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

The 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-General

**Guest at the noon briefing

Good afternoon.  Joining us as the guest at the briefing will be Michael Chandler, Chairman of the Monitoring Group on sanctions against Al Qaeda, the Taliban and associates.  He'll be here to brief you on the Group's third report.  I think, if you can tell from the reserved signs we have on the first row here, he expects to have his entire panel with him.

**Statement attributable to the Spokesman

“Today in Pretoria, South Africa, the Congolese parties signed an accord on an all-inclusive power-sharing arrangement for the transition Government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, following intensive negotiations mediated jointly by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, Moustapha Niasse, and the Government of South Africa.

“The Secretary-General welcomes this long-awaited progress in the Congolese peace process as a significant step towards lasting peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region as a whole.  He praised the Congolese parties for their courageous decision to find a peaceful solution to end the suffering of the Congolese people and embark upon a path to reconciliation, reconstruction and development.  He also commends his Special Envoy and the Government of South Africa for their untiring efforts to help the Congolese parties reach this accord.

“The Secretary-General hopes that this accord will be endorsed without delay at the plenary session of the inter-Congolese dialogue, to be convened by the Facilitator, Sir Ketumile Masire.

“The Secretary-General pledges that the United Nations will continue to support the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which promises to enter a transition period, that would, in turn, lead to free, transparent and democratic elections.” 

**Congo

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Kinshasa, Amos Namanga Ngongi, also welcomed the signing of the accord in Pretoria.

The accord, he said, has been made possible by the signatories’ commitment, having managed to overcome their old reflexes of distrust and surpass all their differences for the benefit of the Congolese people who have the right to peace and happiness”, he said.

We have his full statement upstairs.

**Iraq

In Iraq this morning, one United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) biological team inspected the Department of Biotechnology, Baghdad University, while another biological team headed for Mosul to inspect a biological site.

Meanwhile, two UNMOVIC teams of missile inspectors visited separate locations involved in missile activity.  The first was the Oxidiser Production plant, which is engaged in the production of fuel and oxidizer for missiles, such as the Volga/SA-2 and the Al Samood.  The second team inspected the Al-Almeen Factory which produces the motor cases and nozzle housings for the Al-Fet’h and the Al-Abour Missiles. 

Today, an additional eight inspectors from UNMOVIC arrived in Baghdad, bringing the total number of UNMOVIC inspectors to 94.  The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has 19 inspectors.  The grand total of inspectors from UNMOVIC and the IAEA now stands at 113.  The full report is available upstairs.

Concerning the Iraqi declaration, we expect the version edited by UNMOVIC to be available to all members of the Security Council later today.  The same holds for the parts of the declaration edited by the IAEA.

Last Thursday, UNMOVIC’s Executive Chairman, Hans Blix, wrote to Iraqi authorities to ask for the list of personnel who had been associated with their weapons programmes, either now or in the past.  Security Council resolution

1441 gives the inspectors the authority to ask for such a list.

**Kuwait report

Out on the racks is the Secretary-General’s latest report on the issue of the return by Iraq of Kuwaiti property, as well as missing Kuwaitis and third country nationals, in which he gives an account of the activities of the High-Level Coordinator for these issues, Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov.

In the report, the Secretary-General notes that, on the issue of the return of Kuwaiti archives, there have been some encouraging developments, notably the return by Iraq of a first batch of documents in October of this year.  The Secretary-General writes, “I appeal to the Iraqi authorities to redouble their efforts aimed at the return of remaining Kuwaiti property without delay”.

On the issue of repatriation of missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals, progress has been limited despite some new positive elements, the Secretary-General said.

As you’ll recall, last week the Permanent Representative of Iraq, Ambassador Mohammed Al-Douri, wrote to Vorontsov informing him that that the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iraq would welcome his visit to Baghdad.

“It is my sincere hope”, the Secretary-General says in the report, “that this and other developments noted ... are the beginning of a process, which would eventually enable me to report more substantive progress in the near future”.

**Oil-for-food programme

According to the weekly update from the Office of the Iraq Programme, the United Nations and the Government of Iraq have agreed to extend the Memorandum of Understanding for the “oil-for-food” programme for an additional 180 days.  This is phase 13 of the programme.  In terms of oil exports, for the week of

7 December Iraq exported 3.7 million barrels under the programme for an estimated revenue of $84 million.

**Security Council

On the Security Council, the Council at 10:30 this morning held a meeting with troop-contributing countries to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, or UNDOF, in the Golan Heights.  Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hedi Annabi, briefed members on the latest report.  The new United Nations military advisor Major General Patrick Cammaert was introduced.

