United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-03-25

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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 25, 2003

LOCAL UN HUMANITARIAN STAFF CONTINUES TO WORK IN IRAQ

In the north of Iraq, the UN assesses that there are some 300,000 internally displaced people who are largely staying with relatives. Regular contacts with local UN staff indicate that a coordinated response is underway to meet their needs. Remaining food stocks in warehouses are being distributed.

Local staff from the UN Development Programme are working with local authorities on the electrification of an IDP camp designed to hold 7,000 people.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees says there have been no substantial movements of Iraqi refugees across neighboring borders. Inside Iraq, however, there are media reports of people moving from cities into rural areas

The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director, Carol Bellamy, said today in a statement that the agency is deeply troubled by the deteriorating conditions in areas of military action in Iraq. She added that the situation in Basra was of particular concern as there is no electricity and the water supply has been interrupted, putting people at risk of disease from unsafe drinking water.

Bellamy called on the parties of the conflict to put more focus on the humanitarian impact of the conflict and urged them to make the safety of children a priority.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that during the last 24 hours it has received reports of serious water shortages being experienced in Basra, Iraqs second largest city. As many as 60 percent of the city's 1.7 million inhabitants are reported to lack access to clean, safe water. This is of concern to WHO since lack of safe water increases disease and death rates, particularly among children. UNICEF local staff is working to get vital water tankers into Basra to improve the situation for the city's children

In a statement released in Geneva today, WHO Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland reminded all parties to the conflict in Iraq to fully respect the neutrality of medical facilities and staff.

Asked if the Secretary-General had been asked to negotiate a cease-fire between the warring parties in Iraq, the Spokesman said that, to the best of his knowledge, he had not.

Asked if the Secretary-General, had been asked to provide a legal opinion as to whether the conflict was in breach in with UN Charter, the Spokesman said, to the best of his knowledge, he had not. The Secretary-General has been in touch with members of the Security Council, various capitals as well as Amr Moussa, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Eckhard went on to say, and he is eager to see the Security Council reunite on a humanitarian plan for Iraq.

Asked if the Secretary-General had seen and reacted to the recent peace proposal put forward by Saudi Arabia, the Spokesman said he was not aware that the Secretary-General had even been given a copy of the plan.

In answering a question on the recent criticism in the Arab world of the United Nations and the Secretary-Generals handling of the Iraqi issue, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General had been upfront, consistent and clear on his position. He does not feel he has anything to apologize for, Eckhard added. The strains that the UN is under are as a result of a disagreement between Member States, he said. The Secretary-General hopes, the Spokesman said, that they can reach agreement on the humanitarian front.

Emotions run high when there is a war and people are getting killed, Eckhard said, but the Secretary-General does not feel the United Nations is threatened by the situation. He said that the Secretary-General is perfectly comfortable with the position he has taken.

ANNAN AND US NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR MEET IN NEW YORK

In response to a query, the Spokesman confirmed that Secretary-General Kofi Annan was currently meeting with the US National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice. The meeting began with a two-on-two discussion involving the Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General, the National Security Adviser and US Ambassador to the UN John Negroponte.

The meeting, the Spokesman added, was being held at the request of the United States and the discussion was on Iraq.

ANNAN TO MEET HEADS OF UN HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES

On Wednesday, the Secretary-General will be meeting with heads of UN funds and programs involved in humanitarian relief.

Those present will include, James Morris, WFPs Executive Director; Carol Bellamy, UNICEFs Executive Director; Mark Malloch Brown, the UNDPs administrator; Ruud Lubbers, High Commissioner for Refugees; Benon Sevan, the Iraq Programmes Executive Director; and Kenzo Oshima, the UNs Emergency Relief Coordinator.

They will discuss the UNs response to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

IRAQ OIL EXPORTS UNDER UN PROGRAM DROP SHARPLY

According to the Office of the Iraq Programme, Iraqi oil exports dropped during the week of March 15-21 to just 25 per cent of the previous weeks level.

For the reporting period, exports and revenues reached 3.1 million barrels and $63 million respectively, compared with 12.7 million and $340 million for the previous week.

The last oil loading under the program was on Thursday, March 20, at the oil terminal in Ceyhan, Turkey.

