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 Manoel de Almeida e Silva, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.
Briefing by the Associate Spokesman
Good afternoon. Thank you very much for coming. I’ll start with Oslo.
**Oslo
In Oslo, the Norwegian capital, today the Secretary-General and the United Nations received the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize on the centennial of that award. Present with the Secretary-General was the President of the General Assembly, Han Seung-soo. Each accepted a medallion and a certificate. Upon receiving the prize, the Secretary-General said that the world had entered the third millennium “through a gate of fire”. Noting the inequalities in the world, he added, “If today, after the horror of 11 September, we see better, and we see further, we will realize that humanity is indivisible. New threats make no distinction between races, nations or regions.”
He said that in the new century, “the sovereignty of States must no longer be used as a shield for gross violations of human rights” and “peace must be made real and tangible in the daily existence of every individual in need”. He urged all to appreciate human diversity, and pointed to the respect that each religion devotes to the values of tolerance and mutual understanding. We have copies of his speech upstairs.
Earlier today, the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly, along with their wives, were joined by the Crown Princess of Norway at an open-air event involving thousands of school children at the seaside near Oslo’s City Hall. The children cheered on the Nobel Laureates, and the Secretary-General spoke to them briefly, saying they were the leaders of the twenty-first century. The Secretary-General and President Han then had an audience with His Majesty King Harald V of Norway. Also today, some two dozen Nobel Laureates issued a centennial appeal, expressing their joy at today’s award to the United Nations and Kofi Annan. They also called for the prompt establishment of the International Criminal Court, the non-violent pursuit of peace and the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction. We have copies of that appeal upstairs in our office.
**More on Oslo
After the Nobel ceremony, the King hosted a reception for the Secretary-General and all the other previous Peace Prize Laureates at the Royal Palace. In the evening, the Secretary-General and his wife Nane, along with the General Assembly President and Mrs. Han, were to observe the traditional torchlight procession from the balcony of their hotel. They were then to attend the Nobel banquet and afterwards the Secretary-General and Nane Annan were to open the Ball scheduled to follow, by dancing the first dance.
**Oslo Activities and Statements
That is what happened today. The Secretary-General, as you know, arrived in Oslo on Saturday, where he was met at the airport by the Chairman of the Nobel Committee, Gunnar Berge. He and General Assembly President Han Seung-soo held a joint press conference on Sunday, which the Secretary-General began by saying that any achievements he could claim “were the fruit of remarkable work and dedication on the part of many colleagues on the staff of the United Nations”.
He said, in response to a question about expanding the war on terrorism, that any attempt to take military action in other parts of the world would be a matter for the Security Council to take up. He added, “Any attempt or any decision to attack Iraq today will be unwise and…it can lead to major escalation in the region, and I would hope that would not be the case.” The transcript of the joint press conference with the General Assembly President is available upstairs.
In the late afternoon, the Secretary-General and Nane Annan, along with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen and his wife, went to Oslo Synagogue for a ceremony to light the first candle of Hanukkah. Members of the families of three Israeli soldiers and a businessman abducted late last year by Hezbollah were also there, and the Secretary-General later met with them privately. They expressed their gratitude for his efforts to obtain information on the condition of the abductees and urged him to work for the return of any still alive, or the return of their bodies if they are dead.
On returning to his hotel last night, the Secretary-General was greeted by officials of Amnesty International Norway, who presented him with the results of a letter-writing campaign on the theme of “no security without human rights”. Then, at night, the Secretary-General and the General Assembly President attended a dinner in their honour, hosted by the Nobel Committee.
**Afghanistan
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, arrived in Islamabad a short while ago after meeting on Sunday in Rome with the former Afghan King Mohammed Zaher Shah and the Italian Foreign Minister. During his meeting with the former King, which lasted about an hour, Mr. Brahimi discussed the transfer of power, which according to the Bonn Agreement, is due to take place on 22 December this year. He also discussed the convening of an emergency Loya Jirga and his visit to Kabul.
In Kabul, Mr. Brahimi is expected to hold talks with political leaders, including Burhanuddin Rabbani, Mohammad Yunus Qanooni and Abdullah Abdullah. He also hopes to meet with Hamid Karzai, designated head of the interim administration. He expects to have a press conference in Kabul tomorrow at 6:30 in the evening, local time. We have transcripts of the press encounter Mr. Brahimi had while in Rome.
**Afghanistan Report
Still on Afghanistan, the Secretary-General’s report on that country to the General Assembly and Security Council is on the racks today. It covers a three-month period until 15 November. The section on human rights says that millions of Afghans are unable to exercise such fundamental rights as their right to adequate food, housing, health and physical security. It says the United Nations plans to bolster its monitoring, reporting, protection and advisory capacities on the ground.
**Afghanistan Humanitarian
From Islamabad, today’s briefing notes from United Nations humanitarian agencies include the following:
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed the opening of the Friendship Bridge linking Uzbekistan to Afghanistan. On Saturday, Tajikistan also opened the Nijni Pyandj - Shirkhan Bandar River crossing between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. These additional supply routes should boost the delivery of aid to internally displaced Afghans in the northern and western parts of the country. UNHCR said instability in the two regions makes it virtually impossible for any humanitarian organization to access the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons. The WFP said the expected return of international staff to the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif this week will give agencies a greater capacity to assess the situation and deliver assistance. Kandahar remains a major area of concern.
