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.

**Côte d’Ivoire

We’re going to start with the situation in Côte d’Ivoire.

UN humanitarian agencies are very concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the new military offensive in Côte d'Ivoire.  They are trying to resume the full range of their activities there, despite the difficulties they are facing in carrying out their work.

Yesterday, after fighting erupted around the towns of Bouaké and Korhogo, tensions rose around the country, prompting UN humanitarian agencies to restrict the movement of their staff.

Five vehicles belonging to UN humanitarian groups were “confiscated” by armed groups and another UN vehicle was destroyed.  The movement of humanitarian personnel and supplies was severely slowed by checkpoints. 

The UN Children’s Fund has taken measures to ensure that former child soldiers staying at a demobilization site are being protected. 

The World Health Organization is still preparing to carry out a polio vaccination campaign scheduled to begin later this month.

The UN food agencies are greatly concerned that continued hostilities could prevent populations from accessing their fields, thus jeopardizing the harvest of food stocks as well as cocoa -- the main source of revenue for rural populations in the west and the south.

Another cause for concern is that electricity has been cut off in all areas controlled by the Forces Nouvelles, that’s the rebels in the north.  They will seriously hamper hospitals’ abilities to deliver services and will create a shortage of clean water, as water distribution facilities depend onelectricity. 

**Côte d’Ivoire - Security Council

And for the record, the Security Council, after listening to a briefing by the Secretary-General on the developments in Côte d’Ivoire, demanded that the ceasefire be fully respected.

The Security Council said it was actively engaged and reviewing the situation with a view to deciding on action to be taken.

**Sudan - Security Council

On Sudan, the Security Council yesterday afternoon joined the Secretary-General in expressing concern about the Government of Sudan’s forced relocations of internally displaced persons in Darfur.  In a press statement, the Council said these relocations are contrary to Security Council resolutions.  They reiterated their call on the Government of the Sudan to cease all forcible relocations of civilians and to return those who have been removed to their original sites.  They also called on Sudan to allow humanitarian relief workers immediate access to all internally displaced camps.

**Sudan – Humanitarian

From Khartoum today, the UN mission reports that a humanitarian mission had visited two camps where the relocations had taken place.

One camp in south Darfur, to which Special Representative Jan Pronk had referred, was completely destroyed, the mission found.

The UNICEF-installed water pumps and generators had reportedly been looted by police, leaving no water source in the camp.  On Wednesday, when several thousand internally displaced had returned to the camp after being scattered by the disturbances of the previous day, those who had returned said they had no intention of leaving the camp.  But no assistance was allowed into that camp.  They said the Government had given them no reason for the move, and no assistance.

**Sudan - Human Rights

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that its monitors present in the field continue to receive reports of rape, physical harassment, killings and other violence outside camps for the internally displaced in west Darfur.

They also continued to receive reports of increasing violence by the different parties across the region. 

In north Darfur, the overall security situation, according to reports received by the monitors, was becoming increasingly tense, with daily reports of incidents between the Sudan Liberation Army and the Government of Sudan forces.  There had been reports of government helicopter gunships operating in the area as well. 

**Security Council

The Security Council has not scheduled any formal meetings or consultations for today.

Starting at 4:45 this afternoon, Council members -- in place of their monthly luncheon with the Secretary-General -- will hold an “iftar” with him.  

The “iftar” is the feast after the sun goes down that ends the Muslim fast, during the month of Ramadan.  US Ambassador John Danforth, this month’s Security Council President, had proposed having this meal, instead of the regular lunch, this time around.

**Iraq

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, today met with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh.

Saleh, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and Qazi discussed preparations for the national elections, scheduled for late January, and the technical support the UN is providing to enable the Independent Iraqi Electoral Commission to carry out its duty of organizing the polls.

Talks, which took place over an end-of-day “iftar” meal that the Deputy Prime Minister held in honour of Qazi, also dealt with the situation in Kurdistan.

**UNRWA

Peter Hansen, the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), expressed his growing concern and distress over the humanitarian situation of over 660,000 Palestine refugees in the West Bank.

The refugees have been denied essential services, including emergency relief, by the continued strike of UNRWA’s 4,000 local staff in that area of its operations.

UNRWA’s Area Staff Union began its strike on October 11 in a dispute about staff pay.

There is a press release with more information on this upstairs.

**Afghanistan

The UN Mission in Afghanistan was informed by the Afghan authorities that many callers to a Government-run hotline have expressed solidarity with the United Nations over the abduction of three staff members a week ago.

In addition, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in a nationwide address last night, underscored the work that the UN staff had been doing on behalf of the Afghan people, and expressed his hope that, “with the help of God, we manage to get them safely released”.

**Haiti - Update

The Spokesman of the UN Mission in Haitihas reported that the UN Civilian Police component is monitoring the situation of some 90 people arrested yesterday by the Haitian National Police, to ensure they are treated according to international standards.  The detainees were arrested during a joint UN/Haitian police security operation in the Port-au-Prince neighbourhood of Bel Air, which had been largely controlled by gangs in recent weeks.

