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 Statement on Iraq

Early Saturday morning, the Secretary-General issued a statement announcing the arrival in Baghdad of the fact-finding team.

He said he hoped the team would help resolve the impasse of the transitional process.  He stressed that the most sustainable way forward is one that comes from the Iraqis themselves. 

As stressed in previous Security Council resolutions and the Secretary-General’s own reports to the Security Council, the UN is committed to help re-establishing Iraqi sovereignty as soon as possible and to maintaining its territorial integrity.  The UN strongly upholds the principle of the right of the Iraqi people freely to determine their political future and control their natural resources.

He said the UN will offer whatever help it can to support the right of the Iraqi people to chart their own destiny and to live in peace, with respect and dignity.

**Iraq

As he came into the building this morning, the Secretary-General said the work of the electoral team in Iraq had gone extremely well so far.  He added that they are reaching out and talking to as many groups as possible.  The Secretary-General noted that the atmosphere was good and that the team, led by his Special Adviser Lahkdar Brahimi, had been well received.

Asked how long the team would stay in Iraq, the Secretary-General answered that they would take as much time as needed, but he did expect them to stay about a week.  He also said he wanted to be in a position to make recommendations by the end of February.

**Iraq -- Team

On the ground, the electoral fact-finding team continued their discussions with a broad cross section of the Iraqi political spectrum.  They met with individual members of the Iraqi Governing Council, as well as various representatives of Iraqi civil society.

Throughout these meetings, Brahimi stressed that the UN team is there with no agenda other than to assist the Iraqi people in their quest for self-determination, independence and restoration of sovereignty.

As you know, the team arrived in Baghdad Saturday to begin talks on how best to structure the handover of sovereignty to Iraq.  Brahimi described himself as “in listening mode”, emphasizing the United Nations’ independence and neutrality as Iraqis debate whether elections are the best means for the transfer of power by 30 June.

He met separately on Saturday with L. Paul Bremer, head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, and then with Bremer’s deputy, Sir Jeremy Greenstock.

On Sunday he saw the current President of the Iraqi Governing Council, Kurdish leader Mohsen Abdul Hamid.  He then met with all members of the Governing Council, and that meeting continued through lunch.

In the afternoon, he had a series of bilateral meetings with individual Council members, starting with Shi’ite leader Muwaffak al-Rubaie.  He then met with Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani before seeing the Communist Party head Hameed Moussa.  After that, he briefly joined a meeting between the UN’s chief electoral adviser, Carina Perelli, and an Iraqi technical team from Najaf, to discuss election issues.  Perelli is accompanied by two other UN electoral experts on this visit.

Brahimi then saw Abdelaziz al-Hakim, another Shi’ite leader, following which he had a dinner meeting with former Foreign Minister, Adnan Pachachi, a Sunni.

**Security Council

The Security Council has scheduled consultations today at 3:30 p.m. to hear briefings by the Secretary-General on Iraq and Cyprus.

**SG Stakeout

In his comments to the press this morning coming into the building, the Secretary-General was asked about the meeting taking place here tomorrow with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, and he noted that time was running short if the Cyprus plan were to be put to referenda by April.  Negotiations on the plan, he said, should conclude by the end of March.

He said he thought the leaders were coming to New York with a clear understanding that he will engage when he senses a real political will among the parties for sustained negotiations.  He told the people of Cyprus that they have a historic opportunity to unify their country and enter the European Union together, adding, “I hope that the people of Cyprus will press their leaders not to miss this opportunity”.

Asked about recent violence in Haiti, he said the United Nations was following the situation closely, and had been in touch with the Organization of American States and the Caribbean Community.  The Secretary-General added, “We will be stepping up our own involvement fairly soon”.

In response to a question, he also voiced the UN’s concern about the humanitarian situation in Darfur, in western Sudan, and said he had recently spoken to the President of Chad, who had offered to mediate between the Sudanese Government and rebels.

He said the United Nations has “offered to do whatever we can to assist the mediation, as well as to provide humanitarian assistance to the needy”.  We have the transcript of the comments upstairs.

**Afghanistan

The Secretary-General last Friday wrote a letter to the President of the Security Council, informing the Council of his intention to appoint Jean Arnault, of France, as his Special Representative for Afghanistan.  Arnault has been the acting Special Representative in that country since Lakhdar Brahimi left the post last month.  The Security Council has until tomorrow to respond to the Secretary-General’s letter.

Prior to his time in Afghanistan, Arnault had served as the head of the UN Office in Burundi.  Before that, he had been the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Guatemala.  We have copies of his C.V. upstairs.

**WFP/North Korea

The World Food Programme has called for urgent international assistance to help feed 6.5 million people in North Korea.  The country’s cereals stocks are almost exhausted and there is little in the pipeline.

