United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-03-18

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

Tuesday, March 18, 2003

IRAQ: WITHDRAWAL OF UN INTERNATIONAL STAFF UNDERWAY

The withdrawal of UN international staff from Iraq is continuing in accordance to the authorization given by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday.

The Secretary-General had informed the Security Council of that decision based on information which he had received from the United Kingdom and United States authorities regarding the continued safety and security of United Nations personnel.

At the end of the operation, more than 300 international staff will have departed. These are international staff in Iraq from the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Office of the Iraq Programme and United Nations agencies, programmes and funds implementing the Oil for Food Programme.

In addition, the Secretary-General has authorized United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM), which patrols the demilitarized zone between Iraq and Kuwait, to withdraw.

A statement on the withdrawal was issued after the Secretary-General spoke to reporters at the Security Council stake-out microphone.

As a result of the withdrawal, all United Nations activities in Iraq will be suspended until further notice. However, the Secretary-General has stated that the United Nations will find a way to resume its humanitarian activities to help the Iraqi people and do whatever it can to provide them assistance and support.

Asked if any UN staff had refused to leave Iraq, the Spokesman said that none had.

Asked if the staff would remain in Cyprus, the Spokesman said the weapons inspectors would remain in Cyprus for a few days and that some of the humanitarian staff will be redeployed to countries bordering Iraq.

IRAQI OIL EXPORTS UNDER UN PROGRAMME NET $340 MILLION IN PAST WEEK

According to the Office of the Iraq Programme, during the week of March 8 through 14, Iraqi oil exports reached 12.7 million barrels generating approximately $340 million.

Asked about what would happen with the Oil for Food Programme in case of conflict, the Spokesman answered the UNs Oil For Food Programme has the government of Iraq as a partner. In case of conflict, Eckhard added, it would be up to the Security Council to redefine the programmes mandate and operating modalities. The Spokesman added that the Secretary-General is particularly eager to see that there is a continuation of the Oil For Food Programme, which is a big network to deliver a massive amount of humanitarian good.

Eckhard said that, in the event of war, we would want to see the goods that are currently in the pipeline be delivered by UN staff to the Iraqi population once the hostilities have ceased.

Asked about reconstruction, the Spokesman said that the United Nations would need to know from the Security Council what it would be expected to do beyond the humanitarian field.

Asked about the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people now, the Spokesman said in case of conflict, according to international humanitarian law, the primary responsibility for meeting the humanitarian needs of the population falls on the occupying power. In a second phase, once the hostilities had ended, the UN agencies and their NGO partners could then move in and get to work.

Eckhard stressed that UN operations were temporarily suspended and that UN agencies were ready to go back to work as soon as possible.

Asked if the Secretary-General had spoken to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell after President Bushs speech, the Spokesman said they had spoken yesterday afternoon and not after the speech.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals mood, the Spokesman the Secretary-General was focusing ahead rather than looking back. He will be paying close attention to the 11th hour 59th minute diplomatic activity in the Security Council tomorrow and he is also focusing on the humanitarian contingency planning as well as a possible UN role in post conflict Iraq, Eckhard added.

UNHCR OUTLINES CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR IRAQ CRISIS

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said in Geneva today that its contingency planning in case of a conflict in Iraq is based on an initial preparedness figure for 600,000 refugees.

This is not a "prediction," but a working figure based on one of many possible scenarios. This working figure is not set in stone and can be adjusted as events dictate.

The initial contingency preparations by UNHCR for 600,000 people require $60 million.

As of yesterday, UNHCR had pre-positioned emergency stocks for nearly 300,000 people in the region and enough should be in place for 350,000 in the next fortnight. Supplies continue to arrive and are being pre-positioned around the region, including Iskenderun, Turkey, Kermanshah, Iran, and Aqaba, Jordan.

Additional staff is also being deployed to those neighboring countries.

ANNAN THANKS SECURITY COUNCIL FOR FOCUSING ON WEST AFRICA

The Security Council is holding an open debate on the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons and Phenomenon of Mercenaries: Threats to Peace and Security in West Africa.

The meeting is chaired by the Foreign Minister of Guinea, François Lonseny Fall, as the Security Council President.

The Secretary-General addressed the meeting, which has 29 other speakers, including 10 ministers.

