DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

AND THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric de la Rivière, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, and Djibril Diallo, Spokesman for the General Assembly President.

Associate Spokeperson for the Secretary-General

Good afternoon.

My apologies for being a little late. Our guest this morning will be the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Africa, Under-Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari, who will be joining us today to brief us on Africa’s efforts to achieve peace and security as well as recent African and international initiatives to implement the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, otherwise known as NEPAD.  He will be highlighting some of the central issues raised in two recent reports by the Secretary-General on these topics which the General Assembly is taking up today and tomorrow.  He will also discuss the inaugural meetings of the Secretary-General’s advisory panel on international support for NEPAD, which will be held here in
New York later this week.

**Secretary-General’s Statement

From the Secretary-General who is arriving in London, he will meet with the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, this evening in the British capital.

In his statement, which we released earlier this morning, the Secretary-General said he intends to discuss next year’s summit at the General Assembly, which will review progress on achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  Many of these goals, including the one of halving poverty by 2015, “are far from being met”, the Secretary-General said.

“The Secretary-General will appeal to the Chancellor and the UK Government to use the upcoming UK presidencies of the G8 and the European Union to work for the necessary political breakthrough and the additional resources needed to achieve those goals.

“In this context, the Secretary-General will be supporting the G7 donors considering seriously the Chancellor’s proposal for an International Finance Facility that would be capable of doubling aid flows to the developing world by up to
$100 billion a year.”

A copy of the statement is available upstairs.

**SG - Travels

Before leaving for London this afternoon, the Secretary-General laid out nine lessons the United Nations has learned about peacekeeping, in a speech at the University of Ulster, in Northern Ireland.

Those nine lessons, he said, were:  we should say no when we need to; stay the course; know the context; never neglect security; manage expectations; get the sequencing right; keep everyone on the same page; and make sure that local populations take responsibility.  He added that the most important lesson of all is that “we must always be listening and looking out for new knowledge.”

After his speech, he took some questions from the audience, including one about whether we are now seeing a “clash of civilizations”.  The Secretary-General said that there is a need for dialogue with the Muslim world, adding, “We need to get across that Islam is not represented by the killers.”

The Secretary-General met Saturday with the Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.  They talked of the situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the Afghanistan peace process, Iran’s nuclear program, the plans for Iraqi elections, the crisis in Darfur, Sudan, Northern Ireland and HIV/AIDS, among other topics.

We have more upstairs on the Secretary-General’s travels.

**Sudan

The World Health Organization has reported that up to 70,000 of the displaced people in Darfur, Sudan, have died as a direct result of the conditions in which they are living since March 1st of this year.  Further work will be needed to estimate the proportions of these deaths that are due to different causes, but most are due to diarrhoeal diseases exacerbated by malnutrition, the World Health Organization said in a press briefing, which is available upstairs.

In Sudan, a humanitarian team has met with representatives of the rebel SLA group and they finalized an agreement on ground rules for humanitarian operations in areas controlled by the rebel movement and contested areas in Darfur.  The mission also reports rising tension throughout the Darfur States over the weekend including the two State capitals of north and west Darfur.  The mission also reported harassments of aid workers and hijacking of aid vehicles in the Darfur.

It also said that the World Food Programme has completed food distribution in Zam Zam camp in north Darfur, as well as a polio vaccination campaign conducted in west Darfur, which has so far reached nearly 47,000 of the targeted 202,000 children.

**Afghanistan

From Afghanistan, the UN Mission in that country said that the impartial panel of experts that is dealing with complaints about the October 9 elections had received about 100 complaints from the country’s presidential candidates.  The panel is going through all the complaints as we speak.

The United Nations Mission, said the counting of ballots, which began last Thursday, is being updated regularly on the Internet, on its site, the name of which is available upstairs.  And since Saturday morning, all eight counting centres in Afghanistan began mixing, sorting and counting ballots.  We have more details in the briefing notes from Kabul.

**Horn of Africa

Martti Ahtisaari, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa, wrapped up his mission to Ethiopia today.  While in that country, Mr. Ahtisaari met with senior government officials as well as representatives of UN agencies, NGOs and the donor community.  The focus of his discussions was addressing the underlying causes of food insecurity.

Mr. Ahtisaari, who had also visited Eritrea last week, will now be visiting donor capitals to appeal for support for UN programs to lay the groundwork for transitioning from emergency relief to long-term recovery from food shortages.

**ILO - Poverty Day Message

The Director-General of the International Labour Organization, to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, said the problem of people living in poverty isn’t one of effort, rather, it’s one of opportunity.  And good governance is what’s needed in order to provide that opportunity.  And we have copies of Mr. Somavia’s message available upstairs.

**UNDP

Turning to the Development Programme, world famous soccer stars Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane appeared yesterday in a thirty-second TV spot to promote the Millennium Development Goals, on behalf of their role as UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors.  The television spot aired worldwide in conjunction with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

**UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, otherwise known as UNAIDS, has commended the Government of Viet Nam for adopting a progressive national strategy on the prevention of HIV/AIDS.  According to the Deputy Executive Director of the programme, Dr. Kathleen Cravero, the Vietnamese strategy stands as a model for other countries in the region and the world.  And we have more information available upstairs.

