United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-11-01

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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, November 1, 2002

ANNAN INVITES PRESIDENTS OF NIGERIA, CAMEROON TO MEET AGAIN

A statement issued today noted that Secretary-General Kofi Annan has remained in contact with the Presidents of Cameroon and Nigeria following their meeting in Paris on September 5 and subsequent to the judgment delivered by the International Court of Justice on October 10 on the border dispute between those two countries.

The Secretary-General has reiterated his readiness and that of the United Nations to assist the two countries in the follow-up to the Courts decision and in establishing confidence between them, as agreed during their meeting in Paris. To that end, he has invited the Presidents of Nigeria and Cameroon to meet him again in the near future.

ANNAN ENCOURAGES DRC, RWANDA LEADERS TO CONSOLIDATE PEACE

The Secretary-Generals Special Envoy, Moustapha Niasse, delivered a message on the Secretary-Generals behalf during a summit meeting in Pretoria, South Africa, of the Presidents of South Africa, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In his message, the Secretary-General congratulated Presidents Joseph Kabila of the DRC and Paul Kagame of Rwanda for the courage they had shown signing the Pretoria agreement last July. By doing so they have taken the lead in laying down arms and settling their conflict by peaceful diplomatic means, he said. He encouraged both Presidents to continue their work by establishing a climate of confidence in the eastern part of the DRC, among other steps.

Concerning the Inter Congolese Dialogue, the Secretary-General noted that significant progress had been made aimed at reaching an all-inclusive agreement on a power-sharing arrangement during the transition in the DRC. He called on both Presidents to use their influence to promote the dialogue and its implementation.

SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR RESTRAINT IN NORTHERN DR-CONGO

The Security Council, after consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), issued on Thursday afternoon a press statement on the DRC in which it expressed its concern at the situation in the Ituri province in the north. Council members appealed to all local groups, especially the Union of Congolese Patriots, to show restraint and put their efforts into achieving a political settlement.

In the southern Katanga province of the country, meanwhile, the UN Mission reports that clashes between ex- Rwandan combatants and Congolese army soldiers having been taking place in the town of Kamina. As result of these clashes, which have claimed the lives of number of people, 13 unarmed UN military observers have been evacuated.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported today in Geneva on deteriorating humanitarian situation in the eastern part of the DRC, where it estimates that there are some 2.1 million displaced people. Only 40 percent of the 2002 appeal for the DRC has been met.

ANNAN PRAISES AGREEMENT ON ACCESS IN SUDAN

In a statement, the Secretary-General commended the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement on reaching an agreement allowing humanitarian workers unimpeded access to all areas and for all people in need in Sudan. The agreement, which takes effect today, will allow assistance to reach as many as one million people who have not been able to receive aid.

The Secretary-General urged the international donor community to provide Operation Lifeline Sudan with the resources necessary to meet the needs of the growing numbers of beneficiaries, and reiterated the United Nations support to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-led peace process at Machakos, Kenya.

ANNAN APPOINTS SPECIAL ADVISER ON COLOMBIA

The Secretary-General announced the appointment of James LeMoyne as Special Adviser on Colombia. LeMoyne had been serving as Acting Special Adviser since January 2002. The appointment, at the Assistant Secretary-General level, takes effect today.

LeMoyne has worked in peace processes, complex crises and peace-building for 20 years. He has been involved with the processes in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Haiti, the former Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland, Guatemala and Colombia.

Before joining the United Nations, LeMoyne, a U.S. citizen, was a senior foreign correspondent and foreign policy analyst specializing in conflicts and peace processes in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

CHINA TAKES UP PRESIDENCY OF SECURITY COUNCIL

The Security Council Presidency has been taken up by China for the month of November.

Ambassador Wang Yingfan of China is holding bilateral consultations today with other Council members on its program of work for November. The deputy Permanent Representative, Ambassador Zhang Yishan, is scheduled to brief reporters on Monday after Council consultations on the program.

No Council meetings or consultations on the whole are scheduled today. At 3:00 p.m., a meeting of the Security Council working group on peacekeeping operations is scheduled.

The Security Council held consultations Thursday afternoon on Cote dIvoire before approving Presidential Statements on small arms, Central Africa and women, peace and security.

Council members strongly condemned the attempt to seize power by force of arms or to overthrow the democratically elected government of Côte dIvoire. They also commended efforts by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to promote a peaceful resolution of the conflict, and called on the international community to provide the necessary assistance required for the immediate deployment of a regional force, agreed on last month.

REPORT NOTES ARMS PROLIFERATION IN SOMALIA

The Secretary-Generals report to the Security Council on Somalia is out, one day after his statement welcoming the signing of the declaration on the cessation of hostilities.

The Secretary-General notes the proliferation of arms and the need for disarmament of armed men as a critical area of concern. He also draws attention to the unacceptable level of insecurity for aid workers and the need to end the impunity with which armed groups continue to harass these workers.

Saying that much more needs to be done in the humanitarian and development areas, he appeals to Member States for generous contributions to the upcoming appeal, due to be launched on November 19.

UN REFUGEE AGENCY CONCERNED ABOUT TROOPS NEAR DISPLACED CHECHENS

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is concerned about the increasing anxiety of displaced Chechens who are in four camps in Ingushetia where, since October 25, Russian troops have established a nearby presence. Since Thursday, a document check has been put in place in the four camps, with soldiers checking all cars and persons entering or leaving the area.

