United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-03-05

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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, March 5, 2004

ALL PARTIES IN MYANMAR ENCOURAGED TO TURN OVER A NEW PAGE

Razali Ismail, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General,

visited Myanmar from March 1 to 4 to continue his efforts to facilitate national reconciliation and democratization based on the participation of all parties concerned in the countrys process for a democratic transition.

Razali had discussions with Government officials, including Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt and Foreign Minister Win Aung. He also met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), as well as representatives of various ethnic nationality groups.

During these meetings, the Special Envoy emphasized the need for all the parties, in the name of the people of Myanmar, to turn over a new page so as to make the democratic transitional process all-inclusive and credible. In this context, he was encouraged by the expressions of commitment of the Prime Minister to implement, in an all-inclusive manner, the Governments seven-step roadmap, starting with the reconvening of the national convention.

During Razalis discussion with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, she indicated that she and her colleagues from the NLDs Central Executive Committee should be released and allowed to resume political activities, and for the offices of the NLD to be reopened. Despite the unfortunate events of Depeyin on May 30, 2003, she also indicated her willingness to work for a harmonized relationship with Prime Minister Khin Nyunts government in order to move process ahead.

SECRETARY-GENERAL DISMAYED AT VIOLENCE IN VENEZUELA;

SUPPORTS PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO RESOLVING DIFFERENCES

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is following with concern the latest developments in Venezuela. He is

dismayed at the violence that has occurred since last week.

The Secretary-General welcomes the support given by the Organization of American States and the Carter Center to the work of the National Electoral Council (CNE), an important element in ensuring a peaceful, electoral and constitutional solution to the countrys political impasse.

The United Nations will continue to be engaged in supporting the Government and other parties in seeking peaceful solutions to resolving their differences.

HAITI: AGENCIES POISED TO DELIVER HUMANITARIAN AID OUTSIDE CAPITAL

The overall security situation is starting to return to normal in the capital, Port au Prince.

Some banks and stores have re-opened for business. Commercial flights to have resumed there, and the World Food Programme has begun operations. UNICEF, a group of NGOs and the Red Cross are making deliveries to hospitals and health centres in Port au Prince.

Outside of the capital, the United Nations is working with local authorities and the Multinational Interim Force to open up other areas for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

The World Food Programme has a ship with 1,200 tons of food sailing off the shore of the northern city of Cap-Haitien to deliver supplies there when conditions permit.

Asked about the movements of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Haiti, John Reginald Dumas, the Spokesman said Dumas was still in Jamaica for talks on peace-building in Haiti with Jamaican Prime Minister Percival J. Patterson, the chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), but he may be in Haiti sometime next week.

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON UNMOVIC, HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN HAITI

Demetrius Pericos, acting executive chairman of the

UN Monitoring Verification, and Inspection Commission, better known as UNMOVIC, briefed the

Security Council this morning on its

16th quarterly report issued earlier this week.

Following that item,

Jan Egeland, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and top

humanitarian official, briefed on the humanitarian situation in Haiti.

The Security Council President for March, Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sablière of France, read a press statement after consultations, in which Council members reiterated their call for all parties to provide safe and unimpeded humanitarian access as called for in

resolution 1529 (2004). The Council stressed the importance of a Flash (humanitarian) Appeal to be made on behalf of Haiti next week, both in Port au Prince and New York, and urged generous and timely international support.

ANNAN STRESSES NEED FOR RELIABLE VERIFICATION MEASURES FOR WMDs

This morning, the Secretary-General addressed a conference on Weapons of Mass Destruction, hosted by the International Peace Academy. In remarks prepared for the conference, he noted that ever since its creation the UN has been seeking the global elimination of weapons of mass destruction.

While treaty regimes have great potential, he stressed that reliable verification measures are needed and that the world must strengthen its resolve to enforce such commitments.

