United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-06-05

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, June 5, 2006

UNITED NATIONS IS CONCERNED BY SURGE IN VIOLENCE IN IRAQ

The UN Mission in Iraq, in a statement issued over the weekend, expressed its deep concern at the continuing acts of violence committed against innocent civilians in Iraq. It condemned these outrageous crimes, and demanded that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice.

The Secretary-General deplored one of the most recent attacks, the murder on Saturday of a Russian diplomat and the kidnapping of four others, in a statement, and he called for the cessation of all such acts of violence. He also called on the Iraqi government and the Multinational Force to take all necessary measures to counter the present wave of violence. The Security Council also condemned the Saturday attack.

For its part, the UN Mission in Iraq stressed that major urban centers such as Basra and other towns have been the scene of frequent killings, kidnapping, torture and extortion. The Mission said it is encouraging that the new government has stated its intention to give the highest priority to the maintenance of public security and law and order, while strengthening the rule of law and protection of human rights for all Iraqis.

Asked about the UNs response to reports that members of the multinational force had been involved in killings of civilians in Iraq, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General had considered those allegations to be serious and believed they should be investigated.

All security forces in Iraq should abide by international law, he said. He added that the Secretary-General looks forward to the completion of the investigation by the multinational force into the allegations.

Asked about reports that local UN staff in Basra had resigned, the Spokesman said he did not have any information about any mass resignations. Because of the security situation, he said, some staff have been compelled to work from their homes.

U.N. ENVOYS MEET WITH LEADERS IN TIMOR LESTE

The Secretary-Generals Special Envoy to

Timor-Leste, Ian Martin, is wrapping up his meetings with various Timorese leaders today. He should be reporting to the Secretary-General later this week.

Meanwhile, Special Representative Sukehiro Hasegawa today flew to the mountain headquarters of an armed group that has demanded the removal of the Prime Minister.

Hasegawa joined Foreign Minister José Ramos-Horta, who has also been given the Defence Ministry portfolio, in the visit to Gleno, in the nation's west, to meet with leaders claiming to speak for the people of 10 western districts in their demands for the dismissal of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.

He reported telling the meeting that if a process of transition is attempted with violence, then many more people will suffer and leaders may not escape responsibility. The meeting was part of a series that the Special Representative has undertaken to bring a peaceful end to the disturbances there.

On the humanitarian front, UN agencies report that food has been safely supplied to camps in districts to the west and east of Dili, as the combined assistance to more than 100,000 displaced persons reaches further from the capital.

The food is supplied by the government and the UN World Food Programme and delivered in trucks provided by the International Organization for Migration.

The

UN Refugee Agency reports that its airlift of family tents, plastic sheets, and Jerry cans has arrived in Dili and is to be moved out to the camps.

Asked about the growing call for UN peacekeepers to return to Timor-Leste, the Spokesman said that Ian Martin, when he comes to New York later this week, would brief the Secretary-General and the Security Council, and the Security Council would then have to discuss what kind of posture the United Nations should have in Timor-Leste in the future.

SECURITY COUNCIL MISSION TO ARRIVE IN SUDAN

The Security Council mission to Sudan is arriving in Khartoum today.

There is no official programme today, but tomorrow the Council members are scheduled to meet with the Sudanese leadership including President Omar al-Bashir, as well as with the UN Mission in Sudan. A press conference is being planned for 5 p.m. Tuesday in Khartoum, and that is local time.

TOP PEACEKEEPING OFFICIAL HEADS U.N. ASSESSMENT MISSION TO SUDAN

Also on

Sudan, the Secretary-General has designated Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno to lead a multi-disciplinary UN team on a joint UN/African Union assessment mission to Sudan.

This joint mission of the United Nations and the African Union will start with detailed and wide-ranging consultations in Khartoum.

It will then proceed to Darfur to assess the additional needs of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), which must be immediately strengthened, since it will have the initial responsibility of facilitating the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement.

The mission will also undertake an assessment of all the requirements for a possible transition from the African Union to the United Nations. The team will return to Khartoum for one more round of consultations with the authorities, before leaving to report to the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

The visit of the joint team, which will be composed of senior United Nations and African Union officials, will be an important step in the ongoing cooperation between the Government of Sudan and the international community, and in their collective efforts to bring peace, stability and prosperity to Sudan.

HEAD OF U.N. MISSION VOICES CONCERN AT AFGHANISTAN VIOLENCE

Speaking to reporters in Kabul today, Tom Koenigs, head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan, said that the violence that took place last week can only be described as a tragedy.

