United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-01-08

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN

HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, January 8, 2004

UNITED NATIONS APPEALS FOR $31 MILLION TO ASSIST BAM QUAKE VICTIMS

In Bam, Iran, the United Nations launched a flash appeal for $31.3 million to meet the needs of people affected by the devastating earthquake. The funding will go towards programs to meet emergency needs and smooth the transition from emergency assistance to medium and long-term recovery. The appeal covers a wide variety of sectors, including food, sanitation and shelter.

At the launch, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland praised the swift response of the Iranian authorities as well as the impressive international solidarity displayed in the quakes aftermath.

Egeland then traveled to Tehran, where he met with Iranian President Mohammed Khatami. Egeland

and a letter from Secretary-General Kofi Annan pledging the UNs long-term assistance for Irans efforts in Bam.

BAM QUAKE UNDERSCORES NEED FOR SAFER GLOBAL HOUSING STANDARDS

Miloon Kothari, the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, says the earthquake in Bam underscores the need for the development of safe housing standards world-wide.

Adequate housing is not only a human right, he said, but it can also ensure that loss of life and human suffering during natural disasters can be reduced.

U.N. MISSION NOTES DIFFICULTIES IN AFGHANISTAN REGISTRATION

The UN Mission in Afghanistan says that more than 270,000 Afghans have registered to vote so far in the countrys eight main cities more than 215,000 men and just under 60,000 women.

That voter registration rate, as the Secretary-General noted in his report this week to the Security Council, is far below the rate necessary to complete registration for elections later this year.

Manoel de Almeida e Silva, spokesman for the Mission, said today that the registration rate is not moving as fast as needed to meet an election date by this June. He added, It is close to impossible to meet the June date with the current security conditions that do not permit registration teams to go throughout the country.

Asked what the United Nations would do if voter registration rates do not improve, the Spokesman said that, in that case, the June target date would appear to be out of reach.

TOP U.N. PEACEKEEPING OFFICIAL COMPLETES VISIT TO PAKISTAN

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno has just completed a visit to Pakistan, during a trip to encourage nations to contribute further troops to UN peacekeeping efforts.

During his few days in Islamabad, Guéhenno was able to meet with President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mahmoud Kasuri. He is now on his way to Bangladesh.

ANNAN BELIEVES MOMENTUM GROWING FOR KOREA TALKS

The Secretary-General, in a statement issued Wednesday, said there was growing momentum for the resumption of the six-party talks, thus advancing the Beijing process intended to resolve the nuclear and related issues in the Korean Peninsula.

While urging the parties to the talks to intensify their preparations, the Secretary-General is encouraged by the recent statement by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), as well as the response to it by the countries concerned.

Asked whether the United Nations sought a presence in Beijing, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General has a Special Envoy, Maurice Strong, who is doing what he can to deal with the DPRK on the humanitarian side, and, where possible, on the political side. The Spokesman added that it was not felt that Strong would need to be present at the six-party talks.

SECURITY COUNCIL SUPPORTS ANNAN ON ETHIOPIA, ERITREA

The Security Council has scheduled no meetings or consultations for today.

The Council President, Ambassador Heraldo Muñoz of Chile, read out a press statement on Eritrea and Ethiopia on Wednesday afternoon. Voicing concern about the lack of progress in the demarcation process, Council members expressed support for the Secretary-Generals intention to consider additional measures to move forward with demarcation and the peace process and help the parties overcome their differences, in particular through good offices. They noted that this offer does not represent an alternative mechanism. They also called upon Ethiopia and Eritrea to respond constructively to proposals by the Secretary-General in this regard.

WORLD TOBACCO DEMAND TO INCREASE UNTIL 2010

World tobacco demand is expected to increase until the year 2010, but at lower rates than in the past, the Food and Agriculture Organization says in a new study today.

FAO says that world tobacco production is projected to reach over 7.1 million tons in 2010, up from 5.9 million tons from 1997 to 1999. Meanwhile, the number of smokers is expected to grow from 1.1 billion in 1998 to about 1.3 billion in 2010.

At the same time, the study says, cigarette consumption per person is declining in the developed world, and modestly declining in developing countries including China, the worlds major cigarette consumer.

GLOBAL WARMING THREATENS A MILLION SPECIES WITH EXTINCTION

Following the release today of a major study on climate change, Klaus Toepfer, the executive director of the UN Environment Programme, has called attention to the importance of bringing into force the Kyoto Protocol.

The scientific paper, published in the journal Nature magazine, warns that a million species are threatened with extinction unless greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced.

Toepfer adds that the figure of one million may be underestimated, and billions of people especially in the developing world would also suffer, as they rely on nature for essential goods and services, such as food and shelter.

ACTION NEEDED NOW TO REACH HEALTH GOALS SET AT MILLENNIUM SUMMIT

Many developing countries will not be able to reach health-related Millennium Development Goals unless action is taken now and sustained over the next 12 years. Thats the message from the World Health Organization and the World Bank, which are hosting the first session of a high-level summit on the issue in Geneva today and Friday.

The health Goals include reducing maternal mortality, improving access to safe drinking water and essential drugs, and halving the number of people who suffer from hunger.

WHO and the World Bank add that lack of progress in the health area is likely to affect progress towards other Millennium Development Goals.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162 - press/media only

Fax. 212-963-7055

All other inquiries to be addressed to (212)

963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org

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