United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-02-25

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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 25, 2005

ANNAN STRONGLY CONDEMNS MURDER OF U.N. PEACEKEEPERS IN D.R. CONGO

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement, strongly

condemns the murder of nine United Nations peacekeepers from Bangladesh today during an ambush by unidentified militia groups near Kafé in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who were part of a company protecting a camp for internally displaced people.

He extends his deepest sympathy and condolences to the Government of Bangladesh and the families of the victims, who have sacrificed their lives in the service of peace.

The Secretary-General calls on the Transitional Government of the DRC to make every effort to find and hold accountable those responsible for this reprehensible and criminal attack. He reaffirms that this attack will not deter the

UN Organization Mission in the DRC (MONUC) from carrying out its mandate in helping move the peace process forward in the DRC.

The UN flag at Headquarters is flying at half-mast today, to officially mourn the killing of the peacekeepers.

The Secretary-General was asked about this incident by a reporter today, and he

said he was extremely saddened by the loss of the peacekeepers. He added: They are good peacekeepers, and I am sorry it had to end like this. He also called on the DRCs government to work with the United Nations in tracking down the perpetrators of the attack.

PERPETRATORS OF PEACEKEEPER ATTACK STILL UNKNOWN

The troops were part of a larger group of blue helmets, which has been in the area protecting people fleeing harassment by local armed militias, as well as fighting among those same militias.

The patrols had been on their way to local camps believed to belong to a militia group, which has refused to take part in the disarmament and reintegration process.

Two platoons were sent by helicopter to reinforce the patrols survivors and secure the area.

At this stage, it is unknown who is responsible for the attack, and the

UN Organization Mission in the DRC (MONUC) is investigating.

The Mission believes that the premeditated attack was in response to efforts by peacekeepers to neutralize the militias which have been terrorizing the local population, in addition to looting and carrying out illegal tax collection.

Asked about the numbers of survivors from the attack, the Spokesman later said that there had been a total number of 21 soldiers involved in the patrols, and the United Nations was checking to determine how many had been wounded.

Asked about the scale of the attack, the Spokesman said that a death toll of nine in a hostile attack is an unusually large number.

ANNAN TO MEET WITH MIDDLE EAST QUARTET IN LONDON

The Secretary-General will leave for London on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday morning he will address the London Meeting on Supporting the Palestinian Authority hosted by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

In the afternoon, he will participate in a ministerial-level meeting of the

Middle East Quartet, which also includes U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

He is expected to have a number of bilateral meetings in the margins of the all-day conference.

He will then return to New York on Tuesday morning.

SECRETARY-GENERAL SEEKS NEW U.N. REFUGEE CHIEF

As part of a new approach in recruiting leaders of international organizations, the Secretary-General is writing to member states for suggestions of candidates to fill the post of High Commissioner for Refugees.

These names would be in addition to those that may emerge from the Secretary-Generals own consultations.

In the letter, the Secretary-General says that he can only be sure of finding the best person for one of the most important jobs in the UN system if the best qualified candidates come forward and are judged against transparent selection criteria.

In outlining some of the necessary criteria, the Secretary-General says he wants someone with a thorough knowledge of refugee issues and of unimpeachable personal and professional integrity.

He or she must have proven skills in the management of a complex organization and, of course, be an unflinching champion of the

cause of refugees, not only by providing for their relief but also by firmly upholding the international principles which entitle them to protection.

The Secretary-Generals Chef de Cabinet,

Mark Malloch Brown, will be sending a similar letter to major non-governmental organizations involved in refugee issues, also soliciting names for the post of High Commissioner for Refugees.

Asked about the previous tradition of having the High Commissioner come from one of the nations that contributes the most funding to the agency, the Spokesman said he did not think a preference would be given based on national contributions to UNHCR. This, he said, could be the first time that the Secretary-General has asked all Member States for a candidate, and its a wide-open search for the best candidate. He also noted that, in a new step, the United Nations was requesting names from non-governmental organizations.

Asked how this would affect UN policies concerning geographic rotation, the Spokesman said that the geographic distribution of posts is a Charter requirement, but the Charter also says to find the best qualified candidate.

Asked how this policy would affect the search for a new UNDP Administrator, the Spokesman said later that the Secretary-General had mentioned in his letter that the search for a UNDP Administrator, like the one for a High Commissioner for Refugees, could serve as an example of a new approach.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO ADDRESS SEXUAL ABUSE

AT PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette is winding up her visit to the European Union today.

