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.

Good Afternoon.

I’m going to be reading you statements on the Middle East, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and I pray for your attention.  But we will start with Iraq.

**Security Council

Around 10:25 this morning, the Security Council began closed consultations on Iraq, as you know.

The meeting is taking place in the formal chamber as the consultations room is being refurbished this week.

The Secretary-General is attending the consultations and is expected to brief members on staff security.

Prior to the consultations, the United Kingdom, the United States and Spain all said they will not pursue a vote on their draft resolution.

A joint declaration issued over the weekend by France, Germany and Russia is out as a Security Council document.  The declaration, among other things, proposes a ministerial level meeting, to approve key disarmament tasks and establish an implementation timetable.  [The Council President subsequently announced that the high-level meeting will take place on Wednesday.]

**Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

Now to my statements.  We will start with the Middle East:

“The Secretary-General strongly deplores Israel’s continuing raids in the Gaza Strip.  These have already killed at least 12 people in the course of yesterday and today, including a four-year-old girl shot in the chest and a young American peace activist run over by a bulldozer.  He sends his deepest condolences to the families of the innocent victims.”

“The Secretary-General is especially troubled that Israel appears to be flouting a central tenet of international humanitarian law, which requires it to take all possible measures to protect the civilian population during military operations.”

**Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on Central African Republic

The second involves developments in the Central African Republic:

“The Secretary-General has been following with deep concern the recent developments in the Central African Republic.  He forcefully condemns the military coup d’etat that took place over the weekend and the violence and pillaging that accompanied it.  He deeply regrets that such an act comes at a time when the Central African people and Government were embarking on an inclusive national dialogue.”

“The Secretary-General calls for the speedy restoration of the constitutional order and for the respect and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the civilian population.”

**Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

The third statement has to do with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC):

“The Secretary-General is very concerned by the rapidly deteriorating situation in Ituri, in particular the dangerous rise in the tensions between Rwanda and Uganda.  Everything must be done to ensure that further military confrontations do not erupt in this region, as they would undermine the recent hard-won gains in the peace process.”

“The Secretary-General calls on all concerned to immediately establish the Ituri Pacification Commission and to work within that framework towards a peaceful solution to the situation in Ituri.  It is essential that all parties, including neighbouring States, cooperate in this process.

“The Secretary-General again calls on all foreign forces to withdraw from the territory of the DRC, in accordance with their previous commitments, in order to pave the way for a lasting peace in the region.  He is committed to working closely with all parties to ensure their concerns are met through peaceful means.”

**Cambodia

We have some good news from Cambodia.  The delegations from the United Nations and Cambodia have reached a draft agreement concerning the prosecution under Cambodian law of crimes committed during the period of Democratic Kampuchea.

In a statement to the press, Hans Corell, the head of the UN delegation and the UN Legal Counsel, spelled out the main features of the text with respect to the courts, potential indictees, and the court procedure.

In explaining the difference in the situation between now and February last year, when the Secretary-General withdrew from the process, Corell said that the General Assembly has taken responsibility for the process and it would now be for the Assembly to examine the result of our negotiations and decide whether it is acceptable.  The matter must also go through the parliament of Cambodia for approval.

The Secretary-General is expected to send a brief first report to the Assembly as requested by its resolution 57/228.

We have the full text of Mr. Corell’s statement upstairs which will give you quite a bit more detail about the agreement reached.

**DPRK

On Korea, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Maurice Strong, will again visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 18 to

22 March 2003.  The Personal Envoy will discuss with the DPRK Government progress on the emergency appeal by the Secretary-General to meet the immediate humanitarian needs in North Korea.  Mr. Strong will also share with the Government the results of his intensive meetings and consultations on other issues of mutual interest and concern.

Also on Korea, on 14 March, the Republic of Korea (RoK) wrote to the Secretary-General in response to his personal appeal for the DPRK.  In the letter, the RoK announced contributions of 100,000 metric tons of food to the World Food Programme; $700,000 to the World Health Organization for the prevention of malaria outbreak; and $500,000 to UNICEF to assist children and other vulnerable groups.

The Secretary-General has written to President Roh Moo-hyun to thank him for his generous contribution, which will allow UN agencies to continue to provide life-saving assistance to North Koreans. 

