United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-12-03

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE

SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, December 3, 2004

RELIEF OPERATION IN STORM-HIT PHILIPPINES FOCUSES ON SEARCH AND RESCUE

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is profoundly

saddened by the large-scale loss of life and destruction wrought by the powerful storms that have struck the Philippines in recent days. He extends his sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and to all those affected by this catastrophe.

The United Nations has been working closely with Philippine authorities in responding to needs created by the disaster and has made emergency cash grants available for the purchase of relief supplies.

Today, the United Nations is deploying a team of experts to assist the Government of the Philippines in assessing the extent of the damage and coordinating the international response to the disaster.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

reported in Geneva that the main requirements are inflatable boats to reach the affected persons, clean water, medicine, body bags and shelter.

The

World Health Organization is concentrating its efforts in the country on search and rescue operations. In the longer term, it will examine the contamination of water sources and structural damage to health institutions.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND RAPE REPORTED IN DARFUR, SUDAN;

HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORS ALSO REPORT WIDESPREAD IMPUNITY

The

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that its monitors say that sexual violence and rape continue to be reported in all three of the regions of Darfur,

Sudan, and this was contributing to a tremendous sense of insecurity among internally displaced persons. Women and young girls were afraid to leave the camps in certain areas.

Ongoing fighting was also continuing to put civilians at risk in a number of locations. For example, Government forces reacting to an attack from inside the village of Masteri in West Darfur had launched 18 mortars into that locality.

According to the human rights monitors, the

internally displaced persons (IDPs) continue to distrust and fear the police.

There was widespread impunity, with reports that police still refused to record complaints of attacks against IDPs.

Furthermore, armed members of the Janjaweed militia and the Popular Defence Forces continued to roam throughout Darfur, contributing to the sense of insecurity. In South Darfur, there was an escalation in the number of forced relocations of IDPs.

Throughout the reporting period of November, there were no reported arrests or trials of members of the Janjaweed. There were also reports of cases of abduction of civilians by the rebel Sudan Liberation Army.

UNMOVIC: DUELFER REPORT LARGELY CONFIRMS ANALYSIS BY U.N. INSPECTORS

The latest report to the

Security Council from the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission for Iraq (UNMOVIC) includes an initial analysis of the findings of the CIAs Iraq Survey Group, led by Charles Duelfer.

On the issue of

Iraqs chemical, biological and missile weapons programmes, UNMOVIC says that the Duelfer reports conclusions largely confirm the analysis reached by UN inspectors.

However, UNMOVIC does state it had been unaware of some of Iraqs procurement efforts after 1998, which are highlighted in the Duelfer report.

Duelfer and his team shared their findings with UNMOVIC during a meeting in New York on 8 October.

In its report, UNMOVIC also notes that the governments of Jordan and the Netherlands have destroyed, under UN supervision, the Iraqi missile engines which had been found in scrap yards in those countries.

The UN inspectors also note the deterioration of two weapons sites inside Iraq.

MORE COUNTRIES NEED TO BE PERSUADED TO JOIN MINE-BAN TREATY

In the five years since the Mine-Ban Treaty came into force, the number of new victims has decreased each year, trade in such weapons has nearly halted, and millions of stockpiled mines have been destroyed.

Those remarks were part of the

Secretary-Generals video

message to the

Nairobi Summit for a Mine-Free World, on its last day.

He went on to say, however, that much more remains to be done. The international community needs to persuade more States, including some of the worlds largest, to join the treaty, and to do more to help landmine victims rebuild their lives.

The Summit closed on Friday with the international community recommitted to ending the suffering caused by anti-personnel mines.

The 144 members States of the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines have adopted a power action plan to guide our efforts over the next five years, said Nairobi Summit President, Wolfgang Petritsch of Austra. The real work now begins. We must implement this 70 point action plan.

The Summit featured a thorough review of the 1997 Ottawa Convention, with the international community remarking that incredible progress has been made since the Convention entered into force in 1999.

U.N. OPERATIONS IN BURUNDI/ DR CONGO MONITOR BORDER

The

UN Operation in Burundi says it remains abreast of the evolving situation in the neighbouring

Democratic Republic of Congo.

Heightened border monitoring continues to be conducted in cooperation with the

UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

MORE THAN 10,000 TO BE DEMOBILIZED IN BURUNDI

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Burundi,

Carolyn McAskie,

attended the official commencement of Burundis Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration programme yesterday presided over by the President of Burundi, Domitien Ndayizeye.

