United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-04-25

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

FROM THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Wednesday, April 25, 2001

SECRETARY-GENERAL ARRIVES IN ABUJA TO ATTEND AIDS SUMMIT

Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Abuja, Nigeria, to attend the African Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Other Related Infectious Diseases, which he will address Thursday. He traveled from Accra, Ghana, with the President of Ghana, John Kufuor.

This afternoon, he is expected to meet with Dr. Peter Piot, the head of UNAIDS, and with the Executive Director of the Economic Commission for Africa ( ECA), K.A. Amoako.

He will also meet with the heads of UN agencies attending the summit.

ANNAN SAYS REV. SULLIVAN PLAYED KEY ROLE IN DISMANTLING APARTHEID

The Secretary-General said, in a statement, it was with great sadness that he learned of the death of Reverend Leon Sullivan.

Reverend Sullivan was known and respected throughout the world for the bold and innovative role he played in the global campaign to dismantle the system of apartheid in South Africa, the statement said. He since went on to show remarkable commitment to improving education, fighting AIDS and building up civil society in Africa.

Reverend Sullivan showed us all, the Secretary-General added, how much one individual can do to change lives and societies for the better. I extend my condolences to Reverend Sullivan's family, friends and all others touched by this loss.

COUNCIL BRIEFED ON ANGOLA AND DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

This morning the Secretary-Generals Special Advisor on Africa, Ibrahim Gambari, briefed the Security Council in closed consultations on the latest developments in Angola, as reflected in the most recent report. Gambari is scheduled to visit Angola next week.

In the latest report on Angola, the Secretary-General had recommended that the mandate of the UN Office in Angola be extended by six months until October 15. There is a letter made public today from the Council President to the Secretary-General concurring with that recommendation.

During the discussions on Angola, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Kenzo Oshima also briefed the Council. He spoke about the dire humanitarian situation in Angola, saying that only 16 percent of the required $230 million had been met and he appealed for greater support.

Oshima then briefed on his recent mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was undertaken at the Secretary-Generals request. He mentioned the need for increased donor support for humanitarian operations in that country.

ANNAN APPEALS FOR GREATER SUPPORT FOR CHERNOBYL VICTIMS

In a statement released on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the explosion of the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl, the Secretary-General said the accident continues to affect the daily lives of millions of people in Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. Indeed, the legacy of Chernobyl will be with us, and with our descendants, for generations to come.

In his statement the Secretary-General added that the international community must do far more to help those who live with the invisible, yet very real consequences of the disaster. At least three million children require physical treatment, and not until 2016, at the earliest, will we know the full number of those likely to develop serious medical conditions.

He appealed to Member States, non-governmental organizations and private individuals, to join him in a pledge never to forget Chernobyl. Together, he concluded, we must extend a helping hand to our fellow human beings, and show that we are not indifferent to their plight.

This afternoon, Kenzo Oshima, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ambassador Sergey Lavrov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Valeriy Kuchinsky, Acting Permanent Representative of Ukraine and Ambassador Sergei Ling, Permanent Representative of Belarus held a press conference to discuss the current situation regarding Chernobyl.

Thursday, Oshima will open an exhibition called Blackwind Whiteland, highlighting the continuing catastrophe of Chernobyl.

INDONESIAN HANDS OVER DETAILS SPECIAL EAST TIMOR COURT TO UN

The United Nations has received a copy of a Presidential Decree passed on Monday by Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, which says that an ad hoc human rights tribunal will be established at the Central Jakarta District Court to try serious human rights violations that occurred in East Timor after the popular consultation in September 1999.

The United Nations welcomes the step forward in prosecuting individuals for crimes committed in 1999.

Meanwhile, in East Timor Wednesday, a member of a pro-integration militia, Manuel Gonsales Bere, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the murder of an independence supporter in September 1999, near the town of Maliana. That sentence was passed down by the Special Panel for Serious Crimes at Dili's District Court.

In answer to a question the cooperation between the United Nations and the Indonesian government on this court, the Spokesman said the Security Council had left it to the Indonesian government to set up a mechanism to prosecute the violators of Human Rights in East Timor, postponing any decision by the Council to set-up an international tribunal. The Spokesman added that this is a first step in that direction.

When asked about cooperation concerning the UN mission in East Timor ( UNTAET) providing witnesses to the Indonesian court, the Spokesman said there was close cooperation between UNTAET and the Indonesian Attorney Generals office, including the establishment of a formal arrangement on the exchange of witnesses.

