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 the noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

**Security Council

The Security Council is meeting in closed consultations this morning to discuss its programme of work for this month.

Also this morning, Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock of the United Kingdom briefed the Council on the work of the Counter Terrorism Committee, which he chairs.

The Council is also set to receive a briefing by the Secretariat on the situation in the town of Moliro in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Today, the Council is also scheduled to have its regular working lunch with the Secretary-General.  During that luncheon, the Secretary-General will brief members on his recent trip to the Arab League Summit in Beirut, and the situation in the Middle East as a whole will also be discussed.

Yesterday afternoon, the Council met to discuss a request from the Arab Group to hold an urgent public meeting on the Middle East.

Out on the racks yesterday was exchange of letters between the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, confirming the Secretary-General’s decision to appoint General Carl A. Dodd of Ireland as the new Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, known as UNTSO.  General Dodd replaces General Franco Ganguzza of Italy.

**Middle East -- United Nations Special Coordinator

Terje Roed Larsen, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, continues his active engagement on the ground.

Today, he met with senior members of the Israeli Defence Forces and also with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.

He also spoke by phone with several Palestinian officials.

Also today, he attended a meeting of the Quartet -- which, as you know, is the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and the Russian Federation -- which United States Envoy General Zinni attended.  This was the latest in a series of intense and continuing discussions among the members of the Quartet.  Mr. Larsen emphasized during these meetings that the Secretary-General and the Security Council have given full backing to their efforts.

In speaking to reporters on two occasions today, Mr. Larsen said that in his meetings he had addressed the growing tension along the Blue Line that is between Lebanon and Israel, and reiterated the points made by the Secretary-General to the Security Council, emphasizing that the Council had confirmed Israel’s withdrawal from all occupied lands in southern Lebanon, and that it was vital for all parties to fully respect the Blue Line.

Later in the day, he also talked to journalists about the Palestinian–Israeli crisis, saying that “we are facing a humanitarian and military crisis”. The military crisis grew out of feelings on both sides that their very existence was under threat.

On the humanitarian side, he appealed to the Government of Israel to ensure that humanitarian agencies had full access to populations in need, and appealed to the donor community to ensure that humanitarian agencies, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which has a critically vital role, had adequate funding, both in pledges and actual funds.

**UNRWA

Meanwhile, UNRWA tells us that today they were able to deliver urgently needed medical supplies and food items to the Ramallah Hospital.  The convoy went in during the temporary lifting of the curfew.

The team delivering these supplies did come under fire from Israeli positions, despite having cleared its movement in advance with the military authorities.  An UNRWA staff member travelling with the food aid was arrested by the Israeli Army.  The Agency has requested his immediate release.

Yesterday afternoon, the Agency also managed to deliver food and medical supplies, and a doctor, to its men and women training centres in Ramallah, where several hundred students are trapped by the fighting.

**Middle East -- Human Rights

Today in Geneva, Mary Robinson, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke to the current session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission on the situation in the Middle East.

She noted with regret that the efforts of the international community, including the Human Rights Commission, have not brought an end to the hostilities. “Palestinians”, she said, ”continue to be subjected to a wide range of human rights violations related to the ongoing occupation.  Israel also continues to suffer from the deliberate planned killings of civilians”, she said.

She reviewed for members of the Commission the situation on the ground relating to specific areas, such as arrest and detention, freedom of movement and humanitarian assistance, among other things.

In her conclusion, she asked if the time was ripe for the Commission to send a mission to the area.

She said, “Would it not be right for this Commission to dispatch immediately a visiting mission that would travel to the area and return expeditiously to the Commission with their finding and recommendations?”  “Surely”, she added, “the protection of human rights would require such a step as a very minimum.”

We have the full text of her remarks upstairs.

**Secretary-General

The Secretary-General is scheduled to depart on Friday for a three-nation mission to Europe.

The first leg is an official visit to Spain, during which on 8 April the Secretary-General is expected to open the Second United Nations World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid.  The Assembly will convene in Madrid from 8 to 12 April, to respond to the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly ageing population during the twenty-first century.  We have a background press release on this upstairs.

The Secretary-General then travels to Rome, Italy, where he will attend a two-day meeting on 10 and 11 April of the 26-member Chief Executive Board, formerly known as the Administrative Committee for Coordination.  The Board brings together the executive heads of specialized agencies, Bretton Woods institutions, and the Funds and Programmes of the United Nations.

The main focus of the agenda is the follow-up to the Millennium Declaration, particularly the treatment and prevention of communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS, as well as system-wide support for African development.

While in Rome, the Secretary-General is also expected to participate in an event on 11 April, scheduled to mark the crucial sixtieth ratification of the Rome Statute to establish the International Criminal Court.  Arrangements are being made at United Nations Headquarters for delegations, the media and others to witness this event, and I expect to have further details for you on those arrangements, probably later this week.

Given the level of interest in ratifying the Statute -– which has received 56 ratifications so far, we expect that the sixtieth ratification will occur on that date, and that the treaty will enter into force on 1 July.  The first meeting of the parties to the Statute is scheduled for this September.

