DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

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.

Good afternoon.

**Security Council

The Secretary-General began today’s public meeting of the Security Council on Bosnia and Herzegovina by paying tribute to Wolfgang Petrisch, the departing High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.  He said that the Security Council can be satisfied with the work of the UN Mission in that country.

Specifically, he said, the Mission has transformed the police force from a 40,000-strong wartime militia to a 16,000-strong professional police force, which is trained in human rights.  Still, Bosnia faces challenges in dealing with police issues, he said, notably low salaries, poor housing conditions, lack of funds and continued political interference in law enforcement work.

The Secretary-General welcomed the European Union’s recent decision to establish a mission to follow the end of the UN Mission, beginning at the start of next year.  The United Nations, he said, stands ready to cooperate with the European Union, the High Representative and others to ensure timely planning and a smooth transition.

We have the text of the speech upstairs.

Petrisch then addressed the Council and reviewed his work as High Representative since August 1999, telling the Council, “It is essential that we do not lose focus at this crucial stage.”

Jacques Klein, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Bosnia, spoke next, saying that the UN Mission’s progress has been steady in recent months.  He voiced his confidence that the Mission will achieve its goals this year and successfully hand over its operations to an EU mission.

Mr. Klein will speak to you at the stakeout after the meeting concludes.

Javier Solana, the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, also spoke, and the 15 Council members, as well as five other States, began a discussion afterwards.  The Council expects to adopt a resolution on Bosnia at the end of this meeting.

**DPA Meeting

This afternoon the Secretary-General will speak on the theme of “reconciling justice with forgiveness” during one of the events organized for the first annual meeting of heads of UN political and peace-building offices.

In his remarks, the Secretary-General will say that the requirements of “transitional justice” can introduce new and volatile pressures into a society, just when the tensions of conflict and tyranny appeared to have subsided.  Those tensions and dilemmas cannot be avoided and have to be managed, he says.

The Secretary-General will call on the participants to enter into a discussion on how these tensions and dilemmas can best be managed.

Also present at the meeting this afternoon will be members of the Security Council and a number of senior UN officials.

The meeting is closed to the press but the Secretary-General’s embargoed remarks can be picked up in my office.

**United Nations Reform/DSG Briefing

You may have noticed that the Secretary-General, since Monday, has been holding a series of meetings with regional groups of the General Assembly.  Those meetings concern his efforts to strengthen the course of UN reform.

At tomorrow’s noon briefing, Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette will be on hand to talk to you about UN reform.  We have to embargo her comments, though, until the last regional meeting is over.  And that starts at 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.  And at that time, I think, we will also be distributing to all Member States, as well as to you, the text of the Secretary-General’s opening remarks to each of those five regional meetings.

**Middle East

We just spoke to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East –- known as UNRWA -– who told us that with the departure of Israeli armed forces from the Jenin refugee camp, UNRWA staff has begun to assess the damage to houses and infrastructure in the camp.  Tomorrow they expect to start emergency food distribution in the camp.

In Balata refugee camp, the largest in the West Bank, UNRWA technicians have already completed a damage assessment.  Two hundred forty-four dwellings were partially destroyed during the fighting in the camp and six buildings were completely destroyed.  Approximately 26 families are being provided emergency shelter by UNRWA in that camp.

The UN Agency was able to complete a first day of emergency food distribution to about 500 families living in the camp.

The UNRWA trauma teams are also helping children deal with the conflict.

**Afghanistan

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, who continues his active support of the Special Independent Commission for the convening of the Loya Jirga, today had a working lunch with Afghan Interim leader, Hamid Karzai.

Mr. Brahimi, in addition to reviewing a number of issues with the Afghan leader, reiterated the availability of all UN resources in support of the relief of victims affected by the recent earthquake in the country.

The briefing notes contain an update on Sunday’s earthquake and its impact, as well as efforts under way to assist the victims.

The Surkunda valley in the north was the worst affected by the earthquake.  Landslides had crushed villages in the valley and then had blocked the river, and the water was flooding the villages.  At least 700 families had been affected by the flooding.  Rescue operations were being hampered by this situation.  A priority now was to de-block the river. 

In Kabul today, the Afghan Minister of Women’s Affairs and the UN Fund for Women (UNIFEM), in cooperation with a host of other UN agencies, began the Afghan Women’s Consultation.  It gathers Afghan women to develop a common vision of the role of women in peace-building and reconstruction and will make recommendations on those issues.  On Friday, International Women’s Day, they will present their vision and agenda for action.

On Saturday, Hamid Karzai is scheduled to open the Afghan National Workshop on Human Rights.  As you’ll recall, the Bonn agreement calls for the establishment of the human rights commission in Afghanistan.

The briefings in Kabul will take place initially three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, starting at 10 a.m.

**West Africa

The UN Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees Kamel Morjane left Geneva this morning for West Africa, aiming to get a first-hand view of efforts planned or under way to strengthen the protection of children in refugee camps in the region.

