United Nations Daily Highlights, 07-06-21

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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

Thursday, June 21, 2007

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO ATTEND AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT

Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro will be traveling to Africa and Europe starting this weekend.

She plans to represent Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the African Union summit in Accra, Ghana in early July.

Prior to her participation at the AU summit, she will make an official visit to Austria. While in Vienna, she will address the opening ceremony of the 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government, hosted by the United Nations.

From Vienna, she is scheduled to go to Guinea-Bissau in what will be the first-ever official visit of a Secretary-General or Deputy Secretary-General since that country joined the Organization in 1974. The purpose of the visit is to reaffirm UN support for the countrys ongoing efforts to consolidate peace, national reconciliation and constitutional governance.

Then at the AU summit in Accra, the Deputy Secretary-General will address the opening session and hold a number of bilateral meetings.

The last leg of her trip will be Nairobi where she will address the opening ceremony of the International Womens Summit on Womens Leadership on HIV and AIDS. She will also meet with Kenyan Government officials and civil society organizations.

PROPOSAL TO APPOINT TONY BLAIR AS MIDDLE EAST QUARTET ENVOY

IS UNDER DISCUSSION

Asked whether the Secretary-General supported having outgoing UK Prime Minister Tony Blair as the envoy of the

Middle East Quartet, the Spokeswoman said that the issue had been raised during conversations that the Secretary-General had with Quartet principals.

That matter, she said, was still under discussion, and the Quartet has not come to any decision yet.

Asked to specify with whom the Secretary-General had spoken, she said that he had talked today with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In response to a question concerning former U.S. President Jimmy Carters remarks about the situation among the Palestinians, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General has expressed his concern about the situation and has been in regular phone contact with the actors in the region and with his Quartet partners.

TOP U.N. OFFICIAL IN SUDAN CONCLUDES TWO-DAY TRIP IN DARFUR

The UN mission in Sudan continues to report attacks on humanitarian convoys being operated by international NGOs in Darfur.

Meanwhile, the mission also reports that Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan, Tayé-Brook Zerihoun has concluded today a two-day visit to the capitals of the three Darfur States, Nyala, El Geneina, and El Fasher.

During the visit, he met with UN staff to brief them on the recent agreement on the deployment of a hybrid operation in Darfur as well as the need to streamline existing UNMIS activities in Darfur and the coordination of UN support to African Union Mission in Sudan in preparation for the hybrid operation.

He also met with the local Government officials of the three Darfur States and discussed with them the security and humanitarian situation. In addition, he met with AU counterparts in Darfur and discussed with them the AU-UN partnership in reviving the Darfur political process and in implementing the UN Support Packages and the hybrid operation.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO BE BRIEFED ON WESTERN SAHARA TALKS

Asked whether the Secretary-General would brief the Security Council on Western Sahara, the Spokeswoman said that the information would likely come from his Personal Envoy, Peter van Walsum.

She added, in response to questions about the Western Sahara talks this week, that Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe had only attended the early session on the first day.

Asked how the talks went, Montas said that the Secretary-General would not react to what was the beginning of the process. The point of the initial talks, she said, was that they took place, and that there were plans for the talks to continue.

SECURITY COUNCIL HEARS BRIEFING ON IRAN SANCTIONS

The Security Council today held an open meeting to hear a briefing on the sanctions affecting Iran under Resolution 1737 (2006).

That briefing was delivered by the chair of the Councils sanctions committee, Ambassador Johan Verbeke of Belgium.

BURUNDI: SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES ACCORD TO RESUME DIALOGUE; PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION ENDORSES FRAMEWORK FOR PEACE

After the Security Council meeting ended today, Ambassador Verbeke, who is the Council President this month, read out a statement saying that Council members welcomed the 17 June talks in Dar-es-Salaam between the President of Burundi and the leader of the Forces Nationales de Libération (Palipehutu-FNL) and the agreement reached during those talks.

The resumption of the dialogue represents a major milestone on the way to peace consolidation in Burundi, he added.

The UN Peacebuilding Commission, established to help countries recovering from war avoid a relapse into violence and chaos, yesterday endorsed the framework to engage Burundi, the United Nations and other international partners to work together to consolidate peace in the African country.

In a statement by its Vice Chair, the Commission reiterated its determination to provide unflagging support to Burundi in the consolidation of peace, to secure a future that is free from fear and from want.

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL TO UNDER NEW PRESIDENT

The Human Rights Council is expected to resume its organizational meeting tomorrow under its new president, Doru Romulus Costea of Romania.

Earlier this week, the Council wrapped up its fifth session with an agreement on its working methods.

In a statement yesterday, the Secretary-General welcomed the Councils establishment of a strong and meaningful Universal Periodic Review mechanism, which he said holds great promise for opening a new chapter in human rights promotion.

He expressed disappointment, however, at the Councils decision to single out only one specific regional item, given the range and scope of allegations of human rights violations throughout the world.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO CONGRATULATE TAJIKISTAN

ON 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF PEACE ACCORD

Tonight, the Secretary-General will attend the opening of a photo exhibition marking the 10th anniversary of the signing of the General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan.

The Secretary-General is expected to highlight the UNs role in restoring peace and stability in the country. He is also expected to congratulate the Tajik people on rebuilding their country in the last ten years.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECRETARY-GENERALS WASHINGTON D.C. TRIP INTENDED TO REINFORCE U.N.S RELATIONSHIP WITH CONGRESS: Asked about the topics discussed during the Secretary-Generals meetings in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday with members of Congress, the Spokeswoman said they included Darfur, Kosovo, UN reform and UN-US relations. The trip, she said, was intended to reinforce the UNs relationship with different members of Congress.

U.N. LIBERIA MISSION ORDERS INVESTIGATION INTO VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS ALLEGATIONS: Asked about a press release from the UN Mission in Liberia concerning its investigation of alleged manhandling of two journalists, the Spokeswoman said that the Mission was acknowledging that an incident had taken place during the University of Liberia students' protest on 19 June .The Mission has ordered an immediate investigation into these allegations and the outcome will be made public.