DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

AND THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Hua Jiang, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Richard Sydenham, Spokesman for the General Assembly President.

Deputy Spokesman

Good afternoon.

**Secretary-General in London

The Secretary-General met this afternoon in London with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whom he briefed on his visit to Amman, Jordan, and the Quartet discussions on the Middle East.  He and Blair reviewed the situation in Iraq, including the security situation and efforts to make political progress.  The Secretary-General then raised other issues, including Liberia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Kosovo and UN reform.  Afterward, the two men held a one-on-one meeting, which was still taking place a few minutes ago.

Once the meeting with Blair is done, the Secretary-General will go on to meet Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, and then Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.  He may talk to the media after the meeting with Straw.

The Secretary-General, who arrived in London yesterday afternoon from Amman, this morning met with Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, discussing both political and spiritual topics with him.  They touched on Iraq, the Middle East and Africa, on the AIDS pandemic and the growth of traditional churches in Africa.

The Secretary-General briefed the Archbishop on his recent visit to the Middle East and efforts to achieve the implementation of the Road Map to a two-State solution.  He emphasized the need to break the current cycle of violence and to deny “spoilers” on both sides the opportunity to disrupt the peace process.  He asked for the Archbishop’s prayers in support of peace.

**Statement Attributable to Spokesman:  Liberia

The following statement is attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General:

“The Secretary-General has learned with deep concern of renewed and intensified fighting between Government troops and rebel forces in Monrovia over the last twenty-four hours.  This development constitutes a flagrant violation of the recently concluded ceasefire agreement and casts a shadow on the ECOWAS-facilitated peace talks in Accra, which had raised high hopes for the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

“The Secretary-General once again condemns any attempts to resolve political differences through armed violence.  He calls on all the parties to cease hostilities immediately in order to give a chance to the peace negotiations and allow for the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to Liberia’s traumatized population.  He also calls on the parties to refrain from any action that might further endanger the lives of the civilian population and to fully respect international humanitarian laws.

“The Secretary-General reaffirms the United Nations’ support for the tireless efforts of the Chairman of ECOWAS and the Mediator to help restore peace and stability to Liberia and calls on the international community to continue to support those efforts.”

**Liberia

Fighting within the city of Monrovia has intensified, shattering a ceasefire signed eight days ago.  Shelling was reported in the city’s centre.  About an hour ago, one of six UN international staff members who had gone back into Monrovia over the weekend on a security and humanitarian assessment mission reported to New York that a shell landed just 60 metres from the compound in which they are staying.

Thousands of internally displaced persons are moving from the west of Monrovia to the centre of the city.  A large number of people are gathering near the US embassy.  Security conditions make humanitarian activities in Monrovia nearly impossible.

The internally displaced continue to be harassed.  They have been robbed and raped and their camps looted.  Refugees from Sierra Leone residing in camps near Monrovia are now also being targeted for abuse, because they are perceived to be supporting the rebels.  Non-governmental organizations report that the number of cholera cases in Monrovia has increased.  Water and sanitation continue to be a major problem, especially at the national stadium where more than 70,000 people are sheltered.

**Uganda

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said today that it was horrified by the abduction this week of at least 100 young girls by the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda.  The abductions were confirmed by the Roman Catholic Church in Soroti today.  This is part of the ongoing insecurity in the region, which has seen an upsurge of violence against civilians and has resulted in a doubling of the numbers of displaced people fleeing from insecure areas over the last year.

Over the last two months, up to 20,000 people, mostly young children and women, have fled for their lives trekking miles into the towns of Kitgum and Gulu.  These "night stayers" who leave their homes before nightfall, seek refuge on the grounds of hospitals, religious centres, and any public areas deemed safe and secure, returning to their homes at daybreak.  UNICEF and non-governmental organizations are providing tents for shelter, blankets and latrines, among other essential support.

**Democratic Republic of Congo

United Nations officials in Bunia report that the Interim Emergency Multinational Force has been deploying in an increasing numbers of neighbourhoods in the town.  In the Yambi area, members of the Hema-UPC (Union of Congolese Patriots) militia withdrew when elements of the force arrived there.

They have set up checkpoints in various areas in town.  While it is deploying in the south, the international force has also set up a checkpoint at the northern entrance of Bunia to prevent entry of armed elements.

We also have available upstairs the transcript of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative Ngongi’s last press conference in Kinshasa.  As you know, he will be replaced as the Special Representative and head of mission by William Swing.

**Development Fund

Today in Washington, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Iraq Rafeeuddin Ahmed, as well as representatives of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development will be attending an organizational meeting with officials of the US State and Treasury Departments.  This is a first opportunity for them to exchange views and comments on the draft terms of reference of the International Advisory and Monitoring Board of the Development Fund for Iraq.  Mr. Ahmed is expected to return to New York today.

**Iraq

This morning in Baghdad, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Sergio Vieira de Mello, convened a meeting at the UN office with a group of eminent Iraqi jurists to discuss justice system reforms.  They discussed lessons learned from UN experiences in post-conflict countries, and the Iraqi perspectives.

Also in attendance, was General (Judge) Campbell, Head of the Justice Section of the Coalition Provisional Authority, who gave a presentation on the Authority's activities in this area.  The Iraqis asked Vieira de Mello to continue this dialogue and to support them in developing their own vision on justice reform.

