United Nations Daily Highlights, 08-03-11

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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 MICHELE MONTAS

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

BAN KI-MOON STRONGLY CONDEMNS SUICIDE BOMBINGS IN PAKISTAN

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was shocked and saddened to learn of the double suicide bombing in the city of Lahore today which reportedly claimed a large number of innocent lives and injured scores more.

The Secretary-General strongly condemns these indiscriminate acts of terrorism and expresses condolences to the families of the victims.

The Secretary-General is concerned by the increase of terrorist attacks in Pakistan over the past few months and welcomes the resolve of the Government and people of Pakistan to unite against the scourge of terrorism.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED BY BURUNDI ATTACKS

The Secretary-General is very concerned by the simultaneous grenade attacks in Bujumbura on the homes of four Burundian Parliamentarians on 8 March.

He calls on the national authorities to continue to give this serious incident the attention it deserves and to bring the perpetrators to justice without delay.

The Secretary-General reminds the Government of its obligation to protect all Burundian citizens.

The Secretary-General urges the Government of Burundi and all political leaders to work together through the national democratic institutions to ease the current tensions. He will continue to monitor the situation in Burundi very closely.

BAN KI-MOON HEADS TO SENEGAL FOR ISLAMIC SUMMIT

AND CHAD- SUDAN MEETING TOMORROW

Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will attend, in Dakar, Senegal, a mini-summit on Chad -Sudan, to be held on the margin of the 11th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference.

The meeting, hosted by President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, will include: President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan; President Idriss Deby of Chad; King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia; President Omar Bongo of Gabon; President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Chair of the African Union; and Alpha Omar Konare, Chair of the African Union Commission.

The Secretary-General will address the Islamic Summit Conference on Thursday and will hold bilaterals with some of the Heads of State attending the meeting.

The Secretary-General is expected back in New York on Friday.

Asked about the mini-summit meeting on Chad and Sudan, the Spokeswoman noted that the Secretary-General would attend that meeting as an observer, at the invitation of President Wade.

DARFUR: NORMALIZATION OF CHAD-SUDAN RELATIONS

ESSENTIAL FOR STABILITY

The Security Council heard a briefing this morning on the Secretary-Generals latest report on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) by Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. He focused on the recent violence in West Darfur and provided a detailed overview of UNAMIDs deployment and priorities.

Tensions between Chad and Sudan and the fighting carried out by proxy rebel forces had the potential to regionalize the crisis and derail international peace efforts on both sides of the border, he said.

The normalization of relations between the two countries is essential if international efforts to restore stability are to succeed, he said, adding that tomorrows summit in Dakar between Presidents Bashir and Deby at the invitation of President Wade is an important opportunity in this regard.

He also noted that the fighting in Darfur makes clear that preparing for political negotiations does not seem to be a priority for either the Government or rebel movements, and reminded members that a peacekeeping operation alone can not bring security to Darfur.

While warning that there is little prospect for beginning substantive negotiations with the parties any time soon, he said the UN and AU Special Envoys Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim are convening informal consultations with regional and international partners in Geneva on 17 and 18 March to take stock of the situation and hopefully reach an understanding on the way forward.

He concluded by saying that the continued hostilities in Darfur serve as a stark reminder that urgent international engagement and concrete action is necessary to encourage and pressure the parties to the conflict to lay down their weapons and commit to the path of dialogue.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO MEET ON KOSOVO AT 3 P.M.

This afternoon at 3:00, the Security Council will hold a formal meeting to hear from the Foreign Minister of Serbia, Vuk Jeremic, about Kosovo.

Following that meeting, the Council will go into consultations on Kosovo.

BAN KI-MOON STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENT

The Secretary-General this morning provided an informal briefing to the General Assembly about proposals to reform the UNs development work, and he stressed to them that if the development machinery of the United Nations is weak, the entire international system is weak.

And yet, he warned, the level of resources available to the Organization to deliver on its development mandates has not increased accordingly. It has, in fact, decreased.

The Secretary-General said that a report he has prepared, in response to last years General Assembly resolution on reforming the UNs development work, will be formally introduced later this week by the Deputy Secretary-General to the Fifth Committee.

He cautions against over-stretch in the Secretariat, with more mandates, accompanied by a decrease in resources, and said that, in addressing the capacity gaps, a modest increase in resource level has been proposed, to provide for 150 additional posts at an estimated cost of $25.5 million.

MYANMAR: U.N. ENVOY TO BRIEF SECRETARY-GENERAL ON LATEST TRIP

Asked about Special Advisor Ibrahim Gambaris recent trip to

Myanmar, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General would meet Gambari in Dakar, Senegal, on Thursday and would get more details about the trip at that time.

Asked whether the Secretary-General would travel to Myanmar, Montas said that he was not yet considering going there. First, she said, he would speak to Gambari.

She added, in response to further questions, that Gambari would be expected to brief the Security Council upon his return to New York.

LACK OF SUPPORT PRESENTS CHALLENGES FOR U.N. PEACEKEEPING

Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, yesterday told the General Assemblys Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations that despite progress in strengthening UN peacekeeping, faltering international interest and lack of sustained support are making it difficult to keep recent gains in key conflict areas.

Also addressing the Special Committee, Jane Holl Lute, the acting head of the Department of Field Support (DFS), shared Mr. Guéhennos concerns, saying that, given the growing scope and complexity of UN peacekeeping, and the challenges the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and DFS face across the board, it is more important than ever that Member States support peacekeeping mandates.

LEBANON TRIBUNAL GETS NEW REGISTRAR

The Secretary-General has appointed Mr. Robin Vincent of the United Kingdom as the Registrar of the Special Tribunal for

Lebanon. He will commence his duties at a date to be determined.

