DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
| Press Briefing |
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
Good Afternoon. We'll start with a statement attributable to the Spokesman concerning the situation in Afghanistan.
** Statement by Spokesman for the Secretary-General
The Secretary-General has been following closely developments on the ground in Afghanistan. He welcomed the fact that in the last few days the people of Kabul and other cities in Afghanistan have been freed from the oppressive and intolerant Taliban regime. At the same time, the Secretary-General takes this opportunity to remind the United Front and other Afghan forces of the need to adhere strictly to their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.
The Secretary-General reiterates the urgent need to establish a broad-based and fully representative Government in Afghanistan. To this end, he has instructed his Special Representative, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, to re-double his ongoing efforts.
** Afghanistan -- Humanitarian
The United Nations humanitarian agencies have been concentrating today on the safety and security of local staff in Afghanistan as the situation on the ground is shifting rapidly.
The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator’s Office for Afghanistan reported from Islamabad today that UN staff in Kabul are safe, with security being assigned to protect UN premises amid reports of some looting in the capital. The World Food Programme (WFP) said that as of yesterday, its e-mail communication with local staff in Kabul has been restored, and that initial reports indicate that its warehouse in the capital is intact, with no food stolen.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), meanwhile, reported the overall security situation in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif as unstable, marked by the random movement of armed people. Yesterday, a UNICEF sub-office in that city was looted by armed men after its capture by the Northern Alliance.
Several sources on the ground in Mazar-i-Sharif have corroborated to the Humanitarian Coordinator’s Office that more than 100 young Taliban recruits who had been hiding in a school in that city were killed by Northern Alliance forces on Saturday.
Because of fear and uncertainty caused by the recent fighting, commercial Afghan truckers used by the WFP for food delivery did not want to move from the Pakistani cities of Quetta and Peshawar, so no food trucks travelled into Afghanistan today from Pakistan. However, in the past 12 days the agency has delivered 27,000 tonnes of food into the country, more than half its monthly target.
On the refugee front, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that the quickly-changing military situation has not resulted in any new reports of refugee flows or large-scale displacement. The UNHCR is urging all combatants to respect civilians and exercise restraint in order to avoid any possible new waves of refugees. Meanwhile, the agency continues to maintain a high level of emergency stocks in Peshawar and Quetta in case of a new influx.
** Afghanistan
The Secretary-General and his Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, met with the Security Council this morning in a public meeting on the future of Afghanistan.
Speaking to the Council, the Secretary-General said the challenge faced by the United Nations "is now perhaps at its most urgent stage". He called for action to meet the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people.
Mr. Brahimi, in a briefing that lasted more than 30 minutes, talked about his recent mission to the region, the diplomatic efforts under way, and the humanitarian action being undertaken, it presented objectives and spelled out approaches for the way ahead.
He spelled out a five-step approach which, he said, was widely discussed by the Afghans themselves, for a political transition with the goal of creating a broad-based government.
He also outlined three options for a security force and listed them in the order of desirability: one , an all-Afghan security force; two, a multinational force; or three, a UN peacekeeping force. He said an All-Afghan force was the preferred option.
He spoke about the need for such security arrangements as even more urgent for Kabul.
Against the backdrop of fast-moving events on the ground, Mr. Brahimi also said that his deputy Francesco Vendrell has been instructed to go to Kabul as soon as security conditions permit.
He also reported that security assessments are being made for the return of international staff to Afghanistan as soon as possible. One such mission –- to Faizabad –- has been completed and he said staff are expected back in a day or two. Another security assessment from Termez to Hairaton took place today, we have just learned.
Mr. Brahimi emphasized that the longer-term objectives for Afghanistan remained the same, despite the pace of the current events on the ground.
He said “The men and women of Afghanistan have suffered much and have been disappointed often”. “They refuse interference, yet they call for help. They expect much from the United Nations and they are not sure it will deliver. They do not understand why their country is being attacked, why what little infrastructure is there is being destroyed, and civilians including children are being killed by stray bombs.”
He appealed to all to show the people of Afghanistan that the international community is not going to give up on them this time.
