United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-04-30

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

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY

FRED

ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, April 30, 2002

MIDDLE EAST: ANNAN "MINDED" TO DISBAND UN FACT-FINDING MISSION

Upon entering the building this morning, the Secretary-General was asked by reporters to respond to accounts in the media that Israel was not going to allow the UN fact-finding team for Jenin to enter, and he responded that, although he had heard the press reports, he was waiting to hear formally from the Israeli authorities. He said, My understanding was that Foreign Minister [Shimon] Peres was going to write to me after the Cabinet decision.

Asked about Israels concerns regarding the fact-finding team, he added, We've really done everything to meet them, to deal with their concerns. And I think we've been very forthcoming. Obviously the decision is theirs, and I'm waiting, as I said, to get a formal notification.

[Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast briefed Security Council members and then told reporters that "in the Secretary-General's view a thorough, credible and balanced report on recent events in Jenin refugee camp would not be possible without the full cooperation of the government of Israel." Prendergast went on to say, " In these circumstances, and since it appears from today's Cabinet statement by Israel that the difficulties in the way of deployment of the fact-finding team will not be resolved any time soon, the Secretary-General is minded to disband the team and I have so informed the Council." The team has been working in Geneva while awaiting the green light to travel to the Middle East.]

SECURITY COUNCIL TO EXTEND MANDATE OF UN MISSION IN WESTERN SAHARA

The Security Council held consultations on Western Sahara. Council members are scheduled to resume consultations at 4 p.m. to decide on an extension for the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

There is the possibility of consultations later today on the situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestine.

UN AGENCIES: ISRAEL CONTINUES TO IMPEDE EFFORTS TO AID PALESTINIANS

UN aid agencies, at a press conference in Geneva today, drew attention to the continuing problems in providing assistance to tens of thousands of Palestinians in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, because of blockages by Israel.

The agencies say that a worrying pattern is emerging of impediments to UN humanitarian assistance by Israeli officials and the Israeli Defense Forces. The UNs humanitarian staff are on a regular basis running into obstruction and delays while trying to bring humanitarian assistance into the occupied Palestinian territories.

Rene Aquarone, Chief of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Liaison Office in Geneva, who had just returned from a mission to the occupied territories, said in Geneva today that the entire Gaza Strip was currently under a situation of "economic strangulation." All movement inside the Gaza Strip was severely restricted. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, there are still restrictions on the movement of Palestinians, requiring international staff to perform all tasks, from driving trucks to unloading aid.

Ross Mountain, Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator, said the major humanitarian priorities at the present time were unexploded ordnance, particularly in Jenin and Nablus; shelter, particularly in Jenin where 800 housing units had been destroyed and others had suffered extensive damage; psychological and social work; and infrastructure.

WESTERN SAHARA: ANNAN CLARIFIES POSITION OF HIS PERSONAL ENVOY

In a statement issued through his Spokesman, the Secretary-General said there have been recent press reports that Mr. James A. Baker, Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, has stated that he will resign if the Security Council does not give him a mandate to work on revising the draft framework agreement, which is option two of the four options presented by the Secretary-General in his February 2002 report (S/2002/178) to the Security Council. This is incorrect.

The statement went on to say that Mr. Baker has consistently declined to recommend any one option to the Security Council. As he stated during his briefing of the Council on 27 February 2002, he favors any option that will give him a clear mandate and which will have the support of the Security Council. He is of the view that any option that the Security Council chooses, should give the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy sufficient authority to try and resolve the long-standing conflict over Western Sahara.

SECURITY COUNCIL MISSION MEETS WITH DRC PRESIDENT KABILA

The Security Council mission to the Great Lakes region held a two-hour meeting this morning in Kinshasa with President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The 15-member mission, led by Ambassador Jean David Levitte of France, also met Monday with President Robert Mugabe in Harare, Zimbabwe, and President Thabo Mbeki in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Our message to all our partners is the same: Think about peace in the region, think about ways and means to push the peace process because people in the region long for peace, Levitte said.

