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 Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.  Sorry I'm a little late.

**Afghanistan

We'll start with Afghanistan.  An estimated 2,000 people, including delegates, community leaders, friends of Afghanistan and United Nations staff, turned out for the Loya Jirga this afternoon, which will form the Transitional Government to lead the country.

Today’s meeting began with a statement from Mohammad Ismael Qasemyar, Chairman of the Loya Jirga Commission.

After some minutes, the former King Zahir Shah arrived and formally opened the Loya Jirga.  He urged the delegates to work for the unity and the independence of Afghanistan.  He nominated the Chairman of the Interim Government, Hamid Karzai, to lead the Transitional Government of Afghanistan.  The nomination was well received.

During the working sessions of the Loya Jirga, the election of the leader of the State will take place.

Mr. Karzai then addressed the session.  He said that the Afghans now had national unity.  People want peace, independence as well as freedom.  He proposed that the former King be given the title of Father of the Nation, and the proposal received a positive reaction.

The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, also addressed the opening session.  He said the entire world had been watching the sufferings of the Afghan people for the past 23 years.  He told the delegates that the world was watching them today, but more important, the Afghan people were watching them.  He reminded the delegates that they were the representatives and spokesmen of the people.

We apologize that the briefing planned for yesterday afternoon on Afghanistan did not materialize.  The senior United Nations official will be able to give you an off-the-record briefing on the situation in Afghanistan today at 3:30 p.m. in this room.

**Secretary-General

The Secretary-General this morning left Rome for London after meeting Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. 

The Secretary-General is now meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street, and afterwards he is scheduled to fly back to New York. 

While in Rome, the Secretary-General yesterday met with the President of Italy, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.  He briefed the President on the efforts of the Quartet -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- to convene a Middle East peace conference.  They also spoke of the lingering danger as the Indian and Pakistani armies continued to face each other in disputed Kashmir.

The Secretary-General then paid a courtesy call on the President of Ghana, John Kufuor.  And his last meeting yesterday was with South African President Thabo Mbeki.  Their talks lasted about an hour, and they reviewed the situations in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe.  And they discussed preparations for the Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development and touched on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

We should be getting more on today's two meetings shortly.

[The Associate Spokesperson said later on in the briefing that during the meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair, which lasted more than 30 minutes,

Mr. Blair raised two issues:  New Partnership for Africa’s Development -- NEPAD -- and the upcoming Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development.  They also discussed building up Africa's regional conflict resolution and peacekeeping capacity.

The Secretary-General repeated his goal of resolving the Angola crisis and the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo within the next 18 months.

They mapped a strategy for the Johannesburg Summit focusing on "deliverables" -- specific goals that can be achieved.  In addition, their talks also touched on India-Pakistan and the Middle East.

Regarding the Secretary-General's meeting with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the Associate Spokesperson later announced that the discussions initially focused on United States-Russian arms reductions and plans for reconstruction assistance for the Palestinian Authority.  The Secretary-General, on India-Pakistan, said it looked like the prospect of war had receded, which they both welcomed. 

The Secretary-General said the Loya Jirga process in Afghanistan was going well.

On the Middle East, the Secretary-General described the efforts of the "Quartet" -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- to convene a peace conference by the end of the summer.  Both the Israeli and the Palestinian economies had suffered badly as a result of the recent violence, they agreed.

Their talks also touched upon the World Food Summit currently taking place in Rome, and the impact of United States and European farm subsidies on agricultural markets.  They said they looked forward to seeing each other at the G-8 Summit in Canada later this month.]

**Security Council

Here in New York, the Security Council held closed consultations this morning to discuss the renewal of the UN Force in Cyprus.

Council members were briefed by Chief of Mission Zbigniew Wlosowicz on the Secretary-General’s most recent report on the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), in which he recommended the mission be extended through

15 December.  A draft resolution extending that mandate was introduced. 

At 3 p.m., there is a meeting of the Security Council with troop-contributing countries to the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).

**Democratic Republic of Congo

And on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Secretary-General’s latest report is out as a document today.  In it, he asks the Security Council to renew the Mission’s mandate by a further 12 months.

