DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICES OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT
| Press Briefing |
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICES OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
AND THE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT
The following 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.
Spokesman for the Secretary-General
Good afternoon.
**SG Statement on Gaza incursions
The following statement is attributable to the Spokesman on the subject of the Middle East:
“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the latest military incursion in the Gaza refugee camp Rafah, in which at least eight Palestinians, many of them civilians, have died. Dozens more have been wounded, including many children, and several houses destroyed. He sends his condolences to the families of the victims.
“The Secretary-General reiterates that Israel, as the occupying power, must protect the civilian population and desist from using disproportionate force. He strongly urges the Government of Israel to refrain from such violent actions and return to peaceful negotiations with its Palestinian partners according to the Quartet’s Road Map.”
**Security Council
There are no meetings or consultations of the Security Council scheduled for today. As of today, there is also nothing on the Council programme for the rest of the month.
Out as a Security Council document today is a letter from Libya to the Security Council President transmitting a communiqué regarding Libya’s position on treaties and conventions relating to the elimination of all types of weapons of mass destruction.
In recapping yesterday afternoon’s activities, the Security Council voted unanimously to renew the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights for a further six months,until the 30th of June next year.
The Council then unanimously adopted a resolution to maintain sanctions on Liberia.
Then the Council adopted a presidential statement on Burundi in which members requested the Secretary-General to undertake the appropriate preparatory work and assessment on how the United Nations might provide the most efficient support for the full implementation of the Arusha peace agreement.
**Sudan
As large numbers of Sudanese refugees continue arriving in eastern Chad, the UN refugee agency plans to move an initial group of 10,000 from the volatile border to a safer site further inland. This month alone, an estimated 25,000 Sudanese refugees have fled fighting in western Sudan's Darfur region and entered eastern Chad, bringing the total influx since April to 91,000 people.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees says some estimates place the number of internally displaced Sudanese in the Darfur region at over 600,000. This displacement is the latest in 20 years of civil conflicts that have uprooted more than 4 million people inside Sudan, and driven another 570,000 into neighbouring countries.
**DRC Humanitarian Mission
A UN humanitarian mission, which recently visited the region of Haut-Uele in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo found that people’s lives are being held together by only a “desperate thread”.
According to the mission, the inhabitants of the main town of Isiro lack clean water and proper nutrition, and more than 100,000 people are without work. In addition, meningitis has been confirmed in the area and is likely to spread with the onset of the dry season.
The mission also says that the town bears the traces of one of the most ferocious rebellions in the DRC’s civil war. The local population complains of harassment by the army and the police, the levying of irregular taxes, and continued military recruitment, especially of children. We have more information upstairs.
**International Year on Slavery
2004 has been designated by the General Assembly as “International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition”. he Director General of UNESCO, Koїchiro Matsuura, has issued a message to ensure universal awareness of the tragedy of slavery, which he says constitutes one of the darkest chapters in the history of the world.
He urges that this major episode in history, which has left imprints in current geography and economy, be included in school textbooks throughout the world. He also notes that, aside from looking at the past, the intention of the International Year is to sound the alarm about all forms of contemporary racism, discrimination and intolerance. We have the full message, issued by UNESCO, available upstairs.
**Death of former Soviet Ambassador
Finally, the Secretary-General was saddened to learn of the death of Oleg Alexandrovich Troyanovsky, the veteran Russian diplomat and former Permanent Representative of the USSR to the United Nations. The Secretary-General sends his condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Troyanovsky, as well as to the Government of the Russian Federation.
He was a brilliant diplomat who represented his country with singular expertise and adroitness at an acutely challenging time in the world and the history of the Organization. He combined a profound understanding of the indispensability of the United Nations with exceptional charm, humour, eloquence and flair.
I think one episode you might all remember as a perfect demonstration of that flair took place in 1980, when Maoist demonstrators posing as reporters doused him in red paint. While other diplomats flinched, Troyanovsky looked up calmly and said -- without missing a beat -- “better red than dead”.
A full copy of the statement is available upstairs.
