CENTERPOINT NOW
WEEKLY UN NEWS UPDATE
Week 6 - 5 February 2006
TOP NEWS - Interviews
01
On Iran, "No Council action, including sanctions, will be considered before a conclusive IAEA
investigative report due next month." Iran's President Orders Resumption of Uranium
Enrichment.
Javad Vaeidi said, there was no "adequate reason to pursue the Russian plan."
02
Russia and China believe that Iran will be an informational thing and not become an agenda
item requiring SC to take action. But,  "N. Korea example and the draft revolution  which the
Russians and the Chinese have agreed to in Vienna uses exactly the same word as the IAEA’
s earlier resolutions on NK."
Quotes
03
Breaking News about Jill Carroll, the kidnapped free lancer in Iraq: one of the most powerful
sheiks in Iraq committed to an American television interviewer that if he is asked by Jill's
parents, he will do his outmost to save her life.
Jill Carroll
UNITED NATIONS
UNITED NATIONS Official Statements Announcements
04
Feb 6  9.45 a.m. - 5366th meeting-
1. Adoption of the agenda 2. The situation in Cote d'Ivoire
Letter dated 1 February 2006 from the SG to the President of the SC (S/2006/71) Sen. Lugar.
Feb 8 Ethiopia/Eritrea Feb 9 MINUSTAH Feb 10 Afganistan
"The climax of a
two-and-a-half-year
campaign  by the
Bush administration
to convince the
world" NYT

The 35-nation board
of governors of the
International Atomic
Energy Agency voted
on the resolution to
refer Iran to the UN.
Security Council over
its nuclear program,
which was approved
on a 27-3 vote with
five abstentions:

YES:
Argentina, Australia,
Brazil, Belgium,
Canada, China,
Colombia, Ecuador,
Egypt, France,
Germany, Ghana,
Greece, India,
Japan, Norway,
Portugal, Russia,
Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, South
Korea, Sri Lanka,
Sweden, United
Kingdom, United
States, Yemen

NO:
Cuba, Syria,
Venezuela

ABSTAINED:
Algeria, Belarus,
Indonesia, Libya,
South Africa
Senator Lugar
05

Monday, 6 Feb SG is away from Headquarters traveling on official business (In Dubai). SG
"We should not tarnish the whole nation of Denmark or all of Europe with this (cartoon
offending Muslims), and I think my Muslim brothers should accept the apology."
SG Kofi Annan
Dubai Denmark
06
Feb 6 10 a.m. 70th plenary meeting - Olympic Ideal, Human Rights questions
Jan Elliason,
President of
General Assembly
07

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed Kjell Magne Bondevik, former
Prime Minister of Norway, as his new Special Humanitarian Envoy for the Horn of Africa, in
response to recurrent drought and food insecurity devastating the region.
UNDP
Kjell Magne
Bondevik
08

``  Under Mr Putin, Russia today is neither a democracy nor an economic power. I seriously
question whether G8 leaders should attend the G8 summit,'' McCain said.
Summit
G8
09

New Zealand - Feb 6 the 166th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
Grenada - Feb 7 In 2006 Grenada celebrates its 32nd Anniversary of Independence from UK  
Iran - Feb 11 National Holiday Republic Day  (Islamic Replic of Iran proclaimed - 1 April 1979)
National Days
10

Bolton, "I brought the gavel down at 10 am. I was the only one in the room." As the president
of SC in February,  Bolton proposed that ambassadors gather daily at 10 a.m. Some
ambassadors  grumbled then agreed for daily meetings. Next day, Ghana, Japan & Denmark
arrived early, others 10 min. late.
SC
Daily Briefings
11

