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

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Hua Jiang, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.  Sorry that I am late, but we tried to put in the latest from Geneva.

**IAEA

A few minutes ago, Dr. ElBaradei announced that the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency has just adopted a resolution calling on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply with its obligations vis-à-vis the non-proliferation treaty.

The resolution gives the DPRK one more chance to come into compliance, but if it fails to comply fully, the IAEA will have to report the matter to the Security Council.  We expect to have the resolution available shortly.

**UNMOVIC

We have our usual briefing notes from Baghdad available upstairs.

The inspectors from both the IAEA and the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission continued to visit a wide variety of sites in the past three days in and around the Iraqi capital.  The sites visited include a former uranium enrichment facility, an alcohol factory, the College of Agriculture at Baghdad University and the Al-Rasheed Central Military Medical laboratory.  Meanwhile, the UNMOVIC inspectors based in Mosul also visited a teaching hospital, as well as the site of a free-trade zone.

**Vorontsov

The United Nations High Level Coordinator for the repatriation or return of the Kuwaiti and third-country nationals, or their remains, and of Kuwaiti property, including their archives from Iraq, Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov, is expected to travel to Baghdad on 17 January for meetings with Iraqi officials on 18 and 19 January.  He will further travel to Kuwait for meetings there.

This will be the High Level Coordinator’s first visit to Baghdad.  In a letter sent on 12 December, Iraq’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Naji Sabri, had invited Vorontsov to visit the Iraqi capital.  Ambassador Vorontsov plans to visit Amman, Cairo, where he will meet with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, and Jeddah for a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

**Statement on Tel Aviv Bombing

The following is a statement attributable to the Spokesman of the Secretary-General:

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the double suicide bombing by Palestinian militants yesterday in Tel Aviv that killed at least

23 people and wounded more than 100.  He sends his deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims.  The Secretary-General reiterates his long-standing position that such terrorist bombings are morally reprehensible and completely unjustified.  They also run counter to every effort to find a peaceful solution to the current crisis.

“Violence cannot solve the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  The Secretary-General calls on all Palestinians to pursue non-violent policies, as embodied in the international effort to end the crisis through the Quartet and its road map for a just and comprehensive peace.  Mindful of the tragic killings that shatter lives on both sides, the Secretary-General also urges the Government of Israel to act with restraint in responding to this deadly attack and to help de-escalate the current violence.”

Statements condemning the attack were also issued by the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Terje Roed Larsen, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.  Both of these are available upstairs.

**Statement on death of Lord Jenkins

The following is another statement attributable to the Spokesman of the Secretary-General:

“The Secretary-General was saddened to learn of the death of Lord Jenkins, the British politician, intellectual and writer.  He regrets the loss of this great statesman who distinguished himself through his vision and integrity, as well as his life-long commitment to the European cause.  The Secretary-General extends his condolences to Lord Jenkins' family, and to his many friends and colleagues in the United Kingdom and around the world.”

  **James Baker

And another statement:

“James A. Baker, III, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara is scheduled to visit the region from 14 to 17 January 2003.  Mr. Baker will visit Rabat, Algiers, Tindouf and Nouakchott for meetings with the Governments of Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania and the leadership of the Frente POLISARIO.

During his mission, Mr. Baker will present and explain to the parties and neighbouring countries a proposal for a political solution of the conflict over Western Sahara, which provides for self-determination, as requested by Security Council resolution 1429 (2002) of 30 July 2002.

**Cambodia

This morning, an exploratory meeting began with a Cambodian delegation on the establishment of a special court to try Khmer Rouge leaders, with United Nations Legal Counsel Hans Corell leading the United Nations delegation and Sok An, Senior Minister in charge of the Council of Ministers, heading Cambodia’s delegation.

