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6 November, 2004
 

Table Of Contents

 

S-G: 2005 Summit On Millennium Declaration To Be Decisive To UN's Future 1

When world leaders convene in 2005 for the sixtieth session of the General Assembly, five years after agreeing to an ambitious plan to battle poverty and other global ills, they will be charting the future of the United Nations and its role in those efforts, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says.

In unveiling his ideas for holding a high-level review of the 2000 Millennium Declaration, Mr. Annan describes the proposed summit - from 14 to 16 September 2005 at UN Headquarters in New York - as an event of "decisive importance."

"The decisions to be taken at the meeting may determine the whole future of the United Nations," he says in a report on the format and organization of the summit.

"Even more important, they will offer us our best - perhaps our only - chance to ensure a safer, more just and more prosperous world in the new century, not only for our own sakes but for those of our children and grandchildren."

At a similar meeting five years ago, more than 100 Heads of State and government adopted the Millennium Declaration, a blueprint for achieving a more peaceful, prosperous and just world through collective security and a global partnership for development.

What sprang from their statement was the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aim to halve extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal education and promote gender equality.

They also seek to reduce infant and maternal mortality, fight HIV/AIDS and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development - all by 2015.

Mr. Annan says Member States should take an "active and positive interest" in the issues before the 2005 summit. He also urges countries to engage in the preparations at the highest level, "with an unshakeable determination to reach agreement on decisions that will truly fulfill the commitments contained in the Millennium Declaration, giving us a stronger and more effective United Nations as an instrument for achieving a better and safer world."

 

India Among 16 New ECOSOC Members Elected 2

The 54 members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for next year have been decided after the General Assembly this week completed its annual elections for a third of the line-up of the development coordinating body.

Albania and Costa Rica were chosen on 29 October to begin three-year terms starting on 1 January next year. Their selection had been held over from the previous day after two rounds of voting in their categories failed to produce a candidate receiving a two-thirds majority.

The two countries join Australia, Brazil, Chad, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Denmark, Guinea, Iceland, India, Lithuania, Mexico, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Thailand and the United Kingdom, which were each elected on 28 October to identical terms.

Every year the General Assembly selects a third of ECOSOC's roster of members, choosing candidates according to a pre-arranged formula of geographic distribution. At any one time, 14 members must be from Africa, 11 from Asia, six from Eastern Europe, 10 from Latin America and the Caribbean, and 13 from the category of Western Europe and other States.

The terms of Azerbaijan, Benin, Congo, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Turkey expire at the end of 2005.

The following nations complete their terms at the end of 2006: Armenia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Colombia, Indonesia, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Panama, Poland, Tanzania, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

ECOSOC coordinates the development work of 14 UN specialized agencies, 10 functional commissions and five regional commissions. It receives reports from 11 UN funds and programmes and issues policy recommendations to the UN system and to Member States.

From time to time, ECOSOC is given additional tasks, including supervising and promoting the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight time-bound targets that include the halving of extreme poverty by 2015.

 

Sec-Gen Congratulates President Bush On His Re-Election And Hamid Karzai On Becoming Afghanistan's 
First Elected President 3

Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 3 November congratulated President Bush on his re-election, and pledged his commitment to working with the US leader on the whole range of issues facing the United Nations
and the world.

A statement issued by a UN spokesman said Mr. Annan applauded the Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, "on his prompt and statesmanlike decision to accept the outcome."

It also paid tribute "to the American people on the impressive demonstration of democracy they have given by turning out in record numbers to participate in this election."

***

Following the endorsement of results by the joint United Nations-Afghan electoral board on 3 November, Secretary-General Kofi Annan congratulated Hamid Karzai on becoming Afghanistan's first elected President.

"The Secretary General congratulates the people and the Government of Afghanistan, as well as the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) for having conducted a successful and credible election under such difficult circumstances," a spokesman for Mr. Annan said in a statement.

Mr. Annan paid tribute to all the presidential candidates and their supporters for their important role in the democratic process. He also applauded the role of political parties, candidate agents and international observers in making the first-ever democratic elections a success.

The statement said the Secretary-General was gratified that the United Nations, especially the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), "played a significant role in the conduct of a peaceful and credible electoral process."

He also assured the new government that it could continue to rely on UN assistance in consolidating peace and security.

The JEMB declared that Mr. Karzai secured 55 percent of the vote, which took place on 9 October. An expert panel, appointed in the aftermath of the balloting to investigate complaints, had verified earlier that there were shortcomings with the elections, which deserve to be considered to help shape improvements for future polls.

But the panel said the problems that were identified "could not have materially affected the overall result."

 

UN Finances Improved But Still `Delicate' 4

The financial situation of the United Nations had improved this year but remained "delicate," as many countries still were not meeting their obligations in full, the top UN management official said on 2 November.

Catherine Bertini, the Under-Secretary-General for Management, told a press briefing that large amounts were still outstanding for UN peacekeeping operations, the financial position of the international tribunals remained precarious and the amount available for "cross-borrowing" may not be adequate.

