United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-10-31

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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

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

ANNAN WELCOMES DECISION TO RESUME NORTH KOREA TALKS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomes todays announcement that China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States have agreed to a resumption of the six-party talks.

He hopes the talks can be reconvened soon, and that they will yield positive results leading to lower tensions in the region.

ANNAN HEADS TO URUGUAY FOR IBERO-AMERICAN SUMMIT

The Secretary-General will leave tomorrow for Montevideo, Uruguay, where he will attend the Ibero-American Summit.

On the sidelines of the summit, he will hold bilateral meetings with various leaders, including the President of Uruguay, Tabare Vazquez.

The Secretary-General is expected back in New York over the weekend.

TIMOR-LESTE: U.N. MISSION GETS NEW CHIEF

The Secretary-General has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Atul Khare of India as his Special Representative for Timor-Leste and Head of the UN Mission of Support in Timor-Leste. Khare succeeds Sukehiro Hasegawa of Japan who completed his assignment at the end of September.

Khare served as the Secretary-Generals Deputy Special Representative for Timor-Leste from June 2004 until May of last year. He has had a career in the Indian diplomatic service covering two decades and has been closely involved in the work of UN agencies, funds and programmes during that period.

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS U.N. MISSION IN WESTERN SAHARA

The Security Council began its work today with consultations on Burundi. It heard a briefing on the Secretary-Generals latest report on that country from the Secretary-Generals acting Special Representative, Nureldin Satti.

Also this morning, the Council held a formal meeting to adopt a resolution extending of the mandate of the UN Mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) by six months.

Consultations on Cote d'Ivoire are scheduled at 4 p.m. today.

Today is the last day of the Japanese Presidency of the Security Council. Tomorrow, Peru will assume the rotating Presidency of the Council for the month of November.

Asked when the Security Councils consultation on its programme of work for November would take place, the Spokeswoman said it would be on 2 November, and that the Council President for November, the Ambassador of Peru, would brief the press around 1:00 p.m. that day.

SECURITY COUNCIL REITERATES

CALL FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF LEBANON RESOLUTION

The Security Council yesterday afternoon heard from Terje Roed-Larsen, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for the Implementation of

Resolution 1559, about recent developments in Lebanon.

Afterward, the Council, in a presidential statement, noted that important progress had been made towards the implementation of resolution 1559, and commended the Lebanese government for extending its authority throughout its territory, particularly in the South. It reiterated its call for the resolutions full implementation.

Asked whether Israels overflights of Lebanon could be seen as a way of implementing resolution 1701, if they were done to prevent arms smuggling into Lebanon, the Spokeswoman said that was a question to be posed to the members of the Security Council.

LEBANON: U.N. ENVOY CONCERNED BY ISRAELI OVERFLIGHTS

Geir Pedersen, the Secretary-Generals Personal Representative for Lebanon, today expressed his serious concern at the continuing overflights by Israel, which constitute a breach of Lebanese sovereignty and, specifically, of Security Council

resolution 1701.

Pedersen is particularly disturbed by the intensive mock air raids that took place over Beirut this morning. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon has reported some eight air violations over the past two days, which they have observed over their area of operation.

The United Nations commends the efforts of all sides in implementing resolution 1701 over the ten weeks since its adoption. It renews its call on Israel to cease its violations of Lebanese sovereignty and calls on all parties to respect and implement resolution 1701.

U.N. HUMANITARIAN CONVOY FIRED UPON IN SUDAN

The UN Mission in Sudan says that it has received reports that a UN agency convoy travelling from Morni to El Geneina, in South Darfur, was fired upon yesterday. A driver and two passengers received superficial gunshot wounds which are said to be not life-threatening, and theyre being treated in El Geneina hospital.

Also in South Darfur, there are reports that a convoy of three UN trucks en route to Zalingei from Nyala was ambushed this past weekend by a group of armed men. One of the drivers was beaten, and the attackers stole money and personal items from the drivers.

