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,

**Statement Attributable to Spokesman for Secretary-General

We’ll start with a statement attributable to the Spokesman on the subject of Ukraine:

“The Secretary-General has been following closely and with concern developments in Ukraine over the weekend as that nation struggles to resolve the crisis that has developed over the run-off presidential election of 21 November.

“The Secretary-General notes that the Supreme Court is currently reviewing the matter, and calls on all concerned to be patient and to allow the constitutional process to continue.  The legitimacy, accountability and transparency of Ukraine’s institutions are vital to the consolidation of its democracy.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call on all sides to exercise maximum restraint and to refrain from divisive political statements that could endanger the stability of the country.

“Respect by all for the unity of the Ukrainian nation, its sovereignty and territorial integrity are of utmost importance to Ukraine and to regional and international security.”

**Iraq

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, is on his way to Tehran where he is to attend a meeting of Iraq and its neighbours, at the Interior Minister’s level.

Yesterday, Qazi concluded a visit to the Kurdistan area of Iraq where he met separately with Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan leader Jalal Talabani.  With both, he discussed the latest developments in Iraq and the UN role in helping the rebuilding process in the country.  He also exchanged views on the security situation and the efforts to advance the political process, as well as preparations for the country's national elections.

Mr. Qazi also met with the Prime Minister of the Kurdish Region government in Erbil and the Prime Minister of the Kurdish Region government in Sulaimanaiya for talks that focused on the UN role in providing assistance to the region through projects carried out by UN agencies.  Qazi told the two prime ministers in the separate meetings he held with them that the UN will spare no effort in supporting the reconstruction process in Iraq and highlighted the efforts the UN has already exerted to implement a number of vital projects in the areas of health, education and infrastructure, among others.

**Iran

On Iran, all measures necessary for the verification of Iran’s suspension of its enrichment and reprocessing activities are now in place, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei told the Agency’s Board of Governors that he received a letter from Iran yesterday in which it permitted the IAEA to place 20 sets of centrifuge components under Agency surveillance.  Iran also said it will not conduct any testing of those components.  Today, ElBaradei reported, Agency inspectors put surveillance cameras in place to monitor the centrifuge components.

In a resolution adopted in Vienna today, the IAEA Board of Governors welcomed the suspension of Iran’s enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.  It requested ElBaradei to continue verifying that the suspension remains in place and to inform Board members should it not be fully sustained.  We have ElBaradei’s statement and copies of the resolution available in my Office.

**Secretary-General Remarks to Press

A short while ago, the Secretary-General was asked if the continued allegations regarding the “oil-for-food” programme, and particularly his son, would make it difficult for him to continue with his work as Secretary-General.

He told reporters that he and the Organization have very serious work to do in the months ahead, especially on UN reform and development.  He said he knows it was never going to be easy to focus on those issues -- and these allegations are not going to make it any easier -- but he hopes that Member States will see the value in focusing on reform and development issues.

As to his son, Kojo, and the specific allegations that he continued to receive payment from Cotecna until February of this year, the Secretary-General said he had been under the impression that those payments had stopped in 1998.  When he recently found out they had in fact continued until this year, the Secretary-General said he was surprised and disappointed.  He added that his son is a grown man and that the Secretary-General doesn’t get involved in his son’s business, and that his son doesn’t get involved in the UN’s business.

The Secretary-General also asked for reporters to be patient and await the conclusions of the independent Volcker panel which is examining these issues.

**Security Council - Kosovo

The Security Council held an open meeting this morning, at which it was briefed by Special Representative Soren Jessen-Petersen on the Secretary-General’s latest report on Kosovo.

In his address to the Council, Jessen-Petersen said there could be no normalization or stabilization in the Western Balkans, without resolving the Kosovo issue.  He also said the UN Mission’s priorities include improving the economy and protecting minorities.  He noted that security has improved significantly since the March violence, and he told the Council that once a new government is formed in Kosovo, its first act must be to reach out to the Kosovo Serbs.  We have the full text of his speech upstairs.

**Security Council – Haiti and Burundi

The Security Council is also scheduled today to vote on an extension of the UN Mission in Haiti, following the meeting on Kosovo.

Then, at 3 p.m., closed consultations on Burundi are scheduled.  Council members will hear a briefing on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the UN operation in that country.

