SECRETARY-GENERAL'S VISIT TO CHILE, VENEZUELA -- 5 TO 9 NOVEMBER

Press Release
SG/T/2111

SECRETARY-GENERAL'S VISIT TO CHILE, VENEZUELA -- 5 TO 9 NOVEMBER

Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Santiago on the morning of Wednesday, 5 November, to begin a two-day visit to Chile. On arrival at the airport, he was greeted by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, José Miguel Insulza, and United Nations officials. At the airport, he told the press that during his trip to Chile he would convey the United Nations gratitude to Chile for its participation in, and strong support for its peacekeeping, humanitarian and economic and social activities. He would also reiterate the fact that the United Nations system is always ready to assist and help Chile to meet the challenges of the future. He also planned to meet with representatives of various other sectors of Chilean society to bring them the thinking of the new United Nations, one that is better prepared and better organized to deal with the problems and demands that the new millennium will bring.

His official programme began at noon when he met with President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle. Among other issues, they discussed United Nations reform, Security Council reform, scale of assessments, the draft treaty to ban landmines, and the Third Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Kyoto, Japan. That was followed by a ceremony where President Frei, in the presence of the Secretary-General, signed legislation protecting the rights of children against labour exploitation. The Secretary-General later attended a luncheon hosted by the President in honour of the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan.

Later in the day, the Secretary-General met separately with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, José Miguel Insulza; the Minister for Defence, Edmundo Perez Yoma; and later with the Mayor of Santiago, Jaime Ravinet. In the early evening he met with the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Gutenberg Martinez. During the day he was awarded the "Orden al Merito de Chile en el Grado de Gran Cruz", and declared an illustrious visitor to the City of Santiago by the Mayor. (See Press Releases SG/SM/6382 and SG/SM/6383 of 5 November, respectively).

On Thursday, 6 November, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan met with the model Iman, who, together with her husband, pop singer David Bowie, were staying in the same hotel. They talked about Somalia, Iman's birthplace, and Bowie's possible involvement in the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal

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Declaration of Human Rights. They also spoke about the work of Graça Machel and Olara Otunnu and the impact of armed conflict on children. They also

discussed the situation of women in the workplace and the responsibilities of working mothers in high positions.

The Secretary-General then met separately with heads of United Nations agencies, senior officials, staff associations, and the staff of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) at this regional commission's headquarters. He then visited "United Nations House", the premises of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In the early afternoon he met with the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Chile, Glynne Evans; the President of the International Consumers Union, Pamela Chan; and the Director-General of International Consumers, Julian Edwards. A luncheon hosted by the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Gert Rosenthal, preceded a press conference.

He was later awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Chile (see Press Release SG/SM/6384 of 6 November). In the evening he attended a dinner hosted by the Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations in New York, Juan Somavia.

On Friday, 7 November, the Secretary-General travelled to Margarita Island in Venezuela, arriving in the early evening at Porlamar International Airport. The Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan were greeted by the Minister of the Presidency, Asdrubal Aguiar, and his wife.

On Saturday, 8 November, the Secretary-General attended the opening ceremony of the Seventh Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government. The Secretary-General also attended the morning working session and the working lunch, hosted by President Rafael Caldera of Venezuela, in honour of the Summit participants. In the afternoon, the Secretary-General delivered a speech on the subject of "Ethical Values of Democracy". (See Press Release SG/SM/6385 of 7 November.) Throughout the day, the Secretary- General held bilateral meetings with eight Heads of State and Government and met informally with more than six. In the evening, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan attended a cultural musical event organized by the Venezuelan Government in honour of Heads and State and Government. On Sunday, 9 November, the Secretary-General returned to New York, cutting his trip to Venezuela by one day in order to meet with his three personal envoys, Lakhdar Brahimi, Jan Eliasson and Emilio Cardenas, who had returned that day from Iraq.

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