United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-02-24

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

SECRETARY-GENERAL SADDENED BY MOROCCO EARTHQUAKE

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is deeply saddened by the heavy loss of life and the extensive damage caused by a powerful earthquake that struck near the city of Al Hoceima in northern Morocco. He extends his deepest sympathy to the families of those who lost loved ones in the tragedy and to the Government of Morocco.

The United Nations stands ready to render assistance, including by deploying a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team to assist the Government in managing the international response to the emergency.

ANNAN WELCOMES POLISARIO RELEASE OF MOROCCAN PRISONERS

The Secretary-General welcomes the release by the Frente POLISARIO, with the assistance of a Member State, of an additional 100 prisoners of war, who were repatriated on February 24 to the Kingdom of Morocco by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The Secretary-General expresses the hope that the Frente POLISARIO will expeditiously release all remaining prisoners, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and in compliance with international humanitarian law. He also urges the parties to continue to cooperate with the ICRC to resolve the fate of all those unaccounted for since the beginning of the conflict.

SECRETARY-GENERAL COMMENDS JAPANS SOLIDARITY WITH IRAQ

The Secretary-General today addressed the Japanese Diet, or Parliament, applauding Japan for having shown commendable solidarity with Iraqs plight by contributing generously to that countrys reconstruction and dispatching Japanese Self Defense Forces to Iraq.

In his speech, the first by a UN Secretary-General to be delivered to the Diet, the Secretary-General said that the United Nations would be willing to offer its assistance to help build consensus among Iraqis on the specific powers, structure and composition of a provisional governing body, and the process by which it would be set up.

He also urged Japans active diplomatic engagement in helping to resolve the Korean nuclear crisis.

In that regard, he said he was encouraged by the resumption Wednesday of multilateral talks in Beijing, and pledged to do whatever he could to offer his firm support for that process.

In a press conference later in the day, the Secretary-General emphasized the need for improved security conditions in Iraq before UN staff return to the country in larger numbers. He said, Im not insisting that Iraq be as peaceful as Tokyo or Geneva, but there is a minimum that would be required.

The Secretary-General is scheduled to return to New York on Wednesday, and he is expected to be back at UN Headquarters on Thursday.

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON COALITION WORK IN IRAQ

The Security Council today held a public meeting on Iraq, which began with briefings by the US and UK Ambassadors on the work being done in that country by the Coalition Provisional Authority.

The other members of the Security Council went on to discuss recent developments in Iraq, including the work done recently by the UN fact-finding team and plans for the restoration of sovereignty to the Iraqi people.

On Wednesday, the Security Council will hold consultations on Somalia and Haiti, to receive briefings from the Secretariat on those two countries. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast will brief the Council on Haiti.

UN TEAM FINDS SERIOUS SHORTAGES IN HAITI

A UN inter-agency team that travelled to the cities of Port-de Paix and Cap Haitien on February 19 to assess the humanitarian situation has reported on its findings. The team says that in both places they found serious shortages of fuel and essential medicines, severe malnutrition on the rise, and spiralling prices.

The mission recommended the provision of medicines, surgical kits, fuel and food stocks. However the delivery of food aid has been complicated by the looting of 800 tons of produce from the World Food Programme warehouse in Cap Haitien on Monday, after rebel forces took over the city.

Meanwhile, UNICEF, the UN Childrens Fund, said today that the violence there has sent the country's already-weak health and education systems into a downward spiral that is threatening the lives of thousands of children.

UNICEF is concerned that children wont have access basic public services. UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy called on all parties to safeguard hospitals and schools.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES GLOBALIZATION REPORT

The Secretary-General welcomes the report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, which was launched in London today.

He hopes the international community will pay close attention to the Commission's findings and recommendations on one of the most important issues of our time - the need to ensure that people throughout the world, and especially the poor, can benefit from globalization and have a voice wherever decisions about it are taken.

