DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
| Press Briefing |
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICES OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
AND THE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General and Michele Montas, Spokeswoman for the General Assembly President.
**Secretary General’s Remarks Today
Joining us today will be Kul Gautam, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund, and David Heymann, representative of the Director-General for Polio Eradication, World Health Organization, who will talk about the latest developments in the global efforts to eliminate polio.
Here at Headquarters this morning the Secretary-General told reporters that he was encouraged by the latest United States proposal to transfer power in Iraq, saying that the United Nations is going to study the plan carefully.
He said he had received briefings over the weekend on the plan from United States Secretary of State Colin Powell; Iraqi Governing Council President Jalal Talabani and British envoy to Iraq, Sir Jeremy Greenstock. He said he believed Mr. Powell also foresees an important United Nations role in Iraq.
The Secretary-General added that he is looking at candidates to head the United Nations mission in Iraq and hopes to name a candidate to replace Sergio Vieira de Mello in the not too distant future. Meanwhile, the United Nations will explore what kind of operations it can do from outside Iraq and, when circumstances permit, how it will operate in Iraq.
He also was asked about the killing of a United Nations humanitarian worker in Afghanistan yesterday, which he said could not be justified. He said security considerations “will entail some changes in the way we operate, and I think we are beginning to take some measures already”.
We will have the transcript of his comments to the press available upstairs as soon as possible.
**Afghanistan
In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General said he was distressed and angered to learn of the cold-blooded killing of Bettina Goislard, an international staff member, and the wounding of a national staff member of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the city of Ghazni in southern Afghanistan. In a statement we issued yesterday, he condemned this outrageous and contemptible act against unarmed UNHCR staff members who were assisting the people of Afghanistan.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, said that Ms. Goislard’s commitment to helping the most vulnerable Afghans start a new life after years of exile illustrates the essence of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan. As of today, UN staff in Ghazni have been relocated back to their nearest bases, the UN international staff are in Kabul and the national staff are confined to their compounds and offices. The security situation is currently being assessed, and interim precautionary measures have been put in place to protect all staff members.
**Statement on Istanbul
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Secretary-General condemned the terrorist attacks against two synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey.
He is appalled at the loss of life. He extends his condolences to the Government of Turkey and to the families of the victims.
He urges that all measures be taken to bring those responsible for these heinous acts to justice.
The acting High Commissioner for Human Rights also condemned the bombing. In a statement released yesterday, he said he finds it particularly disturbing that the bombers targeted places of worship. Religious places must be held sacred.
The full text of both of these statements is available upstairs.
Statements on Democratic Republic of Congo
And I have the following statement issued today on the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
“The Secretary-General welcomes the voluntary repatriation to Rwanda of 103 members of the FDLR (the Democratic Forces in the Liberation of Rwanda) on 14 November, and congratulates Rwanda and the FDLR leaders for the strength of the political will demonstrated by them to negotiate this repatriation, and to end the long-standing conflict through a peaceful means.
“This development represents a major breakthrough in the peace process. The Secretary-General is gratified that the ongoing efforts to normalize relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda within the framework of the Declaration of Good Neighbourly Relations and Cooperation have accelerated.
“The Secretary-General calls on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda to further strengthen their cooperation in encouraging all remaining Rwandan armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to return to Rwanda. He also calls on these armed groups to take advantage of the current opportunities available to them under the programme of the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) for voluntary Disarmament, Demobilization, Repatriation, Resettlement, Reintegration, also known as the DDRRR programme.”
**HIV and Peacekeeping
Here in the Security Council this morning, Jean Marie Guéhenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, and Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, briefed the Security Council on programmes to tackle HIV/AIDS in peacekeeping operations and among uniformed services.
Mr. Guéhenno focused on actions being taken to reduce the risks of peacekeepers contracting or transmitting HIV while on mission. He told the Council that his Department now has HIV/AIDS policy advisers or focal points in most field missions and provides pre-deployment and in-mission awareness training, as well as voluntary, confidential testing and counselling facilities.
Dr. Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, said that Security Council resolutions which addressed the AIDS issue in conflict situations had been central to winning the support of national governments in this area and he asked for this to continue. He described the ways in which UNAIDS has addressed AIDS and security and said that HIV represents a challenge to every one of the soldiers and police officers under UN command.
The Secretary-General also spoke about HIV/AIDS this morning on his arrival at Headquarters. He noted that the Global AIDS Fund was running out of money. He said he would like to see a situation where it would receive about
3 billion US dollars a year. He also called for leadership at all levels, from presidents to community leaders and for a further decline in medication prices.The comments of Mr. Guéhenno and Dr. Piot are available upstairs, and they will also be answering questions outside the Security Council after the meeting is over.
