United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-09-28

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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 YVES SOROKOBI

ASSOCIATE

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, September 28, 2006

SECURITY COUNCIL IS BRIEFED ON WORK OF SUBSIDIARY BODIES

The

Security Council this morning began an open meeting to hear briefings from the chair-people of its subsidiary bodies.

The ambassadors from Argentina, Denmark and Slovakia who chair, respectively, the committees dealing with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban; with counter-terrorism; and with the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction all briefed the Council on their respective committees work. A total of 19 speakers were inscribed to speak in the debate.

Then, following the straw poll for Secretary-General candidates scheduled at 4:30 p.m., the Security Council has scheduled consultations on Georgia.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO BE BRIEFED

ON HARIRI INVESTIGATION REPORT TOMORROW

Friday morning, the

Security Council has scheduled an open briefing, followed by consultations, to hear from Commissioner

Serge Brammertz about the latest report of his

UN International Independent Investigation Commission that is working in Lebanon.

The Commission is looking into the 2005

assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others.

Following the mornings Council activity, Brammertz will speak to the press.

Also tomorrow at UN Headquarters, there will be a background briefing by a senior UN official, concerning the Board of Inquiry that examined the death last July of four UN military observers in Khiam, in southern Lebanon.

LEBANON

IS MAKING SPEEDY PROGRESS TOWARDS RECOVERY

Lebanon is making speedy progress towards recovery following the destructive conflict between Israel and Hizbollah this summer,

according to the

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Tomorrow, in fact, OCHA plans to hand over its coordination role in southern Lebanon to the UN Development Programme.

Humanitarian operations are scheduled to end on 24 October, and UN agencies are preparing to close down or transition their activities to relevant Government authorities or development agencies. The World Food Programme will wind up its cargo movements and food distributions by 15 October.

HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF TO VISIT MIDDLE EAST SHORTLY

In Geneva today, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour,

briefed the Human Rights Council on the work of her office around the world, focusing special attention on the situations in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Colombia, Uganda, Guatemala and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The High Commissioner also presented reports prepared by her office on combating discrimination; the right to development; the recognition and protection of economic, social and cultural rights -- which she noted have historically received less attention than other aspects of the UN human rights programme; and the administration of justice through military tribunals.

On the Middle East, Arbour announced that she would soon have the opportunity to conduct a first-hand assessment of the situation by visiting Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

ANNAN: ESTABLISHMENT OF RULE OF LAW IN AFRICA IS FRAGILE

The 24th Ministerial Meeting of the UN Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa opened today in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

In prepared remarks delivered by the UN Resident Coordinator, the Secretary-General said that despite recent progress in the areas of peace, democracy and the re-establishment of the rule of law, particularly in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the security situation in the subregion remains fragile and the future of the subregion as a whole continues to be uncertain.

He added that the United Nations stands ready to provide the region with all possible support in ensuring regional security.

RWANDA TRIBUNAL AND KENYA

TO STREAMLINE EFFORTS TO CAPTURE FUGITIVE

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda says that its prosecutor, Hassan Bubacar Jallow, and representatives of 25 diplomatic missions in Kenya yesterday met with the Kenyan Minister of Justice and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs to streamline their efforts in effecting the arrest of fugitive Rwandan businessman Felicien Kabuga.

Kabuga, who is believed by the Tribunal to be a regular visitor to Kenya, is sought in connection with charges relating to his role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. He was indicted by the Tribunal in 1997 but has eluded arrest ever since.

PROGRESS BEING MADE IN RESOLVING CONFLICT IN COTE DIVOIRE

Asked about the next steps in

Cote dIvoire, the Spokesman said that efforts to resolve the conflict there were proceeding fairly well, with several meetings scheduled in the coming weeks.

He noted that the Economic Community of West African States would discuss the conflict within the next 10 days, and the African Union would take it up later before the parties return next month to the United Nations.

Asked about the UNs position on South African President Thabo Mbekis role as a mediator, Sorokobi said that the Secretary-General supports the work of Mbeki, who was appointed to his mediation role by the African Union.

AL GORE TO FEATURE IN SECRETARY-GENERALS LECTURE SERIES

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore will deliver the latest lecture in the Secretary-General's lecture series today, speaking on global warming. That lecture will be followed by a series of questions and answers, and the entire event takes place in the ECOSOC Chamber, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The Secretary-General will introduce the lecture with brief remarks of his own.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

PROCESS TO FIND NEW WFP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS UNDERWAY: In response to a question, the Spokesman said the process to find a successor to the current Executive Director of the World Food Programme is underway. A short list of candidates is expected to be made available soon.

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2006 SASAKAWA PRIZE: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

announced today that Rodrigo Vivas Rosas of Colombia and the Tenadi Cooperative Group of Mauritania will be the recipients of the 2006 UNEP Sasakawa Prize. The co-winners are being honored for their achievements in combating desertification and land degradation, and they will receive their awards next month.

trade chief calls for advancing Aid for TradE: World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy, in his opening remarks yesterday to the 53rd session of the Trade and Development Board of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, said that Aid for Trade is a key piece of the trade-development-growth puzzle but stressed that there is no acceptable alternative to the successful conclusion of the Round.

U.N. TSUNAMI ENVOY WELCOMES PROGRESS IN MALDIVES: The Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, has noted recent progress in the political reform process in the Maldives, and its links to rebuilding there in the wake of the

tsunami.

ANNAN COMMITTED TO PURSUING UNITED NATIONS REFORM: Asked about the Secretary-Generals plans for

Security Council reform following the speeches calling for such reform during the General Debate, the Spokesman said that first, the United Nations would study the statements made during the debate and carefully consider the proposals as it proceeds to press forward with reform. The Secretary-General, he said, was committed to pursuing reform, including that of the Security Council.