United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-04-07

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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

Monday, April 7, 2003

ANNAN FORMALIZES ROLE OF UN SPECIAL ADVISER ON IRAQ

In a statement issued through his Spokesman, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he met with the members of the Security Council to inform them that he had formalized the role of Rafeeuddin Ahmed by appointing him as his Special Adviser. As he has done over the past two months, Ahmed will continue to consider possible roles for the United Nations in post-war Iraq and their legal, political, operational and resource implications.

The Secretary-General and the members of the Council agreed that any role beyond the coordination of humanitarian activities in Iraq, and other activities mandated by existing resolutions, would first require a new mandate from the Security Council.The members of the Security Council welcomed Ahmed's appointment and expressed satisfaction at the start of a dialogue with the Secretary-General on a subject which would acquire added urgency in the weeks to come.

As he entered the building this morning, the Secretary-General was asked by reporters about Rafeeuddin Ahmeds role, and said that Ahmed would be thinking about the future, thinking about what is likely to happen and what the likely UN role will be, and he would also be available to Council members and others to exchange ideas and then give me some advice. He noted that Ahmed has been doing that already, having been working on the issue since February.

Asked about the UN role in Iraq, the Secretary-General said, I do expect the UN to play an important role, and the UN has had a good experience in this area, whether it is the issue of political facilitation leading to the emergence of a new or interim administration, or work in reconstruction, human rights and the rule of law.

He added the cautionary note that each crisis has its own peculiarities and that Iraq is not East Timor and Iraq is not Kosovo, adding that Iraqis have to be responsible for their political future, and to control their own natural resources, and whatever one can do to help the emergence of a new leadership or new situation is what one should focus on.

The Spokesman was asked about the Secretary-Generals ideas for post war Iraq and he replied that, as he said last week, the Secretary-General would not be naming a Special Representative for Iraq until the job description is defined by the Security Council. He added the reaffirmation today of Ahmeds role as Special Adviser provides the UN system with a focal point for planning in post-conflict Iraq. The meeting with the Security Council members today is the first official discussion with governments of a possible UN role, but no specific formulae were put forward by the Secretary-General. The Spokesman reiterated that it was up to the Security Council to decide what that role will be and said Ahmed would be available to them if he was needed in their deliberations.

The Spokesman, in response to a question if the Secretary-General had said that the United Nations did not want to govern Iraq, replied that the Secretary-General had not said that publicly but "in our contingency planning we have considered things that we feel we can do, things that we could do but might not want to do and things that we could do and are prepared to do."

IRAQ: ANNAN TO TRAVEL TO LONDON, PARIS, BERLIN AND MOSCOW

The Secretary-General will be traveling to four countries, starting on Wednesday, to continue discussions about Iraq.

He will visit London, Paris, Berlin and Moscow, to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He will return to New York on the weekend.

When asked why the Secretary-General was going to these four countries, the Spokesman responded that these countries were actively engaged in discussion on the UNs role in postwar Iraq and he felt he wanted to have discussions at a higher level than he has been able to have here in New York.

UNICEF: "THE TAKING OF A CHILD'S LIFE IS NEVER AN ACCEPTABLE COST OF WAR"

Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund, has reminded all parties in the Iraq conflict of their legal and moral obligation to protect the lives of civilians. She noted that half of Baghdad's 5 million residents were children under the age of 18 and said experience in working with children in conflicts shows that there are profound and debilitating consequences that last for years. UNICEF is particularly concerned about reports of the use of cluster bombs in densely populated areas and called for an end to their use. "The taking of a child's life is never an acceptable cost of war," Bellamy said.

Some members of the UN team that carried out a humanitarian assessment in the southern Iraqi town and port of Umm Qasr, to make a first evaluation of local water, sanitation and food needs, as well as the condition of the port on Friday are back in the area to day, to continue their evaluation of water and sanitation requirements. Based on Fridays visit the team has concluded so far that the situation is stable.

The World Food Programme has, over the weekend, sent in the first major convoy from Turkey since the war began. WFP describes the convoy as a test run to demonstrate the feasibility of using this corridor for bringing food aid into northern Iraq.

The World Health Organization says it expects a severe deterioration of the health situation during the days to come due to daily bombardment that results in damage of infrastructure and sharp rise in civilian casualties. Many cities in the south and centre are virtually under siege and Baghdad is gradually being isolated.

The United Nations Environment Programme has recommended a scientific assessment of sites in Iraq targeted by weapons coated with depleted uranium.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO MEET ON AFRICAS FOOD CRISIS AND COTE DIVOIRE

The Security Council, in addition to their discussions on Iraq with the Secretary-General this morning, has scheduled an open meeting with WFP Executive Director James Morris at 3:00 p.m. on Africas food crisis as a threat to peace and security.

Consultations on Cote d'Ivoire, originally planned for this morning, have been rescheduled to start following the close of the open meeting on Africa.

UN MISSION IN DR CONGO INVESTIGATES REPORTS OF MASSACRES

On April 5 and 6, a team from the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (MONUC) team visited Ituri villages around Drodro to investigate reports of massacres in the area, allegedly committed by militias against civilians in the last weeks of March and early April. The team found 20 fresh mass graves and interviewed local leaders who reported that up to 960 people may have been killed, allegedly because they refused to support Lendu-based militia offensives.

