United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-03-23

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

BY MANOEL DE ALMEIDA E SILVA

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, March 23, 2001

ANNAN TO MEET US PRESIDENT, SECRETARY OF STATE IN WASHINGTON

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is travelling to Washington, D.C. this afternoon to meet with President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. He will return to New York tonight.

On Saturday evening, he will leave for Amman, Jordan, to attend the Summit of the League of Arab States, after which he will visit Switzerland and Nairobi, Kenya. He will return to New York on April 5.

KOSOVO ALBANIANS CALL FOR END TO FYROM VIOLENCE

This morning in Pristina, the leaders of the three main political parties in Kosovo met with the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Hans Haekkerup, for an hour, after which they signed a declaration calling for extremist groups in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to end their fighting.

The three -- Kosovo Albanian leaders Ibrahim Rugova, Hashim Thaci and Ramush Haradinaj -- called on the extremist groups to lay down their arms immediately and to return to their homes peacefully. The statement also urged the FYROM Government to show restraint and to resolve grievances through peaceful and democratic means.

The declaration came one day after a visiting delegation from the European Union, including Javier Solana, the EU's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy; Chris Patten, the EU Commissioner for External Relations; and the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and Belgium. The visiting officials and Haekkerup gave a joint press briefing Thursday, in which they all stressed the importance of clear condemnations of the violence by Kosovo Albanian leaders.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today that more than 22,000 Macedonians are estimated to have left their homes since fighting began in Tetovo last week.

Of that number, some 14,200 have been displaced within the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, while nearly 8,000 have gone to Turkey, Albania, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The majority of those who have fled said they were doing so as a precautionary measure, and were staying with friends and relatives.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES REPORT ON AFGHAN SANCTIONS

The Security Council this morning held closed consultations on Afghanistan. Council members discussed the report of the Secretary-General on the humanitarian implications of the sanctions imposed on Afghanistan. Kenzo Oshima, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, presented the report to the Council.

In the report, the Secretary-General says that, so far, the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has not been noticeably affected by the additional sanctions imposed against the Taliban by the Council. Exemptions in the sanctions that the Council approved, as well as mechanisms for humanitarian operations, appear to be working relatively well. Humanitarian operations have continued to be largely unhindered by sanctions.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs finds that the direct impact of sanctions on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is "limited but tangible." The ban on Ariana Airlines, for example, has reduced economic activity in some sectors.

The Secretary-General also says that urgent steps should be taken so that Ariana's fleet of planes can receive necessary spare parts and maintenance, and he suggests that the Council's Sanctions Committee agree to a certification process to allow such maintenance.

The report also notes the devaluation of Afghanistan's currency, but adds that, so far, the price of basic commodities, such as food, has not yet risen.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS PALESTINIAN QUESTION

At 3 p.m. today, the Security Council will resume its closed consultations on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. Earlier this morning, Council members began to discuss a draft resolution on that issue introduced Thursday by the European members of the Council.

On Thursday afternoon, the Secretary-General briefed the Security Council on his meeting on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES TALKS BETWEEN IVOIRIAN LEADERS

The Secretary-General, in a statement, welcomed the discussions held in Lome, Togo on March 18-19 between President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire and Alassane Ouattara, leader of the opposition Rally of the Republicans (RDR) party.

The Secretary-General said he was encouraged by the public commitment of Gbagbo and Ouattara to reduce internal political tensions and work towards national unity and reconciliation. The United Nations remains committed to assist in the promotion of lasting peace and progress in Cote d'Ivoire.

ANNAN CONGRATULATES RESOLUTION OF BAHRAIN-QATAR DISPUTE

The Secretary-General congratulated both Bahrain and Qatar for resolving their territorial disputes by resort to the International Court of Justice. The acceptance of the judgment delivered by the Court on March 16 set an excellent example for other States of how disputes of that nature should be resolved.

ANNAN OFFERS CONDOLENCES FOLLOWING DEATH OF HYUNDAI FOUNDER

In a letter addressed to President Kim Dae-jung of the Republic of Korea, the Secretary-General conveyed his deep condolences to the Korean people on the passing away earlier this week of Chung Ju-yung, the founder of the Hyundai.

He noted Chung Ju-yungs key role in the transformation of the Republic of Korea into a leading industrial state. He added, "We will miss his dedication to the cause of reconciling the divided Korean peninsula by furthering inter-Korean dialogue and rapprochement, particularly through his unswerving and visionary support for your 'sunshine policy'."

The Secretary-General hoped that Chung Ju-yungs example would inspire business leaders, politicians and others to join the efforts to promote peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

UN MISSION REPORTS ETHIOPIAN TROOPS ARE IN SECURITY ZONE

The UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) has found Ethiopian armed forces companies in the Central Sector of the future Temporary Security Zone (TSZ).

Although the Mission had verified Ethiopia's withdrawal from the Zone on March 7, a UN monitoring patrol on March 15 saw Ethiopian soldiers in three separate company-sized positions approximately six kilometers inside the prospective Zone, southeast of Senafe. These soldiers had not been observed during the verification process. A further reconnaissance conducted with Ethiopian military officers on March 20 confirmed that Ethiopian soldiers were still inside the Zone.

Eritrea earlier announced its refusal to withdraw its forces from the Zone, citing its objections to adjustments made to the map of the prospective Zone.

On Thursday, UN Force Commander Gen. Patrick Cammaert protested to the head of the Ethio-Eritrean Peacekeeping Coordination Bureau in Addis Ababa and asked that the military units be withdrawn immediately to the previously agreed line of redeployment. He was told that Ethiopia would not withdraw its forces from this area.

The UN Mission, in a statement issued Thursday, regretted the setback to the ongoing process of establishing the Temporary Security Zone. The Mission is stepping up its patrols of this area and will closely monitor the situation.

