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

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

**Middle East Team

The visiting Israeli delegation met last night for two and a half hours with a UN team headed by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast.  The talks were professional and constructive, we feel, and provided us with an opportunity to clarify a number of points.

The Israelis then asked to resume this morning at 9 a.m. while they sought instructions from their capital overnight.  This morning, they called to say that the Israeli Cabinet was still meeting and, therefore, they didn't have their instructions.  And the talks were then set for noon, and I’ve just heard that they arrived about three minutes ago on the 37^th floor.

We have seen press reports out of Israel that the office of the Prime Minister has issued a statement requesting that the UN fact-finding team be held back until points of dispute are settled, in the words of that statement as reported.

Asked by the Associated Press and The Times of London as he left the Security Council this morning if he were concerned about this, the Secretary-General answered, "No.  I think our talks are going reasonably well."  He added, "We are giving them the appropriate clarifications, and I do expect the team to leave tomorrow.  I don't think there's any reason for further delay."

And you will recall the press statement by the President of the Security Council last Tuesday, in which Ambassador [Sergey] Lavrov said that the Council expects the expeditious implementation of resolution 1405 and full cooperation of Israel with the Secretary-General and with the fact-finding team.

Meanwhile, Stephane Dujarric reports from Geneva that the team continues its organizational meetings and also continues to identify its requirements.

**Middle East –- Security Council

The Security Council has scheduled further consultations on the Middle East at 3 this afternoon, following a short briefing they received late yesterday afternoon from Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast on the progress of the talks with the Israeli delegation.

After that briefing, Security Council President Sergey Lavrov of Russia said that Council members noted various political efforts under way to achieve the goals set out in the Council’s resolutions.  They expressed the hope that all these efforts would bring about positive changes on the ground, including a non-violent resolution of the situation around Palestinian Authority President Yasser

Arafat’s headquarters in Ramallah and the arrival of the fact-finding team by the end of the week.

He added that, during this afternoon’s consultations, the Council would receive an update from the Secretariat and would have another round of discussions, with the participation of the Departments of Political Affairs and Peacekeeping Operations, on the Secretary-General’s initiative for a multinational force for the Palestinian territories.

**East Timor

This morning the Security Council held a formal meeting on East Timor.

In his introductory address to the meeting, the Secretary-General paid tribute to the East Timorese who “have risen to every challenge that has confronted them, and have unfailingly demonstrated their commitment to democracy.” 

While describing a sense of normality that has returned to East Timor, the Secretary-General underscored that the Government of East Timor faced enormous tasks, before and, above all, after the independence on May 20.  He stressed that the international community would still have a crucial role to play:  “That’s why I very much hope the Council will approve the detailed proposals for a follow-on peacekeeping presence”, he said.

The proposals suggest the creation of a UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) which will provide support in three areas:  public administration, law and order, and external security.  We have the Secretary-General’s speech available upstairs.

Hédi Annabi, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, spoke after the Secretary-General.  He gave more details of the Secretary-General’s proposals.

President-elect of East Timor Xanana Gusmão welcomed the proposals and said that East Timor and the UN would work together to make sure the objectives would be successfully implemented.  Mari Alkatiri, Chief Minister of East Timor, also took the floor.

Mr. Gusmao and Mr. Alkatiri will be at the stakeout at about 1 p.m.  [It was later announced that this had been postponed to a time to be announced.]

**Myanmar

Razali Ismail, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Myanmar, left Yangon Friday after concluding his four-day mission aimed at helping to facilitate the national reconciliation process in Myanmar.

During his stay in Myanmar, Mr. Razali met with Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Senior General Than Shwe, Lt.-Gen. Khin Nyunt, Secretary-1 of the SPDC, and other Government officials.   He also had separate discussions with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior officials of the National League for Democracy (NLD), as well as representatives of several ethnic nationalities’ political parties.

Mr. Razali was pleased to have been assured by the Government that the national reconciliation process was on track, in spite of the coup attempt uncovered in Yangon in early March.  He was also encouraged to see that all parties remain committed to the process.   He is hopeful that certain significant progress could take place shortly.

**Ombudsman

The Secretary-General has decided to appoint Ambassador Patricia Durrant of Jamaica as UN Ombudsman, an appointment that is made at the Assistant Secretary-General level.

You all will know Ambassador Durrant from her time here as Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a post she has filled since 1995. She has been working as a diplomat since 1971, and, prior to assuming her current post, she was Director-General in her country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade from 1992 to 1995.  We have a full biographical note upstairs.

**16th Anniversary of Chernobyl Accident

Today, 26 April, marks the sixteenth anniversary of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the plight of some hundreds of thousands of people who continue to be directly affected by the consequences of this disaster.  In order to revitalize international efforts to assist these people, the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the authorities of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, has initiated a shift in emphasis of the UN’s approach away from emergency-type assistance of the past years towards a long-term developmental approach, which would include the empowering of people and their communities, targeted assistance to the most affected people and communities and an overall policy of promoting a return to normalcy.

