United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-09-01

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MARIE OKABE

ASSOCIATE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE

SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Wednesday, September 1, 2004

ANNAN CONDEMNS HOSTAGE-TAKING IN RUSSIAN SCHOOL

According to a statement issued today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan was appalled to learn that more than 100 pupils are being held hostage at a secondary school in Beslan, Russian Federation. The attack on the school has already resulted in deaths. He calls for the immediate release of the children, their parents and teachers, and condemns in the strongest terms this criminal act directed against the most vulnerable members of society.

UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy today also appealed for the "immediate and unconditional release of the children, and said that children must never be used for political purposes, and schools must never be degraded to places of violence.Bellamy added, They must be preserved as safe-havens for children to learn and play. If we dont respect the sanctity of childhood, then we have nothing.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Secretary-General condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack at the Rizhskaya subway station in Moscow, which resulted in the death and injury of many innocent victims. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the Russian people and to the families of the victims.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO MEET TODAY ON MIDDLE EAST, TERRORISM

Spain has assumed the presidency of the Security Council for the month of September. The Council President, Ambassador Juan Antonio Yañez-Barnuevo of Spain, is currently holding bilateral meetings today on the months program of work.

At 5:00 p.m. today, the Council President has scheduled consultations on the program of work, the situation in the Middle East and threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, as well as other matters.

The Security Council President is scheduled to brief reporters in room 226 around 1:00 p.m. Thursday on the September program.

SUDAN REPORT SENT TO SECURITY COUNCIL

The Security Council has received the report on the implementation of Resolution 1556 concerning Darfur, Sudan.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sudan, Jan Pronk, will brief the Council on the report in an open meeting on Thursday. He will speak to reporters at the stakeout following that briefing.

Asked about details of the report, the Spokeswoman declined to comment until Pronk has briefed the Security Council.

ABDUCTED AID WORKERS RELEASED IN DARFUR, SUDAN

The World Food Programme (WFP) today announced the safe release of three of its employees who had been held captive by rebels in the Darfur region. While welcoming their release, WFP condemned the fact that humanitarian workers were being targeted by armed groups.

The three WFP staff, as well as three members of the Sudanese Red Crescent, disappeared in North Darfur on Saturday afternoon, while they were on a mission to register displaced people.

Their release was secured on Wednesday, following negotiations by a UN security team with rebels from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), who had abducted them.

WFP also appealed for $12 million to expand its special feeding in refugee camps in Chad to save tens of thousands of children under the age of five as well as pregnant and nursing women driven from their homes in Darfur.

INSECURITY CONTINUES IN DARFUR, UN MISSION SAYS

Insecurity and violent clashes continue to be reported in the three states of Darfur, according to information reported at a press briefing by the UN mission in Khartoum, and a general feeling of fear remains among the internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are reluctant to return to their villages at this time.

Major gaps in humanitarian relief remain, despite an increase in many types of assistance that has been delivered over the past few weeks.

At the Naivasha, Kenya, peace talks to resolve the long-running conflict in Sudan's south, the Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) renewed on Tuesday the agreement on cessation of hostilities for another three months, until November 31, 2004.

UN ENVOY DISCUSSES RESETTLEMENT OF DISPLACED IN IRAQ

The Secretary-Generals Deputy Special Representative for Iraq, Ross Mountain, today met with Pascale Isho, Iraqs Minister of Displacement and Migration.

They discussed the issue of the resettlement of internally displaced persons in the north and the returning refugees from Iran in the south of Iraq. The continuing UN support for the Ministry and their facilities in Basra was also discussed.

ANNAN CONDEMNS KILLING OF NEPALESE HOSTAGES IN IRAQ

On Tuesday afternoon, a statement was issued on behalf of the Secretary-General regarding the killing of the 12 Nepalese hostages in Iraq. In the statement, the Secretary-General said he was appalled and dismayed by the gruesome murder.

He conveyed his deepest sympathy and sincere condolences to the bereaved families.

GAZA CLOSURE AND RESTRICTIONS ON UN AGENCY HEAD PROTESTED

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) today protested to the Israeli Government at the ongoing closure of the Erez Crossing into the Gaza Strip.

The closure, which began on Tuesday, seriously damages UNRWAs ability to carry out its humanitarian mandate in the occupied Palestinian territory.

In an unprecedented and serious development, the Israeli authorities have barred Peter Hansen, the agencys Commissioner-General, from leaving Gaza to carry out his duties in the West Bank. It is unheard of for the executive head of a UN agency to have his freedom of movement flagrantly curtailed by a member state of the United Nations in this way.

ANNAN URGES PARTIES IN COTE DIVOIRE TO MEET DEADLINES

The Secretary-General says it is encouraging that some progress has been made in Cote dIvoire towards implementing the Accra Agreement, but adds that much remains to be done, within a short period of time.

In his latest report to the Security Council on Cote dIvoire, the Secretary-General urges the Ivorian parties to ensure that crucial deadlines for the adoption of legal reforms, and for the revision of Article 35 of the Constitution on the eligibility criteria for the Presidency, are closely adhered to.

He reminds the Ivorian parties of their personal responsibility for ensuring that the commitments made in Accra are translated into concrete actions on the ground that will urgently move the peace process forward.

