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 Hua Jiang, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good Afternoon,

**Secretary-General in Washington

The Secretary-General travelled to Washington this morning, where he will meet shortly with US Secretary of State Colin Powell for a working lunch, at which they are expected to discuss the Middle East and Iraq, among other matters.

The Secretary-General is wrapping up a meeting with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice; we’re trying to get a read-out of that meeting right now.

He is scheduled to return to New York this afternoon.

**Vieira de Mello

Today in Baghdad, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Sergio Vieira de Mello, met with Ibrahim Jaafari -– a prominent Iraqi political leader who leads the Da’wa Party.

Jaafari told Vieira de Mello that the Iraqis needed the UN to assist them in achieving their legitimate rights.  The two discussed issues related to the current transition and explored how to advance the political process.

Vieira de Mello told Jaafari that he came to Iraq with a deep sense of responsibility and duty, and would do everything in his power to assist the Iraqi people at this critical juncture in their history.  They agreed to continue their consultations.

In separate meetings, Vieira de Mello also met with resident diplomats of France and Italy.  He also received a delegation from Amnesty International.

**Vorontsov

Out on the racks is the Secretary-General’s latest report to the Security Council on the work of the High-Level Coordinator for the return of all Kuwaiti property, including archives, seized by Iraq.

The report covers the activities of the High-Level Coordinator, Yuli Vorontsov, from December of last year up to now.  During that period, prior to the start of hostilities, the then Government of Iraq returned two batches of Kuwaiti property.

However, the Secretary-General notes, that while some property and some documents were handed over, it must be stressed that the Kuwaiti archives, along with Kuwaiti military equipment seized by Iraq, remain largely unreturned. 

Detailed lists of the items returned in December 2002 and February 2003 are included in the report.

The Secretary-General hopes that there will be continued commitment to the search and return of Kuwaiti property and archives and that real progress may soon be achieved.

**Liberia

Monrovia is reported to be relatively calm today following days of sporadic gun and rocket explosions in the western and eastern suburbs, but the humanitarian situation remains grim.

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) staying at the national stadium in Monrovia is now estimated to be as high as 30,000.  Cases of measles and diarrhoea are being reported among the population at the stadium and in other spontaneous IDP camps in the city.

Health agencies are concerned that the situation could result in epidemics if the war continues and these areas become inaccessible.  It remains extremely difficult for humanitarians to operate in Monrovia, as personnel have been threatened and vehicles have been looted, OCHA reported.  Prices of basic commodities continue to skyrocket in one of the world’s poorest countries.  Hundreds of people queued in front of Western Union offices today to collect money sent to them by relatives and friends abroad.

**Security Council Mission

The Security Council mission to Central Africa led by France’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Jean-Marc de la Sablière, met today with President Joseph Kabila and other members of his Government in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

On their agenda was:  the expected establishment of the transitional government and the remaining obstacles; the situation in the eastern DRC -- the Kivus and Ituri; the grave human rights violations as a direct consequences of the ongoing fighting and impunity; the constant attention of the Security Council for the DRC and support for the DRC political process; and the relations with neighbouring countries.

The Council delegation then met with the Follow-Up Committee comprised of representatives of the signatories of last December’s Pretoria Agreement.

Earlier in the morning, Council members heard a briefing on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in eastern DRC due to the ongoing fighting in Kivus and Ituri.

Tomorrow morning, the mission is scheduled to leave for Bunia, Ituri, where it will meet with the UN mission, the multinational force and the members of the Ituri Pacification Commission and representatives of all the Iturian communities.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is convening today a meeting of the delegates of armed groups in Bunia, which is being held in part to explain the purpose and mandate of the multinational force that has been deployed to Bunia.  The Mission reports that the current strength of the multinational force is about 250 personnel, and deployment is continuing through the week.

The UN Mission describes the situation in Bunia as quiet, but volatile, and adds that, while no fighting has been reported between Hema and Lendu militias, further clashes cannot be ruled out.

We also have a press release from the Special Rapporteur dealing with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iulia Motoc, welcoming the arrival in Bunia of the first members of the multinational force.  She expressed her hope to visit Ituri herself to investigate allegations of human rights abuses there.

**UNRWA

Earlier today at the Erez checkpoint in Gaza, Israeli security forces prevented Peter Hansen, the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East –- UNRWA -- and his senior management team from leaving Gaza to attend a meeting in Jordan.

UNRWA has filed a protest with the Israeli Government.  UNRWA says this incident is the culmination of weeks of ever-tightening restrictions on the movement of UNRWA’s international personnel.  Hundreds of manhours have been lost at the Erez crossing in the last month, seriously impairing the Agency’s operations.

On a related note, James Morris, the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), is in Jerusalem today to begin a three-day visit to review first hand WFP's efforts to provide food aid to Palestinians impoverished by the deteriorating security and economic conditions over the past two years.

While over the past 12 months WFP was able to bring in nearly 45,000 tons of food for nearly half a million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Israeli security measures have made the Agency’s operations in the area extremely difficult.  For more information on these two issues, please pick up the press releases in the office.

