United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-02-19

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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

Thursday, February 19, 2004

ANNAN NOTES CONSENSUS THAT IRAQ VOTE WONT BE HELD BY JUNE

Secretary-General Kofi Annan this morning briefed the Group of Friends of Iraq on the work done by his fact-finding mission to that country, headed by Special Adviser Lakhdar Brahimi. He told them that we now have a better insight into and understanding of the needs, concerns and expectations of the Iraqi people.

He particularly drew attention to the consensus that has emerged that direct national elections are the best way to establish a fully representative and legitimate parliament and government. At the same time, there is wide agreement that elections cannot be successfully achieved unless carefully prepared under optimal technical, security and political conditions.

He said that more work will be necessary to address fully some important questions that remain unanswered, and voiced his hope that the UN will be able to contribute to addressing these questions once he has approved the teams final conclusions.

The Secretary-General emphasized that it is crucial that we do not give the impression that Iraqs fate could be decided over the heads of its people, stressing the need to engage the Iraqi people further as they chart their own destiny.

The meeting with the Group of Friends ended about half an hour ago, and the Secretary-General told reporters afterward that the meeting was important because the 46 delegations in the Group were able to hear of the missions progress.

He said he shared with the Group the emerging view that elections could not be held by the end of June but that the June 30 date for the handover of sovereignty must be respected. The Secretary-General added that we need to find a mechanism to create a caretaker government and then help prepare for elections some time later.

In response to further questions about the Secretary-Generals views on elections, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General would come out, in the next few days, with a report expressing the fact-finding teams views, including those on political and electoral considerations. That report, he said, is still being finalized.

The report would go to the Iraqi Governing Council, the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Security Council. It would, he said, give the Iraqis food for thought for the next steps.

Should the Iraqis want UN assistance in thinking through a mechanism for a caretaker government, the Spokesman said, Brahimi remains engaged and ready to assist. The United Nations would wait and see whether Iraqis wanted further UN involvement, he added. The United Nations, he said, would be happy to remain engaged.

Asked whether Brahimi would try to impose a solution, the Spokesman said he would not, since he believes that a solution should come from the Iraqis. Brahimis approach has been to talk to Iraqis and get a sense of their thinking.

Brahimi, he said in response to another question, had said he had no difficulty in meeting with a broad range of Iraqis, aside from security constraints.

Asked about mechanisms for a caretaker government, he underlined that the broader the agreement that could be achieved on any mechanism, the more security there would be to allow that mechanism to succeed.

Asked whether the Secretary-General was supporting a US domestic agenda by affirming the June 30 date for transfer of power, Eckhard said that the Secretary-General was simply noting the strong consensus within Iraq to achieve that transfer by June 30.

Asked whether Brahimi would serve as the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Iraq, he said that possibility could fairly safely be ruled out, noting Brahimis age.

Asked for an update on the security situation, the Spokesman said that a security team continued to assess potential threats and the security of UN premises.

ANNAN ENCOURAGED IN PROGRESS IN INDIA-PAKISTAN DIALOGUE

The Secretary-General, in a statement, said he was greatly encouraged by the steady progress being made in the bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan. He is heartened by the agreement reached at the latest round of talks in Islamabad at the level of Foreign Secretaries on a schedule of meetings for the coming several months and the commitment reiterated to discuss and arrive at a peaceful settlement of all bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, to the satisfaction of both sides and the people concerned.

The Secretary-General considers these very positive developments as evidence of the determination of the two countries to settle all outstanding issues and to open a new era of cooperation and peaceful coexistence. Once again, he encourages both sides to remain steady in this course and to approach the more difficult stages of the talks in a spirit of compromise and visionary statesmanship.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO VISIT JAPAN FOR FIVE DAYS

The Secretary-General will be leaving for Japan Friday on a five-day official visit, on his first visit to the country since January 2002 and his sixth visit to Japan overall. The purpose of his visit is to closely exchange views on the issues the international community faces now, such as Iraq and the reform of the United Nations.

During his stay in Japan, the Secretary-General is scheduled to meet the Emperor, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi. The Secretary-General will deliver an address to the Diet for the first time. He will also meet with Japanese business leaders, and give a news conference.

UN ADVISER MEETS WITH CYPRUS LEADERS IN NICOSIA

Cyprus talks resumed earlier today when Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash met this morning in the presence of the Secretary-Generals Special Advisor on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto.

The head of the UN Mission in Cyprus, Zbigniew Wlosowicz also attended the meetings, which took place at the Nicosia Conference center in the UN Protected Area. The first session began at 10 am, local time, and lasted just over two and half hours.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, de Soto described the meeting as "very constructive ", adding that there had been "ample good will and [a] businesslike spirit" shown by the two sides.

He said that both leaders had agreed that they and their delegations schedule meetings with the UN Good Offices team every morning at 9:30 a.m. This would leave afternoons free "for internal consultations." Meanwhile, the technical committees of experts dealing with law and treaties also began their work today.

