United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-05-21

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

THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, May 21, 2004

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES

SUDAN'S ANNOUNCEMENT

TO ALLOW GREATER HUMANITARIAN ACCESS IN DARFUR

Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomes the announcement made by the Government of Sudan that immediate steps will be taken to facilitate humanitarian access to the Darfur region, including the issuance of entry visas to all humanitarian workers within 48 hours and waiving permit requirements to travel to and within Darfur.

The Secretary-General trusts that these measures will be implemented immediately, so that more than one million people affected by the crisis in Darfur can receive the aid they so urgently need.

He also calls on donors to respond promptly and generously to the appeals for Darfur and for refugees in Chad, both of which remain severely under-funded.

SECURITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHES BURUNDI PEACEKEEPING MISSION

In a meeting following the noon briefing, the Security Council adopted a resolution

to create a UN peacekeeping mission in Burundi.

The Secretary-General, who attended the meeting, welcomed in a statement the decision by the Security Council to establish the UN Operation in Burundi and told reporters he had asked Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Carolyn McAskie to lead the UN operation, adding, "I am confident she will do a good job."

An advance UN team to prepare for the establishment of operation have left New York, and will begin its activities over the weekend. The team will serve as a nucleus of the future peacekeeping mission in Burundi, which will be established on 1 June.

BRAHIMI CONSULTS WITH IRAQI LEADERS

The Secretary-Generals Special Advisor, Lakhdar Brahimi, is continuing his consultations in Iraq.

Today he met representatives of the Iraqi Arab Nationalist movement, lead by former Foreign Minister Sohbi Abdel Hamid.

He also had discussions with the leadership of the Dawa Party Iraq Branch.

Asked whether Brahimi had any information in advance about the raid Thursday on the residence of Ahmed Chalabi, the Spokesman said he was not aware that Brahimi had any involvement in or knowledge of that event.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals opinion of the raid, he said the Secretary-General did not have a view on it.

U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF SHOCKED OVER CIVILIAN DEATHS IN IRAQ

The Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, said he was shocked over the deaths of some 40 civilians in Iraq as a result of an air strike by the US forces earlier this week.

In his statement, Ramcharan stressed the responsibilities of the occupying forces to ensure the welfare and safety of Iraqi civilians.

He also called on all belligerents to respect international humanitarian and human rights law and demonstrate, at all times, a paramount concern for the lives of civilians. There can be no license to commit carnage, Ramcharan said.

Asked about the deaths of journalists in Iraq, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General hopes that all civilians would be perfectly safe in Iraq. He said that the security of all people in Iraq is the responsibility of the occupying power, the Coalition Provisional Authority. For now, Eckhard added, the collective effort in which the United Nations, the CPA and the Iraqis are involved is to have an interim government in place by the end of June.

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON MIDDLE EAST MARKED BY VIOLENCE, DESPAIR

Kieran Prendergast, Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, briefed Security Council members today on the situation in the Middle East. Since the Secretariats last briefing, Prendergast said, the situation has been characterized by the now tragically all too familiar phenomenon of growing violence, destruction and despair.

Regarding the ongoing events in Rafah, he reiterated the Secretary-Generals call for an immediate halt the military operation in Gaza as well as his reminder to Israel that collective punishment is a grave breach of international humanitarian law.

He updated the Council on the recent meeting of the diplomatic Quartet of the United Nations, European Union (EU), Russian Federation and United States, but stressed that action by the international community is no substitute for steps taken by Israelis and Palestinians.

Surely, the people of Israel and Palestine deserve better news, and rays of hope, Prendergast told Council members. He stressed that a better way exists in the shape of the Road Map.

The Road Map is not new, he conceded, but it is viable, once the leadership on both sides have the vision and courage to start following it in good faith and with determination. As always, it is a question of political will, Prendergast said.

The Security Council then held consultations on the Middle East.

U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF DISTURBED BY ISRAELI ACTIONS IN GAZA

Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan said he is deeply disturbed about the consequences of Israels recent military operation in the Gaza Strip, especially in Rafah. He is particularly concerned at reports that Israel used helicopters and tanks to fire into a crowd of civilians during a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday, resulting in numerous deaths.

He calls on Israel to abide by its obligations as an occupying power, and emphasizes that even when there are security-related considerations, there is no such thing as a license to kill.

SECOND ATTACK ON CAMP FOR DISPLACED REPORTED IN NORTHERN UGANDA; OTOP UNICEF OFFICIAL WILL EXAMINE IMPACT OF FIGHTING ON CHILDREN

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported on the second attack on a camp in northerN Uganda housing internally displaced persons in less than a week. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland described it as an outrage, condemned these attacks in the strongest terms and called on the Lords Resistance Army to stop all abuses against civilians immediately.

Meanwhile, Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF, is traveling to northern Uganda next week to examine the impact of the fighting on children, including the widespread fear of abduction that forces children to seek special shelter at night.

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON HAITI

AND SCHEDULES DISCUSSIONS ON INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

In Security Council consultations, members also

received a briefing on Haiti by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi.

