United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-03-28

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

Friday, March 28, 2003

SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVES OIL-FOR-FOOD ADJUSTMENTS

The Security Council early this afternoon unanimously approved Resolution 1472, calling on the international community to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Iraq and authorizing the Secretary-General to take several measures to adjust the oil-for-food program for that country.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan attended the formal meeting in which the Council approved the resolution, on which Council members worked until late Thursday, and he welcomed the resolutions unanimous passage, saying, I think it augurs well for future tasks ahead of us. We have many challenging questions and I hope we will be able to approach those tasks with the same spirit.

ANNAN SAYS UN WILL MOVE QUICKLY TO IMPLEMENT RESOLUTION

The Secretary-General, on entering the building this morning, was asked about the resolution, passed later in the day by the Security Council, on adjusting the oil-for-food program, and he said that some work is already being done to review the contracts received by that program and to determine what Iraqs urgent needs are. We will need to move very quickly, he said.

In response to a question about the UN role in Iraq down the line, he said that would be an issue for discussion in the Security Council and noted certain red lines for the Council about the parameters of a UN role.

The Secretary-General said, In my discussions with Council members, they do not want to see any situation where the UN is subjugated to the authority of a country or several countries. He added that some are also concerned about any actions that could appear to legitimise the military action after the fact.

He added, Obviously, if the UN is going to be on the ground, we will have to determine the relationships between the UN, occupied Iraq and the occupying power.

UN LAUNCHES $2.2 BILLION HUMANITARIAN APPEAL FOR IRAQ

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette today announced that the United Nations was launching an appeal for $2.2 billion to deal with Iraqs humanitarian needs through the end of this August, based on preliminary estimates.

That appeal includes $1.3 billion for food aid, with the World Food Programme expected to assume responsibility for feeding most of Iraqs population, a task that would require 430,000 tons of food per month.

The WFP appeal will cover a phased operation over six months, with each stage dependant on the needs of the Iraqi people. The agency says food reserves in Iraq will be exhausted by May, and it plans to support a food distribution system capable of serving 27.1 million people, the largest humanitarian operation in history. The initial phase will include the feeding of a potential total of 2.1 million refugees and internally displaced people through cross-border operations.

The UN flash appeal also covers provisions for refugees and internally displaced persons, and such needs as shelter, health, safe drinking water, the clearing of landmines and emergency repairs to Iraqs infrastructure.

The Deputy Secretary-General said that, if the resolution adopted today by the Security Council on adjustments to the oil-for-food program allows a large amount of food to be delivered to Iraq very quickly, the overall amounts mentioned in the appeal could be reduced accordingly.

Asked about that resolution, she cautioned, There are limits to how much one can play with what is in the pipeline of funds available to the oil-for-food program.

UN CONCERNED AS STAFF VEHICLES TAKEN IN NORTHERN IRAQ

In Amman, the spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that local authorities in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, have appropriated 10 United Nations vehicles: six mini-buses, two ambulances and two pick-up trucks.

The United Nations is concerned, the Spokesman said, that these vehicles might be used in local conflicts by the authorities. If this happens, then the safety of UN staff and of the UN humanitarian effort will be seriously compromised.

Also in the north, staff from the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) launched a new scheme to monitor what is happening to children caught up in the crisis. National staff are working with children from different communities whose situation can be regularly monitored over the next few weeks.

Some have been uprooted from their homes, while others are at home but facing disruption to their lives. The monitoring should provide not only a snapshot of how children are coping but also early warning of any emerging crisis that may require intervention.

UNICEF calls on authorities controlling areas to ensure that any aid being delivered to civilians is done in a way that ensures that the most vulnerable people are reached, that the needs of those in institutions are met and that distributions take place in a way that ensures the human dignity of beneficiaries.

Teams from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), accompanied by Iranian authorities, have visited several areas along the border to look into reports of groups of displaced Iraqis, mainly from northern Iraq, who have fled towards border areas near Iran.

Iranian authorities tell UNHCR that, so far, there have been no attempts by displaced Iraqis to cross the border into Iran. The Iranians have maintained that their borders are sealed but that Iraqis whose lives are in danger would be allowed to enter the country.

