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

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

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon and Happy New Year to you.

**Secretary-General Visits Trinidad and Tobago

The Secretary-General interrupted his holiday today to pay an official visit to Trinidad and Tobago.  He arrived in Port of Spain this morning, where he will soon meet with the heads of UN agencies working in the country.

At 3 o’clock this afternoon -- which will be 2 p.m. New York time -- he will meet with Prime Minister Patrick Manning at the Prime Minister’s office.

He will meet with UN staff and then separately with representatives of the UN Association in the country.  And at 5:15 p.m., he will meet with leaders of the opposition United National Congress.  And this evening, he will have a private dinner with the Prime Minister.

The Secretary-General will return to New York over the weekend and will be back in the office next week.

We have no appointments scheduled so far for him for Monday, but that does not mean that he may not be coming in on Monday.

**Haiti's Bicentennial

In a statement issued on the occasion of yesterday’s bicentennial celebrations in Haiti, the Secretary-General called on Haitians to find a way to overcome the current political impasse in their country.

While noting the deep significance of Haitian independence in 1804 as the first step towards ending slavery in the Americas, the Secretary-General said there was now a need for Haitians to build consensus to pursue good governance, human rights and economic and social recovery.  He added that the United Nations stood ready to a play its part in building a better future for all Haitians.

**Brahimi, Afghan Delegations Hold Talks on Draft Constitution

In Kabul, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, Lakdar Brahimi, held meetings today with a number of delegates to the Loya Jirga who had asked for help to build consensus in the constitutional process.

He met with delegates from all regions, holding many different opinions, as well as with the President of the Loya Jirga and the President of the Government, Hamid Karzai.

According to the spokesman for Mr. Brahimi, the impression emerging from these meetings is that there may be a “workable consensus” in the making.

**Secretary-General’s Latest Report on Ethiopia-Eritrea

In a progress report on Ethiopia–Eritrea issued today, the Secretary-General warns that the situation between these two countries “remains difficult, even precarious”, and that he is concerned that a minor miscalculation by either side could have serious consequences.

He notes that while there are no evident signs of preparations for hostilities on either side of the Temporary Security Zone, recent inflammatory rhetoric, particularly in Eritrea, has done nothing to advance the peace process.

The Secretary-General reiterates that a fundamental requirement for peace lies in an early demarcation of the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea.  In this respect, he welcomes Eritrea’s cooperation with the Boundary Commission and regrets Ethiopia’s failure to do likewise.  He also reminds the parties that an open channel of communication at all levels is absolutely necessary.

And while acknowledging that Eritrea has certain reservations about initiating a dialogue with Ethiopia until the border has been demarcated, the Secretary-General notes that such a dialogue may be the only way to overcome the current impasse before the situation further deteriorates. 

Finally, the Secretary-General calls on all Member States and organizations concerned to remain engaged in the Eritrea-Ethiopia peace process and to maintain a unity of purpose.

**UN Volunteers to Assist with Presidential Elections in Georgia

UN Volunteers will be in Georgia this weekend to help facilitate a free and fair presidential election.

Six volunteers were deployed in Georgia the week before Christmas -– their presence follows a request from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) office in Georgia for assistance in areas such as voter education and registration, support to media centres, as well as electoral monitoring and observation.

The UN Volunteer office in Tbilisi has confirmed that all necessary preparations have been completed and the infrastructure has been put in place to guarantee an election free of irregularities.  We have more information on that upstairs.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Any confirmation from the American side on the three-way talks set for 19 January?

Spokesman:  We’ve had no further word from the United States or the Coalition Provisional Authority concerning the Secretary-General’s proposal for a three-way meeting on the 19^th.

Question:  Fred, apparently Eritrea had rejected a role for [former Canadian Foreign Minister] Lloyd Axworthy, who had been asked by the United Nations to help reconcile the two sides.  Do you have any comment on that?

Spokesman:  We do not comment during the process of selection of any special representative or any other envoy by the Secretary-General until that process has been completed.  So I would have nothing to say about any individual in that role or any contacts the Secretary-General might have had with the two governments.

Question:  So that appointment has not yet been officially made?  Because Ethiopia apparently said they would welcome (Mr. Axworthy’s role) and Eritrea said that it would not.

Spokesman:  It has not been made.  No decision had been taken.  There may be a consultation process under way, but until it is completed, I will have nothing to say.

Welcome to 2004.  I look forward to working with you.  Thanks.

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