United Nations Daily Highlights, 07-08-10

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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

Friday, August 10, 2007

SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS RESOLUTION EXPANDING U.N. IRAQ MISSION

The Security Council this morning unanimously adopted a resolution renewing and strengthening the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the Councils action.

He said that the United Nations is deeply committed to helping the people of Iraq, and that he was pleased to have the opportunity to now enhance, where possible, the UNs contributions in crucial areas such as national reconciliation, regional dialogue, humanitarian assistance and human rights.

The Secretary-General added that the United Nations looks forward to working in close partnership with the leaders and people of Iraq to explore how we can further our assistance under the terms of this resolution. He voiced his profound appreciation and respect to the people and government of Iraq and also paid tribute to the brave men and women who continue to serve the United Nations in Iraq.

In addition to its unanimous approval of the resolution on the new one-year mandate for the UN Mission in Iraq, the Security Council also approved today a resolution extending the sanctions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo until 15 February 2008.

Asked about UN staff union concerns about safety in Iraq, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General, in a press encounter this morning, said that he would approach the relevant General Assembly committees with a request for increased budgetary support to strengthen safe housing accommodations for UN staff in Iraq.

Asked when new staff appointments for Iraq might be made, Haq replied that Ban Ki-moon has not yet decided who and how many people would be posted to Iraq. The Secretary-General would like to more thoroughly assess security condition and see progress in obtaining safe housing for the staff, among other things, he said, before he would take any further decisions. Discussions on those topics, Haq said, were now ongoing between the Secretary-General and his senior advisers.

In response to a question about regional meetings on Iraq, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General has encouraged meetings between countries in the region on the need for stability in Iraq. Haq added that the Secretary-General hopes that the upcoming General Debate of the General Assembly will offer an opportunity for a meeting of officials from the region.

The Spokesman, in response to a further question, confirmed that the outgoing Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, had been extended in his post for an additional three months while a replacement is being recruited.

UNICEF WELCOMES JORDANS DECISION TO OPEN SCHOOLS TO IRAQI REFUGEE CHILDREN

Jordanian public schools will open their doors to Iraqi children when classes start on August 19, reports UNICEF.

The agency is welcoming this announcement which will apply to all children who have fled violence from neighboring Iraq, regardless of whether they possess a residency permit or not.

According to UNICEF, a large proportion of Iraqi children living in Jordan have not attended school for years.

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPEALS FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN SIERRA LEONE

The Secretary-General is pleased to note that the first elections to be conducted by the Sierra Leonean authorities after the withdrawal of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) in December 2005 will take place tomorrow, 11 August, as scheduled.

The United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other international partners have provided technical assistance to the National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone to ensure that the elections preparations meet international standards. The Secretary-General thanks the international partners that have provided logistical, financial and technical support to Sierra Leones National Electoral Commission and commends the Commission for putting in place the requisite arrangements on schedule.

The Secretary-General emphasizes that free, fair and credible elections, which reflect the wishes of the people of Sierra Leone, are crucial to securing the peace that has been built in Sierra Leone and to paving the way for development and prosperity in the future. The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about recent and ongoing incidents of violence involving supporters of main Sierra Leonean political parties. He therefore appeals to all Sierra Leonean political parties and their followers to conduct themselves in a manner that enables the elections to take place in a peaceful atmosphere.

SECOND ROUND OF LATEST DISCUSSIONS ON WESTERN SAHARA GET UNDERWAY

The second round of negotiations under UN auspices on Western Sahara got underway this morning in Manhasset, New York, with the participation of the parties Morocco and Frente POLISARIO and the neighbouring countries, Algeria and Mauritania.

The talks are being led by Peter van Walsum, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara. The Moroccan delegation is led by Chakib Benmoussa, the Minister of the Interior. The Frente POLISARIO delegation is led by Mahfud Ali Veiba, who is a member of the POLISARIO leadership.

Addressing the participants in his opening remarks, van Walsum said, I hope you will maintain the same good atmosphere that characterized the first round. However, atmosphere is not everything. The Security Council expects us to conduct good-faith and productive negotiations.

