United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-03-05

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

Wednesday, March 5, 2003

ANNAN CONCERNED BY ESCALATING ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is gravely and increasingly concerned by the steady escalation in violence between Israelis and Palestinians, which has left 176 Palestinians and 30 Israelis dead since January 1, according to a statement issued through his Spokesman. He utterly condemns its latest manifestation, todays terrorist attack in the Israeli city of Haifa.

The Secretary-General strongly believes that the parties should take urgent steps to draw back from this dangerous and de-humanizing situation. He once again calls on both sides to respect fully their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect the lives of civilians.

The Secretary-General remains convinced that violence will produce neither security nor lasting peace. He reiterates his call on the parties to allow the international community to help them find a peaceful way out of this conflict, based on the two-state solution through the implementation of the Quartets Road Map.

WORLD BANK, UNITED NATIONS NOTE DEVASTATION OF PALESTINIAN ECONOMY

The picture emerging from the World Bank and UN studies on the Palestinian economy is clear: The Palestinian economy is devastated. The public sector is on life support. The private sector is rapidly deteriorating. The populations sources of livelihood are disappearing. Those were the words of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Terje Roed Larsen, at a press conference earlier today in Jerusalem.

Billions in aid is not the answer, Larsen said. The Palestinians must given the means and opportunity to manage their own lives, which calls for Israel to lift its restrictions of movement on goods and people. However, Israel says it will not do this until attacks on its people end. No population should suffer such murderous attacks, or even the fear of such attacks. Ever, Larsen told journalists.

The only alternative is a political solution and the instrument that can do this is the road map, he said, adding that the implementation of the road map must begin immediately, for this economic and humanitarian crisis cannot go on.

According to figures in from the World Bank, 27 months after the outbreak of the intifada, 60 percent of the population of the West Bank and Gaza live under a poverty line of $2 per day. The numbers of the poor have tripled from 637,000 in September 2000 to nearly 2 million today.

ANNAN: "THERE IS NO UN PLAN FOR ADMINISTERING POST-CONFLICT IRAQ"

The Secretary-General was asked this morning about media reports concerning an internal UN document about proposals for Iraq, and he stressed, There is no UN plan for administering post-conflict Iraq. The United Nations, he noted, has no mandate to make such plans.

He said that his luncheon meeting Tuesday with the members of the Security Council included a discussion of the status of the Secretariats contingency planning, particularly on humanitarian aspects, as well as legal and other issues that would be posed if there were to be a war.

The Secretary-General added, There is some preliminary thinking, but there is no plan and no document.

Asked further about the media reports on planning for Iraq, the Spokesman underscored that, should there be a war, which the United Nations still hopes the Security Council can avert, the United Nations would have to look at the consequences.

He noted that Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette has headed an internal task force, involving a number of key UN humanitarian agencies, to deal with contingency planning.

Also, Rafeeuddin Ahmed, a former UN Development Programme official, was asked as an extension of that exercise, to look at what might be asked of the United Nations after the immediate humanitarian needs had been dealt with, drawing on past UN experience in post-conflict situations. He put some ideas on paper for the Deputy Secretary-General, which since leaked to the press.

The Secretary-General, Eckhard added, has emphasized that, while the United Nations has no mandate from the Security Council, it has a moral obligation to do contingency planning while it still hopes for a peaceful solution.

Asked about reports that the United Nations would be asked to administer Iraq three months after a conflict, the Spokesman said the United Nations has not been informed by any party let alone the Security Council of what would be expected of it in a post-war situation.

Asked about a Monday meeting between Fréchette and retired U.S. Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, the Spokesman said that Garner represented a Pentagon team, which also included U.S. State Department and Agency for International Development officials. Garner, he said, hoped the United Nations would be actively involved in any post-war humanitarian scenario, but there were very few specifics offered.

The Spokesman added that the United Nations has spoken to many regional Governments, as an extension of its contingency planning on Iraq. He added, in response to another question, that the contingency planning also involved any evacuation planning.

UNMOVIC TEAM SUPERVISES DESTRUCTION OF NINE MISSILES

A team from the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) supervised the destruction of nine more Al Samoud 2 missiles today. Another missile team observed the concrete casing of the two destroyed casting chambers.

UNMOVIC conducted a private interview with an Iraqi scientist this afternoon.

Other UNMOVIC teams and inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continued to conduct visits to various sites in both the Baghdad and Mosul areas.

ANNAN: AFRICA FACES AIDS, FOOD INSECURITY, GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES

The Secretary-General this morning addressed the meeting of the Group of Eight Contact Group on food and security in Africa, telling the group that Africa had faced food crises, deadly diseases and governance challenges in the past, but never all three at the same time. Today, Africa faces a deadly triad of related burdens: Food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and an emaciated capacity to govern and provide services, he said.

There was urgent need for a Green Revolution in Africa, he continued, but a viable solution to food insecurity would only be found if the challenges of AIDS and governance were addressed at the same time.

The Secretary-General outlined eleven key actions that needed to be taken to address the issues including addressing the short term emergency and structural causes; preventing further HIV infection and treating those already infected; and helping small farmers through micro-finance.

He said achieving this would require resources and investment on a new scale, reversing the decline in development assistance, which dropped from $4 billion to $2.6 billion in the 1990s.

