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.

**Guest at Noon

Catherine Bertini, the Under-Secretary-General for Management, who is also the Chair of the United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition, will be joining us here in a few minutes.  She’ll be briefing you on the Fifth Report on the World Nutrition Situation.

**Statement Attributable to the Spokesman on Assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin

The following statement is attributable to the Spokesman concerning events in the Middle East today in Gaza:

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns Israel’s assassination of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, which resulted in the deaths of eight others.  He is concerned that such an action would lead to further bloodshed and death and acts of revenge and retaliation.  He reiterates that extra judicial killings are against international law and calls on the Government of Israel to immediately end this practice.  The only way to halt an escalation in the violence is for the parties to work towards a viable negotiating process aimed at a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement.”

In addition to that statement, the Secretary-General told reporters this morning that the killing of Sheikh Yassin doesn’t really facilitate the task of the peacemakers.  He also appealed to all in the region to remain calm and avoid any further escalation.

Meanwhile in Cairo, the UN Middle East Envoy Terje Roed Larsen joined the other envoys from the Middle East Quartet at the US Embassy there for a meeting, which had been previously scheduled.  Among other issues they will be discussing the impact of the today’s events.

From Geneva, Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan expressed deep concern over Israel’s continued use of assassination in the occupied Palestinian territory.  In a statement which is available upstairs, Ramcharan said that while there is no doubt that Israel has a right to defend itself, this must be done within the rule of law.

**Sistani Letter

The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, Lakhdar Brahimi, received a letter from the office of Iraqi Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani over the weekend.  The letter is currently being translated into English from the original Arabic.  Once that is done, as its contents have already been widely reported in the media, we will make copies available to you.

**Cyprus

After being under way for a little over a month, the Cyprus talks concluded on the island earlier today.

As per the February 13th agreement reached in New York, the parties will move to a concentrated effort to reach a final agreement.

The new phase will begin Wednesday in the village of Bürgenstock, near Lucerne, Switzerland.  The Foreign Minister of Greece and Turkey will also be present to lend a hand during this phase.

The Prime Ministers of these two countries are expected to arrive on the 28th.

In speaking to the press not long ago, the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor, Alvaro de Soto, assessed the progress so far.

On the positive side, he noted the enormous amount of work that had been accomplished by the technical committees to ensure that the federal government is in place from the first day, properly staffed and properly accommodated.

However, he noted that this progress had not been matched in the meeting of the two leaders.  Therefore, de Soto said, the Bürgenstock meetings will have to be very intensive in order to try to reach final agreement, and all involved will have to show the necessary political will to reach a final settlement.

In conclusion, de Soto said he wished that more progress had already been made in Cyprus but he is quietly hopeful about the phase ahead.  We have the full text of his statement available upstairs.

**Afghanistan

The head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan today regretted the loss of life in Herat following the outbreak of violence on Sunday afternoon.  Jean Arnault, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, called on all involved in the confrontation to exercise restraint and to protect the lives of civilians.

The Special Representative extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed –- in particular, to Governor Ismail Khan, whose son, the Afghan Aviation and Tourism Minister, died yesterday.  We have copies of Arnault’s statement upstairs along with the Sunday press briefing notes from Kabul.

**Security Council

The Security Council is meeting in closed consultations this morning on Burundi.

Behrooz Sadry presented the Secretary-General’s latest report on Burundi, which we flagged for you at the end of last week.  Sadry is the currently the UN’s Deputy Special Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and recently led an assessment team to Burundi.

We expect the President of the Council to have a press statement on Burundi at the end of this morning’s consultations.

**Statement Attributable to the Spokesman on Equatorial Guinea

The following statement is attributable to the Spokesman on the subject of Equatorial Guinea:

“The Secretary-General has been following with concern recent developments in Equatorial Guinea where attempts have been made to overthrow the Government by unconstitutional means.  The Secretary-General has, therefore, decided to dispatch to Equatorial Guinea the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Mr. Tuliameni Kalomoh, as his Special Envoy to discuss with the authorities the situation on the ground and its implications for peace and security in the subregion.”

**Côte d’Ivoire

In a statement released in Abidjan today, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative Albert Tevoedjre, urged the political parties to find a negotiated way out of the current political crisis.

