United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-11-02

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

THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MANOEL DE ALMEIDA E SILVA

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, November 2, 2001

ANNAN ADDRESSES UN GENEVA STAFF, SAYS SECURITY IS CONSTANT CONCERN

Secretary-General Kofi Annan today addressed the staff at UN Headquarters in Geneva, assuring them that in the wake of the 11 September attacks in the United States, their safety was his constant concern.

The conferring of the Nobel Peace Prize was an honor for the whole United Nations, he said and, as the de facto center of humanitarian affairs, Geneva has a particular claim to this award, especially staff who are on the front lines in the field, he added.

The Secretary-General agreed heartily with the views of one staff member who said that the root causes of terrorism need to be confronted. "We need to fight [terrorism] on many fronts," he said, "not just sending in police or intelligence people or military, but we have to make conditions that dissuade people from getting engaged in these sorts of activities in the first place."

Prior to the meeting with all the staff, the Secretary-General had a private meeting with the leaders of the staff association in Geneva.

The Secretary-General then went to the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO), where he was greeted at the lobby by Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland and about 1,000 WHO staff. Remembering the start of his UN career as a junior professional at WHO almost 40 years ago, he said, "What my experience proves is that this place prepares you for everything and anything."

After a short address, he met privately with Dr. Brundtland for a review of progress in setting up the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which the Secretary-General had called for earlier this year. They also discussed bio-terrorism and the situation in Afghanistan.

Over a working lunch, the Secretary-General and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers talked of the problems of providing assistance to Afghan refugees, as both Pakistan and Iran continued to close their borders to them. Lubbers had just returned from visiting Pakistan and Iran to press for open borders.

In the afternoon, the Secretary-General held a number of bilateral and internal meetings, starting with a farewell call by Danuta Hubner, who recently stepped down as the Executive Secretary of the UN's Economic Commission for Europe to take up a high-level post at the Polish Foreign Ministry.

His other appointments included the UN Special Representative for Information and Communication Technology José Maria Figueres Olsen and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler.

The Secretary-General also had his regular mid-afternoon teleconference on Afghanistan with his senior staff in New York.

UN ENVOY ON AFGHANISTAN LEAVES PAKISTAN FOR IRAN

This morning the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakdhar Brahimi, left Islamabad, Pakistan, and is expected to reach Tehran, Iran, on Saturday morning after a stopover in Dubai.

Asked if the Ambassador Brahimi would set-up a headquarters in Pakistan, the Spokesman said that Brahimi would be based in New York but would also conduct frequent trips to the region and elsewhere as the need occurs. The Spokesman added that Brahimi would also rely on his two deputies, one for political affairs and one for humanitarian affairs who are currently based in Islamabad.

TOP REFUGEE OFFICIAL SAYS PRIORITY IS TO PROVIDE AID INSIDE AFGHANISTAN

UNHCR reported today that in meetings he held with officials in Iran and Pakistan, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers said he stressed that the first priority of the UN family must be the provision of urgently needed humanitarian assistance inside Afghanistan.

UNHCR also said that while the refugee agency and the neighboring countries disagree on the fundamental question of open borders, UNHCR will also try to work together with Afghanistans neighboring states to try to ensure that those most vulnerable can receive temporary protection and assistance. Meaning, for example, that women, children, elderly, the sick and wounded would be cared for in Pakistan.

On the ground, the Humanitarian Coordinators for Afghanistan reported that during the night of October 28 - 29th a group of armed men broke into an NGO office in Kabul, beating and tying up one guard.

In Herat, in western Afghanistan, three clinics run by a non-governmental organization have sustained minor damage due to the air strikes.

Reports from Kandahar suggest that most UN offices are now under the control of the Taliban or those aligned with the Taliban, and most UN vehicles also continue to be used by military elements. Although most of the buildings continue to fly the UN flag.

Meanwhile, the Taliban authorities have allowed the UN Afghan staff in Kabul to establish radio contacts with the outside, but only for six days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for six days a week and all communications will be monitored by Taliban officials.

During its daily briefing in Islamabad, the World Food Programme focused its briefing in Islamabad on the situation in the North Eastern region of Afghanistan.

Saying that the major challenge in the northeast of Pakistan was to get food in by the end of November and keeping roads open for as long as possible. To that end, heavy duty trucks equipped with snow ploughs are on their way from Russia.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES NOVEMBER PROGRAM, LIBERIA SANCTIONS

The Security Council is meeting in closed consultations to discuss its programme of work for the month of November.

Council members were also briefed by Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani of Singapore on the work of the Liberia sanctions committee which he chairs.

Following the consultations, the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Patricia Durant, told journalists that the Council expressed its commitment to the continuing monitoring of the sanctions against Liberia.

Durant also told journalists that Council members welcomed the establishment of the transitional government in Burundi, which took place yesterday.

ANNAN NOTES PROGRESS MADE BY LIBERIA IN REGIONAL COOPERATION

The latest six-month report by the Secretary-General on progress made by Liberia towards complying with Security Council Resolution 1343, which placed sanctions on that country was issued today and notes Liberias efforts to improve relations with its neighbors, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

The report notes Liberias active participation in ministerial meetings of the Mano River Union, which brings together the three countries, whose efforts, the Secretary-General says, could go a long way towards restoring confidence and stability in the sub-region.

