United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-10-28

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

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY

FARHAN HAQ

OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, October 28, 2003

SECRETARY-GENERAL PRESENTS $2.9 BILLION BUDGET FOR 2004 & 2005

Secretary-General Kofi Annan this morning presented the UN budget for the years 2004 and 2005 to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, telling the Assemblys budgetary committee that the document put forward today delivers on the promise to better align the United Nations activities with priorities.

He said that he was presenting a $2.9 billion budget, before re-costing, an amount which reflects an increase of just one half of one percent, or $15 million, over the previous biennium. (Taking inflation and currency fluctuations into account, the two-year budget totals just over $3 billion.)

The budget projects a net increase of 117 new posts, mainly, the Secretary-General said, to revitalize the UN Secretariats ranks of junior professionals, and it proposes the additions of two new Assistant Secretaries-General, for Economic and Social Affairs and for Humanitarian Affairs.

Meanwhile, he said, the budget allocates additional resources for financing for development and Africas special needs, as well as for work on drug control, crime prevention and human rights. At the same time, it calls for the discontinuation of many activities that have been deemed to be obsolete or of marginal utility.

The Secretary-General said that he is still analyzing the recommendations made by the Independent Panel on the Safety and Security of UN Personnel in Iraq, and asserted that even an initial review indicates that significant increases in resources will be needed if the United Nations is to protect its staff. And of course, this will also have global implications, he said, because we will be reviewing our security requirements globally.

Asked to expand on the request to increase resources for staff security, the Spokesman said that Secretary-General said today that an initial review of the Report of the Independent Panel on the Safety and Security of UN Personnel in Iraq, showed that its recommendations would require increased expenditures.

Asked how the Secretary-Generals initiative to increase the number of posts, including at the Assistant Secretary-General level, fit into the Member States desire to introduce savings and economy in the system, the Spokesman answered, that the Secretary-General was cutting back on the programs that no longer seemed relevant in the modern era. In fact some 900 outputs have been cut back, the Spokesman added. In terms of the work that remains our priority, the Spokesman went on to say, that needs to be done to the best of our ability and thats why an additional Assistant Secretary-General is needed in both the Department of Social and Economic Affairs and the Department of Humanitarian Affairs. In conclusion, the Spokesman said, that the Secretary-General hopes that the Fifth Committee and the General Assembly see the situation in that matter.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO EXTEND MANDATE OF WESTERN SAHARA MISSION

This afternoon the Security Council is scheduled to meet in an open meeting to adopt a draft resolution extending the mandate of the UN Mission in the Western Sahara until the end of January 2004.

IRAQ: SECURITY COUNCIL WILL BE BRIEFED ON TERMINATION

OF OIL-FOR-FOOD PROGRAMME

Immediately following the meeting on Western Sahara, the Security Council will hold another open meeting to be briefed by Benon Sevan, the Executive Director of the Office of the Iraq Programme.

Sevan will report to the Security Council on action taken for the termination of the Oil-for-Food Programme. His statement will also identify steps remaining for the United Nations, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and the relevant Iraqi ministries to complete the transfer of projects, programme assets and related responsibilities to the CPA by 21 November 2003.

UN ENVOY CONDEMNS LATEST VIOLATION OF THE BLUE LINE

Monday evening, The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Terje Roed Larsen, issued a statement in New York, strongly deploring the latest violation of the Blue Line which had taken place earlier on Monday.

According to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the hostilities began with Hizballah firing rockets and mortars at Israeli military positions in the Shebaa Farms area. The Israeli army then responded across the Blue Line using artillery and aerial bombs.

Those events, Larsen said, underscore yet again the acute need for the Government of Lebanon to exert full control over the use of force from its territory. He urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and respect fully the Blue Line.

Asked if the Secretary-Generals meeting this afternoon with retired Israeli Admiral Ayalon and Palestinian Professor Sari Nusseibeh meant that the Secretary-General was going to officially adopt the Geneva Accords for peace developed by Israeli and Palestinian civil society representatives, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General was always encouraged by Palestinian and Israeli members of civil society getting together to try to find a solution, as a real and lasting peace will be made as much by people working together for reconciliation as it will be by official parties reaching agreement. However, the Spokesman later added, there is no substitute for government officials speaking to one another and he encouraged both parties to return to the negotiating table.