6 Feb Guest at noon  Mr. Hédi Annabi, Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping
Operations, will brief on recent developments in Haiti 7 Feb presidential and legislative
elections in Haiti  
@ UN
12
UNEP
FEBRUARY STARTS
6-10 Feb Com on
HR, Working Group
on Situations,
Geneva  /  Com on
the Elimination of
Discrimination
against Women,
pre-sessional
working group, NY /  
UN Conf on Trade
and Dev (UNCTAD),
Com on Trade in
Goods and Services,
and Commodities,
Geneva / Com on
HR, open-ended
working group to
elaborate an
optional protocol to
the International
Covenant on
Economic, Social
and Cultural rights,
Geneva
7-9 Feb UNEP,
Global Ministerial
Environment Forum,
ninth special
session, Dubai /
Econ and Soc
Council,
organizational
session, New York
8-10 Feb Advisory
Board on
Disarmament
Matters, New York  
8-17 Feb
Commission for
Social Development,
forty-fourth session,
New York
POLITICS - American
13
Rumsfeld
14

Mrs. Clinton's poll numbers are headed for a major tumble against former Yonkers Mayor
John Spencer, a Siena College survey released this week shows Spencer whittling down a
previous 32 percent gap by five points. Now it is 58 to 31 percent.
Polls
15

If the general election for president in 2008 were being held today between  John McCain (R)
Hillary Clinton (D)  ALL voters 52% would vote for JMC, %36 for HRC. Mark Warner (D) could
he only be a VP? Why? Why hyped so much already because he lives nearby to Wash DC?
More Poll Results
Polls
16

Fashion Week in New York - Feb 3-10 - Bryan Park. Apart from most everyone's favorite Karl
Lagerfeld famous fashion editors bring up Brits Matthew Williamson and Luella Bartley,  Vera
Wang, Boudicca, Donna Karan, Alice Ritter,  Derek Lam, "Luca Luca’s show is always fun",  
NYC
Fashion Week
17

The unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent - the lowest monthly rate since July 2001 and lower
than the average of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. (More on CBS)
AGENCIES & NGO
UN AGENCIES & NGO NEWS  Dissemination
18
Anyone 50 or over can get all the great benefits of membership for only $12.50 a year. And
membership includes your spouse or partner, free! Joining online is fast and secure. You
become a member right away and receive your membership number online. More Info
19
The avian influenza virus originated naturally and is not a biological weapon, a senior
Russian scientist has said. Oleg Kiselyov, director of the Russian Influenza Research
Institute. UPI
Avian influenza
20
Forbes, "In 1971, the world's proven oil reserves were 612 billion barrels. Since then, the
world has produced 767 billion barrels. We should have run out of reserves five years ago,
but we didn't. In fact, today's proven reserves are 1,028 billion barrels" How could this be?
With new development techniques!
Oil reserves
21
Militants holding free lance reporter Jill Carroll  have demanded U.S authorities to release all
Iraqi female detainees or else they would kill her. CPJ, "47 reporters were killed in 2005."
"Not a single one of those murderous crimes was denounced by the UN ." (UNforum)
Monday, February 6
In Dubai, the
Secretary-General
will receive the 2005
Zayed International
Prize for Global
Leadership for the
Environment.
Assistant-Secretary-
General for
Peacekeeping
Operations Hédi
Annabi will be the
guest at the noon
briefing. He will brief
on recent
developments in
Haiti.
The Security Council
has scheduled a
meeting between
US Senator Richard
Lugar and members
of the Council.
Tuesday, February 7
Some 130
Environment
Ministers from 160
countries are
expected to
participate in the
three-day 9th
Special Session of
the UN Environment
Programme’s
Governing
Council/Global
Ministerial
Environment Forum
in Dubai (UAE).
UNEP will be
launching its 2006
Global Environment
Outlook report,
which this year
focuses on energy
and air pollution.  
For more details,
see www.unep.
org/gc/gcss-ix/
The Security Council
has scheduled a
daily briefing from
the UN Secretariat.
Wednesday,
February 8
The 44th Session of
the Commission on
Social Development,
which is on the
theme of poverty
eradication, begins
today. The Division
for Social Policy and
Development of the
Department of
Economic and
Social Affairs will
sponsor a press
conference at 1:15
on the work before
the Commission.
The Security Council
has scheduled a
daily briefing from
the UN Secretariat,
as well as
consultations on
Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Thursday, February
9
The Secretary
Council has
scheduled a private
meeting with troop
contributors to the
UN Mission in Haiti,
as well as
consultations on the
UN Mission in Haiti.
It has also
scheduled a daily
briefing from the UN
Secretariat.
Friday, February 10
The Security Council
has scheduled a
daily briefing from
the UN Secretariat. It
has also scheduled
an open briefing,
followed by a private
meeting, on
Afghanistan.
The guest at the
noon briefing will be
Dennis McNamara,
Director of the
United Nations Inter-
Agency Internal
Displacement
Division.
Jill Carroll
22
Exhibits @ UN headquarters
"NO CHILD'S PLAY" until 15 February
"SPIRIT OF THE EAST" until 15 March
@ UN
23
Heritage Foundation Asia 2006: The View from Capitol Hill  Feb 6 @10:30 a.m.  How do we
manage China’s rise? Can the Six Party Talks address the North Korean nuclear issue? Will
Indonesia continue military reforms after the resumption of normal ties? Is Pakistan fully ....
on terrorism?
Next SG Search
24
LEISURE
SOUTH
AU
Sudan
25
The conviction of a Russian human rights defender who highlighted abuses in the conflict in
Chechnya is an unacceptable infringement on freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch
said
MDGs
Human Rights
Watch
26
Feb 6 - United Nations Symposium on Natural Gas and Sustainable Development

