United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-01-11

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S BRIEFING

BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC

ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

UNITED NATIONS URGES DONORS TO STAY FOR THE LONG HAUL

IN TSUNAMI RELIEF ACTIVITIES

The Under-Secretary-General for

Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator,

Jan Egeland, attended a ministerial-level meeting in Geneva on humanitarian assistance to the

tsunami-affected countries. Egeland urged donors to stay with the aid community for the long haul, told leaders of the affected countries to continue facilitating the international relief effort, and asked parties in conflict-affected areas to suspend hostilities.

UN agencies pressed on with the relief effort for survivors of the recent tsunami and earthquake.

The

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

reports that 16.5 tons of emergency relief supplies, as well as 3.5 tons of telecommunications equipment, were flown into Banda Aceh today. UNHCR has expressed concern about displaced Sri Lankans being moved from sites where they have taken refuge.

UNICEF, the UN Childrens Fund, has announced that there is a measles campaign now underway in Aceh, following two suspected cases of measles. Within the past 36 hours, more than 1,000 children have been given vaccinations and vitamin A treatments.

The

World Food Programme has started food distribution to 160,000 persons in northeastern Aceh.

The

Food and Agriculture Organization today warned that communities severely hit by the tsunami will face severe food security problems in the short and long term because parents and relatives have been lost, livelihood assets have been destroyed, sources of income no longer exist, and harvest prospects have deteriorated in stricken agricultural areas.

The

Secretary-General is in Mauritius today, where he is to take part in the high-level segment of the

International Meeting on Small Island Developing States on Thursday and Friday.

The head of the

World Meteorological Organization, Michel Jarraud, said that his organization was joining forces with the

UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to

ensure that tsunami early warning systems will soon become a reality in the Indian Ocean and other at-risk regions.

Asked whether work on tsunami early warning efforts have been finalized in Mauritius, the Spokesman said that they were still being discussed.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO HOLD SPECIAL SESSION ON 60th ANNIVERSARY

OF THE LIBERATION OF NAZI DEATH CAMPS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is pleased to

announce that a majority of Member States have now agreed to the request to convene, on January 24, 2005, a special session of the

General Assembly to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camps.

This will be an important occasion, since the United Nations was founded as the world was learning the full horror of the camps, and is dedicated to doing everything in its power to protect human dignity and prevent any such horror from happening again.

He calls on all Member States to give the session their full support.

U.N. ENVOY TO BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL ON SUDAN TODAY

Jan Pronk, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for

Sudan, is scheduled to brief the

Security Council on the latest report on Sudan in an open meeting at 3:30 p.m.

The open briefing will be followed by consultations on Sudan.

Pronk will brief the press immediately after consultations.

U.N. ENVOY BRIEFS ON EFFORTS TO SUPPORT TRANSITION PROCESS IN IRAQ

Ashraf Qazi, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for

Iraq, today attended in Cairo a meeting bringing together representatives from Iraqs neighboring countries, the Arab League, the Group of Eight industrialized nations and the Security Councils permanent members. The meeting is intended to follow up on the Sharm el-Sheikh conference on Iraq held last November.

Qazi briefed the participants on UN efforts to support the Iraqis through the transitional process. He said that the United Nations remains committed to helping the Iraqi people, and stressed the importance of the coming elections, to which the United Nations has been providing technical support and strategic advice for the election.

Qazi also met with Iraqs interim Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, and discussed with him the preparations for the elections, to ensure that they are comprehensive and successful. They also discussed the political and security environment in the country.

Asked whether elections may be held only in some provinces of Iraq, the Spokesman said that decision would be wholly in the hands of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, with the United Nations providing advice and technical and logistical help.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY HELPING FALLUJAH RESIDENTS RETURN HOME

The

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees

reports that it is working with the Iraqi Government to help the people of

Fallujah return home.

It has already given the Iraqi authorities blankets, mattresses, tents, stoves and heaters, for distribution to the returnees.

According to the agency, many

internally displaced persons say they intend to stay in their current locations until after this months elections, because of the tense security situation and the general lack of services.

ANNAN SENT LETTER ON DAMAGE REGISTER FOR BARRIER IN WEST BANK

The

Secretary-General has today

forwarded a letter to the President of the

General Assembly regarding the establishment of a register of damage relating to Israels construction of a Barrier in the

West Bank.

The letter sets out a framework for the register, the establishment of which was requested by the General Assembly in its resolution ES-10/15, and for the next steps in its creation.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

WORLD CONFERENCE ON DISASTER REDUCTION TO BE HELD IN KOBE, JAPAN: The World Conference on Disaster Reduction, is being held from January 18-22 to: share best practices and lessons learned to further disaster reduction within the context of attaining sustainable development; increase awareness of the importance of disaster reduction policies; and increase the reliability and availability of appropriate disaster-related information to the public.

ANNAN TO APPOINT FOUR EXPERTS TO ASSIST SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE: The

Security Council, in

a letter from its President, took note of the

Secretary-Generals intention to appoint four experts to assist the work of the Security Council sanctions committee dealing with efforts to prevent non-state actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. The Secretary-General had told the Council that he intends to appoint Volker Beck of Germany, Richard Cupitt of the United States, Roque Monteleone-Neto of Brazil and Victor Slipchenko of Russia to assist the Council sanctions committee, which is set up under Resolution 1540.

U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE TO EXPAND PRESENCE IN GUATEMALA: The

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is set to

establish an expanded presence in Guatemala later this year.

High Commissioner

Louise Arbour and Guatemalan Foreign Minister Jorge Briz Abularach signed an agreement on the matter yesterday at UN Headquarters during a brief ceremony. The agreement will come into force following its ratification by the Guatemalan congress, possibly this spring. Under the accord, OHCHR will open an office in Guatemala to monitor how human rights are promoted and protected and advise the Government on how best to do this.

AGREEMENT SIGNED ON GENERAL ELECTIONS PROJECT FOR HAITI: The

UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, the

UN Development Programme, the Haitian government and the Provisional Electoral Council

signed yesterday an agreement on an important project to organize general elections in

Haiti this year. The agreement will provide the groundwork for the preparation of the elections. Financial assistance, totaling $44 million, was provided by Canada and the Haitian government. This amount also includes the financial aid pledged by the European Union as well as the United States; and should be available soon.

AGREEMENT REACHED ON CENSUS OF ALL AFGHANS IN PAKISTAN: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees,

Ruud Lubbers, is in Islamabad today, where he

held meetings with high-ranking Pakistani officials this morning, in which Pakistan and

UNHCR formally agreed to conduct a census next month of all Afghans in the country. On Wednesday, Lubbers will travel to

Afghanistan, where he is scheduled to meet with President Hamid Karzai and several ministers in the newly-appointed Afghan Cabinet. Lubbers will also travel to Herat and Kandahar, to visit an area where many newly-returned refugees are living, as well as a camp for

internally displaced persons.

UNITED NATIONS EXAMINING MEASURES TO INCREASE ACCOUNTABILITY: Asked what concrete reform measures the United Nations was considering in terms of the report by

Paul Volckers

Independent Inquiry Committee, the Spokesman said the United Nations was examining other measures to increase accountability and transparency, which it will announce in due course, in anticipation of Volckers report.