The overall security situation in Afghanistan continues to be complicated by reports of rising common criminal activity, looting and highway robberies in the east and parts of the northwest. Furthermore, snow and winter conditions continue to pose logistical problems in the northeast region of Afghanistan.
**Security Council
Here in New York, there are no Security Council meetings scheduled for today or tomorrow. The Council’s President for this month, Moctar Ouane of Mali, is in Oslo for the Nobel ceremonies. As you know, the Presidents of the six main organs of the United Nations are present in Oslo.
**Kosovo
Today in Pristina the elected Kosovo Assembly met for the first time, in a historic session opened by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Kosovo, Hans Haekkerup. Mr. Haekkerup welcomed the inaugural session of the Assembly and read a message from the Secretary-General, which called today’s event “a milestone on the road to democracy and peaceful development in Kosovo”. The Secretary-General’s message went on: “You face the challenge of achieving efficient daily government in particularly difficult circumstances. At the same time, you have an important task in overcoming the legacy of the past and establishing a political culture of tolerance, mutual respect and constructive compromise.” The text of the message is upstairs in our office.
After that, the 120-member Assembly voted to seat five members of the seven-member Presidency of the Assembly. The Democratic Party of Kosovo also staged a brief walk-out during today’s ceremony, with the party’s leader, Hashim Thaci, complaining that he had not been allowed to speak. The Party’s 26 members in the Assembly left briefly and returned after the newly elected President of the Assembly, Nexhet Daci, took the floor. Mr. Daci adjourned today’s session and scheduled the Assembly to reconvene on Thursday to elect a President of Kosovo.
**Ebola Confirmed in Gabon
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 11 deaths from the Ebola virus in Gabon. A five-member WHO team is leaving Geneva today and will arrive in Gabon tomorrow to assist the Gabonese government in its effort to combat the outbreak. WHO had also been informed of a suspected outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but lab tests confirmed that the outbreak was not Ebola.
**East Timor Conference
A two-day donors’ conference to review the progress of the transition to independence in East Timor begins tomorrow in Oslo. The meeting, hosted by the Government of Norway and co-chaired by the United Nations Interim Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the World Bank, will focus on the run-up to independence on 20 May 2002, and on national development planning and fiscal matters. The Secretary-General is expected to attend the meeting, along with his special Representative for East Timor, Sergio Vieira de Mello, as well as President Jim Wolfensohn of the World Bank. East Timorese Chief Minister Mari Alkatiri and Foreign Minister José Ramos-Horta will be there as well.
More information on that meeting is available in the Briefing Notes from Dili, which we have upstairs.
**Human Rights Day
Today is Human Rights Day, as you know. Last Friday we flagged the Secretary-General’s message for the Day. And on this occasion, 17 independent experts of the Commission on Human Rights issued a joint statement today to remind States of their “obligations under international law to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms in the context of the aftermath of the tragic events of 11 September 2001”. Public policies, they say, “must strike a fair balance between, on the one hand, the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, and on the other hand, legitimate concerns over national and international security”. The full text of the statement is available upstairs.
**Iraq Oil for Food Communication
Out on the racks is a letter from the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council, officially informing the Council that the government of Iraq has agreed to extend the Memorandum of Understanding, which regulates the Oil for Food Programme, for an additional 180 days starting 1 December. This will be phase eleven of the programme.
**Budget
Today, Zimbabwe became the one hundred and thirty-second Member State to pay its regular budget contribution in full for this year, with a payment of more than $72,000.
**Year of Mountains Launch
An event to launch the International Year of Mountains, which is next year, will be held tomorrow, 11 December, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. in Conference Room two. It is co-sponsored by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the International Year of Mountains focus group, in cooperation with the Department of Public Information (DPI). Adolf Ogi, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace and former President of the Swiss Confederation, will make welcoming remarks. Jacques Diouf, Director-General of FAO, will deliver a keynote address followed by a roundtable discussion on sustainability in mountain development. Mr. Diouf will meet the press here in this room tomorrow at 12:45. There’s a note to correspondents on the racks with all this information.
**Press Releases
Peter Piot, Executive Director of the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), said today that commitments made at international conferences this year must be met if the epidemic is to be pushed back in Africa and elsewhere. Speaking at the twelfth International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, he said that there had been ample promises of resources and political will, and it was now time to turn the commitments into action. The press release is available upstairs.
**Nobel Stamp Issued
Here is the stamp we are launching today. To mark the occasion of the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to the Secretary-General and the United Nations, the United Nations Postal Administration has issued commemorative stamps. The new stamps feature the United Nations flag with the caption “United for Peace”. There are three versions of the stamps, in English, French and German, reflecting the three currencies (US dollar, French franc, Austrian schilling) of the United Nations Postal Administration. Color contacts sheets and the Philatelic Bulletin with more information are available upstairs.
