United Nations Daily Highlights, 10-04-15

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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 MARTIN NESIRKY

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, April 15, 2010

BHUTTO COMMISSION TO PRESENT REPORT OF ITS WORK TODAY

The

Commission of Inquiry that was formed to determine the facts in the 2007 assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto will formally present the report on its work to the Secretary-General at 4:30 p.m. The Secretary-General will then transmit it to the Government of Pakistan, and he will also share it, for information purposes, with the members of the Security Council.

At 5:15 p.m., at the second floor stakeout in the North Lawn Building, Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon of Pakistan will hold a brief press encounter to discuss the report.

Then, at 5:30 p.m., Ambassador Heraldo Muņoz of Chile, the Chair of the Commission, and one of the other Commission members, Marzuki Darusman of Indonesia, will give a press conference to provide details of the report.

KYRGYZSTAN: BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES AGREEMENT

BETWEEN PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT AND DEPOSED PRESIDENT

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomes the fact that the Provisional Government and Mr. Kurmanbek Bakiev reached a solution based on the Constitution of the country that enabled the departure abroad of the deposed President from the South of Kyrgyzstan.

He believes that this is an important step toward the peaceful, stable, prosperous and democratic development of the country and its good governance. The UN together with its international and regional partners is ready to work with the authorities in order to contribute in these areas for the benefit of the people of Kyrgyzstan.

The Secretary-General hopes that at the same time justice will prevail and the authorities of the country assisted by the international community can find a means for its realization

BAN KI-MOON TO BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL ON RECENT TRIPS

The Secretary-General will brief the

Security Council at 3:00 this afternoon on his recent

travels. That briefing will be in closed consultations.

This morning, Security Council members received a briefing on Western Sahara by the head of the UN peacekeeping mission there (MINURSO), Hany Abdel-Aziz, and the Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy, Christopher Ross. They discussed the Secretary-Generals recent

report, which says that the two informal meetings held in August 2009 and February 2010 produced no movement on the core substantive issues. The Secretary-General writes that more work is needed before a fifth round of formal negotiations can be held.

In its morning session, Council members are to receive an update on the sanctions regime in Cote dIvoire by the Ambassador of Brazil, who chairs the sanctions committee dealing with that country.

Asked about Christopher Rosss plans, the Spokesperson said that he will continue to engage with the parties, to see whether further informal consultations could be held. Although substantial progress has not been made, Ross intends to keep trying to work with the parties.

AFGHANISTAN: U.N. ENVOY CONCERNED AT KILLING OF CIVILIANS

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for

Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, expressed his concern today about the reported killing on Monday of four civilians in Afghanistans Kandahar province, when international military forces fired at a bus.

De Mistura called on all parties to the conflict to do their utmost to minimize harm to ordinary Afghans and to take every possible precautionary measure to distinguish between civilians and combatants in their operations.

This incident follows other reports of civilian casualties over recent weeks. According to de Mistura, this is a disturbing trend, and all efforts must be undertaken to ensure it is reversed.

He also expressed his sadness at the death of five deminers, and injuring of 16 others, when their bus was struck by a roadside bomb on 11 April. He deplored the attack on courageous people who for years have devoted their lives to making Afghanistan safer for all.

Asked about possible mechanisms to prevent civilian casualties, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations is aware that the rules of engagement are constantly being reviewed. As that happens, he said, de Mistura was emphasizing the need to take every possible measure to distinguish between civilians and combatants.

UNITED NATIONS HAS FORMED BOARD OF INQUIRY TO LOOK INTO DEATHS OF STAFF IN AFGHANISTAN

In response to a question on the death of UN security staff member Louis Maxwell during an attack in Afghanistan last October, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations has followed due process in investigating an incident of this nature by instituting a Board of Inquiry after an initial fact-finding by staff in Kabul and New York.

The United Nations has been in contact with the responsible Afghan authorities in the course of its inquiries. The Board will submit its report in due course.

He said that further actions by the United Nations will depend on its findings and it would be premature at this point to comment further.

Nesirky added that the United Nations is also cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its inquiries into the incident.

The United Nations has also briefed the Maxwell family on the progress of its initial inquiries and is determined to support the family.

Asked about Boards of Inquiry, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations takes seriously any incident that results in the loss of life of staff and investigates it thoroughly.

LEBANON: U.N OFFICIAL, INTERIOR MINISTER DISCUSS PLANNED MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Michael Williams, the UN

Special Coordinator for Lebanon, met today with Lebanese Interior Minister, Ziad Baroud, to discuss the forthcoming municipal elections. He said afterward that he strongly welcomed the agreement of all Lebanese political parties to go ahead with the municipal elections on time in May.

Williams also welcomed the agreement in the National Dialogue, on 9 March, to maintain a calm and peaceful climate ahead of the elections. He said that the United Nations strongly supports any agreement that helps promote an atmosphere of peace and stability in Lebanon.

HAITI: LARGE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS REOPEN IN QUAKE-HIT REGIONS

Edmond Mulet, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Haiti, today said that the re-opening of a large number of schools in the areas directly affected by the 12 January earthquake demonstrates the Governments work to restore normal life to the Haitian people. He noted the remarkable efforts by the Haitian Government and people over the three months since the earthquake.

Mulet said that the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and the UN system will continue to assist the people and Government of Haiti in the countrys reconstruction.

PEACEKEEPING DEPARTMENT RELEASES QUARTERLY DATA ON

SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE IN FIELD MISSIONS

Since December 2009, the Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support has been issuing quarterly press releases to make public updated statistics on sexual exploitation and abuse cases in field Missions. More detailed statistics and additional information available in the

Conduct and Discipline website.

UNDP LAUNCHES CHINA HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT

UNDP Administrator Helen Clark expressed her sincerest condolences to the Chinese people for the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit the northwest of Qinhgai Province yesterday morning. In a letter addressed to Premier Wen Jiabao, Helen Clark also commended the Governments immediate response, stating that the United Nations system, including UNDP, stands ready to provide China with all the necessary assistance for the relief effort.

Today in Beijing, UNDP launched the China Human Development Report, which says that if the negative impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are not adequately addressed in China, there is a danger that three decades of social and economic achievements may be reversed.

The Report suggests that the most strategic choice is to embark on a low carbon development path that will preserve and increase its human development achievements in the years to come. The publication offers policy options for a country that will see the migration of nearly 350 million rural Chinese into urban areas over the next two decades.

ELEVEN CANDIDATES VYING TO LEAD FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Asked about candidates for the top position at the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Spokesperson said that there were 11 candidates from 11 countries. He declined to provide names and nationalities, citing established policy respecting the privacy of the candidates.

In response to a question, he confirmed that Janos Pasztors name had been submitted by the President of Hungary for the post. Upon announcement of his candidacy, Mr. Pasztor was asked to dissociate himself from activities relating to the UNFCCC with immediate effect. Nesirky added that the questions his candidacy would raise will be dealt with in a transparent manner. He noted that Janos Pasztors office is not involved in the process of selecting a successor to Yvo de Boer.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N, SUDAN WORKING TO ENSURE SAFE RETURN OF MISSING MISSION STAFF: Asked about four UN peacekeeping personnel who are missing in Sudan, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations is working with the Sudanese authorities to ensure that they are returned safely.

INQUIRY ONGOING INTO HIRING OF RELATIVE OF DR CONGO MISSION CHIEF: Asked about an inquiry into the role that Alan Doss played in a hiring decision at the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Spokesperson said that there is no final report that has been issued on that matter. There is a draft investigative detail, provided only to Mr Doss for his comment before a report is finalized. Once finalized, the report will be sent to the Secretary-General.

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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