United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-11-08

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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, November 8, 2002

SECURITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTS RESOLUTION ON IRAQ

Shortly after 10:15 a.m. today, the Security Council voted

unanimously to adopt resolution 1441 (2002) to return UN weapons inspectors to Iraq.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the first speaker after the 15-0 vote, urged the Iraqi leadership for the sake of its own people, and for the sake of world security and world order -- to seize this opportunity, and thereby begin to end the isolation and suffering of the Iraqi people. If Iraqs defiance continues, however, the Security Council must face its responsibilities.

"The road ahead will be difficult and dangerous. But empowered by this resolution, the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency stand equipped to carry out their vital task, he said.

This is a time of trial for Iraq, for the United Nations and for the world. The goal is to ensure the peaceful disarmament of Iraq in compliance with Security Council resolutions and a better, more secure future for its people," he said. "How this crisis is resolved will affect greatly the course of peace and security in the coming years in the region, and the world.

All 15 members of the Security Council spoke after the vote.

ANNAN ON NEW RESOLUTION: "WE HAVE A NEW BALL GAME NOW"

The Secretary-General, in remarks to reporters after the meeting, said the return of the inspectors is not enough. It is a good beginning, he said, adding. What is important is performance.

In response to a question about how the new resolution affected a 1998 Memorandum of Understanding, he said, I think the Security Council resolution of today is the governing document and Iraq has to comply We have a new ball game now and Iraq has to comply."

Asked about follow-up action, he said, What is important is that there are no triggers in this resolution, and the Council will be back to review what the inspectors bring them.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals involvement in getting the resolution adopted, the Spokesman answered that the Secretary-Generals phone log would serve as a good indicator of his level of involvement. He was consistently involved, the Spokesman went on say, in his typical manner, through phone calls to capitals as wells as ambassadors in New York.

The Secretary-General, the Spokesman said, was particularly interested in seeing a unanimous vote and, in that connection, he made a flurry of phone calls in the last 24 hours.

In the end, the Spokesman said, this was the achievement of the 15 members of the Security Council, their constituents in the broader membership of the Organization, and their determination to come up with a full agreement on the text. This is good for the United Nations and the rule of law, the Spokesman added.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Today is the monthly Security Council luncheon. The Secretary-General was expected to attend the luncheon hosted by Security Council President Zhang Yishan, Acting Permanent Representative of China.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet this afternoon in closed consultations on the Central African Republic. Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Tuliameni Kalomoh, will brief on recent developments.

UN ENVOY TO RETURN TO MYANMAR NEXT WEEK

In a statement released through his Spokesman, the Secretary-General announced that Razali Ismail, his Special Envoy for Myanmar, will visit Yangon from 12 to 16 November 2002 to help facilitate the national reconciliation process in Myanmar. It will be his ninth mission as Special Envoy.

Razali has requested meetings with Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), General Maung Aye, Vice Chairman of SPDC, General Khin Nyunt, Secretary-1 of the SPDC, and other Government leaders during his stay in Yangon. He will also meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), as well as representatives of ethnic nationality groups.

As stated in his report to the General Assembly (A/57/484), the Secretary-General is concerned that the positive momentum generated for the on-going national reconciliation process in Myanmar since the restoration of Daw Aung San Suu Kyis freedom of movement on 6 May could dissipate unless some tangible progress is made in the near future.

In this context, the Secretary-General attaches importance to Razalis upcoming mission, and in particular his discussion with Senior General Than Shwe.

ANNAN MEETS WITH HEADS OF ALL UN ORGANIZATIONS

The Secretary-General today convened the second of the two meetings held each year of the Chief Executives Board, which brings the executive heads of all organizations to further coordination and cooperation on the whole range of substantive and management issues facing the UN system.

After they hold private meetings here at Headquarters this afternoon, the heads of the 27 agencies, funds and programmes that participate in the Chief Executives Board will head out of New York City, where they will continue their discussions on key issues today and tomorrow.

This evening, they plan to discuss a strategy to further the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.

UN WARNS ZIMBABWE ECONOMIC INDICATORS SIGNAL DISTRESS

The UN regional office dealing with southern Africa today warned that Zimbabwes economy is continuing to shrink, with all indicators signaling distress including a decline in the gross domestic product, rising inflation and a shortage of foreign currency.

By the end of this year, Zimbabwes real gross domestic product is expected to contract by 12 percent, while inflation is expected to spiral by 200 percent.

Meanwhile, the production of most cash crops and subsistence crops is expected to decline, affected by, among other things, ongoing land resettlements, fuel shortages and the June drought.

ANNAN CONSULTS WITH SPECIAL ADVISOR ON CYPRUS

Asked if the Secretary-General had made up his mind on presenting a new plan for the settlement of the Cyprus issue, the Spokesman said he had not. He added that the Secretary-General had met with his Special Advisor for Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, Thursday evening and that he may be in touch with him later today.

Asked about further contacts the Secretary-General had concerning Cyprus, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General had made a series of phone calls on this issue Thursday and today. Iraq is not the only issue on his agenda, the Spokesman added.

Asked about de Sotos travel plans, the Spokesman later answered that he had no information on his travel plans.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) will begin a campaign in 16 West African countries Saturday to vaccinate 60 million children against polio. As part of this campaign, UNICEF and WHO will receive a donation of millions of doses of the vaccine from the drug company Aventis Pasteur in a ceremony this afternoon at the UN headquarters.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced today eighteen new sites in twelve countries have been added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and five existing sites have been extended. Biospheres are land or coastal ecosystems dedicated to finding solutions to reconcile the preservation of biodiversity with sustainable development. The new reserves are varied in size, population density, ecological features and land use. There are now a total of 425 sites in 95 countries in the Network.

In an operation conducted Thursday, a vessel belonging to the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo rescued 150 passengers from drifting barge.

The United States has paid more that $208 million to the regular budget. The current U.S. balance on the regular budget is just over $190.3 million; for the UN Peacekeeping budget the balance owed is about $654.8 million; and for the Tribunals, just over $12 million, making a grand total of $857 million.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS Monday, November 11 In Geneva, the fifth review conference of the Biological Weapons Convention will begin.

Tuesday, November 12 The Security Council is expected to hold both an open briefing and consultations on the Middle East. At 11:00 a.m., Jean Ziegler, the Special Rapporteur dealing with the right to food, will brief the press.

Wednesday, November 13 The Security Council has scheduled consultations on the report of the panel on the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The UN Industrial Development Organization will launch its Industrial Development Report 2002-2003, on competing through innovation and learning, at an 11:00 a.m. press conference.

Thursday, November 14 The Security Council has scheduled consultations on Liberia, including on sanctions there.

Friday, November 15 The Security Council intends to hold an open meeting on Timor Leste. * The guest at todays briefing was Yusuf Hassan, from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to present the new statistical refugee yearbook. 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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