UN and regional groups should
refine their partnerships to build stability: Annan
20 July 2004 – When a country emerges
from war, regional organizations are often well-placed to foster
peace, but United Nations assistance is usually required to sustain
the effort, Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Security Council
today.
Citing examples from Afghanistan, Haiti, Kosovo
and Burundi, Mr. Annan said the UN can and should work together
with regional bodies to establish peace and security and to help
reconstruct States emerging from crisis and conflict.
But he told the Council's meeting on cooperation
between the UN and regional organizations that many of the partnerships
so far have been improvised, rather than targeted to specific
strengths.
"I believe that more institutionalized
channels of cooperation would help ensure more efficiency and
effectiveness, and perhaps even economies of scale," he said,
pointing out that future partnerships must be shaped according
to the individual challenges that arise.
Mr. Annan said the UN will soon hold talks with
regional groups about setting up cooperation mechanisms on several
issues, including the protection of civilians in armed conflict,
promoting tolerance and dialogue among civilizations.
The next high-level meeting between the UN and
regional bodies is scheduled to take place in mid-2005, and he
said the talks may eventually become an annual event.
The Secretary-General also praised regional
organizations for having resources "on the ground" much
more quickly than the UN in many cases.
"However, not all regional organizations
can sustain their deployments over a long period. And the legitimacy
that flows from UN operations is often needed for longer-term
sustainability."
In the debate following Mr. Annan's address,
many speakers - representing Member States and regional organizations
- said that those groups played a vital role in promoting peace
and stability.
Several speakers also stressed that future partnerships
between the UN and regional bodies must be tailored to suit the
specific case and always be flexible in case change is required.
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UN tribunal postpones Miloševic trial by
a month after studying medical report
16 July 2004 – The United Nations war
crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia announced today that
it has adjourned the genocide trial of former Yugoslav President
Slobodan Miloševic again – this time by more than a
month – because of his high blood pressure.
Mr. Miloševic’s trial will now resume
on 31 August, with the opening of his defence case, instead of
the scheduled start date of next Monday. Since it began in February
2002 the trial has already lost more than two months because of
the former President’s health problems.
Three judges of the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), sitting in The Hague, said they
had studied the medical report from a court-appointed cardiologist.
That report recommended Mr. Miloševic not attend the hearing
set for Monday.
Mr. Miloševic is facing charges of genocide,
crimes against humanity and other war crimes for his role in Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Croatia and Kosovo during the Balkan wars of
the 1990s.
In Vienna, Annan discusses global issues with
senior Austrian officials
15 July 2004 – United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan met with Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner
today in Vienna for talks on a number of issues, including non-proliferation,
the situation in the Darfur region of western Sudan, Iran and
Iraq.
Their discussions also touched on the High-Level
Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, which is currently meeting
in Austria, according to a UN spokesman. The Secretary-General
had appointed the 16-person blue-ribbon panel last November to
look into new global security threats and reform of the international
system, and to recommend clear and practical measures for ensuring
effective collective action.
Mr. Annan's new Special Representative for Kosovo,
Soren Jessen-Petersen, then joined the meeting for a review of
the situation in that province.
Afterwards, Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel
gave the Secretary-General a tour of the newly-renovated Albertina
Museum, and they held talks before Mr. Annan lunched with Mr.
Jessen-Petersen to discuss the envoy's new assignment.
Also on the Secretary-General's programme were
meetings with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Saud
Al-Faisal, who is visiting Vienna, and the new Austrian President,
Heinz Fischer.
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UN war crimes tribunal postpones Miloševic
trial again over health concerns
12 July 2004 – The genocide trial of former
Yugoslav President Slobodan Miloševic has been delayed again
by judges at a United Nations war crimes tribunal after they received
a medical report advising he should rest further because of high
blood pressure.
Three judges of the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), sitting in The Hague, ruled
today that the start of Mr. Miloševic's defence case be deferred
from this Wednesday until next Monday.
The trial's resumption on Monday also depends
on a report, due by Friday, from a court-appointed cardiologist
who will examine Mr. Miloševic's condition and his fitness
to participate in the trial.
The judges received a separate medical report
today indicating that Mr. Miloševic needs more rest. The
former Yugoslav leader has a heart condition.
Mr. Miloševic is facing charges of genocide,
crimes against humanity and other war crimes for his role in Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Croatia and Kosovo during the Balkan wars of
the 1990s. The trial, which began in February 2002, has already
lost 66 days because of Mr. Miloševic's health problems.
Kosovo:
UN mission criticizes assembly move to change constitution
8 July 2004 – The United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today criticized the province's parliamentary
assembly for debating proposals to amend the constitution, saying
any such changes are beyond its powers.
In a statement issued in Pristina, the capital
of Kosovo, UNMIK said the assembly does not have a mandate to
comprehensively review the province's constitution. It can only
propose to amend specific elements that do not fall within the
reserved powers of the Mission.
"UNMIK is open to discuss such proposals,
provided they are submitted in accordance with the provisions
of the Constitutional Framework," the statement read.
Charles Brayshaw, the Acting Special Representative
of the Secretary-General for Kosovo, urged the Assembly's members
to follow the guidelines set out in the Standards for Kosovo implementation
plan.
That plan calls for Kosovo to make improvements
in many areas - including the holding of free and fair elections,
promoting multi-ethnicity and encouraging dialogue between Pristina
and Belgrade - before the province's permanent future status can
be determined.
Calling on the assembly to focus on the correct
priorities, UNMIK said "a different approach puts us on a
wrong course that diverts time and energy" from meeting that
plan.
Kosovo has been under UN administration
since June 1999 after members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) drove Yugoslav troops out amid fighting between the Albanian
and Serbian communities.
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UN tribunal to resume
Miloševic trial next week pending health check
6 July 2004 – The genocide trial of former Yugoslav President
Slobodan Miloševic will resume on 14 July if a cardiologist
agrees that he is healthy enough to conduct his own defence, a
United Nations war crimes tribunal announced today.
A day after three judges of the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) adjourned the
trial because of concerns over Mr. Miloševic's heart condition,
they ruled it can restart next week as "there is no evidence
that the accused is not fit to stand trial."
But the judges, sitting in The Hague, added
there is evidence that Mr. Miloševic's health "is such
that he may not be fit to continue to represent himself."
The ICTY said a court-appointed cardiologist
with no previous connection to Mr. Miloševic must examine
him and decide whether he is healthy enough to act as his own
counsel and, if so, what impact that would have on the trial's
schedule.
The trial will be adjourned between 21 July
and 31 August in any case to allow Mr. Miloševic more time
to prepare his defence. The prosecution concluded its case in
February.
The former Yugoslav President is facing charges
of genocide, crimes against humanity and other war crimes for
his role in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Kosovo during
the Balkan wars of the 1990s.
The trial, which began in February 2002, has
already lost 66 days because of Mr. Miloševic's health problems.
Meanwhile, Mitar Vasiljevic, a Bosnian Serb
man convicted for his part in the deaths of five Muslim men in
1992, was today transferred to Austria to serve out the remainder
of his 15-year jail term.
Austria is one of 10 European countries
which have signed deals to house criminals sentenced by the ICTY.
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