United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-09-17

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE

FOLLOWING THE "QUARTET" MEETING

ON THE MIDDLE EAST

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, September 17, 2002

[The following item substitutes for the Noon Briefing today; The briefing resumes Wednesday]

OPENING REMARKS BY UN SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN

"There is a communiqué of todays meeting. You should be receiving the communiqué later.

What I want to do instead of summarizing the communiqué as we did the last time, is to give you the highlights of what we agreed on. The Quartet is continuing to work with the parties and key regional actors on an implementation roadmap, to achieve final and comprehensive settlement within three years. Comprehensive security performance is essential, as is an end to the morally repugnant violence and terror. But we are all in agreement that the overall plan must address political, economic, humanitarian and institutional dimensions. It should spell out reciprocal steps to be taken by the parties in each of the phases. In short, we need a process that is both performance-driven and hope-driven. Because we need both: performance and hope. The implementation roadmap will be in three phases. Progress between each phase will be based on the parties compliance with performance benchmarks to be monitored and assessed by a mechanism of the Quartet. The first phase will see Palestinian security reform, Israeli withdrawals, and support for Palestinian elections to be held in early 2003. There will also be an Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting in November to review the humanitarian situation and identify priority areas, including the reform process, for development assistance in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the second phase, during 2003, our efforts should focus on the option of creating a Palestinian state with provisional borders and based on a new constitution, as a way station to a permanent status settlement. In the third phase (from 2004 to mid-2005), we envision Israeli-Palestinian negotiations aimed at a permanent status solution. Both the Palestinian reform effort and political progress must include Israeli measures to improve the lives of Palestinians: to allow the resumption of economic activity and the movement of goods, people and essential services; to ease or lift curfew and closures; Israel must also return the tax revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority; and all Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territory must stop. The Palestinians must work with the US and regional partners to reform their security services and combat terrorism, and both sides should work to allow policing and law and order for the civilian population of the West Bank and Gaza. Israelis and Palestinians should re-establish security cooperation. The Quartet is continuing to discuss the timing and modalities for an international conference. As you know, the Quartet also had two other meetings this morning: and I think I have indicated that to you. The Quartet remains committed to the search for a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement in the Middle East, including the Syrian-Israeli and the Lebanese-Israeli tracks.

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language: I would now open the floor for questions, but I have one appeal. If we can focus on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and then at the end when we have time if we can talk about other things on your mind. So the floor is open."

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA On the Quartet meeting

Asked how to ensure that the mechanisms for Israeli-Palestinian peace will not be derailed, the Secretary-General said real success would depend on the will and the actions of the parties. There needs to be hope of a political future, he added, reiterating the need for a process that is both hope-driven and performance-driven. Asked what incentive the Palestinians have to proceed on the course laid out by the Quartet, the Secretary-General noted that the communiqué calls on Israel to return to its positions of September 2000 and offers the prospect of Palestinian statehood, along with concrete steps to achieve it. "There is hope, and there is a horizon, in this proposal for the Palestinians," he said. Asked about the long time it has taken to get to this point, the Secretary-General said that this has been an issue where "you need to move with the parties and you need to get the regional players working with you," and he noted the involvement of the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, along with the Israelis and Palestinians, in todays talks. He added, "We are going to maintain the pressure, we are going to work with them and we are going to monitor performance." U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, in response to questions, also noted the Quartets views on Palestinian elections next year, and also expressed the United States views on Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafats leadership and the dispute between Lebanon and Israel concerning the waters of the Hasbani river. Danish Foreign Minister Per Stieg Moeller also responded to a question on the length of time the Quartets efforts have taken.

On Iraq

Asked how the letter from Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri might complicate the timetable for dealing with Iraq, the Secretary-General said that Iraqs decision to allow the return of inspectors "should be seen as a beginning, not an end." He noted that, between 1991 and 1996, in particular, the inspectors did an "incredible job" in destroying Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, including ballistic missiles, chemical weapons and nuclear capabilities. Given the history of the past, he said, there are delegations who believe "we should not return to business as usual." Those nations will try to ensure, he added, that the inspectors will be able to go about their work unimpeded, with Iraqs full cooperation, making clear to Iraq that it would not be "business as usual." Asked about the return of inspectors, the Secretary-General said he discussed the matter with Hans Blix, Executive Director of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), who is ready to move as quickly as is practicable. UNMOVIC, the Secretary-General added, will base its actions on existing resolutions, on the understanding that it will make adjustments if the Security Council decides on the matter. In response to another question about Security Council views on Iraq, the Secretary-General said that the Security Council members get a lot done when they work in unison, and stressed the need to preserve the Councils unity. Secretary of State Powell and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov also shared their views on the Iraqi letter, and whether or not any further Council resolutions were needed before the weapons inspectors return. Per Stieg Moller also described the European Unions views about the letter and the course ahead for dealing with Iraq.

QUARTET MEETS WITH ARAB FOREIGN MINISTERS, PARTIES

At 9:00 this morning, Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with the other principal members of the "Quartet" on the Middle East. Russia was represented by Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and the United States by Secretary of State Colin Powell. The European Union was represented by Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller of Denmark, which holds the rotating EU presidency, and by Javier Solana, the EUs High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Chris Patten, the European Commissions External Relations Commissioner.

After the principal members of the Quartet met for an hour, the Quartet then met with the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

Then, at about 11:00, the Quartet met with an Israeli delegation led by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and with a Palestinian delegation headed by Farouk Kadoummi. It heard views from the parties before holding a press conference at noon, at which time the Quartet also issued a communique expressing its views.

ANNAN RECEIVES IRAQ LETTER ON RETURN OF WEAPONS INSPECTORS

Monday afternoon, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, accompanied by Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa, met with the Secretary-General, and the Foreign Minister gave the Secretary-General a letter, which the Secretary-General then transmitted, with a cover letter, to the Security Council.