Louis Joinet, the UN’s Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in that country, will be in Haiti from 6 to 17 November.  He is scheduled to meet senior officials from the Transitional Government, as well as senior magistrates and judges, and representatives of the UN system and the Organization of American States.

**SG - Lecture Series

The next lecture in the Secretary-General’s Lecture Series will be held here on Monday, and the topic is “Why Music Matters”.

Professor Leon Botstein, the President of Bard College Conservatory of Music and principal conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra, will speak on the topic, and the presentation will be followed by the usual question-and-answer session.

The Secretary-General hosts this lecture series on topics at the forefront of the humanities and natural sciences, as part of an effort to create a strengthened framework for dialogue and mutual understanding within the UN community.

The lecture will run from 1:25 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., and it will be held in the ECOSOC Chamber.  And, of course, you’re all invited.

**SG - Sports Year Launch 

In just a few minutes, you will have in this room, the International Year of Sport and Physical Education 2005 launching, at 12:30 p.m., following this briefing.

The Secretary-General will provide opening remarks at the event, which will outline plans for a year-long push to highlight the power of sport to bridge cultural and ethnic divides.

Swiss tennis champ Roger Federer and New York City Marathon record-holder Margaret Okayo will be here for the launch, along with Adolf Ogi, the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace.

**Appointment

I have an appointment here to announce regarding Haiti.

The Secretary-General has announced the appointment of Mr. Hocine Medili of Algeria as Principal Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

Mr. Medili recently led a multidisciplinary assessment mission to Haiti and has vast experience in peacekeeping.  He arrived in Haiti earlier this week.

We have a copy of his CV available upstairs.

And, as usual on Friday, we have the Week Ahead to help you plan your coverage for next week.

That’s all I have for you.  Edie?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Has the press conference with Peter Hansen been rescheduled?

Spokesman:  I’ve not been able to reschedule it but let me see if I can contact him to see if he can come back.  Laura?

Question:  Fred, the US State Department announced yesterday that they would be calling the ex-Yugoslav Republic, Macedonia, much to the chagrin of the Greeks.  They called on the European Union to work with them, to mediate this problem.  Is the United Nations going to enter in on this?

Spokesman:  As you may know, the United Nations has long-running negotiations between Greece and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on this subject, conducted by Matthew Nimitz.  And Mr. Nimitz told me yesterday that this decision will not affect the ongoing negotiations, and that both governments have assured him that they are prepared to continue their talks under the Secretary-General’s auspices.  Yes?

Question:  Can you comment on the October 31 letter that the Secretary-General sent warning that military campaigns in the region, and other insurgent strongholds, could jeopardize the upcoming elections?

Spokesman:  I think that question was answered by Mr. Prendergast at the 11 o’clock briefing.  The short answer is that the Secretary-General considers these letters privileged communications; he will not comment on them nor will we.  Let me take Joe and then Edie.

Question:  I vaguely remember when that name was created here during that dispute.  Is that a legally binding name that all nations must go by now?  Did the US in any way, at least in spirit or in a letter, [inaudible] no one outside the United Nations…

Spokesman:  That is the name approved by the United Nations.

Question:  Will you continue…

Spokesman:  We will.  Edie?

Question:  Fred, going back to Ivory Coast.  Is there any indication of what the United Nations peacekeeping force is actually doing?  And, are they in Bouaké?

Spokesman:  I believe they are.  I’ll have to double check on that.  [They are.]  Currently, they are securing United Nations compounds, looking to provide protection to the United Nations staff [and close protection for key members of the government of national reconciliation].  At some of our compounds, Ivorian civilians have taken refuge and so we’re looking after those people.  And, for further details, I’d advise you to check with my office after the briefing, as far as what we’re receiving from Côte d’Ivoire itself, in the way of cables and other information.  [Their principal mandate, of course, is to monitor, observe and report violations of the ceasefire.]

Question:  Fred, you mentioned that the UNRWA personnel are striking.  Are those local employees or international?  

Spokesman:  Local.

Question:  Prior to the announcement today that the United Nations would increase its staff in Iraq, the Secretary-General met with the representatives of the Staff Union.  Had he informed them of that prior to today and what was their reaction?

Spokesman:  The decision hadn’t been made then.  I have really no details of what was discussed in that meeting between the Secretary-General and the Staff Union representatives, except that the purpose of the meeting in the Secretary-General’s mind was to discuss with them their concerns about security, which, of course, includes the security of United Nations staff in Iraq.  But, because the decision to lift the ceiling had not been made at that time, I doubt it had been announced to them.  The prospect of raising the ceiling might well have been raised but I don’t know that for a fact.

Spokesman:  Is Djibril coming today?  No.  Then, in another few minutes, you’ll have the Secretary-General, Mr. Ogi and our special guests.

Thank you very much.

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