<downingstreetsays>
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-01-20 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-01-20#entryid_143720" rowid="42026061" side="un" srcid="143720" text="&lt;p&gt;
I have a statement on the announcement of the preliminary results of the elections in   Iraq. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement by the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) of the preliminary results of the 15 December election.&amp;#160; The Secretary-General pays tribute to the courage and determination of the Iraqi people for participating in large numbers in this national election. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Once the final results are announced, the Secretary-General calls upon all Iraqi political parties to come together in a spirit of national reconciliation to form an inclusive and fully representative government that will serve all the Iraqi people.&amp;#148;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General is pleased that the United Nations has been able to support the IECI in conducting the two national elections as well as the constitutional referendum last year under very challenging circumstances. The United Nations remains fully committed to implementing its mandate under Security Council resolution 1546 (2004) in support of the Iraqi people in their efforts to build a peaceful, prosperous, democratic and united   Iraq.&amp;#148;&lt;/p&gt;

" title="   &lt;u&gt;Iraq&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-04-24 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-04-24#entryid_142160" rowid="42027973" side="un" srcid="142160" text="&lt;p&gt;
From   Iraq, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative for   Iraq, yesterday offered his congratulations on the election of the new Iraqi political leadership.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Speaking on the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s behalf, Mr. Qazi offered his best wishes to the officials elected over the weekend by the Council of Representatives and congratulated Jawad al-Maliki on his nomination as Prime Minister-designate.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Qazi hopes that the election of   Iraq&amp;#146;s Presidency, Prime Minister and Speaker will lead to the strengthening of democratic institutions and consolidation of the political process. &amp;#160;He hopes that   Iraq&amp;#146;s political leaders will seize this new political momentum to form a government of national unity in a manner that will heal political and social divisions.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="   &lt;u&gt;Iraq&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-01-20 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-01-20#entryid_143716" rowid="42026057" side="un" srcid="143716" text="&lt;p&gt;
And also out on the racks today is a report by the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). In it, the Secretary-General says that the political and security environment in   Lebanon continues to be fragile, with Hezbollah attacks across the Blue Line in November being the greatest cause of recent concern. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
He also warns that the rocket firing incidents by unidentified armed elements, which took place in August and December, carried significant potential for military escalation. He says he is encouraged by   Lebanon&amp;#146;s commitment to hold the perpetrators of such attacks responsible, so as to avoid their recurrence. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Also, the report adds, persistent Israeli air incursions into Lebanese airspace remain a matter of deep concern. The Secretary-General recommends to the Security Council a six-month extension of that force, of UNIFIL, and the Council is scheduled to discuss   Lebanon next Wednesday.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Also regarding   Lebanon, Serge Brammertz, the new Commissioner for the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC), arrived in   Beirut yesterday to assume charge of the Commission. Brammertz spoke briefly to reporters on his arrival, saying that he felt deeply honoured that the Secretary-General had selected him for this assignment. And he added that his priority will remain to assist the Lebanese authorities in their investigation. And we have a full press release from the Commission, which was released in   Beirut, available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="   &lt;u&gt;Lebanon&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-04-24 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-04-24#entryid_142165" rowid="42027978" side="un" srcid="142165" text="&lt;p&gt;
From   Nepal, our human rights colleagues there tell us that protests continued throughout the country today, though in relative terms, things remained quiet. &amp;#160;Despite the  11 a.m. to 6 p.m. curfew in  Kathmandu, human rights teams were able to monitor the area, visiting hospitals and investigating the security forces&amp;#146; behaviour over the past days.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The human rights office in   Nepal is now focused on the massive demonstration, which the Seven-Party Alliance is planning for tomorrow in  Kathmandu. &amp;#160;The office is renewing its appeal for the use of non-violence by demonstrators and strict observance by security forces of international standards regulating the use of force and firearms in law enforcement.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Our human rights colleagues are also keeping a list of prominent journalists and civil society leaders who have been arrested after taking part in peaceful demonstrations. &amp;#160;The UN human rights office is concerned that the conditions under which they are being kept are not adequate or suitable for prolonged detention.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that hospitals in  Kathmandu are reported to be overcrowded, with bullet wounds, baton injuries and tear gas-induced respiratory problems as the most common ailments. &amp;#160;A UN assessment team is now on the ground and has so far visited six hospitals today. &amp;#160;And we do have more information upstairs. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="   &lt;u&gt;Nepal&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-04-24 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-04-24#entryid_142166" rowid="42027979" side="un" srcid="142166" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General expresses concern over civil disturbances in the   Solomon Islands following the election of the Prime Minister on  18 April 2006. &amp;#160;He calls on the people of   Solomon Islands to refrain from acts of violence and reaffirm their commitment to a peaceful and constitutional resolution of their differences in a spirit of goodwill which they convincingly demonstrated during the general elections. &amp;#160;He welcomes the assistance provided to the Government of Solomon Islands by the Pacific Islands Forum through the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to restore order.&amp;#160; The Secretary-General stands ready to complement the efforts of the regional partners.&amp;#160; That statement is upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="   &lt;u&gt;Solomon Islands&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-05-15 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-05-15#entryid_176024" rowid="42038076" side="un" srcid="176024" text="

The World Food Programme (WFP) today urged the international community to redouble its efforts in support of the agency&amp;#146;s recently up-scaled lifesaving operation in the   Central African Republic.&amp;#160; WFP&amp;#146;s country director says that the current infrastructure cannot cope with the scale of its new operation, so WFP is going to have to do the job itself.&amp;#160; The job includes necessary repairs to roads and bridges, which are crumbling in decay.&amp;#160; You can read more about this in a WFP press release upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;


" title="   Central African Republic" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-05-15 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-05-15#entryid_232801" rowid="26753457" side="un" srcid="232801" text="

The World Food Programme (WFP) today urged the international community to redouble its efforts in support of the agency&amp;#146;s recently up-scaled lifesaving operation in the   Central African Republic.&amp;#160; WFP&amp;#146;s country director says that the current infrastructure cannot cope with the scale of its new operation, so WFP is going to have to do the job itself.&amp;#160; The job includes necessary repairs to roads and bridges, which are crumbling in decay.&amp;#160; You can read more about this in a WFP press release upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;


" title="   Central African Republic" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-12-11 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-12-11#entryid_227336" rowid="26762569" side="un" srcid="227336" text="

We also have an update from OCHA on the situation in northern and eastern   Uganda, which was devastated by flooding between August and October.&amp;#160; The first wave of emergency response was a success, it says, with food delivered to those in need and any outbreak of epidemic disease prevented, but much more is needed to help the population recover.&lt;/p&gt;


There&amp;#146;s more on that, as I mentioned. &lt;/p&gt;


" title="   Uganda" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-12-11 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-12-11#entryid_262855" rowid="42043426" side="un" srcid="262855" text="

We also have an update from OCHA on the situation in northern and eastern   Uganda, which was devastated by flooding between August and October.&amp;#160; The first wave of emergency response was a success, it says, with food delivered to those in need and any outbreak of epidemic disease prevented, but much more is needed to help the population recover.&lt;/p&gt;


There&amp;#146;s more on that, as I mentioned. &lt;/p&gt;


" title="   Uganda" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-23 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-23#entryid_142710" rowid="42027320" side="un" srcid="142710" text="&lt;p&gt;
Turning now to the avian flu, the Food and Agriculture Organization has given the Afghan Government pressure sprayers, protective glasses, masks and rubber boots, as well as gloves, reusable overalls and disinfectants, to help control the spread of bird flu.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Following the recent outbreak among birds, FAO experts are continuing to test poultry and other birds collected in different provinces, and have attended culling operations in   Kabul.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And so far, no human cases of bird flu have been reported in   Afghanistan. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan  &amp;#150;- Avian Flu&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-09-12 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-09-12#entryid_138350" rowid="42031318" side="un" srcid="138350" text="&lt;p&gt;
Meanwhile, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Antonio Maria Costa, today called for robust military action by NATO forces to destroy the opium industry in southern   Afghanistan.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Presenting the 2006 Annual Opium Survey in  Brussels, he said that counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics efforts must reinforce each other in   Afghanistan&amp;#146;s turbulent southern region, so as to stop the vicious circle of drugs funding terrorists and terrorists protecting drug traffickers.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Costa invited coalition countries to give NATO the required mandate and resources for this task.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan  &amp;#150;- Opium&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-02-07 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-02-07#entryid_142936" rowid="42026361" side="un" srcid="142936" text="&lt;p&gt;
Violence in protest at the cartoons that have appeared in some European newspapers has taken place in several parts of   Afghanistan in recent days, and the UN Mission in   Afghanistan, in a statement it issued today in   Kabul, expressed great concern at the attacks.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The   Mission urged all parties to avoid all acts and statements that could further inflame the situation, adding that violence and destruction of property cannot be condoned under any circumstance.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And we have that statement available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan  - Cartoons&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-03-19 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-03-19#entryid_133413" rowid="42036502" side="un" srcid="133413" text="&lt;p&gt;
Also from Afghanistan, the Mission today flags a briefing by UNICEF, which reports that more than 6 million boys and girls in grades one through 12, have returned to school over the past year. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
You can read more about it in the briefing notes from   Kabul.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan  -- Education&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-04-10 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-04-10#entryid_170546" rowid="42037115" side="un" srcid="170546" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General is deeply concerned over the level of insecurity in   Afghanistan, as witnessed by events over the weekend in the south and south-west of the country.&amp;#160; These included the senseless murder of an Afghan journalist, who was abducted by the Taliban; an improvised explosive device attack, which killed six Canadian troops; and the murder of six Afghan deminers; as well as the murder of nine civilians, including five children, by a suicide bomber.&amp;#160; The Secretary-General expresses his condolences to the bereaved families and the respective Governments.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General strongly condemns such acts of violence and calls upon the Government of Afghanistan and the international community, including ISAF, to redouble their efforts to ensure stability, combat impunity and ensure an environment of respect for human rights.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm10939.doc.htm&quot;&gt;&lt;u&gt;Statement&lt;/u" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-03 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-03#entryid_146336" rowid="42023021" side="un" srcid="146336" text="&lt;p&gt;
And lastly, some good news from   Afghanistan:&amp;#160; the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization today reports that an operation designed to control locusts in croplands there has been successful. &amp;#160;All the main agricultural areas have now been cleared of locusts, according to the FAO. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And that is it for me. &amp;#160;Any questions?&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-04 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-04#entryid_146356" rowid="42023041" side="un" srcid="146356" text="&lt;p&gt;
From   Kabul, the United Nations Children&amp;#146;s Fund (UNICEF) reports that an Afghan child today has a 1 in 7 chance of dying before the end of her first year. &amp;#160;And, even if he or she survives to be one year old, she has a 1 in 5 chance of dying before her fifth birthday, largely because of common childhood diseases that can be prevented through immunization or improved hygiene.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
That&amp;#146;s some of the information provided today by UNICEF&amp;#146;s regional director for  South Asia in a press briefing in   Kabul, and we have more information on that upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-16 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-16#entryid_146554" rowid="42023239" side="un" srcid="146554" text="&lt;p&gt;
