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, and welcome to the group of journalists from Azerbaijan visiting us today.

**Statement Attributable to the Spokesman

We’ll start with a statement attributable to the Spokesman on the subject of the Middle East:

“The Secretary-General expresses his serious concern over today’s attempted extra-judicial killing by the Israel Defence Forces of a senior Hamas political leader in Gaza.  He reiterates his consistent opposition to such actions.  Today’s action is likely to complicate even further the efforts by the Palestinian Prime Minister to halt violence and terrorism by Palestinian groups.

“The Secretary-General condemns the killing in today’s attack of Palestinian civilians, including a mother and her three-year-old daughter.  He calls again on the Government of Israel to desist from the disproportionate use of force, especially in densely populated areas.

“The Secretary-General believes that Israelis and Palestinians face a stark choice.  Either they follow the Road Map that leads to the establishment of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security; or they take the low road that spirals down into an endless cycle of violence, counter-violence and revenge.  Events of the past few days illustrate in graphic form the consequences of the latter course.  The Secretary-General therefore urges the leaders on both sides to show wisdom, courage and restraint needed to commit themselves to implementing the “Road Map”, as part of the search for a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement in the Middle East.”

**UNRWA

Today the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East –- or UNRWA –- handed over 19 new homes to Palestinian refugee families from camps in Gaza whose shelters had been destroyed by Israeli forces.

According to the Agency's figures, by 31 May, a total of 1,134 shelters, home to over 10,049 refugee and non-refugee Palestinians, had been destroyed or damaged beyond repair in the Gaza Strip since the start of this conflict in September 2000.

In total in the Gaza Strip, UNRWA has now built 132 new houses with 185 under construction.  While this has been made possible thanks to generous contributions from a number of donors, UNRWA still needs more than $16 million to meet the current requirements for a further 700 new refugee shelters throughout the Strip.  More is available in a press release upstairs.

**Iraq

From Baghdad today, Sergio Vieira de Mello told a prominent Iraqi political leader and senior member of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), Mr. Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim, that the United Nations was bringing its experience and independence to the Iraqi people, to help them in the full restoration of their sovereignty and their civil, political, economic and social rights.  The two men discussed issues related to the current transition and explored how to advance the political process.  They agreed to continue these consultations.

Tomorrow, Vieira de Mello will meet the leader of Al-Da'wa Party, Dr. Ibrahim al-Ja'afari, in the context of his continuing consultations with Iraqi political leaders.

**UNMOVIC

With the departure of Hans Blix at the end of this month and pending a Security Council decision on future arrangements for implementing its resolutions on the disarmament of Iraq, the Secretary-General has decided to designate Demetrius Perricos as the Acting Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC).  This will be in effect as of 1 July.

Perricos is currently Deputy Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC.  Prior to that appointment in January of this year, he served for three years as Director of Planning and Operations for the Commission.

A native of Greece, Perricos joined the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1972 as a nuclear safeguards inspector.  In his 28-year career at the agency, he had extensive experience in Iraq, notably after the end of the first Gulf War in 1991.  He also led the IAEA team which certified the dismantling of South Africa’s nuclear weapons programme.  We have a complete biography upstairs.

**Statement Attributable to the Spokesman

The following statement concerns Myanmar:

“The Secretary-General welcomes the report from his Special Envoy for Myanmar that he saw Daw Aung San Suu Kyi today, and that she is uninjured and in good spirits.

“The Special Envoy, Mr. Razali Ismail, met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi shortly before he left Yangon today to wind up his five-day mission to Myanmar.  He undertook his 10th mission from 6 to 10 June under a specific instruction from the Secretary-General to see Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who had been held incommunicado under protective custody since the violent clashes that took place between her supporters and pro-Government protesters in northern Myanmar on

30 May.

“However, the Secretary-General remains seriously concerned about the fact that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) are still denied freedom of movement.  He, once again, strongly urges the Government of Myanmar to release her and other NLD leaders from the continued detention immediately and begin a dialogue aimed at national reconciliation without further delay.  At the same time, he calls on the international community, and especially countries in the region, to join in his appeal to safeguard the process of national reconciliation and democratization in Myanmar, which continues to represent the only guarantee for progress towards prosperity and stability.  He continues to believe that the present situation is not merely a question of law and order, but rather one that derives from the political aspirations of the Myanmar people who are overwhelmingly in favour of change.

