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

Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, will be arriving in New York later today.  Tomorrow, he will address the Security Council to present the Secretary-General’s report.

In that report, which is out on the racks today, the Secretary-General writes that the United Nations should help the Iraqis participate and take ownership of the process that will help shape the future of their country.

During consultations with a broad representation of Iraqi society, Vieira de Mello found an overwhelming demand for self-rule without democracy being imposed from the outside.  Other concerns relayed to the Special Representative include the precarious security situation.  If it’s not addressed quickly it could hamper progress in many sectors of life, the Secretary-General says.  Another concern relates to the treatment and conditions of detention of Iraqis arrested by the Coalition for a variety of offences.

In order to allay some of the concerns of Iraqis, it is important that Iraqis are able to see a clear timetable leading to the full restoration of sovereignty, the Secretary-General says in his report.  “There is a pressing need to set out a clear and specific sequence of events leading to the end of military occupation.”

In the report, he also outlines areas in which the UN will be active in the near future.  These include humanitarian assistance, human rights -- notably in training police officers regarding human rights issues, electoral assistance and other specific projects, including some involving the Iraqi media.  He also details the preparations for transfer of “oil-for-food” projects to the Authority by 21 November.

Lastly, the Secretary-General proposes consolidating the existing UN Secretariat staff in Iraq into the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, to be known as UNAMI, with a staff of more than 300 people.  The number of international personnel would be less than half of that total with the mission relying on a skilled Iraqi work force.

**Iraq – Shooting Incident

On Sunday morning in Baghdad, shots were fired from a passing car at a two-vehicle convoy belonging to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).  One of the vehicles that came under fire subsequently collided with a bus, killing the driver, who was a national staff member, and injuring an international staff member.

There was a separate World Health Organization convoy in the vicinity, which subsequently caught up with the IOM convoy and rendered assistance to the staff involved.

Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General condemned the shooting and extended his condolences to the family of the national staff member.

IOM is an independent organization that is not a member of the UN system, which works very closely with the United Nations in Iraq and other UN operations around the world.

**Iraq Meeting

Concerning tomorrow’s open Security Council meeting on Iraq, we expect it to start at 10:00 a.m.

The meeting will be presided by the Foreign Minister of Spain, Ana Palacio.

In addition to members of the Security Council, the Secretary-General and his Special Representative will speak.

We expect Mr. Vieira de Mello to then speak to you here in this room following the Council meeting.

There is no meeting of the Security Council scheduled for today.

**David Kelly

Over the weekend, the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, UNMOVIC, issued a statement extending its deepest sympathies to the members of Dr. David Kelly's family, following the news of his death.

Dr. Kelly was well known for his professionalism and for the respect that his colleagues had for him, the statement said.

**Liberia Statement

We have the following statement attributable to the Spokesman concerning Liberia:

“The Secretary-General condemns the resumption of hostilities in Monrovia.  He calls on the parties concerned and, in particular, the Liberians United for Democracy and Reconciliation, to fully observe the ceasefire.

“He strongly believes that the Liberian crisis cannot be solved by military confrontation.  Such confrontation can only lead to a further deterioration of an already dire humanitarian situation.  The Secretary-General reiterates that any attempt to seize power by force would be unacceptable to the international community.

“He reminds all those who may be responsible for gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law that they will be held, individually and collectively, accountable for their actions.

“He urges all the stakeholders at the ECOWAS-led Liberian Peace Talks in Accra to ensure a speedy conclusion of a negotiated settlement.

“The Secretary-General renews his call to ECOWAS to deploy without delay the proposed vanguard force to restore calm and security.  He urges the United States to spare no effort to support this deployment and to announce its own decision on the deployment of US troops before it is too late.”

**Liberia

The Secretary-General, on coming into the building this morning, spoke to some of you and he said that “Liberia today is poised between hope and disaster”, and added that the situation could be salvaged if troops were to be deployed urgently.  We have copies of that press encounter upstairs.

Early this morning, at 10:35 local time, the last seven international staff members working for the United Nations in Liberia left Monrovia by a US helicopter, and they are all now in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

At the end of last week, the Secretary-General’s Representative for Liberia, Abou Moussa, left the country as the latest round of fighting in and around the capital began.  The UN resident coordinator, Marc de Bernis, has now also left the country.

We have a press release out upstairs on the humanitarian situation in Liberia, with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs saying that the situation in Monrovia is becoming desperate.  The US diplomatic residential compound at Greystone is crammed with over 10,000 displaced persons who have fled the recent fighting, and all UN compounds in the capital are housing displaced persons.  As of last week, there were an estimated 200,000 displaced persons scattered throughout the city.

**Democratic Republic of Congo

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has sent an observer mission to the villages of Tchomia and Kasenya, approximately 50 kilometres from Bunia, over the weekend to investigate reports of recent fighting there.

The mission was informed that 80 civilians were killed, and 250 houses were burned during the fighting.  Witnesses told the UN that the latest attack was carried out by Lendu militias.

We have a press release with more details.  It’s in French.

**Colombia

Late last week, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) issued a public statement expressing their willingness to meet with the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Colombia, James LeMoyne.

We issued a statement on Saturday, noting that the Secretary-General has been informed of the communication by the FARC-EP and considers it to be positive.  He has always made clear that his good offices are available to the parties.

**Afghanistan

The UN Mission in Afghanistan has accompanied a delegation of the Security Commission of Afghanistan to visit Balkhab District in Sar-i-Pul province, after reports indicated that tension between two local factions has caused instability in the area.

The UN Mission said that, since April, several cases of factional fighting have been reported in the north and in an unofficial count at least 66 people have been killed in these incidents.  The fighting has also caused the destruction of houses, businesses, killing and theft of livestock, severely disrupting life in the villages.