Turning to   Afghanistan, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s latest report on   Afghanistan notes the rise in the level of insurgency in that country, as well as in the sophistication of the insurgents&amp;#146; weaponry.&amp;#160; Southern and eastern parts of the country have borne the brunt of the recent upsurge in violence.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General says it is impossible to overestimate the importance of restoring security in   Afghanistan as a condition for the sustainability of the peace process.&amp;#160; He adds that the external sources of support for the insurgents must be tackled.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
As   Afghanistan prepares for elections this September, the Secretary-General says, he trusts that its people will, once again, show their keen interest in the democratic process and will participate massively in the polls.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And we have copies of the report on the racks.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-22 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-22#entryid_146638" rowid="42023323" side="un" srcid="146638" text="&lt;p&gt;
A report by   Afghanistan&amp;#146;s Independent Human Rights Commission and the UN Mission in that country notes a number of recent positive developments recently in Afghan&amp;#146;s political process, including progress in voter registration.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
At the same time, the report also notes some worrying trends. &amp;#160;The escalation of violent attacks against candidates, election staff, civic educators and community leaders is particularly alarming, it says, and poses the greatest threat to the election process.&amp;#160; We have copies of that report upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-09-01 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-09-01#entryid_145866" rowid="42023478" side="un" srcid="145866" text="&lt;p&gt;
Some 7 million Afghan children under the age of five will be vaccinated against polio in a three-day campaign, starting on 5 September.&amp;#160; Forty thousand people will be involved in the vaccinations and monitoring, which is being supported by the UN Children&amp;#146;s Fund and the World Health Organization.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
There&amp;#146;s more information on this in today&amp;#146;s briefing notes from   Kabul,  Afghanistan.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-09-08 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-09-08#entryid_145948" rowid="42023560" side="un" srcid="145948" text="&lt;p&gt;
On   Afghanistan, the UN Mission in   Afghanistan reports a slight increase in the number of former officers and soldiers who&amp;#146;ve now jointed the reintegration programme.&amp;#160; So far, more than 60,000 people have either entered or completed the process, representing about 98 per cent of all demobilized fighters.&amp;#160; And we have more details in the   Kabul briefing notes upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-09-16 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-09-16#entryid_146068" rowid="42023680" side="un" srcid="146068" text="&lt;p&gt;
In   Afghanistan, the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children&amp;#146;s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) all announced that they will be supporting an Afghan Government campaign this week to deworm 6 million Afghan children across the country. &amp;#160;The programme will treat six-to-twelve-year-olds for intestinal parasites, an affliction that affects a high percentage of Afghan children.&amp;#160; And we have more information on that upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-09-19 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-09-19#entryid_146095" rowid="42023707" side="un" srcid="146095" text="&lt;p&gt;
From   Afghanistan, we issued a statement yesterday saying that the voting in that country&amp;#146;s National Assembly election and Provincial Council election showed once again the clear determination of the Afghan people to pursue peaceful and democratic development in their nation.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General urged the candidates and their supporters to cooperate fully with the electoral authorities to ensure that the process, including vote counting and the certification of results, unfolds in a peaceful and orderly manner.&amp;#160; We have a full statement upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-09-27 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-09-27#entryid_146215" rowid="42023827" side="un" srcid="146215" text="&lt;p&gt;
Turning to   Afghanistan, Jean Arnault, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative for   Afghanistan, expressed his great concern at the killing this afternoon of a candidate in the Wolesi Jirga election.&amp;#160; That candidate was named Ashraf Ramazan.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemns this murder and calls upon the Afghan authorities to carry out a thorough investigation and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-09-29 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-09-29#entryid_146248" rowid="42023860" side="un" srcid="146248" text="&lt;p&gt;
The UN Mission in   Afghanistan today condemned in the strongest terms yesterday&amp;#146;s suicide attack against members of the Afghan National Army in   Kabul.&amp;#160; It expressed sympathy to the families of the victims and its best wishes for the recovery of the wounded.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The UN Mission also paid tribute to all the soldiers and officers of the Afghan National Army that have laid down their lives in the accomplishment of their mission.&amp;#160; The United Nations Mission said that yesterday&amp;#146;s attack is yet another reason for the Afghan people to reject violence and rally in support of the national army.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-10-13 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-10-13#entryid_145407" rowid="42024102" side="un" srcid="145407" text="&lt;p&gt;
The UN Mission in   Afghanistan today strongly condemned an attack which took place yesterday and that resulted in the killing of five Afghan aid workers in the   Kandahar province. &amp;#160;Two others were wounded in the attack.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The gravity of this incident is further compounded by the fact that the aid workers -- a medical team -- were on their way to help Afghans staying at an internally displaced persons camp. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The UN Mission expressed its sympathy to the wounded and the relatives of those killed in the incident.&amp;#160; It also said it is convinced that the people of   Afghanistan will see in this brutal attack further reason to rally against all forms of violence.&amp;#160; We have further details in today&amp;#146;s   Kabul briefing notes, and also we have a transcript of the press briefing the UN Mission gave on the work it is doing in the western city of   Herat.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-10-19 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-10-19#entryid_145570" rowid="42024265" side="un" srcid="145570" text="&lt;p&gt;
And out on the racks today is a report from High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour on human rights in   Afghanistan, which says that, despite some successes in disarmament, a great deal remains to be done.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The security situation continues to pose a great challenge to protecting human rights in   Afghanistan, with security threats including the continued power of factional commanders. &amp;#160;Meanwhile, the human rights of women and children, although improved, remain a matter of great concern for Ms. Arbour.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-10-24 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-10-24#entryid_145682" rowid="42024377" side="un" srcid="145682" text="&lt;p&gt;
The UN Mission in   Afghanistan today expressed its concern about the case of an Afghan journalist who was sentenced to two years in prison for publishing an article considered by a court to be offensive to Islam. &amp;#160;The   Mission, in a statement, said it believes the right of freedom of expression applies to everyone, including journalists, and should be strongly defended.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-12-13 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-12-13#entryid_144207" rowid="42025595" side="un" srcid="144207" text="&lt;p&gt;
Jean Arnault, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative for   Afghanistan, today opened a conference on transitional justice in   Afghanistan, organized jointly by the UN Mission and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.&amp;#160; Mehr Khan Williams, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed the conference and said that   Afghanistan cannot afford not to address the issue of accountability.&amp;#160; The past must be confronted if it is not to come back to haunt us, she said.&amp;#160; And we have copies of her statement, and that of Mr. Arnault upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-01-03 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-01-03#entryid_143476" rowid="42025817" side="un" srcid="143476" text="&lt;p&gt;
And, also, in nearby   Afghanistan -- following heavy rains in the last few days in the northern part of the country, the UN Mission in   Afghanistan is coordinating distribution with other UN agencies of transport items like blankets and stoves to affected areas. &amp;#160;UN agencies were informed that the Deh Dadi district of the   province of  Balkh appears to have suffered the worst, with some 50 to 60 houses reported to be damaged.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And, we have additional information from the briefing notes from the   Mission upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Also on   Afghanistan, we had told you last week of an exchange of letters between the Security Council and the Secretary-General about the new head of that   Mission, and that is now official.&amp;#160; The Secretary-General has decided to appoint Tom Koenigs of   Germany as his new Special Representative for   Afghanistan and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).&amp;#160; He will replace Jean Arnault of   France, who will complete his assignment in February of this year.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And, we have a full bio of Mr. Koenigs available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-01-18 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-01-18#entryid_143673" rowid="42026014" side="un" srcid="143673" text="&lt;p&gt;
Turning to   Afghanistan, the outgoing head of the United Nations Mission in   Afghanistan, Jean Arnault, yesterday afternoon briefed the Security Council and he told Council members about the post-electoral   Afghanistan and how things have been going since September. &amp;#160;With the outcome of these consultations, the Compact for   Afghanistan is to be launched on 31 January of this year. &amp;#160;Speaking at an open briefing of the Council, Arnault said that the Compact is &amp;#147;a comprehensive and strong blueprint for what will be, in the next five years, an intensive exercise in peacebuilding&amp;#148;. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-02-16 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-02-16#entryid_143165" rowid="42026590" side="un" srcid="143165" text="&lt;p&gt;
And lastly, Tom Koenigs took up today his post in   Kabul as the head of the UN Assistance Mission in   Afghanistan. &amp;#160;We have a press release with more details on that, and as you know, he replaces ... [Jean Arnault] &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
It&amp;#146;s not very good, but that&amp;#146;s it from me -- I will now take your questions.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-02-20 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-02-20#entryid_143247" rowid="42026672" side="un" srcid="143247" text="&lt;p&gt;
And today in   Kabul,  Afghanistan, the United Nations is organizing a landmark meeting of female members of both houses of the Afghan Parliament.&amp;#160; Dozens of participants are to share their experiences, with all 68 female members of the lower house and 17 women of the upper house invited to attend.&amp;#160; The event is organized jointly by UNDP and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And we&amp;#146;ll have more details in today&amp;#146;s briefing notes from   Kabul, which are available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-02-23 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-02-23#entryid_143346" rowid="42026771" side="un" srcid="143346" text="&lt;p&gt;
Tom Koenigs, the new head of the UN Mission in   Afghanistan, said at his first press conference in   Kabul today that attacks against schools and teachers amount to a denial of human rights for   Afghanistan&amp;#146;s children.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
He said, &amp;#147;I can only appeal to those who apparently disagree with the development   Afghanistan takes, leave   Afghanistan&amp;#146;s children alone.&amp;#148;&amp;#160; We have a full transcript of his press conference available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-02-28 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-02-28#entryid_143455" rowid="42026880" side="un" srcid="143455" text="&lt;p&gt;
And turning to   Afghanistan, the World Food Programme (WFP) has called on donors to urgently provide funds to its operations in that country, which is facing critical shortages. &amp;#160;WFP needs $11 million in order to keep supplying food to 3.5 million Afghans during the coming months.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Meanwhile, the UNHCR is tomorrow restarting its repatriation operation from   Pakistan to   Afghanistan after the usual winter break. &amp;#160;Some 400,000 Afghans are expected to return to   Afghanistan this year. &amp;#160;And there is information on both these developments.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-06 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-06#entryid_142421" rowid="42027031" side="un" srcid="142421" text="&lt;p&gt;
From   Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, who heads the UN Assistance Mission in that country, today expressed his sadness at the murder over the weekend of Mohammed Hashim, an Afghan engineer who had worked for UN-HABITAT in the   province of  Farah.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Hashim was dragged from his car by six armed men and shot dead on Saturday.&amp;#160; UN-HABITAT and   Afghanistan&amp;#146;s Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, in a joint statement, urged the authorities to bring the perpetrators of this murder to justice.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
We have a press release upstairs, as well as today&amp;#146;s   Kabul briefing notes, which also mentions Koenigs first trip to northern   Afghanistan.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-10 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-10#entryid_142504" rowid="42027114" side="un" srcid="142504" text="&lt;p&gt;
Turning to   Afghanistan, the Secretary-General, in a report that has gone to the Security Council and the General Assembly, says that security continues to be a major challenge in that country.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
He points to different causes of conflict in   Afghanistan, including the continued insurgency and terrorism, factional violence, and the influence of the narcotics trade.&amp;#160; He adds that there are other necessary conditions to improve the security situation, including the disarmament of illegal armed groups and the development of credible, sustainable national security institutions.&amp;#160; And that report is available as I mentioned.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-16 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-16#entryid_142586" rowid="42027196" side="un" srcid="142586" text="&lt;p&gt;
