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.

**Sudan - Humanitarian

The World Food Programme (WFP) says it has fed more than 1.3 million people in the Darfur region of western Sudan in September, exceeding its own target of 1.2 million and recording its largest food distribution since the humanitarian crisis began.

WFP says the end of the rainy season in September, coupled with an increase in the agency’s truck fleet, opened up the possibility of moving a much greater volume of food aid by road.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) notes that the new figures represent a substantial increase compared to August, when about 950,000 people received food assistance.

At the same time, OCHA notes, the total number of people affected by the conflict has risen to more than 1.8 million, including 1.45 million internally displaced persons, still leaving a substantial gap between needs and the assistance that is being provided.

**Eastern Sudan - UNHCR

Eastern Sudan used to host up to 1 million Eritrean refugees, which affected the area's environment and economy, says the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

But now that the majority have gone home, their host communities are benefiting from efforts to reforest land, rehabilitate hospitals and train people to make better use of the area's natural resources.  You can read more about this on the UNHCR Web Site.

**Haiti

According to the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Haiti, Juan Gabriel Valdés, the UN Mission is working with the Haitian National Police to try and maintain security in some of the most difficult areas of Port au Prince.  In an interview with UN radio, Valdés said the peacekeepers were facing armed groups and street gangs who attacked police and civilians and destroyed property.  He said he met last night with interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue and other authorities to ensure better coordination in responding to the attacks and to help the Government provide security, especially for the poorest people who live in the most dangerous areas.

Mr. Valdes noted that the UN Mission was operating with only 40 per cent of the troops that had been pledged to it.  He added, however, that the expected deployment of forces from China, Pakistan, Morocco, Spain and Ecuador in the coming weeks would strengthen the UN’s capacities.

Other essential steps pointed out by Valdes were the disarmament of dangerous gangs, a dialogue with the former military and a strong platform for political reconciliation.  “Haitian society is strongly divided”, he said, “and confrontations remain between armed groups and the Interim Government”.

He said the UN mission would do its best to help establish a constructive dialogue and reconciliation, among all non-violent groups and political movements.

**Gaza

Twelve UN agencies operating in Gaza issued a joint statement yesterday afternoon saying that the on-going violence, which comes on top of an already deteriorating humanitarian situation, is pushing the Palestinians into a deep crisis.

The agencies call on Israel to guarantee unrestricted and secure access to Gaza for humanitarian supplies and relief workers.

They note that movement restrictions imposed by the Israeli military have prevented effective delivery of humanitarian aid.

UNRWA has not been able to deliver emergency food aid to the north of Gaza.  Access into Gaza has been denied to UN international personnel for the last 14 days –- making a total of 65 days, so far this year, that the UN has not been able to enter.

The text is available upstairs.

**UNRWA 

Over the last 24 hours, there have been several stories flying around regarding UNRWA staff that may have been detained by Israeli authorities for their involvement in terror activities.

Our colleagues at UNRWA have provided us with some clarification which I’d like to share with you.

Currently, the agency is aware of only one staff member being currently detained in Gaza.  This individual has been held for over two years.  And he is still awaiting trial.

In the West Bank, there are 24 UNRWA staff members in Israeli detention, but most are held under administrative detention without charge or trial.

Whenever an Agency staff member is detained, by any authority, UNRWA immediately writes requesting information about the detained staff member.

In the case of those detained by Israel, UNRWA has rarely received any feedback or information.

**UNRWA

The team dispatched to Israel by the Secretary-General to look into the allegations by Israel that a UN ambulance driver was filmed loading a Kassam rocket into his vehicle arrived in Jerusalem earlier today.

The team will meet with officials over the next few days and will be asking the Israeli Government and UNRWA to cooperate with them.

They will report back to the Secretary-General after their return to New York.

**Security Council - Yesterday

The Security Council yesterday afternoon failed to adopt a resolution on the Middle East, concerning the recent violence in Gaza.

The United States cast a veto against the resolution, which also received 11 votes in favour and 3 abstentions.  The abstentions came from Germany, Romania and the United Kingdom.

**Security Council

The UN system is working on important new tools to help strengthen its support for the rule of law and transitional justice, the Secretary-General told the Security Council in its open meeting on that subject today.

Among them, he said, are support for the development of model transitional criminal codes and guidance for prosecutions.

The Secretary-General discussed his recent report to the Council on the rule of law.  He told the Council that the United Nations has learnt the lesson that, to be successful, peace-building activities must reflect international norms and standards.

At the same time, he added, we cannot forget the political context, since justice, peace and democracy are mutually reinforcing.  We have his statement upstairs.

The meeting is chaired by British Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell.  Forty-five speakers, including all 15 Council members, are inscribed to speak.

At the end of today’s meeting, the Council is expected to adopt a Presidential Statement on the rule of law.

**Afghanistan

The situation in Afghanistan shows an unmistakable trend away from the rule of the gun, the head of the UN Mission in that country said today.

In a press conference just days before the Afghanistan presidential elections, Jean Arnault said that the United Nations believes that conditions exist for a good election.  He added that it is incumbent on us all to make polling day as free, fair and safe as possible.

