United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-06-08

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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 FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, June 8, 2004

SECURITY COUNCIL TO VOTE ON IRAQ RESOLUTION

The Security Council is scheduled to hold a formal meeting on Iraq at 4:30 this afternoon to vote on a draft resolution on Iraq.

Prior to that, the Secretary-General is meeting with the Group of Friends for Iraq at 3:00.

Asked whether the Group of Friends meeting would end before the 4:30 meeting of the Council, the Spokesman said it was understood that it would be over by then.

Asked what the chances are for the UN Monitoring and Verification Commission (UNMOVIC) to resume its work in Iraq, the Spokesman said that was a matter for the Security Council to decide. He noted that it had deferred to a later date a decision on what to do with UNMOVIC. The Spokesman said that the Secretary-General has pointed out that the UNMOVIC inspectors represent a substantial pool of knowledge and experience.

UN ENVOYS WORK ON IRAQ COMPLETED IN FULL, ANNAN SAYS

Speaking to an open meeting of the Security Council Monday, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the role of the United Nations, through the efforts of Lakhdar Brahimi, had been to facilitate a process of consensus building leading to the formation of an interim government. Brahimis task, he said, has been completed on time and in full.

The Secretary-General reiterated that the United Nations was fully involved in facilitating consensus on the structure and composition of the government.

He appealed to Council members and the international community at large, and to Iraqs neighbors in particular, to respond favorably and generously to the Interim Governments request for assistance and support.

The Secretary-General said he looked forward to a clear definition of the UNs role and to the creation of all the conditions - including the provision of security for UN staff, and adequate resources - which would allow the United Nations to implement its mandate.

Asked whether the Secretary-General had received assurances that countries would contribute to special units of the multinational force that would protect UN personnel, the Spokesman said that a number of countries had expressed to the United Nations their intention to provide such forces.

He noted that the multinational force would need to deal with the arrangements under which nations contribute their troops, but added that some nations who are not presently involved in the forces in Iraq had come to the United Nations to voice their intention to contribute units for UN security. Some three or four nations had done that, he said.

BRAHIMI NOTES POOL OF TALENT IN IRAQI INTERIM GOVERNMENT

Also on Monday, Special Advisor Lakhdar Brahimi outlined to Council members the details of his mission in Iraq. He said that the Interim Government, taken as a complete package, has a great deal of talent and is well positioned to bring the country together during the next seven months or so.

Brahimi stressed that the Interim Government will have to start to take ownership of the solutions to the grave security problem. He added that efforts to create an effective Iraqi police and a well-trained army must be expedited.

He also underscored the importance of properly managing the relations between the government and the foreign forces in Iraq. That, he said, will greatly affect the governments credibility in the eyes of the Iraqi people. The solution to the security issue, he added, cannot be military only, but also needs to be political.

All the work that needs to be done now, Brahimi told Council members, must be focused on creating the conditions for genuine and credible elections this January, because only an elected Government and an elected legislature can legitimately claim to represent Iraq.

Asked about Brahimis comments, the Spokesman said that Brahimi feels very comfortable that there are a lot of honest, capable people in the Iraqi government, and believes that it is up to the Iraqis to judge the work the government does. There are indications from religious leaders and others that they will wait to see what the government will do.

Asked about the United Nations work in Iraq, the Spokesman said it was safe to say that the UN Mission, when it gets up and running, would seek to build the broadest possible support for the government and the transition process. He noted that Brahimi had also spoken to people who described themselves as opponents of the occupation, and not as terrorists. He had spoken to them and tried to bring them into the process, which they had declined to do, and Brahimi believed it remains important to include them.

ANNAN RECOMMENDS DEPLOYMENT OF ADVANCE TEAM TO SUDAN

The Secretary-Generals report on the Sudan, which is out as a Security Council document today, recommends the deployment of an advance team to prepare for a future UN operation following the signing of long-awaited comprehensive peace agreement, which he says would show the commitment of the international community to assist the parties.

He outlines the various tasks of a future monitoring and observation operation, and also says he intends to appoint very soon the senior leadership of a future UN peace operation to head the ongoing preparations.

He also sounds a note of caution in three areas: that the parties implement what they have signed in good faith; that the parties use their influence to bring to an immediate halt the fighting in the Darfur region, in the Malakal area of the Upper Nile and elsewhere, which continues to destroy lives and livelihoods; and that the international community understand and concur that peace will only be attained in the Sudan though continuing constant engagement, requiring extensive investment and funding.

A draft resolution on the Sudan has already been introduced in Security Council consultations.

SECURITY COUNCIL INFORMED ABOUT RESPONSE ON CYPRUS

This morning the Security Council held an open meeting on Cyprus. Alvaro de Soto, the Secretary-Generals Special Advisor on the issue, presented the report on his Good Offices.

In his presentation, de Soto said that late Monday afternoon, the Secretary-General had received from the Greek Cypriot side a letter outlining comments regarding the Secretary-Generals report. The letter would be made into an official document of the Council.

Members continued the discussion on Cyprus in closed consultations. During those consultations, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi presented the Secretary-Generals latest report on the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.

SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS SEIZURE OF BUKAVU

On Monday evening, the Security Council adopted a presidential statement on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, condemning the seizure of Bukavu by dissident forces led by former Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD-Goma) commanders, and the human rights violations which have occurred.

The Council demands that all such military actions cease immediately and it urges all parties in the Government of National Unity and Transition to remain fully committed to the peace process and to abstain from any action that could endanger the unity of the Government.