On the agenda for next Monday is a public meeting on a draft resolution regarding peacekeepers and the International Criminal Court. The meeting was requested in a letter signed by five non-Security Council members.

Asked about the Secretary-Generals views on whether that draft resolution is helpful, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General was not going to interfere with the Councils deliberations by making his personal views known.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO BE REPRESENTED AT ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT

Mohamed Sahnoun will be representing the Secretary-General at the Saturday opening of the Arab League Summit in Tunis. Sahnoun, who is a Special Advisor to the Secretary-General, will deliver a message on the Secretary-Generals behalf.

Asked why the Secretary-General had not personally attended the meeting, the Spokesman pointed to the difficulty of scheduling it, and noted that, when the summit had originally been scheduled for an earlier date this year, the Secretary-General had intended on going. But it had since been rescheduled, and it was not possible for the Secretary-General to go at this time.

NEW U.N. SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE NAMED FOR TIMOR-LESTE

The Secretary-General has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Sukehiro Hasegawa of Japan as his Special Representative for Timor-Leste. Hasegawa, currently the Deputy Special Representative in Timor-Leste, would replace Kamalesh Sharma of India as head of the UN Mission in that country.

The Security Council is expected to provide a response to the Secretary-Generals letter concerning the appointment.

U.N. PEACEKEEPING HEAD ARRIVES IN DR CONGO

The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, arrived in Kinshasa on Thursday evening, on the first leg of a trip to the region which will include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and South Africa.

On arrival, Guéhenno said that the peace process in the DRC remains a priority for the United Nations. He recalled that a year ago, there was a deepening crisis in Ituri, the UN Mission was not yet reinforced, atrocities were being committed in the north east of the country, and the Government had not been established.

He noted that he was greatly encouraged by the progress achieved in the past year but stressed that much remains to be done to fully implement the provisions of peace process.

PHONE LINES OPENED FOR WESTERN SAHARA REFUGEES: As of Monday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will open a new phone line linking Western Saharan refugees living in camps in Algeria with their relatives in the territory of Western Sahara. The new line will be set up in the El Auin camp in southern Algeria. The expanded phone service and the ongoing family visit flights are part of UNHCRs recent confidence building measures in the area. UNHCR also hopes that the Moroccan Government will soon agree to let the agency start a mail service between the refugee camps and the Territory.

COLOMBIAN REFUGEES SEEK SHELTER IN VENEZUELA: Hundreds of indigenous people from Colombia are seeking refuge in the Venezuelan border state of Zulia, as they flee fighting and massacres by illegal armed groups in Colombia, UNHCR reports. Over the past weeks, at least 30 people have been reported killed and 60 are still missing. According to an assessment carried out last week by UNHCR, some 300 indigenous Wayúu people have been registered as refugees but the total number who fled may be as high as 500, according to indigenous leaders. The majority of the displaced are women and children.

UNHCR SAYS LIBERIAN REFUGEES HEADING FOR ABIDJAN:

UNHCR said that the stranded boat carrying 430 Liberian returnees from Nigeria and Ghana was now heading towards Abidjan, Cote dIvoire. The ship was being towed by a French navy vessel. The boat went adrift on Tuesday off Côte d'Ivoire, after leaving Lagos, Nigeria, on May 3.

UN DRUG CHIEF HEADS FOR CENTRAL ASIA: Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, will make an official visit to Central Asia, from May 24 through 29, to review drug control and crime prevention work in the region. He will travel to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan next week, before moving on to review the situation in Afghanistan.

COMMITTEE TO WORK ON DISABILITY CONVENTION: The General Assemblys Ad Hoc Committee, which is drafting an international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, will resume its work next Monday at UN headquarters. It intends to work on a breakthrough treaty that would promote the rights of some 600 million disabled persons around the world.

PANEL ON UN REFORM SEEKING SUGGESTIONS: In response to a question, the Spokesman said that the UN Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change has a web site at which people can submit suggestions.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, May 24

The General Assemblys Ad Hoc Committee dealing with the rights of persons with disabilities will begin a two-week meeting at UN Headquarters. Ambassador Luis Gallegos of Ecuador, the President of the Committee, will be the guest at the noon briefing.

A meeting of the Department of Political Affairs field presences will take place in New York through Friday.

Tuesday, May 25

The Security Council has scheduled an open briefing by the Chairman of the 1267 Committee, dealing with sanctions on al-Qaeda and the Taliban. It has also scheduled consultations to be briefed by the Chairman of the 751 Committee, dealing with Somalia.

The Secretary-General will have a message to mark Africa Day.

UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy will begin a visit to Uganda.

At 1:25 p.m., an instalment of the Secretary-General's lecture series, on "Who Is Afraid of Human Rights?" will begin in the Economic and Social Council Chamber.

Wednesday, May 26

Thursday, May 27

The Security Council expects to hold an open briefing on Afghanistan, by the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Jean Arnault, followed by consultations on the same subject.

Friday, May 28

The Security Council expects to hold a public meeting on complex crises and UN responses. This is scheduled to be the last event under the Pakistani Presidency of the Security Council.