United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-04-29

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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, April 29, 2002

ANNAN SAYS ENTRY OF FACT-FINDING TEAM IS URGENT

With the Israeli delegation that was here last week having returned to Israel, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, upon entering the building this morning, told CNN that the UN's discussions with the delegation had been constructive and useful, clarifying a number of issues of concern to the Israelis.

He said he had given to the Israelis and the Palestinians letters indicating precisely how the fact-finding team would approach its work.

"I think at this stage," he said, "it is very urgent that we go in, find out what happened and put all the rumors and accusations behind us."

At this point, the United Nations is awaiting the Israeli response to the Secretary-General's letter, which was sent on Saturday, with copies shared with the Security Council.

Asked about what response the United Nations was expecting, the Spokesman said it was awaiting a written reply to the Secretary-Generals letter. The Secretary-General, he said, had been on the phone with a number of officials over the weekend, including Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and UN Ambassador Yehuda Lancry. Annan expected a response today, he added.

Eckhard, responding to a question from a journalist who had seen a letter from Lancry replying to the Secretary-General, said the United Nations was unaware of that letter.

Asked about the letters, the Spokesman said they clarified the work the team would do and its three principal members. In the letters, the Secretary-General invites the Israelis and Palestinians to present any relevant information to the team.

Asked how the Secretary-General reacted to the delays in the teams dispatch, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General had a certain amount of understanding about the heaviness of the agenda Israel faced this weekend, including the dispute over Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafats confinement, but said it was urgent the team go in now.

Asked why the United Nations believed the issue would be resolved, the Spokesman said the optimism stemmed from the relatively good exchange during the UN-Israeli talks last week. We dont see any insurmountable obstacles, Eckhard said, but its up to Israel to reply.

Asked about whether there had been a misunderstanding between Israel and the Secretary-General about the composition of the team, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General, on April 19, had spoken to Peres and Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer, who had each told him of Israels intention to cooperate fully with any team he sent.

FACT-FINDING TEAM CONTINUES WORK, ADDS PERSONNEL

The fact-finding team continued its work in Geneva through the weekend while awaiting further instructions from New York.

The names of the two new additions to the team to work with military adviser Gen. William Nash were released in Geneva. They are Col. Miles Wade of the United Kingdom, who worked with Nash in the Balkans, and Major Francois Xavier Thomas, a planning specialist with the French Army.

Two aides to the teams police adviser, Commissioner Peter Fitzgerald, have also been added. They are Inspector Patrick Leahy of the Irish Police, who arrived today, and who has experience in UN operations in Bosnia, Cambodia and Namibia. The second aide is Assistant Commissioner Dermot Jennings, also of Ireland, who has extensive experience in counter-terrorism work. He will join the team shortly.

The forensic expert for the team, Dr. Helena Ranta, will be joined by three other forensic experts from the University of Helsinki. Dr. Ranta is in Geneva, and her three assistants will be arriving soon.

Asked whether the team would leave without a decision by the Israeli Cabinet, the Spokesman said the team would travel only with the cooperation of the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Asked why it wouldnt go without such cooperation, he added that it would not be productive to go to the area without the ability to perform the necessary tasks, which would require the cooperation of both parties.

He added, in response to further questions, that he did not want to speculate on whether the team would be pulled back to New York.

MIDDLE EAST TO BE DISCUSSED BY COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON

The Security Council will meet at 3 p.m. today to continue its consultations on the Middle East, after having held consultations Sunday afternoon in which Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast briefed them on the fact-finding team to Jenin. Prendergast will also brief today.

After the Sunday consultations, Security Council President Sergey Lavrov told the press that Council members remain firm in their insistence on the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1405 and are concerned at the continued delay in the arrival of the fact-finding team. They also supported the Secretary-Generals letters, sent over the weekend, to Israeli Ambassador Yehuda Lancry and Palestinian Ambassador Nasser al-Kidwa containing clarifications about the team.

Lavrov added that the Council members expect a positive report on the team today.

