United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-07-03

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY HUA JIANG

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, July 3, 2003

[Friday, July 4, 2003 is a holiday at UN headquarters. The briefing will resume on Monday, July 7, 2003]

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS RESOLUTION ON CONFLICT PREVENTION

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette welcomed the adoption today of a General Assembly resolution on the Prevention of Armed Conflict, which is a response to the report of the Secretary-General of 2001 (s/2003/574).

"I hope it will become a landmark for our efforts in this field, " she said. "As the Secretary-General reminded us in his report, we have an obligation to the victims of violence around the world to take seriously the challenge of prevention and to move from rhetoric to reality."

She pledged that the Secretariat, for its part, is committed to strengthening the capacity of the United Nations system in order to carry out more effectively its responsibilities for the prevention of armed conflict

UN FORCE COMMANDER ATTENDS DISCUSSIONS ON FORCE FOR LIBERIA

The Force Commander for UNAMSIL is in Accra, Lieutenant General Daniel Ishmael Opande is in Accra, Ghana, to attend a meeting of the Defense and Security Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which is discussing the composition and mandate of a force for Liberia as part of the ongoing peace talks in that city. The Commission is made up of the chiefs of defense staff of ECOWAS members

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today that a UNHCR rescue ship was steaming Thursday toward Liberia to begin the emergency evacuation of thousands of Sierra Leonean refugees who have fled to the besieged capital city, Monrovia.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of spontaneous arrivals from Liberia are being reported in other West African countries. In Ghana, UNHCR staff report that several vessels, ranging from small fishing boats to larger ships, began arriving in June and are now showing up with increasing frequency.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that displaced populations in Monrovia are choosing to remain in impromptu settlements around the city as the security situation remains tense despite a truce. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain highly susceptible to outbreaks of diseases due to shortages of clean drinking water and sanitation facilities.

In response to reports of cases of measles in Monrovia, UNICEF and the World Health Organization in collaboration with the ministry of health and non-governmental organizations are conducting immunization campaigns against measles and tetanus.

Four water tankers provided by the European Union continue to truck water to both IDPs and Monrovia city residents. The quantity of water provided to IDPs (approximately 4 litres per person per day), however, continues to be far below the target of 15 litres per person per day. If security allows, humanitarian agencies will chlorinate wells around Monrovia, though their chlorine stocks are low.

Efforts to provide sanitation facilities are complicated by the rainy season and by Monrovias terrain, which makes the construction of latrines problematic. Some areas are very rocky, while others are flat and water logged, which makes them unsuitable for latrine construction.

In response to questions about the status of the Secretary-Generals call for a multinational force for Liberia, the Associate Spokesman said that the Secretary-General has had a number of telephone conversations with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell over the last 48 hours mostly focusing on Liberia and that the Force Commander from the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was taking part in the ECOWAS talks in Accra on a force for Liberia.

SECURITY COUNCIL MISSION TO WEST AFRICA ENDS TALKS WITH LIBERIAN PARTIES

Arriving in Conakry, Guinea, in the evening yesterday, the Security Council Mission to West Africa met with the leader of the rebel movement Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) Seku Conneh, and had scheduled meetings today with President Lansana Conte and/or Prime Minister Lamine Sidime, and Foreign Minister Francois Lonceny Fall.

The mission led by British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock is scheduled to depart today for Freetown, Sierra Leone, its last stop, before returning to New York on Saturday.

In Accra, following a series of meetings with participants in the Liberian peace talks that began on June 4, Greenstock outlined a number of points the mission had made clear to the parties, which included full respect for and implementation of the ceasefire that has been agreed between the parties in conflict; urgent progress towards, a comprehensive political settlement; that there can be no military solution to this crisis and the need for the full and immediate respect on the ground for international human rights and humanitarian law and full and immediate access for humanitarian organizations.

SECURITY COUNCIL MEETS ON KOSOVO, EXTENDS IRAQ-KUWAIT MISSION MANDATE

Michael Steiner gave his last Security Council briefing as the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Kosovo during which he read excerpts from an open letter signed by all non-Serb leaders of Kosovo urging the return of refugees and displaced people in Serbia and Montenegro and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The Security Council adopted unanimously as resolution 1490, which gives the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observer Force. a final mandate of three months. In the draft resolution the Council notes the force and the DMZ between the two countries are no longer necessary. During these three months, the Force will be liquidating its assets.

UN MISSION IN DR CONGO SAYS SECURITY IMPROVING IN BUNIA

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo said that the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD/G) began disengaging its troops from Lubero, North Kivu province early Tuesday at 7 a.m. This 15 km-disengagement from the town of Lubero is in line with the agreement signed Last June in Beni between the government, RCD/G and Congolese Rally for Democracy-Kisangani/Liberation Movement.

The UN Mission also said that security conditions are improving in Bunia and the population began returning gradually to the town. The World Food Program has provided 600 tons of food and non-food items to assist the populations in dire need in Bunia.

Namanga Ngongi, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, has ended his nearly two years mandate as head of the UN Mission. His successor, William Swing, is due to arrive in Kinshasa tomorrrow.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UN STAFF UNION: In response to questions regarding the UN Staff Committees statement regarding the status of the Staff Union as of Monday, July 7, the Associate Spokesman said that according to the Statute and Rules of the Staff Union, the mandate of the officers of the Union ends after a two-year term on 3 July 2003. He went on to say that the Staff Regulations also specify that elections shall be held at least biennially. Therefore, the term of office of the officers of the Union expires in accordance with its Statute. Asked why the Secretary-General was shutting down the Staff Union, the Associate Spokesman, denied the Secretary-General has shut down the Staff Union. Staff representation continues through the elected representatives of each unit, whose mandate is still valid. Additionally, staff will continue to be able to access management directly.

AFGHANISTAN: A delegation of the Multi-Party Security Commission, accompanied by the UN Mission in Afghanistan, has managed to broker a ceasefire between the Jamiat and the Jumbesh factions in Mazari-Sharif. While tensions are still high, the UN Mission said that the ceasefire, which was put in place last Sunday night, is holding; The World Food Programme has announced that it is to step up its support to Afghanistans education system through food aid. The project cost during the two-year period is estimated at $97 million.

A BILLION NEW JOBS: The International Labour Organization (ILO), in cooperation with the United Nations, the World Bank, youth leaders and other organizations, has launched a new initiative to help to create one billion new jobs worldwide for youth over the next decade. The initiative, a so-called five-step road map for national action plans on youth employment, is designed to convert "policy work to action at the country level" and to develop and implement strategies that give young people everywhere a real chance to find decent and productive work.

FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL: María del Rocio Sáenz Madrigal, Minister of Health of Costa Rica, participated in a ceremony at UN headquarters where he signed the "Framework Convention on Tobacco Control."