**Security Council

The Security Council met in consultations this morning -– first on a draft resolution recommending an extension of the UN mission in Cyprus, which members later unanimously adopted in a formal meeting.  Liberia was the second item on the consultation agenda.

Youssef Mahmoud, Director of the Africa II Division of the Department of Political Affairs, in an update to the Secretary-General’s quarterly report on Liberia issued last week, briefed the Council members on the ongoing peace talks in Akosambo, Ghana, as well as the situation on the ground.

Afterwards, a press statement on Liberia was read by Council President Sergey Lavrov of Russia, in which Council members expressed their grave concern at the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Liberia and urged all combatants in the strongest terms to immediately cease hostilities and agree to a ceasefire.

Also in the Council today, Hedi Annabi, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, reported on the release of the four UNOMIG personnel who had been taken hostage.

In other Security Council activity, the so-called “661 Committee” on Iraq had a meeting scheduled in Conference Room 7 at 10:30 a.m.

**Georgia

We just mentioned briefly that the UN Mission in Georgia confirmed that four personnel, who were abducted in the Upper Kodori Valley on 5 June, were released in an unspecified location at approximately 2200 hours local time yesterday.  The Chief Military Observer of the Mission had a telephone conversation with the released staff this morning and all reported that they were well.  The team later arrived at Tblisi.

**McAskie in Eritrea/Ethiopia

Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Carolyn McAskie wrapped up her visit to Eritrea today, where she relaunched the Consolidated Appeal for that country, seeking to make up the shortfall on $90 million in donations.

She left Eritrea for Ethiopia where she will review the overall humanitarian situation.  She is also seeking to raise awareness in the international donor community of the needs of the 12.6 million Ethiopians dependent on food aid.  Although international response to the Appeal for Ethiopia has been generous, more help will be needed to avoid shortfalls in the period leading up to the November/December harvest.

**Myanmar

The World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that its operations to provide food aid to 100,000 refugees in Nepal and nearly 400,000 people in Myanmar would be severely hampered unless contributions from international donor countries are secured by the end of June.

WFP says that, although donations have been received from the EC, Sweden, the US and Nepal itself, WFP has, to date, only received 9 per cent of the resources needed.  We have a press release with more information upstairs.

**ICTY

The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia confirmed that Jovica Stanisic, the former head of Yugoslavia’s State Security Services, was transferred into the custody of the Tribunal’s detention unit today.  We have a press release from the Tribunal with more details.

**ICJ-Congo (Brazzaville)

The International Court of Justice will deliver a decision next week in a case in which the Republic of the Congo –- Congo-Brazzaville -– asked for an annulment of an investigation taken by French judicial authorities following up on a complaint against crimes against humanity and torture, filed by various associations against Congolese President Denis Sassou-Nguesso and other senior officials.

**SARS

A team of top officials of the World Health Organization (WHO) travelled to China yesterday, where they will confer with health officials about the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and exchange views on the plans for the future.

The latest statistics on SARS indicate a total 8,430 probable cases, including 789 deaths, reported from 28 countries.  We have a press release with more details upstairs.

**Secretary-GeneralAppointments

And I have three appointments to announce today. 

The Secretary-General has decided to appoint Jose Antonio Ocampo of Colombia as Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, replacing Nitin Desai; Ms. Jane Holl Lute of the United States will be the new Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, replacing Michael Sheehan; and finally, Nigel Fisher of Canada will replace Reinhard Helmke as Executive Director of the UN Office for Project Services (or UNOPS).

We have bio notes on all the three upstairs.

**Budget

Today, Bulgaria became the 86th Member State to pay its 2003 regular budget contribution in full with a payment of more than $175,000.  We would also like to acknowledge the contribution of more than $11 million by Sweden to the peacekeeping budget.

**Press Conference This Afternoon

And a press conference to announce.  At 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.

**Statement Attributable to Spokesman

And I have just got this statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General:

“The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest possible terms the suicide bombing by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Jerusalem today, which killed at least 16 Israelis and injured dozens more.  He expresses his profound condolences to the families of the victims.  As he has made clear repeatedly, the Secretary-General believes that such attacks are utterly reprehensible and only serve to spur further hatred and mistrust.

“The Secretary-General calls on the leaders of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples not to be deterred from the path to peace through the Quartet’s Road Map by this attack.  He urges Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas to work assiduously to fulfil his pledge to end the armed intifada.  The Secretary-General calls on both sides to act with restraint in the face of this terrorism.  He believes that the Israeli attacks in Gaza today only contribute to a renewed cycle of violence.  The Secretary-General remains firm in his belief that security for both Israelis and Palestinians can best be achieved through the resolution of this conflict through the two State solution called for in the Road Map.”

So, that’s all I have for you.  Any questions?  Yes, please?

Questions and Answers

Question:  The mission to Cyprus was extended for how long?

Spokesman:  I think it’s recommended to be extended for one year, but I have to double check on that, as I haven’t seen that resolution yet.  (It was announced after the briefing that the mission’s mandate had been extended for six months until 15 December 2003).

Okay, thank you.

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