**Press Conferences
Tomorrow, 11 December at 11 o’clock, the Permanent Mission of Morocco will be sponsoring a press conference on the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), which aims to eliminate blindness caused by trachoma. Speakers will include Dr. Yousseff Chami-Khazraji of the Moroccan Ministry of Health; Hank McKinnell, Chief Executive Officer at Pfizer; and Joseph Cook and Lou Clemente, ITI Executive Director and Board Chairman, respectively.
As I already mentioned to you, at 12:45 Jacques Diouf of FAO will be here.
**UNCA Party
And finally, I have an announcement from the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), inviting everyone for the annual holiday party, Wednesday 12 December from 5:30 onwards at the UNCA lounge. There’ll be food, drink and maybe music.
Any questions before we move on to Jan?
Briefing by the General Assembly President Spokesman
Good afternoon. Friday afternoon, the General Assembly concluded its discussion on “Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations”. As predicted, there was a vote on the draft resolution on cooperation with the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. It was adopted with 134 in favour to one against (United States) with two abstentions (India and Pakistan). The other draft resolutions were adopted without a vote.
This morning, the Assembly is holding elections of members of the Joint Inspection Unit and will also discuss the return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin. There are eight speakers on the list for that item. In the afternoon, the Assembly will take up the work of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee. There are a number of reports dealing with a wide variety of issues, such as granting independence to colonial countries, non-self-governing territories, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the Special Committee on Israeli Practices, peacekeeping operations and so on.
This morning New York time, as Manoel mentioned, the General Assembly President accepted the part of the Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded to the United Nations system. And on Friday, he is expected to report to the Assembly on his visit to Oslo.
I have a correction to something I said on Friday. I was asked if there were any more items related to terrorism on the agenda, and I responded that apart from the report of the Sixth Committee, there were none. However, I double-checked and discovered that in the Third Committee, hiding under agenda item 119(b) entitled “Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms”, there’s actually a draft resolution called “Human Rights and Terrorism” (A/C.3/56/L.59). I have brought some copies in case anybody is interested.
That’s what I have. Do you have any questions for me?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Since the Assembly President is participating in the Oslo event, does that mean the second half of the money will be allocated to the Assembly?
Assembly President Spokesman: It was ruled that since one part was given to the Secretary-General and the other part to the United Nations, it was decided that the United Nations basically comprised the entire United Nations system. That’s why the Presidents of all six major bodies of the United Nations are there. But it was also decided that the General Assembly President should accept that half of the prize on behalf of the United Nations system as a whole.
Question: This question is to you both. The United Nations press has been part of the United Nations system. Why aren’t we in Oslo, at least as an observer? Are we not part of the United Nations system?
Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General: You’re welcome to go. There are several journalists there.
Question: We’re talking about the United Nations press here, which is part of the system since the creation of the United Nations.
Deputy Spokesman: I don’t know if your colleagues would want to be portrayed as part of the United Nations system. I don’t really know how it was in the beginning. In any case, just to clarify something, the award for the United Nations is for the United Nations Organization. The system is usually understood as including the agencies. The Organization is understood as the main six bodies as well as the programmes and funds. And those are the ones present in Oslo, in addition to a staff representation. Richard?
Question: I’ll take the cash and second, on the Brahimi schedule, when does he get to Kabul and do you have any schedule precisely for Afghanistan?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, he will be in Kabul tomorrow, and I believe he leaves the following day. Yes, he’s there tomorrow, he has a press conference there tomorrow at the end of the day, 6:30 in the evening, and we don’t have final details yet but I believe he spends the night and goes back to Islamabad on Wednesday.
Question: Any timetable for New York?
Deputy Spokesman: I don’t have the date, but it should be before the weekend.
Question: Has the United Nations taken any decision about who will lead the multinational force in Afghanistan or when the United Nations can take that decision?
Deputy Spokesman: I don’t believe this decision will belong to the United Nations. You see, the mechanism we’re talking about is a multinational force authorized by the Security Council but in the concept of a nation taking the lead of that force. If that is indeed what will happen, it is upon this lead nation to organize this force. It would not be a United Nations peacekeeping force, blue helmets, per se. This is the way things are being discussed at this point.
Question: Have you received any information about a nation waiting to lead this?
Deputy Spokesman: You see things in the press, but I think you should talk to the missions about that.
Question: I understand the United Nations will secure the Afghan environment during the six-month interim government. What happens after that? Does the United Nations then give it to Afghanistan or administer it?
Deputy Spokesman: The idea is for the Afghans to take control of the administration of their country with the support of the international community through the United Nations, with the United Nations. There is the idea now of this interim administration, and then a Loya Jirga would be convened. This Loya Jirga would then appoint a provisional administration, which would run the country for about two years, at the end of which period there would be formal elections for authorities for a new government of Afghanistan. Of course, during this transitional period, the United Nations would be supporting the Afghan institutions and authorities. But the idea is that it is an Afghan-run transitional administration. Interim first, and then transitional administration.
Question: Will the transitional administration be appointed or voted for?
Deputy Spokesman: The Loya Jirga would be the body that would make that decision.
* *** *