United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-02-04

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, February 4, 2005

ANNAN: UNITED NATIONS WILL ACT PROMPTLY AGAINST CORRUPTION

Secretary-General Kofi Annan was asked about the report of the Independent Inquiry Committee (IIC) into the

Oil for Food Programme when he entered UN Headquarters today, and he emphasized that, for an organization like the United Nations, any hint of corruption and misbehavior and that sort of disrespect for rules is harmful, and is dangerous, and we cannot dismiss it. He said that the United Nations intends to act promptly.

Asked about disciplinary action against Benon Sevan, the former head of the programme, and another UN official, Joseph Stephanides, who was also named in the report, the Secretary-General said that lawyers are working on that matter, and that a further announcement would be made shortly.

Asked to comment on actions taken by his predecessor, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Secretary-General said that each Secretary-General has to act in accordance with the circumstances he finds himself in. He added that he would not want to second guess the actions that Boutros-Ghali took.

ANNAN IS TAKING MORE STEPS TO REFORM U.N. MANAGEMENT

In the

statement issued and read at a press conference after he received the report of the Independent Inquiry Committee (IIC) into the

Oil for Food Programme, the Secretary-General said he was, as chief Administrative officer of the United Nations, responsible and accountable for its management. That is why he formed the Committee in the first place.

He stressed that measures have already been taken to address deficiencies in management controls highlighted in the report. He also promised that more steps would be announced soon in reforming the management of the Organization.

The Secretary-General said he was glad the Committees findings show that the UN budgeting, accounting and administration of the funds were, in general, disciplined.

As for the staff that have been identified as having violated rules and procedures of the United Nations, he repeated he would take appropriate action. To that end, procedures have been initiated against Benon Sevan and Joseph Stephanides.

The Secretary-General has also sent a letter to the staff to keep them informed on the report and the actions he planned to take. He pledged to the staff that he was going to deliver greater accountability and transparency.

He told the staff that reforming an organization like the United Nations is never easy but it sometimes takes a crisis such as this one to overcome obstacles to change.

In closing the letter, the Secretary-General reiterated his firm belief that by working together the United Nations can come through this crisis and emerge better able to fulfill the trust and expectations that our member states and their citizens have placed in the Organization.

Asked whether the United Nations would initiate disciplinary action against other staff besides Sevan and Stephanides, the Spokesman said that, based on a preliminary reading of the report, the United Nations was only prepared to take action against those two individuals.

Asked to respond to the statement put out by Benon Sevans lawyers, the Spokesman said that the report specified Sevans violations of UN staff rules and regulations, and it was on that basis that the United Nations was acting against him.

Eckhard added that it was important to underline what Volcker had said, that they had not determined any criminal activity on Sevans part, although their investigation is continuing.

Asked why the United Nations had only investigated these acts almost 10 years after they took place, the Spokesman said that the allegations against the oil-for-food program only surfaced in recent years.

U.N. ENVOY WARNS OF DANGERS IF SOLUTION TO DARFUR CONFLICT ISNT FOUND

On the agenda of the

Security Council today is the Secretary-General's

report on

Sudan.

That report recommends that the United Nations establish a peace-support operation with a mandate to assist the parties in achieving a sustainable peace in Sudan through its good offices, and in aspects of security, governance, humanitarian assistance and development.

Before discussing the recommendations in closed consultations,

Jan Pronk, the Special Representative for Sudan, briefed Council members in an open meeting on the proposed deployment of the 10,000-strong force.

He cautioned that if solutions are not found to the conflicts in Darfur and else where in Sudan, any peace support operation limited to South Sudan would be affected by the consequences of such conflicts.

CAMEROON-NIGERIA MIXED COMMISSION TO MEET NEXT WEEK

The

Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission is holding a meeting of its Demarcation Joint Technical Team from February 7 to 9 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria.

The meeting is taking place in the aftermath of the

Secretary-Generals visit to Cameroon and Nigeria.

During this meeting, the teams will examine about 20 preliminary maps produced by the UN Cartographic Section on various parts of the border. Participants are also expected to discuss the work plan for demarcation activities, including a revised time plan, and to undertake the operational planning for the field assessment, scheduled to begin in March 2005.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY TO HELP REBUILD FISHING VILLAGE IN INDONESIA

The

UN Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has

sent a planning expert to a destroyed fishing village near the Indonesian town of Calang to help rebuild. As a temporary measure, the agency has erected some 500 tents in the village, which lost half of its population to the tsunami, and is home to 4,000 displaced persons.

