ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN NORWAY, 19-21 AUGUST
Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Oslo late in the afternoon on Sunday, 19 August, to begin a two-day official visit in Norway, where he and his wife, Nane, had just spent a few days holidays. "We have had a rather invigorating walk in the mountains," he told journalists during his first day of official meetings. He added that the year 2002 would be the UN International Year of Mountains, which would focus on sustainable development of mountain regions and conservation of the ecosystems of mountains around the world.
The Secretary-General’s official activities on Monday, 20 August, started with a meeting with the UN Association of Norway.
He met later with the Foreign Minister, Mr. Thorbjørn Jagland, for about 45 minutes. They reviewed many of the issues currently on the agenda of the Security Council. Their discussions continued during a working luncheon. The situation in the Balkans and the recently held G-8 Summit held in Genoa as well as the socio-economic problems of Africa were some of the issues they discussed. They also talked about the Middle East and Colombia, two world situations where the Secretary-General has a coordinator and a special adviser who are Norwegian nationals. They also had an extensive review of the HIV/AIDS problem.
Mr. and Mrs. Annan also had a private audience with King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway. Crown Prince Haakon and Miss Mette-Marit Høiby, who were to be married later that week, were also present, as was Princess Martha Louise.
At a press encounter later in the day, the Secretary-General said that during the royal meeting, they discussed art and the Annans' travels around Norway. He also gave the young couple some advice for their future life, but he told the journalists “don’t ask me to tell you the advice I gave to them; it was for them only”.
In response to a question on the Middle East, the Secretary-General warned that the current impasse could be allowed to persist. "It is dangerous," he said. "It is raising tensions in the region and if we do not take concrete steps to contain it, it may spread to other parts of the region and beyond." Asked about continued US withholding of dues payments to the UN over United States opposition to the International Criminal Court, the Secretary-General replied, "This is an ex post facto reservation that I don't think would please other Member States who had negotiated in good faith, and I hope the US will release the money and continue to pay its dues in full and on time, without condition, as every Member State is expected to do."
Later in the day, the Secretary-General met with Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who was accompanied by members of his government, including the Minister of Development, Anne K. Sydnes. They discussed the situation in Africa and went into great detail over the establishment of the Global AIDS and Health Fund, its transition mechanism and the need for a lean structure. They also talked about the international conferences coming up next year on financing for development in Mexico, and the sustainable development summit in South Africa. They also touched on the situation in the Middle East and in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and discussed the International Year of Mountains in 2002.
In mid-afternoon the Secretary-General went to the University of Oslo to deliver the keynote address at the public meeting in the Forum for Dialogue with Civil Society on Global Governance, organized by the Norwegian Government in cooperation with the University of Oslo. His address was entitled “The challenges of democratic governance in a globalizing world”.
He told an enthusiastic audience of over 400 students, professors and government officials that “there is no one-size-fits-all model of democratic governance. What works for Norway may not work for Namibia or Nepal. Nor is there a uniform starting point” (see SG/SM/7919).
Later on Monday, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan attended a dinner hosted in their honour by the Prime Minister, at the Government Guest House.
During that day Mrs. Annan visited the UN Association in Norway where she met with Acting Secretary-General, Mr. Svein Erik Odden. Following the audience with the King and Queen at the Royal Palace, she was taken on a guided tour of the Vigeland Park, named after Gustav Vigeland, well-known Norwegian sculptor who has several of his works displayed at the Park.
In the late afternoon of Monday, 20 August, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan met with representatives of the Ghanaian community in Norway. In an interview with Norwegian TV, the Secretary-General appealed to the Norwegian public to make donations to the forthcoming annual Norwegian TV fund-raising day, which this year was dedicated to the fight against AIDS.
On Monday evening, they were the guests of honour at a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Mrs. Ingrid Schulerud. In his toast, the Secretary-General thanked “the Government and the people of Norway for their continuous and generous support, notably in the fields of development, environment and humanitarian assistance, where Norway is a major donor”. The Secretary-General added “on a more personal note, I would like to say a big thank you for the wonderful vacation my wife Nane and I have just spent. Everywhere we went, we were met with big smiles and open arms”.
On Tuesday morning, 21 August, the Secretary-General had a private breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Thorvald Stoltenberg, a former UN High Commissioner for Refugees and a current advisor to the Secretary-General.
The Secretary-General then met with his Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Terje Roed-Larsen.
Later on, he went to the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament, where he first had a brief meeting with its President, Ms. Kirsti Kolle Grøndahl, before meeting with the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs. The two leaders talked about strengthening the relationship between parliamentarians and the United Nations and the need for that to happen.
During the meeting with the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, representatives from government and opposition parties told the Secretary-General of Norway’s support to the United Nations, in particular of his reform programme. The Secretary-General thanked the parliamentarians for taking time off from their busy campaigning schedule to meet with him. During some 45 minutes they went over several issues on the international agenda, including the situations in the Middle East, Africa, and Iraq, among others. They also discussed the fight against HIV/AIDS, peacekeeping and the implementation of the Brahimi report on UN peace operations, and the UN's financial situation.
While the Secretary-General was at the Storting, Mrs. Annan visited the Trasop School. About a year ago, students from this school had written to her, after they saw a newspaper article about her book “The United Nations: Come along with me!” -– in which she introduces the work of the UN to young readers.
The Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan were guests at a working luncheon hosted by Ms. Anne Kristin Sydnes, Minister of International Development. During the lunch, HIV/AIDS was the main topic of discussion. The Minister explained how the AIDS Forum functions, bringing together representatives from all sectors of society. She also outlined how Norway is helping developing countries and reaffirmed her country’s support to the Global AIDS and Health Fund.
The Secretary-General complimented the Minister on the establishment of the AIDS Forum and noted that in his call to action he had emphasized the importance of partnerships with civil society.
Following the lunch, the Secretary-General and Minister Sydnes had a press encounter. In answer to a question on the Middle East and German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer’s initiative on a possible meeting between Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority and the Foreign Minister of Israel, Shimon Peres, the Secretary-General said that it was something that he would support and he added, "I hope that Mr. Fischer’s efforts will be successful.”
In the afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Annan went to the Grorud Churchyard, where they laid a wreath on the grave of Trygve Lie, the first Secretary-General of the United Nations. This was the last official activity of their stay in Norway.