The report notes that the deployment of the UN Mission in Cote dIvoire has had a generally positive impact on the security situation in the country, which has continued to become more stable during the reporting period.

ANNAN VOICES SADNESS AT DEATH OF YEMENI AMBASSADOR

[In a statement issued after the noon briefing, the Secretary-General was saddened to learn of the death of Ambassador Abdullah Saleh Al-Ashtal, who served as Yemens Permanent Representative to the United Nations for almost 30 years.

Deeply committed to the work and ideals of the Organization, Ambassador Al-Ashtal was a doyen of envoys to the United Nations. He presented his credentials on May 29, 1973, as Permanent Representative of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen to the United Nations, and continued to represent a united Yemen from 1990.

He remained in his post until July 2002, giving the title of Permanent Representative exceptionally real meaning. As one of Yemen's most articulate diplomats and a widely popular delegate to the United Nations, he was a leading advocate of economic and social development.

The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the family of Ambassador Al-Ashtal, as well as to the Government of Yemen.]

RWANDA TRIBUNAL ON TRACK TO WRAP UP WORK BY 2008

The ninth annual report of the Rwanda Tribunal says the Tribunal is on schedule to complete all trials by 2008. To accomplish that task, the Tribunal could complete trials involving some 65 to 70 persons over the next few years.

By the end of this year, 25 persons will be on trial, the report says.

However, it adds, the Tribunal needs sufficient resources to complete its work. Recently, recruitment of new staff was frozen because certain Member States had failed to pay their contributions to the ad hoc tribunals. It is essential that this situation be resolved as soon as possible.

ILO: ECONOMIC SECURITY OUT OF REACH FOR MOST WORKERS

Economic security remains out of reach for most of the world's workers, with about three-quarters of them living in circumstances of economic insecurity that foster "a world full of anxiety and anger." Thats one of the findings of a new study by the International Labour Organization.

The report highlights that people's economic security promotes personal well being, happiness and tolerance, while benefiting growth and development. But, the report says, omso-ascii-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; nly 8 percent of people - fewer than one in 10 - live in countries providing favorable economic security.

The report is the first attempt to measure global economic security as perceived by ordinary people and was based on detailed household and workplace surveys covering over 48,000 workers and more than 10,000 workplaces worldwide.

UNITED NATIONS PROVIDES TOURS, BRIEFINGS TO REPUBLICAN DELEGATES

Asked to respond to comments about the United Nations made at the Republican National Convention by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Spokeswoman said she didnt think it would be proper to comment on every speech made at a political convention.

She pointed out that by the end of today, the United Nations will have hosted close to 900 Republicans who are in New York to attend the convention, who are being provided free tours of the United Nations.

In an event sponsored by the UN Foundation later today, over 650 young Republicans will attend a briefing on the United Nations to hear from UN officials on issues ranging from UN reform to the UNs role in Iraq, Sudan, and Afghanistan.

And last night, a reception was held for the International Democrat Union (IDU), an international association of conservative political parties. Senior UN officials attended that reception.

MIXED PROGRESS REPORTED ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Developing countries are making real gains in promoting reproductive health and womens rights, but they are hampered by inadequate support from rich nations and serious problems persist.

That was the message of Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, at an NGO conference in London on Tuesday.

She said that support from developed countries for reproductive health programs falls far short of international commitments.

For example, donors share of funding for contraceptive supplies and condoms for HIV/AIDS prevention has declined by one third since 1994, and needs for such commodities will grow by 40 percent by 2015.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

APPEAL LAUNCHED FOLLOWING AFGHANISTAN DROUGHT: Today in Afghanistan, the Afghan Government and the UN Mission launched a joint appeal for $71.3 million, to deal with the drought in parts of the country. That includes $51.8 million for food and $19.4 million for non-food items, to handle needs from September through next February.

DEADLINE SET FOR LIBERIA DISARMAMENT: The head of the UN Mission in Liberia, Jacques Klein, today announced plans to conclude the disarmament of Liberian ex-combatants at the end of October, giving the remaining fighters two more months to give up their arms.

UN ENVOY WELCOMES APPOINTMENT OF ELECTION COMMISSION MEMBERS IN BURUNDI: The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Burundi, Carolyn McAskie, today welcomed the appointment of the five members of the Independent National Electoral Commission that will organize the countrys elections.

UN GUATEMALA MISSION DEPLORES CLASHES: The UN Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) has deplored the violent clashes that took place on Tuesday when riot police tried to evict armed squatters from a ranch in the southern province of Retalhuleu. In a press release, MINUGUA stresses that the current crisis is affecting hundreds of peasant families and calls for land conflicts to be resolved through dialogue and public policies.

UNICEF CHIEF TO VISIT BEIJING: Carol Bellamy, the Executive Director of the UN Childrens Fund, is to arrive in Beijing today. On Friday, in the Chinese capital, she will launch a report examining how China is tackling the impact of vitamin and mineral deficiency in its population.

ANNAN PLEASED WITH REPORT ON UN VOLUNTEERS: The Secretary-General, in a note, says he is pleased that the Joint Inspection Unit has concluded that the UN Volunteers program has proven to be dynamic and quick to respond to changing and expanding demands. In this connection, the Secretary-General welcomes generally the recommendations and suggestions made by the Joint Inspection Unit.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

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