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.

Good afternoon.

**Swiss Referendum

Yesterday, following the Swiss referendum on whether or not to join the United Nations, we issued a statement saying that the Secretary-General is delighted that the people of Switzerland have voted in favour of membership in the United Nations.  He warmly welcomes this expression of faith and commitment to the work and ideals of the Organization.

Switzerland is already an active and generous participant in the wider United Nations family and brings to the Organization valuable experience and know-how in areas at the forefront of the UN agenda.

Now, the statement continues, Switzerland’s entry as a full Member will enable it to make its voice heard and influence felt across the full range of the United Nations work.  It will also mark an important step towards completing the universality of the Organization.

We have the full text upstairs.

The Secretary-General, coming into the Building this morning, told reporters that he was extremely happy about the vote and added, “I would hope that once they have joined the UN they would continue to play the very constructive role they have played in humanitarian, development and peace efforts with UN agencies.”

We have that transcript upstairs.

**Middle East

The following statement, attributable to the Spokesman, is on the Middle East:

"The Secretary-General is increasingly concerned at the intensifying cycle of violence, reprisals and counter-violence between Israel and the Palestinians, culminating in the latest shocking wave over the weekend and today.  Violence between the two sides must be brought to a halt forthwith.  The Secretary-General strongly urges all concerned to exercise maximum restraint and to remember that in the end there will still have to be a peaceful settlement of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

"He strongly believes that only the resumption of a meaningful dialogue will facilitate the achievement of a lasting ceasefire, and a just, lasting and comprehensive solution."

In Gaza today, Peter Hansen, the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, said he was deeply concerned at the re-entry of Israeli forces into the Jenin refugee camp and also concerned at reports that Israeli authorities are planning more incursions.

The full text of his statement is available upstairs.

From Bahrain, UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson also issued a statement yesterday on the violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.

She said, “The right to life and security of the person allows for no derogation, and must be applied with no exception in all circumstances."

"Israeli and Palestinian civilians", she said, "are not presently enjoying this right, and I call with great urgency on the leaders of the region to show the necessary political will and courage to bring the violence to an end."

We have her full text upstairs.

**Afghanistan

Now to Afghanistan.  There was an earthquake, as you know.  This statement is attributable to the Spokesman.

"The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the loss of life as a result of a strong earthquake and severe landslides which struck Afghanistan on Sunday.  This is the newest in a series of devastating natural disasters to befall the long-suffering Afghan people, as they struggle to piece back their country and restart their shattered lives.

"The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and to the Interim Authority of the country."

As part of the UN’s humanitarian response to the weekend earthquake, the World Food Programme (WFP) says it has two helicopters flying from the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif into the affected areas for an emergency assessment.  The WFP also said 22 tons of food on trucks is en route to the scene.

There are also two C130 airplanes loaded with food and non-food items such as blankets and medicine in Dushanbe, Tajikistan -- on standby -– in case the helicopter assessments determine there is a need to send those supplies.

According to the latest situation report issued by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale struck Afghanistan yesterday.  The epicentre was in the Hindu Kush region. The quake was felt in Kabul, Jalalabad, Faizabad, Mazar and Bamiyan.

The United Nations is contacting Halo Trust, part of the UN Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan, to obtain information on possible mine sites in the area. 

Meanwhile, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced today that more than 3,000 Afghan refugees in Pakistan have crossed the border in Afghanistan today on the second day of its programme to help Afghans return home.  See the UNHCR press release for more details on that.

The spokesman for the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Manoel de Almeida e Silva, says he will resume briefings for reporters in Kabul starting tomorrow.

**Kosovo

Members of the Kosovo Assembly today voted in a President and Government of Kosovo.

Elected President of Kosovo was Ibrahim Rugova, head of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).  In the same vote, Dr. Bajram Rexhepi of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) was elected Prime Minister.

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Kosovo, Michael Steiner, in a speech to the Assembly today, explained the details and principles of the Agreement, which he witnessed last week.

**Security Council

The Security Council is holding its first consultations under the presidency of Ambassador Ole Peter Kolby of Norway.

Council members began with a discussion of their programme of work for this month, which was to be followed by a briefing on the lifting of the state of emergency in Sierra Leone.

Another briefing is expected on the latest situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more specifically on the reports relayed by the DRC Government of a ceasefire in the south-east of the country, around the town of Muliro.

Both of these briefings are to be given by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi Annabi. 

Later this afternoon, the Council will hold a private meeting with troop-contributing countries to the UN mission in the DRC.

At 1:15 p.m. today, Ambassador Kolby of Norway will brief on Norway's presidency for this month.

**Democratic Republic of Congo/UNIFEM

Over the weekend, the UN Development Fund for Women, known as UNIFEM, emphasized its support for women’s participation in the inter-Congolese dialogue, which is taking place among Congolese groups right now in Sun City, South Africa.

