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

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

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Information Officer in the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Michéle Montas, Spokeswoman for the General Assembly President.

Good afternoon.

**UN Budget

The Secretary-General this morning presented the UN budget for the years 2004 and 2005 to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, telling the Assembly’s budgetary committee that the document put forward today delivers on the promise to better align United Nations’ activities with priorities.

He said that he was presenting a $2.9 billion budget, before recosting, an amount which reflects an increase of just one half of 1 per cent, or $15 million, over the previous biennium.  Taking inflation and currency fluctuations into account, the two-year budget totals just over $3 billion.

The budget projects a net increase of 117 new posts, mainly, the Secretary-General said, to revitalize the UN Secretariat’s ranks of junior professionals, and it proposes the additions of two new Assistant Secretaries-General, for Economic and Social Affairs and for Humanitarian Affairs.

Meanwhile, he said, the budget allocates additional resources for financing for development and for Africa’s special needs, as well as for work on drug control, crime prevention and human rights.  At the same time, it calls for the discontinuation of many activities that have been deemed to be obsolete or of marginal utility.

The Secretary-General said that he is still analysing the recommendations made by the Independent Panel on the Safety and Security of UN Personnel in Iraq, and asserted that even an initial review indicates that significant increases in resources will be needed if the United Nations is to protect its staff.  “And, of course, this will also have global implications”, he said, “because we will be reviewing our security requirements globally.”

We have copies of his remarks upstairs.  (See also Press Release SG/SM/8970-GA/AB/3583).

**Security Council

This afternoon, the Security Council is scheduled to meet in an open meeting to adopt a draft resolution extending the mandate of the UN Mission in the Western Sahara until the end of January 2004.

Immediately after that, the Council will hold another open meeting to be briefed by Benon Sevan, the Executive Director of the Office of the Iraq Programme.

He will report to the Security Council on action taken for the termination of the “oil-for-food” programme.  His statement, which is available upstairs embargoed until delivery, will also identify steps remaining for the United Nations, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and the relevant Iraqi ministries to complete the transfer of projects, programme assets and related responsibilities to the CPA by 21 November 2003.

**Lebanon

Yesterday evening, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Terje Roed-Larsen, issued a statement in New York, strongly deploring the latest violation of the Blue Line, which had taken place earlier on Monday.

According to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the hostilities began with Hezbollah firing rockets and mortars at Israeli military positions in the Shebaa Farms area.  The Israeli army then responded across the Blue Line, using artillery and aerial bombs.

Those events, Mr. Roed-Larsen said, underscore yet again the acute need for the Government of Lebanon to exert full control over the use of force from its territory.  He urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to respect the Blue Line fully.

**Democratic Republic of Congo Panel

On the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we now have available in the Spokesman’s Office copies of the final report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth in that country.

The report, which has been distributed to the Security Council, outlines in detail the results of the dialogue held with companies and individuals listed in the Panel’s previous reports of October 2002 as having contributed, either directly or indirectly, to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  These cases were either considered resolved or sent to governments or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The report also identifies how the exploitation of resources enables the financing of arms, which, in turn, perpetuates the conflict.  The details of this information and the entities involved have been transmitted to the Security Council on a confidential basis.

Finally, the Panel provides a set of recommendations aimed at severing the link between exploitation, arms flow and the conflict.  In particular, the Panel encourages the establishment of a mechanism to monitor compliance with the arms embargo as per resolution 1493 and provides suggestions on how to increase transparency with regards to exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The report is to be presented to the Security Council on Thursday by the Chair of the panel, Ambassador Mahmoud Kassem.

**Africa

The Economic Commission for Africa is convening a major conference on Africa's economic future, bringing together several African finance ministers, development ministers from throughout the developed world, and the heads of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The fourth "Big Table" meeting today focuses on what more can be done to protect African economies from the adverse effects of external shocks, such as commodity price fluctuations or weather, and on how the approaches of the World Bank and IMF can more effectively be aligned with African governments' strategies to reduce poverty.

