United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-02-13

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

UN

HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, February 13, 2003

SECURITY COUNCIL TO HOLD OPEN MEETING ON IRAQ FRIDAY

The President of the Security Council, Ambassador Gunter Pleuger of Germany, has announced that the Security Council decided that the Friday briefing on Iraq by Hans Blix, Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), and Mohamed ElBaradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will be open to allow non-Council members to attend.

The briefing is scheduled to start at 10:15 a.m.

Members of the Council will have a chance to speak in an open meeting, to be followed by a closed meeting for the members of the Council in the formal chamber. A short break is expected between the end of the open meeting and the start of the closed meeting.

A speakers list is not yet available, but at least 10 foreign ministers are expected to attend.

Upon request of the Non-Aligned Movement, Security Council members adopted a proposal to hold an open debate on Iraq on Tuesday, February 18, at 10:00 a.m. Non-members of the Council will get the floor first, and a limit of 5 to 7 minutes for each speaker was agreed upon.

The UN Media Accreditation will be open until 9:00 p.m. tonight and will open Friday at 7:30 a.m. to deal with journalists accreditation. That unit has 100 tickets for journalists to go to the Security Council Gallery, which will be distributed at 5:00 p.m. today on a first-come, first-served basis. It will also distribute 250 tickets for journalists to go to the Security Council stakeout.

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE

The Security Council began its work today with an open briefing on the Middle East by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast, who warned that violence between Israelis and Palestinians has continued unabated over the past month, while the humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory is worsening.

He welcomed reports about a private meeting last week between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Ahmed Qurei, which he said would hopefully mark the beginning of a renewed dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian Authority toward reaching a cease-fire understanding. Prendergast also noted the meetings of the envoys of the Quartet which brings together the United States, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union in London from February 18 through 20.

Referring to the work done by the Quartet in recent months to develop a road map for the peace process, he told the Council, We remain convinced that the early implementation of the Road Map would break the current stalemate and allow Israelis and Palestinians to actively pursue their legitimate aspirations across the negotiating table.

The Security Council then held consultations to discuss the matter further.

ANNAN INFORMALLY BRIEFS COUNCIL MEMBERS ON IRAQ CONTINGENCY PLANS

At 12:15 p.m. today, Council members went to the Secretary-Generals conference room where Secretary-General Kofi Annan briefed them informally on the status of UN Secretariat humanitarian contingency planning for Iraq.

After that briefing, at approximately 1:15, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Kenzo Oshima gave a summary of the informal briefing.

[Oshima underscored that the Secretary-General does not believe that war is inevitable and that contingency planning should NOT be misconstrued as indication to the contrary. Oshima, in his briefing to reporters, explained the current humanitarian situation in Iraq, spelled out planning assumptions and preliminary planning figures, and gave an update on the measures taken to date and funding requirements.]

SECURITY COUNCIL TO MEET ON COLOMBIA, DR CONGO

This afternoon, at 3:30, the Council will reconvene, first to adopt a resolution condemning the violence in Bogotá, Colombia.

Then it will hold an open meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Affairs Jean-Marie Guéhenno will update the Council on the work of the UN Mission in that country and on the military situation in the north-east.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello will also brief the Council on his visit to the country last month and on the alarming human rights situation there, including sexual violence against women and girls, especially in rebel-controlled areas, and the impunity of perpetrators of gross human rights violations.

ANNAN TO START TWO-WEEK EUROPEAN TRIP THIS WEEKEND

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is scheduled to leave this weekend on a two-week trip to several stops in Europe.

On Monday evening, he has been invited by the President of the European Union, Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, to join a meeting of the EU Heads of State and Government to examine the latest developments in Iraq and the Middle East.

On Tuesday, he is scheduled to be in Rome, where he will have lunch with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and, in the evening, he will have an audience with Pope John Paul II.

On Wednesday, he will address the 25th anniversary of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The Secretary-General is scheduled to leave for Paris that evening, and meet with French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday before he addresses the Africa-France Summit. He will have a number of bilateral meetings in the margins of that Summit, which he will attend through next Friday.

He is also planning visits to Ankara, Turkey, and Athens, Greece, starting on Monday, February 24.

ANNAN INFORMS LEADERS THAT HE INTENDS TO VISIT CYPRUS

The Secretary-General has concluded consultations on Cyprus with his Special Adviser, Alvaro de Soto. De Soto today telephoned Glafcos Clerides, the Greek Cypriot leader, and Rauf Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot leader, to inform them of the Secretary-General's intention to visit Cyprus at the end of February, following visits to Ankara and Athens.

The Secretary-Generals trip to the region will be with a view to bringing the search for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem to a decisive conclusion by February 28, as foreseen in his revised proposal of December 10, 2002. Details of the Secretary-General's itinerary will be announced shortly.

De Soto will return to Cyprus today and will host the next scheduled meeting of the two leaders on Friday afternoon, 5:00 p.m., at the UN Protected Area in Nicosia.

