United Nations Daily Highlights, 02-11-11

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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, November 11, 2002

ANNAN CONDEMNS ATTACK ON ISRAELI KIBBUTZ

A statement issued by the Spokesman today said that Secretary-General Kofi Annan was appalled by the attack Sunday on Kibbutz Metzer in Israel, in which five people were killed, including two children. The Secretary-General reiterated in the strongest possible terms his utter condemnation of all terrorist acts against civilians and called once again on all Palestinian groups to stop immediately all such acts of violence.

The Secretary-General remains very concerned at the broader issue of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, including both terrorist acts and the ongoing policy of extra-judicial killings.

Earlier today, Terje Roed Larsen, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, also issued a statement on the attack, condemning this murderous act as morally and ethically unacceptable.

CYPRUS: ANNAN BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL ON NEW PROPOSALS

[On Monday afternoon, the Secretary-General briefed the Security Council during closed consultations on Cyprus. The Secretary-General informed the members of the Security Council that he had put forward proposals as a basis for agreement on a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, Security Council President Ambassador Zhang Yishan of China told reporters. He said members of the Council welcomed that decision, and reaffirmed their full support for the continuation of the Secretary-Generals mission of good offices.

A statement issued through his Spokesman said the Secretary-General conveyed today to Glafcos Clerides, the Greek Cypriot leader, and to Rauf Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot leader, a document providing a basis for agreement on a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. Copies of the document have also been conveyed to Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom in their capacity as guarantor powers under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee.

The statement goes on to say that the Secretary-General hopes that this initiative will help the parties focus on the decisions that they should take in the next few weeks in order to seize the opportunity at hand and bring about a settlement. He has asked the leaders not to take a formal public position on what he has submitted to them but instead to take some time to consider them. The Secretary-General hopes that they will exercise the necessary discretion in this regard.

In response to reporters' questions following consultations regarding the deadline for the parties to respond to the proposals, the Secretary-General said he has asked them to come to him within a week. "I hope I will hear from them by the 18th ," he said.]

Also today, the Council's sanctions committee on Liberia met in the morning, and the sanctions committee dealing with Iraq will meet at 3:30 p.m.

On Friday afternoon, the Security Council, after consultations on the Central African Republic, issued a statement to the press condemning the recent attempt to seize power by force.

Also on Friday, Russia, France and China issued a joint statement to the Council expressing their views on Resolution 1441 on Iraq.

ANNAN TO TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON, D.C. TO MEET WITH U.S. PRESIDENT

The Secretary-General will leave for Washington, D.C., on Tuesday afternoon to attend the UN Association of the U.S. International Visionaries Award Dinner, where he will be honored and make remarks.

On Wednesday, he will travel to the University of Maryland to deliver the annual Anwar el-Sadat Memorial lecture. His speech will focus on the current state of peace efforts in the Middle East. He will also receive an honorary doctorate.

He will take advantage of his presence in Washington to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Tuesday afternoon before the UNA dinner, and then with President George W. Bush on Wednesday afternoon before he returns to New York.

UN MISSION REPATRIATES RWANDANS FROM EASTERN DR-CONGO

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reported that on Sunday it repatriated to Kigali 114 Rwandans (55 ex-combatants and 59 dependents) who had been stationed at Kamina in the southeast of the DRC.

Under the voluntary repatriation program, the Rwandans upon arrival will spend a few days at a Demobilization Center before being reunited with their families and reintegrated into civilian life.

UN MISSION WELCOMES RECONSTRUCTION OF MAIN AFGHAN ROAD

The reconstruction of the Kabul-Kandahar-Herat Road in Afghanistan started on Sunday, and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan welcomed the inauguration of the project.

The Mission said that major reconstruction projects like this were essential for the country, as they provide job opportunities, promoting national integration as well as economic and social development in rural and urban areas.

The Kabul-Kandahar-Herat road is a project financed by the Governments of Japan, Saudi Arabia and United States.

ANNAN RECOMMENDS RENEWAL FOR UN MISSION IN GUATEMALA

The Secretary-Generals new report on the UN Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) recommends a renewal of the mandate of the Mission through December 31, 2003.

The Secretary-General says the Mission has already begun a transition program that will intensify in 2003 and adds that there is no guarantee that the Guatemalan sectors involved in the transition will be strong enough to assume their additional responsibilities before the planned departure of MINUGUA. The Government of Guatemala has requested an extension of the Missions mandate into 2004.

ANNAN NOTES PROGRESS ACHIEVED IN TIMOR LESTE

The report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET), which reviews the first five months of the Mission, says that commitments made between the Governments of Indonesia and Timor-Leste, if realized, will allow UNMISET to keep to its schedule for reduction and withdrawal.

The progress that has taken place in the country, the Secretary-General says, offers great promise. He urges the Security Council and the international community to remain engaged and build on contributions made so far to bring this promise to its full realization.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF CONCERNED ABOUT COTE DIVOIRE

On Friday evening, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello, issued a statement expressing his concern at the violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in Cote d'Ivoire, as shown in the increase in summary executions, arbitrary detention, kidnapping and torture in that country.

Vieira de Mello recalled that in his letter to the President Laurent Gbagbo on October 15, he stated that it is the Government's responsibility put a stop to those responsible for these grave violations. He added that a number of these violations could lead to international judicial investigations.

The High Commissioner also called on the Government immediately to open independent and in-depth investigations, and urged all the parties in the current conflict to put an end to violence and to re-establish a climate of national reconciliation.

REVIEW SESSION OPENS FOR BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION

Today in Geneva, a two-week review session of the Biological Weapons Convention opened. Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala, who is there, told reporters that a proposal before the session, which suggests the establishment of a mechanism to monitor compliance with the Convention, represents a modest achievement, and should be adopted.

He said that what matters now was that all sides focus on further progress, rather than crying over spilt milk over the lack of consensus thus far.

The sessions chairman, Ambassador Tibor Toth of Hungary, said the two-week meeting would not focus on reaching agreement on a final declaration, but rather would try to achieve consensus on a paper that would allow work to continue on topics like bio-security and assistance to countries dealing with man-made diseases.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

At 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the Secretary-General will address the press to announce a senior appointment.

The UN Environment Programme announced a new project to halt the spread of desertification and to heal the lands on the margins of Africas deserts. The newly replenished Global Environment Facility will provide more than $16 million of the $50 million project which will look into the key causes of land degradation and damage in areas from the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of Senegal to the Acacia Savanna in Zimbabwe and draw up action plans for land recovery.

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