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, and Djibril Diallo, Spokesman for the General Assembly President.

Good afternoon,

** UNCA - Scholarship Fund

Before beginning, I would like to introduce the four Dag Hammarskjöld fellows, starting with Ludmila Patricia Ugalda, of Grupo Nación, in Costa Rica, hello.  And she has a fan club with her.  Michaela Goda Walrose del Callar, of the Daily Tribune, in the Philippines, Daniel Ricardo Cavero Gamarra, of Diario Peru, from Peru, and Vikou Bessan, of National Radio and Television of Benin. 

So, they’ll be here covering the General Assembly as this year’s Dag Hammarskjöld Memorial Scholarship Fund recipients.  And congratulations to all of you on your selection.

**Guests at Noon

We are going to have guests, once I conclude here.  They will be Noeleen Heyzer, the Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and Judge Navanethem Pillay of the International Criminal Court.  And they will be here to talk to you about the Gender Justice Conference taking place this week at the Millennium Hotel.

**Iraq - Qazi

On Iraq, in his presentation to the Security Council this morning, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, said that the tragic human situation in Iraq was brought home to all of us today with another bombing in Baghdad, which killed almost fifty Iraqis.

Qazi said he condemned such acts, which victimize civilians primarily.  These attacks, he told Council members, symbolize the resurgence of the vicious cycle of violence that his halting the process of rebuilding the country.  Improving the security situation, he stressed, is a responsibility that we all share.

The current situation, Qazi said in his statement, can only be resolved politically.  He underscored that no political reconciliation can be successfully pursued through the use or the excessive threat of force.  In fact, he went on to say, the various parties and movements in Iraq must not lose sight of their shared interest in a united, independent, prosperous and stable country.

Qazi then highlighted for Council members the Secretary-General’s report which we flagged for you late last week.

Before moving into closed consultations, Council members also heard statements from the Permanent Representative of the United States, Ambassador John Danforth, and the Chargé d’Affaires of Iraq, Ambassador Feisal Amin al-Istrabadi.

We expect Mr. Qazi to be available to you at the Security Council stakeout following the closed consultations.

**Iraq - UNEP

Also on Iraq, the UN Environment Programme announced today that environmental "hot spots" in Iraq are to be investigated by Iraqi scientists.  This is part of a long-term plan to clean up the country after well over a decade of instability and conflict.

Iraqi scientists, trained in the latest laboratory and field testing skills, will be carrying out tests at a handful of contaminated sites in order to assess their threats to human health, wildlife and the wider environment.  And there is more information in a press release upstairs on that.

**Security Council - Eritrea/Ethiopia

The Security Council began its work this morning by adopting unanimously a resolution extending the mandate of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea until 15 March next year.  The Council had discussed the latest report on that mission yesterday afternoon.

**Security Council - Afghanistan

Security Council members early yesterday evening condemned Sunday's violent scenes in the troubled Afghan city of Herat, where the regional offices and compounds of the United Nations mission and agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were ransacked and seriously damaged.

In an oral press statement readout after consultations yesterday, Ambassador Juan Antonio Yañez-Barnuevo of Spain, which holds this month's Presidency, said Council members remained united in their determination to proceed with the presidential election scheduled for 9 October.

**Security Council - Sudan

On Sudan, here at UN Headquarters, the sponsor of the draft resolution on Sudan has scheduled another experts’ level meeting at 3 p.m. today to discuss the latest text.

**Sudan

Following the noon briefing yesterday, the World Health Organization in Geneva issued a press release on a mortality survey it conducted together with Sudan's Ministry of Health in two of the States in Sudan's Darfur region.  It concludes that death rates among internally displaced people still surpass the threshold for a humanitarian emergency, underscoring the need for urgent increases in, and focus on, assistance to displaced people in the region.  According to the WHO press release, displaced people in north and west Darfur are dying at between three and six times the expected rate.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator here, Jan Egeland, convened a meeting of UN humanitarian agencies and their partners at the principals' level this morning to discuss the results of the WHO survey and what further action needs to be taken.  It was agreed that the current build-up of humanitarian capacity on the ground had to be sustained and further accelerated.  As indicated by the survey, which shows that diarrhoea was the leading cause of death, improvements in water and sanitation and public health services are key priorities, as is improved camp management.

