United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-03-12

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 12, 2003

ANNAN, SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMN KILLING OF SERBIAN PREMIER

A statement said that Secretary-General Kofi Annan was shocked and saddened this morning to learn of the assassination of Serbian Premier Zoran Djindjic.

The Secretary-General deplores this act of political violence marring the process of democratic normalization in Serbia and trusts that the perpetrators of this crime will be brought to justice. He extends his condolences to the Premiers family and to the people of Serbia.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Kosovo, Michael Steiner, called the assassination a brutal act against a democratically elected head of government. Steiner said he had known Djindjic for the last decade, and held him in high personal esteem.

[Security Council President, Ambassador Momady Traoré of Guinea, later read a press statement, which said Council members learned with grief about the assassination. "As a leading Serbian politician during the last decade he contributed enormously to the democratization of his country," the statement said. "C"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; ouncil members strongly condemned this assassination and urged that the perpetrators of this cowardly crime be brought to justice as quickly as possible."

UN IRAQ-KUWAIT MISSION RELOCATING STAFF FROM DMZ

The UN Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission (UNIKOM) is presently implementing Phase 3 of its security plan, which involves the relocation of its less essential civilian and military staff out of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to Kuwait City, while the remaining staff continues to carry out activities from that zone, with administrative support from the UNIKOM support offices in Kuwait City.

This is an ongoing process to carry out contingency arrangements, which includes withdrawal of UNIKOM personnel safely from the Demilitarized Zone in the event that the Mission becomes unable to carry out its mandate there.

As part of this phase, some UN military observers who were stationed in remote and isolated locations, on both sides of the DMZ, are being relocated temporarily to the Sector Headquarters. Assets and equipment that are not required right now have been moved and stored in a secure storage facility, under arrangements by the Kuwaiti authorities.

Routine helicopter and maritime operations have been suspended, but radar surveillance in the maritime sector is continuing.

UNMOVIC SUPERVISES DESTRUCTION OF MORE AL-SAMOUD MISSILES

The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) today supervised the destruction of three more al-Samoud 2 missiles, and on Tuesday also supervised the destruction of three such missiles, nine warheads, one launcher and some propellant tasks. That brings the total number of al-Samoud 2 missiles that have been destroyed to 58, while 28 warheads have also been destroyed.

Today, UNMOVIC conducted a private interview with an Iraqi who had taken part in the unilateral destruction of chemical precursors in 1991, the tenth such private interview since February 28. UNMOVIC on Tuesday sought a private interview with an Iraqi chemical researcher, but did not proceed with the interview after the researcher insisted that it be tape-recorded.

As of Tuesday, UNMOVIC and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had approximately 180 staff, including 71 inspectors, in Iraq, along with 34 local staff. A dozen inspectors are on a short break in Larnaca, Cyprus, and will return to Iraq after that break. The rotation of staff continues normally.

Asked why UNMOVIC staff was continuing normal rotations while some UNIKOM staff was being relocated, the Spokesman noted that UNIKOM was under the guidance of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, while the weapons inspectors were guided by their respective chiefs, Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei. The UN Security Coordinator, Tun Myat, is responsible for the security of other UN staff.

The Peacekeeping Department has made clear that UNIKOM will continue with its work along the border, to the extent that it can, while non-essential staff are relocated. Blix decided that, given the pace of inspection activities, there is no need to downsize the number of inspectors.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO RESUME IRAQ DEBATE THIS AFTERNOON

The Security Council is scheduled to resume an open debate on Iraq this afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

So far, there are 24 speakers inscribed to speak today. There were 28 speakers in Tuesdays debate.

Asked when a vote might be held on Iraq, the Spokesman said that was an issue to be decided by the Security Council.

SECURITY COUNCIL ISSUES PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT ON SOMALIA

The Security Council held consultations this morning on Somalia, with a briefing on the latest report and recent developments in that country by the Secretary-Generals Representative, Winston Tubman.

Following those consultations, the Council adopted a Presidential Statement, in which the Council reiterated its firm support for the Somali reconciliation process and the ongoing reconciliation conference in Kenya. The Council also demanded that the Somali parties abide by the decisions implemented during the process.

The Council expressed serious concern about the humanitarian situation in Somalia, particularly the conditions faced by displaced persons in the Mogadishu area.

The Secretary-General, in his report, said that it had become increasingly clear that inside Somalia, the continued outbreaks of hostilities are motivated by individual rivalries of faction leaders and criminal activities, rather than wider issues. He urged Somali leaders to rededicate themselves to the search for national reconciliation. He had also commended the frontline states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for their efforts aimed restoring reconciliation and normalcy in Somalia.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator's Office for Somalia today warned about the worsening humanitarian situation in Baidoa, where fighting for control of the town has disrupted aid activities for more than eight months.

ANNAN RETURNS FROM NETHERLANDS TRIP

The Secretary-General left the Netherlands today, ending a trip in which he on Tuesday attended the inaugural ceremony of the International Criminal Court.

He is back in New York, and will be at Headquarters this afternoon for a few meetings with ambassadors and internal appointments.

IAEA HEAD CALLS FOR MORE SECURITY TO DEAL WITH DIRTY BOMBS

A four-day conference is underway in Vienna, dealing with the security of radioactive sources, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei opened the conference on Tuesday by stressing the need for cradle-to-grave control for radioactive sources that could be used to make dirty bombs.

He warned, In the wake of the September 2001 terrorist attacks, and the stark awareness of the potential for radioactive sources to be used in malevolent acts, source security has taken on a new urgency.

He said the problem was especially present in the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union, where, ElBaradei said, the transitions that governments face have in some cases led to a loss of regulatory oversight of radioactive sources. Additional security measures, he said, are urgently needed.

UNICEF HIGHLIGHTS DROP IN HUMANITARIAN FUNDS FOR DPRK

The Regional Director of the United Nations Children's Fund for East Asia and the Pacific, Mehr Khan, highlighted the dramatic drop in levels of funding for humanitarian assistance to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea since early 2003.

Speaking after a weeklong tour observing the humanitarian situation in the country, Khan said in Beijing on Tuesday that UNICEF's appeal for $12 million in emergency assistance had so far received under $500,000.

She noted that there had been gains recently in children's nutritional status and childhood immunization rates but cautioned that, unless funds are urgently provided, UNICEF's work in these and other critical areas, such as water and sanitation and education, will be endangered.

UNESCO TO HOLD MEETING ON RECYCLING COMPUTER EQUIPMENT

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will hold a two-day meeting in Paris starting on Friday, on the recycling of computer equipment.

Millions of computers become obsolete each year due to the fast pace of development in information technology, but they may still have some use in developing countries. The meeting will look at more efficient ways to use all types of material, from computers, scanners and printers to servers and software.

At the United Nations, obsolete computers are made available to Member States. The data and software are removed from the computers and they are then matched with a monitor, keyboard and mouse before delivery.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

GUANTANAMO DETAINEES: The special rapporteur dealing with the independence of judges and lawyers, Dato Param Cumaraswamy, said that the ruling by a U.S. court that Guantanamo Bay detainees cannot invoke the jurisdiction of U.S. courts because the territory is not part of the country can set a dangerous precedent.

UN BUDGET: Today, Portugal became the 61st member state to pay its 2003 regular budget contribution in full with a payment of more than $6 million.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162 - press/media only

Fax. 212-963-7055

All other inquiries to be addressed to (212) 963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article