United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-01-16

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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 16, 2004

ANNAN TO MEET IRAQI, U.S. DELEGATIONS ON MONDAY

At UN headquarters on Monday, Secretary-General Kofi Annan is scheduled to meet with delegations from the Iraqi Governing Council and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA).

At 9 a.m., the Secretary-General will meet the Governing Council delegation for a courtesy call.

He will do the same with the CPA delegation at 9:30 a.m.

At 10 a.m., the three-way meeting, involving the Secretary-General, the CPA and the Governing Council, is scheduled to start.

The Secretary-General is then expected to hold a press conference after the meeting, some time after 11:30 a.m. Accordingly, there will be no regular noon briefing on Monday.

In response to a question, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General had considered the press briefing so that, as chairman of the talks, he could provide a chairmans summary of the 10 a.m. meeting.

It appears that the Iraqi Governing Council will not be represented by a troika comprising the current, former, and next chairmen of that body. It now looks like the delegation will be larger and not based on a troika format.

The Spokesman noted, in response to questions about the schedule of events, that the Security Council would not be present for the three-way meeting. However, he said, the Secretary-General would also hold his monthly luncheon with the Security Council on Monday following the morning meetings with the Iraqi and CPA delegations.

No afternoon sessions have been planned, as of now.

Asked whether the United Nations had advised the United States on who should be sent for the Monday talks, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General was pleased at the level of representation by the United States, believing that CPA head L. Paul Bremers attendance was optimal.

Asked whether the Secretary-General was satisfied that any request for a UN role in Iraq was legitimate, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General has said for some time that he would want a united Governing Council and the support of all elements of Iraqi society, as well as the support of neighboring countries.

The actual decision to return would rely primarily on a security assessment, he added, along with an assessment of the significance of the UN role.

Asked whether the Iraqi delegation coming on Monday was sufficiently representative, Eckhard said that, with the gradual broadening of the delegation, the representation gets more inclusive by the day. Half a dozen or more Iraqis were involved, he said.

Asked how the Secretary-General views the relationship among the three parties, the Spokesman said that the fact the three sides would sit down together is an encouraging sign that were beginning to work more inclusively. It is not going to be easy to achieve the transfer of sovereignty by June 30, he added, but all sides wanted to see that goal reached.

He said that he hoped Monday would be the beginning of a fruitful dialogue. He added that the Secretary-General had personally recommended an early date for the transfer of sovereignty, and wants to help achieve that in any way he can.

SECURITY COUNCIL TOLD OF LACK OF PROGRESS IN MIDDLE EAST PEACE

The past month has brought little or nothing by way of substantive move towards peace, according to Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Kieran Prendergast, who updated the Security Council today during one of its periodic briefings on the situation in the Middle East.

He called the situation tragic. But it is also frustrating, he told Council members, because the solution is evident. For peace to succeed between Israeli and Palestinians, both parties must show courage and address each others concerns through parallel steps, as called for in the Road Map.

He noted that the Palestinian Authority had taken no tangible action to establish control over the various groups using terror and violence and to empower an interior minister to oversee the security services, as called for in the Road Map.

While the government of Israel has repeatedly stated its commitment to the Road Map, those statements have not been matched by action. In fact, Prendergast said, settlement outposts have increased and the construction of the barrier has continued.

While the situation on the ground may be discouraging, Prendergast said the international community must maintain its involvement in the peace process. He said collective efforts to persuade the parties to move towards a comprehensive peace must be revived.

Following Prendergasts briefing, the Council moved into closed consultations on the Middle East.

SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES EFFORTS IN KISANGANI, DR CONGO

On Thursday afternoon, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on the Democratic Republic of Congo, welcoming efforts to set up an integrated army brigade in Kisangani.

The new resolution notes that a previous resolution adopted in 2000, which demanded the demilitarization of Kisangani, will no longer apply to the restructured forces which are to become the DRCs national army and which are considered a key element for the success of the peace process.

SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS SPECIAL ENVOYS ON AIDS

The Secretary-General today held his first annual consultations with all his special envoys dealing with HIV/AIDS, as well as with Peter Piot, the Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The Secretary-General intends for this meeting to provide an opportunity for the four special envoys who deal with AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific and Africa to assess the situation in their respective regions, including the performance of the UN and the Global Fund.

The Secretary-General told the envoys at the closed-door meeting that AIDS is a priority issue for the UN system, and for him personally, and stressed the envoys value in reaching out to countries as they respond to the AIDS epidemic. The envoys at todays meetings are George Alleyne, for Latin America and the Caribbean; Lars Kellings for Eastern Europe; Stephen Lewis for Africa; and Nafis Sadik for Asia and the Pacific.

ANNAN WELCOMES HANDOVER OF G-77 CHAIRMANSHIP

The Secretary-General this morning congratulated Qatar as it took over from Morocco as the chairman of the Group of Seventy-seven (G-77) bloc of developing nations, and praised Morocco for presiding over the Group during an extraordinarily difficult year.

Speaking this morning at the handover ceremony, he said that the events of 2003 distracted the worlds leaders from other important threats, including extreme poverty and hunger, unsafe drinking water, environmental degradation and disease.

He said 2004 should be made a year of kept promises, and of restored hope. The Secretary-General said he hoped that the Doha development round of trade negotiations can be pushed forward this year, and also urged nations to mobilize for a comprehensive review next year of the Millennium Declaration.

EQUATORIAL GUINEA AND GABON TO DISCUSS TERRITORIAL DISPUTE

The Foreign Ministers of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are meeting at UN headquarters on Monday, together with a UN mediator, to discuss the territorial dispute between the two countries.

Attending the three-way, all-day meeting are Gabons Foreign Minister, Jean Ping, Equatorial Guinea Foreign Minister Pastor Micha Ondo Bile and UN mediator Yves Fortier, a former Canadian Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UN REFUGEE AGENCY CONFIRMS FLIGHT FROM ETHIOPIA: The UN refugee agency reports that a team sent to southern Sudan has seen people crossing the border from western Ethiopia, most of them young males. Residents say some 100-200 people are arriving daily. The team had traveled to the town of Pochalla in southern Sudan to investigate reports that thousands of people were fleeing across the border to escape violence in western Ethiopia.

FRENCH DEFENSE MINISTER TO MEET ANNAN: In response to a question, the Spokesman noted that French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie was visiting the United States, and had requested to see the Secretary-General this afternoon.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, January 19

The Secretary-General will meet at UN Headquarters with senior officials from the Iraqi Governing Council and the United States to discuss the future UN role in Iraq. He will also hold his monthly luncheon with the Security Council.

At 5:00 p.m., the Security Council will hold a private meeting with Adnan Pachachi, the chairman of the Iraqi Governing Council.

In the morning, the Security Council will hold an open debate on small arms.

The Foreign Ministers of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea will meet with UN mediator Yves Fortier to discuss their territorial dispute.

In the evening, the Secretary-General will leave New York to begin a 12-day, seven-city trip to Europe.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees will begin an effort to return to Rwanda some 23,000 refugees who have been living in Uganda.

Tuesday, January 20

The Security Council has scheduled an open debate on children and armed conflict, and the Secretary-Generals Special Representative on that issue, Olara Otunnu, will address the Council.

The guest at the noon briefing will be Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, the Secretary-General of the Barbados plus Ten Conference on Small Islands.

Wednesday, January 21

In Baden-Baden, Germany, the Secretary-General will receive the German Media Prize and meet with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.

The Security Council will meet with troop contributing countries for the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.

The guest at the noon briefing will be Gen. Franciszek Gagor, the outgoing Force Commander of the UN Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights.

Thursday, January 22

The Secretary-General will travel to Davos to attend the World Economic Forums annual meeting.

Friday, January 23

In Davos, the Secretary-General will deliver the keynote address at the World Economic Forum, entitled, The Challenges of Globalization and Governance.

The Security Council has scheduled a public meeting concerning West Africa and Central Africa missions. The Council has also scheduled consultations on the Central African Republic, and meetings with troop contributing countries for the UN Missions in Georgia and Lebanon.

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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