It was noted that major improvements that had been achieved since the period covered by the survey were noted, thanks to large increase in UN and NGO capacity over the past four to six weeks.  Nevertheless, relief operations during August and September have been severely constrained by the rainy season, which is also causing many additional health hazards.  Closing the remaining funding gap of more than $250 million, and further increasing the coverage and quality of the relief effort are essential to reducing the mortality rates.

**Nigeria - Cameroon

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa and Chairman of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission, said yesterday that Nigeria’s withdrawal from the Bakassi Peninsula, scheduled for 15 September, may be delayed due to unexpected technical difficulties.  He said that the sovereignty of Cameroon in that area is not disputed and expressed confidence that progress is close at hand.

At the same time, he said, the Mixed Commission is carrying out its other activities, to follow up on the implementation of the 2002 International Court of Justice ruling on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon, in a satisfactory manner.  He added that the demarcation process is progressing well, and that the two nations have submitted their views on how to proceed with a maritime boundary.  We put out a press release yesterday with more details.

**Sierra Leone

The Secretary-General’s report on the UN mission in Sierra Leone is posted on the UN web site.  In it, the Secretary-General says the overall gradual progress and stable political environment in Sierra Leone has continued to facilitate the consolidation of peace in the country.  He notes that revenue from the export of diamonds has significantly increased as the capacity of the Government to monitor and control mining activities in the country has improved.

In order to continue with the gradual drawdown of the mission and to ensure a seamless transition from the current presence in Sierra Leone, he recommends the mandate be extended for a period of nine months, until 30 June next year.  A draft resolution on Sierra Leone was circulated at yesterday afternoon’s consultations.

**Hurricane Ivan

On Hurricane Ivan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs continues to provide assistance to the Caribbean nations affected by that hurricane.  Four additional members of a UN Assessment and Coordination team left for Jamaica today carrying information technology equipment.  The team is now running a 24-hour centre in Kingston to facilitate coordination among international partners and the Jamaican Government, and is planning to open another in Montego Bay.

In Grenada, where almost 90 per cent of the population is reported to have been affected by the hurricane, additional support is being sent to the
three-person UN-team which is assessing the worst hit areas.  We expect to have further information from UNICEF later today.

Once the UN has a complete assessment of hurricane-related needs for the region, it will approach donors with a consolidated request for material and financial support.

**FAO – Wasted Fish

New research shows that over the last decade, an average of 7.3 million tonnes of fish are being thrown back into the sea unused each year -- but that is a decrease of about 12 million tonnes from previous estimates.  The analysis was carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization, which in 1996 estimated that average annual global fish discards were around 20 million tonnes.  We have more in an FAO press release upstairs.

**OCHA - Locust Senegal

An update on the locust swarms affecting West Africa.  The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the situation in Senegal will most likely worsen because of a lack of pesticides.  So far, damage has been very low -- however, hatching is taking place in seven regions, and the locusts will probably reach western and southern parts of the country in the coming week.  We have more in a press release on that upstairs.

**Guatemala

This afternoon, at 5:15 in the Visitors’ Lobby, the Secretary-General and Nane Annan will attend the inauguration of a photo exhibit, “Guatemala:  Images of Peace”, which features photos from the collection of the UN Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA).  The Secretary-General will take the occasion to talk about how the photos show the journey Guatemala has taken in the last ten years.  We have embargoed copies of his remarks upstairs.

The photo exhibit -- which is on display at the Lobby starting today -- will be inaugurated by Guatemala’s UN Ambassador, Gert Rosenthal, and Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast.  And you’re all invited to attend.

**St. Barths

Earlier this morning, the Secretary-General attended the annual interfaith prayer service at St. Bartholomew’s church here in New York.  This service is held every year at the opening of a new General Assembly session.  The Secretary-General was joined at the service by representatives of more than 20 faiths.