**Security Council - Other

The Security Council began its work today with closed consultations to discuss the Council’s statement on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which was later read by the Council’s President, U.S. Ambassador John Danforth, in the Trusteeship Council Chamber.

**Palestinians

Today, the United Nations marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, as mandated by the General Assembly.

In a message delivered to a meeting of the Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the Secretary-General said he hoped that the memory of the late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, would serve as an inspiration to the Palestinian people in their aspirations for statehood and self-determination through peaceful means.

Despite the past four years, which have been marked by bloodshed and chaos, the Secretary-General underscored the need not to give way to pessimism and despair.  He stressed that a new chance for peace may be around the corner and that the Quartet’s Road Map embodies a path to peace that is accepted by all.  It is high time, he said, that the Road Map be given a chance to succeed and that the parties live up to their commitments.

In closing, he pledged that the UN would continue to work with all parties for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.  And I’ll just add that, at the Secretary-General’s press encounter in the corridor today, he also took a question on the prospect for Middle Eastern peace, and we’ll have a transcript of what he said available for you shortly.

**Sudan

On Sudan, the UN Mission reports that after a week of considerable insecurity, fighting has subsided in most locations since 24 November.  The mission reported an exception, however, in an area north-west of Tawilla, where armed tribesman attacked villages over the weekend.

Due to the reported presence of unexploded ordnance in and around Tawilla city, the UN Mine Action Service is conducting an assessment in the area today before reopening access for humanitarian operations.  Humanitarian agencies are concerned about the further displacement of populations during last week’s insecurity, and have fielded an assessment mission to the affected areas.

**Côte d’Ivoire

The situation in Abidjan and the rest of Côte d’Ivoire was reported to be calm by the UN mission, while the UN refugee agency says that small numbers of Ivorian refugees in Liberia have been returning home as tensions ease in their country.  While the influx into Liberia has grounded to a halt, the UN refugee agency and its partners continue to monitor and to provide assistance in the border areas.  Meanwhile, in the western part of the country, UN peacekeepers recovered and then destroyed a cache of arms and ammunition in a church at Danane.

Afghanistan

Over the past three days, more than 200 members of Afghanistan’s military forces have been disarmed, bringing the total number of former combatants disarmed in that country to more than 24,000.

We have more details in yesterday’s briefing note from Kabul, which also mentions that two of the UN staff members released last week after being abducted last month met on Friday with several Afghan women who had offered to take their place as hostages.  The two UN staff members, Annetta Flanigan and Shqipe Hebibi, said the meeting was moving, as they shared their experiences with the women who tried to help them.

**Mine Summit Starts

The Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World began in Kenya today with a welcome development -- Ethiopia has agreed to accept the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines.  Ethiopia is the 144th State to do so -- and it’ll now move to destroy its existing stockpiles of anti-personnel mines, clear mined areas, and cease any use, production or transfer of the weapon indefinitely.

The Nairobi Summit is the first five-year review of the Ottawa Convention, and the international community is expected to adopt an action plan to address challenges that remain on the path towards a mine-free world.

**Secretary-General Message – Chemical Weapons

The Secretary-General today called upon all countries that have not yet done so to ratify or accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention without delay.  He added that expanding membership is vital for strengthening international security and for promoting the peaceful use of chemistry.  His remarks were part of a message to a conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention in The Hague.

**Secretary-General Message – Global WASH Forum

The first GlobalWASH –- and WASH stands for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene  -- Forum, is currently being held in Dakar.  In a message, the Secretary-General hopes that one day the world will no longer have to face the dire consequences of inadequate access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.  And we have the full test of his message upstairs.

**Economic/Social Survey

An orderly, controlled migration of people across borders provides benefits both for the countries that send them and the ones that receive them, this year’s UN World Economic and Social Survey says.

The Survey says that, beyond existing conventions and protocols, the international community lacks a comprehensive international framework to address the full range of migration issues.  It says that the protection of the workplace and human rights of migrants is a paramount responsibility.  Copies of the report and the accompanying press releases should still be available at the table near the door of this room.

**Press Conference – Today

Press conference this afternoon at 12:30, right after we wrap up here, the President of the fifty-ninth sessionof the General Assembly, Jean Ping, will be here to brief you on his recent visit to North Korea and on the latest developments in the General Assembly.

