United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-10-01

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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

Monday, October 1, 2001

ANNAN, NEW YORK MAYOR ADDRESS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON TERRORISM

Secretary-General Kofi Annan this morning welcomed New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to the General Assembly Hall, saying that "our shared adversity has brought New York City and the United Nations closer together than ever before."

He added, "If there is one message I took from the tour of 'ground zero' you provided two weeks ago, it is that the world must come together to defeat this menace."

Giuliani then addressed the Assembly just prior to the opening of its debate on terrorism. Noting the attack, which took place just two miles from the United Nations, the Mayor said that there was no room for neutrality in the war against terrorism, adding, "We're right and they're wrong."

"Decisive action is needed to stop terrorism from ever orphaning another child," the mayor said.

After General Assembly President Han Seung-Soo formally opened the terrorism debate, the Secretary-General addressed the Assembly.

The attack, which took the lives of some 6,000 people from some 80 countries, was evil, the Secretary-General said, but out of evil can come good. The task now is, he added, "to develop a broad, comprehensive and above all sustained strategy to combat terrorism and eradicate it from our world."

He urged all Member States to ratify the 12 UN conventions and protocols now open for signature, only one of which has not yet come into force. He also urged agreement on a new, comprehensive resolution on terrorism, currently in the drafting stage in the Assembly. Approval on that draft has been hampered by a disagreement over the definition of terrorism, among other things.

"I understand and accept the need for legal precision," he said. "But let me say frankly that there is also a need for moral clarity. There can be no acceptance of those who would seek to justify the deliberate taking of innocent life, regardless of cause or grievance. If there is one universal principle that all people can agree on, surely it is this."

In response to questions about the appearance by the New York Mayor, the Spokesman noted that two New York Mayors had addressed the General Assembly half a century ago, at the laying of the cornerstone for the UN building in 1949 and at the first General Assembly session at the building in 1952.

Giuliani was invited by the General Assembly President to speak, he added.

Asked about the United Nations' efforts against terrorism, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General has established the Executive Committee on Peace and Security as a coordinating mechanism in the UN response to terrorism.

WORLD BANK SAYS ATTACK WILL IMPOVERISH ANOTHER 10 MILLION

The September 11 terrorist attack on the United States will hurt economic growth worldwide over 2001 and 2002, and will condemn as many as 10 million more people to live in poverty next year, the World Bank says in a preliminary economic assessment that it issued today.

Even before September 11, the World Bank expected economic growth in developing countries to fall from 5.5 percent last year to 2.9 percent this year, as a result of slowdowns in the United States, Japan and Europe, before recovering to about 4.3 percent next year. But the attack is expected to delay the industrialized countries' recovery in 2002, and the Bank warns that growth in developing countries could be lower by between half and three-quarters of a percentage point from its previous estimates.

World Bank President James Wolfensohn said the unseen human toll of the attack will be felt in all parts of the world, especially in Africa. He added, "We estimate that tens of thousands more children will die worldwide and some 10 million more people are likely to be living below the poverty line of one dollar a day because of the terrorist attacks."

FIRST UN FOOD CONVOY REACHES AFGHANISTAN SINCE CRISIS BEGAN

A World Food Programme (WFP) convoy today carried more than 200 tons of wheat into the Afghan capital Kabul, marking the first food delivery since the beginning of the latest crisis. More food convoys were on their way to Afghanistan.

A top priority for the humanitarian community is to meet the needs of the people within Afghanistan, where conditions are extremely dire.

The UNs top humanitarian official, Emergency Relief Coordinator Kenzo Oshima, who is in the region at the request of the Secretary-General, told reporters in Islamabad that he had met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, carrying with him a letter from the Secretary-General that urged the Government of Pakistan to "welcome those unfortunate Afghan civilians who would be seeking safety" in Pakistan. The letter assured Musharraf of the UN's commitment to work in close cooperation with the Government and to extend its full support in that regard.

Earlier in the day, Oshima met with the Taliban Ambassador in Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, and reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to help all Afghan civilians in need within the country. To this end, he insisted on guarantees by the Taliban authorities on the safety and security of humanitarian workers, the full restoration of communications and facilities, and the safe movement of relief goods within areas under Taliban control.

As part of the UN humanitarian effort to reach the Afghan people both inside and outside the country, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations met in Quetta, Pakistan, earlier today to coordinate tasks in the region.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR) said its first relief flight into Iran was expected to arrive in Mashad, in the northeast of the country, on Tuesday.

Asked about reports that UN food stocks had been raided last week, the Spokesman said that WFP's control of food stocks in Kandahar had been restored late last week, and the agency reported that it found no signs that those stocks had been looted.

IRELAND BEGINS PRESIDENCY OF SECURITY COUNCIL

Today marks the beginning of Ireland's presidency of the Security Council for the month of October. No meetings of the Council are scheduled for today. Irish Ambassador Richard Ryan is conducting bilateral talks to determine the Council's program of work for October.

