Nigeria: UN Solicits Nigeria's Help to Restore Peace in Guineas Bissau

allAfrica.com: Nigeria: UN Solicits Nigeria's Help to Restore Peace in Guineas Bissau: "The United Nations (UN) has urged Nigeria to assist the UN Security Council towards the move to restore constitutional order in Guinea Bissau.

This was contained in a letter handed over to the Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, in Abuja at the weekend, by the Special Representative of Secretary-General of the UN in Guinea Bissau, Jose Ramos-Horta.

He said the request was in recognition of Nigeria's role within the sub-region and Africa at large."

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UN Hopes 2013 Will Be Decisive Year for Peace in Middle East. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on a visit to Jerusalem stressed his full support for direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, and voiced the hope that this year will be a decisive one for peace in the Middle East. “I am encouraged that Israelis and Palestinians have re-engaged in direct dialogue. But for these negotiations to have a chance at success, they need to be meaningful,” Mr. Ban said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I know that when a problem has remained an open wound for decades, causing hardships and casualties on both sides, it might sometimes seem that the problem will never be solved,” he continued. “Dealing [with] the symptom might seem easier in the short term. It takes courage, vision, and creativity to decide that the long-term cost of that problem is actually too high. That is what is happening now with the Israeli-Palestinian issue.” Direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians stalled in September 2010, after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory. Following recent efforts by United States Secretary of State John Kerry, the two sides resumed negotiations this week. “I am here to urge all the leaders to continue along the path to peace and to underscore a shared commitment to work together to make 2013 a decisive year for Israeli-Palestinian peace and peace in the region,” stated Mr. Ban, who is visiting Israel for the sixth time as Secretary-General. In addition to Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Ban also met with Israeli President Shimon Peres. Speaking to reporters along with Mr. Peres, the Secretary-General noted that direct negotiations remain the “single most credible path” to a solution. He also urged all parties to avoid actions that risk undermining the negotiations. “Both sides need to sustain an environment conducive for the peace process to move forward. People need to see improvements on the ground, including economic progress for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and greater security for Israelis and Palestinians.” Mr. Ban also held meetings with the Justice Minister, the Defence Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. In addition, he took part in an Israeli Model UN event at the UN headquarters in Jerusalem, at which he said students everywhere should have both passion and compassion, and lift their vision beyond boundaries. While at the UN headquarters, the Secretary-General met the new head of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), Major-General Michael Finn. Also today, Mr. Ban visited the grave site on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who the UN chief noted lived through the war to become “a champion of peace and security” for Israel and the region.

UN Hopes 2013 Will Be Decisive Year for Peace in Middle East | Scoop News: "“As Secretary-General of the United Nations it is a great honour for me to work together with the people of Israel to build upon his legacy,” Mr. Ban said, adding that he hoped that both parties, Israelis and Palestinians, will remember Mr. Rabin’s legacy and realize a two-State solution.

Mr. Ban’s two-day visit to the region also took him to Jordan and Palestine.

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

ENDS

© Scoop Media"

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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon will travel to the Middle East to show support for the peace talks between Palestine and Israel, a spokesperson said here on Tuesday. Ban is departing for Jordan where he will meet with King Abdullah II and the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs. After which, he will travel to the Palestinian territory of Ramallah and visit Jerusalem. The UN chief is expected to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, and hold talks with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UN deputy spokesperson Eduardo del Buey told reporters here at a daily briefing. He will also meet the lead Israeli and Palestinian negotiators and the U.S. Special Envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Martin Indyk, said del Buey. The secretary-general will also visit the graves of former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. - Xinhua | English.news.cn

UN chief to travel to Middle East to show support for peace talks - Xinhua | English.news.cn: "When asked about Ban's specific message to the leaders of the two nations involved in peace talks, the deputy spokesperson said "it would be a message of support for the Middle East peace talks, " adding that "the Secretary-General is involved in the Middle East peace process as one of the principal members of the Quartet. "

The Quartet, which comprises the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States, commits itself to the Middle East peace on the basis of the widely backed two-State solution, which means a secure State of Israel to live in peace with an independent State of Palestine.

Israel and Palestinians resumed peace talks on July 29 over an Iftar dinner hosted by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. It came almost three years after the last direct talks broke down between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Editor: Mu Xuequan
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UN chief hails Pakistan’s leading role in peacekeeping operations. Visiting Pakistan on the eve of its Independence Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed the country’s lead role in United Nations peacekeeping operations, while also addressing issues such as girls’ education and the use of drones. Mr. Ban told an audience at the inauguration of the Centre for International Peace and Stability in Islamabad that he was overwhelmed with gratitude: “gratitude as the United Nations Secretary-General and gratitude as a global citizen for what Pakistan and her people have been doing for international peace and security. “More than 100 countries contribute troops and police for United Nations peacekeeping missions. Pakistan is number one,” he stated, adding that is impossible to speak about the history of UN peacekeeping without highlighting the country’s contributions. He noted that 8,000 of Pakistan’s men and women currently serve in complex and challenging missions, including Darfur, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The new Centre, at the National University of Science and Technology, demonstrates Pakistan’s determination to be a force for peace by drawing on its experiences, sharing its knowledge and deepening its contribution, Mr. Ban said. “Training is a strategic investment in peacekeeping and here you will build the skills in preparing peacekeepers to take on a new generation of challenges.”