Asked if there was a concern that this Indonesian court would only look at violations committed after the independence vote in August 1999, the Spokesman answered that there is a concern about the dates adding that the United Nations would like to see a broader range of dates for this special court so that all the violations that occurred in East Timor could be prosecuted.

UN ENVOY WELCOMES RETURN OF KOSOVARS HELD IN SERB JAILS

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Kosovo Hans Haekkerup welcomed back to Kosovo today more than 140 Kosovar Albanians held in Serb prisons since 1999.

Haekkerup told the group that it was a historical day for Kosovo and that as a father and a husband he shared with their families the wealth of emotions and joy in meeting them.

Their release came after Serbias Supreme Court on Monday threw out their convictions and ordered their immediate release. They were arrested in 1999 on suspicion of terrorism.

BOSNIAN SERB POLICE LEAVES SARAJEVO SUBURB AFTER COURT DECISION

At one minute after midnight last night, a small amount of land in the Bosnian suburb of Dobrinja was transferred from the control of the Republika Srpska to that of the Bosnian Federation, following a decision yesterday by an arbitrator appointed by the Office of High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch.

The Republika Srpska police withdrew to their new positions following the adjustments made to the inter-ethnic boundary line, and the UN Mission's International Police Task Force ( UNMIBH), as well as police from Canton Sarajevo, are patrolling those areas today.

The UN Mission reports its general satisfaction with the way the respective authorities have handled the adjustment in the boundary line, with no incidents reported at Dobrinja today. UN police are still monitoring the situation.

WAR CRIMES PROSECUTOR SENDS LETTER TO YUGOSLAV JUSTICE MINISTER

This morning, Carla del Ponte, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), signed a letter to the Justice Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Momcilo Grubac, asking whether former President Slobodan Milosevic has been served with an arrest warrant and indictment.

Earlier this month, the Tribunal's Registrar, Hans Holthuis, met with the Justice Minister in Belgrade and had received a commitment from him that the Tribunal's arrest warrant would be served on Milosevic. Today's letter is a legal procedure to follow up on that promise.

In answer to a question as to why former President Milosevic was still in detention in Belgrade and had not been handed over to the ICTY, the Spokesman said that was up to the Yugoslav authorities to answer. The Spokesman went on to say that the ICTY had indicted Milosevic and that Secretary-General and the Tribunals prosecutor expected Milosevic to be sent to The Hague for trial. While recognizing the right of Yugoslav authorities to try locally, the Spokesman said the United Nations continues to press them to turn him over to the ICTY.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

On the occasion of the first Africa Malaria day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a report which states that insecticide-treated bed-nets have been found to be an effective prevention measure, reducing the risk of transmission by up to 63 percent. Several African countries have already reduced or abolished taxes and tariffs on the nets in an effort to make them more affordable. Malaria kills over one million people worldwide annually and most of these deaths are among African children. Malaria continues to cause 20 percent of deaths in children under five in Africa, and accounts for 40 percent of the total public health expenditure.

The UN Commission on Human Rights ( OHCHR) adopted by consensus a

resolution on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. The resolution, put forward by Italy and co-sponsored by 35 other countries, encourages all member states to develop a sustainable plan of action for dissemination of human rights education and information, including the expanded use of new and modern technologies to disseminate information. It also calls upon the UN Department of Public Information to further develop mass media strategies for an effective promotion of Human Rights. The Commission also passed resolutions on the Death Penalty and Torture.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said that about 40 percent of the farmland in Afghanistan will be left uncultivated this year due to seed and water shortages. About 3 million Afghans are dependent on food aid and half of the 21 million population is affected by the current drought. Last month WFP launched a $76 million appeal to help 3.8 million Afghans avoid starvation, so far 55 percent of the funds has been raised.

Thursday, Marcel Marceau, the internationally-renown mime will accept his designation as Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Second World Assembly on Ageing, to be held in Madrid, Spain, April 8-12, 2002. There will be press conference on the appointment at 11:15a.m. at UN headquarters.

The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and Netaid.org will hold a joint press conference Thursday at 12:30 p.m. to launch the Say Yes to Children Campaign.

The Secretary-General has decided to that Shashi Tharoor will continue as Interim Head of the Department of Public Information. The original appointment had been made in January for a period of two to three months.

In response to a question on the fact that Iraqi TV was quoting the Secretary-General as saying that Kuwait was stealing Iraqi oil, the Spokesman said that paragraph 10 of the Secretary-General latest report on the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observer mission ( UNIKOM) clearly states increased activity was observed at Iraqi and Kuwaiti oil installations on both sides of the border. It makes no mention of stealing.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

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