United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-07-13

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: [email protected]

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MARIE OKABE

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, July 13, 2006

ANNAN TO DISPATCH SENIOR ENVOYS TO HELP DEFUSE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has decided to dispatch a three-person team led by his Special Political Advisor, Vijay Nambiar, to the Middle East to help defuse the major crisis in the region. The other members will be senior UN officials Alvaro de Soto and Terje Roed-Larsen.

The team will first visit Cairo to meet with Egyptian officials and consult with Arab League Foreign Ministers, who will be meeting there on Saturday. Mr. Nambiar and his team are also expected to travel to Israel, the occupied Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, and Syria. Other stops will be added as needed.

Mr. Nambiar will emphasize to all parties the Secretary-Generals call to exercise restraint and to do whatever possible to help contain the conflict. He will also reiterate the Secretary-Generals message to respect international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Asked about a timeline for the teams activities, the Spokeswoman said it was leaving today, and reiterated that its first stop was Cairo. She later said the mission would be in the region for about a week. Asked about the teams objectives, she said they would repeat the Secretary-Generals calls for a cease-fire, for a release of the captives and for all parties to exercise maximum restraint.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED BY SUFFERING IN MIDDLE EAST

The Secretary-General today spoke to the press in an encounter in Rome, in which he expressed his deep alarm at the escalation of violence in Lebanon and Israel.

He said he was particularly concerned at the suffering that has been unleashed on civilians, with tens of Lebanese civilians already killed as a result of Israeli operations and many more injured, and Israeli civilian killed and wounded from Hezbollah attacks on Israeli population centres.

The Secretary-General added that he was gravely concerned about the situation in Gaza, where Palestinian civilians are paying a bitter price from heavy Israeli military operations and an alarming humanitarian situation that threatens to get worse.

He condemned all actions that target civilians, and reminded the parties that under the law of armed conflict, attacks must not be directed against civilian objects. He also asked for all concerned to extend full support to the mission headed by Vijay Nambiar.

Asked about the contacts the Secretary-General has had in recent days, the Spokeswoman said that he is continuing to make calls to regional leaders and officials around the world in a personal effort to defuse tensions.

In response to a question about specific calls, she said he has spoken today with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, French President Jacques Chirac, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. He also expects to speak today with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Okabe noted that the Secretary-Generals appointment of a high-level delegation followed those calls and the serious escalation in the region.

Asked whether the Secretary-General regarded the actions from Lebanon as an act of war, the Spokeswoman responded that the dispatch of the envoys is a reflection of how seriously the Secretary-General views the situation.

ANNAN WELCOMES U.S. ENDORSEMENT ON GENEVA CONVENTIONS

The Secretary-General welcomes the decision by the U.S. Government requesting its defence officials to promptly review all relevant directives, regulations, policies, practices and procedures within their purview affecting alleged Al Qaeda or Taliban militants detained in U.S. custody, in order to ensure that all such measures comply with the standards of common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.

The Secretary-General believes this decision strengthens the international rule of law, and is true to the U.S.s strong tradition of respect for civil liberties. He also believes, and has frequently stated, that strict compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law in no way contradicts or undermines efforts to counter terrorism, but on the contrary is essential to the success of those efforts.

He encourages all countries to keep their legislation and practices under constant review, with a view to ensuring that they are in conformity with international humanitarian and human rights laws.

KOSOVO STATUS TALKS TO ENTER NEW HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL PHASE

This morning the Security Council held a closed meeting on Kosovo, during which it heard from Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica.

The Council then moved into consultations on Kosovo and other matters. Briefing on Kosovo is Martti Ahtisaari, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for Kosovos future status process.

Ahtisaari is informing the Council that he intends to take the process from technical talks to a new high-level political phase, to be held this month in Vienna. During the new phase, teams from both sides will be invited to present their positions on status.

Then, at three this afternoon, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu will be informally briefing Security Council members in an Arria Formula meeting.

Also at 3 p.m., the Security Council will be holding formal meetings on Somalia, Liberia and the

Middle East.

ANNAN CALLS FOR NEW U.N. ENVOY POST TO HELP UGANDA

DEAL WITH NORTHERN REBELS

Available today is the report of the Secretary-General on the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) and the humanitarian situation in LRA-affected areas.

In it, the Secretary-General describes the impact of the LRA rebellion on civilian populations in Northern Uganda and in the border region between Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and southern Sudan.

The Secretary-General also analyses how UN Mission forces in Sudan and the DRC could contribute towards limiting or ending the destructive LRA activities under their respective mandates.

Taking note of the indictment by the International Criminal Court of five LRA leaders, as well as ongoing efforts by Uganda and international actors to curb the LRA through a negotiated settlement, the Secretary-General proposes the creation of a UN senior-level envoy position to help the Government of Uganda deal with the situation created by the LRA activities.

Asked whether the Secretary-General has any reaction to the recent proposal by Ugandas Government that LRA leader Joseph Kony and others be given amnesty, the Spokeswoman noted that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, recently issued a statement saying that the Ugandan Government had not asked for a withdrawal of the Courts indictments.

She added that the UNs views on the matter, that impunity cannot be condoned and justice must be done, have not changed.

GUINEA-BISSAU: POLITICAL CLIMATE STILL UNSTABLE

Available today is the latest report of the Secretary-General on developments in Guinea-Bissau and the work of the UN Peacebuilding Office in that country.

In it, the Secretary-General says that the political climate remains fragile as deep antagonisms between political actors continue to hamper a frank and open national dialogue. The security and human rights situation, he says, is similarly unstable; but the critical and constructive advisory work of the UN Peacebuilding Office is showing encouraging results.

DONORS ENCOURAGED TO RELEASE FUNDS FO LIBERIA

A two-day donor conference intended to encourage donors to release funds they have pledged in 2004 towards Liberia's reconstruction began yesterday in the capital Monrovia. The conference is being hosted by the Liberian Government in collaboration with the United Nations.

Speaking at the opening session, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Liberia, Alan Doss, quoted from remarks made by Secretary-General during his recent visit to Liberia, saying that it is imperative to avoid the tendency for international actors to leave post-conflict regions too hurriedly.

The first pledging conference on Liberia took place in New York in 2004 and raised $520 million in pledges.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N. GOOD OFFICES ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR NORTH KOREA: Asked whether the Secretary-General would appoint a new envoy to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the Spokeswoman said that his good offices are always available, and he would make an appointment if he feels it is necessary.

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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