Among European Commission members she spoke with were Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the Commission, and Louis Michel, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid. She also met with Javier Solana, Secretary General of the Council of the European Union and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Issues discussed at meetings with EU officials included the preparation for the 2005 General Assembly event to review the implementation of the

Millennium Declaration, development and humanitarian issues, and the situations in the

Middle East,

Iraq,

Darfur, and the

Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Next week, the Deputy Secretary-General will visit UN

peacekeeping missions in

Liberia,

Sierra Leone and

Côte d'Ivoire and

Kosovo. The purpose of her visit is to meet with military and civilian members in the missions and to reaffirm the zero-tolerance message of the Secretary-General on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

This will be the first in a series of visits by the Deputy Secretary-General to peacekeeping operations worldwide to reinforce that message. Her next mission will be to

Haiti.

Asked what the policy the Deputy Secretary-General will underscore entails, the Spokesman noted that no UN peacekeeping mission allows the soliciting of prostitutes. Although the age of consent varies from country to country, he added that the United Nations follows the international standard that the age of consent should be 18 years.

He noted that the Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has a tougher regime than other peacekeeping missions, which prohibits all fraternization, or social contacts with the local population. It could not be excluded, Eckhard said, that such a policy could be applied to other missions.

HAITI: U.N. POLICE OFFICERS SUSPENDED OVER RAPE ALLEGATIONS

The preliminary inquiry into the rape allegations made by a Haitian woman against UN civilian police officers serving there has ended, and a board of inquiry is underway to investigate the claim in-depth.

At this stage, two Pakistani police officers have been suspended, and they will be repatriated if the board confirms the initial findings.

The board is expected to make a decision in two weeks.

LEBANON: U.N. INVESTIGATIVE TEAM STARTS WORK TODAY

The

UN Mission of Inquiry that is examining the February 14 Beirut bombing began its mission in Lebanon today. The head of the mission, Peter Fitzgerald, held warm and constructive meetings with Lebanese Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh and Justice Minister Adnan Addoum, to discuss cooperation between his team and the Lebanese authorities.

Fitzgerald also met with the sons of the late former Prime Minister, Rafic Hariri, who was killed in the bombing, and expressed his condolences and sympathy.

Prior to those meetings, Fitzgerald issued a statement to the press, saying that his team understands the gravity of the task at hand and that it would work with absolute impartiality and professionalism. He promised that the team would carry out its mandate in a timely manner.

He said he looks forward to working closely with the Lebanese authorities and to learning about their progress in investigating this terrible crime.

Asked how many people were involved in the UN team, the Spokesman said it comprised five principals, as well as support staff. The team would start its work in Lebanon, he added, but could go elsewhere if it felt the need to do so. He noted that the mission has been welcomed by both Lebanon and Syria.

ANNAN WELCOMES STRONGER COOPERATION ON SECURITY IN WEST AFRICA

The Security Council is holding an

open meeting on cross-border issues in West Africa.

The Secretary-General, in his opening

remarks, welcomed the recent efforts of members of the Economic Community of West African States to address the complex challenges facing the region. He said there is growing cooperation among security agencies to crack down on cross-border crime. Efforts are also under way to protect children, stem small-arms flows and involve civil society groups more regularly in peace-building and other initiatives.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for West Africa,

Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, noted that Togo, where a clumsy alternation to power was followed by great confusion, is a clear illustration of the fragility of peace and stability in parts of West Africa.

He went on to say that Togo should also remind us that unless we address small crises in a timely and coherent manner, these could easily be transformed into bigger and more complicated issues, as happened in Cote dIvoire.

He concluded by saying that the support of the Security Council remains a precious asset in helping the West African people and states overcome the challenges ahead.

MASS POLIO IMMUNIZATION CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TODAY IN AFRICA

In order to halt the resurgence of polio in Africa, a mass immunization campaign spanning 22 countries and reaching 100 million children is being

launched today.

The campaign, initiated in part by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, gained even greater urgency from reports that a child has contracted polio in Ethiopia, the first case there in four years.

That makes Ethiopia the 14th country to be re-infected with polio since last years outbreak.

Other countries being reached by the campaign are Liberia, where almost one million children will be immunized, as well as Nigeria and the Democratic republic of the Congo.

With the disease now in its low-transmission season, the next few months are critical to stopping the epidemic.

U.N. RELIEF WORK REMAINS UNDER-FUNDED TWO MONTHS AFTER TSUNAMI

Two months have passed since last Decembers

tsunami wreaked havoc throughout South Asia and East Africa. But whereas some UN agencies such as the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have

received 100% of their

flash appeal requirements, others like the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) still remain under-funded.

