TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, WASHINGTON D.C., 12 MARCH

Press Release
SG/SM/6482

TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, WASHINGTON D.C., 12 MARCH

MR. HICKMAN: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much for coming. Welcome to the National Press Club and another NPC Morning Newsmaker, a very special one. My name is Peter Hickman, and I'm Vice- Chairman of the Club's Newsmaker Committee and a freelance journalist and editorial and media consultant. Before introducing this morning's newsmaker, I'd like to call your attention to some material on the table outside, which you may already have. It's a list of other speakers we have coming and also some material related to this morning's newsmaker.

And, as you know, that newsmaker is the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, The Honourable Kofi Annan. Mr. Secretary-General, welcome back to the National Press Club. The Secretary-General spoke at the Club at least once before, at a luncheon about a year ago. And also with the Secretary-General this morning are the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Louise Fréchette on my left, and Mr. Annan's spokesman, Mr. Juan Carlos Brandt on my far right. Welcome to you both.

And I also owe a very special thanks to the Director and the Deputy Director of the United Nations Information Centre here in Washington, Joe Sills and Joan Hills -- the team of Hills and Sills: I had to say that -- for suggesting and helping arrange this morning's Newsmaker with Secretary-General Annan.

Mr. Annan's higher education was at the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi in his native Ghana, at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he studied economics; the Institut universitaire des hautes études internationales in Geneva, where he did graduate studies in economics; and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a Sloan Fellow and earned a Masters degree in Management. And as many of you probably know, Mr. Annan is the son of a tribal chief in Ghana, and I understand that, had he so chosen, he could have inherited that title from his father. Instead, he's in charge of an organization which has about 180 major tribes and a lot of smaller ones.

Before occupying the top post at the United Nations, Mr. Annan was the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping. Earlier United Nations posts were in management, administration, budget, finance, personnel and refugee issues.

And, as you know, his topic this morning is "US-UN relations: a renewable partnership". And, I suppose, Mr. Secretary-General, if the United States paid its dues that might help with renewal a little bit, wouldn't it? He met with President Clinton yesterday and, as you know, a while back he visited President Saddam Hussein in Iraq; I hope he can tell us something about those visits this morning. After he speaks, he'll take your questions, and we ask that you please identify yourself by name and affiliation. We have two floor mikes, I understand, and when you want to ask a question, just line up behind the floor mikes and then give your name and affiliation when you ask

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the question. And finally, if you haven't done so already, as you leave, please add your name to the sign-in sheet outside. Thank you very much.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: Thank you very much, Peter. I think you've defined the problem: that it has always been and still is a tribal problem.

Let me tell you how happy I am to be back in Washington. I enjoyed my visit here last year, and it's good to have your convictions tested once in a while. And Washington is always ready to do so when it comes to the role and value of the United Nations. Joking aside, let me say how grateful I am for the very warm and constructive meetings that I have had since I came to Washington, with the President, with Mrs. Albright, with Secretary Cohen and Sandy Berger on the Administration side. I also had very positive meetings with Senators Helms, Grams and Biden yesterday, and today I met with a group of 17 senators organized by Minority Leader Daschle, and we also had very constructive and useful discussions. And right after this press conference, I'm going to the Pentagon to talk to Secretary of Defense Cohen and his senior advisers.

As you know, I came to Washington with two main reasons in mind: to discuss Iraq's compliance with the demands of the Security Council and to find a way to end the debilitating question of United States arrears. I believe we've made real progress on both tracks.

On the issue of Iraq, allow me to reiterate what I said at the Security Council upon their endorsement of the agreement I extracted from the Iraqi leadership on 23 February: Iraq's complete fulfilment of these obligations is the one and only aim of the agreement. I am under no illusion about the inherent value of this or any agreement. Commitments honoured are the only commitments that count. With the Security Council's unanimous endorsement of the agreement, however, the Government of Iraq should understand that, if this effort to ensure compliance through negotiations is obstructed by evasion or deception, as were the previous efforts, diplomacy may not have a second chance. No promise of peace and no policy of patience can be without limits. It is my sincere hope that the Government of Iraq does understand this and allows the United Nations Special Commission set up under Security Council resolution 687 (1991) in connection with the disposal of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (UNSCOM) to continue its work by giving it full, unfettered and unrestricted access to all sites.

