United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-09-23

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Thursday, September 23, 2004

BURUNDIAN PRESIDENT TO BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL

AS GENERAL DEBATE ENTERS ITS THIRD DAY

At 3:30 p.m., the

Security Council has scheduled a private meeting on

Burundi during which members will be briefed by that countrys President, Domitien Ndayizeye.

NIGERIAN PRESIDENT TO BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL ON DARFUR TOMORROW

On the

Security Council agenda Friday is an open briefing by President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, current Chairman of the African Union (AU), on Darfur,

Sudan.

In Khartoum, the UN mission elaborated on the meetings held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the Secretary-Generals Special Representative

Jan Pronk, who is now back in the Sudanese capital.

Pronk had meetings with senior officials of the African Union Peace and Security Council. Discussions focused on the need for ensuring a speedy deployment of a larger AU monitoring mission to Darfur and the assistance to be provided in this regard by the United Nations.

LAKHDAR BRAHIMI HAS HAD NO CONTACT WITH TOP IRAQI CLERIC

Asked about an article in the New York Times, which said that Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani of

Iraq had contacted UN Special Adviser

Lakhdar Brahimi on his concerns about the elections, the Spokesman said that Brahimi had told him that, although Brahimi has had contact with a number of Iraqis by phone, he had no contacts with Ayatollah Sistani, directly or indirectly, nor any conversations of the type described in the article.

MIDDLE EAST: ISRAEL AND PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

REMINDED OF ROAD MAP OBLIGATIONS

In a press release issued after

Secretary-General Kofi Annan hosted a meeting Wednesday of the

Middle East Quartet, the members reconfirmed support to the principles reached at past meetings. They called for both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to implement their obligations under the

Road Map.

Quartet members also expressed their deep concern over the Palestinian Authority's failure to undertake genuine reform measures, and over the Government of Israel's failure to dismantle settlement outposts and to impose a settlement freeze.

In the statement, they expressed encouragement for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from Gaza, and reaffirmed the need for a withdrawal to be full and complete, and consistent with the Road Map.

The Quartet also repeated its concerns over the route of the Israeli Barrier, and took note of the International Court of Justices advisory opinion on the subject.

DR CONGO AND RWANDA AGREE TO LAUNCH

JOINT VERIFICATION MECHANISM IN OCTOBER

In a

statement issued following a working lunch on Wednesday the

Secretary-General hosted for President Joseph Kabila of the

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Prime Minister Bernard Makuza of Rwanda, along with members of the Regional Support Group, the Secretary-General said he was pleased to announce that the Governments of the DRC and Rwanda have agreed to launch the Joint Verification Mechanism (JVM) in October.

The Secretary-General said he believed that the JVM will be an effective instrument of confidence-building.

He is alsograteful to the members of the Regional Support Group and looks forward to their active engagement in the future efforts to assist the DRC and Rwanda to normalize their bilateral relations.

Regarding the ministerial-level meeting of the members of the International Committee in Support of the Transition (known by its French acronym as CIAT), which was convened today under the chairmanship of the

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, the Secretary-General welcomes the adoption of a statement which, among others, endorsed the critical path of the DRC transition, called for a mechanism for sustained dialogue between the CIAT and the Transitional Institutions, and urged the international community to provide the assistance in military integration and police training.

DEATH TOLL COULD RISE IN HAITI

In Gonaives, in northern

Haiti, authorities estimate the total number of deaths currently at 1,013 and 1,200 missing. The

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that UN staff estimate that these figures could rise quite dramatically as there are still two areas of the town, which are under water and inaccessible.

Food and water distribution began yesterday at three places, and some 40 tons of food was handed out to an estimated 20,000 storm victims. In general, the distributions were successful and passed without major incident; and while the atmosphere is reported to be tense, thereve been no reports of violence.

Also, the health situation is under control, but the danger of epidemics hasnt been ruled out.

U.N. PEACEKEEPERS HAND OVER SECURITY ROLE TO POLICE IN SIERRA LEONE

UN peacekeepers in Sierra Leone today

handed over security primacy for the so-called Western Area, including the capital Freetown, to the Government of Sierra Leones security forces. It was the last of the countrys four provinces to be handed over.