This new approach can only be based on renewed donor interest and participation in the efforts of the United Nations to assist the populations affected by the Chernobyl disaster.  The Secretary-General hopes that donors, who have been very effective in dealing with the technical response to the accident, will not forget the human dimension of Chernobyl.

**Human Rights

High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, in her speech to the closing session of the Commission on Human Rights today in Geneva, said that two shadows –- the worsening situation in the Middle East and the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks –- loomed over the recent session.  She noted that many statements during this session “affirmed the importance of upholding fully human rights and humanitarian law standards in combating terrorism.”

She added she was worried about a possible trend during this session that would seek to weaken the Commission’s protection role, which she said could be seen in some votes that showed “a preference for an approach excluding action if consensus was not possible.”

**Refugee Flows

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees today highlights two new refugee flows –- one from Colombia and the other from Somalia.

On another matter, UNHCR welcomed yesterday's adoption of a European Union directive on reception conditions for asylum seekers, which should ensure that most asylum seekers will receive a uniform package of benefits in both today's Europe and the Europe of the future.  See the UNHCR briefing notes for more information.

**NEPAD

African heads of State and Government of the Implementation Committee of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, or NEPAD, will use the opportunity of their presence in Rome at theWorld Food Summitfrom 10 to 13 June to prepare for this year’s G-8 summit meeting in Kananaskis, Canada from 26 to 28 June.  The G-8 Summit is expected to focus on partnership between the G-8 and Africa.

The NEPAD Implementation Committee comprises 15 countries and is chaired by President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.  NEPAD is the New Partnership for Africa's Development, a commitment of African leaders to the African people and to the international community to ensure the sustainable development of the continent.

**Republic of Congo

We have a statement issued by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Kenzo Oshima, on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Republic of Congo, which has been exacerbated by the continued denial of access to the Pool region for humanitarian workers.  Mr. Oshima underscores the urgent need for safe and unimpeded access to be granted by authorities, in line with international humanitarian law, to safeguard the lives of vulnerable populations.

**Sierra Leone

In response to recent allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by assistance workers and UN peacekeeping forces in Sierra Leone, key actors from UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and the Government of Sierra Leone, have jointly established a committee to look into these very serious accusations.  The Committee has drafted a document entitled “Standards of Accountability for Humanitarian and Development Workers.”  Copies of the document are available upstairs.

**Afghanistan

For those of you who may have missed it, the UN Sanctions Committee on Afghanistan issued a press release yesterday afternoon announcing its decision to add to its list of individuals and entities linked to Al Qaeda and the Taliban six more names.  You can see the press release for the names.

**Global Compact

Right now, the Secretary-General is meeting with a delegation of leading employers from developing and developed countries, led by the President of the International Organization of Employers, Francois Perigot, to discuss outreach strategies for the Global Compact.  Perigot has mobilized his Organization’s global network to push the Compact forward, through training and raising awareness in dozens of countries around the world, with a particular emphasis on developing countries.

A Joint Statement by the Secretary-General and the International Organization of Employers concerning the promotion of the Global Compact is being issued separately and should be available upstairs soon, along with a list of participants at today’s meeting.

**World Chronicle

Another World Chronicle programme to announce.  This one features Carolyn Hannan, Director of the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, and that will be aired at 3:30 p.m. on in-house television channels 3 or 31.

**Week Ahead

We have the "Week Ahead" for you.  Pick it up from my office for your planning for the next week. 

And two press conferences:  on Monday at 11 a.m., Jan Kregel, the Senior Economic Adviser for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), will brief you on the Trade and Development Report, 2002.

And then immediately after this briefing, at about 12:30 or whenever we’re finished, Ambassador Jean-David Levitte of France, will tell you about the Security Council’s planned mission to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Is it the Secretary-General’s understanding at this point that, although Mr. Ahtisaari’s team may arrive in the region tomorrow, that negotiations over the mandate of the mission may continue for a number of days while they are in the region?

Spokesman:  I think it’s still too early for me to answer that.  I think we would like to see what comes out of this session that started at noon and clarify the meaning, if the delegation can do so, of the statement that was issued in Israel.

Question:  When the Secretary-General talks about the team arriving in the region, are we talking about Jerusalem specifically, or somewhere else in the region that they may go to?

Spokesman:   Mr. [Martti] Ahtisaari has not yet announced the programme.  But of course their mandate is to investigate the camp at Jenin.

Question:  On the logistics of getting to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.  Does the United Nations team still need to get its visas?  Do they have all that stuff in order?  Is there really any question at this point about whether they’ll even be able to get into the country or not?

Spokesman:  My understanding from Stephane is that the team is actively preparing to leave tomorrow.  He did not say -- and I don’t think Mr. Ahtisaari wants to comment on any specifics.  But, you should ask Stephane if you want anything more about the nuts and bolts.

