Thursday, 12 February 2004
Listen to entire programme - Real Audio MP3
Listen to the news

UN Team Has Contact with Wide Range of Iraqi Opinion

A UN assessment team is continuing its fact-finding mission in Iraq. The team has briefed Secretary-General Kofi Annan on its talks in Iraq, including today's meeting in Najaf with Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani. UN Spokesman Fred Eckhard says the team has had contact with a wide range of Iraqi opinion and has been listening to the views expressed by Iraqis on the best means of effecting a peaceful and stable transition:

"The Secretary-General understands that there is
a consensus emerging from the team's contacts that direct national elections are the best way to establish a parliament and government in Iraq that are fully representative and legitimate."

Sspokesman Fred Eckhard says that at the same time there is wide agreement that elections must be carefully prepared and that they must be organised in technical, security and political conditions that give the best chance of producing a result that reflects the will of the Iraqi electorate and thus contributes to long-term peace and stability in Iraq.

Greek/Turkish Leaders Meet for Third Round of Talks

Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have agreed to meet again Thursday for more talks aimed at reviving a plan to reunite the island. That plan calls for a single state with Greek and Turkish federal regions linked through a central government. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in response to reporters' questions, said that as long we are talking we are making progress. He added that we are going to do whatever we can to make that progress.

UN Nuclear Chief Calls for Tighter Export Controls

The UN nuclear agency wants a crackdown on atomic smuggling worldwide. Chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei called for tighter controls on the export of nuclear technology. Spokesman Mark Gwozdecky says the threat from the black market in nuclear technology is one of the most dangerous phenomena the IAEA has noticed in many years. And he says Dr. ElBaradei wants nuclear weapons States to get serious about nuclear disarmament and other measures:

"He's talking about giving our inspectors the kind of authority that they need and don't have in most of the countries of the world. That's something that will involve signing of the additional protocol. He's talking about putting appropriate checks and balances on the sensitive parts of the nuclear fuel cycle, particularly the reprocessing and enrichment ends to make it less likely that a country is going to misuse that technology."

In a newspaper editorial Thursday, Dr. ElBaradei warned that nuclear proliferation is on the rise.

UN Conference on Disarmament Decides to Enhance Participation of Civil Society

In Geneva, the UN Conference on Disarmament has decided to enhance the participation of civil society in its work. The decision would allow the conference to allocate one informal plenary meeting during its annual session for non-governmental organizations to address the conference. Meanwhile, outgoing conference president Ms. Amina Mohamed of Kenya said the conference had taken a big step and would move forward from this point. And she expressed the hope that informal meetings would facilitate the work of the conference, especially in getting agreement on a programme of work:

"Informal plenary meetings, which are appropriately provided for in rule 22 of our Rules of Procedure can be an effective vehicle that we can use to build confidence to understand issues and each others' positions."

Ms. Mohamed said that agreement on a programme of work was the biggest challenge and responsibility facing the Conference on Disarmament.

Measures Urged to Stabilize Situation in DRC

There's been a call for a series of measures aimed at promoting stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The call came after members of the Security Council held a closed door meeting during which they were briefed on the situation in the Congo. Council members underscored the need to disarm, demobilize and reintegrate Congolese combatants.
Council President Wang Guangya of China says members hailed recent positive developments in the peace process, but voiced concern over the need to prepare for national elections next year:

"They also stressed the need for extension of State authority, security sector reform, strengthening the rule of law, economic reconstruction and an end to illegal exploitation of natural resources and an end to impunity."

Council members also called on the international community to help the DRC in this endeavour.