Council members then went into consultations today on UNDOF with a view to a formal meeting.

And then at 3:30 this afternoon, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Angola, Ibrahim Gambari, will brief the Council on the latest report, first in an open meeting and then in consultations.

Cyprus, which had been scheduled for this morning, has been moved to Wednesday afternoon.

I am told that consultations have adjourned in the Security Council and a formal meeting on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) resolution should be underway shortly.

Also, yesterday afternoon, Terje Roed Larsen, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council in an open meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

Amid a growing consensus on the need for a two-State solution to the Middle East conflict, bloodshed and economic collapse are intensifying in the region, Roed Larsen said.  He urged international efforts to reconcile plans with reality.

Roed Larsen also noted that the road map for peace outlined by the diplomatic Quartet provides the best tool to achieve this goal.

The Council then moved into closed consultations to continue the discussion.  During those consultations, a draft resolution on the recent deaths of three United Nations workers in the occupied Palestinian territory was introduced.

**Security Council mission to Belgrade

The Security Council mission, headed by Ambassador Ole Peter Kolby of Norway, ended its visit to Kosovo and Belgrade today, with Ambassador Kolby holding a press conference in Belgrade to say that the delegation had met yesterday with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic and other senior officials.

During those meetings, he said, the Council members stressed the importance of Belgrade’s full cooperation with Council resolutions on Kosovo and with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.  Also, he said, the delegation had emphasized that outstanding issues in Kosovo can only be resolved by dialogue among all affected parties, and that Kosovo Serbs should be encouraged to participate fully in Kosovo’s institutions.

The Council mission is headed back to New York, where it will report back to the Security Council on its four-day visit to the region.

We have a press release upstairs and also the full transcript of Ambassador Kolby’s press conference.  Also, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo issued a release today, noting that the certifications for the budgets of

24 municipalities in Kosovo have been found to be in order, allowing for greater authority to be devolved to those municipalities.

**Statement attributable to the Spokesman on Venezuela

We have a statement attributable to the Spokesman concerning the situation in Venezuela. 

“The Secretary-General reiterates full support for the mediation efforts undertaken in Venezuela by the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States, Cesar Gaviria.  These talks provide an opportunity which must not be missed to find a peaceful political solution to the present crisis on the basis of constitutionality.

“The Secretary-General urges the Government and the opposition to cooperate in earnest with Mr. Gaviria’s efforts and to refrain from behaviour that disrupts normal life in Venezuela and may sharpen tensions.”

**Afghanistan

On Afghanistan, in a message to the meeting of the Afghan Support Group, the Secretary-General urges the international community to continue to invest in the recovery and security of Afghanistan.

He notes the many achievements in the past twelve months in the country, and stresses:  “The changes in the political and security landscape of Afghanistan are inextricably linked to the resolution of the humanitarian plight still facing millions of Afghans, and to the essential requirement for accelerated social and economic reconstruction”.

His message was delivered by the Special Representative, Lakhadar Brahimi, who also addressed the Oslo meeting.  Brahimi reminded the audience that a year ago, when in Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, the Secretary-General invited people to think about a little girl born in far away Afghanistan, as a symbol of the need for international solidarity and cooperation.  Brahimi invited the audience to keep thinking of the need of that little girl born today and the respective responsibilities that the international community has to that girl.

At today’s meeting, an appeal for the amount of $815 million was launched for the 2003 United Nations Transitional Assistance Programme for Afghanistan.

Both the Secretary-General’s message and that of Mr. Brahimi are available in my office.

**International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

Witness testimony in the sentencing hearing for former Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic wrapped up today in The Hague, with the prosecution and defence to present their closing arguments tomorrow.

Among those testifying today were former United Nations envoy for the Balkans, Carl Bildt, and former United States Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia has marked the importance of the proceedings underway, which are the first time that any politician in the former Yugoslavia has accepted responsibility for actions during the Bosnian war.

Plavsic, you'll recall, entered a guilty plea for one count of persecution as a crime against humanity –- a broad category that incorporates mass killings, the detention and mistreatment of non-Serbs and the destruction of property.

**International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice, or world court, ruled today that Malaysia has sovereignty over Pulau Ligitan and Pulau Sipidan, two small islands off the north-eastern coast of the island of Borneo that had also been claimed by Indonesia.