Meanwhile, in West Darfur, the Mission says it has received reports that the African Union Mission in Sudan will investigate reports that around 500 Arab militia members, riding horses and camels and supported with machine-guns mounted on land cruiser vehicles, carried out attacks in the areas of Gebasesh, Hijlija, Siberia and Goze Mino.

ANNAN OPENS CONFERENCE AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

The Secretary-General is back in New York from Washington, D.C.,where this morning, the Secretary-General opened the Conference on the Kofi Annan Legacy for Africa, which took place at Georgetown University.

Yesterday at Georgetown, the Secretary-General received an honorary degree and delivered the Oliver Tambo Lecture, in which he said that, although he is proud that his fellow Africans have ended many of the continents conflicts, far too much killing and rape goes on.

He said that a peaceful Africa requires more than the mere absence of war. It is sustainable only if accompanied by democratic transformation and good governance.

Asked about the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia at a question and answer session afterward, the Secretary-General said that situation was a classic example of the tragedy of our continent in which two poor countries desperately in need of development went to war. He said the United Nations is doing whatever it can to bring the two parties together, but it has not been easy.

Asked whether the Secretary-General had spoken about Western Sahara in his speech, the Spokeswoman said that his lecture was on Africa in general, although he also discussed specific countries in the question and answer session that followed.

REFUGEE AGENCY HELPS SENEGALESE REFUGEES IN GAMBIA

The Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that refugees from Senegals southern Casamance region are continuing to arrive in Gambian villages along the border. The current number of Senegalese refugees in Gambia stands at more than 6,200.

UNHCR has been handing out blankets, mattresses, kitchen utensils, jerry cans and soap to the refugees, and other UN agencies are also providing food and other humanitarian aid.

Asked about the reasons for the refugees leaving Senegal, the Spokesman noted that UNHCR had discussed in its briefing the factors that were driving people out, and had expressed its concerns about the situation, including the lack of housing capacity.

KOSOVO: U.N. ENVOY WORKING TO COMPLETE PROPOSAL BY YEARS END

Asked whether the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for the Future Status Process in Kosovo, Martti Ahtisaari, had presented a written report on the future of Kosovo, the Spokeswoman said he had not.

Okabe said that Ahtisaari is in New York for consultations with senior UN officials, including the Secretary-General on Monday, on the latest developments in the future status process for Kosovo, and to discuss some preliminary ideas in this regard. No draft proposal has been handed in at this time.

Asked when his proposal would be ready, she said Ahtisaari is still working to complete his proposal by the end of the year.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

HEALTH AGENCY WARNS AGAINST MEDICAL PROCUREMENT-RELATED CORRUPTION: The World Health Organization (WHO) says that huge amounts of money up to $50 billion are spent every year on pharmaceutical products, a market so large that it is extremely vulnerable to corruption. In fact, recent estimates have shown that as much as 25% of medicines which are procured can be lost to fraud, bribery and other corrupt practices. WHO has therefore launched a new initiative to help governments fight corruption by promoting greater transparency in medicines regulation and procurement.

TSUNAMI ENVOY HOLDS MEETINGS IN NEW YORK: The UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, will be at two meetings in New York today. In the first, to be held this afternoon, leading U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations will present President Clinton with a series of major reports on lessons learned from their work on tsunami recovery. At the second meeting, President Clinton is expected to address a key initiative to conserve coastal ecosystems in the Asian region impacted by the 2004 tsunami.

UNIVERSITY OF LIBERIA OPENS KOFI ANNAN INSTITUTE: The UN Mission in Liberia says that the University of Liberia this morning inaugurated the Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation, an institution dedicated to policy studies in conflict, peace, security, gender and development. The Mission says the ribbon-cutting event was attended by its Officer-in-charge, Luiz Carlos da Costa, Liberias Vice President and other senior government officials as well as members of the diplomatic corps. In his keynote address, the President of the University said that the Institute was established in honour of the Secretary-General for his valuable contributions to conflict resolution and transformation in Africa, particularly in Liberia.

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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