United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-02-11

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING

BY MARIE OKABE

ASSOCIATE

SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, February 11, 2005

ANNAN TO DELIVER SPEECH SUNDAY AT MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE

Secretary-General Kofi Annan should be on his way to Munich, Germany where he will attend the 41st Munich Conference on Security Policy. His speech is scheduled for Sunday morning.

The Secretary-General began his day in London with a visit to the headquarters of the

International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN specialized agency responsible for maritime safety, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of marine pollution from ships.

The United Nations is going through a difficult time, he told the staff, mentioning that Paul Volckers Commission had revealed serious lapses in accountability, management and transparency. But he added, I am determined to learn from these problems.

The Secretary-General then held a private meeting with His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. They touched on the follow-on to the

report of the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, the problem of child soldiers, the need to limit the flow of small arms and the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Outside the palace, he stopped for a standard photograph with the outrider team of four motorcycle police who had been escorting his motorcade, and then surprised them by hopping on to one of the large bikes for the photo.

He also met with the leader of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom, Michael Howard. Their discussions focused on the

High Level Panels Report,

Darfur, the

Iraqi transition, the nuclear issue in Iran and immigration/asylum issues.

POVERTY AND AIDS FORMS WORLDS DEADLIEST COMBINATION:

The mesh of poverty and HIV/AIDS is the deadliest combination on the planet, and theres not the slightest possibility of confronting poverty so long as AIDS runs its savage course.

That is what Stephen Lewis, the UNs Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, said at todays launch of the Make Poverty History campaign in Canada.

He also criticized the recent failure of the G-7 finance ministers to agree on the cancellation of African debt, calling it a devastating blow to the continent.

TSUNAMI FLASH APPEAL IS NEARLY 70% COVERED

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that out of the $977 million it asked for in its

flash appeal, $682 million -- or nearly 70% of the requested funds -- has been received.

On the ground in Indonesias Aceh province, UNICEF has been helping the local government remove sewage and build latrines in 16 camps, which are hosting some 42,000 people. Through its partners, UNICEF has also handed out 20,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets, and 20,000 hygiene kits, containing soap and toothpaste.

In addition, UNICEF has worked closely with the Indonesian government to help identify children and reunite them with their families.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has helped the Indonesian government to establish a disease surveillance system.

For its part, the World Food Programme continued to provide rations in Aceh. Such rations are crucial, especially in light of a recent UNICEF nutrition assessment, which says that one in eight children in Indonesias tsunami-hit areas are suffering from acute malnutrition.

U.N. ENVOY MEETS LEBANONS SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Terje Roed-Larsen, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for the Implementation of

Resolution 1559 (2004) -- who returned to Beirut last night after his one-day visit to Damascus where he met President Bashar Assad -- held a meeting with Lebanons Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud.

Maintaining contacts with a broad spectrum of Lebanese officials and personalities, Larsen devoted the last segment of his trip to meeting spiritual and religious leaders.

Last night, he met separately with Lebanons Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani and Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, vice-president of the Higher Shiite Council. He briefed them on the objectives of his mission and sought their support in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559.

This morning, Larsen met with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir Friday - an avid supporter of Resolution 1559. The Patriarch offered lunch to Larsen and his team.

Larsen then left Beirut for Paris, where he is scheduled to meet President Chirac of France over the weekend.

MORE SUPPORT NEEDED TO ESTABLISH SMALL ARMS ADVISORY SERVICE

Available today is a

report by the Secretary-General on small arms.

In it, he notes progress made in tracing illicit weapons, implementing sanctions, and combating arms embargo violations.

But he says that more international support is needed to establish a Small Arms Advisory Service within the Secretariat, and to reintegrate ex-combatants into their communities. He also calls for enhanced cooperation on small arms between the Security Council and the General Assembly.

Asked who the Secretary-General was referring to when talking about ex-combatants in the report, the Spokeswoman said she did not believe the report focused on specific groups. The correspondent was later informed that, the report alludes to reintegration efforts in West Africa, as well as Security Council deliberations on re-integration in Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Haiti."

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO MEETINGS OF SECURITY COUNCIL: There are no meetings or consultations of the Security Council scheduled for today.

ANNAN AWAITS NEXT VOLCKER REPORT: Asked if the

Independent Inquiry Committee, led by Paul Volcker, has informed the Secretary-General that his son Kojo remains a focus of its

investigation, the Spokeswoman said that it is well known that the Committee intends to publish a further interim report dealing with questions related to the procurement of a contractor that employed his son. [In a recent

statement, the Secretary-General said that he hopes that report will come soon and that he awaits its findings with a clear conscience.]

NO RESPONSE SO FAR TO LETTER FROM CONGRESSMEN: Asked if the Secretary-General has responded yet to a letter sent to him by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations, the Spokeswoman said he had not.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, February 14

The Working Group on Internet Governance will meet in Geneva through Wednesday.

The Sixth Committees Working Group on the Convention Against the Reproductive Cloning of Human Beings will meet today and tomorrow.

At 11:15 a.m., the International Labour Organization (ILO) will hold a press conference to launch the Global Employment Brief, which is a follow up to the World Employment Report.

The guest at the noon briefing will be the Secretary-Generals Special Representative dealing with AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, who will discuss his visit to Zambia.

Tuesday, February 15

The Security Council has scheduled a formal meeting to vote on the selection of a judge to the International Court of Justice.

At 11:00 a.m., Ambassador Cesar Mayoral of Argentina, the Chair of the Security Councils 1267 Sanctions Committee on al-Qaeda and the Taliban, will brief the press.

At noon, Deputy Secretary-General Louise

Fréchette will brief on two issues addressed in the recent report of the Independent Inquiry Committee on the UN Oil for Food Programme -- UN procurement, and the reform of audit and oversight.

Wednesday, February 16

The members of the Security Council intend to hold their monthly luncheon with the Secretary-General.

The guest at the noon briefing will be K.Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa.

Thursday, February 17

The Security Council has scheduled an open debate on small arms.

The first meeting of the Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region will be held in Kigali.

Friday, February 18

The Sixth Committees Working Group on the Convention Against the Reproductive Cloning of Human Beings will meet in the morning.