Morjane will visit Guinea and Sierra Leone but not Liberia, because of the renewed fighting there.  This visit comes following allegations of exploitation by aid workers using humanitarian assistance in exchange for sexual favours.  An investigation of these allegations is continuing.

**Iraq Oil

In its regular Tuesday update, the Office of the Iraq Programme tells us that Iraqi oil exports under its supervision gained considerably in volume last week, averaging almost 2.5 million barrels per day, following month-long sluggish levels. 

The week’s exports reached 17.4 million barrels, netting an estimated

$320 million in revenue.

So far in phase eleven of the programme, which ends on 29 May, 141.8 million barrels of oil have been lifted for an estimated revenue of $2.4 billion.

The full text of the weekly update is available upstairs.

**Somalia

Yesterday evening in Mogadishu, a Somali staff member of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Mohamed Ahmed Moallim, was released by abductors who had seized him last Thursday.

He is safe and unharmed, although tired, at his home.

The UNICEF Representative for Somalia, Gianfranco Rotigliano, expressed his thanks that Mohamed’s ordeal had ended, and he added, “It is of paramount importance that the security of staff of humanitarian agencies is guaranteed, so that they can continue their work in Somalia on vital programmes for improving the welfare of all Somalis.”

We have a press release on that.

**SG's Special Envoy to Sudan

The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs for the Sudan, Tom Vraalsen, today begins a 10-day visit to that country.

Vraalsen will meet with representatives of the Government in Khartoum and with representatives of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement in Nairobi.  He will also visit the Nuba Mountain region where needs are especially acute.

In his talks with the Government, he is expected to discuss concerns over security in Southern Sudan and the removal of obstacles to humanitarian access to other areas of the country.

**SG’s Speech/Paris

The Secretary-General, in a message, welcomed the European Forum for Sustainable Development and Responsible Company Management, which is under way today in Paris, and he noted the importance of business involvement in achieving sustainable development.

He said that “green” technologies are an expanding area for business, one in which innovation can flourish and entrepreneurship can be rewarded.  He added, “Companies that embrace sustainable development can also find their reputations enhanced in the eyes of consumers and the communities in which they operate.”

The Secretary-General looks forward to the contribution that the Forum will make in contributing ideas for the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development, to take place later this summer in Johannesburg, South Africa.

We have copies of the message (delivered by Hassan Fodha, Director of the UN Information Centre in Paris) available upstairs.

**UNICEF

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today called for the immediate and unconditional release of all children abducted in recent years by the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group fighting the Ugandan Government from bases in Uganda and the Sudan.  The call comes amid fears that renewed conflict could put thousands of children at risk.  According to a UNICEF-supported registration system, more than 5,000 abducted children are still missing in Uganda.

In other news, UNICEF and the World Health Organization have announced the first global consultation on child and adolescent health and development, to take place on 12 and 13 March in Stockholm.  The consultation will formulate priorities and look for ways to use interventions that are known to be successful in dealing with deadly diseases more effectively.

There’s a press release on that.

**Signings

Two treaty signings this morning:  Norway became the 74th country to sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic became the 117th signatory to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

**Budget

We have one payment today from Namibia, with more than $77,000, becoming the 52nd Member State to be paid in full for their dues for the year 2002.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Concerning the United Nations complex that was hit by the Israeli forces, there were – as I heard – some casualties.  Do you have any information on the casualties?

Spokesman:  Check with Stéphane, if you will.  He spoke to UNRWA, and he has also been in touch with Mr. Larsen’s office, and any data that we’ll have from today will be with him.  [He later said that there were no casualties in any UNRWA compounds.]

Question:  Can you give us a heads up at all on that meeting with the Iraqis tomorrow, and also can you confirm that Hans Blix, at least, will be at the meeting?

Spokesman:  Tomorrow?

Correspondent:  I’m sorry, Thursday.

Spokesman:  Hans Blix will be in the meeting.  I can’t give you a full roster of who will be represented on the UN side.  The talks should start at

10 a.m. on Thursday, and last for something like three and a half hours –- at least that is the provisional plan.  When we get any further details I’ll give them to you.

Question:  What will be the agenda when they’re together?

Spokesman:  As far as the Secretary-General is concerned they will be talking about UN resolutions and his emphasis would be “implementation, implementation, implementation”.

Question:  President Mubarak is in Washington, and has been talking to officials about a possible summit meeting between Mr. Sharon and Chairman Arafat. Has the Secretary-General spoken to Mr. Mubarak on this, or is he trying to do so?

Spokesman:  By midday, I hadn’t received any information that he has spoken to the Egyptian President, but I believe it is his intention to speak to him once the Washington meetings are concluded.

Question:  On the question of UN reform, what are these regional groupings?

Spokesman:  They are Western European and others, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean.  I just passed my primary school exam!

Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.