United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-10-15

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

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, October 15, 2001

ANNAN: EVERY EFFORT MUST BE MADE TO PROTECT LIVES IN AFGHANISTAN

[In a statement issued after the noon briefing, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he regrets the tragic loss of life caused by the intensified conflict in Afghanistan.

Reports are emerging about casualties among the Afghan civilian population, in addition to last week's report of the deaths of four Afghans working with the UN-supported Mine Action programme in Kabul. Such reports remind us that, in times of military action, every effort must be made to protect the lives and integrity of the civilian population within Afghanistan as well as of those Afghan and other humanitarian workers still operating in the country.

I have also been dismayed to receive reports that in recent days the Taliban have harassed and beaten up national Afghan staff working for UN humanitarian agencies. Equally disturbing, a crowd burned down the UNICEF office and attacked the facilities of other UN bodies in Quetta, Pakistan.

Endangering the lives of humanitarian workers and destroying equipment and humanitarian supplies seriously compromises the ability of the UN and other humanitarian actors to offer urgently needed assistance to all vulnerable populations.

I exhort all parties to take all possible precautions to minimize civilian casualties. As the world unites in the fight against international terrorism, we must, at the same time, do everything possible to protect innocent civilian populations.]

UN ENVOY BEGINS CONSULTATIONS ON AFGHANISTAN

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi has arrived at UN Headquarters and has begun consultations. He will meet with the Secretary-General this afternoon, and he may speak to the press at the noon briefing on Wednesday.

The Secretary-Generals Personal Representative for Afghanistan Francesc Vendrell, is also in New York for meetings.

In the field, UN humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan appealed to all parties to respect the rights of civilians, against the backdrop of missile strikes, the increasing lack of security in some Afghan cities and a breakdown in law and order in some areas.

The Spokesman for the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan said civilians, including aid workers, also must be protected from attacks, harassment, threats, and looting from elements within Afghanistan itself. The task ahead is already daunting enough, and the aid effort is nowhere close to where it needs to be to save lives in what is now the most serious complex emergency in the world.

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that a bomb exploded this morning near a warehouse in Afsotar on the northern edge of Kabul. Some shrapnel hit one of the casual laborers loading wheat on a truck. The worker was not seriously injured and was taken to hospital while conscious. WFP called on all parties to do their very best to respect humanitarian workers and their premises and their need for security in carrying out their work.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that as many as 100,000 more children will die this winter inside Afghanistan if aid does not reach them in sufficient quantities in the next few weeks. That figure is in addition to the almost 300,000 Afghan children who already die each year.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR) says that Afghans are reportedly resorting to smuggling routes to leave Afghanistan. Costs are rising almost by the day, it said.

Asked whether the Secretary-General had received a letter from former Afghan King Zahir Shah requesting UN troops, the Spokesman said he was not aware of any letter from the former king. He noted that the question of UN troops in Afghanistan would need to be considered by the Security Council.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS BURUNDI, ANGOLA, AFGHANISTAN

The Security Council has not scheduled any meetings for today. However for Tuesday, it plans to hold consultations on Burundi, Angola and Afghanistan.

In a letter dated October 12 to the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Richard Ryan of Ireland, the Secretary-General proposes the extension of the mandate of the UN Peace-building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau until the end of December 2002. Council members took note of his proposal.

SPOKESMAN CONFIRMS SUSPICIOUS ENVELOPES, BUT NO ANTHRAX

In response to questions, the Spokesman confirmed that the United Nations had received two suspicious envelopes, but that in both cases, the results of anthrax tests conducted afterward came up negative.

There was a package found at the room in UN Headquarters where mail is initially screened on Thursday. Preliminary results show that the results are negative.

In another incident, a UN Development Programme (UNDP) staff member in a building housing UN offices on East 45th Street reported on Friday that she had opened an envelope on Wednesday and discarded it. The staff member has been tested and preliminary results show she tested negative for anthrax. The material had been thrown away already and was therefore not tested.

Asked about security precautions, the Spokesman said that UN staff had received guidance on how to deal with suspicious packages. The UN Correspondents Association will be briefed on that topic by UN Security, on Tuesday morning at 10:30.

ANNAN INTENDS TO DISCUSS GROUP OF FRIENDS FOR SOMALIA

In his latest periodic report to the Security Council on Somalia, the Secretary-General says that the process of rebuilding national institutions in that country should go forward alongside strong and impartial efforts at local reconciliation. To help that process, the Secretary-General intends to consult with all concerned parties on setting up a Committee of Friends of Somalia that could bring together interested countries and organizations in the search for a lasting peace.

