United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-10-21

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

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY STEPHANE

DUJARRIC

ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN

HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, October 21, 2002

ANNAN ENCOURAGED BY CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN COTE D'IVOIRE

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement issued Monday afternoon, says he is encouraged by the cessation of hostilities in Côte d'Ivoire. He urges the parties to do everything possible to consolidate this important step through dialogue and national reconciliation.

The United Nations will continue to support the sustained efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to help the Ivoirian people achieve peace, tolerance and prosperity in Côte d'Ivoire.

The Secretary-General calls on other international partners to remain attentive to the needs of Côte d'Ivoire in this difficult period.

UN PANEL: RWANDA, UGANDA, ZIMBABWE CONTROL PARTS OF DR-CONGO

The latest report of the UN panel of experts on the illegal exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was issued today, says that font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: recent withdrawal of troops from the eastern DRC are not likely to diminish the determination of Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Uganda to exercise economic control of sizeable parts of that country.

New strategies have been adopted by the key players to maintain a steady stream of revenue once their troops have departed, the panel said. These strategies, implemented by what the panel calls elite networks, involve organized systems of embezzlement, tax frauds, extortion, kickbacks and diversion of state funds.

The on-going plunder of the DRC's mineral assets is a current and future drain on the country's ability to finance post war reconstruction and, more importantly, it perpetuates the cycle of suffering for millions of Congolese people.

In the report, the panel has compiled an extensive list of businesses and individuals whose involvement in these elite networks is well documented. Members of the panel recommend that certain restrictions, such as travel bans and freezing of assets, be placed on a selected number of such people and businesses.

The panel also recommends that the Security Council set up a monitoring mechanism to track the activities of any state, company or individual involved in these activities.

The Security Council is scheduled to take up the report on Thursday and on Friday at 11:15 a.m., the chair of the panel, Mahmoud Kassem, is scheduled to brief reporters.

UN ENVOY CONDEMNS TERROR ATTACK IN CENTRAL ISRAEL

Terje Roed Larsen, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, strongly condemned todays terror attack in central Israel, which reportedly killed at least seven people and wounded dozens more.

He extended his deeply felt sympathy to the families of the victims and reiterated the unequivocal UN position that such attacks are morally reprehensible and absolutely counter-productive to peace-making efforts. He called on Palestinian groups to halt all acts of terror immediately and adhere to Security Council Resolution 1435, which calls on both parties to stop all forms of violence.

IN TAJIKISTAN, ANNAN VOICES CONFIDENCE ON IRAQ RESOLUTION

Secretary-General Kofi Annan today arrived in Tajikistan, where he spoke briefly to reporters on arriving at Dushanbe airport, who asked him about Iraq. He said the Security Council is discussing Iraq, adding, I expect that, probably sometime this week or not long after, there will be a resolution approved unanimously by the Council. He said the resolution would demand Iraqi compliance with UN resolutions, and voiced his hope that Iraq would listen to the Councils demand.

In the mid-afternoon, the Secretary-General met with President Emomali Rakhmanov and his Foreign Minister, Talbak Nazarov. Afterward, he told the press that he and the President has discussed the fight against terrorism, economic development, poverty alleviation, the need for strengthened institutions and good governance. Their talks also touched on Afghanistan, regional cooperation on water and energy management and cross-border movement.

After travelling to the UN office in Tajikistan, where he encouraged staff to work as a team, the Secretary-General spoke to the Tajik Parliament, telling them it was his strong belief that Tajikistan could serve as an example to Afghanistan, and urging them to work to establish the rule of law. He said, Popular trust in the judiciary and the fairness of the authorities is the best safeguard against extremism and renewed violence.

In the evening, the President hosted a dinner in honor of the Secretary-General and his wife, Nane Annan.

Nane Annan had her own program in Tajikistan today, visiting a training and support center for Afghan refugees in Dushanbe, which is supported by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. She also visited orphanages, supported by UNICEF, in both the Kyrgyz Republic this morning and Tajikistan later in the day.

ANNAN MEETS PRESIDENT, PARLIAMENT OF KYRGYZSTAN

On Sunday afternoon, the Secretary-General traveled to Bishkek to begin an official visit to Kyrgyzstan, where President Askar Akayev met him at the airport. Later, the Secretary-General met for more than an hour with the President, including one-on-one sessions before and after meeting with their delegations.

At a press encounter after that meeting, the Secretary-General said that their discussions included economic and social development, the fight against terrorism, drug-trafficking, good governance and the UN-Kyrgyz relationship, which, he said, was excellent.

Before the press conference, the President awarded the Secretary-General the Order of Manas, the highest honor the Government can give to exceptional individuals.

The Secretary-General then met with leading members of Parliament, including the Speakers of the Upper and Lower Houses.

Before leaving Bishkek, the Secretary-General this morning inaugurated the new UN House that will provide a common work space for all UN agencies working in Kyrgyzstan.

