United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-10-22

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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 SPOKESWOMAN

FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Wednesday, October 22, 2003

ANNAN SAYS STEPS WILL BE TAKEN TO ENSURE EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF

RECOMMENDATIONS BY INDEPENDENT PANEL ON STAFF SECURITY IN IRAQ

In a statement issued after the release of the Report of The Independent Panel on the Safety and Security of UN Personnel in Iraq, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said, "The security of the staff has been the constant concern of the Secretary-General and the Organization. There have been many previous evaluations of the United Nations Security Coordination System but following the attacks on UN staff on 19 August, the Secretary-General decided that there should be an independent investigation and asked Mr. Martti Ahtisaari to head it. The reports of three earlier internal investigations were made available to his team.

"Mr. Ahtisaaris report, while focusing on the attack of 19 August and security conditions in Iraq, has concluded with Findings and Recommendations regarding security in the wider UN system. The report will be closely studied and steps taken to ensure early implementation of its main Recommendations.

The Secretary-General is very grateful to Mr. Ahtisaari for having accepted this assignment despite other demands on his time."

Asked whether anyone would resign following the reports findings of security failings within the UN system, the Spokeswoman said the Secretary-General had only received the report on Monday and was studying it to consider what measures he would take. He will need time to discuss the report with his management team and also examine the budgetary implications, she added.

Asked about security for UN staff worldwide, she noted that, even prior to this reports release, steps have already been taken in all UN missions around the world, requiring them to review their security measures.

Asked whether all UN international staff in Iraq would now be pulled out, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General has decided to keep some international staff in the country, and added that the United Nations is constantly reviewing the security situation there.

ANNAN TRAVELS TO MADRID, WILL MEET PRIME MINISTER

The Secretary-General is in Madrid today, where on Thursday he will address the donors conference that the Spanish Government is hosting for Iraq.

This evening, he will meet with Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar, and he is expected to talk to the press briefly once that meeting has ended.

After that, the Secretary-General and the Prime Minister will take some time off to catch a European Cup match between the football teams Real Madrid and Partizan Belgrade.

ANNAN EMPHASIZES COLLECTIVE ACTION IN PITTSBURGH SPEECH

While in Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon, the Secretary-General told the audience at the University of Pittsburgh that the United States is the worlds sole remaining superpower, but with that power comes great responsibilities. Leadership, he said, is most effective when it is pursued by means of persuasion, which entails the patient building of alliances through diplomacy.

The Secretary-General said that he shares the concerns of those who were worried, following the war in Iraq, that precedents are being set for others and that systems which have served us well for decades are being unraveled. But he added that it is up to all who believe in a collective system of security to show that such concerns as the fear that terrorists can obtain weapons of mass destruction can still be addressed more effectively through collective answers.

He asserted that collective answers can be found, even if it requires a hard look at international rules, and added, To my mind, it is unthinkable that we should resign ourselves to the lack of a global consensus.

The Secretary-General concluded that a vision of a world bound by common rules might sound utopian, but argued that to live in America is to be an optimist, to know that all things are possible.

MIDDLE EAST SEMINAR REAFFIRMS USEFULNESS OF DIALOGUE

The second day of the international media seminar on the question of peace in the Middle East, taking place in Seville, Spain, reaffirmed the usefulness of dialogue and mutual understanding among the parties to the conflict in the region.

The keynote address was given by Terje Roed-Larsen, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.

In his comments, Roed-Larsen said that recent events had convinced him more than ever that the goals set out in the Road Map achieving the establishment of a state of Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel, on the basis of the 1967 borders and the end of terrorism and a comprehensive regional settlement were the only viable paths to peace.

UN OFFICIALS CONDEMN MURDER OF REPORTER IN COTE DIVOIRE

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative in Cote dIvoire, Albert Tevoedjre, today condemned in the strongest terms the killing of Radio France Internationale (RFI) journalist Jean Hélene during the course of legitimately covering news in Abidjan on Tuesday.

His death, Tevoedjre says, cannot but make a disturbing statement on the state of security and basic human freedoms in Cote dIvoire.

UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, in a statement issued in Paris, deplored the killing of the RFI reporter.

DEPUTY HEADS OF UN MISSION IN LIBERIA APPOINTED

Abou Moussa and Souren Seraydarian have been appointed as Deputy Special Representatives of the UN Mission in Liberia.

Moussa is Deputy Special Representative for Relief, Recovery and Rehabilitation and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Liberia. Seraydarian is the Deputy Special Representative for Operations and the Rule of Law.

Also joining the mission is Police Commissioner Mark Kroeker.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO SECURITY COUNCIL MEETINGS SCHEDULED: The Security Council has scheduled no meetings or consultations for today.

ANNAN EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO UN PRESS CORPS: The UN Chief of Staff, Syed Iqbal Riza, today attended the annual luncheon of the Dag Hammarskjöld Scholarship Fund and delivered a message on the Secretary-Generals behalf congratulating the Funds four new fellows. In the message, the Secretary-General also expresses his gratitude to the veterans of the UN press corps for the rigorous work they have done, particularly in the past several months, which, he notes, has been no ordinary period for the United Nations.

UN AGENCIES TO DISCUSS CROSS-BORDER ISSUES IN WEST AFRICA: The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for West Africa, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, will convene a meeting in Dakar, Senegal, on Friday of senior representatives of more than 20 UN agencies and offices, to discuss cross-border issues in the region, including small arms, child soldiers and mercenaries.

HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES NOTE MALARIA RISK IN ETHIOPIA: The risk of death spread by malaria mosquitoes looms in millions of homes in Ethiopia. UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that the deadly disease potentially threatens 15 million people over the next few months. The agencies urgently need an additional $5.8 million in order to attempt to avert a major malaria epidemic.

NEW POLIO OUTBREAK IS SPREADING FROM NIGERIA: A new polio outbreak spreading from Nigeria to neighboring countries is putting 15 million children at risk, requiring a massive immunization campaign across five countries in west and central Africa. The $10 million campaign will start today with the hope of reaching every child in those countries. Experts called the outbreak a grave public health threat. David Heymann, the WHO representative for Polio Education, said Nigeria is now the country with the greatest number of polio cases in the world.

TANZANIAN DROUGHT VICTIMS NEED FOOD: The World Food Programme has appealed for $17 million to help feed nearly two million people battling to stave off the effects of severe drought in central and northern Tanzania.

U.N. BUDGET: St. Lucia today paid $28,000 to the UN regular budget, including its full payment for this year. So far, 115 Member States have paid in full for 2003.

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