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
Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Richard Sydenham, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.
Spokesman for the Secretary-GeneralGood afternoon. Our guest today is James Morris, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the humanitarian situation in Southern Africa. And he’s just returned from that region. He’ll be briefing you in just a few minutes.
**Middle East
The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East, Terje Roed Larsen, is in Tel Aviv today, where he’s continuing talks with the Israeli and Palestinian officials to defuse the current crisis. Earlier this week, he visited Ramallah and has talked on the phone with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, whose headquarters have been under siege for the past week.
Speaking to reporters yesterday evening, Larsen stressed that there is a growing gap between diplomatic developments on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, such as last week’s high-level meeting of the Quartet and the Tuesday morning resolution by the Security Council, and the situation on the ground, embodied by the siege of Arafat’s headquarters.
He warned that the international community’s attempts to foster a political process leading to a viable Palestinian State were being stymied, and warned that we could be entering a period leading to the death of the two-State solution. At the same time, he reiterated the United Nations unequivocal condemnation of terror.
And by the way, on Tuesday, Larsen briefly visited Amman, Jordan, where he spoke to a meeting of the directors and deans of diplomatic academies and institutes of international relations about the recent developments in the Middle East. We have copies of that speech upstairs.
**Security Council
The Security Council is holding an open meeting on its annual report on its work to the General Assembly.
Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Tuliameni Kalomoh introduced the report.
Following an open debate, the Council is expected to adopt the draft report.
**ICTY
Today in The Hague, prosecutors at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia began to try their case against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic for crimes allegedly committed in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The prosecution last week wrapped up its arguments against the former president on charges relating to Kosovo.
Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte and another member of the prosecution team, Geoffrey Nice, presented the 61 charges against Milosevic, which include counts of genocide and conspiracy to commit genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.
The former president then began to respond in his own defence, and he is expected to continue tomorrow morning.
**Bosnia and Herzegovina
In Sarajevo today, the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina provided an update of the work of the two police academies in the country, based in Sarejevo and Banja Luka, and congratulated the academies for their work in promoting cooperation and tolerance since multi-ethnic police training began in 1999.
The Mission said it was particularly impressed with the numbers of young women recruited into the Bosnian police, with the representation of women increasing over the past six months from 3 per cent to 3.5 per cent in the Bosnian Federation and from 1.4 per cent to 2 per cent in the Republika Srpska.
We have more information in a press release.
**Afghanistan
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan estimates that close to 2 million people will be at risk this winter due to shortages of food. It said that the main concern at this point was food availability due to the threat of a break in the food pipeline because of the winter weather.
For this winter season response plan alone, the World Food Programme would need some 84,500 metric tons of food. The main risk for winter is further displacement of internally displaced persons or returnees forced to move on by food shortages in the areas of return.
Donors are encouraged to make cash contributions that will be used to purchase food in the region and ensure delivery of food into Afghanistan before winter sets in.
Also on Afghanistan, today in Washington, 58 countries are attending a one-day donors conference on rebuilding Afghanistan. The United Nations is represented by Mark Malloch Brown, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme, and Carolyn McAskie of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The purpose of the meeting is to mobilize the international community in its support for the rebuilding of Afghanistan, and in particular to make up a shortfall of $160 million in the Government’s budget for this year.
**Angola
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Angola, Ibrahim Gambari, today chaired the first meeting of Angola's Joint Commission, which is tasked with completing the outstanding issues of the Lusaka Protocol.
We have copies of his statement in my office.
**UNCTAD
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) just released its report on economic development in Africa, which that organization’s Secretary-General, Rubens Ricupero, presented to you in this room.
The UNCTAD report calls for bolder policies to address economic growth and poverty reduction in Africa, saying that 27 recent poverty reduction strategy papers on Africa it studied show “no fundamental departure” from previous efforts to deal with the continent’s problems.
The study says that a careful, frank and independent assessment of the effects on economic growth and income distribution of the economic packages currently on offer is needed if they are to deliver on their promises. Moreover, any fresh policy initiatives must be matched with adequate external resources, debt reduction and better market access if they are to succeed.
UNCTAD issued a press release and copies of the new report. Some of them may still be on the table at the entrance to this room.
**Secretary-General’s Reforms
You probably noticed that the Secretary-General has been meeting with regional groups. Yesterday, again today, and by tomorrow, he will have met with all five. The subject of these meetings is the content of his report to the General Assembly on UN reform, which he will formally present to the General Assembly on 30 October.
**Press Releases
Some press releases to flag for you today.
