United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-08-29

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

Marie Okabe

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Marie Okabe

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2001-08-28T17:58:00Z

2001-08-29T19:26:00Z

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United Nations

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HIGHLIGHTS

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MANOEL DE ALMEIDA E SILVA

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Wednesday, August 29, 2001

ANNAN ARRIVES IN DURBAN

Following his arrival in Durban, South Africa, today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan was briefed by Mary Robinson, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Secretary-General of the World Conference against Racism, which opens on Friday.

The Secretary-General is expected to address the Conferences Forum of Non-Governmental Organizations on Thursday. Also tomorrow, the Secretary-General will begin a series of bilateral meetings with Heads of State and Government attending the Conference.

On Friday morning, he will deliver the opening address of the World Conference.

This morning in Durban, the flags of the United Nations and South Africa were raised simultaneously in a ceremony marking the hand-over of the site of the World Conference to the United Nations. Following the flag raising ceremony Mary Robinson and South African Foreign Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma planted a yellow wood tree, the national tree of the country, as a symbol to remember the victims of racism.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES AFGHANISTAN

lang=EN-GB style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; Meeting in closed consultations this morning, the Security Council was briefed by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Danilo Turk on the latest developments in Afghanistan in the military, political, humanitarian and human rights fields.

lang=EN-GB style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; Turk, also touched upon the suggestion contained in the Secretary-Generals recent report on Afghanistan that the Council might wish to consider adopting a comprehensive approach to the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan.

lang=EN-GB style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; Following his presentation, Council members discussed the Secretary-Generals suggestion.

[ Following the end of the morning consultations, the Council President Ambassador Alfonso Valdivieso of Colombia made a statement to the press on Afghanistan to express the Council's grave concern regarding the plight of the Afghan people. He said that Council members agreed that a comprehensive approach to Afghanistan could help end the conflict and that they would revert to the issue in the autumn.]

lang=EN-GB style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; At 3 p.m., Council members will resume their meeting.

When asked what was meant by a comprehensive approach to Afghanistan, the Spokesman said it referred to an approach which takes into account all of the problems facing the country: military, political, humanitarian, human rightsetc.

EAST TIMOR SET TO VOTE TOMORROW

Today in East Timor, one day before the countrys first democratic elections, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative in East Timor Sergio Viera de Mello visited districts throughout the country to encourage people to exercise their right to vote for the party of their choice and to respect the outcome of the process.

Voting is set to begin tomorrow at 248 polling centers at 7 am and will continue until 4 pm. Once the voting booths close, ballot boxes will be sealed and taken to secure storage sites. Counting will be on 31 August and results are expected to be announced between 3 and 6 August.

Five hundred international observers will be working alongside more than 1000 observers and some 280 UN volunteers at the 248 polling stations.

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 ENVOY CALLS ON COLOMBIANS TO RENEW PEACE EFFORTS

lang=EN-GB style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; At a press conference today in Bogotá, Colombia, the Secretary-Generals Special Advisor on Colombia, Jan Egeland, said the Secretary General is deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-bidi-font-weight: in Colombia.

lang=EN-GB style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; [In a statement issued after the briefing, Egeland appealed to both sides to end the growing number of abuses against the civilian population and to make a renewed effort to negotiate in order to avoid an all-out war. He stressed that that peace would have to come through a negotiated settlement. You can not shoot your way to reconciliation, the Special Advisor said.

lang=EN-GB style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; Egeland called on the international community to fully commit itself to aiding Colombia and its people, adding that a long term engagement must be maintained to ensure humanitarian disaster does not prevail.

lang=EN-GB style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; In conclusion, he said even though a settlement will take time, peace and human rights can and will become a reality if national and international efforts are coordinated and sustained.] style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-bidi-font-weight:

UN ENVOY ARRIVES IN CYPRUS FOR CONSULTATIONS

lang=EN-GB style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; Alvaro de Soto, The Secretary-Generals Special Advisor for Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, arrived on the island today.

He will begin his consultations with a courtesy call to meet with His Excellency Glafcos Clerides this evening and on Friday he will see His Excellency Rauf Denktash.

lang=EN-GB style='mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; He is expected to hold a press conference prior to leaving Cyprus on 5th September.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Asked for a reaction to the current stand-off involving the freighter which is holding more than 400 migrants, mostly Afghans, off the coast of Australia, the Spokesman said that the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR) had expressed its concern that aboard that ship there may be refugees and asylum seekers who should be accorded access to a complete asylum procedure. The Spokesman added that UNHCR urged Australia, Indonesia and Norway to enter address this humanitarian issue on a tri-lateral basis, with the agencys assistance if required.

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Asked if the Secretary-General had received a letter from the Taliban concerning the ship, the Spokesman later added no letter had been received by the Secretariat.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today announced that almost 3,500 former child soldiers have been returned to their communities in Sudan. Over the last five months, UNICEF has been overseeing a transition period during which the children received various types of training. Executive Director Carol Bellamy said these children were among the lucky ones and hoped they would get the fresh start they deserved.

Panama became the 104th country to pay its 2001 regular budget assessment in full with a payment today of more than $186,000.

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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