United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-12-13

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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

Monday, December 13, 2004

ANNAN PRESSES AHEAD WITH U.N. REFORM DISCUSSIONS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is meeting today with regional groups of Member States to move forward the discussion on the

report by the

High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.

He met this morning with the African and Asian states. This afternoon, he will hold a meeting with the group of Western European and other states.

As he told the

General Assembly last week, the Secretary-General intends to submit his review of the implementation of the

Millennium Declaration to the General Assembly next March.

That review, he said, will draw heavily on the ideas in the Panel's report, as well as on the discussions the Member States will hold over the coming months, including the ones taking place today.

Asked whether the Secretary-General would meet with the Arab Group, the Spokesman noted that the Arab states are included in the Asian and African Groups.

IRAQI ELECTIONS WILL TEST IRAQS NEW POLITICAL ORDER

AND TRANSITION PROCESS

This morning, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Iraq,

Ashraf Qazi, presented to the

Security Council the

Secretary-General's latest report on Iraq.

He told Security Council members that upcoming elections present a test of the new political order and the transition process in

Iraq.

There is no alternative to a free and fair elections, he said, and thats why it is so important that Iraqis make every effort to participate in the balloting despite the challenging security situation.

He went on to say that those who opt out, or undermine, the elections do neither themselves nor their country any favour.

Qazi reported said in multiple contacts with the Interim Government, the United Nations has stressed the need to reach out to the widest possible range of Iraqi opinion since an inclusive process is the best guarantee for a successful transition.

Qazi stressed that the balloting will require a conducive political and security environment, including the participation of all sectors of society and all areas of the country.

Political outreach within Iraq as well as growing regional cooperation with respect to Iraq, offer the best prospect for an improved situation in the country.

Qazi said he is optimistic that the Interim Government and the people of Iraq are willing and able to successfully negotiate the transition to a united, democratic and prosperous Iraq.

In his report, the Secretary-General writes that, despite the prevailing circumstances which limit the UNs presence in Iraq, the Organization has been able to deliver effective support for Iraqs transition, notably by ensuring that electoral preparations are in place and by coordinating humanitarian and reconstruction assistance.

Council members also heard from Ambassador John Danforth of the United States, who reported on the work of the Multinational Force in Iraq, as he is required to do under resolution.

The members then held closed consultations to continue their discussion on Iraq.

Asked about statements criticizing the United Nations for relying on the Security Council resolutions phrase as circumstances permit while it does not deploy more staff to Iraq, the Spokesman noted that the phrase had been language that the Secretary-General had insisted on, to give him the freedom to bring in more personnel only as the security situation permits.

The Spokesman said the United Nations was not hiding behind that language, but was looking very carefully at the security and safety of its staff, following the horrendous August 19, 2003,

bombing in Baghdad.

U.N. ENVOY FOR COTE DIVOIRE TO BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL TODAY

At 3:00 p.m., the

Security Council has scheduled consultations on the

UN Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights,

Cote dIvoire and other matters.

On Cote dIvoire, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative,

Albert Tevoedjre, is planning to brief.

U.N. MISSION IN DR CONGO CALLS FOR CALM FOLLOWING REPORTS

OF FIGHTING IN NORTH KIVU PROVINCE

The

UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) is

appealing for calm and an immediate end to hostilities, following reports of fighting between armed groups in the locality of Kanyabayonga, in the province of North Kivu.

The reports say that the armed groups are made up of different ex-military components of the Armed Forces of the

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The UN mission is calling on the DRCs Transitional Government to clarify the confusion on the ground in North Kivu.

It adds that it has information about a distribution of arms to civilians in North Kivu, and it calls on the parties that may be responsible for this to immediately end these arms distributions and says that they will individually be held accountable for the consequences of their actions.

U.N. ENVOY DEPLORES DEATH OF TWO AID WORKERS IN DARFUR

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sudan,

Jan Pronk, who has arrived at UN headquarters, issued a statement in New York deploring the deaths of two national staff of Save the Children, who were killed in

South Darfur over the weekend while travelling in a convoy in an area where the group operates a feeding center and medical clinics.

Saying the brutal action should be condemned in the strongest terms, Pronk calls on all parties to respect the principles of international humanitarian law, most notably the fact that humanitarian workers are neutral and impartial.

He reminds the Government of Sudan of its responsibility to protect the safety and security of humanitarian workers in Sudan.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Special Representative for Humanitarian and Development Affairs for Sudan, Manuel Aranda da Silva, is in El Geneina in West Darfur to discuss with agency workers how better to protect civilians.

PROGRESS MADE IN RETURN OF STOLEN KUWAITI PROPERTY

WITH 3,000 BOOKS GIVEN BACK TO LIBRARY

The

Secretary-Generals latest

report on the issue of the return by Iraq of Kuwaiti property and repatriation of missing Kuwaitis and third-country nationals, was issued today.

The Secretary-General says there has been some progress on the return of Kuwaiti property seized by the former Iraqi regime. On 21 November, some 3,000 books belonging to the National Library of Kuwait were returned by the current Iraqi government.

