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.

Good Afternoon.

**Secretary-General on Iraq

The Secretary-General, in an interview yesterday with al-Jazeera Television, said that he did not see any immediate prospect for a ceasefire in the war in Iraq.  He noted that, earlier yesterday, he had met at lunch with the members of the Security Council, in which the issue of a ceasefire had come up, and he added that Council members are going to continue discussing the issue among themselves.

But he added, “I wish I could say there is an immediate prospect for a ceasefire, and that an appeal from the Security Council will lead to a ceasefire.  I don’t think that is the case”.  He reiterated his view that “war is a human catastrophe, and in fact in war, all are losers”.

Asked about the legitimacy of the war, he said, “Obviously, it is not a UN-sanctioned war”.  He added that he has never justified nor supported this war.  Concerning the humanitarian situation, he reiterated the responsibility of the belligerent parties for the welfare of the population in the areas they control, and added, “As soon as the situation permits, we will be back doing our work”.

The Secretary-General emphasized that the nature and extent of any future UN role in Iraq will have to be discussed by the Security Council and the Member States.  But he asserted, “I have no doubt that, regardless of how this war ends, the UN will have an important role to play”.

We have the transcript of that interview available upstairs.

**Security Council -- Iraq

The Deputy Secretary-General today met in consultations today with the Security Council to brief them on the humanitarian situation in Iraq.  And the UN Humanitarian Coordinator Ramiro Lopes de Silva was present to take questions from Council members.

She informed the Security Council that the humanitarian needs in Iraq are not considered to be very critical at present, but are likely to be so in the near future as the situation deteriorates.  It is expected that households will begin to run out of food after 4 to 5 weeks, she said.

As for other needs, she said that there are shortages of water and electricity in cities, including Basra, where shortages are up to 50 per cent, and Baghdad.  Water and sanitation supplies, including water treatment and hygiene items are required.  The disruption of portable water supplies increases

the likelihood of epidemics, and medicine is required to treat them.  Hospitals are starting to run out of certain supplies, she warned.

The Deputy Secretary-General said that more than 3,000 UN national staff are doing their best to continue providing essential assistance to the extent possible.  A UN security assessment mission went to Umm Qasr and recommended that UN staff be authorized to start operations in Umm Qasr.  The Council was also informed that the United Nations is currently considering arrangements to deliver assistance on the basis of need to different parts of the country through cross-border and cross-line operations.

The Deputy Secretary-General told the Council that, so far, there have been firm indications or pledges of some $1.2 billion in response to the Appeal. 

We have today’s briefing notes from Amman on the humanitarian situation and a press release by the Food and Agriculture Organization highlighting its concern about the approaching harvest of the winter wheat and barley crop, expected to begin in late April.

**Security Council -- Other

The Security Council started consultations with a discussion on the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM), the current mandate of which expires on Saturday.  Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi Annabi briefed members on the latest UNIKOM report in which the Secretary-General recommended that the Security Council maintain a presence for three months until 6 July.  Council members agreed to that extension and Security Council President Ambassador Adolfo Aguilar Zinser of Mexico is expected to send a letter to the Secretary-General on this matter.

The Council President is also expected to read a press statement on Burundi following the consultations on President Pierre Buyoya’s efforts to move the peace process forward.

**UNRWA

Early yesterday morning, Israeli military forces broke into and occupied a girls’ school run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (known as UNRWA), in Tulkarem’s refugee camp in the West Bank.  The Israeli forces proceeded to use that school as a detention centre for the camp’s male residents between the ages of 15 and 40.

The Agency, in a press release today, strongly protests this flagrant violation of UN privileges and immunities, and the continuing denial to UNRWA of access to the school and the camp as a whole, which has been declared a closed military zone.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Peter Hansen today called the occupation of the Agency’s school a violation of international legal norms, and he called on the Israeli authorities to leave the school and to allow the Agency to have access to its other facilities in the Tulkarem camp, so that essential services can be restored to the refugees.

This is not the first time that the Agency’s schools have been used as detention centres.  In previous cases, the Agency has protested to the Israeli authorities but received no response.

