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.

**Middle East

Good Afternoon.

We'll start with a statement on the Middle East attributable to the Spokesman.

"The Secretary-General deplores the deepening spiral of violence between Israel and the Palestinians.  He is dismayed at Israel’s shelling yesterday of facilities belonging to the Palestinian Authority in Gaza near civilian areas with bombs of heavy tonnage, which caused substantial damage to United Nations offices and injury to two United Nations employees.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his belief that no solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be found through violence and retaliation.  Both sides must make every effort to achieve a durable ceasefire and return to the negotiating table, as there is no alternative to a political solution of this conflict."

The raid mentioned in the Secretary-General statement targeted Palestinian Authority offices, which are next to the office of Terje Roed-Larsen, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.  One staff member suffered a back injury, when a blown window and shattered glass landed on him, and another suffered a concussion and an eye injury in similar circumstances.  Both are expected to recover.  Two more staff members in the building were thrown from their desks to the floor, but escaped injury.

Damage to the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) compound includes blown windows, damage to the side wall and a total roof collapse in the compound annex.

The blasts blew out all of the windows on the first floor of the UNSCO offices, including the windows in Mr. Roed-Larsen’s office.  Mr. Roed-Larsen expressed relief that there were no fatalities or further injuries.  A significant number of United Nations staff were on the premises and avoided injury largely because the offices’ windows are coated with a shatter-resistant film.

In a statement issued yesterday, Mr. Roed-Larsen noted that this is the third time that UNSCO offices have sustained damage as a result of shelling.

Damage was also caused at the Offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the World Bank.

Peter Hansen, the Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), also issued a statement in which he expressed his deep concern and dismay at the use of heavy weaponry in close proximity to United Nations offices, where staff were working at the time of the attacks.

He reminded the Government of Israel that the safety and security of United Nations staff working in the area is their responsibility under international law.

He asked for assurances that all necessary steps will be taken by the Government of Israel to prevent the recurrence of attacks by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) that might in any way endanger United Nations staff or premises in the occupied Palestinian territory.

**Statement on Liberia

“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the recent upsurge of fighting in Liberia.  It can only bring more suffering to innocent people who have yet to recover from the desolation caused by previous wars.

“He reiterates his appeal to all parties to eschew violence and resolve their differences through dialogue.

“The Secretary General welcomes the efforts of the Government of Liberia to ensure the safety of civilians and secure access for relief workers.  He calls on all the dissident forces to respect human life, and particularly the lives of civilians caught in areas affected by the fighting.

“The Secretary-General is also concerned about the possible impact this renewed fighting and its humanitarian consequences might have on the stability of Liberia, and on an already fragile subregion.  He calls on all the States concerned to take appropriate action to prevent armed groups and individuals from using their territory to prepare and launch attacks on neighbouring countries.”

Liberia -- Humanitarian Aspect

The humanitarian agencies that were meeting today at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Monrovia decided to devise a response to the unfolding situation there.  Ross Mountain, the Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator, is in Liberia and is planning to take part in an assessment of new population movements.

The numbers and conditions of people affected by the fighting that prompted Liberia to declare a state of emergency on 8 February are not yet clear because security concerns limit the movements of humanitarian personnel.

As of 7 February, before the fighting expanded beyond Lofa and Gbarpolu counties, there were roughly 20,000 internally displaced persons and refugees from Sierra Leone registered with humanitarian agencies.

**Somalia

In Somalia today, Carolyn McAskie, the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, observed United Nations programmes that focused both on Somalia's short-term emergency and long-term recovery needs.

In Nairobi tomorrow, Ms. McAskie will be holding a press conference to brief journalists on what she saw during her two-day trip.

**Slobodan Milosevic

The trial of Slobodan Milosevic, the former President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, is scheduled to begin tomorrow at The Hague.

According to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the trial will commence with evidence relevant only to the charges relating to Kosovo.

Evidence relevant to charges relating to Croatia and Bosnia will be introduced later.

**Afghanistan

The World Health Organization says that it has dispatched 300 tons of medicines and supplies to help 3 million people survive this winter in Afghanistan.

The briefing notes on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan contain details of that effort, as well as an update on population movements and food distribution.

**East Timor

The East Timor Constituent Assembly debated today the possibility of a two-week delay in promulgating the country’s first Constitution.

The proposed revision in the Assembly’s schedule reflects the longer-than-expected time needed to pass individual constitutional articles, compile them together and translate the full text for public distribution.

If the proposal is passed, it would move the final vote and signing ceremony from 9 March to 23 March.

