United Nations Daily Highlights, 10-06-07

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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

Monday, June 7, 2010

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR GREATER COOPERATION IN MATERNAL HEALTH

The

Secretary-General this morning delivered the opening

address at the Women Deliver 2010 Conference in Washington, D.C. The conference brings together 3,500 participants from 140 countries, in what the organizers describe as the largest ever conference on maternal health. When we work together, we succeed, he told the conference.

The Secretary-General also addressed the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Also today, he spoke at the UN Association for the United States National Convention. Also on his program today is a lunch with the National Association for Evangelicals, and a meeting with U.S. Senator John Kerry.

Later in the afternoon, he flies from Washington to Johannesburg, the first leg of his second visit to Africa in a month.

In events related to the Women Deliver 2010 Conference, the Administrator of the

UN Development Programme,

Helen Clark, took part in a live webcast on Women and Power. Along with actress and humanitarian Ashley Judd, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, and President Barack Obamas Senior Advisor, Valerie Jarrett, Clark spoke about how highly successful women change makers have dealt with their power, getting it, keeping it and using it wisely.

CONSULTATIONS CONTINUE REGARDING INVESTIGATION INTO 31 MAY FLOTILLA INCIDENT

In response to questions, the Spokesperson said that the

Secretary-General is continuing his consultations with leaders and representatives of concerned countries on the 31 May incident, in accordance with the

Presidential Statement of the

Security Council.

He noted the Secretary-Generals conversations on Saturday by telephone with the Prime Ministers of Turkey and Israel, which were to ensure that any investigation has the full cooperation of the countries most closely concerned.

The Secretary-General is also developing possible terms of reference and logistical arrangements for such an effort.

He also continues to work to ease the situation in

Gaza, a long-standing priority of the Secretary-General and the United Nations, Haq said.

Today, the Spokesperson added, the Quartet Envoys discussed over the phone how to preserve and strengthen proximity talks and also discussed the urgent need for a fundamentally different strategy in Gaza. They agreed to continue their intensive consultations in order to make recommendations to their Principals as soon as possible.

Asked whether the former Prime Minister of New Zealand had been considered to head the investigation, the Spokesperson said that no names had been formally conveyed to the parties.

The United Nations, he said, was trying to bring together views from differing parties that had been divergent. The ultimate goal, he said, was to obtain agreement on an inquiry that would be impartial, credible and in line with the Security Councils Presidential Statement.

Asked about other aid ships heading into the area, he recalled that the Secretary-General was in touch with many parties to try to avoid any recurrence of the 31 May incident. The Secretary-General had urged all parties to avoid provocative acts.

Asked about the ships and the aid on board, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations was working to see whether that aid could be distributed in Gaza.

Asked about the role played by the

UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Haq said that the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force would continue to perform its mandated tasks. He noted that UNIFIL had helped to repatriate Lebanese citizens who had been on board the Marmara.

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS NORWAYS PRIME MINISTER AS CO-CHAIR OF CLIMATE CHANGE FINANCE ADVISORY GROUP

The

Secretary-General thanked the Prime Minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg, who has accepted his invitation to become the co-chair of the

High-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing as of immediate effect.

Prime Minister Stoltenberg will now work with the other co-chair, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to complete the

work of the Advisory Group.

The Secretary-General would also like to express his thanks to Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom, who served as co-chair of the Advisory Group until last month.

The Secretary-General is also pleased to have received a communication from UK Prime Minister David Cameron, in which he expressed the continued support of the UK for the work of the Advisory Group. In that communication he nominated the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne as a member of the Advisory Group from the UK. The Secretary-General welcomes Mr. Huhne as a new member.

APPOINTMENT OF NEW OMBUDPERSON FOR 1267 SANCTIONS COMMITTEE WELCOMED

The

Security Council Sanctions Committee established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1267 (1999) welcomes the recent appointment by the Secretary-General of Judge Kimberly Prost (Canada) to serve as Ombudsperson, pursuant to Security Council resolution 1904 (2009). The Ombudsperson is to assist the Committee in its consideration of delisting requests received from individuals and entities subject to the Security Councils relevant sanctions measures against Al-Qaida and the Taliban, who seek removal from the Committees Consolidated List.

The Committee, which consulted closely with the Secretary-General in the appointment of the Ombudsperson, notes that Judge Prost brings to the post an extensive background in the relevant fields of law, human rights and counter-terrorism. Most recently Ms. Prost served as ad litem Judge with the

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

SENIOR U.N. OFFICIALS DISCUSS RIGHTS ISSUES IN UGANDA

The Secretary-Generals

Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict,

Radhika Coomaraswamy, has

wrapped up a week in Uganda speaking with victims and advocating on their behalf to Government officials, the military and the media, in Kampala and Gulu, northern Uganda.

Among other things, Coomaraswamy met with Major General Aronda Nyakairima head of Uganda's army to discuss the standard operating procedures for the release and repatriation of children associated with the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) throughout the region.

Meanwhile, the

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,

Navi Pillay, has also been in Uganda, where she

said that the situation in Karamoja is extremely difficult. Raids by armed cattle-rustling gangs, including cross-border raids to and from Kenya and South Sudan, have led to an unacceptable level of insecurity, she said.

Pillay said that the Governments aim to disarm the trouble-makers and stop the wholesale theft of cattle is both responsible and laudable, but added that the overall approach both to development and to disarmament has been flawed and to some extent counter-productive.

U.N. NUCLEAR CHIEF TELLS BOARD THAT IRAN HAS NOT PROVIDED NECESSARY COOPERATION

Yukiya Amano, the Director-General of the

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),

addressed the Agencys Board of Governors in Vienna today. He

said that, while the Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran, Iran has not provided the necessary cooperation to permit the Agency to confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is used in peaceful activities.

He added that Iran is a special case because, among other things, of the existence of issues related to possible military dimensions to its nuclear programme. Amano requested Iran to take steps towards the full implementation of its Safeguards Agreement and its other obligations, including its Additional Protocol.

He also said that the recent increase in tension on the Korean Peninsula reminds us that the security situation in this region remains extremely sensitive and underscores the need to address the nuclear issue as early as possible. He urged the

Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to fully implement all relevant nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF PANEL OF EXPERTS ON NORTH KOREA SANCTIONS: The

Security Council this morning voted unanimously on a resolution that extends until 12 June 2011 the mandate of the Panel of Experts dealing with the sanctions on the

Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

UNITED NATIONS MOVING FORWARD ON NAMING SRI LANKA PANEL OF EXPERTS: In response to a question, the Spokesperson said that the Secretariat was moving forward on naming a Panel of Experts to advise the

Secretary-General on

Sri Lanka.

NO COMMENT ON CASE WHILE IT REMAINS IN LEGAL SYSTEM: Asked about Cynthia Brzaks effort to appeal her case to the US Supreme Court, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations would have no comment while the matter remains in the court system. Previous decisions, he acknowledged, had reaffirmed UN immunities.

Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

United Nations, SA-1B15

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

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