So far, donors have recently pledged contributions amounting to some 77,000 tonnes.  However, little of this food will arrive before April.  This means that for the next two months, millions of North Koreans will be deprived of cereals, which make up a large share of the basic “survival” ration.  We have more details available upstairs.

**Indonesia

Following the series of earthquakes that hit Papua province in Indonesia, a UN humanitarian team arrived in the town of Nabire yesterday.  UN staff are supporting local authorities in assessing damages and needs.

**DR Congo

This afternoon at Headquarters, the Deputy Secretary-General will be opening a high-level meeting on security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to be attended by members of the Government of the DRC, the European Union, the World Bank and several interested States.  Embargoed copies of the Deputy Secretary-General’s opening remarks are available in my office. 

Also on the DRC, the UN Mission –- MONUC –- has reported rescuing 133 people from a sinking ship on the River Congo.  They have a press release on that upstairs.

**Somalia

The UN field security officer who was abducted on January 29 in Somalia was freed over the weekend.  Rolf Helmrich of Germany was released Saturday night into the custody of senior officials of the de facto authority in the region where he was abducted.  He is recuperating with his family now in Nairobi.

**Liberia

At the two-day International Reconstruction Conference on Liberia that ended Friday afternoon, organizations and governments pledged more than

$500 million towards reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said this morning that humanitarian needs remain urgent, and that humanitarian aid is still needed so that true reconstruction can begin in Liberia.

**Burundi

Berhanu Dinka, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Burundi, is opening a meeting of the Implementation Monitoring Committee in Bujumbura today to discuss ways to move the peace process forward.  We have more on that if you are interested.

**Global Compact

In Cairo today, some 200 representatives of Egyptian businesses, government, civil society, labour and the UN system convened for the national launch of the UN’s Global Compact, the first time that initiative has been launched in the Arab world.

Speaking at that event, UN Chef de Cabinet Iqbal Riza delivered a message on the Secretary-General’s behalf, expressing the hope that today’s launch will be followed by similar initiatives throughout the region.  “I am confident that the Global Compact will take root and blossom in your country and in the region”, he says.  We have copies of that message in English and in Arabic in my office.

**UNEP/Cloud forests

Turning to a meeting today of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Malaysia, where the UN Environment Programme issued a new report on cloud forests.  Cloud forests are mountain-top forests shrouded in clouds and mist, and they’re found almost exclusively in tropical areas.  They’re also vital habitats for thousands of rare species and provide water supplies for farmers, rural communities and many rapidly growing cities.

The UNEP report found that the Earth’s cloud forests are under increasing threat from factors including agriculture, road building, and climate change.  It makes clear that conserving and restoring cloud forests isn’t only a matter of aesthetics or a love of nature, but one of crucial economic importance for the developing world.  We have a press release available upstairs.

**Background Briefing

A reminder that this afternoon at 12:30, right after this briefing, a senior UN official will be here to brief you on background about the work of the Electoral Assistance Division of the UN’s Department of Political Affairs.  UN TV will not be airing this and delegates are invited to follow the briefing in Studio 4, located in the first basement.

**Press Conference tomorrow

Finally, a press conference tomorrow:  11:15, the Mission of Spain is sponsoring a press conference by Airline Ambassadors International and the Peace and Cooperation organization.  And they will be presenting the official poster of the 2004 International Youth Art Competition.

That’s all I have for you.  Colum?

Questions and Answers

Question:  Could you again first define what Lakhdar Brahimi’s role is?  For weeks he’s been sort of indicating the he would not be playing a leadership role on Iraq and it seems that, in his leading this mission, it’s hard to imagine that he wouldn’t be playing that role.  And also, could you tell us what Ahmad Fawzi’s position on the mission is?  Is he considered press officer for this mission and, if so, is this something the Spokesman’s office would have announced last week -- that he would be playing that role?

Spokesman:  I think I indicated to you that Mr. Brahimi is listening rather than putting ideas on the table.  His objective is to see whether the Iraqis themselves can agree on a way to manage the transfer to sovereignty by the 30^th of June.  Is this a leading role?  I think it’s an important role.  Certainly, if he can succeed in identifying a procedure, a process that all Iraqis can agree on. 

I have to apologize for the secrecy that we maintained around

Mr. Brahimi’s travelling to Baghdad, but the security there made it necessary for us to keep it absolutely quiet until after he had arrived.  I think it must have been Mr. Brahimi who recruited Ahmad Fawzi as his spokesman on the mission.  Fawzi had been in Paris on a training programme and he indicated to me that he was suddenly yanked out of that programme to go on this mission.  And no, my office did not know last week that Mr. Fawzi would be part of the mission.  Yes?

Question:  Fred, Can you tell us a little bit more about what the Secretary-General would be willing to live with coming out of the talks tomorrow on Cyprus?  Specifically if a deal is able to be reached and the plan goes to the referenda, does he imagine that it would be possible to leave some issues unresolved that could be sorted out after joining the European Union?

