United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-04-08

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

BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC

ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, April 8, 2004

[Friday is a holiday at UN headquarters. The next

noon briefing will be on Monday, April 12.]

ANNAN WELCOMES SUPPORT FOR CYPRUS PLAN,

DISAPPOINTED OVER CALLS FOR REJECTION

According to a statement issued in Geneva, the Secretary-General has welcomed the fact that a number of political leaders on both sides in Cyprus, as well as in Greece and Turkey, appear to be moving in the direction of encouraging the people to vote to build a common future in Cyprus on the basis of the plan that he finalized on 31 March 2004 at the invitation of the parties.

In this regard, he has received from the guarantors the assurances that were asked of them regarding the holding of the referenda and the ratification of the treaty prior to signature and to entry into force of the settlement.

The opposition of Mr. Rauf Denktash has been known for some time. The Secretary-General is disappointed to learn that Mr. Tassos Papadopoulos has now called for rejection of the plan.

The Secretary-General fully respects the wishes of the people and will not interfere in their decision. However, he reiterates that Cypriots have a unique opportunity to reunite their country, and he hopes that they will seize it while it is before them.

Asked whether the Secretary-General had been aware of Papadopouloss stance in advance, the Spokesman said he was not aware of any prior knowledge by the Secretary-General.

UN ENVOY EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES OVER IRAQ VIOLENCE

Special Adviser Lakhdar Brahimi spoke to reporters briefly before a meeting with civil society leaders in Baghdad this evening, saying that the United Nations looks forward to the restoration of sovereignty to Iraq as the first step to emerging from the dark tunnel which that country entered a long time ago.

He said, On this day, we must mention, with great pain and extreme sorrow, the bloody events which we are witnessing in various parts of Iraq, and express condolences for the innocent lives which were lost, and call upon all parties to end this conflict, which does not serve anyone's interests.

Brahimi added that the United Nations is trying to contribute to the formation of a government that will take over power in Iraq, thus ending at least some of the factors leading to the events of the last few days.

Brahimi and his team held further consultations with members of Iraqi civil society today, including talks with university professors, political party leaders and a wide range of Iraqi professionals.

Asked how security concerns are affecting Brahimis mission, the Spokesman said that the security situation is of concern, but that Brahimi has nevertheless been able to conduct meetings with a wide spectrum of Iraqis.

He noted, in response to further questions, that Brahimis team was not providing details in advance of its meetings. Nevertheless, the team has met not just with Governing Council officials, but with academics, human rights advocates, religious leaders, trade unionists and many other Iraqis.

Although he was not aware of any travels that Brahimi has made outside of Baghdad so far, the Spokesman did not exclude the possibility that he would travel to other areas.

Asked about the reported kidnapping of several South Koreans and Japanese in Iraq, the Spokesman said that the United Nations hopes the kidnapping incident ends in a peaceful manner.

UNITED NATIONS ENCOURAGED BY SIGNS OF POSSIBLE CEASEFIRE IN DARFUR

The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland says he is encouraged by the positive signals that a humanitarian ceasefire may soon be signed by parties to the conflict in Darfur, Sudan.

Humanitarian cease-fire talks were convened under the leadership of Chadian President Idriss Deby in Ndjamena, Chad, this week. The Government of Sudan, the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army are participating in the talks.

Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs headed by Egeland is today finalizing a revised humanitarian appeal for Darfur. Largely confined to the provincial capitals of Darfur because of the security situation, United Nations agencies and NGOs have been able to help only about one-third of those in need.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals comments on Wednesday that the international community must take swift and appropriate action in the case of Darfur, the Spokesman denied there was any implied threat. He noted that the Secretary-Generals speech to the Human Rights Commission had referred to swift and appropriate action more generally.

Asked how such military action may be handled, he said that in the Secretary-Generals view, any sort of multilateral action, whether by UN peacekeepers or by a multinational force, would have to be dealt with by the Security Council.

Asked about provisions to ensure that nations did not use the need for action as a pretext for aggression, the Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General had asked for clear guidelines in dealing with the issue, and had also created a new post of Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.