The Secretary-General thanked the Security Council forfocusing its attention even at this critical moment when all our minds are on Iraq on a subject which is of great importance to the welfare and well-being of millions of people in another region of the world, namely West Africa.

He went on to say that: The easy availability of small arms and light weapons is strongly linked with the dramatic rise in the victimization of women and children and with the phenomenon of child soldiers. Light automatic weapons can be carried and fired by children as young as nine or ten. The link is particularly evident in West Africa and he cited the conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and now Cote DIvoire.

On the mercenary problem he said, the problem is linked to the failure to adequately fund and implement disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, and the failure to provide assistance to countries such as Liberia and Guinea-Bissau.

He called for help to the countries of the region to build up the capacity to address this issue, and countries involved, and in particular their leaders, to focus more intently on this very real and very present threat to peace.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO TAKE UP IRAQ TUESDAY AFTERNOON

The Security Council is set to hold consultations on Iraq later this afternoon, following the open meeting.

Iraq is also on the Security Council agenda for Wednesday morning when an open meeting is scheduled on the UNMOVIC programme of work.

UN LEGAL COUNSEL RETURNS TO NEW YORK AFTER CAMBODIA TALKS

Hans Corell, the UN Legal Counsel, has returned from Phnom Penh, where he succeeded in reaching agreement with the Cambodian Government on a formula for trying Khmer Rouge leaders. That agreement now goes to the General Assembly for approval.

Corell will be briefing the Secretary-General on the agreement this afternoon.

UN OVERSEES SIGNING OF CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES ACCORD IN DRC

Representatives of various groups in Ituri signed an agreement of cessation of hostilities under the auspices of Amos Namanga Ngongi, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo .

Ngongi said this agreement would be followed on Thursday by the establishment of a preparatory committee for the establishment of the long-awaited Ituri Pacification Commission.

Formation of the commission has been delayed several times by fighting between various rebel factions and militias.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION BEGINS 59TH SESSION

World security is threatened not only by the crises currently dominating the headlines but also by AIDS, hunger and the "dreams of obscure vengeance" from political terrorists "whose only achievements are the sudden screams of innocent people," UN High Commissioner Sergio Vieira de Mello told

the delegates at the opening Monday of the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

He warned that the fight against terrorism could not be allowed to trample on rigorous respect for civil and political liberties.

We must not let our quest for security be based on fear, de Mello said in conclusion, that quest will only be completed if we are guided by what binds us all: the rights that you [the commission] are sworn to protect and promote.

The Chairperson of the 2003 session is Ambassador Najat Al-Hajjaji of Libya. The session is set to continue until April 24th.

UNHCR, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN AGREE TO RESOLVE AFGHAN REFUGEE ISSUES

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan signed a tripartite agreement in Brussels yesterday. The agreement, for the first time, establishes a formal process for resolving the 23-year-old Afghan refugee problem in Pakistan.

Under the agreement, UNHCR will continue to assist the voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan for three more years. At the end of this process, a screening will take place to determine who among the remaining Afghan population is still in need of protection and continued refugee status.

UNHCR has already signed similar agreements with the governments of Iran, France and the United Kingdom.

MORE FUNDING SOUGHT FOR EMERGENCY NEEDS OF PALESTINIAN REFUGEES

In a press release issued today on the status of its emergency appeal, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) says contributions received so far will enable it to continue its emergency assistance activities, but not all activities envisaged under the $94 million appeal launched in December.

UNRWAs Commissioner-General, Peter Hansen said today that while we all welcome this positive development, other pressing emergency needs -- shelters for refugees made homeless by shelter demolitions, bolstering of our emergency health services, and enhancing our psychosocial and other services -- remain badly under-funded.

Hansen issued an urgent call last month to the international community not to let the West Bank and Gaza slide down on its list of priorities as the world's attention is set on Iraq.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

FLOOD VICTIMS RECEIVE AID IN MOZAMBIQUE: The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched an emergency operation to airlift food to thousands of Mozambicans cut off by floods caused by Cyclone Japhet. A WFP helicopter made its first delivery of a Corn Soya Blend to families stranded along the Save River, which burst its banks on March 11, washing away key roads in the area. The airlift operation will cost $340,000 and will provide 200 tons maize meal, beans, high-energy biscuits and vegetable oil for about 15,000 people by the end of the week.

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