United Nations Daily Highlights, 06-07-12

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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 MARIE OKABE

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

MIDDLE EAST: ANNAN URGES MAXIMUM RESTRAINT

Secretary-General Kofi Annan met in Rome today with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, and he told reporters afterward that they both felt extremely concerned about what is happening in the Middle East.

The Secretary-General condemned without reservation the attack that took place in the southern Lebanon [region] and demanded that the captured Israeli troops be released immediately. He added that leaders in the region should do whatever they can to press all parties to exercise restraint.

The Secretary-General warned that the region was a very dangerous part of the world where we would not want to see an escalation. He stressed that all concerned should exercise maximum restraint, adding that every effort must be taken not to harm civilians.

The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister also discussed other issues, including Darfur, Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea.

In the afternoon, he went on to meet with the Foreign Relations Committees of the Italian Senate and Chamber of Deputies. This evening, he will be the guest at a dinner hosted by Foreign Minister Massimo DAlema.

Asked how the Secretary-General would respond to the violence in the

Middle East and whether he was in touch with the Quartet, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General was constantly in touch with the members of the Quartet, and was also in contact with concerned leaders today.

She said that he had spoken today with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and also intended to make calls to the leaders of Israel and Syria, to appeal for the release of the soldiers and for all parties to exercise maximum restraint.

Asked whether he would send any envoys, the Spokeswoman noted that he already has envoys on the ground and is also personally involved in efforts to calm the situation.

Asked whether the Secretary-General has any comment on the killing of a Palestinian family in Gaza, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General was distressed by the news of that killing. The Secretary-General, Okabe said, deplores this action. He reminds Israel of its obligation under international law to protect civilians from the effects of the conflict, and calls on all sides to exercise maximum restraint.

U.N. REPRESENTATIVE IN LEBANON CONDEMNS HEZBOLLAH ATTACK

Geir Pedersen, the Secretary-Generals Personal Representative for Lebanon, condemned todays Hizbollah attack in the strongest possible terms.

He said he was deeply disturbed by this violent breach of the Blue Line, which contradicts the stated intent of the Lebanese side to maintain calm and stability along the Line.

Pedersen called on Hizbollah to release the soldiers and urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any further escalation.

UNITED NATIONS CONDEMNS INDIA BOMBINGS

In a presidential statement read following the noon briefing by Security Council President Jean-Marc de la Sablière of France, the Security Council underlined the need to bring the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of those reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice, and urged all States to cooperate actively with the Indian authorities in that regard.

The Council reaffirmed the need to combat by all means threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, and reminded States that any measures they take to combat terrorism should comply with their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.

In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, the Secretary-General said "such acts cannot possibly be excused by any grievance."

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED IN SUDAN AND COTE DIVOIRE

The Security Council this morning is hearing from Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, about the recent developments at the African Union Summit in Banjul, the Gambia, concerning

Sudan and Cote dIvoire.

Speaking in the Councils closed consultations, Guéhenno informed the Council of the Secretary-Generals meetings in Banjul with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Ivoirian President Laurent Gbagbo, as well as with other leaders.

He also discussed the mini-summit in Cote dIvoire that followed the meetings in Banjul.

UNITED NATIONS HELPING LIBERIA IMPLEMENT TREATY OBLIGATIONS

Responding to an initiative of the Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United Nations and the World Bank are helping the Liberian Government with its implementation of the wide range of treaty obligations resulting from the record number of treaty actions undertaken by Liberia in September 2005.

Along with other UN officials, UN legal officers are currently in Monrovia enhancing awareness of the international rule of law through training seminars and workshops in treaty law and practice.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOLDS INTERACTIVE HEARINGS ON MIGRATION

Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown this morning addressed the General Assemblys informal interactive hearings on migration.

The aim of the hearings is to provide an opportunity for civil society to interact with Member States and offer input for the September High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development.

In his remarks, the Deputy Secretary-General flagged the Secretary-Generals recent report on migration, which highlights the benefits of international migration and will be the basis for the High-Level Dialogue.

Referring to the Dialogue, the Deputy Secretary-General said it had three goals: to raise awareness; examine the relationship between migration and development; and to see how migration could best work to promote development.

U.N. MISSION TO INVESTIGATE POLICE RESPONSE

TO DEMONSTRATION IN D.R CONGO

The UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) says it has opened an inquiry into yesterdays police reaction to a demonstration in the capital Kinshasa, which was violently dispersed, allegedly because the events organizers lacked proper authorization.

The UN mission notes that Congolese laws provide for the right to hold public demonstrations, and yesterdays demonstration, having been duly announced, should not have been prohibited and repressed.

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME MAY HAVE TO HALT OPERATIONS IN CHECHNYA

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that it will have to halt its Chechnya operation entirely in three months unless fresh pledges are made soon.

So far, WFP has only managed to get 28% of the $22 million it needs to feed 250,000 Chechens this year.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

New agreement signed governing high-seas fishing in Indian Ocean: The Comoros, France, Kenya, Mozambique, New Zealand and Seychelles and the European Community signed the South Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) following two days of talks last week at the Rome headquarters of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Actions under SIOFA include establishing mechanisms to monitor fishing, providing annual reports on operations, conducting inspections of ships to verify they are in compliance with regulations, and denying landing and discharging privileges to those who do not comply.

HEALTH CAMPAIGN BEGINS TODAY TO HELP 3.5 MILLION ANGOLANS: The government of Angola and its partners in the Measles Initiative the Global Fund on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the U.S. Presidents Malaria Initiative are launching an integrated health campaign to provide life-saving interventions for Angolan children. The campaign, which begins today in Luanda, is targeting more than 3.5 million children with measles and polio vaccinations, vitamin A, de-worming medication, and long-lasting insecticide treated nets.