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, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Richard Sydenham, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.

Briefing by the Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General

Good afternoon, I’ll start off with a briefing on the Secretary-General’s travels.

**Secretary-General’s Travels

He arrived today in Tajikistan, where he spoke briefly to reporters upon arriving at Dushanbe airport.  Asked about the Iraq situation, he said the Security Council was discussing the situation, and added, “I expect that, probably sometime this week or not long after, there will be a resolution approved unanimously by the Council.”  He said the resolution would demand Iraqi compliance with United Nations resolutions, and he also voiced his hope that Iraq would listen to the Council’s demand.

In the mid-afternoon, the Secretary-General met with President Emomali Rakhmanov and his Foreign Minister, Talbak Nazarov.  Afterwards, he told the press that he and the President had discussed the fight against terrorism, as well as economic development, poverty alleviation, the need for strengthened institutions and good governance.  Their talks also touched upon Afghanistan, regional cooperation on water and energy management and cross-border movement.

After travelling to the United Nations office in Tajikistan, where he encouraged the staff to “work as a team”, the Secretary-General spoke to the Tajik Parliament, telling them that it was his strong belief that Tajikistan could serve as an example to Afghanistan, and urging them to work to establish the rule of law.  He said, “Popular trust in the judiciary and the fairness of the authorities is the best safeguard against extremism and renewed violence.”

In the afternoon, the President hosted a dinner in honour of the Secretary-General and his wife, Nane.

Yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General travelled to Bishkek to begin an official visit to Kyrgyzstan, where President Askar Akayev met him at the airport.  Later, the Secretary-General met for more than an hour with the President, including one-on-one sessions before and after meeting with their delegations.

At a press encounter after that meeting, the Secretary-General said that their discussions included economic and social development, the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, good governance and the United Nations-Kyrgyz relationship which, he said, was “excellent”.

Before the press conference, the President awarded the Secretary-General the Order of Manas, the highest honour the Government can give to exceptional individuals.  (See also Press Release SG/SM/8448.)

The Secretary-General then met with leading members of the Parliament, including the Speakers of the Upper and Lower Houses.

Before leaving Bishkek, the Secretary-General this morning inaugurated the new United Nations House that will provide a common workspace for all United Nations agencies working in Kyrgyzstan.  (See also Press Release SG/SM/8449.)

Mrs. Annan had her own programme in Tajikistan today, visiting a training and support centre for Afghan refugees in Dushanbe, which is supported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.  She also visited orphanages, supported by the United Nations Children´s Fund, in both the Kyrgyz Republic this morning and Tajikistan later in the day.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo Panel

Welcome as they may be, the recent withdrawal of troops from the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not likely to diminish the determination of Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Uganda to exercise economic control over sizeable parts of that country, according to the latest report of the United Nations panel of experts on the illegal exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The report, which is on the racks today, says new strategies have been adopted by the key players to maintain a steady stream of revenue once their troops have departed.  These strategies implemented by what the panel calls “elite networks” involve organized systems of embezzlement, tax fraud, extortion, kickbacks and diversion of state funds.

The ongoing plundering of the Democratic Republic of the Congo´s mineral assets is a current and future drain on the country's ability to finance post-war reconstruction and, more importantly, it perpetuates the cycle of suffering for millions of Congolese people.

In the report, the panel has compiled an extensive list of businesses and individuals whose involvement in these elite networks is well documented.  Members of the panel recommend that certain restrictions, such as travel bans and freezing of assets, be placed on a selected number of people and businesses.

The panel also recommends that the Security Council set up a monitoring mechanism to track the activities of any State, company or individual involved in these activities.

The full report is out on the racks and the Council is expected to take that report up on Thursday, I believe.

**Israel Terror Attack

We have a statement from Terje Roed-Larsen, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, in which he ²strongly condemns today’s terror attack in central Israel, which reportedly killed at least seven people, and wounded dozens more”.

The statement continues, “He extends his deep-felt sympathy to the families of the victims, and reiterates the unequivocal United Nations position that such terrorist attacks are morally reprehensible and absolutely counter-productive to peacemaking efforts.”

Mr. Roed-Larsen called on Palestinian groups to immediately halt all such acts of terror and adhere to United Nations Security Council resolution 1435, which calls on both parties to stop all forms of violence.