Noeleen Heyzer, UNIFEM’s Executive Director, said, “Without women’s full participation in the dialogue, peace will neither be inclusive nor sustainable”, and she supported the call made by the Facilitator of the inter-Congolese dialogue, former Botswanan President Ketumile Masire, to increase the quota of female representation in that dialogue.

The UNIFEM also noted that 40 Congolese women representing the Government, opposition parties and civil society met last week in Sun City, and those women plan to bring their concerns to Masire and to hold celebrations in Sun City on International Women’s Day, which is this Friday.

**Rwanda Tribunal

Today in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, Vincent Rutaganira, a former councillor in Rwanda’s Kibuye prefecture, was transferred to the UN detention facility after being arrested in western Tanzania by the Tanzanian authorities, at the request of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Rutaganira is charged with seven counts of genocide and conspiracy to commit genocide, crimes against humanity and other violations of the Geneva Conventions. The Tribunal’s registrar has already assigned him a counsel to assist the accused in the preliminary stages of his case.

We have a press release on that.

**UNMOVIC

You'll see on the racks todaythe latest report of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC).

Pick it up if you are interested.

**Press releases

The World Food Programme announced today in Bangkok that the agency will spearhead the first major campaign using food aid to counter the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  In collaboration with UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, as well as the United Nations Development Programme, the WFP carried out a mission to Cambodia, China, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar last month to find the most efficient use of food aid in the pandemic.  The resulting proposal that the WFP would support home-based care with food aid will be implemented in South-East Asia and a number of countries in East Africa. 

You can see a press release on that.

**Nobel Exhibition

This evening, the Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister of Norway, Jan Petersen, will open an exhibition “The Nobel Peace Prize:  1901-2001, a centennial”.

The exhibition will feature portraits of Nobel Peace laureates and artwork by Norwegian contemporary artists and coincides with Norway’s presidency of the Security Council this month.

There is a press release on that.

**Signings

Just a short while ago, Oman became the 116th country to sign the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

**Budget

And budget dues; one contribution from Tuvalu which became the fifty-first Member State to pay its regular budget in full for this year -- and that with a payment of just over $11,000.

And that's all I have before we go to Jan Fischer.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Since the Security Council has failed to put an end to the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis in the Middle East, will it be possible for the Secretary-General to use his good offices to do something about this?

Spokesman:  You know that the United States is the mediator of choice by both the Palestinians and the Israelis.  The Secretary-General -- he has told you as recently as this morning -- continues to try to gather support from what he calls the Quartet, which is the United States, the European Union, the Russian Federation and the United Nations, to move things forward.  He has called for creative new ideas; he has called for third-party support because he feels that the Palestinians and the Israelis, left alone, would not be able to return to the negotiating table.  So he's doing what he can do, and he's not doing it alone. But, ultimately, it would have to be for the Palestinians and the Israelis to decide to sit down.

Question:  Is there any timetable for the (Secretary-General's) Thursday meeting with the Foreign Minister of Iraq?

Spokesman:  Timetable meaning what hours of that day?

Question:  Will it be in the morning or afternoon?

Spokesman:  It will be in the morning, I think, until just after midday.

Question: Will the Foreign Minister be able to stop by and talk to us?

Spokesman:  We can ask that.  It will be their call, but we can relay your request.

Question:  I'm informed that Serbia boycotted the contests for President and Prime Minister of Kosovo.  Do you have anything on that?

Spokesman:  I don't have anything on that; I mean, we may have something in my Office, but I don't have anything here.  [He later announced that Serbs took part in the vote, with many abstaining.]

Question:  How is it possible for The Hague Tribunal to complete its work by 2007, as it had been announced, when many of the war criminals are still free?

Spokesman:  I don't think the intention of the international community is to shut down the Tribunals before all of the principals are brought to trial; and here I'm referring, of course, to Radovan Karadzic and General [Ratko] Mladic.  I understand there are renewed efforts on the part of SFOR to apprehend these people and to bring them to trial.  The discussions taking place concerning a cut-off date, I think, are sensible.  I think they will not allow these Tribunals to go on forever; they are costly.  Of course, the main work won't be done until, in addition to President Milosevic, who is on trial now, we also bring to trial, Karadzic and Mladic.

Question:  As far as you know, the Americans are not pressing for 2007?

Spokesman:  I'm not saying that.  But that is not a fresh idea.  I think the Registrars of the Tribunals have been looking down the road towards a potential cut-off date.  I think the Security Council, as well as the Secretary-General, will like to see exit strategies not only for peacekeeping missions, but also for the Tribunals.  We have to remember why they were created.

Question:  One of the correspondents from Georgia would like to know whether the region would be discussed this week.

Spokesman:  I don't know whether Georgia is on the agenda for this week. I'll have to check.  You mean in the Security Council?

Correspondent:  Yes.

Spokesman:  I don't know.  We posted the draft programme as it stands, and if you check in my Office, afterwards, we'll let you know.  [There is nothing now scheduled.]

Question:  On the Iraq meeting, do you have a list yet on who will be attending from the Secretariat?

Spokesman:  No. Frankly, I don't know.  I could ask if we can release those names to you.