Spokesman:  I think it’s too early to say anything more than his hope that the two sides and the two motherlands are now firmly committed to resolving their outstanding differences on the basis of the plan that’s on the table and that these can be resolved in time to hold the referenda so that the whole process could be completed by the 1^st of May.  As to details like whether he would accept leaving some issues open or not, I don’t want to speculate what his negotiating strategy will be.  I mean, he is looking for the two sides and Greece and Turkey to agree to some common platform and the more that they can agree the better, I think, is probably his general principle.  Yes, sir?

Question:  When will the meetings be tomorrow?

Spokesman:  We don’t have those details yet.  There was a planning meeting of the Secretary-General and his principal advisers on Cyprus this morning to discuss those kinds of details.  We hope to get some information from that meeting some time after 1:00 o’clock today.  So, if you check in with my office may be around 1:30 or 2:00 we hope to know more.  Yes, Michael?

Question:  When he says he wants to agree with the leaders on the ground rules, what does he mean?

Spokesman:  Well, you know what the situation is.  The plan is on the table.  An effort he made last year to get the two sides to agree to that plan failed.  He felt that there wasn’t as serious enough political commitment for the talks to succeed and he said he wasn’t going to get involved again until he saw signs of that commitment.  He now sees signs that they are serious about trying to meet the 1^st of May deadline and so I think he wants to hear from each side what their opening position is, how far apart they are, how much flexibility there is on either side to compromise and to see if the whole process can be accelerated to a successful conclusion.  Yes?

Question:  If I may follow up.  Does this mean that tomorrow the Secretary-General will listen to the parties about their positions regarding the plan that is on paper?

Spokesman:  Well, he has spoken to them individually.  But, yes, the formal talks begin tomorrow.  As I say, we don’t have the details of the mechanics of what is going to take place tomorrow.  We hope to have that later this afternoon.  But I would imagine that the opening steps would be for the two sides to present their current position.  Yes?

Question:  Fred, how does the Secretary-General plan to step up the UN presence in Haiti?  And how soon is fairly soon?

Spokesman:  I don’t have any more details on that.  The intention he seemed to be signaling this morning was his willingness to get involved.  He was not more specific with you nor with me.  So, there is nothing more I can give you beyond what he said this morning.  We’ll see if we can get more from desk officers and so on.  But I have nothing more to add at this time.  Yes?

Question:  Will you be giving us the highlights of the report of the Secretary-Generalto the Security Council on Iraq and will that touch on the role of UNMOVIK –- the future role of UNMOVIK, especially regarding the arms (sic) of mass destruction and will UNMOVIK testify in front of the committee that was formed by the Americans, if asked to?

Spokesman:  Those are very complex questions that you have asked me.  You’re talking about the briefing this afternoon?

Question:  Yes.

Spokesman:  We’d have to ask for you if anyone would be prepared to brief you on background as to the substance of the Secretary-General’s briefing to the Council.  I don’t know whether he’d stop at the stakeout coming out and talk to you directly, or we can ask him to do that.  On UNMOVIK, I can’t say anything now that would come up before he actually briefs the Council.  So, let’s wait and see what he says to the Council and let’s see how much of that, if any, can be shared with you.  And we will ask for you and see what can be done this afternoon.

Question:  Will they be willing to testify if asked by the American Government?

Spokesman:  I think on a specific matter like that you should ask the UNMOVIK spokesman, because they don’t report to the Secretary-General as you know, but to the Security Council.  So, I can’t really speak for them except indirectly and I have no guidance from them on that point.  Yes?

Question:  Do you possibly have any further information, details, on Mr. Brahimi’s efforts to meet with Ayatollah al-Sistani?

Spokesman:  We will not be giving you any information in advance as to his programme.  He does intend to touch base with all the major actors.  I think it’s probably safe to assume that such a meeting is somewhere on his agenda.  But, I can’t give you anything more specific at this time.

Question:  Fred, just to follow up on that, just sort of housekeeping.  I mean, is this something that you guys are going to deal with here, or is it really going to be Fawzi in terms of -– will he be giving, you know, perhaps he will be giving briefings in Baghdad periodically on what the team is doing, or is it a total blackout until they return to New York for the report?

Spokesman:  Well, you’ve probably seen him quoted in the media. So, he is talking to the media there.  I don’t know whether he, in any systematic way, would be briefing the Baghdad media.  We have asked him to give us the specifics of the programme.  So, he phoned in to my office at about 11:00 o’clock this morning and gave us the events of today.  So, I have given you a rather comprehensive –- and he reported to me yesterday on the events of the weekend –- so, I have given you a rather comprehensive listing.  I don’t know if he’s been that comprehensive with the Baghdad press corps.  I’d think that because the story is there, he would be reporting to the media there.  We will back him up here and give you as much as he gives us.  And then you’ll have to compare notes with your Baghdad colleagues to see if you have anything more here that he may not have said there.

Thank you very much.

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