United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-11-20

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

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY

MARIE OKABE

ASSOCIATE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, November 20, 2003

ANNAN STRONGLY CONDEMNS TURKEY TERROR ATTACKS

The Secretary-General, in a statement, condemned in the strongest terms the latest terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Turkey, on the British Consulate and the HSBC headquarters. He sent his deepest condolence to the Governments and peoples of Turkey and the United Kingdom, and especially to the families of the victims. He also expressed his deep sympathy to those injured in these latest acts of callous brutality. He hoped that the perpetrators will be swiftly identified and brought to justice.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters this morning that once again, we all woke up to another piece of shocking news, with terrorist bombings taking place in Istanbul, Turkey. He said he condemned the latest terrorist attacks totally, and offered his condolences and sympathy to the Governments and peoples of Turkey and the United Kingdom.

He added, I grieve with the loved ones of those who lost friends, relatives, and also those who have been injured. But of course those who carried out these attacks have no respect for human life and we should condemn utterly their actions.

The Secretary-General also said that todays attack in Turkey was another piece of shocking news that demonstrated the dangers of the world we are living in.

He said that the diplomats at the United Nations have shown their understanding of the dangers in todays environment, and are willing to address them by considering better resources to improve security.

Asked whether the terrorist threats were affecting UN plans to bring more staff back to Iraq, the Secretary-General said that the security situation was being monitored on a daily basis. Meanwhile, he said, the United Nations is doing as much as it can with its staff inside Iraq, and is considering a flow of staff back and forth across the Iraqi border to ensure that the needed work gets done.

Asked about whether a conference for Iraqs government, similar to the Bonn talks for Afghanistan, would be considered, the Secretary-General said, How we move forward is something that the Iraqis must have a big say in.

He noted that one idea is to have assembly hall meetings in the 18 Iraqi regions, to determine who will be in the next government.

SECURITY COUNCIL MEETS ON AFRICAN GREAT LAKES REGION

The Security Council held an open meeting on the Great Lakes region.

In his statement at the Security Council, the Secretary-General spoke of the International Conference on the Great Lakes region as a long-standing idea which was long overdue. He referred to recent positive developments in the region, such as the peace processes in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, and said there was now a new dynamic on which all players should capitalize so that the Conference could proceed as planned.

The Secretary-Generals report on the Great Lakes was published yesterday.

Other speaker at the Council meeting included Francisco Madeira, Minister of the Presidency for Parliamentary and Diplomatic Issues of Mozambique, who represented the Presidency of the African Union.

At the start of this mornings meeting, the Security Council President this morning expressed the Councils heartfelt sympathy to the Turkish and United Kingdom Governments and peoples for the innocent lives lost in todays attacks, which the Council strongly condemns.

ANNAN TO MARK END OF IRAQ OIL-FOR-FOOD PROGRAMME

This afternoon at 4 p.m, the Secretary-General will address the Security Council to mark the end of the UNs administration of the oil for food program. This will be an open meeting.

The Programmes Executive Director, Benon Sevan, updated the members of the Security Council on the phasing out procedures during closed consultations yesterday afternoon.

The programme, the largest ever such humanitarian undertaking ever managed by the UN, will no longer be administered by the UN as of 12:01am Saturday morning. From 1996 to the onset of war in March of this year, the Oil for food programme achieved wide ranging improvements in health, education and public infrastructure.

At 3 p.m. today, the Security Council has also scheduled a meeting of troop contributing countries to the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.

IRAN URGED TO STAY THE COURSE ON ACCESS TO NUCLEAR PROGRAM

The International Atomic Energy Agency has made a good start in Iran, but it needs to stay the course, the Agencys Director-General, Mohamed ElBaradei, said today as he opened a meeting of its Board of Governors.

He presented his agencys report on Irans nuclear program, and said the Agency had found that Iran for years had tried to conceal material, facilities and activities that were required to have been declared under its nuclear safeguards agreement. In addition, he said, until recently, the Agencys verification process had been slow, frustrating and piecemeal.

Since mid-October, however, ElBaradei said, a new chapter of implementation of safeguards in Iran seems to have begun, a chapter that is characterized by active co-operation and openness on the part of Iran. He noted Irans agreement to sign on to an additional protocol on nuclear inspections, and added his hope that Irans new policy of active cooperation will continue.

He also told the Board that any future settlement in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea must include the return of the non-proliferation regime there, and that the Agencys Security Council mandate in Iraq still stands.

WORLD BANK: SECURITY SITUATION THREATENS AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION

The World Bank expressed its deep concern over the recent attacks against aid workers in Afghanistan, saying such attacks underscore the urgent need to expand the international peacekeeping presence outside Kabul.

In a statement issued in Kabul, the World Bank says that the continuing deterioration of security could lead to the disruption or even the stalling of reconstruction and development work in Afghanistan. Putting the necessary security arrangements in place, it says, will enable the country to move forward with rebuilding and development.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNAN ISSUES MESSAGE ON AFRICAN INDUSTRIALIZATION DAY: African industries need to improve their effectiveness and competitiveness to meet the challenge of going global, the Secretary-General says in a statement to mark Africa Industrialization Day. In his message, the Secretary-General says that African countries need to diversify away from long-standing trade patters. But for that approach to succeed, he warns, market access is critical, and the subsidies and tariffs that are stifling the abilities of poor countries to compete must end.

UNICEF URGES WORLD LEADERS TO PUT CHILDREN AT HEART OF DEVELOPMENT: Today is the 14th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy seized the occasion to call on world leaders to put children at the heart of their development agendas. She said, Although the world has made tremendous progress since 1989 to see that childrens rights are universally accepted and realized, we are not there yet.

KENYAN SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM IS UNDER-FUNDED: In less than six weeks, one million vulnerable Kenyan children will no longer receive free meals in school unless donations for the World Food Programme school feeding programme are made immediately. The UNs food agency needs a total of $15 million to continue the programme which involves some four thousand primary schools in the poorest areas of Kenya. Enrolment rates in the most vulnerable regions of Kenya are already traditionally very low, especially for girls. The promise of a free nutritious lunch encourages parents to send their children to school; without a meal to offer pupils, schools will find it difficult to attract children.