United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-07-27

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HIGHLIGHTS

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, July 27, 2001

UN OFFICIAL SAYS ZIONISM DISPUTE COULD HARM RACISM CONFERENCE

The High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, in a breakfast meeting with journalists in Geneva earlier today, acknowledged that difficult issues remain to be considered next week by the Preparatory Committee of the World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, to be held from Aug. 31 to Sept. 7, in Durban, South Africa.

In response to a question, Robinson said, "If there is an attempt to revive the idea of Zionism and racism, we will not have a successful conference in Durban."

Robinson added that she told this to Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.

She also said there was a growing recognition at the highest political levels of the need to have a successful outcome at the Durban conference.

One of the events around the Preparatory Committee for the Conference next week in Geneva would be a meeting on August 3 of the Eminent Persons Group, which the High Commissioner had established to help advance the issues with which the Conference is dealing. [Among the persons who would be attending were former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari and Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu.]

Asked about what Secretary-General Kofi Annan is doing to help the Conference, the Spokesman said that Robinson and the Secretary-General have talked with Governments for months to keep the Conference focused and forward-looking, and prevent it from being derailed. The Secretary-General has been personally involved in supporting Robinson's efforts.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS EAST TIMOR ON MONDAY

There is no meeting of the Security Council today.

On Monday, the Council will hold a formal meeting to hear a briefing on the latest developments in East Timor, at which the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Sergio Vieira de Mello, is scheduled to speak. The Secretary-General's latest report on East Timor was issued earlier this week.

Also, members of the Council have been working on a draft resolution concerning sanctions on Afghanistan's Taliban movement.

UN BOSNIA MISSION LAUNCHES PROGRAM AGAINST TRAFFICKING

The UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina ( UNMIBH) on Thursday held a press conference to introduce its new program to deal with that country's problems in human trafficking and prostitution.

The Special Trafficking Operations Program (STOP) will involve the creation of special police units in each region of Bosnia, which would work in cooperation with the UN Mission in dealing with trafficking issues.

The UN Mission will also closely monitor allegations of local police involvement, and would conduct any internal investigations, as appropriate, if allegations were made against UN civilian or police personnel.

Asked what prompted the formation of the program, the Spokesman noted the increasing report of human trafficking in Bosnia, and the UN Mission's intention to prompt the Government to deal forcefully with the issue. The Secretary-General's Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jacques Klein, has been involved in bringing the issue to the forefront.

RWANDAN SUSPECT ARRESTED IN BELGIUM

Thursday in Belgium, a member of former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana's inner circle was arrested by Belgian authorities, at the request of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda ( ICTR), which has charged him with crimes against humanity committed during the 1994 genocide.

Protais Zigiranyizaro, who was the late Rwandan President's brother-in-law, is accused of having planned the massacres by collaborating with other officials in distributing arms and ordering roadblocks and subsequent killings.

He is to be transferred to the UN Detention Facility in Arusha, Tanzania, once legal formalities have been completed.

IRAQI GOVERNMENT SUBMITS DISTRIBUTION PLAN

The Government of Iraq has submitted its distribution plan for Phase X of the "oil-for-food" program, which began on July 4 and will last through November 30.

The distribution plan forecasts an estimated budget of $5.5 billion for the humanitarian program, to be earned from Iraqi oil exports. Seventy-two percent of oil revenue goes to fund the purchases of humanitarian supplies.

The plan that was submitted by Iraq is currently under review by the Secretary-General. Once it is approved, it will form the basis on which the Government of Iraq will contract supplies and equipment in the 15 central and southern governorates of Iraq, while the United Nations will do the same in the three northern governorates, on behalf of the Government of Iraq. Food and medicines are purchased in bulk by the Government of Iraq for the entire country.

The Spokesman clarified comments made on Thursday, saying that the UN Office of the Iraq Programme was transferring money from its administrative account to the account for humanitarian supplies because of savings made in UN administrative expenses, not because of oil revenues.