The Court is supposed to be located in The Hague and to consist of

18 judges, as well as prosecutors and investigators.  The Court will not be part of the United Nations, and will be accountable to the countries that ratify the Statute.  We have a press release with more information on that.

Back to the Secretary-General's trip.  From Rome, he is expected to travel to Geneva, where he will address on 12 April the Commission on Human Rights at the Palais des Nations.

He is expected back in New York on Saturday, the 13th.  We'll have a detailed programme for you later today.

**Afghanistan

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan reports today that while tremors are continuing in the area of Nahrin, they are lessening and there are no new reports of additional damage.  Assessments to the outlying areas have not revealed any further needs.

Despite nearly 24 hours of rain on Sunday and Monday, which somewhat delayed the distribution of non-food items, especially tents and blankets, distribution has reached about 15,000 families and is almost complete now. 

Nigel Fisher, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan for humanitarian and reconstruction affairs, is in the field. Yesterday, he went to Kandahar.  He discussed with the local authorities questions relating to security, drug control and the structure of the mission in supporting the region of Kandahar.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that one month into the assisted repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, the number of returnees has already topped 130,000.  Tomorrow, representatives of Afghanistan, Iran and the UNHCR will sign in Geneva an agreement for the voluntary return of Afghan refugees in Iran.  The repatriation from Iran is scheduled to begin on 9 April.

Today’s United Nations briefing in Kabul includes mention of the newest Afghan publication called “Rouz”, which means “day”.  It is a publication by women only on women.  It is being supported by a French-based non-governmental organization and the French magazine Elle.

In Geneva, Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, said that he was attending a donor meeting to help the Afghan Interim Administration.  They were discussing the reform of the security sector and payment of salaries to the Afghan military and police.  Tomorrow, they would take up the demobilization and reintegration of former combatants.

The transcript of his remarks and the Kabul briefing notes are both available in my Office.

**Iraq

The weekly update from the Office of the Iraq Programme shows that Iraq’s weekly oil exports, ending on 29 March, regained ground at a total of 16.5 million barrels, generating an estimated $375 million in revenue, at current prices and rate of exchange.

With a notable decrease of 5 per cent or approximately $280 million, the total value of contracts placed on hold by the Security Council’s 661 sanctions committee continued its decline for the second consecutive week.  Following the release from hold of several high-value contracts, including a contract in the electricity sector worth $105 million alone, the total value of “holds” stood at just over $5 billion.

We have the full text of the weekly update upstairs.

**East Timor

The Independent Electoral Commission in East Timor began sending out ballot kits to electoral districts today in preparation for the presidential election on 14 April.  The kits contain ballot papers, ink, ballot stamps and forms to be used by Commission officers.

The Commission is setting up 282 polling centres with a total of 933 polling stations throughout East Timor.  Each polling station is expected to receive a maximum of 600 voters and will be provided with additional ballots, in case there are more voters than anticipated.

There's more on that in the briefing notes from Dili.

**Bosnia

The Commissioner of the United Nations International Police Task Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vincent Coeurderoy, has decided to withdraw the provisional authorization that had been given to two police officials in the Republika Srpska, with one of the officials –- the sector leader of the Visegrad police –- being removed from his duties after he was linked to arson and killings in that area during the Bosnian war.

The other police official was removed for failing to respond appropriately when violence broke out at a ceremony last May at a mosque in Trebinje.

We have details on the removals, which prevent the two officers from any police work in Bosnia, either now or in the future.  They are in today’s briefing notes from Sarajevo.

**International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

Also in Bosnia, the NATO Stabilization Force, or SFOR, yesterday detained a Bosnian Serb indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the town of Repovac, and today the suspect, Momir Nikolic, was transferred to the detention unit in The Hague of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

Nikolic is accused of involvement in the forcible transfer of the women and children of the Srebrenica enclave to Kladanj in July 1995, and the capture, detention and summary execution of thousands of Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica during that same period.

We have a press release on that from the Tribunal.

**Rwanda

From the Rwandan Tribunal, the trial of four senior Rwandan military officers accused of playing a pivotal role in that country’s 1994 genocide began today at the International Criminal Tribunal in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, in the absence of the defendants.  They did not show up because they claimed their rights were being violated.

The four accused asked their attorneys to represent them, and those attorneys unsuccessfully argued for the adjournment of the trial, saying they had not received the trial briefs in time and printed both in English and French.

Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte told the court that the accused were responsible for crimes whose gravity and character shocked the world.

We have press release with more details.

**Budget

Budget news today, two more Member States made full payment of their 2002 regular budget contributions today -- Belarus with more than $210,000, and Ethiopia more than $44,000.  There are now 66 fully paid up Member States, two more than the same time last year.

**Signings

There were two treaty signings this morning.

In the first, Switzerland signed the Protocols to the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime on the trafficking in persons and on the smuggling of migrants.

In the second, Burundi became the 123rd country to sign the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

No press conferences for today.  Tomorrow, three things to announce.  At

11 a.m., Joseph Chamie, the Director the Population Division of the United Nations, will discuss the meeting of the Commission on Population and Development.

