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

This is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Michele Montas, Spokeswoman for the General Assembly President.

Good afternoon.

I’d like to welcome Judge Dolliver Nelson, the President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.  He’ll be telling you shortly about the work of the Tribunal.

**India/Pakistan

I have the following statement attributable to the Spokesman on the situation between India and Pakistan.

“The Secretary-General warmly welcomes the announcement by Pakistan of its decision to implement a unilateral ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir with effect from the Eid Al-Fitr and India’s positive response to the offer.  He is encouraged by recent efforts by the two countries to build confidence in their relations and to address outstanding problems.

“The Secretary-General is following with interest the recent proposal by India of a number of confidence-building measures and Pakistan’s response to them.  He urges the two countries to continue these efforts with patience and resolve.  The Secretary-General remains at their disposal to assist in any way they consider mutually beneficial.”

**Security Council

The Security Council voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus for a further six-month period ending the fifteenth of June 2004.

Council members then went into a formal meeting on the Central African region.  Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Tuliameni Kalomoh, briefed on the report of the multi-disciplinary assessment mission to Central Africa, which he led in June.

This afternoon, at 4, a vote on an Iraq sanctions committee is expected to be followed by an open and then a private meeting on Côte d'Ivoire attended by a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States.

**Georgia

We issued the following statement on Saturday on Georgia.  And I’ll just read into the record now.

“The Secretary-General continues to follow with concern the volatile situation in Georgia.  He reiterates his call to all parties to exercise restraint, and urges them to do everything possible to initiate a viable political dialogue towards a peaceful solution to this crisis.”

Also, on Georgia, Jean-Marie Guehenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, who is visiting the UN Observer Mission in Georgia, today met with Nino Burjanadze, the Acting President of Georgia.

Mr. Guehenno used this occasion to confirm the continued commitment of the United Nations to the Georgian-Abkhaz peace process.  In this context, he emphasized the importance of the observation of the ceasefire agreement and UN efforts aimed at finding a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia.  He expressed his appreciation for steps undertaken within the constitutional framework aimed at overcoming the recent political problems in the country.

**Latin America/Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is an issue of growing concern in Latin America, with numerous networks operating to smuggle migrants within the region and into North America, Europe and Asia.

On Friday, experts at a regional conference in Bogota, Colombia, which was jointly organized by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and by the Embassy of Sweden, stressed that Governments should provide victims of smuggling networks, who are willing to testify, with special protection, rather than immediately sending them back to their countries of origin.

There’s more information in a press release.

**Violence Against Women

Tomorrow is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.  To mark this day, we have available a message from the Secretary-General which calls for action on behalf of countless women around the world whose daily lives are marred by violence and abuse.  Also available is a message from the Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights.

And then at 12:45 today, in this room, Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women, together with Yolanda Jimenez, Commissioner of the New York Office to Combat Domestic Violence, and others will brief on violence against women and launch a new report on its global impact entitled “Not a Minute More”.

**UNHCR

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees warns that a crucial piece of European Union asylum law may erode established international standards.  The warning came in a letter to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the current holder of the European Union Presidency, ahead of a meeting Wednesday of European Union interior ministers in Brussels.

We have a press release on that.

**Afghanistan

The demobilization and reintegration processes are continuing in two pilot areas in Afghanistan, Kunduz and Gardez.  In Gardez, 403 former soldiers had been demobilized by the end of this Saturday, while 677 had done so in Kunduz.  Reintegration will continue after the Eid holiday, the UN mission in Afghanistan said yesterday.

Regarding staff security, the mission is assessing staff in the south, the southeast and in the east, in light of ongoing projects and operations those areas.  The mission is looking how operations can continue with a reduced presence if that is warranted.  These are temporary measures to lower visibility until the situation is reassessed again in probably another two weeks.

