United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-08-06

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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

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK Monday, August 6, 2001

ISRAELI DELEGATION TO SEE LEBANON VIDEO ON TUESDAY

Today, an Israeli delegation headed by Israeli Defence Force liaison officer General Arditi is meeting with officials here at Headquarters, including Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi Annabi and Military Adviser Gen. Timothy Ford, on issues surrounding the videotape made last October by UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

General Arditi and his delegation are to view the videotape, among other articles pertinent to the humanitarian aspects of the kidnapping last October of three Israeli soldiers in the Shebaa Farms area, Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

In response to a question, the Spokesman confirmed that Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke by telephone on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. They discussed the situation on the ground and the report by Under-Secretary-General for Management Joseph Connor on the UN handling of the videotape and other articles. The Secretary-General expressed his hope that, once the Israeli delegation views the videotape, the issue could be put behind them.

The Spokesman noted that the United Nations had offered to show Israel the edited version of the first videotape, an unedited version of a newly-discovered videotape and seven items taken from a car that had traces of blood on them.

Asked whether Lebanese officials have asked to see the tape, Eckhard said the United Nations had not received a request from them so far.

Asked whether UN officials had made a political decision not to inform others about the videotape, the Spokesman said that, according to the Connor report, some officials did not adequately assess the humanitarian value of the information the UN peacekeepers had obtained.

In response to a question about Hezbollah's influence in southern Lebanon, the Spokesman recalled that the United Nations has repeatedly asked the Government of Lebanon to assert its sovereign authority over the south.

Asked about the proposal for international observers in the occupied territories, Eckhard said the United Nations was not directly involved in the issue, which is between the United States and the parties.

ANNAN MARKS HIROSHIMA PEACE MEMORIAL CEREMONY

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Kenzo Oshima today delivered a message on behalf of the Secretary-General to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, saying that it was now time to turn into deeds the words of the Millennium Declaration on the need to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons.

He added, "We must dispel the fearful shadow that weapons of mass destruction cast across every nation. We must replace a culture of reaction with one of conflict prevention."

UN, EAST TIMORESE OFFICIALS DEFEND TREATY ON TIMOR GAP OIL

Speaking in Geneva over the weekend, Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in East Timor, said that recent criticisms of East Timor, made by Phillips Petroleum and some ministers in the Australian Government, were not made "in a spirit of partnership and co-operation."

Last week, Phillips Petroleum and its co-venturers decided to defer investment decisions on a proposed pipeline from the Timor Sea to Darwin, Australia, complaining that East Timor was not providing the same fiscal terms as had been offered before, when Indonesia and Australia had established a treaty on oil revenue in the Timor Gap

East Timor's lead negotiators on the new Timor Gap Treaty, Mari Alkatiri and Peter Galbraith, said today that they wanted oil companies to continue working with East Timor. However, they added, it would be unfair for East Timor to provide the companies the same fiscal incentives that had been offered in the past.

Alkatiri emphasized that the regime that has been developed between East Timor and Australia on oil in the Timor Gap will ensure that any investment in a gas pipeline in that area will get a healthy reward.

UN PEACEKEEPERS DEPLOY IN EASTERN SIERRA LEONE

The UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) reported that, over the weekend, UN peacekeepers began deploying to Kono District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. An advance party of some 350 Pakistani soldiers arrived at their new sector headquarters in Yengema.

This is the latest move in the missions ongoing efforts to further re-establish its presence throughout the country.

On the disarmament front, the Mission also reports that 1,088 Revolutionary United Front (RUF) combatants were disarmed on Friday.

Since the start on July 1 of simultaneous disarmament exercises in the Kono and Bonthe districts, more than 5000 combatants have been disarmed, belonging to the RUF and the pro-Government Civil Defence Force.

UN CONCERNED ABOUT ARREST OF AID WORKERS IN AFGHANISTAN

The Office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan says it is very concerned about the arrest of eight international aid workers, belonging to the non-governmental organization Shelter Now International, in Kabul.

The UN Office in Kabul is monitoring the situation, and is currently trying to obtain more information about the arrests from the Taliban.

In response to questions, the Spokesman noted that the United Nations has been asking the Taliban to allow aid workers to go about their business freely. He added, "When international aid workers get arrested, it's always a setback."

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Security Council has no meeting scheduled either today or Tuesday.

Asked about reports that the Italian Government was considering that the conference on food to be held this November by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) not be held in Italy, the Spokesman said that the FAO had not received any official information from the Government to confirm that.

Today in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma signed a Host Country Agreement on the holding of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa from August 31 to September 7. This was the last official requirement before thousands of participants arrive in Durban for the largest international anti-racism congress ever.

Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), will visit Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from August 8-13 at the beginning of the second round of the polio immunization campaign. She will visit border regions of the DRC to witness first-hand cross-border immunization activities in camps for displaced persons. In Angola, Bellamy will join the Minister of Justice to launch the Child Registration Campaign to promote birth registration.

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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