The Secretary-General reports on recent developments in the country, including the failure of the inter-Congolese dialogue in Sun City to reach an all-inclusive power-sharing agreement and the recent violence in Kisangani.  I’ll have a little more on Kisangani in a minute.

A major problem the Mission faces, as it prepares for the main task of what is known as phase III, is the lack of a climate of confidence and security in the eastern part of the country, for which a robust contingent is needed, the report says.

In the continuing absence of a country willing to provide a force with the necessary capacity, phase III of the Mission’s deployment remains, for the present, was delayed.

In his look at recent developments, the Secretary-General also flags the recent agreement to reopen the Congo River to commercial traffic.  In order to assist in the implementation of this vital agreement, the UN Mission’s riverine units will escort the first barges.

Concerning the issue of protection of civilians under the threat of physical violence, the Secretary-General notes that if the UN Mission is to protect them more effectively, it will be necessary for the Security Council to consider adjusting the strength of the Mission -– including a reconfiguration and

re-equipping of contingents.

The head of the United Nations Mission, Amos Ngongi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is scheduled to brief the Council on this report during tomorrow’s closed consultation.  The full report, as I mentioned, is out on the racks.

And regarding Kisangani, the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions will travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the weekend.

Asma Jahangir is going to gather information concerning extrajudicial killings alleged to have occurred in Kisangani on 14 May 2002 and immediately afterwards.  The visit will start in the capital, Kinshasa, and will then move to Kisangani.

Her mission comes at the request of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson following the presidential statement adopted by the Security Council on 24 May.

Mary Robinson is expected to brief the Security Council based on the Special Rapporteur's findings.

A press release with more information is available upstairs.

**World Food Summit

And turning to the World Food Summit in Rome, James Morris, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), today addressed that Summit -- the World Food Summit:  Five Years Later -- calling on delegates to turn their attention to the 13 million people facing starvation in southern Africa.  He said the fact that the crisis coincides with the Summit challenges us to demonstrate to those suffering that we will not forget them.

We have a press release with details of that statement.  And the WFP office in New York says it has B-roll footage of the situation in southern Africa.  You can call Abby Spring if you want some of that.

The Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Kul Gautam, also addressed the session in Rome today, urging comprehensive action against child malnutrition.  He said global efforts to fight malnutrition must start with children on whom the effects of malnutrition are the most damaging.

On the opening day of the Summit yesterday, 182 countries renewed their commitment to reducing by half the number of hungry people in the world by 2015.  The delegates unanimously approved the Declaration calling on governments, international organizations, civil society organizations and the private sector “to reinforce their efforts so as to act as an international alliance against hunger”.

The gathering also called on the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to create, within two years, a set of voluntary guidelines to support the efforts of Member States to achieve progress in realizing the right to food.

**Africa

 The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Africa, Ibrahim Gambari, is in Angola heading a multi-agency mission.  He is leading a 16-person delegation from agencies of the United Nations, in order to assess concretely what the United Nations is doing right now to assist the peace process, what more the United Nations should do and in a coordinated manner.

The report of the mission will go into the next Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council, with recommendations on how to adjust the mandate of the United Nations in Angola and recommendations on the structure of the United Nations presence.

As you recall, Ibrahim Gambari did brief you on his analysis of the current situation in Angola prior to his departure.

This afternoon, in Luanda, Angola, Mr. Gambari is going to meet the Minister of the Interior, who is also the Coordinator of the Government's Commission for Peace and National Reconciliation.  And he is expected to speak to reporters following that session.

**Secretary-General's Special Adviser on AIDS in Africa

And also on Africa, Stephen Lewis, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on AIDS in Africa, yesterday addressed the African Religious Leaders Assembly on Children and HIV/AIDS taking place in Nairobi, Kenya.  He briefed the Assembly on the scope of the problem in Africa, particularly as it affects children and especially children orphaned by AIDS.  He challenged the religious leaders to provide leadership to their communities.

**Staff Security Summit

And here in New York earlier this morning, Deputy Secretary-General, Louise Fréchette addressed the annual Summit on Staff Security in the Trusteeship Council, saying that United Nations staff is faced with an increasing feeling of vulnerability.  The focus of this year’s Summit is "The Forgotten Staff".

