DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

**Roed-Larsen Meets with Israeli Prime Minister-Elect Sharon Today

Terje Roed-Larsen, the Secretary-General’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, met with Ariel Sharon today for the first time since his election victory.

During meeting, which took place in a Jerusalem hotel and lasted 45 minutes, the two discussed a full array of issues.  In particular, they discussed the general economic situation in the Palestinian Authority, the impending fiscal crisis of the Authority, and the Mitchell Fact-Finding Committee.

Afterwards, speaking to reporters, Mr. Roed-Larsen said it was his impression that Prime Minister-elect Sharon would be forthcoming on the financial issues facing the Palestinian Authority.

In discussing the overall security situation, Mr. Roed-Larsen added that it appeared to him that Mr. Sharon does not support a policy of collective punishment.

On the Mitchell Committee, the Special Coordinator said that Mr. Sharon is willing to honour the agreement of the Barak Government and meet with the Mitchell Committee when it next travels to the region.

Both Prime Minister-elect Sharon and Mr. Roed-Larsen agreed to remain in regular contact, personally and through their staff.

On Monday, Mr. Roed-Larsen will meet with Chairman Yasser Arafat to present to him his updated report on the economic situation in the Palestinian Authority. It is expected that they will talk to the press afterwards.

**Security Council Statement Urges Cooperation in Ethiopia and Eritrea

The Assistant Secretary-General for Peace-keeping Operations, Hédi Annabi, briefed the Security Council on recent developments concerning the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), including the recent agreement to establish the temporary security zone.

The Council decided to adopt, in a formal meeting immediately following the consultations, a presidential statement that encourages both parties to continue working towards the full and prompt implementation of the Algiers accord of December of last year.

The Council’s next scheduled meeting is Monday.  Closed consultations are scheduled on Afghanistan and Haiti in the morning.  A private meeting in the

afternoon is scheduled with a visiting delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

     **Mary Robinson Meets with Colin Powell and US National Security Adviser Rice

Yesterday in Washington, D.C., the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, met separately with United States Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

The main focus of the conversations was the upcoming World Conference against Racism, which is scheduled later this year in Africa.

The High Commissioner appealed for full United States involvement in this Conference, including financial support.

The human rights situation in China and the situation in the Middle East were also discussed.

In that connection, I can confirm press reports that the Secretary of State is scheduled to meet with the Secretary-General next Wednesday here at Headquarters.

**Morjane to Attend Series of Meetings with Parties to Congo Conflict

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kamel Morjane, and his force commander, will be in Lusaka, Zambia, from Saturday through next Wednesday to take part in a series of meetings gathering parties to the Congo conflict, starting with the Joint Military Commission and a meeting of the Political Committee on the implementation of the Lusaka agreement.  That would be followed by a summit.

The Secretary-General’s report on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including a revised plan of operations, will be out early next week.

**Secretary-General Appoints New Special Adviser

The Secretary-General has decided to appoint Michael Doyle of the United States as Special Adviser in his Executive Office, where he is to concentrate on policy analysis and strategic planning.  He will hold the rank of Assistant Secretary-General and will take up his duties on 2 April.

Mr. Doyle is currently the Director of the Center of International Studies and Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School.  He has also worked on advisory committees for a number of United Nations bodies, including the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

He will be succeeding John Ruggie, who is departing the Executive Office to take up an appointment as the Evron and Jeanne Kirkpatrick Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

The Secretary-General paid tribute to Mr. Ruggie, calling him "a constant source of innovative ideas and sound judgement, good humor and warm collegiality".

We have a press release on that upstairs.

**Human Rights Inquiry Team Heads to Occupied Palestinian Territories

It was announced in Geneva this morning that a commission of inquiry will travel to the occupied Palestinian territories from 10 February –- tomorrow –- until 18 February.

As you will recall, this commission was established on 19 October 2000 by a resolution during a special session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

The commission of inquiry is made up of three international experts: Professor John Dugard of South Africa, Professor Richard Falk of the United States, and Dr. Kamal Hossein of Bangladesh.

They are mandated by the resolution to “gather and compile information on violations of human rights by the Israeli occupying Power in the occupied Palestinian territories”.

The panel members will travel to Gaza, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron and Beit Jala.  They are expected to submit a report to the upcoming session of the Commission on Human Rights, which is set to start on 19 March in Geneva.

**Francesc Vendrell to Brief Security Council on Afghanistan

The so-called six-plus-two group on Afghanistan met yesterday afternoon, and we issued a chairman’s summary of the meeting early in the evening. 

Francesc Vendrell, the Secretary-General’s Personal Representative on Afghanistan, briefed the group.  Mr. Vendrell will brief the Security Council on Monday morning in a closed consultation and then he'll come here to brief you in this room.

We have a press release and the weekly update on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan available upstairs.