Also procedurally the Security Council has scheduled consultations at 3 p.m. this afternoon on the Middle East.
**Ciampi
The Secretary-General and the President of Italy, Carlo Ciampi, met yesterday afternoon at the Secretary-General’s residence. We have the full text of the press encounter that they had following the meeting.
This meeting had been scheduled to take place today but was moved up to Sunday because of the President’s change of plans that he had to return to Italy earlier than first scheduled. The President had also been scheduled to receive the FDR Disability Award on behalf of Italy. The country’s Welfare Minister, Roberto Maroni, is accepting the award instead. In a message delivered at the ceremony, which just took place a few minutes ago, the Secretary-General said that, while peacekeeping and the UN’s involvement in places like Iraq grabbed the headlines, the Organization’s work on behalf of persons with disability occupies an important position in the its global mission of peace, development and human rights.
Noting that one out of every 10 people on earth has some form of mental, physical or sensory impairment, he went on to ask: how can any society develop and truly flourish without the full and equal participation of so many of its citizens?
In the message, the Secretary-General also paid tribute to Italy’s efforts in promoting and protecting the rights of people with disabilities.
That text is available upstairs.
**Lebanon
Turning to Lebanon, the Secretary-General’s Personal Representative for southern Lebanon, Staffan di Mistura, reiterated his call on the Israeli authorities to cease air violations.
Yesterday, nine Israeli air violations, involving 11 aircraft, were recorded. Reports indicated that these aircraft flew over areas throughout southern and eastern Lebanon, breaking the sound barrier. In southern Lebanon, 13 rounds of anti-aircraft fire were recorded.
Mr. di Mistura had, a number of times, pointed to the potential for escalation as a result of these air violations and the ensuing anti-aircraft fire on the Lebanese side. He reminds all parties of their obligation to refrain from all violations of the Blue Line in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions.
The full text of the statement is available upstairs.
**Documents Available on Racks Today
On the racks today, I just wanted to point to two documents, one an exchange of letters between the Secretary-General and the President of Security Council regarding the continuation of the UN political office for Somalia for the biennium 2004-2005. And also a Security Council report on a mission to the Central African region lead by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Tuliameni Kalomoh. That mission, which took place in June, concludes that there is an urgent need for the United Nations to help implement subregional policies to support efforts to address crosscutting challenges such as the promotion of good governance and the stemming of illegal flows of arms, drugs and militia.
**Kosovo
On Kosovo, United Nations officials have reached agreement to restart the privatization programme there, on the legal basis of existing regulations, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative Harri Holkeri, said today. He said that this policy will require the Kosovo Trust Agency to conduct a case-by-case review of enterprises before it proceeds with its work. He spoke after meeting in New York with the senior UN officials dealing with peacekeeping and legal affairs. There is a press release with more details.
**Pesticides
We also have a press release on the environment. Asbestos and two hazardous pesticides could be added to an international list of chemicals that cannot be exported unless the importing country explicitly agrees. We have a press release with more details on that.
**Information Society
Turning to a forthcoming event, the preparatory talks last week for next month’s World Summit on the Information Society brought nations closer together on a declaration and an action plan to be adopted at that summit. Some issues will require further negotiation, however, including security, the governance of the Internet, the role of the media and human rights issues.
The preparatory committee will hold a final meeting on 5 and 6 December, just before the World Summit, which will take place in Geneva on 10-12 December.
**Other Press Releases
We have a number of other press releases. One being issued worldwide by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Chamber of Commerce and the International Business Leaders’ Forum calls for nominations for a new award honouring business efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
You can read more about that upstairs.
**Day for Tolerance
At 1this afternoon, Court TV and the Department of Public Information will show a programme about educating children about tolerance, to mark the observance of the International Day for Tolerance. That programme is being shown in the Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium, and Nane Annan will deliver remarks at the outset.
The programme will be web cast live on both the United Nations and Court TV Web sites.
**United States Briefing
Ambassador Steven Mann, the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority’s oil-for-food transition team, will be available to take questions from you around 2:30 p.m. this afternoon at the Security Council stakeout.
Just prior to meeting with you, Ambassador Mann will have briefed the United Nations general membership on the oil-for-food transition.
**Wi-Fi
On a housekeeping issue, we have some good news for you, for all you that use Wi-Fi Internet access.
Wi-Fi is now available in various areas throughout the building, including the 3rd floor “bullpen” area, the Viennese Café, the Delegates’ Lounge and the south Secretariat Lobby.
