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 Stephane Dujarric, Associate Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good Afternoon.

**Secretary-General in Geneva

The Secretary-General this morning addressed the 59th session of the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, and told the members of the Commission that whatever view one may take of the war in Iraq, “what we must all hope is that a new era of human rights in Iraq will now begin, with the end of the war”.

He called on the coalition forces to comply with international agreements regarding the treatment of prisoners of war and to accept the responsibilities of the occupying Power for public order and safety, as well as the well-being of the civilian population.

The Secretary-General added that they should not be distracted from what is happening in other parts of the world, and he noted that, in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, hundreds of people had been butchered in cold blood by people who counted on the world’s neglect and indifference.  “Let us deny them that”, he said, “today and in the months and years ahead.”

He told the Commission that, although its work is more important than ever, recent divisions had made its voice more muffled, rather than more clear.  “This must change”, he said.  “Membership in this Commission implies responsibilities, as well as privileges.  If you do not stand up for human rights equally and universally, who will?”, he told members of the Commission.

Prior to his speech, the Secretary-General met with the Chair of the Human Rights Commission, Najat al-Hajjaji.  After the speech, he met privately with High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello and about 20 of his senior staff.  They reviewed reform efforts and programmes, including the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Sri Lanka.

In the afternoon, the Secretary-General announced that, in light of current developments in Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere, he has decided to cut short his European trip and he is now scheduled to return to New York tonight.

And as a result, he will not chair the meeting of the UN System Chief Executives Board, which is set to begin tomorrow in Paris.  Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette left New York for Paris yesterday, and will now chair that meeting in the Secretary-General’s absence.

**Security Council

Turning to the Security Council, the Council is holding consultations today on the Secretary-General’s most recent report on the activities of the High-Level Coordinator on the issue of the return of all Kuwaiti and third country nationals

or their remains.  And that High-Level Coordinator, as you know, is Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov.

Ambassador Vorontsov briefed the Council on the report, which we brought to your attention on Monday.

Also on Iraq, the Council presidency has just informed us that there will be a vote on a draft resolution on the “oil-for-food” programme following this morning’s consultations.

**Iraq -- Humanitarian

On the humanitarian front in Iraq, according to the humanitarian briefing in Amman, the United Nations’ re-establishment of a permanent presence by international staff in Iraq is being expanded, with 28 international staff crossing the border from Turkey into northern Iraq today, after six crossed yesterday.

UN national staff in Baghdad reported that looting appears to be decreasing in the city, but the security situation remains critical, with many citizens armed and gunfire heard during the day in various parts of the city.  Local UN staff have returned to their Baghdad offices, and are trying to make those looted offices usable as quickly as possible.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports other problems in Baghdad, including shooting battles in one hospital in the city. Meanwhile, UNICEF is also concerned about garbage collection in Baghdad, noting that some children scavenging through piles of refuse have at times uncovered unexploded munitions there.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that funds to run Iraqi hospitals are quickly dwindling, with almost no money to pay staff or provide food and other essential services.  The WHO has already begun work to re-establish the health system in Mosul and Kirkuk in the north of the country.

The World Food Programme (WFP) today sent a nine-truck convoy carrying

214 metric tons of wheat flour across the border from Jordan, heading towards Baghdad, and will have almost daily food convoys now from Jordan to the Iraqi capital, in preparation for food distribution next month.

And we have, as usual, the Amman briefing notes available to you upstairs.

      **UNEP -- Iraq

One more note on Iraq.  The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today issued a preliminary report on environmental conditions in Iraq.  The report stresses the urgent need to address humanitarian issues such as restoring water supply and sanitation systems and cleaning up possible environmental hot spots and waste sites.  The report says another priority activity should be an assessment of sites hit by weapons containing depleted uranium.

**Middle East

We now have a statement issued early today in Jerusalem by the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Terje Roed-Larsen, who strongly condemned today’s suicide bombing attack in the Israeli town of Kfar Sava.  One person was killed and at least 13 people wounded, and several seriously.

Mr. Roed-Larsen called the terror attack “outrageous and cowardly” and expressed his sincere condolences to the victims’ families.  He asked that the Palestinian Authority bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack and that they take “immediate steps to delegitimize such heinous attacks that produce nothing but misery and fear”.

**Rwanda

On Rwanda, the Secretary-General, in a letter to the Security Council that is out on the racks today, forwarded to Council members the 35 nominations he has received for “ad litem”, or short-term, judges to serve on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

The Council is to forward a list, which actually is supposed to have a minimum of 36 candidates, to the General Assembly, so that the Assembly can elect 18 judges to serve four-year terms on the Rwanda Tribunal.

**International Labour Organization

A note from the International Labour Organization (ILO) we would like to bring to your attention.  Tens of thousands of workers and employers from all over the world will mark the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April, according to the ILO press release.

The ILO says that the event aims to draw attention to work-related accidents and illnesses, which annually take some 2 million lives and cost the global economy an estimated $1.25 trillion.

**Drugs/Crime

On drugs and crime, Antonio Maria Costa, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary-General of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Ong Keng Yong, in which their two organizations agreed to work together to fight drug trafficking and transnational crime in South-East Asia.

**World Chronicle Television Programme

And lastly, World Chronicle programme no. 894 with Joseph Chamie, the Director of the Division of Population in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, will be shown today at 3:30 p.m. on in-house television channel 3 or 31.

That’s it for me.  Do you have questions?

Questions and Answers

Question:  What’s the number of UN employees in Baghdad?

Associate Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:  The number of international staff or national staff?

Question:  Only UN.

Associate Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:  Only UN, I’d have to get you an exact breakdown of the number.  As of now we only have international staff in northern Iraq, and we have about 36.  And we have our national staff, as you know, who stayed throughout the war in Baghdad and continued to work in as much as they have been able to.  But I’ll get you an exact number on how many there are in Baghdad.

Question:  International staff you’ve sent is 36?

Associate Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:  Yes, and only in the north of Iraq so far.  Anybody else?

Question:  Excuse me, there’s a problem about the “vital role” of the United Nations.  What’s really the “vital role”, is it just humanitarian affairs or what?

Associate Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:  We’re very keen to resume our full humanitarian work in Iraq and that’s why we’ve been trying to get our international staff back in.  And as you see, we finally were able to get a number back in northern Iraq.  But it’s important to note the amazing efforts of the national staff have continued throughout the war, and they’ve been working with local Iraqis in the health sector, nutrition and food and others to try to keep humanitarian aid and work going in very difficult circumstances.

Question:  Are they moving ...(inaudible)

Associate Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:  I’m sorry?

Question:  Are they moving aid every day from Turkey?

Associate Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:  Well, the food convoys have been moving in every day.  We had the first batch of international staff yesterday and we had more coming in today.  They’ll set up their operations and assess the situation and hopefully we’ll have more coming in in the future,

Thank you.

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