United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-05-04

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

FROM THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, May 4, 2001

ANNAN CALLS SENTENCES FOR TIMOR KILLINGS WHOLLY UNACCEPTABLE

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement today, expressed shock at the light sentences handed down by a Jakarta court today to the six men in connection with the killings in West Timor last September 6 of three UNHCR staff members. He noted that the ruling appeared incommensurate with what is known to have been deliberate and brutal killings, and called the judgment a "wholly unacceptable" response.

Earlier today, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today said in a statement that it is "deeply disturbed" by the sentences given to the six men. It noted reports that the accused were given sentences of between 10 and 20 months.

In the statement, UNHCR said, "The sentences make a mockery of the international community's insistence that justice be done in this horrific case." It said it would study the judgments carefully before considering further action.

UNHCR also noted that five of its staff have been murdered in the past eight months, including the three killed and mutilated in West Timor; one killed last September in southern Guinea; and a driver killed in March in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Asked about whether an international tribunal could be set up to investigate crimes committed in East Timor, the Spokesman said that the decision would have to be made by the Security Council. The Council, he noted, had urged Indonesia to prosecute such crimes and expressed its willingness to monitor how Indonesia proceeds with that effort.

SECRETARY-GENERAL NOTES LEADING U.S. ROLE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement, expressed his understanding of the United States' disappointment at not being re-elected to the Human Rights Commission, in a vote taken by the Economic and Social Council Thursday. The United States has played a leading role over the years in drafting landmark documents such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and has been a key member of the Commission.

The Spokesman said, "The Secretary-General believes that the United States made a major contribution to the work of the United Nations in the field of human rights, and he strongly hopes that they will remain engaged in this important area of our work."

Asked whether the absence of the United States from the Commission would affect the payment of U.S. arrears to the United Nations, the Spokesman said the United Nations hoped that it would not be blamed for a vote taken by Member States. He added that the United States, as with other non-members of the Commission, could continue to attend and speak at its meetings and, with the support of at least one Commission member, to co-sponsor its resolutions.

The United Kingdom failed in attempts to be re-elected to the Commission twice, and France lost once; in those cases, the countries re-joined the Commission in the following year.

Asked whether the Secretary-General had spoken to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on the Human Rights Commission vote, Eckhard said the two had talked by phone on Thursday evening but did not know whether the subject had come up.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO PROCEED WITH SANCTIONS ON LIBERIA

The Security Council met today in closed consultations on Liberia, during which members took up the Secretary-Generals report on Liberia, issued earlier this week. The Council was briefed by Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani of Singapore, chairman of the Liberia sanctions committee, who recently completed a mission to the region in that capacity.

Security Council President James Cunningham of the United States said after the meeting that, in accordance with Resolution 1343, additional sanctions measures against Liberia would go into effect one minute past midnight on Monday (Eastern Daylight Time). Those measures would include a ban on the direct or indirect import of all rough diamonds from Liberia and measures to prevent travel by senior members of the Government of Liberia and their spouses.

The Security Council had also received a letter, dated April 30, from Liberian President Charles Taylor regarding his Governments efforts to comply with Resolution 1343.

Asked about the Security Council's retreat in the Pocantico Hills this weekend, the Spokesman noted that the Ambassadors would discuss the situation in the Great Lakes, and particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to find ways in which they could support the peace process.

IN TELECONFERENCE, ANNAN DISCUSSES UN FOLLOW-UP IN AIDS EFFORT

In his push to put the UN system is high gear for the fight against AIDS, the Secretary-General this morning held an hour-long teleconference with the heads of UN agencies which have programs on HIV/AIDS. The Secretary-General heard the views of agency heads on different aspects of the AIDS problem.

After reviewing recent developments since his meeting with the pharmaceutical firms in early April, the Secretary-General told the heads of UN agencies that the goal is to increase the political energy that is now progressing so well. "We must be sure," he said, "that in the remaining seven weeks until the General Assembly Special Session on AIDS we turn this energy into action."

To ensure that, he appointed Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette to lead a UN-system task force that will meet on a weekly basis, starting next week. The Secretary-General will join the Task Forces meetings periodically.

The Secretary-General also announced that he had asked Stephen Lewis, formerly Canada's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, to work with a core group of African leaders to follow up on the Abuja Declaration, adopted during last week's African Summit in Abuja, Nigeria. Lewis was also the Deputy Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund ( UNICEF) until last year. Currently he is Adjunct Professor at York University in Canada and Special Advisor for Africa to Peter Piot, the Executive Director of UNAIDS. He is also Special Advisor to the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) on HIV/AIDS.