For more information, we have the briefing notes from Kabul.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN Mission is assisting the Transitional Government in the demobilization of some 700 fighters from the Mai-Mai militia who have decided to lay down their weapons and return home.  The ex-combatants are part of a larger group of 2,000 Mai-Mai who gathered last week in the eastern town of Kindu.  Two-thirds of those who gathered have opted to integrate into the DRC’s national army of a Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A press release issued by the Mission is available upstairs.

In another item from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we have upstairs a note on the recent humanitarian assessment mission to Walikale region in the eastern part of the country, which was conducted by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland.  The mission found thousands of civilians living in fear of numerous armed groups and facing basic shortages in food supplies and health services.

**Guatemala

The UN Mission in Guatemala will be issuing its 14th human rights report today, analyzing the progress made in respect for human rights since the Peace Agreements were signed in 1996.  The report will be presented in Guatemala City by Tom Koenigs, Special Representative of the Secretary-General at 3 this afternoon, New York time.

We have an embargoed version in Spanish of the statement to be delivered by Mr. Koenigs.

**AIDS

Finally, on AIDS, the United Nations Children’s Fund today formally appointed Kami, the HIV-positive Muppet, as one of its “Global Champions for Children.”  This character appears regularly on the South African version of the well-known children’s programme, Sesame Street.

As you know, December 1st is World Aids day.  In relation to that I have a few other things to mention.  Tomorrow in London, UNAIDS will launch its annual epidemic update.  The agency’s chief, Peter Piot, will hold a press conference there tomorrow to mark the launch.  Journalists not in London will be able to participate in the news conference via teleconferencing.

Information on all of the above, as well as a UNESCO conference to be held in Paris, is available upstairs.  And I believe you have to register today if you want to participate by teleconference on that London press conference tomorrow.

That’s all I have for you.  Any questions before we go to Michele?  Irwin?

Questions and Answers

Question:  A couple of questions, Fred.  On the Secretary-General’s schedule, there was a meeting with the Nigerian Foreign Minister in addition to the ECOWAS delegation.  I’m wondering if Charles Taylor might have had something to do with that, or if that came up during the meeting.

Spokesman:  I’ll have to check and get some kind of readout for you.  [He later said that though they touched briefly on Liberia, they did not discuss former President Charles Taylor.]

Question:  And also, do we have anything on the Secretary-General’s meeting with Dr. John Garang, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army?

Spokesman:  Yes, that was the first appointment for today.  We’ll try to get readout for that too, later.  Mark?  [He later reported that the two had discussed progress in the Sudan peace process, including the key issue of security arrangements.]

Question:  I don’t know if I missed this, but would it be possible to state clearly what the Secretary-General’s position is regarding the possibility of upgrading the Ivory Coast mandate force to a full-fledged UN peacekeeping force?  And also, following discussions after the Cyprus report, is it possible to say at this stage what sort of ideas are emerging on possible UN involvement in Iraq?

Spokesman:  On the second question, it’s too early to give you the Secretary-General’s thinking.  He’s still waiting for further recommendations from his own staff on that.  On the first, apart from referring you to his latest report, which I would have to look at myself to refresh myself, I don’t know what to tell you.  If you like, we can check with his office or a desk officer to get more details for you.  Colum?  [He later added that the Secretary-General, on Côte d’Ivoire, plans to send an assessment mission to the country to look into reinforcing the UN presence.]

Question:  There were reports that the Secretary-General said last week that he had an idea of appointing or he wanted to appoint someone to replace Ramiro as a kind of operational head in the region, either in Larnaca or Jordan or somewhere like that.  And he would also subsequently select either a special representative or a special envoy.  Can you give us an indication about whether the decision on the first appointment is imminent?  And also, on the second one, has he made up his mind whether he’s hoping to appoint an envoy or a special representative?  And what would be the different signals he would be trying to send by picking one or the other?

