Top UN rights official appeals to Australians on behalf of possible asylum seekers

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, today appealed to the people of Australia to be "generous" and reach out to the more than 400 possible asylum seekers aboard a Norwegian ship off Australia's Christmas Island.

For its part, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reiterated its offer to help find a solution for the impasse and said that Australia was best positioned to take the lead in resolving the problem, a UN spokesman said.

Meanwhile earlier today, Australian Prime Minister John Howard called Secretary-General Kofi Annan regarding the ship problem.

Late yesterday the UN received a letter sent from the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan to the Secretary-General regarding the matter, according to the spokesman.