He stressed that it is important to learn the lessons from last weeks disturbances, and said that the UN Mission would raise the matter of the Afghan polices failure to contain the disturbances with them. Koenigs emphasized that, if Afghanistan is to move forward, mob violence must be replaced by the rule of law.

He added that the United Nations remains committed to working towards a prosperous, stable and peaceful Afghanistan.

ANNAN HEARTENED BY GOVERNMENTS COMMITMENTS ON AIDS

On Friday night, at the conclusion of the High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement, said he was particularly heartened that, in the political declaration, Governments committed themselves to actions to promote gender equality, the empowerment of women and the protection of girls; respect for the full rights of people living with HIV/AIDS and strengthened protection for all vulnerable groups.

He also welcomed the full engagement of the private sector and civil society, including people living with HIV/AIDS.

The Secretary-General hopes that with this Declaration, world leaders have finally placed on the record the personal commitment and leadership needed to win the fight against HIV/AIDS -- the greatest challenge of our generation.

DESERTS ARE FACING DRAMATIC CHANGES

Today is World Environment Day, and the UN Environment Programme has a new report out, titled Global Deserts Outlook.

In it, UNEP experts warn that the worlds deserts, which cover almost a quarter of the earths land surface and are home to more than 500 million people, are facing dramatic changes as a result of global warming, high water demands, mass tourism and salt contamination of irrigated soils.

UNEP makes a set of recommendations in its report, including immediate action to protect biodiversity and new environment-friendly approaches to agriculture and tourism in the worlds deserts.

SECRETARY-GENERAL SPOKE WITH IRANIAN PRESIDENT

Asked about a reported conversation between the Secretary-General and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Spokesman confirmed that the Secretary-General spoke to the Iranian President on Friday afternoon.

The basic point of that conversation, Dujarric said, was to encourage the President to give full consideration to the package of proposals that European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana will present later this week in Tehran.

ANNAN TO ISSUE HIS MIGRATION REPORT ON TUESDAY

At 11:00 a.m. Tuesday in room 226, senior UN officials will hold a background briefing on the Secretary-Generals report on migration.

That report and briefing will be embargoed until 4:00 p.m., when the Secretary-General will launch the report in the General Assembly.

Then on Thursday, Peter Sutherland, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for Migration, will be the guest at the noon briefing. That day, the General Assembly will hold a panel discussion on migration and development.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UNITED NATIONS SUPPORTS DISPATCH OF POLICE, MONITORS AFTER JAVA QUAKE: As part of humanitarian efforts to assist victims of the recent earthquake in the Indonesian island of Java, the first of 36 policewomen and social workers, supported by UNICEF have arrived to monitor child rights and trafficking issues as well as to provide psychosocial support for children.

SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETING WITH BAHRAINI OFFICIAL: Asked whether the Secretary-General was meeting today with Haya Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain in her capacity as the next General Assembly President, the Spokesman said that, although the identity of the next Assembly President was an open secret, we should wait for the Assembly to elect the next President.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WONT OFFER VIEWS ON SUCCESSOR: Asked whether the Secretary-General would weigh in officially on who would succeed him as the next Secretary-General, the Spokesman said, Not at all, stressing that the selection of the next Secretary-General is purely a Member State-driven issue.

PEACEKEEPERS STILL DETAINED IN DR CONGO: Asked about reports that detained UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had been freed, the Spokesman said those reports were incorrect, and the peacekeepers are still being detained. Discussions are continuing to secure their release.

CHANGES ANNOUNCED IN SPOKESMAN'S OFFICE: Bob Sullivan, who had been in the Spokesmans Office temporarily while it recruited a new Associate Spokesman, has shipped out to Timor Leste to become the UN Missions Spokesman. Yves Sorokobi has now joined the office as the new Associate Spokesman. A native of Cote dIvoire, Yves most recently served in The Hague as the Spokesman at the ICC prosecutor. Yves also has experience as a journalist with both the Pan African New Agency and Radio France International. And hes also worked in New York for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

LECTURE FOCUSES ON QUESTION OF IDENTITY: The next lecture in the Secretary-Generals Lecture Series will take place in the Trusteeship Council Chamber from 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. today, and it will be on the topic of Identity in the 21st Century.Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah of Princeton University will speak on the topic, and the lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer session. The Secretary-General will introduce the two speakers and make brief remarks.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

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