DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

**Secretary-General Appoints Ashraf Jehanger Qazi Special Representative for Iraq

We have three high-level appointments to announce today.

The first:  the Secretary-General has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi of Pakistan as his Special Representative for Iraq.

The Secretary-General reviewed a number of candidates, and considered a short list of three highly qualified persons, the two others being Mr. Surin Pitsuwan, former Foreign Minister of Thailand, and Mr. Salman Haidar, former Foreign Secretary of India.

After extensive consultations, the Secretary-General selected Mr. Qazi, who currently serves as the Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States.

Mr. Qazi has had a distinguished career in Pakistan’s Foreign Service, and has previously served as Ambassador to Syria, the former German Democratic Republic, the former Soviet Union and then the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, and as High Commissioner to India.

Mr. Qazi was born on 2 April 1942, and we have his bio upstairs.

**SRSG - Haiti

The second appointment is the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Haiti.

The Secretary-General has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Juan Gabriel Valdes of Chile as his Special Representative and Head of the UN Mission in Haiti.

Mr. Valdes is a former Permanent Representative to the United Nations for Chile, and is currently Chile’s Ambassador in Argentina.  He has also served as his country’s foreign minister, and we have copies of his biographical summary available upstairs.

**Special Adviser on Genocide

The Secretary-General today also has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Juan Méndez of Argentina as his first Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.

As the Secretary-General made clear earlier this year, he set up the post of Special Adviser to collect existing information on massive and serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law of ethnic and racial origin, that could lead to genocide.

The Special Adviser would act as an early warning mechanism to the Secretary-General and Security Council to bring to their attention potential situations that could result in genocide, and make recommendations to the Council on how to prevent genocide.

Mr. Juan Méndez is currently President of the International Centre for Transitional Justice.  He previously worked for 15 years for Human Rights Watch, concentrating on human rights issues in the Western hemisphere.

**SG at AIDS Conference

The Secretary-General, as you know is in Bangkok, where yesterday he opened the Fifteenth International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, saying that the world is not on track to begin reducing the scale and impact of AIDS by 2005.  He urged leaders to scale up infrastructure to support both treatment and prevention; to empower women and girls to protect themselves against the virus; and to provide stronger leadership at every level to fight the disease.

Earlier in the day, he told the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Meeting on HIV/AIDS that AIDS is “far more than a health crisis”, but is “a threat to social and economic development as a whole”.

Today, the Secretary-General conferred with the regional special envoys dealing with AIDS and also met with the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

He also visited the UN Building in Bangkok and met with staff there, telling them the United Nations has a future “if it adapts and changes”.  He added about the UN’s future, “If I were a doctor, I would say you are in reasonably good health but you must remain active and exercise.”

The Secretary-General and Nane Annan visited an AIDS ward and talked with several patients there, accompanied by the Thai Health Minister.

The Secretary-General has also held several bilateral meetings with foreign ministers while in Bangkok.  Yesterday, he met with the foreign ministers of Australia, Timor-Leste and Thailand.

**Darfur

Turning to Darfur, since the United Nations and the Government of the Sudan signed their recent joint communiqué, progress has been reported in humanitarian access, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

As promised by the Sudanese Government, the situation concerning visa restrictions and limitations on movement has improved, and the import of humanitarian supplies, vehicles and communications equipment, has been made easier.

However, local government authorities in north and west Darfur are still requiring travel permits.  Also, although more NGOs have been going to Darfur, the Sudanese Government’s 90-day registration plan is discouraging NGOs from building up large asset bases, since it is possible that their permits might not be extended.

Security around current settlements for internally displaced persons (IDPs) remains worrisome as the decreasing supply of firewood around these camps has forced women to venture further out to collect it.  Over the past week, a number of rapes and gang rapes were reported.  The Sudanese Government has supplied police outside some settlements, but vastly increased numbers are needed.

Despite Government encouragement of IDPs to relocate voluntarily and return to their areas of origin, the vast majority of the IDP population has maintained that they are not ready to move until increased security is provided at their return locations.  We have more information on the humanitarian situation in Darfur in bullet points prepared by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

**Humanitarian Wrap

On other humanitarian issues, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), reports that the refugee inflow into Burundi from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has slowed considerably.  However, UNHCR notes that while calm had been returning to eastern DRC, conditions aren’t yet suitable to begin facilitated repatriations.

The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, reports that the majority of towns and villages in Côte d’Ivoire lack safe drinking water.  This is due to the overexploitation of existing infrastructures, insufficient production capacity in urban areas, and maintenance difficulties due to lack of spare parts and personnel.