FINAL REPORT IS OUT ON ILLEGAL EXPLOITATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Published today is the final report of the Panel of Experts Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The report, which has been distributed to the Security Council, outlines in detail the results of the dialogue held with companies and individuals listed in the Panels previous report of October 2002 as having contributed, either directly or indirectly, to the conflict in the DRC. These cases were either considered resolved or sent to governments or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The report also identifies how exploitation of resources enables financing of arms which in turn perpetuates the conflict. The details of this information and the entities involved have been transmitted to the Security Council on a confidential basis.

Finally, the Panel provides a set of recommendations aimed at severing the link between exploitation, arms flow and the conflict. In particular, the Panel encourages the establishment of a mechanism to monitor compliance with the arms embargo as per Resolution 1493 and provides suggestions on how to increase transparency with regards to exploitation of natural resources in the DRC.

The report is to be presented to the Security Council by its chair, Ambassador Mahmoud Kassem, this Thursday.

Asked whether the Department of Peacekeeping Operations had asked for parts of the report to remain confidential, the Spokesman said as it was a report submitted to the Security Council by an independent panel, it was up to members of the Security Council to decide how much of the report would be made public.

WORLD BANK, IMF CHIEFS JOIN AFRICAN OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS ECONOMY

The Economic Commission for Africa is convening a major conference on Africa's economic future, bringing together several African finance ministers, development ministers from throughout the developed world, and the heads of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

The Fourth "Big Table" meeting in Addis Ababa today focuses on what more can be done to protect African economies from the adverse effects of external shocks, such as commodity price fluctuations or weather, and on how the approaches of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund can more effectively be aligned with African governments' strategies to reduce poverty. \

AFGHAN REFUGEES RETURNING FROM IRAN HIT 600,000 MARK

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees says that a milestone has been passed in the return of Afghans from Iran, with the return of more than 600,000 Afghans since the repatriation programme got underway in April 2002. The vast majority of Irans Afghans went back to central and northern Afghanistan, while a quarter remained in the west.

The UN Environment Programme announced today a $4 million project in Afghanistan aimed at promoting good environmental governance and to support the rehabilitation of the country's environment. The funding is largely from the European Union.

Wednesday in Moscow at 4:00 p.m., Antonio Maria Costa, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, will launch the Afghan Opium Survey for 2003.

HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS DEEPLY CONCERNED AT VIOLENCE IN AZERBAIJAN

In a statement issued today, four independent experts of the UN Commission on Human Rights said they are deeply concerned about the alleged violent quelling of demonstrations in Azerbaijan following the presidential elections of 15 October 2003, and in particular over events in Baku on the night of the polls and the day that followed.

These experts have received information that hundreds of demonstrators have been harassed, attacked, arrested and detained by security forces, who have apparently used excessive force to disperse demonstrations, leading to the death of at least one person and to many others being injured.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

YUGOSLAV TRIBUNAL SENTENCES EX-BOSNIAN SERB GUARD: Today in The Hague, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia said that Bosnian Serb suspect Predrag Banovic, who had served as a guard at the Keraterm prison camp, had mistreated and humiliated detainees in total disregard of human life and dignity. The Trial Chamber sentenced him to a term of eight years imprisonment, beginning immediately. Monday, the Tribunals President, Judge Theodor Meron, granted the request submitted by another Bosnian Serb, Milan Simic, for early release. Simic, who had been sentenced to five years imprisonment last year, will be set free on November 3.

ANNAN TO ATTEND MEMORIAL FOR PRINCE SADRUDDIN AGA KHAN: This evening, the Secretary-General will attend a memorial ceremony for Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, the former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and will say that Prince Sadruddin was a statesman in the truest sense of the word, who spoke up on behalf of refugees and the forcibly displaced.

YOUTH IS AT FOREFRONT OF BATTLE AGAINST AIDS: In a message to the annual YouthAids benefit last night the Secretary-General said that such gatherings are living proof that we can translate a problem into a solution. He said that youth has been the forefront of the battle against HIV and that the international community must do its part by maximizing the participation of young people in prevention and care, prioritizing programmes for youth, and increasing education programmes.

ARAB HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT PRESENTED TO ARAB LEAGUE: The UN Development Programme today presented the Arab Human Development Report 2003 to Amr Mousa, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, in Cairo today. Moussa welcomed the work, saying that "the direction of the report is a very important one, and the League will be studying it carefully."

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