United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-09-11

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, September 11, 2006

SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS CUT US ALL TO THE CORE, ANNAN SAYS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement released today, said that the attacks of 11 September 2001 cut us all to the core, for they were an attack on humanity itself. He said that our thoughts and prayers today are with the victims, and with all those who lost loved ones in the tragedy.

The Secretary-General said that last Fridays adoption by the General Assembly of a UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy sends a clear message that terrorism is unacceptable, no matter who commits it, no matter what the reason.

He noted that it underlines the resolve of all Governments to take concrete actions to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, prevent and combat terrorism in all its forms, and strengthen the individual and collective capacity of States and the United Nations to do so -- all while ensuring the protection of human rights.

The Secretary-General, in a statement issued last Friday, said he urged all Member States to honour the victims of terrorism everywhere by taking swift action to implement all aspects of the strategy.

DARFUR: ANNAN URGES SECURITY COUNCIL TO RISE TO THE OCCASION

The tragedy in Darfur has reached a critical moment, the Secretary-General told the Security Council in its open debate on Sudan today, and he urged the Council in the strongest possible terms to rise to the occasion.

The Secretary-General said that thousands of Sudan Armed Forces troops have been deployed to Darfur, in clear violation of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and added that the area has been subjected to renewed aerial bombing. I strongly condemn this escalation, he said, calling for the Sudanese Government to stop its offensive immediately

.

As access gets harder, he added, the humanitarian gains of the past two years are being rolled back and we face the prospect of having to drastically curtail an acutely needed humanitarian operation. He asked, Can we, in conscience, leave the people of Darfur to such a fate?

This is no time, he argued, for the middle ground of half-measures or further debate. The Secretary-General once more urged the Government of Sudan to embrace the spirit of

resolution 1706, to give its consent to the transition to a UN force, and to pursue the political process with new energy and commitment. But, he added, my voice alone will not convince the Government and encouraged the Security Council and other governments to use their influence on Khartoum.

The meeting began with a minute of silence in observance of the fifth anniversary of the 11 September attacks.

Asked whether the Secretary-General supports Egypts reported offer on Darfur, the Spokesman said that proposals from other nations must be looked at in detail, but added that the Secretary-General had urged Council members and other governments with influence on Khartoum, including Arab governments, to raise their voices.

Asked about Egypts desire to seek a three-month extension of the African Union Mission in Sudan, the Spokesman said that the United Nations would want the African Union Mission to stay in operations until the end of the year.

He said that the African Union had been doing an excellent job in difficult circumstances, adding that it needed help from the international community. He noted that the United Nations would convene a meeting with African Union officials to finalize a package in support of the African Union Mission in Sudan on Friday, and would also hold a meeting with potential troop contributors for Darfur next week.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IN DARFUR ARE GOING HUNGRY

The World Food Programme (WFP) says that hundreds of thousands of people in Darfur have gone hungry for three consecutive months because fighting and banditry have prevented it from reaching them.

Twelve humanitarian workers have been killed in Darfur since May more than the total number since the conflict began in early 2003.

In particular, WFP says that the situation is reaching a critical stage for 355,000 people in North Darfur because the area has experienced a sharp increase in tensions since May when the Darfur Peace Agreement was signed.

Added to this is the fact that their situation is even more desperate because they're in the middle of the hunger season the period right before the harvest when they have very little chance of finding food elsewhere.

WFP also says that this year it will cost $746 million to run its emergency operation to feed a total of 6.1 million people in Sudan, which includes Darfur but so far, it has only received 78%, or $584 million, of that amount.

At that funding level, WFP says it will only be able to continue feeding people in Darfur at a reduced rate until the end of the year.

The UN Mission in Sudan there says it has received reports that armed men attacked the village of Al Amoud Al Akdar village, south of Buram in South Darfur last Saturday; and UNESCO has condemned the recent kidnapping and beheading of a Sudanese newspaper editor in Khartoum.

FORCE COMMANDER DISCUSSES FURTHER

ISRAELI WITHDRAWALS AND LEBANESE DEPLOYMENT

The Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major-General Alain Pellegrini, met today with the senior representatives of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) at the border crossing at Ras Naqoura. They discussed further Israeli withdrawals and Lebanese deployments, in conjunction with UNIFIL.

Pellegrini said, The meeting was very fruitful and we discussed in detail the further withdrawal of IDF from Lebanon. I believe that this process is going well and that both sides understand the need to proceed accordingly without any further delay.

Over the past three days, 184,000 litres of water were distributed by UNIFIL troops. In addition, the Chinese battalion destroyed 241 unexploded ordnances and cleared 1,346 metres of roadway.

UNIFIL currently has some 3,500 troops on the ground, following the arrival of more than 200 French troops on Saturday.

The French personnel were the advance party for the deployment of a French battalion in the coming days. Also, a Spanish battalion, of about 1,000 troops, is expected in the coming week, so we could have UNIFIL up to 5,000 personnel in the next week or so.

As for ships in the interim naval task force, headed by Italy, that task force consists right now of four Italian ships, and one ship each from France, Greece and the United Kingdom.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has

sent a team of experts there, to assess potential damage to cultural sites in the recent conflict. The team will visit UNESCOs World Heritage sites of Tyre and Baalbek, which are known for their examples of Imperial Roman architecture, and Byblos, where Phoenician landmarks may have been affected by the recent oil spill.

