United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-09-03

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

Wednesday, September 3, 2003

SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS FIRST CONSULTATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER

The Security Council this morning held its first consultations for the month of September.

On its agenda was an upcoming meeting on Justice and the Rule of Law: the UN role and a briefing by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean Marie Guéhenno on the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the transfer of security responsibilities from the Interim Emergency Multi-national Force to the UN Missions (MONUC) Ituri Brigade in Bunia.

Following consultations, British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, the Council President for September, briefed the press on the Council's work for the month and on today's program.

[In the context of the latter, the Council President read two press statements.

In a statement on the DRC, Council members welcomed the action conducted by the European Union in the deployment of Interim Emergency Multinational Force, which helped to avoid a humanitarian tragedy and was instrumental in stabilizing the situation in Bunia, and warned all parties against supplying arms, and not to engage in further violence.

In a statement on the Western Sahara, the Security Council welcomed the September 1 release by the Polisario Front of 243 Moroccan prisoners of war and reaffirmed the Councils call in Resolution 1495 that the Polisario Front release without further delay all remaining POWs in compliance with international humanitarian law.]

U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTORS READY TO RESUME WORK IN IRAQ

In its 14th quarterly report to the Security Council, the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) says that, despite the damage sustained by its Baghdad monitoring center, it is able and ready to resume field operations in Iraq, relating to disarmament, at short notice, should the Security Council decide that it do so.

Since the Council has not revisited UNMOVICs mandate, the Commission has continued with those parts of its mandate that remain operable. One of these is a project aimed at charting what is known and understood of Iraqs program of weapons of mass destruction, including staffing, financing and procurement.

UNMOVICs core professional staff stands at 57, down from 76 at the end of May.

It is expected that the Commissions Acting Executive Chairman, Demetrius Perricos, will present this report to the Security Council on Thursday morning.

RELIEF FLIGHT EXPECTED IN REPUBLIC OF CONGOS POOL REGION

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has organized a relief flight to the Pool region, which is in the southwestern part of the Republic of Congo.

Based on several assessment missions to the area, OCHA says that while the region may be out of political crisis, it remains in acute humanitarian crisis. Infrastructure has been completely destroyed, sanitation is seriously lacking, the health and nutritional situation is of grave concern and children are dying of acute malnutrition.

Reconstruction remains a challenge for the population; due to large-scale looting, many are without working tools, such as hoes, machetes, and axes. OCHA reports that, in some areas, people must walk over 60 kilometers to reach health centers.

A relief flight from the UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Brindisi, Italy, with items such as water storage and distribution equipment, tents, sanitation items, blankets and kitchen items, is expected to arrive in the capital, Brazzaville, today.

ANNAN CALLS ON STATES TO RATIFY NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY

In a message to the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls upon all States that have yet to sign or ratify the Treaty to do so without delay. He notes that seven years have already passed since the Treaty was open for signature.

Delay increases the risk that nuclear testing might resume, he said in a message delivered by Antonio Maria Costa, Director-General, UN Office at Vienna, adding, It jeopardizes efforts to take further steps towards the goal of nuclear disarmament.

He particularly directed the call to sign or ratify the Treaty to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, as well to the other 11 States whose ratification is needed for the Treaty to enter into force, underscoring that no nuclear testing must be tolerated under any circumstances.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECRETARY-GENERAL TALKS TO U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: In response to a question, the Spokesman confirmed that the Secretary-General and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had spoken by telephone this morning but provided no details of the conversation.

LECTURE ON "ISLAM AND THE WEST" SCHEDULED FOR SEPT. 15: The fifth lecture of the Secretary-Generals Lecture Series is scheduled to take place on September 15, when Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a Muslim scholar at George Washington University, will speak on the topic Islam and the West. The lecture will comprise a brief presentation, followed by questions, and is part of a continuing effort within the United Nations to create a strengthened framework for dialogue and mutual understanding for the international community.

RALPH BUNCHE LECTURE TO TAKE PLACE THURSDAY: The first of a series of three lectures to mark the centenary of the birth of UN diplomat and Nobel Laureate Ralph Bunche is scheduled tomorrow (Thursday). From 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Thursday in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, Dennis Ross, the President of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Edward Mortimer, Director of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, will discuss Ralph Bunche and the Question of Palestine. Former UN Under-Secretary-General Brian Urquhart will moderate the event.

style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight: 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