From 2002 to 2005, Vincent served as Registrar of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Since then, his work has included serving temporarily as Deputy Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and advising on the establishment of other international tribunals, including the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

The appointment of the Registrar reflects the steady progress being accomplished in establishing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

A prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, has already been appointed. Also, 11 judges have been selected for the Tribunal, and the Secretary-General will announce their names at a later stage.

U.N. PEACEKEEPERS TEMPORARILY LEAVE ERITREA

A total of 397 Jordanian peacekeepers are now back in Jordan as part of the temporary relocation of UN peacekeepers from Eritrea. Also temporarily relocated to their home country are 305 peacekeepers from India.

That is according to the Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which says that more flights out of Asmara are planned for next week for most remaining UN personnel in Eritrea.

FUNDS NEEDED FOR HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS IN LIBERIA

The United Nations today joined the Liberian Government and other partners in launching an analysis of the countrys Critical Humanitarian Gaps for 2008. It calls for $28 million in urgent funding for projects targeting health care, clean water, sanitation and food security all of which remain out of reach for the majority of Liberians.

The delivery of basic services is vital for Liberias continued stability and development, says Jordan Ryan, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Liberia.

TRIAL OF FORMER CROATIAN GENERALS STARTS IN THE HAGUE

The trial of three former Croatian generals began earlier today at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.

Ante Gotovina, Ivan Cermak, and Mladen Markac have denied the charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity that have been brought against them by the Office of Prosecutor Serge Brammertz. The Prosecutors office says the three accused persecuted and murdered Croatian Serbs during the 1990s and plundered their property.

The trial of the former Croatian generals is expected to last more than a year.

U.N. ASSISTS NATURAL DISASTER SURVIVORS

IN ECUADOR, MOZAMBIQUE, TAJIKISTAN

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in

Ecuador, the World Food Programme has distributed 135 metric tons of high-energy biscuits and 10,000 food rations in the wake of recent flooding. The World Health Organization is helping with vaccinations, and other agencies are also on the ground.

Meanwhile, in northern and central

Mozambique, where a cyclone struck two days ago, the World Food Programme and UNICEF are providing water and sanitation, as well as plastic sheeting materials to replace destroyed roofs.

And in

Tajikistan, warmer weather has replaced snow with intense rain and avalanches, while a cold wave continues in the east. The agriculture sector has sustained widespread damage, and OCHA fears more than half a million people could soon face food shortages. A flash appeal for $25 million remains only about one-quarter funded.

ONLINE DATABASE LAUNCHED FOR ASIA-PACIFIC TELECENTRES

The UNs Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) today launched an online database, which will help promote the development of telecentres.

According to ESCAP, telecentres in the Asia-Pacific region currently provide many communities with their first chance to go online or learn about computer basics. Among other things, they help farmers and rural entrepreneurs learn about market trends and business opportunities and how to market their products.

BAN KI-MOON DONATES $10,000 TO RWANDAN GENOCIDE SURVIVORS

The Secretary-General yesterday handed over a check in the amount of $10,000 to the Permanent Representative of Rwanda, Ambassador Joseph Nsengimana, for the survivors of the 1994 genocide. The check is from the Secretary-Generals Trust Fund for Special Projects.

On a recent trip to Rwanda, the Secretary General made that pledge of $10,000 to the Fonds dAssistance aux rescapés du genocide, a fund set up by the Government to assist the survivors of the genocide and help in the education of hundreds of orphans.

On 29 January, after touring the Genocide memorial in Kigali, the Secretary-General had called for an end to impunity that can ensure that our cry of never again will become an enduring reality, not only for Rwanda, but for our common humanity.

He reiterated his commitment yesterday to the survivors and to the orphans he met during that trip to Kigali. The United Nations, he said, will never forget.

WOMEN FOR PEACE EVENT TO BE HELD TONIGHT

The UN Delegations Womens Club, an association of women delegates to the United Nations and spouses of mission representatives, will host a cultural event tonight at the General Assembly Hall in conjunction with its Women for Peace project.

The event, celebrating opportunities for peace in the context of International Womens Day, will be opened with remarks by Mrs. Ban Soon-taek, wife of the Secretary-General, to honour International Womens Day.

The event will feature a special, multi-cultural production that reflects the richness of diverse cultures and shows how, through song and dance, differences among people can be overcome.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE MONITORING EVENTS IN KUWAIT: In response to a question about the detention of former parliamentarians and a cleric in Kuwait, the Spokeswoman said that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is monitoring the events and calls for everyone to respect the rule of law, as well as freedom of expression and association. OHCHR hopes that Kuwaiti citizens and institutions will have the capacity to handle this situation in full respect of human rights.

NO DATES SET FOR NEPAL TRIP: Asked whether the Secretary-General would visit Nepal in April, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General plans to travel there eventually, but no dates have yet been set.

SOMALIA REPORT A HIGH PRIORITY FOR BAN KI-MOON: Asked when the United Nations report on Somalia would go to the Security Council, the Spokeswoman noted that the Secretary-General convened a policy committee meeting this morning to discuss the finalization of the report. She later added that this is a matter of high priority for him and his focus is on making sure that the report is solid, thorough and complete. She expected the report to be submitted to the Security Council in coming days.

SPOKESPERSON NOTES REGIONAL BODIES ROLES IN SOUTH AMERICA: Asked about the role the Secretary-General played in resolving tensions involving Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, the Spokeswoman noted the roles played by the Organization of American States and by the Rio Group, which met last Friday.

Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

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