For its part, the

International Telecommunication Union has sent 14 portable satellite terminals to Sri Lanka to help rebuild that countrys telecommunications infrastructure.

AFGHANISTAN, INDIA AND PAKISTAN ON TARGET TO ERADICATE POLIO

The three countries in Asia that are still affected by polio are on target to eradicate the disease this year, health authorities

said today.

Meeting at the

World Health Organizations (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, health ministers from Afghanistan, India and Pakistan laid out a plan for 2005 that involves massive and repeated immunization campaigns.

The emphasis will be on reaching children in communities traditionally under-served by health services.

The

Global Polio Eradication Initiative, spearheaded by WHO and

UNICEF, has reduced polio cases throughout the world by 99% since 1998. Last year, cases in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan were slashed by nearly half.

HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS CONCERNED ABOUT DETENTIONS

AT NAVAL BASE IN GUANTANAMO BAY

Today in

Geneva, six UN human rights experts issued a

joint statement voicing their concern at the continuing detention of inmates who have been held virtually incommunicado at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay.

According to numerous observers, the statement says, the conditions of their detention amount to inhuman and degrading treatment.

U.N. MISSION IN DR CONGO DENOUNCES DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN

The

UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) has denounced a disinformation campaign orchestrated by some Congolese media, which claim that there are Rwandan soldiers serving as peacekeepers with the UN Mission.

MONUC says these rumors, spread by anonymous sources, were relayed in the media in

Kinshasa over the past few days, and the Mission is keen to set the record straight.

It says the Mission does not have any Rwandan soldiers serving as peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and there are no Rwandans serving as civilian or military personnel with MONUC.

The Mission adds that there are no Rwandans serving as peacekeepers with any of the UNs various peacekeeping missions around the world, and Rwandans serving in Darfur, Sudan, are there as part of the African Unions intervention force, not as part of the United Nations.

MONUC says that the list of the countries that contribute blue helmets to the Mission was approved by the Congolese government.

The mission calls on anybody making claims that Rwandan soldiers are serving with the UN Mission to bring forward proof.

The real motivation behind these rumours and media reports is to divert the Congolese populations attention from what should remain the main focus of all parties involved namely the organization of free, democratic, credible and transparent elections, the mission says.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

AFRICAN COUNTRIES MUST GIVE PRIORITY TO RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT: The Director-General of the

Food and Agriculture Organization, Dr. Jacques Diouf, today

urged the

Dakar Agricole Forum to formulate a new vision to reduce the world agricultural divide. He stressed the importance of

agricultural research and development.

CONFERENCE PUSHES FOR SUSTAINABLE USE OF WATER: An international

conference, partly organized by the

Food and Agriculture Organization, on water ended in The Hague today with the adoption of a list of actions to improve the efficient use of water for food production and to safeguard the environment. The conference

urged countries to urgently take action to develop integrated policies that reconcile water needs of agriculture and ecosystems. The five-day conference on Water for food and ecosystems was attended by delegates from 140 countries.

INT'L LABOUR ORGANIZATION URGES RESPECT FOR TRADE UNION RIGHTS IN NEPAL: The Director-General of the

International Labour Organisation, Juan Somavia, today

urged King Gyanendra of Nepal to "take all necessary steps to ensure the personal safety of the trade union leaders and members of the unions concerned". In a letter, Somavia expressed "deep concern" about information that a royal decree had suppressed all trade union rights and banned meetings.

U.N. FLAG AT HALF-MAST AS PART OF MOURNING FOR GEORGIAN PRIME MINISTER: The UN flag is flying at half mast today, in observance of the official mourning for the Prime Minister of Georgia, Zurab Zhvania, who passed away yesterday.Also, this morning, the

Secretary-General visited the Mission of Lebanon to offer his condolences following the death of Lebanons Permanent Representative to the UN, Sami Kronfall.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, February 7

A four-day conference on counter-terrorism, which opens on Saturday in Riyadh, will continue through Tuesday. Javier Ruperez, Executive Director of the Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate, will deliver a message on the Secretary-Generals behalf.

The

Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission is holding a meeting of its Demarcation Joint Technical Team from February 7 to 9 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria.

Tuesday, February 8

The Security Council has scheduled a public meeting on Sudan.

The guest at the noon briefing will be Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, the Chair of the Commission on Social Development.

Wednesday, February 9

The Commission on Social Development will hold its 43rd session, reviewing the ten years since the Copenhagen Social Summit.

Thursday, February 10

At 11:00 a.m., Airline Ambassadors International is sponsoring a press briefing to launch its annual International Youth Arts Competition.

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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