Question:  I’ll go off that subject.  On Razali’s mission.  Could you give us any further information on this certain kind of progress that he is hoping or that’s upcoming?

Spokesman:  I don’t think we want to announce anything specific at this time.  It’s our understanding that the Government is going to make an announcement shortly.  So, I would rather not comment.

Question:  Has the United Nations offered to put in writing a statement absolving Israeli officials or soldiers of any prosecution as a result of facts obtained by the mission?

Spokesman:  I can’t discuss any of the substance of what’s going on in the talks upstairs until those talks are over.  And then we’ll ask Mr. Prendergast if he’ll talk to you.

Question:  Are they working at all towards some sort of communication, something in writing that will become a form of clarification?

Spokesman:  Same answer.

Question:  Could you review for us the personal contacts the Secretary-General has had with members of the Israeli Government on this issue over the past week.  I think he said that he spoke with both Shimon Peres and Binyamin Ben Eliezer last Friday, and then again with Peres on Tuesday?

Spokesman:  Yes.  I’ll have to get the phone log to give you specific dates.  But . . . .

Question:  He did not talk directly with [Ariel] Sharon?

Spokesman:  No.  Not directly with the Prime Minister.  Mainly the Foreign Minister, and that one call, or there may have been two, with the Defence Minister.  I’ll give you the details later.

Question:  The international prosecutor in Kosovo yesterday, I believe, issued an arrest warrant for this Austrian police officer that has escaped to Austria.  Has there been a demand since this, or will there be by the United Nations to the Austrian Government, to surrender this guy?  Do you have any sense of what the next step is going to be?

Spokesman:   I think that is the intention of an international arrest warrant.  I don’t think we said he is in Austria or that he escaped Kosovo to Austria . . . .

Question:  It said so in the indictment.

Spokesman:  All we know is that he is no longer in Kosovo.  We assume he’s in Austria and we’re seeking an extradition order.

Question:  I have noticed lately a bunch of former permanent representatives at the United Nations joining the Secretariat at a very high level.  I notice the former ambassador of Guinea-Bissau, the former ambassador of Nigeria, former ambassador of Zimbabwe, former ambassador of Jamaica now -– in less than a year.  The jump is high in the Secretariat.  Is this Secretary-General not afraid of being accused of patronage?  Or maybe is any form of pressure being exercised on him to name former permanent representatives to the Secretariat?

Spokesman:  No.  I think the United Nations bureaucracy is complicated enough that he’d have to consider it an advantage for any appointee to come in with a knowledge of the system.  So, the ambassadorial pool is a rich one, I think, for the Secretary-General to tap when he’s looking to make these appointments.  Certainly, he’s not subject to (interrupted) . . . .

Question:  You’re not afraid you guys who have been doing your job cannot reach that level, because he jumped from the Security Council?  I gave you four of them in less than a year.

Spokesman:  I think the Secretary-General is very happy with the performance of these people.  I think, especially, Ambassador Durrant.  The staff here are also very excited at her appointment.  You know her well, I think you can understand why.  No, this is a good talent pool, and we’re happy to tap into it.

Question:  How soon after arriving in Tel Aviv would Mr. Ahtisaari’s mission like to go to Jenin or plan to go there?

Spokesman:  I don’t know, Bill.

Question:  Is there anything further about the two military staffers General Nash is bringing on board?

Spokesman:  They still have not been identified.  So, we have no names, and no nationalities for you yet.

Question:  But they’ll be accompanying the team?

Spokesman:  Oh, I don’t know.  You’d have to ask Stephane.  But I think if they’re not on board today, it doesn’t look to me like they’d be ready to travel tomorrow.

Question:  Has the mission undertaken any additions in the realm of counter-terrorism experts? 

Spokesman:  No.  To my knowledge, no.  Although, I believe that just as General Nash has asked for two staff officers, you might expect Commissioner Fitzgerald to ask for some additional help too.  What kind of police experts he would ask for or other kinds of experts, I don’t know.  [He later announced that Fitzgerald would be assisted by two senior Irish police officers.]

Question:  Have all members of the fact-finding committee obtained visas?    

Spokesman:  I don’t have any of those details, and I noticed that Stephane has not been giving them out from Geneva either.

Question:  Is there any further precedents established for the final report of this enquiry, if it does go forward, as to whether it is made public, whether it is presumed to be confidential to the Security Council?

Spokesman:  There are, I guess, quite a few precedents.  You’d have to go to the library to look it up.  And the Secretary-General will make a decision later as to whether to go public with it.  But his inclination over the last five years, as you’ve seen, is to go public with these kinds of things, and not try to keep them hidden from your eyes.

Good.  Well, that concludes my briefing, and I would now like to turn it over to Ambassador Levitte to talk to you about the Security Council’s mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

* *** *