Elsewhere, continued fighting between the Burundian Army and anti-Government forces has displaced tens of thousands of civilians.  We have briefing notes with more on these items upstairs.

**IAMB

On the racks, in a letter to the Security Council, the Secretary-General forwarded an update on the work of the International Advisory and Monitoring Board for Iraq -- better known as the IAMB.

The IAMB was created last year by resolution 1483 as an audit oversight body for the Development Fund for Iraq which holds the proceeds of petroleum export sales from Iraq, as well as remaining balances from the UN oil-for-food programme and other frozen Iraqi funds.  The update reviews the work of the Board to date. You can read more about it in the document which we have upstairs and on the racks.

**Security Council

Turning to UN Headquarters, there are no meetings or consultations of the Security Council scheduled for today.

Tomorrow, the Council has scheduled an open briefing, followed by consultations, on the Middle East.  The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East, Terje Roed Larsen, is expected to brief the Council on recent developments there.

**Security Council – West Africa Report

Also on the racks today is the Security Council’s report on its recent mission to West Africa.

The mission visited Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea.  It focused on issues such as the link between security and development and importance of an active approach to conflict prevention.  Ambassador Jones Parry of the United Kingdom led that mission and he briefed Council members in an open meeting upon his return.

**UNRWA

Two UN agencies and the Palestinian Authority yesterday signed an agreement that will pave the way for the United Nations to build replacement homes in Rafah in the Gaza Strip.  These will be built on land donated by the Palestinian Authority.

Funding for the project, run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), was contingent on the Palestinian Authority donating the land.

Peter Hansen, UNRWA's Commissioner-General said this agreement now allows the agencies to move on quickly to the most important task in hand -- that of translating the concern of the international community for the people of Rafah into bricks and mortar.

According to UNRWA, over 22,000 people have lost their homes to Israeli demolitions in the Gaza Strip, since the beginning of the current strife.  Almost three quarters, over 15,000 people, are those who have lost their homes in Rafah.  A press release is available upstairs.

**Afghanistan

Turning to Afghanistan, the head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan, Jean Arnault, told the press in Kabul yesterday that many things have to be done before the 9 October elections for President, and next April’s legislative and local elections.  Among the tasks still to be carried out are the setting of district boundaries and, prior to the April elections, the preparation of credible population figures for all districts and provinces.

Noting the Sunday attack in Herat, in which at least four female registration officers were killed, Arnault stressed, “The time for the arrival of the international forces is now, not in four months from now.”  We have the transcript of that briefing upstairs.

**ITU/SPAM Meeting Ends

The International Telecommunication Union ended its meeting last week on ways to fight unsolicited commercial email -- also known as SPAM -- with general agreement that there is no “silver bullet” to curb the problem.  The Geneva meeting was designed to launch a global effort that can ultimately lead to the eradication of spam.

There a large consensus on the need to adopt a multi-track approach incorporating strong legislation combined with technical solutions, consumer education, industry self-regulation and international cooperation.  And we have more information upstairs.

**Mines

This coming Thursday, journalists are invited to attend a panel discussion on goals and expected outcomes of the upcoming Nairobi Summit for a Mine Free World, which will bring together world leaders, top UN officials, and key players in the movement to ban landmines on the fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the Ottawa Convention, an antipersonnel mine-ban treaty.

The briefing will take place on Thursday in Conference Room 5 from 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. More information is available in a note from the UN Mine Action Service.

**Press Conference Today

And finally, turning to press conferences, Ambassador Nasser Al-Kidwa, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, will be here at 1:00 p.m. to discuss the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on Israel’s construction of a wall in the occupied Palestinian territory.

That’s all I have for you.

**Questions and Answers

Question:   I just want to ask on the appointment of Juan Méndez.  When is he going to be starting on this special advisory report on the prevention of genocide, and is he going to be focusing on Darfur, DRC and Uganda?  Do you know what his schedule is?

Associate Spokesperson:No, I don’t.  I have a number for his spokesperson now that maybe we could call afterwards and follow up, since we just were able to make these announcements now because of the letters going to the Security Council.  Yes?

Question:   The UN staff was pulled out from Iraq in October last year.  Now, with the appointment of the new SRSG, when will this SRSG arrive in Iraq? Three weeks?  Four weeks?  And second, have any countries offered troops for protection of the UN staff?  How many countries? Has Pakistan offered or what?