**Press Conference – Tomorrow

And a reminder that tomorrow we will have, at 10 a.m. in this room, the distribution of embargoed copies of the High-Level Panel Report on Threats, Challenges and Change.  And a senior UN official will be here to give you a little bit of contextual information on background.  Then that same official will be back on Wednesday -- this will be 11:30 on Wednesday, we originally said 10 o’clock, but because of a conflict in schedule, it’s has been moved to 11:30 -- this same UN official will give you a background briefing and take your questions.  And then finally, on Thursday, 2 December, 10 a.m., not before, not the newspapers of that morning, but 10 a.m., the embargo on the Panel’s report will be lifted and the Chair of the Panel, Anand Panyarachun, and a member of the Panel, Gro Harlem Brundtland, will hold a press conference here in 226.

That’s all I have for you.

Djibril, come up.

Questions and Answers

Spokesman:  I gave you time and no one said anything.  Sure, go ahead, fire away.

Question:  I didn’t have an opportunity to ask the Secretary-General earlier on the Iraq elections his reaction to the calls for delay?

Spokesman:  I think he’s in touch with his Special Representative there, consulting the parties.  I don’t think he is ready to go public with a view.  He hopes that this matter can be solved among the Iraqis; after all, it’s their call whether to have the elections as scheduled in January or not, and I don’t think he wants to publicly interfere with that decision.  Yes, Jonathan?

Question:  I am just confused about what the Secretary-General knew about Kojo’s relationship with Cotecna, when he knew it, and when he was informed about Kojo receiving these payments?

Spokesman:  Well, I mean he said something pretty clear.  You weren’t there, but you’ll get the transcript right afterwards.  He said that he was not aware of the payments beyond the end of 1998.

Question:  But, when was he first informed that he was getting payments, because we’ve spoken with Cotecna and other sources that tell us that everybody was informed, and it just strikes us as rather strange that the Secretary-General wouldn’t have known about these post-employment payments to Kojo?

Spokesman:  Well, first of all, the Secretary-General wouldn’t know about anything regarding contracts.  Contracts don’t move to his desk.  When there was a press account in 1998, I think, the beginning of, or the end of 1998, alleging that because Kojo was a junior trainee in a company that happened to get a UN contract, that there was an appearance of conflict of interest, the Secretary-General asked his chief of management here, Joseph Connor, to look into it.  So, I believe that that was the first time that he was aware of any link between the contract and his son, or any alleged link. 

Joseph Connor spoke to the procurement people who handled the contract and the contract committee of the United Nations, and none of those people had any idea that someone named Kojo Annan worked for Cotecna.  Cotecna was the low bidder, and Cotecna was awarded the contract.  So, as far as we, the Secretariat, are concerned, Joseph Connor’s assessment reassures us.  But, because this matter continues to be raised and doubts continue to be cast over this matter, it’s now before Paul Volcker.  And Cotecna has told us that they have turned over their information to Mr. Volcker, and Kojo Annan’s lawyers have said that they have turned their information over to Paul Volcker.  So, it’s now in Volcker’s hands.

Question:  But when did Kofi know about, find out about these additional payments to his son?

Spokesman:  I think I answered that question.  It was when the media raised the issue, I believe.  That’s my understanding.  You’d have to ask him.

Question:  Yeah.  It would be very helpful if we could get a concrete answer as to when he knew.

Spokesman:  Yes, but I mean, what is the thrust of your question?

Question:  The question is...(interrupted)?

Spokesman:  If he knew, he is guilty of something?

Question:  No, but if he knew about something, shouldn’t he have come forward with that information to at least let us all know about this since Kojo Annan is part of an ongoing investigation?

Spokesman:  But just about the time that the Cotecna firm was granted the contract, Kojo left the firm.  So, what...(Interrupted)?

Question:  But, there is the matter of perception.  I don’t know if the Secretary-General is aware of what the perception is outside this Building ... (Interrupted)?

Spokesman:  He is very aware, because it is hammered away by ... (Interrupted).

Question:  Prior to ... (Interrupted).

Spokesman:  ... by the media.

Question:  But if he knew about this prior to the reporter’s request, why isn’t it so obvious to him that he will have to come forward and just clear the record, rather than wait for somebody to find the facts and then put it in his face?

Spokesman:  When he became aware through a newspaper allegation that there was a link between his son and this company, he asked for an internal investigation.  He was assured that the people who awarded the contract were not aware of Kojo’s connection to the company.  So, ...