Since the agreement, I am pleased to tell you that we have had a very successful inspection led by Scott Ritter, and they entered a site they have not been able to enter for the past seven years. They did a very credible job, and I applaud the men and women of UNSCOM.

On the issue of United States arrears, I would also like to thank the President for his strong support of the United Nations; and I think some of

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you heard both him and the Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, appealing for the settlement of this debt. In his state of the Union address and elsewhere, he has also said better than anyone why a strong and fully funded United Nations is in the national interests of the United States. He reiterated this to me again yesterday in private and publicly, and I hope we will see progress in Congress this year. The United Nations is, as the Iraqi crisis has shown, a unique and irreplaceable instrument for achieving through diplomacy what the world demands. A stronger United Nations can do even more for the United States and for the rest of the world.

I am now happy to take your questions.

MR. HICKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. As I said, please line up behind the two mikes and give your name and affiliation.

QUESTION: I am from ITAR-TASS News Agency, the Russian news agency. How would you assess the contribution of Russia to the peace process and to what we have today? That is the first question, and the second one is, there were rumours and information that you are going to come to Moscow recently. Is that true, and if yes, then when?

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think by the peace process you mean the Iraqi peace accords. Russia played a very important role, and right from the beginning sought a diplomatic solution, sending a Deputy Foreign Minister as an envoy, and he worked very hard at getting an agreement. In fact, he stayed on the ground for about a month. When I got there, he was still on the ground, and he was able to brief me on his efforts. I was also in touch with Foreign Minister Primakov and President Yeltsin, as I was with other leaders around the world in my preparation for the trip. So Russia did play an important role.

Yes, I do intend to go to Moscow, and I will be in Moscow at the beginning of April, and again to ensure that we all stand together on this Iraqi crisis and send a message to the Iraqi leadership that they have signed an agreement and the whole international community intends to hold them to their fulfilment.

QUESTION: Good morning, Mr. Secretary-General. Crystal Wright from the Fox News Channel, and I have two questions for you. You mentioned in your opening remarks that the President reiterated to you in public and private that he wants to resolve the issue of the arrears. Now yesterday a group of House Republicans came out very loudly, saying that they're going to tie this legislation with family planning and that they gave the President a deal last year, and he turned it down, he didn't want to cooperate. Has the President given you assurances that he's going to yield some ground on this issue and really try to free up these arrears and meet the House Republicans sort of halfway on this? And my second question to you is, do you think it's

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appropriate, in light of the fact that the United States has so many back dues owed to the United Nations, for them to be so vocal in this negotiation with Iraq and the standoff?

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: On the first question, let me say that it is internal United States politics, and I would prefer not to be drawn into it. What I can say is that not a cent of the amount of money due to the United Nations that we are discussing is intended for abortion or any abortion- related issue. Most of it is for payment of peacekeeping arrears, is for us to reimburse governments that have put men and women in harm's way so that this world would be a better place. These are the countries that offered troops for operations in places like Bosnia, Mozambique, Haiti and elsewhere. So, I will leave the American politicians, the Administration and the Congress to sort out this internal abortion issue. What I am interested in is that at the end of the day that this is sorted out, the right thing is done and the United Nations is paid. Because by withholding the funds, I think the United Nations is offending friends and foes alike. And even allies like the European Union issued a strong statement last year when the payment was not made, saying that by the way, that the withholding of payment is destroying trust among nations. And I think that was a strong statement.

You will recall that the previous Foreign Minister, Malcolm Rifkind, from the General Assembly podium said there can be no representation without taxation. And, in fact, you have to know that Mrs. Albright was very quick, she came back with a quick retort -- said that Congress has allowed the United Kingdom to crack a joke they've been waiting for more than 200 years to crack.

