United Nations Daily Highlights, 08-07-09

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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

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

SECRETARY-GENERAL STRONGLY CONDEMNS DEADLY ATTACK ON PEACEKEEPERS IN NORTH DARFUR

On 8 July at approximately 14h45 local time, a UN-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) joint police and military patrol was ambushed by unidentified militia between Gusa Jamat and Wadah (100 km east of Shangil Tobayi, North Darfur). The attackers used heavy weapons and engaged the UNAMID convoy in an exchange of fire for more than two hours. Seven peacekeepers were killed and twenty-two were wounded, seven of them critically.

The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest possible terms this unacceptable act of extreme violence against AU-UN peacekeepers in Darfur and calls on the Government of Sudan to do its utmost to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice. The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the peacekeepers who lost their lives, and reiterates his appreciation for their service, valour and commitment to the search for peace in Darfur.

The Secretary-General calls on all parties to respect their agreements, to redouble their efforts to ensure the safety and integrity of the peacekeeping force and reach a comprehensive settlement to the crisis in Darfur as soon as possible. The Secretary-General reiterates his appeal to the international community to provide all necessary support to the peacekeeping force in Darfur.

BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES G8 STATEMENT BUT URGES FURTHER COMMITMENTS

The Secretary-General is flying back to New York now, after he participated earlier today in the Summit of the Group of Eight leaders in Hokkaido, by attending the meeting of the Major Economies on Climate Change.

Before leaving Japan, he issued a statement saying that he was grateful at the focused discussions by the Group of Eight (G8) and other world leaders at the Summit on the three interrelated global crises of climate change, food security and development. The discussion, he said, provides initial direction for global efforts that must be accelerated in the coming weeks and months.

The Secretary-General welcomed the statement of the G8 on climate change and the environment, including the long-term goal of reducing emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2050. This, against a 1990 baseline, is a clear step forward, but we must go further, he said.

He added that he was happy to see the strong commitment of the G8 to address the global food crisis in a Global Partnership for Food, facilitated and coordinated by the United Nations.

The Secretary-General appreciated particularly the endorsement received for his High-Level Task Force and its Comprehensive Framework for Action. He added that we must use the current crisis as an opportunity to significantly step up public and private investment into agricultural production and research, and into rural infrastructure at levels above $25 billion per year.

The Secretary-General emphasized that, following the summit, the challenge now is to move beyond discussions to action.

The Secretary-General also had a bilateral meeting with the Indonesian President before departing from Japan, ending his three-nation, 13-day trip to North Asia.

SECURITY COUNCIL TAKES UP LEBANON AND AFGHANISTAN

The Security Council this morning received a briefing in closed consultations from Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe about the Secretary-Generals recent report on the implementation of resolution 1701, concerning Lebanon. Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber, the Director of the Asia and Middle East Division of the Department for Peacekeeping Operations, also briefed the Council on the work of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

In the report, the Secretary-General says that he looks forward to the speedy establishment of a national unity Government in Lebanon and to the revitalization of the countrys constitutional institutions.

Then, at 3:00 this afternoon, Kai Eide, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Afghanistan, will brief the Security Council in an open meeting on the UNs work in that country. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes, who visited Afghanistan recently, will also brief.

SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS PAKISTAN TERRORIST ATTACKS AND KILLING OF U.N. OFFICIAL IN SOMALIA

The Security Council President, Ambassador Le Luong Minh of Viet Nam, yesterday read out two press statements, on Somalia and on Pakistan, following the Councils consultations.

On Pakistan, he said, Council members condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist suicide attack that took place in Islamabad on Sunday, as well as the terrorist attacks that occurred in parts of Karachi the following day.

Council members also condemned in the strongest terms the killing over the weekend of the officer in charge of the UN Development Programme office in Mogadishu and the wounding of other people, including his brother and son, in the same attack. They reaffirmed the imperative to respect in all circumstances the safety and security of UN and humanitarian relief personnel.

U.N.-CONTRACTED DRIVER KILLED IN SOMALIA

For the fourth time this year, a World Food Programme (WFP)-contracted driver has been killed in Somalia.

Ahmed Saalim was traveling as part of a convoy of WFP-contracted trucks in the Lower Shabelle region on Monday. He was shot after fighting broke out between convoy escorts and militiamen at a checkpoint.

WFP sends its condolences to Saalims family and appeals for such killings to stop. WFP also urges all parties to allow the safe passage of humanitarian staff and assistance at a time when the need for such aid is on the rise.

Mondays shooting occurred just one day after the head of the UN Development Programme in Somalia was shot and killed outside a mosque in Mogadishu.

U.N. ENVOY SUPPORTS EGYPT'S EFFORTS TO SOLIDIFY CALM IN GAZA

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, today wrapped up a series of visits to Cairo and Amman, having previously met with President Mahmoud Abbas and senior Israeli officials.

During his travels, Serry discussed all aspects of the Middle East peace process and voiced the UN's support for Egypt's efforts to solidify calm in Gaza and improve conditions for the civilian population.

Serry further underlined the Secretary-General's support for the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian political negotiations, President Abbas' efforts on Palestinian unity, and the indirect Israeli-Syrian peace talks.