Question:  Has the UN been able to sort out why the discrepancy between the previously stated ...(Interrupted)?

Spokesman:  That’s really not for us to answer.  That’s for Cotecna to answer.  We were going on information provided to us by Cotecna, provided to us in writing.  I understand that Cotecna is available to you; that they have a spokesman who, as I was told just this morning, is happy to answer your questions.  So, please ask Cotecna why they said what they said.

Question:  But, Fred, it comes back to this issue of when did Kofi know?  When did he know?

Spokesman:  That’s your issue.  That is your issue, trying to imply guilt of the Secretary-General.  Now, to the extent that there is an allegation about a connection between the awarding of this contract and the Secretary-General’s son, leave that to Volcker to investigate.  We feel there is not.  We have looked into it, and we can find no evidence.  But it’s not for us to judge now.  It’s for Mr. Volcker to judge.  So, what he knew, and when he knew it, is not for me to address.  Yes?

Question:  Fred, how concerned is the Secretary-General about the potential damage of these revelations can have on the United Nations and on his name?

Spokesman:  He answered that question this morning at the stakeout saying that what the UN faces the next year is crucial; involving two big items on the agenda.  First, the High-Level Panel on Reform and, second, the five-year evaluation of the [Millennium] Development Goals and the [Millennium] Declaration.  So, that’s what he said is before us.  And he said it wasn’t going to be easy anyway, even without this.  And this matter makes it more difficult.  But we’re not going to get bogged down in these matters that are before Volcker the same week that we’re trying to launch the High-Level Panel, which is the result of a year’s work of 16 prominent individuals and could very well likely affect the shape of the United Nations for many years to come.  Yes?

Question:  Fred, if I heard you right, listening to the screening, you basically said that this matter is being investigated because of questions raised in the media.

Spokesman:  Yes.

Question:  What confidence does that give us in the media when you’re basically saying questions are investigated only when raised in the media, but other things that the media might not have found out about are actually going to be addressed?

Spokesman:  I think you missed the beginning of it.  Well, first of all, your job is to keep us honest.  That’s your job, and we welcome it.  It’s not unusual for the media to discover things that the bureaucracy wasn’t aware of, and that the bureaucracy then looks to investigate once the matter has been disclosed.  In this case, what the media alleged, we subsequently looked into and we could not sustain it from the evidence.  We talked with everyone involved and no one involved in the awarding of the contract knew anything about Kojo Annan’s relationship with Cotecna.  So, we think there was no link.  However, because this matter continues to be raised by certain media, it is in the hands of Paul Volcker.  Yes, Mr. Abbadi?

Question:  Attacks and the allegations, as you have stated, are still continuing and will probably continue. And they’re talking about dishonour being brought on the Secretariat.  And even the Secretary-General himself has acknowledged that the allegations had damaged the credibility of the United Nations.  Is the Secretary-General weighing his desire to protect individuals through confidentiality against the large interests of the Organization?  Which should prevail?

Spokesman:  I’m not sure what you are referring to, but anything involving oil-for-food, it’s up to Mr. Volcker to investigate it and the Secretary-General will waive the immunity of any person found to have violated the rules or violated the law.  So, I don’t know what...  Is it something beyond oil-for-food you’re asking about?

Question:  I am asking, Fred, whether the Secretary-General is weighing the interests of the Organization, which are larger and should prevail, against the interests of individuals that are protected through the desire to have confidentiality?

Spokesman:  I don’t understand the question.  I don’t know what individuals ...(interrupted).

Question:  Let me rephrase it this way.  The Secretary-General is very concerned about the damage being brought on this Organization because of the allegations.  Is he putting the higher interests of the Organization before the interests of the individuals that are involved?

Spokesman:  I can’t answer that question.  It’s too hypothetical.  He has been working for years towards reform of this Organization.  That work is going to come to a head this week with the High-Level Panel’s recommendations.  He will have a little more than two years to work with Member States to try to get those recommendations implemented.  So, for him, that’s priority number one.  During the Millennium Assembly, he got the heads of State to say what they wanted the UN to do in the new millennium.  And he got them to quantify the goals.  Now, next year he’s got a five-year review for that.  And that’s a second big item on his agenda -- to keep the Organization’s Members moving towards implementation of those goals.  Two huge objectives for him.  Those are his priorities.  He hopes this other business can be dealt with fairly by Mr. Volcker, so that he can focus his full attention on these other objectives.  Mark?