In the afternoon he met Ambassador John Sawers, the British representative in the Coalition Authority.  They discussed the security situation in Iraq in general, and the killing yesterday of six British soldiers and the wounding of eight, in two separate attacks in southern Iraq.  They also reviewed the Authority's current efforts in the political track, which is intended to lead to the formation of a political advisory council, followed by a constitutional convention.

Upon his return to Baghdad from Jordan yesterday, Vieira de Mello held his first major press conference.  He told journalists he hadn’t spoken to the press much since first arriving in Iraq, because he has been spending his time listening to the Iraqi people to see what they wanted for themselves and how the UN might be of assistance.

“It is their country, after all, and they should run it”, Vieira de Mello said, “and it will be vital to the success of the international community in Iraq that Iraqis have ownership of all decisions made affecting them.”

“This is and will remain axiomatic for the UN in Iraq for us as long as we are here”, he added.

Asked if there were any clashes between the United Nations and the Coalition, Vieira de Mello said, “there have been no clashes and there needs to be no clash between us, as long as we have the same objective, which is to serve the Iraqi people.”  We have upstairs a transcript of the press conference, as well as a full report on Vieira de Mello’s activities today.

**SG Letter

The Secretary-General has sent a letter to Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Misnad, Consort to His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar, in support of her initiative, the International Fund for Iraqi Higher Education.  We have the letter available in the Spokesman’s office.

**Security Council

The Security Council held consultations this morning on the UN Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights, known as UNDOF.  Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno briefed the Council on the recently released report by the Secretary-General on the Force.  The Secretary-General had recommended that the mandate of the Force, whose presence he considers to be essential, be extended by a further six months until 31 December.

The Council agreed to vote tomorrow on the UNDOF resolution extending the mandate for six months.  Members also agreed to vote tomorrow on the resolution on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, extending the mandate of the UN mission until 30 July.

At 12:45 p.m. today, a reminder that British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock will be briefing you on the West Africa mission of the Security Council, which will be departing later today.  We will distribute the mission’s programme and list of participants at the briefing.

Then, at 4 p.m. today the 1267 sanctions committee, now chaired by Chilean Ambassador Heraldo Munoz, will consider the latest report of the panel of experts on the sanctions measures against Al Qaeda and associated entities.  That meeting is scheduled to take place in Conference Room 7.  The release date of that report is not yet confirmed, but we hope to have an update on that following the meeting.

**Economy

The UN’s annual economic survey has just been launched, and the report, “The World Economy in 2003”, says that although geopolitical uncertainties that had sidetracked the economic recovery are easing, the persistence of a slowdown in trade and investment and rising unemployment continue to hold back world growth.

Overall, the world economy is expected to grow by only 2.25 per cent in 2003, following 2 per cent growth in 2002.  Trade is expected to pick up incrementally, to 4 per cent growth in 2003, compared to 2 per cent last year, but foreign investment remains hesitant.

The report adds that the depreciation in the US dollar is among the reasons why a global economic recovery would need to be built on a broader base than just the US economy, so that a recovery can be sustained through 2004.

Copies of the report and a related press release are available at the documents counter upstairs.

**Drugs

The new report on illicit drugs trends by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, launched in Paris today, says that areas of opium poppy cultivation, in Asia’s Golden Triangle region of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, and of cocaine cultivation in Latin America’s Andean region, including Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, have both recorded declines over the past year.

Opium poppy cultivation in the Golden Triangle has been reduced by 40 per cent between 1998 and 2002, while the cultivation of coca bushes in Colombia has decreased by 37 per cent between 2000 and 2002, while Bolivia has become almost a marginal source of cocaine.

Antonio Maria Costa, the Executive Director of the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, said the Golden Triangle could well become a minor source of narcotics in the next few years, and he also noted his pleasure about the major reduction in the world cocaine supply.

The report, however, notes that growth of opium production in Afghanistan has increased the heroin market in the region, as well as in Central Asia, Russia and Eastern Europe –- contributing to an alarming expansion of HIV/AIDS.  We have copies of the report’s executive summary in my office.

**Information Technology

The first UN conference on using wireless Internet technology for development, bringing together government representatives with private sector executives and field practitioners to explore broadband wireless potential for supporting development, will open at 9:15 a.m. tomorrow in Conference Room 1.

A press conference will take place tomorrow at 10:30 in this room, which will feature, among others, Pat Gelsinger, Chief Technology Officer, Intel Corporation; Sarbuland Khan, of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs; and a developing country information and communication technology field practitioner, Amir Hassan of First Miles Solution.

**Guest at Noon Tomorrow

And also, Carolyn McAskie, Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator, will join us tomorrow at noon to talk about the humanitarian situation in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

That’s all I have.  Richard?

Spokesman for General Assembly President

Thank you, good afternoon.

This afternoon the General Assembly plenary will hold the election for the ad litem judges for the International Tribunal for Rwanda.  Eighteen judges will be elected from a field of 23 candidates.

This morning informal consultations on a draft resolution on prevention of armed conflict are continuing, as are informal meetings of the Ad Hoc Committee on an International Convention on Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

And this afternoon the Preparatory Committee for the Ministerial Conference of Landlocked Countries to be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 28 and 29 August will continue consideration of the draft outcome of the Conference.

Any questions?

Thank you.

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