United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-10-18

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

UNITED NATIONS OBSERVES WORLD FOOD DAY

World Food Day was officially observed at UN Headquarters today.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan attended the ceremony, and in a speech, said that in order to tackle hunger, we must bolster agriculture and improve the education of rural women and girls, since they form the backbone of most agrarian economies.

Leading the event was Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the guest of honour was Judy Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, in recognition of the Rockefeller familys historic commitment to sustainable agriculture. Also expected to attend were the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.

U.N. ENVOY COMPLETES ERITREA VISIT;

VOICES CONCERN OVER EFFECT OF TENSIONS

The Secretary Generals Special Humanitarian Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Kjell Magne Bondevik, completed a five-day visit to Eritrea today.

In Asmara, Bondevik met President Isaias Afwerki and senior government officials, as well as UN staff and humanitarian workers.

He expressed his concern over the possible humanitarian consequences should the violation of the Temporary Security Zone lead to an escalation of tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Bondevik also travelled to southern Eritrea to get a firsthand look at some of the Governments food security initiatives, including water collection projects aimed at increasing agricultural production.

Asked whether Bondevik had raised the issue of Eritrean troop and tank movement into the temporary security zone, the Spokesman said that he had, and that Bondevik had expressed concern at the humanitarian impact of rising tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Asked about the Eritrean response, the Spokesman told the correspondent to ask the Eritrean Government, but he added that the United Nations had not seen any change in the situation on the ground. The Acting Special Representative to the two countries, Azouz Ennifar, had met with Eritrean officials and had continued to express the UNs concern and its call for Eritrea to withdraw from the zone.

NEW U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF ANNOUNCED FOR NEPAL

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, has

announced today the appointment of Lena Sundh as head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal and Arbours representative in the country.

The High Commissioner said her Office was fortunate to benefit from Ms Sundh's considerable international and human rights experience during this most important period in Nepal's transition to peace

Ms. Sundh, a Swedish national, has specialised in conflict management and peacekeeping in her 30 year international career. Within the United Nations, she was most recently appointed as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

SECURITY COUNCIL CALLED FOR ERITREA TO WITHDRAW TROOPS

There are no meetings or consultations of the Security Council scheduled for today.

Yesterday afternoon, Council President, Ambassador Kenzo Oshima of Japan, delivered a press statement on Eritrea-Ethiopia.

Council members called on Eritrea to immediately withdraw its troops from the Temporary Security Zone, and urged both parties to show maximum restraint and to refrain from any threat or use of force against each other.

ANNAN: TWO PARTIES SHOULD START TALKS

ON RESOLVING WESTERN SAHARA DISPUTE

The Secretary-Generals latest report on the situation concerning Western Sahara was issued today.

In it, he recommends that the Security Council call on the two parties, Morocco and the Frente Polisario, to enter into negotiations without preconditions, with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution thatll provide for the self-determination of Western Sahara.

He says that once the parties have responded favourably, he will submit further proposals concerning the format of those negotiations.

Also, given the role the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara plays in maintaining the ceasefire, the Secretary-General also recommends that its mandate be extended for another six months, until the end of April next year.

HELICOPTERS PROVIDED FOR CAMPAIGNING IN D.R. CONGO ELECTIONS

In response to questions from the press, the Spokesman said that the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) has made two UN helicopters available to the Independent Electoral Commission in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

MONUC hopes that the two candidates in the run-off presidential election of 29 October, President Joseph Kabila and Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba, will use the helicopters for their campaign trips across the vast country.

MONUC says the decision was inspired by the fact that the official campaign period was cut to 15 days from the initially-agreed 30 days. It adds that taking into account the size of the country, it was necessary to ensure that the candidates have the transportation and logistical option to meet their supporters in all corners of the DRC.

SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE REMAINS A CONCERN IN LIBERIA

The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) today launched its fifth report on the human rights situation in the country, with a special focus on the challenges facing the judicial system and the impact on the promotion and protection of human rights.

The report, which covers the period May to July 2006, says that sexual and gender-based violence, particularly against children, continues to be a major source of concern.

Among the more positive elements in the report, UNMIL notes that the joint UNGovernment of Liberia Rule of Law Task Force has submitted its recommendations to President Johnson Sirleaf, including a proposal for a three-year programme of initiatives designed to strengthen the judicial sector.