U.N. ENVOY TO HOLD TECHNICAL CONSULTATIONS WITH BOTH SIDES ON F.Y.R.O.M. NAME ISSUE

The Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy for the talks between Greece and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Matthew Nimetz, will be holding technical consultations in New York with both sides separately.

Nimetz will meet with a delegation from Skopje on Thursday, 10 July, and with a delegation from Athens on Monday, 14 July.

The purpose of these meetings is to hold working sessions focused on elements of a possible agreement. No joint meeting or statement is expected.

SECRETARY-GENERAL OUTLINES CONDITIONS FOR DRAWDOWN OF D.R. CONGO MISSION

In his latest report on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is out as a document today, the Secretary-General says that key benchmarks for a gradual drawdown of the UN Mission (MONUC) include a resolution of the crisis in the Kivus and the development of legitimate Government institutions.

On the situation in the east, the Secretary-General says that success in the Goma and Nairobi processes will depend on the sustained political engagement of all parties. He encourages the parties to make use of the Amani Programme, which was created to implement recent agreements, to build confidence among themselves and address the plight of the refugees and internally displaced persons. On the other hand, the Secretary-General is concerned that, while the ceasefire has generally held, recent clashes and the continued recruitment by armed groups threaten to destabilize the northeast again.

U.N. AGENCY EXPANDS FOOD CRISIS INITIATIVE TO 48 MORE COUNTRIES

Regarding the global food crisis, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today vastly expanded its initiative to help small farmers and vulnerable households deal with rising prices. FAO approved US$21 million worth of projects in 48 countries, bringing the total number of countries now covered by the initiative to 54.

The projects will provide farmers with seeds, fertilizer, and other agricultural inputs for one year. The immediate objective is to ensure the success of the next planting season. But the longer-term goal is to show that increasing the supply of key agricultural inputs allows small farmers to rapidly increase food production.

U.N. CONFERENCE FOR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS TO BE HELD IN PARIS FOR FIRST TIME

For the first time, the meeting of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) hosted each year by the Department of Public Information (DPI) will be held in Paris to mark the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed in 1948 in the French capital.

This 61st annual DPI/NGO Conference from 3 to 5 of September is being held outside of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris. It will bring together more than 2,000 participants from some 90 countries around the theme Reaffirming Human Rights: The Universal Declaration at 60.

A new website has just been launched this week to provide useful information in English and French - to the NGO community and other civil society members interested in participating in and/or contributing to the work of the 61st annual DPI/NGO Conference.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N. AND AFGHANISTAN LAUNCH APPEAL FOR $400 MILLION IN FOOD AID: The United Nations and the Government of Afghanistan today

launched an appeal in Kabul, asking for $404 million to feed 4.5 million of the most vulnerable people in that country, following poor harvests, drought and the rise in worldwide food prices. Bo Asplund, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, said that there is an urgent need to provide life-saving assistance to Afghanistans people, the needs are great and the time is limited.

IRAQ LAUNCHES POLICY TO IMPROVE SITUATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS AND RETURNEES: The Government of Iraq today launched a policy to improve the situation for displaced persons and returnees, following wide-scale consultations with displaced persons around the country by Iraqs Ministry of Displacement and Migration and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in coordination with other partners.

SECRETARY-GENERAL REVIEWS JUBA PEACE TALKS: Available today is a letter from the Secretary-General to the president of the Security Council that includes a full report on the Juba peace talks between the Government of Uganda and the Lords Resistance Army. The report, which was written by Chief Mediator Riek Machar, the Vice-President of the Government of Southern Sudan, reviews the current situation and makes a number of recommendations on the way forward.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO BRIEF GENERAL ASSEMBLY ONCE CANDIDATE FOR TOP HUMAN RIGHTS POST SELECTED: Asked about the selection of a new High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General would brief the General Assembly about that topic once he has announced the single candidate that would be submitted for Assembly approval. She noted that the Secretary-General had received inputs from Member States during the process of selecting a High Commissioner, but that the process of interviewing candidates for the post was still on going.

BRIEFINGS IN BANGKOK ON MYANMAR HAVE DECREASED: Asked about the decrease in the frequency of press briefings in Bangkok about the humanitarian situation in Myanmar, the Spokeswoman noted that the frequency of such briefings had become less intense after humanitarian workers started going into Myanmar, but that such briefings were still taking place in Bangkok.

NO COMMENT ON IRANIAN MISSILE TESTS: The Spokeswoman declined to comment on the recent missile tests conducted by Iran.

CONSTRUCTION AT U.N. HEADQUARTERS RELATED TO FIRE SAFETY: The Spokeswoman reiterated, in response to a question, that some construction activity was taking place at UN Headquarters to bring the building up to fire safety standards.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED ABOUT INCREASING MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS: Asked about tensions in the

Middle East, including between Israel and Iran, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General is aware of an increase in tensions and has been concerned.

U.N. POLICY ON CHINA GOVERNED BY GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION: In response to a question on whether the United Nations would accredit Taiwanese journalists, the Spokeswoman recalled that the UN policy on China is governed by General Assembly resolution

2758 of 1971, concerning a one-China policy.

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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