He told the audience that this gathering offers a resounding answer to all those who despair at the prospect of ever achieving global harmony.  Here today, he said, we are one -- a single human family united in our embrace of the other.  He stressed that tolerance was not only acceptance of others, it needs to be an active effort to learn more about each others values and beliefs.  We have the full text of his remarks upstairs.

**UNFPA Guests at Noon Tomorrow

The guests at the noon briefing tomorrow will be Safiye Cagar, the new Director of Information at the UN Population Fund, and Jill Sheffield, the President of Family Care International.  And they will discuss the new State of the World Population Report, which reviews progress in the 10 years since the International Conference on Population and Development took place in Cairo.  Embargoed copies of the report are available at the Documents Counter.

**Press Conference Rescheduled

Finally, the press conference on the Focus 2004 treaty event on the protection of civilians, which had been scheduled to take place at 11 this morning, has been rescheduled for tomorrow at 2:15 p.m.  Speakers will be Palitha Kohona, of the Legal Office, Ms. Cate Steains, and Mark Bowden, of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

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

Questions and Answers

Question:   Fred, the report that was presented by Ashraf Qazi this morning, is it the same report that we have seen a few days ago or is it a new report on Iraq?

Spokesman:  I think we may have circulated the text of his comments.  But the purpose of his appearance was to present the Secretary-General’s report, which we had given to you earlier.  Gerry?

Question:   Fred, do you know...(inaudible).

Spokesman:  Say that again, I am sorry.

Question:   When was it that the Security Council started to discuss Darfur, the Sudan?

Spokesman:  I don’t understand the question.  The very first time?

Question:   Yes. Recently.  I mean, was it July?

Spokesman:  I have to look into it and I let you know.  [He later said that the Secretariat first briefed the Security Council on Darfur in early April.]

Question:   Thanks.

Spokesman:  Okay, I’m going to...  Yes, David?

Question:   I don’t know if it’s been brought up, and I apologize for that.  I’ve been quietly urging to get some sort of meeting to, for preparations for the General Assembly.  We’re getting kind of close for that.  Is there any eye toward...(interrupted).

Spokesman:  No, there was a question on that yesterday.  We’re in touch with the Security Chief and also with the head of the Media Liaison branch of the Information Department.  They’re talking to each other.  They’ll get back to us with a date.  But I am sure it will happen by the end of this week.  I certainly hope it will.  Yes, Bill?

Question:   This morning before the Security Council, Dr. Feisal Amin Al-Istrabadi, the Deputy Ambassador from Iraq, made the following statement:  “...I have been heartened to learn that several countries have agreed either to provide security forces to protect UN workers, or to provide funding for such operations.”  Is that true? And can you elaborate on which countries are involved?

Spokesman:  I can’t tell you what countries.  I can tell you that the extensive search for contributors of security elements to protect UN personnel in Iraq and the UN compound in Iraq has not to date produced any definitive agreements with donors.  I did tell you the last time I was asked about this that that doesn’t mean that we aren’t following a few leads.  In fact we’re talking to one or more potential contributors.  But no deal has been struck, and, as of today, we have no contributor of these security elements.  So, the effort continues.  It’s still an active effort and our hope is we will end up with the necessary protection elements.

Question:   One more thing from his remarks to the Security Council:  He said that the number of UN workers now in Iraq is inadequate.  Yet for the UN to have adequate teams of election experts in Iraq, it must increase that number.  Does the UN have an idea specifically what number it deems adequate to properly begin the registering of voters?

Spokesman:  Well, the election unit, of course, has an idea of how many international personnel they would like to send in.  The humanitarian teams have an idea of how many they would like to send in.  If they could all send in the number they want, we would greatly exceed the number that the Security Coordinator has set as a limit.  So, until the security situation in Iraq improves, and until our own capacity in Iraq to protect our workers there is increased, you’re not going to see a big rush of international UN personnel into Iraq.

Question:   You referred to three specific numbers:  one, for electoral, two, for humanitarian and three the limit.  What are those numbers?

Spokesman:  I can’t give you those numbers, but I think we have in the neighbourhood of thirty-ish international staff international staff in Iraq.  It probably would easily go up to a couple of hundred, if we granted the request of all the various elements of the UN agencies, funds, programmes and Secretariat personnel who are itching to go in there to work.  But that permission will not be granted until the Security Coordinator is convinced that we’ve done everything for their security once they go in.