The Special Representative said that the international community supports the peace process in Côte d’Ivoire but would not tolerate political disorder that could lead directly to destruction and uncontrollable terror.  The full text of his statement is available upstairs.

**Kosovo

The UN Mission in Kosovo and NATO’s Kosovo Force, or KFOR, report that the situation on the ground in Kosovo has calmed down.  Yesterday’s funeral procession in Kosovo passed without incident, and UN police reported the situation in all areas to be calm and quiet.  We have transcripts from yesterday’s press briefing in Pristina upstairs.

**World Water Day

Today is World Water Day.  The theme is water-related disasters -– including floods droughts, hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones -- and how to minimize their impact.  In his message for the Day, the Secretary-General notes that modern society has benefited from scientific leaps to forecast and handle water-related disasters but it still requires greater information and preparation to ensure that hazards do not become unmanageable.

The Secretary-General has also used this year’s observance to announce the establishment of an Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation.  Chaired by the former Prime Minister of Japan, Ryutaro Hashimoto, the Board includes a number of eminent persons and technical experts.  They are expected to galvanize global action to improve access to water and sanitation, which is central to the Millennium Development Goals.  Further information about World Water Day and the Advisory panel are available upstairs in my office.

**International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination

In his message to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Secretary-General reflects on the historical roots of racism, the consequences of slavery and the hatred that leads to genocide.

He notes that we must strengthen our capacity for early warning in order to prevent genocide, mass murder, ethnic cleansing and comparable crimes.  He also calls for greater support for bringing perpetrators to justice, for example through the International Criminal Court.

**UNFPA

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) today warned that a lack of resources to implement fully the Cairo Programme of Action, adopted 10 years ago, would lead to substantial increases in maternal, infant and AIDS-related deaths.  It could also detail progress towards reducing poverty.

UNFPA’s Executive Director, Thoraya Obaid, said that progress has been uneven since the Cairo Conference adopted goals on population and development.  She said, “We need the strength and endurance of a marathon runner to meet our goals during the next decade.”

We have her statement to the Commission Population and Development, as well as a UNFPA press release upstairs.

**UNICEF Press Conference

The UN Children’s Fund will hold a press conference tomorrow to launch a report on vitamin and mineral deficiency.  The press conference will take place at UNICEF House starting at 10:30 a.m. and we have a media advisory upstairs with details.

**Press Conference Tomorrow

And then at 11 a.m. here in room 226 the Canadian mission will be sponsoring a press conference by the NGO Committee on Africa and the Caribbean together with the World Conference of Churches’ UN liaison office.  And that will be regarding the situation in Haiti.

That’s all I have for you.  Any questions?  Yes, Abdurrahim?

Questions and Answers

Question:  Fred, on the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, I asked the Secretary-General this morning; I’d like to ask again.  As far as I know, he usually deplores Palestinian actions -– sorry, he usually deplores Israeli actions and he condemns Palestinian actions.  This morning he was unequivocal in his condemnation of the assassination.  Is that a step out of the mould?  And on the letter from Sistani; as far as you know, can you confirm to us whether he did or not ask for the UN to reject the interim constitution?

Spokesman:  I think the Secretary-General answered your first question.  He saw no departure from the past, and he invited you to look at his past statements.  On the second, I think I can in a preliminary way, because we still haven’t translated the letter, but on the basis of Mr. Brahimi’s comments to me this morning, we can confirm the media accounts of the contents of the letter.  But I think it’s better that you see the letter in English and, for you, we’ll try and get the original in Arabic as well.  Mr. Abbadi?

Question:  Can you also confirm, Fred, what is reported in the press that Sistani says he will not meet with the UN delegation until certain conditions are met pertaining to the fundamental law?

Spokesman:  Because this letter concerns the fundamental law, I just advise you to read the letter rather than have me interpret it or comment on something that the Ayatollah has said.  Richard?

Question:  (Inaudible) ... and if there is a decision reached would it be possible maybe for Mr. Brahimi later in the afternoon to be here to comment on the letter on what the UN has decided and have some preliminary...?

Spokesman:  I’ll ask him for you.  Betsy?

Question:  I was just going to follow that one up.  Does the UN have a reaction yet to the letter?

