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, and Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.

Briefing by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

**Secretary-General Welcomes Giuliani

The Secretary-General this morning welcomed New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to the General Assembly Hall, saying that "our shared adversity has brought New York City and the United Nations closer together than ever before".

"If there is one message I took from the tour of ground zero you provided two weeks ago", he added, "it is that the world must come together to defeat this menace."

Mayor Giuliani then addressed the Assembly just prior to the opening of its debate on terrorism.  Noting the attack, which took place just two miles from the United Nations, the Mayor said that there was no room for neutrality in the war against terrorism, adding, "We're right and they're wrong."

He urged Member States to unite as never before to face the common threat, and called the Security Council’s passage last Friday night of a resolution against the financing of terrorism a very good first step.  "Decisive action is needed to stop terrorism from ever orphaning another child", he said.

After the General Assembly President formally opened the terrorism debate, the Secretary-General addressed the Assembly.

The attack, which took the lives of some 6,000 people from some

80 countries, was evil, he said, but out of evil can come good.  The task now is "to develop a broad, comprehensive and, above all, sustained strategy to combat terrorism and eradicate it from our world".

He urged all Member States to ratify the 12 United Nations conventions and protocols now open for signature, only one of which has not yet come into force. He also urged agreement on a new comprehensive resolution on terrorism, currently in the drafting stage in the Assembly.  Approval on that draft has been stymied by a disagreement over the definition of terrorism, among other things.

"I understand and accept the need for legal precision", he said on this point. "But let me say frankly that there is also a need for moral clarity."

"There can be no acceptance of those who would seek to justify the deliberate taking of innocent life, regardless of cause or grievance", he asserted.  "If there is one universal principle that all people can agree on, surely it is this."

**World Bank

The September 11 terrorist attack on the United States will hurt economic growth worldwide over 2001 and 2002, and will condemn as many as 10 million more people to live in poverty next year, the World Bank says, in a preliminary economic assessment that it issued today.

Even before September 11, the World Bank expected economic growth in developing countries to fall from 5.5 per cent last year to 2.9 per cent this year, as a result of slowdowns in the United States, Japan and Europe, before recovering to about 4.3 per cent next year.  But the attack is expected to delay the industrialized countries' recovery in 2002, and the Bank warns that growth in developing countries could be lower by between half and three quarters of a percentage point from its previous estimates.

World Bank President James Wolfensohn said the unseen human toll of the September 11 attack will be felt in all parts of the world, especially in Africa. He added, "We estimate that tens of thousands more children will die worldwide and some 10 million more people are likely to be living below the poverty line of one dollar a day because of the terrorist attacks.  This is simply from loss of income."

We have a World Bank press release on that upstairs.

**Security Council

As you know, the Security Council late Friday night adopted a resolution that reaffirms its unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist acts on the United States on 11 September and lays out wide-ranging strategies to combat international terrorism.

The Council also established a committee to monitor the implementation of its resolution and called on all States to report within 90 days on actions they had taken to that end.

The Council decided that all States should prevent and suppress the financing of terrorism, as well as criminalize the wilful provision or collection of funds for such acts.  According to the resolution, the financial assets of those who commit, attempt to commit, or facilitate terrorist acts should also be frozen.

**Afghanistan

A World Food Programme convoy today carried more than 200 tonnes of wheat into the Afghan capital Kabul, marking the first food delivery since the beginning of the latest crisis.  More food convoys were on their way to Afghanistan.

A top priority for the humanitarian community is to meet the needs of the people within Afghanistan, where conditions are extremely dire.

Meanwhile, the United Nations’ top humanitarian official, Emergency Relief Coordinator Kenzo Oshima, who is in the region at the request of the Secretary-General, talked to reporters in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Oshima said he met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, carrying with him a letter from the Secretary-General which urged the Government of Pakistan to "welcome those unfortunate Afghan civilians who would be seeking safety" in Pakistan, and assuring him of the United Nations' commitment to work in close cooperation with the Government and to extend its full support in this regard.

Earlier in the day, he met with the Taliban Ambassador in Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, and reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to help all Afghan civilians in need within the country.  To this end, he insisted on guarantees by the Taliban authorities on the safety and security of humanitarian workers, the full restoration of communications and facilities, and the safe movement of relief goods within areas under Taliban control.

As part of the United Nations humanitarian effort to reach the Afghan people both inside and outside the country, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations met in Quetta, Pakistan, earlier today to coordinate tasks in the region.  The organizations set up six sectoral committees to handle water and sanitation, health and nutrition, distribution of relief items, logistics and infrastructure, camp management, and protection and security.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said its first relief flight into Iran was expected to arrive in Mashad in the north-east of the country tomorrow.

**Security Council Presidency

October first marks the beginning of Ireland as president of the Security Council for this month.

No meetings of the Council are scheduled for today.  Ambassador Richard Ryan is conducting bilateral talks to determine the programme of work for October.