Asked what was holding up the discussions on the draft resolution on the "oil for food" program, the Spokesman said that the members of the Security Council had been discussing it at the experts' level but, since these meeting had been held at one of the missions and not at UN Headquarters, he could not report any details on these discussions. However, Eckhard went on to say it is everyones intention is to reach agreement as soon as possible on this issue.

COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF UN MISSION IN WESTERN SAHARA

The Security Council met in closed consultations this morning to discuss the mandate of the UN mission in Western Sahara.

Assistant Secretary-General Hédi Annabi briefed members of the Council on the recent from the Secretary-General to the Council on the UN Mission.

The Council then adopted a draft technical resolution extending the mandate of the mission by two months.

The President of the Council, Ambassador Mamady Traore, told reporters afterward that the Council would hold an open debate on Iraq on Wednesday afternoon, following consultations on the "oil for food" program at 10:00 a.m.

UN: BOSNIAN WATER SUPPLIES CONTAMINATED BY DU AMMUNITION

A report released today by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) confirms for the first time that depleted uranium from weapons used in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1994 and 1995 has contaminated local supplies of drinking water at one site, and can still be found in dust particles suspended in the air.

The report says that the contamination levels are very low and do not present immediate radioactive or toxic risks. UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer cautioned that precautions should be taken, and that ground water and drinking water at and near sites where depleted uranium has been confirmed to be present should be monitored regularly.

The UNEP report was based on data collected by a team of experts that investigated 15 sites targeted with depleted uranium weapons, which detected the presence of contamination and pieces of depleted uranium weapons at three of those sites (a tank repair facility and ammunition storage area at Hadzici and the Han Pijesak barracks).

GROWING CONCERN AT CONTINUED FIGHTING IN LIBERIA

UN humanitarian agencies fear that the needs created by the continued fighting in Liberia could quickly overburden their scarce aid resources. The sharp increase in the number of internally displaced persons raises concerns on whether there will be enough food, water and medicine to provide them, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says in a press release.

The Office warns that, in particular, the movement of people to camps in Montserrado and Bong Counties can overstretch existing water and sanitation facilities, potentially leading to epidemics as the rainy season is fast approaching.

Meanwhile, the agencies are being forced to meet emergency needs on a shoestring budget, with only 1.5 percent of the total UN inter-agency appeal for 2003, which totals 42.6 million dollars, having been received to date.

WHO CONTINUES WORK ON RESPIRATORY VIRUS

The World Health Organization briefed the media in Geneva today on developments in the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS.

The head of WHO's Communicable Diseases department, David Heymann, said two different viruses had been identified in samples from patients and most, if not all the cases identified so far, could be traced back to a family member or direct contact with a hospital worker.

He added that, until there are indications to the contrary, WHO maintains that travel should not be interrupted because of the outbreak.

WHO has reported 456 cases so far in 14 countries, resulting in 17 deaths.

ANNAN CALLS ON PLIGHT OF UN STAFF IN DETENTION

In a message issued to mark the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members, the Secretary-General today noted that Alec Collett has been missing for 18 years, after his abduction in Beirut while on assignment for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

The Secretary-General said that the anniversary of his disappearance should be used to raise awareness about the dangers that UN staff face.

The UN Staff Union and its Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service is trying to underscore that message by designing and producing a lapel pin to mark the occasion. Today, the Deputy Secretary-General is receiving one of those pins from Alec Colletts wife, Elaine.

The Secretary-General said, I hope staff will wear the pin and thereby help raise global awareness of a crucial issue for the success of our work.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ILO DIRECTOR-GENERAL RE-ELECTED:Juan Somavia from Chile, the first representative of the Southern Hemisphere to head the International Labour Organization (ILO), was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second five-year term as Director-General today in Geneva. The election took place at the 286th session of the ILO Governing Body, which began today. His second term will formally begin in March 2004.

TIMOR-LESTE/UNDP: In Timor-Leste today, the representatives of the UN Development Programme and Japan exchanged notes on a program for the reintegration, employment and stability for ex-combatants and communities. Japan is donating $ 4.5 million to fund the first year of the nation-wide program.

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

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