QUESTION: And the second question?

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: Your second question, please remind me.

QUESTION: Even though it's appropriate —

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: Oh, yes, on Iraq. I think the United States does have a right to speak about Iraq. First of all, it was a country that committed troops on the ground. It was a country that was perhaps much more exposed, and a country that also led the alliance and is a permanent member of the Security Council. But I think its voice would even be clearer and louder if it paid its way. But it does have the right to speak.

QUESTION: You will soon be visiting some countries in the Middle East, and the perception there is that there is a double standard as far as the implementation of the United Nations resolutions, Security Council resolutions in particular. What are you going to tell the leaders in these countries about the role of the United Nations now that you just said that the United Nations is indispensable in keeping peace? Why the Middle East problem is far from the United Nations?

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Also I want -- if you can -- you're going to visit Egypt, meeting with President Mubarak. Would you elaborate a little bit about what are the topics you want to discuss there.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: Let me first address the perception of a double standard. I know that a perception in some circumstances becomes a reality.

First of all, there is a qualitative difference between the United Nations resolutions affecting Iraq and the ones dealing with Lebanon and Israeli-Syrian relations. The Iraqi resolution is under Chapter VII: an enforcement resolution. Apart from that, there is a history. We know what happened in the region. We know the Iraqi aggression against Kuwait and what the international community had to do to restore normalcy. And so I think we need to look at the facts. There are differences here.

On the question of the Israeli-Palestinian and, if I may add, the Syrian-Lebanese track, the Security Council and the United Nations have not been absent. We have passed our resolutions 425 (1978) and 338 (1973), and we have troops on the ground. In fact, I'll be visiting the United Nations troops on the Lebanese-Israeli border. I'll visit them on the Golan Heights. And I'll see our people in Jerusalem. So the United Nations has been present, but when it comes to mediation, the parties have agreed on a mediator, and that is the United States. The process is at an impasse, and every effort is being made by President Clinton and Mrs. Albright to break this impasse. And I was able to discuss some of these issues with the President, Mrs. Albright and Mr. Sandy Berger, and Secretary of Defense Cohen. So efforts are being made to break the impasse.

In Egypt I will discuss with President Mubarak the Iraqi settlement and the need for all of us to keep the pressure on President Saddam Hussein to implement the agreement that we agreed to, as well as to discuss the Middle East process and to hear what he has to say.

QUESTION (spoke in French): Quel est le rôle précis de ces diplomates qui vont participer dans les inspections des sites présidentiels? Ça c'est ma première question. La deuxième, comme on sait que le Sénateur Helms, en fait, a été assez critique envers les Nations Unies, et que vous l'avez rencontré hier, est-ce qu'il y a eu une évolution dans sa position? Est-ce que vous avez des promesses concrètes par rapport au paiement des arriérés américains vis-à-vis les Nations Unies?

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think there are two questions. The first question is what will be the role of the diplomats who will be attached to the inspectors when it comes to the inspection of the eight presidential sites? And the second question is, you saw Senator Helms yesterday, he has been a bit critical about the United Nations, did he give you firm and concrete promises about settling the debt with the United Nations?

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(Spoke in French) En ce qui concerne la première question, ces diplomates vont jouer les rôles d'observateurs. C'est des experts qui vont organiser les inspections. Des diplomates vont observer les deux côtés: pour s'assurer que l'Iraq respectent sérieusement ses engagements et que les inspecteurs des Nations Unies se comportent comme il faut en ce qui concerne les sites présidentiels.

J'ai eu une discussion très amicale avec le Sénateur Helms hier. Evidemment, il a toujours certaines questions en ce qui concerne les Nations Unies. Mais il est prêt à pousser pour les paiements, disons l'accord qui était arrêté entre lui et le Sénateur Biden l'année dernière, dans lequel les États-Unis paieront 926 millions de dollars aux Nations Unies sous certaines conditions. Et donc il est prêt à avancer, et j'espère que d'autres vont travailler avec lui. Et on a eu une réunion très correcte, très amicale. Et j'espère que cette année ils vont payer.