Asked about access by a UN human rights team to Sudan, the Spokesman later said that the human rights team is currently interviewing Sudanese refugees in Chad. The team expects to travel to Sudan, and is still negotiating on access there.

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION SET UP FOR COTE DIVOIRE

Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan has established an Independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate alleged human rights violations committed during an anti-government protest in Côte dIvoire two weeks ago.

Three internationally recognized experts have been appointed and they will leave from Geneva to Abidjan next week in order to establish the facts and responsibilities on alleged atrocities, which were committed on March 25 and 26.

The mission will be comprised by Vera Duarte (Cape Verde), Coordinator of the National Committee of Human Rights and former Justice of the Supreme Court of Cape Verde; Eugène Nindorera (Burundi), former Minister for Human Rights; and Franca Sciuto (Italy), Chairperson of Rainforest Foundation, former Chairperson of the International Executive Committee of Amnesty International and member of the Commission on inquiry on Côte dIvoire in 2001.

The Secretary-General had asked the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to lead an investigation.

ARRESTS MADE OVER MURDER OF POLICE OFFICERS IN KOSOVO

Police from the UN Mission in Kosovo have arrested four suspects in connection with the murder of two police officers on 23 March. The arrests follow the interception of a vehicle with three individuals on Wednesday.

After the vehicles occupants tried to escape, police gave chase during which one member of the group, a Kosovo Albanian, received gunshot injuries from police firing. He was immediately arrested and is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital, where his condition is said not to be life threatening.

KFOR was called in for air support in search operations, during which three other suspects, all Kosovo Albanians, were arrested. Three other Kosovo Albanian suspects, a female and two males, are already in pre-trial detention in relation to the murders.

U.N. ENVOY LEADS MARCH AS PART OF RWANDA COMMEMORATION IN KIGALI

Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari, who attended memorial events on the Secretary-Generals behalf in Kigali, this morning led a silent three-kilometer march up a hill on the outskirts of Kigali, which was attended by 300-400 people, most of them international and Rwandan UN staff.

Upon completion of the march, a ceremony was held in the Nyanza cemetery, at the location where 2,500 men, women and children were brutally murdered on April 8, 1994, one of the first massacres of many more to come. Gambari left Kigali in the early afternoon and is now in Nairobi.

UN MISSION REPORTS SPORADIC GUNFIRE IN AFGHANISTAN

The UN Mission in Afghanistan today reported sporadic gunfire, from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, in the northern town of Maimana. That gunfire has now stopped, the Mission said, and there have been no further incidents.

Noting the reports of an increased military presence in Maimana, the Mission asked its personnel in that town to restrict their movements to the minimum. It said the situation in Maimana points to the importance of supporting and respecting the civilian authorities and the need for disarmament and the demobilization of armed factions.

UN SIERRA LEONE MISSION INVESTIGATES CHARGE AGAINST SOLDIER

The UN Mission in Sierra Leone has ordered an investigation into an allegation that one of its peacekeepers had been involved in an unauthorized operation in a diamond-mining area in the Kenema District.

According to the mission, early indications are that a Ukrainian soldier has been assisting the licensed Sierra Rus mining company at a mining site. If confirmed, this would be in direct contravention of the UN Missions standing orders governing the use of UN equipment, and would invite severe disciplinary sanction against the offender.

ANNAN NOTES NEED TO FINANCE MILLENNIUM GOALS

Jose Antonio Ocampo, the Under-Secretary for Economic and Social Affairs, today delivered a message on behalf of the Secretary-General to a Ministerial Forum on Financing for Development, in Paris.

In the message, the Secretary-General said a major effort is needed by developing countries and the international community to mobilize financial resources in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

MENINGITIS VACCINE CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY IN BURKINA FASO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified a rare strain of meningitis, which re-emerged recently in Burkina Faso, and has organized a mass action vaccine campaign to control the outbreak.

