United Nations Daily Highlights, 00-02-21

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

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, February 21, 2000

UN WILL HELP FLOOD RECOVERY EFFORTS IN MOZAMBIQUE

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement issued through his Spokesman, said he was "deeply distressed" by the destruction in Mozambique following the nation's worst floods in 50 years. He extended condolences to the victims of the flood, which have affected up to 220,000 people.

The Secretary-General noted the United Nations' willingness to assist Mozambique in rescue efforts and emergency assistance, and noted that the United Nations is preparing to launch an appeal for those in urgent need of assistance. The Secretary-General hopes that donors will respond to this appeal promptly and generously, the statement said.

SECRETARY-GENERAL THANKS AUSTRALIA FOR ROLE IN EAST TIMOR

The Secretary-General today personally thanked Australia for taking the lead in forming the multinational force that restored order to East Timor after the local militia ran riot last September.

"We could not have done much without the support and the leadership that the Australian Government and the people of Australia showed," he told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister John Howard in Canberra.

The force was deployed within two weeks, the Secretary-General said, thanks to "the leadership, the organization , the professionalism of the Australian army."

Today was the first day of Annan's official visit to Australia. In addition to the Prime Minister, he met with Foreign Minister Alexander Downer; former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, who is now Chairman of CARE Australia; lawmakers and opposition figures.

Fraser introduced the Secretary-General to the three CARE workers who were detained by the Yugoslav authorities on espionage charges and who were subsequently freed, thanks to the intervention of the Secretary-General and other world leaders.

UN TRIES TO CALM "TENSE" DEMONSTRATION IN MITROVICA

Some 20,000 men, women and children from Kosovo's Albanian community marched from Pristina to Mitrovica beginning 8 a.m. today. By midday they had reached the outskirts of the town.

By late afternoon, the several thousand people at the bridge over the Ibar River, which divides the south of the city from the largely Serb-populated north, had dispersed. The situation was reported to be very tense and very volatile. The Secretary-General's Special Representative, Bernard Kouchner, Kosovo Force (KFOR) Commander Gen. Klaus Reinhardt and Kosovo Protection Corps leader Agim Ceku were present in the middle of the crowd and addressed them.

By later afternoon the crowd had dispersed, according to the UN mission in Kosovo.

Earlier today, KFOR troops supported by UN police began the second day of searches in several neighborhoods in Mitrovica to look for caches of illegal and dangerous weapons. Approximately 2,500 KFOR soldiers from 12 nations are supporting the operation. Holders of these weapons will be detained and turned over to UN police, which now number more than 420 in Mitrovica.

Before he went to Mitrovica, Kouchner met in Pristina this morning with the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, Gen. Wesley Clark, to discuss the join UN-KFOR strategy to re-establish law and order in Mitrovica and to work on longer-term measures for job creation and economic development.

SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS CONSULTATIONS ON DR OF CONGO

At 11 a.m. today, the Security Council began closed consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Council has been considering a draft resolution that would expand the UN force in the DRC to some 5,500 personnel, including 500 military observers. The Council is discussing the draft today, and is expected to consider it further, and possibly vote on it, later in the week.

Last Friday, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations H&eacute;di Annabi briefed the Council on the latest developments in the DRC and explained the need for the expanded number of observers and troops.

The Council has scheduled informal consultations on recent peace efforts in Somalia for Tuesday.

UN FORCE TAKES CONTROL OVER EAST TIMOR

The western region of East Timor, called Sector West, was transferred today from the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) to UN Peacekeeping Force at a ceremony in Suai, leaving the whole territory under UN military control.

On Wednesday, INTERFET will cease to exist after the remaining administrative structure is transferred to the United Nations. Sector West now has approximately 2,000 UN troops.

Today, World Bank President James Wolfensohn, President of the National Council of Timorese Resistance Xanana Gusm&atilde;o and UN Transitional Administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello signed a grant agreement that will result in the disbursement of $21.5 million over two and a half years for a community empowerment and local development project.

ANNAN GIVES MESSAGE ON BURUNDI AS ARUSHA TALKS BEGIN

Today in Arusha, Tanzania, a plenary session of negotiations on Burundi began under the organization of the Facilitator of the Arusha Process, former South African President Nelson Mandela.

Although the Secretary-General is on his official visit to Australia, his Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Berhanu Dinka, delivered a message on his behalf to the Heads of State gathered in Arusha. In the message, the Secretary-General said that the meeting "has attracted the attention of all those in the world who have the interests of Africa at heart."

He added that, for Burundi to achieve lasting peace, an agreement among its parties would have to be accompanied by the restoration of stability to the region as a whole, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Annan also emphasized that, although the Burundian Government has taken positive steps to dismantle its so-called "regroupment" camps, the need to speed up the process and allow the people in the camps to return home is "a matter of urgency."

Carol Bellamy, the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund, also drew attention today to the urgent need to close the regroupment camps today as she wound up a two-day visit to Burundi. She visited the Ruziba camp, south of Bujumbura, where about 12,000 people are located. She also met with President Pierre Buyoya and other senior officials before travelling this afternoon to Arusha to attend the opening of the peace talks.

UN SANCTIONS COMMITTEE OBJECTS TO TRAVEL BY RUF LEADER

In response to questions, the Spokesman noted reports that Foday Sankoh, formerly the leader of Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front (RUF), had left South Africa following the re-affirmation by the Security Council's Sanctions Committee that was restricted from travel outside Sierra Leone.

On Friday evening, the Security Council Sanctions Committee on Sierra Leone noted that Sankoh had left Sierra Leone without the authorization of the Committee. The members of the Committee issued a statement urging his immediate return to Sierra Leone and reminding all Member States of their obligations to "prevent the entry into or transit through their territories of leading members of the former military junta and of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF)". A press release with the complete text of the statement was also issued.

The spokesman noted that Sankoh had been issued a visa on medical grounds to visit South Africa, and that the authorities in South Africa arranged for his return to Sierra Leone after it was brought to their attention that he was not permitted to travel abroad.

ANNAN MARKS INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY

In a message to commemorate International Mother Language Day today, the Secretary-General said that it is critical to protect linguistic diversity at a time when many of the 6,000 languages spoken today are in danger of disappearing.

He said, "Above all, the lesson of our age is that languages are not mutually exclusive, but that human beings and humanity itself are enriched by communicating in more than one language."

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) last year decided to designate February 21 as International Mother Language Day, to encourage multilingual education.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Belgium has become the 56th Member State to pay its regular UN budget dues in full for 2000 by making a payment of just over $11.5 million. (To access the full list of "Payments to the UN Regular Budget" click here.)

In a joint press release issued today, the World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) announced an initiative to promote the development of an AIDS vaccine. The HIV Vaccine Initiative will focus on strengthening the ability of developing countries to hold vaccine trials, in order to find a vaccine that is effective worldwide.

The Food and Agriculture Organization, in a press release, called on African countries to increase public investment in agriculture. African Governments should allocate at least 25 percent of their national budgets to agricultural and rural development programs, the agency said. Click here for the report.

The Outer Space Scientific and Technical Subcommittee issued a press release on the conclusion of its recent session in Vienna. The Subcommittee deals with the peaceful uses of outer space, and discussed disaster management and the use of nuclear power sources in outer space.

The guest at Tuesday's noon briefing will be Olara Otunnu, the Special Representative of the SG for Children and Armed Conflict. He will discuss the deployment of child protection advisers.

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