First from the World Health Organization (WHO). They are warning of the dangers of flu. Just recently, 671 people died in an outbreak in Madagascar which infected more than 22,000 people. WHO is urging governments to begin their vaccination campaigns before the flu season and ensure that as many vulnerable people as possible are vaccinated. The United Nations Medical Service announced yesterday that this year’s flu vaccine is now available for staff here at Headquarters on a first-come-first-served basis.
The second press release, from the United Nations Environment Programme, announces that an agreement was signed yesterday with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of Golden, Colorado, to expand the pilot Solar and Wind energy Resource Assessment project. You can pick up more on that in the press release.
**Global Compact
The Global Compact Office this morning announced the launch of a new Internet portal, using technology that is the first of its kind for the UN system. The portal is designed to promote online learning, dialogue and collaboration amongst global partners dedicated to advancing good corporate citizenship. The Global Compact portal address is www.unglobalcompact.org.
**Signings
Four Member States are signing treaties today.
The Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Criminal Court was signed this morning by Ecuador and Argentina, making a total of 42 signatories.
And this afternoon, Malaysia is scheduled to sign the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, bringing the number of signatories to that treaty to 143.
And this morning, the Protocol on firearms supplementing the Convention on Transnational Organized Crime was signed by Lebanon and Argentina, and Lebanon also signed the Protocol on the smuggling of migrants.
**Cape Verde Presentation
Today at 12:30 p.m. the Permanent Representative of Cape Verde will present a painting as a gift from the people and Government of Cape Verde to the United Nations. The Chief of Staff, Iqbal Riza, will receive the gift on behalf of the Secretary-General and the presentation will take place in the conference room of the Deputy Secretary-General on the 38th floor.
**Information and Communication Technologies Task Force BriefingThe United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force, which meets here next week, will hold an informal gathering for correspondents this afternoon at 5:30 p.m. in the Economic and Social Council President’s office, which is room B-209. The focus of the discussion will be a new initiative the Task Force will be considering next week, on bridging the digital divide in Africa. The guest will be Mr. Johnson Owusu Manu of the Digital Diaspora Network for Africa. Refreshments will be served.
**Press Conferences
And then press conference tomorrow at 11 a.m. President Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao of Timor Leste will be here to brief you. As you know, the General Assembly will be taking up Timor Leste’s UN membership tomorrow morning.
Any questions before we go to Richard?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Can you tell us anything about the meeting between the Ukrainian Foreign Minister and Secretary-General Annan today?
Spokesman: No. It was arranged somewhat last minute and it was just a brief exchange I think before the Secretary-General went into the regional meeting -- the meeting with the regional group of Eastern Europe. I believe the Foreign Minister handed over a letter or a paper of some kind. I haven’t yet received confirmation of that from the Secretary-General.
Question: Anything on the meeting with the Colombian President?
Spokesman: Let me just give you this read-out of the Secretary-General’s meeting today with President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia. They discussed the situation in Colombia and the work of the United Nations in the country. The Secretary-General noted that he would maintain his good offices which continued to be at the disposal of the parties to the conflict. He expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis that has resulted in over 1 million internally displaced persons and over the human rights situation, noting that Government measures should be based on the full respect of international human rights laws. He added that the UN system stands ready to assist in these important challenges. The Secretary-General reiterated his belief that peace in Colombia requires a political, negotiated solution.
Anything else? Good. Richard?
Spokesman for the General Assembly PresidentGood afternoon. Today the Ad Hoc Committee of the whole of the General Assembly for the final review of UN-NADAF continues its work, and the Working Group of the Sixth Committee on the International Convention against the Reproductive Cloning of Human Beings also continues its work in closed session this morning. The Special Political Committee, the Fourth Committee, and the Third Committees start their work today with the election of Vice-Chairs and organization of work. And the Sixth Committee this afternoon takes up consideration of effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions.
Tomorrow Timor Leste will become the 191st UN Member State when the General Assembly formally admits it during its morning session. Timor Leste was the first country to come into existence in the new millennium, when the UN Transitional Administration (UNTAET) handed over authority on 20 May this year to a democratically elected Government. After the admission of Timor Leste the General Assembly will take up the item on the election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council.
After the adjournment of the morning session, which is expected to be around 11:30 to 11:45 a.m., the Timor Leste flag raising will take place outside the Delegates’ entrance.
One further note today. A documentary, “East Timor, Betrayal and Resurrection, Part Two”, will be screened in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium from 1 to 2:30 p.m. The film was produced by independent film-maker and former UNTAET colleague, Ted Folke. And everyone, in particularly staff who served with UNAMET, UNTAET and UNMISET are invited to attend. That’s in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library auditorium at 1 o’clock today.
Thank you.
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