HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
OF THE UNITED NATIONS
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, April 5, 2004
ANNAN HOLDS WIDE-RANGING TALKS WITH RUSSIAN LEADERS
- Secretary-General Kofi Annan is in Moscow today, where he met for an hour and forty minutes with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two discussed Iraq, the Middle East, Kosovo, Afghanistan and the Georgia/Abkhazia conflict.
- The Secretary-General praised the President for his recent statement to the Duma on AIDS , and thanked Russia for its efforts to free Arjan Erkel, a Medicins Sans Frontieres worker abducted in Dagestan.
- Earlier in the day, the Secretary-General met with the newly-appointed Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov with whom he discussed economic issues. The Secretary-General raised the issue of refugees and displaced persons in the Northern Caucasus, and said the United Nations wants to expand its activities in Chechnya.
- The Secretary-General also had a working lunch with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. They discussed Iraq in detail, talking of how to help the Iraqis arrive at a mechanism for the handover of sovereignty, and how they might arrange for security after the transfer of power. They also discussed Israel's planned withdrawal from Gaza, voter registration in Afghanistan, the situation in Nagorny Karabakh, negotiations over the Korean peninsula and UN-Russian relations.
- The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister then met with the press. The Secretary-General was asked about the violence in Iraq, and said, referring to the UN's work, “We will do our best to ensure that an Iraqi government that represents the Iraqi people, that is in charge of its own affairs, its political and economic destiny, is installed.”
- Until then, he added, “I would want to appeal to all in Iraq to cooperate with each other and to resist the violence that has taken innocent civilian lives.”
- The Secretary-General's last appointment of the day was with former Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, now the Secretary of the National Security Council. They discussed Georgia, Iraq, Iran and the Middle East, as well as the Secretary-General's panel on change.
- The Secretary-General met a member of that panel, former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, last night, after arriving earlier on Sunday from Vienna.
MANDATE OF U.N. OPERATION IN COTE D'IVOIRE COMES INTO FORCE;
ANNAN APPEALS TO ALL PARTIES TO REJECT VIOLENCE
- In a message read at a ceremony by his Special Representative Albert Tevoedjre in Abijdan today, the Secretary-General congratulated the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) whose contingents from Benin, Ghana, Niger, Senegal and Togo were “rehatted” under the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire whose mandate came into force yesterday.
- The Secretary-General also reiterated his strong appeal to the Ivorian parties to reject all forms of violence and take advantage of the window of opportunity provided by the UN peacekeeping presence, to re-engage in political dialogue aimed at genuine reconciliation for the benefit of all Ivorians.
- To this end, the Secretary-General urged President Laurent Gbagbo to submit without delay draft laws envisaged in the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement, cooperate fully with the international commission of inquiry to investigate the events of 25 March, and ensure that all civic and political liberties will be restored without delay.
- The Secretary-General also strongly appeals to the opposition parties who have suspended their participation in the Government of National Reconciliation to resume it at the earliest, and invites all Ivorian forces to proceed with the Disarmament and Demobilization programme without delay.
- [Cote d'Ivoire's Prime Minister, Seydou Elimane Diarra, and several cabinet Ministers attended the ceremony, as well as leaders of all political parties and factions, including Forces Nouvelles. ECOWAS was represented by Ambassador Ralph Uweche, the Special Representative of its Executive Director. All religious denominations were also represented by various religious leaders in Cote d'Ivoire, including Cardinal Agre and Imam Kourdouss. Also present were all representatives of the Monitoring Committee overseeing the implementation of the Linas-Marcoussis agreement.]
BRAHIMI HELD TALKS WITH IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL
- The Secretary-General's Special Adviser, Lakhdar Brahimi, and his team arrived in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, on Sunday evening.
- This morning, he met with the Iraqi Governing Council, telling reporters afterward that his team and the Governing Council members had a long talk about the mission he is undertaking. That mission, he said, will assist in the formation of the administration which will take over once sovereignty is restored to the Iraqi people and will also help in preparing for elections.
- Brahimi said the team will meet with all the personalities that wish to contribute to this effort and to meet with them. He asserted, “The doors of the United Nations are open to all.”
- Asked about the nature of the administration the United Nations would help the Iraq Governing Council to establish, the Spokesman said that this is a topic which Brahimi is helping the Council address. “We have the questions, he's obviously helping them look for the answers,” the Spokesman said.
- Asked about how long Brahimi would stay in Iraq, the Spokesman said there was no firm date. “It depends on the discussions he's having and the progress he's making,” he said. “He will make that decision.”
SUDAN: ANNAN AND U.N. AGENCY HEADS URGE CEASE-FIRE IN DARFUR
- In a statement issued on Saturday in Baden, outside Vienna, the Secretary-General and the heads of all UN agencies, funds and programmes expressed their deepest concern over the serious human rights violations and the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of the Sudan.
- They called on those responsible for perpetrating these violations to put an immediate end to their activities. They further call on all parties to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to the affected population.
- They welcomed the peace initiative undertaken by the government of Chad and call on all concerned to cooperate fully in this important undertaking and enter into a humanitarian ceasefire as an immediate first step.
MINUTE OF SILENCE TO BE OBSERVED AT NOON WEDNESDAY
IN MEMORY OF RWANDA GENOCIDE VICTIMS
- On Wednesday, April 7, which is being observed as International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, commemorative events will be taking place in Kigali, Dar-es-Salaam, New York and Geneva, as well as other capitals around the globe.
- The Secretary-General has announced that on April 7 at 12:00 noon local time, the United Nations will observe one minute of silence in memory of the victims of the genocide in Rwanda, and he has invited Member States to do the same.
- In Geneva, the Secretary-General will address a special one-hour commemorative meeting being held within the framework of the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The Secretary-General will make a speech, which will address the prevention of genocide. His speech will be made following two minutes of silence which will be observed at 12:00 noon Geneva time.
- In Kigali, Rwanda, the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for Special Assignments in Africa, Ibrahim Gambari, will represent the United Nations at the ceremonies.
- In New York, there will be a meeting of the General Assembly, and high-level panel discussions will be held in New York and Geneva.
- Staff at Headquarters will march around the circle in front of the Secretariat Building, and will observe a minute of silence at the Japanese Garden near the Peace Bell at 12 noon.
AFGHANISTAN: U.N. MISSION WELCOMES RESULTS OF BERLIN CONFERENCE
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