From Afghanistan, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and our UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan are advising the Afghan Government on how to best control the bird flu virus in that country.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The virus&amp;#146; presence in   Afghanistan was confirmed following tests at the FAO lab in   Italy.&amp;#160; The samples that were tested were collected from birds in various locations, including in   Kabul and Jalalabad.&amp;#160; The UN is currently helping the Afghan Government to cull birds in affected areas, disinfect poultry markets, compensate poultry farmers, and increase public awareness of the disease.&amp;#160; So far, no human cases have been reported.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-04-11 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-04-11#entryid_141875" rowid="42027688" side="un" srcid="141875" text="&lt;p&gt;
Also upstairs is a statement by Tom Koenigs, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative for   Afghanistan on today&amp;#146;s attack on a school in the eastern part of that country.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
In it, he says that he is shocked and saddened by the incident, which resulted in the death of six children and the wounding of 14 other people.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Stressing that the children of   Afghanistan should not be targeted by such violence, he adds that he knows that all Afghan communities and the entire international community will join him in condemning this atrocity.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-04-27 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-04-27#entryid_142249" rowid="42028062" side="un" srcid="142249" text="&lt;p&gt;
And from Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative and Head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan, told reporters in Kabul today that he has seen a growing commitment among neighbouring countries to stability in the region. &amp;#160;He is especially encouraged by the initiatives of the   Afghanistan and Pakistan Governments to cooperate on intelligence sharing and security efforts.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Asked about the security situation in southern   Afghanistan, Koenigs said that, although three quarters of the country is &amp;#147;on a good path&amp;#148;, the security situation still has to improve in the southern quarter. &amp;#160;He said that the UN Mission will try to increase its presence in the south during the course of this year. &amp;#160;And we have his full transcript upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-05-01 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-05-01#entryid_141012" rowid="42028160" side="un" srcid="141012" text="&lt;p&gt;
Tom Koenigs, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative for   Afghanistan, is visiting   Iran today and tomorrow to promote regional cooperation.&amp;#160; He is scheduled to meet with   Iran&amp;#146;s Foreign Minister and other senior officials.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Yesterday, Koenigs participated in the first meeting of the high-level body bringing together the Afghan Government and the international community to oversee the implementation of the Afghanistan Compact.&amp;#160; He said that the meeting marked a very important step towards achieving that ambitious plan.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And we have his comments available for you upstairs, as well as other press releases.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-05-04 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-05-04#entryid_141125" rowid="42028273" side="un" srcid="141125" text="&lt;p&gt;
On   Afghanistan, the World Food Programme (WFP) has called on donors to provide urgently needed funds to its   Afghanistan operation, to ensure food assistance to 3.5 million Afghans.&amp;#160; It warns that there will be a break in food supplies this month, without fresh donations.&amp;#160; WFP requires more than 50,000 tons of food, costing $40 million, to maintain its operations until December 2006.&amp;#160; And we have a press release from WFP upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-05-15 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-05-15#entryid_141337" rowid="42028485" side="un" srcid="141337" text="&lt;p&gt;
And on that issue, a statement was issued over the weekend by Tom Koenigs, the head of the UN Mission in   Afghanistan, expressing his sadness at Friday&amp;#146;s attack on a UNICEF vehicle, which resulted in the deaths of a UNICEF driver and an Afghan doctor, and the serious wounding of a second UNICEF staff member.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Koenigs stressed that there can be no reason to justify murder and maiming. &amp;#160;All United Nations staff share a common commitment to seeing   Afghanistan at peace, and able to rebuild, he emphasized, adding that he will work to ensure that the individuals responsible for this attack are found and properly brought to account.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Meanwhile, UNICEF&amp;#146;s Executive Director Ann Veneman added, in a separate statement that: &amp;#160;&amp;#147;Any threat to the safety of humanitarian workers around the world is unacceptable.&amp;#148;&amp;#160; And we have both of those statements upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-05-30 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-05-30#entryid_141621" rowid="42028769" side="un" srcid="141621" text="&lt;p&gt;
Turning now to the situation in   Afghanistan, the UN Mission in   Afghanistan says calm has returned to the streets of   Kabul, following violence there that was believed to have been sparked by a road accident.&amp;#160; Several UN offices and guesthouses where UN staff have been staying were damaged during the violence.&amp;#160; The   Mission says it will keep a close eye on the situation but it expects UN offices to return to normal operations tomorrow.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
A few minutes ago, when the Secretary-General spoke about   Afghanistan, he said he was saddened by the loss of life, and that he has been in contact with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and   US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about measures that could be taken to bring the situation under control. &amp;#160;He added that the UN would keep working with the Afghan Government to strengthen its institutions.&amp;#160; And we do expect to have a transcript of the SG&amp;#146;s remarks available to you shortly.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-06-05 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-06-05#entryid_140375" rowid="42028881" side="un" srcid="140375" text="&lt;p&gt;
From  Afghanistan, speaking to reporters in   Kabul today, Tom Koenigs, the head of the UN Mission in that country, said that the violence that took place last week can only be described as a tragedy.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
He stressed that it is important to learn from the lessons from last week&amp;#146;s disturbances, and that the UN Mission would raise the matter of the Afghan police&amp;#146;s failure to contain the disturbances with the Government. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Koenigs emphasized that, if   Afghanistan is to move forward, mob violence must be replaced by the rule of law.&amp;#160; He added that the United Nations remains committed to working towards a prosperous, stable and peaceful   Afghanistan.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And, we have more in the briefing notes from   Kabul, which are available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-06-19 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-06-19#entryid_140694" rowid="42029200" side="un" srcid="140694" text="&lt;p&gt;
The UN Mission in   Afghanistan has called on security forces, both national and international, to ensure the safety and protection of local communities in areas where operations are taking place.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Also, in the press briefing by the  Mission in  Kabul earlier today, the spokesman noted the latest casualties among deminers in   Afghanistan.&amp;#160; They also noted that deminers have cleared more than 1 billion square metres of contaminated land across   Afghanistan since 1990, but more than 700 million square meters of contaminated land still remain. &amp;#160;The remaining contaminated land affects an estimated 4 million Afghans.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And we have more information on that in the briefing notes from   Kabul.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-06-21 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-06-21#entryid_140757" rowid="42029263" side="un" srcid="140757" text="&lt;p&gt;
Finally, on  Afghanistan, while the struggle to win the World Cup goes on in  Germany, football fever is spreading among   Afghanistan&amp;#146;s children, thanks to a donation of hundreds of footballs from the staff of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The footballs, made especially for the  Mission by disabled Afghans and paid for from staff donations, will be delivered to schools, orphanages and prisons across   Afghanistan.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The  Mission&amp;#146;s staff football team was also on hand at a high school in   Kabul today to coach a new generation of aspiring football players.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
There&amp;#146;s a press release on this subject upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-07-05 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-07-05#entryid_139735" rowid="42029479" side="un" srcid="139735" text="&lt;p&gt;
And finally, on  Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative for  Afghanistan, said today that he was appalled by the explosions that took place in   Kabul today and yesterday.&amp;#160; It is an outrage that anyone should attempt to inflict new pain and loss upon the Afghan people, when their wounds are still not healed.&amp;#160; And we have copies of his statement upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And that&amp;#146;s all I have for you.&amp;#160; We will have the Security Council President for the month of July in just a few minutes.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Any questions for me?&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-07-25 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-07-25#entryid_140101" rowid="42029845" side="un" srcid="140101" text="&lt;p&gt;
And, on   Afghanistan, the United Nations, together with the Government of Afghanistan, today launched a six-month humanitarian appeal.&amp;#160; Amounting to over $76 million, the appeal aims to meet the urgent needs of more than 2.5 million Afghans suffering from drought and food insecurity.&amp;#160; There is a press release on that upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
That&amp;#146;s all I have for you, today.&amp;#160; Anything for me? Yes?&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-08-03 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-08-03#entryid_138849" rowid="42030169" side="un" srcid="138849" text="&lt;p&gt;
And lastly, some good news out of   Afghanistan. &amp;#160;UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan Ameerah Haq presented a trophy this morning to the winners of the first-ever Kabul Girls Football Competition.&amp;#160; Haq calls the event a &amp;#147;milestone&amp;#148; for young Afghan women, who just five years ago were not even allowed to attend school, let alone play sports.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And we have a press release on that upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Are there any questions for me before we go onto Mr. Fawzi?&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-08-04 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-08-04#entryid_138892" rowid="42030212" side="un" srcid="138892" text="&lt;p&gt;
On  Afghanistan, UNICEF reports today that schools in   Afghanistan are becoming increasingly the targets of attacks, and noted that reported incidents have spread to all provinces and include 11 explosions, 50 school burnings, and 37 threats against schools and communities. &amp;#160;Six children have died as a result of that violence.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
While UNICEF and the Afghan Government are taking steps to protect students, the latest string of threats, intimidations and violent attacks are worrisome.&amp;#160; UNICEF calls on all parties to cease targeting children, education works and schools.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And, since this is Friday, we also have upstairs for you the Week Ahead.&amp;#160; Are there any questions for me before we turn to Mr. Fawzi?&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-08-07 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-08-07#entryid_138947" rowid="42030267" side="un" srcid="138947" text="&lt;p&gt;
Lastly, on  Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, the head of the UN Mission in  Afghanistan, today gave a press conference in   Kabul in which he said that the UN Mission is playing an important coordination role in some of the Afghan efforts to improve the security situation in the south, and consequently will be expanding its presence in the south and south-east.&amp;#160; Very shortly, he said, two more offices of the UN Mission will be opening, in the towns of Qalat and Asadabad.&amp;#160; Those offices will work with local officials to strengthen good governance and the rule of law, as well as monitor human rights and encourage development.&amp;#160; And we have a transcript of that press conference upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
We&amp;#146;ll have further information shortly about the situation in the  Middle East from Ahmed Fawzi, who is the Director of the News and Media Division of the Department of Public Information.&amp;#160; Are there any questions before that for me?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&lt;u&gt;Questions and Answers&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-08-31 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-08-31#entryid_139695" rowid="42031015" side="un" srcid="139695" text="&lt;p&gt;
Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), will give a preview of his Office&amp;#146;s 2006 Afghan Opium Poppy Survey at a press conference this Saturday in   Kabul.&amp;#160; Also attending will be the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
According to UNODC, poppy cultivation in   Afghanistan will show an increase in 2006 after a fall in 2005.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-09-05 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-09-05#entryid_138153" rowid="42031121" side="un" srcid="138153" text="&lt;p&gt;
Also over the weekend, the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said that opium cultivation in   Afghanistan rose 59 percent in 2006, largely due to a dramatic increase in the southern provinces.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The UNODC Executive-Director, Antonio Maria Costa, said in  Kabul, &amp;#147;  Afghanistan is increasingly hooked on its own drug&amp;#148;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And we have a press release on that upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-09-21 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-09-21#entryid_138539" rowid="42031507" side="un" srcid="138539" text="&lt;p&gt;
Now turning to   Afghanistan.&amp;#160; The Secretary-General, in his latest report on   Afghanistan, says that the most significant development there in recent months has been the upsurge in violence, particularly in the south, south-east and east of the country.&amp;#160; It is estimated that more than 2,000 people, at least a third of them civilians, have lost their lives in the fighting since the start of this year.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General writes that the recent violence represents a watershed, warning that at no time since the Taliban fell in late 2001 has   Afghanistan faced so severe a threat.&amp;#160; The report notes a broad insurgency, which relies heavily on cross-border fighters, many of whom are Afghans drawn from refugee camps and radical seminaries in   Pakistan.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General says that the expansion of the International Security Assistance Force to the south of   Afghanistan is particularly welcomed and timely, and he strongly encourages all nations to continue to support the Force.&amp;#160; He also calls for the need to deal with corruption and the narcotics industry in the   Afghanistan.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-09-25 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-09-25#entryid_138609" rowid="42031577" side="un" srcid="138609" text="&lt;p&gt;
