Thursday, 25 October 2007 UNMIT – MEDIA MONITORING

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National Media Reports

Ramos-Horta congratulates UN The President José Ramos-Horta, on behalf of the state and people of Timor-Leste, has congratulated the United Nations on its 62nd anniversary on Wednesday (24/10) in Memorial Hall, Dili.

The President also paid tribute to the work of the UN in Timor-Leste and in other countries with dedicated UN peacekeeping missions.

“My message is to congratulate the UN and former Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the current Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as well as the SRSG for Timor-Leste, Atul Khare.

Everything we have got from UN, even though we are a small nation with less strategic relevance than other nations such as Afghanistan and Iraq we have got with thanks to the Security Council,” said the president. (STL)

Atul Khare, together working for the future of Timor-Leste “All of us observing United Nations Day today are unified by the common goal of “working together for the future of Timor-Leste.

The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste has a broad range of tasks as it seeks to deliver the goals expressed by Security Council Resolutions 1704 and 1745 in the areas of security, economic and social development, human rights and rule of law, and strengthening state institutions.

On a global scale, the demands on the resources of the United Nations are growing as increasingly multilateralism, as expressed and embodied by 192 member states, is accepted as the preferred approach in assisting nations to achieve independence, stability, development and global integration.

Timor-Leste in turn, is making its contribution on the global scale as demonstrated by the Timorese police officers now working in Kosovo as well as East Timorese nationals working as United Nations volunteers in other peacekeeping operations.

The work of the United Nations in Timor-Leste is a concrete expression of the collective-will of the international community to move noble goals from words to deeds. As the United Nations system in Timor-Leste, we are dedicated to accomplishing the mandate entrusted to us by the member states of the United Nations: promotion of peace, democracy and human rights, while supporting efforts to secure food, clean water, health care and the right to education and employment for all.

We will continue to work hard to make these goals reality for all Timorese citizens.

Together, we work for the future of this country,” said the SRSG, Atul Khare as quoted by STL from UNMIT News Release. (STL and TP)

The Alliance government does not want to have IDPs in 2008 The Alliance government has prioritized solving the IDP problem and wants to see a solution by 2008.

“I would say that in 2008 the IDP will be in a better place than where they are now as they will be home where they belong,” said the Minister of Finance, Emilia Pires at the Government Palace on Wednesday (24/10).

Ms. Pires stated that there will need to be long and short term solutions to get the IDPs to leave their camps. (STL)

Jose Luis: preparing F-FDTL to participate in UN mission The Vice Prime Minister Jose Luis Guterres said that the Alliance government is beginning to prepare the Falintil Defence Forces of Timor-Leste (F-FDTL) to take part in the United Nations mission if needed.

“Our PNTL participated in UN Mission, so it needs to prepare our military forces F-FDTL to do the same to give stability and peace to other nations that may need the presence of a UN peacekeeping force,” said Mr. Guterres on Wednesday (24/10) on UN Day in Memorial Hall, Dili.

On the same occasion, the President of National Parliament Fernando Lasama de Araujo said that many Timorese people are involved in UN missions around the world. The participation could further enhance the development of Timor-Leste in the future. STL)

ISF apologizes for taking sand from a protected area The case of some members of the International Security Forces (ISF) taking sand from a protected zone of Area Branca (White Sands) has been acknowledged by the ISF.

“The ISF stated that the sand was used in their knapsacks and that there was no intention to destroy the environment of Timor-Leste,” as stated by ISF Press Communiqué signed by Lieutenant Col. Rob Barnes on Wednesday (24/10). (STL) (TP)

Longuinhos to give annual report to the national parliament The National Parliament will soon invite the Prosecutor-General, Longuinhos Monteiro, to give his annual report to the parliament.

This will include details and clarification about any alleged cases relating to the nation’s security and how the judicial system may or may not have interfered. (TP)

Alfredo doing secret job in Suai The State Secretary of Security, Francisco Guterres said Alfredo Reinado and his men have been working on a “secret job” in the district of Suai.

“I am not aware that Reinado is moving in Suai however I know that he is working in Suai.”

