United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-09-04

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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, September 4, 2002

ANNAN WELCOMES RESULTS OF JOHANNESBURG SUMMIT

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, on his last day in Johannesburg, South Africa, said at a press conference that the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which concludes this afternoon, will put us on a path that reduces poverty while protecting the environment, a path that works for all peoples, rich and poor, today and tomorrow.

He said that governments attending the Summit had agreed on an impressive range of concrete commitments, in particular in the five WEHAB priority areas comprising water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity that he had identified. He added that the Summit marked a major leap forward in the development of partnerships between governments, civil society, businesses and other key actors.

In response to a question, he acknowledged disappointment among some people that not everything that was expected to take place in Johannesburg was achieved, but said he was satisfied with the results. He said, I think we have to be careful not to expect conferences like this to produce miracles, but we do expect conferences like this to generate political commitment, momentum and energy for the attainment of goals.

On Iraq, he said he had told Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz on Tuesday that UN inspectors should go in and that Iraq should comply with UN resolutions, adding that other leaders around the world are also asking Iraq to comply.

On Zimbabwe, he said he had been in touch with President Robert Mugabe, and had raised with him press reports that the distribution of food in that country was being politicized. President Mugabe, he added, had assured him that that was not the case.

ANNAN DISCUSSES IRAQ, MIDDLE EAST WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE

The Secretary-General held several bilateral meetings on the margins of todays proceedings, including a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. The Secretary-General briefed Powell on the Tuesday meeting he had with Tariq Aziz, and relayed to the Secretary of State Iraqs concerns about re-admitting UN weapons inspectors.

They also discussed the Middle East, including the humanitarian plight of the Palestinian people and the meeting of the Quartet comprising the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia that is to take place in New York later this month.

The Secretary-General and Powell also discussed Sudan, Angola, the international peacekeeping presence in Afghanistan and the situation between Nigeria and Cameroon, among other topics.

The Secretary-Generals schedule today began with a meeting this morning with Finnish President Tarja Halonen, with whom he discussed the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

After a brief one-on-one meeting with Food and Agriculture Organization Director Jacques Diouf, he met with the Greek Foreign Minister, George Papandreou, with whom he discussed Iraq and Cyprus. The Secretary-General is scheduled to meet with the Cypriot leaders this Friday in Paris, along with his Special Adviser, Alvaro de Soto.

Later in the afternoon, the Secretary-General met with King Mohammed VI of Morocco and with the President of the European Union, Romano Prodi.

Before they depart Johannesburg, the Secretary-General and Nane Annan, his wife, will participate in an episode of South Africas production of Sesame Street, in which an HIV-positive muppet will be introduced.

Then, in the evening, the Secretary-General will leave Johannesburg for Paris.

In addition to participating in the taping of the Sesame Street segment, Nane Annan this afternoon opened one of the events on the sidelines of Summit, on women and water, organized by the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council. In her remarks, she related her recent experiences and discussions on water with women she met in rural Ghana and on the outskirts of Maputo in Mozambique. The provision of safe water and sanitation reduces waterborne diseases and frees girls to go to school and women for income-generating activities, she said.

WORLD SUMMIT ENDS WITH TARGETS ON POVERTY, ENVIRONMENT

The World Summit on Sustainable Development wrapped up today, with the final speeches concluding in the morning and the Plan of Implementation and the Political Declaration being adopted in the afternoon.

The main theme of the Summit was action. The Summit set many targets and timetables for combating poverty and protecting the environment, including a target to reduce the proportion of people who lack access to proper sanitation, an agreement to increase access to modern energy services, and a number of targets and timetables aimed at protecting or restoring ecosystems, such as the restoration of fisheries by 2015 and a reversal in the loss of biodiversity by 2010.

In addition, the Summit has already generated announcements of additional resources and new partnership initiatives to accomplish tangible results. More than 300 partnerships projects, including more than 60 announced at the Summit itself, were submitted to the United Nations to provide more than $235 million in additional resources.

Most countries expressed satisfaction at the result of the Summit, but some countries, including European and Latin American countries, and many non-governmental organizations, expressed disappointment that no target had been set for increasing the use of renewable energy. The Summit did, however, call on all countries to increase the use of renewable energy with urgency.

More than 21,000 people attended the Summit, including 9,101 delegates, 8,227 NGOs, and 4,012 media representatives.

ANNAN DEPLORES KILLING OF PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS

The Secretary-General, in a statement issued through his Spokesman, strongly deplores the acts of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory. He expressed his particular concern at the recent killing of a number of Palestinian civilians, including several children, as a result of Israeli military attacks, which occurred during a period of relative calm and while efforts are made to implement a security agreement and to strengthen international assistance to a peaceful settlement. The Secretary-General reminded the Government of Israel of its obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians. He welcomed the investigation announced by Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer and hoped that those responsible for these acts will be held accountable.

