United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-06-14

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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

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

SECRETARY-GENERAL ATTENDS GLOBAL COMPACT MEETING IN PARIS

In Paris today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan attended a meeting of international business leaders focused on the business communitys contributions to the

Millennium Development Goals,

telling them that the fight against extreme poverty, as enshrined in the Millennium Development Goals, is no longer a job for governments alone. That meeting was organized by the

Global Compact.

He told the more than 300 officials, who had been invited to the event by French President Jacques Chirac, It is the absence of broad-based business activity, not its presence, that condemns much of humanity to suffering.

The Secretary-General said that the recent positive efforts of Europe Union members to increase aid and the decision by the G-8 to cancel $40 billion of debt owed by 18 of the world's poorest nations, mostly in Africa, give real hope. However, he added, we need even more positive decisions in favor of the developing world at the G-8 Gleneagles summit meeting next month and beyond.

Afterwards, the Secretary-General had a working lunch with President Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

During the lunch, served at the Elysee Palace, the three discussed the preparations for the September Summit at the United Nations, as well the need for increased development financing. They also discussed the greater Middle East, including Lebanon, Syria, the

Israeli/Palestinian peace process and Iran.

On his way out of the Elysee Palace, the Secretary-General

spoke to reporters. He said he was relieved that Florence Aubenas and her Iraqi guide, Hussein Hanoun, were freed in Iraq, and voiced his hope that other hostages will also be freed soon.

The Secretary-General began his day with a 45-minute bilateral meeting with President Chirac. They discussed

UN reform, financing for development, the larger Middle East, the

Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Western Sahara,

Cote dIvoire, Togo and

Sudan.

ANNAN CONCERNED ABOUT FORCIBLE RETURN OF RWANDAN ASYLUM SEEKERS

On 12 and 13 June, the Burundian and Rwandan authorities forcibly returned some 5,000 Rwandan asylum seekers to Rwanda in violation of international conventions regulating the treatment of asylum seekers. The repatriation of these asylum seekers follows a decision on 11 June by Burundi and Rwanda to consider Burundian and Rwandan asylum seekers as illegal immigrants.

The Secretary-General, in a

statement issued today, said he is seriously concerned about this action, which constitutes a violation of international law, particularly the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1974 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugees Problems in Africa.

The Secretary-General also urges Burundi and Rwanda to follow due process in accordance with international law to facilitate the return of asylum seekers, including the 7,000 Burundian refugees still in Rwanda and the 700 Rwandan asylum seekers still in Burundi.

UN HAS TURNED OVER RECORDS OF 1998 TRIP TO VOLCKER INQUIRY

Asked about a statement today from the

Independent Inquiry Committee that it is reopening an investigation concerning a contract awarded by the United Nations to Cotecna in 1998, the Spokesman said that, following a report in todays New York Times, the United Nations took a careful look at its trip records for the Secretary-Generals visit to the Franco-American Summit in Paris in 1998. That record, he said, included the program of every meeting held during that trip.

He said that, contrary to an e-mail printed in the New York Times article, there was no record of any meeting with then-Cotecna employee Michael Wilson. Eckhard added that the coordinator for that trip has no recollection of any meeting or exchange with Wilson, and the Secretary-General similarly did not recall any meeting or exchange with him.

Eckhard also disputed the views expressed in Wilsons e-mail, saying that the Secretary-General could not have given any assurances regarding Cotecnas UN bid, since the Secretary-General had no knowledge that Cotecna was a bidder for a UN contract.

In response to further questions, the Spokesman said that the United Nations today turned over all records, including the delegation list, to Paul Volckers committee. He will look into the matter. Volcker will weigh the evidence, interview witnesses and make his judgments.

He added, in response to a question, that the UN delegation in Paris had comprised about a dozen people.

The Spokesman, asked whether the Secretary-General had had any influence in Cotecnas contract, denied it. He asserted that the Secretary-General has been truthful in his testimony to the Volcker committee.

Asked about the reliability of the trip records, the Spokesman said that, although he could not categorically claim that they were 100 percent accurate, they should provide a full record of every meeting the Secretary-General had during his visit, including personal encounters. He added that the United Nations also had a complete log of telephone conversations during the trip.

Asked whether the Secretary-General had met his son, Kojo Annan, during the trip, the Spokesman said that, if both were in Paris at the same time, they could be expected to meet as father and son.

Asked whether the Secretary-General has urged Kojo Annan to cooperate with Volcker, the Spokesman said he had done so, but added that Kojo Annan is an adult, with his own lawyers.

Asked who would judge whether the Secretary-General was being honest with the Volcker Committee, the Spokesman said the ultimate judge of that would be Paul Volcker. Eckhard added, responding to a question about Joseph Stephanidess cooperation with the Committee, that Stephanides had been charged with a grievous breach of UN rules, and was dismissed for that reason, and not about his honesty in dealing with the Committee.

Asked whether the Secretary-General would meet with Volcker again, the Spokesman said that would be a decision for Volcker to make.

Asked how this affects the Secretary-Generals view that he was exonerated by the Committee, the Spokesman said that the question of exoneration is for Volcker to decide, but there is no change in the Secretary-Generals position. Volcker, Eckhard noted, had previously concluded that there was no improper interference by the Secretary-General in the awarding of the Cotecna contract. The Secretary-General maintains that he did nothing to influence the contract.

Asked how the Secretary-General reacted to the reopening of the inquiry, the Spokesman said he was continuing to pursue his substantive agenda.