The UN Mission in Afghanistan today expressed its sorrow that Safia Annajan, the Director of Women&amp;#146;s Affairs in Kandahar, was shot and killed this morning outside the front gate of her home as she left for work in that southern Afghan city.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The UN Mission in   Afghanistan is appalled at what it called &amp;#147;the senseless murder of a woman who was simply working to ensure that all Afghan women play a full and equal part in the future of their country&amp;#148;.&amp;#160; We have a press release upstairs with more details from   Afghanistan.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-10-03 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-10-03#entryid_137373" rowid="42031720" side="un" srcid="137373" text="&lt;p&gt;
From  Afghanistan, the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it is concerned about the increasing number of internally displaced persons in southern   Afghanistan, following the recent hostilities between Government forces, NATO and insurgents.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
UNHCR, together with the UN Children&amp;#146;s Fund, has sent supplies for children to approximately 3,200 families in the area.&amp;#160; The World Food Programme, for its part, is providing food aid.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-10-23 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-10-23#entryid_137827" rowid="42032174" side="un" srcid="137827" text="&lt;p&gt;
On Sunday, the Afghan Government and the United Nations appealed for a further $43 million to respond to the humanitarian needs of people affected by  Afghanistan&amp;#146;s drought and those families displaced by the recent conflict in southern   Afghanistan.&amp;#160; &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
That is on top of the appeal launched in July for nearly $76.4 million, for an initial six month-period.&amp;#160; Approximately 53 per cent of that appeal has been received so far.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
It is now estimated that, due to the drought conditions, 1.9 million people will need food assistance -- 200,000 more than estimated in July. We have a press release with more on that upstairs for your information.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-11-13 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-11-13#entryid_136863" rowid="42032753" side="un" srcid="136863" text="&lt;p&gt;
A high-level delegation from the United Nations Security Council arrived in   Kabul,  Afghanistan over the weekend to review the progress and challenges facing the country as it strives to cement peace and stability following decades of conflict.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The delegation is led by the Japanese Ambassador, Kenzo Oshima, who said upon arrival in Kabul, &amp;#147;We all recognize that there is much more that needs to be achieved but I am convinced that with the continuing commitment of the Afghan people we can and will succeed in bringing peace, stability and progress to Afghanistan.&amp;#148;&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-11-28 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-11-28#entryid_137246" rowid="42033136" side="un" srcid="137246" text="&lt;p&gt;
A couple more items for you, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Bank released a report today on   Afghanistan, noting that efforts to combat opium production in that country have achieved only limited success, and have lacked sustainability and have been marred by corruption.&amp;#160; In fact, the drug trade is becoming more and more controlled by fewer powerful players with strong political connections, the report adds.&amp;#160; And we have that press release available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-11-29 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-11-29#entryid_137279" rowid="42033169" side="un" srcid="137279" text="&lt;p&gt;
The World Food Programme (WFP) is racing to complete food deliveries to impoverished Afghans living in communities that will be cut off once the bitter cold arrives and heavy snows set in.&amp;#160; WFP has already delivered some 16,000 tons of food to a number of provinces in   Afghanistan.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-01-15 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-01-15#entryid_135182" rowid="42034325" side="un" srcid="135182" text="&lt;p&gt;
On  Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative for   Afghanistan, welcomed an Afghan presidential decree confirming the appointment of 40&amp;nbsp;new police officials to the country's national force as a step towards stability.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Koenigs said, in a statement released in   Kabul on Saturday, that all of the officials had been selected based on &amp;#147;merit, integrity and experience&amp;#148;.&amp;#160; He expressed confidence that &amp;#147;their skills, experience and commitment to public service will serve them well as they continue the work of cementing much needed peace and stability across   Afghanistan&amp;#148;. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-01-16 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-01-16#entryid_135228" rowid="42034371" side="un" srcid="135228" text="&lt;p&gt;
On  Afghanistan, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says that, since the repatriation to  Afghanistan started in 2002, more than 1 million Afghan returnees from  Pakistan and   Iran have built homes with UNHCR assistance. And we have more details in a UNHCR press release upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-02-02 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-02-02#entryid_133914" rowid="42035110" side="un" srcid="133914" text="&lt;p&gt;
High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has expressed concern that the national stability plan passed by   Afghanistan&amp;#146;s lower house of Parliament, the Wolesi Jirga, on 31 January, could lead to past serious human rights violations going unpunished.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The High Commissioner said the plan &amp;#147;will undermine the process towards securing long term peace through re-establishing the rule of law in   Afghanistan&amp;#148;. &amp;#160;And we have her full statement on this upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-02-21 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-02-21#entryid_134509" rowid="42035705" side="un" srcid="134509" text="&lt;p&gt;
And turning to  Afghanistan, the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Margareta Wahlstr&amp;#246;m, completed a visit to  Kabul and  Kandahar in  Afghanistan and, in a press conference in   Kabul, said that she is quite impressed by the progress that is visible, saying that she saw improvements in the country, including in the south.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
But, she added that, to sustain progress, we also need to become much better at covering all parts of   Afghanistan with assistance.&amp;#160; Wahlstr&amp;#246;m said: &amp;#147;Our concern for the south and other areas that are difficult to access is really to ensure that this lack of access does not undermine progress and the relative stability we have in the rest of the country.&amp;#148;&amp;#160; We have the transcript of that press conference upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-03-05 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-03-05#entryid_132960" rowid="42036049" side="un" srcid="132960" text="&lt;p&gt;
Divergent trends characterize opium cultivation in  Afghanistan this year, with a pronounced divide between the troubled south of the country and the more stable centre-north, according to a survey by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and   Afghanistan&amp;#146;s Ministry of Counter Narcotics.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The trend towards more and more provinces in   Afghanistan cultivating opium may be broken,&amp;#148; UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa said. &amp;#160;&amp;#147;This is a moderately good sign.&amp;#148;&amp;#160; We have more on that upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-03-19 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-03-19#entryid_133414" rowid="42036503" side="un" srcid="133414" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General&amp;#146;s most recent report on   Afghanistan is out as a document. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
It will be discussed by the Security Council tomorrow, and the Special Representative, Tom Koenigs, will brief you too.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
In his report, the Secretary-General recommends that the mandate of the UN  Mission, due to expire on 24 March, be extended for a further 12 months. &amp;#160;He says that it is time for the international community to reconfirm its commitment to   Afghanistan and to move expeditiously to consolidate the accomplishments of the last six years.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The   Mission, he says, should focus in the coming months on promoting a more coherent international engagement in support of the Afghanistan Compact; strengthening its humanitarian coordination role and contribution to the protection and promotion of human rights; and extending its good offices role through outreach inside the country and support for regional cooperation.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-04-09 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-04-09#entryid_170216" rowid="42037073" side="un" srcid="170216" text="&lt;p&gt;
On  Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative for   Afghanistan, yesterday condemned the murder of Afghan journalist Ajmal Naqshbandi, who had been abducted by Taliban extremists on March 5. &amp;#160;He called on the authorities to bring those responsible to justice.&amp;#160; &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Koenigs said, &amp;#147;The perpetrators of this crime have shown absolute indifference to the value of human life,&amp;#148; and added that the rights of journalists to go about their work, free from interference or harm, should be recognized and respected by all. &amp;#160;We have his full statement upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
On Saturday, a serious attack took place on a convoy of civilian demining and security personnel, in which seven Afghan deminers were killed and another two wounded. &amp;#160;The UN Mission in   Afghanistan strongly condemned this attack on individuals who are actively working to improve the lives and safety of the Afghan community.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Meanwhile, also on Afghanistan, UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have responded to recent flooding in the country by providing food, shelter, and other vital assistance for hard-hit families. &amp;#160;For its part, WFP has pre-positioned 350,000 tonnes of food in five locations around   Afghanistan for rapid deployment to the most vulnerable families.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-04-10 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-04-10#entryid_170545" rowid="42037114" side="un" srcid="170545" text="&lt;p&gt;
And also on Afghanistan today, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees says the number of Afghan refugees it has helped to return home voluntarily from Pakistan since 2002 has now passed the three million mark, making it the largest such operation in the refugee agency&amp;#146;s history.&amp;#160; UNHCR notes, however, that more than two million Afghans remain in   Pakistan, adding that the situation can only be resolved with continued international support.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-04-11 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-04-11#entryid_170760" rowid="42037137" side="un" srcid="170760" text="&lt;p&gt;
Turning to  Afghanistan, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, singer Clay Aiken took part in a press conference at the UN Mission&amp;#146;s headquarters in   Kabul this morning.&amp;#160; Aiken said that the people of   Afghanistan were without question the country&amp;#146;s greatest natural resource.&amp;#160; He especially highlighted the eagerness for learning among people of all ages. &amp;#160;And there is more in a press release from UNICEF upstairs on that.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Afghanistan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-02-13 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-02-13#entryid_143051" rowid="42026476" side="un" srcid="143051" text="&lt;p&gt;
And the UNHCR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, today says that rare torrential rains over the last few days in the desert region of Tindouf in western   Algeria have destroyed houses in three refugee camps and left homeless some 50,000 refugees.&amp;#160; Since last Thursday, the highly unusual non-stop torrential rains destroyed 50 per cent of the mud-brick homes in the camps, leaving another 25 per cent of shelters seriously damaged and on the verge of collapse.&amp;#160; UNHCR said it is joining other agencies to address the problem.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And there is a press release upstairs with more information on this.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Algeria&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-03 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-03#entryid_142382" rowid="42026992" side="un" srcid="142382" text="&lt;p&gt;
And UNHCR also reports it&amp;#146;s stepping up its efforts to help some 60,000 Sahrawi refugees left homeless by recent flooding in three camps in western   Algeria. &amp;#160;And we have a press release on that.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Algeria&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-04-11 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-04-11#entryid_170766" rowid="42037143" side="un" srcid="170766" text="&lt;p&gt;
I have a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm10940.doc.htm&quot;&gt;statement&lt;/a&gt; attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on   Algeria.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the terrorist bombings that occurred today in   Algeria, killing and wounding many innocent civilians, in what has been reported as an attempt against Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem.&amp;#160; He extends his sincere condolences to the Government and people of   Algeria and, in particular, to the families of the victims.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General believes this deplorable incident, the latest in a series of similar attacks in the Maghreb region as a whole, shows the need for concerted international action against terrorism, which has the effect of undermining the normal functioning of societies and disrupting the lives of ordinary people.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Algeria&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-11-28 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-11-28#entryid_145096" rowid="42025230" side="un" srcid="145096" text="&lt;p&gt;
And in   Spain over the weekend, the High-Level Group on the Alliance of Civilizations began its first meetings in  Mallorca yesterday, and the Secretary-General welcomed the start of its work, in a message delivered by his Special Adviser, Iqbal Riza.&amp;#160; In the message, the Secretary-General says we are experiencing a period of sharply increasing intolerance, extremism and violence, which the High-Level Group is to assess and propose ways to respond.&amp;#160; He says the Group&amp;#146;s overriding goal is that &amp;#147;our common humanity must triumph over perceived differences&amp;#148;. &amp;#160;We have copies of his statements upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Alliance  of Civilizations&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-12-14 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-12-14#entryid_144252" rowid="42025640" side="un" srcid="144252" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General today announced the complete composition of the High-level Group for the Alliance of Civilizations, with two names added:&amp;#160; those of Professor Candido Mendes of   Brazil, and Professor Pan Guang of   China.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The additions bring the membership of the High-level Group to a total of 20, and we have all 20 names available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Alliance  of Civilizations&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-09-05 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-09-05#entryid_138151" rowid="42031119" side="un" srcid="138151" text="&lt;p&gt;
