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

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Stephane Dujarric de la Riviere, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.

Briefing by Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

Good afternoon.  Our guest today at the noon briefing will be Kevin Kennedy, as soon as he joins us, who is the Chief of the Humanitarian Emergency Branch at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).  He will be giving you the latest update on Afghanistan and I've got some update for you as well.

Also, we'll have Jan Fischer before we go to Kevin, who will speak on behalf of the President of the General Assembly.  And I'd like to extend a very warm welcome to our colleagues, journalists from the Gulf States, who are joining us today.  Welcome.

**Secretary-General -- Arab Summit

I will start by reporting on the Secretary-General's day at the Arab Summit. As you know, he is in Beirut today.

In his speech to the opening session at the Arab Summit, the Secretary-General called on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat “to reaffirm the strategic choice for peace.”

In a speech, copies of which are available upstairs, he said, “All of us want to see an end to the occupation, the withdrawal of Israeli settlements and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian State.”  He added, “And the Israelis are equally entitled to expect a horizon of peace."

He called on Arab leaders to give “firm and credible assurance” that once Israel concludes a just and comprehensive peace and withdraws from Arab land, it can look forward to peace and “full normal relations with all the Arab world.”  That assurance, he said, can and must be their contribution to peace.  He described the proposal put forward by the Saudi Crown Prince as providing “a clear and compelling vision” and appealed to the Arab leaders to unite in support of it.

In addition to the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Secretary-General briefly mentioned two other issues.  On Iraq, he called on the Government to comply with all United Nations Security Council resolutions, saying “the sooner they accept that there is no other path to ending the sanctions regime . . . the sooner this problem will be resolved.”  And he appealed for continued financial assistance to Afghanistan, as well.

In the margins of the Summit, the Secretary-General had a series of bilateral meetings, starting with Nabih Berri, the Lebanese Speaker of the Parliament.  He then met with the President of Lebanon, Emile Lahoud, for a review of the Summit and a discussion of the situation on the United Nations “Blue Line” between Lebanon and Israel.

In his next meeting, he met with the President of Somalia, Abdikassim Salad Hassan, with whom he reviewed the situation in that country.  The Secretary-General emphasized to the President the need for national and regional reconciliation.

The Palestinian delegation, headed by Farouk Kaddoumi, then saw the Secretary-General.  They discussed the situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians.  Mr. Kaddoumi emphasized the need for a third party role in the search for a solution to the conflict.  The Secretary-General said he regretted not having had the exchange of views with Yasser Arafat, to which he had been looking forward.  He added that he hoped that United States mediation efforts led by General Anthony Zinni would result in a ceasefire.

He has since met with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafik Hariri, with whom he discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in full, and also talked about the situation in Lebanon, including efforts to rebuild the South and the economic situation in the country.

He then went into a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the situation concerning Iraq.  The Secretary-General followed that with a meeting with King Mohammed VI of Morocco.  He is also expected to meet the Vice President of Iraq, Ezzat Ibrahim, later this evening.

Earlier today before delivering his speech, the Secretary-General met with Javier Solana, the European Union’s High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, for an assessment of the prospects of the Summit, including the peace proposal that Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah was expected to present.  They also talked of the need to follow up on any proposal.

**Secretary-General -- Hebron, Bougainville

I now have two statements attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General.  The first concerns the deaths of the two members of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron:

"The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the deaths of the two members of the TIPH, who were killed yesterday near the town of Hebron in the West Bank.  The two international observers, one from Switzerland and one from Turkey, were serving the cause of peace in the Middle East.  Their untimely deaths underline the urgency of reaching a durable ceasefire and moving towards a political solution.

“The Secretary-General condemns this act of violence in the strongest possible terms, and he extends his heartfelt condolences to the Government of Switzerland and Turkey and to the families of the victims of this attack."

I have another statement on Bougainville:

"The Secretary-General warmly congratulates the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville parties on the successful outcome of an historic vote in the Parliament that has given legal effect to the bills implementing the Bougainville Peace Agreement of 30 August 2001.  The vote shows that the Government is determined to secure a lasting peace.

“The Secretary-General notes with appreciation the efforts of the United Nations Political Office in Bougainville and those of the regional Peace Monitoring Group, which contributed to the progress of the peace process on the island.

“The Secretary-General would like to assure the parties that the United Nations Office will continue to assist them in implementing the Agreement, especially in the area of weapons collection and disposal.  He calls upon the Bougainville parties to redouble their efforts aimed at the removal of weapons from Bougainville communities, and to begin the process of post-conflict rehabilitation and peace-building.

