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 Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Richard Sydenham, Spokesman for the General Assembly President.

Briefing by Spokesman for Secretary-General

Good afternoon.

**Guests

We have two guests, or we’ll shortly have two guests at today’s briefing:  Antonio Maria Costa, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and Sandeep Chawla, chief of that Office’s Research Section, who will present a study that has been released today, called “The Opium Economy in Afghanistan:  An International Problem”.

After I’m done with my briefing to you, they will step up here to describe the report and they also have a PowerPoint presentation to go with it.  There are press releases and executive summaries of the report available from my office and I think we have a limited number at the side of the room here.

**Saturday Statement on Space Shuttle

We issued the following statement about the space shuttle Columbia on Saturday.  But I’d just like to read it into the record:

“The Secretary-General was deeply saddened by the tragedy that struck the space shuttle Columbia and the seven astronauts on board.  His thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who perished on this mission.  He extends his condolences to the Government and people of the United States, as well as to the Governments and peoples of India and Israel, which also lost crew members in the tragedy.  Because the exploration of space knows no national boundaries, the loss of the Columbia is a loss to all humankind”.

**Statement:  Urgent Humanitarian Action Needed for DPRK

Maurice Strong has reported to the Secretary-General on his recent mission to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) concerning humanitarian and other issues of mutual concern.  The Personal Envoy has recommended exceptional action in light of the seriousness of the humanitarian situation facing the country. 

Based on the recommendations of his Personal Envoy and deeply concerned about the need to prevent an impending tragedy, the Secretary-General has decided to seek additional donor support to ensure, at least for the next several months, that the humanitarian pipeline for the DPRK does not dry up.  The Secretary-General counts on donors to respond expeditiously to the urgent food and medical needs of the most vulnerable in North Korea.  We have the full text available in my office.

**North Korea

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that its Board of Governors will meet next week, on Wednesday, February 12, to discuss the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  That meeting, which follows an earlier meeting on the DPRK by the Board of Governors on 6 January, will take place in the afternoon.

**Statement on Côte d’Ivoire

We have the following statement on Côte d’Ivoire:

“The Linas-Marcoussis Agreement negotiated by the various Ivorian parties and endorsed by the Paris Conference of Heads of State on 26 January, represents an important first step towards restoring peace and stability to a reunified Côte d’Ivoire.  In associating itself with that agreement, the United Nations reaffirmed its determination to continue to contribute to all efforts aimed at bringing the conflict and the suffering of the Ivorian people to an end.

“In addition to condemning violence and appealing for calm, the Secretary-General once again calls on all Ivorians, and particularly the political leaders, to work towards making this agreement a concrete first step towards peace.  He also renews his appeal to the international community to continue to support the efforts of the Ivorian people.”

**Côte d’Ivoire -- Humanitarian

Meanwhile, Carolyn McAskie, the Secretary-Generals’ Humanitarian Envoy for the Crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, concluded a three-day mission to Liberia today.  Over the weekend, McAskie visited locations where some of the 70,000 people have been displaced into Liberia by the violence in Côte d’Ivoire.  Later today, she is scheduled to arrive in Guinea, where she will be looking at the impact the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire is having on that country. 

**Security Council

Germany has replaced France as the Security Council presidency for the month of February.  There are no meetings or consultations scheduled for today.

German Ambassador Gunter Pleuger is holding bilateral meetings with other Council members today on the programme of work for the month.  And then the Ambassador is scheduled to hold a press conference here at 12.30 p.m. tomorrow to present that programme to you.

This afternoon at 3:30 p.m., a Security Council sanctions committee meeting on Liberia is taking place in Conference Room 7.

On Friday afternoon, the Security Council members discussed the U.S. request for a meeting to allow Secretary of State Colin Powell to make a presentation on Iraq.  Council members agreed to hold an open ministerial meeting on Wednesday at 10.30 a.m. in the Security Council Chamber.  The German Council presidency says that, so far, 12 foreign ministers are expected to attend the meeting, which will be chaired by Germany's Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.

As for the regular reports from Baghdad on the inspectors activities; we’re still waiting for today’s report to come in and when it arrives we’ll let you know.

**Lebanon

In a statement issued today in Beirut, Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General’s Personal Representative for Southern Lebanon, said the UN is deeply concerned that air violations by Israel across the Blue Line are continuing to take place and, in fact, seem to have increased in the past few days.

Reports indicate that these overflights have taken place in various regions of Lebanon, sometimes at low altitude and over populated areas.  There have also been reports of anti-aircraft fire emanating from Lebanon and directed across the Blue Line.

The UN, de Mistura said, again calls on all parties to refrain from all further violations, and cautions them that such actions serve only to heighten tension.  He reiterates that one violation does not justify another.  The full copy of the statement is upstairs.

**International Criminal Court

The Assembly of States Parties for the International Criminal Court (ICC) resumed its session this morning, and tomorrow, starting at 10 a.m. in Conference Room 4, the 87 States that have ratified the ICC’s statute will begin the very first election of the Court’s judges.

Eighteen judges are to be elected, from a pool of 43 candidates, including 10 women.  Of the 18 judges that are to be elected, six will serve for three-year terms, six for six-year terms and six for nine-year terms. Eventually, all judges will serve nine-year, non-renewable terms.

The Court will be inaugurated in The Hague on 11 March, and the judges that are to be elected this week will be sworn in then.

**Kosovo

On Saturday, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Kosovo, Michael Steiner, visited the city of Mitrovica and met with the leaders of its municipal assembly, whom he took to the northern section of the city to see the Kosovo Trust Agency, which is currently undergoing renovation.  We have more information in a press release from the Mission.