The UNs High Level Coordinator on this issue, Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov, witnessed the return. He said that this demonstration of good intentions by Baghdad would be followed by the discovery and return of the Kuwaiti archives, which represent the memory of the country.

In the report, the Secretary-General also notes that the remains of Kuwaitis and third-country nationals continue to be repatriated to Kuwait.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO REVIEW LIBERIA SANCTIONS NEXT WEEK

The latest report prepared by the Panel of Experts on Liberia is out today.

It was submitted to the

Security Council by Pakistani Ambassador Munir Akram in his capacity as Chair of the

Liberia sanctions committee.

The report reviews the sanctions in place, which range from an arms embargo, a travel ban on individuals, and the embargo of rough diamonds and round logs and timber products stemming from Liberia. It also reviews the status of freezing of funds and economic resources of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and his family.

The Security Council is expected to review Liberia sanctions in consultations next Tuesday.

NATIONAL MIGRATION LAWS DISCRIMINATE AGAINST WOMEN

The Secretary-General's report, World Survey on the Role of Women in Development: Women and International Migration, was issued today.

Among other things, the report notes that many national migration laws discriminate against women, that refugee women and girls face particular problems regarding their legal and physical protection, and that female immigrants have higher unemployment rates than males and native-born populations.

The report also sets out recommendations to improve the situation of migrant, refugee, and trafficked women.

Those recommendations include ratifying and implementing the appropriate international legal instruments, and launching education programs to inform migrant women of their rights.

IMPORTANCE OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN FIGHT

AGAINST AIDS EMPHASIZED AT CAIRO SUMMIT

The

UN Development Programme (UNDP) emphasized the importance of committing religious leaders to the fight against

AIDS, at a historic three-day meeting on AIDS that began Saturday in Cairo.

UNDP organized the meeting under the auspices of the League of Arab States, and underscored the importance of having religious leaders and civil society act immediately to head off an AIDS crisis in the Arab world.

Khadija Moalla, UNDPs AIDS Regional Programme Coordinator in the Arab world, said, Today the region still has the golden opportunity to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS. Tomorrow will be too late, as it has been in other parts of the world.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

TAPPED PHONE CALLS WOULD RESTRICT ANNANS CONVERSATIONS: Asked about allegations earlier this year that the

Secretary-Generals phone conversations had been tapped, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General had said that, if this were true, it would restrict his phone conversations with world leaders, who rely on the confidentiality of such exchanges. The Spokesman did not comment on similar allegations that conversations by the

Director-General of the

International Atomic Energy Agency had been tapped.

SOME 2,600 FAMILIES IN AFGHANISTAN TO RECEIVE WINTER AID: Some 2,600 families in

Afghanistan will receive assistance packages to help them deal with the harsh winter, according to the

UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The Mission

says that the

UN Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and four non-governmental organizations will distribute plastic sheeting, lanterns, blankets and quilts and other household items to vulnerable families in four Afghan provinces.

CONFERENCE UNDERLINES ROLE OF EMPLOYMENT IN IRAQS RECONSTRUCTION: With 30% of

Iraqs adult workforce and 50% of its youth jobless, a UN-sponsored international conference today adopted a declaration underlining the crucial role of employment in Iraqs reconstruction and development. The two-day meeting in Amman, Jordan, was organized by the

International Labour Organization in response to a call by the Iraqi Government.

ANNAN PLEASED ABOUT UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENTS RE-VOTE DECISION: A statement was issued on Friday, stating that the

Secretary-General was very pleased to

learn of the Ukrainian Parliaments decision to approve legislation that will allow for a re-vote of the presidential run-off election to go forward on 26 December 2004.

CHINA URGED TO GIVE MORE HELP TO WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME:

James T. Morris, the Executive Director of the

World Food Programme, is calling on China to become a bigger contributor to its activities. Morris, who is currently in China, isnt looking for bigger contributions solely through food and financial aid he is also targeting Chinas expertise in this area, as it has been successful on a national level.

CAMPAIGN BEGINS TO GIVE CHILDREN IN TOGO FOUR HEALTH INTERVENTIONS AT ONCE: In a landmark campaign, the children of

Togo are to receive four life-saving interventions at once. The campaign,

launched today, intends to reach one million children under-five with vaccines to prevent measles and polio, mosquito nets to prevent malaria, and deworming tablets.

UNICEF, the UN Childrens Fund, says that if widely implemented, these nation-wide, integrated campaigns may become the single most important step towards reducing child deaths in Africa.

MORE CONCERTED ACTION NEEDED TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS TO TISVA RIVER BASIN: The

UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

says that local communities in the Tisza river basin, across Romania and Hungary, remain at risk from floods and industrial pollution almost five years after a cyanide spill from a gold mine in northern Romania. The spill travelled down the Tisza river in Hungary, leaving a trail of ecological destruction in its wake, and in a new report, UNEP says more concerted action is needed to address environmental threats.

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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