United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-04-15

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

BY MARIE OKABE

ASSOCIATE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, April 15, 2004

U.N. SPECIAL ADVISER BRAHIMI LEAVES IRAQ AFTER VISITING BASRA

The Secretary-Generals Special Adviser, Lakhdar Brahimi and his team have left Iraq and are now in Kuwait.

Prior to leaving, Brahimi spent the day in Basra where he continued his wide-ranging contacts. He had the opportunity to meet with representatives of civil society, civil servants, religious parties and clerics, as well as tribal personalities.

Brahimi also met with the Coalition Provisional Authoritys representative in southern Iraq, Pat Nixon.

Asked when Brahimi would return to New York, the Spokeswoman said it would be towards the end of April.

ANNAN EXPECTS TO DISCUSS IRAQ WITH BRITISH PRIME MINISTER

Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke to

reporters following this mornings Security Council meeting, and was asked about the meeting he will have this evening with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Secretary-General said that Iraq would very much be on the agenda, and that he looks forward to talking with the Prime Minister on the current situation and the way forward.

He added, in response to questions, that the United Nations always believed it had a role to play in Iraq, and had always been prepared to play that role, once the circumstances were right. He said he was pleased that all governments, including the United States, are cooperating very closely with the United Nations.

ANNAN CONDEMNS SENSELESS CRIMES IN IRAQ

The Spokeswoman, asked about the killing of an Italian citizen in Iraq, said that the Secretary-General is deeply dismayed by the gruesome killing of one of the Italian hostages on Wednesday night, as well as the murder of an Iranian diplomat in Baghdad this morning. He strongly condemns these senseless crimes, and would like to express his condolences to the bereaved families and to the Italian and Iranian Governments.

The Secretary-General stresses that the taking of hostages violates international humanitarian law and human rights norms, she added. He wishes to use this opportunity to reiterate his call for the release of all those abducted and to end all violations of international humanitarian law.

Asked about the hostage situation by a reporter this morning, the Secretary-General said he was relieved that some hostages have been released in Iraq. He urged that no further hostages be taken, adding that he was surprised that things had escalated to the point that so many people have been taken hostage.

MIDDLE EAST: ANNAN HOPES FOR RENEWAL OF "ROAD MAP" TO PEACE

Asked about the Secretary-Generals reaction to the proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General welcomes the possibility of such a withdrawal. He continues to believe that such a withdrawal should be complete and represent the end of the Israeli occupation of Gaza. He hopes that such a step would spark the renewal of the

diplomatic Quartets Road Map to peace.

She added that the Secretary-General reiterates his position that final status issues should be determined in negotiations between the parties based on relevant Security Council resolutions. He strongly believes that they should refrain from taking any steps that would prejudice or pre-empt the outcome of such talks.

ANNAN TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL ROLE OF BUSINESS IS CRUCIAL

The role of business in armed conflict can be crucial, for good and for ill, the Secretary-General told the Security Council this morning.

Addressing an open debate on the role of business in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and post-conflict peace-building, the Secretary-General noted the operations of private companies in many conflict zones and conflict-prone countries. But businesses, he said, also have an enormous stake in the search for solutions.

He said the time has come for a more systematic approach in dealing with the role of business in conflict. With that in mind, the Secretary-General has established an inter-agency group that is looking carefully at the political economy of armed conflict and will provide recommendations.

He also noted his effort to establish an independent inquiry into allegations relating to the oil for food program, saying, Transparency is the only way to deal with such allegations, and by far the best way to prevent corruption from happening in the first place.

Among the other speakers at todays open debate were James Wolfensohn, the President of the World Bank, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Siemen's firm.

ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY INFORMS SECURITY COUNCIL OF REMOVALS IN IRAQ

The Secretary-General has conveyed to the Security Council a letter from the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IDEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, reviewing the IAEA's verification activities in Iraq.

ElBaradei said the Agency is concerned that its satellite imagery shows that there has been extensive removal of equipment at sites in Iraq, and, in some cases, the removal of entire buildings. Other information available to the Agency, confirmed through visits to other countries, indicates that large quantities of scrap, some of it contaminated, have been transferred out of Iraq.

He says that the U.S. Government has been informed of these observations, and clarifications are expected.

TOP PEACEKEEPING OFFICIAL TO ARRIVE IN COTE DIVOIRE

Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, will be arriving in Cote dIvoire later today. His mission is part of an initiative to support the peace and reconciliation process in Cote dIvoire.

Guéhenno will be meeting with President Laurent Gbagbo, with representatives of the Forces Nouvelles and with other political actors. He will also review the newly established UN peacekeeping mission in Cote dIvoire, known as UNOCI, which has a mandate to facilitate the implementation by the Ivorian parties of the Linas-Marcoussis peace agreement.

Guéhenno is also expected to travel to Ghana to meet President John Kufuor, the current chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

DISARMAMENT BEGINS SMOOTHLY IN GBARNGA, LIBERIA

The disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration process has begun smoothly today in Gbarnga, Bong County, in Liberia, for ex-combatants of the group Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD).

Approximately 254 LURD ex-combatants have surrendered their weapons in Gbarnga today and are now at the cantonment site for demobilization. Disarmament has been completed for today. It will resume Friday morning with a new intake of approximately 250 people. They will stay for one week in the cantonment site before they are discharged.

No security incidents have been reported so far. The exercise went very smoothly today, with the ex-combatants cooperating well with UN peacekeepers on the ground.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UNITED NATIONS HOPES TO ANNOUNCE OIL-FOR-FOOD PANEL THIS WEEK: Asked when the United Nations would announce the members of the independent inquiry regarding the oil for food program, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General hoped that the announcement could be made by the end of this week.

UN MISSION REPORTS CALM IN AFGHAN PROVINCE: The UN Mission in Afghanistan said that Maimana, the capital of the northern province of Faryab, continues to be calm, and there are no reports of incidents or unrest in the entire province. Some 600 soldiers of the Afghan National Army are currently deployed in Maimana. Also, on Tuesday, the suspension of UN road movements in the province was lifted, except in two districts.

HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS VOICE CONCERNS ON LAMA IN CHINA: Three fact-finding experts of the UN Commission on Human Rights yesterday expressed their deep concern about the situation of Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche, a prominent Lama who had been sentenced to death by the authorities in China. They also voiced concerns about alleged lapses during the trial proceedings against him.

SOCIAL SECURITY COVERAGE CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED IN SENEGAL: The International Labour Organization, or ILO, launched a global campaign in Senegal to draw attention to the need to make social security coverage more available for all. The Organization notes that only 5 to 10 percent of Africas workers have any social security to tide them through sickness, unemployment or old age.

UN HEADQUARTERS TO SERVE SUSTAINABLE COFFEE: The United Nations often talks about the need for adopting sustainable agricultural practices around the world, and, from this week onwards, the United Nations is serving sustainably grown coffee in its cafeterias at UN Headquarters. The coffee has been certified by the Rainforest Alliance, which means it has been produced in conditions that take into account the environment and workers needs.