**Azerbaijan

On Azerbaijan, we have a statement issued today, from five independent experts of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, who said they are deeply concerned about the alleged violent quelling of demonstrations in Azerbaijan following the presidential elections of 15 October 2003, and, in particular, over events in Baku on the night of the polls and on the day that followed.

These experts have received information that hundreds of demonstrators have been harassed, attacked, arrested and detained by security forces, who have apparently used excessive force to disperse demonstrations, leading to the death of at least one person and to many others being injured.

We have copies of that press release upstairs.

**Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia

Today in The Hague, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia said that Bosnian Serb suspect Predrag Banovic, who had served as a guard at the Keraterm prison camp, had mistreated and humiliated detainees in total disregard of human life and dignity.  The Trial Chamber sentenced him to a term of eight years’ imprisonment, beginning immediately.

Also, the Tribunal granted the request submitted by another Bosnian Serb, Milan Simic, for early release.  He had been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment last year, and he will be set free on 3 November.

**Aga Khan

This evening, the Secretary-General will attend a memorial ceremony for Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and will say that Prince Sadruddin was a statesman in the truest sense of the word, who spoke up on behalf of refugees and the forcibly displaced.

We have embargoed copies of his remarks upstairs.

**Youth AIDS

In a message to the annual YouthAIDS benefit last night, the Secretary-General said that such gatherings are “living proof that we can translate a problem into a solution”.  He said that youth has been the forefront of the battle against HIV and that the international community must do its part by maximizing the participation of young people in prevention and care, by prioritizing programmes for youth, and by increasing education programmes.

**UNICEF

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) celebrated 10 years of service by one of its hardest working and best loved goodwill ambassadors, Greek singer Nana Mouskouri.

We have the full text of a media release available upstairs on that.

**Afghanistan

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says that a milestone has been passed with the return of Afghans from Iran.  More than 600,000 Afghans have returned from Iran since the repatriation programme got under way in April 2002.

The vast majority of Iran’s Afghans went back to central and northern Afghanistan, while a quarter remained in the west.

Also on Afghanistan, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today that a $4 million project in Afghanistan aimed at promoting good environmental governance and supporting the rehabilitation of the country's environment had gotten under way with funding largely from the European Union.

And finally, on Afghanistan, tomorrow in Moscow at 4 p.m., Antonio Maria Costa, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, will launch the Afghan Opium Survey for 2003.  This afternoon, we’ll try to provide embargoed copies of a press release and possibly of the report; please contact Ellen McGuffie, at extension 3-0499 if you have questions on it.

**UNDP

Last, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today presented the Arab Human Development Report 2003 to Amr Mousa, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, in Cairo.  Mr. Moussa welcomed the work, saying that "the direction of the report is a very important one, and the League will be studying it carefully".

**Press Conferences

We have no press conferences scheduled for later today.  As you are aware, the press conference that had been scheduled for Iyad Alawi of the Iraqi Governing Council has been cancelled.

**Press Conference Tomorrow

Tomorrow, there is a press conference at 11 a.m. with Jose Antonio Ocampo, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, who will be here to brief you on the two-day ministerial dialogue which begins tomorrow in the General Assembly on financing for development.

And, of course, we have Michéle Montas from the General Assembly.  Do you have any questions?  Evelyn?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  I have three for you, Farhan.  First of all, can we have on the record why the Peacekeeping Department wanted sections of the Congo report put under wraps and not released?  Or from someone on the record of why?  It’s highly unusual to do that.  Secondly, in Benon Sevan’s report, can someone possibly put together from what he says or by calling him, what amount of money is going to be turned over to the CPA from the oil-for-food because that’s been in dispute for a while?  Thirdly, can you brief tomorrow perhaps a little more closely how this entire crisis over safety in Iraq and elsewhere is going to be handled at the Thursday meeting –- I think it’s Thursday, right, the Executive Board? -- because I can’t get to grips with what’s happening.  We know where the problem is, but I don’t know quite really where this is really going

Spokesman for the Secretary-General:  Taking your last question first, as you are aware, we continue to monitor security conditions in Iraq, in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq daily, and we’re doing so right now, taking into account the latest events, and we will try and see whether we can get someone who will be willing to speak to you tomorrow on that, and we will try to arrange something and we will bring that request up.  In terms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo report, the handling of the report ultimately is the decision of the Security Council, so I’ll ... (Interrupted)

Question:  ... there is a recommendation from Peacekeeping or someone else from the United Nations not to release it; the Council is deliberating on it; they’ll probably need the recommendation of the United Nations -– I want to know why?

