United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-07-15

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC

ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE

SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, July 15, 2004

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT EMPHASIZES CULTURAL FREEDOMS

Cultural freedoms should be embraced as basic human rights and as necessities for the increasingly diverse societies of the twenty-first century, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) today said in its Human Development Report for 2004.

The report, titled Cultural Liberty in Todays Diverse World, was launched today in Brussels.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMPLAINT AGAINST LUBBERS CANNOT BE SUSTAINED

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has thoroughly reviewed the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services regarding the investigation into the complaint of sexual harassment brought by a staff member against the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers. He also carefully considered Mr. Lubbers response to the report of that investigation.

The Secretary-General found that the complaint against Mr. Lubbers can not be sustained by the evidence. However, he has written to Mr. Lubbers conveying his concerns and has sent his Under-Secretary-General for Management, Catherine Bertini, to Geneva to consult with the High Commissioner and his senior managers, as well as with the staff, to help them rebuild trust and confidence.

He has also written a letter to all members of the High Commissioners staff.

The Secretary-General now considers this matter closed.

Asked whether the complaint had been found to be false, and whether the Secretary-General had been looking for corroboration, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-Generals decision was based on the facts as he received them, and the allegations could not be sustained by the evidence.

Asked about what the concerns were that the Secretary-General had expressed to the High Commissioner, the Spokesman said the concerns were conveyed in a letter to Lubbers that will not be made public.

Asked whether Lubbers had offered to resign, he responded that he was unaware of any such offer.

Asked why the text of the investigation would not be made public, he said that they are not made public as a matter of due procedure.

In response to a question about why the Secretary-General was sending Bertini to Geneva, the Spokesman said that this has been a long and protracted process, and UNHCR staff had been affected. It is important for Bertini to sit down with Lubbers and his managers and staff, listen to their concerns and work with them, so that the agency can move forward.

ANNAN DISCUSSES HIGH LEVEL-PANEL WITH AUSTRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner called on the Secretary-General this morning. They discussed the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, which is currently meeting in Austria, and also talked about non-proliferation issues, the situation in Darfur, Sudan, Iran and Iraq.

The Secretary-General's new Special Representative for Kosovo, Soren Jessen-Petersen, then joined the meeting for a review of the situation in Kosovo.

The Austrian Chancellor, Wolfgang Schuessel, then gave the Secretary-General a tour of the newly-renovated Albertina Museum, and they spoke with each other afterward. The Secretary-General also had lunch with Jessen-Petersen, to discuss his new assignment in Kosovo.

Later today, the Secretary-General is to meet with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al-Faisal, who is visiting Vienna.

This evening, he is to have an informal dinner with the new Austrian President, Heinz Fischer.

ANNAN HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF REGIONAL NEIGHBOURS

IN BRINGING DEMOCRACY TO MYANMAR

While in Bangkok for the XV International Conference on HIV/AIDS and on an official visit to Thailand earlier this week, the Secretary-General exchanged views with Prime Minister Thaksin Sinawatra, Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, and representatives of other nations, on the situation in Myanmar, according to a statement issued after the noon briefing.

In his discussions with the Thai leaders, the Secretary-General underscored the role and responsibility of the countries of the region in helping to accelerate the process of democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar, beginning with the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. To that end, he emphasized the need to engage constructively with Myanmars State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

The Secretary-General also discussed the possibility of holding international consultations on Myanmar and supported the Bangkok Process as one format in which they could be conducted.

He welcomed the support of Thailand and others for the continuing role of his Special Envoy, and for the necessity of him returning to

Myanmar as soon as possible to continue his facilitation efforts.

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON SIERRA LEONE, ETHIOPIA

AND

ERITREA

The Security Council is meeting in consultations today on the UN missions in Sierra Leone and Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as other matters.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sierra Leone, Daudi Mwakawago, briefed on the latest report to the Security Council.

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guehenno, was to brief on the latest developments concerning

Ethiopia and Eritrea.

