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

In Baghdad this morning, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Ramiro Lopes da Silva, met with the European Union Commissioner for Development, Poul Nielsen.  In speaking to journalists afterwards, da Silva said this is a challenging moment for the UN as we re-establish our presence in Baghdad in order to provide humanitarian assistance and to provide the leadership in coordinating humanitarian work.  Nielsen said he was looking to the UN to establish itself as the main humanitarian coordinating body.

A team from the World Health Organization (WHO), which now has a permanent presence in Basra, visited a teaching hospital in the town where doctors reported a significant increase in the number of cases of diarrhoeal diseases, gastroenteritis and dehydration.  Seven cases of clinically confirmed cholera were reported, mainly among very young children.  Samples from other children with suspected cholera had to be taken to Kuwait City by WHO for analysis because the medical laboratories in Basra are not functioning due to the destruction and theft of equipment, as well as viral agents.  A visit to the Basra children’s hospital revealed a similar situation, with doctors suspecting more cases of cholera, but being unable to conduct laboratory tests.

The other overriding problem in the local health sector, according to WHO, is security.  In addition to stolen equipment and hospital vehicles, female health workers particularly fear for their personal safety.

As for the north of Iraq, 85 international UN humanitarian workers are currently operating there.  An additional group of 31 is expected to arrive tomorrow afternoon by road from Turkey using the same re-entry point.

UN agencies are undertaking needs assessment work, with priority given to water and sanitation, assistance to vulnerable groups, the electricity supply, mine-action activities, health and primary education.

The World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a $1 million donation by Kuwait to its emergency operations in Iraq, the first by a Persian Gulf country.  The funds provided by the Kuwaiti Government will be used to purchase lentils, a very important source of protein, WFP said.

**Statement on India and Pakistan

The following statement is attributable to the Spokesman.  Actually, we released this late yesterday afternoon, and I’ll now read it into the record. 

“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 of

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 the 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 sustainable dialogue.  He looks forward to the peaceful resolution of the differences between India and Pakistan, including over Kashmir.”

**Statement on Colombia

We have the following statement attributable to the Spokesman concerning events in Colombia:

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the vicious killings on 5 May of  10 prisoners who had been kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).  Among those killed were two leading activists for peace, Antioquia Governor Guillermo Gaviria and former Defence Minister Gilberto Echeverri.  The Secretary-General expresses his deep condolences to the families of all the victims.

“These killings represent a dangerous intensification of the conflict.  The kidnapping and killing of civilians and prisoners are a violation of international humanitarian law, and the FARC must be held responsible for the lives of all those whom it has kidnapped and detained. 

“These events should stimulate both profound reflection and immediate steps to stop the spiral of kidnappings, forced displacement, massacres and assassinations that have made civilians the primary victims of Colombia's conflict.  The Secretary-General’s good offices remain at the disposal of the parties in the search for a political solution.”

**Security Council

There are no meetings or consultations of the Security Council planned for today. 

Out on the racks as a document today is a letter from the Security Council President, Ambassador Munir Akram of Pakistan, to the Secretary-General, informing him of the Council’s decision to send a mission to the West African subregion from 15 to 23 May.  Attached to the letter are the terms of reference of the mission, which outlines the regional, as well as specific, objectives for Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea Bissau.  As of now, the mission led by British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock is expected to travel to Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone.  That breaks down to a country a day while in Africa.  Please contact our Office if you want further details of the mission.

**Sierra Leone Court

Yesterday, following news reports that indicted war criminal Sam Bockarie had been killed during an apparent arrest attempt by the authorities in Liberia, the Prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, David Crane, called on the Liberian Government to provide proof of Bockarie’s death.  Crane said that if the reports are true, Liberia should turn Bockarie’s body over to the Special Court for a forensic examination and positive identification.  Earlier this week, Crane had asked Liberian President Charles Taylor to arrest and turn over two suspects indicted by the Court, Bockarie and Johnny Paul Koroma.

We have a press release upstairs with more details.

**UNICEF

A United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) report issued at the Sixth East Asia and Pacific Region Ministerial Consultation on Children warns that countries in the region continue to fail their children.  The report, “A Future for All Our Children”, says that the region has done well in substantially reducing deaths of children under the age of five years, but greater commitment is needed to address the other challenges faced by children, ranging from education and literacy to sexual exploitation.

UNICEF told the conference that more than 1 million children aged 12 to 17 worked in the sex trade, which is growing in the region due to domestic and foreign demand.  As part of its final declaration, the 25 countries decided to step up action against child trafficking and sexual exploitation of children.

In other news, UNICEF is assisting the Government of Kenya with relief items for victims of the flood in the western part of the country.  UNICEF is providing oral rehydration salts to help with outbreak of diarrhoel diseases, drugs for cholera, intra-venous fluids, mosquito nets and cooking sets.

We have press releases on that.

      **FAO in Sub-Saharan Countries

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in a report released today, called for more food aid and emergency food deliveries in sub-Saharan countries to avert possible famines.  With the exception of southern Africa, the report warned that food and crop prospects in other parts of sub-Saharan Africa remain unfavourable, with 25 countries facing food emergencies.  The aggravated food insecurity is mainly due to severe droughts and the continuing conflicts in a number of countries.