Some camp residents have expressed the worry that the presence of troops nearby is a potential threat or provocation, and school attendance in one of the camps has dropped by 70 percent.

MYANMAR: ANNAN RENEWS APPEAL FOR SUBSTANTIVE DIALOGUE

In a report on Myanmar, the Secretary-General notes that, though some significant developments have taken place over the past two years, substantive dialogue between the government and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has yet to commence.

Concerned that the positive momentum will be lost unless some tangible progress is made in the near future, the Secretary-General appeals once again to the Government and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to set aside their differences and unite for the larger cause of national reconciliation.

UNHCR ASSISTS EFFORT TO BRING REFUGEES TO TIMOR-LESTE

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are launching a final effort to help East Timorese refugees to go home by the end of this year. This morning, East Timor President Xanana Gusmão, accompanied by UNHCR and IOM officials, traveled to West Timor in a bid to boost the return of remaining East Timorese refugees.

An estimated 220,000 East Timor residents, who fled to West Timor in the immediate aftermath of the 1999 independence referendum, have already gone back. But some 30,000 remain in refugee camps in the Indonesian province of West Timor.

Those who express a willingness to return by the end of the year will receive a repatriation package containing a one-month supply of food, as well as a variety of domestic items. The Indonesian Government said it would also provide some financial support.

UN ENVOY LAUNCHES TASK FORCE FOR KOSOVO RETURNS

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Kosovo, Michael Steiner, today launched a Task Force on Returns that is intended to invigorate the process of bringing displaced Kosovars back home.

In launching the task force, Steiner said that ensuring such returns is a top priority and added, We want, not to create a new bureaucracy, but to have a coordinating forum to turn this priority into reality.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The heads of the six principal organs of the United Nations the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice and the Secretariat held their fourth annual meeting this afternoon, in the Secretary-Generals office, and then took part in a luncheon hosted by the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General in 1998 started the practice of holding meetings among the heads of the six Principal Organs, to exchange views and to coordinate matters to improve efficiency in the UNs work. The meetings invariably address the major issues facing the United Nations in general.

The Secretary-General met Thursday in a New York hotel with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash for a private and social call. Afterwards, the Secretary-General told journalists that he had visited an old friend to wish him well.

In a report, Peter Leuprecht, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for human rights in Cambodia, notes that the implementation of law in the country is poor, the judiciary is weak and prone to corruption and the courts are failing in their role as an effective balance against executive power. He says that there is little respect for standards of fair trial, and poor people are not treated equally before the law. He also expresses his concern over police and militarys involvement in elections.

Also issued today is the Secretary-Generals report on the review of the post structure of the UN Secretariat, which was requested by the General Assembly. The review concluded that in comparison with other major international organizations, there does not seem to be top-heaviness in the Secretariat. The matter is to be kept under review.

The Secretary-General announced the launching of the UN Fulbright Fellowship Programme, under which carefully selected Fulbright students from developing countries will be invited to extend their studies for six months through placement with a UN department or office.

In Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the first Global Mountain Summit ended today with the adoption of the Bishkek Mountain Platform. The document will guide governments on future activities and actions to improve the livelihoods of mountain people and protect mountain ecosystems.

The Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ended today in New Delhi, India, with the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration. The Declaration stresses that high priority must be given to adapting to the adverse impacts of climate change, and it urges governments to promote technological advances to increase renewable energy sources.

The Annual International Friendship Run will take place Saturday, starting from the Visitors Plaza and ending five miles later near the Tavern on the Green Restaurant in Central Park. Under-Secretary-General for Public Information and Communications Shashi Tharoor will represent the Secretary-General at the opening ceremony, which starts at 8:00 a.m. It is expected that 10,000 participants will take part, among them teams from the United Nations and its agencies and programmes and some delegations.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS Sunday, November 3 The 12th Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will begin, taking placing through November 15 in Santiago, Chile. The Conference will be considering a number of proposals to amend the lists of species subject to international trade controls.

Monday, November 4 The Security Council is expected to discuss its program of work for November, under the Presidency of Ambassador Wang Yinfan of China. At 1:00, the Presidency will brief the press on the program of work. The guest at the noon briefing will be Dileep Nair, Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services, who will discuss the eighth annual report issued by his Office.

Immediately after the noon briefing, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Shashi Tharoor will hold a press conference on the 50th anniversary of UN guided tours.

At 1:15 p.m. in Conference Room 1, the World Health Organization is organizing a briefing on the progress report on the Roll Back Malaria campaign.

Tuesday, November 5 At 11:00 a.m., Hina Gilani, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, will speak to the press.

Wednesday, November 6 The 50th anniversary of guided tours at the United Nations Headquarters will be marked by a ceremony, which the Secretary-General is expected to attend.

This is the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.

Thursday, November 7 At 10:15 a.m., the Austrian Mission will sponsor a press conference on child soldiers.

At 11:00 a.m., Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, will brief the press.

At 12:45 p.m., Gerhart Baum, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Sudan, will hold a press conference.

Friday, November 8 The Chief Executives Board, which gathers together the heads of UN departments, agencies and programs, will begin two days of meetings in the New York area. The guest at the noon briefing will be Eric Morris of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, who will present UNHCRs annual global refugee statistics. 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

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article