Asked for details of the Nicosia trip, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-Generals trip is still being finalized and details will be given in the coming days.

In response to further questions, the Spokesman declined to give details of what the Secretary-Generals purpose for the trip would be but added, Operating under tight time constraints, the Secretary-General is weighing in personally to try to wrap it up by the 28th.

ANNAN CONCERNED BY VIOLENCE IN BOLIVIA

In a statement, the Secretary-General expressed his concern about the violent incidents that took place in Bolivia Wednesday and deplored the loss of life.

The Bolivian people and their leadership have worked hard and made sacrifices to modernize the economy while preserving and strengthening their democratic institutions. Yet much remains to be done to reduce inequity and poverty. The Secretary-General appealed to the Government and to the people of Bolivia to seek solutions to their problems through dialogue and full respect for the institutions of democracy.

The Secretary-General also appealed to the international community to demonstrate flexibility and understanding in helping Bolivia find solutions to the difficult problems it confronts.

ANNAN APPOINTS CARDOSO TO HEAD PANEL ON CIVIL SOCIETY

The Secretary-General, in a statement, announced today the establishment of a Panel of Eminent Persons on UN Relations with Civil Society, and the appointment of former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso as his Special Adviser and Chairman of the Panel. He said he would look forward to receiving the panels report and recommendations within the next twelve months.

In his statement, the Secretary-General says, The goals of the United Nations can only be achieved if civil society as well as Governments and international agencies are fully engaged.

He added he would look to the panel, under Cardosos able chairmanship, to take stock of the United Nations work with civil society and to recommend how it can be improved, adding, Such improvement can only benefit the peoples in whose name the United Nations was founded.

UN WESTERN SAHARA MISSION WELCOMES PRISONER RELEASE

In a statement today, the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) welcomed the announcement by the Frente POLISARIO of its decision to release 100 Moroccan prisoners of war to mark the day of Eid-al-Adha.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, William Lacy Swing, welcomed this announcement, which responds to Security Council resolution 1429 (2002), and expressed his hope for an early release of all remaining prisoners of war in full compliance with international humanitarian law.

The Special Representative also called on the parties to continue to cooperate with the efforts of the ICRC to resolve the fate of all those unaccounted for since the beginning of the conflict.

UN LAUNCHES LITERACY DECADE, STRESSING FEMALE EDUCATION

The United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012) was launched this morning here at UN Headquarters. The theme of the Decade is Literacy is Freedom, and it aims to bring more visibility to the worldwide effort to reduce the high rates of illiteracy.

At the launch, Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette noted that one adult in five cannot read or write. Of those adults who cannot read, two-thirds are women. There is no time to lose, she urged, if we are to meet the goal agreed by the worlds Governments to increase world literacy rates by 50 percent by the year 2015.

She underscored the importance of female literacy, saying, We know from study after study that there is no tool for development more effective than the education of girls and women. That is why the first two years of the Decade will be focused on literacy and gender.

This evening, the Secretary-General will speak at a launching ceremony for the Decade at the New York Public Library, where U.S. First Lady Laura Bush and Mongolian President Natsagiyn Bagabandi will be among the guests, with Nane Annan, the Secretary-Generals wife, also in attendance.

In his remarks, the Secretary-General will stress that literacy is a human right and the fact that 20 percent of the world's adults are deprived of it should fill us all with shame.

Traveling in Kenya today, Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) noted that the majority of illiterate adults are female and emphasized that girls education is key to reducing adult illiteracy in future generations.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECURITY AT THE UNITED NATIONS: Asked whether U.S. security considerations had been reflected at the United Nations, the Spokesman said that UN Security always responds to New Yorks alert levels appropriately.

COTE DIVOIRE: The Secretary-Generals new Special Representative for Cote dIvoire, Albert Tevoedjre, has taken up his duties in Abidjan. On Wednesday, he held the first follow-up committee meeting of the agreement reached among the Ivoirian parties last month in France.

UN-HABITAT: This afternoon, the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) will have a briefing on the Global Partnership on Urban Youth Empowerment in Africa. This initiative aims to improve the lives of those living in slums by addressing the issues of crime and delinquency, employment generation and sustainable livelihoods. Among the key participants is entertainer Harry Belafonte.

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: Mark Malloch Brown, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), is on an official visit in Ottawa, Canada today to discuss the Millennium Development Goals. This morning he met with the Canadian Minister of Development Cooperation, Susan Whelan. This afternoon, he is scheduled to meet with the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

FOOD STANDARDS: In Geneva today, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization launched a trust fund to help the worlds poorest countries to participate in the Codex Alimentarius, which sets food standards to protect the health of consumers. The trust fund aims to raise $40 million, is expected to run for twelve years and will provide assistance to 120 developing countries and countries in transition.

UN BUDGET: Three more Member States have paid their 2003 regular budget contributions in full. The Czech Republic made a payment of more than $2.7 million, the Maldives paid over $13,000 and Namibia more than $94,000, bringing to 45 the total of fully paid-up Member States.