As for the agenda, participants are continuing the discussions they initiated at Manhasset in June. There will be meetings in plenary today, as well as separate discussions between the Secretary-Generals personal envoy and each of the four delegations.

TIMORESE LEADERS CONDEMN ONGOING VIOLENCE

At a UN-sponsored meeting earlier today, Timorese political leaders strongly condemned the ongoing violence in their country. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste, Atul Khare, who moderated the meeting, says that the leaders of all 16 registered parties have expressed their firm commitment to end the spread of violence. Todays meeting was the seventh of its kind convened by the UN Mission (UNMIT) with the goal of providing a forum for frank and honest discussions between all political parties.

Meanwhile, the Mission has confirmed that 142 houses have been burned in Viqueque and Baucau districts since Tuesday. It remains unclear how many people were displaced by the violence. UNICEF has also condemned the violence, in particular the destruction and looting of schools and other educational facilities in recent days.

U.N. POLITICAL AFFAIRS CHIEF TO VISIT ASIA

The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, will travel next week to Asia, where he is to represent the Secretary-General at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit of heads of state in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in addition to visiting both China and Nepal.

Pascoes first stop is in Beijing, from 13-15 August, where he will hold consultations with senior officials on a range of UN-related issues.

On 16 August he will deliver a message on behalf of the Secretary-General to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, and meet with a number of visiting leaders to discuss the situation in Central Asia and the broader region.

From 18-19 August, Pascoe will be in Kathmandu to discuss the peace process with national leaders and to consult with the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), which is providing critical assistance to the holding of Constituent Assembly elections later this year. During his stay, Under-Secretary-General Pascoe is expected to meet with Nepals Prime Minister and other key political figures in the country.

Asked to elaborate on the Secretary-Generals message that Pascoe would deliver next week to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit of heads of state, the Spokesman said that it would essentially relate to the United Nations' desire to work closely with the SCO in addressing regional issues.

UNHCR APPEALS FOR FUNDS TO HELP RISING NUMBER OF AFGHAN RETURNEES

The UN Refugee Agency has issued an urgent request for an additional $10 million to help assist Afghans returning to their homeland. UNHCR says the pace of repatriation from Pakistan is rapidly outstripping its ability to support the returnees, and funds will soon run out.

UNHCR has helped more than 300,000 Afghans who have returned home this year. On arrival, they receive a transport and reintegration grant, medical check-ups, and mine awareness training. Children also receive polio and measles vaccinations.

U.N. HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES RENEW CALL FOR FUNDING TO HELP PAKISTAN FLOOD VICTIMS

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is renewing its call for funding of a $38 million appeal for Pakistan, which was struck more than six weeks ago by flooding caused by monsoon rains and Cyclone Yemyin. The appeal, aimed at complementing the emergency activities of the Government of Pakistan, remains less than one-third funded.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Baluchistan and Sindh provinces remain in scattered roadside camps. While water supplies have been successfully restored to about 300,000 people, more than 700,000 remain without potable water, and there are fears of water-borne diseases. Urgent funding is also required for agricultural recovery.

U.N. AGENCIES LAUNCH PROGRAM TO END FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UNICEF are launching a $44 million programme to reduce female genital mutilation and cutting in 16 African countries with high prevalence.

The initiative aims to end the harmful traditional practice within a generation by partnering with government religious leaders, health providers, media and civil society and influencing laws and enforcement.

Each year, 2 to 3 million women and girls are subjected to female genital mutilation.

GOVERNMENTS URGED TO STEP UP RESPONSE TO EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) is

urging governments to speed up their implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action. That framework, which 168 countries agreed to in 2005, focuses on preparing for the effects of climate change.

With this years series of floods, heat waves and storms expected to continue, ISDR says better legislation is needed to promote the building of stronger structures, cities and villages in areas that are not prone to flooding.