Our colleagues at the Information Technology Division are continuing to increase Wi-Fi access and will keep you informed as more places go online.
**Guests at Noon Tomorrow
And then tomorrow’s briefing: the guests tomorrow are Jan Egeland, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator and Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, who will be here to launch the United Nations Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for 2004.
**United Nations Correspondents Association
And then an announcement from the United Nations Correspondents Association that the Secretary-General’s former representative to The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Henryk J. Sokalski, will be signing copies of his book, “An Ounce of Prevention”, between 1 o’clock and 3 o’clock today. Mr. Sokalski will also be available in the UNCA Club to meet with correspondents at a time to be announced later this afternoon.
And that is all I have for you. Before I turn to our guests, any questions before going on to Michele?
Questions and Answers
Question: On the French United Nations worker who was killed over the weekend. Is this, I mean, this comes after another recent attack against a United Nations office in Kandahar, is there a feeling that troops that oppose western efforts at reconstruction in Afghanistan are sort of taking, sort of repeating what is going on in Iraq, using that strategy to try to drive the United Nations out of there, or is this on a different scale? Has there really been any increase on attacks on United Nations or is it sort of reflective of the sort of things you’ve been encountering over the last year and a half?
Associate Spokesman: I have not seen any analogies drawn along the lines that you have mentioned, although when the Secretary General, as you know, had issued a statement yesterday, and this morning when he was asked about this attack at the stake-out downstairs, he talked again about this vicious attack and that, whatever the cause, this kind of attack cannot be justified. He also said that we were taking measures to protect the staff and continue operations as best as we can.
I can confirm to you that, as you know, a week ago we had, there was an attack in Kandahar and over the weekend there was another incident, which did not involve casualties, on a United Nations vehicle. I have to get you details on that; right now I don’t have them with me. Obviously, it is a very serious situation there and, as of now, I can tell you that in addition to the staff, the international staff that have been relocated to Kabul from the city in which the attack on the French relief worker occurred, that the United Nations has, for now, suspended operations in the south, the south-east and the east, pending further security clearance for that area.
Question: How large is your presence in those regions?
Associate Spokesman: Again, I don’t have the breakdown with me. As you know the United Nations operates and has been operating with a vast humanitarian programme through the past decades. They operate in the north, the south, the west and the east, and Kabul being the headquarters of most of these operations has the largest presence with more than 500 staff. But we do have international staff located throughout the country.
Question: Concerning the Wi-Fi -- can we use it on the 4th floor?
Associate Spokesman: I just mentioned to you the places where it was available now -- the Viennese Café, the Delegates’ Lounge and the south Secretariat Lobby and the third floor bullpen. That is where we are making this available for now and, as I mentioned, as more places go online we will be making those announcements.
Question: Yes, on Cyprus. Back in April the Secretary-General in his good offices reports he had quite clearly said that the talks broke down in a stalemate and for that the responsibility was more with the Turkish Cypriot side. Since it is a bit unclear in last week’s report on the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), is there any change in this position?
Associate Spokesman: The guidance I have to answer that question is as follows. The answer to that question is contained in the Secretary General’s report of 1 April 2003 -- and that is S/2003/1250 -- which outlines the views of the parties that have not substantially changed since then. And that is the guidelines that I have.
Question: A follow up, there is an expression of renewal of his good offices and I wonder what is the present status of his good offices are dead, are hibernated, are operating in minimum? What is the status, the exact status?
Associate Spokesman: Again, I refer to a previous report, which is paragraph 14 of his report on the United Nations mission and it is a different symbol number S/2003/1078 in which the Secretary-General indicates that he regrets that the requirements set out in the April report have not yet been fulfilled and I will read to you an excerpt from paragraph 14, but that is readily available upstairs for those who want it. It reads as follows “it remains my position (this is the Secretary-General speaking) that no purpose would be served by renewing my mission of good offices unless there was a readiness on the part of both Cypriot parties, as well as Greece and Turkey to finalize negotiations with United Nations assistance on the basis of a revised proposal that I presented to the parties and the guarantor powers on the 26th of February 2003 and put the resulting agreement to separate simultaneous referendums within a short time thereafter”. I will not continue with the rest but that is the paragraph that I mentioned.
Question: Just to clarify about the (inaudible) in Afghanistan. The United Nations has suspended all operations, not just UNHCR in south, south-east and south-west Afghanistan.
Associate Spokesman: That is correct and that is as I mentioned initially pending the security review. As the Secretary-General said, we have to work within...
