United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-06-28

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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

Friday, June 28, 2002

ANNAN TO VISIT AFRICA IN EARLY JULY

Secretary-General Kofi Annan will leave New York next Tuesday evening for Vienna, Austria, where he is scheduled to hold talks with the Iraqi delegation on Thursday and Friday.

After those meetings, he is scheduled to travel to Africa for a week.

On Saturday, he is scheduled to fly from Vienna to Durban, South Africa, where he will attend the summit of the Organization of African Unity on Monday and Tuesday, July 8 and 9.

On Wednesday, July 10, he is scheduled to travel to Abuja, Nigeria, for an official visit.

Then, on Friday the 12th, he is scheduled to travel from Abuja to Khartoum, Sudan, also for an official visit.

The Secretary-General is expected to return to New York on Sunday, July 14.

SECURITY COUNCIL DIVIDED ON EXTENSION OF UN MISSION IN BOSNIA

The

Security Council began its work this morning with consultations on Bosnia and Herzegovina, with members discussing differing draft resolutions to deal with an extension of the UN Mission in that country, whose current mandate expires at the end of this month.

On Thursday afternoon, the Council had discussed those texts in private consultations, when both the United States and France presented language intended to resolve a dispute over whether international peacekeepers can be placed under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, which will enter into force next Monday.

In comments made to media this morning, the United States has suggested that, if it is not satisfied with language conferring immunity to peacekeepers from the Criminal Court, it may veto any further extension of the Bosnia Mission, causing it to expire at the end of Sunday.

The Council intends to hold further consultations on the matter at 3:00 this afternoon, and it has asked for senior members of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Office of Legal Affairs to be on hand at that time.

Later in the morning, the Security Council held a private meeting, wrapping up its work for the month of June. Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe of Syria will end his Council Presidency this Sunday, and Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock of the United Kingdom will take over on Monday as Council President for the month of July.

Asked about the impact of a possible termination of the Bosnia Mission, the Spokesman said the United Nations had been planning a smooth handover at the end of this year from the UN Mission to a European mission, with current UN police commissioner Sven Frederiksen staying on to head the European police operation. The plans for a smooth handover go right out the window if weve got to suddenly terminate this mission on Sunday, Eckhard said.

The Secretary-General, he added, hoped that the Council could find some compromise to avoid the premature end of the mission. He did not expect the Secretary-General to attend the Councils afternoon session.

In response to further questions about the Missions work, he said it was intended to help Bosnia return to the rule of law and build a professional, multi-ethnic police force. That job is far from done, he said, adding that it was unclear whether a Bosnian police force could currently stand on its own. It would be up to the Council to decide on any future UN presence in Bosnia, he added.

Asked about the termination in February 1999 of the UN Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, following a veto of its mandate extension by China, the Spokesman said, The effects of that premature termination became evident when there was an outbreak of violence in the FYROM that took a considerable European effort to bring under control.

He added that it was possible that the Security Council discussion of this issue could continue into the weekend.

STATUTE OF CRIMINAL COURT TO ENTER INTO FORCE

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court will enter into force on Monday, in accordance with the Statutes receipt of its required 60th ratification last April 11.

The Secretary-General will issue a statement on Monday noting the historic occasion of the Statutes entry into force, which reaffirms the centrality of the rule of law in international relations.

By Friday morning, the Statute had 69 ratifications and 139 signatories.

Also today, the special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Dato Param Cumaraswamy, noted the importance of avoiding a politicization of the Court and underlining the principles underlying a legitimate selection process for its judges.

ANNAN SAYS G-8 SUMMIT COULD BE TURNING POINT FOR AFRICA

The Secretary-General returned last night to New York from the G-8 summit in Kananaskis, Canada.

Prior to his departure from the summit Thursday, the Secretary-General took part in the launch of the Africa Action Plan following his meeting with the G-8 and four African leaders who also attended the session.

He said if Africans stick to their commitments made in New Partnership for Africa's Development and if the G-8 carries out the action plan announced at their summit, "this summit might come to be seen as a turning point in the history of Africa, and indeed of the world. That is a challenge for all of us to live up to."

He added, "NEPAD provides a framework for ending conflicts, for stemming the flow of refugees and internally displaced persons, and for improving the investment climate, a prerequisite for sustainable development on the continent."

He also said the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which will open in the South African city of Johannesburg in August, would serve as an indicator of global commitment to change.

EXPLOSION IN AFGHAN BORDER TOWN DAMAGES UN OFFICES

There was an explosion in Spin Boldak, Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan on the border with Pakistan Thursday night. The first explosion was at 11:45 p.m. and subsequent explosions lasted until 11 a.m. Friday.

The explosions took place at military barracks and an ammunition depot, which are near two UN premises, belonging to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Programme.

The causes of the explosion are unknown. A UN team was dispatched to the site to inspect the damage. De-miners accompanied the team.

As a result of the explosions, unexploded ordnance and live ammunition are scattered in a wide area.

UNHCR reported extensive damage to its office, located some 70 meters away. One of UNHCR's drivers was injured and has been taken to Kandahar hospital about three hours away for treatment.

WFP reported that one of its workers in a nearby house was slightly injured. WFP said two storage tents were destroyed as well as three containers used as offices; the gate was blown up. All food supplies seem to be intact.

There are five camps sheltering an estimated 32,000 displaced persons in the Spin Boldak area. UNHCR said it had no reports yet of any injuries involving any of the displaced persons.

Spin Boldak is the principal entry point for Afghans returning home from Pakistans Baluchistan Province. UNHCR said it will be vital to ensure that unexploded ordnance is cleared from the town to ensure the safety of its citizens and returnees.