**Myanmar

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, will visit that country at the invitation of the Government from 19 to 26 March 2003.

He will seek to update himself on the issues that he has looked at during his previous missions, and he will also discuss with Myanmar authorities his proposal for an independent assessment of allegations of human rights violations in ethnic minority areas, including in Shan State, under the auspices of his mandate.

Still on human rights, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan visited Turkmenistan from 13 to 15 March, concluding an official trip to countries in Central Asia.

We have a press release with more details in my office.

**World Health Organization Health warning

The World Health Organization's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network is coordinating an international effort to identify the cause of the outbreak Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS.  Eleven laboratories in 10 countries are participating in the effort, which will improve the precision with which diagnoses can be made.  WHO is also working with national health authorities in many countries to identify an effective treatment for SARS.

On Saturday, the World Health Organization issued a travel warning after receiving reports of more than 150 new suspected cases in the past week.

WHO issued emergency guidance for travelers and airlines, that does not restrict travel to any destination but advises anyone who has symptoms of the illness not to travel until they have recovered.  Symptoms include high fever, coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing.

We have a press release upstairs. 

**Liberia

Fighting between Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the Liberian government forces in Liberia’s Bong County has caused an estimated 15,000 persons to flee toward a town already hosting 60,000 displaced persons.

The UN humanitarian community in Liberia has dispatched a team to the area.

**Mrs. Annan at World Water Forum

At the third World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan today, Mrs. Nane Annan, wife of the Secretary-General, addressed a session on ‘Sanitation, Water Supply and Water Pollution:  for better health and sustainable environment’.  Emphasizing the need for hygiene education as well as affordable, healthy water and sanitation systems, she said, “Without hygiene, water and sanitation can only go so far”.  Almost 6,000 children die from diarrhoeal diseases every day and “this to a large extent is preventable” through hygiene education,

Mrs. Annan said.

Tomorrow in Kyoto, Mrs. Annan will help launch a joint UNICEF/WSSCC ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools’ campaign to ensure safe water and clean, separate sanitation facilities for boys and girls in primary schools, as well as hygiene education.

**Signing

The last item for you today is a signing that took place on Friday.  Guatemala became the twentieth country to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.  This ratification fulfilled the condition for entry into force of the Convention, which will now take place on 1 July 2003.  Yes?

Questions and Answers

Question:   What is the Secretary-General’s first reaction after the withdrawal of the second resolution?

Spokesman:  I think you should ask him that when and if he comes out to the stake out after this session.  So, he chose not to make any statements to the press on his arrival this morning and he’s sitting in the consultations now.  And I believe he’ll be making a statement to the Council concerning the safety and security of UN staff in Iraq.  And we hope when he comes out he will tell you what that statement is.  And if he doesn’t, then he’ll tell us what to tell you.  Yes?

Question:   Can you please clarify if there is an official statement by the Secretary-General telling the UN inspectors to get out; to leave Iraq?  It was on CNN as a quotation.

Spokesman:  What was shown on CNN?

Question:   On CNN it was “Secretary-General Kofi Annan ordered the UN inspectors to leave Iraq” in quotes.

Spokesman:  When I left the Council 15 minutes ago he hadn’t yet addressed the Council.  So, let him address the Council and then he’ll come out and tell you what he said.  Yes?

Question:   Could you explain what the situation was with the Council, the consultation room, and the renovations, why they first of all, met downstairs?

Spokesman:  For some time now, I think it was a contribution from the Government of Germany, there was to have been a slight renovation of the consultation chamber.  And that work was to start today.  And so, they had previously agreed to move all consultations down to room 7.  Given the large number of members of delegations who are members of the Council who wanted to attend today’s session, they decided conference room 7 would be much too crowded.  And I guess to your disadvantage, they made a last-minute decision to bring the members up to the formal meeting room and hold the closed consultations in the formal meeting room.  And I saw all of you running desperately to get back up to the second floor; I apologize for that.

Question:   There was not any thought of putting the renovations off because of the kind of day it was?

Spokesman:      Certain individuals suggested that might be a good idea, but I think the plans had been in place for too long to make any changes.  It is a bureaucracy.