As you know, the High-level Group of the Alliance of Civilizations is holding a working meeting today and tomorrow, to review the draft report that is scheduled to be presented to the Secretary-General in November.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
This is a closed meeting, but a press stakeout has been set up outside Conference Room 8 and will up running until 6:30 this evening.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. in this room, the co-chairs of the Group, Federico Mayor of  Spain and Mehmet Aydin of  Turkey, will brief you on the   Alliance&amp;#146;s work.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And, before you ask, I&amp;#146;m told that most of the members of the   Alliance will be present in the room, except for former Iranian President Khatami, who told us he will not be at the press briefing.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Alliance  of Civilizations&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-12-18 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-12-18#entryid_136358" rowid="42033718" side="un" srcid="136358" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General, along with the Prime Ministers of  Spain and   Turkey, will be in the Trusteeship Council Chamber at 3:45 this afternoon, to present the report of the High-Level Group of the Alliance of Civilizations to an informal plenary meeting of the General Assembly.&amp;#160; In his &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sgsm10805.doc.htm&quot;&gt;remarks&lt;/a&gt;, he is expected to say that the report, launched last month in   Istanbul, shows us a way forward, as it emphasizes the problem is not the faith but rather the conflicts, terrorism and other events of the past several years that have exacerbated tensions amongst people.&amp;#160; He is also expected to say that the United Nations, at its best, epitomizes the work of the   Alliance.&amp;#160; We have in my office embargoed copies of his speech available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Also in connection with the Alliance of Civilizations, I&amp;#146;d like to remind you that Spanish Prime Minister Jos&amp;#233; Luis Rodr&amp;#237;guez Zapatero will be in this room at 5:15 this afternoon to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2006/061218_Zapatero.doc.htm&quot;&gt;brief&lt;/a&gt; you on the work of the   Alliance.&amp;#160; And then tonight at 7 p.m., there will be a concert featuring the West Eastern Divan Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim, and that is in honour of the Secretary-General and in support of the   Alliance of civilizations.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Alliance  of Civilizations&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-05-05 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-05-05#entryid_141139" rowid="42028287" side="un" srcid="141139" text="&lt;p&gt;
UNICEF [United Nations Children&amp;#146;s Fund] is appealing for $1 million to fight a serious cholera outbreak in   Angola.&amp;#160; Despite efforts by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Angolan Government and other partners to get care and medication to the sick, the ongoing rainy season has made it likely that the epidemic will spread.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
According to WHO, the outbreak, which has already claimed over 1,000 lives, is   Angola&amp;#146;s biggest since 1988.&amp;#160; And we have more on that in the   Geneva press briefing notes for today.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Angola&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-05-12 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-05-12#entryid_141311" rowid="42028459" side="un" srcid="141311" text="&lt;p&gt;
Also, from Angola, the UN Children&amp;#146;s Fund today reports that it is distributing emergency supplies in Angola, where a cholera outbreak has sickened tens of thousands of people -- more than a third of them children --&amp;#160; with more than 500 new cases being reported every day.&amp;#160; &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
UNICEF said it has distributed millions of water purification tablets, and hundreds of thousands of oral rehydration treatments. &amp;#160;And we have more details available on that upstairs. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Angola&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-03-26 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-03-26#entryid_133613" rowid="42036702" side="un" srcid="133613" text="&lt;p&gt;
UNHCR also reports that nearly 410,000 Angolan refugees who had fled their country during 30 years of civil war have returned home from neighbouring countries.&amp;#160; The High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, will attend a ceremony tomorrow to officially mark the successful conclusion of what has been the largest repatriation of refugees in  Africa this decade.&amp;#160; And there&amp;#146;s a press release on that, as well.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Angola&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-04-18 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-04-18#entryid_142031" rowid="42027844" side="un" srcid="142031" text="&lt;p&gt;
And also on UNHCR, in answer to questions, I think Matthew was raising, concerning   Australia&amp;#146;s new proposed policies regarding asylum seekers, the UN refugee agency today responded to them, saying that the new measures, which would have new boat arrivals transferred offshore to have their asylum claims processed, raise some serious concerns.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
UNHCR says the new policies would be an unfortunate precedent, marking the first time that a country with a fully functioning and credible asylum system decided to transfer elsewhere its asylum-handling responsibilities in the absence of anything approximating a mass influx.&amp;#160; And we do have more information upstairs in UNHCR&amp;#146;s briefing notes.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Australia  - UNHCR&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-02-22 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-02-22#entryid_143317" rowid="42026742" side="un" srcid="143317" text="&lt;p&gt;
The World Health Organization (WHO), with support from UNICEF, is launching a measles and rubella immunization campaign in   Azerbaijan this Friday. &amp;#160;The two-week campaign, which will target over 3 million 7-to-29-year-olds throughout the whole country, will aim to reach groups in remote rural communities. &amp;#160;Kicking off the campaign will be world-renowned cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich.&amp;#160; We have a press release on that upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Azerbaijan&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-11-10 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-11-10#entryid_144685" rowid="42024819" side="un" srcid="144685" text="&lt;p&gt;
We have a statement today on the   Baghdad bombing. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General strongly condemns the latest suicide bombing that took place today in the centre of   Baghdad, in which more than 30 people were killed and many more wounded. &amp;#160;The Secretary-General is appalled by the continued indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians, which no cause can justify. &amp;#160;He sends his condolences to the families of the victims.&amp;#148;&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Baghdad  Bombing&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-08-16 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-08-16#entryid_139243" rowid="42030563" side="un" srcid="139243" text="&lt;p&gt;
And lastly, a ceremony marking the third anniversary of the 19 August bombing of the UN compound in  Baghdad, which as you know killed 22 of our colleagues, will be observed this Friday from 10:15 a.m. in the lobby of the   General  Assembly  Building.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The programme will consist of a musical programme as well as a statement on behalf of the Secretary-General, and that will be followed by a minute of silence.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Before we turn to our guest, I will take any questions you may have.&amp;#160; Yes, Masood.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Baghdad  Commemoration&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-09-01 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-09-01#entryid_145870" rowid="42023482" side="un" srcid="145870" text="&lt;p&gt;
Regarding   Iraq, the UN Assistance Mission for   Iraq reports that it has begun delivering help to Iraqi groups working on the aftermath of the bridge collapse in   Baghdad that reportedly killed about 1,000 people.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Deputy Special Representative Steffan De Mistura says that the UN Mission has delivered emergency oxygen units to nine hospitals in   Baghdad plus enough health kits to treat 1,000 people.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
De Mistura said the United Nations is also supplying large amounts of emergency drugs and is organizing special financial support for the families of the victims.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Baghdad Bridge  Collapse&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-10-06 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-10-06#entryid_137466" rowid="42031813" side="un" srcid="137466" text="&lt;p&gt;
Also from Africa out today is a letter from the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council on progress in the work of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission on the implementation of the agreement on transfer of authority in the   Bakassi  Peninsula. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
In his letter, the Secretary-General says the United Nations observer team, which is tasked with oversight of the demarcation exercise, has reported that the situation remains calm along the border between the two countries and that some 462 kilometres have so far been demarcated. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General also notes that the Commission will not be able to fully complete its mandate by the end of 2007 and he appeals for voluntary financial contributions to the Commission. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bakassi   Peninsula&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-10-30 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-10-30#entryid_138004" rowid="42032351" side="un" srcid="138004" text="&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General is concerned by the violence in   Bangladesh, related to the forthcoming national elections and transitional arrangements.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;He hopes that the efforts of President Iajuddin Ahmed, who has assumed additional responsibilities as head of the caretaker Government, to consult with the main political parties to find a way out of the present crisis, will bring about the desired results.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General appeals to the major political forces in Bangladesh to work together to find a common ground for the elections, acting in the interest of democracy and the welfare of the entire nation.&amp;#148;&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bangladesh  &amp;#150;- Statement&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-11-28 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-11-28#entryid_137248" rowid="42033138" side="un" srcid="137248" text="&lt;p&gt;
Meanwhile, for those of you who have missed it, we issued a statement attributable to the Spokesman on   Bangladesh yesterday evening, which reads as follows:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General has been following with concern, developments in   Bangladesh ahead of the January 2007 elections.&amp;#160; He wishes to underscore the importance of a peaceful and transparent environment so that these important elections can enjoy the full confidence of the people of   Bangladesh.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;To offer continued UN support to that process, Craig Jeness, Director of the UN&amp;#146;s Electoral Assistance Division, will be visiting   Bangladesh on a mission between 29 November and 1 December on behalf of the Secretary-General.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;Mr. Jeness is expected to meet with the Head of the Caretaker Government and other senior officials, electoral officials as well as representatives of the country's political parties and non-governmental organizations.&amp;#148;&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bangladesh  Statement&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-12-15 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-12-15#entryid_136301" rowid="42033661" side="un" srcid="136301" text="&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General continues to be concerned about the situation in   Bangladesh in the lead-up to next month&amp;#146;s elections.&amp;#160; He hopes that all parties will make the necessary compromises to ensure a peaceful and transparent electoral environment.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;He calls upon the non-party Caretaker Government to ensure a level playing field for the elections, particularly through the restoration of confidence in the Bangladesh Election Commission.&amp;#160; And he encourages the main political parties to work to overcome their differences in the interest of democracy.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General appreciates the efforts by political parties to refrain from the use of violence in their programmes and he urges continued restraint.&amp;#160; He also hopes the Army will continue to play a neutral role, thereby creating an environment conducive to peaceful elections.&amp;#148;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And that statement is available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bangladesh  Statement&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-06-28 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-06-28#entryid_140893" rowid="42029399" side="un" srcid="140893" text="&lt;p&gt;
A mission from the Electoral Assistance Division of the UN Department for Political Affairs yesterday wrapped up a ten-day visit to   Bangladesh, to assess the pre-election environment in that country.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
It recommended that several key steps be taken in the days ahead, including creating a level playing field for all candidates and ensuring that the voter list is accurate and inclusive.&amp;#160; The mission was deeply troubled by the high level of political violence in   Bangladesh, and called for constructive dialogue among the key political parties.&amp;#160; We have a press release on that upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bangladesh&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-01-19 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-01-19#entryid_135387" rowid="42034530" side="un" srcid="135387" text="&lt;p&gt;
UN agencies are helping the Government of Bangladesh to respond to a recent cold wave that has hit that country. For its part, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has released a cash grant of $50,000, to provide warm clothes in the affected areas.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bangladesh&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-29 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-29#entryid_146723" rowid="42023408" side="un" srcid="146723" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General has called for a redoubling of efforts to make into reality the commitments pledged in the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action.&amp;#160; The two items deal with recognizing gender equality and the empowerment of women as a key to development, peace and human rights.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