**United Nations Mine Action

We have a message from the UN Mine Action Programme.  Delegations, United Nations staff and NGO representatives and the press are invited to an open meeting on October 19 about a new international protocol which addressed the devastating consequences of explosive remnants of war and post-conflicts settings.  The Permanent Mission of the Netherlands and the United Nations is hosting this 90-minute event which begins at 1:15 p.m. and will take place in Conference Room 4, downstairs.

**Statement of the Secretary-General on Côte d’Ivoire

The Secretary-General notes with concern that key deadlines of the Accra III Agreement, for the adoption of legislative reforms, the revision of Article 35 of the Constitution on eligibility to the Presidency and the commencement of the disarmament process, have not been met.  He has taken note of President Laurent Gbagbo’s address to the nation on 12 October 2004, and shares his views that the political crisis should be resolved without further delay.  To this end, the Secretary-General urges the political forces in Côte d’Ivoire to ensure the full and unconditional implementation of the Linas-Marcoussis and Accra III Agreements, including constitutional reform and disarmament.

The Secretary-General recalls that the Accra III Agreement envisaged the timely adoption of all legal reforms, including the revision of Article 35 of the Constitution on eligibility to the Presidency.  In this context, he urges adoption of all legislative reforms without delay, and also appeals to all armed elements, including militias, to commence disarmament at the earliest.

The Secretary-General welcomes the President’s condemnation of all acts of violence against the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and the French forces, which should be unconditionally enforced by all authorities concerned.

**Press Conference Tomorrow

Lastly, a press conference tomorrow. Mervat Tallawy, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, which is based in Beirut, will be here to brief you on the Commission’s programme in Iraq and Palestine, as well as on its efforts to achieve Arab regional integration.  Her briefing will focus on four main regional areas of concern, namely:  water and energy, information and communication technology, globalization, and integrated social development, including the role of Arab women in development. 

That is it from me.  If you have any questions. Liz.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Can you tell me, does the United Nations plan to pay out the back pay that was apparently awarded to Callixte Mbarushimana, a former UN employee that came out in The New York Times over the weekend?

Associate Spokesman:  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is currently exploring legal options regarding this gentleman’s case and in order not to prejudice the outcome of those efforts, we will not comment any further publicly about them.

Question:  So there’s no reaction to the decision itself?

Associate Spokesman:  Regarding the judgement of the Administrative Tribunal, the United Nations is bound to comply with the Tribunal’s judgement.

Question:  But you’re saying at the same time, for the moment, options are still being considered, so there’s no automatic pay out I guess…

Associate Spokesman:  On this technical, legal matter I don’t think I will sway from the guidance I’ve been given, which is, regarding the judgement of the Administrative Tribunal, the United Nations is bound to comply with the Tribunal’s judgement.  Meanwhile, UNDP is exploring legal options regarding this case and I don’t want to go any further for fear to prejudice the outcomes of UNDP’s efforts.

Question:  Can you tell me how much back pay?  What are we talking about?  Is it six months?

Associate Spokesman:  The Tribunal had ruled that he was entitled to twelve months pay and Tribunal officials told us that the ruling was made strictly on the basis of how he was let go. The Tribunal never looked into the merits of the criminal allegations regarding his case. That’s the information we received from the Tribunal. 

Question:  [inaudible]

Associate Spokesman:  No, I have not seen those reports, but I’ll try to get you something.  Yes?

Question:  I just wanted to ask you if you could bring us up-to-date on the effort of the United Nations to get back into Iraq with a larger presence.  Given the attack last week on the Green Zone does that diminish the likelihood that you will be able to expand your presence there?  Can you give us an idea of how security arrangements for United Nations staff are developing, and have you gotten clear enough assurances that [inaudible] will provide sufficient security [inaudible]?

Associate Spokesman:  On the bombing in the international zone last week, as I said, I think, here on Friday, that the latest bombings underlined our concerns about the overall security situation in Iraq.  The Secretary-General Special Representative arrived back in Baghdad today.  He will be having a number of meetings with political leaders and I’m sure MNF personnel on the ground.  So let’s see what comes out of those meetings.  We have not heard back from the multilateral force concerning a dedicated unit of the MNF in Iraq, that would be dedicated to the United Nations.

Question:  The recruitment, how is that going?

Associate Spokesman:  On the Protection Force, we are moving on that and hopefully, shortly, I should have something a little more official on the United Nations Controlled Protection Force for Protection of the United Nations Facility in Baghdad.  Yes, Liz?

Question:  Do you have any comment on the comment made by the commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Haiti, who said the comments by US Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry may have helped trigger a wave of violence in his country by implying that Kerry would have sent in support for Aristide?

Associate Spokesman:  We’ve seen those reports.  We’re checking into what the Force Commander actually said, so we’re checking with him.  We’re checking the accuracy of the reports.  But as a matter of policy, obviously, the US election is an internal political matter, upon which it would be inappropriate for United Nations officials to comment.