Ms. Bertini noted that as of 29 October, 114 countries had paid their regular budget assessments in full, compared to the recent high of 141 by the end of 2000. Of the total $706 million outstanding from the regular budget, the United States owed $530 million, Brazil owed $76 million, Argentina owed $18 million and Iraq owed $13 million. Saudi Arabia and Mexico owed $10 million apiece, and 71 other Member States together owed $49 million.

The cash-on-hand available at the end of the year was estimated at $113 million, which would be an improvement from the "very precarious" $23 million in cash-on-hand for the regular budget at the end of last year, she said. That projected positive balance was partly based on the fact that the United States had said it would pay approximately $300 million of their assessment for the regular budget in the near future.

As for the level of unpaid peacekeeping assessments, Ms. Bertini said, it should be seen in the context of the "very significant increase" in overall assessments for peacekeeping operations, which totalled $4.5 billion as of 29 October, compared to $2.3 billion in 2003.

Ms. Bertini also stressed that the ongoing financial problems faced by the UN tribunals for Rwanda and for the former Yugoslavia continued to be "a cause for great concern."

Only 79 countries had fully paid their Tribunal assessments by 29 October. The persistent arrears potentially had very severe implications for the ability of the Tribunals to operate, she warned. "If the process gets slowed down, it means the Tribunals have to go on longer, which means that Member States will be assessed for longer periods of time," she said. "So it's counter-intuitive not to pay and get it finished."

The United Nations had had to borrow funds from closed peacekeeping missions to keep the Tribunals operating, a practice known as "cross-borrowing." The amount available in closed peacekeeping missions, which was "the only pot" for cross-borrowing, was estimated to be $27 million at the end of 2004. That was not a large cushion and could potentially pose a very serious problem for the Organization, Ms. Bertini said.

 

Tensions Rise In Sudan As Rebels And Government Begin To Lose Control 5

With both Sudan's government and its rebels losing control of their fighting forces in troubled Darfur, warlords may take over unless an international peacekeeping force is fully deployed, negotiations are speeded up and political leaders are held accountable for their actions, the United Nations envoy for Sudan said on 4 November.

"The government does not control its own forces fully," Special Representative Jan Pronk told the Security Council in a briefing on Secretary-General Kofi Annan's monthly report on the situation in the war-torn region. "It co-opted paramilitary forces and now it cannot count on their obedience…The border lines between the military, the paramilitary and the police are being blurred."

Within the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) "there is a leadership crisis," Mr. Pronk said. "There are splits. Some commanders provoke their adversaries by stealing, hijacking and killing, some seem to have begun acting for their own private gain."

The rebels now control so much of the territory that they must take responsibility for the people there and become political leaders, he said, "or they may turn to preying on the civilians in areas they control by force - and we may soon find Darfur is ruled by warlords."

Tensions have been rising since August and, as of November, fighting and provocation have become more widespread, threatening food production and putting the whole population at risk of becoming dependent on humanitarian aid, Mr. Pronk said.

At a news conference after his briefing, Mr. Pronk said the deployment of an adequate number of African Union (AU) troops was being delayed by bureaucracy, lack of funding and differing perceptions of the situation on the ground.

The planned Security Council meeting later this month in Nairobi, Kenya, could convince the parties that they are expected to negotiate in good faith and adopt a Declaration of Principles, a timeframe and detailed agenda for further political issues, he said.

The Secretary-General's report pointed out that despite slow political progress, "violence in Darfur is on the rise. New movements are threatening the peace in Kordofan, in the East and in Khartoum. There is reluctance at the negotiating table in Abuja (Nigeria), distrust, internal division, lack of capacity to negotiate and no sense of urgency."

In Darfur, the Sudanese Government's failure to end impunity has discouraged both disarmament of fighters and repatriation from refugee and internally displaced persons' (IDP) camps, as "banditry goes from strength to strength," it says.

The Government "must build on the very limited action it has taken so far and present a comprehensive and concrete programme for holding accountable those responsible for widespread and systematic violations over the past year or more," the report says.

 

IAEA Reiterates Call For Iran's Nuclear Compliance 6

The United Nations nuclear watchdog agency's top official on 1 November called on Iran to do its utmost to build confidence by suspending activities related to uranium enrichment and reprocessing-related activities.

In his annual report to the UN General Assembly, Mohammed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said he had urged Iran to pursue a policy of "maximum transparency" so that the outstanding issues could be resolved.

"This is clearly in the interest of both Iran and the international community," he stressed.

Describing the Agency's recent work in Iran and Libya as marked by "disturbing lessons," the IAEA chief hinted at the possibility of the existence of an "extensive illicit market" for the supply of nuclear items which, he said, "clearly thrived on demand."

Noting that technical barriers to accessibility of nuclear technology have eroded overtime, Mr. ElBaradei stressed the need to find "better ways and means" to control the production of enriched uranium and the reprocessing of plutonium.

