United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-04-28

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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 STEPHANE DUJARRIC

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, April 28, 2006

U.N. ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY REPORTS ON IRAN

The Director-General of the

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, today

sent the President of the Security Council a report concerning the implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement in Iran. That report has been circulated to the members of the Security Council.

The report has also gone to the 35 member states of the IAEAs Board of Governors in Vienna.

Asked whether the United Nations believes that Irans nuclear programme constitutes a threat to international peace and security, and thus falls under the Security Councils purview, the Spokesman noted that the Council is fully seized of the matter and declined further comment.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals position on the applicability of the NPT and its voluntary protocols, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General had felt that the Member States had failed to address non-proliferation questions when they put out the Outcome Document of the World Summit last September. The Secretary-General believes that the Member States should have addressed the non-proliferation issue.

U.N. ENVOY TO SUDAN ASKS END TO ATTACKS ON AID WORKERS

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sudan

Jan Pronk has appealed to rebels to stop attacks on humanitarian workers in Darfur.

According to the

UN mission in Sudan, over the past few weeks aid workers operating for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and U.N. agencies have come under continuous attacks and harassment by armed groups in parts of North Darfur.

Several reports indicate that many of these attacks have been waged by rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) factions, the mission says. Armed robbery and hijackings have endangered humanitarian workers assisting over 450,000 vulnerable people living in the area.

Pronk says unless these attacks and harassment stop immediately, the United Nations and its partners will be obliged to suspend all relief assistance to this particular area until effective safety for humanitarian personnel and assets is guaranteed.

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME IS FORCED TO CUT FOOD RATIONS FOR SUDANESE

The

World Food Programme (WFP) said because of the shortage of funds, WFP would have to cut by half food rations for millions of vulnerable persons in Sudan.

WFP had to keep part of its limited stocks to help the people through the rainy season which was also called the hunger season which lasted from July until September when the harvest was ready.

It says this had been a very difficult decision to take as people in Sudan, especially in Darfur, had already suffered so much.

Despite repeated appeals to donor countries, WFP says it had only received $ 238 million in response to its appeal for $ 746 million to help 6 million persons in the country.

SECURITY COUNCIL FOCUSES ON SAHARA, CIVILIANS IN CONFLICT

The

Security Council today

adopted a resolution extending the UN Mission in Western Sahara, for six months, until the end of October.

It also passed a resolution emphasizing the importance of preventing armed conflict and expressing appreciation at the Secretary-Generals report late last year on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

These were the last formal meetings scheduled under the Security Council Presidency of China. The Republic of Congo will assume the Councils rotating Presidency next Monday.

U.N. INVESTIGATING REPORTS OF CLASHES IN DR CONGO

The

UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo received unconfirmed reports yesterday from the Congolese national army of contact between it and suspected elements of the armed group known as the Ugandan Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) in the area south of Aba in the Ituri District.

The Mission sent military observers to the area but they havent been able to confirm the reports nonetheless, as a precautionary measure, the Mission has reinforced its military presence in Aba with the deployment of one platoon of blue helmets and two armoured vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Mission is conducting a search and rescue operation for a light plane chartered by the World Food Programme.

The plane, a C208 Caravan took off from Goma earlier today en route to Bunia with a crew of two and one passenger before losing radio contact.

No sighting has been made so far and the search will continue tomorrow.

And the UN refugee agency has begun preparations for the registration next week of thousands of internally displaced persons in the DRCs Katanga province.

An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 internally displaced persons are in several villages in the Mitwaba area, and between 50 and 100 more displaced are arriving every day after fleeing their villages earlier this year to escape attacks, harassment and abuse by the Mayi-Mayi militia and government soldiers.

U.N. REPORTS PROBLEMS HELPING DISPLACED IN SRI LANKA

The

UN

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Sri Lanka

reports that as of noon today, the overall situation there seems to have stabilised.

The agency says, however, that it remains seriously concerned over the displacement of many thousands of people.

UNHCR, with other agencies, has sent assessment specialists to the affected areas, but reports that its teams are still experiencing difficulties in reaching some villages and displaced populations.

The agency is calling on all parties to allow immediate access to affected populations as soon as possible.

REFUGEE AGENCY RETURNS TO WESTERN CÔTE DIVOIRE

In Côte dIvoire, UNHCR

reports that it has re-established a presence in western Côte d'Ivoire following Januarys violent destruction of its premises in the area.

UNHCR says its new operational base is in Duékué, 20 minutes north of Guiglo which was the scene of the most violence.

During demonstrations in January, UNHCR's premises were looted and the building was set on fire. All files were lost, as well as five cars, one motorcycle, and three generators. Warehouses containing relief items and food were also looted. Losses for UNHCR were estimated at US $350,000.

Most of the 37,500 refugees registered in Côte d'Ivoire live in the western part of the country.

