United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-05-24

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

FROM THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MARIE OKABE

ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, May 24, 2001

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES DIRECT CONTACTS FOR INDIA, PAKISTAN

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement, warmly welcomed the decision of the Government of India to invite the Chief Executive of Pakistan, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, to New Delhi. He was encouraged by General Musharraf's positive response and voiced the hope that a summit between Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee would be arranged without undue delay.

The Secretary-General, who recently visited South Asia and conferred with both leaders, has consistently urged India and Pakistan to resume direct contacts to address outstanding bilateral and regional issues, including Kashmir. A meeting now at the highest level would further ease tensions in the region and facilitate a resumption of a sustained Indo-Pakistan dialogue, he said.

ANNAN MEETS WITH U.S. CONGRESS OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON

The Secretary-General went to Washington, D.C. this morning for meetings with members of the U.S. Congress.

He first met with Representative Richard Gephardt, the Democratic minority leader, who was joined by three Democratic Party members of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, David Obey, Nita Lowey and Nancy Pelosi. They discussed the Balkans, peacekeeping missions in Africa, and the Middle East, as well as Iraq.

The Secretary-General raised his call to action against HIV/AIDS. They also discussed the UN budget, with Under-Secretary-General for Management Joseph Connor emphasizing that the UN budget had not grown since 1994.

They then met with members of the House International Relations Committee including Chairman Henry Hyde and ranking minority member Tom Lantos. Over 20 members of the Committee attended the session and asked the Secretary-General questions. The topics ranged from the Middle East to the details of the Secretary-General's proposed Global Fund for AIDS and Health, the recent elections to the UN Human Rights Commission, and political hotspots such as the Middle East and Balkans.

The issue of the United States rejoining the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also came up, with one member saying that legislation to permit U.S. reentry had been introduced last week.

The Secretary-General then attended a private luncheon, after which he will meet with the editorial board of the Washington Post and have further meetings with members of Congress.

Asked about the Secretary-General's recent visits to Washington, the Spokeswoman said the latest trip had been planned for some time, and that the trips had been in response to invitations. She said, in response to a question, that there was no further information on when the U.S. Government would repay some $582 million of its arrears to the UN budget.

The delegation had not reported any changes in the Secretary-Generals program as of noon, she said in response to a question about whether there had been any adjustments to the schedule in light of developments involving the U.S. Congress today.

The Spokeswoman acknowledged complaints from several members of the press that today's trip had been announced to them only one day earlier. They also complained about the late issuance of a detailed itinerary. Some journalists said that the lack of advance notice and detailed itinerary affected their ability to provide coverage.

UN ENVOYS NOTE SHOOTING INCIDENT AT BLUE LINE

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East, Terje Roed Larsen, is in Jerusalem today, where he noted the first anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, and called it a victory for both people.

He noted the violation today of the Blue Line, in an incident in which Israeli planes shot down a Lebanese plane. The precise facts about that incident are not yet known, although UN officials -- including the Secretary-General's Personal Representative for Southern Lebanon, Staffan de Mistura -- are trying to determine what happened.

Regardless, Larsen said, all violations of the Blue Line, whether ill-intentioned or not, must not occur.

De Mistura also issued a statement commenting on the incident, in which he noted the negative effects of the almost daily air violations of the Blue Line by Israel.

SECURITY COUNCIL MISSION IN RWANDA ON TAIL END OF TRIP

The Security Council is not meeting today. The next scheduled meeting of the Council is next Tuesday, when the Council expects to hold consultations to hear from the mission, led by Ambassador Jean-David Levitte of France, that has gone to the Great Lakes region.

That mission is in Kigali, Rwanda, for discussions with Rwandan officials on the situation in the Great Lakes Region.

The Council Ambassadors first went to the Gisozi Genocide Memorial that is still under construction.

The mayor of Kigali, welcomed the Security Council delegation and gave them a history of the 1994 genocide. "Despite receiving warning signs from many UN agencies and the UN Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR), the international community turned a deaf ear and watched as a population was almost exterminated," said Mayor Theonest Mutsindashyaka.

Levitte then laid a wreath on one of the graves, on behalf of the whole delegation. During a tour of the site, the Ambassadors were told that close to 250,000 people had been taken from mass graves and reburied at the memorial.

The delegation then met with President Paul Kagame and members of his Government.

They will remain overnight and then travel to Kampala, the last stop of the mission's eight-country tour.

UN MISSION URGES KOSOVO SERB PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS

Today in Kosovo, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Hans Haekkerup, welcomed Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica's remarks in the media recommending that the Kosovo Serbs register as voters for the Kosovo elections. The UN Mission in Kosovo reiterated its belief that all citizens of Kosovo should participate fully in the November 17 elections.

Early this morning, in neighboring Serbia, Yugoslav Joint Security Forces moved advance elements into Sector Bravo of the Ground Safety Zone, the buffer zone between southern Serbia and Kosovo.

ANNAN APPLAUDS ANNIVERSARY OF THE OAU

At a closed session in the Trusteeship Council Chamber this morning, the African Group celebrated the 38th anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

On the Secretary-General's behalf, his Special Adviser on Africa, Ibrahim Gambari, applauded the OAU'S efforts "to mobilize the collective will of the continent against mankind's ancient enemies - war, want, and disease." He declared the OAU to be "an indispensable forum" where its member states can consult and plan how best to further shared interests.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations of the Economic and Social Council met this morning to consider some 50 new applications for consultative status. It will meet again at 3:00 p.m. to consider complaints. The Spokeswoman added, in response to questions, that the meeting may consider the case of the U.S.-based non-governmental organization Freedom House.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has commended the Organization of African Unity (OAU) for its decision to hold a high-level meeting to review the situation of children in Africa. The Pan-African Forum on the Future of Children in Africa will take place in Cairo, Egypt, on May 28-31.

The UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) will today sign a cooperation agreement to address the alarming spread of the disease among women and girls. Women constitute 47 percent of the 34.7 million adults living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.

Today, El Salvador became the 81st Member State to pay its regular budget contribution for 2001 in full with a payment of more than $180,000.

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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