United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-10-26

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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

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, October 26, 2006

ANNAN MEETS WITH HIS SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SUDAN

Asked about comments from Sudans UN Ambassador that the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sudan, Jan Pronk, was history, the Spokesman said that Pronks status has not changed and he remains the Special Representative. Any decision to change any Special Representative is only the Secretary-Generals to make, Dujarric said.

Pronk, he said, met with Secretary-General Kofi Annan this morning as part of his consultations at UN Headquarters, and the discussions between Pronk and the Secretary-General will probably continue later today.

Asked about comments from the Sudanese Ambassador that Pronk had overstepped his mandate, the Spokesman said that Pronk continues to serve with the Secretary-Generals full confidence. He reiterated that Pronks blog conveys his personal views.

ANNAN ACCEPTS RESIGNATION OF U.N.S MANAGEMENT CHIEF

The following statement is attributable directly to the Secretary-General.

In a statement issued in his name, the Secretary-General said: "It is with great regret that I have accepted the resignation of Under-Secretary-General for Management, Christopher Burnham.

Chris has been a driving force in the management reform efforts over the past eighteen months, including the creation of the first-ever Ethics Office in the United Nations, rewriting the UN whistleblower protection policy, devising stronger financial disclosure requirements, the creation of the first Consolidated Report of the United Nations, the adoption of new international accounting standards and the reform and modernization of the UNs procurement service.

Soon after his departure on November 15th, he will be returning to the private sector after more than five and a half years of public service, both at the United Nations and previously with the U.S. State Department.

His strong leadership will be missed at the United Nations."

SECURITY IS DISCUSSED IN ADVANCE OF RUN-OFF ELECTIONS IN D.R. CONGO

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), William Lacy Swing, yesterday met with Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba, a candidate in Sundays run-off presidential election. The meeting was part of Swings regular consultations with the Congolese leaders ahead of the historic election.

Swing and Bemba discussed security and public safety arrangements for a rally planned by Bembas supporters for tomorrow in a Kinshasa stadium. They also discussed broader security issues, including allegations of the discovery of unlawful weapons at the residence of a Bemba advisor.

Meanwhile, UN peacekeepers and European Union troops continue their daily patrolling of the restive areas of the country, including a joint operation with the Congolese Armed Forces in the Equateur Province to neutralize weapons collected during UN-led disarmament program.

The UN Force Commander, meanwhile, has condemned a decision to prevent a UN weapons verification team from inspecting a logistical camp run by supporters of President Joseph Kabila, the other contender in the Sunday election.

MORE WOMEN PEACEKEEPERS MUST BE DEPLOYED

The Security Council this morning began an open meeting on women, peace and security, which is expected to continue this afternoon, with 48 speakers inscribed.

Rachel Mayanja, the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, presented the Secretary-Generals recent report on women, peace and security, which assesses the progress of the System-Wide Action Plan implemented earlier this year.

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno told the Council that less than 2 percent of UN military personnel, and less than 5 percent of police personnel, are women, and he argued that a greater number of women peacekeepers must be deployed.

And Carolyn McAskie, Assistant Secretary-General for Peace-building Support, said that gender discrimination needs to be seen on a par with other forms of discrimination, with an international commitment to reverse its tragic effects.

Tomorrow afternoon, Guéhenno is scheduled to brief the Security Council in consultations on Sudan.

COTE DIVOIRE: SECURITY COUNCIL SHOULD PROVIDE CLARITY & FIRMNESS

The Security Council yesterday afternoon held a private meeting and closed consultations on Cote dIvoire. The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Cote dIvoire, in response to reporters questions afterwards, said "this time it's more serious" because leaders of the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States support the latest plan to promote the peace process in that country.

This time, Pierre Schori told reporters, the urge for peace and reconciliation is much stronger than before, and hopefully the Security Council will endorse that and provide the clarity and the firmness needed. A draft resolution is being discussed at experts level.

Also yesterday afternoon, the Security Council decided to establish a new integrated office in Burundi for an initial period of one year, following the end of the mandate of the current UN operation.

U.N. OFFICIALS DISCUSS ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM LEBANON

The Deputy Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Brigadier General Jai Prakash Nehra, met today with senior officers from the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), to discuss the situation around Ghajar to find a way to ensure a speedy withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the area.

The meeting was productive and the main focus was to finalise arrangements for Ghajar after the IDF withdrawal, Nehra said afterward.

