United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-03-26

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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

Wednesday, March 26, 2003

ANNAN CONCERNED ABOUT CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN IRAQ

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, upon entering the building this morning, said he is getting increasingly concerned about civilian casualties in Iraq, following reports that a missile struck a market in Baghdad. He said, I would like to remind all belligerents that they should respect international humanitarian law and take all necessary steps to protect civilians.

Asked further about the humanitarian situation, he said he was meeting with the heads of UN humanitarian agencies today. He said he believes that UN personnel are geared up to be able to go back to Iraq and resume their work as soon as the situation permits.

He was also asked about the Security Councils discussions on adjustments to the oil-for-food program, and he said that, after meeting the five permanent members of the Security Council, he was confident that they want to do everything to help the Iraqi population. The Secretary-General has no doubt that the Council will come to a satisfactory conclusion on that issue.

Asked about the death toll in the market attack, the Spokesman cautioned that the United Nations has no international staff in Iraq, and could therefore only react on the basis of news reports.

Asked what the timing for the "oil-for-food" resolution might be, the Spokesman said that, following his luncheon meeting Tuesday with the permanent Council members, the Secretary-General believed an agreement could be reached in "days, not weeks."

Asked about the meeting of the heads of UN humanitarian agencies, Eckhard said that no dramatic announcements were expected after it concluded.

Asked about the Secretary-General's reaction to a Saudi peace proposal, he said that the United Nations had not received anything on paper about it.

ANNAN TO OPEN SECURITY COUNCIL DEBATE ON IRAQ

The Security Council will begin an open debate this afternoon on Iraq, and the Secretary-General will be first to speak. After the Secretary-General, the debate is expected to continue first with non-Council members expressing their views on the current situation in Iraq, and then Council members will wrap up the debate.So far, some 50 speakers are inscribed, and the meeting is expected to continue on Thursday.

This morning, the Council held closed consultations to discuss proposed adjustments to the oil-for-food program on Iraq.

Council members discussed a draft text that has been worked on at the expert level since Saturday, which was presented to them by Ambassador Gunter Pleuger of Germany, the chair of the 661 Sanctions Committee dealing with Iraq.

SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH US NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR

The Secretary-General met on Tuesday with Condoleezza Rice, Assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Affairs. The Secretary-General welcomed Rice's taking the time to come to the UN to discuss the situation in Iraq. The UN and US delegations discussed the humanitarian situation and the requirements for the provision of assistance to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people so gravely affected by the war.

The Secretary-General repeated his public call on all parties involved in the war to meet their obligations towards civilians under international humanitarian law. He stressed that the United Nations was prepared to do all it could to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people. However, the UN would have limited capacity to do so until security conditions allowed for the safe return of staff to affected areas. Until then, humanitarian assistance would have to be provided by the United States and its coalition partners in those areas under their control, consistent with their overall responsibility under international law.

Rice described the United States' present thinking as regards the post-war period. The Secretary-General said that any United Nations role beyond the provision of humanitarian assistance would have to be decided by the Member States through a Security Council resolution. He emphasized the need to maintain the territorial integrity of Iraq and the right of its people to determine their political future and exercise control over their natural resources.

Asked about plans for a UN role in the post-war period, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General would like to hear the Security Council's view on that. He said that the role of the United Nations in post-war Iraq is a matter for the Security Council and not the Secretary-General.

In response to further questions, the Spokesman said that the United States had asked last week for the meeting.

UN HUMANITARIANWORK CONTINUES INSIDE IRAQ

The UN Children's Fund's (UNICEFs) national staff in Iraq continued its efforts to tackle the immediate humanitarian needs of the population, both in the north and in Baghdad. One hundred first aid kits have been handed over in the capital to the General Federation of Iraqi Women, which has access to considerable numbers of people at the grass roots level. UNICEFs water team has been training local technicians on how to establish water bladders for emergency distribution in the event of a total failure of main systems.

style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family: In the north of Iraq, UNICEF has been facilitating the continuing measles immunization.

UNICEF staff in Baghdad also reported that children in the city are suffering obvious signs of trauma, with continuous crying, fear of loud noises, nightmares, and so on. UNICEF knows from experience in other conflict zones that this has a lasting impact on children, and it is one of the many ways in which children are the most vulnerable in times of war.

style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight: The UN Population Fund delivered a fresh shipment of emergency medical equipment, supplies and medications to the Al-Ruwaished Hospital. The supplies are particularly intended to boost the hospitals ability to assist pregnant women and to save the lives of mothers and their babies.

style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight: The World Food Programme said that the government-run food distribution system is still partially functioning in southern and central Iraq. March distribution of incomplete rations for one month has started in areas not affected by the fighting.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that two rapid assessment teams have been sent to the east of the country to the Bazyan area, after reports of large numbers of people moving from Chamchamal, to monitor the local population and also those who have moved into the area.WHO says medical supplies are adequate but shortages of some emergency supplies are being reported.WHO is working to replenish these supplies and is ready to supply fuel for hospitals, should it be required.

PROSECUTOR SELECTED FOR INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

The International Criminal Court has selected Luis Moreno Ocampo, a prominent Argentine lawyer, to be the Courts first prosecutor, the ICC confirmed in a statement issued Tuesday.

Prince Zeid Raad Zeid al-Hussein, Jordans Ambassador to the UN and the President of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court, said that the States Parties had agreed informally last Friday to elect Moreno Ocampo when they resume their session, here in New York, starting on April 21.

The Ambassador said that Moreno Ocampo was selected after months of lengthy consultations between the governments on a number of strong contenders. He added that the States Parties are confident the newly-established Court will benefit in the coming years from a gifted prosecutor with proven abilities; a man of recognized integrity.

YUGOSLAVIA TRIBUNAL ISSUES INDICTMENT, SUSPENDS WARRANT

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Tuesday ordered the authorities in Croatia to serve an indictment against Gen. Janko Bobetko, but Tribunal Judge Carmel Agius also ordered that arrest warrants which had been issued against Bobetko be suspended immediately, with the Tribunal Registrar to receive monthly medical reports on the suspects health.

Judge Agius had previously considered a report filed by medical experts which showed Bobetko to be unfit to travel and stand trial before the Tribunal. Because of that, the judge decided that it was justified to suspend the arrest warrants, pending any change in the generals state of health.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

GLOBAL COMPACT: A few dozen businesses in Panama are setting up a network to promote corporate responsibility through the agenda set out in the Secretary-Generals Global Compact. Forty-six Panamanian businesses have signed on to the Global Compact Network-Panama, which is designed to uphold the nine principles of human rights, labor rights and environmental standards enshrined in the Compact.

COTE DIVOIRE: The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is concerned about the worsening situation of children in rural areas of the Côte dIvoire, in areas cut off and isolated by insecurity. An assessment team reports near-catastrophic conditions in the North-eastern districts of Bondoukou and Bouna, where the health care system has broken down. UNICEF will be sending a convoy of medical supplies to the area to restart its support in the area.

GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY CONFERENCE: The Food and Agriculture Organization opened a high-level conference on Global Food Security and the Role of Sustainable Fertilization in Rome today. The conference is jointly organized by the FAO and the International Fertilizer Industry Association.Among the topics to be discussed are the challenges for successfully managing fertilizers in commercial farming systems and emerging technologies in the field of fertilizer use and human nutrition.

BUDGET: Malaysia today became the 65th Member State to pay its 2003 regular budget contribution in full, with a payment of more than $3 million.

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