United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-04-27

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

NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF

THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

ANNAN TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE AT 11:30 A.M. WEDNESDAY

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is scheduled to hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at UN headquarters.

Consequently, there will be no noon briefing on that day.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO HEAR BRIEFING ON IRAQ THIS AFTERNOON

This afternoon at 3:30, the Security Council has scheduled an open briefing by UN Special Adviser Lakhdar Brahimi on Iraq, to be followed by consultations on the same topic.

Brahimi will also talk to reporters after consultations adjourn.

ANNAN PRAISES DECADE OF SOUTH AFRICAN DEMOCRACY

The 10th anniversary of democracy in South Africa is a day that gives concrete meaning to the abstract concepts of humanity and of hope, the Secretary-General said today.

Speaking at an event to mark the anniversary this morning, the Secretary-General says that today, the international community rejoices to see South Africans of all colors, ethnic groups and creeds, working together to forge a common future. South Africa now occupies a key position and has a strategic role in regional and international affairs, he added.

ANNAN: WITHDRAWAL, PEACE PLAN ARE WESTERN SAHARA OPTIONS

The Security Council held consultations on Western Sahara. A draft resolution was introduced after Hédi Annabi, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, briefed members on the Secretary-Generals latest report on the Western Sahara, which was issued today

In the report, the Secretary-General notes that the issue of sovereignty continues to divide Morocco and the Polisario Front and to prevent a negotiated solution.

The Secretary-General says he sees only two options for the Security Council to consider. The first would be to terminate the UN Mission (MINURSO) and return the issue of the Western Sahara to the General Assembly, acknowledging that 13 years of deployment and $600 million will not solve the problem unless one or both of the parties are required to do something they would not voluntarily agree to do.

The second option is to try once again to get the parties to work towards acceptance of the Peace Plan. The Secretary-General favors the second option. He calls upon the parties to work towards acceptance and implementation of the Peace Plan and recommends that the mandate of MINURSO be extended for 10 months.

Asked whether the Secretary-General has any optimism that the Western Sahara issue can be resolved in the next ten months, the Spokesman said, I dont think its a question of optimism but of tenacity.

Following consultations on Western Sahara, the Security Council received a briefing by the Chairman of the Al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Heraldo Muñoz of Chile, who presented the latest report of the committee.

IRAQ ADOPTS ELECTORAL COMMISSION FOLLOWING UN PROPOSALS

The Iraqi Governing Council announced on Monday that it is adopting the proposal for the formation of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq. This follows the proposal put forward by the UN Electoral Assessment Mission, headed by Carina Perelli, during its recent visit throughout Iraq.

The task of this Independent Electoral Commission will be to oversee, prepare and conduct the elections according to the Iraqi legal framework and international standards.

This commission will be headed by an eight-member Board of Commissioners, of which seven will be Iraqis and one will be an international member.

There will now have to be a large public information campaign to encourage qualified Iraqis to be nominated to serve on this independent commission. Candidates will have to submit a package that will include, among other items, references and a personal essay.

Once nominations are received, the candidates will be assessed through a multi-step technical evaluation process undertaken by the United Nations.

UNITED NATIONS REACHES NORTH KOREA RAILWAY DISASTER VICTIMS

The train explosion in the North Korean city of Ryongchon last Thursday appears to have destroyed nearly two-thirds of the city center, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator and the regional director and country director for the World Food Programme visited the city on Sunday to assess the situation and to deliver food aid. According to the local authorities there, the most important needs of the affected people are medicines, food, building materials and utensils.

OCHA was told that, as of today, the death toll stands at 161, with more than 1,300 people injured. In many cases, the injuries appear to be very severe, with the majority appearing to be injuries to the eyes and face, as a result of the blast.

The World Food Programme says it has delivered the first humanitarian assistance to hospital victims of North Koreas railway disaster. WFP said it had delivered seven tons of food and the agency's goal was to distribute at least 1,000 tons of food amounting to $1 million to those affected by the disaster. A new flash appeal was expected to be issued soon to meet the pressing needs.

SECRETARY-GENERAL SEES REASONS FOR OPTIMISM IN GEORGIA

The Secretary-Generals latest report on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia says that there is reason for cautious optimism in the long term. The Secretary-General says the new Georgian leaderships public commitment to pursuing a comprehensive settlement by peaceful means is encouraging.

He also calls on the Abkhaz side to review its position and use the opportunity of the changing political climate in Tblisi to start meaningful negotiations on the substantive issues of the conflict.

FACT-FINDING TEAM TRAVELS TO NORTHERN DARFUR, SUDAN

The UN fact-finding team that was dispatched to look into the human rights situation in the Darfur region was in Al Fasher today in northern Darfur. The team was expected to return to Geneva early next week and to submit their report shortly thereafter to the acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan. The report would be transmitted to the Secretary-General and to the Commission on Human Rights.

Meanwhile, James Morris, the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, and leader of the humanitarian assessment mission to Darfur, arrived in Khartoum with his team today.

The UN

High Commissioner for Refugees is investigating reports of a new influx of Sudanese refugees into north-eastern Chad, an area already hosting earlier waves of refugees who are facing food and water shortages. Local authorities estimate that each week some 200 to 300 people have been crossing the border from Darfur into Chad since the beginning of the month.

SERIOUS LOCUST SWARM THREATENS NORTHWEST AFRICA

The Food and Agriculture Organization is warning that despite intensive control efforts, the threat of desert locusts in West and Northwest Africa remains extremely serious the most serious locust situation in the region for 10 years. The swarms could threaten crop areas throughout the region.

More than $17 million have been spent since October 2003 on locust control operations that have treated nearly 1.4 million hectares. Most of this money was provided from national budgets within the affected countries. An additional $17 million is needed to continue the current campaign during the spring and extend it to breeding areas during the summer.

SHARP DROP IN MEASLES DEATHS REPORTED WORLDWIDE

The World Health Organization and UNICEF, the UN Childrens Fund, today announced a 30 percent global drop in the number of deaths from measles between 1999 and 2002. There was a 35 percent drop in measles deaths in Africa, which is the region with the highest number of people affected by the disease.

This progress demonstrates that, collectively, countries can achieve the UN goal of cutting global measles deaths in half by the end of 2005.

Despite the availability of a safe, effective, inexpensive vaccine for over 40 years, measles remains the leading vaccine-preventable killer of children.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNAN TO ADDRESS HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON DEVELOPMENT: The High-Level Ministerial Segment of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) swill start on Wednesday, and the Secretary-General will address the Opening of that Segment, which is expected to be attended by over 80 ministers.

NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY REVIEW PREPARATIONS TO BEGIN: The third and final phase of preparations for next years review of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) began here on Monday, with States that are party to the Treaty discussing recent challenges to the Treaty and its effectiveness.