Mr. Brahimi is expected to talk to you at the stakeout following the Council meeting. There are 36 speakers inscribed for the debate so far. The meeting is being chaired by the Foreign Minister of Jamaica, K.D. Knight.
** Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
The Conference on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) ended this morning, just about an hour ago, with the adoption of the final declaration and report of the Conference.
In its final declaration, the participating States reaffirmed their strong determination to enhance international peace and security and stressed the importance of a universal, and verifiable, CTBT for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The participating States also called upon all States to maintain a moratorium on nuclear weapons test explosions and underlined the importance of signing and ratifying the Treaty.
Over the past three days, 108 States in all attended the Conference.
There will be some press briefings today with more information on the CTBT for you. One is scheduled at 1:00 p.m. in this room with Olga Pellicer, Mexico’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Vienna.
The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) has informed us of a press briefing by the Lawyers Alliance for World Security. That will be at 1:30 today in the UNCA Club, and it will feature among other speakers, United States Ambassador Steven Ledogar, on the issue of where the United States should go regarding the CTBT.
Also today in this room is Daniela Rozgonova, the Spokeswoman for the CTBT. Daniela, if you would just stand up for a moment. You can talk to her after the briefing if you have any further questions about the conference.
** Iraq
The weekly update from the Office of the Iraq Programme shows that the level of Iraqi oil exports under the United Nations oil-for-food programme continued to fall in the week ending 9 November.
Averaging just over 1.5 million barrels per day, the oil exports totalled 10.9 million barrels, down from the previous week’s total of 14.6 million barrels.
You can pick up the text of that report.
** International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia
Today in The Hague, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentenced three Bosnian Serbs who had been found guilty of crimes committed against non-Serbs in the Bosnian municipality of Prijedor in 1992.
Dusko Skirica, who was the Commander of Security at the Keraterm detention camp at the time, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Damir Dosen and Dragan Kolundjiza, who worked at the camp, were given sentences of five and three years, respectively.
We have a press release on that.
** HIV/AIDS
The first Chinese National Conference on AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases opened in Beijing today.
Peter Piot, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, told participants that the meeting was a truly significant turning point “not only for the response to AIDS in China, but also for the global response to AIDS”.
He explained that the Chinese national conference was of global significance because what happens in China over the next two decades will determine the global burden of HIV/AIDS.
Piot’s speech is available on the UNAIDS Web site, but we also have a few copies in our office if you are interested.
** Secretary-General Report
The Secretary-General, in his report out today on United Nations support for the promotion or consolidation of new or restored democracies, says that among the most remarkable achievements of the past decade has been the near doubling of the number of democracies across the globe.
He says that there can be no single prescribed form of democracy, but adds that the status of human rights is an important barometer of a healthy democracy. He also welcomes the “growing international trend to condemn unconstitutional removals of Governments or attempts at outright subversion of democracy”.
** UNICEF News
In India's north-eastern state of Assam, one child has died and some 600 have been hospitalized following a state-wide Vitamin A campaign that had been carried out on Sunday with support from the United Nations Children's Fund. UNICEF is in touch with India's Ministry of Health and is waiting for the results of what, exactly, caused the death and the hospitalization of the children.
International media reports about the situation have erroneously said that as many as 10 children died following a campaign to administer polio vaccine. This is not correct.
More than 3 million children ranging in ages from 1 to 5 years old received vitamin A in Assam on Sunday in the third round of a bi-annual state-wide campaign. No complications had been reported in the two previous rounds.
Vitamin A is given to prevent blindness and to help boost children's immunity against disease.
** Signings
Among the signings yesterday, New Zealand became the tenth country to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. With this ratification, the requirements have been met for the entry into force of the Protocol and this will occur in three months time, on the 13 February 2002. There will be a joint press release from UNICEF and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict a little later today.
Today, there will be a number of instruments of ratification deposited for various treaties. China this morning acceded to the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and this afternoon, Hungary will ratify that same Convention. Also this afternoon, Jamaica will ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
We have in my office a complete list of all signings and ratifications. (See also Press Release L/T/4364.)
** Press Releases
One press release to alert you to today, the Food and Agriculture Organization warning that the food situation in Somalia is deteriorating rapidly. The main crop season this year has been reduced by drought to the lowest level in seven years, and recent heavy rains in the Ethiopian highlands have caused overflows of rivers in Southern Somalia displacing large numbers of people and aggravating the food supply situation.