(Spoke in English) Basically, I just said that the diplomats who are going on the inspection will play the role of observers in assuring that Iraq keeps its promises, and that we on our side are sensitive to the fact that we are operating in a presidential site.

On the question of Senator Helms, I indicated that we had a very friendly discussion, and the Senator has indicated that he wants to push for the Helms-Biden bill which was agreed to last year and which would release $926 million to the United Nations with all sorts of conditions and benchmarks.

QUESTION: Even though you've been in this country a long time, it's possible that some people may not feel that they know a lot about you. If you could be reflective just for a moment, what are some of the forces that shaped your life and particularly your approach to handling crises?

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: That's a tough question. It's always so tough to talk about yourself. You have to be careful not to be boastful, apart from the fact that I'm a bit bashful about this sort of thing. Let me say that I think I have travelled the world. I've worked and lived on three continents. My early years were shaped in Africa, in Ghana. I was growing up doing the years of the struggle for independence. So as a teenager, as a young man, I saw lots of change taking place around me -- and major changes, where the colonial Power was handing over the country to what we called then "freedom fighters", where people like Nkrumah and others came from jail and became prime ministers and presidents. And so you grow up believing that change is possible. That all is possible, and that one can dare to make a difference, one can dare change. And that spirit is helpful. One is not easily intimidated or impressed by threats and this sort of thing.

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Then, of course, I've also had the opportunity to study and work in America and in Europe. I've also worked in the Middle East, in Egypt and in Somalia and others, and so you learn to appreciate and respect other cultures. Having worked with 185 countries over time, you also learn to raise issues with different nationalities. The way I would raise an issue and try to convince the Chinese about something would be quite different from the way I would try to do it with you or with an Iraqi or with a Russian, and those aspects also help. And I also try to respect those I deal with regardless of their rank, and I treat everybody from [unintelligible] to President with respect.

I consult, but at the end of the day I have to reach deep inside myself to find inspiration to take the right decision. This is a very lonely position, but there's lots of support and lots of encouragement, and with that one gets the feeling that perhaps this impossible job is doable.

You learn -- I told you about a lesson I learned as a youngster in Minnesota, for example, as a young, tropical person, my first winter ever in Minnesota. We had the same syllabus as the British, and I think some of my British colleagues, Sir Evelyn Leopold and others, we had to do the same syllabus as the British students; we did the Cambridge School Certificate, the Ordinary and the Advanced level, so you read about the seasons. I knew all about the winters; I knew about spring and the others, but in my own country we had two seasons -- wet and dry. But intellectually, I thought I knew about it until I got to Minnesota. The first thing I didn't like was that I had to put on layers and layers of clothing to keep warm, but I decided that was useful enough. But there was one item that I was determined not to use, the earmuffs. I thought they were inelegant and ugly, until one day I went out to get something to eat and I almost lost my ears. I went out and bought the biggest pair I could find the next day and walked away with a lesson that you don't walk into any situation and pretend you know better than the natives. That lesson has stayed with me all the days since.

QUESTION (BBC): Mr. Secretary-General, you are going to visit the United Nations troops in south Lebanon. There's a debate now about 425 and 426, and Israel is saying it's willing to withdraw. Is change possible? Do you think you can change anything there, can you play a role in asking Israelis or playing a role between Israelis and Lebanese and ask them to leave as the Lebanese are asking without negotiations, unconditionally?

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: Yesterday, there was a report emanating from Jerusalem that I was going to Jerusalem with a seven-point plan to try to unblock the impasse between Israel and Lebanon and that the Israeli troops will withdraw from Lebanon and the Lebanese army will fill the vacuum and the United Nations troops will be strengthened. There is no such plan, as far as I know; I'm carrying no such plan. But whenever I'm in the region, I do talk to all the leaders about the peace process and the need for us to double our efforts for peace.