Spokesman:  To the letter, no.  Mark?

Question:  Does the UN still plan to go into Iraq; well, to send Mr. Brahimi, Ms. Pirelli into Iraq?  Is Ms. Pirelli going to go this week as requested by the Coalition Authority or does this place an update on plans?

Spokesman:  I can’t answer that question I am afraid, for security reasons.  We will probably have to not give you in advance the date for travel.  And frankly, I don’t know whether travel is expected for this week or whether I could even tell you if it was.  But let me ask for you after the briefing to see if I can give you any more details.  But I assume we would not announce her trip until she had actually safely arrived in Baghdad.  It is the Secretary-General’s intention to send Mr. Brahimi back, but I don’t have a date for him either.  Yes, Louis?

Question:  Fred, when does the SG plan on joining up the Cyprus talks in Lucerne and does he also plan to be in Berlin next week for the Afghanistan conference?

Spokesman:  We don’t give you any details on his travel [this far in advance].  We did say last week that he intends to join the talks on Cyprus in Bürgenstock.  It will be towards the end of this month but I can’t give you a specific day.  And no comment on Berlin.  Yes, Jim?

Question:  Back to Iraq.  On the “oil-for-food”, AP was reporting over the weekend that the US authorities had frozen the UN’s records on oil-for-food.  Now, that would imply that there were still records that the UN had that the US or rather, that the Coalition Provisional Authority did not have.  It’s just a detail, but I am just trying to clarify if this was a misunderstanding on the statement and on the part of the US or if there is actually some documentation that the UN has on oil-for-food aid that they have not given over to the CPA?

Spokesman:  I would have to look into that.  I don’t know the answer to that question.  My impression is that the UN would have control of all of its oil-for-food records.  I’d have to look into the CPA angle, but I am not aware.

Question:  (Inaudible) ...is talking about the transfer of the oil-for-food programme or the resources; et cetera -- I don’t have the resolution in front of me.  But it would imply that if the CPA was going to run the programme they would need the documentation of the programme.

Spokesman:  Yes, but I don’t know whether the original documents were given over to the CPA without making copies.  That would surprise me, but I don’t know.  Let me look into it. Louis?  [He later said that copies of all UN records had been given to the CPA on CD-ROM.]

Question:  On oil-for-food, Fred, are they getting support from the Council on this investigation, this commission?  Does the SG expect anything in concrete terms from the Council?  I know he sent the letter on Friday, but does he want the Council now do to something or is he just sort of warning them or telling them “I am going to set up this commission and I need your full support”?  Is he expecting anything back from the Council?

Spokesman:  The next step is he would meet with them or send them a letter, I am not sure which, or both, to lay out the terms of reference for this independent panel and to provide the names of its members.  I expect that to happen sometime this week and then we’ll have to see what the Council’s reaction is at that time.  He feels that the investigation could not succeed without the active cooperation not only of Council members, but all Member States that had any business dealings with Iraq.  Yes?

Question:  Are there any black box developments in the last couple of days?

Spokesman:  No.  I am afraid I did not call this morning.  I should have done, but I have nothing new on the black box.  Bill?

Question:  The UN has, you said, asked on two different occasions for documents pertaining to the oil-for-food programme that might incriminate or shed some light on this situation if it turned over to it.  Has any response been received to those requests?

Spokesman:  I understand that last week a letter was received by the Office for Internal Oversight Services from L. Paul Bremer, the US Administrator, promising cooperation.  I don’t believe anything has been received from the Iraqi Governing Council although I did not check with them this morning.  If you like I’ll check right after the briefing.  [He later said there was still no reply from the Iraqi Governing Council.]

Question:  Just to follow up; did Mr. Bremer in the letter pledge that the documents requested would be forthcoming or did he mention, you know, mention all other than just in general?

Spokesman:  I haven’t seen the letter.  I’ll have to ask OIOS if they are willing to tell you what the contents of the letter were.  Richard?  [OIOS will not discuss the Bremer letter.]

Question:  Is the UN concerned about the latest threat from Al-Qaeda, affiliated through Arafat or not, targeting the UN specifically in the last few days?

