PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Once again, Africa –- particularly West Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Somalia, Central African Republic and Western Sahara –- would dominate the agenda of the Security Council, its President for the month of July, Inocencio F. Arias of Spain, told correspondents this morning at Headquarters.

Briefing correspondents on the Council’s programme of work for July, Ambassador Arias announced that the Council would hold a public meeting tomorrow, 3 July, on the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK).  Michael Steiner would address the Council for the last time as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Kosovo and Head of UNMIK.  A successor would be appointed shortly.

The implementation of Council resolution 1483 (2003) on Iraq would be the focus of a meeting on 22 July, he said, during which Sergio Vieira de Mello would address the Council for the first time in his capacity as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq.  Also, the Council would discuss its Counter-Terrorism Committee, which Ambassador Arias chaired, on 23 July, and the situation in Côte d’Ivoire, during which the country’s Prime Minister would be present, on 25 July. 

He went on to say that since the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) would expire on 31 July, the Council would also have to decide how to proceed with the plan the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, James A. Baker III, had submitted.  The parties involved would have to give their opinion as well.

Replying to a question on Western Sahara, he said the Council was confronted with a paradoxical situation in which there was a “fair and balanced” plan enthusiastically backed by the Secretary-General, but the parties involved, Morocco and Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLISARIO), had not expressed any enthusiasm.  At the same time, the Council did not seem inclined to impose a solution on the parties, a stance he said, speaking in his national capacity, that Spain had always taken on the issue.

On Liberia, he said the Secretary-General had asked for a robust force, albeit not a large one.  It was important that such a force be led by a country that was able to act quickly.  The Council would wait for the report of the Council’s mission to West Africa, which was expected within five days and would provide a wider perspective, before acting.

Regarding reports that the Council mission had proposed exile for Liberian President Charles Taylor in exchange for immunity, Ambassador Arias said it was not up to the Council to negotiate where President Taylor should go.  There were indeed rumours that Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo had mad an offer to President Taylor.

At the outset of the briefing, the Council President read out a press statement regarding the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  (See Press Release SC/7805 for the full text of the statement.)

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