United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-06-25

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Tuesday, June 25, 2002

ANNAN LOOKS FORWARD TO DISCUSS NEXT STEPS IN MIDDLE EAST; SAYS TIME "NOT OPTIMAL" FOR PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS

Following U.S. President George W. Bushs speech on the Middle East, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement issued through his Spokesman Monday evening, welcomed President Bushs reaffirmation that the outcome of the Middle East peace process should be the establishment of a viable and credible State of Palestine, based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and security for Israel.

The Secretary-General urges Israelis and Palestinians to muster the courage and political will to make it possible within three years to replace the Israeli occupation of 1967 by a negotiated settlement with two States living side by side in peace and security.

The Secretary-General continues to believe that there is no military solution to the conflict. With the situation on the ground eroding by the day, he reiterates the urgent need for the international community to work swiftly with the parties to restart a political process that will lead to the realization of such an outcome.

The Secretary-General looks forward to continuing consultations with the United Nations partners in the Quartet (European Union, Russian Federation and United States) and with the parties and key regional actors to determine the next steps towards achieving this.

This morning, the Secretary-General said, in response to a query from the press on Palestinian elections, that the time for the elections is not optimal. You could find yourself in a situation that the radicals are the ones who get elected.

As to who should lead the Palestinian people, it is up to [the Palestinians] to make that decision, the Secretary-General said, They elected Chairman Arafat. They are planning new elections and let them elect their own leaders.

Following more questions, he added that certain aspects of President Bushs statement need to be thought through and clarified. He added that he expected a meeting of the Quartet to be held soon at the envoy level.

ANNAN HIGHLIGHTS AFRICAN PARTNERSHIP ON EVE OF G-8 SUMMIT

The Secretary-General, starting Wednesday, is scheduled to attend the Group of Eight (G-8) Summit meeting in Kananaskis, Canada, at which the New Partnership for African Development or NEPAD is to be discussed by G-8 and African leaders, and he today highlighted the importance of discussing that initiative.

He said of that initiative, I would hope that this partnership will lead to a changed economic environment on the continent. He said that NEPAD under which African leaders would improve the social and economic conditions on their continent while developed nations work to provide debt relief and increased investment has great potential if partners work in the spirit they have been discussing.

At the same time, the Secretary-General underscored the need for G-8 leaders to back efforts to resolve the conflicts in Africa, calling conflict resolution a prerequisite for African economic development. He warned, No one invests in a bad neighborhood, and the conflicts really create the impression that Africa is a continent in crisis.

He added, One should not have unrealistic expectations about what can be achieved.

The Secretary-General will depart for Canada Wednesday morning, and the summit is to take place on Wednesday and Thursday.

UNAIDS NOTES DEVASTATION CAUSED BY AIDS IN AFRICA

On the eve of the G-8 summit, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) released data today about the unprecedented devastation AIDS is causing in African societies and economies. Over 28 million Africans are living with HIV today, and in some countries over 30 percent of the adult population is infected.

HIV/AIDS is rapidly weakening economic stability in the already fragile markets of sub-Saharan Africa. Already, the rate of economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa has fallen by as much as 4 percent because of AIDS.

Labor productivity has been cut by up to 50 percent in the hardest-hit countries. In Zambia, nearly two-thirds of deaths among the managerial sector can be attributed to AIDS. By 2020, over 25 percent of the workforce may be lost to AIDS in some severely affected countries.

Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, said, The facts about AIDS in Africa are harsh, but there is hope.

He added, Some nations have successfully turned back the epidemic with well-funded, government-supported national AIDS programs. These efforts must be expanded to reach every person in sub-Saharan Africa. Investment in AIDS will be repaid a thousand-fold in lives saved, communities held together, and economies preserved.

ANNAN MOURNS DEAD IN TANZANIA TRAIN ACCIDENT

The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the news of the tragic passenger train accident in Tanzania on Monday that took the lives of over 200 people. This terrible tragedy, which caused the loss of so many lives, has profoundly touched all of us at the United Nations.