WFP Drought
27
What is one of the most popular romantic places of New York, for you to spend leisure hours,
tasting a cocktail listening a piano music or partying? Contact Us!
Bars
28
Brokeback Mountain. This account of two cowboys is, for a change, an instance of real
progress. It would never have been celebrated--never have even been made--30 years ago.
But it's much more than an index of social growth. It's a delicately made and sensitively acted
work of art....TNR
29
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34
Feb 6 -  International day against Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
MD
35
A new BBC poll of nearly 40,000 people in
33 countries reveals that Iran is the nation
most widely viewed as having a negative
influence in the world. Surprisingly, the U.S.
is second. The survey by the international
polling firm GlobeScan and the University
of Maryland – taken between October and
January – showed that no country held a
majority positive view of Iran’s role in the
world, except the Iranians themselves.
(More Polls)
In the most expensive Turkish movie ever
made, Americans Kill Innocents - Benjamin
Harvey (AP/AOL)
Leonard Peters says he was arrested last
August for walking in Riverside Park 10
minutes after its official closing time of 1
a.m. He would spend the next 40 hours in
jail before seeing a lawyer or a judge, and
was finally released without being charged
with a crime. (am N.Y.) Contact NYC Parks
Proclamation by the President of the United
States of America - National Consumer
Protection Week: consumer education
against fraud and protecting American
consumers through the National Do Not
Call Registry. Millions have registered
already. Call 1 888 382 1222 or visit the Do
Not Call website at www.donotcall.gov to
have their number added to the list.
John McCain said economic sanctions
should be imposed on Iran even if that
meant by passing the United Nations.

Angela Merkel likened Iran's nuclear plans
on Saturday to the threat posed by the
Nazis in their early days

Early Feb pledging conference for the transitional period of AMIS (AU Mission in the Sudan)
cpn60.com
0
6

Feb 7 - Launch of 2006 Global Environment Outlook Yearbook: An Overview of Our Changing
Environment (UNEP) /  9th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council  
Feb 8  - Commission for Social Development 44th. Session  
cpn60.com
ANNOUNCEMENTS -- Advisory

Rumsfeld likened Venezuelan Pres Hugo Chavez to Adolf Hitler, reflecting continuing tension
in relations between the United States and the Latin American government. "some populist
leadership appealing to masses... and elections like Evo Morales in Bolivia take place that
clearly are worrisome."