United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-09-10

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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

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

ANNAN DISCUSSES IRAQ BOMBING WITH UN STAFF IN GENEVA

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is in Geneva today, where he spoke to the staff at the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in his first opportunity to speak with the staff in Geneva since the August 19 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad.

He told the staff, This is a time of sorrow about what has just happened, and uncertainty about what may be ahead. We are all wrestling with a mix of grief, anger and apprehension.

He added that he hoped the staff would take some comfort from the outpouring of support for the United Nations that has been heard around the world since the bombing. We must continue building up where others would seek to tear down, the Secretary-General asserted. We must persevere.

One staff member thanked the Secretary-General for providing strength and comfort at this time, and he responded that the staff had given him strength, by taking a hard knock and carrying on.

The Secretary-General is also scheduled today to meet Jakob Kellenberger, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

ANNAN CONDEMNS BOMBINGS NEAR TEL AVIV AND IN JERUSALEM

Today in Geneva, the Secretary-General was asked about the two suicide bombings that took place on Tuesday near Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem, and he responded by sending his deepest sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones.

He said, I have always maintained that the way to settle the dispute is through dialogue and I hope the parties will exercise restraint, because the cycle of violence, retaliation and vengeance is not going to resolve the issue.

On Tuesday evening, in a statement, the Secretary-General condemned the two terror attacks, in which at least twelve people were killed and many others injured.

The Secretary-General called on Palestinian militant groups to halt these despicable and indiscriminate actions, which not only spread death and misery, but also harm the legitimate national aspirations of the Palestinian people. He reiterated his insistence that both sides should fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians.

The Secretary-General reiterated his passionate conviction that peace and security in the region can only be achieved through political dialogue. This will require statesmanship as well as maximum restraint on all sides.

UN MIDDLE EAST ENVOY ALARMED BY ISRAELI ATTACK IN GAZA

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Terje Roed-Larsen, deplored Israels bombing of a Hamas leaders house earlier today in a densely populated Gaza neighborhood, which killed three and injured at least 30. This comes after an Israeli operation on Tuesday in Hebron, in which a 12 year-old boy was killed.

Roed-Larsen reiterated that the Government of Israel has an obligation under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and refrain from the use of disproportionate force.

In an effort to stop the violence, Roed-Larsen met with his Quartet counterparts Tuesday and today; together with them, he is in close consultation with both parties.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO VOTE FRIDAY ON LIFTING LIBYA SANCTIONS

On Tuesday afternoon, the Security Council held consultations on Libya, after which it began a formal meeting on Libya by adopting the agenda.

The President of the Council, Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry of the United Kingdom, then spoke, saying that the 1988 bombing of Pan American flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, was an appalling act of terrorism, and adding that, as a result of painstaking negotiations, we are moving towards a resolution of this terrible affair.

He noted recent steps taken by Libya, which, he said, open the possibility of Libya moving back into the international community and of the lifting of sanctions.

The Council President said that Council members had decided that the appropriate course would be to adjourn the meeting on Libya until 10:30 a.m. this Friday.

In a procedural vote, the Council unanimously agreed to adjourn the meeting until that time, when it can vote on the draft resolution that has been submitted on the lifting of UN sanctions on Libya.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES ETHIOPIA, ERITREA

The Security Council today held consultations on Ethiopia and Eritrea, with the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, who briefed them on the latest report.

In that report, the Secretary-General notes: The time may be approaching when the parties will have to be more actively assisted in fulfilling both the letter and the spirit of the Algiers Agreement and concluding the process without further delay.

In the meantime, he said in that report that the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) must continue to carry out its essential mandate and recommended a six-month extension until March 15, 2004.

Legwaila briefed troop contributors for the UN Mission on Tuesday afternoon.

UN ENVOY CALLS ON LIBERIAN PARTIES TO HALT FIGHTING

UN Special Humanitarian Coordinator in Monrovia Ross Mountain called upon combatants to cease fighting, following reports of renewed violence in Kakata, 50 kilometers northeast of the capital.