Spokesman:  We take all security threats seriously.  Over a period of months if not longer, we have been steadily strengthening our security measures here at headquarters as well as worldwide.  I believe we have already begun taking with the General Assembly about the budgetary implications of these measures we’re taking.  So, in general terms we take this matter very seriously.  I am not going to respond to any specific threats that might have come in.  Mark?

Question:  I just wondered if there is any progress on the Secretary-General’s decision what to do with the accountability report?

Spokesman:  I asked him about that this morning, he says he’s continuing to discuss in detail with his senior aides his reaction and he will let me know and you’ll know as soon as he made a decision.  Yes?

Question:  Do you have any information if the Security Council is going to discuss the recent events in the Middle East?

Spokesman:  I don’t know.  I have not seen any indication this morning.  Check with my office afterwards in case there has been anything new.  But when the president of the Council comes out to read his statement, I think the best thing to do would be ask him directly.  Yes, Abdurrahim?  [The Council President later said it was being discussed at expert level.]

Question:  Fred, the Secretariat is facing all these different issues:  the black box, the allegations about corruption in the oil-for-food, the story about the SG’s son.  Does the Secretariat feel particularly or unusually embattled at this particular point in time?

Spokesman:  The black box, it turns out, appears to have no connection with the air crash.  So, the conspiracy theories surrounding it don’t look particularly strong right now.  The Secretary-General told you this morning that the Secretariat might have been involved but that the investigation is to look more broadly at the companies and the countries involved in oil-for-food.  So, I think the bulk of that investigation would be focusing on companies and governments.  But as I already said, they would continue whatever investigation was started by OIOS into possible wrongdoing by Secretariat members.  It was a rough couple of weeks.  But I think the handing over to an independent panel the investigation on oil-for-food should establish the facts in a number of key areas; and we look forward to that being done.  We’ll see if anything new comes out of the black box that is currently being looked at by experts in Ottawa, Canada.  And we hope that the cloud that’s been placed over our heads will be lifted as the facts are established.

Question:  Is there anything particularly significant about the timing of all these different issues bubbling up to the surface or not really?

Spokesman:  I’ll let you do the analysis.  Louis?

Question:  On this oil-for-food commission, Fred, what kind of jurisdiction is this body going to have?  Are they going to be able to subpoena records or going to have any power? Or is this going to be another one of these investigations, what we’ve come to call “google” reports?  In other words, sort of what’s out there that’s already known.  Are they going to have any real power to investigate?

Spokesman:  Until the terms of reference are finalized and presented to the Security Council I don’t think I’ll be able to answer that question.  Yes, Ma’am?

Question:  Can you tell us more about the Quartet meeting in Cairo?  Earlier, the Secretary-General mentioned his envoy assessed the situation.  Is it possible they will feel the need, the urgency to send UN troops to the region to help stabilize the region?

Spokesman:  I don’t think it’s a matter of sending UN troops.  But this meeting of the Quartet members at the envoy level had been scheduled for Cairo previously.  And as I said in my opening statement, they will take the occasion today to discuss the latest events in Gaza and to assess their impact on the peace process.  Yes, Mark?

Question:  I’ve got two questions:  a follow-up on Sistani; when you said you were able to confirm in rough outlines what had been reported in the press; is that confirming the boycott or confirming criticisms of the transitional law?  And secondly, there have been reports from the Ivory Coast that the President has sent his assurances to the SG that the political process was still on track and that there won’t be any problems ahead of the permanent peacekeepers.  Could you give us a confirmation that such a communication had been received and tell us a little bit more about what was in it?

Spokesman:  No, I am not going to be able to help you on either one.  On the letter, in just a few hours you’ll have the letter in English and you can see exactly what it says.  And I’ll have to look into any communications between the President of Côte d’Ivoire.  I know that over the weekend the Secretary-General did speak to the President.  I don’t have the record of that phone conversation.  But I’d have to see if there is anything I can give you specifically in response to your second question.  Mr. Abbadi?

Question:  Fred, the attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea took places weeks ago.  And the Secretary-General is now sending a special envoy.  Did he receive any more recent information or request from the Government? 

Spokesman:  He spoke to the President over the weekend.

All right, are we ready for Catherine Bertini?  Catherine why don’t you come up?

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