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United Nations Daily Highlights, 97-01-14United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSTuesday, 14 January 1997This document is prepared by the Central News Section of the Department of Public Information and is updated every week-day at approximately 6:00 PM. HEADLINES
UN Security found a total of four letter bombs at Headquarters in New York, all of them addressed to the UN office of the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hayat, Acting Spokesman for the Secretary- General Fred Eckhard said today. After detecting one letter bomb yesterday morning, and a second one in that afternoon, UN Security staff came up with two more live letter bombs by midnight, which made a total of four collected throughout the day, according to the Spokesman. They inspected over 80,000 pieces of mail overnight. The four envelopes were all similar in form, the Spokesman stated, adding that US officials had confirmed the presence of a postmark from the Egyptian city of Alexandria on at least some of these four envelopes. The Al-Hayat newspaper was the addressee, the Spokesman pointed out, meaning that the correspondent herself was not named on the envelopes. "We hope that whoever has undertaken this cowardly act will cease before some serious damage is done. This is a house of peace and we work in the interest of all nations and this kind of activity is not something that anyone can condone and I appeal to them to desist and use other means to raise their complaints," UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said. The New York City Bomb Squad disposed of all four letter bombs, the UN Spokesman said. Additional security measures have been taken to screen the mail and to enhance the press area in general, according to Fred Eckhard. The Chief of Security is looking into what additional investments the United Nations might have to make to enhance security in the building rather than to be relying as heavily as the Organisation is on the host country, he noted. No one has called to take credit for the letter bombs, the UN Spokesman stated. The Security Council today authorised the 28 United Nations military observers who form the UN Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP) to continue monitoring the demilitarisation of the Prevlaka peninsula until 15 July. The Council also urged Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to implement fully their 1996 Agreement on Normalisation of Relations. Stressing that the implementation of the Agreement between the parties and their mutual commitments were critical for establishing peace and security throughout the region, the Council called upon them to cease and refrain from all violations and from military or other activities that might increase tension, to cooperate fully with the military observers and to ensure their safety and freedom of movement, including through the removal of land-mines. The observers monitor the demilitarization of the peninsula and patrol both sides of the border between Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has informed members of the Security Council of new procedures by which he will be briefing the Council, Acting Spokesman for the Secretary-General Fred Eckhard said today. Mr. Annan will send a letter to the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Hisashi Owada of Japan, as well as to the Heads of three substantive departments - Political Affairs, Peace-keeping and Humanitarian Affairs - outlining these new procedures, the Spokesman added. The first procedure is the discontinuation of the function of the Special Representative to the Security Council, which was held by Ambassador Chinmaya Gharekhan, the Spokesman noted, adding that Mr. Gharekhan himself will stay with the UN system and his future assignment will be announced later this month. Secondly, the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) will continue to bear the main responsibility for briefing the Council and monitoring its work, Mr. Eckhard stated. They will coordinate with the Peace-keeping and Humanitarian Affairs Departments in regard to specific assignments to brief the Council. The Political Affairs Department will also coordinate submission every Wednesday of a briefing paper for the Security Council on field operations, highlighting significant trends, according to the UN Spokesman. The new procedures go into effect today 14 January, he noted. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Lansana Kouyate today travelled to Liberia to consult on the upcoming elections scheduled for 30 May, Acting Spokesman for the Secretary-General Fred Eckhard said. An electoral assistance team visited Liberia last December, and on the basis of their report, the United Nations has prepared draft recommendations covering an electoral mechanism, presidential elections, an electoral commission, registration of refugees, and other items, the UN Spokesman added. The UN Assistant Secretary-General will also visit Nigeria. The African country is the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which provides the military observer group, monitored by a UN mission, according to the Spokesman. Mr. Kouyate will meet with Nigerian officials on 16 and 17 January, and with Liberian officials over the weekend. The battle against desertification could be won through public awareness, use of appropriate technologies, mass participation and adoption of long- term strategies envisaged in the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the Minister for the Coordination of Environmental Affairs of Mozambique, Bernardo P. Ferraz told the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Convention. Addressing the Committee, Mr. Ferraz said it was important that the Committee reach a consensus on the Global Mechanism and the Scientific and Technological Committee to ensure the implementation on the Convention. Governments must ensure that all aspects of drought and desertification were properly reflected in national policies on disaster preparedness, he said. The representative of the United Republic of Tanzania, Katinda Kamando, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China expressed appreciation for the generosity of all the countries and agencies that had contributed to the extrabudgetary funds. He appealed to non- governmental organisations (NGOs) and also to countries to continue to contribute generously to the extrabudgetary funds. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women opened its sixteenth session today by electing Salma Khan, of Bangladesh, as its Chairperson and adopting its agenda and organisation of work. The outgoing Chairperson, Ivanka Corti of Italy reported to the Committee on the activities between sessions. She noted the progress in cooperation with United Nations specialised agencies and other human rights treaty bodies. For information purposes only - - not an official record From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgUnited Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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