The group also heard from James Morris, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Jacques Diouf, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Lennart Bage, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

ANNAN INVITES GREECE, TURKEY, UK TO CYPRUS MEETING

In a statement, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General was pleased with the support he received in the Security Council on Tuesday for his efforts to assist the parties in Cyprus reach a comprehensive settlement.

The Secretary-General has since written to the Prime Ministers of Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom - the guarantor states - inviting them to be represented in The Hague next Monday, March 10, at a level commensurate with the importance of the meeting. The Secretary-General is looking to them for their support of his efforts so that The Hague meeting has a successful outcome and the separate simultaneous referenda go ahead on March 30.

Asked whether there was still room to change the plan for Cyprus, the Spokesman said the reason that the Secretary-General went to the region last week was to make any adjustments that would be required to bring the negotiations to a close. He expects the Cypriot leaders to be ready to indicate at The Hague whether or not they accept bringing the plan, in its current revised state, before referenda.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES GUINEA-BISSAU, LIBERIA

The Security Council held closed consultations today on Guinea Bissau and Liberia.

The Secretary-Generals Representative for Guinea-Bissau, David Stephen, briefed the Council on the deteriorating situation in that country, which he said needs economic assistance despite political uncertainty.

The Council also took up Liberia today, following the Secretary-Generals most recent report, issued last Friday on the day that the Contact Group on Liberia met at UN headquarters.

The Council President, Ambassador Mamady Traoré of Guinea, spoke to the press on Guinea-Bissau after the consultations, noting that members of the Council expressed their concern at political instability and the serious economic situation in the country. He said, on Liberia, that Council members were concerned at the humanitarian situation, and called on the Government and LURD rebels to stop human rights abuses.

Regarding the Security Council program, Ambassador Traoré on Tuesday announced that Iraq would be taken up by the Security Council on Friday first in an open meeting and then in closed consultations.

The Council President also said that on March 18, the Council would organize a workshop on the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and the use of mercenaries as a threat to peace and security in West Africa.

Asked whether the General Assembly could deal with Iraq if the Security Council fails to agree on it, the Spokesman noted that, in the past, the Assembly had on occasion taken up matters that were under the Councils authority once the Council was blocked from taking action.

UN LENDS ASSISTANCE FOLLOWING CHINA EARTHQUAKE

The United Nations and its humanitarian partners are lending China assistance after a powerful earthquake in the country on February 24. The earthquake caused the death of more than 250 people and left 3,000 more without housing in winter conditions. Seventy thousand housing units and 103 schools collapsed as a result of the earthquake and its tremors.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is providing an Emergency Grant of $50,000 drawn from its own resources as well as from funds from Norway. OCHA is also prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions to be used for immediate relief assistance.

DONT FORGET AFGHANISTAN, UN REFUGEE CHIEF WARNS

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Ruud Lubbers warned the international community not to neglect the rebuilding of Afghanistan as the worlds focus switches to a potential conflict in Iraq, terming Afghan stability a vital security issue.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, Lubbers appealed for continued aid as UNHCR begins a three-year program of repatriation from Pakistan. He said he would be writing to donor governments after his tour to ask them to speed up the delivery of pledges.

Last year, UNHCR assisted nearly 1.6 million Afghans to return home from Pakistan and another 262,000 from Iran. The planning figures for this year involve 600,000 returns from both of the neighbouring countries.

UNHCR has so far received only about $25 million of the $195 million in funds requested to support its Afghan regional programme in 2003.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ARAB LEAGUE TO MEET WITH ANNAN: In response to a question, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amre Moussa, would bring a number of senior Arab officials Thursday to meet the Secretary-General.

UN ENVOY URGES SERB RETURNS TO KOSOVO: Michael Steiner, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Kosovo, and Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi today visited the village of Sredska in southern Kosovo, where many Serbs have returned over the past six months. Steiner took the opportunity to call upon all those who want to return to do so, since, he promised, They can return and find a suitable environment. The Prime Minister also assured all Kosovos citizens that Kosovos institutions would work for their return and their good treatment.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL ENDS MISSION TO TAJIKISTAN: Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan completed a three-day visit to Tajikistan today, during which he met with senior Tajik officials to discuss topics ranging from compliance with human rights treaties to the enhancement of the justice system and the protection of womens rights. He also called for enhanced protection of human rights on the part of law enforcement officials.

STUDENT CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY HALL: The 27th UN International School-UN Student Conference will take place in the General Assembly Hall on Thursday and Friday. Five hundred high schools students from eight countries will participate in this years conference on the theme, Youth at Risk: The Future in Our Hands. Vanessa Redgrave will be the keynote speaker and other speakers will include children from five war-torn areas.

MORE THAN 2,000 STUDENTS TO ATTEND MODEL UN CONFERENCE : Also taking place this week is the national High School Model United Nations Conference. A total of 2,100 high school students from the United States and other countries will participate in activities, which will end with a plenary on Saturday morning in the General Assembly Hall.

UN BUDGET: Two more Member States made full payments today of their 2003 regular budget contributions. Kazakhstan made a payment of more than $370,000 and Grenada has paid just over $13,000. There are now 59 fully paid up Member States.

POLITICAL AFFAIRS WEBSITE: The UN Department of Political Affairs says its new website should be up and running by the end of the day. The site includes useful information on the various components of the Department, ranging from Security Council Affairs, the UNs prevention, peace-building and peace-making activities to the work of the Electoral Assistance Division.