United Nations Daily Highlights, 07-08-09

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Thursday, August 9, 2007

SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES PROGRESS MADE AT ARUSHA MEETING ON DARFUR

The Security Council held consultations on Sudan this morning. Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi briefed Council members on the talks that concluded in Arusha, Tanzania, earlier this week among the members of several movements that did not sign the Darfur Peace Agreement.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, the Council President, Ambassador Pascal Gayama of the Republic of Congo, said that the Council welcomes the substantial progress made by the Special Envoys at Arusha and calls on all parties to move from pre-negotiations to negotiations as soon as possible and to demonstrate their commitment to the political process through concrete actions, in particular cessation of hostilities.

U.N. SUDAN ENVOY SAYS DARFUR POLITICAL PROCESS AT SERIOUS STAGE

Jan Eliasson, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for

Darfur, is continuing his visit to that region today, and expects to visit the capital, El-Fasher, as well as the Kalma camp for internally displaced persons.

He said, after a meeting with Arab and nomadic tribes in Nyala, West Darfur, on Wednesday, that he thinks that we are reaching a serious stage in the political process, in which all parties must work together on the basis of inclusiveness.

He said that in his meetings, the government of Sudan has assured him that they see no military solution and that they have pronounced themselves as ready to negotiate very soon. Eliasson added, Now we see in Arusha the coming together of the movements. That is a positive sign. But we also need to make sure that the work that we are carrying on now has the support of the people.

On Friday, senior officials from the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), headed by Acting Special Representative Tayé-Brook Zerihoun will travel to Juba to hold the first round of high-level consultations with the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS). The meeting is being held following a series of discussions initiated by the UN Mission to undertake periodic high-level consultations with the Parties to review implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. UNMIS intends to share its strategy and priorities with the parties.

WESTERN SAHARA TALKS TO BEGIN ON FRIDAY

The second round of talks on Western Sahara are set to take place tomorrow and Saturday in Manhasset. As with the last meeting in June, the Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy, Peter van Walsum, will be facilitating the discussions.

The talks are private, and there will be no arrangements made for media access at the site. But the UN Secretariat hopes to provide some information as the talks progress.

GAZA AT RISK OF BECOMING COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON AID

The deputy head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for the Palestine Refugees in the Near East (known as UNRWA), Filippo Grandi, has visited Gaza, and said afterwards that Gaza risks becoming almost completely dependent on aid, closed down and isolated, possibly in a matter of weeks.

He said that the Agency has been forced to halt all its construction projects in Gaza, worth some $93 million, while the agricultural sector is also a cause for concern.

Grandi appealed to the Palestinian authorities, to Israel and to all other parties to take immediate steps to open the Karni crossing to imports and exports, as well as to humanitarian goods. Only this will allow the little that remains of Gazas economy to survive, he warned.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO APPOINT NEW U.N. POLICE ADVISOR

The Secretary-General has announced his intention to appoint Commissioner Andrew Hughes of Australia as the United Nations Police Advisor. He replaces Mark Kroeker of the United States, who left the post in April.

Hughes has served in Australias Federal Police for more than thirty years and has been involved in Australian contributions to UN Missions in East Timor and Cyprus. He is expected to assume his duties in early September.

U.N. EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR URGES UNIMPEDED HUMANITARIAN ACCESS IN SRI LANKA

Wrapping up his visit to Sri Lanka, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes today

met with the Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Holmes briefed the president on his recent visit to eastern Sri Lanka, where UN agencies and NGOs are assisting more than 100,000 people who have returned home to areas taken over by the Government from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Holmes and the president agreed on the priority need for rehabilitating livelihoods and agriculture, along with reestablishing the civil administration and police force. Holmes also stressed the importance of the continued and unimpeded access of humanitarian agencies, as well as improved protection of civilians.

They also agreed on the need for a quick resolution of the ongoing investigations into the killings of humanitarian workers.

WHO CALLS FOR GREATER RESPONSE TO DENGUE FEVER OUTBREAKS

The World Health Organization (WHO) is

urging countries in South-East Asia to take prompt action to prevent and contain outbreaks of dengue, a mosquito-borne viral illness.

According to the UN agency, the number of reported dengue cases has doubled in Indonesia compared to last year -- while Myanmar and Thailand have seen an increase of 29% and 17%, respectively, in their number of cases.

Warning that dengue outbreaks begin to increase from August onwards after the monsoons, WHO is calling on individuals, families, communities, NGOs and local authorities among others to work together to address the situation.

WHO stresses the importance of prevention to effectively control dengue. It says simple steps, such as emptying water containers at least once a week, can help prevent the laying of eggs by the mosquitoes that are the vector for this disease.

LONG-TERM EFFORTS NEEDED FOR SOUTH ASIAN FLOOD RECOVERY

The World Food Programme (WFP) says that long term relief and recovery efforts will be needed for the millions of people affected by the severe flooding across South Asia.

WFPs Executive Director Josette Sheeran said that after the floodwaters subside, millions of poor families will remain devastated from the loss of their crops, livestock and in some cases, family members.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE A HOME AT THE U.N., SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL

Today is the International Day of the Worlds Indigenous People. Several events taking place here at Headquarters to mark the occasion, and the Secretary-General also has a message.

In remarks that are to be delivered by the Deputy Secretary-General, he stressed that indigenous peoples have a home at the United Nations, noting that such peoples continue to suffer discrimination, marginalization, extreme poverty, conflict, and even the threat of extinction.

He urged the world to act with urgency in addressing these issues, guided by the fundamental principle of indigenous peoples full and effective participation.

Asked if the Secretary-General had taken any position on the draft resolution before the General Assembly on the rights of the indigenous peoples, the Spokesman noted the appeal made by Louise Arbour, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and by special rapporteur Rodolfo Stavenhagen, in which they urged the General Assembly to adopt the resolution.

Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

to the Spokesperson's Page

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article