**Côte d’Ivoire

At a Cabinet meeting of the new Government of national unity in Côte d’Ivoire that took place in Yamoussoukro today, and at which all the parties were represented, Special Representative Albert Tevoedjre delivered a statement on behalf of the Secretary-General.  The Secretary-General expressed his “profound satisfaction” on the occasion of the meeting and he urged the leaders to seize the occasion to render the peace process irreversible.  The Secretary-General and the entire UN system are committed to support the efforts to rebuild Côte d’Ivoire as a peaceful country and an economic engine of the subregion, he said.  We have that statement; it’s available in French.

**Timor-Leste

A ceremony was held in Timor-Leste today, marking the transfer of responsibility from the UN Police to the National Police of Timor-Leste in Lautem District.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Timor-Leste, Kamalesh Sharma, said that the hand-over of Lautem is a “historic day for the Lautem District and indeed Timor-Leste itself”, as a majority of the

13 districts are now under responsibility of the Timor-Leste Police.  Lautem is also the first district where full responsibility for security and law enforcement has been handed over by the UN Mission.

Kamalesh Sharma also said in his message that the community will be watching the police officers’ performance very closely.  He said, “You must demonstrate to the people that this truly is a new, democratic Timor-Leste in which police and other security forces are not feared but respected.  They do not control or coerce, but lead and advise”.

**Population Commission

Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, who just gave a press conference in this room, yesterday delivered the keynote address to the Commission on Population and Development, telling them of the ways in which schooling could be central to human development and human security.  Illiteracy and innumeracy -– or mathematical illiteracy –- are forms of insecurity in themselves, he argued, which could muffle the political voice of underdogs.

He also said in his lecture that there was no historical justification to categorize science and mathematics as Western contributions, noting that Arab and Muslim societies, for example, had historically contributed greatly to both fields.  He pleaded that respect for the plurality of all our identities was key to a harmonious contemporary world.  We have a press release on that lecture as well as yesterday’s proceedings at the Commission.  You can find them on the racks.

**Press Releases

We also have a press release from the World Health Organization on the launch today of the World Cancer Report.  The news is not good.  The report is the most comprehensive examination of cancer to date and finds that cancer rates could increase by 50 per cent to 15 million new cases a year by the year 2020.  It outlines areas where action can lead to a reduction in the number of cases including the reduction of tobacco consumption, healthier lifestyles and early detection through screening.

**Bolivia -– Landslide

After a landslide struck the rural town of Chima, Bolivia on 31 March, UN agencies including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), undertook, together with Bolivian authorities and NGO partners, a damage and needs assessment in the area affected.

The number of persons still missing is still not known as search and rescue operations continue.  The UN can confirm that the landslide claimed the lives of at least 14 people and injured 168 more.  More than 200 homes were destroyed, affecting roughly 600 persons.

WFP has provided 22 metric tonnes of food for the victims, while UNICEF and WFP have provided shovels, pickaxes and other tools and WHO some 2,000 first aid kits.  The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, has released an emergency cash grant of $10,000 dollars and has allocated a $20,000 contribution from the Norwegian emergency fund OCHA manages.  We have more information in a press release.

**Signings

Venezuela today became the 55^th country to sign the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations.

**Budget

We have another large contribution to the peacekeeping budget today.  The Netherlands has made a payment of more than $15 million.

**Statement attributable to Spokesman for the Secretary-General

This statement attributable to the Spokesman concerns the death of Philippe de Seynes.

Philippe de Seynes, one of the United Nations most distinguished senior officials, passed away yesterday in Paris at age 93.

Mr. De Seynes, a French national, headed the economic and social department of the United Nations Secretariat for 20 years, as Under-Secretary for Economic and Social Affairs from 1955-1968, and Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs from 1968-1975.  Mr. De Seynes was an intellectual giant and pioneer in his field.  He shaped the way the United Nations was to function in the economic and social sphere for several decades to come.  Many of the current organizations in the United Nations originated under him, such as UNCTAD, UNDEP, UNIDO and the regional commissions.  Under his stewardship, the UN initiated a series of development decades, the unified approach to development and the advancement of women programme.