In its judgment, which was decided by a vote of 16 in favour and one against, the world court found that neither party had a treaty-based title to the islands; consequently, the Court determined whether the two nations’ claims to sovereignty were based on evidence of an actual, continued exercise of authority over the islands.  It was on that basis that the Court ruled in favour of Malaysia.  We have a press release with more details.

**Guinea-Bissau

The Secretary-General’s report on developments in Guinea-Bissau and on the activities of the United Nations Peace-building Support Office in that country is out on the racks today.

He says that the political, economic and social situation in Guinea-Bissau continues to be of great concern.  He notes there has been no resort to violence and it is clear that the people of Guinea-Bissau are united in their desire for peace, but adds that political developments have not been encouraging.

**Population Conference

The Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference concluded today with the adoption by consensus of a “Plan of Action on Population and Poverty”, which addressed population issues as a key contribution to reducing poverty and meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

However, the United States expressed strong reservations about two sections of the Plan of Action, which relate to reproductive rights and reproductive health services, as well as adolescent reproductive health.

To address the continuing problem of poverty in the region, the document urges governments to “ensure that demographic and population factors are fully integrated into all levels of planning, in particular addressing the needs of the poor and the disadvantaged”.

In a press release today, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) hailed the pledge by the governments to give priority to population and reproductive health concerns in their work to reduce poverty.  Nearly

600 participants from about 40 member countries participated in the two-day meeting.  You can get more details on the Plan of Action in my office.

**Secretary-General Remarks

The Secretary-General and his wife, Nane, will be going to the United Nations Book Shop at 1:30 today, where the Secretary-General will speak at the launch of David Rockefeller’s Memoirs, where the author will also speak and sign copies of his book.

And then this evening, at about 8 p.m., the Secretary-General will speak at a ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, at which Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations is to be named officially after John Whitehead, the former chairman of the United Nations Association of the United States.  He will draw attention to the role that Whitehead has played in informing the United States public about United Nations work.  We have embargoed copies of his remarks upstairs.

**Press Releases

The World Health Organization (WHO) today presented a report to the Government of China on the link between sustainable development and investment in health and its implications for the Chinese economy.  The report, written by WHO's Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, finds that investment in health strongly contributes to economic growth and development and recommends that focus should be on the deadliest and most debilitating diseases.

And then in a second press release, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which is the arm of the World Health Organization operating in the Americas, today issued a new report on the operations of tobacco companies in the region.  The report shows that, in the last 10 years, transnational tobacco companies have conducted active campaigns of deception regarding the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke.

**Signings

This morning, Canada became the 100th country to ratify the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

**Budget

And budget news, Seychelles became the 116th Member State to pay its regular budget contribution in full and that with payment of just over $22,000.

**Questions and Answers

Question: What was the nature of that chemical that the inspectors found in Iraq?

Spokesman: Any technical questions like that I'd ask you to make to the UNMOVIC Spokesman.

Question: Do you have a date for Vorontsov to go?

Spokesman: No, we haven't announced one, and we don't have one yet.

Spokesman for the General Assembly President

Good afternoon.  In his message for International Migrants Day, which is observed on 18 December, President Kavan says that “through past decades, many States have experienced a large rise in the number of migrants, and estimates by the International Migration Organization show that the international community has to be prepared for a further huge increase in the future”. 

While recognizing that there are both positive as well as negative aspects to the question of migration, the President’s message stresses that “the debate on migration should not polarize the international community since the protection of human rights of migrants is not incompatible with either the exercise of sovereignty by States or the practical implementation of national security.  Effective policies are needed to prevent illegal migration, starting in the countries of origin via transit countries to destination countries.  This is absolutely essential if we are serious about halting the spread of organized transnational crime networks”.

President Kavan calls for countries to reaffirm their commitment towards overcoming these challenges on a basis that respects the right of migrants, as well as the rule of law.

There is no General Assembly plenary today, but tomorrow the plenary will take decisions on Third Committee reports, and on Friday is expected to take up Second Committee reports.

Yesterday afternoon, the Fifth Committee concluded its work for the main part of this session after taking decisions on a number of outstanding draft

resolutions including pattern of conferences and the proposed programme budget 2004-2005.  The Committee’s first resumed session will take place from 3 to

28 March and its second resumed session from 5 to 30 May 2003.

Any questions?  Thank you.

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