United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-01-02

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

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN

HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, January 2, 2004

ANNAN ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

The Secretary-General interrupted his holiday today to pay an official visit to Trinidad and Tobago. He arrived in Port of Spain this morning, where he met the heads of UN agencies working in the country.

At 3:00 local time this afternoon (2:00pm New York time), he will meet with Prime Minister Patrick Manning at the Prime Ministers office. He will also meet with UN staff and then separately with representatives of the UN Association in the country.

At 5:15pm, he will meet with leaders of the opposition group United National Congress. This evening he will have a private dinner with the Prime Minister.

The Secretary-General will return to New York over the weekend and then will be back in the office next week.

ANNAN CALLS ON HAITIANS TO OVERCOME CURRENT POLITICAL IMPASSE

In a statement issued on the occasion of yesterdays bicentennial celebrations in Haiti, the Secretary-General called on Haitians to find a way to overcome the current political impasse in their country.

While noting the deep significance of Haitian independence in 1804 as the first step towards ending slavery in the Americas, the Secretary-General said there was now a need for Haitians to build consensus to pursue good governance, human rights and economic and social recovery.

He added that the United Nations stood ready to a play its part in building a better future for all Haitians.

WORKABLE CONSENSUS MAY EMERGE FROM UN MEETINGS ON AFGHANISTANS CONSTITUTION

In Kabul, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, Lakdar Brahimi, held meetings today with a number of delegates to the Loya Jirga who had asked for help to build consensus in the constitutional process.

He met with delegates from all regions, holding many different opinions, as well as with the President of the Loya Jirga and the President of the Government.

According to the Spokesman for Mr. Brahimi, the impression emerging from these meetings is that there may be a workable consensus in the making.

SECRETARY-GENERALS REPORT ON ETHIOPIA-ERITREA WARNS OF DIFFICULTIES

In a progress report on EthiopiaEritrea issued today, the Secretary-General warns that the situation between these two countries remains difficult, even precarious and that he is concerned that a minor miscalculation by either side could have serious consequences.

He notes that while there are no evident signs of preparations for hostilities on either side of the Temporary Security Zone, recent inflammatory rhetoric, particularly in Eritrea, has done nothing to advance the peace process.

The Secretary-General reiterates that a fundamental requirement for peace lies in an early demarcation of the border between Ethiopia and

Eritrea. In this respect, he welcomes Eritreas cooperation with the Boundary Commission and regrets Ethiopias failure to do likewise.

He also reminds the parties that an open channel of communication at all levels is absolutely necessary. While acknowledging that Eritrea has certain reservations about initiating a dialogue with Ethiopia until the border has been demarcated, the Secretary-General notes that such a dialogue may be the only way to overcome the current impasse before the situation further deteriorates.

Finally, the Secretary-General calls on all Member States and organizations concerned to remain engaged in the Eritrea-Ethiopia peace process and to maintain a unity of purpose.

UN VOLUNTEERS TO HELP MONITOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA

The UN Volunteers programme will be in Georgia this weekend to help facilitate a free and fair presidential election.

Six volunteers were deployed in Georgia the week before Christmas their presence follows a request from the UN Development Programmes office in Georgia for assistance in areas such as voter education and registration, support to media centers, as well as electoral monitoring and observation.

The UN Volunteer office in Tbilisi has confirmed that all necessary preparations have been completed and the infrastructure has been put in place to assist in the holding of an election free of irregularities.

SUDANESE REFUGEES CONTINUE FLEEING TO CHAD AS UN REFUGEE EMERGENCY TEAM DEPLOYS TO REGION

The number of Sudanese refugees fleeing the strife-torn Darfur region to neighboring Chad has risen to 95,000 as a UNHCR emergency team prepares to deploy to the remote border region to begin an urgent relocation operation aimed at moving tens of thousands of people to safer inland camps.

Six members of a newly arrived UNHCR emergency team were scheduled to fly to the town of Abeche in eastern Chad over the weekend to begin work on the urgent relocation from insecure border areas of tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees.

Approximately 95,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Chad since April and are scattered along a remote, 600-km stretch of border between the two countries. An estimated 30,000 of them arrived in December alone, some 5,000 of them in the past few days amid continuing reports of fighting in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

OTHER ITEMS:

When asked about the attendance of U.S. or Coalitional Provisional Authority officials at the Secretary-General's proposed three-way meeting on Iraq on 19 January, the Spokesman said no response had yet been received.

The Spokesman had no comment to make when asked about reports claiming that Eritrea has rejected the appointment of former Canadian Foreign Minister, Lloyd Axworthy, to the post of UN envoy for the Ethiopia-Eritrea peace process, except to say that no comment is made on any such selection process until after the process is completed.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS:

A reminder that 2004 is the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition. 2004 is also the International Year of Rice.

Monday, January 5, 2004

Working Group on Disabilities Convention will meet from 5 to 16 January 2004 . A Virtual Forum has been launched to facilitate dialogue on the disability convention between the Working Group and all interested parties.

Tuesday, January 6, 2004

The President of the Security Council for January 2004 will brief on the programme for the month, following consultations with members.

Wednesday, January 7, 2004

Thursday, January 8, 2004

UN will launch a Flash Appeal for victims of the earthquake in

Bam , Iran

.

At 1.15pm, there will be a high-level Panel on Civil Society and UN Relationships, organized by the International NGO Committee on Human Rights and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights . (Conference Room 8)

Friday, January 9, 2004

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

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