His comments were part of a message delivered in   Beijing today by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, on his behalf to the tenth anniversary commemoration of the Fourth World Conference on Women.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
We have copies upstairs of that statement, as well as another statement delivered at the same event by UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Beijing  Conference Anniversary&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-12-14 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-12-14#entryid_144257" rowid="42025645" side="un" srcid="144257" text="&lt;p&gt;
Concerning the situation in   Bolivia, the Secretary-General has been closely following the situation in   Bolivia ahead of national elections this weekend.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
He has decided to send his Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Angela Kane, to the country in order to deliver a message on his behalf to President Rodriguez, expressing his support for peaceful and democratic elections.&amp;#160; Ms. Kane is expected to travel to   Bolivia today and to meet with the President on Thursday.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bolivia&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-12-19 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-12-19#entryid_144350" rowid="42025738" side="un" srcid="144350" text="&lt;p&gt;
Late on Friday, we issued a statement noting that Assistant Secretary-General Angela Kane had travelled to   Bolivia on the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s behalf to convey a message of support to the President of Bolivia and the Bolivian people ahead of the elections that took place yesterday.&amp;#160; Ms. Kane delivered a letter from the Secretary-General, in which he emphasized that the election constituted an invaluable opportunity to advance the search for peaceful and democratic solutions to the challenges the Bolivian people face.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bolivia&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-12-20 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-12-20#entryid_144368" rowid="42025756" side="un" srcid="144368" text="&lt;p&gt;
I have a statement on the elections in   Bolivia:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General has followed with great interest   Bolivia&amp;#146;s general elections which were held on December 18&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.&amp;#160; He is pleased to note that a peaceful climate prevailed and that the Bolivian people demonstrated a great sense of civic responsibility.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General reiterates his message calling on all Bolivians to support the new Government and Parliament and to take advantage of the opportunity offered by these elections to work together to reach political and economic agreements to promote stability and progress in the country.&amp;#160; The period ahead will require compromise and consensus-building.&amp;#160; The UN system stands ready to assist the new Government and the people of   Bolivia in addressing the important challenges they face.&amp;#148;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And that statement is available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bolivia&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-02-27 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-02-27#entryid_143436" rowid="42026861" side="un" srcid="143436" text="&lt;p&gt;
Following the recent floods in   Bolivia, the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team has decided to focus on several pressing areas of concern, such as improving water quality and sanitation and extending care to camp dwellers.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bolivia&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-01-22 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-01-22#entryid_135453" rowid="42034596" side="un" srcid="135453" text="&lt;p&gt;
The UN is helping the Government of Bolivia to respond to recent floods and landslides in that country. The World Food Programme (WFP) has already distributed food aid to survivors in parts of southern and central   Bolivia.&amp;#160; According to UN agencies, some 8,000 families have been affected by the floods.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bolivia&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-02-07 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-02-07#entryid_134087" rowid="42035283" side="un" srcid="134087" text="&lt;p&gt;
On  Bolivia, a five-person UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team has arrived in   Bolivia to help that country respond to recent flooding.&amp;#160; In addition, the UN Development Programme is providing fuel to transport urgently needed shelter supplies to hard-hit areas, and UNICEF is working to provide children&amp;#146;s food supplements, tents and mosquito nets.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is helping to coordinate public health activities and provide medicines, and the World Food Programme is distributing food aid.&amp;#160; We have a press release on that in my Office.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bolivia&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-02-13 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-02-13#entryid_134274" rowid="42035470" side="un" srcid="134274" text="&lt;p&gt;
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, is beginning a three-day visit to   Bolivia. She is expected to sign an agreement to establish a UN human rights office in that country. Yesterday, in  Panama, she signed an agreement to establish a similar office for  Central  America.&amp;#160; In addition to meeting with representatives of the Bolivian Government and civil society, she plans to visit an Aymara indigenous community outside of   La Paz.&amp;#160; And there&amp;#146;s more information on her travels upstairs in the Spokesperson&amp;#146;s Office.&amp;#160; &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bolivia&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-02-14 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-02-14#entryid_134328" rowid="42035524" side="un" srcid="134328" text="&lt;p&gt;
On  Bolivia, as the number of people affected by severe flooding in   Bolivia has risen by 25,000 in recent days, UN agencies and their humanitarian partners are working to support the Government of Bolivia in its response. Overall, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, some 200,000 people have been affected by the flooding.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
In response, the World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed food to more than 60,000 people, and is planning to assess needs in  Beni province, where five rivers have overflowed their banks.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Meanwhile, UNICEF has made $30,000 available for water analysis and treatment activities, and for the construction of emergency latrines. Also, the World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization have provided medicines and medical supplies used to treat those injured in the flooding and help prevent the spread of disease.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bolivia&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-02-23 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-02-23#entryid_134594" rowid="42035790" side="un" srcid="134594" text="&lt;p&gt;
And today, this is now on   Bolivia, the United Nations launched a six-month flash appeal for more than $9 million, to help flood survivors there.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
A UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team has been dispatched to help with the relief effort.&amp;#160; In addition, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has made a $50,000 emergency cash grant available, and the UN Development Programme has released $100,000.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
For its part, the World Food Programme has already provided food to more than 12,000 families.&amp;#160; And UNICEF will clean contaminated wells, build temporary latrines, and help rehabilitate schools.&amp;#160; There is a press release with more details of the work of the various agencies on the ground helping the victims there.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bolivia&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-03-07 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-03-07#entryid_133035" rowid="42036124" side="un" srcid="133035" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Brazilian Government, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UNIFEM and UNICEF are today launching a pioneering anti-HIV plan. &amp;#160;The initiative, the first of its kind in  Latin America, is designed to raise HIV awareness specifically among women and help women become less vulnerable to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.&amp;#160; According to UNFPA, HIV infection rates among Brazilian women increased by 44 per cent between 1996 and 2005.&amp;#160; We have a press release on that in my office.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Brazil&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-18 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-18#entryid_146601" rowid="42023286" side="un" srcid="146601" text="&lt;p&gt;
From the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), they&amp;#146;re telling us they&amp;#146;re continuing to provide emergency assistance to   Bulgaria, following heavy flooding there.&amp;#160; The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have handed out blankets, kitchen utensils, and other necessary items.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And, we have more information on that upstairs.&amp;#160; &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Bulgaria  Floods&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-09-19 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-09-19#entryid_146094" rowid="42023706" side="un" srcid="146094" text="&lt;p&gt;
Turning to   Burundi, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s report to the Security Council on   Burundi is out today and is the subject of discussion in this morning&amp;#146;s Security Council consultations.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
In the report, the Secretary-General notes the progress achieved in consolidating peace, but outlines significant challenges ahead, which I&amp;#146;m sure Ms. McAskie will elaborate on just after I&amp;#146;m done.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi  Report&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-06-20 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-06-20#entryid_140748" rowid="42029254" side="un" srcid="140748" text="&lt;p&gt;
We also have a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sgsm10525.doc.htm&quot;&gt;statement&lt;/a&gt; attributable to the Spokesman on   Burundi today.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General welcomes the signing of the Agreement of Principles towards Lasting Peace, Security, and Stability in   Burundi between the Government of Burundi and the PALIPEHUTU-FNL (Forces Nationales de Lib&amp;#233;ration).&amp;#160; He considers the Agreement an important step towards ending the devastating 13-year conflict in that country.&amp;#160; The Secretary-General would like to express his sincere appreciation to the South African Facilitation, members of the Regional Peace Initiative for   Burundi, and the African Union for their crucial contribution.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General calls upon the Government of Burundi and the PALIPEHUTU-FNL to build on this positive step and to continue working together towards reaching an early comprehensive agreement, within the framework of the national Constitution.&amp;#160; He would like to reiterate the United Nations&amp;#146; continued commitment and support to the peace process in   Burundi.&amp;#148;&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi  Statement&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-04 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-04#entryid_146358" rowid="42023043" side="un" srcid="146358" text="&lt;p&gt;
From   Burundi, the United Nations Mission in that country paints a gloomy picture of the human rights situation. &amp;#160;Ismael Diallo, the Chief of the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Mission in   Burundi, told a press conference today that violations occur on a daily basis, but that no arrests are ever made. &amp;#160;Most crimes, he says, are committed by members of the National Defence Forces, as well as members of the National Liberation Front (FNL), the rebel movement, which has so far refused to join the Transitional Government. &amp;#160;Rape is first on the list of all human rights violations observed in   Burundi, according to the report, and that report is available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-10 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-10#entryid_146449" rowid="42023134" side="un" srcid="146449" text="&lt;p&gt;
In   Burundi this week, the Monitoring Commission of the Arusha Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation held its final session, after five years in existence.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Speaking at the end of the session, Carolyn McAskie, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative, urged the Burundian political stakeholders to put in place a government which would bring together Burundians to safeguard national unity. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And we have a press release available on that upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-12 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-12#entryid_146504" rowid="42023189" side="un" srcid="146504" text="&lt;p&gt;
In   Burundi, UNHCR says that it&amp;#146;s seeing a dramatic increase in the number of Burundian refugees returning home from camps in   Tanzania. &amp;#160;Many of the refugees are saying that June&amp;#146;s orderly elections gave them the confidence to return home after up to nine years in exile.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-26 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-26#entryid_146710" rowid="42023395" side="un" srcid="146710" text="&lt;p&gt;
A ceremony to mark the inauguration of   Burundi&amp;#146;s first elected president in more than a decade was held in   Bujumbura today.&amp;#160; To mark the occasion, the Secretary-General has sent a message in which he congratulates the people of   Burundi for their efforts during the country&amp;#146;s transition process.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
He also pays special tribute to   Burundi&amp;#146;s Transitional Government and its leaders, and expresses gratitude to other parties, such as the African Union, which have also helped in   Burundi&amp;#146;s peace process.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Gu&amp;#233;henno, delivered the message on the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s behalf, and we have copies of that statement upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-09-12 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-09-12#entryid_146010" rowid="42023622" side="un" srcid="146010" text="&lt;p&gt;
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General and the President of the   Republic of  Uganda will chair a meeting on   Burundi at  4 p.m. in Conference Room 9.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The meeting was called to mark the installation of the new Government in that country.&amp;#160; And the new President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, will attend, as will heads of State and heads of government from the  Great Lakes region.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The group is expected to establish an international body to coordinate assistance to the new Government.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And the Secretary-General will have a statement that we will make available to you tomorrow probably, or late this afternoon.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-10-14 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-10-14#entryid_145430" rowid="42024125" side="un" srcid="145430" text="&lt;p&gt;