** Press conference
And then one press conference to mention to you, in just ten minutes in this room, 12.30.p.m., Jack Straw, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom will brief you in this room. Tomorrow's press conferences will be posted on our Web site later today.
That's what I have today.
** Questions and Answers
Question: You mentioned three actions for security measures in Afghanistan, one, an all Afghan force, two, a United Nations force, what is the third one?
Spokesman: The second would be a multinational force, and the third, because they were listed in level of desirability, would be a United Nations peacekeeping force, the least desirable of the three.
Question: Mr. Brahimi spoke of convening a group of the Northern Alliance and all these other groups that have been working, do you have any idea how long that would take and when it would happen?
Spokesman: I can't predict any of those things. There was some discussion yesterday of holding this meeting at one of the United Nations centres in Europe, either in Geneva or Vienna. Later in the day, Mr. Brahimi was exploring a location in the Middle East which might be more convenient for the parties. And today, Kabul has fallen, so whether such a meeting could be held in Afghanistan or not has to be added to our list of possibilities for consideration. Also, the sudden fall of Kabul, that I don't think was predicted by anybody, must also affect our thinking on how quickly we have to move to try to get to these parties working on a formula for power-sharing. So I think this is probably uppermost in his mind, but too early to say exactly when and where.
Question: Days, weeks?
Spokesman: He said yesterday days rather than weeks. We do have the meeting here of the 20th on reconstruction. Whether he could get away before that meeting or not I think is one of the questions he is considering. Jim?
Question: I am going back to some of the relief issues. You said that United Nations staff in Kabul was safe. Are all United Nations humanitarian workers in Afghanistan Afghan nationals or international staff still?
Spokesman: No, all the international staff were withdrawn. The beginning of the return of international staff will start with Faizabad in the next couple of days, where a security assessment team completed their work and found conditions suitable for the return of internationals. That same team is going on to Mazar-i-Sharif. They tried to get in yesterday but couldn't. They are trying again today. And then I think from there they will go on to Kabul. So we hope to have security assessments for those three major cities and to start putting, not only humanitarian workers, but also United Nations civil affairs officers back on the ground in Afghanistan.
Question: How many Afghans are working for the United Nations?
Spokesman: I can't give you a precise number. At the time the international staff withdrew, there were some 700 local staff, but then the fighting, disbursement of populations and so on might well have reduced that number, so I don't have a current number. [There were about 1,000 national staff and another 4,800 deminers before the fighting.]
Question: The land routes for the trucks, for the delivering of relief aid from Pakistan to Afghanistan, you said they were not moving today because of the general security situation. Generally speaking though, is this freeing up more secure routes for rapid delivery of food aid from Pakistan and presumably also from Afghanistan's northern neighbors? Is it looking as if it is speeding up and trying to beat the winter?
Spokesman: As far as the northern routes go, the fall of Mazar potentially opened up a very important supply route for easier access for the northern highlands, which was the most vulnerable area in terms of food needs. So yes, we think that if some level of security could be established quickly in these cities that have recently been taken by the Northern Alliance, it will facilitate our food delivery. But then, a second problem is the secondary delivery within Afghanistan. When we get the food into warehouses, how do we get it out to the dispersed populations that no longer are concentrated in cities, but went out into the countryside for safety? It could be that if the security situation improves, people will return to the cities and that, too, will make food distribution much easier for us. And as I said earlier the level of food brought in thus far is ahead of schedule for what we would need to sustain the 52,000 tonnes per month, which is our target.
Question: With Mr. Vendrell being asked to get as many people back as possible, you said that the humanitarian civil affairs officers would be back. How many, and what would they be doing, would they almost be like observers for civil rights and other actions by the Northern Alliance? Could you describe who from the United Nations would go in as soon as possible and what they would be doing there?