Spokesman:  I don’t want to get involved in that while the Council is still deliberating on it.  Ultimately, they’re the ones who decide how to release it, and while they’re making the decision I don’t think we’re going to say anything in public about that.  So, in terms of an on-the-record quote, the only thing I have to say is that we will rely on the Security Council to make the final decision, and it’s their choice ... (Interrupted)

Question:  ... and they’re relying on you to make the final decision ... a lot of smoke and mirrors here ... anyway, that’s okay.

Spokesman:  Point taken.  And the second question was what again?

Question:  Yes, find out how much money Benon is going to give to CPA.

Spokesman:  We’ll check that and try and squawk something after this.  As you know, the briefing takes place this afternoon, but we already have the notes available and we will try and interpret that for you.  [The Spokesman later said that the Iraq Programme expects to complete 117 projects worth $597.51 million by 21 November, while the United Nations will hand over 159 projects worth

$1.1 billion on that date.]

Question:  (Inaudible) ... that’s why I am asking.

Spokesman:  Okay.  Anything else?  Mr. Abbadi?

Question:  A question on the budget:  the Secretary-General, since taking up his duties, has appointed several persons at the high level of Assistant Secretary-General, Under-Secretary-General, Special Envoys, Special Representative -- maybe you can tell us how many have been appointed since then.  And now he is asking for 117 new posts and two posts of Assistant Secretary-General.  How can this be reconciled with the desire of Member States to introduce savings and economy?

Spokesman:  It’s being reconciled by the fact that what we are trying to do is cut back on the programmes that no longer seem relevant in the modern era.  In fact, the Secretary-General in this particular case has tried to cut 900 outputs  -- an output being the sort of products that we produce -– that he feels are no longer needed or no longer as useful as they once had been.  So, we are cutting back on some functions, but in terms of the priorities of work that still is necessary, he believes that we need to be able to do that to the best of our abilities, which is why, for example, he believes that you need an additional Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and an additional one for Humanitarian Affairs.  And he is hoping that the General Assembly and the Fifth Committee will see it in that light.  Yes?

Question:  Farhan, I wonder if you have any UN updated figures on how much money was pledged in Madrid last week?  And if you could also tell us a little bit about the significance of this meeting this afternoon between the Secretary-General, Ayalon and Nussiebeh.

Spokesman:  The meeting that the Secretary-General is having is with the retired Israeli Admiral Ami Ayalon and Professor Sari Nussiebeh who are important voices in Israeli and Palestinian civil society, and I believe they intend to provide him with an initiative, but beyond that we don’t have any comment on that.  Ultimately, the initiative that they are presenting is something that they are responsible for, and he will be meeting them at 4:30 p.m. today.

Question:  Is the meeting an indication that the United Nations is moving towards officially adopting the Geneva Declaration?

Spokesman:  No, I don’t have any comment on that.  Of course, we have been studying all of the relevant efforts by the parties on the ground to move towards peace, including the Geneva Accords.  And I believe, as you are aware, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Kieran Prendergast, mentioned the Geneva Accords in his briefing to the Council last week as a positive development, and we’re still studying that to see how that progresses and what the details are.  You also had a question on the Madrid Donors’ Conference.  Ultimately, the Government of Spain was the host of that conference and you might want to ask them or the Coalition Provisional Authority about the totals.  It’s not our place to discuss that; it wasn’t a UN conference.  Yes?  [The Spokesman later added that, although the Secretary-General is always encouraged by peace efforts by Israeli and Palestinian civil society members, there is no substitute for government officials speaking to one another.  He encouraged both arties to return to the negotiating table.]