He also reiterates his call on the Security Council to remain engaged with Liberia and its people, saying, "The parlous economic and social conditions of the Liberian people, the tense security situation in the country and the peace requirements of Sierra Leone and the sub-region demand that sustained engagement."

FIVE BOSNIAN SERBS FOUND GUILTY OF CRIMES AT OMARSKA CAMP

Today in The Hague, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found five Bosnian Serbs guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes for the persecution, murder and torture of Bosnian Muslims and Croats at the Omarska detention camp in 1992.

The five men four of whom served at the Omarska camp, and the fifth of whom drove people to that camp as well as to others at Keraterm and Trnopolje - were given sentences ranging from five to 25 years in prison.

In its judgment, the Tribunal said that mistreatment at the Omarska camp was constant and widespread, including beatings, rapes and malnourishment, which it summed up as "a hellish orgy of persecution."

Published today is the annual review of the Tribunals work, which notes its streamlined procedures and increased number of trials over the past year. However, the report adds, many senior officials remain at large, especially in Bosnias Republika Srpska, and more work needs to be done by domestic courts within the former Yugoslavia.

UN CYPRUS ENVOY STRESSES NEED TO RESUME TALKS

Arriving in Cyprus earlier today, the Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, told journalists at Larnaca airport that the purpose of his tour is consultations in furtherance of the Secretary-Generals good offices mission.

In response to a number of questions, de Soto stressed the need to resume talks and to begin negotiations in earnest. He said he would consider it progress when negotiations are taking place between the leaders in order to put together a comprehensive settlement.

The Special Advisor also noted, we continue our preparations in order to be useful to the two sides, adding, if I am here it is because we have reason to hope that it is possible to make progress.

Later, de Soto was meeting separately with His Excellency Mr. Glafcos Clerides, before proceeding to an early evening meeting with His Excellency Mr. Rauf Denktash.

CLIMATE CHANGE TALKS MAKE GOOD PROGRESS

The first week of the international talks on climate change going on currently in Marrakech have made "good progress", according to the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Michael Zammit Cutajar.

Negotiating groups have been set up to address the technical and legal aspects of the agreements reached in Bonn in July.

Work is expected to continue at that level until Tuesday night in order to finalize the technical agreements which will be forwarded as draft decisions to the high-level segment of the Conference, which begin on Wednesday, November 7.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

This morning, the Secretary-General Personal Representative for southern Lebanon, Staffan di Mistura, issued a statement following air violations of the Blue Line by Israeli military aircraft today and yesterday.Di Mistura said these violations are unhelpful in avoiding the deterioration of an already tense situation.

This afternoon, Tunisia became the 70 signatory of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) announced that this years A.H. Boerma Award, which recognizes journalistic excellence in raising awareness of global hunger, will go to Jim Clancy of CNN and Indian journalist Palagummi Sainath. During the presentation of the award the FAO Conference, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf praised the work of the two winners saying, "These journalists have helped to focus public attention at the international or regional level, on important aspects of the world's food problems.

The 23rd International Friendship Run will take place Saturday morning, starting off from the North Lawn of the United Nations at 8:00 a.m. The run is organized by the United Nations Runners club in association with the New York Road Runners Club. This annual run takes place on the day before the New York Marathon and usually attracts a number of runners participating in the marathon. This year, the Abebe Bakila Award for contributions to the sport will go to New York Mayor Rudolph Guiliani for his support to the NY Marathon and his service to the City.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS Saturday, November 3

The Secretary-General is expected to return from his trip to Geneva. This years Friendship Run will begin at 8:00 a.m. at the North Lawn of the United Nations.

Sunday, November 4 Monday, November 5

The Security Council will hold an open debate on the report of the independent panel on Liberia sanctions. At 9:30 a.m., there will be a press briefing by Ambassor Kishore Mahbubani of Singapore, chair of the Liberia sanctions committee, and Martin Chungong Ayafor, Chairman of the the Panel of Experts on Liberia, on the recent report issued by the panel.

Tuesday, November 6

The Security Council expects to hold consultations on Afghanistan, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It may also hold consultations on the proposed "ad litem" judges for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. At 11:00 a.m., Jean Ziegler, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, will give a press conference.

Wednesday, November 7

The Security Council intends to hold consultations on the Secretary-Generals report on Liberia sanctions. The UN Population Fund will launch its State of the World Population 2001 report. In New York, at 11:00 a.m., UNFPA spokesman Abubakar Dungus will give a press conference to launch the report.

Thursday, November 8

The Security Council will hold consultations on the proposed special court for Sierra Leone and the UN Mission in that country. It will also hold its monthly luncheon with the Secretary-General. In the afternoon, the Council may hold a private meeting on Burundi. At 1:00 p.m., Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala will brief reporters on the upcoming Comprehensive Test-Ban-Treaty Conference, to take place in New York on November 11-13.

Friday, November 9

The General Assembly intends to hold a Special Session on the Dialogue among Civilizations. The Security Council intends to hold both public and private meetings with the members of the Lusaka Political Committee dealing with the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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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