United Nations Daily Highlights, 07-07-27

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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 MARIE OKABE

DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

U.N.

HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, July 27, 2007

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES FNL TO RESUME ITS PARTICIPATION IN JOINT VERIFICATION AND MONITORING MECHANISM IN BURUNDI

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply concerned by the recent withdrawal of Palipehutu-FNL from the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement signed by the Government of Burundi and FNL in September 2006. He urges FNL to resume its participation in the JVMM without delay and calls on both parties to refrain from any actions that might lead to a resumption of hostilities.

The Secretary-General commends the efforts of the South African Facilitation, the Regional Peace Initiative on Burundi, and the African Union aimed at bringing the Burundi peace process to a successful conclusion. He has requested his Executive Representative for Burundi to continue to work closely with these regional partners to help restore dialogue between the parties, with a view to ensuring the expeditious implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement.

BAN KI-MOON VISITS GREEN BUSINESSES WITH CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR

The Secretary-General is in San Francisco today, where he will had a joint programme with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, to examine businesses that demonstrate innovative responses to climate change.

On Thursday night, the Secretary-General was the guest speaker at a Town Hall meeting and reception organized by the World Affairs Council, where he told the roughly 1,300 participants, Global problems demand global solutions. However powerful, however resourceful a country may be, it cannot address these issues alone.

He added that today, there is a new appreciation for multilateralism and diplomacy in coping with crises, adding that Issues like climate change the UNs natural turf have risen to the top of the global agenda.

Earlier on Thursday, the Secretary-General drove to the town of Novato, where he was reunited with Libba Patterson, the woman who, in 1962, hosted the young Ban Ki-moon on his first trip overseas, as a visiting student.

Speaking to reporters at the end of his reunion with the Patterson family, the Secretary-General said he was delighted to see his friends again. Im very touched to be able to visit this place, my second home, he told journalists following the meeting. He later said, I really did leave my heart in San Francisco.

HÉDI ANNABI OF TUNISIA APPOINTED SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL IN HAITI

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has informed the President of the Security Council of his intention to appoint Hédi Annabi (Tunisia) as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Mr. Annabi will succeed Edmond Mulet (Guatemala) in September 2007.

Mr. Annabi currently serves as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, a post he has held since January 1997.

He joined the United Nations in 1981 and served as Principal Officer in the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs in Southeast Asia. He was subsequently appointed Director of that Office.

Between 1982 and 1991, he was closely associated with the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative to contribute to a comprehensive political settlement of the Cambodian problem. Following the conclusion of the Paris Agreements on Cambodia in October 1991, he was actively involved in the preparations for the establishment and deployment of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) where he served in 1992.

Mr. Annabi subsequently joined the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and served as Director of the Africa Division from 1993 to 1996. He was designated as Officer-in-Charge of the Office of Operations of DPKO in June 1996.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr. Annabi was a member of his national Foreign Service. He also served as Diplomatic Adviser to the Prime Minister of Tunisia before being appointed, in 1979, as Chairman and General Manager of the National News Agency (Agence Tunis-Afrique-Presse).

Mr. Annabi holds degrees in English language and literature, political science and international relations from the University of Tunis, the Institut dEtudes Politiques in Paris, and the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. He is married to Mrs. Danièle Annabi.

Asked about the starting date of this appointment, the Spokesperson said that Annabi would take up his functions on September 1, 2007.

EDMOND MULET OF GUATEMALA APPOINTED AS ASSISTANT-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PEACE-KEEPING OPERATIONS

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced his intention to appoint Mr. Edmond Mulet (Guatemala) as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. Mr. Mulet will replace Hédi Annabi of Tunisia, who will be appointed as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Mr. Mulets appointment will be effective 1 September.

Mr. Mulet currently serves as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Under his leadership, MINUSTAH worked in close partnership with the Government of President Préval to make significant improvements in the countrys stability and to undertake key institutional reforms. Prior to his appointment as SRSG, Mr. Mulet served his country as a diplomat and a legislator, having been posted as Ambassador both to the European Union and to the United States. He served as a member of Guatemalas National Congress for some 12 years, including one term as President of the National Congress. During his years in the legislature, he was intensely involved in the Central American peace process, the Esquipulas Accords and the Guatemalan Peace negotiations.

