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 the noon briefing by Farhan Haq, of the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Good morning. We will be having with us shortly, hopefully in the next few minutes, Ralph Zacklin, the Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs. He will be coming here to brief you on the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
As you know, Hans Corell yesterday spoke to the Security Council on the Special Court and there was a report from the planning mission that went there in January, which Mr. Zacklin headed, that came out on the racks last week about the plans for the establishment of the Sierra Leone Special Court. So hopefully
Mr. Zacklin will be in shortly to talk to you about that.
**Middle East
I have the following statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the Middle East:
"The Secretary-General is encouraged by the ongoing high-level efforts, facilitated by General Zinni and other members of the Quartet, to secure a durable and lasting ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians. He urges all sides to persevere with these discussions and to seize this unique moment to return to the negotiating table through implementation of the Tenet and Mitchell plans.
“The Secretary-General is appalled by today’s suicide bomb attack which killed seven passengers on a bus in northern Israel. He expresses his deepest condolences to the families concerned. The Secretary-General hopes that this terrorist act, which he condemns in the strongest terms, will not deter the parties from the path of seeking an agreement to end violence and from devoting every effort to the attainment of a political solution."
Copies of that statement will be available upstairs shortly.
**Secretary-General
Today the Secretary-General is leaving Mexico City for Monterrey, Mexico, where he is to address the plenary session of the International Conference on Financing for Development tomorrow. We have embargoed copies of his speech upstairs. Of course, that's embargoed until tomorrow morning.
This afternoon, he will participate in a meeting, organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the International Chamber of Commerce, of the Investment Advisory Council for the Least Developed Countries, an event that is being organized in association with the Global Compact.
Yesterday, upon his arrival in Mexico City, the Secretary-General met with President Vicente Fox and Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda. They primarily discussed the Conference on Financing for Development, but also touched on
regional issues, including Colombia and Argentina, the AIDS epidemic and the pending ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. As you know, that Court needs 60 ratifications before it can enter into force, and currently it has 55.
The Secretary-General and President Fox then gave a press conference. Asked whether the Monterrey Conference would be mostly comprised of good intentions, the Secretary-General replied that he did not expect to achieve all objectives in a day. But he added, “We don’t have two worlds. We have only one world. And we cannot have a situation where you have immense wealth and extreme poverty living side by side and not try to do anything about it.” We have the transcript of his comments from yesterday's press briefing.
Later that day, he spoke before the Mexican Congress, discussing with them the International Criminal Court, United Nations peacekeeping and the Financing for Development Conference. On the Monterrey Conference, he noted the important announcements of increased aid by the United States and the European Union. He said, “Perhaps just as important as the sums they pledged is that the argument in favour of aid has now been won.”
We also have copies of that speech upstairs for you.
**Security Council
This morning, the Security Council is holding consultations on Angola, on which Under-Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari, who got back from a visit last week to the region -- as well as some stops in Europe -- briefed them on recent developments following the death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi.
That discussion is still going on in the Council right now, but we hope that Mr. Gambari can talk to you once he is done briefing the Council. If he gets out in time, we're hoping that we can bring him to this room so that he can speak to you once Mr. Zacklin has finished talking to you about the Special Court on Sierra Leone.
Also on Angola, we've been informed that a draft presidential statement was circulated to Council members. No action is expected on that today, but it has been brought to the attention of the other members. A statement to the press by the President of the Council on Angola is also expected once they're done with today's consultations.
After Angola, the Council will hear from Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast on the latest developments in Burundi.
At 3:30 p.m. today, the Council will hold a private meeting with countries contributing troops to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone. Oluyemi Adeniji, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sierra Leone, is expected to brief that 3:30 meeting. Adeniji will also brief the Security Council on the situation in Sierra Leone tomorrow. The Secretary-General’s report on that Mission has gone to the Council, by the way, and it's on the racks. I’ll say a bit more on that report in a few minutes.
Yesterday afternoon, the Security Council held brief consultations following an earlier briefing by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno on fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Council unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the resumption of fighting in Moliro and its capture by the Congolese Rally for Democracy, also known as RCD-Goma.