In a letter to the Security Council, the Secretary-General provides an update today on the progress towards the setting up of a mixed Truth Commission and Special Chamber within the court system of   Burundi. In the coming weeks, he said, the UN Operation in   Burundi will initiate preparatory discussions with members of the Government on the nature of those bodies.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
On the basis of the preliminary results of the process of consultations, a UN mission would be dispatched to   Burundi to negotiate the practical implementation and the legal framework involved. And that letter is out on the racks.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-11-23 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-11-23#entryid_145043" rowid="42025177" side="un" srcid="145043" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General&amp;#146;s latest report on   Burundi is on the Security Council web page. &amp;#160;In it, he urges the Government, as well as the international community, to adopt a common approach to resolve the armed conflict in that country.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
He also recommends the extension of the mandate of the UN Mission there for a further six months, until  31 May  2006.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And we do expect to have the Secretary General&amp;#146;s Special Representative in   Burundi, Carolyn McAskie, here some time in the next 10 days to brief you.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-20 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-20#entryid_142636" rowid="42027246" side="un" srcid="142636" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General&amp;#146;s latest report on the UN Operation in Burundi (ONUB) is out on the racks today.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
In it, he says the security and economic situation in   Burundi remains extremely fragile and in need of urgent improvements in good governance, transparency and respect for human rights.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The report outlines steps that are being prepared for the withdrawal of the UN Mission by the end of the year.&amp;#160; He says that the UN would continue to assess the situation there in the coming months and that the pace of the   Mission&amp;#146;s drawdown could be adjusted accordingly, in full consultation with the Government.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative for Burundi, Carolyn McAskie is scheduled to be at the UN, I think this week, and we are arranging for her to speak to you at some point during the week.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-28 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-28#entryid_142777" rowid="42027387" side="un" srcid="142777" text="&lt;p&gt;
Turning to   Burundi, Nicolas Michel, the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs or Legal Counsel, is in   Burundi today leading a high-level UN delegation aimed at helping that country set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and establishing a Special Tribunal. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Michel said he was encouraged that the Burundian authorities have given a high priority to reconciliation and to ending impunity, which, he said, were essential elements for a durable peace.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
We have a press release upstairs in French from the   Mission.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-04-04 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-04-04#entryid_141686" rowid="42027499" side="un" srcid="141686" text="&lt;p&gt;
Out on the racks today is a letter from the Secretary-General to the Security Council outlining his intention to temporarily transfer an infantry battalion, a military hospital, and up to 50 military observers from the UN Operation in   Burundi to the UN Mission in the   Democratic Republic of the Congo.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The military units would operate in the central area of   Katanga province, and the observers would be deployed throughout the country to increase the observer capacity during the upcoming elections.&amp;#160; The troop-contributing countries,   Pakistan and   Jordan, have indicated their agreement in principle to such a move, and the initial period of the transfer would be until the end of the year.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-08-03 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-08-03#entryid_138851" rowid="42030171" side="un" srcid="138851" text="&lt;p&gt;
The United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB) today expressed its deep concern at the reports of a coup attempt and the consequent arrests of some political figures in the past few days in that country.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
These events, the mission says, constitute a threat and may jeopardize the commendable achievements of the peace process in   Burundi.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The UN mission is profoundly concerned about allegations of torture and reiterates its demand to the Government authorities for access to the detainees.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And we have a press release from the mission upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-08-23 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-08-23#entryid_139481" rowid="42030801" side="un" srcid="139481" text="&lt;p&gt;
Late yesterday evening, we also issued a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sgsm10606.doc.htm&quot;&gt;statement&lt;/a&gt; from the Secretary-General on   Burundi, in which he expressed his deep concern about recent developments in that country, in particular the reports about a possible coup plot and the subsequent arrest of a number of individuals, including former President Domitien Ndayizeye.&amp;#160; The Secretary-General urged the Government of Burundi to pursue due process and respect the rights of the detained individuals in addressing the delicate issue.&amp;#160; He also called on the Government and the Forces Nationales de Lib&amp;#233;ration to expedite the conclusion of the ongoing negotiations on a comprehensive ceasefire agreement.&amp;#160; In this regard, he welcomed the planned convening of the 25&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;  Summit of the Regional Initiative on   Burundi, which is scheduled to take place later this month.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-09-08 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-09-08#entryid_138300" rowid="42031268" side="un" srcid="138300" text="&lt;p&gt;
I have a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sgsm10624.doc.htm&quot;&gt;statement&lt;/a&gt; now on   Burundi:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General welcomes the signing of a Ceasefire Agreement between the Government of Burundi and the PALIPEHUTU-Forces nationales de lib&amp;#233;ration (FNL) in   Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, on 7 September. &amp;#160;He expresses his appreciation for the efforts of the Regional Initiative for Peace in   Burundi and the South African Facilitation, to help achieve this Agreement, which, it is hoped, will bring to an end 13 years of armed conflict in the country.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The Secretary-General calls on the Government and FNL to implement the Agreement expeditiously and in good faith.&amp;#160; Its successful implementation is vital for the consolidation of peace in  Burundi and the overall stability of the  Great Lakes region. &amp;#160;The Secretary-General urges both parties to continue working together in a spirit of cooperation to resolve all outstanding issues.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
&amp;#147;The United Nations stands ready to assist the parties in implementing the Agreement, in collaboration with other partners, and to continue to support all efforts to enhance good governance, including through the respect of human rights and establishment of the rule of law.&amp;#148;&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-09-25 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-09-25#entryid_138603" rowid="42031571" side="un" srcid="138603" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General on Friday appointed Youssef Mahmoud of  Tunisia as his Deputy Special Representative for   Burundi.&amp;#160; Mr. Mahmoud will also serve as United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator.&amp;#160; He previously served in posts in  Guyana, as well as in the Department of Political Affairs here in   New York.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-10-30 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-10-30#entryid_137998" rowid="42032345" side="un" srcid="137998" text="&lt;p&gt;
Also available today is the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s latest report on the UN&amp;nbsp;operation in   Burundi.&amp;#160; In it, the Secretary-General says that the 7 September agreement, between the Government and the last armed group, the FNL, marked a significant milestone, which has contributed to an overall improvement of the security situation.&amp;#160; You can pick copies of that upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-11-02 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-11-02#entryid_136626" rowid="42032516" side="un" srcid="136626" text="&lt;p&gt;
Also available on the racks today is the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s report on children and armed conflict in   Burundi.&amp;#160; The Secretary-General says that, despite the substantial progress achieved in addressing the grave abuses of children&amp;#146;s rights, violations are still occurring with a considerable level of impunity. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-12-20 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-12-20#entryid_136407" rowid="42033767" side="un" srcid="136407" text="&lt;p&gt;
The UN Operation in  Burundi, yesterday, held a farewell military parade in the UN compound in   Bujumbura to mark the end of its mandate on 31 December and the withdrawal of the peacekeepers.&amp;#160; And, you will hear more about this, from our guest, a bit later today.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-01-02 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-01-02#entryid_134778" rowid="42033921" side="un" srcid="134778" text="&lt;p&gt;
On  Burundi, the United Nations has completed its peacekeeping mandate in  Burundi on 31 December 2006 with the departure of the peacekeepers, the last of whom left   Bujumbura last week. &amp;#160;As of yesterday, the United Nations operation in that country is succeeded by an integrated peacebuilding mission with a monitoring and assistance mandate in the areas of good governance, security sector reform and enhancing human rights and the rule of law.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-01-03 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-01-03#entryid_134833" rowid="42033976" side="un" srcid="134833" text="&lt;p&gt;
On  Burundi, in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm10821.doc.htm&quot;&gt;statement&lt;/a&gt; yesterday, the Secretary-General congratulated the people and Government of Burundi on the successful implementation of the mandate of the UN Operation in   Burundi, which concluded its activities on 31 December.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General noted that with the support of the UN and other partners, elections were held in   Burundi, new integrated national defence and police forces were established, and a ceasefire agreement was concluded between the parties.&amp;#160; He warmly thanked all UN personnel who helped discharge that mandate and welcomed the establishment of the UN Integrated Office as well as the African Union Special Task Force in   Burundi.&amp;#160; &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
We have copies of that statement upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-01-19 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-01-19#entryid_135391" rowid="42034534" side="un" srcid="135391" text="&lt;p&gt;
The UN Integrated Office in Burundi today welcomed the recent Supreme Court ruling acquitting former president Domitien Ndayizeye and four other high-ranking officials of an attempted coup d&amp;#146;&amp;#233;tat. The Court ruling also requested the immediate release from prison of the five accused, some of whom have been held since August 2006. And we have more on this upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-02-06 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-02-06#entryid_134024" rowid="42035220" side="un" srcid="134024" text="&lt;p&gt;
On  Burundi, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that 2 million flood survivors in   Burundi need urgent assistance to avoid a food crisis.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
A recent assessment of flood-hit areas, by WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organization, showed that some people have been cutting down to one meal a day and resorting to so-called &amp;#145;famine foods&amp;#146;, such as cassava leaves or bitter banana.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
WFP says it needs $12 million to cover food aid requirements in   Burundi until July.&amp;#160; We have a press release on that in my Office.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-02-20 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-02-20#entryid_134472" rowid="42035668" side="un" srcid="134472" text="&lt;p&gt;
The United Nations Integrated Office in  Burundi, known by its French acronym of BINUB, is being formally launched today in the capital,   Bujumbura.&amp;#160; The creation of this peacebuilding office was mandated by the Security Council to secure and expand on the achievements of the UN peacekeeping operation in that country, whose mandate expired on 31 December 2006. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-03-13 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-03-13#entryid_133225" rowid="42036314" side="un" srcid="133225" text="&lt;p&gt;
On  Burundi, Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, was in  Burundi today, where she said she was encouraged by the progress made by   Burundi&amp;#146;s Government to ensure greater protection for children affected by the conflict there.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
We have upstairs a press release on her mission, which also included the   Democratic Republic of the Congo. &amp;#160;And Ms. Coomaraswamy will be able to tell you more about her trip on Thursday, when she comes to the noon briefing as my guest.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2007-04-12 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2007-04-12#entryid_170957" rowid="42037163" side="un" srcid="170957" text="&lt;p&gt;
A delegation of the Peacebuilding Commission is currently on a four-day mission to   Burundi. &amp;#160;The mission is led by  Norway&amp;#146;s Permanent Representative, and its main goal is to discuss with the Government and other stakeholders how the Commission can best support national peacebuilding efforts, bring increased attention to ongoing peacebuilding efforts in   Burundi and communicate the main principles and purposes of the Peacebuilding Commission to stakeholders on the ground.&amp;#160; And there is more information upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;Burundi&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-28 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-28#entryid_142778" rowid="42027388" side="un" srcid="142778" text="&lt;p&gt;
