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 Stephane Dujarric, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good Afternoon. 

**Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General (issued Wednesday)

Around 8 p.m. yesterday evening we released the following statement on Cyprus attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General:

“The Secretary General wrote Wednesday to the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders inviting them to come to New York on 10 February 2004 to resume negotiations on the basis of his plan.  The objective of the negotiations would be to put a completed text to referenda in April 2004, in time for a reunited Cyprus to accede to the European Union on 1 May 2004.

“The Secretary-General has also written to the Prime Ministers of Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom asking them to have representatives on hand in New York on that occasion.

“The Secretary-General was moved to take this initiative by his recent, encouraging contacts on the Cyprus question during his trip to Europe and afterwards.  In his letters, the Secretary-General has appealed to the leaders to summon the political will needed to bring about this result in the short time available.  He has also set out what needs to be done for this to happen”.

Copies of the statement are obviously available upstairs.

**Liberia

Turning to Liberia, the Liberian Reconstruction Conference opened today in the Trusteeship Council right here at the UN Headquarters, with the United Nations and the World Bank saying that the country needs $488 million to rebuild after 14 years of war.

Mark Malloch Brown, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme, said Liberia has set up a fragile peace, with urgent action needed now to help ensure that the gains that have been made towards the country’s recovery are not reversed.  He added that it is clear that, “sadly, this kind of post-conflict intervention is going to be a major part of our work in the coming years”.

Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Carolyn McAskie added that we have made great strides in Liberia since last summer, but there are still many Liberians who have not yet seen the benefits of peace.

The Secretary-General and the US Secretary of State Colin Powell will kick off the second day of the conference which starts tomorrow at 9 a.m.  And we have embargoed copies of the Secretary-General’s speech available upstairs in our office.

Also at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow, Charles Bryant, the Chairman of Liberia’s National Transitional Government, will be among the speakers at a press conference in this room.  Other speakers are said to include Mark Malloch Brown; USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios; Mats Karllson, the World Bank Country Director for Liberia; and Thomas Kitt, Ireland’s Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Human Rights.

**Security Council

There are no Security Council meetings or consultations today.  Tomorrow, the Council will hold a public meeting on Kosovo, with the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Harri Holkeri, briefing Council members on recent developments in Kosovo.

**DR Congo

Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we told you yesterday that the UN Mission in the DRC was sending a team by boat to the north-eastern town of Gobu, to investigate massacre allegations in that town.  However, the team came under intense fire from militia, while the patrol boat was making its way.  The UN Mission did not sustain any casualties, but the boats were forced back.

Today, the Mission tried to send a team to Gobu by air and land, and we were informed that they have succeeded in getting to the site to begin their investigation.

Yesterday, the Mission also held mediation between military commanders and the Governor of Bukavu, following gunfire there on Tuesday.  And calm has returned to Bukavu.  And we have details of those developments available upstairs.

**IAC Report launch

And now, a reminder that the first report of the InterAcademy Council will be launched here at UN Headquarters later this afternoon.  The Council is a new organization created by 90 of the world’s science academies to provide expert knowledge to international bodies, such as the United Nations.

The Council’s report calls on all nations to develop a science and technology strategy, in order to help address the challenges faced in the modern world.

The Secretary-General will preside over the report’s launch, at 3 p.m. in Conference Room 1 downstairs.  The launch with the Secretary-General will be preceded by a press briefing by the organizers, at 2 p.m., also in Conference Room 1.  Copies of the report will be available at that press briefing.

**Bird flu/vaccination

Turning to the avian influenza, or commonly known as bird flu, experts gathered for emergency talks at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome have recommended a vaccination campaign for poultry at risk in heavily affected countries.

Along with culling and other priority measures to contain the spread of the virus, it’s expected that vaccination will help prevent damage to the livelihoods of rural households, as well as national economies.

The experts also emphasised the importance of protecting people directly in contact with infected or suspected birds.

So far, 14 people have died from bird flu, and thousands of birds have been culled.  And we have a press release available upstairs with more on that.

**Afghanistan

In April, a project will begin to reform Afghanistan’s judicial system by refurbishing judicial facilities and training judicial officers on gender sensitivity, prosecution and case handling.  The UN Development Programme will implement the projects, which are to begin in four cities (Herat, Balkh, Bamyan and Nangarhar) and then expand throughout the country.