Anything before we go to Michele?
**Questions and Answers
Question: The German Ambassador yesterday, in his briefing on the work of the Sanctions Committee pursuant to resolution 661, raised a number of questions as to the effectiveness and justification of sanctions in Iraq. How does the Secretary-General feel about sanctions in general, given that they helped liberate the South Africans but brought misery to the Iraqis?
Spokesman: I think we can help you look into the past statements issued by the Secretary-General. He has raised questions about the human cost of sanctions versus their political effectiveness. I can’t quote anything specific off the top of my head but we can dig out of the file a number of specific things he said on the subject. Colum?
[The Spokesman later said that because sanctions “are too often a blunt instrument”, the Secretary-General believes that sanctions should not be targeted so as not to harm the civilian population. The Secretary-General is encouraged by progress made in the Security Council’s practice regarding targeting sanctions.]
Question: Are you aware of a protest, I’m not sure if it’s in Geneva, with family members of the People’s Mujahadeen over the Iraqi Governing Council’s decision to expel the group from Iraq? Have you been following this, and is there any indication that these families will be sent back to Iran, that there will be risks? What is the position of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on this issue?
Spokesman: I don’t have anything on that. I’ll have to check with UNHCR for you. Yes, Irwin.
[The Spokesman later told the correspondent that UNHCR and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) discussed the issue and the ICRC advised that it considers these people to be of concern to the ICRC. UNHCR agreed, and advises that questions be directed to the ICRC.]
Question: Can you give us any update on the Secretary-General’s offer to host a meeting with the Governing Council and the United States Government on a future role for the United Nations in Iraq?
Spokesman: There have been contacts with the Iraqi Governing Council, mainly concerning the date. The date of the fifteenth that the Secretary-General mentioned in his press conference may not be most convenient for the members of the Governing Council. We’re looking at a few days after that and once it’s firmed up we’ll announce it. There’s nothing new on the possible participation of the Coalition Provisional Authority. The Secretary-General hopes that he could meet with them as well, although he’s not insisting that it be a trilateral meeting. As long as he could speak with both parties, he’ll be happy. So we have no acceptance yet on the part of the Coalition Provisional Authority. Irwin?
Question: Does that mean that the CPA has not been issued an invitation, has been issued and has not responded; or has responded negatively?
Spokesman: I think, as I’ve already indicated, the Secretary-General had conversations with high-level representatives of the United States Government proposing that the CPA come to the UN to discuss the future UN role in Iraq, and the indications he was given by those officials was, that sounded like a good idea. There’s nothing beyond that as far as when they might come or who might represent them.
Question: Is there any UN involvement in the talks going on right now between the CPA and the Governing Council over the shape of the transition, or indirect contacts with Ayatollah Sostani? Are there any new contacts on that front?
Spokesman: I’m not aware of any direct involvement of the UN in those discussions. I believe that we are doing our best to follow what’s going on there, through –- as we’ve already said -– indirect contacts. Colum?
Question: Some United States officials were saying that they haven’t received a formal invitation to this meeting, and are using that as a reason not to make a decision on this question. Why has there not been a formal invitation presented to the Governing Council? Also, when the Secretary-General first raised this he seemed to be indicating that it was all but essential that the three sit together and decide the fate of the UN’s role in Iraq. It sounds like now that’s not really the plan you are talking about, you are talking about something in which you have separate talks with the Coalition and...
Spokesman: I think when the Secretary-General spoke to the highest levels of the Bush administration, he anticipated that they would then communicate his proposal to the CPA leadership. I don’t think he felt the necessity to issue a formal invitation. As to the format, ideally he would probably like the three to sit down at the same time. But, if for any reason, with the dates slipping now to accommodate the Governing Council members, if for any reason the CPA can’t be available on that date, he thinks he can also work with two separate meetings to accomplish the same goal.
Question: There was some talk about switching the [Secretary-General’s] luncheon [with the Security Council] so that it coincided with the meeting. What role does the Secretary-General see the Security Council playing in this whole process? Why is it important to have it close to the day, and also, are you still playing around with dates for the luncheon, has that been settled?