During yesterdays ceremony some 220 former rebels, and members of Burundis armed forces, were demobilised.

As many as 10,500 soldiers and ex-combatants will be demobilised or reintegrated during the first phase of Burundis programme.

STAFF COUNCIL AND MANAGEMENT DISCUSS COMPLAINTS

ABOUT OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES

Asked about the UNs stance regarding

Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) head

Dileep Nair, the Spokesman said that Under-Secretary-General for Management Catherine Bertini and other senior Secretariat officials met the leaders of the UN Staff Council on Wednesday to discuss their complaints about OIOS.

The Staff Council members said that they had not been consulted when the allegations concerning OIOS had been reviewed, and Bertini responded that they could submit additional information for further review by management.

Asked whether UN internal investigations can be credible given the allegations against OIOS, the Spokesman said the matter should not be blown out of proportion.

He added that the Department of Management, including the personnel branch, looked into specific cases of hiring at that Office and found that UN hiring rules had been followed in every case.

He said the examination of the allegations was designed to see whether there was a pattern, or even a single incidence, of hiring that did not follow staff rules; there was none.

Eckhard added that an unsigned letter had made allegations of sexual misconduct, but no witnesses were named.

NO REASON TO BELIEVE KOJO ANNANS WORK FOR COTECNA WAS ILLEGAL

The Spokesman was asked about the business activities of the

Secretary-Generals son, Kojo Annan, and said that, as far as we know, nothing Kojo Annan did for Cotecna was illegal. He added that the United Nations has no reason to believe any of his activities were improper.

He reiterated that, in January 1999, then-Under-Secretary-General for Management Joseph Connor, in response to allegations in a news article, examined whether Kojo Annans relationship with Cotecna had any link to Cotecnas contract under the

oil-for-food program.

He said that Connors internal investigation found that the people in the United Nations who were involved in that contract process were unaware of Kojo Annans relationship with the company, and determined there was no link between that relationship and the contract.

He responded to further questions about possible impropriety by saying that the final judgment in the matter is up to the

Independent Inquiry Committee headed by Paul Volcker. He underscored the importance of giving the Volcker inquiry time to complete its work.

If any of the allegations concerning Kojo Annan and Cotecna are tied to the oil-for-food matter, he said, it is up to Volcker to investigate; if not, he said, it does not involve the United Nations. To the extent that any of these allegations involve UN business, Volckers inquiry would look into it.

Asked whether Kofi Annan knew about his sons business dealings, the Spokesman said that Kofi Annans relations to his son are a private matter.

Eckhard said he was unaware of what the Secretary-General knew about his particular business dealing, although he may have had a general sense of Kojo Annans activities. The Spokesman said he was unaware of whether Kojo Annan had made any money in a business relationship with someone involved in the oil industry.

He noted that Kojo Annan is 31 years old and lives a continent away from his father, so it would be unsurprising for the Secretary-General not to know all the details of his activities.

Asked whether the Secretary-General has been interviewed by Volcker, the Spokesman said that they have met on a number of occasions and have had in-depth discussions, which he did not characterize as interviews.

Asked how the United Nations was responding to these charges in its communications, the Spokesman said that the UN Communications Director and Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information were working together on responses.

He conceded that the UN response may not be as sophisticated as the public relations for a political campaign, but added his hope that, once the Volcker committee establishes the facts, a reasoned discussion can follow.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO SECURITY COUNCIL MEETINGS TODAY: There are no meetings or consultations of the

Security Council scheduled for today.

U.N. RELIEF COORDINATOR DISCUSSES HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN SOMALIlAND: The

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator,

Jan Egeland, is in Hargeisa, Somalia, today, where he met with Somaliland officials to discuss the humanitarian situation in that flood and drought prone area. The cumulative effect of four years of poor rainfall in the Sool Plateau and surrounding areas in Somaliland and Puntland has caused massive livestock losses among farmers, who make up the economic backbone of the area.

ANNAN REPORT ON STATUS OF CAMBODIA KHMER ROUGE TRIALS: The

Secretary-General, in an addendum to his report on Cambodias Khmer Rouge trials, told the

General Assembly that Cambodias Government has notified the United Nations that the legal requirements for the Agreement it has with the United Nations to enter into force have been complied with. The United Nations has yet to provide the Government of Cambodia with its own notification of such compliance, which is needed for the Agreement to enter into force. That notification, the Secretary-General writes, will depend on whether sufficient money is in place to fund the staffing and operations of the Extraordinary Chambers for the trials for a sustained period of time. He says that condition will be met once pledges have been made for the Chambers three years of operations and once actual contributions for its first year have been received.

