United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-11-06

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

THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, November 6, 2001

UN ENVOY FOR AFGHANISTAN MEETS IRANIAN PRESIDENT IN TEHERAN

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, had an audience with Iranian President Mohammed Khatami this morning, for a little more than half an hour.

He also met today with the representatives of UN agencies based in Tehran who are involved in the humanitarian effort in Afghanistan, and reaffirmed to them that the humanitarian activities were currently his foremost concern.

During a press conference held later in the day, Brahimi indicated that he would stop in Rome on his way back to New York, where hoped to meet with the former Afghan king, Zahir Shah. Ambassador Brahimi also confirmed that he was preparing a paper offering suggestions on how to move ahead on a broad-based Afghan government.

The Special Representative stressed at the press conference the need for post-conflict reconstruction, saying that the international community for the first time has understood the importance of "a determined, serious, lasting effort to help the people of Afghanistan reconstruct themselves."

He added, "We have been given very strong assurances that substantial resources will be made available for this effort." The United Nations, he added, is already trying to prepare the ground for reconstruction programs.

In the afternoon, Brahimi also met with a group of a dozen Afghan intellectuals.

Asked if the paper Ambassador Brahimi was preparing would most probably be submitted to the Security Council, the Spokesman said the paper would be submitted to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who would then share it with members of the Council.

UN WARNS THAT AID TARGETS IN AFGHANISTAN MAY NOT BE MET

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Kenzo Oshima this morning told the Security Council in its consultations on Afghanistan that the distribution of food to local communities continues to be the United Nations biggest problem in that country.

It is likely, he warned the Council, that there will be a gap between the minimum aid required for Afghanistan and the amount that the UN can actually ship and distribute. Increased fighting has left the United Nations unable to provide any food assistance to Kandahar for almost two months, and the security situation in other areas has also been volatile, he said.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said today that it is stepping up its new strategy of moving food straight to the most affected areas of Afghanistan, with the agency sending in more than 12,000 tons of food for the first five days of this month.

However, WFP still faces many problems in reaching all Afghans who need food aid particularly bad security conditions that make it dangerous for aid workers to reach about half a million people who will run out of food by the end of December.

In response to a question about refugees who are unable to cross Afghanistan's borders and who remain out of reach of humanitarian assistance, the Spokesman answered that UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Ruud Lubbers has been working intensively with the Pakistani Government and others to allow, at least, the most vulnerable of those refugees to cross the border into Pakistan, so that they may fall under the care of UNHCR.

IMMUNIZATION DAYS FOR POLIO BEGIN IN AFGHANISTAN

The second round of national immunization days, to vaccinate children against polio, began in Afghanistan today and is to continue through Thursday. The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have set a target to immunize five million children against polio during the three-day period.

Nearly all the five million doses of polio vaccine and Vitamin A tablets that are to be used for the Immunization Days are already in the country.

Asked if polio was a major problem in Afghanistan, the Spokesman said this joint effort between UNICEF and WHO was part of a world-wide preventive campaign aimed at the eradication of the disease. He added that polio was especially prevalent in conflict areas.

COUNCIL TAKES UP AFGHANISTAN, BURUNDI, DR CONGO AND RWANDA TRIBUNALS

In addition to the briefing by Under-Secretary-General Kenzo Oshima on Afghanistan, the Security Council was also briefed in its morning closed consultations on Burundi.

Berhanu Dinka, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region of Africa, briefed Council members on the situation in that country. Members also discussed the provisional government which was inaugurated on November 1, as well as the meeting the Council will hold this coming Thursday with the Foreign Ministers of the Regional Peace Initiative.

After that briefing, Hedi Annabi, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, briefed Council members on the latest developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Council members reviewed their plans for the meeting they will have with the Lusaka Political Committee this coming Friday.

