United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-02-20

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

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY HUA JIANG

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN

HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, February 20, 2003

ANNAN ANNOUNCES EFFORT TO STEM TIDE OF AIDS ACROSS AFRICA

In Paris today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan addressed the Africa-France Summit, and told the Heads of State and Government gathered there that he will establish a high-level Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa. That Commission, he said, will study the links between AIDS and governance in various sectors, including agriculture, youth and the military, and will provide advice on how to stem the tide of AIDS across Africa.

The Secretary-General appealed to the African leaders to pay greater attention to the extraordinary proliferation of AIDS orphans, whose numbers have now reached 11 million. And he asserted, Since AIDS in Africa and around the world is more and more wearing a womans face, we will gain control of the pandemic only if women are the very center of our strategies. In short, if you want to save Africa, you must save Africas women first.

Secretary-General noted the progress made since the last Africa-France Summit two years ago, with leaders agreeing to join an African Union and democracy and the rule of law making further advances on the continent, but he added that such progress merely sets the stage for the hard work to come.

He particularly drew attention to the crisis in Cote dIvoire, and he called on all Ivorians, and particularly the countrys political leaders, to make the agreement they signed last month a concrete first step towards peace.

After his speech, the Secretary-General participated in the first working session of the Africa-France Summit, on political partnership, security and peace.

In the early afternoon, the Secretary-General had a private meeting with South African President Thabo Mbeki to discuss the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), before he participated in an afternoon working session of the Summit on partnership and development priorities.

He then met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, for discussions about Iraq. They talked about the need for Iraq to accept its obligation to disarm and to work proactively with UN inspectors to get the job done urgently. They emphasized the Security Councils central role and the need for the inspectors to press ahead with their important work.

In the early evening, he met with Mbeki and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and they agreed to get together the next day with DRC President Joseph Kabila to discuss the peace process in that country.

Later in the evening, he was to attend a dinner hosted by French President Jacques Chirac in honor of the heads of delegation attending the Summit.

ANNAN STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF "QUARTET" EFFORTS IN MIDDLE EAST

In a statement attributable to his Spokesman, the Secretary-General welcomed the statement of the Quartet Envoys on the Israeli-Palestinian situation issued in London earlier today.

He said it was a matter of vital interest to peace and security in Middle East that the Quartet maintain its efforts with the parties to achieve the two-state solution that is the cornerstone of international consensus on the comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Arab conflict.

"QUARTET" ENVOYS REVIEW SITUATION IN MIDDLE EAST

Representatives of the Middle East Quartet -- the United States, the Russian Federation, the European Union, and the United Nations -- met in London at the Envoys level to review the current situation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and prospects for giving new impetus to peace efforts.The United Nations was represented by the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Terje Roed Larsen.

During the meeting, they discussed the next steps toward the adoption and implementation of the Quartets Road Map, as it is the means for progress toward the vision described by President Bush on June 24, 2002:two democratic states living side by side in peace.The Envoys reaffirmed that the Road Map should be formally adopted and presented to the parties as soon as possible.

In the statement, they also expressed very serious concern at the continuing acts of violence and terror planned and directed against Israelis, and at Israeli military operations over the past several days in the West Bank and Gaza, which led to Palestinian civilian fatalities.

The Task Force on Palestinian Reform also met in London yesterday and today.

ANNAN URGES PARTIES IN MIDDLE EAST TO STOP VIOLENCE

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Secretary-General voiced concern at the latest escalation of violence in the Middle East. Since last Saturday at least 27 Palestinians and four Israelis have been killed, with many more injured. This comes at a time when representatives of the international community are meeting in London to discuss ways to put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back on a track of peaceful negotiations.

The Secretary-General remains convinced that there is no military solution to this conflict. Violence is not going to produce either security or lasting peace.It only feeds the terrible cycle which began in September 2000. The Secretary-General urges the parties immediately to cease all forms of violence, abide by international humanitarian law and allow the international community to help them find a peaceful way out of this conflict.

SECURITY COUNCIL DEBATES INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

The Security Council held an open debate on Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.The debate is a follow up of the 20 January high-level meeting on the issue of combating terrorism to allow non-Council members to participate in the debate.Twenty-six speakers were inscribed to take the floor.

The report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council summarizing the proposals made at that high-level meeting was issued today. The report was issued pursuant to Resolution 1456, which was annexed to the January 20 declaration on combating terrorism.

The next consultations of the Security Council are scheduled for Friday on the subject of the Cote dIvoire.