Mr. De Seynes was a humanist and a true prototype of the international civil servant.  His steadfast and deep commitment to the ideals of the United Nations, intellect, singular talent for public speaking and charisma won him many friends and admirers throughout the United Nations.  He leaves a legacy of light and warmth among all who knew and worked with him.

**Stamps

We have some illustrations up here for you.  The United Nations Postal Administration today launched a set of 12 stamps in the Endangered Species series.  There are four stamps in each of the three denominations of the Postal Administration portraying endangered birds.  First Day covers for collectors and special collection folders are also available.  We have more information in the Philatelic Bulletin and a limited number of colour contact sheets are available in my office.

**Press Conference

Finally, at 12:45 p.m. in this room, there will be a press conference by the Honourable Alexander Downer, Foreign Minister of Australia.  And then tomorrow, a press conference at 11 a.m., Ambassador Ahmed Abdi Hashi of Somalia will discuss his Government’s position on the report of the panel of experts mandated to collect independent information on violation of the arms embargo on Somalia.

That’s it.  Yeah?

Questions and Answers

Question:   Yesterday, the Secretary-General met the Asian Group.  Do you have anything on that?  Number two, on Fox News Channel yesterday Hannity and Colmes called the UN a “salvation army”.  Do you have any comment on that?

Spokesman:  No comment on either.  The meetings with the regional groups are private and we haven’t been saying anything about what’s gone on in any of those meetings.  Yes?

Question:   Fred, on Cyprus, you know Mr. Denktash wrote a letter to

Mr. Papadopoulos offering a new peace deal including the opening up of the … settlement, and I understand that the United Nations is actually studying the proposals.  What is your comment or is there any reaction from the Secretary-General?

Spokesman:  The Secretary-General received copies of both letters exchanged between Mr. Denktash and Mr. Papadopoulos.  His assessment of 11 March outlines the positions taken by the two leaders at The Hague.  His report to the

Security Council on the negotiation process which came to an end that day will be issued shortly; we think that will be on Monday.  And that’s all I have to say about those letters.  Liz?

Question:   On Umm Qasr, what does this mean then for the big picture in terms of humanitarian aid for the UN?  How critical is this?  It would seem to be pretty critical, but how would you characterize it?  And also, now that the security assessment is being done, does there have to be a humanitarian assessment?  What unfolds next there?

Spokesman:  I have already given you the Deputy Secretary-General’s assessment before you came in.  So, if you…

Question:   On the humanitarian as well…?

Spokesman:  On the current humanitarian needs for Iraq.  So, if you see me afterward I’ll give that to you.  Standard procedure, first step, security assessment; second step, needs assessment.  So, we’ll be probably be doing a needs assessment next; at least that would be the next logical step.  In Amman today, David Whimhurst, spokesman for the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, gave a little bit more detail about Umm Qasr.  He said a preliminary assessment of the situation there shows that the port is heavily silted and requires dredging.  Equipment to do this is available, but needs repair.  The food distribution system is no longer functioning, he said, and has been replaced by a community-based system organized by the military forces in control of the area.  So, it’s just a first step.  We’ll just keep you posted as we move on to the next steps.  Bill?

Question:   So, you can’t really say on this needs assessment who’s going to be doing it, when and how?

Spokesman:  No.

Question:   In Brussels today, Secretary of State Powell called on the UN to appoint a special coordinator for Iraq to work with military forces.  What’s the UN response to that?

Spokesman:  Well, I’ll just remind you of what I’ve already reported the Secretary-General as saying, that any such role for the United Nations would be discussed by the Security Council and other Member States.  So, the role for the UN, including the role for any coordinator, would be determined by the Security Council.

Question:   In other words, the Secretary-General, his feeling is that he doesn’t have the authority to name a coordinator.  It would have to be something that would be formally adopted by the Security Council?

Spokesman:  He has no intention of naming a coordinator before he has a very clear idea of what responsibilities that coordinator would have.  And that’s a matter for the Council to determine.

Thank you very much.