[In a press statement read by Council President, Ambassador Mihnea Ioan Motoc of Romania, Council members

welcomed

the recent visit of the Secretary-General to both capitals and expressed the hope that his meetings with President Isaias and Prime Minister Meles would provide new momentum for an active and constructive involvement of both parties with the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy. They called on the parties to speedily implement the decision of the Boundary Commission and to step up their cooperation with the Special Envoy in order to overcome the impasse in the peace process.]

SECURITY COUNCIL STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF ELECTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN

After the end of consultations, the President of Security Council issued a statement in which he said the Council welcomes and supports the holding of Presidential elections in Afghanistan on 9 October, and notes that parliamentary elections will be held in April 2005.

"The election is a key requirement under the Bonn Agreement of December 2001, and represents a new milestone in the process of constructing a democratic, stable and prosperous Afghanistan," the statement said.

The statement also said that the Council calls upon the Afghan Government and the international community to maintain and intensify, ahead of the Presidential and Parliamentary elections, their efforts to strengthen the national army and national police, and to accelerate the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Process.

LIBYA

TO HELP BRING FOOD DELIVERIES TO VICTMS OF DARFUR CRISIS

In what the World Food Programme (WFP) described as a landmark deal, WFP announced that the Libyan Government has joined the international community in helping to provide assistance to 1.2 million people displaced by conflict in western Sudan's Darfur region and some 175,000 who have fled to eastern Chad.

Libya will provide a corridor for substantial deliveries of WFP food from the United States and other donors. The first shipment of 450 metric tons of wheat flour from Switzerland is expected to arrive in the Libyan port of Benghaz in early August, followed by a U.S.

donation.

Meanwhile, UNHCR reports that first rains have arrived in northeastern Chad, driving flood-stricken Sudanese refugees out of their makeshift shelters.

And, according to a survey conducted last month by the United Nations and relief agencies, more than a quarter of the Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad suffer from acute malnutrition.

On Darfur, three interagency assessments teams visited areas held by the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and found signs that some people are returning to their villages. However, continued airstrikes and widespread concerns of protection were reported by the internally displaced persons.

Increased funds, people and supplies are critical now in the Darfur region of Sudan to prevent a major health catastrophe, according to two of the top leaders of the World Health Organization.

ANNAN TO FOLLOW ENERGY SECTOR REFERENDUM IN

BOLIVIA

The Secretary-General will follow this Sundays referendum on changes to the energy sector in Bolivia, and urges all Bolivians to maintain a peaceful and constructive attitude during the coming days.

He emphasizes that the UN will keep supporting all Bolivians in the search for peaceful and democratic solutions to the problems in their country.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

MONITORING BOARD FOR IRAQ

TO RELEASE REPORT TODAY: The International Advisory and Monitoring Board for

Iraq

will be releasing the finalized audit on the Development Fund for Iraq from the accounting firm of KPMG later today.

The audit covers the period from the Funds inception to December 31, 2003. Copies of the report will be available on the IMF website around 2:30 p.m., and on the IAMBs website from 4:30 p.m. today.

PRINCIPLES FOR RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT BEING DEVELOPED: The United Nations Environment Programme is working with major institutional investors to develop a set of globally recognized principles for responsible investment by September 2005. The Responsible Investment Initiative" sets out new principles to help protect both the planet and long-term shareholder value by integrating environmental, social and governance concerns into investor and capital market considerations.

FUNDING SHORTFALL MEANS 300,000 LIBERIANS COULD GO HUNGRY: According to UNHCR and the WFP, over 300,000 Liberians will go hungry at the end of this year and thousands more living abroad as refugees will be unable to come home, unless donors soon provide $33 million of additional funding. WFP still needs $11 million to buy this years food requirements. One in six Liberians is directly dependent on international food aid, and 10,000 internally displaced persons at a camp in Monrovia are entirely dependent on WFP handouts.

MORE THAN SEVEN MILLION REGISTERED VOTERS IN

AFGHANISTAN: The UN Mission in Afghanistan reports that the number of registered voters in that country has now passed seven million more than 4.3 million men and more than 2.8 million women.