The Secretary-General expresses his heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims and to the people and government of Tanzania. He wishes the people of Tanzania the strength to bear and overcome the heavy burden that the tragedy has placed on the country as a whole.

IAEA WARNS NATIONS MAY NEED CONTROLS ON DIRTY BOMBS

In a press release today, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warns that the radioactive materials needed to build a "dirty bomb" can be found in almost any country in the world, and more than 100 countries may have inadequate control and monitoring programs necessary to prevent or even detect the theft of these materials.

"What is needed is cradle-to-grave control of powerful radioactive sources to protect them against terrorism or theft," said IAEA Director-General Mohamed El Baradei.

El Baradei pointed out that, while a number of countries are urgently stepping up security measures, many countries lack the resources or the national structures to do so.

The IAEA, in its first concerted international effort, has recently started working in collaboration with the United States and the Russian Federation to locate and recycle radioactive material throughout the former Soviet Union.

ATTACK ON LIBERIA CAMP FUELS UNHCR CONCERN

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it remains concerned about the condition and whereabouts of thousands of Sierra Leone refugees and displaced Liberians dispersed in a rebel attack on a refugee camp in Liberia last Thursday.

Hundreds of Sierra Leoneans and Liberians have made their way to Monrovia, and more than 4,000 have turned up in Sierra Leone.

But thousands remain in the highly volatile area where the attack took place. UNHCR repeated its appeal for the release of five nurses abducted during the attack.

Those arriving in Monrovia are being transferred to one of the existing refugee camps in the capital. UNHCR field workers said those arriving had swollen feet and bruises after walking in the forest for days.

ANNAN SAYS DRUG ABUSE CONTRIBUTES TO AIDS SPREAD

Wednesday is the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, and the Secretary-Generals message to mark that day notes that in many countries in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, intravenous drug use is the main mode of transmitting AIDS.

It is estimated that between five and 10 percent of global HIV infections result from intravenous drug use, he says, and he says that this years Day against Drug Abuse should be marked by efforts to establish policies to address such drug use as a factor in spreading AIDS.

A day before the International Day, the Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention (ODCCP) Country Office Representative for Afghanistan, Bernard Frahi, highlighted the seriousness of the drug problem in Afghanistan.

At a press conference in Kabul, Frahi said that Afghanistan had become the source of approximately 70 percent of global illicit opium production and it was a source of approximately 70 to 90 percent of the heroin found in European markets.

He said that the Afghan Administration had taken the steps to eradicate poppy production in key provinces. When asked how effective the measures were, Frahi said, It has been a remarkable step at the initial stage to impose a rule of law. Though the measure was unpopular, it has proved to be an important step to demonstrate to the population that there is a decree and that they have to comply with it.

He also announced that ODCCP would release a report Wednesday in Vienna on the global illicit drug trends 2002.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

There are no scheduled meetings or consultations of the Security Council today. However, two working groups are meeting, with the Informal Working Group dealing with the Security Councils documentation and other procedural questions having met this morning and the Ad hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa scheduled to meet this afternoon.

Figures released by the Office of the Iraq Programme in its weekly update show that Iraqi oil exports more than doubled since last week to 7.7 million barrels. In the week ending June 21, the exports have netted an estimated $175 million in revenue. So far, some $491 million has been taken in since Phase XII of the programme began on May 30. Almost all the sectors of the program continue to be affected by a shortfall in funds to some degree.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today reported that the number of Eritreans repatriating from the Sudan has passed the 50,000 mark. The refugee agency also reports that severe floods across southern Russia and the North Caucasus over the weekend have caused numerous casualties and serious damage, including to some settlements of displaced people from Chechnya in Ingushetia.

In a message at the ceremony in Geneva to launch a new website on Chernobyl, the Secretary-General said we must never forget the human dimension of the Chernobyl problem. He said a steady flow of reliable and impartial information was necessary to mobilize international support for the people still living in the shadow of the tragedy. Despite the passage of sixteen years, he said, much still remains to be done to alleviate the human suffering that resulted from it.

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

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article