U.N. HUMANITARIAN OFFICE WELCOMES

FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT IN SRI LANKA

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has welcomed the World Food Programmes launch of an emergency food security assessment for internally displaced persons, host families and surrounding communities in the northern Vanni region.

OCHA has also welcomed the fact that Sri Lankan Government officials are cooperating with humanitarian efforts, by allowing the movement of essential relief items, such as diesel fuel and medical supplies.

EXTREME POVERTY AFFECTING CHILDREN IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPE

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has released a report which says that despite widespread economic upturn in South-Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States since the late nineties, 25% of children under 15 still suffer from extreme poverty in that region.

Among the reports recommendations is a call to the governments of the region to improve the level and targeting of income support to families with young children.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO CONTINUE BALLOTS FOR SEAT ON SECURITY COUNCIL

The Spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly said that after two days and 22 inconclusive ballots, the General Assembly will resume voting on Thursday morning to elect a candidate from the Latin American and Caribbean region for a non-permanent seat on the 2007 Security Council.

Balloting ended yesterday with Guatemala receiving 102 votes to Venezuelas 77, and neither country getting the required 120 votes needed for a two-thirds majority for that round. Despite the fact that the tally moved up and down, both countries ended up about where they were when the Assembly recessed on Monday evening.

In news of the work of the Committees, on Tuesday, the First Committee [Disarmament and International Security] continued its thematic debate on conventional weapons.

One Member State suggested that the subject of conventional weapons was becoming something of a blind spot for the international community and that there was an overemphasis on small arms, which could overlook the huge quantities of sophisticated conventional weapons and technology being traded world wide. Conventional arms control, this Member State suggested, needed to be pursued primarily in the regional and sub-regional contexts.

Pakistan also introduced a draft on regional disarmament, which stressed that such measures would enhance the security of all States. A number of African countries in the debate however stressed the devastating effects of small arms and light weapons which they noted were causing armed conflicts and promoting crime and terrorism. One representative noted that the situation in Darfur has increased the flows of illicit weapons while decreasing regional security, all of which, he argued, jeopardized efforts at investment and development. He called for an effective arms trade treaty. Debate will continue today, as well as the introduction of draft resolutions and decisions.

In the Second Committee, concern was voiced over the suspension of the World Trade Organizations trade negotiations. Member States noted that the suspension of the Doha talks had not only curbed access for developing nations to global markets but was also leading to the spread of regional and bilateral agreements that isolated the poorer countries even further from the benefits of expanding trade. Delegates stressed the need for the rapid resumption of the talks and a fair conclusion which would eliminate unfair trade practices, particularly for agricultural products which were crucial for developing countries trying to pull their citizens out of poverty.

In the Third Committee, discussion on indigenous issues concluded and draft resolutions on the situation of Lebanese children and on violence against women were introduced. As the Committee began to discuss human rights questions, calls were heard from Member States for the streamlining of the United Nations human rights machinery to avoid duplication of work, backlog of reports and an excessive reporting burden among other things.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UNIFIL FORCE COMMANDER TO BRIEF ANNAN ON THURSDAY: Asked about the visit by the Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, Maj. Gen. Alain Pellegrini, the Spokesman said that he would meet with the Secretary-General, which would provide a chance for the Secretary-General to hear firsthand from Pellegrini about the situation in Lebanon following the cessation of hostilities and the nearly complete Israeli withdrawal. He added that Pellegrini would then talk to the press at noon on Thursday.

CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT OFFICE LAUNCHES STRATEGY:

Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary Generals Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, launched her Offices new website and strategic framework at UN Headquarters today. A short documentary on child soldiers was screened, followed by a panel discussion which featured, among others, Ambassador Henri-Paul Normandin, Canadas Deputy Permanent Representative.

NO MORE DETAILS AVAILABLE ON TRANSITION TO NEXT SECRETARY-GENERAL: Asked for more details on how the transition was being conducted from the current Secretary-General to the Secretary-General-designate, Ban Ki-moon, the Spokesman said he had nothing to add from what he had previously said. [The Secretary-General has told his staff to make that transfer as smooth and efficient as possible and was happy that Bans appointment was made quickly enough as to give him more time for a transition than the two weeks that Annan had, the Spokesman has said previously.]

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article