That statement is available upstairs.

**Security Council

The General Assembly and Security Council today voted, in secret ballots, to fill five vacancies that open up next February on the International Court of Justice.  They had 10 candidates to choose from.

Both the General Assembly and the Security Council agreed on the same five candidates on the first ballot, and those are:

Hisashi Owada of Japan; Shi Jiuyong, who is an incumbent, of China; Peter Tomka of Slovakia; Abdul G. Koroma, also an incumbent, of Sierra Leone; and Bruno Simma of Germany

There were 10 candidates to choose from.  Candidates had to obtain an absolute majority of votes in both the General Assembly and the Security Council.

In the afternoon at 3 p.m., the Security Council has scheduled a closed meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa.

**Security Council-Friday

Late Friday afternoon, as you may recall, the Security Council decided to extend the mandate of the Angolan monitoring mechanism for a period of two months, until 19 December 2002.

The Council also decided to lift the travel ban against members of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) as of 14 November 2002, with a view towards the possible lifting of more such sanctions by

19 November, taking into account the implementation of the peace accords.

The Council President, Martin Belinga-Eboutou of Cameroon, also read out two presidential statements.

In one, on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council called on all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities immediately and without preconditions.  It called on all governments in the region to exert their influence for that purpose and to refrain from any action that would further exacerbate the situation or undermine the peace process.  (See Press Release SC/7539 of 18 October.)

On the Central African Republic, the Council expressed its full support for the decision to deploy an International Observation Force in that country.  (See Press Release SC/7538 of 18 October.)

**Afghanistan

The Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette is in Afghanistan for a

three-day visit.  She said upon arrival that her purpose was to review what the United Nations was doing in cooperation with the authorities in Afghanistan. 

“We have very much the future peace and prosperity of Afghanistan to heart,” she said, “and I want to make sure that all United Nations people are doing their very best to help and support the people of Afghanistan”.

Ms. Fréchette was briefed by the United Nations team and the Commander of the International Security Force, Hakim Zorlu, of the latest situation in that country.  She had a meeting with President Hamid Karzai during which they discussed the reconstructive needs of Afghanistan and the security in the country and the Iraqi situation.  She also met with Afghan Minister of Women’s Affairs, Habibeh Sarabi, to discuss the advances made in women’s health and education.

Apart from those meetings, the Deputy Secretary-General visited demining projects and children’s projects.

**Secretary-General’s Report

Out on the racks today is the Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council on women, peace and security.

The report underscores that women do not enjoy equal status with men in any society and they are disproportionately targeted in contemporary armed conflicts and constitute a majority of all victims.

The report also points out that women and girls are not only victims in armed conflicts, they are also active agents.

We are expecting a press release on the report soon and the Security Council is scheduled to discuss the report on Friday.

**NEPAD

K.Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, told the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development which began in Johannesburg on Saturday that the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) embodied a vision of a continent on the move at a time of unprecedented international interest in proposals to help the world's least developed region.

A ministerial statement detailing recommendations from the three-day meeting was released today.  It is intended to serve as a blueprint for action that African leaders will adopt at the next NEPAD Implementation Committee meeting scheduled to take place in Abuja, Nigeria, on 3 November.

**Human Rights in Africa

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello, marked the holding today of African Human Rights Day, saying that much had been achieved since the adoption of the African Charter on human rights two decades ago, but much more remained to be done.  We have copies of his statement upstairs.

**Kosovo

In Kosovo today, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Michael Steiner, said he was inviting the leaders of all of Kosovo’s major political parties and coalitions to a meeting in Gnjilane on 1 November, at which he will present his concept of decentralization.

He outlined that concept, saying that, under it, municipal units would be established for sizeable non-majority communities, with their own councils, administrative organs and budgets.  Those units could manage education, health care, urban and rural planning and issues of local importance.

**Military Adviser

As you may recall last Friday, we announced that the Secretary-General has appointed Maj. Gen. Patrick Cammaert, who is currently serving as the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), as the Military Adviser in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.  General Cammaert, who is a Dutch National, ends his service in UNMEE at the end of October, and he is replacing Gen. Timothy Ford of Australia.  (See Press Release SG/A/1729-PKO/98 of 18 October.)

We have a bio for General Cammaert available upstairs.