There’s a press release on that.

      **UNHCR

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Mexico has moved its office in the Chiapas State closer to a major crossing point for refugees on the Guatemalan border.  The border at Tapachula City is the busiest crossing point on the migration route towards the United States.  The exact number of illegal immigrants is not known, but about 150,000 undocumented migrants are returned to their countries each year from Tapachula.  UNHCR says even though only a small number of people may be refugees or asylum seekers, a protection network to identify, channel and assist people fleeing persecution is essential. 

There’s a press release on that.

**Budget

Some budget news today.  Saint Kitts and Nevis has made a payment of more than $13,000 to become the 78th Member State to pay its 2003 regular budget contribution in full.  And France made a payment of more than $70 million to the peacekeeping budget.

**US Secretary of State Visit to Headquarters

A number of you have asked about media arrangements for Secretary of State Colin Powell’s meeting with the Secretary-General this afternoon at 4:00.  There’ll be a stakeout at the Secretariat Entrance.  That’s the Secretariat Entrance on the ground floor, which the UN Television will cover for the Secretary of State’s arrival and departure, in case he wishes to speak to you.  There’ll also be a traditional photo op with the Secretary-General in his conference room at the top of the meeting.

**Noon Guest Tomorrow

Finally, our guest at the briefing tomorrow will be Catherine Bertini, the Under-Secretary-General for Management, and she will be here to give you a briefing on the overall financial situation of the Organization.

Questions and Answers

Question:  Does the UN have any measures in place to address the food shortage in Africa?   Twenty-five countries are involved and they’ve been complaining for many years.

Spokesman:  I think there’s a comprehensive effort to address the food shortage situation in Africa and I suggest you talk to the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to get the big picture on that.

Question:  What’s on the agenda concerning the Secretary-General’s approach to the meeting with Colin Powell this afternoon, in terms of what he wants to hear, perhaps about US plans for Security Council movement or resolution on Iraq, or what he wants to put forward in terms of his feelings about the UN role?

Spokesman:  I don’t want to anticipate what’s going to happen in the meeting.  I think it’s safe to assume that the two will want to talk not only about Iraq, but most likely the road map for the Middle East, and there may be other items, as well.  That’s an educated guess of what might be on the agenda.  We’ll try to get you a read-out afterwards.

Question:  Has the Secretary-General at all been, I might say, impatient or eager, for the US to get moving on putting forth its concrete thoughts on Iraq, not only on the UN role but on how the situation is heading there, in terms of putting in the administration, reconstruction, et cetera?

Spokesman: I think his main concern is that the Council unite around a resolution that is consistent with the UN principles and the Charter.  The first step, it seems, in terms of the other members of the Council, would be for the US to put forward its draft.  So my sense is that’s what everyone’s waiting for.  And we’ll see when that happens.  There’s talk of it happening by the end of this week or possibly the beginning of the next.  But, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Question:  I heard about some requests for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit some nuclear site in Iraq.

Spokesman:  I have nothing new on that.  We can check with the IAEA office here in New York to see if they have anything.  [It was later confirmed that there was nothing new.]

Question:  In terms of the Secretary-General’s thinking in naming a Special Coordinator for Iraq beyond Mr. da Silva, is he still waiting for a resolution on that or word from the US that might come from this meeting?  Where do things stand?

Spokesman:  What he has said is that he wants to know the job description before he considers someone to fill the job.  He would report his intention to name such a representative to the Security Council, and he would await the Council’s response.  So the job description should come from the Council.  It should flow from Council deliberations and maybe even a resolution, and the Council would have to approve the appointment.  So those are the two things that he expects should underlie any such appointment.

Question:  He cut short the trip to Europe in order to come back and be present and involved in talks on Iraq.  In the interim, how would you describe his role?

Spokesman:  He’s quite limited by his job description as to what he can do, particularly when the Council is not yet of one mind on how it wants to approach Iraq.  He brought all the members to his conference room last week, if you’ll recall, which is a rather unusual move, one that he’s done several times before.  He laid out what he considers the questions the Council needed to address and some of the options they might want to consider, but again his purpose in doing that was to nudge them towards a common position.

I’m not sure that [he can do] anything else, apart from staying in touch with all the players and continuing to urge them to come to one position that could then be enshrined in a resolution that could be a good solid framework for how the international community as a whole will deal with Iraq once the stabilization period headed by the coalition is over.  And, of course, how humanitarian work could be coordinated in the meantime.  But, of course, under universal mandates, UN agencies are already in Iraq.

Question:  Isn’t it dangerous for the Secretary-General to go ahead of the Security Council in a case like this, especially when there are no provisions in the Charter regarding an occupying Power?  So how is it, historically, that he is defining his position now?

Spokesman:  You’re right that the Charter is rather limited in the responsibilities it assigns to the Secretary-General regarding international peace and security.  Article 99 is the only reference.  But you also know that, over the years, Article 99 has been interpreted more and more liberally, based on the confidence that Member States have in the Secretary-General.  You’re also right that it’s part of the conventional wisdom that the Secretary-General should never get out in front of the Council, particularly when it’s divided, and I think that probably explains why the Secretary-General is doing what he’s doing, which is working quietly behind the scenes to foster consensus.