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

Following is a near-verbatim record of today’s noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

On the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), first of all.  The Secretary-General said, in opening the Security Council meeting with the Political Committee on the DRC, just a short while ago:  “The parties should be given a clear message today.”  He outlined the outcomes expected from the meeting by saying:  “Let the disengagement of forces and the inter-Congolese dialogue begin.  Draw up plans to bring all foreign forces home from DRC territory.  Work with your neighbours and with us to find innovative and creative ways to resolve the problems of armed groups and border security.”

The two-day meeting of the Security Council and signatories of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement began with an open meeting featuring statements by the President of the Security Council (Tunisian Ambassador Said Ben Mustapha), the Secretary-General and the Chairman of the Political Committee (Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Stanislaus Mudenge).

A private meeting with the same participants on the same subject followed and was expected to last the rest of the day.  The Security Council-Political Committee meeting will continue tomorrow, when a French draft resolution endorsing the Secretary-General’s new concept of operations will be considered.  Upon the adoption of that resolution tomorrow, we have asked the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the Congo, Kamel Morjane, to speak with you.

The Secretary-General’s speech and a list of participants are available in the Spokesman's Office.  If you are a broadcaster who needs to get into a booth around the Security Council chamber, please contact my Office first.

**Security Council

On other Council matters, an open debate of the Security Council will now be held on Thursday, 22 February, at 3 p.m., in connection with the item entitled "The situation in Angola".  The debate is on the monitoring mechanism on Angola sanctions.

**Western Sahara Report

The Secretary-General's latest report on Western Sahara has gone to the Security Council and it is expected to be out on the racks later today.  (We have some copies available in my Office.)

In it, the Secretary-General notes the deterioration in the relations between the two parties in recent months.  Last month, when the Paris-Dakar rally crossed through Western Sahara, the Polisario Front threatened to resume military activities, although it later decided to suspend that decision.  The

Secretary-General says that, nevertheless, "the rally and its aftermath have increased animosity between the parties and seriously raised tensions in the area".

He adds, "Regrettably, I cannot report any progress towards overcoming the obstacles to the implementation of the settlement plan, or towards determining whether the Government of Morocco, as administrative Power in Western Sahara, is prepared to offer or support some devolution of authority for all inhabitants and former inhabitants of the Territory that is genuine, substantial and in keeping with international norms."

The Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, James Baker, says that he is ready to re-engage with the parties in trying to find an early, durable and agreed resolution to the dispute over Western Sahara.  The Secretary-General recommends that the Council extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission there by two months, until April 30, and the Council is likely to discuss his report and recommendations in its consultations on Friday.

** UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process

Terje Roed Larsen, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, is wrapping up the second day of talks in Washington, D.C.  He met this morning with high-level officials from the United States State Department.  In speaking to the press afterwards, Larsen that he and the United States officials saw “eye to eye” on the dire economic and fiscal situation of the Palestinian authority.  The American officials, however, told him that they could not directly release funds for the Palestinian authority.  Such funds would have to come through international organizations like World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, of which the United States is a contributing member.

This press conference is still going on, so we will have a transcript available for you later this afternoon.

**Racism Conference

The Asian Regional Meeting for the World Conference against Racism wrapped up its three-day meeting in Teheran today by adopting a declaration and a programme of action.

The declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the Asia regional preparatory meeting in Tehran expressed solidarity with the peoples of Africa in their struggle against racism.  In the context of globalization, the meeting also drew attention to the growing plight of migrants, particularly women, and trafficking in persons. 

During the course of the meeting the High Commissioner, while appreciating the efficient arrangements of the Tehran meeting and the decision to facilitate World View International’s participation, expressed her dismay at the “procedural and technical” difficulties that prevented the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and the Baha’i International Community from attending the regional meeting.

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre was granted an entry visa only in the last hours before the meeting, and the application by the Baha’i International Community was not considered.

The High Commissioner reiterated her full and unequivocal support for the participation of all accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the preparatory process and in the World Conference itself

We have the full release available upstairs.

**UNMOVIC

Today and tomorrow, the College of Commissioners of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) will be meeting in Vienna.  The Commission’s Executive Chairman, Dr. Hans Blix, will discuss with the 16 commissioners his fourth report on UNMOVIC’s activities, which is due to the Security Council on 1st March.

As you’ll recall, UNMOVIC was created by Security Council in December

1999 to undertake the responsibilities of the former United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) which was charged with monitoring the elimination of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

**Iraq Update

The Office of the Iraq Programme (OIP), in its weekly update covering the period 10 to 16 February, notes that Iraqi oil exports were up considerably.  10.8 million barrels of oil were lifted through six loadings –- four at Ceyhan, Turkey, and two at Mina al-Bakr, Iraq -- raising an estimated €254 million (euros) in revenue.  In the current phase IX, running from 6 December 2000 to

3 June 2001, Iraq so far has exported 66.1 million barrels of oil, earning over €1.47 billion at current prices. 

The full text of the OIP weekly update is available upstairs.

**Zimbabwe

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Dato’Param Cumaraswamy, reiterated today his concern over the “further deterioration” of the situation in Zimbabwe in a letter sent to the Government.

He said:  “Harassment, intimidation, attacks and threats against an independent judiciary and its judges will in fact be seen as a direct assault on the rule of law.”  He went on to say:  "If these further threats and intimidation are true, then the earlier assertion of the Government on

12 February that the 'judiciary is alive and thriving in Zimbabwe' cannot possibly be sustained."

We have a full press release in my Office.

**Secretary-General’s Speech on Decolonization

This morning in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, the Secretary-General opened this year's session of the so-called Committee of 24, which deals with the granting of independence to colonies.  The Secretary-General noted the accomplishments of the Committee over the past year -- including its discussions involving American Samoa and Pitcairn -- and wished it every success in the year ahead.

The Committee then agreed unanimously on the election of its officers, selecting Ambassador Julian Robert Hunte of Saint Lucia as its new chairman, and also approving the agenda for its work for this session.

We have copies of the Secretary-General's opening remarks in my Office.

**Press Releases

The World Food Programme (WFP) says it will launch a $168 million relief operation for Angola that will benefit about one million people for a 15-month period, beginning on April 1.

Carla Del Ponte, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, has decided not to seek the deferral of the case in Croatia of former Croatian General Mirko Norac to the Tribunal.  Instead, she says, the relevant judicial authorities in Croatia can take responsibility for trying Norac over crimes committed in Gospic, Croatia, in 1991.  The Tribunal has a press release with more information.

**Budget News

We have one new payment in full to the regular budget for this year, as Honduras paid more than $41,000 to become the fifty-first Member State to have paid its regular budget dues in full for 2001.

**Press Conference

There is going to be a press conference at 3:30 p.m. today in room

226, sponsored by the Mission of Côte d’Ivoire.  Parliamentarians for Global Action will discuss the work of its African Task Force, which is sending a parliamentary delegation to Côte d’Ivoire.

That is all I have today.

Questions and Answers

Question:  Any dates on the Washington visit of Kofi Annan?

Spokesman:  We still have no word from the White House.

Question:  Are you ready to officially announce the trip you mentioned yesterday?

Spokesman:  No, we are getting closer, but we are not there yet.

Question:  Do you have any news on the group of Afghans stranded on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Spokesman:  No, I do not have anything fresh for you on that today, but if you check with my Office, they can brief you on what has been happening in the last few weeks.

Question:  Is there a chance to talk to the head of the Political Committee after the Congo meeting?

Spokesman:  We can certainly ask.  We’ll talk to the [Zimbabwe] Mission on making the Foreign Minister available to you at some point.

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