Speaking at the ceremony in Freetown, the Force Commander for the

UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Major General Sajjad Akram, said that the Mission was handing over primacy of security to the police, but peacekeepers would remain ultimately responsible for security, but now in consultation with the Government.

UNAMSIL is in the process of gradually reducing its forces, which had an authorized maximum strength of 17,500 military personnel, but now stands at about 8,500.

UNICEF CONCERNED OVER REPORTS OF BOMBING OF NEPALESE HEALTH FACILITY

UNICEF, the UN Childrens Fund, is

concerned over recent reports of the destruction of a health facility in Udayapur,

Nepal. UNICEF said it is distressing that the bombing of the health post destroyed medical supplies including vaccines meant for the

measles immunization campaign that started last Tuesday.

The agency hopes that the bombing was an isolated incident and does not herald a setback in the campaign in any way.

Every year, 5,000 of the 150,000 children affected with measles in Nepal succumb to complications from the disease, and disruption of

immunization services could mean an increase in the number of these fatalities.

Arrangements are already being made to replenish the measles vaccines destroyed in the blast.

ACCESS TO JUSTICE SHOULD BE GUARANTEED FOR INDIGENOUS GROUPS

In his first

report, the Special Rapporteur dealing with the rights of indigenous persons calls on governments to take urgent action to guarantee indigenous groups free and equal access to the administration of justice.

The rapporteur, Rodolfo Stavenhagen, says that the issues of land, territory and access to natural resources remain central to indigenous persons rights.

He also draws attention to the importance of native languages and the difficulties faced by millions of indigenous women and children.

HEART DISEASE "ATLAS" LAUNCHED TO REDUCE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH

Heart disease and stroke kill some 17 million people a year, which is almost one-third of all deaths globally.

And by 2020, heart disease and stroke will become the leading cause of both death and disability worldwide, with the number of fatalities projected to increase to over 20 million a year.

To help fight this problem, the

World Health Organization today

launched the The Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke,ahead of

World Heart Day, which is this Sunday.

The atlas graphically details a global epidemic that is the leading single cause of death worldwide, and it is expected to provide a powerful advocacy tool to help promote constructive decision-making by governments, policymakers, national and international organisations, as well a health professionals and individuals.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N. COMPENSATION COMMISSION FOR IRAQ APPROVES AWARDS OF $360 MILLION: In Geneva today, the

UN Compensation Commission for

Iraq concluded its fifty-third session and approved awards of more than $360 million. Representatives of Kuwait, Iraq, and Sudan addressed this plenary meeting, which was chaired by the Representative of Germany. To date, the Commission has awarded compensation of approximately $48.9 billion tovictims of Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

UNESCO CONDEMNS MURDER OF DOMINICAN JOURNALIST:

UNESCO has

condemned the murder of Juan Andújar, a Dominican correspondent with the Santo-Domingo-based daily Listín Diario. The journalist was gunned down in the southern town of Azua on 14 September, just after he had completed a radio broadcast on the crime wave that has shaken that town. UNESCOs Director-General

Koichiro Matsuura has called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

FOUR MORE PARTIES ACCREDITED TO MONITOR AFGHAN ELECTIONS: The UN Mission in Afghanistan reports that four more political parties have been accredited to monitor the October 9 elections in

Afghanistan, bringing the total number of such accredited parties to 32. It also notes that rules have been established for the display of political posters, and the UN Mission has urged political parties to lobby their supporters to cease the practice of interfering with the posters of other candidates.

ONLY $62.5 MILLION RECEIVED SO FAR FOR BANGLADESH FLOODS APPEAL: The

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that UN humanitarian agencies are bringing aid to

Bangladesh as heavy rains continue in the aftermath of Augusts massive flooding. Recent floods cut off many transport routes and utilities, inundated buildings and caused further disruptions to livelihoods aggravating the impact of the catastrophic monsoon floods earlier this year. To date, only $62.5 million of the $210 million sought through the Flash Appeal for Bangladesh has been received.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162 -

press/media only

Fax. 212-963-7055

All other inquiries to be addressed to (212)

963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article