**Notes from Afghanistan:  Years of War, Drought Push Population

  to Brink, Humanitarian Coordinator Says

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Erick de Mul, notes that the Afghan population is now on the edge of an abyss from which there will be no recovery for the most unfortunate.  "Two years of drought, and many years of war", he says, "have culminated in a major human tragedy."

Kenzo Oshima, the United Nations top humanitarian official, leaves New York over the weekend to begin a week-long mission to Afghanistan and Pakistan.  He is expected to visit Kabul, Faizabad, Herat and Islamabad.

**UNDP to Launch Anti-corruption Project in East Timor

Mark Malloch Brown, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is arriving tomorrow in East Timor where he will stay until Monday.

While in East Timor, the Administrator will participate in the launch of a new UNDP-funded anti-corruption project which will be implemented through the office of the Inspector-General of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).

On Monday, Mr. Malloch Brown, along with Secretary-General’s Special Representative Sergio Viera de Mello and independence leader Xanana Gusmao, will participate in a large-scale debate on human rights, reconciliation and the upcoming elections.

For more information, pick the briefing notes form Dili.

**Habitat Announces 18^th Session of Commission on Human Settlements

We also have available upstairs a press release from the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, better known as Habitat, announcing the start of the eighteenth session of the Commission on Human Settlements, which will meet in Nairobi from 12 to 16 February.

The key issues that will be considered by the Commission at this session will be the urgent need to strengthen and revitalize the Centre so that it can be an effective focal point for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.

**Press Releases Available Today on Earthquake Victims in India

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today warned that international adoptions should only serve as a last resort for children orphaned in the earthquake in Gujarat, India.

Meanwhile, UNICEF experts in child psychology have conducted the first in a series of sessions training teachers and health workers to identify earthquake-related trauma in children.  You can pick up the press release if you want more information on that.

The UNDP is providing shelter for 212,000 earthquake victims in the most severely affected rural areas of Gujarat.  The Programme is seeking $11 million for the project which will ensure the safer reconstruction of houses with community involvement.

And finally, the World Food Programme (WFP) is issuing emergency rations to 178,000 children below the age of five, as well as for pregnant and nursing women.

**Kosovo Briefing Notes Available

We have briefing notes form Pristina, Kosovo, which note a wave of attacks on Kosovo Serbian homes and churches.

**Other Press Releases Available

We have a press release from the Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention in Vienna, saying the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, met with Pino Arlacchi, the Executive Director of that Programme.  They discussed money laundering, drug control, organized crime and cooperation between the Russian Federation and the United Nations Office in Vienna.  President Putin said his Government strongly supported the United Nations work in the field of drug control and announced that his Government would host an international conference on money laundering on 5 and 6 June, in St. Petersburg.  We have more information in a press release from Vienna.

In another press release, Peter Piot, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), has commended the United Republic of Tanzania for “its growing and visible political commitment to the fight against HIV and AIDS”.  He said that the Government had placed HIV/AIDS issues into development strategies and placed it high on its expenditure agenda, indicating how seriously it takes the epidemic.  While in Tanzania, Mr. Piot will participate in a consultative meeting to establish a Partnership Forum, which is a coalition of United Nations agencies, African leaders and donors.

**Treaty Signing

This morning, Cameroon became the eighty-fourth country to sign the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity.  The Protocol remains open for signature here in New York until 4 June 2001.

**Budget News

Despite the recent earthquake, India has become the forty-fourth Member State to pay its contribution to the regular budget in full, with a payment of over $3.5 million.

**Monthly Summary of Troop Contributions

We have for you today the updated breakdown of military and civilian police personnel serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations.  Currently, we have 90 countries contributing more than 39,000 "blue berets" in 15 operations spread over four continents.

**World Chronicle

The Information Department has asked me to announce the airing of World Chronicle Programme No. 819, which will feature Habib Ouane, Chief of the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).  You can see that on in-house channels 3 or 31 at 2:30 p.m. today

**The Week Ahead at United Nations

And we have for you, as usual on Friday, "The Week Ahead at the United Nations".  Please pick it up in my Office.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Can you give us some background on the Mitchell Commission?  Is there a reporting date, or is it a more open-ended process?

Spokesman:  That Commission was, as you know, set up by the United States Administration and, frankly, I'm not aware of the terms.  But I think that if it is true, as Mr. Roed-Larsen reported today, that the newly elected Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, will welcome them in Israel, then I assume their next step would be to go there and complete their work.

Question:  Do the ECOWAS Ministers plan to hold a press conference while they're here Monday?

Spokesman:  We've been looking into that, but we don't have anything definite yet.  I don't know whether they have a single spokesman or if all the Ministers would want to talk at once -- I imagine that would be a rather long press conference. [laughter]

Question:  What is the full schedule for the ECOWAS Ministers while they're here?

Spokesman:  They haven't given us a programme.  We can try to get one.  I don't know that a meeting with the Secretary-General has been scheduled.  I'll have to double check his programme.  I understand he will make a statement in the private meeting between the Ministers and the Security Council.  We'll see if we can release his remarks to you.

Have a good weekend.

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