United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-06-15

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

FROM THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MANOEL DE ALMEIDA E SILVA

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, June 15, 2001

ANNAN SAYS IN LEBANON THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR CEASE-FIRE MUST BE SEIZED

Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Beirut, Lebanon, this morning from Amman, Jordan, and was met upon his arrival at Beirut Airport by Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud. At the airport, he also had the opportunity to meet with some family members of 13 Lebanese prisoners detained in Israel who presented him with a paper asking for their family members' release, and he told them that he intended to raise the issue with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when he visits Israel.

The Secretary-General said at the airport that he was glad a cease-fire was now in place between the Israelis and Palestinians. However, he said, "A cease-fire will not last unless it is seen by both sides as being part of a broader political process. I believe the Mitchell report recommendations offer a possible route back to such negotiations. But the opportunity may not last long. We must seize it while it is there."

Later, the Secretary-General met with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, with whom he discussed the situation in southern Lebanon and the need to respect the "blue line." The President raised his concerns about Israeli overflights of the blue line.

The two also discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the need for a just and comprehensive peace in the region, the need to remove mines from Lebanon and the plans for a donors' conference for Lebanon, for which the Secretary-General said he hoped a date would soon be set.

Asked by a reporter about the Shabaa Farms issue, the Secretary-General said that UN records place the farm in Syria, and added, "Israel knows that Shabaa Farms is not Israeli." He appealed for all sides to respect the blue line as it has been drawn and noted statistics comparing the number of deaths before and after the tracing of the blue line. He said, "There has been considerable improvement, and I would want to keep it that way."

The Secretary-General met this afternoon with Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese Parliament. He told the press after the meeting that they had discussed the situation in southern Lebanon, the need to stop violations of the blue line, the demining process and the future of comprehensive peace talks.

He then met with Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Following that meeting, both men spoke to the press. The Prime Minister called the meeting fruitful and said they had discussed the Palestinian-Israeli question.

His last meeting today was with Foreign Minister Hammoud. The Foreign Minister described the talks as useful, and the Secretary-General told the press, "Everyone I have spoken to believes we should bring a just and comprehensive peace to the region."

This evening, the Prime Minister will also have dinner with the Secretary-General.

On Saturday, the Secretary-General will arrive in Ramallah, in the West Bank, where he is to meet with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. On Saturday evening, he is expected to have dinner in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO RECEIVE HONORARY DEGREE FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY

Following his visit to the Middle East, on Monday the Secretary-General will travel to the United Kingdom for an official visit.

On Tuesday morning he will go to Oxford University to deliver the Cyril Foster Lecture 2001, on "why democracy is an international issue." The Secretary-General will also participate in the University's Encaenia ceremony where he will receive an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Civil Law.

Thursday morning, the Secretary-General will meet with Prime Minister Tony Blair and, later that morning, he will meet with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Donald McKinnon. The Secretary-General will have a working luncheon hosted by Clare Short, Secretary for International Development and in the afternoon he will meet with Geoffrey Hoon, Secretary of Defense. On Thursday afternoon, the Secretary-General is also expected to meet with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. On that same day, will meet Jack Straw, Secretary for Foreign Affairs and also attend a working dinner hosted by Mr. Straw.

Early on Friday morning he will have a working breakfast with key business people before flying back to New York.

ANNAN WELCOMES THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS IN MYANMAR

In a statement issued through his Spokesman, the Secretary-General welcomed the release of political detainees in Myanmar, including Saw Mra Aung, a senior member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), eight more members of parliament and four others, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday, shortly after the visit to the country of his Special Envoy, Razali Ismail. The Secretary-General hopes to see further release of more political detainees in the near future.

The Secretary-General reiterated that there is no alternative to the on-going talks between the Government and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to bring about the democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar.

ANNAN DISTURBED BY REPORTED BOMBINGS IN AFGHANISTAN

In a statement, the Secretary-General said he was disturbed at alarming reports from Afghanistan of indiscriminate bombing, including attacks on the District Hospital and local aid agency facilities, and violence against civilians, during the take-over of Yakawlang by Taliban forces on June 11. The reports of widespread detention of civilians and of the targeting of their property are especially alarming in the context of past human rights abuses in the area by Taliban commanders.