She says that this year's Summit on Staff Security occurs amid considerable fear that New York City has not seen the last of the terrorism that destroyed the World Trade Center last September.  There is also great unease among United Nations staff throughout the world that they too are more vulnerable than ever before.

The panel discussion included Ralph Zacklin, Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs; Stephen Johnson, Deputy Chief of the Humanitarian Branch of the Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA); and Richard Dellar, former President of the Field Services Staff Union.

We have copy of Louise Fréchette's speech upstairs in the Spokesman's Office.

**Cambodia

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Human Rights in Cambodia, Peter Leuprecht, has completed his latest visit to Cambodia.  It was his sixth mission to the country.

A report, “Street Retribution in Cambodia”, was issued at the end of his visit.  This report, which finds that mob killings are once again on the rise, was presented to the Royal Government of Cambodia last week.  Copies of the report are also available upstairs.

**Iraq Oil

The weekly Iraq oil report.  Figures released today by the Office of the Iraq Programme show that oil exports plunged from the previous week’s high of

15.3 million barrels to merely 2.6 million barrels in the week ending 7 June, earning an estimated $55 million in revenue.  The full text of the update is available upstairs.

**United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said in a briefing in Geneva earlier today that it is launching a project in Colombia today to provide identification documents to internally displaced people.  Identification documents can help the displaced gain access to benefits such as health care, schools, even credit and bank loans, which are difficult to obtain without documentation.

The UNHCR also gives an update on the flow of Liberian refugees that have been driven into neighbouring countries, including into Guinea.

And finally, the UNHCR said it was hoping to raise some $250,000 in an online auction of memorabilia signed by celebrities from around the world to mark World Refugee Day, which is on 20 June.  The auctioning began last night on eBay.com, one of the world’s largest on-line auction houses.  The 47 memorabilia include a range of items such as UNHCR tee shirts and baseball caps signed by UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, and a toy model of a Formula One racing car signed by Michael Schumacher.

**Press Releases

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) today will lend the United Nations a piece of rock from the Moon which will be used as the centrepiece of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs Space Exhibit in Vienna.  The type of rock, which is older than most rocks on the Earth’s surface, provides scientists with valuable information on the formation of the planets and the sun.

Astronaut James Irwin of the United States had collected the rock, which is about the size of a golf ball, during the 1971 Apollo 15 mission.  The Outer Space Affairs Office serves as the secretariat for the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which is currently holding its fifth session in Vienna.

Other press releases issued today, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) flags the increasing problems for conservationists due to the digital storage of information.  The enormous trove of digital information may well be lost unless specific techniques and policies are developed to conserve it, UNESCO says.  There's a press release with more information on that.

**Africa Panel

And just a short while ago you heard from an independent panel convened by the Secretary-General to review the UN New Agenda for the Development of Africa (UN-NADAF) -- that was released here.

The panel, chaired by former Ghanaian Finance Minister Kwesi Botchwey, faulted both donors and African governments for failing to abide by commitments made in 1991, when that initiative was adopted by the General Assembly, and noted that 80 million more Africans slipped into absolute poverty during the past decade.

And you have the press releases and the report upstairs on that subject.

**Signings

And on signings, we have three treaty actions taking place today.  This morning, Japan became the 36th party to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

This afternoon, Belgium will become the 31st country to sign the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of Firearms supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

And finally, Luxembourg will become the first country to sign the UN Convention on the Assignment of Receivables in International Trade.

**United Nations Flag at Half-Mast

You might have noticed that the UN flag today is flying at half-mast and there are no national flags flying.  This is in observance of the death of Sir Charles Antrobus, the Governor General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

**Press Conferences

And just to recap, there's a 3:30 p.m. off-the-record briefing by a senior UN official on Afghanistan.  And delegations are invited to view the briefing in Studio 4 located in the first basement.

And tomorrow, the guest at the noon briefing will be Gillian Sorensen, Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations, who will be discussing next

week's meeting of UN Goodwill Ambassadors.  And that meeting, as you know, is on Tuesday and Wednesday a week from today.

And that's all I have for you.  Sorry it was a bit long.  Any questions for me?  If not, have a good afternoon.  Thank you.

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