Reporting to the Assembly on the question of nuclear capabilities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), he described the situation as "a serious challenge," while hoping that the six-party talks would lead the country to re-endorse the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In his assessment of Libya's decision to roll back its nuclear weapons programme, the IAEA chief said it appeared to be "consistent with the information available," but added further investigation were still needed.

On the question of Iraq, Mr. ElBaradei said he hoped the Security Council would soon provide guidance on its mandate. "It is clearly important to bring the whole question of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to closure as soon as possible," he told the Assembly.

Referring to a mandate given to him by the IAEA's membership, Mr. ElBaradei said he intended to organize a forum early next year to explore the possibility of establishing a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East, hoping that such a move could strengthen efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement in the region.

 

UNESCO Chief Voices Outrage At Killings Of Journalists 7

The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 4 November expressed outrage at the killing of several journalists in Iraq over the past week.

"The media's work is essential for the establishment of democracy," said Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura in a statement condemning the 1 November assassination of Dhia Najim, a freelance photo-journalist who worked for Reuters and The Associated Press.

"The murderous campaign waged against journalists in Iraq must be recognized for what it is: a campaign to terrorize and cower the people."

Mr. Matsuura also deplored the car bombing in Baghdad on 30 October, which killed five staffers of Al-Arabiya television, as well as the murder of a journalist from Al-Charkia television on 27 October.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the UNESCO chief condemned the murder of documentary film-maker Theo Van Gogh in Amsterdam on 2 November.

Mr. Van Gogh "in his way exemplified freedom of expression," said Mr. Matsuura. "Democracy and the rule of law require that people like him express themselves freely, even when their words and the ideas they hold are disturbing."

 

New Approach On People-Trafficking Called For By UN Human Rights Chief 8

People-trafficking continues to be largely treated as a law-and-order problem even though it actually should be approached from a human rights and development perspective, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour says in a new report.

In her annual report to the General Assembly, Ms. Arbour says the crime of people-trafficking - "with large numbers of women and minors tricked, sold or otherwise coerced into situations of exploitation, forced labour or slavery-like practices" - has become one of the world's biggest human rights issues today.

"By its very definition, trafficking constitutes a denial of all those fundamental rights that make for a life with dignity," she states, adding that its root causes are development issues such as poverty, inequality, food insecurity and migration.

Ms. Arbour says many Member States, however, still take a law-and-order approach, prosecuting victims as illegal aliens and undocumented workers rather than as victims of crimes.

"Women and young girls who are trafficked into the sex industry often do not receive any assistance and are often charged with the crime of prostitution instead."

Earlier this week, in an address to the Assembly's social, humanitarian and cultural committee (also known as the Third Committee), Ms. Arbour said the rule of law must be central to every human rights initiative.

She said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed in December 1948, sets out the legal framework for shaping worldwide efforts to protect and uphold human rights.

But she added that in recent years many countries were winding back rights in the name of fighting terrorism, and she urged countries to battle terrorism within existing rights and the rule of law.

Mrs. Arbour's report details the work of her Office over the past years, including its monitoring of the situation in Sudan's troubled Darfur region and in Iraq. The Office has also been involved in efforts to help draft and gain support for global conventions protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities.

 

Bangladeshi Lawyer Named UN Rights Expert On Human Trafficking 9

The United Nations Human Rights Commission has appointed Sigma Huda of Bangladesh as its Special Rapporteur on trafficking of persons, especially women and children.

Ms. Huda is the founder and current president of the Bangladesh Women Lawyers Association. She is also the Secretary-General of the Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights, as well as a founding member of various organizations fighting against trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls.

The Special Rapporteur is mandated by the Geneva-based Commission to recommend ways to uphold and protect the rights of the victims of trafficking.

 

World Population In 2300 Could Stabilize At 9 Billion, UN Estimates 10

The world's population three centuries from now will stabilize at 9 billion if fertility levels continue their decline, particularly in the developing world, but could also top more than 1.3 trillion if they remain unchanged from current rates, according to statistics released on 4 November by the United Nations.

According to "medium"-level projections, women in every country will each have about two children in the decades to come, raising the world population from its current 6.4 billion to 9 billion in 2300, the UN's Population Division said.

But even small variations in these forecasts will have enormous impacts in the long term. As little as one-quarter of a child under the two-child norm, or one-quarter of a child above the norm, would result in world populations ranging from 2.3 billion to 36.4 billion.

If fertility levels remain unchanged at today's levels, however, world population would rise to 44 billion in 2100, 244 billion persons in 2150 and 1.34 trillion in 2300, according to the Division's new report, World Population to 2300. The UN said this clearly indicates that "current high fertility levels cannot continue over the long term."

Given progress in extending life expectancy, the UN said, people could expect, on average, to live more than 95 years by 2300. Japan, which is the global leader in life expectancy today, is projected to have a life expectancy of more than 106 years by 2300.