Arnault added that the UN Mission is confident that “those who want to prevent this election from happening will not succeed; and those whose only authority stems from the possession of a gun will not be allowed to distort it”.  And we have his full statement available upstairs.

**Kosovo

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Kosovo, Søren Jessen-Petersen, has welcomed the fact that Serbia’s President, Boris Tadic, has encouraged Kosovo Serbs to take part in the upcoming elections for the Kosovo Assembly.  The elections are scheduled for 23 October.

Jessen-Petersen stressed the need for the Serbian Government to help ensure that displaced Serbs are able to cast their votes.  He also appealed to the Kosovo Serb community -– together with all of Kosovo’s communities -– to take part in the elections.

We have more on his comments in a press release upstairs.

**Locusts

Locust update:  The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reports that the Desert Locust situation remains extremely serious in West Africa.

An increasing number of new swarms formed in Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are capable of devouring entire harvests.

FAO is urgently seeking some $100 million for programmes to eliminate locusts.

**Endangered Species

Finally, law enforcement experts attending a meeting in Bangkok of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (better known as CITES) are reporting that illicit trade in wildlife continues at high levels.  Their report says that the trade increasingly involves organized criminal networks, sophisticated poaching and smuggling techniques, fraudulent trade permits, corruption and violence towards enforcement officers. 

According to CITES, the Secretary-General, Willem Wijnstekers:  “We are in danger of losing the war against wildlife crime, especially for some very rare animals and plants, unless modern professional law enforcement techniques are directed against criminals.”  These criminals, he adds, care for nothing but profit, exploit some of the world’s poorest communities and take advantage of periods of civil unrest and instability.

We have more on that in a press release.

That’s all I have for you.  Mohamed?

Questions and Answers

Question:   Fred, what’s your reaction to the letter of the UN Staff regarding (inaudible) ...and not sending them to Iraq and bringing them back the remaining staff?

Spokesman:  I didn’t get the beginning of your question.

Question:   What’s your reaction regarding today’s letter of UN Staff to the Secretary-General regarding, to guarantee not sending them to Iraq and bringing them back... (interrupted).

Spokesman:  Not sending who?  I’m sorry, I’m really lost, I don’t know what you’re talking about.  Not sending UN staff into Iraq, yes?

Question:   And bringing back the remaining staff as soon as possible...

Question:   (Another correspondent intervened to clarify the question) Fred, there is a letter to the Secretary-General from the Union’s representatives...more than 60,000 employees...?

Spokesman:  I see, I see.  Okay.  Well...we make our determinations about security through the UN Security Coordinator.  So, that is the person whose advice we follow, and currently that advice is to limit the number of international UN staff to 35.  We do, though, take note of this letter expressing concern from the UN Staff Union, and we keep this matter continually under review, in fact, on a daily basis.  35 are not enough to do what we would like to do in terms of supporting the elections.  And we would just like to remind you once again, though, that we are not monitoring these elections.  We don’t monitor elections that we organize.

So, we’ve done our work with the Iraqi Government and people in organizing the elections, and we will need more than 35 to continue advising them on this process.  But the current security situation, in the view of the Security Coordinator, would not permit a raising of that ceiling of 35 as of today.  As for the recommendation that the 35 be brought home; this is not the view of the Security Coordinator.  But as I said, we will take note of this letter.  Yes?

Question:   Is the Secretary-General considering any alternatives to putting more than 35 staffers in Iraq to help with the elections?

Spokesman:  Well, as I said, we know that 35 is not enough.  We have always been planning to do cross-border work.  We have a large presence in Amman, Jordan, and we have people going in and out, respecting that 35 ceiling.  It isn’t always the same 35 who are there on a given day, but as I already said, we would need more than 35 in there to do what we want to do on the elections, but don’t now see that that will be possible.  At least it’s not possible today.

Question:   There are no alternatives of using non-UN personnel and training (inaudible) and other things?

Spokesman:  We’re looking at ways to cope with the current security situation, but I cannot give you any specifics.  Irwin?

Question:   A slightly different aspect of Peter’s question, may be that I’d like to ask:  Are there current plans being prepared now at the UN for sending more, for instance, in the event that the security improves?  What is the state of planning within the UN and sending them...(Inaudible)?

Spokesman:  We have carefully reviewed our role in support of these elections.  We have estimated the minimum number of people that we feel would be necessary.  I can’t share that number with you.  This is a very current estimate and, as I said, we continue to look at that security situation day by day.  Yes, Edie?

Question:   Fred, is there any chance of getting to talk to Carina Pirelli again?

Spokesman:  I think our preference is that we not take a high political profile at this time.  I think if you have any questions for her, you can give them to my office, and we will relay them to her and get answers from her.  But I don’t think we want to bring her down and put her on the podium.  Yes?

Question:   The investigative team that landed in Israel today, when do they return?

Spokesman:  We haven’t really specified.  As you know, they went there with a dual mission.  The most recent responsibility regarding these allegations by the Israeli Government was added to their original mission, which was to evaluate the UN’s operations in the area as a whole.  I think it will probably be a couple of weeks, but I don’t know that it will take them a couple of weeks to actually finish the first part of their mandate, which is the priority for them; to look into these allegations regarding the ambulance.  Let me take Irwin again.

