United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-06-04

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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

Monday, June 4, 2001

MIDDLE EAST: ANNAN DESCRIBES CEASE-FIRE CALLS AS VERY POSITIVE

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Secretary-General Kofi Annan met at his residence this morning with his Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process, Terje Roed-Larsen, who briefed him on the latest developments in the region, including the call over the weekend for a cease-fire by the President of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat.

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This came in the wake of a similar order of restraint to Israeli forces issued on May 22 by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

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On entering UN headquarters this morning, the Secretary-General told Egyptian Television, "I think the developments in the region over the weekend were very positive."

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The Secretary-General had extensive telephone contact with Middle East leaders and others on the subject of the Arab-Israeli developments.

ANNAN HOPES UN ENVOY VISIT TO MYANMAR WILL BRING PROGRESS

Razali Ismail, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Myanmar, visited Yangon from June 1-4, 2001 to help facilitate progress in the talks between the Government and Aung San Suu Kyi, the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy, for democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar.

During his visit, Razali had important discussions with Lt-Gen. Kuin Nyunt, Secretary 1 of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), and other Government officials.

He also had discussions with Aung San Suu Kyi at the latters residence.

The Secretary-General, in a statement issued through his Spokesman, said he hopes that the visit of his Special Envoy, and the discussions he had during his stay in Yangon will contribute toward progress in the talks.

He considers the timely visits of his Special Envoy to Myanmar as an important function in discharging his good offices mandate given by the General Assembly.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES JUNE WORK PROGRAM

The Security Council held informal consultations this morning to review its program of work for June.

Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury of Bangladesh, President of the Security Council for this month, briefed reporters following the consultations on the Councils work plan for the month.

ANNAN WELCOMES U.S. MOVE TO RELAX HOLDS ON IRAQI CONTRACTS

In a statement issued after the noon briefing, the Secretary-General has repeatedly expressed his grave concern regarding the unacceptably high level of holds placed on applications for contracts submitted under the humanitarian programme for Iraq, pursuant to Security Council resolution 986 (1995), and has called on the members of the Council to reduce the level of holds drastically.

As at May 31, the total number of applications placed on hold was 1,651, with a total value of $3.7 billion.

On Friday, June 1, the Permanent Mission of the United States informed the Office of the Iraq Programme of the decision taken by the Government of the United States to release the holds placed on 410 applications, with a total value of $703.5 million. The applications concerned were submitted under the agriculture, food handling, education, electricity, health, housing, water and sanitation and the oil sectors, details of which are a available at the Office of the Iraq Programme.

The Secretary-General is encouraged by and welcomes the decision taken and appeals to all members of the Security Council and its Committee established by resolution 661 (1990), to expedite the approval of applications and spare no effort in lifting the remaining holds placed on applications, the statement said.

IRAQ HALTS LOADINGS AT CEYHAN, CONTINUES AT MINA AL-BAKR

According to the UN oil monitors in Iraq, Iraqi oil authorities have announced suspension of oil exports.

Loadings at Ceyhan, Turkey, have stopped. The loading of two vessels is continuing at Mina al-Bakr, Iraq. These vessels had begun loading operations before the halt came into effect.

In response to a question, the Spokesman said that when the Secretary-General was asked for his reaction to the Iraqi shut off of oil exports, he said we would need to wait to see the Security Council finish deliberations to determine what the outline of the new program for Iraq would be. The Secretary-General also said that Iraq is a sovereign state and if it decides to turn off the oil, some pressure may be brought on to change its position but whether it would change or not only time will tell.

The Spokesman added, So I think everyone is waiting, waiting to see the impact on markets, and waiting to see the impact on political situation as the Council resumes its consultations on revisions to the Oil-for-Food programme.

ANNAN ON AIDS: MAGNITUDE OF CRISIS IS FINALLY BEGINNING TO SINK IN

In a statement issued today commemorating the 20th anniversary of the first clinical evidence of AIDS, the Secretary-General says that global progress in facing up to the epidemic has been unconsciously slow but that now for much of the international community, the magnitude of the crisis is finally beginning to sink in.