U.N. ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME HEAD DISCUSSES SITUATION OF NATIONAL PARK GORILLAS

The Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Achim Steiner met today in Nairobi with Didace Pembe Bokiaga, Minister of Environment, Nature Conservation, Water and Forestry of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

They reviewed in detail the escalating situation in the Virunga National Park, which resulted recently in the death of a park ranger and injuries to others, as well as the death of a number of mountain gorillas, the rarest of the great apes.

The instability surrounding Virunga is an illustration of the unfolding human and environmental tragedy. The park is home to the mountain gorillas and to numerous other endemic and endangered species. As such, it is the duty of the international community to assist the DRC authorities, said Steiner at the conclusion of the meeting.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR INVESTMENT IN YOUTH

Sunday will be International Youth Day which this year focuses on Youth Participation for Development.

In a message marking this occasion, the Secretary-General said that as we approach the mid-point of the race to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the participation of young men and women was needed more than ever.

He stressed the fact that, in many parts of the world, young people continue to be marginalized and ignored.

Let us all resolve to invest in and protect our most valuable resource, and give young men and women a fair and full stake in our society, and in its success, the Secretary-General said.

Today, ahead of this International Day, 200 youth from around the world met in the Dag Hammarskjold Library, at Headquarters, to celebrate this occasion.

U.N. TO MARK FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF BOMBING OF BAGHDAD HEADQUARTERS

The fourth anniversary of the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad will be observed next Friday, 17 August, at 10:15 a.m. with a wreath-laying ceremony to remember UN colleagues and friends killed and injured in that attack.

The ceremony will be held in front of the memorial plaque located outside the Meditation Room in the General Assembly Building public lobby. The Secretary-General is expected to make a brief statement.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

COUNTRIES IN REGION HAVE ROLE TO PLAY IN MYANMAR DEMOCRATIZATION AND RECONCILIATION EFFORTS: Asked to describe the responses from countries recently visited by the Secretary-General's Special Advisor Ibrahim Gambari in his drive to mediate the political situation in Myanmar, the Spokesman said that the United Nations believes that countries in the region have a role to play in moving forward with democratization and reconciliation efforts in Myanmar. Gambari, Haq added, is today in Indonesia after visits to Singapore and Malaysia in recent days.

QUARTET SUPPORTS U.S INITIATIVE ON MIDDLE EAST: The Spokesman, in response to a question, said that the United Nations, as a member of the Middle East Quartet, supports the holding of a meeting proposed by the United States on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United States is making arrangements for such a meeting.

UNMOVIC PREPARING FOR ARCHIVING ASSETS: Asked for an update on the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), whose mandate expired recently, Haq said that the remaining staff is finalizing preparations for the archiving of UNMOVIC's documents and other assets.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

11 August 17 August 2007

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

Saturday, August 11

Two days of talks on Western Sahara are scheduled to conclude today in Manhasset, New York.

In Sierra Leone, the first elections since the withdrawal of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) in December 2005 are scheduled to take place.

Sunday, August 12

Today is International Youth Day. From today through Wednesday, the 4th Annual World Youth Assembly takes place at UN Headquarters.

Monday, August 13

This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to hold consultations on Somalia.

At 9 a.m. in the Secretary-Generals conference room on the 38th floor, Mr. Bader Al-Dafa, the new Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, will sign his swearing-in declaration in the presence of the Secretary-General.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Conference Room 6, the Peacebuilding Commission is scheduled to hold an informal informal consultation of its Burundi configuration.

At 2:15 p.m. in room 226, there will be press conference by members of the World Youth Assembly to launch the Hip Hop Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Campaign.

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe is scheduled to begin a trip to Asia. Through Wednesday, he will be in Beijing to meet with senior officials on UN-related issues.

Tuesday, August 14

This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to hold consultations on its report on the UN Mission in Sudan.

Thursday, August 16

This morning, the Security Council is scheduled to hold a private meeting with Troop Contributing Countries to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as well as consultations on UNIFIL.

Friday, August 17

At 10:15 a.m., the fourth anniversary of the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad will be observed with a wreath-laying ceremony in front of the memorial plaque located outside the Meditation Room in the General Assembly Building public lobby. The Secretary-General is expected to make a brief statement.

Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

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