HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON
BRIEFING
BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Thursday, 18 August 2005
SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES MOROCCAN P.O.W. RELEASE
The Secretary-General
welcomes the decision by the Frente POLISARIO to release all remaining 404
Moroccan prisoners of war, who are being repatriated today to the Kingdom of
Morocco by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). He expresses
his appreciation to all parties involved, in particular the ICRC and United
States Senator Richard Lugar.
The Secretary-General considers the release a positive
step, and expresses his hope that it will serve to foster better relations
between the parties and contribute to overcoming the present political
impasse.
The Secretary-General reiterates his call on the Kingdom
of Morocco and on the Frente POLISARIO to continue cooperating with the ICRC
to account for those who are still missing.
LAWLESSNESS,
ARMED CLASHES INCREASING IN SUDAN
In his monthly
report on Darfur, the Secretary-General notes an upsurge in clashes
between armed movements and the government.
He said a descent into lawlessness by the armed
movements, and unprecedented violence against humanitarian workers demand
urgent action.
He says when the Abuja peace talks reconvene next week
the parties must seize the opportunity to honour the memory of former Vice
President John Garang by negotiating an end to the conflict and giving the
people of Darfur a full voice in the future of a just, prosperous and united
Sudan.
U.N. ENVOY TO
DISCUSS U.N. REFORM IN YANGON
In answer to a prior question, the Spokesman said that
Ali Alatas, the Secretary-General’s Envoy for UN Reform, today met in Yangon,
Myanmar, with Myanmar’s Foreign Minister, U Nyan Win. They discussed the UN
reform proposals laid out in the President of the General Assembly’s draft
outcome document.
During his trip to Myanmar, Alatas is also to meet with
Senior General Than Shwe, as well as with members of the National Convention
Convening Commission and Government-related social groups.
In response to questions about whether Alatas would
discuss domestic issues concerning Myanmar, the Spokesman emphasized that
Alatas would focus on UN reform and the draft outcome document. His work,
Dujarric said, is part of his duty as one of the UN envoys who have been
traveling to Member States, to engage as many of the 191 Member States as
possible in the discussions on UN reform. In that context, Alatas is meeting
with senior officials in Myanmar.
Asked about the draft outcome document, the Spokesman
said that discussions in the General Assembly on it were scheduled to resume
on 22 August.
U.N. HELPING
VICTIMS OF BULGARIA FLOODS
The UN is
continuing to provide emergency
assistance to Bulgaria, following heavy flooding there.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
and the UN Development Programme are authorizing emergency cash grants, and
the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has handed out blankets, kitchen utensils,
containers, water purification tablets and rehydration salts.
For its part, the World Health Organization is on standby
to help the Bulgarian Government, which is concerned about a possible spread
of disease.
According to OCHA, the ongoing flooding has hit more than
a quarter of the Bulgaria’s population, led to 20 deaths, and caused an
estimated $633 million in damage.
SECRETARY-GENERAL TO RECEIVE GHANAIAN AWARD
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will accept an award in
Accra, Ghana.
The 2005 Award for Global Excellence is bestowed on a
citizen of Ghana who has distinguished himself in the international arena,
especially in championing the cause of world peace, and the eradication of
poverty and diseases worldwide.
Every five years Millennium Excellence Awards are
organized to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in Ghanaian society.
U.N. TO
COMMEMORATE 2ND ANNIVERSARY OF BAGHDAD BOMBING
Tomorrow is the two-year anniversary of the bombing of
the UN headquarters in Baghdad, in which 22 people lost their lives and
hundreds more were injured.
In New York, staff will be invited to observe a minute of
silence at 10:30 a.m. Other UN offices around the world will also observe a
minute of silence at other times throughout the day.
We will also have a message from the Secretary-General to
mark the occasion.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
OMAN PAYS DUES IN FULL: Yesterday, Oman became the
102nd Member State to pay its regular
dues in full, with a
payment of $1,245,659.
U.N. ENVOY IN COTE D’IVOIRE CALLS FOR COMPROMISE:
The head of the
UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire today called upon all parties in that country
to refrain from blocking the peace process. In a press conference shortly after
his return from a visit to South Africa where he met with mediators in the
Ivorian conflict, the Special Representative of the Secretary General in Cote
d’Ivoire, Pierre Schori, called on all parties to engage in a process of
dialogue and compromise.
U.N. ELECTORAL OFFICIAL TO FACE CHARGES: Asked about
the head of the Electoral Assistance Division, Carina Perelli, the Spokesman
said that Perelli was given a charge letter, concerning management and
harassment issues, by the Office of Human Resources Management on 4 August, and
was given two weeks to reply. She has not yet responded, but has until the close
of business today to do so. He noted that the charges she was presented do not
concern financial issues.
U.N. SUPPORTING CIVIL PROCESS IN IRAQ: Asked about
action to stem the violence in Iraq, the Spokesman said that the United Nations
is playing a key role in supporting the electoral process and the drafting of a
Constitution, and it strongly feels that such an effort is one way of helping to
bring security to the country.
Office
of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
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