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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
OF THE UNITED NATIONS

�山����HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, August 2, 2004

ANNAN STRESSES CHALLENGES COTE D’IVOIRE LEADERS FOLLOWING AGREEMEND AT ACCRA SUMMIT

• Just before midnight Friday, at an African summit in Accra, Ghana, co-chaired by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Ivorian parties one by one an agreement to re-launch the peace process in the divided country.
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• The President of Cote d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, agreed to use the powers invested in him by the constitution to carry out the Linas Marcoussis agreement of nearly two years ago regarding guidelines as to who is eligible to run for the presidency of the country. He also agreed, in the name of national unity, to take back into the government three opposition cabinet members he dismissed in May.
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• Other provisions of the agreement include the delegation of powers to the Prime Minister, investigation into human rights abuses and a monitoring mechanism to report on progress in the implementation of the accord.
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• Asked at a afterwards if the agreement would be honored when past agreements had failed, the replied, “Times change. The people are tired. The leaders themselves are beginning to realize that they need to get a handle on this.”
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• In an interview before he left Accra, the Secretary-General stated, “I’m challenging the Ivorian leaders to rise above the fray and to put their personal and selfish interests aside and work for the nation and the people.”
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• The Secretary-General will be back at work at �山����Headquarters this afternoon.

�山����ENVOY CO-CHAIRS IMPLEMENTATION MEETING IN SUDAN

• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan, , is in Khartoum, , attending a meeting of the Joint Implementation Mechanism, which he co-chairs with the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Mustafa Ismail.
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• Among the main items being discussed is the report of the Joint Verification team that visited Darfur between July 23 and 26 to assess the humanitarian and security situation in that region.
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• Also on the issue of Darfur, the Secretary-General’s Representative on , Francis Deng, has called for a comprehensive settlement to address the root causes of displacement in Darfur and all of Sudan.
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• In a statement issued today, following his just-completed mission to the Sudan, he notes that he found a situation of persistent insecurity and human rights violations as the paramount concern of the displaced.
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• Deng calls for Sudan to transform itself and forge a new, common and inclusive framework of national identity. He says that resisting this would be “imprudent, unsustainable and self-defeating.”
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• Regarding humanitarian assistance to Darfur, the today that it had begun airdrops of food to the most inaccessible parts of the Darfur region. The food will reach more than 70,000 displaced people and local residents who have been cut off from aid because of the rainy season and insecurity.
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• Asked whether the 30-day period for Pronk to report to the Security Council on Sudan has started, the Spokesman said that “the clock is ticking.”��
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• He noted that, following the signing of the Joint Communiqué, Pronk is expected to meet the Sudanese Foreign Minister every two weeks. In addition, he said, the Secretary-General expects a monthly report from Pronk, while Council Resolution 1556 calls for a report on Sudan every month.

RUSSIA TAKES OVER SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY

• With the start of the new month, Russian Ambassador Andrey Denisov has taken over the rotating of the .
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• There are no Council meetings or consultations today, as Ambassador Denisov meets bilaterally with other Council members to discuss the program of work for August. On Tuesday, the Council intends to hold consultations on the program of work for this month.
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• Then, at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, following his presentation of credentials to the , Ambassador Denisov will speak to reporters about the Council’s work during August.

MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF AFGHANS REGISTERED TO VOTE

• More than 90 percent of the Afghans eligible to vote have now registered to do so, the said Sunday. As of July 29, more than 8.6 million Afghans were registered to vote, including more than 5 million men and more than 3.5 million women.
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• Afghanistan’s Joint Electoral Management Body today said that voter registration in the country will end on August 15.

UNICEF APPEALS FOR $13.4 MILLION AFTER BANGLADESH FLOOD

• , the �山����Children’s Fund, has issued an urgent appeal for $13.4 million to help people affected by the recent floods in . The were the worst since 1998, and 25 million people have been affected.
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• The sewage systems in many places have collapsed, and 1.5 million people have taken refuge in temporary shelters – almost 60 percent of them children. The floods have also affected an estimated 30,000 schools, with many of them shut down.
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• The funds are needed to supply 60 million water purification tablets, supplies to manage diarrhoea and cholera outbreaks, and food for infants and children.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO �山����PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN PARAGUAY EXPLOSION: Asked whether any �山����personnel had been involved in the explosion that struck Asuncion, Paraguay, the Spokesman later said that the �山����Security Coordinator had reported that no �山����staff members were killed or injured in that explosion.

UNITED NATIONS TIGHTENS SECURITY MEASURES: Asked whether the United Nations had been mentioned in a recent terror threat, the Spokesman said that, on the advice of the New York Police Department, the United Nations further tightened its security measures over the past weekend.

FIRST RUSSIAN FOOD DONATION ARRIVES IN NORTH KOREA: The (WFP) has the arrival of a major shipment of Russian food aid to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. WFP says the shipment will help support millions of malnourished children and women over the coming weeks. The donation is the largest part of an $11 million dollar contribution by Russia, and first ever through WFP. WFP has appealed for almost 500,000 tons of commodities to help feed 6.5 million North Koreans this year; so far, it has received confirmed pledges amounting to 125,000 tons.

�山����HUMANITARIAN OFFICE ESTABLISHES PRESENCE IN ETHIOPIA: The has established a presence in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, to help improve humanitarian assistance there following a drought in some areas. International agencies on the ground, including the , the �山����Children’s Fund, talk of a humanitarian crisis that will develop if rural communities are not assisted during the drought. Already, the water situation for humans and livestock is becoming critical in many districts.

FAO TO LAUNCH EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IN LATIN AMERICA: The (FAO) will an international campaign on education for rural people in Latin America. The campaign aims to improve agricultural productivity and reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty in Latin American. The campaign, run with , is part of an initiative on global education for rural people.

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