African Union, the League of Arab States and the European Union, as well as the foreign minister of Kenya, to discuss the way forward for Somalia.

The Secretary-General also had a busy schedule of bilateral meetings, including a meeting with President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, with whom he had a wider meeting with advisers, followed by a tête-à-tête. There will also be a summit meeting tonight on Darfur, which will be chaired by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and will also involve the Secretary-General and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa.

He also met, among others, with the Presidents of Lebanon, Mauritania and the United Arab Emirates.

On Tuesday evening, the Secretary-General met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and he underlined the crucial timing of the Arab Summit. They discussed Iraq, the deteriorating situation in

Lebanon, the National Unity Government in Palestine and the important Arab peace initiative and Darfur.

Asked if the Secretary-General had pressed Arab leaders to increase pressure on Sudan over the Darfur situation, the Spokesman said that there are further activities taking place on the margins of the League of Arab States summit in Saudi Arabia, whose leader, King Abdullah, has convened a special meeting on Darfur for later this evening. The Secretary-General, the Spokesman noted, will be attending that meeting.

Meanwhile, he added, the UN is pressing ahead with the light and heavy packages concerning the UN assistance to the African Union force in Darfur.

Asked if among Arab States, only Saudi Arabia seemed concerned about the situation in Darfur, Haq advised that correspondents wait for the results of this evening's meeting on Darfur in order to gauge what persuasive effects the meeting will have had on the Sudanese Government. "We hope that this will assist in our effort to help the people of Darfur," Haq said.

CÔTE D'IVOIRE: SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES RECENT POLITICAL AGREEMENTS

The Secretary-General commends President Laurent Gbagbo and Mr. Guillaume Soro for the steps they have taken to date towards implementing the Ouagadougou political agreement. The Secretary-General, in particular, welcomes the establishment of the integrated command centre on 16 March and the supplementary agreement reached on 26 March, which designates Mr. Soro as the new Prime Minister of Côte dIvoire.

The Secretary-General also commends President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso for facilitating the supplementary agreement and congratulates Mr. Soro. The Secretary-General assures President Gbagbo and Mr. Soro of the readiness of the United Nations to work closely with them to support the implementation of the Ouagadougou agreement. He also expresses his gratitude to Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny for his significant contribution to the peace process, in particular for his tireless efforts to rebuild trust among the Ivorian parties and launch the key disarmament and identification processes over the past sixteen months.

SUDAN AGREES WITH U.N. ON SUPPORT FOR DARFUR HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS

Today in Khartoum, the Government of Sudan and the United Nations signed a Joint Communiqué, in which the Government of Sudan pledged to support, protect and facilitate all humanitarian operations in

Darfur through rapid and full implementation of all measures outlined in the Moratorium on Restrictions, which was first penned on 3 July 2004.

Both parties recognize that progress has been made in addressing the humanitarian situation since the signing of the Moratorium, and that this recommitment is to address current problems in the implementation of that agreement. Specifically the Sudanese Government has, among other things, undertaken to extend current visas and permits through January 2008, to provide international NGO Country Directors and their families multiple entry visas, and to fast-track visa and customs procedures.

Also today, Jan Eliasson, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for Darfur, traveled to Chad, where he met with the Prime Minister and Foreign Ministry officials, in the context of his consultations on revitalizing the Darfur peace process.

Meanwhile, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes arrived in the Chadian capital of NDjamena today, following visits to camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and aid projects in the area around Goz Beida, around 100 kilometers from the Sudanese border.

Setting out from Abéché, Mr. Holmes traveled to Goz Beida, a hamlet whose population has more than quadrupled in the past three years due to the insecurity in the Chadian countryside and across the border in Sudan. Dwindling water resources are a pressing concern: non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the water sector warn that the limited underground water supply could be fully depleted in a matter of months, putting tens of thousands of people at risk.

SECURITY COUNCIL TAKES UP AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING ISSUES

The Foreign Minister of South Africa, Nkosazana Dhlamini-Zuma, is chairing the Security Council today as it discusses the relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations, particularly the African Union, concerning international peace and security. Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi briefed the Council on the cooperation the United Nations has received from the African Union in its work. That debate is expected to continue into the afternoon, with 32 speakers inscribed.

Once the meeting is done, the Security Council expects to hold a formal meeting to consider a resolution amending the sanctions imposed on Rwanda.