Spokesman:  I don’t think he ever linked Ramiro Lopes da Silva with the naming of a special representative ad interim.  I think what he said that was new and fresh on Friday, I believe, was that, as a first step, he would name someone on the ground, a special representative ad interim.  And he said he would do that soon.  And I can’t tell you anything more, whether it’s a matter of hours or days.  I honestly don’t know.

As for envoy versus special representative, a special representative, as you know, heads a UN mission.  And I believe that such a mission has already been authorized by the Security Council, which is why Sergio Vieira de Mello had the title “Special Representative”.  I’m not aware that he’s thinking of anything different on naming a replacement for Sergio.

Question:  What is the status in the work of the United Nations reform panel?

Spokesman:  I’m not sure what panel you mean.

Question:  The Secretary-General set up a panel to…

Spokesman:  The high-level panel?  I think we announced when their first meeting, their first organizational meeting, would be.  I’d have to refresh myself on when that is.  I think their work is just about to get under way.  But we have nothing more to add.  You have the list of the panelists.  If you have any interest in interviewing any of those individuals, just feel free to contact my office.  The panel directorate has authorized my office to set up any interviews should any of you be interested.  [He later corrected himself, saying the date of the first meeting of the panel had not been announced but would happen shortly.]

Okay.  Michele?

Spokeswoman for General Assembly President

Thank you, Fred.  Good afternoon.

This morning, the President of the General Assembly met with Judge Dolliver Nelson of Grenada, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, who is with us at this table.  As you know the General Assembly is now discussing oceans and the Law of the Sea and sustainable fisheries.  One draft resolution, sponsored by 38 Member States, calls upon all States to become parties to the Convention on the Law of the Sea and its related agreements, and to harmonize their national legislation with the provisions of the Convention.  The resolution pays tribute to continued contribution of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the International Court of Justice to the peaceful settlement of disputes.

On safety of navigation, the resolution calls for cooperation in the prevention and combating of piracy and armed robbery at sea, and urges States to become parties to the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Crime.

The Convention on the Law of the Sea entered into force on 16 November 1994.  As of today, 144 States and 1 entity (the European Community) have deposited their instruments of ratification or accession.  UNCLOS, as it is called, lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.

Judge Dolliver Nelson, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, will be able in a few minutes to brief you on the work of the Tribunal.

      The General Assembly will continue the joint debate on the Law of the Sea and sustainable fisheries, this afternoon.  It will also discuss the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD.  The Assembly will meet again in plenary on Monday 8 December to take up the report of the First Committee, the committee on disarmament.

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) on Friday approved seven draft resolutions, two by recorded vote, related to human rights questions, including the human rights situation in Iran, alternative approaches for promoting human rights, the implementation of human rights instruments, and the protection of displaced persons and religious and ethnic minorities.

The text on the human rights situation in Iran was approved by a vote of 73 in favour to 49 against, with 50 abstentions.  I mentioned this since many of you asked the question.  The Third Committee is supposed to vote today on the two resolutions concerning children in the Middle East, the Israeli and Egyptian resolutions.  The work of the Committee is supposed to end on Wednesday, as far as we know.

The Fifth Committee meets today on the Financing of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and also the Tribunal for Yugoslavia.  As you know, more than 100 countries have made no payments this year for the international criminal tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

I am not going to keep you any longer as I am sure you want to hear Judge Dolliver Nelson, but I want to mention that in a statement issued today, President Julian Hunte spoke of the International Day Against Violence against Women.

“Women have the right to live their lives free from violence in all its forms -– it is incumbent upon all of us to create an environment where this objective can be achieved.  We cannot allow violence against women to cloud our vision of a world free from discrimination and in which women may freely enjoy the human rights and fundamental freedoms that guarantee to them equality, development and peace.”

This statement will be available this afternoon.

This is all I have for you.  Thank you.

Questions and Answers

Question:  Did President Hunte engage in any discussions to bring more States to sign the Convention on the Law of the Sea?

Spokeswoman:  I am sure that this is being done.  But I cannot at this time disclose who he has seen on this, and what he is doing specifically on it.

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