United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-05-14

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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, May 14, 2002

ANNAN CONDEMNS ATTACK IN KASHMIR

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement through his Spokesman, condemned in the strongest possible terms, as an act of terrorism, the attack that occurred today near the town of Jammu in Kashmir, in which more than 30 people were killed and many injured.

He is deeply saddened by the killing of passengers, in particular women and children, in the bus transporting army personnel and their family members, and extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of India.

The Secretary-General called on all concerned to exercise the utmost restraint and to resolve their differences through peaceful means.

UN MISSION REPORTS PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN SIERRA LEONE

Presidential and parliamentary elections are taking place today in Sierra Leone, a step the Secretary-General has described as an important milestone in the peace process.

As of early afternoon, voting across the country was reported to be taking place in a peaceful and festive atmosphere. Voters began lining up as early as 1:30 a.m. to await the opening of polling stations at 7:00 a.m.

The Spokesperson for the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) described the voters as extremely happy. Lines were seen outside polling stations in Freetown in the early afternoon.

The majority of the more than 17,000 UN peacekeepers the UNs largest peacekeeping force -- fanned out in 150 locations. Some 2.3 million voters were registered to cast their ballots at about 5,000 polling stations across the country. Among those voting were amputees, a visual reminder of the war that ravaged the West African nation. One man was seen casting a ballot with his toes.

Speaking live on Radio UNAMSIL this morning, the Commissioner of the National Electoral Commission assured voters that as long as they were in line by the 5:00 p.m. official closing of the polls, they would be allowed to vote.

Results are expected to be announced by week's end.

SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS CHANGE IN OIL-FOR-FOOD PROGRAM

After brief consultations this morning, the Security Council unanimously adopted a draft resolution on Iraq which will, for the next phase of the oil-for-food program, create a more streamlined procedures for goods to be purchased and shipped to Iraq.

This resolution is the second major change to processing of humanitarian supply contracts under the programme since the adoption of Resolution 1284, which lifted the ceiling of oil Iraq could sell under the programme.

For this next phase, which will be the programmes twelfth and starts on May 30, only contracts for items included on the Goods Review List will be examined by the Council Iraq Sanctions Committee. All other items will be processed directly by the Office of the Iraq Programme.

Asked about dates for the next round of UN-Iraq talks, the Spokesman said that no dates had been set yet. The United Nations was trying to coordinate plans with the Secretary-Generals schedule, which includes considerable travel. The United Nations, he said, wanted to have the next round of talks by the end of this month, but it is unclear whether that will happen.

IRAQ OFFICE NOTES RESUMPTION OF OIL EXPORTS

The Office of the Iraq Programme, in its weekly update notes that, following the resumption by Iraq of oil exports on May 9 after a month-long stoppage, one oil tanker took in oil at the Mina al-Bakr terminal that same day.

There were no loadings at the second authorized terminal of Ceyhan during this period, although three vessels were scheduled to arrive in the coming days.

In Phase XI of the programme, which ends on May 29, Iraq has exported 207 million barrels of oil, out of the 363 million barrels approved.

The program continues to face a considerable funding shortfall. Currently, about $2.77 billion of humanitarian supply contracts, although approved, cannot be funded.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES MISSION TO GREAT LAKES

After its vote on Iraq, the Security Council began an open meeting on its recent mission to the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Ambassador Jean-David Levitte of France, who led the mission, introduced the Missions report to the Council.

In it, the mission reports that it received broad positive response to the idea of establishing a curtain of forces along the DRCs borders with Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda. These forces, which would come from the three concerned countries, would be deployed with the full agreement of the DRC Government as an interim border security measure.

Council members were also encouraged by the signing of a recent accord between the DRC Government and the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC) and the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) to reopen the Congo River to commercial traffic. The Security Council views this as an essential means to improving the economic and social life of millions of Congolese.

On Burundi, the Council noted that there have been a number of significant improvements since it last visited the country a year ago. Most notable of these was in the installation of a transitional government last fall. With the knowledge that none of the recent progress is irreversible, the members of the Council demanded that the Burundian armed opposition cease all hostilities and enter into negotiations with the Government.

ANNAN ARRIVES IN CYPRUS, CALLS FOR DECISIVE PROGRESS

The Secretary-General touched down in Nicosia, Cyprus, today and told reporters at the airport that the start of the latest round of talks has raised hopes greatly, not just in Cyprus, "but in the region and beyond."

He expressed concern about the slow progress, however, saying, "Decisive progress is needed in the coming period."

"This is an historic opportunity," he added. "I am convinced that these two leaders, uniquely steeped in the history of this island, can rise to the occasion."

The Secretary-General said he wanted to discuss with His Excellency Glafcos Clerides, leader of the Greek Cypriot community, and His Excellency Rauf Denktash, leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, how to resolve the main issues by the end of June.

He conferred this evening with his Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, who has been assisting the two leaders in their direct talks over the past four months. He will meet with each of them separately on Wednesday and then bring them together, at his invitation, over dinner.

ANNAN OUTLINES ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITIES

Today at the American Museum of Natural History, Nane Annan delivered a speech on behalf of the Secretary-General, on the upcoming World Summit for Sustainable Development. Because the Secretary-General is in Cyprus today, she represented her husband for the first time at such an occasion and read out a speech on his behalf.