Spokesman: I assume that because the Secretary-General’s original intention was to also have these parties talk to members of the Security Council, that he would be trying to work out with the Council a convenient date for their monthly luncheon in January, when one or both of these other parties would be here in New York. So I think that is probably an ongoing effort. What was your second question?
Question: So there is no date that has been fixed for the luncheon.
Spokesman: Not yet. He did ask the President of the Council for January to move it from –- I think it had originally been scheduled for the seventh of January –- to something close to the fifteenth. But I think he even knew at that time that we have a major AIDS-related event here on the fifteenth and it would probably have to be pushed to the sixteenth, and now the Governing Council has asked us to push it back a few days from there. So I think we’re still trying to juggle all these things and get a mutually convenient date.
Thank you. Michele?
Spokeswoman for President of General Assembly
Good afternoon.
The General Assembly is expected to finish its work tonight. A meeting at 3:00 this afternoon will examine the reports of the Second Committee on Economic issues. At 6:30, the Plenary will examine the work of the Fifth Committee on financial and budgetary matters. As you know, we are in a budget year.
Yesterday, the Assembly acted on the recommendations of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural). It adopted 70 resolutions and a number of decisions, of which nearly half addressed human rights questions related to a host of issues ranging from terrorism and country-specific human rights conditions, to the impact of globalization and the rights to food, development and the highest standards of health.
Responding to heightened concerns about terrorism in the wake of the August 19 attack on the United Nations headquarters in Iraq, the Assembly passed resolutions deploring the increasing number of innocent persons killed by terrorist attacks and condemning terrorism as a violation of human rights.
By a vote of 120 in favour to 42 against, with 18 abstentions, the Committee adopted a resolution on human rights and terrorism that condemns the violation of the right to life, liberty and security suffered by victims of indiscriminate acts of violence. It calls on States to strengthen their legislation to combat terrorism and to take all necessary and effective measures to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism.
The Assembly also addressed concerns raised by many delegations that human rights were being compromised in the fight against terrorism. In a vote of 181 in favour, with one abstention (India), the Assembly adopted a resolution on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. The resolution reaffirmed that States must ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism are in compliance with their obligations under international law, and in particular under human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.
Emphasizing the increasing challenges posed by HIV/AIDS, the Assembly adopted by a vote of 181 to 1 against (United States), a resolution on access to medication in the context of pandemics. The resolution calls on States to implement national strategies to realize access for all to prevention-related goods, services and information, as well as access to comprehensive treatment, care and support for all individuals infected and affected by pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
The issue of AIDS, not only as a health question but also as a development issue, will be examined this afternoon as the Second Committee will present its draft resolution on the Implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/ AIDS.
As you know, the issue is of particular importance to the Presidency of the present session of the Assembly. Early in the session, on 22 September, the General Assembly convened a High-level plenary meeting on HIV/AIDS. The meeting was to assess the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS, two years after Member States agreed to a time-bound set of targets to roll back the disease. One hundred thirty-six speakers, among them nineteen heads of State participated in the one-day high-level plenary. President Hunte urged interventions going hand in hand with policies that address poverty, socio-economic development, human welfare and social cohesion.
This is all I have for you today. This is going to be a long day. Thank you.
Yes?
Questions and Answers
Question: Are the budget negotiations over now, is there an agreement and is there a copy of the budget upstairs?
Spokeswoman: There should be, yes.
Question: Is it out on the racks?
Spokeswoman: I don’t know whether it is out on the racks, but I know it is finished. The Fifth Committee finished its work last night. So I assume it is available now.
Question: Does Mr. Hunte feel that Israeli isolation in the General Assembly could relent next year?
Spokeswoman: I cannot answer that question. There are signs this year that, during the General Assembly’s work, the European Community tried to limit or diminish that isolation that you note. I don’t know how things will work out next year, but I assume, since next year we will have a pared-down agenda, we will be able to address that issue better.
Spokesman for the Secretary-General: Thank you very much.