We must now build on this to galvanize global awareness and build a response that matches the challenge, he said.

The Secretary-General also reminds us that in three weeks from now the Special Session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS will be held at UN Headquarters.

That session, he said. will be a test for all of us who call ourselves the international community.

ANNAN RECOMMENDS RENEWAL OF UN FORCE MANDATE FOR CYPRUS

The Secretary-Generals report to the Security Council on the UN operation in Cyprus, including the UN peacekeeping force on the island for the period November 28, 2000 to May 29, 2001, has been issued today.

In the report the Secretary-General says that the military situation along the cease-fire lines remain calm but, he highlights a number of small incidents, some potentially serious, caused by both the National Guard and Turkish forces

The Secretary-General recommends to the Council that the UN Forces mandate be extended until December 15, 2001.

The Secretary-General also reports on the activities of his Special Advisor for Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, who traveled to the island in January of this year for meetings with both Rauf Denktash and Glafcos Clerides.

During the meeting with de Soto, the Secretary-General reports, Denktash asked that no date for the proximity talks be set.

Despite the fact that proximity talks have not taken place during the reporting period, de Soto has continued to hold consultations on the Secretary-Generals behalf and is proceeding with preparations and consultations so as to be of assistance to the parties at the appropriate time.

Consultations in the Security Council this report are scheduled for June 11.

UN ANNOUNCES LEGAL CROSSING POINTS INTO KOSOVO

The UN mission in Kosovo today announced that a weapons amnesty program ended at midnight last night. From now on anyone caught with an unauthorized weapon will be fined or imprisoned.

In a move aimed at extremists or criminals fueling instability in and outside Kosovo, the UN mission also said that a new regulation designating 19 legal crossing points from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Albania, Serbia and Montenegro went into effect today. Anyone crossing at other locales will be subject to a fine and/or jail term.

KFOR meanwhile announced that it will redeploy some of its units to focus on further securing the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

In response to a question about the Secretary-Generals response to the violence in the Central African Republic, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General was following this situation very closely. He spoke to President Ange-Felix Patasse by telephone over the weekend. The Secretary-General is hoping that the constitutional order there can be respected and that the mutiny that happened there last week can be brought under control and order restore with a minimum of suffering to the civilian population, the Spokesman said. He is encouraging those in the country to respect the constitutional order, the Spokesman added.

Over 90 constitutional commissioners, advisors and rapporteurs were deployed today throughout East Timor aimed at organizing public hearings in each of the 65 sub-districts of East Timor. Their task is to inform the East Timorese about the constitutional process and gather their views and perspectives as to what should be included in the future constitution. The public hearings are expected to begin on June 18 and end on July 14. Elections for the Constituent Assembly are expected to take place on August 30.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sierra Leone, Oluyemi Adeniji traveled to Kailahoun today where the rebel Revolutionary United Front today handed over another 150 former child combatants to the UN mission in Sierra Leone.

In the first press release today, the Food and Agriculture Organization says that cities in developing countries face increased malnutrition and health risks if there is not improvement in access to an adequate and safe food supply. In conjunction with the Special Session on the follow-up to Habitat II, the FAO will hold a seminar on this topic here on Wednesday.

Today, three more countries signed the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Jamaica, Pakistan and Zimbabwe brought the number of signatories to the Protocol to 103.

World Environment Day will be observed at UN Headquarters Tuesday. Among other events held in conjunction with the Day, a new Millennium Ecosystem Assessment will be launched at an 11:00 a.m. press conference at UN headquarters. The Secretary-General will present the report.

Jean-Marie Guehenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, will be the guest at the noon briefing Tuesday to preview the Secretary-Generals report on the follow-up to the Report of the Panel on Peace Operations headed by Lakhdar Brahimi.

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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