Spokesman: The humanitarian workers are obvious, but even beforehand we had civil affairs officers, people who kept an eye on the political situation and in this case would be in a position to advise the Afghans who are now trying to establish something that resembles a government, should they want that advice. But I think the idea is that the international community would be prepared to offer not only advice, but also infrastructure, both for humanitarian assistance and for the establishment of a government. What numbers, I can't tell you. The Secretary-General was asking the Six-plus-Two members yesterday how many personnel they would have to send in under the United Nations umbrella should we need to move quickly to get these two types of international officials into Afghanistan. So I can't tell you how many, but the idea is to start establishing an international presence in Afghanistan immediately.
Question: Do you know why the evaluating security forces were unable to get into Sharif? Was it fighting, or weather?
Spokesman: We were advised by General Abdul Rashid Dostum that the route was not secure. The hope is that whatever problem he might have seen yesterday might have been taken care of today.
Question: Why is the United Nations peace-keeping force the least desirable solution? And on something totally different, when will mail distribution in the Secretariat be resumed?
Spokesman: I don't know the answer to the second question but I can find that out for you after the briefing. [The mail is still not being delivered.] For the first question, there are two reasons: one, when the United Nations starts to gather together a peacekeeping force, it means contacting troop contributors, arranging for their transport and all the rest. It takes months. We don't have that much time. Second, the security situation has to be right . Peacekeepers can do their best job when there is a nice, firm political agreement among the combatants on which to base a peace arrangement. Then peacekeepers can go in to bolster that. When you have an unstable situation, as we have now, where you are not sure whether fighting is going to resume, that is not the environment for peacekeepers. That is where you need professional soldiers. So the multinational force would be soldiers armed and trained to fight. And the third option, which is the one Mr. Brahimi prefers, is to let the Afghans organize security. They certainly have enough guns for it.
Question: He also said that it was unlikely to happen in the near future, therefore there is probably some kind of transitional multinational force. You know how much progress has been made on that?
Spokesman: Taking about a multinational force, that is something that the Security Council would ideally give its blessing to. But some nation with capacity would have to take the lead to form it. So there you really have to look at the members of the Security Council and the members of the United Nations more broadly to see whether a coalition force is in the making. I have no information on that, what nations might be willing to contribute troops, what nations might be willing to take the lead. Those are questions you would have to ask Governments.
We probably have Jack Straw just outside the door, do we? Let's take one more question.
Question: Isn't one of the options a United Nations police force? That seems to be the need in Kabul right now.
Spokesman: Yes, policing is an integral part of security. I think that Mr. Brahimi also hopes that the Afghans could organize a police presence, whether they would welcome international assistance on training on how to structure such a force. We would be happy to provide technical support for an Afghan police force.
Question: Wouldn't it be more realistic to send a police force than peacekeepers, it would be quicker as well.
Spokesman: No, soldiers are recruited in large units, in battalions.
The police you recruit individually. It is also a very time consuming process.
Question: What about taking some policemen from Kosovo?
Spokesman: That could be looked at, but presumably if they are in Kosovo, it is because they have a job to do there.
OK, Jan?
Briefing by the Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly
Good Afternoon.
Since we don't want to make Mr. Jack Straw wait too long, I will be very brief and cut a couple of sections out of my briefing.
I just want to let you know about some changes to the speaker's list.
Turkmenistan will now be the last speaker this morning and Malaysia, which was scheduled to speak during the morning meeting will now be the 9th speaker in the afternoon. You will have noticed from the Daily Journal that Saudi Arabia was scheduled to be the second last speaker in the morning but that is no longer the case. This is a very recent development and I don’t know if Saudi Arabia will speak at another time, or not at all. In the afternoon, Brunei Darussalam and Viet Nam will be the second last and last speaker respectively. Burundi is now scheduled as the 8th speaker, and Georgia has moved to Friday as the last speaker.
I will also give you the changes I have at the moment to Wednesday’s list: In the morning, St. Vincent and the Grenadines will now be the 5th speaker, Azerbaijan and Namibia have switched and Egypt will be the last speaker. Cameroon has switched with Congo and will now speak Thursday morning. For the afternoon session tomorrow, Somalia will be the last speaker instead of the first.
That is all I have for you.
** Questions and Answer
Question: Who is speaking for Saudi Arabia, is it the Foreign Minister?
Answer: The Foreign Minister was originally scheduled, but now that the statement has been moved or cancelled, I am not sure.
Thank you.
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