He notes that, in recent weeks, challenges to local political authorities in "Somaliland" and "Puntland" have led to uncertainty regarding the political stability of those regions. In addition, he says that an estimated 750,000 people are in need of international assistance in Somalia to cover food shortfalls stemming from past harvest failure.

The Secretary-General concludes that it is not possible at present to recommend the deployment of a post-conflict peace-building mission in Somalia, although he intends to submit a detailed proposal to the Security Council once the situation there improves sufficiently.

ANGOLA DIAMOND SMUGGLING CONTINUES, SAYS REPORT

The latest report by the Monitoring Mechanism dealing with the enforcement of Security Council sanctions against the rebel National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) says that the Council resolution on Angolan sanctions continues to be violated.

The Monitoring Mechanism, headed by Ambassador Juan Larrain of Chile, was informed that between $1 million and $1.2 million of embargoed diamonds leave Angola each day, with smuggled Angolan diamonds constituting an estimated 5 percent of the world supply of rough diamonds last year.

In its effort to find how the smuggled diamonds leave Angola, the Mechanism says "it appears that the Antwerp and South African markets are two key points of sale or transit for embargoed diamonds, Israel being used as a laundering route for some imports."

The report says that there is a need to establish a permanent capability of the Security Council to ensure continued monitoring of targeted sanctions regimes. It also urges all countries to close possible loopholes that UNITA can exploit.

RIGHTS COMMISSIONER NOTES UN ROLE AGAINST TERRORISM

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson addressed the opening of the 73rd session of the Human Rights Committee meeting in Geneva, and said, referring to September 11 attacks, that the United Nations is uniquely positioned to advance the efforts and to shape the fight against terrorism.

Robinson said she shared the concerns voiced in a number of countries, including some non-governmental organizations, over some of the provisions contained in the September 28 Security Council terrorism resolution relating to refugees and asylum seekers.

She also emphasized that the terror attacks were the acts of individuals and "should not bring about retribution against one people, or one religion."

In addition, the High Commissioner expressed her deep concern for the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people. "As winter approaches," Robinson said, "an estimated 7.5 million are at risk from starvation unless food and humanitarian assistance reaches them."

INTER-CONGOLESE DIALOGUE TO BEGIN IN ETHIOPIA

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Amos Namanga Ngongi, traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the meeting of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue.

The meeting is expected to get underway very shortly. The opening had been scheduled for earlier this morning, but it was delayed due to the late arrival of some of the delegations.

The dialogue brings together representatives of various groups from within the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the facilitation of the former President of Botswana, Ketumile Masire.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

In response to a question, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General had been called in recent days by U.S. President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell, and added that many world leaders had called him over the weekend to congratulate him on the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize, jointly shared by the Secretary-General and the United Nations. He added it is too early to decide how the prize money will be spent.|

Asked to respond to reports that India and Pakistan had exchanged fire in Kashmir today, the Spokesman said the United Nations had just seen the reports and had not reacted yet.

The Secretary-General will present the UN budget for 2002-3 to the General Assembly's Fifth Committee at 3 p.m. today.

A report by the Secretary-General today details steps taken by the Liberian Government to improve its capacity in air traffic control and surveillance, in compliance with Security Council Resolution 1306. He notes that efforts are being made by the Liberian authorities to reform their civil aviation administration, involving the assistance of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The resumed session of the Preparatory Committee for the International Conference on Financing for Development began today and will continue through Friday.

Today the United Nations received payment of more than $31 million from the United States. That amount accounts for the difference between the U.S. assessment in the regular budget between this year and last year. U.S. businessman Ted Turner provided a check to the U.S. Government for that amount several weeks ago.

Two more countries have signed the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism today. Australia and Ireland have brought the number of signatories to 61. The Convention has four ratifications, out of the 22 it needs to enter into force. Sweden will sign the Convention this afternoon.

The Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO) says in a new report that, at the current rate, it will take 60 years to halve the number of hungry people in the world, although the 1996 World Food Summit and the Millennium Summit last year set 2015 as the target for that goal. The report, the State of Food Insecurity in the World 2001, says in order to reach the target, the number of hungry people worldwide will have to be reduced by 22 million a year, well above the current rate of 6 million.

Tuesday is World Food Day, and to commemorate the occasion, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the European Parliament will hold a round-table discussion in Rome to review strategies and recommendations to fight hunger and poverty.

The World Health Organization ( WHO) confirmed that the first shipment of tuberculosis drugs has arrived in the Republic of Moldova. The drugs are being provided through a global tuberculosis partnership initiative and will assist in the treatment of 4,000 people.