United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-04-01

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

BY MARIE OKABE

ASSOCIATE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, April 1, 2004

CYPRUS: ANNAN PRESENTS FINAL PLAN AND URGES PARTIES

NOT TO MISS OPPORTUNITY FOR A COMMON FUTURE

Just before midnight last night in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, the Secretary-General met with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot delegations, as well as the Prime Ministers of Greece and Turkey and representatives of the United Kingdom and the European Union. Those six delegations were presented with copies of the final version of his plan for

Cyprus, which ran to some 9,000 pages, including annexes.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan

said that the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will decide whether or not to accept the plan, in separate referenda to be held on April 24. He told the leaders of the two communities that they have the responsibility to inform their people about the plan, which he said provides Cyprus with a secure framework for a common future.

He warned, The choice is not between this settlement plan and some other magical, mythical solution. In reality, the choice is between this settlement plan and no settlement. The Secretary-General urged the parties not to miss this opportunity.

His Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, spoke to the press last night, telling them, The deed is done. He said he believed that the plan has been considerably improved in recent days, and that it will allow the separate constituent States to run their own affairs in safety and in dignity.

De Soto said he would travel back to New York today, to brief the

Security Council on the recent developments in Cyprus.

ANNAN MEETS WITH AUSTRIAN LEADERS, SAUDI CROWN PRINCE

The Secretary-General is in Vienna today, where he will attend the semi-annual meeting of the UN Chief Executives Board, which gathers together the heads of all the UN agencies, funds and programs, starting tomorrow.

Today, he met with Heinz Fischer, the former President of the Austrian National Council, with whom he discussed

Cyprus,

Iraq,

Kosovo, North Korea, the

Middle East and UN reform.

The Secretary-General then met with Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and discussed Cyprus, Iraq and the Middle East. They also reviewed Austrian-UN relations.

Later today, the Secretary-General was to meet with Austrian President Thomas Klestil. The two then were to call on Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who is in Vienna on an official visit.

Asked for further details of the Secretary-Generals trip to Europe, the Spokeswoman said he would be travelling from Vienna to Moscow and then to Geneva, where on April 7 he would participate in the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide.

AFGHANISTAN CONFERENCE YIELDS $8 BILLION IN ASSISTANCE

The talks on

Afghanistan closed today in Berlin, and the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Jean Arnault, said that the proceedings had been very encouraging.

Arnault said there has been a candid assessment of the achievements of the Bonn process, but also of outstanding challenges, particularly those stemming from factionalism and the booming narcotics industry.

He added that, in the countdown to elections, the clock starts ticking today, and the Afghan leadership now knows that it has the full backing of the international community for the difficult choices it has to make.

The final declaration of the conference said that donors would provide $8.2 billion for Afghanistans needs over the next three years, with 4.4 billion dollars pledged for the first year.

Also today,

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers hailed the return of more than 3 million Afghans over the past two years, but warned of the need for continued attention to security and reconstruction.

GERMANY TO PRESIDE OVER SECURITY COUNCIL IN APRIL

Germany has assumed the Presidency of the

Security Council for the month of April.

There are no consultations or meetings of the Security Council scheduled today, while the Council President, Ambassador Gunter Pleuger of Germany, meets bilaterally with Council members to discuss the program of work for this month.

The Council is expected to hold consultations on its program of work Friday morning, and Ambassador Pleuger will hold a press briefing once those consultations have ended.

SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES ANNANS INQUIRY INTO IRAQ PROGRAMME

The Security Council on Wednesday sent a letter to the Secretary-General, responding to his March 26 letter providing details about the organization and terms of reference for an independent, high-level inquiry into the administration and management of the

oil-for-food program.

Council members welcomed the Secretary-Generals decision to establish this inquiry. Council members expressed their readiness to cooperate with the inquiry accordingly, and called upon other Member States to act likewise.

Asked when the Secretary-General would be announcing the members of the panel which would carry out this inquiry, the Spokeswoman said that potential members were still being contacted. Correspondents would be informed of the composition of the panel as soon as possible.

UN RELIEF AGENCY FORCED TO STOP FOOD AID TO GAZA REFUGEES

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (or

UNRWA) today stopped distributing food aid to some 600,000 refugees in the Gaza Strip, following recent restrictions placed by Israel at the sole crossing point through which the Agency brings assistance.

That decision affects about half of the refugees who receive the Agencys food aid in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The Agency

says that efforts to persuade the Israeli authority to lift the transport restriction have so far failed, forcing UNRWA to suspend delivery of 11,000 tons of food from the Port of Ashdod.

Commissioner-General Peter Hansen appealed to the Israeli authorities to lift the restrictions.

KOSOVO: UNITED NATIONS TAKES CONTROL OF PRISTINA AIRPORT

The

UN Mission in Kosovo today formally

took over authority for the Pristina airport.

The move comes after five years of NATO-led military control, during which the airport served as Kosovos lifeline to the outside world.

Speaking at the handover ceremony today, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Kosovo,

Harri Holkeri, said the handover conveys the message that progress is occurring despite the terrible setbacks caused by the recent violence in the region.

WAR DEAD REMEMBERED IN TRIBUTE TO PEACEKEEPERS KILLED IN DR CONGO

The

UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo paid

tribute yesterday to two peacekeepers who died in the eastern part of the country in the past month - a Uruguayan corporal killed in a road accident in Uvira on March 19 and a South African soldier shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bukavu on March 30.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative, William Swing, said that the tribute was an opportunity to reflect on why the UN mission was in the DRC and to remember the 3 million Congolese who died in a conflict that displaced millions more.

He added that the peacekeepers in the DRC had one common mission: to restore peace using weapons such as negotiation and diplomacy, and, in case of failure, to use every other necessary means to protect civilians.

COTE DIVOIRE SENEGALESE GENERAL APPOINTED TO HEAD UN TROOPS

The Secretary-General has appointed Major General Abdoulaye Fall of Senegal to the post of Force Commander of the

UN Operation in Cote dIvoire.

An exchange of letters between the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council published today confirms the appointment.

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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