The Council had discussed the team on Friday afternoon, as well, and also exchanged views at that time about the Secretary-Generals proposals for a multinational force in the area. Both Prendergast and Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno participated in that discussion.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES GEORGIA, EAST TIMOR

This morning, the Security Council held closed consultations on the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia. The report, which came out last week, was introduced by the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Hédi Annabi.

Following the briefing this afternoon on the Middle East, the Council intends to hold a formal meeting at 3:30 to hear out the 10 speakers left from last Fridays open meeting on East Timor.

COUNCILS GREAT LAKES MISSION TRAVELS TO SOUTH AFRICA

This morning in Pretoria, South Africa, the Security Council mission to the Great Lakes region held a meeting with South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma in the presence of the Foreign Minister of Gabon, Jean Ping.

The mission, led by Ambassador Jean-David Levitte of France, then met with Burundi rebel groups. Levitte said that the Security Council strongly supported the facilitation on the crisis in Burundi and urged the rebel groups to cease hostilities immediately. It is time to cease fire now, he said, adding that time is of the essence and tomorrow could be too late.

The Security Council mission arrived in Pretoria on Sunday afternoon. It held closed-door meetings with Ambassador Mahmoud Kassem, Chairman of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and other forms of Wealth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The meeting was followed by a working dinner with five representatives of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) and five representatives of the unarmed opposition.

Levitte welcomed the significant progress made in the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, which ended on April 19 in Sun City, South Africa. The Security Council mission also encouraged all the parties that had declined to be party to this agreement to be flexible and to continue negotiations to consolidate the political process that had just been launched.

UNDP SOMALI EMPLOYEE KIDNAPPED IN MOGADISHU

The office of the Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative for the United Nations Development Programme in Somalia (UNDP) has confirmed that a Somali national officer employed by UNDP has been abducted in Mogadishu.

The officer, Professor Mohamed Ali Aborkor, was taken at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday by abductors who remain unknown.

The UN Country Team for Somalia is working to establish contact with the persons who have taken the officer hostage in order to ascertain his condition and whereabouts, and to ensure his safe and immediate release.

NEW HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEMBERS ELECTED FOR 2003

This morning, the Economic and Social Council held elections for a number of bodies, including the Commission on Human Rights. There were four vacancies in the African group, three in the Asian group, one in the Eastern European group, three in the Latin American and Caribbean group and four in the Western European and others group.

In three groups African, Asian and Western European and Others the candidates were elected by acclamation and there were elections for the other two groups. (In the Western European and Others group, the countries elected by acclamation were Australia, Germany, Ireland and the United States.)

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Asked whether there was any change of the date of the Emergency Loya Jirga in Afghanistan, the Spokesman said the United Nations believed the event was to go ahead as scheduled, beginning on June 10.

Asked about what kind of progress the United Nations expected following envoy Razali Ismails visit to Myanmar last week, the Spokesman reiterated that the United Nations expected the Government there to make an announcement.

In a letter to the Security Council, which is out on the racks today, the Secretary-General says he has appointed four experts to pursue the extended mandate of the monitoring mechanism dealing with Angola sanctions. The monitoring mechanism will continue to be chaired by Ambassador Juan Larrain of Chile for the extended mandate, which lasts through October 19.

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) today issued the 2002 edition of its Trade and Development report, which says that the world economy has defied predictions of a deep recession in the aftermath of September 11, but a good deal is hanging on the strength of the US economic recovery. Overall world growth slowed to 1.3 percent, down from 3.8 percent in 2000, and some emerging markets, notably in East Asia and Latin America, entered into recession.

This afternoon, representatives of 37 countries will receive the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal on behalf of peacekeepers who lost their lives while on service with United Nations peacekeeping missions. This is the second ceremony to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace. From 1948 to the end of 2001, a total of 1,738 peacekeepers lost their lives in the cause of UN peacekeeping.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (HABITAT) announced that the first World Urban Forum was successfully launched today in Kenya by President Daniel arap Moi. In a video message, Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette called for cities that work for people and not against them. Anna Tibaijuka, the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, reinforced this message, stating that World Urban Forum must prioritize the needs of the urban poor and find innovative ways of providing them with security of tenure and adequate shelter.

This morning, Belarus became the 74th country to sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

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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