United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-09-19

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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

Friday, September 19, 2003

SECURITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHES U.N. PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN LIBERIA;

EXTENDS U.N. MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE

In consecutive open meetings, the Security Council this morning adopted two resolutions on West Africa, in the presence of Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Security Council members unanimously adopted resolution 1508 (2003) that extended the UN mission in Sierra Leone by six months.

Then, in another unanimous vote, the Council adopted resolution 1509 (2003) which establishes, under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, the enforcement provision of the UN Charter, the UN Mission in Liberia for a period of 12 months and requests the Secretary-General transfer authority from the forces led by the Economic Community of West African States on October 1.

The comprehensive six-page resolution decides that the new mission will consist of up to 15,000 UN military personnel, and up to 1,115 civilian police officers, including formed units to assist in the maintenance of law and order throughout Liberia.

In response to a question about whether the Chapter 7 provision of the Liberia resolution applied only for self-defense of the peacekeepers, the Spokesman said the enforcement provision would apply to the entire mandate of the mission.

[Following the adoption of what he described as "very important" resolutions, Security Council President, British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, said "10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; Those resolutions reflect the determination of the United Nations Security Council to bring relief to the people who have suffered too long in both those countries and importantly to address the regional impact of a conflict which has been very destructive."]

In a third open meeting this morning, the Security Council adopted without a vote the Security Councils Annual Report to the General Assembly.

In order to allow Council members to participate in the resumed emergency special session of the General Assembly on the Middle East, which started at 11:00 a.m., the Security Council postponed consultations on the "oil-for-food" program until Sept. 29.

BANGLADESHI PEACEKEEPERS TO MOVE FROM SIERRA LEONE TO LIBERIA

The UN Mission in Sierra Leone announced today that it is preparing an 850-strong Bangladeshi battalion to be deployed in Liberia once their one year tour of duty ends in northern Sierra Leone.

This deployment is scheduled to start next Tuesday and last for about 10 days.

On the humanitarian front, the UN High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) says that it was laying the groundwork for the eventual land repatriation of thousands of Sierra Leonean refugees still in Liberia. Most had been displaced from their camps during the recent fighting in Liberia and were in a desperate situation.

UNHCR also said that Guinea had also reported the arrival in recent days of some 2,000 new Liberian refugees in a southern Guinean town who fled after the announced takeover of their towns by the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy.

DAY OF PEACE COMMEMORATED AT UN HEADQUARTERS

Accompanied by five Messengers of Peace and the General Assembly and Security Council presidents, the Secretary-General today rang the Peace Bell at UN Headquarters to herald the International Day of Peace, which is formally observed on Sunday. Also in attendance were 400 children from 40 countries.

Before ringing the bell, the Secretary-General noted that a month ago, almost to the hour, the UN headquarters in Baghdad was blown up in an act of unspeakable brutality. He said, The tragedy that took our colleagues a month ago, and the troubling events that have taken place in the world over the past year, tell us that our work for peace has never been more important than today.

Following the ringing of the bell, the Secretary-General and Nane Annan led the students for a meeting with the Messengers of Peace and, via videoconference, with students and former child soldiers at a number of UN peacekeeping mission sites around the world.

ONE MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF BAGHDAD ATTACK TO BE MARKED

At 4:00 pm in the General Assembly Hall, the Secretary-General will speak at a memorial service at which many family members of the UN personnel who died last month will be present. And at 7:00 pm, also in the General Assembly Hall, Brazilian musician and Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil will perform a concert in honor of the fallen staff.

In Baghdad earlier today, just after 4:20pm local time, exactly one month after the devastating attack on the Canal Hotel, a UN security guard raised the UN flag to full-staff. It had been at half-staff since the day after the attack.

The ceremony was presided over by Kevin Kennedy, who is presently the officer-in-charge of the UN operations in Iraq, and was attended by both international and local staff.

