DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Richard Sydenham, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.

Briefing by Associate Spokesman for Secretary-General

Good afternoon.  Our guest today is Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, known as UNIFEM, who will brief you on the International Day to End Violence against Women, which is being observed today, as well as UNIFEM’S trust fund for violence against women.

In his message to mark the Day, the Secretary-General says that, although the world is achieving greater awareness and understanding of gender-based violence, much more remains to be done, and he calls for rededication to the elimination of this scourge.

We have a few other statements available upstairs, as well as a full text of the Secretary-General's statement on that issue.

**Iraq

On Iraq,according to the information we received this morning from Baghdad, the inspectors from the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) -– 11 of them -- and six from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived safely today at about 5 p.m. local time.  And as we’ve been telling you, the inspections are set to get under way on Wednesday.

On the same issue, Hans Blix, the head of UNMOVIC, will be briefing the Security Council this afternoon, at 3:30, in closed consultations.  We do expect Mr. Blix to speak at the stakeout afterwards to answer any of your questions, if you have any.

**Secretary-General's Travels

Concerning the Secretary-General, after arriving in Paris yesterday, he met at noon today with French President Jacques Chirac, as well as Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin.  In talks that lasted over an hour, they touched on the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq, the situation in the Middle East, and African issues ranging from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Burundi to Côte d’Ivoire.  The Secretary-General also briefed the President on his recent talks in Geneva with the Presidents of Nigeria and Cameroon on their border dispute, as well as the situation in Colombia.

President Chirac then hosted a luncheon for the Secretary-General, during which their talks continued, including discussions of Cyprus, Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, next year’s Franco-African Summit, the Global Compact and the situation in Georgia.  Following their meeting, the two then took a few questions from the press.  Asked about a letter sent over the weekend by Iraqi

Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, the Secretary-General said that it raised a number of legal objections, which would be up to the Security Council to decide.  (By the way, the Security Council got copies of that letter this morning.)

The Secretary-General then went on to meet Michèle Alliot-Marie, the French Defence Minister.  They discussed France’s contribution to peacekeeping, as well as the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Secretary-General’s visit last week to the Balkans.  The Secretary-General is scheduled to meet a bit later on this afternoon with Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.  We'll have more on that visit as it comes in.  Afterwards, he will speak at the Centre d’Études et de Recherches Internationales de Sciences Politiques, one of the universities in Paris, on the future of multilateralism.  He is expected to say that it is too easy to proclaim the virtues of multilateralism in principle, only to go your own way whenever a decision has to be taken that directly affects your citizens’ security, or the interests of a well organized domestic lobby.

We have copies of his speech, which is embargoed until 2 p.m. New York time, available upstairs.

**Statement Attributable to Spokesman

We are issuing a statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the launching of the International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation:

“The Secretary-General welcomes the launching of the International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation.

“The accumulation, technical refinement, proliferation, use or threat of use of ballistic and other types of missiles has long been a source of concern to the international community.  The Code of Conduct, as a voluntary, non-legally binding instrument, is a positive step towards preventing the proliferation of ballistic missiles and towards international peace and security.

“At the same time, the Secretary-General stresses the need to continue international efforts to deal with the issue of missiles in its totality.  There is no universally accepted norm or instrument specifically governing the development, testing, production, acquisition, transfer, deployment or use of missiles.  And he looks forward to additional measures that will address this and related concerns.”

**Security Council

The Security Council today began closed consultations on Liberia, including a discussion of the Secretary-General’s latest report on that country, as well as sanctions on Liberia.  Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Tuliameni Kalomoh briefed the Council, as did Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani of Singapore, in his capacity as Chairman of the Liberia sanctions committee.

Council members are also holding consultations on three different draft resolutions that the Council intends to vote on later today.  These are on the extension of the “oil-for-food” programme for Iraq, which will be Phase Thirteen; a one-year extension of the authorization of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, whose current mandate lasts until 20 December; as well as a six-month extension of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, and that extension will go on until 15 June 2003.

And, at 3:30 this afternoon -– as I have already told you –- Hans Blix will be briefing the Council.

**UNRWA

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) issued a statement today concerning the death last Friday of Iain Hook, a senior manager of the Agency’s reconstruction project in Jenin.  The Agency said that its preliminary findings into the circumstances surrounding his death do not concur with the statement made by the Israeli military that firing had been coming out of the UNRWA compound in Jenin.

