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.

**Iraq -- Humanitarian

Today in Baghdad, Ramiro Lopes da Silva, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, had his first meeting with the international NGO community in the capital.  Thirty organizations were present, from France, Malaysia, Japan, Italy, Germany and the United States.

They asked that the UN serve as coordinator for humanitarian work and also serve as the interface between themselves and the US-run Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs as well as the relevant Iraqi ministries.

It was decided that the UN would host regular meetings sector by sector -– the first one taking place today on health issues –- with relevant NGOs and UN agencies in attendance.

Meanwhile in Basra, UN-HABITAT reports that it has opened a new office in that city to begin certifying the state of war-damaged housing.  The team of one international expert and 54 national engineers, architects and database managers will conduct the survey.  UN-HABITAT will also examine the state of the sewage disposal and solid waste management system in parts of the city.

From here, the “oil-for-food” programme says that priority items in the programme’s humanitarian pipeline continue to arrive at transit ports in countries neighbouring Iraq.  In the past week, UN agencies have reported the delivery of goods ranging from water tanks to vitamins to school supplies, at transshipment areas in Turkey, Kuwait, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.  Truck convoys are hauling the goods across borders into Iraq once inspection and authentication of the supplies is completed.

We have more information in my office.

**Afghanistan

The Security Council began its work today with an open meeting on Afghanistan, in which the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, drew attention to the deterioration in that country’s security environment, including daily harassment and intimidation, factional and inter-ethnic strife and increased activity by elements linked to the Taliban, Al Qaeda and faction leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

Throughout much of Afghanistan, Brahimi said, the security situation remains unstable and insufficient.  There are now almost daily attacks by elements hostile to the central Government and those who support it, as well as the continuing occurrence of factional clashes.

Brahimi told the Council, “Clearly the ultimate solution to such problems lies in creating Afghan security forces capable of ensuring peace”.  He said that senior Afghan military leaders must match their verbal support for a multi-ethnic army with actions to demobilize their own forces to ensure that the new army will be under civilian control.

He warned that, although the Bonn process could never be expected to be easy, “there is a real but still avoidable risk that the Bonn process will stall if security is not extended to the regions, and that Afghans will lose confidence in the central Government if it cannot protect them”.  We have copies of his briefing remarks upstairs.

After the open briefing, the Council went into consultations, to continue their discussions on Afghanistan, and we expect the Council to have a press statement on Afghanistan afterwards.

**Security Council -- Liberia

Following consultations on Afghanistan, the Security Council this morning scheduled a vote on a resolution extending sanctions on Liberia for another year.

The Security Council President, Ambassador Munir Akram of Pakistan, in a press statement he read at the end of consultations on Liberia sanctions early yesterday evening, said Council members regretted that the Government of Liberia had not fully complied with the Council’s demands in resolution 1343 of 2001 and expressed their intention to renew the sanctions imposed on Liberia and to extend them to include a ban on timber exports, with effect from 7 July, unless the Council decides otherwise.

The President went on to say that members hoped that the Council mission to West Africa later this month would offer new opportunities to make progress towards peace and stability in the subregion, and that they look forward to the day when all the requirements in the resolutions are met and Liberia is no longer subject to sanctions.

**Security Council –- Combating terrorism

Later today at 4:30, the Security Council will hold an open meeting on “Threats to International Peace and Security caused by Terrorist Acts”, which the Secretary-General is scheduled to attend and at which Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar is the featured speaker.

**Security Council -- DRC

Also, yesterday afternoon, the Council heard a briefing from Jean Marie Guehenno, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, on the deteriorating situation in Ituri, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Council members urged all Congolese parties and all States in the region to support the process initiated by the Ituri Pacification Commission.  They reiterated that Uganda must fulfill its commitment to withdraw its forces from the Ituri area.

They also condemned the violence which took place recently in the Kivus and noted the need to address these urgent issues during the upcoming Security Council mission to the region.

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

“The Secretary-General was saddened to learn of the death of Walter Sisulu, one of the heroes of South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement.  A former Secretary-General of the African National Congress and close friend and mentor of Nelson Mandela, Mr. Sisulu was engaged in the struggle for multi-racial democracy for all his adult life.  Imprisoned for more than 25 years by the white minority Government, he was known and loved by people far beyond South Africa’s borders for his humility, integrity, intellect and vision.  The Secretary-General expresses his condolences to Mr. Sisulu’s wife and life-long partner in the struggle, Albertina Sisulu, as well as to the Government and people of South Africa.”

**Cyprus

According to figures provided by the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus, as of 4 May, approximately 170,000 Greek Cypriots had crossed from south to north while 75,000 Turkish Cypriots had done the reverse trip.

We are very pleased that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots are crossing the buffer zone, and that people are patiently enduring the practical inconveniences which have put a strain on both sides and on the UN mission there.

In general, the flow of people across the buffer zone has proceeded without major political problems or serious incidents.  Nevertheless, several traffic accidents and arrests related mainly to crossing.  The mission has been working around the clock to make the crossing facilities smoother and more efficient.

The Chief of the UN mission, Zbigniew Wlosowicz, met yesterday with Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos and is meeting today with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to share information and exchange views on the current situation.

While freedom of movement would be a key element in any settlement, it must be lasting, and in any case, all the other core issues remain.