In response to a question, the Spokesman noted that a U.S. delegation was to meet the Secretary-General today at 3:00 p.m., also to review actions on the AIDS agenda since the Abuja Summit.

NEARLY HALF OF EAST TIMORESE HOMES REHABILITATED SINCE 1999

In East Timor today, a poverty study put out by the National Planning and Development Agency says that more than 67,000 homes were made unlivable during the violence in 1999, but 47 percent of those homes have been rehabilitated since then. The report also says that only 20 percent of the country's villages have electricity now -- 10 percent lower than before 1999.

The study was produced in partnership with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the UN Development Programme ( UNDP).

Also today, the UN Mission in East Timor agreed with an Australian shipping company to operate a ferry service for the 12-hour sea journey between Dili and East Timor's Oecussi Enclave, located in the western part of the island. That service is set to begin on May 21, and will allow for travel by 150 passengers -- about three times what was available on previous trips aboard cargo vessels.

ANNAN TO MEET ADVISER ON SPORTS, BOARD FOR OLYMPIC TRUCE

On Monday, the Secretary-General will meet with his Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, former Swiss President Adolf Ogi, in their first meeting since Ogi's appointment. Ogi is expected, in his capacity as Special Adviser, to identify tasks and programs in the UN system that might benefit from the involvement of sports organizations.

Then on Tuesday, the International Olympic Truce Foundation's Board of Directors, including Juan Antonio Samaranch, will meet at the United Nations, and the Secretary-General will address that meeting. It is expected that a statue will be presented at the meeting that could go on display on occasions when the Olympic Truce is in effect or is being discussed.

Greek Foreign Minister George A. Papandreou will be among the participants at that meeting, and he will hold a press conference following the conclusion of the meeting, at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

In response to a question, the Spokesman said after the briefing that the US Mission had given the Secretary-General this morning a copy of the report by the commission dealing with the violence in the Middle East, headed by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell.

Today, two Member States paid in full their 2001 regular budget contributions, the first full payments in a month. Austria made a payment of more than $9.8 million and the Democratic Republic of the Congo made a payment of over $100,000, which includes full payment of arrears and this years contribution of more than $41,000. Seventy-one Member States have paid their regular budget dues in full for this year.

Willem Wijnstekers, Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), calls on airlines not to boycott shipments of legally traded wild animals. He said that a boycott would not be in the best interest of the animals themselves, nor rural communities, which may depend on natural resources, including animals.

The World Health Organization ( WHO) announced the release of a report called "Tobacco and the Rights of the Child," which says children all over the world should be protected from the health risks of tobacco. The report also deals with the issue of child labor and says that tobacco companies have been implicated in child labor in some of the major tobacco-producing countries.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Saturday, May 5

The Security Council is continuing its weekend retreat in the Pocantico Hills, at which Council members are to discuss the situation in the Great Lakes, and particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers will visit the Jalozai refugee site in northern Pakistan, where up to 70,000 Afghan refugees are sheltered. He will also meet senior Pakistani officials, including Chief Executive Gen. Pervez Musharraf, before he departs on Monday.

Sunday, May 6

Monday, May 7

Unless the Security Council decides otherwise, the sanctions on Liberia detailed in Resolution 1343, including a ban on the import of rough diamonds from Liberia, will go into effect at one minute after midnight EDT.

The panel dealing with financing for development, chaired by former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, will begin its second meeting.

The Secretary-General will meet for the first time with his Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Adolf Ogi.

The Fifth Committee of the General Assembly will resume its 55th session.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations will begin a new session in New York.

In Geneva, the Economic Commission for Europe will meet through Friday.

Tuesday, May 8

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on its proposed mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The International Olympic Truce Foundation's Board of Directors will meet at the United Nations, and the Secretary-General will address that meeting. At 3:00 p.m., the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece, George A. Papandreou, will hold a press conference following the conclusion of the meeting.

Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, will represent the Secretary-General at the annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The 10th session of the Crime Commission will be held in Vienna through May 17. One of the key topics of discussion will be progress in global action against corruption.

Wednesday, May 9

The Security Council has scheduled a public meeting on Kosovo.

The Secretary-General's report to the Security Council on the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) is expected in the middle part of the week.

Thursday, May 10

Friday, May 11

The Security Council will hold consultations on its working group on cooperation between the United Nations and troop contributing countries on peacekeeping operations.

The Security Council will hold its monthly luncheon with the Secretary-General.

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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