United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-03-04

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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, March 4, 2005

ANNAN TO MEET WITH SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ON SUDAN

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is scheduled to meet with members of the Security Council on Monday to discuss

Sudan, particularly Darfur, given the urgency of the situation on the ground.

Asked whether the Secretary-General had called for the meeting with the Security Council members out of frustration, the Spokesman said that all would agree that not enough is being done to bring the security situation in Sudan under control. Council members share that view with the Secretary-General, he noted.

The Spokesman added that, as Security Council members grapple with difficult issues while they consider deploying a UN Mission in Sudan, it would be appropriate to discuss their views with the Secretary-General on how to act more decisively in dealing with the killings and rapes that have occurred in Darfur.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the UNs Emergency Relief Coordinator,

Jan Egeland, traveled today to Rumbek in south Sudan, where hundreds of thousands of people displaced during the war are poised to return to communities where few of the resources required to support their return are in place.

In Rumbek, he met with Senior Officials of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and representatives of UN agencies and NGOs.

Egeland also plans to visit Darfur while he is in Sudan.

MILITIA LEADERS IN EASTERN CONGO SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE

The

UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) reports that the situation in the Ituri district, in the eastern is relatively calm today.

However, the Mission remains concerned. The countrys Transitional Government has arrested several of the persons named in the Security Councils

presidential statement from last Wednesday, but in practice, these persons have been put under house arrest. Some even appear to move about freely and to retain means of communications.

The Mission is calling on the government to truly arrest these people and bring them to justice.

Asked about todays meeting between the Secretary-General and Special Representative

William Swing, the Spokesman said a read-out was expected after the meeting, and Swing would not talk to the press.

The Spokesman noted that the Secretary-General had said on Thursday that Swings resignation was not on the agenda. But, Eckhard said, one topic would be the transition in leadership in the UN Mission, while the main topic would be the Secretary-Generals new and more robust policy for dealing with sexual abuse. Also on the agenda, he said, would be a discussion of the political situation following the sharp military exchange that took place this week in Ituri.

He said the Mission was still trying to find its feet in a politically complex environment, and in daunting terrain.

The Spokesman noted, in response to a question, that Swing was 70 years old, and his contract would expire in a few months.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TAKES ZERO TOLERANCE

MESSAGE TO COTE D'IVOIRE

Deputy Secretary-General

Louise Fréchette has begun the third leg of a mission to personally deliver the Secretary-Generals zero tolerance policy regarding sexual exploitation and abuse.

She arrived earlier today in

Cote dIvoire from

Sierra Leone.

Before leaving Freetown, she told the staff of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) that any infringement of the Organizations zero tolerance policy against sexual exploitation and abuse could be perceived as an undermining of UN standards. Although there were different types of personnel in peacekeeping operations, all would be measured against one set of standards the UN standards of conduct, she said.

In her meeting with representatives from non-governmental organizations, the Deputy Secretary-General outlined the UNs policies concerning sexual abuse and exploitation and urged those organizations to work in partnership with UN offices based in Sierra Leone to curtail the phenomenon.

While in Freetown, she told reporters that the United Nations was reforming its approach by appointing staff members in all peacekeeping operations to work specifically on the issue and would very soon increase its relevant expertise and capacity to carry out investigations.

Commenting on the drawdown of the Mission, she noted that the United Nations would continue to work with the people of Sierra Leone for many years to come. I am encouraged by what I have seen through the programs accomplished, such as the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process and strengthening of security institutions, she said.

U.N. MISSION IN COTE DIVOIRE REPORTS TENSION NEAR LIBERIAN BORDER

During her visit to Cote dIvoire, the Deputy Secretary-General is scheduled to meet Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo to review the current situation in the country and the cooperation between the mission and the government.

The

UN Operation in Cote dIvoire (UNOCI) continued to report tensions and clashes in some areas, where UN peacekeepers subsequently increased their patrols.

The mission also reported that gunshots were heard yesterday on the eastern side of the town of Danane, situated a few kilometers from Côte dIvoires border with Liberia.

UN peacekeepers from the

UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) based in Loguato, a town almost opposite Danane on the Liberian side, told the UN mission in Cote dIvoire that they saw concentrations of unidentified persons around that area.

MORE THAN 40 MILLION H.I.V. CASES CAN BE PREVENTED IN AFRICA

Depending on actions taken today, as many as 43 million cases of HIV infection could be prevented over the next 20 years, according to a new

report.

The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

presents three scenarios for AIDS in Africa in the report, showing what could happen between now and the year 2025, depending on whether African leaders take tough measures, or have sufficient resources, to fight AIDS.

The scenarios are not predictions, Dr. Peter Piot, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, said. They are plausible stories about the future.

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED BY EUROPES SECURITY & COOPERATION BODY

The

Security Council held an open meeting this morning that featured a briefing by the Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel of Slovenia.

The next scheduled meeting of the Security Council is Monday, when it has DRC sanctions and Somalia on its agenda.

IRAQ: U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTORS STILL USE SATELLITE TRACKING

The latest quarterly

report to the Security Council by the

UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission for Iraq (UNMOVIC) was published today.

In it, UNMOVIC says it continues to use satellite imagery to track what has happened to Iraqi weapons sites it previously monitored and inspected.

The inspectors are working with Iraqs neighbours to track the sale of scrap metals which has included dual-use items.

The report also discusses the uncertain fate of biological seed stocks Iraq imported in the 1980s and notes that the issue remains as part of the residue of uncertainty and that such seed stocks could possibly be used in the future for biological warfare agent production.

