DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICES OF THE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICES OF THE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

AND THE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

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

Deputy Spokeswoman for Secretary-General

Good Afternoon.  Sorry that I’m a bit late.

Revised

The following is a statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the report of the Independent Panel on the Safety and Security of UN personnel in Iraq:

“The security of the staff has been the constant concern of the Secretary-General and the Organization.  There have been many previous evaluations of the United Nations Security Coordination System but following the attacks on UN staff on 19 August, the Secretary-General decided that there should be an independent investigation and asked Mr. Martti Ahtisaari to head it.

“The reports of three earlier internal investigations were made available to his team.

“Mr. Ahtisaari’s report, while focusing on the attack of 19 August and security conditions in Iraq, has concluded with Findings and Recommendations regarding security in the wider UN system.

“The report will be closely studied and steps taken to ensure early implementation of its main recommendations.

“The Secretary-General is very grateful to Mr. Ahtisaari for having accepted this assignment, despite other demands on his time.”

**SG Travels

The Secretary-General is in Madrid today, where tomorrow he will address the Donors’ Conference that the Spanish Government is hosting for Iraq.

This evening, he will meet with Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar, and he is expected to talk to the press briefly once the meeting has ended.

After that, the Secretary-General and the Prime Minister will take some time off to catch a European Cup match between the football teams Real (re-AL) Madrid and Partizan Belgrade.

**SG Pittsburgh speech

While in Pittsburgh yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General told the audience at the University of Pittsburgh that the United States is the world’s

sole remaining superpower, but with that power comes great responsibilities.  Leadership, he said, is most effective when it is pursued by means of persuasion, which entails the patient building of alliances through diplomacy.

The Secretary-General said that he shares the concerns of those who were worried, following the war in Iraq, that precedents are being set for others and the systems which have served us well for decades are being unraveled.  But, he added that it is up to all who believe in a collective system of security to show that such concerns as the fear that terrorists can obtain weapons of mass destruction can still be addressed more effectively through collective answers.

He asserted that collective answers can be found, even if it requires a hard look at international rules, and added, “To my mind, it is unthinkable that we should resign ourselves to the lack of global consensus”.  The Secretary-General concluded that a vision of a world bound by common rules might sound utopian, but argued that “to live in America is to be an optimist, to know that all things are possible”.  That speech is now out as a press release.

**Middle East Seminar

The second day of the international media seminar on the question of peace in the Middle East, now taking place in Seville, Spain, reaffirmed the usefulness of dialogue and mutual understanding among the parties to the conflict in the region.

The keynote address was given by Terje Roed-Larsen, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.  In his comments, Roed-Larsen said that recent events had convinced him more than ever that the goals set out in the “Road Map” –- achieving the establishment of a State of Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel, on the basis of the 1967 borders and the end of terrorism and a comprehensive regional settlement –- were the only viable path to peace.  More information is available upstairs.

**Côte d’Ivoire

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Côte d’Ivoire Albert Teroedjre today condemned in the strongest terms the killing of Radio France Internationale (RFI) journalist Jean Helene during the course of legitimately covering news in Abidjan yesterday.

His death, the Special Representative says, cannot but put a disturbing statement on the state of security and basic human freedoms in Côte d’Ivoire.  We have the full statement in English and French.

And UNESCO Director-General Matsuura, in a statement issued in Paris, deplored the killing of the radio reporter.

**Liberia

Abou Moussa and Souren Seraydarian have been appointed as Deputy Special Representatives of the UN mission in Liberia.  Moussa is Deputy Special Representative for Relief, Recovery and Rehabilitation and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Liberia.  Seraydarian is the Deputy Special Representative for Operations and Rule of law.  Also joining the mission is Police Commissioner Mark Kroeker.

**Security Council

The Security Council has scheduled no meetings or consultations for today.

**Dag Hammarskjöld Lunch

The UN Chief of Staff, Iqbal Riza, will meet with some of you today for the annual luncheon of the Dag Hammarskjöld Scholarship Fund, and he will deliver a message on the Secretary-General’s behalf congratulating the Fund’s four new fellows.

In the message, the Secretary-General also expresses his gratitude to the veterans of the UN press corps for the rigorous work they have done, particularly in the past several months, which, he notes, has been no ordinary period for the United Nations.

**Ethiopia -- Humanitarian

The risk of death spread by malaria mosquitoes looms in millions of homes in Ethiopia.  UNICEF and the WHO estimate that the deadly disease potentially threatens 15 million people over the next few months.  The agencies urgently need an additional $5.8 million in order to attempt to avert a major malaria epidemic.  We have a press release with more details.

**UNICEF

A new polio outbreak spreading from Nigeria to neighbouring countries is putting 15 million children at risk, requiring a massive immunization campaign across five countries in West and Central Africa.  The $10 million campaign will start today with the hope of reaching every child in those countries.  Experts called the outbreak a “grave public health threat”.

**United Republic of Tanzania

The World Food Programme has appealed for $17 million to help feed nearly 2 million people battling to stave off the effects of severe drought in central and northern Tanzania.

**Budget

Saint Lucia today paid $28,000 to the UN regular budget, including its full payment for this year.  So far, 115 Member States have paid in full for 2003.

**Press Conferences Tomorrow

And we have two press conferences scheduled for tomorrow.  One is at 11 a.m. and the other one is at 2:30 p.m.

That’s all I have for you. Any questions before we move … yes please?

Questions and Answers

Question:  Any reaction on the report on security in Iraq that was just presented, that talked about a system that is dysfunctional and failed to protect staff?

Deputy Spokesman:  Before you came in I had read a statement attributable to the Spokesman.  We will put it out right after this briefing. Okay.

Spokeswoman for General Assembly President

Thank you Hua.  Good afternoon.