Okay, now we have Djibril Diallo, who is going to brief you on the General Assembly.  And then we’ll ask Noeleen Heyzer and Judge Pillay to come forward.

Djibril?

Spokesman for General Assembly President:Thank you very much, Fred.

Good afternoon.

As you know, the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly opens this afternoon with an address by the new president of the General Assembly, His Excellency Jean Ping, who is Ministre d’Etat, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and la Francophonie of the Republic of Gabon.  Mr. Ping is a veteran diplomat, who has extensive experience in multilateral process having headed his country’s delegation at numerous sessions of the UN General Assembly and international conferences and summits.

He has 32 years’ career in the Government of Gabon, which have been marked by successes, especially in Central Africa where he has supported President Elaj Omar Bongo Odimba’s efforts to restore peace and stability in Central Africa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Chad, the Central African Republic, Sao Tome and Principe.

President Ping was elected on 10 June as the President of the fifty-ninth session.  And for those of you who are interested in factoids, he is the eleventh African president of the UN General Assembly.  We have press kits there in English and French and his biography is included in the kit.  We will also have copies on the third floor.

Second point very quickly:  Some of the priority concerns of the forthcoming session include the continued efforts to revitalize the work of the General Assembly, the leadership provided on questions of peace and security, the special emphasis on development-related issues, and this session is the one that is going to prepare the observance of the UN sixtieth anniversary next year as well as the MDGs plus five; that is five years after the declaration of the Millennium Declaration.  So, it’s a very, very important session.

As soon as he was elected, President Ping undertook a series of consultations with regional groups to make sure that he ascertains the concerns of the Member States.  He was encouraged by this process, which gave him a sense, some sort of temperature of the way Member States really value the work of the UN and the objectives of the General Assembly.  This also inspired the President to work towards reconciling the work of the General Assembly with the principles and the objectives of the Organization’s founders.

A number of objectives, very quickly, that seem to be coming up from these consultations.  One, on the revitalization of the General Assembly.  He, the President, acknowledges that a lot has been done, especially with the fifty-eighth session.  But he thinks that much more needs to be done, especially when it comes to implementing the decisions that have already been adopted, and also when it comes to formulating new ones.  The idea being doing the maximum to strengthen the authority of the General Assembly as the main body for deliberation, for policy-making of the United Nations system as a whole.

Second point is, there was a sense from Member States that the authority of the General Assembly has been eroded over the years and the President looks forward to working with the Member States towards achieving a balance between the UN organs and by so doing, enhance the credibility and effectiveness of the United Nations system as a whole.

He, the President, believes that the revitalization, while being an issue of major concern, is a process, not an end in itself.  And he considers also the revitalization as a useful tool for the Assembly in helping the UN as a whole in fulfilling its mandate in establishing international peace and security, along with sustainable development. 

The issue of trying to balance out peace and security with development-related issues is something that has come up as an item to be considered for this session.  A mandatory requirement of the new presidency will be to, as I mentioned, to prepare for the sixtieth anniversary and the MDGs plus five.

So, we’re working with Fred to try and confirm his first press conference on Thursday at 11 o’clock, and I will get back to you on that.

Thank you, Fred.

Questions and Answers

Question:   What political issues are scheduled to be discussed at the General Assembly?

Spokesman for General Assembly President:Right now what I can give you is really the outline that has been provided with the support of the Department of Public Information.  There is a list of the items there I’d like to refer you to and then we can have a discussion if you want to.  While I have the floor, let me just give you some factoids again.  As of today, 66 heads of State, 25 heads of government, two vice-presidents, one crown prince, eleven deputy prime ministers have registered, and we have 192 speakers inscribed.  Which means that you have two observers, as you know -- the Holy See and Palestine -- and Somalia has not been inscribed.  So, you have 191 Member States, one is not inscribed, 190 and then you have two observers. So, 192.

Thank you.

Spokesman for the Secretary-General:      Okay, if there are no further questions, Noeleen, Judge Pillay come up.  Thank you Djibril.

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