After that, the Council will consider a Presidential Statement concerning the implementation of the Ouagadougou political agreement for Cote dIvoire.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Council President, Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, read out a statement to the press on Cyprus, which welcomed the Cyprus Governments decision to remove the wall and National Guard post at Ledra Street as a step towards opening a new crossing point.

DRC: U.N. AGENCIES PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN WAKE OF RECENT VIOLENCE

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that humanitarian organizations continue to undertake evaluation and assistance activities throughout Kinshasa in the wake of last week's fighting between Government forces and armed elements loyal to former Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba.

In response to needs, the World Health Organization (WHO) distributed three metric tonnes of essential drugs and surgical materials, as well as 400 rolls of plaster and 100 sheets.

OCHA says that one additional concern has been the protection needs of vulnerable groups, including the families and dependents of the forces loyal to Bemba and arrested street children, as well as the risk of sexual violence and other human rights abuses.

GAZA: U.N. PROVIDES AID TO VICTIMS OF DEADLY CESSPOOL COLLAPSE

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

says that sewage water yesterday flooded some 250 houses in the village of Um Nasser in Beit Lahiya in the Gaza Strip when the wall of a huge cesspool collapsed, causing some 1,500 people to flee the area.

Among those too old or too weak to escape the flood, four people were confirmed dead yesterday and 18 others were injured; 11 others are still missing.

The Office for the Coordination of humanitarian Affairs

says that 96 homes were destroyed or damaged and some 300 families had to be relocated to a temporary camp on higher ground in the region nearby. OCHA adds that preliminary needs assessments indicate that tents, blankets, mattresses, food and water are required for those who have moved to the new camp. UNRWA responded to this assessment by making 300 tents and six water tanks, as well as blankets and mattresses, available to the displaced civilians.

CONVICTED BOSNIAN SERB WAR CRIMINAL TRANSFERRED TO THE U.K.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia reports that Blagoje Simic, a former Bosnian Serb politician, was transferred yesterday to the United Kingdom to serve 15 years in prison.

Simic was convicted in October 2003 for persecuting non-Serb civilians in the town of Bosanski amac between April 1992 and December 1993. The non-Serb civilians were detained and confined under inhumane conditions, lacking sufficient space, food or water and they were subjected to torture including sexual assaults, the extraction of teeth and the threat of execution.

HUMAN RIGHTS BODIES NEAR END OF CURRENT SESSIONS

The Human Rights Council earlier today

concluded its interactive dialogue on the reports of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions; the Chairperson of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; and the Special Rapporteur on racism and racial discrimination.

The Council is currently holding a discussion with experts on human rights and transnational corporations, the right to health, and on the situation of human rights defenders.

Meanwhile, here at Headquarters, the Human Rights Committee, which oversees implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, will conclude its current session on Friday. In this session it has reviewed reports on the progress of implementation of the Convention in three States Parties - Barbados, Chile and Madagascar.

Asked why the Secretary-General has not spoken out about the perceived soft stance of the Human Rights Council on Sudan over the Darfur crisis, the Spokesman cautioned against prejudging the results, due out tomorrow, of the Council's deliberations on this matter.

Haq said that Ban Ki-moon, when necessary, has spoken out on the work of the Council and that, most recently, he urged the Council to widen its scope of work rather than focus on a limited number of countries or issues. Ban Ki-moon had also urged the Council to act on the Darfur situation, Haq stressed.

FAO JOINS FIGHT AGAINST DESERT LOCUSTS IN EASTERN AFRICA

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is taking part in a new campaign against Desert Locusts in the Horn of Africa. Along with the Desert Locust Control Organization for East Africa, FAO has launched aerial control operations on the Red Sea coast near the Sudanese/Eritrean border.

This week, operations will start on the coast of northwest Somalia near Djibouti. If the swarms are not controlled on the Red Sea coast, the FAO says, they could migrate into the Eritrean Highlands and spread westward across the continent.

WHO WELCOMES INDONESIAS DECISION TO RESUME SHARING BIRD FLU VIRUS SAMPLES

The World Health Organization (WHO) is welcoming Indonesia's decision to immediately resume sharing samples of the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

Indonesia's health minister had said it was "unfair" that developing countries were supplying virus samples that could be used in vaccine production, but were unlikely to receive any resulting vaccines.

In response to those concerns, the WHO organized a meeting of experts, scientists, and potential donors in Jakarta earlier this week. They issued a series of recommendations for mobilizing financial support for the equitable distribution of vaccines.

