United Nations Daily Highlights, 10-08-03

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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

MARTIN NESIRKY

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

UNIFIL FOCUSED ON RESTORING CALM FOLLOWING EXCHANGE OF FIRE ALONG BLUE LINE

The

UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirms that there has been an exchange of fire between the Lebanese army and the Israeli army along the Blue Line, in the general area of El Adeisse in southern

Lebanon.

UNIFIL has been focused on restoring calm in the area through intensive contacts with both the parties. To that end, the Acting Force Commander, Brigadier General Santi Bonfanti, decided to personally fly by helicopter to El Adeisse.

UNIFIL informed both parties and asked them to stop all firing in the area. Gen. Bonfanti is already in the El Adeisse area and the situation is quiet.

UNIFIL peacekeepers are deployed in the area. UNIFILs immediate priority is to consolidate the calm and it is urging both parties to exercise maximum restraint.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals views, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General is aware of the exchange of fire. The Secretary-General is concerned and shares UNIFILs view that all sides should exercise maximum restraint.

Asked how the firing started, Nesirky said that UNIFIL is at present trying to ascertain the circumstances of the incident.

SECURITY COUNCIL EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN AT EXCHANGE OF FIRE ALONG BLUE LINE

The

Security Council this morning adopted its programme of work for August. After that, Council members received a briefing by the Under-Secretary-General for

Peacekeeping Operations,

Alain Le Roy, concerning the fighting near the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel.

Following that briefing, the Council President, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, issued a statement to the press, expressing the Council members deep concern at the exchange of fire and their call on the parties to show utmost restraint.

At 3:00 this afternoon, the Security Council will hold an open meeting on Kosovo. Council members will receive a briefing on the Secretary-Generals latest report by the head of the

UN Interim Administration in Kosovo,

Lamberto Zannier.

SECRETARY-GENERAL: WE NEED TO BUILD ON MOMENTUM FOR A NUCLEAR WEAPON-FREE WORLD

The

Secretary-General is in Tokyo today, where he

told reporters that he was especially honored to be in Japan as the country and the world commemorate the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

He said in a press encounter, We must do everything we can to build on the current global momentum towards a nuclear-weapon-free world.

The Secretary-General had a working dinner with the Japanese Foreign Minister, Katsuya Okada, during which they discussed cooperation between the United Nations and Japan, which is the second largest contributor to the UN regular budget and to UN peacekeeping operations. The Secretary-General lauded Japan's contribution across the range of matters that the United Nations deals with. They also discussed regional matters, such as the Korean Peninsula, Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Somalia.

On Wednesday morning, the Secretary-General has a full day in Tokyo, including a dialogue with university students and a meeting with Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

SENIOR U.N.-A.U. OFFICIAL VISITS DARFUR CAMP IN EFFORT TO EASE TENSIONS

The

UN/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) says that its Deputy Joint Special Representative,

Mohamed Yonis, is in Nyala,

South Darfur. This is the third time in as many days that Yonis has visited the Kalma camp for

internally displaced persons, in a bid to help ease tensions there, following recent deadly violence between supporters and opponents of the Doha peace process.

UNAMID says that a reconciliation committee has been mediating a peaceful settlement between the opposing sides. Meanwhile, a UN-led humanitarian assessment team has received Sudanese Government authorization to enter the Kalma camp, the Mission says.

U.N. AGENCIES PROVIDING AID FOLLOWING DEVASTATING FLOODS IN PAKISTAN

The

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

says that the worst floods seen in

Pakistan in living memory have devastated towns and villages across Pakistan, mainly in the north-west. Thousands of people remain trapped by the floods and are awaiting rescue and evacuation by boat or helicopter.

The

World Food Programme (WFP) has

reached more than 40,000 people with life-saving rations. More distributions are due to start as WFP mobilises staff to overcome immense logistical challenges.

The

UN Childrens Fund is

providing safe drinking water through tankers to 700,000 people in the worst-affected areas, as well as people sheltering in schools and other spontaneous camps.

The

World Health Organization has

given health kits and emergency medicines that are sufficient for an estimated 200,000 patients for one month.

And the

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has distributed some 10,000 tents and other relief supplies to the two worst-hit provinces. It is trying to reach at least 250,000 of the most vulnerable people with shelter and essential items.

U.N. MISSION IN NEPAL CONCERNED OVER NEW RECRUITMENT DRIVE

The

UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) is deeply concerned at reports that the Nepal Army and the Maoist army, plan to undertake fresh recruitment.

The UN Mission

re-stated its position that any recruitment by either the Nepal Army or the Maoist army constitutes a breach of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Agreement on the Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies.

UNMIN has written to the Government and the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, advising them to respect past agreements and to act in this matter with good faith towards the United Nations.

ASIA-PACIFIC HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN PROGRESS TOWARDS MILLENNIUM GOALS

In a

message to the Special Ministerial Meeting for Millennium Development Goal Review in Asia and the Pacific, held in Jakarta today, the

Secretary-General said the region has made significant gains in progressing towards the

Millennium Development Goals, thereby contributing to global successes.

He said the meeting is a timely opportunity to highlight which strategies have worked well and to brainstorm about how the success stories can be replicated elsewhere. The Secretary-General added that one of the main goals of the

MDG Summit in September is to showcase what works, in order to scale it up.

The Secretary-Generals remarks were delivered on his behalf by the Under-Secretary-General for

Economic and Social Affairs,

Sha Zukang.

TWENTY-ONE NEW SITES ADDED TO WORLD HERITAGE LIST

The

World Heritage Committee

inscribed 21 new sites to the World Heritage

List during its 34th session, which wrapped up Monday in Brasilia.

Among the new sites are the Episcopal City of Albi (France); the Tabriz Historical Bazaar Complex (Islamic Republic of Iran); the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Mexico); and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long-Hanoi (Viet Nam). Three countries, Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Tajikistan, had sites added for the first time.

The Committee also removed the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) from the

List of World Heritage in Danger and added four sites to the List: the Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (Georgia); the Rainforests of Atsinanana (Madagascar); the Tombs of Buganda Kings (Uganda); and the Everglades National Park (United States of America)

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

PANEL OF INQUIRY ON FLOTILLA TO DECIDE ON WHAT STEPS NEEDED FOR CLARIFICATION: Asked whether the

Panel of Inquiry dealing with the 31 May flotilla incident would simply review the work of Israeli and Turkish national commissions, the Spokesperson noted that it will be for the Panel to decide what steps it may need to take in order to obtain clarifications and information from relevant national authorities. The Panel has been tasked with making findings about the facts, circumstances and context of the incident, as well as recommending ways of avoiding similar incidents in the future.

LEGAL SUIT TO BE BROUGHT BY FORMER TASK FORCE MEMBER: Asked about a suit brought before the

UN Dispute Tribunal by former Procurement Task Force head Robert Appleton, the Spokesperson said that the matter was sub judice, and he refrained from further comment.

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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