The Secretary-General invited Cambodia to send representatives to New York for this exploratory meeting in a letter sent to Prime Minister Hun Sen on

19 December last year, just one day after the General Assembly requested him to resume negotiations on setting up Extraordinary Chambers within Cambodia’s existing court structure to try Khmer Rouge leaders.  Under the terms of that General Assembly resolution, the Secretary-General is requested to report on progress within 90 days; that is, by 18 March.

**Security Council

The Security Council is holding its first consultations of the new year.  Under the French presidency, members are discussing the programme of work for the month of January.  They will also discuss the new line-up of the chairs and vice-chairs of the various Council committees for 2003.  Council President, Ambassador Jean Marc de la Sabliere of France, will speak to you here at 12:45 p.m.  The French mission says the ambassador’s remarks and the January Council programme will be made available to you at that time.

**Afghanistan

The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations,Jean-Marie Guéhenno, arrived in Kabul last Friday for a five-day visit.  On Friday he met with United Nations Mission officials and on Saturday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Foreign Minister Abdullar Abdullah and Minister of Defence Mohammad Fahim.  He also visited Kandahar and the Zar-e-Dasht camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs).  He will depart from Afghanistan on Tuesday.

**Sierra Leone

The Secretary-General’s latest report, his sixteenth on Sierra Leone to the Security Council, is out on the racks today.  The report notes that the challenges accompanying the drawdown process of United Nations troops can be expected to increase, but the United Nations mission does not foresee any major security problems that it would not be able to surmount.

The Secretary-General also notes that the emerging conflict in Côte d'Ivoire, with reported involvement of former armed elements from both Liberia and Sierra Leone, has complicated the nature of conflict in Sierra Leone's neighbourhood.  He says, “The worrisome development gives added urgency to the need for a comprehensive regional approach”.  In this regard, the Secretary-General says he is “greatly encouraged by the Security Council’s proposal to develop a comprehensive strategy among the international community to address the situation and to send an assessment mission to the region in early 2003”.  The report is expected to be discussed in the Council later this week.

**Budget

On the budget, we have a couple more Member States making full payment of their 2003 regular budget contributions today.  Iceland made a payment of more

than $445,000 and Turkmenistan made a payment of more than $40,000.  A total of 12 Member States have paid their contributions in full so far this year.

That’s all I have for you.  Any questions?  Yes, please.

**Questions and Answers    

Question:  I have two questions regarding North Korea.  Is there any plan that the Secretary-General is going to send an envoy to North Korea?  And two, if so, when will it be?  I hear that it’d mainly be for humanitarian purposes.  Is there any possibility that that envoy is going to talk on the North Korea nuclear issue?

Deputy Spokesman:  Some of you may have already seen reported in the press that the Secretary-General is going to send his Special Advisor Mr. Maurice Strong to the region.  Mr. Strong will travel to Beijing some time today and he will spend some time in Beijing before he flies on to North Korea.  And the purpose of his mission is to assess the humanitarian need in that country.  And Mr. Strong, as Special Advisor to the Secretary-General, has been involved in the humanitarian operations in that country for some time.

Question:  Is there any possibility that he is going to talk on the nuclear issue?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, the main purpose of his visit is to assess the humanitarian need in the country, as I have just said, but he is willing to listen to whatever the North Koreans will bring up.  Yes, please?

Question:  Any comments regarding Saddam Hussein’s accusation that there is spying by United Nations staff in Iraq?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, since that inspection started we have had accusations from all sides and all corners of the world and we are not going to comment on every one of them.  But, as you know, the inspection teams are still carrying out their daily inspections without any major obstructions from the Iraqi side and we will keep on the work there.  Yes, please?

Question:  What is the main purpose of Mr. Blix’s visit in Baghdad later this month? 

Deputy Spokesman:  We still don’t have any details on his visit.  I am sure that you have seen reports that he will be traveling to the country on the invitation of the Iraqi Government and we don’t know the exact date of his trip and we don’t have the agenda of the talks yet.  Okay, thank you.

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