The Commission's 26 members include outstanding authorities on politics, economics and development from many countries, who have been working for two years to produce this report, chaired by the Presidents of Finland and Tanzania.

The Secretary-General congratulates the International Labour Organization and its Director-General, Juan Somavia, on taking this important initiative and seeing it through.

UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES TO VISIT CHAD

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers will travel to Chad on Sunday to get a first-hand look at ongoing efforts to help an estimated 110,000 Sudanese refugees from the Darfur region.

In light of the tens of thousands of new refugees arriving in eastern Chad since late last year, UNHCR has revised its budget for the Chad emergency to more than $20 million. So far, slightly over $1 million have been received.

Meanwhile, a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team is leaving today for the Darfur region. The team will go in with vehicles, communications and other equipment to establish a functional UN field presence to negotiate and protect unimpeded access for assistance for the local population, as the situation remains highly volatile.

Nearly three million people affected by the conflict in Sudans Darfur region have remained beyond the reach of aid agencies trying to provide essential humanitarian aid. UN aid agencies estimate that they have been able to reach only 15 percent of people in need.

UN TEAM TRAVELS TO ASSESS MASSACRE SITE IN UGANDA

A UN team arrived in northern Uganda today to assess the situation following the brutal massacre committed by the Lords Resistance Army over the weekend.

Just over 200 people were killed in the attack on the Barlonyo camp for internally displaced persons. Survivors have relocated to other nearby camps, where they are living in the open, in makeshift shelters, or with other families.

Local officials are telling the UN that security will be reinforced in the areas eighteen camps. It is believed that up to 170,000 people are in these camps, although the current climate of insecurity has made it impossible to carry out a precise assessment.

UN LEGAL COUNSEL SUMS UP IMPRESSIONS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE

UN Legal Counsel Hans Corell today discussed the progress of the rule of law at a lunchtime lecture at the UN Office in Vienna, on the eve of his departure after serving ten years as Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs. He said that he will leave UN Headquarters on March 6, and return to his native Sweden.

Corell, in summing up his impressions during his time at the United Nations, said that there is hardly any activity in the daily life of people in the world today that is not, in some way or another, governed by rules agreed among States. But, he added, there is room for major improvement in having the law respected by all.

With the founding of the United Nations, Corell said, the course for the rule of law among nations was set; and, if we stay the course, he added, The prospects are favorable.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NUMBER OF ASYLUM SEEKERS DROPPED IN 2003: According to provisional figures released by the UN Refugee Agency, the number of asylum seekers in the industrialized world dropped by 20 percent in 2003. The statistics show that some 463,000 asylum claims were made in 36 industrialized countries the lowest since 1997, and the third lowest since 1988. High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers welcomed the drop but warns that improvements remain fragile in many countries, and there needs to be continued investment of aid and resources in the regions of origin to ensure that the trend is not reversed.

MASS IMMUNIZATION CAMPAIGN TO START IN LIBERIA: In Liberia, international health agencies said today they were launching a campaign to combat yellow fever. Working with the Liberian Government, the World Health Organization, the UN Childrens Fund and a number of non-governmental organizations will start mass immunization campaign this coming Thursday. Experts warn that fourteen years of civil war, which destroyed Liberias health infrastructure, led to conditions ripe for an epidemic. They estimated that more than 700,000 people above six months of age were in urgent need of vaccination.

ROTTERDAM CONVENTION BECOMES LAW: The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade becomes international law, and thus legally binding on its members, today. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says the treaty will enable developing countries to avoid many of the mistakes made in the richer countries, where the misuse of chemicals and pesticides has too often harmed or killed people and damaged the environment.

BARCELONA TO HOST WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY: The city of Barcelona will be hosting this years World Environment Day on June 5. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the city was chosen to host the event because of the wealth of innovative ideas, technologies and infrastructure developments being undertaken by Barcelona as part of the five-month long Universal Forum of Cultures.

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

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article