United Nations Daily Highlights, 00-02-28

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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 28, 2000

SECURITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS BURUNDI, BALKANS

This morning, the Security Council heard a briefing in closed consultations by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahima Fall on Burundi. He discussed political, security, humanitarian and socioeconomic issues.

The Council then went into a formal meeting, in which it heard an open briefing from the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Balkans, Carl Bildt, who addressed members on "the search for self-sustaining stability, as well as human rights and democracy, in the Balkans." That formal meeting is expected to resume at 4:30 p.m.

Council members also scheduled informal consultations on Iraq later today following the formal meeting on the Balkans.

KOFI ANNAN TO ADDRESS COUNCIL TUESDAY

On Tuesday, the Council will meet with the Secretary-General for a "tour d'horizon."

The Council will also hold consultations Tuesday on the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the mandate of which will expire on that day. Over the weekend, 186 Moroccan prisoners of war were freed on Friday afternoon by the Polisario Front and handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in the presence of MINURSO representatives at a camp in Tindouf. A Red Cross chartered plane then flew the prisoners of war to the Moroccan town of Agadir on Saturday.

UNHCR CONVOY HEADS TO CHECHNYA

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today that at 9.40 a.m. local time, the first UNHCR convoy left Stavropol, UNHCR's base of operations in southern Russia, for Grozny, the capital of Chechnya.

Ten trucks belonging to EMERCOM, the Russian emergency logistics ministry, will deliver to citizens of Grozny 45 metric tons of food and non-food items, including 900 pieces of plastic sheeting, blankets, mattresses and bath soap.

The arrival of the convoy to Grozny is expected around midday Tuesday.

EMERCOM will distribute relief items. Local UNHCR staff is accompanying this convoy.

UN, OSCE NOTE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PROBLEMS IN TAJIK ELECTIONS

Sunday, the first multi-party election in the history of Tajikistan took place.

The most significant accomplishment in the parliamentary elections was the inclusion of the former warring parties and others in the electoral process, according to a press release issued today by the Election Observation Mission to Tajikistan -- a joint effort of the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The mission said it received very few reports of security incidents, but while some polling procedures were conducted properly, important control provisions during the voting were violated.

An extremely high voter turnout figure, of 87 percent, was announced two hours before the closing of polling stations and the unofficial forecast of more than 96 percent expected turnout by the end of polling cast serious doubt over the integrity of the voting results, the Mission concluded.

The statement was based on preliminary findings by a 40-member election observation mission. A final and comprehensive report on the parliamentary elections will be issued within a month after the electoral process is completed.

UN STEPS UP RELIEF EFFORTS IN MOZAMBIQUE

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in a statement on the flooding in Mozambique, announced that a second five-member UN Disaster Assessment Coordination Team was deployed this morning and is scheduled to arrive in Maputo on Tuesday. The team will assist with the coordination of national and international response.

The World Food Programme today released $2 million to support the rescue operation.

Also, the Secretary-General has asked Ross Mountain, the Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator, to travel immediately to Mozambique to serve as his Special Humanitarian Envoy to the country. He also authorized the release of resources from the Central Emergency Revolving Fund to reinforce the continuing relief efforts being undertaken by UN agencies on the ground.

UN FACES FURTHER ROADBLOCKS IN SIERRA LEONE

Revolutionary United Front (RUF) leader Foday Sankoh returned to Sierra Leone today. He is reported to have landed at an airport outside Freetown and to be preparing to come back to Freetown by road, accompanied by his supporters.

On Saturday, there was another incident in which UN troops were blocked. Seventeen Ghanaian peacekeepers and seven Military Observers were blocked by RUF fighters on the road from Kenema to Koidu in the eastern part of Sierra Leone. The RUF fighters would initially neither let the peacekeepers advance nor retreat. Finally, at 1:30 in the morning, they ordered the UN personnel to return to their camp. They arrived safely back in Kenema on Sunday morning.

The UN Mission in Sierra Leone has sent a strong protest to the RUF concerning repeated blockage of UN personnel, who are supposed to have complete freedom of movement.

ANNAN ADDRESSES GLOBAL MEETING OF UNDP COORDINATORS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan this morning addressed a week-long global meeting of resident coordinators of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which is being held in Glen Cove, New York.

He said that the representatives this week would help to shape a new strategy for the agency's work, which is being developed by Administrator Mark Malloch Brown.

The Secretary-General noted that Governments and civil society representatives value the United Nations as "a channel through which they can get access to the latest expertise," and as a source of advice on policy and governance, and he urged the representatives to continue their battle for economic and social progress. He told the representatives, "We are undefeated, because you have never stopped trying."

Annan was expected to return to UN Headquarters this afternoon.

UN MISSION SAYS VIOLENCE AGAINST SERBS ON THE RISE IN KOSOVO

The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) reports an increase in the level of violence against Serbs around Kosovo, as well as several explosions and grenade attacks in Pristina, Gnjilane and Pec.

