United Nations Daily Highlights, 08-07-28

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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, July 28, 2008

BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES APPROVAL OF NEW HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is

gratified that his nomination of Ms. Navanethem Pillay of South Africa as the new

High Commissioner for Human Rights has been endorsed by the General Assembly.

The Secretary-General reiterates his commitment to ensuring that human rights remain high on the agenda of the Organization. He expects that the new High Commissioner will preserve the independence of her Office, and maintain effective working relations with the General Assembly, the

Human Rights Council and the human rights community in general.

The Secretary-General is determined to give the High Commissioner full support, including with increased financial and human resources, as approved by the General Assembly.

BAN KI-MOON STRONGLY CONDEMNS DEADLY BOMBINGS IN ISTANBUL

The Secretary-General strongly

condemns yesterdays bombings in Istanbul, which have reportedly killed at least 16 civilians and injured many more.

He deeply regrets the loss of life and conveys his sympathies to the families of the victims and the wounded.

BAN KI-MOON OFFERS STRONG CONDEMNATION OF BOMBINGS IN INDIA

In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General

condemns in the strongest of terms the series of bombings in two cities in India that have killed and wounded a large number of civilians.

He reiterates that no cause or grievance can justify terrorist acts of this kind and appeals for restraint in the face of such provocation.

The Secretary-General sends his deepest sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives, the wounded and the people and Government of India.

U.N. ENVOY STRONGLY CONDEMNS BOMBINGS IN BAGHDAD AND KIRKUK

Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Iraq, strongly

condemned the bombings today in Baghdad and Kirkuk, in which dozens of civilians have been killed and hundreds more injured, as well as the shooting of innocent pilgrims in Madain yesterday. He described these attacks as vicious crimes committed against the defenseless by those who will stop at nothing in their quest to reignite sectarian and ethnic conflict.

De Mistura called on all Iraqis to remain united and reject the violence that threatens all of them.

Also, the

UN Mission in Iraq yesterday condemned the killing of journalist Soran Hama, who was murdered on 21 July by gunmen in front of his house. UNAMI is alarmed that journalists in Iraq continue to be targeted, undermining the integrity of the press and freedom of expression in the country.

UNESCO has also condemned the murders of 217 journalists in Iraq since 2003.

PEACEKEEPERS IN DARFUR CONDUCT DOZENS OF CONFIDENCE-BUILDING PATROLS

The United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)

reports that 33 confidence-building patrols, five night patrols, 13 patrols escorting women who carry firewood and 16 escorts of humanitarian assistance have been conducted over the past 24 hours.

Regarding the reported recent bombings in North Darfur, allegedly conducted by the Government of Sudan against the positions of Minni Minawis Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), UNAMID Force Commander General Martin Luther Agwai reiterated the need to verify the reports. He suggested that a joint team composed of military, police, human rights and civil affairs officers and other stakeholders should be set up as soon as possible to fly to the areas to investigate, as the roads are impassable during the current rainy season.

UNAMID also reports the blockage of an escort convoy operation over the weekend, as well as a robbery of an MSF (Medicine Sans Frontiers) clinic yesterday in Tawilla in Darfur. One international staff member was slightly injured and the robbers made away with $9,000. The incident is being investigated by the Government of Sudan Police.

Asked about a recent NGO report that criticized UNAMID for its broken promise and its deficiencies, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General, in his own recent report on the Mission, made clear that he has been deeply disappointed in the force. The Secretary-General, she noted, has acknowledged that UNAMIDs deployment has fallen far behind schedule, amid continued killings, rapes and gender-based violence.

At the same time, Montas said, the UN Mission is slowly bringing in more soldiers, including the arrival last week of most of the Egyptian contingent. For now, she added, troop deployment unfortunately remains a slow process.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS TODAY EXTENSION OF DARFUR MISSION

At 3:00 this afternoon, the

Security Council will hold consultations on Sudan. Council members are discussing a draft resolution extending the mandate of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). That Missions current mandate expires at the end of this month.

Also, the

report on the Security Council mission that visited five African countries a month ago is available today as an official document.

GEORGIA: SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON ALL SIDES TO PRESERVE CEASEFIRE REGIME

In his latest

report on Georgia, the Secretary-General notes that that the last four months have witnessed a resurgence of tensions, and calls upon all stakeholders to preserve the integrity of the ceasefire regime.

He appeals to the Abkhaz side to respect the

UN Missions freedom of movement and asks the Georgian side to do the same with the Commonwealth of Independent States peacekeeping force.

