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 Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General and Djibril Diallo, Spokesman for the General Assembly President.

Spokesman for the Secretary-General

Good morning,

**High-Level Panel Report

Tomorrow morning, the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change will present to the Secretary-General their report, urging the adoption of new, far-reaching ground rules to strengthen the United Nations and to adapt to the world in the twenty-first century.  He will then transmit that report, with a cover letter to the General Assembly.

The Chairman of the 16-member Panel, former Thai Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun, says that the 95-page report “puts forward a new vision of collective security, one that addresses all of the major threats to international peace and security felt around the world”.

The report affirms the right of States to defend themselves, including pre-emptively when an attack is truly imminent, and says that, in cases involving terrorists and weapons of mass destruction, the Security Council may have to act earlier, more proactively and more decisively than in the past.

The panel also endorses the idea of a collective responsibility to protect civilians from genocide, ethnic cleansing and comparable atrocities.  When States are unwilling or unable to fulfil their responsibility to their citizens, the wider international community should intervene, acting preventively where possible.  But the panel says that force, if needed, should be deployed as a last resort and authorized by the Security Council.

The report offers five criteria to guide the Council in its decisions over whether to authorize the use of force:  the seriousness of the threat, proper purpose, whether it is a last resort, whether proportional means are used, and whether military action is likely to have better or worse results than inaction.

The panel urges the creation of a new UN body, the Peace-building Commission, which would identify countries at risk of violent conflicts, organize prevention efforts and sustain international peace-building efforts.

The report says that major changes are needed in UN bodies to make them more effective, efficient and equitable.  Among other reforms, it calls for expanding the Security Council from its current 15 members to 24, and offers two options for that expansion.  In one, six new permanent members, with no veto power, would be among the new seats; in the other, eight new seats, with renewable four-year terms, would be added.

Also included in the report’s 101 recommendations are proposals to strengthen development efforts, public health capacity and the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

At 10 o’clock tomorrow morning in this room, the Panel Chair, along with panel member Gro Harlem Brundtland of Norway, will be here to talk to you about the report.

**SG/World AIDS Day Speech

As you know, today is World AIDS Day.

As part of the various events being held to mark the occasion, the Secretary-General addressed the “Wall Street World Aids Day” –- organized by six of the biggest financial service companies in the world, and aimed at initiating discussions on recommendations for a plan of action and a plan for education.

In his speech, the Secretary-General noted that the effects of AIDS go beyond the humanitarian and into the economic sphere.

He called on the gathered business leaders and representatives to help change the course of the epidemic, by joining forces with other financial players, and encouraging clients to take a proactive role in the fight against AIDS.

We have copies of his speech upstairs -– and also, this evening the Secretary-General will be attending the World AIDS Day commemoration at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, here in New York.

**MONUC

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo says it’s extremely concerned about the rising tensions between the DRC and Rwanda.

The Mission points out that there are developments on the ground, which favour the accelerated repatriation of foreign armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

These include information programmes to convince armed groups to return voluntarily to Rwanda, as well as the ongoing deployment of UN peacekeepers in the Kivu region, which borders Rwanda.

The UN mission reminds the parties involved that any threat to the ongoing efforts of the international community are unacceptable and unjustifiable – and could have grave consequences for the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region, as a whole.  We have more on this upstairs, and we may have a statement later today.

**Sudan

From the Sudan, aid workers are gradually returning to Tawilla –- the town in an area of North Darfur where fighting was reported last week.  They report that between 2,000 and 3,000 people who had been displaced by the fighting have returned to the town, compared to the previous population of 40,000.  The remainder of the previous population is reported to have fled to villages within 15 to 20 kilometres of Tawilla.

Meanwhile, Jan Pronk, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the Sudan, who yesterday launched in Geneva a $1.5 billion appeal for 2005, is headed to Nairobi, Kenya.  There, he will discuss the establishment of a trust fund to support development efforts, including in the southern Sudan.

And, the Abuja peace process is set to resume on 9 December between the Government of the Sudan and the two rebel groups of Darfur, the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

This round of talks will discuss the political, social and economic aspects of the conflict.  The UN mission in the Sudan will be participating in the meeting as an observer to support the African Union mediation during the talks.

**Iraq

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, welcomed the outcome of the Conference bringing together the Interior Ministers of Iraq’s neighbouring countries, which ended in Teheran today, as a step to improve the security environment.