**Afghanistan

I'll give you a short update on Afghanistan, and I know Kevin will give you a lot more.  This is what we have received from our Office in Kabul.

Today, Hamid Karzai, the Chairman of the Interim Administration, and several Cabinet members went to the area in northern Afghanistan most affected by the Monday earthquake, accompanied by the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Nigel Fisher.  They saw considerable destruction, even as aftershocks continued in the area.

After studying the area around the town of Nahrin, at the epicentre of the quake, the group identified three priority areas:  six villages in the Panjshir Valley, where more than 3,000 families were affected in a heavily mined area; seven villages in Lakankhel, where some 935 were affected; and Burkha, where some 800 families in eight villages were also affected.

Many United Nations agencies are cautiously optimistic that they can meet the immediate needs of the people.  The World Food Programme (WFP) has deployed enough food for the next three months.  United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have already have brought to the area some 15,000 tents, out of 20,000 that are needed, and 100,000 blankets, out of

160,000 that are needed.  One major lack continues to be mattresses, where some 10,000 are needed.

The Interim Administration has declared tomorrow a day of national mourning, as relief efforts continue.  We'll find out more, and you can address your questions on Afghanistan to Kevin, who will join us in a second.

**Security Council

Turning to the Council, the Security Council this morning is holding a public meeting on Kosovo.  Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi briefed the Council on recent developments there, including the formation of a coalition government on 28 February, and the transfer to Kosovo yesterday of 146 Kosovo Albanians who had been detained in Serbia.  We had flagged that for you yesterday as well.  Among the speakers at this morning’s debate was Nebojsa Covic, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia.

This afternoon, the Council will hold consultations to receive a briefing on the recent developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which I will tell you about in a minute.  It will also hold consultations on Afghanistan, to consider a draft resolution on a mandate for the proposed United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

**Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Concerning the DRC, our United Nations Mission in the country reported that the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) rebel group has withdrawn from the village of Moliro.

In a press statement issued today, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Namanga Ngongi voiced concern about delays by the parties in implementing their commitments.  He also deplored the failure to comply with the Security Council’s recent call for a withdrawal from Pweto.  At the same time, Ambassador Ngongi expressed hope that the delay “will not have negative repercussions on the disengagement programme and the peace process as a whole.”  We have copies of that statement upstairs.

**United Nations Environment Programme

Today, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the findings of a new study on the effects of depleted uranium (DU) munitions in Serbia and Montenegro during the 1999 Kosovo conflict.  The UNEP confirmed widespread, but low-level, DU contamination at five out of the six areas studied.  While the agency said there are no immediate risks to the environment or human health, UNEP did recommend that the authorities take precautionary measures. 

Pekka Haavisto, who headed the team which did the study called for careful planning regarding the future use of DU-targeted sites.  He warned that any soil disturbance in the affected areas could risk releasing DU particles into the air.  The new findings are consistent with the results of a study that UNEP conducted last year on DU in Kosovo.  We have more in a press release upstairs.

**International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

One document I'd like to flag for you on the racks today is a letter from the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council, concerning compensation to persons who may have been wrongly detained, prosecuted or convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.  Two people have filed compensation claims, but before any payments could be made the Security Council would have to amend the Tribunal’s Statute.

**Budget

On the budget today, one more Member State paid its 2002 regular dues in full.  Sri Lanka became the 64th fully paid-up Member State with a payment of more than $177,000.

**Signings

One signing.  Niger, this morning, became the 94th country to sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

**Press Releases

One press release I'd like to flag for you.  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said today that a pilot project shows that new rice varieties developed in West Africa could yield up to 50 per cent large crops without fertilizer, and 200 per cent larger crops with fertilizer.  These new rice varieties are expected to save up to $88 million a year in rice imports for seven West African countries in 2006.  You can pick up the press release upstairs.

**Press Conferences

At 12:30 in this room, Nitin Desai, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, will brief you on the Second World Assembly on Ageing.

After that the Global Environment Facility is sponsoring a press conference on how to stem continuing degradation of land and water resources and its impact on food and security, especially in developing countries.

Tomorrow, our guest will be Khadija Haq, President of the Ul Haq Centre for Human Development, who will be launching the Human Development report for South Asia.

That's it for me, before we go to Jan and Kevin.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Concerning the death of the two international observers, could you elaborate on that -- how they were killed, where exactly and by whom?

Spokesman:  Two things.  First, as you know, these international observers were not working for an organization that was affiliated with the United Nations, so we obviously have no independent investigative facilities or powers in the region.  I don't know the exact circumstances around their deaths.  I do know that they are dead, and as the Secretary-General's statement explicitly said he deplores this act of violence.