Minor administrative issues concerning Ghajar residents are still pending, and UNIFIL hopes they will be solved at the next meeting early next week.

Asked about Israeli overflights into Lebanon, the Spokesman said that the United Nations continues to express its concerns, and he noted the recent statement by UNIFIL Force Commander Maj. Gen. Alain Pellegrini, which called on all sides to uphold the spirit and letter of resolution 1701.

Asked whether the Security Council would consider a new resolution concerning the access by Hezbollah to arms, the Spokesman said that was a matter for the Council members; but he noted that resolution 1701 had been clear on the matter of the disarmament of all militias.

UNITED NATIONS IS CONCERNED BY CIVILIAN DEATHS IN AFGHANISTAN

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in a

statement today, expressed its concern at reports that a great number of civilians may have died during military operations on Wednesday in the village of Nangawat, in Kandahar province.

The United Nations has always made clear that the safety and welfare of civilians must always come first and any civilian casualties are unacceptable, without exception.

The Mission says that it is clearly in the interests of everyone that the facts be established regarding these events and it is imperative that a thorough investigation is carried out.

Asked whether the United Nations would investigate, Dujarric said there would first have to be a request for such an investigation.

ERITREA: U.N. MISSION REGRETS LOSS OF LIFE

FOLLOWING HEADQUARTERS BREAK-IN

The UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE)

reports that on 21 October, two Eritrean nationals forcibly entered a UN troops headquarters in the town Barentu. UN peacekeepers then opened fire, injuring one of the intruders, before rushing to a UN military hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The Mission says it immediately opened a comprehensive investigation into the incident, and will fully cooperate with any additional investigation conducted by the Eritrean authorities.

The Mission deeply regrets this tragic loss of life and extends its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and to the Eritrean authorities.

NUMBER OF U.N. POLICE IN TIMOR-LESTE CLOSE TO 900

As the UN Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) continues its efforts to strengthen the political stability of the young nation, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations says that the number of UN police force deployed as part of Mission now stands at 860.

This number includes 440 police officers from 13 countries and 420 officers in 3 so-called Formed Police Units, each made up of 140 officers from Bangladesh, Malaysia and Portugal.

U.N. POLITICAL CHIEF VISITS JAPAN

After concluding a series of meetings yesterday in Beijing, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari traveled to Tokyo, where he met today with the Special Advisor to Japan's Prime Minister on National Security Affairs and with senior diplomats.

The meetings permitted an exchange of views on ways to resolve the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula through diplomacy, as well as on cooperation between Japan and the United Nations on peace and security issues. On behalf of the Secretary-General, Gambari conveyed to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe his deep gratitude to Japan for its continued support for the United Nations.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

IRAQ COMPENSATION COMMISSION DISBURSES MONEY: The United Nations Compensation Commission has made available today a total of more than $417 million to seven Governments for distribution to 46 successful claimants. This is the commission dealing with the damages from Iraqs 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The Governing Council of the Compensation Commission will hold its sixty-first session, starting on 31 October in Geneva, under the Presidency of Ambassador Tassos Kriekoukis of Greece.

U.N. SEEKING MORE INFORMATION ON NIGER EXPULSIONS: Asked about reports of expulsions of people living in Niger, the Spokesman said that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) were both trying to obtain more information. Two OCHA teams were already planning to head this week to northern Niger and the Niger-Chad border for routine assessments, he said. Those teams would now take the opportunity to look into these expulsion reports.

FUNDING SHORTFALLS THREATEN FOOD AID IN AFRICA: The World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that a massive funding shortfall is forcing food aid cuts to more than 4 million people across southern Africa who remain chronically vulnerable despite this years reportedly good harvests. In related news, WFP says it is facing increasing difficulties in providing food aid to Sahrawi refugees living in remote camps near Tindouf in southwest Algeria. This concern is also shared by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

PEDIATRIC TREATMENT AGAINST AIDS LAUNCHED IN GUINEA-BISSAU: Guinea-Bissau yesterday launched a pediatric treatment effort against AIDS to ensure that the needs of infected and affected children are met. From now on, all children affected by HIV/AIDS will have access to anti-retrovirals, thanks to the alliance of the Brazilian government, UNAIDS, UNICEF and the government of Guinea-Bissau.

*** The guests at the noon briefing were Nicholas Burnett, Director of the UN Educational and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) Education for All

Report, and Peter Smith, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO. They briefed on the 2007 Education for All Global Monitoring Report.

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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