In his letter to the Council, the Secretary-General said Sabri had written to him indicating that the Government of the Republic of Iraq has decided to allow the return of United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq. He added that Sabri also indicated that his Government is ready to discuss the practical arrangements necessary for the immediate resumption of inspections.

Speaking to reporters yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General said that U.S. President George W. Bushs speech to the General Assembly last Thursday had galvanized the international community, and he paid particular tribute to the Arab League and to Amre Moussa for their strenuous efforts in helping to convince Iraq to allow the return of the inspectors.

A spokesman for the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission ( UNMOVIC) said that the Commission is ready for immediate talks in New York on practical arrangements for the resumption of inspection. UNMOVIC made clear in its reports to the Security Council that it has been seeking such talks with the Iraqi side for some time.

ANNAN ENCOURAGED BY SUCCESS OF JAPANESE LEADER'S VISIT TO PYONGYANG

The Secretary-General, in a statement issued through his Spokesman, said he "is very much encouraged by the success of the historic visit by the Prime Minister of Japan Junichiro Koizumi to Pyongyang and his talks with the Chairman of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) National Defence Commission Kim Jong Il. He hopes that the resolve of the two leaders to settle the past and address in earnest existing concerns, particularly of a humanitarian and security nature, would lead to a speedy normalization of bilateral relations. The Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration, adopted at the summit, is a landmark contribution to regional peace and security."

"With the inter-Korean dialogue back on track, with family reunions becoming more regular, with good prospects for reconnecting their railways and other economic projects, the Secretary-General looks forward to a continued building of trust and confidence between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea," the statement said.

"The Secretary-General believes that the international community should render its full support for these efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to the Peninsula," it said. "He also appeals to donor countries to help the United Nations humanitarian and developmental effort in the DPRK."

ANNAN NAMES NEW REPRESENTATIVE FOR LIBERIA

A message of the Secretary-General to the inaugural meeting at UN headquarters of the International Contact Group on Liberia was delivered by Tuliameni Kalomoh, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

Abiou Moussa (Chad), currently the Regional Director for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, was introduced as the Secretary-General's New Representative for Liberia .The Secretary-General has informed the Security Council of this new appointment.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

The Foreign Minister of Burundi, Térence Sinunguruza, addressed the Security Council today during a private meeting on the ongoing ceasefire talks on Burundi. Following the private meeting, the Council met in closed consultations to discuss the timing of a meeting on Iraq.

An office compound of the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) in Jalalabad, Afghanistan was hit by two rockets today at around 4:30am local time. The office was not occupied at the time, but a local guard was injured and the building and vehicles suffered from some physical damage. UNICEF said that at this stage it was not clear why UNICEF was hit, and it had no reason to believe that UNICEF would be a target for any terrorist attack. However, the agency said, such incidents underlined the continued volatile security situation in the country under which all humanitarian agencies had to carry out their activities.

The UN Conference on Trade and Development ( UNCTAD ) issued its World Investment Report for this year, noting the growth in transnational corporations, with an estimated 65,000 such corporations and 850,000 foreign affiliates in existence today. In 2000, the report says, the 100 largest non-financial transnational corporations accounted for more than half of the total sales and employment of foreign affiliates. The report says that foreign direct investment (FDI) flows declined sharply last year following the economic slowdown, with FDI flows to developing countries falling from $238 billion in 2000 to $205 billion in 2001. Despite the slowdown, FDI flows to the least developed countries rose to $3.8 billion last year, mainly as a result of increased flows to Angola.

The Office of the Iraq Programme in its weekly update reports that Iraqi oil exports bounced back from the previous weeks low of 2.6 million barrels to 6.4 million barrels in the week ending on September 13. E stimated revenue generated from the weeks sales stood at $165 million, bringing the total estimated revenue in the current phase 12 of the oil-for-food program to about $2.4 billion. Phase 12 ends on November 25.

The UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina ( UNMIBH ) today announced that the provisional authorization granted to three police officers was being withdrawn, after one was deemed to have taken part in wartime crimes against Bosnian Muslims and two others were found to have committed grave violations of duty, including the torture of a boy who later committed suicide.

The UN Mission in Kosovo ( UNMIK ) countered what it called misinformation directed against the Prishtina Municipal Administrator, who was falsely accused by some Serbian media of support for ethnic cleansing.

Ingushetia authorities gave assurances that Ingushetia will remain a safe haven for people displaced from neighboring Chechnya. The assurances came during meetings with UNHCR Deputy Director for Europe Robert Robinson, who was visiting the area as part of a mission to the Russian Federation.

Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (ODCCP) yesterday began a three-day visit to Belgium, which is to focus on talks with Belgian and European officials on the UN role in the global fight against drugs and crime, including terrorism.

The Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO) annual State of Food and Agriculture report was released today in Rome. The report includes a review of the current global and regional agricultural situation, world trade, commodity prices and the implications for agriculture of the Fourth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference.

Yesterday afternoon, a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Humanitarian Emergency Response was signed between the United Nations, and the governments of Greece and Turkey. The agreement will be know as the Joint Hellenic-Turkish Standby Disaster Response Unit and provides for training of experts under the aegis of the United Nations and for joint field exercises. Kenzo Oshima, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs said the agreement was a major step forward for regional humanitarian stand-by arrangements and a hopeful sign for the future of relations between Greece and Turkey.

This morning, the Secretary-Generals Chief of Staff, Iqbal Riza, laid a wreath, on the Secretary-Generals behalf, at a ceremony marking the 41st anniversary of the death of the second Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld and those accompanying him on a mission of peace in the Congo. The ceremony took place outside the Meditation Room, which Hammarskjöld himself helped design.

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