**World Food Programme

TheUnited Nations World Food Programme Executive Director, James T. Morris, announced today the appointment of Ms. Sheila Sisulu as one of the agency’s two top Executive Directors.

**Signings

This morning, Australia became the 111th country to sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.

**Memoranda with Argentina, Brazil and Panama

This afternoon at 4 p.m., Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast will sign Memorandums of Understanding on electoral assistance between the United Nations and the Governments of Argentina, Brazil and Panama.

The Memorandums with Argentina and Brazil will focus on the exchange of experiences and technology associated with the electoral process.  The Brazilian experience, in particular, is significant because Brazil is the first country to adopt electronic voting in elections, and involving more than 115 million voters in both urban and rural settings.

The Memorandum with Panama will focus on the establishment of electoral information systems, and the system will provide for the exchange of information on the electoral process in all Member States.

**Press Conferences

At 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, Dileep Nair, Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), and Kenzo Oshima, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, will be in this room to release the OIOS report of Investigation into the Sexual Exploitation of Refugees by Aid Workers in West Africa.  We hope to have embargoed copies of the report to distribute to you around 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.

At 11:15, Ambassador Djessan Philippe Djangone-Bi of Côte d’Ivoire will be here to update you on the situation in his country.

The UNCA membership increased last Thursday night by one person. Greg Barrow and his wife are now the proud parents of a baby daughter named Malika, which, if you speak Swahili, will know that it means “Angel”.

On that note, that’s it.  Any questions?

Question:  I’ve been told that a Turkish leader had another operation.  How will this affect the talks scheduled for November?  Why have the two committees been set up in New York?

Spokesman:  I don’t have any guidance for you on that issue, but I will try to get something for you after the briefing.

Briefing by the Spokesman for the General Assembly President

Good afternoon.  This morning President Kavan chaired the General Assembly plenary, which elected five members of the International Court of Justice for a nine-year term of office, commencing 6 February 2003.  In accordance with established procedure, the General Assembly and the Security Council voted independently of one another to elect the members of the Court.

The General Assembly elected Shi Jiuyong of China, Abdul G. Koroma of Sierra Leone, Hisashi Owada of Japan, Bruno Simma of Germany, and Peter Tomka of Slovakia for those nine-year terms on the Court.

The First Committee continues consideration of draft resolutions on disarmament and related international security items.

The Special Political and Decolonization Committee continues its general debate on a comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects.

The Second Committee discusses environment and sustainable development and hears a statement by the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Anwarul Chowdhury.

The Third Committee continues general discussion of programme of activities of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.

The Fifth Committee discusses the pattern of conferences and hears a statement by Joseph Connor, Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Managemen, on the financial situation of the United Nations.

Last Friday in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno told the Fourth Committee that the past year had been a very good year for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, as the Committee began its consideration of the comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping.

Mr. Guéhenno said last year had also witnessed the first new operation since the issuance of the Brahimi report on peacekeeping operations.  As a result of the full institution of the integrated mission task force concept, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, had been conceived differently than previous missions.

The Mission had been innovative in several respects, including the bringing together of relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities under a single pillar.  Another innovation was the assignment of lead-nations for such tasks as army and police restructuring, judicial reform and drug control.  Mr. Guéhenno told the Committee that while the focus of the past two years had been on the reform and strengthening of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), the discussion should now move to peacekeeping operations themselves.

This morning there was a minor disturbance in the General Assembly.  Thirteen young people from a tour group were seated in the fourth-floor gallery of the General Assembly.  They became loud and disorderly, they were escorted out of the Hall by United Nations security officers, and will be turned over to New York City police.

Question:  Were they protesting Iraq?  Can you give any more detail than “loud and disorderly”?

Spokesman:  I don’t have any more details.  I heard them shouting, I didn’t hear what they were shouting about.  I don’t have any further details.

Question:  Did you give a name to the group?

Spokesman:  I don’t have a particular name.  As far as I understand it, they were young students who were attached to a tour group.

Question:  Where did you say they were handed over?

Spokesman:  To the New York City police.

Question:  Because they were making noise?

Spokesman:  For disorderly conduct, so I understand.

Question:  And there was a similar disruption recently on the subject of Iraq, several people managed to get into the General Assembly?

Spokesman:  I’m not familiar with that, no.

Thank you.

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