Mr. Diallo is going to brief on the GA.

Spokesman for General Assembly President

One of the reasons we’re so pleased to have Professor Gambari is the fact that the General Assembly is reviewing the Africa agenda today.  Two issues:  One, on the General Assembly’s agenda, that is, the decade to roll back malaria in developing countries, in particular in Africa; and the other, on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation and international support.  As I mentioned earlier, the President of the General Assembly notes that progress has been achieved and called for strengthened partnership in which African countries deepen their commitment to the priorities of NEPAD, while development partners take well-targeted measures to bolster the implementation of NEPAD. 

Two story ideas for you on the work of the Committees.  The Second Committee --Economic and Financial -- the issue of sustainable development today, and this would include a discussion on the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.  This decade is starting in 2005, and the lead agency is UNESCO.  Today, we will also have the observance of World Food Day, in a ceremony organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization.  The President of the General Assembly, Jean Ping, will take part in that ceremony, in Conference Room 4, at 3:00 p.m. The Third Committee will take up the issue of the promotion and the protection of the rights of children, from today until Thursday, 21 October.

Yesterday, as you know, was 17 October, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and, within that framework, between 17 and 21 October, the UNDP is organizing local activities in over 100 countries to underline the urgency of the fight against extreme poverty, which affects 1.2 billion people worldwide.  Two items for your attention, in that connection. One, as far as Africa is concerned, something very unusual is taking place.  Eighteen African musicians have joined forces to compose and perform a song to start action against poverty and HIV/AIDS in their regions.  The song, will be launched today simultaneously in each and every African nation and is entitled “We are the Drums,” and is part of Africa 2015, an initiative to accelerate progress towards the MDGs.  In its US debut, UNDP Youth Emissary Baaba Maal, world-renowned musician, will present “We are the Drums” during UNDP’s annual awards ceremony, this Friday between 6:30 and 8:30.  The musicians include Salif Keïta, Mali; Angélique Kidjo, Benin; Ismaël Lô, Senegal; Cheb Mami, Algeria; Koffi Olomide, Congo; Mahmoud Ahmed, Ethiopia; and so on.  The lyrics invite people to stop being victims of war, poverty, and victims of hunger, and to take responsibility for the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Second item, and I will come back to this.  Five youth will be brought from five regions of the world to be honoured by the United Nations -- from Mozambique, Panama, Papau New Guinea, Tajikistan and the West Bank.  It will be taking place this Friday at 6:30.  The continental song has been issued as a press release.  Any questions?

Question:  Regarding item 53 [inaudible].  The General Assembly President referred to a discussion by Member States who referred to candidates for possible permanent veto and he specifically mentioned Japan, Germany, Brazil and India, and he added that there could be one AfricanState.  Could you specify which AfricanState? 

Spokesman:  Yes, thank you.  As you recall, the President mentioned the list of countries that had been mentioned frequently as potential members of the Security Council, and those countries that you mentioned are among those.  And again, you may recall that at the earlier summit in [inaudible], Africa said that it was going to seek two seats.  It did not name a country to occupy those two seats and, for the first time, at this General Assembly, a number of countries, four of them, have declared candidacy for the Security Council.  Therefore, the African countries are consulting, but the official African position is that Africa will seek two seats.  Once it gets those two seats, it will determine which countries, on a rotational basis, will be eligible for them.

Question:  What day are they discussing Cuba sanctions?  Did you mention that?  I’m sorry if you have.

Spokesman:  I have not mentioned it and I will get back to you on it, Richard.

Question:  Can I ask a question to Stéphane, if nobody else has any General Assembly questions.  And if we could keep the camera on Stéphane, since it will probably be a short answer.  What is the response to reports that United Nations officials say Kojo Annan, the Secretary-General’s son, is being probed as part of a Federal Grand Jury regarding oil-for-food?

Associate Spokesman:  We have not received any information, either officially or unofficially, from US federal judicial authorities, regarding an investigation into Kojo Annan’s activities.  But I will stress, as you know, that the Volcker Panel is looking into the issue of Kojo Annan’s employment with Cotecna, while it was under contract with the oil-for-food programme.

Question:  So the New York Post would be a little bit wrong today in at least saying that this is news, that even being investigated by the Volcker Panel, since everything was up for grabs, by the oil-for-food?

Spokesman:  The Secretary-General himself has said this is one of the issues the Volcker Panel will look at.

Question:  Congressman Barton sent a letter again saying we want United Nations documents.  Has this whole issue been resolved, or do you feel that it’s all in Volcker’s hands and there’s no business…what do the lawyers say about sharing documents with congressional probes?

Associate Spokesman:  The Volcker investigation has in its possession all the United Nations documents related to the oil-for-food investigation, and it’s my understanding that Mr. Volcker is working with a number of other ongoing investigations.

Question:  How damaging does oil-for-food remain for the United Nations?

Associate Spokesman:  The United Nations is continuing to work closely with the Iraqi people on the issue of elections, and obviously in the humanitarian field.  The Secretary-General named the Volcker panel and we are, obviously, actively working with them to get to the bottom of this.  Thank you.

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