In addition, the Council warns neighboring States of the consequences of support to the rebel groups. It urges the Government of Rwanda and all other neighboring States to do all in their power to support the peace process and resolve the crisis.

The Council also calls on all Congolese parties to support the work of the UN Mission and demands that they refrain from any hostile action against UN personnel or facilities.

KINSHASA QUIET, SOME FORCES LEAVING BUKAVU

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reports that the situation in Kinshasa is relatively quiet. President Joseph Kabila and the UN Special Representative William Swing held separate meetings with student groups calling for civil behavior and stressing that the United Nations is an important partner in the transition process. Some isolated demonstrations took place this morning, but they were dispersed by Congolese police, who are actively patrolling streets.

In Bukavu, the UN Mission has confirmed the withdrawal of the forces of General Laurent Nkunda from the town and the nearby airport area. However, Colonel Jules Mutebutsi has not kept his pledge to canton his forces, and some sporadic shooting took place today.

Swing has been in constant contact with Kabila and his Cabinet to plan the re-establishment of Transitional Government authority. All seem to agree that the crisis in Bukavu must be resolved this week.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency is monitoring closely the situation along the DRC-Rwanda border, where over 2,300 Congolese refugees have fled since the outbreak of the fighting in Bukavu.

BLACK BOX FOUND AT UNITED NATIONS NOT FROM 1994 RWANDA CRASH

The cockpit voice recorder, or black box, which has been stored at the United Nations since 1994, was not from the Presidential aircraft carrying the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi when it crashed that year and did not contain any relevant information about the crash of that aircraft. These are the main findings of the investigation conducted by the Office of Internal Oversight Services into allegations that United Nations had possession of a flight recorder from that aircraft.

The report adds that much of the recent furor, after the black box was found on UN premises earlier this year, could have been avoided if the Department of Peacekeeping Operations had sought in 1994 to analyze the contents of the black box, as has now been done.

Due to the historical significance of the downed plane and its relation to the Rwandan genocide, the Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services, Dileep Nair, has taken the exceptional decision to make this report available on the OIOS website.

Responding to complaints at the way the report was issued on Monday afternoon, the Spokesman said the way it happened was unfortunate, but the report was put out following a leak of its findings.

Unfortunately, Nair and his director of investigations were not available at UN Headquarters when the information came out, but the Spokesman said he would ask for them to come to a future briefing.

U.N. ENVOY VIEWS BLUE LINE VIOLATIONS WITH CONCERN

On Monday, there were a number of serious and worrisome violations across the Blue Line, which carry a potential for escalation.

Early in the morning, unidentified elements fired three rockets from Lebanon towards Israeli. Two of the rockets fell inside Lebanon, close to the Blue Line, and the third fell into the sea close to an Israeli naval patrol boat. Shortly afterwards there were several Israeli air violations in southern Lebanon. And much later, around 10:00 p.m. local time, Israeli jets hit a reported Palestinian position southeast of Beirut.

In statement issued today, the Secretary-Generals Personal Representative for southern Lebanon, Staffan di Mistura, said he viewed these incidents with concern. The United Nations, he said, reiterated its call to Lebanon to exercise control over its territory. To Israel, the United Nations also reiterates its call to stop its air violations of the Blue Line.

All parties along the Blue Line, di Mistura said, must exercise utmost restraint and live up to their responsibilities in order to avoid further acts of hostility.

The United Nations received reports this morning that there was an exchange of fire between Hezbullah and the Israeli Defence Force in the Shebaa Farms area. The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has been in close contact with the parties, with a view to preventing escalation and urging restraint.

NATIONS PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES, UNRWA

The two-day conference in Geneva dealing with the needs of Palestinian refugees wrapped up with a solemn declaration: You will not be abandoned.

Delegates from more than ninety countries and organizations committed the international community and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, to continuing support for four million Palestinian refugees. Although the meeting was not a pledging conference, financial pledges were also made by several delegations, amounting to some $10.5 million.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

VIOLENCE IN COTE DIVOIRE AIMED AT UN OPERATION: In response to the violent incidents Monday near the cease-fire monitoring line in Cote dIvoire, the International Monitoring Committee of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement chaired by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Albert Tevoedjre issued a statement today condemning the incidents. The statement also condemned the threats and attacks against international community, including the UN peacekeeping operation, in Abidjan.

U.N. ELECTORAL MISSION ARRIVES IN HAITI: The UN Mission in Haiti reports that an Electoral Needs Assessment Mission from the UNs Electoral Assistance Division arrived in Port-au-Prince today and will remain in Haiti for ten days. The purpose of the mission is to assess the assistance that the UN can provide to support democratic, free and transparent elections in 2005.

WOMEN ONLY 30 PERCENT OF KOSOVO LABOR FORCE: Women make up only 30 percent of the total labor force in Kosovo, and only 21 percent of the rural labor force, according to a new report from the UN Mission in Kosovos Office of Gender Affairs. The report also says that, although 91 percent of girls in Kosovo attend primary schools, that figure drops dramatically to 54 percent by the time the girls reach secondary school.

FAO NOTES PROGRESS ON FISHERY CODE OF CONDUCT: A growing number of countries are taking steps to conserve and restore the worlds oceans by bringing their fishing sectors in line with the Food and Agriculture Organizations Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. According to FAO, 52 of its member countries report having fisheries management plans in place that incorporate elements of that Code.

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