**United Nations Irak-Kuwait Observation Mission

Out on the racks today is the Secretary-General’s report on the United Nations Irak-Kuwait Observation Mission, known as UNIKOM, in which he recommends the continuation of the Mission.

In it, the Secretary-General reports that the situation along the Kuwait-Iraq border was generally calm during the period of 28 March to 24 September of this year.  During that time, the Mission reported 255 violations, including

163 air violations.

Within this reporting period, UNIKOM was able to carry out its task smoothly, receiving the cooperation of the Iraqi and Kuwaiti authorities.

**Oil for Food

Also on Iraq, out on the racks today is the Secretary-General’s latest

90-day report on the implementation of Phase X of the “oil-for-food” programme, which began on 4 July and ends on 30 November

The report reiterates the Secretary-General’s belief that with the improved funding available to the programme, the Government of Iraq is indeed in the position to address the nutritional and health concerns of the Iraqi people, particularly the nutritional status of children.

It concludes that despite all the difficulties encountered and the criticisms levelled by various quarters against the implementation of the programme, it has made a considerable difference in the lives of the average Iraqi citizen.  The Secretary-General believes, however, that constructive and concerted action by all parties concerned would improve substantially the effectiveness of the programme in alleviating the humanitarian situation in Iraq.

**Pino Arlacchi

We issued a statement late Friday saying that Pino Arlacchi, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, indicated to the Secretary-General in their meeting on Friday that he could not continue in his post for another full term.

It was agreed that he would stay in his position until mid-2002.

**Guinea-Bissau

The Secretary-General, in his report on the United Nations Peace-building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau which is out on the racks today and covers events since last June, says that despite some positive developments, the overall situation in that country remains "dangerously unstable".

The country's widespread economic and social problems have prevented democratic advances from taking root, the report says, and the Secretary-General calls on all political actors at all levels in the country to maintain dialogue and refrain from any actions that threaten national unity and the constitutional order.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Secretary-General's report on special assistance for the economic recovery and reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is on the racks today, and, in it, the Secretary-General notes that the country's gloomy economic picture deteriorated further in 2000 and the first quarter of 2001.

The new Government under President Joseph Kabila has inherited runaway inflation, monetary instability, a persistent fiscal deficit, heavy external debt and a climate of great social tension, the report says.

**Human Rights Reports

There are three reports out on the racks today from Special Rapporteurs of the UN Commission on Human Rights.

First, the report of Roberto Garreton on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Second, on the human rights situation in Myanmar by Special Rapporteur Paulo Sergio Pinheiro.

And lastly, a report by Enrique Bernales Bellesteros on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of people to self-determination.

**World Habitat Day

This is World Habitat Day.  On that occasion, the Executive Director of Habitat, Anna Tibaijuka, delivered a message on behalf of the Secretary-General at a meeting in Fukuoka, Japan.

In his message, the Secretary-General called on the international community and citizens everywhere to “pledge to do their part in turning slums into sustainable neighbourhoods fit for families, fit for living, fit for the future”.

This year’s global observance for World Habitat Day was held in Fukuoka, which received an award for creating the most livable city in Asia.

For more information, please see the press release.

**International Day of Older Persons

Today is also the International Day of Older Persons, and the Secretary-General in his message pointed out that, by the middle of this century, the number of older persons will double from 1 in 10 to 1 in 5.  He said that ageing issues need to be integrated in the larger context of development and that all trends from globalization to HIV/AIDS affect the place of older persons in society.  “The seeds of healthy ageing”, he said, “are planted early in life; that is a challenge we must take up without delay.”

We have the full text in my Office.

**Belarus Memorandum of Understanding

At about this time, the United Nations and Belarus are signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Standby Arrangements, for resources that are to be made available within a specified timeframe for UN peacekeeping operations.  Belarus is the thirty-sixth country to sign the Memorandum and has pledged 32 civilian police officers.

**Signings

This morning, a number of treaties were signed here at Headquarters.  Belarus also became the twenty-eighth country to ratify the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings.

The Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism was signed by Iceland and Madagascar.

Madagascar also signed the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons, the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others and its Final Protocol and the Convention against Torture and the Amendment to Article 43 (2) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

A press conference tomorrow with Ambassador Richard Ryan of Ireland, President of the Security Council for October.  He will be here at 12:30 p.m. to brief you on the Council’s programme of work.

**Security on Friday

Finally, if you all evacuated safely, you get a gold star.  Friday afternoon, at 4 p.m., everybody was out of the Building in 27 minutes.  Security estimates that about 3,000 people evacuated safely.

They are now doing surveys among those who participated in the evacuation to evaluate how well it went.  If you have a complaint, you can fill out a survey form.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Some of the equipment confiscated by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has been returned to the United Nations.  Can you confirm that?

Spokesman:  Yes.  I think we said that on Friday -- that when you said equipment, it was actually food.  There had been a report earlier last week that the food stores of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Kandahar had been looted and it turned out that the WFP’s control over that warehouse had been restored by the end of the week.  The WFP said that they had no information of looting of their foodstuffs anywhere in Afghanistan.