As MONUC continues to investigate the incident, the Secretary-General is deeply disturbed by these reports and demands that all concerned unconditionally respect the basic human rights of innocent civilians. The reported massacres underscore the need for the local leaders to participate fully in the Ituri Pacification Committee, which has been established to find peaceful solutions in this troubled region.

At the initiative of MONUC nearly 1,100 mines, were destroyed on Saturday, 5 April, 4 km from Bunia, by Handicap International Experts under the supervision of the UN Mines Action Coordination Center. It was the largest destruction of land mines since MONUCs deployment.

HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES HAVE ACCESS TO ONLY 30 PERCENT OF LIBERIA

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that UN agencies and their non-governmental partners have access to only an estimated 30 percent of Liberia. The majority of people in need are now out of reach.

In addition, the whereabouts of many of the humanitarian workers with whom contact was lost on 27 March remain unknown.

In the areas to which aid workers do have access ---in the vicinity of the capital and Monrovias immediate southwest --- UN humanitarian agencies and their NGO partners are running out of relief supplies.

Aid groups do not have enough shelter materials for internally displaced persons and have had to reduce the food rations they give to people need.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO HEAR BRIEFING ON CYPRUS ON THURSDAY

The Secretary-General's report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus, covering the period between late 1999 and the meeting in The Hague on 10 and 11 March 2003, is out today (S/2003/398).

Apart from thoroughly reporting on the developments during this period, the report also contains a detailed explanation of the Secretary-General's plan (paras 61-128). The observations section of the report has two parts - the first gives the Secretary-General's views as to why this unique opportunity was missed (paras 129-143), the second outlines what the Secretary-General believes should be the way ahead (paras 144-151). He states that his plan remains on the table. He does not propose to take a new initiative without a solid reason to believe that the political will exists necessary for a successful outcome.

Alvaro de Soto, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, is scheduled to brief the Security Council on Thursday 10 April.

ANNAN'S REPORT OUT ON CAMBODIA WAR CRIMES COURT

The report the Secretary-General presented to the General Assembly last month about the progress of negotiations between the United Nations and the Cambodian Government to prosecute crimes during the period of Democratic Kampuchea has been issued as a document.

It explains why, while the text that was finalized last month is a considerable improvement over the one which had been previously discussed between the two sides, doubts might still remain as to whether it would ensure the credibility of the Extraordinary Chambers for a trial of Khmer Rouge leaders, given the precarious state of the judiciary in Cambodia.

ILO OFFICIAL DIES OF SARS IN CHINA

The International Labour Organization is today mourning the death of senior official Pekka Aro, who died of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, in Beijing yesterday. Aro fell ill on 28 March and was hospitalized with suspected gastroenteritis on 2 April. He was later was diagnosed with atypical pneumonia. He had been in Beijing preparing for the China Employment Forum which was due to start today, but which has been postponed.

Members of staff of the ILOs Beijing office are now under home quarantine.

The latest figures from the World Health Organization indicate there have been a cumulative total of 2601 cases of SARS, with 98 deaths, have been reported from 17 countries.

WORLD HEALTH DAY FOCUSES ON CHILDREN

Today on World Health Day, the World Health Organization calls for concerted action to protect three of the worlds greatest assets: children, the environment and health. World Health Day has as its theme this year Shape the Future of Life: Healthy Environment for Children.

In his message, the Secretary-General says that we have to recognize that healthy children are crucial to sustainable development. children are our future, he says, and a future of sustainable development begins with safeguarding the health of every child.

The United Nations Children's Fund said the fundamental environmental health risks facing children include poor sanitation, unclean water, inadequate hygiene and pollution that can lead to fatal diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea and acute respiratory infection. Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF, emphasized that a protective environment for children is crucial to their health and development.

UNICEF in particular draws attention to the continuing health and nutrition problems faced by millions of children and women in Afghanistan. Afghanistan ranks as the fourth worst country in the world in terms of deaths to children under-five years of age and has an infant mortality rate amongst the highest in the world.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

IPU MEETS IN CHILE: In Santiago, Chile, the Inter-Parliamentary Union has begun a week-long conference, and the Secretary-General, in a message to that Conference, asserted that Parliamentarians embody the will of the people, who have elected them to speak on their behalf and promote their needs and aspirations. In the message, he said that he will continue his efforts to make the United Nations an institution responsive to the peoples in whose name it was established, and to pursue our engagement with parliamentarians and other actors in civil society.

WHO BEGINS LARGEST POLIO CAMPAIGN: The World Health Organization is about to begin the largest polio immunization campaign in recent years. Over 80 million children are to be vaccinated in six states in India over the next 60 days. This follows a campaign in January and February during which 33 million were immunized in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. India remains one of the seven countries in the world to remain infected by polio and accounts for 83 percent of all new cases.

UN BUDGET: Botswana became the 71st Member State to pay its 2003 regular budget contribution in full with a payment of more than $135,000.

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