The clash in Kakata between Government militia and Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) seriously endangered the lives of war victims and those trying to help them. Although the fighting was not prolonged, preliminary reports indicate that as many as 3,000 civilians fled the area.

The instability comes as the humanitarian community had begun to make inroads into addressing some of the needs of Liberians who had fled recent fighting. Some 650 West African peacekeepers from Guinea-Bissau established a base in Kakata just hours after the clash.

ANNAN WARNS THAT TRADE BARRIERS ARE HURTING THE POOR

At the World Trade Organization meeting in Cancún, Mexico, today, Rubens Ricupero, the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, delivered a message on the UN Secretary-Generals behalf, warning that, sadly, the reality of the international trading system today does not match its rhetoric. Instead of open markets, the Secretary-General says, there are too many barriers that stunt, stifle and starve.

He says that, with too many countries left on the margins of the world trading system, nations must eliminate the subsidies that push prices down and make it impossible for poor farmers in developing countries to compete. Trade liberalization, he adds, must be carefully managed as part of comprehensive development strategies that encompass health, education, the empowerment of women and the rule of law.

Let Cancún send the world a message of hope, the Secretary-General says, hope that trade will make good on its promise for all.

PEOPLE MUST PARTICIPATE IN DEMOCRACY, ANNAN SAYS

The Secretary-General warns in a message to the Fifth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, that the greatest danger today may be the weakening of the substance of democratic government, even as its outward forms appear intact.

He says that today, democracy is being rendered fragile in new ways. In many countries, he says, people feel that decisions which affect their well-being are out of their hands, and even beyond the control of their elected representatives, adding as the world we live in grows increasingly complex and complicated, more and more decisions are taken by experts at a technical level.

He underscores the important role that civil society plays in good governance, saying, If there is no space for civil society, the simple casting of votes becomes an empty exercise.

The Secretary-General adds that, while democracy cannot be imposed from abroad, it can be encouraged and assisted through international efforts. Let us not look at our work as the export of one form of government from one part of the world to another, he appeals. Rather, let us focus on common challenges to governance in the 21st century, and ensure that democracy is at the heart of our solutions.

GILLIAN SORENSEN ENDS TERM AS ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL

Gillian Sorensen, who has served as Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations, is leaving her UN job, but not her relationship with the United Nations: Starting on October 1, she will begin an appointment as a Senior Advisor to the United Nations Foundation, the U.S.-based group created in 1998 to support UN causes.

In a letter he wrote responding to Sorensens letter of resignation, the Secretary-General told her that during a period of extraordinary challenges, your voice passionate and articulate has been very effective in telling the United Nations story to the global public.

In her new position, Sorensen will work on expanding and mobilizing support for the United Nations and its partners across the United States.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNAN PAYS TRIBUTE TO ARTHUR HELTON: The Secretary-General, in a message, paid tribute to Arthur Helton of the Council on Foreign Relations, who died in the explosion at the UN headquarters in Baghdad on August 19. In the message, delivered by Communications Director Edward Mortimer, the Secretary-General said that refugees and internally displaced persons knew Helton as "their tireless advocate, someone who could cut through red tape and rouse people from inertia and indifference."

SARS IS NOT A HEALTH CONCERN IN SINGAPORE, WHO SAYS: The World Health Organization today announced that the laboratory-confirmed case of SARS discovered in Singapore is in fact mild, isolated and has not produced secondary cases. Therefore the agency concluded that it is not regarded as a public health concern and Singapore continues to be a safe destination for travelers. WHO also praised Singapores public health officials for the openness with which they have responded to this event and the rapid precautions taken to contain a possible threat.

U.N. DRUGS CHIEF SAYS AFGHAN OPIUM TRADE THREATENS PEACE: The Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa, warned in Brussels that continuing opium cultivation in Afghanistan threatens peace and security in the region, providing traffickers and terrorists with a major source of income.

FIRES ARE INCREASINGLY DAMAGING FORESTS: The Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that fires are increasingly damaging the world's forests, destroying millions of hectares of valuable timber and other forest products every year. According to FAO, this year's fire season has been one of the worst in recent history, both in terms of loss of human life and damage to forests and infrastructure, including housing, roads, bridges and telecommunication.

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