United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-03-11

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

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN

HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, March 11, 2003

ANNAN SAYS "END OF ROAD" FOR CYPRUS TALKS

Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a statement on Cyprus following talks that went into the late night on ways to achieve a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem, in which he and his Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, participated. A joint meeting of the parties was organized at 2:00 a.m. and broke up more than an hour later.

Efforts, made both with the Cypriot leaders and the guarantor nations Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom to salvage the process were not successful, he concluded. De Soto than delivered a statement to the press on the Secretary-Generals behalf at 6:00 a.m., concluding that the talks had not reached a successful outcome.

In that statement, issued in The Hague, the Secretary-General said that Turkish Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos had told him that he was prepared to submit the February 26 plan for approval by referendum on March 30, as long as the people knew what they are being asked to vote on. To that end, he wished to be sure that gaps regarding federal legislation and constituent state constitutions would be filled.

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash told the Secretary-General that he was not prepared to agree to put the plan to referendum, and that he had fundamental objections to the plan on basic points.

The Secretary-General concluded that we have reached the end of the road, adding that it will clearly not be possible to achieve a comprehensive settlement before Cyprus accedes to the European Union on April 16. That commitment is not in place at this time, he said, adding that the office of his Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, will be brought to a close in the coming weeks.

He said, I share tonight with all peace-loving Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Greeks and Turks a deep sense of sadness. I am not sure another opportunity like this one will present itself again any time soon.

De Soto told reporters afterward that this is the sad culmination of a process that began in late 1999. He will provide a detailed report to the Security Council.

ANNAN ATTENDS INAUGURATION OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

Today in The Hague, the Secretary-General attended the solemn inaugural ceremony for the International Criminal Court, at which the Courts first 18 judges took the oath of office. He said, It has taken mankind many years to reach this moment. He asserted that the 11 men and seven women who were sworn in today as the Courts first judges have made themselves the embodiment of our collective conscience.

He told the judges that the honesty and efficiency of the Courts administration must be beyond reproach, and he also told States Parties that, in the near future, they must choose a prosecutor for the Court.

He added, The commitment shown thus far augurs well for the future. The High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello, commenting on the Court, said today is a historic milestone reaffirming the commitment to human rights, fundamental freedoms and justice.

Immediately after the 18 judges were sworn in, they conferred in what was their first private meeting as a Court, and decided to elect Philippe Kirsch of Canada as their first President. Two vice presidents were also elected, judges Elizabeth Odio Benito and Erkki Kourula.

ANNAN MEETS WITH DUTCH LEADERS

Before the Secretary-General attended the inaugural ceremony of the International Criminal Court, he had met with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkanende and Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap G. de Hoop Scheffer for over half an hour.

The Secretary-General, in a press encounter afterward, said they had discussed the ICC, the question of Cyprus and Iraq. On Iraq, he said, he and the Prime Minister agreed that what is needed is united international action, constant and persistent pressure on the leadership of Iraq to disarm.

The Secretary-General cautioned that everyone, from governments to the people in the streets, is insisting on disarmament and the public mood must not be misread by the Iraqi authorities. He emphasized that a united Security Council, working with unity of purpose and direction, an make a difference, and he noted attempts that are being made by the Council to come together and move forward, as difficult as that is. Regardless of any vote on Iraq, he said, at the end of the day, the UN is going to be as important as ever.

The Secretary-General is to meet this afternoon with Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim. He is scheduled tol return to New York tomorrow.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES ETHIOPIA/ERITREA; TO MEET ON IRAQ

The Security Council held consultations today on the UN mission Ethiopia and Eritrea. Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, briefed Council members on the latest report.

Then, this afternoon at 3:00, the Security Council will begin an open debate on Iraq, in response to a request from the Non-Aligned Movement. At midday, there were 42 speakers inscribed so far for the debate, which is likely to carry on into tomorrow.

Monday afternoon, the Security Council held consultations on Iraq, and Hans Blix, Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), answered questions on weapons inspections put forward by the Council members.

Blix spoke to reporters at the stakeout afterward, noting that some Council members had asked UNMOVIC to present its program of further work in Iraq, which was due by the end of the month, as early as next week. He told the press that UNMOVIC would try to report on its further work next week.

SECURITY COUNCIL DEMANDS HALT TO FIGHTING IN BUNIA, DRC

Monday afternoon, Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guehenno briefed the Security Council on the developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Afterwards, the President of the Council said in a press statement that members of the Council expressed their deep concern at the continuation of fighting in Bunia. They demand the immediate cessation of hostilities and that all parties ensure the security of civilian populations and guarantee full access of humanitarian organizations to those in need.