PRESIDENT CLINTON CHAIRS TSUNAMI MEETING

The UNs

Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, will be at the

UNICEF house, across the street, at 2 p.m. today. He will be chairing a meeting of the Global Consortium on Tsunami Recovery, which will gather representatives of countries that were hit by the 2004 tsunami, as well as delegates from donor countries, non-governmental organizations, international financial institutions and UN agencies.

President Clinton is expected to laud construction progress in construction and to welcome the rebound in tourist arrivals. On the other hand, he will also draw attention to the 40,000 people who are still living in tents in Aceh, as well as to the $100 million funding gap in the Maldives.

And in other tsunami-related news, President Clintons deputy, Eric Schwartz, will head to Bangkok next week for the launch of a new initiative on accountability to tsunami survivors. Hell also make stops in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTMENTS ADVISORS TO EMERGENCY FUND

The Secretary-General has appointed the 12 members of the Advisory Group for the

Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), an upgrade of the previous Central Emergency Revolving Fund.

This Group will provide periodic policy guidance and expert advice to the Secretary-General on the use and impact of the Fund. Its first meeting is scheduled for 23 May 2006 here in New York

SECRETARY-GENERALS REFORM PLAN IN HANDS OF ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE

Asked whether the General Assemblys Fifth Committee meeting this afternoon would be a train crash, the Spokesman said that the discussions will resume this afternoon and he would not want to prejudge their outcome.

As always, Dujarric added, the Secretary-General has made himself available to help the Member States find consensus.

With the letter that went to the Committee on Thursday, he added, the Secretary-General made his best effort to move the process forward, by proposing that two of his proposals could be set aside, as they had been of particular objection to the Group of 77. He declined, in response to a further question, to specify what it meant to set those proposals aside.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

CHINESE PRESIDENT VISITS UNHQ IN NAIROBI: Chinese President Hu Jintao today visited the

UN Headquarters in Nairobi (UNON) during the last leg of his tour five-nation tour, which has taken him to the United States, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Nigeria. President Hu was received by Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT and Shafqat Kakakhel, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).Tibaijuka later said the president and the UN officials had agreed to continue working together habitat, environmental and development issues.

CELLIST MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH TO BE U.N. AIDS ADVOCATE: The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today

announced that musician Mstislav Rostropovich, has accepted the appointment as a Special Representative for UNAIDS. Rostropovich will attempt to raise awareness and provide high level advocacy on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support among children and youth, UNAIDS said.

U.N. HORN OF AFRICA ENVOY VISITS ETHIOPIA: UN Special Humanitarian Envoy,

Kjell Magne Bondevik, arrived in Ethiopia today as part of his mission to the five drought-affected countries of the Horn of Africa. He met Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and discussed ways to strengthen emergency management capacities and humanitarian relief, so that they support longer-term solutions to food and livelihood insecurity.

HEAVY RAINS IN KENYA LEAVE REFUGEES HOMELESS: Heavy rains this week resulted in massive flooding in northern Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp, leaving a 2-year-old child dead and more than 2,000 refugees homeless, The UN Refugee Agency

reports. The floods destroyed some 270 houses in the camp. The agency is preparing to transfer the homeless refugees to drier parts of the sprawling camp, which is currently home to some 90,000 refugees -- primarily from neighbouring South Sudan.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Sunday, April 30

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour will visit Sudan, including the Darfur region and the south of the country, from 30 April to 5 May.

Monday, May 1

The Republic of Congo today assumes the rotating Presidency of the Security Council. Congolese Ambassador Basile Ikouebe will hold bilaterals with other Council members on the programme of work for the month.

Tuesday, May 2

The Secretary-General will unveil his recommendations for a global counter-terrorism strategy to the General Assembly, as requested by world leaders in the September 2005 World Summit Outcome.

The President of the Security Council for the month of May, Ambassador Basile Ikouebe of the Republic of Congo, will brief reporters on the Security Councils monthly programme of work, following consultations.

At 9:30 a.m. in S-226, Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF, and Catherine Bertini, Chair of the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition, will hold a press conference to launch a report on malnutrition. There will also be a roundtable discussion on the topic at 11:00 a.m. at the UNICEF house.

At 10:45 a.m. in S-226, Ann Cooper, Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists will brief on the release of a report on global censorship called The Most Censored Countries in the World in honour of World Press Freedom Day.

Wednesday, May 3

The UNs Deputy Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, Eric Schwartz, will be in Bangkok for the Meeting on Tsunami Recovery Impact Assessment & Monitoring Systems. He will also make stops in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Thursday, May 4

At 10:00 a.m. in S-226, Maria Arteta, the International Labour Organization (ILO)s Coordinator for Child Labour Programmes in Latin America, and Djankou Ndjonkou, Director of ILO New York, will brief on the launch of ILOs Global Report on Child Labour.

At 11:00, the World Health Organization (WHO) will hold a press conference on the launch of a new report on investment in cleaner fuels, in connection with the Commission on Sustainable Development. Briefers will be Carlos Corvalan, Coordinator of WHOs Department of Public Health and Environment, and Eva Rehfuess, author of the report.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 100178

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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