Question:  Have there been any further pullouts of international UN staff in Iraq since the bombing yesterday, and what’s the current number?

Spokesman:  The current number is about 20 in Baghdad and about 40 in the rest of Iraq.  So, we still have a substantial number of international staff.  Most of the staff outside Baghdad is in the north.  Yes?

Question:  Can you elaborate at all on what the Secretary-General meant this morning when he said there need to be significant increases in resources to protect staff abroad, can you elaborate what is being talked about?

Spokesman:  The Secretary-General is still studying the report of the Ahtisaari panel that you all received last week and, ultimately, we can’t get to the specifics until we have determined all of the needs that that report recommends, and what we intend to put forward to the General Assembly and to its Fifth Committee.  What the Secretary-General’s point was that even an initial reading of that Ahtisaari report, and even initial consideration into the global consequences for UN security, not just in Iraq in other words, but in every mission area, would lead us to believe that we will need more funding.  So, the Secretary-General was simply alerting the Fifth Committee to the fact that we will need to come back to them at some point with additional figures, additional budgetary requests, and we’re hoping that they will review it in that light; in the light of the seriousness of the security situation that we have.  Is that it?

Thanks.  Michéle?

Spokeswoman for General Assembly President

Thank you.  Good afternoon.

The General Assembly is continuing today the discussion they started yesterday of a cluster of United Nations reform items.  Particular attention is focused on item 55, which is the “Revitalization of the General Assembly” –

65 speakers yesterday and 38 today are participating in the debate with a view to reaching concrete proposals.

On the economic front, President Hunte is chairing today two informal hearings of civil society and the private sector on financing for development, in preparation for the two-day United Nations General Assembly High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development.

The Dialogue will open tomorrow and will deal with issues relating to trade, aid, debt, investment, domestic finance and international financial architecture.  Tim Wall of DPI has an information kit on the ministerial level dialogue:  on the issues, and on the round tables and plenary meetings, scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday.  Tim is here right in the back of the room.  You can speak to him after the briefing or you can reach him at 212-963-5851.  The kits are available in the back of the room on the table.

As you just heard, you will have a press briefing at 11 a.m. by Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Juan Antonio Ocampo, tomorrow on the Secretary-General’s report on financing for development and on the high-level dialogue -- here in room S-226.

General Assembly President Hunte will present the press with his assessment of the two-day meeting on Thursday, 30 October, at 1:45 p.m., also in room S-226.

You also have a series of briefings on the margin of the Dialogue -- they are not part of the Dialogue, but they are products of it:  a briefing on “The International Financial Structure”, organized by the Permanent Mission of Sweden, and it’s going to be on Wednesday, tomorrow, from 11:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. in Conference Room 8.  It’s a new study on the international financial structure will be presented by its authors.

You will also have a panel discussion on “Policy Coherence, Mutual Accountability and Partnership:  Fulfilling the Promises of Monterrey”, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Centre for Global Development, in collaboration with the Financing for Development Office of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.  That is also going to be on Wednesday, 29 October 2003, from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. in Conference Room 4.

This is all I have for you today.

Questions and Answers

Question:  Is the press conference tomorrow, the briefing at 11:00 or 11:15?

Tim Wall:  I believe it’s 11:00.

Spokeswoman for General Assembly President:  11:00.

Question:  Thank you.

Question:  Michéle, I wonder what’s happening in the Assembly concerning the reforms.  I wonder about such proposals as rationalization of procedure in the Assembly, making delegations come on time –- saving some money; having the President coordinate more of the work in the Assembly.  Does the President think that these fall in the description of the Secretary-General who speaks of radical reforms?

Spokeswoman for General Assembly President:  Well, the Secretary-General’s report does not only talk of the General Assembly.  The Secretary-General’s report talks of the larger UN bodies, including the financial institutions, including the Economic and Social Council, including the Security Council.  So, when we talk about radical reforms, he was not necessarily talking about the General Assembly.  You have two headings here, you have “revitalization of the General Assembly” is one heading for the General Assembly, while in the case of the Security Council they talk of “reform”.

Have a good afternoon.

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