Mr. Mulet was educated in Guatemala, Montreal, New York and Bern (Switzerland). In addition to his public service, he worked for many years as a journalist and as a legal counselor to public institutions and for the private sector, including as manager of several private enterprises and as senior partner in a legal consulting firm. Born in Guatemala in 1951, Edmond Mulet is married and has two children. He is fluent in Spanish, English and French.

Asked whether Annabi and Mulet had requested swapping jobs with each other, the Spokeswoman replied that the two men had been deemed to be the best qualified candidates for the respective jobs that they will fill.

DMITRY TITOV APPOINTED ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR RULE OF LAW IN PEACEKEEPING DEPARTMENT

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Mr. Dmitry Titov (Russian Federation) as Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).

Mr. Titov has worked in peacekeeping since joining the United Nations in 1991, overseeing a number of operations, beginning with Angola and Mozambique. He has been Director of the Africa Division in DPKO since 1998. In that capacity, he helped set up all new peacekeeping operations in the region, and currently manages a total of seven ongoing operations. He is currently working on establishing new missions in Darfur, Chad and the Central African Republic.

He led the United Nations team in the successful discussions earlier this year with the Government of Sudan and the African Union regarding the establishment of the Darfur Heavy Support Package and AU/UN Hybrid Operation.

The restoration of Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform is a strong feature in all complex peacekeeping operations in Africa. Mr. Titov has played a key role in developing the programmes for Security Sector reform and rule of law in all these missions.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr. Titov served in his countrys diplomatic service, working primarily on Security Council matters as well as negotiations on Afghanistan, Cyprus, Cambodia and Central America.

Born in 1950, Mr. Titov graduated from the Moscow State Institute (MGIMO) for international relations.

U.N. AGENCIES APPEAL TO GET IRAQI REFUGEE CHILDREN BACK IN SCHOOL

Warning that a generation of Iraqis could grow up uneducated and alienated, UNICEF and the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR) issued today a $129 million joint appeal aimed at getting tens of thousands of uprooted Iraqi children back in school.

The two UN agencies presented a plan to support host governments, such as Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon, in providing schooling for an additional 155,000 young Iraqi refugees during the 2007-2008 school year.

More than 2 million Iraqis have fled to nearby countries and about 500,000 of them are of school age but have limited or no access to education.

U.N. CONVENES MINISTERIAL MEETING ON HEALTH NEEDS OF IRAQI REFUGEES

The World Health Organization (WHO) is convening a ministerial consultation Sunday, July 29 and Monday, July 30 in Damascus to address their health needs.

WHO reports that with thousands of people leaving Iraq every month, the national health service of neighboring host countries are overwhelmed by the growing demand.

The conference will bring together the Ministries of Health of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Syria but also representatives of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), among others.

Asked about the future UN role in Iraq, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General has made clear his determination to enhance where possible the UN role in Iraq.

Already, she said, in addition to humanitarian work, the United Nations has played a key political role, particularly in its support for elections and for the constitutional process, and in its leading role in bringing Iraqs neighbours to assist its Government through the International Compact with Iraq.

The extent of the UN presence in Iraq continues to be dictated by the prevailing circumstances on the ground, Okabe added.

Asked by a reporter who said the security situation in Iraq was not improving about what help the United Nations can provide, the Spokeswoman said that the United Nations would continue with its political and humanitarian work while examining other areas in which it could make a difference.

U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS HAILS RWANDAS ABOLITION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour today hailed Rwandas abolition of capital punishment, calling it a powerful endorsement of the importance of pursuing justice while repudiating violence in all its forms.

With the death penalty ban in place, Arbour

said that the extradition to Rwanda of persons accused of genocide, in order to stand trial in the national courts, should now be possible.

LOUISE ARBOUR DEPLORES IMPUNITY OF SECURITY FORCES IN BAS-CONGO, DRC VIOLENCE

In a report issued today, the High Commissioner for Human Rights points to the excessive and indiscriminate use of lethal force by the Congolese military and police in putting down demonstrations in the Bas-Congo province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

While she said both sides shared responsibility for the violence, Arbour deplored the impunity being enjoyed by the security forces. She also deplored that the trials of civilians involved in those events were being conducted before military tribunals a clear violation of international human rights standards.

UGANDA: 500,000 IDPs HAVE RETURNED HOME

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that close to 500,000 former residents of camps for internally displaced persons have now returned to their home villages, but they must still trek long distances to reach health services, schools and water.

