United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-06-20

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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

Thursday, June 20, 2002

ANNAN TO SECURITY COUNCIL ON THE MIDDLE EAST: TIME TO ACT IS NOW

This morning, Secretary-General Kofi Annan briefed the Security Council on the Middle East during a closed private meeting.

The meeting is being presided over by Farouk al-Shara, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Syria, which holds the Council presidency.

The Secretary-General told council members that the situation in the Middle East continues to be dangerously unstable and that in the absence of a sustained political process to bring peace to the region events will continue to be driven by those who are opposed to peace.

A lasting solution to this conflict, he went on to say, rests on the Council's own resolutions, land for peace as established in Resolution 242, and two states Israel and Palestine living in peace side-by-side, as envisioned in Resolution 1397.

It is clear, the Secretary-General said, that there will be no settlement in the absence of real security guarantees for Israel and, to that end, the Palestinian Authority must live up to its obligations.

The social and economic plight of the Palestinians people is also an obstacle to achieving lasting peace and security, he added.

He concluded his remarks by noting that as the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate, there is no time to waste on finding a permanent settlement.

The Secretary-Generals briefing was followed by a statement by the Syrian Foreign Minister. All 15 members of the Security Council spoke.

The members of the Security Council and the Secretary-General then held their monthly working lunch today. Prior to the lunch, the Secretary-General had a press encounter.

MEXICO HOSTS INFORMAL MEETING ON INDIA/PAKISTAN

This afternoon, Mexico is scheduled to preside over a so-called "Arria" formula meeting on the situation between India and Pakistan.

Meetings held under the Arria formula are meetings of members of the Council rather than a meeting of the Security Council. They allow Council members to hear the views of non-Council members, such as representatives of non-state parties and non-governmental organizations in an informal and confidential setting.

ANNAN TO RECEIVE HONORARY DEGREE FROM NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

The Secretary-General will leave for Chicago Friday afternoon. In the early evening, he will deliver the keynote address at the 144th commencement exercises at Northwestern University in Evanston, Il. At the ceremony he will receive an honorary doctorate of laws.

On Saturday morning, before returning to New York, the Secretary-General will visit the national headquarters of Reverend Jesse Jacksons Rainbow Push Coalition to participate in its weekly Saturday morning Community Forum.

The Secretary-General will make brief remarks and then take a few questions from members of Rev. Jacksons organization.

The Secretary-General, who will be accompanied by his wife Nane, will be back in New York early Saturday afternoon.

UN ENVOY SAYS LOYA JIRGA WAS CRUCIAL MILESTONE

In a statement issued to mark the end of the Loya Jirga, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan Larkhdar Brahimi said the process had been a crucial milestone in the Afghanistan peace process.

He added that the enormous confidence shown in the new President [Hamid Karzai] will enable him to tackle the major challenges that lie ahead, including reconstruction, strengthening of the central government, building a national army and police force, disarmament, advancement of women and protection of human rights.

With the conclusion of the Loya Jirga, the United Nations have started to airlift delegates home today.

More than 1,100 delegates in 54 flights had been flown to Kabul in the two days before the convenience of the tribal council, and it is expected more people will be taking the UN flights home in the next couple of days.

Wednesday at a special session of the Loya Jirga, 40 women delegates agreed to create a Network of Afghan Women, which will become operational upon their return to their regions. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan will help to hold a training workshop in September for them.

TURKEY TAKES OVER COMMAND OF INTERNATIONAL FORCE IN AFGHANISTAN

Britain handed control of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for Afghanistan to Turkey today.

At a ceremony attended by Afghan President-elect Hamid Karzai, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan Larkhdar Brahimi noted that both commanders spoke of the security as was markedly much better than a few months ago.

Nonetheless he added, there was no room for complacency. He also noted several achievements made by ISAF and he pledged to give Gen. Akim Zobru, the new Turkish commander for ISAF the same cooperation that he had extended to Gen. John McColl.

UNITED NATIONS TO SUPERVISE NEW IRAQ BORDER CROSSING

Following the consent of the Government of Iraq, the Office of the Iraq Programme will now proceed with the necessary arrangements to deploy United Nations independent inspection agents at Ar'ar border crossing point between Iraq and Saudi Arabia to confirm and authenticate the delivery of supplies to Iraq under the oil-for-food programme.

This is based on a request from Saudi Arabia for the opening of the border crossing point at Ar'ar dating back to October 2000.

The Government of Iraq had indicated its agreement to the United Nations earlier this month.

Ar'ar border crossing point would be the 5th under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Iraq and the United Nations on the implementation of the oil-for-food programme.

The four other existing border crossing points are: Trebil (between Iraq and Jordan); Al-Walid (between Iraq and Syria); Zakho (between Iraq and Turkey); the port of Umm Qasr in the Gulf.

It will take several weeks for the border crossing point to be operational.

WORLD REFUGEE DAY: UNHCR CHIEF HONORS COURAGE OF WOMEN REFUGEES

In his annual World Refugee Day statement, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers paid tribute to the courage and determination of refugee women worldwide.