HUMANITARIAN UPDATES

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR) will mark on Saturday the 50th anniversary of the main global treaty for the protection of refugees. It also has updates today on the situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), contacts with Turkish and Greek authorities over reports surrounding a group of Africans allegedly dumped on the border between the two countries, and other refugee situations in Africa.

The World Food Programme (WFP) launched an appeal for $2.1 million to fund an emergency humanitarian air operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part its ongoing effort to widen access in that country. And, UNHCR said it has begun the delivery of relief items to the northeastern town of Zongo, where there are tens of thousands of refugees from the Central African Republic.

The UNs weekly Afghan humanitarian update notes an awareness raising visit by UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador Tetsuko Kuroyanagi on the plight of Afghan women and children. Upon return home to Tokyo, the Japanese celebrity is expected to discuss her findings with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

The World Health Organization ( WHO) called for an increase in the fight against influenza, which infects an estimated 100 million people each year in the northern hemisphere. WHO is developing a Global Agenda on Influenza to set priorities and targets to reduce death and disease caused by yearly outbreaks of the flu.

The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today issued a joint report on the food situation in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The report says the already precarious situation has been seriously aggravated by the spring drought, which has lasted more than three months in some places, and adds that a large volume of food aid would be needed in 2002.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

In response to questions on Kosovo, the Spokesman said that more than 76,000 refugees had entered Kosovo from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) since February. The UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), he added, found the recent closure by the FYROM Government of its border with Kosovo unacceptable because it affected the work of the Mission, which has a liaison office in FYROM and moves personnel and goods across the border.

Asked about when Under-Secretary-General for Management Joseph Connor would finish his investigation of the video made by UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, the Spokesman said Connor hoped to finish a draft report over the weekend, and that additional information on the investigation may be announced early next week.

In response to a question about Lebanese criticism of the Secretary-General's recent report on the UN Mission in Lebanon, the Spokesman said that two of the Mission's three core goals have been accomplished. As a result, the Mission no longer needs as many infantry battalions as before. Meanwhile, the Mission continues to have an observer presence, including observers borrowed from the UN Truce Supervision Organization.

The UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea reports the situation in the Temporary Security Zone remains calm.

The UN Mission in Sierra Leone reports that Force Commander Lt. Gen. Daniel Opande is in the Kono district as part the Mission's ongoing efforts to encourage combatants to join the disarmament process.

Bangladesh deposited instruments for the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and a related amendment, and the Agreement on the International Jute Study Group.

Bolivia this morning became the 100th Member State to pay its 2001 regular budget contribution in full with a payment of more than $82,000. Last year at this time, a total of 104 Member States had fully paid their dues.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, July 30

The Security Council will hold an open briefing on East Timor, on which it expects to hear from the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Sergio Vieira de Mello.

In Vienna, an open-ended working group will begin meetings on preparing the draft terms of reference for a future legal instrument against corruption.

The guest at the noon briefing will be Stephen Lewis, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, who recently visited Kenya, Rwanda and Nigeria to discuss the fight against AIDS.

The Preparatory Committee of the World Conference against Racism, to be held starting August 31 in Durban, South Africa, will begin its final session in Geneva.

Tuesday, July 31

The Security Council expects to hold formal meetings to consider the extension of the mandates of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG). The present mandates of both missions expire on this date.

Wednesday, August 1

Ambassador Alfonso Valdivieso of Colombia will take over as President of the Security Council for the month of August, replacing Ambassador Wang Yingfan of China. He expects to hold bilateral meetings with other Council members on its program of work for the coming month.

In Vienna, the United Nations Postal Administration will issue a set of six commemorative stamps and three prestige booklets on the theme "World Heritage - Japan."

Thursday, August 2

The Security Council intends to hold an open debate on small arms, which would be chaired by the Foreign Minister of Colombia and attended by the Secretary-General.

Friday, August 3

The Security Council may hold informal consultations on its program of work for August.

In Geneva, there will be a meeting of High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson's Eminent Persons Group dealing with racism.

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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