The Council called the fighting in Moliro a major violation of the ceasefire and demanded that the RCD-Goma withdraw immediately and unconditionally, both from Moliro and Pweto, and it welcomed the deployment of the United Nations Mission in the DRC to those two areas.
**Report on United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL)
In his 13th report to the Security Council on the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, the Secretary-General notes the encouraging progress made in Sierra Leone so far, including the disarmament of more than 47,000 combatants, the destruction of nearly 25,000 weapons, the successful registration of 2.27 million eligible voters and preparations for parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for 14 May.
However, the Secretary-General also points out that much work remains to be done and requests the Security Council to extend the Mission’s mandate for a further six months, until 30 September.
Following the elections, urgent attention will need to be paid to the unfinished aspects of the peace process, and particularly to the extension of State authority, the reintegration of ex-combatants and the restoration of Government control over diamond mining. These efforts, the Secretary-General says, will need to be complemented by the reactivation of the judicial system, the strengthening of law enforcement agencies and the restoration of basic public services throughout the country.
The report also notes the important role to be played by the Special Court and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the post-electoral period, which is a subject we expect Mr. Zacklin will explain in a few minutes.
**Special Representative for West Africa
I have news of an appointment, which we are very pleased to pass on to you. The Secretary-General announced today the appointment of Ibrahima Fall as his Special Representative and head of the Office of the Special Representative for the Secretary-General for West Africa.
As you know, Mr. Fall has been serving since 1997 as Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs here at the United Nations. Prior to that appointment he served as Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and Director of the Centre for Human Rights in Geneva from 1992 to 1997. We have a full biographical note with his entire CV available upstairs for you.
**Afghanistan
In Kabul today, Lakhdar Brahimi, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, briefed reporters on the eve of Nau Rouz, which is the Muslim New Year.
Mr. Brahimi, who just gotten back from his first visit to Herat and Kandahar, said security remains a concern in local areas.
He also drew attention to the ill-treatment of some communities in the north, expressing hope that measures would be taken to end those practices, and to “ensure that those who are responsible for these abuses are not going to go unpunished.”
Concerning the political process, Mr. Brahimi hailed the “important” work being carried out by the Independent Commission for the Loya Jirga and added that “probably just as important” is the upcoming start of the Afghan school year.
While conditions for students will be much, much less than ideal,
Mr. Brahimi said, “It is a huge progress for this country that the school year is going to start in a totally different atmosphere than previously.”
By the way, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Director Carol Bellamy will be on hand in Kabul when schools open, admitting girls for the first time in six years. We have a media advisory on her visit upstairs, and you can also pick up a transcript of Mr. Brahimi's press briefing there.
We also have a press release from the United Nations Office in Vienna, which today hosted an address by Afghanistan's Minister for Women's Affairs, Sima Samar, who spoke about efforts by the Interim Authority to meet the many challenges facing Afghan women.
**Human Rights
High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson today presented her annual report to the fifty-eighth session of the Commission on Human Rights, meeting in Geneva. Her report was devoted to the questions of human rights, human security and terrorism.
She rebutted the suggestion made in some quarters that it is not possible to eliminate terrorism effectively while at the same time respecting human rights. “This suggestion,” she said, “is fundamentally flawed. The only long-term guarantor of security is through respect for human rights and humanitarian law.”
She went on to say that it was imperative to address the underlying conditions that led individuals and groups to violence.
We have the full text of her speech available upstairs.
**East Timor
In Dili today, Xanana Gusmão, as head of the Consultative Commission for the Civil Society on Development, released the preliminary findings of a nationwide survey on the future of East Timor.
The survey asked some 35,000 people what three developmental issues they saw as the most important. Heading the list was education with 70 per cent, followed by health with 49 per cent, agriculture with 32 per cent and the economy with
30 per cent. The final report will be key in the Government’s formulation of a National Development Plan for East Timor.
In other news, a joint Government and United Nations Mission delegation left for Denpasar today for talks with the Indonesian Government aimed at speeding up the repatriation of East Timorese refugees living in West Timor.
