TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AT UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA ON 3 JULY

Press Release
SG/SM/6276

TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AT UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA ON 3 JULY

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is good to see you again and good to be in Geneva. I had the chance this morning to address the Economic and Social Council and also had a breakfast meeting to talk to the delegations gathered here about reform and the directions, generally, that "track two" will be moving in. I will release a report, as promised, on 16 July, in which we will deal with issues regarding the strengthening of the United Nations economic and social role. We will touch on the role of civil society, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and the United Nations involvement with these sectors. The report will deal with our plan to strengthen our substantive role in Vienna and our determination to tackle such activities as drug trafficking, international crime and terrorism. We will put in a substantive programme in Vienna to encourage them to work collectively to deal with these kinds of issues.

We will tackle the issue of development financing and try to find ways of energizing the international community and encouraging its members to give more to development, bearing in mind that we live in one world and that no one country can tackle all of the global issues that confront us all. I have had the opportunity to remind Member States of the famous quote of late French President François Mitterrand, who said that if we buy into the illusion that we can make the world habitable for a few, we will end up making it uninhabitable altogether. I think this sort of spirit will be driving some of the proposals we put forth.

QUESTION: What will you do if President Laurent Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo refuses to receive the Joint Investigative Mission [of the Commission on Human Rights] as long as it includes [Commission's Special Rapporteur] Roberto Garreton?

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think the most important thing is for us to get to the facts. The alleged mass killings ought to be investigated, and we will do whatever we can to investigate them. I think we all have to be realistic and practical; if we can put in the team as originally constituted to do it, we should do it. If, for one reason or another, that is not to happen, I don't think we should fall on our swords, as my good friend [United States] Ambassador Bill Richardson puts it, and not get to the facts. If that were not to happen, we have to come up with other means of getting to the facts, and we will do it. Thank you.

QUESTION: Would this not offset the credibility of the United Nations?

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: I don't think that being practical and not rigid should be seen as affecting the credibility of the United Nations. The rule of law, and the primacy of law, does not mean that one has to be rigid and inflexible. In our own countries, it was not unusual sometimes for an accused to request a change of judge. So, I think we should not let our desire for

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purity get in the way of doing the right thing and getting to the facts. And we will get to the facts.

QUESTION: Would this mean not to include Mr. Garreton in the Mission?

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: I am determined to get to the facts, and if through the negotiations [Special Rapporteur Roberto Garreton] is accepted as a member of the team and we can get him in, and the Government will cooperate with him and the team, yes. If the Government maintains its position and insists on not allowing him in the team, the choice is then clear: we either put in a new team and get to the facts, or stand on high principles and never investigate and deal with the issue of impunity. I leave you to judge which is more important.

QUESTION: Commenting on your statement to the Economic and Social Council, can I ask you if you will discuss with Renato Ruggiero of the World Trade Organization the proposal that industrialized countries abandon their duties vis-a-vis developing countries' products?

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: We will not this afternoon be discussing that particular item in any great detail. We will discuss the cooperation between the United Nations and its agencies, including the World Trade Organization and the Breton Woods institutions, and the whole area of economic and social development and the creative means we will need to come up with to assist the developing countries. So, it will be much broader than the issue you raised.

QUESTION: Returning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, if the United Nations drops a special rapporteur, would not that set a precedent?

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think I have made my position quite clear on that. I think what is important is getting to the facts. If the Government rejects someone, it becomes difficult. If we were to drop the investigation altogether, then the Government would have won. If we persist, and get to the facts, and take the action necessary once we have the facts, and send the message out that impunity is not acceptable, I think that is much more important than the implication included in your question.

QUESTION: Where do you stand in having the United States pay its arrears?

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: As you know, the United States has offered to pay about two thirds of the debt we believe it owes, and we know it owes. But that also comes with conditions and benchmarks, which I have told my American friends is going to be a challenge for United States diplomacy in trying to sell it to the other 184 Member States. I think the reactions of the Member States have been clear. Even in Denver, the other "Group of Eight" members

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made it clear they found that unacceptable. The discussions are ongoing; what will actually happen at the end of the day is difficult to predict. Will the benchmarks or conditions, as announced, be retained? Will they be modified in the discussions between the House of Representatives and the Senate? I do not know. If they do stand, can the President, who has the certification right, give these benchmarks and conditions practical and functional interpretation in such a manner that it will not maintain the tension within the Organization -- the tension between the other Member States and the United States -- and allow the money to flow for us to get on with our work? These are some of the issues that we will have to see.

I think what is important is that some progress has been made, given where we started, given where we were a year ago. The debate has shifted; there was a full and constructive debate on the United States Senate floor for the first time in about 12 years, a debate on the role of the United Nations, its importance to the international community and the United States' place in the United Nations. And some very good points were made. The public was listening, which was very important. In time, we should be able to get the United States to come back to the fold and work with like-minded Member States to strengthen the United Nations and make it as strong as it could be.

QUESTION: Que pensez-vous de la situation en Albanie?

LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Heureusement, on vient d'avoir des élections en Albanie. J'espère que tout le monde acceptera les résultats de ce scrutin. Je suis content que les États membres, les États européens, aient pris les choses en main. Ceux-ci ont le soutien des Nations Unies.

QUESTION: Returning to the Investigative Mission, how do you see things evolving?

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: We are still negotiating. I have told you what we would like, ideally. We have a team which includes Mr. Garreton, and ideally we would want them to continue. I have indicated if that doesn't happen, we are not going to let them use that to prevent us getting to the facts. There are other aspects -- freedom of access, cooperation of the Government, ability to really do what it takes to get to the facts -- on which the team is discussing with the Government. I hope that we will get cooperation from them.

I had the chance to discuss this issue personally with President Kabila in Harare. I made it quite clear to him how important it is that he cooperates with the international community and allows the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and non-governmental organizations to provide assistance to the refugees, and gives us access for the investigation with the full cooperation of the Government. I think at the end of our

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discussions he understood how important and urgent the issue was. I will always remember his phrase: "I understand. I want to get this albatross off my neck." I would hope that in the discussions that he is having with our team, he will bear that comment in mind and give us the support, the access and the cooperation of the Government that we need to do a credible investigation.

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