United Nations Daily Highlights, 98-03-04

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Wednesday, 4 March 1998

Latest developments

HEADLINES

• In interview on CNN, Secretary-General says work is under way to start inspections of Iraq's presidential sites.
• UN Food and Agriculture Organization says obsolete pesticides pose threat to developing countries.
• United Nations appeals for over $34 million to meet Tajikistan's urgent humanitarian needs.
• Actor Danny Glover appointed as first "Goodwill Ambassador" of United Nations Development Programme.

Mr. Annan added that he met earlier with Richard Butler, the Executive Chairman of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) overseeing the disarmament of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. The Secretary-General said that the world-renowned disarmament expert Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, who is also the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, had been named to head the inspections of the presidential sites.

Asked about the negotiations which led to the conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding, Mr. Annan said described them as "difficult", noting that some 12 hours of formal meetings were held, as well as hours of informal discussions. "And so it was difficult, particularly on the really tough issues, which I subsequently had to take up with President Saddam Hussein himself."

Commenting on the Security Council's recent endorsement of the Memorandum, the Secretary-General said, "I think the discussions yesterday in the Council revealed that the ball is in the court of the Iraqi leadership -- that if Iraq cooperated and implemented the agreement in good faith, they may see light at the end of the tunnel." Mr. Annan added that if Iraq were to break the agreement, "there could be serious consequences".

The Secretary-General expressed hope about the agreement's future success. "I'm hopeful because this is the first time President Saddam Hussein himself negotiated an agreement." Noting that the Memorandum of Understanding would only remain on paper until it was implemented, the Secretary-General added, "we will have to wait and see, but I'm hopeful."

After a two-day expert discussion of pesticide disposal, the Rome-based United Nations agency urged the international community to increase its efforts to solve "this environmental tragedy."

The meeting identified the priority countries where clean-up operations should begin soon: Gambia, Madagascar and Tanzania. According to FAO, several donor countries indicated their interest in funding such operations.

FAO said that there were more than 100,000 tonnes of obsolete pesticide stocks in developing countries, of which 15,000 - 20,000 tonnes were in Africa. An FAO expert, Alemayehu Wodageneh, said that leaking and corroding metal drums dotted urban and rural landscapes of developing countries. "If stocks are located in urban areas or near water bodies, which is often the case, ground water, irrigation and drinking water are at risk," the expert pointed out.

FAO said that large proportions of obsolete pesticides were left over from earlier foreign assistance programmes, particularly in Africa. These pesticides could no longer be used because they were banned or had deteriorated as a result of prolonged storage. Among the highly toxic and persistent pesticides identified were Aldrin, DDT, Dieldrin, Endrin, HCH, Lindane, Malathion, and Parathion.

The total cost for the removal of obsolete pesticides from Africa alone are estimated at $80 million, according to FAO. The agency said most of the money spent on disposal of pesticides was donated by the Netherlands, Germany, and FAO itself.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, current conditions in Tajikistan are grim. Sixteen per cent of the population lacks adequate food, while the incidence of typhoid and malaria is increasing. There is limited access to potable water in the country, and thousands of homeless families require emergency shelter, heating and clothing.

The appeal will help to assist Tajikistan's most vulnerable groups in such areas as food aid and food security, agriculture, health, water and sanitation, education and income generation.

Involving United Nations agencies as well as non-governmental organizations, the appeal will help widen existing humanitarian programmes. Activities will be carried out in tandem with structural and economic reform aimed at promoting peace and reconciliation.

Mr. Glover said he was committed to talking about "those who have been disenfranchised, the state of those who do not have proper health and proper nutrition and proper housing." He said he would be using his voice to "bring their voice forward."

Perhaps best known for his performances in the mega-hit Lethal Weapon film series, Mr. Glover has starred in a wide range of movies, including Alice Walker's The Color Purple as well as Angels in the Outfield and Bopha. He recently received a Grammy Award nomination in the Spoken Word category for his reading of South African President Nelson Mandela's "Long Walk to Freedom". In 1987, Mr. Glover received the NAACP Image Award and an ACE Award for his performance in the HBO television production of "Mandela." He has just completed filming the screen adaptation of Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison's Beloved.

From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

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