From C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, the UN Operation there today reports that its troops deployed into two western towns yesterday, two months after it withdrew its troops from them following violent anti-UN demonstrations.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The mission also reports that the   University of  Bouak&amp;#233; opened its doors today for the first time in three years. &amp;#160;And I&amp;#146;m sure we have more on this upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244; te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-12 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-12#entryid_146510" rowid="42023195" side="un" srcid="146510" text="&lt;p&gt;
And those incidents are, as reported by the UN Mission in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, that two of its unarmed military observers were harassed by hostile crowds in the town of   Gagnoa, west of   Abidjan.&amp;#160; Their vehicle was ransacked, and the observers had to be rescued by UN Bangladeshi troops.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The incident was the second such attack on UN personnel in the same town, which is in an area controlled by the followers of President Laurent Gbagbo.&amp;#160; President Gbagbo has called on the population to refrain from blocking the work of the UN Mission in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-15 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-15#entryid_146532" rowid="42023217" side="un" srcid="146532" text="&lt;p&gt;
And from   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, UN envoys in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire met with rebel forces over the weekend and today are heading to   South Africa for conferences with South African President Thabo Mbeki, the mediator of the Ivorian conflict.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The UN Operation in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire reports that the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative there, Pierre Schori, and the UN&amp;#146;s electoral representative, Antonio Monteiro, met with the Forces Nouvelles in Bouak&amp;#233;, north of the capital, on Sunday.&amp;#160; &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And, both envoys have scheduled meetings with President Mbeki in   Pretoria to discuss implementation of the peace plan, as well as preparations for elections, which are scheduled for October 30.&amp;#160; &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-08-24 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-08-24#entryid_146675" rowid="42023360" side="un" srcid="146675" text="&lt;p&gt;
Speaking of   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative for that country has condemned calls to overthrow the governmental institutions there.&amp;#160; The representative, Pierre Schori, said such statements could worsen already acute tensions and delay the implementation of the peace agreements. &amp;#160;Schori also reminded all Ivorians that targeted sanctions can be placed against those who incite violence. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The full text of his comments are upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-09-30 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-09-30#entryid_146266" rowid="42023878" side="un" srcid="146266" text="&lt;p&gt;
From   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, the UN mission in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire has warned that any attempts to remove some 2,700 internally displaced persons from a Catholic mission there would be a violation of human rights. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The UN unit was reacting to a published report that the local defence forces would forcibly evacuate a Catholic refugee centre in the western city of   Duekoue.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The UN mission called on the national authorities to help protect the internally displaced persons.&amp;#160; A press release from   Cote d&amp;#146;Ivoire is also available upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-10-05 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-10-05#entryid_145252" rowid="42023947" side="un" srcid="145252" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, Pierre Schori, left   Abidjan today for   Addis Ababa to participate in tomorrow&amp;#146;s summit of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. &amp;#160;Last night, he met with Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo to discuss the current situation.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
At the summit in   Addis Ababa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will present its recommendations, from the meeting it held last week in   Abuja, on the way forward in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-10-20 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-10-20#entryid_145600" rowid="42024295" side="un" srcid="145600" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Chairman of the Security Council Sanctions Committee on   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, Ambassador Vassilakis of   Greece, is in   Abidjan today, in meetings with signatories of the 2003 peace agreement and with monitors of that accord.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Yesterday he called on ministers of the Government of national reconciliation, leaders of human rights groups, as well as local press.&amp;#160; He has more meetings scheduled for tomorrow and will be back in   New York on Saturday.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-10-21 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-10-21#entryid_145654" rowid="42024349" side="un" srcid="145654" text="&lt;p&gt;
Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis of   Greece, the chairman of the Sanctions Committee for   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, wraps up his visit to that country today. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
He is to hold meetings with leaders of the Forces Nouvelles and political parties who were signatories to the 2003 peace agreement. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-11-14 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-11-14#entryid_144785" rowid="42024919" side="un" srcid="144785" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Sanctions Committee today is studying a report from a panel of experts looking into the arms embargo in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire. &amp;#160;The experts recommend, among other things, in-depth audits of the cacao, cotton and diamond industries to see if any funds are being used for arms. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-12-09 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-12-09#entryid_144147" rowid="42025535" side="un" srcid="144147" text="&lt;p&gt;
Prior to the public meeting today, the Council adopted a Presidential Statement welcoming the appointment of Charles Konan Banny as Prime Minister of C&amp;#244;te   d&amp;#146;Ivoire.&amp;#160; The Council also endorsed the final communiqu&amp;#233; of the International Working Group, recalling that an earlier communiqu&amp;#233; states that the Prime Minister has full authority over the Cabinet he will establish.&amp;#160; And the Council also urges the establishment, without delay, of the Government.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2005-12-20 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2005-12-20#entryid_144365" rowid="42025753" side="un" srcid="144365" text="&lt;p&gt;
The UN Mission in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire (UNOCI) has issued a statement condemning the desecration of the tomb of Nabintou Ciss&amp;#233;, the mother of ex-Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, that took place on Monday.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The mission said the attempted removal of the body was a shameful act which was in contrast with the impressive show of sympathy and compassion that came from all parts of the country at the time of her death.&amp;#160; The UN Mission has offered its assistance in the investigation of the incident.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-01-16 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-01-16#entryid_143620" rowid="42025961" side="un" srcid="143620" text="&lt;p&gt;
The United Nations Operation in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire today reports continued protests against the recommendation by the international working group that the Parliament be dissolved.&amp;#160; Demonstrators are currently in front of the   Mission, the mission says, and four United Nations vehicles have been damaged.&amp;#160; No United Nations personnel have been reported injured. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The   Mission is concerned about the attacks on United Nations property.&amp;#160; It says the demonstrations are in contravention of President Gbagbo&amp;#146;s decree against demonstrations in   Abidjan.&amp;#160; The Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative in that country, Pierre Schori, is on his way to   New York and will discuss the matter with officials at United Nations Headquarters and Security Council members as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-02-21 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-02-21#entryid_143289" rowid="42026714" side="un" srcid="143289" text="&lt;p&gt;
And on   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, the United Nations Mission in that country reported today it is investigating the circulation of an anonymous letter warning of planned attacks on villages in the zone of confidence and in Government-controlled areas in the west of the country.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The   Mission said it feared that the letter could generate fear among the different communities, which could lead to inter-ethnic clashes. &amp;#160;The   Mission said if it confirms the threats, it will report them to the Government and remind the Government of its duty to protect civilians.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-02 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-02#entryid_142337" rowid="42026947" side="un" srcid="142337" text="&lt;p&gt;
Out on the racks today is the letter from the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council giving the names of five persons to be appointed to the panel of experts on   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire sanctions.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-03 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-03#entryid_142383" rowid="42026993" side="un" srcid="142383" text="&lt;p&gt;
Also, the UN Mission in   C&amp;#244;te   d&amp;#146;Ivoire today reports that its operation to assist schoolchildren in the north to take their examinations is going smoothly.&amp;#160; Some 500 Blue Helmets and more than 70 UN police officers are helping the Government distribute and administer examinations for children who had not been able to take the tests for more than three years because of civil unrest. &amp;#160;And the exams are necessary to proceed to higher education. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-17 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-17#entryid_142612" rowid="42027222" side="un" srcid="142612" text="&lt;p&gt;
Turning to the situation in C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, the International Working Group for C&amp;#244;te D&amp;#146;Ivoire held its fifth ministerial-level meeting in&amp;#160; Abidjan today, aimed at bringing about reconciliation in that country and elections in the fall.&amp;#160; The UN, as you know, is the co-chair of the group. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Also in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, the   Mission there has published its semi-annual report on human rights, covering the second half of last year.&amp;#160; The report labelled the situation &amp;#147;worrisome&amp;#148; because of what the   Mission called political deterioration, especially at the end of last year.&amp;#160; And that report is available upstairs. &lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-03-27 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-03-27#entryid_142762" rowid="42027372" side="un" srcid="142762" text="&lt;p&gt;
Out on the racks today is a letter from the Secretary General to the Security Council reiterating his call for increased troops and police for the UN Mission in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General says the  Mission needs four battalions of soldiers, three formed police units, and 100 additional police officers to support the implementation of the peace agreement there and provide protection for the October elections.&amp;#160; He originally asked for the additional support on 3 January, when he presented his latest report on the UN Mission in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-04-06 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-04-06#entryid_141734" rowid="42027547" side="un" srcid="141734" text="&lt;p&gt;
From C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s Special Representative in C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, Pierre Schori, this evening will meet with the Chairman of the African Union (AU), President Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo, who is in Abidjan for talks aimed at moving along the peace process in C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire.&amp;#160; Schori and the AU Chairman will discuss ways to carry out the road map for peace.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-07-20 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-07-20#entryid_140031" rowid="42029775" side="un" srcid="140031" text="&lt;p&gt;
And another report out on the racks today is the Secretary-General&amp;#146;s progress report on   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire. &amp;#160;In it, the Secretary-General says that, while the steps taken so far to implement the peace process provide the ingredients for further progress, sustained and focused efforts to expedite country-wide identification and disarmament are needed to take the country out of crisis.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-09-08 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-09-08#entryid_138299" rowid="42031267" side="un" srcid="138299" text="&lt;p&gt;
At the request of the Government of C&amp;#244;te  d&amp;#146;Ivoire, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), is investigating whether the toxic wastes recently dumped in  Abidjan are linked to illegal exports from  Europe.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that an inter-agency task force has been established in   C&amp;#244;te   d'Ivoire to coordinate and assist with the UN&amp;#146;s response as well as the Government's request for assistance.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;
And, also on the subject of C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire, the Security Council has written back to the Secretary-General, taking note of his intention to appoint Major-General Fernand Marcel Amoussou of Benin as the Force Commander of the UN Operation in that country.&amp;#160; Major-General Amoussou will replace Major-General Abdoulaye Fall, who left the   Mission in April.&amp;#160; You can find the exchange of letters out on the racks upstairs.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-09-22 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-09-22#entryid_138568" rowid="42031536" side="un" srcid="138568" text="&lt;p&gt;
The Secretary-General has written to the Security Council to inform it of his decision to extend the appointment of the Group of Experts on   C&amp;#244;te   d&amp;#146;Ivoire until 15 December.&amp;#160; This is the panel that is charged with monitoring the arms embargo, and you can find copies of the letter on the Security Council website.&lt;/p&gt;

" title="  &lt;u&gt;C &amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire&lt;/u&gt;" />
  <downingstreetsaid date="2006-10-23 00:00:00" link="http://www.theunsays.com/history/2006-10-23#entryid_137829" rowid="42032176" side="un" srcid="137829" text="&lt;p&gt;
Available today is the latest report of the Secretary-General on the UN Operation in   C&amp;#244;te d&amp;#146;Ivoire.&amp;#160; In it, the Secretary-General notes that events in that country have taken a negative and disappointing turn over the past three months.&amp;#160; He says that the Prime Minister continues to face constraints in exercising the authority granted him by the Security Council, particularly