The Secretary-General voiced his dismay at the persistent failure of the warring parties to abide by international humanitarian norms and to hold those responsible for gross violations of human rights accountable for their actions, and he called for an end to the climate of impunity.

The Taliban has requested talks be extended with the United Nations on a World Food Programme ( WFP) proposal to hire women to conduct a survey for keeping open the bakeries in Kabul.

The United Nations has agreed to continue the discussions, which are being led on the UN side by the WFP representative for Afghanistan, Gerard van Dijk.

SHOTS TAKEN AT WFP PLANES IN ANGOLA

Today at noon in Angola, two World Food Programme (WFP) planes carrying 17 tons of maize bound for Kuito were flying 20 nautical miles from Kuito when one pilot saw an explosion in the air, which he identified as a missile.

One of the aircraft had WFP markings and the other did not; however, this flight has been occurring on a daily basis. This is the second time in recent weeks that WFP has reported a shooting incident near their planes. It is not confirmed yet who did this, or why.

The planes were forced to return to Catumbela, preventing them from completing the flight to Kuito, which WFP says only has six days of food left to feed an increasing number of internally displaced persons.

WFP has suspended all cargo flights until further investigation takes place on Monday.

COUNCIL RENEWS MANDATES FOR UN FORCES IN CONGO AND CYPRUS

Security Council members began their work today with a short meeting in closed consultations during which the Security Council President, Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury of Bangladesh, briefed them on the latest developments concerning the Secretary-Generals current visit to the Middle East.

After that, in a formal meeting, Council members unanimously adopted as a presidential text resolution 1354, which renews by six months the mandate of the UN Force in Cyprus ( UNFICYP). Then, in a second meeting, they unanimously adopted resolution 1355, which extends the mandate of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) for one year.

The Council then held an open meeting on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the open session, Council members were briefed on the UN operation in that country by the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Jacques Klein. Klein told Council members that although the situation on the ground is complex and volatile, it is a source more of optimism than pessimism.

Noting recent acts by ethnic partitionists, Klein said, The political crisis in not yet over, but for the ultra-nationalists, the writing is on the wall.

SECURITY COUNCIL EMBARKS ON MISSION TO KOSOVO, BELGRADE

A Security Council delegation led by Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury of Bangladesh has left to spend the weekend in Kosovo, where it meet with UN officials in Kosovo, as well as with Kosovo's Albanian and Serb leaders, and will visit Mitrovica and the largest detention center in Kosovo, the Dubrava prison.

On Monday, the mission will be in Belgrade to meet with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and other senior officials. The Council will return to New York Monday night and meet in closed consultations on Tuesday.

The UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today reported it has uncovered an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of weapons into Kosovo in one of the largest weapons seizures made by its police.

A truck carrying a load of timber was ordered to stop in the Pec region yesterday. The driver immediately abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Police seized the truck, which had entered Kosovo from Montenegro, originating in Bosnia.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that ethnic Albanians continue to flee the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia for Kosovo and southern Serbia. On Thursday, 2,600 people crossed into Kosovo and a few hundred more into southern Serbia. Over the past week more than 28,000 people have fled.

UN ENVOY TO DISCUSS ETHNIC KILLINGS WITH CENTRAL AFRICAN PRESIDENT

The Secretary-Generals Special Envoy to the Central African Republic, General Amadou Toumani Touré, was scheduled today to hold a second meeting with President Ange-Félix Patassé. Among the issues to be discussed are the reports of extra-judicial killings and human rights violation which are reportedly still going on in the aftermath of the coup attempt and which are targeting certain ethnic groups linked to the leader of the coup, General André Kolingba.

The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the lead agency dealing with the humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic, received today in Bangui a plane from Denmark carrying some forty tons of humanitarian supplies.

ROBINSON WELCOMES BUSHS STATEMENT ON MENTALLY RETARDED

In a statement released this morning, the High Commissioner for Human Rights ( UNHCHR), Mary Robinson, welcomed the recent statement made by US President George W. Bush that the death penalty should never be applied to anyone who is mentally retarded.