MALE CIRCUMCISION RECOMMENDED TO PREVENT HIV

In the fight against HIV infection, experts are

recommending that male circumcision be recognized as an additional way to reduce the risk of heterosexual transmission in men.

That recommendation was made by an international consultation of experts that was convened by the World Health Organization and UNAIDS in Switzerland earlier this month.

Three randomized controlled trials undertaken in Sub-Saharan Africa found that male circumcision reduced the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60 per cent, experts say.

U.N. ASIA/PACIFIC COMMISSION CELEBRATES 60 YEARS

The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is turning 60 this year, and we are celebrating the occasion with a gathering in Bangkok of major beneficiaries, stakeholders and partners of the Commission. In a video message aired at that event, the Secretary-General said that ESCAP has carved out a unique role in regional advocacy, consensus-building and cooperation.

Its work is supported by solid policy research and analysis. It has fostered collaborative approaches to challenges ranging from disaster management to trade facilitation. It has helped Governments address sensitive and emerging issues, including population trends and human trafficking, the Secretary-General said.

U.N. URGES DIVERSIFICATION OF ASIAN INVESTMENT IN AFRICA

In a joint report released today, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP)

say that foreign direct investment in Africa by developing Asian countries is growing and has the potential to reach much higher levels.

The report says that this significant observation owes much to the complementary nature of economic development between Asian and African countries, even though Asian direct investment mostly targets African natural resources. Diversification remains possible if appropriate policies are adopted to channel more of this Asian investment into Africas emerging industry and manufacturing sector.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N. FOOD AGENCY PREPARED TO INCREASE FOOD AGENCY TO DPRK: During this past weeks visit by a senior World Food Programme (WFP) official, the Government of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) said that it expects a shortfall of one million metric tons of food and that it was open to receiving increased food assistance, the agency says. Tony Banbury, WFP Asia Regional Director says WFP is ready to increase food assistance to the countrys people.

WORLD BANK APPROVES MORE THAN $150 MILLION FOR WESTERN KENYAS POOREST: The World Bank has approved $154.5 million in new financing for communities living in some of the poorest areas of Kenya. The money will be used to help local communities create income-earning activities, reduce their vulnerability to flooding, and better manage water and forest resources.

U.N. DECLINES COMMENT ON U.K./IRAN DISPUTE: Asked why the UN has not commented on the ongoing case of the 15 British sailors held by Iran, the Spokesman noted that, in some cases, the kind of diplomacy the UN is known to engage in requires discretion. He added that the UN was not a position to comment publicly at this point.

U.N. AWAITS SOUTHERN AFRICAN DISCUSSION ON ZIMBABWE: Asked to comment on the arrest of Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the Spokesman said that the UN was looking forward to the conclusions and recommendations of a meeting of heads of states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) now taking place in Tanzania, at which the situation in Zimbabwe would be discussed.

UNCONFIRMED BOMB THREAT ACKNOWLEDGED: Asked to confirm news reports of a bomb threat yesterday against the UN Secretariat building, Haq confirmed that a threat had been made and precautionary measures were taken by UN Security and the New York Police Department.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CAN WAIVE IMMUNITY: Asked in which cases the immunity of UN staff members could be suspended or removed, the Spokesman explained that the immunity of staff members could be waived by the Secretary-General upon the advice of the UN Legal Counsel.

U.N. POLICY IN PLACE TO PROTECT WHISTLEBLOWERS: Asked to comment on the implications for the UN Whistleblower policy of an email allegedly sent by the leaders of the UN Office for Project Services to the staff warning of "severe disciplinary measures" for leaking confidential information, Haq stressed that the UN has a policy to protect whistleblowing strongly and that staff members are free to speak to the press, within the rules and regulations contained in the Secretary-General's Bulletin on whistleblowing.

U.N. AND NGO'S LAUNCH FLASH APPEAL FOR ZAMBIA: The Inter Agency Standing Committee today launched a Flash Appeal for almost $9 million for Zambia, where flooding has left some 300,000 people in need of assistance. Unusually heavy rains since December have resulted in widespread destruction of crops, houses and public infrastructure.

FLAG AT HALF-MAST: The UN flag is being flown at half-mast at UN Headquarters today, to observe the official mourning for the late Prime Minister of Armenia, Andranik Margaryan.

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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