United Nations Daily Highlights, 00-02-14

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

BY MARIE OKABE

ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, February 14, 2000

KOFI ANNAN MEETS PRIME MINISTER, PRESIDENT OF SINGAPORE

Secretary-General Kofi Annan began his official visit to Singapore today by meeting with Foreign Minister Shanmugam Jayakumar. They discussed Indonesia's democratic transition and its effect on the region, as well as Myanmar, East Timor and other regional issues.

The Secretary-General also met with President S.R. Nathan and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.

The Secretary-General attended a lunch hosted by the Foreign Minister and then delivered the 18th Annual Singapore Lecture, on the rule of law. "All states, but small states especially, have an interest in maintaining an international order based on something better than the grim maxim that 'might is right' -- based, in fact, on general principles of law, which give the same rights to the weak as to the strong," he said.

He added, "Every society must have a language. The language of global society is international law."

After his speech, the Secretary-General met with Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first Prime Minister and now its senior minister. Again, their discussions focused mainly on the situation in Indonesia.

The Secretary-General gave a news conference before attending a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister. Tuesday morning, he is to leave for Jakarta, Indonesia. Click here for his schedule.

ANNAN ACCEPTS "WITH REGRET" RESIGNATION OF HEAD OF IRAQ PROGRAM

In remarks to reporters following his meeting with the Prime Minister, Annan said that he accepted "with regret" the resignation of the head of the UN humanitarian program in Iraq, Hans von Sponeck. A UN spokesman announced over the weekend that von Sponeck has asked to be released from his UN duties, as of March 31.

In response to questions on von Sponeck's resignation, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General had said in Singapore that "Mr. von Sponeck had served the United Nations well for about 36 years" and that he accepted his resignation with regret and "wishes him his best and every success in his future endeavors."

Okabe said that von Sponeck is planning to come to UN Headquarters in New York at the end of this month.

She quoted Annan as saying of the UN humanitarian program in Iraq that "the Council resolutions are clear. We will continue to implement the humanitarian program and we will do out best to make it as effective as possible in order to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people." The Secretary-General added that "sanctions can be a blunt instrument," but voiced his hopes that Iraq would comply with Security Council resolutions and the sanctions would be lifted.

FOUR UN PEACEKEEPERS KILLED IN LEBANON CRASH

Four Irish soldiers were killed and four wounded in a traffic accident near Damour, on the coastal highway in Lebanon.

The vehicle they were travelling in slid on an oil spill on the road and crashed. They were on their way to Beirut Airport to travel to Ireland on their leave.

The deaths bring the number of UN peacekeepers who lost their lives serving the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon since 1978 to 233. Seventy-seven of the deaths resulted from hostile action.

RUSSIAN OFFICIAL APPOINTED AS HEAD OF COMPENSATION BODY

On February 10, the Secretary-General sent a letter to the President of the Security Council informing him of his decision to appoint Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov of the Russian Federation as the high-level coordinator pursuant to paragraph 14 of Resolution 1284 (1999), which concerns Iraq's obligation to return remains, prisoners of war, archives and property received from Kuwait.

Vorontsov will serve at the level of Under-Secretary-General and on a basis "when actually employed" in his duties.

He will be asked to come to New York to discuss the plan of action with the Secretary-General in mid-March.

UN REPRESENTATIVE URGES ACTION AGAINST MITROVICA VIOLENCE

On Sunday night in Kosovo, Bernard Kouchner, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and General Klaus Reinhardt, the Commander of the Kosovo Force (KFOR), issued a joint statement saying that the violence in Mitrovica would not be tolerated. They said that those who are found guilty of participating in the violence would suffer the full force of the law.

Although details on the violence are still being investigated, the statement noted that two French peacekeepers have been hospitalized for gunshot wounds in yesterday's violence, while at least one Kosovar is dead and many more injured. In the joint statement, the UN and KFOR leaders urged all sides not to let extremists "succeed in ruining this, your one chance for peace and a prosperous future."

Today, Kouchner followed that statement by presenting a package of special measures to re-establish security in Mitrovica at a special session of the Interim Administrative Council. The package of measures will be made public at a news conference in Kosovo on Tuesday.

Kouchner has already announced some special measures taken along with KFOR, including expanding the safety zone on either side of the Ibar River and beginning the redeployment of 300 additional UN police to the Mitrovica area. About 100 police officers are expected to arrive in Mitrovica by the end of this week.

The situation in Mitrovica this evening has been reported as calm so far. Click here for today's press briefing notes from Pristina.

UN FORCE TAKES CHARGE OF CENTRAL EAST TIMOR

The command of the Central Sector of East Timor, which covers the area from the capital, Dili, to Same in the south, was handed over to the United Nations Transitional Administration (UNTAET) peacekeeping force in a ceremony in Dili today.

The Central Sector is now commanded by Col. Lima Pinto of the Portuguese battalion. It will also have a Kenyan company and a military police unit from Brazil.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, UN Transitional Administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello said that the configuration of the Portuguese battalion is "original and unprecedented." Three hundred of the battalion's 800 troops are specialized in areas that have more to do with the reconstruction of the infrastructure than with exclusively military activities.

Tuesday, the International Force in East Timor will hand over control of the Oecussi enclave to the Jordanian battalion of UNTAET.

Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio spent the last day of his visit to East Timor in Bacau. On Sunday, de Mello and Sampaio signed a memorandum of understanding formalizing Portugal's current assistance in providing electricity, water and power.

BALKANS TASK FORCE TO RESPOND TO CYANIDE SPILL

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has received a number of requests from governments for technical assistance concerning the cyanide spill in the Tisza and Danube Rivers. As an immediate response, UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer has instructed Balkans Task Force scientists who are currently working in the area to take water samples from the Danube River and to provide updates on the situation in the region.

UNEP is working closely with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and is also in contact with the Chemical Accidents Group of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

UN REPRESENTATIVE MEETS REBEL LEADER IN SIERRA LEONE

Oluyemi Adeniji, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Sierra Leone, met with Chairman Foday Sankoh of the Revolutionary United Front Party on Saturday to discuss the impediments placed in the way of the peacekeepers in Sierra Leone.

Adeniji raised the issue of the weapons seized from the Guinean and the Kenyan troops and stressed the urgent necessity to return them all. He said that these practices contravene the Lom&eacute; agreement and insisted that they must cease or would invite forceful response.

As of Saturday, 9,093 Sierra Leonean rebels had disarmed and registered for the demobilization and reintegration programme.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Security Council has not scheduled any meeting for today. It is expected to hold informal consultations Tuesday on Cyprus.

This morning in Arusha, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda dismissed the appeal of Omar Sherusago and confirmed the sentence of 15 years of imprisonment, imposed previously after he was convicted on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. This is the first case to be completed by the Tribunal.

The International Narcotics Control Board issued its 1999 report, which are embargoed until next Wednesday, February 23.

The Food and Agriculture Organization issued a release noting highlights of its February food outlook, which will be issued this Wednesday, February 16.