ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN SWITZERLAND, FRANCE, 18 - 22 JUNE
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Geneva, Switzerland, from Copenhagen, Denmark, in the evening of Sunday, 18 June.
On Monday morning, the Secretary-General spoke to the first meeting of the new Human Rights Council.
In his speech, the Secretary-General said a new era had been proclaimed in the history of the United Nations Human Rights work. He told the delegates that “it is hardly an exaggeration to say that the eyes of the world -- especially the eyes of those whose human rights are denied, threatened or infringed -- are turned to you”. (See Press Release SG/SM/10520.)
While noting that the system of the Special Procedures that had been established by the old Human Rights Commission should be retained, he called on the new Council to make a clean break with the past, and that a change in culture must be realized. “In place of culture of confrontation and distrust,” the Secretary-General told the assembled guests, “we must see a culture of cooperation and commitment, inspired by mature leadership”.
He encouraged the new Council members to be united in their determination to uphold and implement human rights without fear or favour. He especially stressed the importance of universality and objectivity, as well as the need to eliminate double standards.
The Secretary-General also reminded the delegates that there should not be a trade-off between freedom and security. “On the contrary,” he said, “the strongest States are those that most resolutely defend the human rights of all their citizens.”
Following the opening of the Human Rights Council, the Secretary-General held a number of bilateral meetings. With the Foreign Minister of Serbia, Vuk Drašković, he discussed the ongoing Kosovo final status talks; with Ursula Plassnik, the Foreign Minister of Austria and current holder of the European Union Presidency, he discussed the situation in the Middle East, including the new temporary funding mechanism for the Palestinians, the Balkans, Cyprus and Iraq. The Secretary-General briefed the Foreign Minister on the new Compact for Iraq, which the United Nations would co-chair with the Government of Iraq. The Secretary-General thanked the Minister for the work of the European Union ambassadors in New York in support of United Nations reform. The Foreign Minister also briefed the Secretary-General on the upcoming European Union-United States summit in Vienna.
The Secretary-General was briefed by K.P. Sharma Oli, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, on the current situation in Nepal, and discussed ways the United Nations could support the Nepalese during this time of transition. They also discussed the current situation involving the seven Nepalese peacekeepers who were being detained in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Secretary-General then attended and spoke at an official lunch hosted by the Foreign Minister of Switzerland, Micheline Calmy-Rey, for the heads of delegations attending the opening of the Human Rights Council. During the lunch, the Chief Executive Officer of Swatch unveiled the “Human Rights Swatch”. (See Press Release SG/SM/10521.)
After the lunch, the Secretary-General held a further series of bilateral meetings.
With Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister for Human Rights and Disaster Management of Sri Lanka, the Secretary-General expressed his support for the Norwegian-led peace process, and pledged that the United Nations would continue to do so.
The Secretary-General then held a town hall meeting with staff of the United Nations in Geneva, and also met that day with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour.
On Monday evening, the Secretary-General flew to Paris, where, early on Tuesday morning, he met with France’s Defence Minister, Michelle Alliot-Marie.
The two discussed a number of issues related to peacekeeping in Africa, notably the situations in Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sudan and Chad. The Secretary-General noted the difficulties the United Nations has in getting peacekeeping troops for an increasing number of missions. He also noted the need to strengthen the police capacity in a number of peacekeeping missions.
The Secretary-General then attended the opening of the Musée du quai Branly, an institution which brings together art for civilizations in Africa, Oceania and the Americas. Following an inaugural tour of the museum with French President Jacques Chirac, the Secretary-General told the gathered dignitaries that the museum, much like the United Nations, illustrates the universality of the human family. The new museum shares another bond with the United Nations, the Secretary-General added, as it is a place of dialogue amongst civilizations and it encourages us to explore our common roots. (See Press Release SG/SM/10523, in French.)
Also attending the opening ceremony was the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Javier Perez de Cuellar, who serves on the museum’s board; the Foreign Minister of Australia, Alexander Downer; winner of the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize, Rigoberta Menchu Tum; and the Secretary-General of the Organisation de la Francophonie, Abdou Diouf.
Immediately afterwards, the Secretary-General met with the French Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, for a working lunch, during which they discussed a wide range of issues. These included the broader Middle East, the Iran nuclear issue, the Sudan, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire and United Nations Reform.
In comments to the press afterwards, the Secretary-General expressed concern over the situation in North Korea.
Back in Geneva on Wednesday, the Secretary-General met with the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Richard Feachem. The Secretary-General also addressed the Fund’s staff. He thanked them for their work, and said he was pleased by the way the fund had evolved since its inception, especially in how it had successfully matched donor countries with recipient countries. However, he emphasized that the Fund relied too much on donations from Governments, and encouraged them to broaden their donor voice.
Afterwards, he addressed the staff of the World Health Organization (WHO). This was the first time he had met with them since the sudden death earlier in the year of the Director-General, Dr. Lee. He told the staff that Dr. Lee Jong-wook would want them to continue their dedicated work towards the betterment of international public health. He especially noted WHO’s efforts regarding the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The Secretary-General later met with the agency’s Acting Director-General, Anders Nordström, and his senior staff. They focused their discussions on issues related to public health and the upcoming Group of Eight summit. They also discussed the work of the High-Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence.
The Secretary-General then returned to the Palais des Nations, where he addressed a meeting of the Conference on Disarmament. He told the delegates the world was “sleep-walking” down a path, in which a growing number of countries are acquiring nuclear weapons and non-State actors are capable of nuclear terrorism. If ever there was a time to break the prolonged impasse that has stymied the Disarmament Conference’s work, he said, it is now. (See Press Release SG/SM/10527.)
He said that two specific situation must be resolved. The situation on the Korean peninsula is “especially disappointing”, the Secretary-General said, given last September’s agreement in the six-party talks. He said he hopes the leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will listen to what the world is telling them, and take great care not to make the situation on the peninsula even more complicated.
On Iran, he said the country needs to enable the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to assure the world that its nuclear activities are exclusively peaceful in nature.
On Wednesday afternoon, he met with Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum; Adolf Ogi, his Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace; and with Robert Hensler, Chancelier d’Etat, Canton de Genève.
The Secretary-General met on Thursday morning with Manouchehr Motaki, the Foreign Minister of Iran and, in a press conference afterward, he said that their discussion was “very useful”.
He said he believes that Iran is considering the offer made by the permanent members of the Security Council and Germany “very seriously”, and added that he hopes it will give a sufficient answer before too long. He added, in response to a question, that he expects Iran to provide an answer after the Group of Eight’s meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Secretary-General was also asked about the recent situation in Timor-Leste, and said that what has happened is “a great disappointment for all of us”. He said that his Special Envoy, Ian Martin, will go back to Timor-Leste to hold discussions with the authorities and assess what the United Nations can do further to help the country, adding that he foresees a strengthened United Nations mission there in the future.
The Secretary-General returned to New York later that day.