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I would hope that as the United States works hard at breaking the impasse and getting the parties to the table, the parties will have the courage and the wisdom required to take the tough decisions. At the end of the day, it is the parties that have to do it; it is the parties that have to take those hard decisions that would ensure peace and eventual prosperity in their region. We have two examples in the region. Egypt and Israel were able to talk and resolve this. Of course, there were Security Council resolutions. Jordan and Israel talked and resolved it. I would encourage the other parties to really engage each other constructively, seriously. I know it is difficult. It requires courage and vision and wisdom, and I think they are capable of it. I would urge them to do it and work with the United States Government in resolving these issues. MR. HICKMAN: I know it's just a coincidence, Mr. Secretary-General, but the Ambassador of Egypt just walked in as you were talking. Welcome, Sir; glad to have you.

QUESTION: Good morning, Mr. Secretary-General. My name is Hannah Sayjacks, and I'm here on behalf of the Women's International Business Directory, and I'm wondering if you feel as I do that if women gain greater financial and business opportunities in the global market place, this will ultimately lead to greater conflict resolution and world peace.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: I would go beyond that. I would not limit it to economic independence; I would limit it to their role in everything we do in political decision-making, in the work of the United Nations. I've started. What's better, I have a Deputy here who is making a dynamic input into that. I think the role of women is extremely important. It has been demonstrated, with the micro-credits and some of the efforts that are going on around the world, that women, given the chance, given the credit, given business advice, can do as well as, if not better than, men.

FOLLOW-UP REMARK: Well, I'm happy you feel that way. I have a copy of my Women's International Business Directory for you. And don't worry about Senator Helms; I'll soften him up with my chocolate cake.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: Good! Thank you very much.

QUESTION: Danny Golito, Market News Service. Looking to the future, back on Iraq, since you signed the agreement with the Iraqis, to what extent would you be out in front if there are further difficulties in implementing the agreement? Would you wait for the United States to complain and then react to that, or would you jump in in front? To what extent are you responsible for the agreement?

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: We are all responsible for the agreement. I negotiated the agreement with President Saddam Hussein, but the agreement was unanimously endorsed by the 15 members of the Security Council on behalf of

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the 185 Member States of the United Nations. So that agreement is no longer an agreement of the Secretary-General; it's an agreement of the entire international community, and we all need to make it work. In fact, on my trip to the Middle East, this is one of the issues I will discuss, and on my trips to Moscow, Beijing and London we will discuss this. I have made it clear, even in preparing for my trip to Baghdad I got lots of help from President Mubarak, King Hussein and the Turkish Foreign Minister; from the French President and the Foreign Minister, from the Russian President and the Foreign Minister, as well as from the United States and British military presence. So all forces were brought to bear and I could tell President Saddam Hussein that I'm speaking in the name of the international community and they're all with me. We have the responsibility, all of us, to hold his hand to the fire.

We also need to put in place mechanisms that will allow us to resolve conflicts as they arise, rather than allow them to fester and to develop into major crises, and to ensure that we have better communication with the Iraqis and that some of these small crises can be nipped in the bud. I have just appointed a Special Representative for Baghdad who will be my man and will provide a political link with the political leadership so that we can try to smooth out some of these things and avoid any repetition of what we went through.

FOLLOW-UP: How does that work in practice? Who is the first sentinel in this process, the first person, the first layer once there are difficulties ...

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: It depends. We have several programmes in Iraq. If there are difficulties on the inspection side, the man in charge is Richard Butler, and he will have to try to resolve it. If at any time he thinks he needs my help or it is necessary for them to bring the attention to my level, I will try to resolve it. If I am not able to do it, then, of course, the Council is the one that is responsible. My role is one of good offices.

We also have the huge "oil-for-food" programme, and our man on the ground there is a man called Dennis Halliday, who oversees the oil for food. All the other United Nations agencies -- welfare programme, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and all of them -- are operating there. The Special Representative, who will be at the Under-Secretary-General level, will also ensure that our other United Nations humanitarian activities are effectively coordinated.