The UNRWA statement adds, “It is quite clear to UNRWA at this stage that such a report of live fire from the compound is totally incredible.”

**Afghanistan

On Afghanistan, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, calls upon the Afghan authorities to vigorously pursue an investigation into an attack against international aid workers.

In the incident, which happened on Friday, 22 November, two international aid workers were brutalized and physically assaulted at gunpoint in the Kargha Lake area, some 20 kilometres north-west of Kabul.  Four armed men driving a private vehicle forced the aid workers to stop their car and drove it to a secondary road.  They stole money, equipment and documents.  The case is now under investigation by the Afghan Police.

You can find more details in the Afghan briefing notes.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

On the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as we’ve been telling you in the last couple of days, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Moustapha Niassé, has been meeting with representatives of the Government, armed rebels and the political opposition in Pretoria, South Africa.

On Saturday, they reached an understanding on the principles that would underpin the operation of a transitional government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, based on inclusivity, nation-building, accountability and respect for the territorial integrity of the country.  Discussions on the modalities of the agreement will continue through a number of committees that were set up.  These meetings will start this Thursday, and the work of these committees should be completed by Saturday, 14 December.

The full text of the final communiqué is available upstairs.

**Burundi

On Burundi, the Secretary-General issued his report today on the situation in that country and it is out on the racks.  He describes the humanitarian situation as gloomy.  The conflict that began in 1993 has disrupted social development and worsened the humanitarian position.  Today, the Secretary-General writes, almost one of six Burundians live away from their homes, making them the largest internally displaced population in the Great Lakes region.

Concerning the ceasefire talks, the Secretary-General called on the armed groups that have stayed away from the talks to negotiate and join the peace process.  A ceasefire that did not include all armed parties and political movements would be dangerous and should be avoided, the Secretary-General says in the report.

He also calls on the donor community to provide more assistance to Burundi, following pledges already made at donor conferences in Paris and Geneva.

The full report is available on the racks.

**Press Releases

Just a few more press releases:  The World Food Programme (WFP) is warning today that up to 670,000 Cambodians could face persistent food shortages in the years ahead due to global climate change.  Severe drought in April followed by floods in August and September have led to food shortages, which the WFP says should serve as a wake-up call about the weather patterns that have sabotaged the Cambodian rice crop for three years in a row.

The WFP also appealed today for $8.4 million to help feed almost 400,000 people affected by the drought, floods and political turmoil in Madagascar.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that an agreement for the development of a new combination drug to fight malaria has been signed between the joint venture Tropical Diseases Research Programme, Medicines for Malaria venture, a Swiss non-profit organization, and Shin Poong Pharmaceuticals of the Republic of Korea.  The WHO hoped that this new combination treatment will be well tolerated and affordable.

And from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), we have news that its International Bioethics Committee is working on a draft international instrument on genetic data.  The draft will be presented to the Committee meeting which begins tomorrow in Montreal, and the final version will be presented for adoption at UNESCO’s General Conference next year.

**World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is, as you know, normally observed on 1 December, but because of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, this year’s observance at Headquarters will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, 26 November.

The new UNAIDS/WHO report, AIDS Epidemic Update:  December 2002, with new global and regional statistics, will be launched at a press conference tomorrow at 10 a.m. in this room.

A town-hall meeting on the theme “Live and Let Live”, highlighting the need to overcome stigma and discrimination in addressing the epidemic, will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. in Conference Room 4.  Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette and President of the General Assembly Jan Kavan will deliver opening statements. 

There will also be a screening of the documentary “Pandemic:  Facing AIDS”, at 7 p.m. in Conference Room 4.  The film follows the lives of five people living with AIDS in India, Russia, Thailand, Uganda and Brazil.

There is a press release available upstairs with a lot more information on the programme tomorrow.

**Press Conferences Tomorrow

Lastly, press conferences.  I have told you about the 10 a.m. conference on AIDS.  At 11:15 a.m., the Permanent Mission of Turkey will be sponsoring a press conference by Major-General Hilmi Akin Zorlu, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, and he will brief you on the prevailing security conditions in Afghanistan.

If any of you have questions?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Can you give us more details about the UNESCO conference?  Is that dealing with genetics in food?

Associate Spokesman:  Let me see.  I don't have any more information here, but we do have something available upstairs.  It deals with human genetics data.

Question:  The Secretary-General was promoting NGOs.  Do you have any information on that?

