United Nations Daily Highlights, 00-02-18

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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

Friday, February 18, 2000

ANNAN ENDS EAST TIMOR TRIP, TRAVELS TO AUSTRALIA

Secretary-General Kofi Annan concluded his visit to East Timor today, after beginning this morning with a greeting outside the UN Headquarters in Dili by the largest crowd UN staff recall seeing there. Traditional leaders, accompanied by dancers, musicians and hundreds of barefoot children, greeted him.

Before mounting the podium to speak, the Secretary-General spoke to the families of UN staff members who had been killed during last year's violence. They then accompanied him to an open-air platform, where he was introduced by independence leader Xanana Gusm&atilde;o.

The Secretary-General acknowledged the widows and children, saying their presence symbolized the losses suffered by all East Timorese. "Your other family, the United Nations family, joins in mourning your losses," he said.

"Your strength and your dignity have inspired the world," Annan added. Now that the transition to independence has begun, he said, "your long national nightmare is ending. Your dream of a peaceful and independent East Timor is about to become a reality."

He concluded, "East Timor, are you ready? The future starts now." Those final words echoed a song that had been composed for East Timor's celebration of the New Year, which began with the lyrics, "The future is now. Timor, are you ready?"

After that, he flew from Dili to Darwin, Australia, which had hosted 2,000 refugees from East Timor when the militia violence began last September. He later flew to Sydney, Australia, where he will spend the weekend before flying to the capital, Canberra, to begin his official visit on Monday morning.

Prior to the Secretary-General's arrival in Darwin, a UN aircraft with 29 passengers on board, as well as crew, landed on its belly today at Darwin's airport, but there were no injuries. The plane left Dili in the early morning and was forced to make the emergency landing when its left wheel failed to activate.

This is the only United Nations Transitional Administration aircraft in operation on the route between Darwin and Dili, the main supply route for the mission. Another plane is expected to replace the damaged aircraft by Wednesday.

SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER LEBANON

In a statement read by the Spokesman, the Secretary-General expressed serious concern at the "high level of tension affecting south Lebanon, which has the potential for further destabilization of an already very fragile situation."

He reiterated his call to all parties to exercise restraint and, in particular, to respect the non-combatant status of civilians. He hoped that all parties would redouble their efforts to achieve measurable progress in the peace process, the statement said.

SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS CONSULTATIONS ON CONGO

This morning, the Security Council went into closed consultations to hear a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations H&eacute;di Annabi on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Secretary-General has recommended that the United Nations Mission in the DRC be expanded to some 500 military observers and more than 5,500 personnel in all. Some Council members have requested further clarification of those expansion plans.

The text of a draft resolution on expanding the UN Mission has been circulated among Council members, and a vote on that topic could occur sometime next week.

The Council scheduled informal consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo for Monday.

ANNAN NOTES OBSTACLES TO WESTERN SAHARA REFERENDUM

In his latest report to the Security Council on the Western Sahara, issued on Friday, the Secretary-General noted the repeated obstacles that have delayed the holding of a referendum on the Western Sahara. He added that the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which already has to deal with some 79,000 appeals from people wishing to vote in the referendum, now faces the prospect of receiving as many as 60,000 additional appeals by the appeals deadline of February 25.

"Under these circumstances, the timetable envisaged is no longer valid," he said, adding that a date for a referendum cannot be set with any certainty for now.

In light of the difficulties, the Secretary-General said he intends to ask his personal envoy, James Baker III, to consult with the parties on ways to resolve their dispute.

He also recommended that the Security Council extend the mandate of MINURSO, which is set to expire on February 29, until May 31.

RAPPORTEUR ON EXECUTION ISSUES REPORT ON MEXICO

The report of the Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Asma Jahangir, on her visit to Mexico last July, has been issued in Geneva. Among her recommendations, the Special Rapporteur called for the adoption of effective measures to protect the lives of human rights defenders in Mexico, to ensure the demilitarization of society, and to end the impunity enjoyed by privileged categories and classes of people.

At the Government's invitation, Jahangir visited Mexico from July 12 to 24, 1999. The Government's invitation came in response to a long-standing request partly prompted by repeated allegations of individual cases of extra-judicial killings, and allegations of a number of massacres in past years in the States of Guerrero and Chiapas.

ADDITIONAL POLICE ARRIVING IN MITROVICA

An estimated 30 international police have been arriving in Mitrovica every day this week, starting on Monday, according to the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Altogether, 342 UNMIK police are now in the Mitrovica region, of whom 150 are in the town of Mitrovica itself.

At the same time, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that nearly 1,500 people -- primarily ethnic Albanians but also Muslim Slavs and ethnic Turks -- have fled the Serb-populated north of Mitrovica, since ethnic violence erupted there on February 4.

UNHCR and its partner agency CARE are working on a project to reinforce the doors of minority residents in Mitrovica to give them better protection against attacks and have been taking fresh food to the homes of minority families who are too terrified to venture outside, according to the refugee agency.

UNHCR SAYS DEPARTURES FROM CHECHNYA RISING

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today that the numbers of people leaving Chechnya for Ingushetia have risen over the past few days amid persistent reports of human rights violations inside Russian-controlled Chechnya and heavy air and artillery bombardment in the rebel-controlled south.

Since last Wednesday, more than 3,000 people have crossed into Ingushetia. Nearly 500 of them are believed to be newly displaced from southern Chechnya.

Reports of human rights violations and detention, which circulate widely among some 180,000 people displaced from Chechnya to Ingushetia, have instilled fear in the displaced population. UNHCR reported that many of the people say they would like to go home but they are afraid to do so.

