United Nations Daily Highlights, 07-08-07

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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

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES U.N. MISSION IN IRAQ

The Security Council this morning discussed in consultations the work of the UN Mission in Iraq, and it received a briefing on that subject by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe.

Council members also received a draft resolution on the extension of the UN Missions mandate; the current mandate expires on 10 August.

After he was done in the Council, Pascoe said that the United Nations has consistently been on the ground, supporting and providing assistance to the Government of Iraq. He mentioned the constraints posed by the security situation on the ground, adding that the United Nations is doing what it can to ensure that UN staff are safe. He said there might be a small increase in UN staff on the ground in the coming months, bearing in mind security conditions.

Also, the letter from the Secretary-General to the Security Council recommending a twelve-month extension of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon that is, until the end of August 2008 has been issued as document.

Responding to a question, the Spokesman declined to speculate on a draft resolution on a new mandate for the UN Mission in Iraq being discussed in the Security Council. However, he explained that raising the number of UN staff in Iraq would be dependent on security conditions on the ground.

Haq added that, in his comments to the press earlier today, Pascoe had suggested that the UN might be able to raise its ceiling for personnel in Iraq from its current total of 65 international staff members, excluding the Fijian security personnel.

Haq explained that the current staff has been handling basic political tasks, including electoral functions, constitutional review and some humanitarian work, adding that most of the UN humanitarian workers for Iraq are based in Amman, Jordan.

Asked about a UN Staff Union draft resolution calling on the Secretary-General to improve security for the staff in Iraq before a possible surge, the Spokesman said that the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) conducts daily assessments of situations in Iraq and elsewhere in the world where the UN operates. DSS assessments inform any and all new staff-related decisions, Haq said.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO MEET QUARTET ENVOY TONIGHT

The Spokesman, in response to a question, said that the UN is encouraged by the talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Both are encouraged to continue to meet and to make progress in their discussions.

The Secretary-General, Haq added, will be meeting this evening in Barbados with the Middle East Quartets Special Envoy, Tony Blair. Together they will discuss some of the recent developments in the region.

U.N. SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR SOMALIA STRESSES SUPPORT FOR RECONCILIATION PROCESS

François Lonseny Fall, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Somalia, earlier today addressed the National Reconciliation Congress in Mogadishu, urging the Transitional Federal Government to invite opposition groups to join the debate.

"We would like to see the stakeholders who renounce violence inside and outside the country take part in this process," Fall told the assembled delegates. He also stressed the fact that the international community remains firmly in support of the reconciliation process.

He added that the international community will contribute much-needed technical assistance to ensure that delegates can reach decisions for peace. Fall also encouraged them to discuss all sticking points, which range from power-sharing to disarmament.

Before speaking at the Reconciliation Congress, Fall met with Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and with Ali Mahdi Mohamed, the chairman of the national reconciliation committee, at the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu.

U.N. CONDEMNS VIOLENCE IN TIMOR-LESTE

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Timor-Leste, Atul Khare, condemned the violence in Dili, following the announcement of the new government on Monday afternoon.

Characterizing the violence as sporadic and isolated, Khare stressed that any political party supporters engaging in acts of violence will be treated as criminals and swiftly dealt with.

Khare met this morning with the Secretary-General of Fretilin, Mari Alkatiri, to request his support in keeping the situation calm.

Timorese and U.N. police officers, along with the International Security Forces, have been working to contain the violence, mostly comprised of rock throwing, roadblocks and arson.

U.N. AGENCIES WARN OF LOOMING HEALTH CRISIS IN SOUTH ASIA

UN agencies are warning of a possible health crisis in South Asia, after the monsoon rains have left millions in urgent need of fresh water, food and shelter.

There are increasing reports of outbreaks of water-borne diseases, viral fever and skin infections, according to UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO says it is stockpiling emergency medicines for disease outbreak management and has prepositioned health kits to the worst affected areas. UNICEF is also providing emergency medical kits and essential drugs, among other things.

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the flooding has so far affected nearly 40 million people in the region.

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, OCHA is concerned that the onset of the monsoon season could worsen flooding in areas already affected by the June cyclone and floods.

It notes that its flash appeal for $38 million for Pakistan, launched three weeks ago, remains less than one third funded. The UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan is appealing to the donor community to urgently meet the funding shortfall.