ECOSOC HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT TO BEGIN ON MONDAY

Next week, the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will take place from Monday through Wednesday, kicking off the four-week annual session of ECOSOC. The high-level segment will focus on human resources development, and particularly on health and education, and will bring together key government ministers, including U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul ONeill, to examine the consensus that has emerged on development since the Millennium Declaration.

The opening of the substantive session will feature a report by the Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on the Millennium Development Goals, Jeffrey Sachs, on financing requirements to meet health and education targets.

UN SANCTIONS COMMITTEE HEAD VISITS SIERRA LEONE

The Chairman of the Security Council Sanctions Committee on Sierra Leone, Ambassador Adolfo Zinser of Mexico, arrived in Freetown today on a two-day visit to assess the current peace process and political developments in Sierra Leone.

The Committee was set to monitor and report on violations of the arms embargo imposed against Sierra Leone when the democratically-elected Government of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was overthrown by a military junta in May 1997

During his stay in the country, Zinser is scheduled to hold discussions with President Kabbah and members of his cabinet, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Sierra Leone, Oluyemi Adeniji, and other senior officials of the UN mission.

The UN Mission also reports that Adeniji this week visited several towns bordering Liberia to assess the refugee and returnee situation in the area. He also crossed the Mano River Bridge to Bo Waterside in Liberia, where he sought assurances from the Liberians that refugees and returnees were being allowed to cross freely into Sierra Leone.

It is an irony of fate, he said, that the inflow of refugees is in the opposite direction than in the past now from Liberia to Sierra Leone.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that Liberian refugees and Sierra Leonean returnees continue to reach Sierra Leone in large numbers despite poor weather conditions caused by heavy rains in the region. UNHCR also says it has learned that five Liberian NGO nurses held by rebels from the group LURD (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy) were safe and might be released soon.

Asked about the trial of rebel leader Foday Sankoh, the Spokesman later said that was a matter before the Sierra Leone national courts.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UNHCR also reports today that about 1,000 people fled from southern Senegal's Casamance region into neighbouring Gambia over the weekend, following renewed clashes between the Senegalese army and separatist rebels from the Mouvement des Forces Démocratiques de Casamance (MFDC). A UNHCR team has gone to the Gambia to check the report.

The East Timor General Prosecutors Office has issued four indictments for crimes against humanity in the last month. The crimes were committed in the Bobonaro and Oecussi districts in 1999, and a total of 16 people have been indicted, including five officers of the Indonesian Armed Forces.

The World Health Organization today says in a report that spermicides containing nonoxynol-9 do not protect against HIV infection and may even increase the risk of HIV infection in women using these products frequently. The report also advises women at high risk of HIV infection against using nonoxynol-9 spermicides for contraception.

WHO and the Food and Agricultural Organization, following the conclusion of their consultations on the issue of acrylamide in food, will establish a network for research to achieve a better understanding of human exposure to the chemical and its possible health effects.

The design for the UNAIDS headquarters building in Geneva has been unanimously selected following an international design contest. The new construction will be built with the generous support of the Swiss Government and the Republic and Canton of Geneva. Construction is to be completed by June 2005.

The 26th session of the World Heritage Committee taking place in Budapest, ended yesterday with the addition of nine new sites to the World Heritage List.

Jordan today became the 83rd member state to pay its 2002 regular budget contribution in full with a payment of more than $88,000.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS Sunday, June 30 The mandate of the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina will expire at the end of the day, unless the Security Council decides otherwise.

Monday, July 1 The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court enters into force. The Secretary-General is expected to issue a statement to mark the occasion.

British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock will take over from Syrian Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe as Security Council President for the month of July.

The high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) begins. At 1:00 p.m., Ambassador Ivan Simonovic, ECOSOC's President, and Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, the Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on the Millennium Development Goals, will present an advance look at progress toward the Millennium Development Goals.

The UN Population Awards Ceremony will be held in New York. This years winner in the individual category is Dr. Kwasi Odoi-Agyarko, Executive Director of Rural Help Integrated in Ghana, and the institutional award is being given to EngenderHealth of the United States.

At 11:15 a.m., James Morris, Executive Director of the World Food Programme, will launch an appeal to provide emergency food relief to six countries in Southern Africa.

The guest at the noon briefing will be Olara Otunnu, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflicts, who will brief on his visit to the Russian Federation, including the Northern Caucasus.

Tuesday, July 2 Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), will hold a press conference at 11:15 a.m., following his statement at the Economic and Social Council high-level segment that morning. The press conference will review the new UNAIDS "Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic."

The guest at the noon briefing will be Peter Hansen, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), who will discuss a supplementary appeal for UNRWA.

At 12:45 p.m., Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock, Security Council President for the month of July, will brief on the Councils program of work for the month.

The UN Development Programme will issue its first Human Development Report for the Arab world, with the official launch to be in Cairo.

Wednesday, July 3 Thursday, July 4 Today is a U.S. holiday, and UN Headquarters will be closed.

In Vienna, Secretary-General Kofi Annan will begin two days of talks with a delegation headed by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri. Included in the Secretary-Generals delegation are Hans Blix, the Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission; Mohamed El-Baradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency; Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov, the High Level Coordinator for the repatriation of Kuwaitis and third-country nationals and the return of Kuwaiti properties from Iraq; and Hans Corell, the UNs legal counsel.

Friday, July 5 At 1:00 p.m. in the Delegates Dining Room, there will be a question-and-answer lunch event moderated by Riz Khan of CNN, in which a new book supported by the UN Development Programme, Capacity for Development: New Solutions to Old Problems, will be presented.

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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