The Secretary-General is also gravely concerned about the Israeli Supreme Courts decisions authorizing the transfer of two relatives of a Palestinian accused of organizing attacks against Israel. Such transfers are strictly prohibited by international humanitarian law and could have very serious political and security implications.

While the Secretary-General has consistently condemned suicide bombings and upheld Israels right to defend itself, he stressed that self-defense cannot justify measures that amount to collective punishments.

He repeated his call on the Government of Israel to adhere to its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) and not to take actions that are inconsistent with international humanitarian law.

BERTINI REPORT TO GO TO SECURITY COUNCIL TODAY

The report submitted to the Secretary-General by his Personal Humanitarian Envoy, Catherine Bertini, on her recent trip to the Middle East is being transmitted to both the Permanent Mission of Israel and the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine.

The report is expected to be shared with members of the Security Council later this afternoon.

ANNAN VOICES CONCERN AT SUSPENSION OF SUDAN PEACE TALKS

The Secretary-General is concerned at the suspension of the second round of peace talks between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM), which had opened on August 12 in Machakos, Kenya, under the auspices of the Sudan Peace Committee of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The Secretary-General, in a statement issued through his Spokesman, urged both sides to resume negotiations at the earliest opportunity and to build upon the progress made toward bringing an end to the devastating conflict in the Sudan, which has caused untold suffering to their people.

He reiterated his appreciation for the efforts of the Government of Kenya in leading the IGAD peace initiative as well as to the IGAD and other countries for their contribution to the peace process. He encouraged them to continue their efforts to help the parties reach a comprehensive agreement that will usher in a new and promising era for all the people of Sudan.

The United Nations continues to support the IGAD peace process for Sudan and stands ready to contribute to the efforts of the international community to help implement a peace agreement concluded by the Sudanese parties.

SUDAN: UN LAUNCHES HUMANITARIAN OPERATION FOR NEWLY DISPLACED

The UNs humanitarian Operation Lifeline Sudan has launched an emergency operation to assist up to 100,000 civilians displaced by recent fighting in the southern part of Sudan.

The displaced have moved into Bahr el Ghazal from the Western Upper Nile region due to fighting that started in June. They have been forced to walk for at least three days and it is estimated that as many as half of the displaced are children.

Kenzo Oshima, the UNs Emergency Relief Coordinator, said, Once more we emphasize our serious concern for civilians who have been caught up in the fighting. We urge both sides to allow humanitarian access to those in need. Both sides should ensure that their armed forces make every effort to protect civilians.

He also expressed concern regarding the impact of the heavy fighting on civilians which has taken place around Torit in south-eastern Sudan.

Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) -- a consortium of the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme, as well as more than 35 non-governmental organizations is targeting some 3 million people in need of humanitarian aid in southern Sudan.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES SEPTEMBER PROGRAM, ETHIOPIA-ERITREA

The Security Council held consultations this morning on its program of work for the month of September and on Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The Secretary-Generals latest progress report to the Council on Ethiopia-Eritrea, which is out today, expresses encouragement that the parties remain fundamentally committed to the peace process. However, the Secretary-General appealed to the Governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia to sustain this course and extend to the UN Mission and the Boundary Commission all necessary cooperation for the expeditious demarcation of the border.

He added that the United Nations will remain committed to playing its role through the demarcation phase and recommended that the mandate of the UN Mission be extended for six months, until March 15, 2003.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Ethiopia and Eritrea, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, attended the Council consultations.

SANCTIONS COMMITTEES ON AFGHANISTAN, LIBERIA TO MEET

This afternoon, the Security Council sanctions committee on Resolution 1267 concerning Afghanistan is scheduled to meet. Michael Chandler, head of the Monitoring Group dealing with the implementation of sanctions relating to Afghanistan, is scheduled to brief. According to usual practice, the Chairman of the Committee, Ambassador Alfonso Valdivieso of Colombia, will speak to the press afterward. The guest at the Thursday noon briefing will be Michael Chandler.

Also scheduled to meet this afternoon is the sanctions committee dealing with Liberia, which will discuss a report submitted by the Liberian Government, as requested, on the management of maritime and timber revenue. The chairman of that committee is Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani of Singapore.

UN: FOREIGN TROOPS CONTINUE WITHDRAWAL FROM DR-CONGO

During his weekly press briefing in Kinshasa, the head of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Amos Namanga Ngongi, said the withdrawal of foreign troops from the DRC was continuing with the departure in the past week of some 2,000 Ugandan troops from the northeast of the country.

He said this positive evolution was in accordance with the Lusaka Accords and Security Council resolutions.