LIBYA SUBMITS INITIAL DECLARATION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS

A delegation from the Libyan Government submitted a complete initial declaration of all chemical weapons and relevant information to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague today.

Libyas declaration includes approximately 23 metric tons of mustard gas; one inactivated chemical weapons production facility, and two chemical weapons storage facilities.

Libya has now fulfilled one its most important initial obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and this paves the way for the inspection and verification of its declaration.

The OPCW will begin conducting inspections at all declared sites and facilities in Libya shortly.

OVERALL TREND OF U.N. PEACEKEEPING IS UPWARDS

According to the latest overview of the UN's peacekeeping budget, $2.6 billion was spent between June 2002 and June 2003 on 11 peacekeeping missions. In terms of manpower, the annual report shows a growth trend in the numbers of peacekeepers, military observers and police.

For the 2000/2002 budget year, some 38,500 men and women served in uniform under the UN flag. The United Nations expects that number to jump to about 52,700 for the 2004/2005 year.

At the same time, the number of actual missions has actually decreased from 15 to 12 for the same time frame.

The Spokesman was asked whether the Secretary-General sees the UNs role evolving into one in which peacekeeping takes on a more prominent position or is the current prominence of peacekeeping operations due to cyclical factors. He replied that there has been something of a cyclical nature to peacekeeping as far as the number of missions and the number of peacekeepers deployed, but the overall trend is upwards.

I dont know if we would surpass the peak which may have been in 1993, we had between 70,000 and 80,000 peacekeepers. At that time, there were 3 huge missions Bosnia, Cambodia, Somalia but were moving in that direction, the Spokesman said.

He noted that the Report of the Panel on UN Peace Operations headed by Lakhdar Brahimi had recommended an expansion of the UNs Peacekeeping Department, and that expansion is underway.

Theyre still struggling to fill the vacant posts, Eckhard said. But I think were in a much better position today to manage the volume of work. That said, the prospective start-up in the near future of so many missions is going to put a strain even on the expanded Peacekeeping Department.

ANNAN ADVISORS REVIEWING ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT ON SECURITY ISSUES

RELATED TO AUGUST ATTACK ON UN HEAQUARTERS IN IRAQ

Asked whether the Secretary-General had considered the findings of the report of the

Security in Iraq Accountability Panel, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General has asked a small number for advisors to review the report, and the Secretary-General will most likely not be able to read through the full report until the weekend.

The reading will be the easy part, the tough part will be deciding where arrangements and procedures might have failed and therefore need to be changed and fixed, and judging the performance of his own start, Eckhard said.

The Spokesman said he hoped it was clear why the United Nations cannot publicize the reports findings.

This accountability panel looked at actions of individuals and thats just to help the Secretary-General correct any flaws there are in the system, and we know there are flaws from the Ahtisaari report, but because this report goes into great detailand because theres a possibility that disciplinary action would be taken, in order to protect due process we have to keep this confidential, the Spokesman said.

He added that while the report would be kept confidential, any changes to UN security procedures or personnel changes stemming from the report would be duly announced.

"Now once the Secretary-General makes decisions about changing our security procedures, well announce those. If individuals are eventually relieved of their responsibilities, well announce that but this document has to be kept confidential, and not suppressed," he said.

WORKING WOMEN FACE HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, LOWER WAGES

Women are entering the global labour force in record numbers but they still face higher unemployment rates and lower wages, and represent 60% of the worlds 550 million working poor.

Those are some of the key findings of "Global Employment Trends for Women 2004" a new report by the International Labor Organization, prepared for International Womens Day, which is this coming Monday.

The ILO says that unless progress is made in taking women out of poverty by creating productive and decent employment, one of the Millennium Development Goals that of halving poverty by 2015 will remain out of reach in most regions of the world.

HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT TO CALL FOR ACTION ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Bertrand Ramcharan, the acting

High Commissioner for Human Rights, released this morning a summary of his annual report which will be presented in full in second half of the month in Geneva.