On Wednesday afternoon, members of the Security Council took note of the letter on the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea and decided to refer the matter to the experts for further consultations, according to the Security Council Presidency.

UN INSPECTORS REVIST AL-SAMOUD MISSILE SITES

Five missile teams from the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) performed five separate inspections, all related to Al Samoud 2 missiles.

One team placed additional UNMOVIC tags onto Al-Samoud 2 missiles and warheads in the Baghdad area.

A second team returned to the Al Samoud Factory, where the Al Samoud 2 missiles are manufactured and significant equipment involved in the manufacturing was tagged.

A third team went to Ibn Al Haytham, where the status of Al Samoud missiles being assembled was determined.

A fourth team inspected the Al Qudis factory, where research and development, assembly and testing of guidance and control systems for the Al Samoud missile are carried out.

A fifth team inspected Al Wazariya, another site involved in the manufacturing of the Al Samoud 2 missile and significant equipment involved in the manufacturing was tagged.

Other UNMOVIC teams and inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continued with their regular inspection visits in and around Baghdad.

MEETING HELD TO RE-ENERGIZE GEORGIAN-ABKHAZ PEACE PROCESS

At the invitation of the Secretary-General, high-level representatives of the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General have been meeting in the past two days in Geneva for a brainstorming on the way ahead on the Georgian-Abkhaz peace process.

The meeting, attended by representatives from France, Germany, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States, was chaired by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Jean-Marie Guéhenno. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Georgia, Heidi Tagliavini, was also in attendance.

The Group of Friends reaffirmed their commitment to the principles for a political settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, as contained in the Security Council resolutions and the Paper on Competences. They agreed to recommend to the parties a set of proposals aimed at re-energizing the peace process. The United Nations will reconvene a high-level meeting of the Group of Friends in a few months to assess progress made and consider the next steps to be taken.

UN ENVOY BRAHIMI TO ATTEND TOKYO CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, left Kabul today for Japan where he will attend a special international conference on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in Afghanistan.

The conference in Tokyo on Saturday, February 22 is called Consolidation of Peace (DDR) in Afghanistan.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai will also be attending the conference. Countries will be invited to make pledges towards the financing of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process.

CHILD NUTRITION SURVEY SHOWS IMPROVEMENTS IN NORTH KOREA

Malnutrition rates among children in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea have improved in the last four years, according to a new survey, but UN agencies warn that the improvements could be lost if support from the international community is reduced.

The results of a new assessment of child and maternal nutrition carried out by the governments Central Bureau of Statistics and Institute of Child Nutrition in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Food Programme show positive trends.

The number of underweight children is down to 21 percent from 61 percent in 1998 and acute malnutrition has fallen to 9 percent from 16 percent.The government attributes this in part to humanitarian assistance provided by the international community.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS IN GULF REGION: Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator Ross Mountain is in Teheran today, where he wrapped up a three-day visit to Iran, during which he met with senior Government officials on the humanitarian dimensions of the ongoing events in the region. He also held talks with the UN country team in Iran, as well as other humanitarian groups, before heading back to Geneva.

UN TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDA: A former camp commander in Rwanda, who was arrested over the weekend in the Republic of Congo, was transferred yesterday to the Detention Facility in Tanzania of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where he faces five counts of genocide, incitement to commit genocide and crimes against humanity, including rape.

REPORT ON PEACEKEEPING: The Secretary-Generals report to the General Assembly on Implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations is out today. The Secretary-General is pleased that the process is very much on track and he stresses that the implementation of the outstanding recommendations is very much a shared responsibility. This is a follow-up to the recommendations put forward by the Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations under the chairmanship of Lakhdar Brahimi.

AQUACULTURE: The Food and Agriculture Organization says in its report State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2002 that aquaculture is growing more rapidly that all other animal producing sectors. Aquaculture now accounts for more than 29 percent of the global supply of fish and other seafood, up from 3.9 percent in 1970. China is the largest producer with 71 percent of the total volume and 49.8 percent of the total value.

FARM PROJECTS IN AFRICA: The FAO also announced an agreement with Libya to provide a total of $21 million for agricultural projects in Africa. The first installment of $9.3 million will finance projects in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger and Sudan.

UN STAMPS: The United Nations Postal Administration today launched new stamps to commemorate the new headquarters of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which has recently been granted observer status by the General Assembly. The design for the stamps was decided by a competition that was won by Cyril Wursten of Switzerland. The stamps are available in Swiss denomination only.

UN BUDGET: Switzerland made a payment of more than $10 million the peacekeeping budget today.

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