United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-12-07

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE

SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, December 7, 2004

ANNAN TO ADDRESS GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING ON U.N. REFORM

Secretary-General Kofi Annan will address an informal meeting of the Plenary of the

General Assembly tomorrow to discuss the

report of the

High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.

This meeting was called for by the President of the General Assembly, Jean Ping, and provides the Secretary-General with an opportunity to brief Member States on the Panels report, which they received last Thursday.

The meeting will begin tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall.

ANNAN CONGRATULATES KARZAI; PLEDGES FULL SUPPORT

Secretary-General Kofi Annan

congratulates President Hamid Karzai on his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of

Afghanistan. This election, and the recently adopted Constitution the President swore to uphold today, are two key milestones in the building of a strong democratic state in that country.

The Secretary-General wishes President Karzai and the people of Afghanistan success as they take on the multiple tasks of stabilization and reconstruction, including the preparation of the upcoming parliamentary elections.

He is gratified by the contribution that the United Nations has been able to make to the process of transition so far and pledges his full support to the completion of the Bonn agenda.

DARFUR: NOVEMBER SAW MARKED DETERIORATION IN SECURITY

The

Security Council began its work today with an open briefing by the Under-Secretary-General for

Political Affairs,

Kieran Prendergast, on

Sudan.

Advance copies of the latest 30-day report on Sudan in English only were transmitted to Council members in advance of todays meeting.

In his briefing, Prendergast noted that November was characterized by violence and a marked deterioration in the security situation in Darfur.

The latest clashes, which threaten to plunge Darfur into chaos, are of great concern, he said. Insecurity has reduced access to vulnerable people in need of urgent humanitarian aid, he said.

He urged the international community to send an unequivocal message to all Sudanese parties that violence and hostile military actions are not an acceptable means to achieve political gains.

He referred to the Secretary-General's call on the leaders of the parties to redouble their efforts to conclude a comprehensive peace agreement in Naivasha, which could provide a basis to address the demands of other marginalized regions of the Sudan, including Darfur.

Council members went into closed consultations on Sudan following the briefing.

In a press statement was read out following the consultations by the Council President, Algerias Ambassador Abdallah Baali, Council members expressed deep concern over the recent escalation of violence in Darfur, and called on all parties to cease all acts of violence and implement provisions of Security Council resolutions.

The Secretary-General, in response to a question from the press on Sudan, said the United Nations was doing whatever it can to protect

internally displaced persons and was working with the African Union to get in troops and monitors as quickly as possible.

ANNAN HOLDING WORKING LUNCHEON WITH SECURITY COUNCIL TODAY

The

Security Council is today having its monthly working luncheon with the

Secretary-General.

At 3:00 p.m., Security Council consultations are scheduled on the latest report on the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission for Iraq (UNMOVIC).

Separately, the

report of the Security Council mission to Central Africa, on which French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere already briefed on, was released today.

Also released today was a letter naming German Ambassador Gunter Pleuger as the chair of the new sanctions committee on Cote dIvoire for the month of December.

MANDATE EXTENSION RECOMMENDED OR U.N. MISSION IN GOLAN HEIGHTS

The

Secretary-Generals latest

report on the

UN Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights (UNDOF) was released today.

In it, the Secretary-General notes that, while the Syria-Israel sector has remained calm, the situation in the Middle East as a whole remains tense and is likely to remain so until a comprehensive settlement is reached.

Under these circumstances, the Secretary-General recommends that the missions mandate be extended by a further six months until 30 June 2005.

ISLAM SHOULD NOT BE JUDGED BY THE ACTS OF EXTREMISTS

Islam should not be judged by the acts of extremists who deliberately target and kill civilians, the

Secretary-General said this morning.

Addressing a seminar on Islamophobia, held by the UN Department of Public Information, he said that we must prevent the media from being used to spread hatred, while safeguarding freedom of expression.