KOSOVO OFFICIALS FACE SANCTIONS IF THEY BLOCK IMPROVEMENTS IN MINORITY RIGHTS: Soren Jessen-Petersen, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for

Kosovo, today said he is willing to use every tool at his disposal even sanctions against officials who block attempts at improvement in key areas such as minority rights and freedom of movement. Jessen-Petersens comments were part of his

address to the inaugural session of the Kosovo Assembly.

U.N. MISSIONS IN WEST AFRICA CONDEMN LIBERIANS SEEKING TO DERAIL PROPOSED ELECTIONS: A high-level meeting of the heads of the five UN peacekeeping and political missions in West Africa ended in Monrovia today with the Heads decrying the existence of a coalition of the unwilling consisting of

Liberians seeking to derail the proposed elections next year as well as the entire peace process. The meeting, held against the background of recent clashes in Côte dIvoire and violent unrest in Monrovia, called on Liberia to enact on an urgent basis an electoral law that is in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and international standards.

DISABLED PERSONS NEED TO BE FULLY INCLUDED IN DECISION-MAKING: No society can claim to be based on justice and equality if persons with disabilities are not making decisions as full-fledged members. Those remarks are part of the

Secretary-Generals message for today, the International Day of Disabled Persons.

VOLUNTEERISM CAN HELP WORLD ACHIEVE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: Sunday is International Volunteer Day. To mark the occasion, the

Secretary-General has issued a message, declaring that volunteerism can help the world move decisively towards achieving the

Millennium Development Goals.

TOO EARLY FOR RESPONSE ON HIGH-LEEVL PANELS REPORT: Asked about response to the report of the

High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, the Spokesman said it is too early to say, although press reports indicate positive responses from Governments. He said the

Secretary-General will get a better sense of support for the report when he meets with regional groups to the United Nations.

ANNANS MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR JOHN DANFORTH WAS A PRIVATE ONE: Asked about the

Secretary-General meeting today with U.S. Ambassador John Danforth, the Spokesman said it was a private meeting.

REQUEST FOR USE OF U.N. E-MAIL FACILITIES MET THRESHOLD REQUIREMENTS: Asked how the UN staff supporting the

Secretary-General could use the UNs e-mail facilities to broadcast a message to all staff, the Spokesman said that the department in charge of those facilities asked the petitioners to meet a threshold of 70 staff before it would send it out as an e-mail. The staff members submitted 70 signatures, and their request was granted.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Tuesday, December 7

The Security Council has scheduled an open meeting, followed by consultations, on Sudan. It also intends to hold consultations on the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) for Iraq. Council members will also hold their monthly luncheon with the Secretary-General.

At 11:00 a.m., Ambassador Philippe Djangone-Bi of Cote dIvoire will hold a press conference to brief on the latest developments in his country.

Wednesday, December 8

The Security Council has scheduled a public meeting on the Councils recent mission to Central Africa.

In the middle of the week, the Security Council expects to receive reports on the work of the United Nations in Iraq.

The Food and Agriculture Organization will release its annual report on hunger and the state of food insecurity. At 10:00 a.m., Florence Chenoweth, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in New York, will hold a press conference to discuss the report.

Under-Secretary-General Anwarul Chowdhury will be the guest at the noon briefing, in his capacity as the Secretary-General of the International Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, which is to be held in Mauritius from January 10 to 14.

Thursday, December 9

The Security Council has scheduled an open briefing by the Chairman of the Committee set up by Resolution 1540, which deals with the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) will launch its State of the Worlds Children report for 2004.

Jean Ping, President of the 59th Session of the General Assembly, will hold a press conference at 12:30 p.m. to discuss the report of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.

Ambassador Oswaldo de Rivero of Peru will launch his book entitled, The Myth of Development at a 1:00 p.m. press conference.

Friday, December 10

Today is International Human Rights Day.

The Security Council will meet with the countries that contribute troops to the UN Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights.

Immediately following the noon briefing, the Mission of Slovenia will sponsor a press conference to present an appeal by world leaders on human rights education.

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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