United Nations Daily Highlights, 10-05-18

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MARTIN NESIRKY

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

AFGHANISTAN: U.N. ENVOY STRONGLY CONDEMNS ATTACK IN KABUL

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for

Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, has condemned in the strongest possible terms the attack in Kabul today which reportedly killed tens of Afghan civilians, a number of international troops and left several dozen other Afghan civilians injured.

De Mistura has offered his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those who were injured.

U.N. MIDDLE EAST COORDINATOR COMMENDS ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PROXIMITY TALKS

The Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, has been briefing the

Security Council this morning.

In his remarks there, he commended the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli Government for their political courage for going ahead with the proximity talks.

He also noted the situation in Gaza, welcoming initial steps to ease the impact of its closure with the transport of certain materials but stressed that the current increase is just the start in addressing Gazas needs and that much more is needed.

SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WEST BANK STUDENTS WINNER OF AWARD AT SCIENCE FAIR

The Secretary-General met with three inventive and resourceful students from an

UNRWA school near Nablus in the West Bank.

Aseel Abu Aleil, Aseel Alshaar and Noor Alarada were competing with 1,500 finalists from around the world at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in San Jose, California, last week.

The 14-year-old girls picked up an award in applied electronics for inventing an electronic "sensor cane" for the visually impaired. What is different about this invention is that for the first time it sends an infrared signal downwards as well as forwards.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO TAKE UP RECENT MISSION TO D.R. CONGO

The head of the Councils recent mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, French Ambassador G�rard Araud, will tomorrow brief Council members on that trip.

He iss expected to speak at the press stakeout area once hes done.

ENHANCED TRANSPARENCY IS KEY TO RESOLVING CONCERNS ON IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAMS

In response to a question on Iran's nuclear activities, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General appreciates the diplomatic initiative of President Lula of Brazil and Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey on the supply of nuclear fuels for the Tehran Research Reactor.

Clearly, Nesirky added, the Secretary-General is of the view that enhanced transparency and openness is the key to resolving the outstanding concerns on Irans nuclear programmes. And in this regard, the agreement could be a positive step, the Secretary-General has said, in building confidence about Irans nuclear programmes if followed by broader engagement with the that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the international community.

The Secretary-General also understands that the IAEA has received yesterday the text of the Joint Declaration which was signed by Iran, Turkey and Brazil in Tehran on 17 May. The Agency is now expecting a written notification from Iran that it agrees with the relevant provisions included in the Declaration.

"The Secretary-General looks forward to an assessment by the IAEA on the substantive elements of the declaration," Nesirky said. "He also urges once again that Iran comply fully with the relevant Security Council resolutions and provide cooperation to the IAEA to the fullest extent to resolve all the outstanding concerns over its nuclear programmes."

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL STARTS TWO-DAY VISIT TO CAMEROON

Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro is in Yaounde, Cameroon, today for a two-day visit. She is attending the New Challenges for Africa, an international conference focusing on the continents development. The event is being hosted by Cameroon to mark the countrys 50th independence anniversary.

In her keynote address today, the Deputy Secretary-General not only praised the continents successes but warned that without durable peace, there will be no sustained development. And without sustained development, Africa will not attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), nor will it successfully implement the New Partnership for Africas Development.

U.N. MISSION IN SUDAN TRAINS COMMUNITY LEADERS TO SUPPORT DISARMAMENT DRIVE

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) has begun a three-day workshop aimed at bringing community leaders from across the flashpoint southern province of South Kordofan to supporting the UN disarmament drive.

The event will help establish partnerships between all key stakeholders in the disarmament process by designating permanent focal points in local communities. The focal points are tasked with promoting social integration and peaceful co-existence. They will also help UN experts sensitize the population on the dangers of small arms.

U.N. ECONOMIC REPORT CALLS FOR JOB CREATION TO BE PRIORITY IN AFRICA

African countries must

prioritize the creation of decent jobs as a central pillar of macroeconomic policy in order to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and eradicate poverty, according to the Economic Report on Africa 2010.