AFGHANISTAN NEAR CEREAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Afghanistans cereals production has doubled in the six years since the end of the Taliban regime and the Afghan people have nearly reached cereal self-sufficiency, according to the latest Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) figures.

FAO reports that despite the continuing tense security environment, the countrys cereal output will reach 4.6 million tonnes in 2007, more than twice the level of 2001.

The UN agency says Afghanistans success with cereals stems from several years of favourable weather and from ongoing development efforts.

U.N. EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR CONTINUES VISIT TO SRI LANKA

Today John Holmes, United Nations Emergency Relief

Coordinator, visited Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka.

While there, he looked into the situation of some 650,000 people in the area, which has been experiencing limited deliveries of commercial and aid commodities since August 2006.

After returning to Colombo, Holmes participated in a meeting of the Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Affairs, which discussed several issues of concern to both humanitarian agencies and the government of Sri Lanka.

U.N. CANNOT CONFIRM BOMBING ALLEGATIONS IN GEORGIA

In response to a question, the Spokesman said that the UN has seen conflicting press reports regarding an alleged bombing of the Georgian territory. But it has no access to firsthand information that could confirm or deny these reports.

The United Nations is not going to investigate the incident, Haq explained, as it is beyond its peacekeeping role in Georgia, which is limited to the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. The site of the alleged incident, Haq said, is outside the UN Mission in Georgia's area of operation.

U.N. AGENCIES TO ASSIST 26,000 CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC REFUGEES

The UN Refugee Agency and other UN humanitarian agencies are tomorrow launching a relief operation to assist some 26,000 refugees from the Central African Republic who are living in precarious conditions along the eastern border of Cameroon. The refugees are mainly Mbororo nomadic cattle herders who have been targeted by rebel groups and bandits. UN agencies are sending more than 200 tonnes of basic supplies, while the World Food Programme (WFP) is positioning three thousand tonnes of food rations.

Meanwhile, UNHCR says it and its Sudanese governmental counterpart have recommended that thousands of new arrivals from Chad who have crossed over to Darfur in recent months be recognized as refugees. The joint report notes that refugee status should not be granted to active or former combatants, however.

THIS YEAR HAS BEEN MARKED BY RECORD WEATHER EXTREMES

So far, 2007 has been

marked by record weather extremes in many parts across the world, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Land surface temperatures in January and April will likely go down as the warmest since record-keeping began in 1880. Meanwhile, two extreme heat waves hit south-eastern Europe in June and July, while South America has been gripped with bitterly cold weather.

Several regions have also experienced extremely heavy precipitation, including a doubling of monsoon depressions in South Asia, the first-ever cyclone in the Arabian Sea, and record-breaking rains in England and Wales.

WMO notes that climate change projections show that extremes of heat and precipitation will likely become more frequent.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

POLIO IMMUNIZATION CAMPAIGN STARTS IN SUDAN: An estimated 4.9 million children across northern Sudan, including in Darfur, are being targeted in a special round of polio immunization which started on Wednesday. This campaign, expected to last three days, comes in response to reports of polio being discovered in neighbouring Chad.

U.N. WILL COMMEMORATE ANNIVERSARY OF BAGHDAD ATTACK: The Spokesman noted that at 10:15 a.m. on 17 August, the United Nations will commemorate the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attack on its Baghdad headquarters. The event will take place in the General Assembly's public lobby. The names of 22 UN officials killed during that attack will be read out, a wreath will be laid and there will be a minute of silence in their memory.

U.N. WAS NOT ASKED TO PROVIDE NEGOTIATION VENUE IN AFGHANISTAN: The Spokesman denied news reports that the United Nations has been asked to provide a safe place for negotiations between the Taliban and a Republic of Korea delegation which is in Kabul to broker an end to the detention of 21 Korean held hostage by the Taliban.

U.N. EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH IMMIGRATION FRAUD NOT YET SUSPENDED: Asked for an update in the case of Vyacheslav Manokhin, a mid-level UN official arrested and charged by US prosecutors with immigration-related felonies, the Spokesman replied that he has not yet been formally suspended from the United Nations. Haq added that the UN has already lifted Manokhin's immunity.