United Nations News Centre - UN chief hails Pakistan’s leading role in peacekeeping operations: "The Secretary-General said the UN is also working to rise to these challenges, including through the use of new technologies to help in better implementing its mandates and to provide better security for its troops.

“Let me be clear that these new tools, such as unmanned unarmed aerial vehicles, are for information purposes only. They are essentially flying cameras,” he stated.

“But armed unmanned aerial vehicles are a different matter,” he continued. “As I have often and consistently said, the use of armed drones, like any other weapon, should be subject to long-standing rules of international law, including international humanitarian law.

“This is the very clear position of the United Nations. Every effort should be made to avoid mistakes and civilian casualties.”

While in the Pakistani capital, Mr. Ban also took part in an event at the Islamabad College for Girls to promote education, especially for girls and women." PLEASE CLICK LINK TO READ FULL ARTICLE

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UN Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa stressed that she has no other agenda than to help the people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring countries to regain peace. Speaking to Radio Okapi, a radio station backed by the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC that is known by its acronym MONUSCO, Mary Robinson said it was important for her to remove any ambiguity regarding her position. "As Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, I have no other agenda than to help this country [... ] to restore peace for the people so the country can move forward." Mrs. Robinson said that she fully supports Resolution 2098, which was unanimously approved in March by the 15-member UN Security Council. "This is a very clear resolution that provides a vision and a holistic and comprehensive approach to promoting peace and stability in the DRC. In my opinion, it leaves no room for ambiguity." She added that the resolution both launches a political process that aims to bring peace to the DRC, as well as authorizes an intervention brigade within the current UN peacekeeping force. "These are two pillars that go together, one does not exclude the other," the envoy stressed.

allAfrica.com: Central Africa: UN Envoy Says Her Only Agenda Is Helping Restore Peace to Africa's Great Lakes Region (Page 1 of 2): "Resolution 2098, which extends the work of MONUSCO through March 2014, provides a framework for the UN to support Congolese authorities by protecting civilians, neutralizing armed groups, and implementing key reforms to consolidate peace in the country, particularly in the area of security sector reform and rule of law.

The resolution also approves an intervention brigade to carry out targeted offensive operations, with or without the Congolese national army, against armed groups that threaten peace in the eastern part of DRC - a region that is prone to cycles of violence and consequent humanitarian suffering.

The objectives of the new force - based in North Kivu province in eastern DRC - is to neutralize armed groups, reduce the threat they pose to State authority and civilian security and make space for stabilization activities.

The brigade is putting in place measures gradually, Mrs. Robinson told Radio Okapi, in collaboration with national authorities to help address the situation on the ground." PLS CLICK LINK TO READ FULL ARTICLE

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Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon urged regional organisations to find ways to expand their cooperation and dialogue to address increasingly interconnected global challenges. Ki-moon, who spoke at a high-level debate in the Security Council, said “Regional and sub-regional organisations have deep knowledge, unique insights and strong local networks. These elements are critical for mediation, planning a peacekeeping operation or helping a country to build lasting peace”. The meeting, according to a release by the global body, dwelt on cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations in maintaining international peace and security.

UN Wants Expanded Cooperation among Regional Organisations, Articles | THISDAY LIVE: "“We are better at sharing information and analysis on brewing crises, but we have to work harder on swift response and long-term prevention,” he noted, asking countries to examine how they can expand their cooperation in pursuit of international peace and security. “We need to learn from the lessons of our collaborations to build ever more innovative and flexible partnership arrangements that draw on our respective strengths,” he said. “Only through cooperation will we meet our shared aspirations for a more peaceful world.” The debate, presided over by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina, which holds the Council’s presidency this month, sought to further strengthen dialogue and exchange of information among regional and sub-regional organisations and the UN on issues such as conflict prevention, peaceful settlement of disputes, peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding. In his remarks, Ki-moon highlighted examples of valuable cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations across the globe." CLICK LINK TO READ MORE

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The United Nations peacekeeping force monitoring the Israeli-Lebanese border said it has opened an investigation into an incident involving an explosion that injured several soldiers belonging to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). In a statement issued to the press, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said it was informed by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) that an IDF patrol had crossed the so-called Blue Line separating the two countries last night in the general area of Labouneh and that there had subsequently been an explosion.