The report, published annually by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union Commission, was launched today. It argues that the current global economic crisis offers African countries an opportunity to lay the foundation for sustainable, employment intensive, high economic growth rates.

Appropriate investment in infrastructure and human capital, renewed and creative efforts at domestic resource mobilization, factor market reforms, incentives to support private-sector employment and efforts to increase productivity and incomes in the informal sector, are needed, the report says.

WFP CONSULTS EXPERTS ON HUMANITARIAN DELIVERY SYSTEMS IN CRISIS ZONES

In an innovative

effort to ensure food can more effectively and safely reach the hungriest people in natural disasters or volatile environments such as Haiti, Afghanistan and Somalia, the World Food Programme (WFP) is today consulting experts from business, humanitarian and military sectors to tap leading-edge knowledge and technology on supply chain controls and risk management.

We will examine the most technologically advanced methods of tracking and delivering food and seek to implement these approaches in our high risk operations, said WFP Executive Director, Josette Sheeran. WFP says that it wants to ensure that every risk mitigation method possible is deployed in reaching non-combatants trapped in wars and victims of natural disasters.

UNICEF HEAD SPEAKS OUT ON GIRLS EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT

Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF, gave a press conference today in Dakar, Senegal, on the margins of the Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality conference.

The

conference, designed to find new ways to ensure that some 56 million children most of them girls do not miss out on their right to education, is being organized by the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) and marks the tenth anniversary of the UNGEI global partnership.

Lake said that there are few more important causes than the right of all children to a decent education and that governments who take a lead to get gender parity in their classrooms are creating an invaluable legacy.

Unless we all work harder, there may still be 56 million children out of school in 2015 56 million lives blighted, and 56 million development opportunities wasted, said Lake. He added that all of

UNICEFs development work child survival, maternal and child health, child protection in the most disadvantaged places hinges on educating girls as well as boys. It is the only way to make sustainable progress, he stressed, adding that efforts needed to be accelerated now.

BAN KI-MOON IS FULLY SEIZED OF THE SITUATION IN SOMALIA

In response to a question on an apparent expression of support to the Somalia President by the UN envoy in the latest political leadership crisis in that country, Nesirky said that the UN envoy, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, has real expertise on the Somalia situation and will be attending the upcoming Somalia conference in Istanbul where the political crisis is sure to be discussed.

Asked for a reaction to the demand by some 300 Somalia parliamentarians that Ould-Abdallah be removed from his post, Nesirky noted that the clear separation of powers between Parliament and the Government in Somalia. "Mr. Ould-Abdallah is the UN envoy to Somalia because the Secretary-General wants him to follow developments very closely." Nesirky added that is because Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon himself is very closely seized of the situation, which explains his co-sponsoring of the upcoming Istanbul Conference on Somalia.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UN ENVOY TO COTE D'IVOIRE TO BRIEF SECURITY COUNCIL LATER THIS MONTH: Asked to comment on recent meetings between Cote d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo and the main opposition leaders, the Spokesperson said the Secretary-General Special Representative in that country, Young-jin Choi, is closely following the situation, especially the preparations for the much-delayed elections. Nesirky added that Mr. Choi will be here in New York later this month to brief the Security Council on recent developments in that country.

BAN KI-MOON APPEALS TO STATES TO HELP FUND PAKISTAN AID APPEAL: Asked if the Secretary-General was concerned about the shortfall in funding for the UN humanitarian work in Pakistan, Nesirky said that Ban Ki-moon has been appealing, as he has in the past, to the generosity of member states. The Spokesperson later added that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the UN Country Team in Pakistan and the UN humanitarian envoy to Pakistan, Jean-Maurice Ripert, have been strenuously advocating for further funding for the country within the context of the Humanitarian Appeal, but thus far, the $538 million appeal remains only 26% funded, with $141 million.

Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

United Nations, SA-1B15

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

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