United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-08-27

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HIGHLIGHTS

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MARIE OKABE

ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, August 27, 2001

ANNAN, IN AUSTRIA, WARNS MIDDLE EAST VIOLENCE COULD SPREAD

Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Mrs. Annan began their visit to Austria on Saturday.

In Salzburg this morning, the Secretary-General met with the Foreign Minister of Austria, Benita Ferrero-Wldner. During the meeting, which lasted for about an hour, they discussed many issues including the crisis in the Middle East, the Balkans and the fight against AIDS.

Following the meeting, the two had a brief encounter with journalists. In answer to a question on the Middle East, he said that the situation is very worrying, is tragic, we have innocent people suffering and I think the international community has an obligation to do whatever it can to bring an end to this misery. He added, I am worried that id we don not contain the crisis it could spread.

On the talks between the parties he said, I have made it clear for many months that in my judgment that when the killing is going on, when you are living that tragedy, that you must talk. The killings should underscore the urgency of getting together to talk.

Earlier in the morning, the Secretary-General had met with the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna and Executive Director of the Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention, Pino Arlacchi. In response to a question regarding a report on Arlacchi, the Associate Spokesman quoted the Secretary-General at the press encounter as saying that the report of the United Nations version of the Inspector General is usually given to the General Assembly and these reports will therefore become public.

In the evening, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan, accompanied by the Foreign Minister were to be guests at a candlelight dinner in honor of the participants of the Salzburg Dialogue Among Civilizations. The dinner will take place at the Castle Fuschl, where the Dialogue Among Civilizations encounter will be held tomorrow. The Secretary-General will deliver the opening address of tomorrows meeting.

INTENSIVE DISCUSSION CONTINUE BEFORE START OF RACISM CONFERENCE

The Secretary-General, when asked at the press encounter in Salzburg earlier today about the U.S. participation in the Racism Conference, which will open in Durban on 31 August, said that it is a decision for Washington. There are indications from Washington that if they do not get the language they want they may not participate. Efforts are being made and people are working on the language even as we speak.

In response to a question about U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell virtually ruling out going to Durban and whether the Secretary-General had spoken to him today, the Associate Spokesman said that the Secretary-General had spoken to Powell over the weekend, but did not specify the subject matter discussed.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, speaking in Johannesburg, before meeting with South African President Thabo Mbeki, said she was encouraged by the constructive atmosphere that was apparent in the last weeks before the talks in Durban, and by evidence that the political will existed to reach shared commitment to tackle intolerance and bias."

Robinson, who is also the Secretary-General of the World Conference Against Racism, said intensive discussions had taken place, and were continuing, on a number of outstanding issues, and that considerable progress had been made.

"Flexibility is being shown in the search for language on the questions of addressing the past including slavery and colonialism and the Middle East", she said. "One thing I would like to reaffirm is that there is a clear understanding that the formulation 'Zionism equals racism' has been done away with."

On the question of participation at Durban, Mrs. Robinson said, "We will need the participation of all countries at the highest level possible to demonstrate our determination to fight this plague."

ANNAN PLEASED AT AGREEMENT TO START INTER-CONGOLESE DIALOGUE

The Secretary-General is pleased, he said in a statement issued today, to learn that the participants at the Preparatory Meeting for the inter-Congolese dialogue, which convened in Gaborone, Botswana from August 20 to 24, have agreed to start the dialogue on October 15, 2001 in Addis Ababa.

He noted the readiness of the Congolese parties, for the first time since the start of the conflict, to sit at the same negotiating table and discuss how to achieve enduring peace and national reconciliation in their country. He encourages them to build on the spirit of Gaborone and wishes them success in their endeavor.

The Secretary-General commended the Facilitator of the inter-Congolese dialogue, Sir Ketumile Masire and his team for their hard work and reiterates the continued readiness of the United Nations to assist and to support their effort.

In a question relating to the efforts to increase the participation of women in the dialogue, the Spokeswoman advised the journalist to ask the question directly to Masire when he comes to New York to brief the Security Council next week.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO HOLD OPEN MEETING ON KOSOVO TUESDAY

There are no Security Council meetings scheduled for today.

Tuesday, the Council will hold a public meeting on the situation in Kosovo. Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guehenno, will brief the on the UN mission in Kosovo.

EAST TIMORESE COMMENDED FOR PEACEFUL AND ORDERLY CAMPAIGN

The head of East Timors Independent Electoral Commission, Carlos Valenzuela, today commended the exemplary civility and peacefulness that has marked the campaign for the August 30 Constituent Assembly elections, and said the East Timorese are ready to participate in the simple but symbolic act of voting.

In a press conference in Dili, Valenzuela noted that there had been very few allegations of incidents between political parties, only one of which had been substantiated by judicial authorities. I can say that in over fourteen elections in which I have worked, I have never seen such a peaceful and orderly campaign, Valenzuela said.

Approximately 425,000 East Timorese are eligible to vote in the election, which will elect an 88-member Constituent Assembly that will have 90 days to write and adopt a Constitution for an independent and democratic East Timor.

UN MISSION IN ETHIOPIA/ERITREA TO PROBE SEXUAL MISCONDUCT CHARGES

The UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea ( UNMEE) issued a statement today on the allegations of sexual misconduct in UNMEEs Italian contingent. These allegations first surfaced in the Italian press last week and had never been previously been reported to the UN mission.

Today, the mission said it is taking the allegations seriously and would investigate them, as it has done in the past. The mission has zero tolerance towards such acts and will do its utmost to quickly and thoroughly establish the facts, the statement said.

ELECTORAL OBSERVERS IN FIJI SAYS ELECTION ARE ORDERLY

Fijis weeklong electoral general elections began on Saturday.

Since August 23, the UN Fiji Electoral Observer Mission has deployed 20 teams in various locations throughout the country. On the first day of voting, UN teams observed the voting in some 140 polling stations and reported that the elections were being conducted in an orderly manner with no serious incidents being reported.

The teams did report that in a number of polling stations voter queues were long and in certain areas some material, such as electoral posters and computers were not available. In most places, the mission reports that these problems were fixed later in the day.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Kosovo Force (KFOR) continues to patrol the border between the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo to interdict the movement of people and weapons. Since Friday morning, a total of 149 individuals, suspected members of the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army have been detained while trying to cross illegally into Kosovo. Ninety six were detained last night.

The Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, James Baker, is meeting today with representatives of the Polisario Front and the Governments of Algeria and Mauritania in Pinedale, Wyoming. The meeting is scheduled through Wednesday, August 29. In response to a question about representation, the Associate Spokesman said that the delegates were represented at the ministerial level.

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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