The Council mission had a number of meetings in Kinshasa today, starting with the UN mission (MONUC) and civil society, political parties and religious leaders in the afternoon. They were also briefed by UN agencies.

At 5 p.m., the Security Council mission was to attend a ceremony of the destruction of weapons and, at 6 p.m. give a press conference in Kinshasa.

Wednesday, the Council mission is scheduled to leave for Kisangani, DRC.

The Food and Agriculture Organization reports that a convoy of barges has sailed from the port of Kinshasa, carrying more than 1,000 tons of medicines, food, salt, sugar, spare parts, construction materials, fuel, clothing, agricultural inputs and fishing material. The destination of the so-called Convoy of Hope, which set sail yesterday is Kisangani, where between 6 and 7 million people are in critical need of food and other necessities. See a press release for more details.

EVIDENCE OF POSSIBLE CORRUPTION FOUND IN KOSOVO ELECTRIC FIRM

In Kosovo today, Andy Bearpark, who heads the reconstruction and economic development pillar of the UN Mission (UNMIK), reported that he had found evidence of a possible case of corruption in Kosovos electricity company (known as KEK) of approximately 4.5 million euros worth of international aid money involved in the import of electricity.

The Mission has contacted the European Anti-Fraud Office in Brussels, and an investigation is now underway. Bearpark told the press, in a statement we have upstairs, that if Kosovo is to have a functioning economy, corruption cannot be tolerated.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Office of the Iraq Programme weekly update says there were no Iraqi oil exports under the under the oil-for-food program during the past week. Iraq suspended its oil exports on April 8. Revenue generated from the export of oil in the current phase 11 of the program is estimated at $3.93 billions. There are no funds available at the moment to cover the purchase of various humanitarian supplies and equipment worth $2.9 billion. Revenue loss, as a result of Iraqs suspension of oil exports, is now estimated at $1.2 billion. The value of contracts placed on hold by the Security Councils 661 sanctions committee dropped from the previous weeks total, which was more than $5.2 billion, to about $5.1 billion.

Todays briefing notes from Kabul contains an update on the Loya Jirga selection process underway in Afghanistan. The update notes that fighting around the city of Gardez has disrupted the schedule in that area. The notes also contain updates on a locust infestation in six provinces, efforts to assist flooding victims, and an update on refugee returns. More than 400,000 Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan two months.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for East Timor, Sergio Vieira de Mello, today swore in the new Minister of Finance of the Second Transitional Government, Madalena Brites Boavida. She was selected on the recommendation of Chief Minister Mari Alkatiri and replaces Fernanda Borges who resigned last week. One of the new Finance Ministers first tasks will be to prepare for the Donors Conference, which will be held in Dili May 14-15 May. Also today, the Council of Ministers selected the UN Charter and the Geneva Convention among the first eight international convention and treaties to be signed when the country gains independence on May 20.

The United Nations is warning today in a press release, that the humanitarian crisis in North Korea would worsen dramatically within weeks unless the international community pledges more aid immediately.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees says it has been receiving disturbing reports over the past few days from a maritime insurance company, registered with Lloyds of London, of an incident concerning a pair of stowaways on board a cargo ship that is currently touring a number of ports in European Union countries. The two men, who are in their early twenties, are believed to be Iraqis and, according to the ship's captain, seem to want to claim asylum. However, it appears that they may have been prevented from doing so in four different EU countries so far. See the UNHCR briefing notes if you want to learn more about this situation.

World Press Freedom Day will be observed on Thursday, May 2, and we already have available as a press release a joint statement by the Secretary-General, High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, drawing particular attention to the threat of terrorism to the freedom of the press. Noting the killing earlier this year of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl, the statement emphasized, Journalists have human rights like everyone else, rights which have not been forfeited because of their choice of profession.

Ongoing efforts to enhance cooperation in conflict prevention and peace-building will be discussed by the UN system and Regional Organizations from today to May 2 at a working-level meeting at UN headquarters. The meeting constitutes part of the Secretary-General's broader efforts to move the international community from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention, as called for in recent report to the Security Council on the Prevention of Armed Conflict.

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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