Question:  Do you know which countries did not sit at their seats on the Mayor’s appearance?  Since United Nations TV is under rather political/diplomatic guidelines as to what it could show or not show when he was talking about terrorism, could we find that out?

Spokesman:  I‘m not aware that there are restrictions on United Nations TV coverage, but I didn’t take a survey.  How can we find out who was there?  There’s no attendance record.  The Hall looked full to me.

Question:  What about the countries that have said they’re participating in this terrorism debate, and there are others that have not signed on.  How many have not signed to speak or has everyone signed on?

Spokesman:  Why don’t you ask Jan Fischer that question?  Jan, why don’t you come up and get ready to do your briefing?

Question:  Last week, the Ukraine Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Valery Kuchinsky, ... inaudible ... the creation of the ... inaudible ... to combat terrorism within the framework of the United Nations.  This morning on the Web site, I read that the Secretary-General called for united global action in a broad coalition.  Does the Secretary-General see this coalition as the beginning of a formal structure within the United Nations that would act as a coordinating agency among countries for the exchange of information and combating terrorism?

Spokesman:  I’m not prepared to answer that question now. All I know is that he has established the Executive Committee on Peace and Security as a coordinating mechanism.  I don’t know how much further he wants to go.  I’ll try to ask for you and get a reply later.

Question:  Is this the first time that a Mayor has spoken here?  How did that come about?  Did the Secretary-General ask him to come or did he ask to come?

Spokesman:  The President of the General Assembly invited him, I think, Jan, if that’s correct?

Spokesman for the GA President:  Correct.

Spokesman for the Secretary-General:  There were two times at the very beginning of the United Nations when two different Mayors addressed Assembly, one with the laying of the cornerstone in 1949, and another for the very first session that took place in this Building and that was in 1952.  So it’s been 50 years, roughly.

Spokesman for the GA President:  I should add that, as far as I know, Mayor Giuliani spoke during the fiftieth anniversary celebrations.  But I think, at that stage, he was actually part of the U.S. delegation.  He was Mayor, but he was also part of the U.S. delegation.

Question:  What happened, then, with Pino Arlacchi?  Was he asked to leave and it was a compromise that he would stay on for a few more months?

Spokesman for the Secretary-General:  We issued a precisely worded statement on Friday saying that he indicated he could not continue in this post for another full term.  It was agreed he would stay on in his position until mid-2002.

Question:  Does the Secretary-General want him to stay on for a full term?

Spokesman:  The statement says ... I don’t need to read it again.

Question:  Does this mean that the Secretary-General will soon be releasing the other report about the so-called Boat Project?

Spokesman:  That I think is Mr. Nair’s call.  He reports directly to the General Assembly.  The first two reports on the evaluation and the inspection have both been released to the Assembly and will be public documents.

Question:  Does the Secretary-General wish him to release that report?

Spokesman:  I don’t think the Secretary-General tells Mr. Nair what to do in his relations.  He reports directly to the General Assembly.  I suppose he reports through the Secretary-General.  I don’t know what the Secretary-General’s views are on the Boat Report.

Okay, Jan.

Briefing by the Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly

**General Assembly President Introduces Giuliani

Introducing the Mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, the General Assembly President said, among other things, that the General Assembly had pronounced itself against terrorism as the first order of business at its fifty-sixth session and that it shared the grief and pain of the victims of the tragic events.

**International Day for Older Persons, World Habitat Day

I will echo Fred and say let’s not let this day go into history only as the day when the Mayor of New York City addressed the General Assembly.  I’ll point out that it’s also the International Day for Older Persons, and it’s World Habitat Day.  The President of the General Assembly has issued two messages, which you’ll find on his Web site.  I will also make hard copies available a little bit later.

**General Assembly Speakers’ List

I can say that there have been some questions about how many people will be speaking at this terrorism debate.  We have a speakers’ list and I think I made that available Friday.

You cannot take the total number of speakers as an indication of the total number of countries that will be heard, because you will find that several countries will be speaking on behalf of groups of countries.

Question and Answers

Question:  Is it possible to articulate why the President invited Mayor Giuliani?  Is there a special reason?

Spokesman:  I think it makes very good sense that, before you start several days of debate on an issue like terrorism, you hear from a representative of a city that has felt the brutal impact of terrorism.  I think it makes very good sense, and it was the decision of the General Assembly President.

Question:  Giuliani’s speech was very badly received by some countries. (inaudible)

Spokesman:  I haven’t had a chance to check with the General Assembly President to see what he thought of the speech, but, of course, Member States that did not like the speech are perfectly free to say so during their speeches over the next couple of days.

Question:  About the general debate.  I understand that the Mayor said that he’s ready to have it go ahead.

Spokesman:  He said that New York City is open and he seemed to be ready to have a general debate and to have the heads of State, foreign ministers and so on come here.  That’s probably something that the General Assembly President also discussed with him when they met briefly before the meeting started this morning. I’ll have to get an official announcement from the General Assembly President, as to whether this means that we can now set dates for the general debate.

* *** *