United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-01-14

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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

Wednesday, January 14, 2004

SECURITY COUNCIL TO MEET WITH IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL HEAD

The Security Council President, Chilean Ambassador Heraldo Muñoz, announced today that the Council will hold a private meeting at 5:00 p.m. Monday with Adnan Pachachi, Chairman of the Iraqi Governing Council.

The announcement came after the Security Council held brief consultations on an Iraqi request for a meeting with the Council on Monday, the same day Secretary-General Kofi Annan is scheduled to hold talks with an Iraqi delegation led by Pachachi and U.S. representatives.

Asked who will represent Iraq and the United States at the Monday meeting, the Spokesman said it remains unclear who will represent the U.S. side. A troika of Iraqi Governing Council officials including Pachachi, as well as the chairmen of the Council for last month and for next month. He said the United Nations was happy with the troikas presence and added that, if additional Governing Council members come, they would be welcome.

The Spokesman could not confirm the time or venue for the January 19 talks, but he assumed that they would take place at one of the larger UN conference rooms and would finish in the morning. The Secretary-General could then brief the Security Council on the talks at his monthly luncheon with them that day.

Asked whether the Secretary-General had held any secret meetings with U.S. officials on Iraq, the Spokesman said he had not. The Secretary-General met last Friday with U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, and has had phone contact with senior US officials since then.

Also, his advisors have met with Negroponte and other senior U.S. officials in preparation for the January 19 meeting. Those meetings, the Spokesman added, were standard ones and not conducted secretly.

Asked about U.S. pressure on bringing UN international staff back to Iraq, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General will decide when to bring those staff members back and will base his decision primarily on security conditions. At present, those conditions do not allow for such a return.

Asked whether the United Nations was sending a security team to Iraq, the Spokesman declined comment, but noted the continuing concerns about the security of Iraqi national staff and the need to plan for the eventual return of UN staff. The United Nations, he said, was taking steps to deal with those concerns.

Asked about correspondence from members of the Governing Council, he said the Council has put some ideas on paper, which are expected to be discussed next Monday. He confirmed that a letter from last months Council Chairman, Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, and the Secretary-Generals response were made available to members of the Security Council.

ANNAN MOURNS UN OFFICIAL IN UZBEKISTAN KILLED IN PLANE CRASH

The Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Richard Conroy, the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Tashkent, in a plane crash in Uzbekistan.

A dedicated and indefatigable international civil servant, Mr. Conroy had an exceptionally distinguished career in the United Nations. He began his service in Uzbekistan two weeks before September 11, 2001, and was immediately plunged into one of the most challenging periods in the history of the region.

It was his steadfast efforts that led to the opening of the Friendship Bridge to Afghanistan, allowing for crucial provisions to flow in from the Uzbek border town of Termez -- the town he was returning from on Tuesday when the plane he was travelling on crashed on landing in Tashkent.

Throughout his mission in Uzbekistan, and during his other highly demanding assignments in India, Sri Lanka and China, Mr. Conroy displayed unwavering integrity, professionalism, judgement and courage. The Secretary-General remembers with gratitude the support and expertise provided by Mr. Conroy during the Secretary-Generals visit to Uzbekistan in October 2002. He extends his profound condolences to Mr. Conroys wife and family.

UN MIDDLE EAST ENVOY CONDEMNS BOMBING AT EREZ

UN Middle East Envoy Terje Roed Larsen this morning condemned the suicide bombing which took place earlier today at the Erez crossing between Israel and Gaza. He extended his condolences to the families of the Israeli victims.

Larsen said this terrible terrorist attack now seems to be a part of a new upsurge in violence. He added that the only way to keep this situation from spinning out of control was for the parties to return to the negotiating table and show progress.

DR CONGO ELECTIONS STILL POSSIBLE, UN ENVOY SAYS

It is technically possible to organize elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2005, as mandated by the peace agreement, according to William Swing, the Secretary-Generals representative in the DRC. However, Swing stressed that political will to hold these elections still needs to be shown, since most of the necessary electoral laws have not yet been voted on.

Speaking to the DRCs Transitional Parliament, Swing said that there are still many obstacles to overcome before smooth elections can be held, including the presence of foreign armed groups and the conditions faced by refugees and displaced persons.

A strategic road between Bunia and Kasenyi, on Lake Albert, was re-opened Tuesday after joint work by the UN Mission and Germanys Agro Action Allemande. The road will facilitate trade between communities, notably the Hemas and the Lendus, and is therefore expected to contribute to reconciliation in the Ituri region.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO HOST FORUM ON AIDS AND MEDIA

The Secretary-General on Thursday will host a forum of major media executives from around the world, who will discuss how media can contribute to the fight against AIDS.