Question:   You say you won’t share the number of people that the UN feels will be necessary to adequately prepare for elections; but can you characterize it in some way, such as dozens, hundreds, thousands?

Spokesman:  You asked me about an internal process.  I told you, yes, there was one.  It’s current, it’s looking at numbers, but I am not at liberty to share those numbers or even to characterize them in any way.  Edie?

Question:   Fred, do you have any reaction to the front page story in the Wall Street Journal about the Oil for Food Programme and allegations about Benon Sevan?

Spokesman:  No.  These numbers were published, or rather, this report by the Iraqi Government, was published by a British newspaper over the weekend.  It’s a bit more specific than what we’ve seen before.  But we’re not going to comment on any specific allegations against Mr. Sevan or anyone else.  This is in the hands of Paul Volcker.  We’re cooperating with him fully.  Benon Sevan is cooperating with him fully, and we’ll wait for Volcker’s judgment.  Benon, meanwhile stands by his statement that he’s done nothing wrong.  Richard?

Question:   So, to clarify in the Israeli-UN-Palestinian issue, is it fair to say that 25 or so Palestinian UN workers are being held by the Israeli Government on charges that the UN is not even aware of?  They are basically almost being illegally detained by the Israeli Government?

Spokesman:  I don’t want to say ‘illegally’.  I am saying that...(interrupted).

Question:   That’s the big word that Kofi Annan has used recently.

Spokesman:  I am not going to be pushed in that direction.  As I said, they’re being detained under, I guess, what’s called administrative detention.  I don’t know if that’s a legal term.  Maher Nasser is here from UNRWA.  If you’d like to ask him, after the briefing, some more specific questions, he’s sitting in the first seat here.

Question:   Is he able to join you up there?

Spokesman:  Why don’t we just leave it till after the briefing?

Question:   Also, you may have talked about this Monday, and I apologise.  But yesterday, the Israeli ambassador Gillerman said that the Secretary-General seemed to agree with Israel that it was wrong for Peter Hansen to say that we have Hamas people working for the UN and there is no problem with that.  Did the SG agree with the Israelis that it was wrong for that to occur and what is the position now on Hansen’s comments?

Spokesman:  I am not going to discuss what the Secretary-General might have said or not said to the Israeli ambassador in a private meeting.  This too is a question that you can put to Maher.  But I think that the thrust of Mr. Hansen’s comments was that Hamas sympathisers are clearly represented among the many thousands of UN employees hired in this area.  Polls show something like a third of the entire population of the occupied territory is sympathetic to Hamas.  So, it would be surprising if there weren’t similar sympathies among the many people on our payroll.  But our guidelines, as I said yesterday, are clear.  People are not to bring their political activities or views to the workplace.  And any engagement in militant activity by an UNRWA staff member will be dealt with severely.  So, that’s our policy, that’s the policy we’ve tried to follow for... (To UNRWA’s Maher Nasser):  How many years have you been there?

Maher Nasser (UNRWA):  54.

Spokesman:  54 years, that UNRWA has been working with Palestinian refugees.  And, as I said, I wouldn’t comment on what went on in this meeting.  Irwin?

Question:   On the individual detained in Gaza and those outside, 24 was it in the West Bank?

Spokesman:  Yes.  24 in the West Bank.

Question:   Is it UN understanding that the UN has not been made aware of any charges brought against any of these, all 25 people or...?

Spokesman:  That’s our understanding.  I think each time UNRWA learns that one of their staff members has been arrested, they formally approach the authorities to ask what charges are being levelled against these individuals and it’s been rather consistent that the authorities have declined to respond to these requests by UNRWA.  Peter?

Question:   I have seen here a news agency report, this happens to be a French news agency, reporting Mohamed ElBaradei as saying that; well, he’s criticizing the Security Council for failing to take action to curb North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.  And he calls it “the worst precedent of all”, and in another he says it is sending the wrong signal to other countries seeking nuclear weapons.  First, does the Secretary-General support or agree with these statements; and is he aware of any effort to bring this issue to the Security Council’s attention?

Spokesman:  I don’t think that the Secretary-General has seen an account of this supposed comment by Mr. Elbaradei, and I suggest you ask the IAEA about it if you have any questions.  You can ask the Council President if you want to know the Council’s view of these reported comments, but I have nothing from the Secretary-General.  Richard?

Question:   Fred, you haven’t been here for 54 years.  But how common, with the situation going on with Israel, with the detention of UN or the, I mean nationals working for the UN, how common is this around the world for something like this to happen, and what does the UN do in other circumstances?  Be it some unspecified African, or Asian, Latin American, the US country (inaudible)... UN people?

Spokesman:  I think this is an unusual case because of the exceptionally large number of local staff that we hire.  So, I’m not sure that there are parallels.  I think the procedure is probably standard worldwide.  So, should there be any UN staff member detained, we would immediately go to the authorities to establish what the grounds for the arrest are.  I think that’s about all I have to say on that.

Thank you very much.

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