UN: The United Nations Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, will visit Derry today to speak at the University of Ulster's Magee campus on the theme of "peacebuilding".
His address will be part of the Tip O'Neill lecture series, in memory of the late Speaker of the US House of Representatives who was a longtime supporter of Northern Ireland peace efforts.
Meanwhile, in a British television interview yesterday, Mr Annan said it was "inconceivable" that France and Russia might have been willing to ease sanctions on Iraq in return for oil. "These are very serious and important governments. You are not dealing with banana republics," he said. The allegations were made earlier this month in a report by the US-led Iraqi Survey Group.
He also told Jonathan Dimbleby on ITV: "I cannot say the world is safer when you consider the violence around us, when you look around you and see the terrorist attacks around the world and you see what is going on in Iraq."
Previous lecturers in the Tipp O'Neill series include the Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern, Senator Edward Kennedy, Mr Romano Prodi, Mr Pat Cox, and the former French prime minister, Mr Michel Rocard.
Welcoming Mr Annan, Prof Gerry McKenna, vice-chancellor of the university, said: "At no time since the end of World War 11 has the role of the UN been more important in the world."
Sources said the Northern Ireland visit was going ahead despite some initial political concerns on the part of the British government. Afterwards, Mr Annan will travel to London for an audience with the Queen of England and meetings with the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Gordon Brown.
In Dublin on Saturday, Mr Annan met Mr Ahern at the Farmleigh government guesthouse and held a photocall afterwards but no press conference.
A government spokeswoman said the issue of Third World aid or Official Development Assistance (ODA) "might have been touched on lightly" but the two men "didn't get into any detail". The proposed formation of EU battlegroups which could play a role in UN crisis management "didn't come up at all", although there was a private tête-a-tête between the two which lasted 10 to 15 minutes.
A wide number of other international issues were discussed, however, including developments in Darfur, western Sudan. "The Taoiseach expressed his support for full intervention," the spokeswoman said. Iraq and next year's UN summit to review progress towards the Millennium Development Goals on world poverty, disease and lack of educational opportunity were also discussed. The Taoiseach briefed the Secretary General on Northern Ireland.
At the UN Millennium Summit four years ago, Mr Ahern committed the Government to reach the UN's aid target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product by the end of 2007. Public figures such as Bono, Bob Geldof and Mrs Mary Robinson have expressed grave concern at recent indications from a junior minister that the target date was being abandoned.