The High Commissioner said she had written to President Bush urging him, in light of his statement, to intervene in several cases where persons with mental disabilities are awaiting execution in the United States.

Robinson added that she believed the President Bushs statement could mark a turning point -- not only with respect to the right to life itself but with respect to the other human rights of people with mental disabilities who are disproportionately represented in prisons throughout the world".

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

More than 738,000 people, or 91 percent of East Timors population, have been registered by the UN Transitional Administrations Civil Registration Unit (UNTAET) as of Thursday. About 99 percent of Dilis population has been registered, although this figure probably includes some people who came into the capital from surrounding districts.

Mark Malloch Brown, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme ( UNDP), was in Versailles, France, today, where he addressed the French-American Chamber of Commerce on the need for a new form of public-private partnership to deal with the AIDS crisis, among other challenges.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued a release today stating that 100 countries and some 3.6 billion hectares of land are seriously affected by desertification. One of the main causes of desertification is the increasing pressure on land from rapid population growth and poverty. The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is being observed on Sunday.

In response to a question on reports that Morocco has submitted a proposal for devolution in Western Sahara, the Spokesman confirmed that the Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, James Baker, has received a proposal which he will discuss with the Security Council on June 26.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Saturday, June 16

The Secretary-General is scheduled to arrive in Ramallah, where he is to meet with and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. In the evening, he is scheduled to have dinner in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

The Security Council mission to Kosovo, led by Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury of Bangladesh, will arrive in Pristina, where it will meet with the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Hans Haekkerup.

Sunday, June 17

The Secretary-General is expected to visit Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

In Kosovo, the Security Council mission will meet with Serb and Albanian leaders in Mitrovica and visit Dubrava Prison before holding a press conference in Pristina.

This is the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

Monday, June 18

The Secretary-General is scheduled to end his weeklong trip to the Middle East, and to fly to London.

The Security Council mission will meet in Belgrade with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and other senior officials before departing for New York.

The guest at the noon briefing will be Sharon Capeling Alakija, Executive Coordinator of the UN Volunteer Programme (UNV), which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

In Paris, a two-day seminar organized by the Department for Public Information (DPI) on the question of Palestine will begin. Shashi Tharoor, interim head of DPI, will deliver a message on behalf of the Secretary-General.

In Rome, the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization will meet through the week.

Tuesday, June 19

The Secretary-General will receive an honorary degree from Oxford University, and he will also deliver the Cyril Foster Lecture on "Why Democracy is an International Issue."

The Security Council intends to hold an open briefing to present its report on its mission to Kosovo.

The Secretary-General's progress report on the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) and his latest report on Western Sahara are expected toward the beginning of the week.

In Geneva, the Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission will meet through Thursday.

Wednesday, June 20

The Secretary-General will return to London to start an official visit to the United Kingdom.

The Security Council will hold consultations on the return of Kuwaiti property, on which it expects to hear a briefing by the Secretary-General's High-Level Coordinator for Iraq, Yuliy Vorontsov.

This is the International Day for Refugees, which will be observed, among other places, at the Statue of Liberty. The Secretary-General will issue a message for the occasion. Also, at 10:00 a.m., the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is sponsoring a press conference by the US Committee for Refugees on the "World Refugee Survey 2001."

At 11:00 a.m., Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette will brief the press on the upcoming UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS and All Its Aspects, which will be taking place from June 25-27.

At 12:45 p.m., Andy Bearpark, European Representative in Kosovo and Deputy UN Special Representative, will hold a press conference on the EU's role in Kosovo's economic development.

Thursday, June 21

The Security Council has scheduled a public meeting on the extension of the mandate for the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has also scheduled an open debate on conflict prevention, at which Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette will speak.

At 11:15 a.m., Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, will give a press briefing to launch the report, "Together We Can: Leadership in a World of AIDS."

Friday, June 22

There will be a public meeting of the Security Council on Kosovo.

There will be a meeting of troop contributing countries for the UN Mission in Western Sahara.

Dr. Cecil Blake, Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Sierra Leone, will brief the press at 10:30 a.m.

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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