Question:   And is it true that it was basically renovations to the seats?

Spokesman:  I think that’s all it is.  I think they’re just re-surfacing or recovering the seats.  Yes, Liz?

Question:   We know that Blix just got a call from a Washington official and Annan got a call from Negroponte last night.  What can you tell us about those calls and any details about the word from the US “Here is your advice to withdraw inspectors?”

Spokesman:  Oh, you’ll have to ask the Americans what they told the people they called and the Secretary-General will have to talk to you when he gets out of the Council chamber.  It’s a fair question to put to him.  Serge?

Question:   Fred Eckhard, a housekeeping matter.  We used to have a liaison office with Washington (inaudible)…he used to be in charge of this.  Since the relationship has become a little tough with Washington now, what happened to this office?

Spokesman:  Still there, alive and kicking.  The Director is Catherine O’Neil, a US national.  And they’re very active in Washington monitoring Congress, legislative initiatives, reporting back to the Secretary-General’s office as well as to the Information Department. So, that is one of the 60 to

70 information centres that we have in countries around the world.

Question:   Fred Eckhard, in the past at a time of a tough situation it was used not as an information centre.  It was used as a liaison.  Are we going to do the same thing with… (inaudible)

Spokesman:  I think these information centres are just that.  They’re not embassies.  And Member States in approving this idea of creating them in the mid-1940s made it clear that they did not want the UN to have embassies around the world.  So, they’re just purely information centres.  Yes, sir?

Question:      (Inaudible) on what it means for the UN to be US’s (inaudible).  Don’t you think that’s unilateral?

Spokesman:  Well, first we don’t know that unilateral action is going to be taken.  One of the things the members of the Council are discussing now is the latest diplomatic initiative by Germany, France and Russia.  I think they all recognize that the minutes are ticking away and there may not be many of them left.  But they have not at this moment given up the diplomatic solution.  So, let’s just hope against hope.  Yes?

Question:   May I just follow up?  A different approach to that question, I think it was Ari Fleischer who just not too long ago said that the diplomatic window was closed.  So, what is your on that?

Spokesman:  Well, there are 14 other members of the Council and three of them launched an initiative this weekend and the Council members are discussing it now.  I don’t know concerning the last part of your question about the future of the United Nations.  When the Secretary-General said that the UN’s work concerns much more than Iraq, I think we can say even should there be military action of any kind, either approved by the Council or not, the UN will have a huge amount of work to do.  If you look at the Azores communiqué, and look at the text carefully, there is a suggestion of a rather ambitious role for the United Nations in post-war Iraq.  We have not been formally told of this in any detail.  But from our experience in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Bosnia, we’re kind of used to having surprises sprung on us.  So, we have been doing a lot of contingency thinking about the many different roles the UN might be asked to play by the Security Council.  And of course, our humanitarian agencies, even without a Security Council mandate have mandates of their own to assist the victims of war and catastrophes.  So, I think we’re going to have our hands full in Iraq with or without military action.  And the agenda is much broader than that. 

Question:   I am sure you do remember the exact quote from Dr…. (?) “We never start it but we always have to clean it up?”  What were the exact words?

Spokesman:  Well, the UN is a bit of a clean-up brigade.  But of course, we put a lot of emphasis in recent years, at least in 10 years or so, on conflict prevention.  And of course conflict prevention is built right into the Charter.  But conflict prevention as a kind of proactive political initiative to

identify early on when conflicts arise, proactively deal with them diplomatically to try to prevent them from erupting into crises; that is something that we’ve been working energetically on in the last 10 years or so.  But when that fails, then you need the mop up brigade.

Thank you very much.

Richard has something on the General Assembly.

      Spokesman for General Assembly President

Good afternoon.

General Assembly President Kavan is in Washington today for a meeting with World Bank President James Wolfensohn.

The main subjects to be discussed will be cooperation between the UN, the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Bank and preparation of the High-Level Dialogue on financing for development meeting, which is to take place later this year.  Also to be discussed, the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on integrated follow up to major UN conferences, which is chaired by Mr. Kavan.

Following the meeting, President Kavan will be attending a luncheon with senior Bank officials on the invitation of the President of the World Bank.

Any Questions?

Thank you.

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