**Secretariat for the Indigenous

A new Office, “the Secretariat for the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues”, started operations last week within the UN Secretariat.  Its job is to assist the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in carrying out its mandate, which covers the six areas of economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.  In view of the significance of the Permanent Forum, Nitin Desai, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, established the Secretariat as a branch within the Division for Social Policy and Development.  You can find more information in a press release upstairs.

**Press releases

Two other press releases to highlight for you:

In Nairobi today, the importance of the United Nations to Kenya was underlined at a groundbreaking ceremony for an expansion of the United Nations Headquarters there in Nairobi.  Klaus Toepfer, Director-General of the United Nations Environment Programme, said that the expansion to the existing site will be completed by 2005 and will provide additional space for UN-HABITAT, which was recently expanded to a full-fledged programme.   He added that the total value of the United Nations to the Kenyan economy was more than $350 million annually, greater than many conventional industries contribute.

In the second press release, again by UNEP, they unveiled a report on the threat of mercury to the environment.  The Global Mercury Assessment, compiled by an international team of experts, says that mercury from coal-fired power stations and waste incinerators now accounts for 70 per cent of new man-made mercury emissions in the atmosphere.  Most of these sources are in developing countries.  Mercury can travel for thousands of miles in the atmosphere, polluting places far away from the original site.  You can read the report on the UNEP Web site.

**Budget

Finally, budget news for today.  There were no additional payments of 2003 regular budget contributions on Friday.  So, the total of fully-paid-up members stands as it was on Friday, at 35, which is five behind last year’s total of

40.  All 191 are supposed to be paid up at the end of January.  Any Member State which has not so far paid its contribution in full for this year is now considered to be in arrears, as the end of the 30-day due period was Friday,

31 January.  On the peacekeeping side, Australia today made a payment of more than $14 million to the peacekeeping budgets.

That’s all I have for you.  We’ll have Richard talk to you quickly about the General Assembly, but I can take any questions that you might have.

Questions and Answers

Question:  Do you have any official word on Dr. Blix’s timing, his visit to Baghdad?

Spokesman:  I don’t think I have that.  Hold on let me see what I’ve got here.  Their trip is planned for 8 and 9 February.  That’s all I have.  Anything else?  Yes?

Question:  There are some reports saying that the Secretary-General is intending to revise his peace plan on Cyprus for the third time.  Do you have anything to say on that?

Spokesman:  No, I don’t think I want to speculate about any further revision of the plan.  I think we want to quietly let them go about their business.  They’ve got a short month to the next deadline.  Yes?

Question:  What does the Secretary-General hope the ministers will accomplish on Wednesday when Secretary Powell comes to visit?

Spokesman:  He has said that the other members of the Council, in fact all other members of the United Nations, are looking forward to the presentation and we’ll have to see what Secretary Powell brings to the table.

Question:  Is he looking for something specific to come from this meeting?  Some kind of consensus?

Spokesman for the Secretary-General:  You’ll have to ask Secretary Powell what he expects to come from the meeting.  He’s asked for it.

Question:  What is the Secretary-General’s view on Mr. Blix’s return to Baghdad?

Spokesman:  He would not get in the middle of that.  Blix reports directly to the Security Council, not to the Secretary-General.  But, they have spoken over the weekend about that trip.  I am sure there is complete harmony as far as Blix’s plans and the Secretary-General’s preferences.

Question:  Was this trip requested by the Security Council or Mr. Blix?  Is he going on his own?

Spokesman:  No.  It was Iraq who extended an invitation and Blix who decided to accept it.  And Mr. ElBaradei.  They’re going together.  Yes?

Question:   On Côte d’Ivoire, the Secretary-General underlined the importance of the Lina-Marcoussis agreement and calls for its implementation.  The President of South Africa says that the masses in Abidjan have rejected the agreement.  Does the Secretary-General disagree with the President of South Africa?

Spokesman:  He has spoken with President Mbeki over the weekend, as well as with several other African leaders -- Nigeria’s President Obasanjo.  This morning he spoke to President Chirac.  He’s watching Côte d’Ivoire very, very carefully.  He remains convinced, though, as we said in the statement this morning, that this agreement concluded in Paris a week ago is the best chance to avoid the disintegration of Côte d’Ivoire.  He calls on all the political leaders, as well as the general public, to show wisdom and to use this agreement as the first step towards reunifying the country, holding it together.  It’s a very serious situation.  Côte d’Ivoire contributes about 40 per cent to the economy of all of French West Africa, more precisely, members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union.  And, if the situation continues to deteriorate there, you’re going to feel it well beyond the borders of Côte d’Ivoire.

Okay.  Richard, and then we’ll go to Mr. Costa.

**Spokesman for General Assembly President

Good afternoon.

President Kavan was shocked and saddened by the tragedy that befell the space shuttle Columbia and its crew on Saturday.  His thoughts and condolences go out to the families of the seven astronauts who lost their lives.  He also extends his condolences to the Governments and people of the United States, India and Israel, who lost crew members in the tragedy.  The President pays tribute to the courage and invincible spirit of the astronauts and their endeavours.

Late last Friday, the General Assembly concluded elections to fill

11 seats for permanent judges on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, re-electing seven incumbent judges, as well as four new judges from Argentina, Fiji, Pakistan and Russia.  We have a press release from the Tribunal with more details.

Just a brief resume of meetings this week:  The second meeting of the ad hoc working group on integrated follow-up to the outcomes of major UN conferences and summits in the economic and social fields meets this afternoon, and other meetings are expected to continue throughout this week.

Any questions?

Thank you.

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