SECURITY COUNCIL VOICES CONCERNS ON HAITI VIOLENCE

The Security Council issued a press statement Wednesday expressing its deep concern over the increasing violence and political crisis in Haiti. Council members condemned the acts of violence and also called upon the Government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and the opposition to overcome their differences peacefully and democratically through constitutional means.

The Council members commended the work being carried out by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and expressed strong support for the initiatives of CARICOM and the Organization of American States to bring an end to the crisis.

Haiti will also be discussed at the General Assembly. In light of the continuing deterioration of the situation in Haiti and deep humanitarian concern for the people of Haiti, the President of the General Assembly has requested that Member States be briefed on the United Nations monitoring of the situation and other action being taken regionally and internationally. The briefing by the Secretariat is expected to take place Friday at 10:00 a.m.

In an update from Haiti, OCHA reports that today a ten-member UN inter-agency assessment mission is travelling by air to the north-western town of Port-de-Paix and the northeastern town of Cap Haitien, to assess the humanitarian situation. With unrest spreading in the north and central parts of the country, access to some areas has largely been blocked. However, it is reported that representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the NGO CARE have managed to reach the city of Gonaïves with emergency supplies.

ANNAN HOPES FOR PROGRESS ON SOMALIA GOVERNMENT

The Secretary-General says that the agreement reached on amending the transitional charter at the Somali leaders meeting in Nairobi marks a breakthrough, and he hopes that Somali leaders will continue to build on the progress made towards establishing an inclusive government in Somalia.

In his latest report to the Security Council on Somalia, the Secretary-General underscores that progress in the political arena must be accompanied by serious efforts to realize tangible improvements in the security situation on the ground.

He voiced concern over insecurity and violence in many parts of the country, and tensions over control of the Sool and Sanaag regions, and warned that Somali leaders and militias should be aware that they will be held accountable for continued human rights violations.

VOTER REGISTRATION REACHES ONE MILLION MARK IN AFGHANISTAN

The new head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan welcomed the landmark event on Wednesday, when a female Kabul University became the one millionth Afghan to register for voting.

In his first press conference since taking his new post, Jean Arnault noted the excitement among Afghans over the election year and said, We believe that this momentum towards the elections is going to pick up further pace. He added that it is important to the United Nations that the Afghan peoples aspiration to hold free and fair elections be respected.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime today released its report on the intentions of Afghan farmers for 2003/2004, which shows that opium poppy cultivation could expand further in 2004 .Two farmers out of every three interviewed said they plan to increase significantly their opium poppy cultivation this year.

Last year Afghanistan produced its highest amount of opium since 1999, estimated at 3,600 metric tons; the harvest accounted for more than three quarters of the worlds illicit opium production. The survey on farmers intentions was carried out in October 2003, shortly before the start of the 2004 opium season.

UN: AFRICAN COUNTRIES DEPENDENT ON COMMODITY PRODUCTION

The UN Conference on Trade and Development released a report today that finds that the majority of African countries are boxed into a trading structure that leaves them dependent on the production of commodities.

The report, Economic Development in Africa: Trade Performance and Commodity Dependence, says that this position means the African countries are subject to lower prices for their exports, as well as volatile foreign exchange earnings. In turn, these can hamper efforts to diversify into more productive activities and add to debt burdens.

The report calls for a response to ease the problem of commodity dependence. Proposals include more balanced trading arrangements and strengthened domestic institutions.

TROPICAL COMMUNITIES RECEIVE UN EQUATOR PRIZE

Seven communities from throughout the tropics received international recognition today as winners of the United Nations Equator Prize, which honors their extraordinary work to reduce human poverty while conserving biological wealth.

The winning communities, from Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Namibia and Tanzania were each awarded 30 thousand dollars, at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the closing day of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

In his message to the event, the Secretary-General said that the stories behind the Equator Prize showed the extraordinary passion, dedication and courage that grass roots organizations bring to issues of water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS LUNCHEON WITH SECRETARY-GENERAL: The monthly Security Council luncheon with the Secretary-General is scheduled for today. There are, however, no meetings or consultations of the Security Council scheduled.

HAGUE HEARING TO BE BROADCAST ON INTERNET: The International Court of Justice announced today that the proceedings on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory will be broadcast live on the internet. During the proceedings, which will take place on February 23 and 24 in The Hague, oral presentations will be made by Palestine, as well as South Africa, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Belize, Cuba, Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Senegal, the Sudan and Turkey, and by the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

UN REPORT NOTES NEED TO SUPPORT COTE DIVOIRE: Failure to increase international support to Côte dIvoire could result in the destabilization of neighboring countries. This was the conclusion of a recent report from Cote dIvoire issued by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Abidjan. An appeal requiring $60 million in 2004 to meet the humanitarian needs and support the return of displaced persons has received 1.5 percent so far.

UNHCR MOURNS MARY DIAZ: The UN refugee agency has joined the humanitarian community in mourning the death of refugee advocate Mary Diaz. Diaz died of cancer last Thursday at the age of 43. The American refugee advocate had been Executive Director of the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children since 1994, visiting refugees and displaced women and children in hotspots like Afghanistan, Angola, the Balkans, Haiti, Pakistan and Tanzania.