The UN Refugee Agency estimates that, on average, a returnee family takes 77 minutes to reach a safe water source. Meanwhile, UNICEF estimates that there are more than 73 persons on average per latrine at the spontaneous camps populated by IDPs en route to their homes.

Plans are underway by the UN to provide targeted assistance to individuals residing in IDP camps, return sites, as well as returnees who have just reached home. OCHA expects to announce details on this soon.

ECOSOC CONCLUDES ITS SUBSTANTIVE SESSION IN GENEVA

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) today concluded its substantive session for 2007 in Geneva.

The Councils President, Ambassador Dalius Cekuolis of Lithuania, told the press that the session had been a successful one, in which an annual ministerial review and a Development Cooperation Forum were introduced, to help step up efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

MEMBERS, CHAIR OF LIBERIA EXPERT PANEL NAMED: Out on the racks today is a letter by the Secretary-General to the Security Council by which he informs the Council that he selected Mr. Rajiva Bhushan Sinha to chair the Panel of Experts on Liberia. The Secretary-General also appointed three experts for this Panel for a period ending on 20 December 2007.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

28 July 04 August 2007

[This document is for planning purposes only and is subject to change]

Saturday, July 28

Through 1 August, the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories is visiting Jordan. From 1 to 4 August, the Committee is scheduled visit Syria.

Sunday, July 29

Today and tomorrow in Damascus, the World Health Organization is convening a ministerial consultation to address the health needs of Iraqis in neighboring countries.

Monday, July 30

This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to adopt resolutions on the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea and on DRC Sanctions.

From today through 3 August, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day in Conference Room 2, the Open-ended Working Group to consider the objectives and agenda, including the possible establishment of the preparatory committee, for the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, is scheduled to hold its second substantive session.

From today through 17 August in Geneva, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination holds its seventy-first session.

In Bouaké, Côte dIvoire, the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire will provide support for the "Célébration de la flamme de la paix", marking the launch of the disarmament process in the north of the country. President Laurent Gbagbo and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro are expected to attend.

Tuesday, July 31

Today is the last day of Chinas presidency of the Security Council.

Today and tomorrow in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, the General Assembly is scheduled to hold an informal thematic debate on "Climate Change as a Global Challenge.

At 1 p.m. in Room 226, panelists from the General Assembly thematic debate on climate change Sir Nicholas Stern, of the London School of Economics, and Jim Rogers, Chairman and CEO of Duke Energy, will brief on what they think is necessary to move forward in addressing climate change.

From 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. in Conference Room 6, a workshop on Climate change From the perspective of human security, organized by the Permanent Missions of Japan and Mexico and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, is scheduled to take place.

At 6:30 p.m. at the TriBeCa Grand Hotel in New York, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is helping organize an invitation-only screening of Bling: A Planet Rock, a UNDP co-produced documentary in which US hip-hop artists examine the role that their industry played in the 10-year civil war in Sierra Leone and in restoring the peace in the country. A panel discussion is scheduled take place afterwards.

Today through Friday in Bangkok, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, is co-hosting the 17th Asia-Pacific Seminar on Climate Change.

Wednesday, August 1

From today through Friday, the Secretary-General is scheduled to pay official visits to Haiti and Barbados.

Today is the first day of the Republic of Congos presidency of the Security Council.

The guest at the noon briefing will be Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, who will brief on the Significance of Climate Change on Agriculture.

From 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. in Conference Room 7, a briefing is scheduled on the preparation of the thirteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the third session of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, to be held in Bali, Indonesia, from 3 to 14 December 2007.

From 3 to 4 p.m. in Conference Room 8, consultations are scheduled on the statement of the high-level meeting on the Tenth Anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention (which takes place in New York on 27 September).

Today through 7 August is World Breastfeeding Week, which is observed in more than 120 countries by UNICEF and its partners, including the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action and the World Health Organization. UNICEF is expected to issue a press release saying that newborns stand a higher chance of survival if they are breastfed within the first hour of birth.

Thursday, August 2

Following the noon briefing in Room 226, Ambassador Pascal Gayama, Deputy Permanent Representative and Chargé dAffaires of the Mission of the Republic of Congo, will brief, in his capacity as the Security Councils President for August, on the Councils programme of work for the month.

Friday, August 3

From today through 5 August, leading personalities of the non-signatory movements to the Darfur Peace Agreement are scheduled to participate in a meeting (hosted by the African Union and the United Nations Special Envoys for Darfur) in Arusha, Tanzania.

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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