SECURITY COUNCIL, GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGREE ON ICJ JUDGES

The General Assembly and Security Council today voted, in secret ballots, to fill five vacancies that open up next February on the International Court of Justice. They had 10 candidates from which to choose.

Both the General Assembly and the Security Council agreed to the same five candidates on the first ballot, who are: Hisashi Owada of Japan; Shi Jiuyong, who is an incumbent, of China; Peter Tomka of Slovakia; Abdul G. Koroma, an incumbent, of Sierra Leone; and Bruno Simma of Germany.

Candidates had to obtain an absolute majority of votes in both the General Assembly and the Security Council.

In the afternoon at 3:00 p.m., the Security Council has scheduled a meeting of the ad hoc working group on conflict prevention and resolution in Africa.

SECURITY COUNCIL LIFTS TRAVEL BAN ON UNITA MEMBERS

Late Friday afternoon, the Security Council decided to extend the mandate of the Angola monitoring mechanism for a period of two months, until December 19.

The Council also decided to lift the travel ban against members of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) as of November 14, with a view towards the possible lifting of more such sanctions by November 19, taking into account the implementation of the peace accords.

The Council President, Ambassador Martin Belinga-Eboutou of Cameroon also read out two presidential statements.

On the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council called on all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities immediately and without preconditions. It called on all governments in the region to exert their influence for that purpose and to refrain from any action that would further exacerbate the situation or undermine the peace process.

On the Central African Republic, the Council expressed its full support for the decision to deploy an International Observation Force in that country.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL REVIEWS UN WORK IN AFGHANISTAN

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette is in Afghanistan on a three-day visit. She said upon arrival that the purpose of her visit was to review what the UN was doing in the cooperation with the authorities in Afghanistan. We have very much the future peace and prosperity of Afghanistan at heart, she said, and I want to make sure that all UN people are doing their very best to help and support the people of Afghanistan.

Frechette was briefed by the UN team and the Commander of the International Security Force Hakim Zorlu on the latest situation in the country. She had a meeting with the President Hamid Karzai during which they discussed the reconstruction needs of Afghanistan and the security in the country and the Iraqi situation.

She also met with Afghan Minister of Womens Affairs Habibeh Sarabi to discuss the advances made in womens health and education.

Apart from meetings, the Deputy Secretary-General visited de-mining projects and a childrens center.

WOMEN ARE MAJORITY OF CONFLICT VICTIMS, ANNAN SAYS

The Secretary-Generals report to the Security Council on women, peace and security was issued today.

The report underscores that women do not enjoy equal status with men in any society and are disproportionately targeted in contemporary armed conflicts, constituting the majority of all victims. The report also points out that women and girls are not only victims in armed conflicts, but are also active agents.

The Security Council is scheduled to discuss the report this Friday.

UN ENVOY TO PRESENT CONCEPT FOR KOSOVOS DECENTRALIZATION

In Kosovo today, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Michael Steiner, said he was inviting the leaders of all of Kosovos major political parties and coalitions to a meeting in Gnjilane on November 1, at which he will present his concept of decentralization.

He outlined that concept, saying that under it, municipal units could be established for sizeable non-majority communities, with their own councils, administrative organs and budgets. Those units could manage education, health care, urban and rural planning and issues of local importance.

[In his recent report on Kosovo, the Secretary-General highlighted the importance of meaningful participation in all elected bodies by all Kosovos communities.]

UN TO SIGN ELECTORAL ASSISTANCE ACCORDS WITH ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, PANAMA

This afternoon at 4:00, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast will sign Memoranda of Understanding on electoral assistance will be signed with the governments of Argentina, Brazil and Panama.

The Memoranda with Argentina and Brazil will focus on the exchange of experiences and technology associated with the electoral process. The Brazilian experience in particular is significant because Brazil is the first country to adopt electronic voting in elections and involving more than 115 million voters in both urban and rural settings.

The Memorandum with Panama will focus on the establishment of an electoral information system, International Service for Electoral News, based on the system used in Panama. The system will provide for the exchange of information on the electoral process in all Member States.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The General Assembly Spokesman noted that, during todays Assembly, 13 people who had been on a UN tour were removed for loud and disorderly behavior and turned over to local police. He described the people as young students on tour.

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) embodies a vision of a continent on the move at a time of unprecedented international interest in proposals to help the world's least developed region, K.Y. Amoako, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa told the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, which began in Johannesburg on Saturday. A ministerial statement detailing recommendations from the three-day meeting was released today.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello marked the holding today of African Human Rights Day, saying that much has been achieved since the adoption of the African Charter on human rights two decades ago, but a lot more remains to be done.

Last Friday, the Secretary-General appointed Maj. Gen. Patrick Cammaert, who is currently serving as the Force Commander of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), as the Military Adviser in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. General Cammaert, a Dutch national who ends his service in UNMEE at the end of October, will replace Gen. Timothy Ford of Australia.

World Food Programme Executive Director James Morris announced today the appointment of Sheila Sisulu as one of the agencys two Deputy Executive Directors.

This morning, Australia became the 111th country to sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.

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