“The Special Envoy intends to visit New York later this month to discuss with the Secretary-General and representatives of the international community, especially the countries of the region, future steps that need to be taken to implement the mandate given by the General Assembly to facilitate national reconciliation and democratization in Myanmar.”

**Liberia -- Humanitarian

A dire humanitarian situation is reported in Monrovia, Liberia where tens of thousands of displaced Liberians have converged on the capital in search of safety.  According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as of yesterday, the Government of Liberia had registered some 5,000 internally displaced persons in the national stadium.

Local staff of non-governmental organizations are working to supply the people at the sports complex with high protein biscuits, water and sanitation facilities, as well as shelter materials.  The Liberian Red Cross has been distributing blankets, mats and gerry cans to displaced persons sheltering at schools in central Monrovia.  The price of petrol and rice are reported to have more than doubled where they are available in the capital.

The World Food Programme, meanwhile, has called on the warring parties to open rapidly humanitarian corridors so that aid could be delivered.  The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed its concern over national staff and their families, as well as over the fate of some 15,000 Sierra Leonean refugees in the Monrovia area.  UNHCR also said the eastern part of Liberia remains a major concern.

**Liberia –- Security Council

In a letter to the Security Council, the Secretary-General has re-appointed four members, and appointed two new members, to the Panel of Experts dealing with Liberia sanctions for a period of five months.  The Security Council, which heard a briefing yesterday afternoon on Liberia, is scheduled to hold further consultations on the matter tomorrow.

**Kosovo -- Council

Following consultations on Cyprus this morning, in which Security Council members considered a draft resolution on the extension of the UN peacekeeping mission in that country, the Security Council began an open meeting on Kosovo.

Council members heard a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi, who said that, four years into the UN Mission’s mandate there, it has seen successes but still faces challenges, including freedom of movement, meaningful minority participation, returns, the development of local bodies and dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

The fact that Kosovo still has some ways to go, he said, was highlighted in the most horrific way when three members of a Kosovo Serb family were beaten to death in Obilic last week, after which their house was set on fire.  A nine-member UN special police squad was established to investigate the crime, working with advisers from both the Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian communities.

We have copies of Annabi’s statement upstairs, and Security Council members are currently participating in an open debate on Kosovo.

**Bosnia

On Thursday, the Peace Implementation Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina will discuss the future of that country’s Human Rights Chamber, and in a letter to Bosnia’s High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, the Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan urges that no decision be taken to end that Chamber’s functions.

He writes, in a letter that we have available upstairs, that human rights protections are the very cornerstone of the Dayton Peace Agreement for Bosnia, and that the Human Rights Chamber is still needed to ensure such protection.

**Security Council Mission

The Security Council’s mission to Central Africa led by France’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Jean-Marc de la Sablière, has arrived in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Earlier this morning in Luanda, Angola, the mission met with President José Eduardo Dos Santos.  On the agenda was the eastern DRC and the Congolese political process.

Upon his arrival at Kinshasa airport, Ambassador de la Sablière made a statement emphasizing the “need to stop the fighting in the eastern DRC, both in Ituri and the Kivus” and called for the completion of the peace process with the expected establishment of the transitional government as soon as possible.  He also stressed the grave violations of human rights in the eastern Congo resulting from the ongoing fighting there.

**Georgia

You’ve all seen the news reports that the four UN personnel taken hostage in Georgia have been released.  But, our UN Mission there tells us that as of now they cannot confirm the release of these four personnel who were taken hostage in the upper Kodori Valley last Wednesday.

**Eritrea

Carolyn McAskie, the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, arrived in Asmara, Eritrea today for a two-day visit to see first-hand the humanitarian situation in Eritrea and encourage support for the 2003 Consolidated Appeal.  Humanitarian agencies have so far received just 43 per cent of the $157 million required for their operations in that country for this year.

