United Nations Daily Highlights, 08-03-31

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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

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, March 31, 2008

BAN KI-MOON URGES PARTICIPANTS AT CLIMATE CHANGE MEETING

TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A SOLUTION

The first major UN-sponsored

meeting on climate change since last Decembers Bali Conference got underway in Bangkok today. Roughly 1,200 participants from more than 160 countries are taking part.

The main aim of the Bangkok meeting is to map out a work programme leading to a long-term international climate change agreement in Copenhagen by the end of 2009. &#61472;Another objective is to advance work on the rules through which developed countries can meet emission reduction commitments.

Opening the five-day meeting with a video message, the Secretary-General urged countries to work together to find a solution to climate change that is economically viable and based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. He added that any solution must strike a delicate balance between globally inclusive action and the need to eradicate poverty, as well as advance green economic growth and large-scale adaptation measures.

Also addressing todays session, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer

stressed that time is very short to agree on what is likely to be the most complex international agreement in history. He nevertheless expressed confidence that countries will be able to do so in the time available.

Under-Secretary-General Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, called on developed countries to help meet the technological and financial needs of developing countries facing the challenge of climate change.

The Spokeswoman, in response to a question asked about the Secretary-Generals meeting on Saturday with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, said that climate change was at the top of their agenda.

DR CONGO: SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS SANCTIONS AND MANDATE OF MONITORING GROUP

The Security Council this morning wrapped up its work for March by unanimously adopting a resolution that extends the mandate of the Group of Experts dealing with sanctions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) until the end of this year.

The resolution also extends sanctions measures in that country until the end of 2008, but adds that arms sanctions shall no longer apply to providing arms to the Congolese Governments military activities.

Today is the last day of the Russian Presidency of the Security Council.

Starting tomorrow, South Africa will hold the Councils rotating Presidency for the month of April.

U.N. POLITICAL AFFAIRS CHIEF IN CYPRUS TO DISCUSS WAYS TO ASSIST SETTLEMENT EFFORTS

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe arrived in Cyprus last night on a visit aimed at helping to determine how the UN can assist efforts to reach a settlement on the island.

Pascoe held separate meetings today with the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat, and held talks with civil society representatives and leaders of Greek Cypriot political parties.

Later in the day, he was scheduled to meet the advisers of the two leaders, who are preparing the ground for full-fledged negotiations later this year.

Tomorrow, Pascoe will meet with leaders of Turkish Cypriot political parties and representatives of the international community in Nicosia.

ARAB PEACE INITIATIVE A KEY ELEMENT IN MIDDLE EAST PEACE EFFORTS

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe represented the Secretary-General at the summit this past weekend of the League of Arab States in Damascus, Syria, and he delivered a message on the Secretary-Generals behalf, which asserted that lasting peace and progress in the Middle East hinges on a just and lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

He said that the Arab Peace Initiative remains a key element in our efforts to achieve peace.

In his message, the Secretary-General called for a more positive strategy for Gaza and encouraged all Arab countries to act responsibly, and exercise whatever influence they have to support a cessation of violence in and around Gaza.

Regarding the stalled process of finding a President in

Lebanon, the Secretary-General said that this situation is no longer sustainable. It is paramount that Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and unity be preserved, he said, adding that everyone should rally behind and work for the implementation of the Arab League initiative.

Asked whether the Secretary-General shared the hope that the Israeli-Palestinian

situation would be resolved by the end of this year, the Spokeswoman noted that the Secretary-General and the Middle East Quartet had not set such a date. However, she said, the Secretary-General has consistently expressed his hope for a resolution of that situation, as soon as possible.

UNITED NATIONS REGULARLY MONITORS SECURITY IN IRAQ

Asked about the recent violence in Iraq, the Spokeswoman said that the United Nations was monitoring the situation closely and had expressed its concerns.

Montas noted, in response to a question about the security situation, that security developments are being evaluated regularly, but the ceiling for UN staff in Iraq remains unchanged.

U.N. ENVOY MEETS WITH AFGHAN PRESIDENT AND SENIOR OFFICIALS

The UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said today that the new Special Representative, Kai Eide, has met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and key Government ministers since arriving last Friday.

