United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-06-26

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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

Wednesday, June 26, 2002

ANNAN LEAVES FOR G-8 SUMMIT IN CANADA

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is on his way to the Group of Eight (G-8) Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.

In his letter to the leaders of the Group of Eight, the Secretary-General called on them to support Africa and strengthen world social and economic security.

In his remarks to reporters Tuesday, he highlighted the importance of discussing the New Partnership for Africa's Development to be discussed by G-8 and African leaders at the summit.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) today issued a report as the summit began which noted that only 10 out of 45 sub-Saharan African countries are on schedule to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

SECURITY COUNCIL TOLD RULE OF LAW IS PROGRESSING IN KOSOVO

The Security Councils formal meeting on Kosovo began with a briefing by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean Marie Guéhenno on recent developments there, including the continuing preparations for the October 26 municipal elections and the UN Missions (UNMIK) efforts to strengthen the rule of law.

On the latter, he noted that an international judge opened an investigation last week into six former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army on charges that they may have tortured and beaten other members of that organization in June 1999 and exchanged gunfire during a break-in of a house in June 2000.

Guéhenno asserted that internal investigations suggest that the UN Police carried out their operations during the suspects arrests in a professional manner, with a proportionate use of force.

The arrests, he asserted, are evidence of the Missions zero tolerance for crime and show that no one is above the law.

Earlier this morning, the Council met in closed consultations to discuss a draft resolution on Afghanistan, which welcomes the successful holding of the Loya Jirga and calls for greater international assistance support for Afghan refugees.

WORLD ECONOMIC RECOVERY WILL BE SLOW, SAYS UN REPORT

According to this years UN report on the world economy, a recovery is expected to be slow and less synchronized among many economies following the rapid and widespread slowdown in the world economy last year.

Developing countries, the report says, will benefit only gradually from the recovery, with a growth rate estimated for 2003 at 3.25 percent, well below the past decades average.

Economic growth in Africa is estimated to be some 3 percent for this year, barely above population growth there.

The dominant role of the United States in the world economy, and the expected modest nature of its recovery this year, contribute to the slow-rebound scenario. Meanwhile, world trade fell dramatically last year, from a growth of 12 percent in 2000 to negative one percent in 2001.

MEDICAL EXAMINATION ORDERED FOR SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC

The judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today ordered a medical examination for former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who continues to be ill with the flu, delaying the progress of his trial.

The judges want to be updated on the extent of his illness, and hope to receive a report on his medical condition by July 17.

AFGHAN DRUG EFFORT COULD REDUCE GLOBAL SUPPLY OF OPIATES

The UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention today launched its annual report on Global Illicit Drug Trends, and it says that the efforts to rebuild Afghanistan as a well-governed country could help to reduce substantially the supply of opiates in the narcotics market.

The Offices Executive Director, Antonio Maria Costa, said, Afghanistan and some regions in Latin America prove that the weakening of civil society and the breakdown in law and order facilitate criminal activities. Helping to establish democratic accountability, he said, would help fight the spread of narcotics.

The report says that last year illicit opium production in Afghanistan fell by 94 percent, causing a two-thirds decline in global opium production. However, production has resumed this year, and is expected to be at levels comparable to those recorded in the mid-1990s.

Another major trend highlighted in the report is the increase in levels of heroin abuse in nearly all the countries of Eastern Europe, with the number of registered drug addicts in Russia alone rising by 30 percent in 2000.

At a ceremony in Kabul marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, called on Afghanistan, in cooperation with the international community, to eradicate drug cultivation in the country. He also thanked Afghan President Hamid Karzais interim administration for its eradication efforts, despite its limited means.

WFP WARNS OF RISKS OF MALNUTRITION IN AFGHANISTAN

The World Food Programme (WFP) today appealed for urgent support to help Afghanistan to avoid a crisis in the coming winter.

WFPs Executive Director James T. Morris, who is on a two-day visit in Afghanistan, said: "Unless we get additional cash immediately, we could see malnutrition with the risk of starvation rising especially in the highlands."

With all the stocks and pledges that WFP has received so far, it still faces a staggering shortage of 175,000 metric tons of food, worth approximately $102 million. It has had to cut down on various programs over the past two months to cope with this shortage.

On April 1, WFP started a nine-month operation whose focus is to shift gradually from relief to recovery, with particular emphasis on education, health and the agricultural sector after July. It is estimated that a total of 544,000 tons of food will be required for this operation.

TORTURE MUST BE ERADICATED FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH, SAYS ANNAN

Today is the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, and, to mark the occasion, the Secretary-General says in a message that humankind must continue to stand united in the fight against torture and calls for a redoubling of resolve to eradicate torture from the face of the earth.

He emphasized, following September 11, that security cannot be achieved by sacrificing human rights, adding, That would hand the terrorists a victory beyond their dreams. His message is available as a press release.

In a joint statement by High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and the various organs of the UN human rights system dealing with torture called on States to give their immediate attention to move towards adopting an optional protocol to the Convention against Torture. That protocol would provide for setting up effective international and national mechanisms to visit places where people may be deprived of their liberty.

This morning, the Holy See deposited its instrument of accession to become the 130th party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

NANE ANNAN ADDRESSES ROTARY INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL CONVENTION

In Barcelona, Nane Annan, the wife of the Secretary-General, addressed the Rotary International annual convention.

Speaking to some 17,000 Rotarians from around the world, she commended the organization's outstanding volunteer efforts in the service of humanity.

She praised the "daunting yet wondrous task" that Rotary adopted in 1985 to eradicate polio worldwide by 2005, and she urged them to continue their noble quest. The polio campaign is undertaken in cooperation with World Health Organization, UN Childrens Fund, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as with the governments concerned.

She also referred to Rotary's impressive youth program, including a student exchange program and a scholarship program for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolutions launched in April. She also spoke about the priorities identified in the outcome document of the UN Special Session on Children, especially the need to combat AIDS and promote healthy living.

After her address, Rotary Foundation Chairman, Luis Vicent Giay, presented Nane Annan with the Rotary Humanitarian Service Award for "outstanding leadership in humanitarian service to mankind".

This afternoon, she met with the Mayor of Barcelona, Joan Clos.

FOOD SUPPLIES IN ANGOLA DWINDLING, SAYS WFP

The World Food Programme warned today that food supplies for post-war Angola are dwindling at a time when there is urgent need to feed a growing number of hungry people.

The sharp increase in demand has put more pressure on WFP food stocks, which the agency says will run out by September.

Currently, more than a million people receive food aid, and that number is expected to rise to 1.5 million by the end of the year. The agency says it will need $241 million to feed that many people for the next 18 months.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Asked who would attend the upcoming UN-Iraq talks in Vienna, the Spokesman said a final list was not yet available but he could confirm the presence in the UN delegation of Hans Blix, the Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission; Mohamed El-Baradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency; and Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov, the High Level Coordinator for the repatriation of Kuwaitis and third-country nationals and the return of Kuwaiti properties from Iraq.

The World Health Organization will release today an updated survey of HIV medicines, test kits and suppliers of AIDS-related products. Sources and Prices of Selected Drugs and Diagnostics for People Living with HIV/AIDS was produced jointly with UNICEF, UN/AIDS and Médicins Sans Frontières and contains 123 pharmaceutical products including anti-retrovirals and medicines to treat AIDS-related infections and provide pain relief. The UN bulk-buying scheme has resulted in savings of about $2 million each year.

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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