QUESTION (Moroccan News Agency): I will ask you the question in English, though I could do it in French. I have a question on the Western Sahara. In recent months, the POLISARIO has been obstructing the identification process leading to a referendum. What is your view on that, Sir? According to news reports, your Special Envoy to the Sahara, Mr. James Baker, is said to be considering convening a second round of talks in Houston next April. Is that correct?

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THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: First of all, let me pay tribute to the former Secretary of State, Jim Baker, for the outstanding work he's done on the Western Sahara and that issue by getting the parties to agree to move forward and really getting them to understand that some of the difficulties they had could be worked out.

Since his involvement, we've resumed the identification process and have identified thousands of people. We have had some hiccups and we do have some problems that we are working on, but I don't think they are insurmountable at this stage. The future is something that you cannot know, but at this stage, I don't think they are insurmountable.

Mr. Baker is still engaged in the process and it has always been agreed that, if necessary, he can bring the parties together for another meeting. And so the possibility of a meeting [in Houston] cannot be excluded.

QUESTION: I speak on behalf of many parents -- who probably most of us are -- you stand as a model for all of us to pursue peace.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: You flatter me.

QUESTION: Thank you for pursuing your dreams. As a mother myself, I'm trying to build a kind of peaceful world in my small community. I'd like to know if you have a message for the youth of today and tomorrow to perhaps pursue a peaceful and more understanding global society.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think my message to the youth of today is for them to understand that the world is a diverse place and that there are many cultures. We need to learn about other cultures and respect other cultures. We need to respect and accept the religions of others. We need to respect what is sacred to others. And we need to understand that we live in an interdependent world, if not a global village, and we should encourage the children to think beyond their own national boundaries, to understand that, in the world today and in the world they are going to live in, we have lots of cross-border issues that will need to have cross-border solutions, which implies greater cooperation amongst nations and amongst people, and that tolerance and diversity are to be celebrated, are to be embraced, and not to be rejected.

QUESTION: I have a basic question about the Iraqi deal. You clinched the deal with the Iraqis in the name of the United Nations, with the full support of the Security Council. Now, Mr. Secretary-General, should the Iraqis fail to comply this time, would you support taking military action against the Iraqis in the name of the United Nations, not just the United States and the United Kingdom?

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THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think the resolutions are Council resolutions and I have indicated that, if Iraq were to fail to comply, it may not have second chance for diplomacy. I have also indicated that, if it became necessary to use force, some sort of consultation with Council members will be required and I maintain that position.

QUESTION: In your discussions with President Clinton and Secretary Albright, did you talk about the situation in Kosovo, and what is the position of the United Nations on the issue?

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: Yes, we did discuss Kosovo. We did discuss the latest meeting of the Contact Group in London and reaffirmed the decisions they took regarding Kosovo, and also their request that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights play a bigger role in Kosovo. We also discussed the United Nations military presence in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the fact that the crisis in Kosovo may have an impact, not just there, but possibly in Macedonia and in Albania, and the desirability of maintaining the Force, because the last decision the Council took was that we should withdraw the Force in August.

But given the current developments, I intend to review the situation and make a fresh recommendation to the Council. My sense is that, given this crisis, the Council is not going to insist or push for withdrawal of the troops in August.

QUESTION: I want to come back to the question of the payment of the debt by the United States. Did you talk about possible consequences it would have if the debt was not paid back? What would these consequences be and do you have minimum expectations in the very near future about United States payments?

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: We did talk about consequences. We did talk about a possible application of Article 19, where governments that are behind in their payments lose their vote. In fact, I have the Under-Secretary- General for Management here with me -- Mr. Connor, who unfortunately is not able to join us here this morning -- and he is also someone who knows something about figures as the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Price Waterhouse. He did indicate that, if we do not get about a $600-million payment this year, the United States in January could come into default, the application of Article 19 would kick in, and may lose its vote.

Apart from paying the arrears, it is essential that at least $600 million be paid because we don't want to see the United States in that situation. I'm sure the United States Government would not want to be in that situation nor would the people of America would want to be in a situation where the United States loses its vote in the United Nations because of lack of payment.

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