SIERRA LEONE COURT INDICTS SEVEN

The Special Court for Sierra Leone has announced indictments against seven suspects on a wide range of charges. The Court said on Monday that, in accordance with arrest warrants authorized by its judges, five people had been arrested and taken into the Courts custody, including former Internal Affairs Minister Sam Hinga Norman and former Revolutionary United Front leader Foday Sankoh. The other three men arrested were Issa Sesay, Alex Tamba Brima and Morris Kallon.

Two other indictments were announced, for Sam Bockarie and Johnny Paul Koromah, but neither is in the Courts custody.

The charges against them involve acts ranging from murder and rape to forced conscription of children and attacks on UN peacekeepers.

ANNAN CONDEMNS KILLING OF AID WORKERS IN LIBERIA

In a statement issued through his Spokesman, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the killing of Emmanuel Sharpulo, and Musa Kita, Liberian nationals, and Kaare Lund, a Norwegian national, three humanitarian workers of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). The three were brutally killed in eastern Liberia on 28 February 2003.

The Secretary-General extends his deepest sympathy to the families and colleagues of these three humanitarian workers, and demands that the Government of Liberia determine the exact circumstances under which the incident took place, and bring the perpetrators to justice. He also calls on all parties to the conflict in Liberia to reinforce measures taken to ensure the protection of civilians, including relief workers.

UNRWA PROTESTS DAMAGE TO SCHOOLS

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is protesting to the Israeli Government for damage done to one of its schools during Israels occupation this past weekend of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.

The agency says that the Ezbet Preparatory Boys School had its entire front wall, gate and playground outbuilding demolished by an Israeli bulldozer, and most of the windows in the front of the school which flew the UN flag and carried the UN symbol were broken.

AFGHANISTAN GETS INTERNET DOMAIN

With the support of the UN Development Programme, Afghanistan has officially planted its flag in cyberspace, gaining legal and technical control of the ".af" domain for Afghan websites and email addresses.

For Afghanistan, this is like reclaiming part of our sovereignty," said Mohammad Masoom Stanakzai, Minister for Communications in Afghanistan's transitional government.

This marks a symbolic break with the recent past: under the Taliban regime, use of the Internet was ruthlessly suppressed, with non-governmental use of email services and website punishable by death.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that the spring repatriation season to Afghanistan is getting underway. In the past two days, more than two thousand refugees have returned from Pakistan and Iran, signaling an important increase over recent months.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UN FOOD AGENCY FLAGS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: The World Food Programme says the Central African Republic is probably the most silent humanitarian crisis in the world, with the drama of its civil war unfolding in front of total indifference.

WEEKLY OIL-FOR-FOOD REPORT NOTES SLIPPAGE OF IRAQI OIL EXPORTS: This weeks Oil-for-Food update notes that Iraqi oil exports under the oil-for-food program slipped to 10 million barrels for the week that ended on March 7. Exports averaged 1.4 million barrels a day, compared with 1.9 million the previous week. The estimated revenue earned for the week was $287 million, with an average price of Iraqi crude for the reporting period of approximately $28.45 per barrel.

UNICEF PROVIDES FOOD FOR IRAQI CHILDREN: The United Nations Children's Fund, is providing special therapeutic food to over 400,000 malnourished children in Iraq in the hopes of boosting their chances of survival in the event of conflict. UNICEF has delivered more than 1,000 metric tonnes of high protein biscuits and 155 metric tonnes of therapeutic milk into Iraq, which the Iraqi Ministry of Health is distributing to health centres all over the country.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS MISSION TO KAZAKHSTAN ENDS VISIT: Deputy United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan has ended his visit to Kazakhstan today. During the visit, he held talks with government officials and UN representatives in the country. He was informed by the government that the signature process will be concluded in the very near future of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and of the International Covenant on Economic social and Cultural Rights Covenants. Ramcharan travels to Uzbekistan to continue his Central Asia trip. The visit is part of an effort to enhance dialogue and technical cooperation between the governments of the region and his office, and a follow up to the Secretary-Generals visit to the region in October 2002.

FAO ISSUES LONG-TERM FORESTRY OUTLOOK STUDY FOR AFRICA: The Food and Agriculture Organization's report Forestry Outlook Study for Africa was presented today to the Committee on Forestry, meeting in Rome this week. The report is a 20-year perspective and long-term planning framework for forestry development in Africa.

UN FLAG AT HALF MAST TO MOURN DEATH OF NAURU LEADER: The United Nations flag is being flown at half-mast today. This is to observe the official mourning for the President of Nauru, Bernard Dowiyogo, who died on Sunday.

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