United Nations News Centre - UN peacekeeping force investigating blast near Israeli-Lebanese border: "UNIFIL immediately launched an investigation into the alleged violation of Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese group Hizbollah, and calls for respect for the Blue Line, the disarming of all militias in Lebanon, and an end to arms smuggling in the area.“A UNIFIL investigation team is currently at the location indicated by LAF. Our effort is to ascertain if any traces of a possible explosion or other activity can be identified on the ground,” the mission stated.“At the same time, we have asked the IDF to provide us details of any incident in the area as alleged and, if so, its precise location,” UNIFIL added. Established in 1978, UNIFIL is tasked with ensuring that the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River is free of unauthorized weapons, personnel and assets. It also cooperates with the LAF so they can fulfil their security responsibilities." CLICK LINK TO READ MORE

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Security Council extends UN peacekeeping missions in Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus and Darfur. Security Council wrapped up its scheduled work for July with the unanimous extension of United Nations peacekeeping operations in Côte d’Ivoire and Darfur, – and a vote to continue the UN mission in Cyprus. The Council unanimously decided to extend the mandate of the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) until 30 June 2014 to continue work on its core priorities of protecting civilians, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants, and security sector reform. Members also agreed that the Mission should be reconfigured by 30 June 2014 to consist of 7,137 military personnel from the current limit of 10,400, as recommended in Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s latest report presented earlier this month by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous. The Council noted a possible further reduction down to 5,437 military personnel by June 2015, depending on the security on the ground and the improved capacity of the Government to take over UNOCI’s security role. The Council also decided that UNOCI should reconfigure its military presence to concentrate resources in high-risk areas to more effectively assist the Government in protecting civilians and stability the security situation in the country. Turning to Cyprus, the Council extended until 31 January 2014 the mandate of the UN Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) by a vote of 13 to 0, with two members, Azerbaijan and Pakistan, abstaining.

United Nations News Centre - Security Council extends UN peacekeeping missions in Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus and Darfur: "One of the longest-running UN peacekeeping missions, UNFICYP has been deployed on the island since 1964, when inter-communal fighting erupted between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.

The Council today reiterated its call on the leadership of those two communities to accelerate the pace of talks aimed at reunifying the divided Mediterranean island nation.

Also today, the Security Council unanimously extended the mandate of the UN-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for a further 13 months, until 31 August 2014." CLICK LINK TO READ FULL ARTTICLE

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Israelis, Palestinians set framework for Mideast peace talks. US Sec of State, John Kerry said the parties expect negotiations will be challenging. "We all appreciate -- believe me, we appreciate the challenges ahead," Kerry said. "But even as we look down the difficult road that is before us and consider the complicated choices that we face, we cannot lose sight of something that is often forgotten in the Middle East, and that is what awaits everybody with success." The nine-month time frame provides a period to explore ideas without fear of a walkout, officials said. Given the time and space, Kerry pledged all issues will be discussed. "The parties have agreed here today that all of the final-status issues, all of the core issues, and all other issues are all on the table for negotiation, and they are on the table with one simple goal: a view to ending the conflict, ending the claims," Kerry said. Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Israel's chief negotiator, said before the dinner she hoped there would be "a better understanding now that it is in the interest of both of our people to reach an agreement to end this conflict." Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's special envoy, Isaac Molho, also participated in the talks. The Palestinian Authority was represented by chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, who negotiated the 1993 Oslo Accords with Israel, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' close adviser Mohammed Shtayyeh. The Palestinian delegation had no comment Monday night, but Abbas struck a hard line in Cairo, saying no Israeli settlers or border forces could remain in a future Palestinian state. "In a final resolution, we would not see the presence of a single Israeli -- civilian or soldier -- on our lands," Abbas said in a briefing to mostly Egyptian journalists. "An international, multinational presence like in Sinai, Lebanon and Syria -- we are [OK] with that," he said, referring to U.N. peacekeeping operations in those places. Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/07/30/Peace-framework-worked-out-by-Israelis-Palestinians.....

Israelis, Palestinians set framework for Mideast peace talks [UPDATE] - UPI.com: "Israeli and Palestinian leaders have agreed to "remain engaged in sustained, continuous and substantive negotiations" toward a peace treaty, diplomats said.The Israeli and Palestinian delegations met Monday night and again Tuesday in Washington to discuss a framework for what U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said both sides have agreed will be at least nine months of peace talks following a three-year gap in face-to-face negotiations. The two sides are expected to meet to begin formal negotiations in two weeks in the Middle East at a location to be determined." 'via Blog this' CLICK LINK TO READ FULL ARTICLE