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.

**Iraq Team

As you now know, the Secretary-General has sent the recommendations of the Iraq electoral fact-finding team to the Iraqi Governing Council, to the Coalition Provisional Authority and to the members of the Security Council.

The report concludes that, while there is consensus in Iraq that elections are a necessary step in rebuilding democracy in the country, credible elections cannot be held by June 30th.  The team also concludes that the proposed caucus system as it now stands is not practical and is not a substitute for elections.

Any elections need to be well prepared and should take place in the best possible environment.  Therefore, the mission says Iraqis themselves need, as soon as possible, to agree on a legal framework for the elections.

The team concluded that preparations for elections would take a minimum of eight months to align all the necessary political and technical conditions, including the creation of an independent electoral commission.

As for security, it remains of paramount importance to both the success of the electoral process and the United Nations participation.  We have the full report available upstairs.

**Statement Attributable to Spokesman for Secretary-General

  on Northern Uganda

The following statement is attributable to the Spokesman on events in northern Uganda:

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the senseless massacre of at least 190 civilians, including many women and children, in a displaced persons camp near Lira in northern Uganda on 21 February.  The massacre was reportedly carried out by the Lord’s Resistance Army and comes some two weeks after yet another massacre of civilians in a displaced persons camp in this same area.  UN agencies in Uganda are on standby to bring assistance to the survivors as soon as safe passage to the area is guaranteed.  The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the families of the victims of this heinous crime.  The Secretary-General appeals to all those at the national and international level who are in a position to stop the terrible cycle of violence in northern Uganda to do their utmost to protect innocent civilians.”

**Middle East

Yesterday in Tokyo, we released the following statement attributable to the Spokesman on the suicide bombing in Israel:

“The Secretary General condemns the suicide bombing Sunday in Jerusalem.  The deliberate targeting of civilians is a heinous crime and cannot be justified by any cause.  We urge the Palestinian Authority to take the steps necessary to bring to justice those who plan, facilitate and carry out such crimes.  Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families and victims of this crime.”

**Secretary-General in Japan

The Secretary-General met in Tokyo late today with the Prime Minister of Japan, Junichiro Koizumi, for an hour, and told the press afterwards that they discussed Iraq and his fact-finding mission to that country.  He said, “We both agreed that the electoral issue is extremely important and we need to find a way of moving forward.”

He said that he assured the Prime Minister that the UN has always been ready to play its role in Iraq, once the circumstances, notably the security situation, are right.

At a working dinner with the Prime Minister, there was a wide-ranging discussion on issues, including UN reform, North Korea, Afghanistan, the Global Compact and Japan’s continued support for United Nations’ work.

The Secretary-General began the day with an audience with Emperor Akihito of Japan, at the ImperialPalace.  He also had lunch today with the leaders of the Japan Business Federation, including representatives of three Japanese companies that have joined the Global Compact.

Yesterday, the Secretary-General met with Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, and discussed with her Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Korean peninsula, African development, AIDS and UN reform.

The Secretary-General told reporters afterwards that international cooperation would be essential in helping the Iraqi people to regain their sovereignty and build “a peaceful, democratic and stable Iraq”.

We have the transcripts of his press encounters upstairs.  Also we have or we will have embargoed copies of the speech he will give tomorrow to the Japanese Diet, which he will deliver at noon local time.  He will also give a press conference in Japan tomorrow afternoon.

**Lebanon

The UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon informs us that on Saturday a Ghanaian soldier serving with the Force was fatally shot during a scuffle initiated by the Kurdish migrants at the UN position at the Ras Naqoura crossing between Israel and Lebanon.

An official investigation has been opened into this matter.

Since 9 August 2001, UN peacekeepers have been providing shelter, food, and medical assistance to a group of 46 Iraqi Kurds who had crossed illegally from Lebanon to Israel, and were consequently returned by the Israeli Army to the Lebanese side of the crossing.

Last October, a number of them were repatriated to Iraq by the UN refugee agency.  The remaining group has insisted on being resettled in a third country.

Since early November, they have resorted to violent acts against UN property at the crossing and have also blocked UN vehicles and personnel, preventing any traffic from moving through this crossing point.

**Court

Earlier today in The Hague, the International Court of Justice opened its public hearings in the case concerning Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the OccupiedPalestinianTerritory.  The verbatim transcript of the morning session is available on the Court’s Web site.

**Afghanistan

A joint delegation from the UN Mission in Afghanistan and from that country’s Security Commission have travelled to the Sholgara District, in the northern Balkh province, to help restore order following fighting there last Wednesday.

The team has confirmed that, during the fighting, four commanders of the Jamiat faction were ambushed and killed, and eight commanders of the rival Jumbesh faction have been identified as suspects.  The delegation intends to bring about the peaceful transfer of the suspects to Mazar-e-Sharif, and adds that there have been no further reports of violence.  We have more details in yesterday’s briefing notes from Kabul.

**Security Council

There are no formal meetings or consultations of the Security Council scheduled for today.

**AIDS/Europe

The World Health Organization, the UN Children’s Fund and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS are among a group of organizations which today called on European Ministers to urgently take action to prevent the further spread of AIDS across Europe and to treat those in need.  The agencies are taking part in a ministerial conference hosted by the Irish EU presidency, called "Breaking the Barriers:  Partnership to Fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia”.

The call comes as AIDS spreads rapidly in Eastern Europe and rises again in Western Europe because integrated prevention and treatment programmes haven’t been sustained or don’t exist.  The ministerial conference opened today in Dublin, and we have more in a press release available from my Office.

**Polio/Nigeria

In regard to the massive polio vaccination campaign which began today across 10 African countries, I think we announced that to you last Friday, the World Health Organization says concerns that the vaccine may be unsafe are without foundation.  There’ve been reports of resistance to the vaccine in some regions because of concerns about the vaccine’s safety.

As recently as last week, as many as seven States potentially may not have participated in the immunization campaign, but the latest information indicates that some of these States appear to have gone ahead.  We have more on this upstairs.

**ICTY

Judge Richard May of the United Kingdom has resigned from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia due to health reasons.  His resignation will become effective 31 May.

In a statement, the Tribunal President, Judge Theodor Meron, says that Judge May’s formidable intellect and unwavering dedication have made him one of the Tribunal’s mainstays.  He also voices confidence that Judge May’s resignation will not unduly disrupt the Tribunal’s proceedings, and he wishes May a swift and full recovery.

**FAO/Locust

Turning to Africa now.  The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has launched an appeal for $6 million urgently needed to support desert locust-control operations in Mauritania –- and another $3 million for Mali, Niger and Chad, in order to prevent the early stages of the current upsurge from developing into a plague.

The FAO says the locust situation continues to deteriorate in the western and northern areas of Mauritania, and in the Western Sahara.  It warns that swarms that escape control are likely to move into Algeria and Morocco within a matter of weeks or even days, where a further cycle of breeding may take place in spring.  We have more on this in a press release.

**UNICEF/Birth registration

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Harry Belafonte today appealed to African countries to redouble their efforts at registering births, calling birth registration a fundamental human right.  We have more on that upstairs.

**World Chronicle Television Programme

And finally, the Information Department asked me to tell you that World Chronicle programme no. 926 featuring Dr. David Heymann, the Executive Director for Communicable Diseases, at the World Health Organization, will be shown today at 3:30 p.m. on in-house television channel 3 or 31.

That’s all I have for you.

Good.  Richard, unless you have a question, I am going to shut this press briefing down.

Richard:  No.

Thank you.  See you tomorrow.

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