More details in the briefing note from Dili, which will also tell you about United Nations training courses for East Timorese officials on HIV/AIDS and on graphic design.

**Iraq

Benon Sevan, Executive Director of the Iraq Programme, concluded his visit to Iraq today with a meeting this morning with Taha Yasin Ramadan, Vice-President of Iraq.

During his visit to Iraq, which started on 14 January, Mr. Sevan met with Iraqi officials, as well as representatives of United Nations agencies and programmes, to review the implementation of the humanitarian programme in Iraq and review ways to further improve its effectiveness. 

He’s expected back later this week and will brief the Security Council on

26 February.

We have a press release upstairs.

**Secretary-General

The Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan went to the Olympics over the weekend, as you know, spending three days in Salt Lake City.  He went there at the invitation of Dr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee.

In addition to attending the opening of the Games, he also delivered the keynote address at an event organized by Olympic Aid, an athlete-driven humanitarian organization whose mission is to use sport as a tool to further child development. 

“Over the past few years”, he said, “there has been a growing understanding of the role sports can play in changing peoples lives for the better, and those of young people in particular.”

He called on governments, development agencies and communities to think how sport can be included more systematically in plans to help children, particularly those who live in the midst of poverty, disease or conflict.

Following the Olympic Aid event, the Secretary-General paid a courtesy call on the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Present at the meeting were Gordon Hinckley, President; Thomas Monson, First Counselor; and James Faust, Second Counselor of the Church.

While in Salt Lake City, the Secretary General also met the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Rudd Lubbers, and his Special Adviser on Sport for Peace and Development, Adolf Ogi.

The Secretary General, accompanied by Mrs. Annan, attended a number of sporting events as well.

They also visited the Olympic village where they had a chance to meet with a number of the athletes, including members of the United States women’s bobsled team and the Swedish curling team.  Also present were members of the Olympic delegations from Nepal and Cameroon.

**Security Council

No Security Council meetings are scheduled for today, and none tomorrow either.  That has to do, I think, with the observance of the Chinese New Year.  I think it's the Year of the Horse.  Happy New Year.

On Wednesday, Council members are expected to meet to hold a public meeting on Angola during which they will be briefed by the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for that country, Eriq de Mul.

**Sierra Leone

We have two press releases from our mission in Sierra Leone.

One is on the just-concluded week-long assessment by representatives of

12 donor countries and international institutions.  They declared that even though peace had come, the problems and needs facing the country were “enormous”.

The other is on the weekend visit by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who told Oluyemi Adeniji, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sierra Leone, that his nation’s commitment to Sierra Leone, as well as to the rest of the African continent, was long term.

He also said that Clare Short, the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for International Development, who accompanied him on his African tour, would be paying a follow-up visit in the coming weeks.

**Treaties

This morning, Lebanon signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, becoming the ninety-sixth signatory to that Protocol, which, by the way, will enter into force on Wednesday, 13 February.  That's Wednesday of this week.

Olara Otunnu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, will discuss the significance for children in war, especially child soldiers, at the noon briefing tomorrow, when he'll be my guest.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Have staff members gone back to work at these offices that were damaged or are they keeping away for the time being?

Spokesman:  I would have to ask for you after the briefing.  Some of these offices, as you've heard from my description, are pretty heavily damaged.  I don't know about things like phone lines and electricity.  We'd have to check with the mission.

Question:  Is this the third time that UNSCO's office had been damaged by shelling or just United Nations offices in the region?

Spokesman:  I believe they are in proximity.  Whether it was UNSCO or United Nations offices generally, I'm sorry, I'd have to check after the briefing.

[The Spokesman's Office later announced that it was the third time UNSCO's offices had sustained damaged in Gaza.  UNSCO staff returned to work today.]

Question:  How can you prevent further attacks?

Spokesman:  How can we prevent further attacks?  I don't think we have anything other than the power of moral suasion here.  We reminded the Israeli Government that under international law they're responsible for the security of international personnel, and appealed to them to make good on that obligation.

Question:  Does the Secretary-General plan to go to the Middle East?

Spokesman:  I have nothing to announce at this time.

Question:  On Cambodia, over the weekend Phnom Penh asked the United Nations to reconsider its withdrawal from the proposed tribunal. Several other governments have said that they're surprised the United Nations has pulled out so quickly.  Any response?  Has the United Nations slammed the door on that participation?

Spokesman:  That decision wasn't taken lightly, and the Secretary-General stands by it.

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