The solution to the problem will soon be made public because the problem of Reinado is an important one to solve,” Mr. Francisco told journalists. (TP)

President of national parliament, asking UN to have reflection Speaking to the journalists on Wednesday (24/10) on UN Day in Memorial Hall, the President of the National Parliament, Fernando Lasama de Araujo asked the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste to continue its good work.

“The work of UN in the nation is going well, it still needs to give more for more work for the future of Timor-Leste,” said Mr. Lasama. (TP)

International Media Reports

UN Day Celebrations Span Globe 25 October 2007 Source: United Nations judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

From the planting of some 2,000 trees in Ethiopia to the opening of an exhibition inside one of Asia's largest shopping malls to a public forum in Afghanistan to the staging of classical music concerts in New York and Geneva, people around the world are marking United Nations Day, which celebrates the day in 1945 when the Organization was born.

In Addis Ababa, UN staff members are planting up to 2,000 trees in a national park above the Ethiopian capital and holding their traditional flag-raising ceremony as part of a series of events to observe the Day.

Professors and students at Kabul University in Afghanistan are holding a question-and-answer session about the role of the UN in which the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative Christopher Alexander will be participating.

In Bangkok, 22 UN entities and international organizations with offices in the Thai capital are taking part in a bilingual exhibition in Central World, the city's largest mall, to show the many ways in which the Organization tries to improve the lives of people in the region. Musical performances and other events will also take place during the life of the three-day exhibition.

Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont is also scheduled to give an address during the official observance at the UN Conference Centre (UNCC) later today, which will also include a flag-raising ceremony and performances by a local singer, a school marching band and a school orchestra.

In Vienna, the UN Information Service (UNIS) in the Austrian capital has organized a student forum bringing together more than 80 students from universities in Austria and Slovakia.

Classical music concerts are being held tonight in both Geneva and New York. In the Swiss city, Luigi Cherubini and Maurice Ravel are performing at Victoria Hall, while the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will perform at the General Assembly Hall in New York. In his first UN Day message as Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon said that although t to strengthen its ability to respond to key global challenges on peace and security, development and human rights.

"More people and governments understand that multilateralism is the only path in our interdependent and globalizing world," Mr. Ban said in his message. "Global problems demand global solutions - and going it alone is not a viable option."

He stressed that the demands on the UN were "growing every day," and warned that "we will be judged in the future on the actions we take today - on results."

In a separate message, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Timor-Leste Atul Khare stressed that the UN peacekeeping mission in the South-East Asian country (UNMIT) was striving to transform the collective goodwill of the international community towards the small nation into practical action.

"We are dedicated to accomplishing the mandate entrusted to us by the Member States of the United Nations: promotion of peace, democracy and human rights, while supporting efforts to secure food, clean water, health care and the right to education and employment for all," Mr. Khare said.

The UN Country Team in Myanmar issued its own statement saying the Day should serve as an opportunity to "reflect on the importance of ensuring development, prosperity, peace, security and dignity for all" and stressing that all peoples deserve to have these rights and freedoms.

"In Myanmar, the peaceful demonstrations that followed the sudden hike in fuel prices on 15 August highlighted that many of these aspirations are not yet a reality for the people here," the statement noted.

The UN Country Team called for greater public spending in Myanmar's social sectors, a better working environment for humanitarian organizations and a scaling-up of international assistance for the poor.

It also reiterated the calls for action made by Mr. Ban, his Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari and other senior UN officials for the Government of Myanmar to address "the political, economic, humanitarian and human rights issues that are the

UN Day has been celebrated on 24 October every year since 1948, exactly three years after the UN Charter entered into force when China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of other signatories had ratified the document. In 1971, the General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending that the Day be observed as a public holiday by Member States. Copyright © 2007, News Blaze, Daily News

NATIONAL NEWS SOURCES: Timor Post (TP) Radio Timor-Leste (RTL) Suara Timor Lorosae (STL) Diario Tempo (DT) Diario Nacional (DN) Semanario Televisaun Timor-Leste (TVTL)

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