Question:  Did you say they were not working with the United Nations?

Spokesman:  The TIPH is an observer force that is independent of the United Nations.  It is mentioned in a Security Council resolution, but it is not a United Nations observer force in any way.

Question:  Joe Connor was here Friday and said it could be a long, hot summer -- air conditioning problems and a whole host of things.  I wondered if your Office had fielded any comments from the staff throughout the building.  Or has there been any reaction from the Member States, that you're aware of, to what they mandated and now he's trying to implement?

Spokesman:  None directly to our Office.  I think everyone has to adjust to the new budgetary realities.

Question:  You mentioned an amendment to this statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.  Is there such a project before the Security Council?

Spokesman:  No.  Basically, two people have come forward asking for compensation from the Tribunal.  What the Secretary-General is informing the Security Council is that compensation cannot be paid unless the current statutes to the Tribunal are changed, because they do not mention any sort of compensation for wrongful conviction or anything having to do with the Tribunal in that way.

Question:  My question is that saying it is one thing.  Presenting the project to the Security Council is . . .

Spokesman:  We're not presenting the project before the Security Council.  The Secretary-General is flagging this issue to the Security Council.  It is now up to them to decide what to do.

Question:  A question from Qatar News Agency.  The world now seems to be convinced that ending the crisis in the Middle East falls in the hands of the United States and the European Union.  When will the Security Council begin implementing its own resolution that was on the Middle East, that was recently passed and that was blessed by the United States?

Spokesman:  I can't answer for when the Member States will decide to implement Security Council resolutions.

Yes, the United States is in the lead in this issue, but the United Nations has been working very closely with the European Union, the Russians and the Americans in what is called the “Quartet”.  There is a very coordinated effort on the ground with representatives of these four organizations to work towards a political settlement.

Question:  Well, I forgot my question, so we'll let it pass for the moment.

Jan, and then Kevin if you want to come up.

Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly

Good afternoon.  As you will have noticed from the daily Journal, the General Assembly will meet in plenary at 3 this afternoon.

The agenda is a bit of a mixed bag.

**Racial Discrimination

The first issue is the elimination of racial discrimination, regarding which the Assembly has reports of the Third and Fifth Committees.  The Fifth Committee report is, among other things, recommending that the General Assembly not approve funds for regional meetings on this issue. 

**New or Restored Democracies

The Assembly is then expected to take action on a draft resolution, which would welcome the proposal of the Government of Mongolia to hold the Fifth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies in Ulaanbaatar from 18 to 20 June next year.  The previous conference was held in Cotonou, Benin.

**Fifth Committee

The Assembly will also take up a number of reports and draft resolutions from the Fifth Committee, which held its first resumed session from the 4^th to the 19^th of March this year.  I have unfortunately not been able to lay my hands on the reports related to the budgets for the previous and current bienniums.  I have been looking all morning but have had no luck.

However, the General Assembly is expected to adopt a resolution, which will ask the Committee on Contributions to report to the next Assembly on what should be done with the arrears of the former Yugoslavia.  When Yugoslavia ceased to be a member on 1 November 2000, it still had outstanding contributions totalling some

$16 million.  There is more information on this matter in a letter from the Secretary-General dated 27 December 2001.  It's contained in document A/56/767.

A draft resolution will express concern at the fee-splitting arrangements in the Rwanda and Yugoslavia Tribunals, and ask the Secretary-General to follow up on the investigation conducted by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS).  Two other draft resolutions will approve resources for the continuation of oversight functions at the Tribunals.

The Assembly is also expected to adopt a draft resolution which will urge Member States to pay their assessed contributions to the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Only 2 per cent of Member States have paid so far.  The resolution also contains some general recommendations regarding the financing of peacekeeping operations.

Any questions for me before we go to Mr. Kennedy?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Do you know the exact dates of the general debate, when it starts in September?

Spokesman:  No, it's still being discussed.  They've also discussed whether they should repeat the format that we had last year, having it over seven full days, instead of over two weeks.  The opinions on this one are still divided, but it looks as though we'll go back to the general debate being stretched over two weeks.

Question:  They're moving down from three weeks to two weeks to seven days.  It would be interesting to squeeze it further.

Spokesman:  I doubt it very much.  There are many, many Member States that want to have their say during this period.  You may remember that last time all Member States except two spoke during the general debate.

Question:  You could have overnight sessions.  It's a 24-hour world now.

Spokesman:  Thank you very much.  I don't think we want that.

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