The Spokesman said, in response to a question on how the developments affect UN reform efforts, said that it makes it harder, but maintained that the United Nations is reasonably hopeful of positive results on reform at this Septembers Summit.

INDIAN PEACEKEEPER KILLED IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

An Indian peacekeeper was killed and two of his colleagues injured on Monday when they were caught in an exchange of fire between government troops and a group of unidentified gunmen 20 km north-west of Goma in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In a press release from the UN Mission there, the Force Commander,

General Babacar Gaye, notes that the Mission counts on the collaboration of the national army in investigating this incident.

UN ENVOY FOR SUDAN NOTES CONSTRUCTIVE STATEMENT AT TALKS

As talks on

Darfur resumed today in Abuja, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sudan,

Jan Pronk, told reporters in Khartoum that the Government of Sudan had made a constructive statement.

Pronk said statements by the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) were less aggressive than those made at previous talks.

UN ENVOY ASHRAF QAZI MEETS WITH IRAQI PRIME MINISTER

Ashraf Qazi, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for

Iraq, met this afternoon with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari. They discussed the ongoing constitution-making process, including the participation of groups from outside the Transitional National Assembly.

Qazi also briefed the Prime Minister on the UN Missions preparations for the Brussels International Conference on Iraq.

SECRETARY-GENERAL REGRETS THAT KUWAITI ARCHIVES NOT FOUND

The Secretary-General says it is regrettable that, more than two years after Saddam Husseins regime fell, the Kuwaiti national archives have not been found and returned to Kuwait. In a

report to the

Security Council, he says the search for the archives must be intensified.

The Secretary-General calls on all parties concerned to continue to work towards a satisfactory solution to all property aspects covered by the mandate of the High-Level Coordinator,

Yuli Vorontsov.

The Council has scheduled consultations next Monday on the return of Kuwaiti property.

COCA PRODUCTION INCREASES IN ANDEAN REGION, UN REPORT SAYS

The

UN Office on Drugs and Crime today released its

Andean Coca Surveys for Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, which indicate an overall 3-percent increase in coca production in that region in 2004. The surveys indicate that Colombian coca cultivation has declined by 50 percent since 2000, but that drop is countered by upswings in Bolivia and Peru.

Despite the slight increase last year, the report says that coca cultivation in the Andean region is still almost a third less than it was in 2000, mainly because of the reduced coca cultivation in Colombia. But

Antonio Maria Costa, head of the Office on Drugs and Crime, calls the increase in Bolivia and Peru worrisome.

OCAMPO MEETS WITH BOLIVIAS NEW PRESIDENT

The Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy for Bolivia, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs

Jose Antonio Ocampo, had a good meeting Monday with Bolivias new President, Eduardo Rodriguez, in which they discussed efforts to hold elections and build institutions in the country.

Ocampos delegation plans to stay in Bolivia until Thursday and return to New York on Friday, to report on its visit.

TRIAL ATTORNEY AT RWANDA TRIBUNAL RESIGNS

The

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda said that a trial attorney in the Prosecutors Office had apparently failed to disclose criminal charges that had been made against him two years before he joined the Prosecutors Office.

The prosecutor, Bongani Dyani of South Africa, turned in his resignation from the Prosecutors Office on June 1, just days after the Tribunal began to look into allegations that Dyani had been charged in 2001 with attempted murder and robbery.

The Tribunal says Dyani obtained his employment at the Prosecutors Office by lying and falsifying information, and it strongly condemned his conduct.

GOVERNMENTS FAIL TO RESPOND TO APPEAL FOR TOGOLESE REFUGEES

One month after the UN appealed for nearly $6 million to help refugees from Togo, there has been no response from governments, the

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today.

Some 21,000 Togolese refugees are living in Benin and more are arriving every day. Overall, some 45,000 Togolese have fled their homes since disputed presidential elections in April. The UN is scrambling to provide food and supplies to the refugees, but international support is urgently needed.

Meanwhile, a team of UN human rights and forensic experts is in Togo investigating what prompted the exodus.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL TURK TO LEAVE: In response to a question, the Spokesman confirmed that Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Danilo Turk had submitted his letter of resignation, following the

announcement last Friday that Ibrahim Gambari would replace Kieran Prendergast as Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs. The Secretary-General honors Turks decision to return to teaching in Slovenia and wishes him well, Eckhard said.

NO SECURITY COUNCIL MEETINGS: There are no

Security Council meetings or consultations scheduled for today.

DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD OBSERVED: The UN commemorated the

Day of the African Child with a focus on chronic emergencies on the continent. According to

UNICEF, the worst-off countries are Angola, Liberia, Burundi, Guinea and Eritrea. They all have received between 15 and 25 percent of the funds needed for relief aid.

ANNAN SENDS MESSAGE AFTER AFRICA-FRANCE SUMMIT: In a

message to a ministerial level meeting held in Paris to follow up to the Africa-France Summit, the Secretary-General says that, to end the vicious cycle of underdevelopment, and give hope to the continents people, Africa needs, more than ever, the support of the international community to consolidate and accelerate progress in the socio-economic domain.

SECRETARY-GENERAL SENDS MESSAGE TO ST. PETERSBURG FORUM: The Secretary-General, in a

message today, says that a meeting of policy makers, industrialists, bankers and international representatives which is taking place in St. Petersburg, Russia, serves as a catalyst for trade, investment and mutually beneficial economic relations within and beyond the region, contributing in turn to peace and security.

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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