United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-11-12

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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, November 12, 2001

ANNAN EXPRESSES SYMPATHY TO VICTIMS' FAMILIES OF NY PLANE CRASH

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is distressed at the heavy loss of life from the aircrash in Queens, New York, this morning. He could see the smoke from his office window.

He expresses his profound sympathy to the families of the passengers and crew who were on that flight and to the Government of the Dominican Republic.

And he encourages UN staff to remain calm and go about their work normally as we await further information from the U.S. authorities.

At 10:00 a.m., U.S. law enforcement officials stopped all vehicles and pedestrians from entering the UN complex. Those restrictions have now been partially lifted, with delegates, staff and reporters allowed to enter the complex.

Scheduled meetings at UN headquarters are now proceeding as planned.

Asked for more detail concerning the security situation, the Spokesman said that there had been a momentary consideration to evacuate the building but that it was ultimately deemed un-necessary. He added the UN security service remains in close contact with US law enforcement concerning their assessment of the situation.

When asked if the decision to evacuate would be taken by U.S..or UN officials, the Spokesman said that the decision would be taken by UN officials.

Asked if a specific threat against the United Nations had been received, the Spokesman said he was unaware of any such threat.

"SIX PLUS TWO" BACKS EFFORTS TO FORM FUTURE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT

The Secretary-General chaired a high-level meeting of the "Six plus Two" group on Afghanistan during which his Special Representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, briefed the group on his recent mission to the region.

An eight-point joint declaration was issued by the Foreign Ministers and other senior representatives of the six neighboring countries of Afghanistan China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan along with the United States and Russia.

Among the points was the groups reaffirmation of their full support of the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and pledged their continued support to efforts of the Afghan people to find a political solution.

They also agreed that there should be the establishment in Afghanistan of a broad-based, multi-ethnic, politically balanced, freely chosen Afghan administration. They welcomed efforts to create such an administration b Afghans from both within Afghanistan and from among the Afghan Diaspora.

The ministers also welcomed the central role of the United Nations in assisting the Afghan people in developing a political alternative to the Taliban regime.

Both the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, in remarks to reporters after the meeting, spoke of the need to bring together as soon as possible the various Afghan groups to discuss the formation of such a government.

All representatives spoke except for Pakistan, whose Foreign Minister was not able to cross the street into the UN building as the compound was closed to pedestrians after the plane crash in Queens.

Brahimi is expected to brief the Security Council in an open meeting on Afghanistan Tuesday morning at 10: 30 a.m.

UN TO ASSESS SECURITY TO BOOST AID EFFORTS IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN

In today's UN briefing in Islamabad, Pakistan, the UN Humanitarian Coordinators Office said a new security assessment mission from Termez to Hairaton is planned to take place over the next few days which will determine whether it will be safe to send in emergency aid on barges from Uzbekistan as planned later this week.

The aid is urgently needed in northern Afghanistan, which is in the middle of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. After three successive droughts and two failed harvests, widespread famine conditions already exist in much of the region.

According to reports from Mazar-i-Sharif, recently, including over the weekend, some elements looted UN and NGO offices, including food warehouses.

In this regard, the UN Children's Fund called upon all involved parties to respect the neutrality of the organization and its staff, and to return the supplies and equipment, essential to continue our efforts to save lives in Afghanistan.

Sunday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, issued a statement echoing the "Six plus Two" statement over the weekend and calling on all combatants in Mazar-i-Sharif to take every necessary measure to ensure full respect for the rights of non-combatants and those outside of combat, including civilians of the various minority groups.

ANNAN CALLS FOR RAPID IMPLEMENTATION OF ANTI-TERROR CONVENTIONS

Late this morning, the Security Council gathered for a public meeting, at the ministerial level, on threats to international peace and security caused by acts of terrorism.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs from all Council members are present at the meeting, which is being attended by the Secretary-General and chaired by the Prime-Minister of Jamaica, Percival James Patterson.

In his address, the Secretary-General said that the fight against terrorism must begin with ensuring that the 12 legal instruments on international terrorism adopted under UN auspices are signed, ratified and implemented without delay.

The Secretary-General also called for the strengthening of global norms against the use or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as any types of weapon that "pose grave dangers through terrorist use."

The Secretary-General noted that like war, "terrorism is an immensely complicated phenomenon with multiple objectives and causes, a multitude of weapons and agents, and virtually limitless manifestations. The only common denominator among different variants of terrorism," he continued, "is the calculated use of deadly violence against civilians for political purposes."

That common denominator provides the United Nations with a common cause and a common agenda, the Secretary-General stated. And he concluded: "our success will be measured will be measured in terrorist acts thwarted and lives saved, but I am confident that the unity born of 11 September can be sustained in the months and years ahead."

Prior to the public meeting, members of the council met in closed consultations to agree on the text of the resolution which is to be adopted at the public meeting.

NEW CHARGES FILED AGAINST MILOSEVIC AT HAGUE TRIBUNAL

Prosecutors for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia confirmed today that they have filed new charges against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, for genocide and other crimes allegedly committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The details of the indictment will not be made available until it is confirmed by a judge on the Tribunal.

Earlier this morning, Miodrag Jokic, a former Vice Admiral of the Yugoslav Navy, surrendered himself to the Tribunal at The Hague and was transferred to its detention unit.

Jokic has been indicted by the Tribunal for crimes allegedly committed in Dubrovnik, Croatia in 1991.

DE-MINING MEETING OPENS AT UN HOUSE IN BEIRUT

The International Support Group for mine action in Lebanon held its first meeting today at UN House in Beirut.

The meeting was chaired by the Minister of National Defense Khalil Hrawi in the presence of the Personal Representative of the UN Secretary General for Southern Lebanon Staffan de Mistura, ambassadors and diplomats representating more than 20 countries as well as UN agencies and NGOs.

De Mistura explained that the purpose of the ISG was to share information on main demining projects such as the Operation Emirates Solidarity and avoiding overlapping operations.

UN MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE DESTROYS MORE THAT 7,000 WEAPONS

The UN Mission in Sierra Leone started the second phase of its weapons destruction exercise in Freetown today, in which it destroyed more than 7,600 weapons that have been recovered by the UN peacekeepers during the disarmament process.

The weapons are being destroyed by machines into small pieces that can then be converted into productive tools, including hoes, sickles, cutlasses, shovels, axes and garden implements.

ANNAN IMPLORES STATES TO RATIFY TEST BAN TREATY

The Conference on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is in its second day today, with 41 speakers inscribed to speak.

The Conference yesterday elected Miguel Marin Bosch, Mexico's Vice Minister for Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the United Nations, as its President, and opened up a three-day debate on the CTBT, at the end of which it hopes to issue a final document.

Sunday, 37 speakers including 21 Foreign Ministers spoke, with many strong calls for States to ratify the Treaty.

The Secretary-General yesterday noted that 13 of the 44 States whose ratification is required for the Treatys entry into force have yet to ratify it, and he implored them to do so, saying, "We have a precious but fleeting opportunity to render this troubled world a safer place, free of the threat of nuclear weapons. We must not let it pass."

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The United States today made another large payment towards their peacekeeping arrears with a check for $475,000,000. The total U.S. debt, including dues to the regular budget, peacekeeping and the tribunals, now stands at $1.069 billion.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today that this years Sasakawa Environment Prize will be awarded to Huey Johnson of the United States, here in New York on November 19. The prize has been awarded annually since 1984 to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the management and protection of the environment.

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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