Asked if the UN compound in Baghdad was still functioning, the Spokesman said that the parts of the compound not damaged by the explosion are being used as working and living accommodation by staff. He added that the United Nations has other buildings in Baghdad, which continue to function.

Asked about the current level of UN activities in Baghdad, the Spokesman said the core essential humanitarian work was continuing thanks to the efforts of the UNs national staff. As for increasing staff numbers, the Spokesman said the United Nations was waiting to see what type of mandate it would be given by the Security Council.

IAEA CALLS NORTH KOREA TO ABIDE BY NUCLEAR SAFE GUARDS

The General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today wrapped up its meeting in Vienna by calling on the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to accept promptly comprehensive IAEA safeguards and to cooperate with the Agency in their full and effective implementation.

In the resolution, the States at the Conference urged the DPRK to dismantle completely any nuclear weapons program in a prompt, transparent, verifiable and irreversible manner. They also welcomed the six-party talks that took place last month in Beijing as a clear step in the right direction.

ANNAN REMEMBERS SWEDEN'S LINDH AS GREAT FRIEND OF THE UNITED NATIONS

This morning in Stockholm, UN Legal Counsel Hans Corell delivered a message on behalf of the Secretary-General at the memorial service honoring the late Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh.

In his message, the Secretary-General said Lindh would be remembered as a unique source of inspiration and great friend of the United Nations, who was instrumental in defining and Swedens role in Europe and in the United Nations. He went on to say: I wish there were more world citizens like her.

In conclusion, the Secretary-General said that since her death, a sky of lead hangs over Sweden and the international community -- but Anna leaves a legacy of light which sets a standard for us all.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL: Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette will travel to Ottawa, Canada this afternoon to attend an event by the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. She will be back to New York on Sunday.

IRAQ: The Governing Council of the UN Compensation Commission for Iraq, under the Presidency of Ambassador Michael Steiner of Germany, concluded its 49th session yesterday afternoon in Geneva. The Commission approved awards of more than $315 million for compensation.

BURUNDI: Issued as a document today is a letter in which the Permanent Representative to the United Nations requests a meeting between the Security Council and the President of Burundi, Domitien Ndayizeye to discuss the future prospects for the peace process for that country. The Security Council has scheduled a private meeting from 11 a.m. to noon on Burundi for Monday.

AID TO ANGOLA: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today announced that almost two million Angolan farmers will receive agricultural emergency assistance in the next few weeks before the start of the rainy season. In its largest operation ever in Africa, FAO will provide agricultural kits to farmers in 14 of the 18 provinces in Angola and it will distribute approximately 5,000 tons of inputs to the most remote and isolated villages.

SUDAN: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has sent a team to an eastern town in Chad to begin emergency assistance operations for an estimated 65,000 Sudanese refugees who have fled fighting in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

UN TRIBUNAL: Following an exchange of letters between the Secretary-General and the Security Council, the Secretary-General has appointed Judge Jean-Claude Antonetti of France to serve the remainder of Judge Claude Jordas term on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, effective October 1. That term will expire on November 16, 2005.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Sunday, September 21

Today is the International Day of Peace.

Monday, September 22

The General Assembly will convene a high-level meeting to follow up to the 2001 UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS. The Secretary-General will present a progress report on AIDS and address the meeting. The weeks press conferences will be updated regularly and posted on the Spokesmans web site.

The Secretary-General will open a conference in New York on Fighting Terrorism for Humanity: A Conference on the Roots of Evil.

The Security Council will hold a private meeting with the President of Burundi.

Tuesday, September 23

The General Assembly will begin its plenary session, with the Secretary-General opening the session and also holding bilateral talks with the assorted world leaders gathered for the session. The Secretary-General will also host a luncheon for the leaders present in New York.

Starting today, the United Nations will begin a treaty event, Focus 2003: Treaties against Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism, to focus on obtaining ratifications or accessions for major UN treaties dealing with those areas.

Wednesday, September 24

Thursday, September 25

The Security Council will hold an open meeting, attended by the members foreign ministers, on the UN role in justice and the rule of law.

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