Currently, in Indonesias Aceh province, WFP is providing monthly rations of rice, fortified noodles, biscuits, canned fish and vegetable oil to 455,000 people, most of whom are living in camp-like settlements.

For its part, the UNHCR reports that its distribution of some 10,000 tents to 11 locations along Acehs west coast is well underway. And UNICEF is helping with teacher training, since the provinces education department lost 10% of its staff to the tsunami.

Meanwhile, UNDP, which recruited 1,870 local workers through its Cash for Work programme, was able to reopen Banda Acehs General Hospital and Islamic University.

At Headquarters, the UN Staffs relief committee for tsunami victims is holding a fundraising event tonight, in the Visitors Lobby, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event will feature musical performances, and all proceeds will be donated to tsunami victims. The

UN Foundation will match, dollar for dollar, all funds raised by the Committee.

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL STAFF VISITS U.N. HEADQUARTERS

For the fourteenth year, the United Nations is welcoming a delegation of U.S. congressional staff members for a day of briefings at Headquarters.

These staffers will hear from, among others,

Mark Malloch Brown on UN reform efforts,

Robert Orr on the progress of the Millennium Summit, and from

Margareta Wahlstrom on the UNs relief effort in the tsunami-affected areas.

This visit is organized by the Humpty-Dumpty Institute.

AFGHANS COPE WITH UNUSUALLY HARSH WINTER

The Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it is providing additional assistance to some 200,000 people in

Afghanistan, to help them cope with the unusually harsh winter. UNHCR has been providing blankets, plastic sheets, sleeping mats, lanterns, soap and disposable diapers to affected families.

Meanwhile, in

Iran, UNHCR is sending relief supplies, including family-size tents, to thousands of people who have been left homeless in the town of Zarand following the earthquake earlier this week. More than 5,000 Afghan refugees are registered as living in and around Zarand.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

BIRD FLU CONFERENCE RECOMMENDS STRATEGIES FOR DISEASE CONTROL: A three-day regional conference on bird flu, held in Ho Chi Minh City,

recommended several strategies to minimize the risk of virus transmission between species and to therefore protect humans. These include segregation in farm settings of chickens, ducks, and other animals and a reduction in contact between these animals and humans. The possibility of vaccinating ducks would also be explored.

UNEP TO COMBAT MERCURY POLLUTION: At a council meeting of the

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today, steps were

taken to reduce the health and environmental risks from mercury, a heavy metal linked with a wide range of medical problems. UNEP will conduct a study on the amounts of mercury being traded around the world. The council also agreed to develop partnerships between governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to reduce mercury pollution.

COLIN FARRELL STARS IN W.F.P. TV SPOT: The Irish film actor, Colin Farrell, is helping the World Food Programme (WFP) raise awareness and concern about global hunger. Farrell agreed to appear in the latest of WFPs thirty-second public service announcements. It draws attention to the plight of the hundreds of millions of people who suffer from hunger on a daily basis often far from the media spotlight.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Sunday, February 27

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control will enter into force.

Monday, February 28

The Security Council, on the last day of the Presidency of Benin, has scheduled an open meeting on Timor-Leste.

The tenth-year Review and Appraisal of the Beijing Plan of Action will start, as part of the 49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, and will run until March 11. The Secretary-General will address todays opening session.

In Vienna, a three-day meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agencys Board of Governors will begin.

Tuesday, March 1

The Secretary-General will participate in a meeting in London, at the principals level, of the Quartet dealing with the Middle East.

Ambassador Ronaldo Sardenberg of Brazil will take over the Presidency of the Security Council for the month of March, and is expected to hold bilateral consultations with other Council members on the program of work.

The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development will begin.

The guest at the noon briefing will be Ambassador Mel Levitsky of the International Narcotics Control Board, who will launch the Boards annual report.

At 3:00 p.m., the French Minister for Poverty and Equality will brief the press.

Wednesday, March 2

The Security Council is expected to hold consultations on its program of work for March. Council President Ronaldo Sardenberg of Brazil is expected to brief the press afterward.

At 11:00 a.m., actress Meryl Streep will moderate a press briefing by Equality Now to highlight the impact of discriminatory laws on women around the world.

Thursday, March 3

At 11:15 a.m., Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Jose Antonio Ocampo and Carolyn Hannan, Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women, will brief the press on the launch of the World Survey on the role of women in development.