People returning to Ingushetia after brief visits to parts of Chechnya controlled by the Russians speak of looting, burning of property, and beatings by Russian troops. Even though UNHCR has no presence inside Chechnya, it expressed alarm at the witnesses' testimonies, as well as those of abuse in alleged Russian detention camps, cited by international human rights groups. The displaced say the worst abuses usually take place in areas freshly overrun by the troops, ahead of the establishment of a functioning civilian administration, UNHCR said.

UNEP REPORTS NO IMMEDIATE HEALTH THREAT FROM DANUBE WATER

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reported today that, according to water samples taken between February 15 and 17 by UNEP Scientists, the levels of cyanide concentration in the Danube River in Yugoslavia are not an immediate threat to human health if the water is used for drinking. However, the UNEP scientists reported higher than recommended levels of toxicity for certain fish species near the Iron Gates 1 Dam near Romania.

In the wake of environment and health problems related to precious metal mining operations in Romania, Spain and Kyrgyzstan, experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) today issued a strong call for the rapid adoption and application of safety provisions outlined in the Protocol on Water and Health. In the Protocol, ministers of health and environment agreed to take all appropriate measures to ensure adequate sanitation, adequate supplies of clean drinking water, the protection of water resources and the safeguarding of human health against water-related disease.

WHO noted that "while the headlines are all about cyanide, we already know that elevated heavy metal concentrations, including copper and lead, are being detected, and this may have additional impact on human health."

DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE ANNUAL SESSION BEGINS

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fr&eacute;chette opened the annual meeting of the Special Committee on Decolonization this morning by noting that the Committee this year can assess progress in the eradication of colonialism and chart the course for its future work. She wished the Committee success in its efforts.

The Decolonization Committee then proceeded to adopt its agenda and to elect its officers for this year's session. Ambassador Peter Dickson Donigi of Papua New Guinea was elected as the Committee's Chair.

The Committee deals with the question of whether the peoples of the world's seventeen remaining non-self-governing territories can exercise their right to self-determination.

The Department of Public Information has also launched a new web site, entitled "The United Nations and Decolonization," at the address www.un.org/dpi/decolonization/new.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The World Food Programme today launched a $58 million international appeal for funds to feed 1.7 million hungry Sudanese each month in both rebel- and Government-held areas of the country until the end of the year. The majority of the needy are in southern Sudan, the agency adds.

Botswana, Honduras and Maldives have paid their contributions to the UN regular budget in full for the year 2000. Botswana made a payment of just over $105,000, Honduras around $31,000 and Maldives around $10,500. Their payments bring the number of Member States that have paid their regular budget dues in full for this year to 55. (To access the full list of "Payments to the UN Regular Budget" click here.)

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Sunday, February 20

A travelling exhibition by the Department of Public Information on "United Nations Peacekeeping: A Half-Century of Experience" will open at the Royal Museum of History in Brussels, Belgium. The exhibition will include a display of some UN peacekeepers' uniforms and vehicles.

Monday, February 21

The Secretary-General, one day after his arrival in Canberra, will meet with Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, and other Government and Opposition officials.

In Arusha, Tanzania, a series of high-level meetings to further the peace process in Burundi, chaired by the Facilitator of the Arusha Process, former South African President Nelson Mandela, will begin. The Secretary-General's Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Berhanu Dinka, will deliver a message on his behalf. Many regional heads of state are expected to attend, and the events are also to include appearances by videoconference by United States President Bill Clinton and French President Jacques Chirac.

In Vienna, an open-ended committee dealing with a Comprehensive International Convention against Transitional Organized Crime will begin a session of work, lasting until March 3.

In Geneva, the working group on situations of the Commission on Human Rights will meet through Friday.

The 159th session of the International Civil Aviation Organization begins in Montreal.

The United Nations Correspondents Association will sponsor a briefing by Bishop Artemije of Kosovo at 2 p.m.

Tuesday, February 22

The Secretary-General is expected to deliver a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, before leaving for Wellington, New Zealand.

The Security Council will hold consultations on Somalia.

The Commission on Sustainable Development's ad hoc experts group on energy and sustainable development will meet in New York through Friday.

The Committee for the United Nations Population Award meets in New York.

In Geneva, United Nations Children's Fund Executive Director Carol Bellamy will hold a press conference at noon on her recent visit to several African countries, including Mozambique.

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Economic Commission for Africa will convene a regional conference on "brain drain" and capacity building, to bring experts to consider how to stem the loss of trained professionals from Africa.

Wednesday, February 23

The Secretary-General will meet with Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand, Foreign Minister Phil Goff and other senior officials and civil society leaders.

The Security Council will hold consultations on Guinea-Bissau.

Bill Paton, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Republic of Congo, will be the guest at the noon briefing.

In Beirut, Lebanon, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia will begin a three-day high-level meeting to explore ways to strengthen its work on social and economic development.

The Annual Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) will be simultaneously launched in Vienna and New York. Ambassador Herbert Okun, the United States Member of the INCB, will hold a press conference at 11:15 in New York, to discuss the report's highlights.

Thursday, February 24

The Security Council will hold consultations on Western Sahara, prior to the expiration on February 29 of the current mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.

The Secretary-General is to meet New Zealand Defense Minister Mark Burton and the leader of the Opposition before departing Wellington to return to New York.

In Geneva, a working group of the Commission on Human Rights that deals with the effects of structural adjustment will meet through March 10.

Samuel C. Nana-Sinkam, Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Peace-Building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS), will be the guest at today's noon briefing.

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