Question:  There are two ...(Interrupted by fellow correspondent).

Question:  A follow-up!  A follow-up, please!  Therefore, the credibility, the damage to the credibility of the United Nations is not considered a priority by the Secretary-General?

Spokesman:  That is a judgement call every member government and every individual will have to make.  As to the extent to which the allegations being raised in some quarters damage the credibility of this Organization, that’s for you and others to judge.  He hopes that with the Volcker report, these allegations can be set aside, and we can get on with our business.  But he’s not going to wait ...(Interrupted).

Question:  But the Secretary-General himself said that the allegations have already damaged the credibility of all of the United Nations.

Spokesman:  Yes, but the jury is still out.

Question:  Can I ask a more specific question?

Spokesman:  Yes, Mark?

Question:  I mean, as the UN so often reminds us, there are two UNs here.   One is a meeting room and the system and shared goals and so forth.  One is UN, as much as such things exist, headed by CEO Kofi Annan, or whatever, but an Organization.  Now, a lot of the issue here is about the Organization, not its goals, i.e., the Secretariat.  Is it capable?  And this conflicts with what’s been happening with the Staff Union and so forth.  Is it capable of holding itself accountable?  Of firing fraudulent people?  Of investigating itself and so forth?  I’d be very grateful, and I don’t know if it’s possible to do this, for any record during Kofi Annan’s tenure, of anyone, one person or a series of people who have actually been fired for misconduct from this Organization?

Spokesman:  And on that number you’re going to judge the effectiveness of the Secretariat and the Organization as a whole?

Question:  Because I suspect that the Organization is very reluctant unless the media starts to get on things, to fire its own.  In fact, it doesn’t happen.  But if there have been cases of the UN internally finding misconduct and bad behaviour of senior officials and, therefore, consequently fired them or got rid of them; I’d be very grateful to know when.

Spokesman:  Well, we can start with last week.  We fired a French national from the UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo for allegations of sexual misconduct.

Question:  But that only came out following media revelations, which only maybe came out in May.

Spokesman:  No, that’s not true.  That’s not true.  It was discovered as a result of an investigation by the Congolese Police and when the information was made available to us, we took immediate action.

Question:  Well, maybe this one, maybe there has been more (Inaudible).  In the history, there doesn’t seem to be much of a history.  Is it possible to indicate, to give a record that shows that the UN, under Kofi, has taken allegations of mismanagement and misbehaviour seriously and fired people as a result?  It would be very helpful to know when.

Spokesman:  I am not going to promise you I am going to do that.  But I will certainly ask for you if those numbers are available.

We need to wrap up as quickly as possible; someone is waiting to come in.

Question:  Has the meeting been set between the Union and the Secretary-General?

Spokesman:  I don’t believe so yet.  There were two things.  We were going to meet with them below the level of Secretary-General to discuss specifically their concerns about the Department of Management’s report on OIOS.  And I think I announced last week that it was agreed to put that off to sometime this week.  But, yes, the Secretary-General also would like to meet with the staff and we’ll be contacting them to set up a date.  We don’t have a date yet.  Last question, Jonathan?

Question:  For the sake of clarity, to just put the speculation to rest, can we not ...(Inaudible) the Secretary-General about what he knew and when he knew it in the relationship to his son?

Spokesman:  He spoke to about a dozen journalists out in the corridor 10 minutes ago.

Question:  It wasn’t put in simple terms.  It’s all vague and, obviously, that opens a whole ...

Spokesman:  Well, you weren’t there to ask your questions.  So, I just wish you better luck next time that you’re near him when he speaks.  But, he will be passing through the Building, you can stop him whenever you like and put your question to him.

Question:  But, Fred, as you talked about these impressive goals that the Secretary-General has over the next year, reform and whatnot, is it not difficult to actually get the credibility to push through those reforms if you have a looming investigation hanging over you?

Spokesman:  No.  No, the investigation is in competent hands.  The evidence you’re all aware of, it’s for Mr. Volcker to weigh it.  The huge objectives of reform and the Millennium Declaration and Goals greatly overshadows these, I would say, relatively minor matters that you are pursuing doggedly.  Let Mr. Volcker judge, please.

Thank you very much.

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