Noting that recent bombings in Abkhazia took place outside the UN Missions area of responsibility, the Secretary-General nevertheless says he is deeply concerned by this latest indiscriminate violence. He calls it an unprecedented development with unpredictable consequences for a fragile peace process.

The Secretary-General also describes the deteriorating relations between Georgia and the Russian Federation, noting its effects on the Georgia-Abkhazia issue.

U.N. MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN STRONGLY CONDEMNS ATTACK ON HUMANITARIAN CONVOY

The UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) strongly condemns the latest attack on a World Food Programme convoy. That attack happened last Thursday, when unidentified armed men attacked a convoy of 49 commercial trucks that were transporting WFP food aid from Kandahar to Herat. Eight trucks carrying more than 320 metric tonnes of food were stolen. They have not been recovered.

The UN Mission said today that, at this time of severe drought and rising food prices, it is even more reprehensible that a humanitarian convoy would be attacked.

THREE COUNTRIES JOIN NEW MONEY TRANSFER SERVICE BACKED BY UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) today reports that Chile, Spain and Uruguay have launched a new electronic money transfer service. It will allow people in those three countries to send money quickly and safely through the UPUs international financial network.

The new service is part of the UPUs global efforts to modernize the obsolete paper postal money order and respond to the needs of international migrants, including for better access to secure remittance services through formal channels.

According to World Bank data, migrant workers send more than $300 billions each year through formal channels. But its believed that they send just as much money through informal channels, which can result in the promotion of money laundering and financing terrorist-related activities.

GUINEA-BISSAU: GOODWILL AMBASSADOR LAUNCHES CONSTRUCTION OF MATERNITY SURGICAL UNIT

In Guinea-Bissau, Portuguese actress Catarina Furtado kicked off the construction of a maternity surgical unit in her role as Goodwill Ambassador of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

The building will soon provide life-saving services to newborns and their mothers in Guinea-Bissau, where the maternal mortality rate is considered alarming, according to UNFPA.

The construction of the surgical unit is the culmination of a project Ms. Furtado began a year and half ago. In December 2006, she helped raise more than 250,000 Euros for the project during a 12-hour televised dance marathon.

BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR WORLDWIDE TRUCE DURING OLYMPIC GAMES

In a

message ahead of the Olympic Games in Beijing, the Secretary-General is calling for an Olympic Truce, a worldwide cessation of all hostilities for the duration of the Games.

Such a truce, while limited in duration, can provide a pause in which to reconsider the heavy cost of war, as well as an opening to initiate a dialogue and a window to provide relief for suffering populations, he says. It can also demonstrate to the world that peace is possible in even the most seemingly intractable situations if we truly work towards it.

The Secretary-General joins the International Olympic Committee and the General Assembly in calling on all those who are at war to observe the Truce. Let them lay down their weapons, if only temporarily, so that humanity can lay claim to gold even before the Games begin, he says.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SIERRA LEONE: U.N. GUIDELINES SERVE AS BASIS FOR TRAINING LOCAL POLICE ON GENDER POLICIES: The Sierra Leone police have adopted policy guidelines on sexual abuse and exploitation that were drafted by the Conduct and Discipline Office of the

UN Integrated Office in that country. The policy guidelines and training programmes on gender mainstreaming and the zero-tolerance policy came in response to a need for training among Sierra Leonean police officers dealing with incidents of sexual assault, domestic violence, physical assault, and cruelty to children, in the wider community.

NEW HEAD OF PEACEKEEPING DEPARTMENT TO ASSUME DUTIES NEXT MONTH: Asked when Alain Le Roy will take over as the head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Spokeswoman said that he will arrive in August.

U.N.-BACKED TRIBUNAL AND SERBIA DEALING WITH TRANSFER OF KARADZIC TO THE HAGUE: Asked about delays in transferring Radovan Karadzic to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the Spokeswoman said that was a matter to be dealt with between the Tribunal and the relevant state, Serbia.

SECRETARY-GENERALS OFFICIAL VISIT TO CHINA WAS FOR ONE-ON-ONE TALKS WITH CHINESE LEADERSHIP: Asked why the Secretary-General will not be present in China for the opening of the Olympic Games, the Spokeswoman recalled that the Secretary-General wanted to have an official visit to China that, unlike the Olympics, would provide an opportunity for one-on-one talks with Chinese leaders. That happened last month, she said.