Starting at 3:30 this afternoon, consultations will resume, and Council members will take up the question of " ad litem" judges for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

ANNAN SAYS RESPONSE TO TERRORISM MUST UNITE, NOT DIVIDE

In a message to the leaders of Central and Eastern European countries meeting today in Warsaw on Combating Terrorism, the Secretary-General said, "For the United Nations, it is essential that the global response to terrorism be truly universal and not divisive."

The unity born out of the tragedy of September 11, he said, "should bring all nations together in defence of the most basic right--the right of all peoples to live in peace and security."

The message was delivered Vladimir Petrovsky, Director General of the UN Office in Geneva, on behalf of the Secretary-General.

HUMAN RIGHTS MUST GUIDE ANTI-TERRORIST FIGHT, SAYS COMMISSIONER

Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented her annual report to the General Assemblys Third Committee this morning.

Even though the report was published before the events of September 11, in her remarks the High Commissioner noted the effect of those events on human rights. She said that, following September 11, there is a need to re-emphasize the responsibility of all governments to take appropriate measures to restore human security.

In the wake of these attacks, all States have made a commitment to try to eradicate terrorism, she said. But efforts, she went on to add, "must be made to avoid innocent people from becoming victims of counter-terrorism measures, which require governments to be guided in those actions by international human rights law."

In the speech, the High Commissioner went on to highlight the activities of her office in the past year.

UN, BELGRADE AGREE ON PRE-ELECTION GUARANTEES FOR KOSOVO SERBS

The head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Hans Haekkerup, signed an agreement with the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monday, aimed at providing security and other guarantees for the Serb minority in Kosovo ahead of elections in the predominantly ethnic Albanian province.

The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo said it was "extremely pleased with the decision by both Serbian and Yugoslav governments to endorse Kosovo Serb participation" in the November 17 elections.

IRAQ OIL REVENUES CONTINUE TO SLIP

The estimated Iraqi oil export revenue for the present Phase X of the United Nations oil-for-food programme is now expected to reach only about $5.38 billion, at current prices and exchange rates.

The entire forecasted budget for the purchase of humanitarian supplies and equipment in phase X was set by the Government of Iraq at $5.5 billion. Phase X ends on November 30.

Iraqi oil exports slipped further in the week ending November 2 to 14.6 million barrels, down from the previous weeks total of 14.9 million barrels.

The Security Council's Iraq Sanctions Committee will hold a meeting this afternoon during which US Admiral Charles W Moore, commander of the Multinational Interception Force currently operating in the Persian Gulf, will brief the Committee. Following that, members of the Committee will discuss the sanctions violations allegedly committed by the tanker TT Essex.

SIERRA LEONE ENVOY TO CHAIR MEETING WITH GOVERNMENT AND REBELS

The seventh meeting of the Government of Sierra Leone, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the UN Mission in Sierra Leone will take place in the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown, this Thursday. The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sierra Leone, Oluyemi Adeniji, will chair the meeting.

Among the issues to be examined at the meeting will be the progress of disarmament activities throughout the country, a review of the peace process and issues related to national recovery and stabilization.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Asked about the Secretary-General's program during the general debate, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General will have an intense program of bilateral meetings and formal meetings to attend. This Saturday and Sunday, the Spokesman added, he has bilateral meetings scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

This morning, Tajikistan became the 71st country to sign the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. The Convention has five parties with the ratification by Azerbaijan on October 26.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that more than 7,000 refugees huts in a camp in Kakuma in northwestern Kenya have been destroyed by four days of torrential rains and high winds. This has left about a quarter of the camps mainly Sudanese population without shelter. UNHCR is moving some of the refugees into schools and community centers as an emergency measure.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today warned that the globalization of trade could lead to the globalization of epidemics of diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease. Speaking at a meeting on Foot and Mouth Disease taking place during the FAO Conference in Rome, Director-General Jacques Diouf called on countries to develop a global plan to contain and control disease threats.

The World Health Organization has issued a revised fact sheet on mental health, which defines mental health and explores mental health issues involving children and adolescents, the work place and the ageing population.

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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