Question: (inaudible) sort of half the country, I guess.
Associate Spokesman: We are operational in the northern half of Afghanistan.
Question: And workers from Ghazni were relocated to Kabul?
Associate Spokesman: The international staff from Ghazni were relocated to Kabul.
Question: How many people?
Associate Spokesman: I believe it was four, including the deceased staff member.
Question: At some point can you provide us with some figures on what kind of United Nations presence, how extensive United Nations presence was throughout these areas where you had ordered the relocation, the south, the south-west and (inaudible)?
Associate Spokesman: We have currently, as I mentioned, about 800 international staff in Afghanistan. The bulk of the staff are in Kabul. But as I mentioned, we have a scattered presence in at least a dozen locations throughout the country. I’m not sure we want to go into the exact figures throughout, but the total number is about 800.
Question: I think if you said about 500 in Kabul earlier so it is not necessarily, you cannot infer that 300 are being pulled back. I mean you were saying earlier that the majority of staff was in Kabul and there were about 500.
Associate Spokesman: All I mentioned about relocating staff were the four which Bloomberg news just asked me to clarify from the city in which the attack occurred yesterday. There have been no other relocations.
Question: The suspension of operations in the southern part of the country it is just (inaudible) people are just staying home...
Associate Spokesman: That is correct, pending further security review. That’s right, they have not been relocated. I mean, they are on the ground and they will do the best they can give the circumstances but given, you know, the incident yesterday.
Question: Does the security review involve considering whether to relocate the remaining staffers.
Associate Spokesman: I can’t get into further security issues beyond what I’ve already given you.
Question: Yes, just a follow-up on the computers (inaudible) unless they have been fixed during the weekend the computers in the bullpen cannot go online. We asked repeatedly while the Dag Hammarskjöld fellows were here, because they had no other place to work. I know that that is not your problem but I raise the issue because (inaudible).
Associate Spokesman: I’m sure whoever is listening to this briefing is hearing that complaint, so hopefully they will get fixed.
Question: Pending the security review in Afghanistan (inaudible), is withdrawal one of the alternatives?
Associate Spokesman: I can’t get into further details on the security situation. I can comment on what happened yesterday and the immediate measures that have been taken because the Secretary-General this morning mentioned that some immediate measures have already been taken.
Question: I’m not asking a security question, I’m asking whether withdrawal is one of the considerations.
Associate Spokesman: We would not confirm any procedural matters on security in terms of that kind of detail at this stage. I think I’ve said as much as I can on the security issue in Afghanistan.
There are more questions? Michele...
Spokeswoman for General Assembly President
Thank you, Marie, and good afternoon.
As Marie mentioned, Italy’s President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi was in New York this weekend. However, he had to leave last night for the State funeral services for the Italian victims of last Wednesday’s bombing in Iraq. The Italian Minister of Welfare, Roberto Marconi, replaced President Ciampi at the award ceremony this morning in the ECOSOC Chamber. He received on behalf of Italy the seventh Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award.
In a keynote speech,General Assembly President Julian Hunte said, “The stark reality is that some 600 million people in the world are living with disabilities, 85 per cent of them in developing countries”. Progress is, however, being made, he said. Attitudes are changing, tolerance is taking root, and the space is increasingly being made, to the extent possible, for the disabled to articulate and realize their hopes and aspirations, including participating in nation-building. President Hunte underlined Italy’s particular contribution as the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute and the World Committee on Disability are honouring Italy todaywith the seventh annual Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award for its progress toward the goal of the United Nations World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons. President Hunte’s speech is not on the Web.
Among speakers at the ceremony this morning were, as Marie said, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Christopher Reeve, Vice-Chairman of the National Organization on Disability, and David A. Roosevelt, great-grandson of FDR and Trustee of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute.
President Hunte will meet this afternoon with the President of Guinea-Bissau, H.E. Mr. Henrique Pereira Rosa.
The General Assembly is to meet tomorrow on a second series of open-ended informal consultations around the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly. A second discussion paper is circulating. The issues are grouped in two clusters: enhancing the authority and role of the General Assembly and improving its working methods. The next step will be in the hands of the “facilitators” named by President Hunte a few days ago. This should come to a final working text and we expect a resolution to be adopted by mid-December on the GA revitalization issue.
This is all I have for you today, thank you.
Questions and Answers
Question: Has the council of past presidents come to any conclusions regarding reform for the United Nations?
Spokesman for the Secretary-General: No, they were informed all of that second paper, they saw it and I’m sure they exchanged views on it; however, there is nothing formal about this.
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