UN ENVOY MEETS WITH LEBANESE PRESIDENT, PREMIER ON DEMINING

Staffan de Mistura, Personal Representative of Secretary-General for Southern Lebanon, today met with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to discuss the developments in the South during the last few days and the demining process.

The Prime Minister's Cabinet announced Thursday the formation of a six-member committee, including de Mistura, in order to ensure the follow up of demining,

REFUGEES TO RETURN TO EAST TIMOR ON SATURDAY

Some 230 East Timorese who are now in West Timor refugee camps are expected to arrive by boat in Dili, East Timors capital, Saturday. This is the third operation to bring refugees by sea since the first week of March. The repatriation operation is organized by the International Organization for Migration, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Mission in East Timor.

A smaller land repatriation movement also occurred this week. Two hundred and twenty East Timorese returned from West Timor on Wednesday through the Suai district border.

According to UNHCR, so far this month, some 1,500 people have returned to East Timor. The total number of returns since 1999 is more than 178,000, while an estimated 100,000 East Timorese refugees remain in Indonesia.

ANNAN LAUDS WORK OF UNIVERSITY FOR PEACE

This morning, the Secretary-General addressed a closed briefing of an Expert Group dealing with the academic program of the University for Peace, which is located in Costa Rica. He told them that "achieving decent, just and peaceful relations among diverse human groups is an enterprise that must be constantly renewed -- and education for peace is a fundamental part of that enterprise."

He said that work is needed to address the complex causes of conflicts, and he looked forward to extensive collaboration between the University for Peace and the United Nations University in Tokyo.

UNHCR APPEALS FOR $65 MILLION FOR WEST AFRICA

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Ruud Lubbers today launched a $65 million inter-agency funding appeal for West Africa. The money will be used to tackle the humanitarian crisis affecting some 3 million people, including refugees, internally displaced people and impoverished communities in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote dIvoire.

"West Africa today is plagued by one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises, which it simply cannot handle without international help," said Lubbers. He added that the international community must support the restoration of regional stability and good governance.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) repeated its appeal for some $24 million to assist in repatriation of Eritrean refugees, some of whom have been living in exile in Sudan for 30 years. On Thursday, the two Governments signed an agreement to repatriate some 160,000 Eritreans, about 63,000 this year and more than 90,000 next year.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated $10 million to the Special Programme for Research and Development in Tropical Diseases. The five-year grant will be used to support the Tuberculosis Diagnostic Initiative to design new approaches to detecting TB. World Tuberculosis Day will be observed Saturday.

The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) has issued a fact sheet on the major challenges facing the organization in Ethiopia. There have been over 2,300 recorded cases of meningitis in the country, resulting in more than 145 deaths. A vaccination campaign targeting 8 million people is required, and there is a shortfall of 4 million doses of the vaccine.

In a ceremony marking World Meteorological Day, which is today, the Executive Coordinator of UN Volunteers, Sharon Capeling-Alakija, commended the work of volunteers all over the world in providing critical data on local weather conditions.

This morning, Ethiopia became the third country to sign the 2001 International Coffee Agreement.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Saturday, March 24

The Secretary-General will leave New York for a 13-day trip to Jordan, Switzerland and Kenya. His first stop is Amman, where he is to address for the first time the summit meeting of the League of Arab States.

Today is World Tuberculosis Day.

The Department of Public Information will sponsor the closing session of the National High School Model UN in New York.

Sunday, March 25

Monday, March 26

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on Somalia.

The edited report on human rights in the Occupied Arab Territories, including Palestine, will be distributed in all languages in Geneva. The report will then be presented to the 57th Commission on Human Rights on Tuesday. The report follows a decision taken by the Fifth Special Session of the Commission on Human Rights last October to establish an international commission to investigate violence in the occupied territories.

In Geneva, the Commission on Human Rights will present a special one-day debate on tolerance and respect. Panelists will include Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and Nafis Sadik, former Executive Director of the UN Population Fund.

In London, Ibrahim Gambari, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Africa, and Kenzo Oshima, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, will speak at a one-day seminar to discuss the causes of conflict in Africa.

Tuesday, March 27

The Security Council has scheduled an open briefing by Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello on East Timor.

At 11:15 a.m., former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard will give a press conference.

Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala will visit Wellington, New Zealand, through Friday, and will deliver the opening address on a conference organized by the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific.

Wednesday, March 28

The Secretary-General will begin an official visit to Switzerland, arriving in Zurich, where he will address a group of Swiss business leaders.

The Security Council is expected to discuss Guinea-Bissau and Angola in its consultations.

In Geneva, the board of trustees for the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations will meet through Friday.

Thursday, March 29

The Secretary-General will travel to Bern, where he will meet Swiss President Moritz Leuenberg, and Biel, where he will visit an engineering school and discuss youth concerns with students.

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on Bougainville and the report of the panel on resource exploitation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The United Nations Postal Administration will issue a set of six commemorative stamps and a souvenir card on the theme of the International Year of Volunteers.

Friday, March 30

The Secretary-General will be in Geneva to address the 57th session of the Commission on Human Rights. Later, he will also visit the resort of Mont-Pelerin, where he will attend on the closing session of a weeklong seminar organized for his Special and Personal Representatives.

The Security Council has scheduled a formal meeting on the extension of the mandate of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), which is scheduled to expire on Saturday. It also expects to wrap up its work for the month of March, with the Council Presidency set to change on April 1, from Ukraine to the United Kingdom.

There will be a ceremony at Yale University to commemorate the tercentennial of that institution, at which Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed will represent the Secretary-General. A US postal card presented at the occasion will bear a UN stamp.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

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