Asked whether the Secretary-General was concerned about Syrian comments about troops on the Lebanon-Syria border, the Spokesman said that, following his meeting with President Bashar al-Assad, the Secretary-General had received a promise from Syria that it would deploy additional troops on its side of the border.

On the Lebanese side, meanwhile, it is the Government of Lebanons responsibility to secure the border. The Spokesman said that the United Nations is in touch with a number of countries who are willing to assist the Lebanese Government, and he noted that some countries may offer help to Lebanon bilaterally.

Asked about a visit by UN independent human rights experts on Lebanon, the Spokesman said that four such experts were visiting Lebanon and would report back to the Human Rights Council on their work.

ANNAN SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO FORM

PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY

Asked about the reported agreement to form a national unity government among the Palestinians, the Spokesman noted that, when he met President Abbas in Ramallah recently, the Secretary-General gave his strong support to efforts to form a Palestinian government of national unity.

The Spokesman called the recent reports encouraging, and he voiced the hope that there would be more encouraging signs soon.

WORK CONTINUES ON IRAQ COMPACT

Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown co-chaired a preparatory meeting on the International Compact with Iraq, which was hosted yesterday by the Government of the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi.

The meeting, attended by 13 governments, as well as regional organizations and international financial institutions, resulted in an agreement on the direction and process of the Iraq Compact, as presented by the Iraqi Government.

A declaration issued at the meeting adds that the participants look forward to the next stage of this process, the High-Level Meeting, convened by the Secretary-General in New York on 18 September. The New York meeting will review the development of the Iraq Compact within the framework of relevant Security Council resolutions.

The participants at the Abu Dhabi meeting also expressed their commitment to working towards the adoption of the Compact by the end of the year.

SOME 100 IRAQIS KILLED EACH DAY

Available today is the Secretary-Generals latest report updating the work of the UN Mission in Iraq.

He says that, despite significant achievements in the political transition process, improving the security and human rights situation remains a major challenge. Iraq today, he warns, has become one of the most violent conflict areas in the world, with Iraqi Government figures showing civilians being killed at an average of about 100 people per day.

He says that the Iraqi Government must do everything possible to progressively foster an environment conducive to the demobilization, disarming and reintegration of militias.

The Secretary-General adds his hope that the 18 September meeting that he will convene on Iraq will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in a frank and forward-looking dialogue about the countrys future.

CONGOLESE MILITIAMEN SURRENDER THEMSELVES TO AUTHORITIES

The UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) says that 34 militia members surrendered themselves and their weapons during the past week at various locales throughout the Ituri district in the countrys north-east.

This brings the total number of combatants who have surrendered since the beginning of June to 4,816; and during the same period, approximately 2,400 weapons of different types and over 350,000 units of ammunition were recovered.

Meanwhile, on the political front, MONUC says that preparations for the second round of the presidential elections as well as for the provincial elections are ongoing. Ballot papers are being printed in South Africa, while the electoral kits are being disseminated throughout the country, with the Missions help.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), William Swing, has warned against a repeat of the violence in Kinshasa last month, saying that they could tarnish the image of the DRC, which is competing with UN peacekeeping activities elsewhere, namely in Sudan, Timor-Leste and Lebanon.

Swing said resources are not unlimited, and the DRC should keep showing to the world that it deserves its attention, by moving forward, peacefully and orderly with the electoral process.

MONUC says that so far, the two candidates for the second round of the presidential elections Joseph Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba have not met yet. But this week could see them meet due to the diplomatic efforts of the international community.

President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Aldo Ajello, the European Unions Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, arrived in Kinshasa on Sunday; and Javier Solana, the European Unions High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Affairs is due to arrive there tonight.

HUMANITARIAN CHIEF RAISES CONCERNS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED

WITH UGANDAN PRIME MINISTER

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland is continuing his eight-day, three-nation mission to Africa. He is currently in Juba, South Sudan, to follow up on the peace talks between the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) now taking place there.

This morning, he met with the Ugandan Prime Minister. Among other things, they discussed the situation in the north of the country, and Egeland raised some of the issues brought to him by the communities of internally displaced persons that he met with over the weekend.

Egeland is expected to be in Nairobi tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Force Commander of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is due to arrive tomorrow in Kampala, to discuss with Ugandan authorities the repatriation of LRA rebels hiding in the DRC, in connection with the Peace Agreement signed in South Sudan last week.

Asked about Egelands position on the indictments of Lords Resistance Army leaders, given that he recently called LRA deputy leader Vincent Otti, the Spokesman said it is clear that the indictments must stand.

UNITED NATIONS HELPS COTE DIVOIRE DEAL WITH TOXIC WASTE CRISIS

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that it has sent a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team there, to help the Government of Cote dIvoire respond to the recent toxic waste contamination crisis.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have contributed medicines, and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has sent a chemical expert.

In conjunction with the UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI), an inter-agency coordination mechanism has been put in place to conduct to a public awareness raising campaign.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

FOOD AID GOES TO NEPALESE FLOOD SURVIVORS: The World Food Programme (WFP) this week began feeding survivors of recent flooding in the southwestern Nepal. Nearly 80,000 people affected by extensive flooding are believed to be cut off from regular access to food and shelter. Over the weekend the country was again pounded by heavy rainfall, but weve been able to get enough food out to feed nearly 50,000 people for seven days, said Richard Ragan, WFP's Country Director for Nepal.

COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD STARTS SESSION: The Committee on the Rights of the Child began its 43rd session in Geneva today. During its three week session, the body - which oversees implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child - will consider a number of country reports. Additional information is available at: www.ohchr.org.

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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