However, the UN Mission said that these skirmishes often happen in isolated areas and do not have the potential of expanding into larger conflicts.

**UNDOF

The Secretary-General has announced the appointment of Major-General Franciszek Gagor of Poland as Force Commander for the UN Disengagement Observer Force with effect from 13 August 2003.  He will succeed Major-General Bo Wranker of Sweden.

Major-General Gagor has served in the Polish Armed Forces for 34 years.

And we have a press release on that appointment on the racks.

**IAEA

Last Friday afternoon, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) Board of Governors agreed on the first IAEA significant budget increase in more than a decade and a half.  The increase, which is $15 million more than the $245 million 2003 regular budget, is envisioned to grow to $27 million by 2007.  The budget is subject to approval by the IAEA’s General Conference in September.

“This represents a real vote of confidence in the IAEA and a recognition of the importance of our work”, said IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei.

**WHO

Dr. Jong-wook Lee took office today and started his five-year term as the new Director-General of the World Health Organization, with a pledge to give new focus and priority to the global combat against HIV/AIDS.

We have a press release on that.

**Budget

And finally in budget news, three more Member States have paid their UN regular budget dues in full for this year: China, paid more than $10 million; Libya, paid more than $900,000; and Nicaragua paid off the balance of its dues with a contribution of more than $2,000.

There are now 96 Member States that have paid their dues in full for this year.

That’s all I have for you.  Akram?

Questions and Answers

Question:  The Iraqi people are really unhappy to see the Coalition forces to stay in the country for a long time.  Do you see the United Nations peacekeeping forces could replace them pretty soon?

Spokesman:  I think if I take you literally that you mean UN peacekeeping forces.  I don’t think anyone foresees UN peacekeeping taking over security responsibilities of the Coalition.  Otherwise, whether any other multinational force that could be created or approved by the Security Council is a matter of speculation now.  I don’t think we’re at the point yet to discuss that option.  Yes, Evelyn?

Question:  I have a number of questions.  First of all, is there a spokesman for the three Iraqis coming tomorrow or are they all going to speak, would you let me start at the beginning?

Spokesman:  I think the expectation is that one person will speak; but that’s just an expectation on the part of the Secretariat.  I don’t know who, I don’t want to speculate who.  I am not aware that they have any spokesperson with them...

Question:  I meant speaking from the Council.

Spokesman:  ...which one of them would speak, I think that’s still being sorted out and I have nothing more to give you at this time.

Question:  Secondly, a leading newspaper said this morning the Secretary-General asked for the Council’s endorsement of the Governing Council; the Security Council endorsement in his report which I sure as hell didn’t read and then it quotes Mr. Fawzi in Baghdad, I mean the SG said it would be nice if this group were supported but that’s different than telling the Council to endorse it and is there a difference now between what is being said in Baghdad and; we all read this report on Friday, and we certainly didn’t see it in there?

Spokesman:  When we saw that quote of Ahmad Fawzi we tried to get through to him but we were unable to.  He did send us a transcript of his press briefing of yesterday, which I assume was what was being quoted in the paper that you cite and what the transcript has him saying is that “the Security Council must decide if the Governing Council is the interim Iraqi administration mentioned in resolution 1483.  It is not up to the Special Representative to decide.”  So that’s what he told us he said in Baghdad yesterday and the Secretary-General coming in this morning said what...

Question:  But that’s a long way from saying the Council should endorse it...

Spokesman:  Yes.

Question:  ...It would be nice if we supported these guys. A third question, if I may?  On Liberia, the Secretary-General says the time for, you know, outside force to go in.  It looks so bad now everybody is withdrawing people, is this a good time for somebody to go in?

Spokesman:  I think he feels to stabilize that situation you need an outside force.  And, over the weekend, he was in regular contact with the United States, Nigeria, and Ghana trying to firm up the plans for an ECOWAS force to go in as the vanguard to be followed by US troops that he still hopes the US would commit as a follow up.  So, I think the worse it gets, the more such a force is needed.  If things weren’t so bad you could probably get away with something much less, but he is encouraged by Nigeria’s indication that they would commit two battalions.  And, you can see from the statement that I read that he is calling on the United States, not only to commit troops of its own, but to support ECOWAS in any way it can to help facilitate the deployment of that vanguard unit.  Yes?

Question:  Okay, at what level of status do the Iraqis speak to the Council tomorrow -- as representatives of the Governing Council set up by the Coalition forces?

Spokesman:  The Council members, of course, can invite any one they like to address them in an open meeting.  I don’t have the technical information to give you.  I will check with the Council secretariat afterwards and give that to you.  Yes?

[The Spokesman later announced that the Iraqi representatives would address the Security Council under article 39 of the Council’s rules of procedure.]

Question:  Will the second resolution also be discussed tomorrow?

Spokesman:  I am not aware.  I can’t predict what will be discussed.  You’ll have to ask members what they intend to discuss.

Question:  And, a second question, do you have any information on the UN electoral team that the UN will deploy to Iraq, anything on that?

Spokesman:  Nothing on that, you can check with my Office afterwards if they have any other details that I don’t have.  Yes?

[The Spokesman confirmed later that a United Nations electoral assistance mission is expected to travel to Baghdad between the first and second weeks of August.]

Question:  When will the United Nations send an observer to the election in Cambodia, this weekend?

Spokesman:  Oh, I don’t have information on that either, but if you check with my office afterwards Ihope I will be able to give you some more.

[The Spokesman later thatthe United Nations is providing electoral assistance to Cambodia through the UN Development Programme, in the areas of electoral law, access to media, capacity-building and donor coordination.  The UN does not provide electoral observers to Cambodia and was not requested to do so.]

Thank you very much.

* *** *