The report assesses the state of human rights in the contemporary world and looks at some of the key building blocks for international cooperation; examines the state of human rights protection; and makes suggestions for strengthening international protection.

In fighting terrorism, Ramcharan says, States must recommit themselves to their responsibilities to respect, protect and fulfil fundamental human rights.

He also makes a special plea for the

Commission on Human Rights to act on the problem of trafficking of young women.

WESTERN SAHARA REFUGEES TAKE PART IN FAMILY VISITS

This morning, a plane belonging to

MINURSO, the UN Mission in Western Sahara, left Tindouf carrying a group of Saharan refugees for a five-day visit to Laayoune, in Western Sahara. That same plane is then to depart from Laayoune today to take another group of Saharans to Tindouf.

Both groups are travelling for the first time in more than a quarter of a century to visit their relatives on the other side, as the Family Visits Programme begins. That programme is an effort by the UN Refugee Agency to improve the lives of the refugees in Tindouf through weekly, reciprocal family visits.

The UN Mission expresses its appreciation to all the parties for the high level of cooperation and good will that has made the family visits possible.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNAN TO MEET WITH NGOs DURING CANADA TRIP: During his trip to Canada early next week, the Secretary-General will have the opportunity to meet with 10 to 15 leaders of Canadian non-governmental organizations on Tuesday. He will deliver brief opening remarks after which he will have an off-the-record discussion with them centered on the

Millennium Development Goals.

U.N. ENVOY ON CYPRUS IN TURKEY FOR CONSULTATIONS: The Secretary-Generals Advisor for

Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, is in Ankara today for consultations for Turkish officials.

DELEGATION TO MOBILIZE SUPPORT FOR CAMEROON-NIGERIA MIXED COMMISSION: Starting today, a tripartite delegation from Cameroon, Nigeria, and the United Nations will visit several countries to mobilise further diplomatic and financial support for the work of the

Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission, which is helping implement the October 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice related to the border dispute between those two countries.

UNITED NATIONS LOOKING TO IMPROVE SECURITY: Asked to comment on a press report earlier this week which claimed the UN was considering hiring an outside security firm, the Spokesman said the United Nations is looking at many different ways of improving security system-wide and worldwide.

EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO STOP BRAIN DRAIN OF SCIENTISTS: The

Food and Agricultural Organization has joined forces with the International Foundation for Science to help build scientific capacity in developing countries, and provide support to young scientists from poor countries. One of the key aims of this team-up is to help prevent a brain drain of scientists from developing to developed countries. The Foundation will be offering grants, while the FAO will offer a wide range of technical information in the fields of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE SPONSORS FOOTBALL EVENT: The

Special Court for Sierra Leone announced today that it will be sponsoring a fund-raising football event called Play for Justice, which will feature a pre-game demonstration match by the Sierra Leone amputee team known as the Single Leg Football Club. Amputations of civilians by the rebels became the brutal hallmark of the war in Sierra Leone.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, March 8

The Secretary-General will begin an official visit to Canada, during which he will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and other senior officials and will address the Joint Houses of Parliament.

Today is International Womens Day. The guest at the noon briefing will be Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women.

Monday marks the opening in Geneva of the Dialogue on Voluntary Repatriation and Sustainable Reintegration in Africa. The meeting is hosted by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees..

Tuesday, March 9

Wednesday, March 10

The Secretary-General will return to New York, ending his trip to Canada.

The Security Council will meet with the countries contributing troops to the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Thursday, March 11

The Security Council expects to hold consultations on Ethiopia and Eritrea.

There will be a DPI/NGO briefing on the International Criminal Court, with the Courts Outreach Adviser, Wanda Hall, among the speakers.

Friday, March 12

The Secretary-General will address the opening of the 2004 session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Rights of the Palestinian People.

The Security Council expects to hold a formal meeting to consider a resolution on the extension of the mandate of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

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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