**Colombia

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia has condemned the killings of the Governor of Antioquia, Guillermo Gaviria Correa, the former Defence Minister, Gilberto Echeverri Mejia and eight others, who had been held captive by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, the rebel group for more than a year.  The Office expressed its condolences to the families and said they would follow up with the national authorities to see that those responsible for the deaths were brought to justice.

We have the statement in Spanish only in my office.

**Kosovo

The UN Mission in Kosovo, in a statement issued today, noted the seizure by customs officers of 2.5 million Yugoslav dinars in cash that were found hidden under the seats of a Serb-registered car entering Kosovo from Serbia on 30 April.

The Mission was informed afterward by Serb officials that the money was intended for pensions in the Kamenica region, but it remains perplexed as to why money destined for legitimate purposes should be transported in such a clandestine manner and not declared to UNMIK Customs at the boundary.

**ICTY

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has indicted two former Serbian State Security Service officials, Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic, for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the forced expulsion of non-Serbs from large areas of both Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, between 1991 and 1995.  They are accused of directing, arming, financing and otherwise supporting State Security Service agents who participated in crimes in those countries.

We have a press release on that.

**SARS

Today in Brussels, Director-General of the World Health Organization, Gro Harlem Brundtland, addressed European Health Ministers at their meeting to discuss Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS.  Brundtland congratulated the European Ministers on the success they have had in dealing with SARS.  Despite the low number of SARS cases in Europe though, she advised the Ministers not to let their guard down against the epidemic.

**International Year of Freshwater

“Connecting People and Goals” is the theme of a panel discussion that will take place tomorrow at 10 a.m. in Conference Room 4.  The discussion is part of the commemorations of the International Year of Freshwater and in conjunction with the 11^th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which ends on Friday.  The keynote speaker will be Prince Willem Alexander of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.  And Nitin Desai, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, will also address the gathering.  You are all invited to attend, if you have interest, and we have more information in my office.

**Budget

Budget news, Austria today became the 77th Member State to pay its

2003 regular budget contribution in full and that with a payment of more than

$12 million.

**Correction

And a correction, yesterday, we misidentified the US Middle East Envoy as Nicholas Burns.  He is, of course William Burns and we apologize for the error.

**Secretary-General’s engagements

And finally, the Secretary-General’s engagements involving extensive travel or major speaking commitments are being cancelled until the end of May.  This is on the advice of his doctors, who are treating his persistent laryngitis.

He will continue his normal activities at Headquarters with a lighter schedule of engagements.

Thank you.  Yes?

Questions and Answers

Question:   On the public meeting of 13 May -- prospects of settlement of dispute -- there’s a lot of diplomatic channels that’s in full gear, both in New Delhi, Islamabad, Moscow, London and also in Washington, and Richard Armitage -- he will be in the region this week.  I just wanted to know what the SG is thinking, what (are) his thoughts on this public meeting?

Spokesman:  I have no guidance on that.  Anything else?  Yes?

[He later issued the following statement on India-Pakistan relations:

“The Secretary-General warmly welcomes the series of reciprocal steps India and Pakistan have recently taken to ease tensions and improve bilateral relations.  He hopes that these steps, starting with Prime Minister Vajpayee’s statement on

18 April and Pakistan’s positive response, will lead to the strengthening of peace and stability in the entire South Asian region.

“The Secretary-General also hopes that the normalization of diplomatic relations and restoration of rail, road and air links, as well as other confidence-building measures being introduced by the two sides, will lead to the resumption of a sustained dialogue.  He looks forward to the peaceful resolution of the differences between India and Pakistan, including over Kashmir.”]

Question:   On the DRC, the members of the Council expressed their condolences over the death of the Russian and Chinese personnel.  How many have died, and is this the first time that Chinese personnel have died while on a mission? 

Spokesman:  I’ll have to check for you.  Yes?

[He later said that in the DRC incident, one Russian and one Chinese peacekeeper were killed and that a total of six Chinese nationals have died on peacekeeping missions.]

Question:   Are there any details yet on the timing and location of the Secretary-General’s meeting on Thursday with Mr. Powell?

Spokesman:  I have nothing yet.  I can’t confirm that it’s Thursday.  The Secretary of State is coming to New York to attend an event on Wednesday evening.  So, first, I can’t confirm that there will be a meeting between the Secretary-General and the Secretary of State, although I understand the two offices have

been in touch trying to set something up.  As soon as we get a specific time, we’ll let you know.

Question:   What’s the event?

Spokesman:  Sorry?

Question:   What’s the event?

Spokesman:  A meeting between the Secretary-General and Secretary of State Colin Powell who is coming to New York to attend an event on Wednesday evening.

Question:   That’s what I asked, what is the event on Wednesday evening?

Spokesman:  What is the event?  It’s really not for me to say, but the Foreign Policy Association is honouring the Secretary of State and the European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, at an event Wednesday evening.  Lee? 

Question:   Will the Secretary-General be going to the retreat, under the circumstances?

Spokesman:  I don’t honestly know that, I’ll have to find out.  I am not sure a decision has been made.

[He later confirmed that the Secretary-General, as of now, intends to attend the Security Council retreat beginning this Friday afternoon.]

Thank you very much.

* *** *