COUNCIL DISCUSSES BOUGAINVILLE, EXTENDS TWO UN MISSIONS

The Security Council began its work today with a briefing on Bougainville by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Danilo Turk, who said that the implementation of an action plan for weapons collection there seems to be proceeding well. Despite the existence of possible spoilers, he said, confidence remains that the Bougainville Peace Agreement can be fully implemented before the end of the year, allowing the UN to end its Political Office by that time.

After the open briefing on Bougainville concluded, the Council held formal meetings to adopt resolutions that extended the mandates of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan by 12 months from today, and of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone by six months, until the end of September.

This afternoon, at 3:30 p.m., the Security Council will hold consultations on Cote dIvoire.

ANNAN APPALLED AT DEATH OF ICRC STAFFER IN AFGHANISTAN

The Secretary-General was appalled, in a statement released through his Spokesman, to learn of the brutal killing on Thursday of Richard Munguía, a delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan.

Mr. Munguía, a 39-year old water and shelter engineer, was shot by unidentified assailants while en route to the town of Tirin Kot, near Kandahar, where he was assigned to improve the water supply.

The Secretary-General finds it reprehensible that humanitarian workers committed to help people in need are targeted. He expects the authorities to make every effort to find and detain those responsible for this criminal act.

He also extended his deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Munguía and to his colleagues at the ICRC.

ANNAN DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER RENEWED FIGHTING IN LIBERIA

The Secretary-General, in another statement, expressed his deep concern over fighting near the town of Zwedru, Liberia, in which thousands of civilians are reported to have been displaced from their homes. He is further concerned about the safety of a number of humanitarian workers from United Nations and non-governmental agencies who had been assisting populations in the Zwedru area, and have been out of contact with their respective organizations since Thursday. Some have escaped to safety in neighboring Cote dIvoire, but the United Nations is still awaiting news of the others.

The Secretary-General urged all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilian populations caught in fighting, including humanitarian workers. He called on all parties to the conflict to respect the provisions of international humanitarian law that oblige combatants to ensure the safety of humanitarian personnel.

WHO RECOMMENDS NEW MEASURES TO HALT SPREAD OF VIRUS

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday recommended new measures, related to international travel, to reduce the risk of further international spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The tougher travel recommendations include screening of air passengers departing from the affected areas for another country.

WHO also issued detailed recommendations to airlines on steps to take should a suspected case of SARS be detected during a flight.

Despite the earlier discovery of two viruses associated with the outbreak, recent findings shared by the WHO network labs increasingly point out the corona virus as the primary cause of the disease.

As of Thursday, 1,408 cases, including 53 deaths, have been reported in 13 countries.

ANNAN TELLS STAFF THAT WORLD IS LOOKING TO UN

The Secretary-General today wrote to staff conveying his appreciation for the devotion and loyalty they continue to show during trying times.

He said he does not accept claims that the United Nations has failed because it could not prevent war or is doomed to irrelevance. The worlds people including the people of Iraq are looking to the United Nations, he said. The Iraqi people urgently need our help, and we must make every effort to bring them humanitarian relief and assistance as soon as possible.

He added that people everywhere will still look to the United Nations to carry on the daily struggle to prevent conflict, to promote development and human rights, to defeat poverty, protect the environment and fight global scourges that afflict mankind.

The months ahead, he wrote, promise to put our Organization to new tests. But what has never failed us in the life of our United Nations is the commitment of all of you, the staff.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

COMMEMORATIVE STAMP: The UN Postal Administration today issued new stamps to meet current and make-up postage rates in the US and Euro currencies. The stamps include a special stamp commemorating the centenary of the first flight by the Wright Brothers in 1903.

BUDGET: Germany made a payment of more than $6 million to the UN peacekeeping budget today.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, March 31

The Secretary-General is expected to make comments in a meeting with a delegation of Palestinian journalists.

Tuesday, April 1

Ambassador Adolfo Aguilar Zinser of Mexico will take over the Security Council Presidency for the month of April, replacing Ambassador Mamady Traoré of Guinea.

Wednesday, April 2

The Security Council is expected to hold consultations on its program of work for April. Afterward, Council President Adolfo Aguilar Zinser of Mexico will brief the press.

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