As you know, the emergency session of the General Assembly overwhelmingly approved last night a resolution introduced in the last minute by the European community.  It approved the measure on the situation, in this instance, demanding that Israel stop and reverse construction of the wall being built in the West Bank.

The text, which had been introduced by Italy on behalf of the European Union, expressed the Assembly’s particular concern that the route mapped out for the wall under construction by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, could prejudice future negotiations and make the two-State solution physically impossible to implement and would cause further humanitarian hardship to the Palestinians.

All of you who stayed last night until 11:30 know the details of how this resolution was worked out.

The Assembly has continued, this morning, its discussion on the follow-up to the special session on children.  Ten speakers took the floor this morning on this issue.  Among other ideas discussed today, the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits, in the economic, social and related fields.

The General Assembly will proceed tomorrow with the election of the five non-permanent members of the Security Council.

As you know, Algeria, Benin and the Philippines have been endorsed by the African and Asian States to replace Cameroon, Guinea and the Syrian Arab Republic as non-permanent members of the Security Council.  Romania will replace Bulgaria for the Eastern European States, Brazil will replace Mexico for Latin America and the Caribbean starting in early January.

The Second Committee is debating this morning South-South Cooperation and the last report of the Economic and Social Council.

The Sixth Committee met yesterday to continue debate on an international convention against the reproductive cloning of human beings.  This is still, as you know, in the same situation with very entrenched positions on the issue.

Before the Committee is a draft on the international convention against the reproductive cloning of human beings.  That is the resolution.

The Assembly would decide, if the ad hoc committee on the matter would reconvene and prepare on an urgent basis and if possible by the end of 2004 a draft on the reproductive cloning of human beings, to request the ad hoc committee to include elements, such as an obligation to ban reproductive cloning of humans and to take control of other forms of human cloning by adopting a ban imposing a moratorium or adopting legislation.  Thirty-five speakers yesterday addressed the Committee on this issue, as you know a very difficult one.

We have with us tomorrow, as Hua mentioned, the Chairman of the Special Political Committee, Enrique Loedel, in our series on the committees, in particular what issues they deal with and how they work.

The Special Political Committee is interesting as it has always been perceived as the Committee dealing with decolonization and decolonization is perceived as an issue of the past.

And we add that Mr. Enrique Loedel, Minister-Counselor of the Mission of Uruguay, has recently played a very determining role in getting a resolution negotiated on Western Sahara.

That’s all I have for you.  Thank-you.

Questions and Answers

Question:  Just briefly on the cloning, when is the next meeting on this?

Spokeswoman for General Assembly President:  Well, actually they debated it yesterday. They are not supposed to meet on it again. Ah but…

Question: When does it go to the GA?

Spokeswoman for General Assembly President:  At this point I don’t know yet.  We don’t know whether it will be debated again in the GA.  About the issue, as you know there are some very entrenched positions, particularly the human cloning issue.

Question:  You don’t even know if this is going to the GA right now?

Spokeswoman for General Assembly President:  We don’t even know.

Question:  But when might we know that?

Spokeswoman for General Assembly President:  I should find out today.

Question:  This is posed to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General.  One quick question.  Is anyone going to resign following the extraordinary findings of this panel, which basically has a catalogue of United Nations mismanagement in ignoring its own guidelines?

Deputy Spokeswoman:  Well, as I said in the statement just now, the Secretary-General is studying the report and he will consider what measures to take next.

Question:  Do those measures include the possibility of some people resigning?

Deputy Spokeswoman:  I’m not going to prejudge what measures he is going to take.  As I’ve said, he is studying the report.  He got the report on Monday and since then, Tuesday and Wednesday, he’s been on the road.  There are a lot of recommendations contained in the report, so he will need time to study and to have further discussions with the management team.

Question:  Thank you.

Deputy Spokeswoman:  And also one thing I would like to add, some other things will have wider implications, for example financial implications.  You know, Committee Five now is discussing the UN budget and that will be one of the issues that will be raised.

Question:  And on the same issue.  Is there going to be a total evacuation of UN staff from Iraq?  And is there going to be a review of UN operations elsewhere in the world, given the fact that the report found they were grossly incapable of dealing with a rising and dramatic shift in a security threat to the UN?

Deputy Spokeswoman:  On your second question, even before the publication of this report, measures have already been taken in all the missions, UN missions in the world.  In the security area, every mission has been required to study and review the security measures.  So that discussions have already started in that area.  But, as I’ve said, this would have a wider implication, including the financial implication.  So we will have to see.  And your first question is on the…?

Question:  What about the remaining staff in Iraq?

Deputy Spokeswoman:  The Secretary-General has decided that we should keep some international staff in the country, to keep the UN’s operations ongoing.  And we are constantly reviewing the security situation there.  So the decision will be made dependant on the assessment, on a daily basis.

Question:  You talk about the new security measures; is there an idea what it would cost the UN to implement the new measures, or is this something that’s just going to be brought up to the Member States?

Deputy Spokeswoman:  I think that, we will need time to have further studies on what measures will be taken.  As I have said, all missions have already done their review of their security requirements.  Then, the next step will be to come up with something more concrete, and then we have to study the financial cost of all these measures.  Yes, please?

Question:  The Secretary-General must certainly be aware of the conclusions of the report.  How grave does he consider the conclusions to be?

Deputy Spokeswoman:  I stated in the statement that he will study the report.  I’m sure that some of the recommendations and conclusions coming out of this report were not news to him, because before the conclusion of this report, as I’ve said just now, the UN has already carried out several internal investigations.  I’m sure some of the issues were already covered in those internal investigations.  But, again, at the moment I can’t give you any more details, apart from what I’ve already said.

Thanks.  Have a very good afternoon.

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