He also welcomed the start today of the withdrawal of Zimbabwean troops from Mbandaka.

Speaking of the first class of police trainers in Kisangani, Ngongi said that process was intended to allow the Congolese people to have a police force which they could trust and which could protect human rights.

IRAQI OIL EXPORTS DECLINE OVER PAST WEEK, SAYS UN OFFICE

According to the weekly update released by the Office of the Iraq Programme, 4.9 million barrels were exported in the week ending August 30, a decline from the previous weeks total of 5.3 million barrels. This weeks exports netted an estimated $123 million in revenue.

Owing to a revenue shortfall, 1,135 humanitarian supply contracts, worth about $2.1 billion, while approved by the United Nations, are currently lacking in funds and cannot be further processed. Almost all the sectors of the program continue to be affected by this shortfall in funds to some degree.

UN STAFF MEMBER RELEASED AFTER FIGHTING IN SOMALIA

The United Nations welcomed the release today of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) staff member who had been held hostage in Mogadishu. The staff member, Mohamed Farah Omar, and five other Somalis were freed after factional fighting broke out in north Mogadishu, where they had all been held, forcing their captors to flee. Omar was checked by a UN medical officer and returned to his family.

An 11-day visit to Somalia by the UN independent expert on human rights in that country, Ghanim Alnajjar, concluded today. Alnajjar called on the international community and local authorities to pay more attention to the appalling conditions of the roughly 320,000 internally displaced people in Somalia.

Also on Somalia, the Office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator confirmed that the Gedo region in that country has been temporarily closed to all UN air operations and international staff because of insecurity.

TORTURE REPORT WARNS OF EFFECTS OF ANTI-TERROR MEASURES

In a report to the General Assembly, Theo Van Boven, the Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights on torture, examined growing anti-terrorism measures worldwide, noting, Ensuring security for all human beings has become one of the major challenges faced by the international community.

However, he added, fears have been expressed that some of these measures may not fully respect basic human rights.

The Special Rapporteur noted that, while there is no internationally agreed definition of terrorism, new national legislation is often construed as being too vague or as encompassing peaceful political opposition activities. Some of this new anti-terror legislation may not provide legal safeguards, as called for in international human rights law.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY HALL REOPENS FOLLOWING CONSTRUCTION

The General Assembly Hall reopened to guided tours today after three and a half months of repairs to its roof.

In early July 2001, ceiling tiles came crashing to the floor, but, fortunately, the Hall was unoccupied. A safety net was erected as an emergency measure, because there was not enough time to repair the roof before the beginning of the Assemblys 56th Session.

The renovations started in May this year. The old ceiling tiles in the Hall were removed and replaced by a sprayed-on acoustic type of ceiling. At the same time, the asbestos that was used as fireproofing in the blue dome on the roof was also removed. The old power, lighting and dimming systems and the heat, ventilation and air conditioning systems were replaced as well.

The old lighting system was obsolete, expensive to maintain and generated a lot of heat, affecting the environmental controls of the Hall. It was cost-effective to replace this with a new theatrical lighting system, which produces less heat and four times as much light for one third of the energy consumed by the old system. The old lamps needed replacing about every 15 days. The new lamps are estimated to last between one and three years.

The total cost of the renovations was about $5 million.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Asked about UN events to commemorate September 11, the Spokesman said that on the morning of September 11, there would be an event at the North Lawn of UN Headquarters at which the Secretary-General and a few other participants would speak. Also, at about noon, there would be an event at the Security Council with a few speakers. That evening, the Secretary-General would be among those in attendance for a ceremony organized by New York City authorities in downtown Manhattan, and he would also attend an interfaith ceremony at St. Bartholomews Church.

A UN mission to six southern African countries began today led by Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Carolyn McAskie to Lesotho. McAskie led the mission in the first day because James Morris, the UN Special Envoy for the humanitarian crisis in Southern Africa who is also the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, was unavoidably detained in Johannesburg with meetings requested by heads of state attending the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The World Health Organization today launched the first ever publication giving information on 325 common medications. The WHO List of Essential Drugs gives recommended use, dosage, adverse effects and warnings of these medicines and is intended for use by health care professionals.

To commemorate International Literacy Day, the Department of Public Information and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will hold a premiere screening of an episode of the PBS childrens television programme, Reading Rainbow, on Thursday. The episode, called Our Big Home: An Earth Poem, was filmed in part at UN Headquarters.

This afternoon, Malaysia will become the 92nd country to ratify the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Convention on Climate Change and the Czech Republic will sign the Tampere Convention on the Provision on Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations.

There will be another evacuation drill at Headquarters between the hours of 4:00 p.m. today and 8:00 a.m. on Thursday. This is a continuing process in improving emergency procedures for the building complex. The last drill took place on August 23.

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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