We have more details in today’s briefing notes from Kabul, which also notes an increase in voter registration, with more than 670,000 Afghans now registered to vote.

**DSG/Washington

The Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette is visiting the WoodrowWilsonInternationalCenter for Scholars in Washington today, where she’s taking part in a panel discussion on the theme of “The Future of the United Nations”.

And we should have more information available on that upstairs.

**Bunche lecture

Also just a reminder that the third and final Ralph Bunche lecture is taking place here at UN Headquarters today, from one to three in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, when several panelists will talk about “Ralph Bunche and the Integrity of the International Civil Service”. And you are all invited to attend.

**Press Conference today

And lastly, at 2:30 p.m. in this very room, the UN Fund for International Partnerships will be sponsoring a press conference to launch “Artists for Peace” and the “Audrey Hepburn Peace Award”.  Heathcliff Rothman and Xorin Balbes, co-chairs of “Artists for the UN”, and Gillian Sorensen, the UN Foundation’s Senior Adviser, will attend as well as the actress Drew Barrymore.

**World Chronicle

And finally, World Chronicle programme No. 924, featuring Jacques Paul Klein, the UN Special Representative in Liberia will be shown today at 3:30 p.m. on in-house television channels 3 or 31 depending on your system.

That’s it from me any questions?  Erwin?

Questions and Answers

Question:  Stephane, the Secretary-General said yesterday that he was going to consult with Rauf Denktash on the possibility of reopening talks.  Did he do so?  And if he did, did he speak with him before yesterday evening’s announcement?

Associate Spokesman:  He has not spoken directly with Mr. Denktash in the last 24 hours but he has now communicated with him in writing.

Question:  He has written him a letter?

Associate Spokesman:  Yes.

Question:  Can we get a copy of this letter?

Associate Spokesman:  No.  The letter is the letter referred to in the statement; which is the letter that was sent out.

Question:  Was it just a letter inviting him to the talks or did they seek his opinion?

Associate Spokesman:  My understanding is that the letter that was sent to Denktash was the letter written to both the Greek Cypriot leader as well as the Turkish Cypriot leader inviting them to come to the talks.  But there has been no direct contact between Mr. Denktash and the Secretary-General in the last 24 hours.

Question:  So the letter that he sent him was essentially the same letter as he sent to the other?

Associate Spokesman:  Yes, he sent letters to both of them.

Question:  Why has the Secretary-General refused to talk to Mr. Denktash?  He spoke with everybody two or three times.  Why not with him?

Associate Spokesman:  I don’t think there is any issue of the Secretary-General refusing to talk to Mr. Denktash.  As I said, I know they have not spoken directly in the last 24 hours, and he’s communicated with him in writing.

Question:  Mr. Denktash complained today that the Secretary-General wants to get rid of him.  What’s your comment?

Associate Spokesman:  The Secretary-General’s aim is to get this process in motion again with the objective to get a completed text put to referenda in April 2004.

Question:  But can you work without Mr. Denktash?

Associate Spokesman:  We’ve invited the Turkish Cypriot leader and we do hope to have confirmation that he and the others will attend.

Question:  And if he refuses to come?

Associate Spokesman:  Michael, you know I wouldn’t want to speculate past any of the guidance that I have on this.

Question:  Was also a letter sent to Mr. Talat?

Associate Spokesman:  Not that I am aware of, but I’d be happy to check for you.  [The Spokesman later confirmed that there had been no letter to Mr. Talat.]

Question:  And second, is it fair to say that by the parties by accepting the invitation of the Secretary-General, they have also agreed with his terms, and especially those as described in paragraph 148 of his April 2003 report?

Associate Spokesman:  I don’t want to interpret the thoughts of the parties.  What I can tell you is what the Secretary-General would like and that is what he said in the letter.  Erwin?

Question:  I am sorry.  Is there an assumption then on the part of the UN or on the part of the Secretary-General that at this point the Turks speak for the Turkish Cypriots?  The fact that he’s consulted them for three parties but not the proposal?