We have more details in the briefing notes from Dili available upstairs.
**Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
The Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is currently meeting at The Hague.
In a statement to that council yesterday, which is available upstairs, OPCW Director-General Jose Bustani replied to “certain statements” that have been made regarding his position. He responded by saying he wasn't going to resign from his position as Director-General, but would rather “insist on a proper and transparent process leading to a conclusion in which all Member States have the opportunity to participate.”
He also maintained that the best way forward would be through “dialogue and cooperation” and said he would be willing to proceed on that basis.
Copies of his statement again are available upstairs.
**Signings
We have a few treaty signings. In the first treaty signing to take place this morning, Canada became the twenty-seventh country to sign the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, which is supplemental to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
Also this morning, the Bahamas became the 120th signatory to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
**Press Releases
The World Health Organization today published the first list of HIV-related products which have been found to meet their recommended standards. The list is part of a project managed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund, the UNAIDS Secretariat, the United Nations Population Fund and the World Bank. We have more details in a press release and the list is available on the WHO Web site.
Before we go to our guest Mr. Zacklin, do you have any questions?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Is there any date fixed yet for Iraq and the United Nations in mid-April?
Spokesman: No, we had discussed some possible windows for dates in April, but we don't have anything to announce in terms of dates so far.
Question: What's the first potential window?
Spokesman: Let's just say it's in mid-April, around the 18th.
Question: On Mary Robinson, what is the Secretary-General's plan? To name someone before September? What's happening with that?
Spokesman: Well, as you know, she got a one-year extension, so her current term lasts until mid-September. I believe around 10 or 11 September. So he has a considerable amount of time.
We just got the word that she did not intend to seek any further extensions on Monday, as you know, and the Secretary-General put out a statement at that point. Obviously, in the months to come, we will be looking at candidates but as I've said, we do have some time before the decision has to be made. And of course the Secretary-General will make the appointment, but ultimately it has to be approved by the General Assembly.
Question: Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch, I think, said today that they have 56 ratifications on the Criminal Court, that they need four more. I may have misheard him.
Spokesman: We might be having another ratification coming up, so hopefully we'll have a 56th. I know that they're coming in fairly quickly and we're hoping in the next few weeks we might actually get up to 60. So any time the 56th comes around, we'll be glad to announce it.
Question: On the Annan-Israel letters, what is the Secretary-General's response to Israel saying that his letter was inappropriate and not basic diplomatic conduct?
Spokesman: We have no further comment on that issue.
Question: Can you comment on what the Secretary-General told Israel in that letter?
Spokesman: I can't because that letter is not a public document. Obviously, some members of the press have gotten hold of it, but I can't comment on a letter that was leaked.
Question: Is there any letter to the Palestinians in any way similar to the one that was sent to Israel?
Spokesman: I'm not aware of it. As you know, the Secretary-General actually had a press conference last week with you, when he mentioned that he was sending a letter to Israel.
At that point, the Secretary-General told you he had a number of concerns, including the treatment of ambulances. And of course, the previous week, we had also mentioned our concern over the death of a United Nations employee, Kamal Hamdan, who worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. As is traditional in such cases, we would expect an inquiry.
Question: On a lighter note, exactly what happened with the United Nations German translation crew that ended up in the wrong city? Can you explain?
[The Spokesman's Office later announced that the German team had safely arrived in Monterrey, Mexico, the day after they mistakenly went to Monterey, California. United Nations staff in Monterrey, Mexico, reported that there had been virtually no disruption in work. The company that provided the translators had long been providing interpretation services to the United Nations and is considered established and well-recognized. The team was contracted by the United
Nations, but since the Mexican Government is picking up the costs of the conference, there was no cost to the United Nations for the mix-up.]
And with that, we're pleased to welcome Ralph Zacklin, the Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, who was in Sierra Leone in January to deal with the establishment of a Special Court and who is here to talk to you about it right now.
[The Spokesman's Office also later announced that a formal note about a the Secretary-General's review of progress in Cyprus during the first week of April was available in that Office.]
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