**Ethiopia

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has sent emergency agricultural assistance to Ethiopian farmers who have been heavily hit by the drought.  An estimated 12.6 million Ethiopians are now in need of food aid.  FAO's emergency agricultural projects, worth some $4.3 million, aim to help farmers cope with the crisis now and manage better in the future.  There is more in a press release.

**Tobacco Convention

The World Health Organization has announced today that the first signing ceremony for the Tobacco Convention will be held in Geneva on Monday, 16 June.  So far, the European Community and 10 countries have expressed interest in signing the Convention on that day.  The Convention will enter into force after the 40th ratification.

**Press Conference tomorrow

Press conference here tomorrow; 12:45 p.m., the Permanent Mission of Canada will be sponsoring a press conference by the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Parliamentarians for Global Action.  They’ll be talking about Security Council resolution 1422, which is on the International Criminal Court.

**Peace Cranes

Now, to this box.  You’ve probably been wondering what it is and what is inside of it.  It comes to the United Nations from the residents, staff and friends of the Beacon Brook Health Center -- that’s in Connecticut, and it contains a hundred of these. (Paper cranes).

Last month, the residents, staff and family members of Beacon Brook Health Center constructed 100 origami cranes, and then sent them to us as a symbol of their hopes for world peace.

The cranes have been a symbol of peace ever since Hiroshima was hit by a nuclear bomb at the end of the Second World War, when one Japanese girl who had been exposed to radiation started making origami cranes, in the hope that those birds –- as a symbol of long life, hope, good luck and happiness –- would protect her from illness.  After she died, her classmates finished making the 100 paper cranes and buried them with her.

So I’d like to thank all of the people of the Beacon Brook Health Center for the lovely gift of the peace cranes –- and we promise to do what we can to help fulfil your hope for peace.

That’s all I have.  Yes?

Questions and Answers

Question:   Do you have any details of the Secretary-General’s trip to Washington that’s being held this week?

Spokesman:  To my knowledge, nothing has been announced in Washington and until they announce it, we won’t announce it.  But we expect to say something later today about that.  Yeah?

Question:   About UNMOVIC, what was the name of the Greek fellow?

Spokesman:  Perricos.  Demetrius Perricos.  Bill?

Question:   The AP in a story is quoting Mr. Ismail of saying that Suu Kyi could be freed in two weeks, I think, two weeks they should release her, they stated.  Can you confirm that he said that, or he has information that her release is being determined or is imminent?

Spokesman:  No, I can’t.  The statement that I read out was from his office in consultation with the Department of Political Affairs.  So, those comments to the press were outside the context of what he himself gave us to say. Sorry.  Yes, Lee?

Question:   Will we be able to have a briefing with Mr. Ismail when he gets here?

Spokesman:  We’ll ask him if he’ll do that. 

Question:   Thank you.

Spokesman:  Mr. Abbadi?

Question:   Fred, do you know if Ambassador Razali plans to visit Yangon once more before proceeding to New York?

Spokesman:  I don’t believe so.  There were no indications from what they gave us this morning that he would do that.  We expect him to come here before the end of the month, but no indication of the specific timing.  Yes?

Question:   Excuse me, two things; one is I didn’t know, you mentioned the new members of the panel?  (Inaudible) …the names?

Spokesman:  I believe we have all the names upstairs, yes.

Question:   Okay; and also, does the SG have any position on this debate on the ICC, on the Council; sort of imminent plan to (inaudible) without the US resolution…(inaudible)?

Spokesman:  No, at this point, he’s waiting to see how the Council itself deals with the matter.  We understand that this morning they agreed to have an open meeting on the issue on Thursday.

Question:   I am sorry, and I am sure you were probably asked this last week, but does the SG have a position on the war crimes or position to indict Charles Taylor?  Does he think there should be allowance for Taylor to participate in the peace process or should he be considered persona non grata?

Spokesman:  I have a rather carefully worded statement that I did issue last week and I’d have to refer you to that.

Question:   I’ll get that.

Spokesman:  Thank you very much.

* *** *