Associate Spokesman:  Which NGOs?

Correspondent:  Here at the United Nations, being promoted by the Secretary-General ...

Associate Spokesman:  Are you referring to a specific event, or a speech of his?

Correspondent:  A speech he had delivered.

Associate Spokesman:  Well, I'll check on that.  I'm not familiar with that specifically ... I'll check on that after the briefing.

Question:  Has Mr. Denktash responded to the Secretary-General?  If he has, was the answer positive or negative?

Associate Spokesman:  We have not received an official answer from the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Rauf Denktash.

Question:  When do you expect that?

Associate Spokesman:  I don't want to predict.  I think that question is best reserved for him.  Obviously, time is of the essence.  We understand he has health problems in New York.  We'd like to receive an answer as soon as it is possible.

Question:  The Foreign Minister of Turkey was in New York on Saturday and Sunday.  He talked about deadlines.  He said that the Secretary-General's deadlines were not divine orders.  And he said, “one day later ... one day earlier ... is not that important”.  But I think it's already eight days, and I need your comment.

Associate Spokesman:  The word “deadline” is not one the Secretary-General has ever used, or one that we have used.  As the Secretary-General said in a statement last week, he's encouraged by the positive responses he has been hearing to his plan, and we look forward to hearing from Mr. Denktash.  The Foreign Minister will be seeing Mr. Alvarez de Soto tomorrow in Berlin.  We'll have more on that after the meeting.

Question:  Where's Mr. Denktash?

Associate Spokesman:  I believe he's still here in New York.  I don't know exactly where he physically is.

Question:  Will you have any decision in time for the December meeting?

Associate Spokesman:  I don't want to speculate.  We hope we'll get an answer from Mr. Denktash as soon as he can possibly deliver one to us.

Question:  The Turkish Foreign Minister also said that asking for an answer -- which you accept as a basis for negotiation -- is just diplomatic jargon.  I wonder if the Secretary-General will agree to start the negotiations without having a positive answer from the Turkish Cypriot side.

Associate Spokesman:  I'm not sure I quite understand your question. 

Question:  He said that accepting it [the answer] as a basis for negotiations is just diplomatic jargon.  We can just start negotiating on a basis we don't agree on.  Does the Secretary-General accept this as a formula -- starting the negotiations without having a positive answer?

Associate Spokesman:  The next step for us is to hear from Mr. Denktash.  I can't go any further than that.  We're waiting to hear his preliminary reaction to the plan.  And then we'll take it from there.

Question:  Do you think there's enough time to complete the negotiations before 12 December?

Associate Spokesman:  Things have to start before we can speculate whether or not there's enough time.

Question:  Inaudible.

Associate Spokesman:  It is available now under embargo till 2 p.m. -– another hour and a half.

Question:  Will the Secretary-General call both sides for negotiations here in New York?

Associate Spokesman:  His Special Envoy is meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister tomorrow in Berlin.  The Secretary-General said he will be in touch with the Turkish and the Greek Government as well, directly, and so we are consulting. I don't have any specific information on that.

Briefing by the Spokesman for the Assembly President

Good afternoon.  In his message today on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, President Kavan says that violence against women is an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace and to the eradication of poverty.  Violence against women leads to trauma, fear, insecurity, and impairs women’s physical and psychological integrity. 

His message goes on to say:  “Member States should pursue active and visible strategies vigorously to sensitize the male population, and in particular the law enforcements officials, the military, local police and security officials and those dealing with human rights and humanitarian situations to accord special protection to women.”

The President’s message is available as a press release and on his Web site.

Today, the General Assembly plenary is discussing reports of the Secretary-General on Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations; Special economic assistance to individual countries or regions; and Assistance to the Palestinian people in a joint debate on these agenda items.  Some 29 speakers are inscribed, with the debate continuing this afternoon when the plenary is expected to take action on draft resolutions.

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) is expected to take action this morning on some outstanding draft resolutions on implementation and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.  After decisions on these draft resolutions, the Third Committee is expected to close its work for the main part of the fifty-seventh session.  This was expected to close last Friday, but further time was needed for delegations to negotiate on final wording of the draft resolutions.  So, the Third Committee is expected to finish its work this morning.

Tomorrow the General Assembly will take up the Outcome of the International Year of Volunteers and its follow-up.  And as we heard earlier, World AIDS Day will be observed tomorrow.

Any questions? Thank you. 

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