According to the coordinator of WHOs Global Alert and Response Unit, Dr. Michael Ryan, two years of research have provided the tools to contain small outbreaks of meningitis like the one in Burkina Faso before they cripple an entire region. Meningitis sweeps across sub-Saharan Africa every year, sometimes triggering outbreaks involving 100,000 people or more.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON WEAPONS: The Security Council today held closed consultations on the non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs).

OIL-FOR-FOOD PANEL ANNOUNCEMENT EXPECTED NEXT WEEK: Asked when the United Nations would finalize the names of members of the independent inquiry into the oil-for-food program, the Spokesman said an announcement was expected next week. He said it had taken time to find the calibre of people the United Nations was looking for to do the job.

MORE THAN $180 MILLION AWARDED TO KUWAIT INVASION CLAIMANTS: The UN Compensation Commission has made available today close to $186 million to 22 Governments and two international organizations for distribution to 1,160 successful claimants. The Commission deals with the processing of claims and pays compensation for losses and damage related to Iraqs unlawful invasion and occupation of Kuwait in the early 90s.

UN REFUGEE AGENCY OPTIMISTIC OVER REPATRIATIONS

FROM BURUNDI: UN Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees, Kamel Morjane, has returned from Burundi and Tanzania, and is guardedly optimistic about what could be one of Africas biggest repatriation movements this year. On Thursday, the Assistant High Commissioner arrived back in Geneva after a week-long trip to review options and possibilities for the 320,000 Burundian refugees in Tanzania.

PROGRESS NOTED BY CAMEROON-NIGERIA MIXED COMMISSION: A communiqué issued at the ninth meeting of the

Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission noted that the demarcation process is moving forward. The meeting chaired by Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa, chaired the deliberations in Yaounde, Cameroon.

INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON AFGHAN HUMAN RIGHTS APPOINTED: Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan announced that the Secretary-General has approved the appointment of Professor Cherif Bassiouni of Egypt as an independent expert on human rights in Afghanistan. Ramcharan welcomed this decision, saying he is convinced that the new independent expert will make an important contribution to the cause of human rights in Afghanistan.

WORLD BANK SAYS AFRICAS ECONOMIC GROWTH SLOWED IN 2002: The World Bank today said that Africas economic growth had slowed slightly in 2002, and many African countries saw their economies contract in recent years, usually as a result of conflict and adverse weather conditions. In the 2004 edition of its report, African Development Indicators, launched today, the World Bank says that Africas economic growth slowed to 2.8 percent in 2002, slightly down from 2.9 percent in 2001.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, April 12

The third General Meeting between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and its associated institutions and the UN system, to strengthen cooperation between the two organizations, will take place today and Tuesday, in Conference Room 6.

Tuesday, April 13

The Security Council has scheduled a public meeting on Kosovo.

Wednesday, April 14

The Security Council is scheduled to hold their monthly luncheon with the Secretary-General.

The General Assembly will hold a plenary meeting on road safety. The Secretary-General will be among the speakers.

A press conference will be held immediately following the noon briefing on the Global Road Safety Crisis. Speakers will include WHO Director-General Lee Jong-Wook, the Ambassador of Oman, Fuad Al-Hinai, and the Executive Director of the Task Force for Child Survival and Development, Dr. Mark Rosenberg.

One hundred economists from 60 countries and several international organizations will open up a three-day meeting in Conference Room 5, to assess the outlook for the Global Economy, based on Project LINK forecasts.

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development will hold the official opening in New York of its 12th session, which ends on April 30.

Thursday, April 15

The Security Council has scheduled an open meeting on the role of business in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and post-conflict peace building.

At 11:15 a.m., Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs José Antonio Ocampo will hold a press conference with Project LINK. Nobel Laureate Lawrence Klein, the founder of Project LINK, will present the Global Economic Outlook for 2004.

The guest at the noon briefing will be Borge Brende, the Chair of the 12th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development.

Friday, April 16

The Security Council has scheduled an open briefing, followed by consultations, on Iraq.

At 11:15 a.m., there will be a press conference by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific on its Economic Report on Asia.

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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