Associate Spokesman:  Well, he’s written to Mr. Denktash, and the Secretary-General sent out his letters based on the contacts he’s had while he was in Europe and the ones he’s had more recently.

Question:  But I believe yesterday he said he had not contacted (inaudible)… at all?

Associate Spokesman:  I think I’d have to check back the transcript.  I mean, I specifically asked if he’d spoken to him in the last 24 hours.  Yes?

Question:  Regarding Mohamad ElBaradei’s remarks Steph, that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needs to follow up on revelations by Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan.  Now, would such follow-up involve whether UN affiliated persons and facilities were involved in any way in (Inaudible)?

Associate Spokesman:  I think you’d have to ask that question of Mr. ElBaradei himself.  David?

Question:  I don’t know if this has already been asked, but I’ll ask it.  It relates to Iraq...

Associate Spokesman:  Somebody has his cell phone on.  If they could turn it off, please.

Question:  Are you trying to avoid my question?

Associate Spokesman:  I’ll do anything to avoid your question, David.

Question:  Is there any statement on Iraq for today?  And are there reports that an announcement is due maybe as early as Friday that the Iraq team would be on the ground?

Associate Spokesman:  No.  No announcement today.  And as we have said, a number of times, we’ll let you know once the team has arrived.

Question:  We should expect a statement.  Not one of these things where we are going to have to ask about it?

Associate Spokesman:  Well, I know you’ll ask about it anyway.  So, you should continue to ask.

Question:  Can you explain to us the process?  So, they’re coming on Tuesday.  So, what’s going to happen?

Associate Spokesman:  Well, I think let’s not pre-judge what’s going to happen.  We’ve invited them to come on Tuesday with the aim of getting this process started.  But let’s get to Tuesday.  Yes, Akram?

Question:  Concerning the group going to Iraq to assist with the outcome of that -- are they from the Member States, or from employees of the UN or from outside expertise, or what?

Associate Spokesman:  It’s a United Nations team.

Question:  But are there any other people who are experts for such a job that they are going to do?

Associate Spokesman:  The team will be composed of UN staffers, and we have plenty of expertise in house to fulfill their mission.  Richard? 

Question:  Stephane, issues like Iraq, Sierra Leone come and go.  But Cyprus is always there.  How much of a problem and an unresolvable issue has this island dispute been for the United Nations as an organization and how significant are the upcoming talks?

Associate Spokesman:  The Cyprus issue is obviously very significant.  As you know it’s been going on for quite a while.  And I think the Secretary-General has put in a lot of effort in trying to resolve it.  And this latest meeting is one more push forward on his part to try to get this issue resolved.

Question:  The issue of the US money or intended money, your loan to restore and rehabilitate the United Nations complex.  Can you give us an update on what was exactly discussed between the Secretary-General and the President of the United States on this issue and what did the UN have to (Inaudible)?

Associate Spokesman:  The issue was briefly discussed during the meetings in Washington.  What is in the proposed budget is different from some of the working assumptions we’ve had.  Obviously we’ll be consulting with the Member States.  But you have to remember that we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, because the budget has not yet been formally adopted by Congress.

Question:  But the UN would have preferred just the money outright, not a loan, right?

Associate Spokesman:  Well, we’re very grateful for what has been offered.  I mean, it’s a substantial amount of money.  So, I think we’re very grateful for that.  And obviously we do have to consult with the Member States on what implication they may have for the overall project.  Erwin?

Question:  Apparently what they have offered is an interest-bearing loan; rather than an interest–free loan.  Has there been any calculation what the cost to the UN would be?

Associate Spokesman:  No.  I don’t have any of those numbers.  No.  And again, I think there has been no formal offer from the US here because the budget itself has not been passed. So, what was sent to the Hill is a proposed budget.  I think we have to wait to see what actually gets voted on.

Question:  How many countries have been asked or would be asked to contribute on their own to this project?

Associate Spokesman:  I don’t know.  I think I’d be getting ahead of myself on this one.  Any other questions?

Question:  Is Drew Barrymore definitely going to be here at 2:30?

Associate Spokesman:  I sure hope so.

Question:  On that same issue, do you have any background what this award is?  Or what this group is?

Associate Spokesman:  Yes.  I’d be happy to get you some background.

Thank you.

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