Question:  On Iraq, there'll be a morning meeting and no afternoon meeting?

Spokesman:  That's my understanding now, yes.

Question:  Tomorrow's meeting of the Political Affairs with the envoy, etc. Do you have a readout of that -- a schedule of that and who will be attending?

Spokesman:  I'm not sure what you're referring to.   

Question:  Marie [Okabe] referred to that at her briefing.

Spokesman:  I'll have to check with her after the briefing.

Question:  Also on Iraq, given the fact that Hans Blix is scheduled to brief the Council on Friday, do you expect that the Secretary-General will also brief the Council on his meeting with the Foreign Minister?  How will the two events be coordinated?

Spokesman:  I can't say for sure, but I suspect the Secretary-General would be briefing the Council on Friday on his meetings with the Iraqis on Thursday.  So, I think they would probably both be briefing.

Question:  On the UK meeting with the Secretary-General today -- requested by the UK, I assume?

Spokesman:  I'll have to check.  I don't know from the top of my head.  (It was later announced that the United Kingdom Permanent Representative requested the meeting.)

Question:  How many international staff from Switzerland are currently in the Secretariat?

Spokesman:  I don't know, sorry.  I mean, there are answers to these questions in statistical books and UN publications.  I just don't walk around carrying them under my arm.  [He later said there were 165 Swiss nationals working for the Secretariat as of 1 July 2001.]

Jan?

Briefing by Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly

The following is a near verbatim transcript of the briefing by Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.

Thank you Fred.  I will also start with Switzerland.  The President of the General Assembly, Dr. Han Seung-soo, yesterday sent a letter to the Swiss Foreign Minister congratulating him on the positive outcome of the referendum.  The President also issued a statement which I will read quickly.

"I am pleased to learn that the people and cantons of Switzerland authorized the accession of the Swiss Confederation to the United Nations.  As President of the General Assembly, I extend warm congratulations to the people and the Government of Switzerland.

“I believe that Switzerland's decision to become a full Member of the United Nations reflects the will and aspiration of the people of Switzerland to enhance the cooperation with the world body in addressing the global challenges that lie ahead in the twenty-first century.

“I sincerely hope that Switzerland will join the United Nations soon, and I look forward to working closely with Switzerland in the work of the General Assembly.  I will render my full support as Switzerland discharges her due responsibilities as Member of the United Nations in the promotion of the ideals of the Organization.”

As it has been a couple of years since the UN last got a new Member, namely, Tuvalu in the year 2000, I should perhaps recap the procedure:  a candidate for membership, basically, sends a note to the Secretary-General saying that it would abide by the obligations in the Charter and would like to become a Member.  The Secretary-General sends the note to the Member States and it is first taken up by the Security Council.  If the Council recommends membership, then the application goes to the General Assembly where two thirds of the Members present and voting have to be in favour.  Membership would then become effective the same day that the General Assembly takes action.

I should also mention that the President is expected back in New York towards the end of this week.

Today, the Fifth Committee began a series of meetings which will continue till 15 March.  Another round of meetings is scheduled to run from 6 to 31 May. You can find the agenda of the Fifth Committee in the daily Journal.

The Ad Hoc Committee on an international convention against the reproductive cloning of human beings met from 25 February to 1 March.  On Friday, it went through the draft report (A/AC.263/L.2) paragraph by paragraph and amended it considerably.  Please note that the Committee has not yet started drafting the convention, but is in the process of establishing its own mandate.  This work will continue in a working group under the Sixth Committee in late September.

I should also draw your attention to a tentative schedule of meetings for March which is out as press release ORG/1348.

That is all I have for you.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  When are we getting the amended draft?

Spokesman:  The draft is out as document A/AC.263/L.2.  But, as I said, it was amended considerably during that meeting on Friday.

Question:  When can we expect it?

Spokesman:  It's a question of basically putting the draft text together with the amendments and then having it available in all the languages.

Question:  What are the differences in the responsibilities of Switzerland, as a Member or as a Permanent Observer to the United Nations?

Spokesman:  This whole question of rights of observers and Member States is a little bit complicated, because it depends on whether we are talking about the General Assembly or some of the other organs of the United Nations.  There are somewhat different rules for observers.  Primarily, an observer in the General Assembly does not have the right to vote; second, it cannot table draft resolutions; and third, the observer cannot be a candidate for positions in organs and committees and so on.  Those are the three main differences:  no right to vote; can't table draft resolutions; and can't run for a position in the system.

Question:  Do you know what the differences are in the financial dues of an Observer and a Member State?

Spokesman:  Switzerland, as an Observer, has been a generous contributor to programmes of the UN and the agencies.  I don't know, but will look into it.

Question:  Any indication from the Swiss as to whether or not they might join the regional groupings?

Spokesman:  I think the Swiss Observer Mission will be the best place to direct that question.

Question:  Has the Holy See expressed an intention to join?

Spokesman:  You'll have to ask the Holy See whether it is interested in becoming a full Member.

Thank you very much.

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