Eide and the Secretary-General will attend the NATO summit later this week in Bucharest, Romania, where Afghanistan will be discussed in a special meeting this Thursday.

Also in todays Kabul briefing notes, the UN Refugee Agency says that a new repatriation season has begun, with some 10,000 Afghans returning home from Pakistan over the past month. The majority of them are coming back to the eastern part of the country.

Asked whether the Secretary-General was involved in talks with the Taliban, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General would co-chair, with President Karzai and the NATO Secretary-General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, a meeting on Afghanistan this week in Bucharest.

As he did in Italy last year, the Secretary-General would discuss the problems in Afghanistan and what can be done to resolve them, Montas said. She later added that the United Nations had no direct negotiations with the Taliban.

NEPAL: U.N. ENVOY VISITS EASTERN DISTRICTS AHEAD OF ELECTIONS

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Nepal, Ian Martin,

visited today the eastern Terai districts of Saptari and Morang, as part of a five-day regional tour in the run-up to the 10 April election.

There, Martin held discussions with local administrative and security authorities, district electoral authorities as well as UN colleagues, about preparations and conditions for the poll.

In a press

conference in the afternoon, Martin reiterated his strong condemnation of the bomb attack at the Sarauchiya Mosque in Biratnagar two days ago, and his condolences to the families of those killed and the injured.

He will travel to the Mid-Western region on 1 April, and then continue on to the Far-Western region.

Also over the weekend, the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), in conjunction with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued the second

report of a series being published on the conditions for the Constituent Assembly election.

The report shows that the election process continues in relative calm across much of the country, but a significant number of districts have experienced a surge in clashes between different political party supporters.

HIGH-LEVEL SOMALIA MEETING CALLS FOR GREATER EFFORTS

TO STRENGTHEN COUNTRYS ECONOMY

A high-level

meeting on Financial and Economic Issues in Somalia, organized by the United Nations and the World Bank, wrapped up on Saturday with a call for greater national and international efforts to strengthen Somalias economy and bring about peace.

Participants agreed that there should be another meeting on Somalias economy, as well as a reconstruction and development conference.

Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports growing insecurity in many parts of South Central Somalia. This comes in the wake of escalating clashes over the past week between Ethiopian/Transitional Federal Government forces and anti-government elements.

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCILS LATEST SESSION

IS EXTENDED THROUGH TOMORROW

The seventh regular

session of the Human Rights Council was scheduled to end last Friday in Geneva, but it did not conclude as planned. Some delegations felt they did not have enough time to make general end-of-session comments, so the Human Rights Council will meet again tomorrow morning.

The session is now expected to wrap up by tomorrow afternoon.

HUMANITARIAN APPEAL FOR TIMOR-LESTE LAUNCHED

Over the weekend in Timor-Leste, the United Nations and non-government organizations

launched an appeal to the donor community for ongoing relief and recovery programs in the country.

The total appeal for some $33.5 million will be spent in three strategic areas: continued emergency assistance in camps for Internally Displaced Persons, supporting the Governments National Recovery Strategy and strengthening Timor-Lestes ability to manage risk and impact from natural disasters.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UNITED NATIONS ACTS ON BASIS OF SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON KOSOVO: Asked about a Serbian Government proposal on enclaves in Kosovo, the Spokeswoman said that such a proposal had been conveyed by Serbian Minister Slobodan Samardzic in a meeting with Deputy Special Representative Larry Rossin. She noted that the United Nations acts on the basis of resolution 1244, which does not mention the possibility of partition.

UNITED NATIONS DID NOT OBSERVE ZIMBABWE ELECTIONS: Asked about the elections held in Zimbabwe, the Spokeswoman said that the United Nations had not been invited to observe the elections. She noted that some electoral results are expected later today.

START OF LEBANON TRIBUNAL TO BE ANNOUNCED AS SOON AS FEASIBLE: Asked when the Secretary-General would announce the start of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General wants to make an announcement as soon as it is feasible, in consultation with the UNs legal and Tribunal experts.

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

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