"We must ensure that their voice is heard, that their potential is developed, and that their role is fully recognized," Lubbers said.

As an expression of solidarity with Africa, which traditionally has shown great generosity to refugees, a special UN General Assembly Resolution was unanimously adopted in 2000, which designated 20 June every year as World Refugee Day.

In Dili, East Timor, a plaque was to have been unveiled at Jesus Christ statue, a seaside landmark, in memory of the three UNHCR staff members who were killed in September 2000 while working with East Timorese refugees in the Indonesian province of West Timor.

In Washington, D.C., UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie is scheduled to participate in an event at Union Station with other celebrities and dignitaries, including U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Lubbers also delivered a message by the Secretary-General at UNHCRs Nansen Refugee Award ceremony in Oslo. This years award goes to the owners, captain and crew of the Norwegian container vessel Tampa, which rescued more than 400 asylum-seekers in the Indian Ocean last August.

SWITZERLAND FORMALLY SIGNS UN MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Switzerland formally signed its application to join the United Nations today.

The President of the Swiss Confederation, Kaspar Villiger, and the Federal Chancellor, Annemarie Huber-Hotz attended the ceremony at the Ministry of Finance.

The application will then be submitted personally to the Secretary-General early July by the Head of Switzerland's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Based on the recommendation of the Security Council, the General Assembly is expected to take a decision on the matter on 10th September 2002 at the opening ceremony of its 57th Session.

ILO CHIEF SAYS GLOBALIZATION MUST LEAD TO JOB CREATION

The International Labour Organization (ILO) concluded its 90th annual Conference today. A series of measures aiming to tackle the challenges of globalization were adopted, including a new programme of work that would focus on the issues of employment generation, social protection and poverty reduction for those in the informal economy.

ILO Director-General Juan Somavia called the discussions "exceptionally rich", and said that "Until we see a globalization that prioritizes the creation of employment and the reduction of poverty, the whole concept is going to remain dogged by controversy".

The Organization also launched the World Day Against Child Labour, which saw events in countries around the world aimed at reinforcing the global movement to abolish child labour.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF MASS GRAVES BEGINS IN SIERRA LEONE

An Argentinian non-governmental organization dedicated to applying forensic anthropology to the investigation of human rights violations, is visiting Sierra Leone to carry out preliminary investigations into mass graves of people killed during the countrys 10-year civil conflict, according to the UN mission there.

The three-member team, which arrived this week, is expected to complete its work within four weeks.

Its report will propose guidelines for carrying out future investigations in support of the activities of the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

MILOSEVIC JUDGE INCREASES PROTECTION OF WITNESSES

The Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, ICTY, dealing with the case against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosovic issued an Order on Wednesday, to prevent violations of protective measures for witnesses.

This comes after the publication on 25 May of an article in the Belgrade newspaper Nacional disclosing the identity of the protected witness known as K5. The Order also requests the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Prosecutor to provide the Trial Chamber with any information regarding those responsible for the disclosure.

The hearing on the contempt proceedings against the witness in the Milosevic case known as K12 will take place on Monday. This hearing is being held to clarify the position on contempt and to hear any submissions. There will be no hearing in the Milosevic case today or tomorrow as Milosevics health situation is under daily review.

ANNAN: GUINEA BISSAU FACES POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

The Secretary-General's latest report to the Security Council on Guinea Bissau and the activities of the UN Peace-building Support Office in that country, was published today.

In it, the Secretary-General notes that Guinea Bissau continues to face major political, economic and financial challenges but the country remains peaceful.

He goes on to say that he is encouraged by the fact that, despite serious economic difficulties, political leaders have pursued the path of agreement through debate.

The constitution, he says, should be the cornerstone of peaceful order, but confusion persists about the current impasse over constitutional issues. It is not even clear where responsibility for taking the constitutional process forward lies. He urges the executive and legislative branches of Government to come together to reach a compromise soon.

UNICEF RECEIVES $600,000 FROM ITS CHANGE FOR GOOD PROGRAMME

Representatives of Cathay Pacific airlines handed over Wednesday a check for more than $673,000 to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) as part of the Change for Good programme.

Cathay Pacific has been participating since 1991 in the programme in which passengers deposit their unused foreign currency in envelopes at the end of a flight. Since that time the airline has raised more then $5 million for the programme.

In other news, the UNICEF office in Sri Lanka today got verbal agreement from the Tamil Tigers rebel group that they would stop their recruitment children as soldiers and would stop using anyone under seventeen years of age already conscripted.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Thursday, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS, welcomed the announcement by President Bush to provide and additional $500 million over several years to the fight against AIDS. The additional funds will be used in programmes to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the disease.

This afternoon, Brazil will become the 69th country to ratify the Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General United Nations, S-378 New York, NY 10017 Tel. 212-963-7162 - press/media only Fax. 212-963-7055

All other inquiries to be addressed to (212) 963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org

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