The Security Council late Friday night, adopted Resolution 1373, which reaffirms its unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist acts on the United States on September 11 and lays out wide-ranging strategies to combat international terrorism. The Council also established a Committee to monitor the implementation of its resolution and called on all States to report within 90 days on actions they had taken to that end. The Council decided that all States should prevent and suppress the financing of terrorism, as well as criminalize the willful provision or collection of funds for such acts. According to the resolution, the financial assets of those who commit, attempt to commit, or facilitate terrorist acts should also be frozen.

REPORT NOTES GENERAL CALM AT IRAQ-KUWAIT BORDER

The Secretary-General, in his latest report on the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM), recommends the continuation of that mission and adds that the situation along the Kuwait-Iraq border was generally calm between March 28 and September 24 of this year. During that time the mission reported 255 violations, including 163 air violations.

Within this reporting period, UNIKOM was able to carry out its task smoothly, receiving the cooperation of the Iraqi and Kuwaiti authorities.

ANNAN SAYS "OIL-FOR-FOOD" PROGRAM HAS HELPED AVERAGE IRAQI

The Secretary-Generals latest 90-day report on the implementation of Phase X of the "oil-for-food" program, which is to end on November 30, reiterates the Secretary-Generals belief that the Government of Iraq is in position to address the nutritional and health concerns of the Iraqi people, particularly the nutritional status of children.

It concludes that despite all the difficulties encountered and the criticisms raised by various quarters against the implementation of the program, it has made a considerable difference in the lives of the average Iraqi citizen. The Secretary-General believes, however, that a constructive and concerted action by all parties concerned would improve substantially the effectiveness of the program in alleviating the humanitarian situation in Iraq.

HEAD OF UN DRUG CONTROL PROGRAM TO LEAVE POSITION NEXT YEAR

In a statement issued late Friday, the Spokesman said that Pino Arlacchi, the Executive Director of the UN's Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, indicated to the Secretary-General in their meeting on Friday that he could not continue in his post for another full term.

It was agreed that he would stay in his position until mid-2002.

In response to a question on whether the United Nations would release a report on a boat project established by Arlacchi's office, the Spokesman said that any release would be the decision of Dileep Nair, head of the Office of Internal Oversight Services. Nair reports to the General Assembly, and has sent two other reports on Arlacchi's office to the Assembly, which will be made public.

ANNAN SAYS GUINEA-BISSAU REMAINS "DANGEROUSLY UNSTABLE"

The Secretary-General, in his report on the UN Peace-building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau, which covers events since last June, says that despite some positive developments, the overall situation in that country remains "dangerously unstable."

The country's widespread economic and social problems have prevented democratic advances from taking root, the report says, and the Secretary-General calls on all political actors at all levels in the country to maintain dialogue and refrain from any actions that threaten national unity and the constitutional order.

ANNAN URGES PROGRESS ON SLUMS DURING WORLD HABITAT DAY

On the occasion of World Habitat Day, the Executive Director of the UN Centre for Human Settlements, Anna Tibaijuka, delivered a message on behalf of the Secretary-General at a meeting in Fukuoka Japan.

In his message the Secretary-General called on the international community and citizens everywhere to "pledge to do their part in turning slums into sustainable neighborhoods fit for families, fit for living, fit for the future".

This years global observance for World Habitat day was held in Fukuoka, which received an award for creating the most liveable city in Asia.

ANNAN MARKS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF OLDER PERSONS

Today is also the International Day of Older Persons and the Secretary-General, in his message, pointed out that by the middle of this century, the number of older persons will double from one in 10 to one in five.

He said that ageing issues need to be integrated in the larger context of development and that all trends from globalization to HIV/AIDS affect the place of older persons in society. "The seeds of healthy ageing," he said, "are planted early in life; that is a challenge we must take up without delay."

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Secretary-General's report to the General Assembly on special assistance for the economic recovery and reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) notes that the country's gloomy economic picture deteriorated further in 2000 and the first quarter of 2001. The new Government under President Joseph Kabila has inherited runaway inflation, monetary instability, a persistent fiscal deficit, heavy external debt and a climate of great social tension, the report says.

Three reports were issued today from Special Rapporteurs of the UN Commission on Human Rights. Roberto Garreton's report on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro's report on human rights in Myanmar, and Enrique Bernales Bellesteros's report on the use of mercenaries were all issued.

The United Nations and Belarus signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Standby Arrangements, for resources that are to be made available within a specified timeframe for UN peacekeeping operations. Belarus is the 36th country to sign the Memorandum and has pledged 32 civilian police officers.

This morning, Belarus also became the 28th country to ratify the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings.

The Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism was signed by Iceland and Madagascar.

Madagascar also signed the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons, the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others and its Final Protocol and the Convention against Torture and the Amendment to Article 43 (2) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Last Friday afternoon, at 4 p.m., an evacuation drill was conducted at the UN Headquarters building to help evaluate the effectiveness of emergency response at Headquarters. UN Security said that about 3,000 people in the building at that time participated in the exercise, and the last of the people being evacuated had left the building within 27 minutes. Surveys are being given to those who participated in the exercise to evaluate more fully how the drill was conducted.

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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