UN officials today attended the burial today of the family of Dr. Josip Vasic, who was shot to death on Saturday in the center of Gnjilane, near the hospital where he worked. He was one of a handful of Serb physicians who had remained in Kosovo and had worked closely with UNMIK.

The monthly report on the international security presence in Kosovo, covering the period up to January 23 and transmitted by the Secretary-General to the Security Council, was issued today. It says there were approximately 44,000 KFOR troops deployed during that period.

The number of UN police numbered 2,341 from 44 nations, according to UNMIK.

Asked whether the United Nations could provide the number of police needed for support in Kosovo, the Spokesman said that the United Nations had continued to appeal for more police, but did not know when they would be made available. He noted the announcement by the U.S. Government last week on its intention to set up a reserve of some 2,000 police for international operations, which he called "a step in the right direction."

Eckhard added that Governments are focusing on the issue of the need for police in Kosovo, and noted the difficulties in taking police off their normal duties to deploy them in other countries.

"SIX PLUS TWO" GROUP DISCUSSES DRUG INITIATIVE ON AFGHANISTAN

On Afghanistan, the "Six plus Two" High-Level meeting started this morning, chaired by Kieran Prendergast, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

The group is discussing a counter-narcotics coordination initiative and Pino Arlacchi, Executive Director of the UN International Drug Control Programme is addressing the meeting.

UN MISSION IN EAST TIMOR PREPARES CAMPAIGN ON DENGUE

The UN Police Officer from Ghana who died last week while on duty in East Timor, suffered from dengue fever, according to an autopsy conducted after his death last Friday. The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) is preparing a public education campaign on dengue fever, which has struck 30 people in the past three months, including UN local and international staff.

The Mission is also preparing for the arrival on Tuesday of President Abdurrahman Wahid of Indonesia, who will spend about three hours in Dili.

Today, the administrative arrangements were finalized for the takeover by UNTAET of the security responsibilities of the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET), which had been led by Australia. INTERFET pulled out of East Timor last Wednesday.

IRAQ PROGRAMME REPORTS NO NEW OIL CONTRACTS LAST WEEK

The Office of the Iraq Programme reported today that, during the reporting period from February 19 through 25, no oil sales contracts were approved. The number of oil sales contracts approved under the current phase stands at 96, for a total volume of 268.3 million barrels.

Last week, during the same reporting period, eight loadings were completed of a total of 10.2 million barrels of oil, at an estimated value of $272 million.

The revenue generated since the beginning of Phase Seven of the "oil-for-food" programme is estimated, at current prices, to be about $3.283 billion. The next update on Iraqi oil sales will be available on Tuesday.

Asked about whether UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Hans von Sponeck would address reporters, the Spokesman said he would look into the possibility of a news conference and would help to arrange interviews with him. Von Sponeck is meeting the Secretary-General today at 3:30 p.m., he noted. However, Eckhard added, the Security Council has not made a formal request to the Secretary-General for von Sponeck to address the Council.

Hans Blix, the Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission for Iraq, will attend a press briefing on Wednesday, the Spokesman said.

Eckhard noted the Secretary-General's recent comments that he might put some fresh ideas forward about sanctions, but the Spokesman declined to comment on Iraq's recent statements about the sanctions regime.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Today at 3 p.m, the Economic and Social Council will discuss the main developments that had been dealt with by the Security Council last month during its sessions on Africa. It will explore ways that, on issues including HIV/AIDS, the Economic and Social Council can undertake further cooperation with the Security Council. Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fr&eacute;chette and U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and Council President Arnoldo Manuel Listre of Argentina will speak at the briefing.

Today, a week-long committee session on illicit small arms trafficking began at UN Headquarters. The meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons will last through Friday. It is chaired by Ambassador Carlos dos Santos of Mozambique.

The Commission on the Status of Women began its 44th session today at Headquarters. It will meet through March 2. The Commission's agenda will include follow-up to the Beijing Conference on women as well as a review of gender "mainstreaming" in the United Nations system. The Commission session will include a panel discussion on emerging issues and trends and new approaches to equality issues. Starting Friday, the Commission will act as Preparatory Committee for the special session of the General Assembly on women scheduled to take place this coming June.

The mid-month report on the status of contributions to the UN budgets indicated that, as of February 15, Member States owed approximately $3.37 billion to the United Nations, including $980 million for the regular budget, $2.2 billion for peacekeeping and $194 million for the two International Criminal Tribunals.

The World Food Programme and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in a joint press release issued today, expressed concern over funding shortfalls for humanitarian operations in Africa. Food assistance operations by the two agencies to 16 African countries are currently facing a shortfall of some $81 million, with the largest funding problem in Tanzania.

The Food and Agriculture Organization issued an embargoed release on the contents of the January-February edition of its publication "Foodcrops and Shortages," which will be released in Rome and on the Internet on Wednesday.

The International Labour Organization issued a press release on how the growth of on-line technology has changed journalism, by leveling the playing field between fixed staff and freelancers, and providing more career opportunities for women.

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