United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-06-20

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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

Wednesday, June 20, 2001

ANNAN CALLED GENEROUS CHAMPION OF THE POOR AT OXFORD

This morning at Oxford University, Secretary-General Kofi Annan was given the cap and gown of a doctor of civil law before joining the procession from Balliol College to the ceremonial center of the University, the Sheldonian Theatre, where the Encaenia -- or commencement -- was took.

The Secretary-General was introduced by the colleges Public Orator, Jasper Griffin, who said, in Latin, "Mr. Annan is not a man to shirk problems which are either arduous or dangerous, and he is conspicuous also for his readiness, if something goes wrong, not to take refuge in the all-too-familiar pattern of bureaucratic obfuscation, of evading responsibility, and of leaving any criticism to be faced by subordinates."

He called the Secretary-General "a generous champion of the poor, a far-sighted partisan of justice and a tireless advocate of peace."

After being awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law, the Secretary-General then attended a luncheon hosted by All Souls College at Oxford.

Following the luncheon, the Secretary-General met briefly with some students of international affairs at St. Antony's College, the head of which is Marrack Goulding, the former UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

The Secretary-General is now back in London where, Thursday, he will hold a series of official meetings, including one with Prime Minister Tony Blair.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO HOLD OPEN MEETING ON IRAQ NEXT WEEK

The Security Council met in closed consultations this morning to briefed by Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov, the High-Level Coordinator on Iraq on the Secretary-Generals latest report on missing Kuwaiti property since the Iraqi invasion of 1990, which came out last week.

Thursday, the Council will hold two formal meetings. During the first, the council is expected to adopt a resolution extending the mandate of the UN mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina ( UNMIBH) by one year. During the second meeting, the Deputy Secretary-General, Louise Fréchette, will introduce the Secretary-Generals report on the Prevention of Armed Conflict.

Following the consultations today, the Council President, Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury of Bangladesh, said the Council scheduled an open meeting on Iraq next Tuesday afternoon, June 26.

ANNAN COMMENDS ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA FOR COMMITMENT TO PEACE

In his report to the Security Council on the UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea ( UNMEE), which was published today, the Secretary-General commended both governments for their continued commitment to the peace process.

However, he expressed concern about the excessive number of militia and police maintained by Eritrea in the Temporary Security Zone and continued restrictions by both sides on the UN missions freedom of movement.

The Secretary-General also urges the leadership of both countries, with the assistance of the international community, to work on confidence-building measures aimed at restoring normal relations between the peoples of the two countries.

The Council is expected to discuss the report next week.

SECURITY COUNCIL MISSION TO KOSOVO PUBLISHES REPORT

The report on the Security Councils just-concluded mission to Kosovo and Belgrade, which was presented to the Council Tuesday afternoon, was published as an official document today.

The report has also been transmitted by the Council President and leader of the mission, Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, to the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Kosovo, Hans Haekkerup, who has been asked to share it with those whom the Council met with in Kosovo and Belgrade.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL DISCUSSES SPECIAL SESSION ON HIV/AIDS

Louise Fréchette, the Deputy Secretary-General, held a press conference this morning to present next weeks Special Session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS which opens this Monday.

The Deputy Secretary-General said that the Special Session would include four roundtables on specific themes -- prevention and care; AIDS and human rights; the social and economic dimensions of the epidemic; and funding.

She also noted that, in addition to the declaration Governments are expected to adopt next week on AIDS, the meeting has given rise to considerable awareness of AIDS.

Asked about some culturally sensitive passages that nations were discussing in the draft declaration, the Deputy Secretary-General said she believed, in her discussions with Governments, that there is a strong desire to come to agreement, and to find the right words to be able to have a consensus document.

UNAIDS AND COCA-COLA ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP IN FIGHT AGAINST DISEASE

The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) announced a partnership with the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, by which the Foundation will support AIDS education, prevention and treatment programs in Africa over the next three years.

Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, welcomed the agreement and said that through it, Coca Cola can "bring its unrivalled marketing and logistics expertise to responses to the epidemic, from the community to the highest political level."

RESPECT IS THEME OF FIRST EVER WORLD REFUGEE DAY

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR) says that the day is being marked around the world by numerous events organized by refugees, non-governmental organizations, schools, universities, musicians and politicians.

The theme of the day is respect respect for refugees themselves and recognition of the positive contribution so many of them make to their host societies, as well as for the 1951 Refugee Convention.

The High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, urged decision makers to do more to preserve the institution of asylum and give financial backing to refugee programs worldwide.

TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION ESTABLISHED IN EAST TIMOR

East Timor's National Council today unanimously passed a regulation to establish a Commission on Reception, Truth and Reconciliation, which will examine human rights violations committed in East Timor between 1974 and 1999.

The Commission would also create a body that would assist agreements between local communities and people who had perpetrated lesser crimes during that period.

After it passed that regulation, the National Council also unanimously passed a resolution asking Transitional Administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello to take all steps to establish an international tribunal to prosecute those who had committed serious human rights violations in East Timor.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The International Tribunals' Prosecutor (ICTY), Carla Del Ponte, to Belgrade, which had been scheduled for this Friday, has been postponed, and no new date has been set. The Tribunal has not been involved with internal discussions underway in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia about cooperation with the Tribunal, but, when that process is finished, the Tribunal would be informed and at that point, a new visit by the Prosecutor would be organized.

This morning, Colombia became the fifth country to sign the International Coffee Agreement, 2001.

The United Nations Development Fund for Women ( UNIFEM), in a correction to Tuesdays press release, today said the number of women who died of AIDS last year should be 1.3 million instead of the 1.6 million.

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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