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 Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good Afternoon.

**SG on Iraq

A short while ago, as he was coming into the building, the Secretary-General said that he expected the United States to send senior officials to the UN on 19 January to clarify the Organization’s role in Iraq during the transition period prior to the transfer of sovereignty.

He told journalists that he hoped the US delegation would also include American officials from Baghdad.

The Iraqi delegation to the meeting, he said, would be led by the current Governing Council President, Adnan Pachachi.

**SG stakeout

The Secretary-General welcomed the progress being made toward peace both in South Asia and in the Sudan, in comments made to reporters this morning.

He said he was extremely happy at the talks taking place between Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, and said he was sure they will find the statesmanship and the wisdom to move the process forward.

He added that improved relations between India and Pakistan would mean a lot for the region, not only by reducing political tensions but also in economic and social terms.

The Secretary-General said that good progress is being made in the Sudan, on which he had spoken with Sudanese leaders and with John Garang of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement.  He spoke to Garang yesterday, he said, urging the parties to complete the process.

He said, “It is highly possible that before the end of this month, they will have concluded an agreement”.  That, he added, would be a big New Year’s gift to the people of Sudan and of Africa.

**Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

We have the following statement attributable to the Spokesman concerning the bombing in Kandahar, Afghanistan:

“The Secretary-General was shocked and deeply disturbed to learn of the bomb attacks in Kandahar, Afghanistan, today in which 14 people were reportedly killed and 70 injured, many of whom were children.  It follows an incident yesterday in which a hand grenade was thrown into the UNHCR compound in Kandahar.

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns these heinous acts of violence, and sends his profound condolences to the Government of Afghanistan and the bereaved families of the victims”.

**Afghanistan

The peace process in Afghanistan has reached a critical juncture, the Secretary-General says in his latest report to the Security Council on that country.  He warns that Afghanistan’s insecurity problem needs to be addressed, and that electoral registration, in particular, cannot be accomplished if broad geographical access is denied to registration teams.

Afghanistan, he writes, has experienced a deterioration in security at precisely the point when the peace process demands the opposite.  Reported attacks against civilians over the past 90 days exceeded the number that occurred in the 20 months following the signing of the Bonn Agreement.

In effect, much of the south and south-east of the country is off limits to the United Nations, to the assistance community and to central government officials, except under special escort.

The Secretary-General warns that the number of registration centres currently open is too low to meet the target rate of registration, and adds that there must also be an environment enabling free political organization and expression.

He suggests the possibility of convening a new political and donor conference in the first months of this year.

The Secretary-General also pays a special tribute to his departing Special Representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, recognizing his exceptional leadership and commitment.

**Afghanistan -- Council

Security Council members welcomed Afghanistan’s new Constitution as a very significant step on the path towards a peaceful, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan that respects the rights of all Afghan men and women.

Security Council President Heraldo Muñoz read out a press statement just a few minutes ago, adding that Council members emphasized the need to create a secure environment and deplored recent acts of violence in the country.

As with the Secretary-General, Council members congratulated Lakhdar Brahimi on his successful tenure as Special Representative for Afghanistan.

**Security Council

The Council held consultations this morning on the programme of work for January.

And at 12:45 p.m., the Council President is scheduled to brief you on the programme in this room.  And we have copies of the programme available upstairs.

**Earthquake

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officials met today in Paris to establish how best to assist Iranian authorities to rebuild Bam’s cultural and educational facilities.

According to the UN agency, the recent earthquake destroyed almost 70 per cent of the city’s prized cultural sites.

Some 138 schools, leaving 18,000 students without a place to study, were also destroyed.

Iran has asked UNESCO to coordinate assistance in the educational and cultural fields.

**Central African Republic

The Secretary-General says that the overall situation in the Central African Republic is less troubled than it was before the national dialogue was held last fall, but he is gravely concerned by the re-emergence of acts of rape, hold-ups and violations of the right to life perpetrated in the country’s hinterland as well as in the capital, Bangui.

He urges the authorities to ensure that these violations do not go unpunished.

You can read more about the situation in the Central African Republic in the Secretary-General’s report, which is out as a Security Council document today.

**Sudan

The number of refugees fleeing Sudan's western Darfur region into neighbouring eastern Chad is now estimated at 95,000 -– some 30,000 of them in December alone.

The Sudanese refugees are scattered in dozens of makeshift settlements that have sprung up along a 600-kilometre stretch of remote, insecure borderland between the two countries.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, they are subjected to periodic raids by bandits and marauding militia from across the border, and many are in dire need of assistance.

UNHCR emergency staff in eastern Chad are now preparing for the logistically difficult relocation operation, which is tentatively set to begin on 15 January.

**Human rights report -- Jamaica

A human rights report regarding Jamaica, just issued in Geneva, concludes that Jamaican police and security forces have carried out a number of extra-judicial executions in recent years. 

The report was written by Asma Jahangir, the UN Rapporteur on extra-judiciary, summary or arbitrary executions, who visited Jamaica at the invitation of the Government in early 2003. 

In it, she recognizes the challenge faced by Jamaica’s security forces in controlling crime and violence but underlines that a high crime rate is not an excuse for excessive use of force by State authorities.

The Rapporteur urges the Jamaican authorities to condemn all forms of misuse of force and to ensure that security forces are held accountable to the law.  We have a copy of that report available upstairs.

**Iraqi refugees

And finally, on Iraqi refugees, a convoy carrying 330 Iraqi refugees arrived today in southern Iraq from camps in Saudi Arabia.  This ends 13 years of exile for them.

The UN refugee agency says that more than 600 Iraqi refugees have returned home from camps in Iran and Saudi Arabia in the last two days.

Once back in Iraq, UN national staff greet them at transit centres where they receive a month’s food ration as well as other items including blankets, tents and jerry cans.  They are also enrolled in Iraq’s country-wide food distribution programme.

That’s all I have for you.  No questions?  That’s easy, thank you very much.

Mr. Abbadi?

Questions and Answers

Question:  What role did the Secretary-General play in the détente between India and Pakistan -- officially or behind the scenes?

Spokesman:  I think you can probably look back over the record and see the number of times he has encouraged the two sides to resume dialogue.  Otherwise, I don’t think you can say that he had a direct role.

Thank you very much.

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