He added that integration is a two-way street. In countries of Christian tradition, Muslim immigrants must adjust to their new societies but societies must adjust too.

Also at the seminar was Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, who delivered the keynote address.

U.N.'S TOP HUMANITARIAN OFFICIAL AND UGANDAN PRESIDENT

DISCUSS PREPARATIONS FOR POTENTIAL RETURN OF 1.6 MILLION DISPLACED

The

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator,

Jan Egeland, met Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Kampala today.

President Museveni welcomed the UN efforts to support the possible reintegration of fighters from the Lords Resistance Army.

He also expressed his willingness to work closely with the UN in moving Ugandas reconciliation process forward.

They also discussed the UNs preparations for the potential return of Ugandas 1.6 million

internally displaced persons.

IMPRESSIVE TURNAROUND IN CHINAS FIGHT AGAINST AIDS IS NOTED

Richard Feachem, the Executive Director of the

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today

said there has been an impressive turnaround in Chinas anti-AIDS efforts in the past year, but says more work is needed if the epidemic is to be contained.

Feachem said that China over the past year has nearly quadrupled its resources to fight AIDS and TB.

The Global Fund has committed $113 million to Chinas efforts to combat disease, including $56 million to help it fight

AIDS.

It would be fantastic if China could show the world how to contain the epidemic, Feachem said in Beijing. However, should we fail, the consequences would not only be catastrophic for China; they would be felt all over the world.

U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS APPEALS FOR $60 MILLION

The

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,

Louise Arbour, today

launched the annual appeal for her Office, in which she asked for nearly $60 million in voluntary contributions, to pay for some two-thirds of her Offices operating budget.

Arbour said her main goals would be to contribute to the strengthening of the rule of law, to pay special attention to the rights of the most vulnerable, and, as an immediate priority, to improve her Offices ability to respond to emergency situations

Arbours Office has some 570 staff worldwide.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ECONOMIC POLICIES NEED TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING LABOR PRODUCTIVITY: Half the world's workers are trapped in grinding poverty. But this figure could be reduced if economic policies focus on improving labor productivity and creating jobs,

according to a new report by the

International Labor Organization. The

World Employment Report 2004-2005 states that some 2.8 billion people were employed globally in 2003, more than ever before. But of those, nearly 1.4 billion are living on less than $2 a day, and some 550 million are living under the one-dollar-a-day poverty line.

GREEK AND F.Y.R.O.M. REPRESENTATIVES EXCHANGE VIEWS: A statement was issued late yesterday afternoon on a meeting between the representatives of Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, held under the auspices of the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Matthew Nimetz. The statement said that the parties continued to exchange views in the context of article 5 of the Interim Accord, and that they decided to meet again on 12 January 2005.

WORLD HUNGER REPORT TO BE LAUNCHED: The

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will launch its annual hunger report tomorrow at various locations throughout the world. The report called The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2004 focuses on the human and economic costs of global hunger. It also measures progress towards the

Millennium Development Goal of halving world hunger by 2015. According to FAO, hunger and malnutrition kill more than five million children every year, and cost developing countries billions of dollars in lost productivity and national income. The resources needed to effectively prevent that loss are minuscule when compared to the benefits.

U.N. ENVOY FOR IRAQ TO BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL SOON: Asked about the situation in

Iraq, the Spokesman said he could not comment on the security situation in the country in any specific detail, given that the United Nations was not present throughout the country and was therefore not competent to judge. [The

Secretary-Generals report to the

Security Council on Iraq is expected out soon. His Special Representative,

Ashraf Qazi will be in New York to present it. The Spokesman said he would make sure Qazi is able to speak to the press.]

ANNAN MAY DISCUSS SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM AT MEETING: Asked about a meeting this afternoon between the

Secretary-General and the Ambassadors of Brazil, Germany, India and Japan, the Spokesman said that the composition of the group at the meeting suggests that

Security Council reform will be at the top of the agenda.

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

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