In that speech, the Secretary-General says the state of the worlds environment remains fragile, with conservation measures still far from satisfactory. But less than four months from now, when the World Summit for Sustainable Development takes place in Johannesburg, the momentum that had been felt at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a decade ago can be restored. He points to five priorities for the future: water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity.

We will need to find our way towards to a greater sense of mutual responsibility, the Secretary-General says. Together, we will need to build a new ethic of global stewardship. Together, we can and must write a new and more hopeful chapter in natural and human history.

PREPARATION OF JENIN REPORT WILL TAKE ABOUT SIX WEEKS

The UN Secretariat is drafting letters to both the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, requesting information for the report that is being prepared by the Secretariat on the recent events in Jenin and other Palestinian cities [as requested by the General Assembly in its resolution of May 7.] The letters will go out in the next days.

The United Nations expects that the preparation of the report will take about six weeks. The report will be prepared by UN Secretariat staff and presented by the Secretary-General. There will be no progress updates as the report is being prepared.

UNRWA CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE RESTRICTIONS ON MOVEMENT

Rene Aquarone, the head of the Geneva office of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) informed reporters about the Agencys worry about the implications of new restrictions on freedom of movement which were being prepared by the Israeli authorities.

Under the new system, any Palestinian who wanted to move from one city to another in the West Bank would need a permit, which would be valid for one month. Also, Jerusalem ID car holders would be prevented from traveling to the occupied territories. UNRWA and other agencies would have to use international drivers for all transportation.

"We are very concerned because if these announced measures are put into effect, this will cripple the activities of the agency, its relief and emergency activities and its normal activities," Aquarone told reporters in Geneva.

He said UNRWA was in discussion with Israeli authorities to try to explain to them that this is not in conformity with the responsibilities of Israel as an occupying power, and certainly not in accordance with its responsibilities to a UN agency.

ANNAN WELCOMES U.S.-RUSSIA NUCLEAR AGREEMENT

The Secretary-General, in a statement, welcomed the announcement that the United States and the Russian Federation have agreed to sign a treaty to reduce their deployed strategic nuclear weapons substantially by the year 2012.

The signature of the treaty in Moscow by Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin next week will be a positive step in the direction of nuclear disarmament and contributes to the fulfillment of the obligations of the two countries as nuclear-weapon states under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

EAST TIMOR SEEKING $90 MILLION IN DIRECT BUDGET SUPPORT

A two-day donors meeting began in Dili today to discuss post-independence support for the East Timorese Governments economic program. Representatives of 27 countries, multilateral groups and the European Union are attending the meeting, which ends with a pledging session on Wednesday. A total of $90.9 million has been estimated for direct budget support over the next three years.

On Monday, the Australian Government presented the East Timorese Government with the first of 2 million postage stamps produced to mark East Timors independence. The stamps will be released on May 20 and will be sold in East Timor, in Australia and by mail-order and over the Internet. Revenue from the sale of the stamps will go to the East Timorese Government.

UN ENVOY TO DISCUSS SECURITY SECTOR IN AFGHANISTAN

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, is scheduled to leave Kabul Wednesday to attend in Geneva a meeting later this week on the security sector in Afghanistan.

The meeting Friday will bring together the Afghan Interim Administration, the United Nations, donors and concerned governments to discuss security-related projects and issues ranging from the building of a national army and national police force, as well as demobilization. It follows a meeting on the same subject held in Geneva on April 3.

In Kabul today, Brahimi gave a press conference on the eve of his departure on the Loya Jirga process.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Asked about U.S. criticism of the International Criminal Court, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General has been quite public in his defense of the Court. The Secretary-General, he noted, said the Court should go after criminals only after national courts failed to prosecute them; a country like the United States, consequently, should have nothing to fear. The Secretary-Generals hope, Eckhard added, is that there will eventually be a consensus in favor of the Court.

Asked about a case before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia concerning information received by a Washington Post reporter, the Spokesman said he would not comment while the court was considering the matter, but noted the United Nations was interested to see what the decision would be and its implications for the press.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that 287 Liberians arrived in Côte d'Ivoire over the weekend in what it says may be the first wave of residents fleeing reported heavy fighting between government and Liberians United for Reconciliation and Development (LURD) rebel forces in the northeastern Gbarnga area of Liberia. Another 200 Liberians are reported to be waiting for permission from the Liberian authorities before being allowed to cross the frontier.

The first session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is continuing at UN headquarters today, and High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson joined a panel discussion on indigenous media networks, and also inaugurated an exhibit, called Voices, of art, photography, textiles, artifacts and live performances in a celebration of indigenous peoples.

India and Belize today both signed the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which now has 133 signatories.

The World Health Organization announced a comprehensive study on venous thrombosis and air travel. The study is expected to take up to four years to complete and will assess the frequency of thrombosis among air travelers and identify groups at most risk. It will also look at whether factors other than immobility, such as cabin pressure, might be responsible for thrombosis and look at possible preventive strategies.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General United Nations, S-378 New York, NY 10017 Tel. 212-963-7162 - press/media only Fax. 212-963-7055

All other inquiries to be addressed to (212) 963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org

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