Then, at the noon briefing, our guest will be Shashi Tharoor, the Interim Head of the Department of Public Information.  He will be here to launch a new

e-mail news service on the United Nations News Centre Web site.

And then finally at 1:15 p.m., the Department of Economic and Social Affairs is sponsoring a press conference by the NGO Advocacy Group, who will discuss the impact of the Monterrey Conference on the Johannesburg Summit.

So, that's all I have for you.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Did you protest about the Israel shooting [inaudible] of a humanitarian group and may I ask to whom?

Spokesman:  What the UNRWA people did tell us they protested was the arrest of one of their personnel, who was accompanying the delivery.  I have no details.  Check with Stephane in my Office to see if he got any more on that.

Did you say you had a second question?

Question:  To whom did they protest?

Spokesman: Oh, check with Stephane.  He might be able to give you more.

[The Spokesman later announced that UNWRA was concentrating on the release of the staff member, and a letter of protest from the Agency would go out relating to both the shooting and the arrest.  It had not yet been sent, but was in the preparation stage.]

Question:  About the Israeli Ambassador's meeting with the Secretary-General today at 11:30.  Who requested the meeting and was there a subject and do you have anything more on that?

Spokesman:  To my knowledge, the Israeli Ambassador asked to meet with the Secretary-General.  I have no more details to give you.

Question:  My question may be frivolous then.  Apparently, the Israeli Ambassador delivered a letter from Shimon Peres regarding recent attacks by Hezbollah?

Spokesman:  I have no details on that. I think, since the Israeli Ambassador asked for the meeting, you should ask him what they talked about and whether or not he delivered a letter.

Question:  Can you maybe update us on a position that's been previously stated about the role of the Secretary-General, in terms of talking to the Lebanese regarding Hezbollah and their attacks?

Spokesman:  I have no guidance on that.  I'm sorry.

Question:  Has the Secretary-General spoken, I guess since yesterday, with Mr. Sharon or Arafat?

Spokesman:  Yesterday afternoon, Yasser Arafat called the Secretary-General at about 3 p.m. and there were no calls to Israeli officials.  No calls placed or received.

Question:  Can you provide any further details about the nature of the call?

Spokesman:  No.

Question:  The Secretary-General mentioned yesterday that a third-party intervention was at the forefront of discussions he'd been having with different people.  Can you describe what kind of intervention he was talking about?

Spokesman:  No, I can't go beyond what he said on that.

Question:  The afternoon meeting or the meeting maybe now that Annan has with the Arab League and the Palestinian and the Jordanian.  Is there any information on how that was pulled together, who called it?

Spokesman:  No, what we can try to do is get you a readout.  I think we can probably give you a readout of that meeting.

Question:  Is the United Nations or UNRWA or any other organizations preparing any kind of general relief operation to provide food or supplies to people in West Bank cities -- you know, because things aren't moving in or out?  To the general population in addition to what you said earlier?

Spokesman:  I think that UNRWA's activity today is indicative of efforts they're likely to continue to make as long as there persists shortage of essential food, water and medicines in areas that they normally service. Check with Stephane what additional details he might have from UNRWA and whether they have any longer- term commitment beyond the two runs they made yesterday and today.

Question:  In Saturday morning's meeting, did the Secretary-General walk out of the meeting during Syria's statement or just before Syria spoke, and was there any message being sent?

Spokesman:  I have really nothing to add.  I think it was 4:30 in the morning.  He had spent pretty much the whole night waiting for that meeting to conclude.  I don’t think there was any significance to when he pulled out, at least he didn't mention anything to me.

Question:  Do you have more information about the tension along the Blue Line?

Spokesman:  No, only that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is attempting to confirm violations of the Blue Line, and I've already described the activities of Mr. Larsen.

The concern is that you could have a second front opening up in an already very dangerous situation.  The Secretary-General referred to this in his comments yesterday.  I don't think I have to say anything more about it.

Question:  On the question considering food and water and what have you that the Palestinian population needs.  Are there any possibilities that the United Nations could provide those things because of their importance to many children and families?

Spokesman:  No, I have nothing to add.  UNRWA's job is to aid Palestinian refugees.  They're doing that, I think, within the terms of their mandate.  I'm not sure that they plan to undertake a wider relief role, but check with Stephane to see what UNRWA is telling him today.

Question:  Can you define for us the mandate of UNTSO, the Truce Supervision.  You talk more about the activities of UNRWA, Mr. Larsen.  It seems to me that nothing has been said about the activities of UNTSO.  Is their mandate changed?

Spokesman:  No, they are the oldest peacekeeping mission, based in Jerusalem.  Over the years, they have provided military observers to other peacekeeping missions, and they have provided support to both UNIFIL and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), the other two peacekeeping missions in the area.  They are a relatively small mission and, as I say, they do work in consort with the two larger missions in Lebanon and on the Golan Heights.

Question:  Will you be travelling with the Secretary-General again?

Spokesman:  No, Marie Okabe is going on this trip to provide me with a little bit of relief.

Thank you very much.

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