Starting at 11:30 a.m. at UN headquarters, he will discuss a Global Media Initiative on AIDS with those executives, while Peter Piot, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, will describe the challenges posed by the AIDS pandemic.

Then, starting at 2:15 p.m., Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Shashi Tharoor will moderate a press conference bringing together many of the media leaders, to discuss their efforts against AIDS.

ANNAN NOTES PERSISTENCE OF ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA

The past year has seen signs that the world is slipping into mutual distrust, protectionism and fear, the Secretary-General said Tuesday night at the inaugural Robert Burns Memorial Lecture. At such a time, he said, the persistence of prejudice should be especially troubling.

One of the most disturbing manifestations of bigotry today is Islamophobia, he said, in which, since the September 11 attacks, many Muslims, particularly in the West, have found themselves the objects of suspicion, harassment and discrimination. He added that too many people see Islam as monolithic and intrinsically opposed to the West belying the inter-mingling and shared experience between those two entities.

Another dangerous hatred, he added, blights our world: anti-Semitism. The recent upsurge of attacks on Jews in Europe and elsewhere show this hatred to be virulent still.

The Secretary-General said the United Nations is still living with the legacy of the unfortunate resolution that declared Zionism to be a form of racism, even though the General Assembly repealed it in 1991.

No one, he argued, should be allowed to use criticism of Israels actions as a mask for anti-Semitism nor should Israels supporters use the charge of anti-Semitism to stifle legitimate discussion.

Asked about a passage dropped from the final text of the speech, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General has a personal hand in drafting speeches, and the Burns lecture continued to be revised until late Tuesday.

WORLD ECONOMIC GROWTH TO RISE BY 3.5 PERCENT

World economic growth is expected to accelerate by 3.5 percent this year, up from 2.5 percent last year, according to the UNs World Economic Situation and Prospects 2004, which was released today.

The report says that key factors for this years growth are low interest rates and stimulative fiscal measures, especially in the United States, and the rapid rise of China as a major importer as well as an export powerhouse. The report adds that growth rates for developing countries are picking up in the wake of expansion in the major economies.

However, the outlook isnt all rosy, with employment generation continuing to be a problem in most countries, and growing international imbalances also posing a threat.

MORE THAN 7 MILLION ETHIOPIANS WILL NEED FOOD AID THIS YEAR

Despite a good harvest, 7.2 million people in Ethiopia will need food aid in 2004, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme. In a joint report released today, the two UN agencies said seasonal rains have paved the way for a good crop this year, but it wont be enough.

The report estimates that Ethiopia will still need 980,000 tons of food relief this year, down from 1.8 million tons last year. So far, confirmed food aid commitments stand at 160,000 tons.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW ROLE FOR BRAHIMI EXPECTED: Asked about the outgoing Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, the Spokesman noted that Brahimi and the Secretary-General met at UN Headquarters on Tuesday afternoon. On Thursday, he added, he expects to be able to announce a new role for Brahimi.

ANNAN TO ADDRESS MEETING AIMED AT HALTING POLIO TRANSMISSION: The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization are hosting a high-level meeting in Geneva Thursday with ministers from polio endemic countries. The two agencies will urge Governments and leaders to commit to stopping the transmission of polio. The Secretary-General will address the meeting via video-conference, and journalists may join in on the meeting via tele-conference.

WESTERN SAHARAN REFUGEES CAN PHONE HOME: Phone lines have been re-established this week to link refugees living in desert camps near Tindouf, Algeria and their relatives in Western Sahara. The re-establishment of phone lines is the first step of a confidence-building initiative coordinated by UNHCR.

NEW WAYS TO FIGHT CHOLERA BEING EXPLORED: The World Health Organization is working on a new way to control cholera. In collaboration with bodies such as Mozambiques Ministry of Health and Médecins sans Frontières, WHO is testing an oral cholera vaccine. The mass vaccination project is being tested in Mozambique, in a small town called Beira, where the community suffers from high levels of cholera. The vaccine has been available for 10 years, but this is the first time its been used so broadly to minimize the devastation of a cholera outbreak.

LIBERIA DONORS PREPARE FOR FEBRUARY RECONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE: on Thursday, a core group of donors, international organizations and civil society organizations will meet at the Secretariat for a full day of closed discussions on Liberia's future. The gathering is organized in preparation for the Liberia Reconstruction Conference at UN Headquarters on February 5-6, and it will focus on Liberia's priorities for the next two years.