Associate Spokesperson:On your second question, I can confirm that Pakistan is one of the countries approached by the United Nations and by the U.S. previously, as part of the number of countries who have been approached.  But beyond that, I have no specific announcements to make.  As for when the Ambassador, the new Special Representative will be available, I can tell you that President Musharraf has agreed to release Mr. Qazi very quickly and that he should be in position in a week to two weeks to be released and come here as a first step for briefings and consultations.  As for when he will be going to Baghdad, I don’t have that information yet.  Yes?

Question:   Will you be able to arrange a briefing for us when he arrives?

Associate Spokesperson:We certainly will ask.  If there are no other questions,... Oh, yes?

Question:   Marie, would you have any comment on the current rather tense situation in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, I mean South Ossetia, mainly the conflict between South Ossetia and Georgian authorities?  Do you foresee any meaningful role, I mean peacekeeping role for the UN in South Ossetia similar to Abkhazia?

Associate Spokesperson:As you know, the UN is involved in Abkhazia. The Security Council has not taken up the situation beyond that.  As far as comment on the specific situation you’re talking about, I don’t have anything specific, but I can certainly find out for you after the briefing if we have further guidance on that.  But you might also want to take it up with the Security Council as well.  Yes? [The correspondent was later informed that the United Nations is in favour of a peaceful solution as well as reduction in tensions. The United Nations urges both sides to refrain from acts that increase tensions or cause provocation.]

Question:   What are the reasons or motivations for Qazi being elected for this job?

Associate Spokesperson:As you know, we generally do not go into the reasons for an appointment.  In this case, as you saw or heard from the announcement, we took the exceptional measure of announcing three candidates because the Secretary-General felt that he had three highly qualified candidates and after intensive discussions, the decision was made.  Yes, David?

Question:   I don’t know if it was completely asked previously or not, but do you see the SRSG when he’s made available and after he’s briefed in New York, when do you see him practically, what conditions need to exist in order for an SRSG to get back to Baghdad?  In other words, how realistic is it that this particular person can made it to Baghdad any time soon?  And specifically, given the last resolution that was adopted on Iraq in the Council, what specifically do you see as the role for the SRSG that’s just been appointed by the SG? 

Associate Spokesperson:Well, as I just had mentioned, I can’t at this point tell you when Mr. Qazi will be deployed to Baghdad, but he has been appointed by the Secretary-General for the purpose of serving as the UN’s top official in Iraq.  He will be released from his current duties very quickly, we’re assured, and within a week to two weeks we expect him to come to New York Headquarters for consultations and briefings, at which point we might have a clearer idea when he will actually be going to the region.  The Secretary-General, as you know, has been saying that he wanted to appoint a Special Representative for Iraq as quickly as possible, to be based in Baghdad, to help the Iraqis with preparing for elections, with helping and support of their national conference, to help with development, reconstruction and humanitarian activities.  I mean, this is what’s been outlined as his role by the Security Council mandate.  Yes?

Question:   (Inaudible)..., Marie, and without getting you to announce certain a date, the resolution, as the previously resolution states, circumstances permitting, as we approach that today, how do we view the circumstances and what is the UN going to be looking at as far as the situation in Iraq, as far as being able to judge when Mr. Qazi is able to go to Baghdad?

Associate Spokesperson:The security situation on the ground continues to be monitored very closely by our liaison team on the ground.  They’ve been there for a while.  They monitor very closely, they make recommendations.  Until circumstances permit security-wise and we get the sufficient security guarantees from both the Iraqis and from the forces on the ground, obviously these are considerations that will need to come into play before he can be deployed.  But, as I mentioned, the Secretary-General has the full intention to have a Secretary-General’s Representative in Baghdad.  Yes?

Question:   To be clear in one thing, Mr. Qazi, you said that he is going to be deployed in the region.  Mr. Qazi is going to be in Amman during this period or in Baghdad directly?  Is he going directly to Baghdad?

Associate Spokesperson:I mentioned that he will first have to be released from his current duties as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Washington.  He will then come here to New York for briefings and consultations.  And then he will be deployed to Baghdad at a date which, at this point, I can’t announce.  Yes?

Question:   I’d still like to press you on that issue of circumstances permitting again.  Is it the evaluation of the UN that circumstances are now a little bit more permissive than they have been?  Or how close, in other words, are we to getting the SRSG installed in Baghdad, given the...(interrupted)?

Associate Spokesperson:I am sorry, I can’t comment on the security situation on the ground.

If there are no other questions, have a good afternoon.

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