"BABY 81" TO ATTEND TSUNAMI RELIEF EVENT AT UN HEADQUARTERS

Turning to

tsunami relief activities in Aceh, Indonesia, the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) has distributed 25,000 insecticide-treated bed nets along the west coast. To date, the agencys daily distributions of jerry cans, soap, hygiene kits and buckets have reached more than 50,000 people in the province.

For its part, the World Food Programme (WFP) is gradually shifting its focus away from general food distribution and towards targeted assistance, covering thousands of primary school children, pregnant women, new mothers, children under five, and orphans.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been conducting a measles campaign in Banda Aceh this week. On the first morning alone, more than 3,000 children were vaccinated.

And the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is using heavy machinery to drag stranded boats back to the coast, so that they can quickly be used again by fishermen.

At UN Headquarters, there will be a concert to raise funds for tsunami victims, this evening from 6:00 to 8:30. It is being organized by the UN staff committee for tsunami relief. Baby 81, the Sri Lankan baby who had been claimed by multiple parents after the disaster, will attend with his family.

ANNAN: NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY FACES

PROFOUND CHALLENGES

The Secretary-General

marked the 35th anniversary of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which takes place tomorrow, by calling it a true cornerstone of global security, given the grave perils posed by nuclear proliferation.

Yet today, he warns, the Treaty confronts profound challenges to its effectiveness and credibility. When the Treatys Review Conference takes place this May, he says, progress in both disarmament and non-proliferation will be essential, and neither should be held hostage to the other.

The Secretary-General says that nuclear weapon states should do more to inspire confidence in their commitments, while all States parties should agree to necessary measures for more credible verification and enforcement of the Treaty.

The Secretary-General adds that he will recommend priority measures to strengthen the NPT in his forthcoming report on the Millennium Declaration.

REFUGEE AGENCY URGES MALAYSIA TO PROTECT REFUGEES

DURING CRACKDOWN

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today

urged the Malaysian government to continue to demonstrate its strong humanitarian commitment and cooperation with UNHCR, following reports this week of a crackdown on illegal migrants.

UNHCR stresses that it has stringent procedures in place for registration, verification, interviewing and then determination of refugee status.

But at least a dozen people with UNHCR documentation - mainly Acehnese from Indonesia and Chins, an ethnic minority from Myanmar - have been arrested in the roundup and sent to immigration detention centers. The refugee agency hopes the authorities will release them shortly.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEW LAW ADDRESSES IODINE DEFICIENCY IN GEORGIA: Almost half of the children in Georgia face the risk of mental retardation and brain damage because of iodine deficiencies. However, with support from the UNICEF, the Georgian Government has taken an important step to rectify the situation, by adopting new

legislation to outlaw imports of non-iodized salt. Iodine deficiency disorders are endemic in Georgia and UNICEF has been working to address the problem since 1996.

MIDDLE EAST ENVOY IN WASHINGTON: Asked about the itinerary of the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy dealing with

Resolution 1559, Terje Roed-Larsen, the Spokesman said that Roed-Larsen was in Washington, D.C., today, for routine consultations with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley. Roed-Larsen would travel to the Middle East in the coming days.

MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGES DONT APPLY TO HIGH-LEVEL STAFF: Asked whether UN staff under dollar-a-year contracts were subject to the UN mandatory retirement age, which is 60 for some staff and 62 for others, the Spokesman said that most staff under such contracts would be at the level of Assistant Secretary-General or Under-Secretary-General. Mandatory retirement rules do not apply to staff at that level, he said.

LABOUR OFFICE TO DISCUSS MYANMAR: The Governing Body of the office of the

International Labour Organization (ILO) will

discuss a host of issues at its 292nd session that began yesterday. Issues include the situation in Myanmar, the social dimension of globalization, and the next budget of the ILO. On Myanmar, the Governing Body will examine basic labour rights and the attitudes towards forced labour in the country. The session runs until 24 March.

WFP AND JAPAN JOIN FORCES FOR SCHOOL FEEDING: The

World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Japan have forged a

partnership to promote human security through school feeding. Currently, WFP is reaching some 16 million children through school feeding programmes. It aims to increase that number to 50 million children by 2007.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Sunday, March 6

The UN Millennium Campaign will be co-hosting the Launch of the Global Call to Action for Womens Rights, from 8 pm-midnight, at 199 Bowery Street in Manhattan.

Monday, March 7

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on sanctions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and on the peace process in Somalia.

The UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) and UK-based Wilton Park are jointly organizing a Wilton Park Roundtable on the theme Sovereignty and Transition in West Africa in Dakar, Senegal, Monday and Tuesday.

The guest at the noon briefing will be the Secretary-Generals Representative for Somalia, Winston Tubman.

Tuesday, March 8

Today is International Womens Day. Noeleen Heyzer, the Executive Director of UNIFEM, will be the guest at the noon briefing to discuss the gains made by women over the past decade.

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) for Iraq.

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will meet in Geneva.

Also in Geneva, the Governing Council of the UN Compensation Commission will begin a three-day meeting.

At 10:00 a.m., the UN Research Institute for Social Development will hold a press briefing to launch a report, Gender Equality: Striving for Justice in an Unequal World.

Wednesday, March 9

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on Haiti.

Thursday, March 10

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

At 1:15 p.m., there will be a briefing on the Commission on the Status of Women by its chair, Kyung-wha Kang.

Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, will moderate a discussion and book launch for The Turbulent Decade by former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, from 1-2 pm in Conference Room 8.

Friday, March 11

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on Cote dIvoire.

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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