The Conference unanimously adopted a joint communiqué pledging to take a number of measures, including cooperation on border control and fighting acts of terrorism, to improve the security environment in Iraq.

In remarks at the closing session of the conference, Qazi said the measures, that regional countries have agreed to take, will enable them to contribute to an environment conducive to the success of the political process.

He also reiterated the United Nations’ commitment to help Iraq, saying, “We are at your disposal, at the disposal of the Iraqi Government and the people of Iraq, to help in the noble cause of rebuilding a country”.

**Côte d’Ivoire

A senior UN official yesterday visited Bouaké in the northern part of Côte d’Ivoire.

Principal Deputy Special Representative in Cote D’Ivoire Alan Doss met with senior representatives of the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles in Bouaké, where he raised the World Food Programme aircraft incident, which occurred in Man, western Côte d'Ivoire, last week.

He obtained assurances from the Forces Nouvelles that this type of incident will not recur.  They also assured him of free and unimpeded access for UN Blue Helmets, military observers and UN and other humanitarian agencies' personnel.

**Security Council

Today is the first day of the Algerian Presidency of the Security Council for the month of December.

The Council President, Ambassador Abdallah Baali of Algeria, is holding bilateral meetings with members today on the month’s programme.

Then at 4:30 this afternoon, informal consultations on Burundi have been scheduled, to be followed by a formal meeting.  A resolution on the mandate for the UN Mission in Burundi, which expires today unless action is taken, is being turned into “blue”; therefore being prepared for a vote.

Ambassador Baali will brief you on the December programme around 12:30 p.m. or whenever the morning session is over tomorrow.  That’s 12:30 tomorrow, or later.

**Tobacco Control

Yesterday, Peru deposited the 40th ratification for the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control -- Richard (CNN) will be glad to hear -- which will allow the Convention to enter into force in 90 days.

The World Health Organization today said that the Convention will improve health by contributing to the reduction of tobacco consumption, currently the cause of premature death for nearly five million people every year.  Dr. Lee Jong-Wook, the Organization’s Director-General, said, “The momentum growing around the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control seems unstoppable”.

**Landmines

The States parties to the Ottawa Convention on landmines, at the Summit underway in Nairobi, Kenya, today provisionally adopted an action plan for 2005 through 2009 that will deal with a coordinated approach to meeting that treaty’s humanitarian aims.

Martin Barber, the Director of the UN Mine Action Service, told the Summit that the United Nations is committed to supporting the action plan.  He said the United Nations will focus its efforts in the coming years to get non-State actors to adhere to the mine-ban treaty’s norms, to support victim assistance, and to encourage donors to commit sustained resources to mine action.

**Philippines Floods

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the UN in-country team has set up an ad-hoc crisis management task force to deal with flooding in the Philippines.

The OCHA and UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, have pledged emergency funds to help alleviate the situation, and the UN Development Programme has requested a further grant of $100,000.

Floodwaters have left many roads impassable, and have washed away bridges and houses.  Many people have been stranded on rooftops.  According to OCHA, rubber boats, tents, food, and drinking water are urgently needed.

**Panama Floods

Flooding has also taken place in Panama’s Darien region, and could lead to severe food shortages in the next seven to eight months, according to UN humanitarian agencies.

The UN team in Panama has conducted two missions to the affected areas, delivering water purification materials and helping to transport Ministry of Health personnel.

In addition, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has released an emergency cash grant.

Panamanian authorities estimate that more than 7,500 people, mainly in indigenous communities, have been affected by the flooding.  And we have a press release with more information on that upstairs.

**High-Level Forum on Health MDG’s

More than 11 million children in developing countries die every year from preventable illness, and as many as 500,000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth.  These and other urgent health problems will be tackled at this week's High-Level Forum on the Health Millennium Development Goals, to be held in Abuja, Nigeria.

The forum will start tomorrow, Thursday, and will last until Friday, 3 December.  It has been organized by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, and will bring together aid donors with many of the world's leaders in health and development.  We have a press release on that.

**UN Staff

You have been asking me about management’s meetings with UN Staff Council representatives, and I can tell you that today the Chief of Staff will be joined by the Under-Secretary-General for Management and the Assistant Secretary-General for Personnel and others, to meet with Rosemary Waters, the President of the Staff Council, and possibly other officers that she may bring with her.  And the Secretary-General has agreed to meet with the entire Staff Committee, which I think is some 35 people, on 8 December.

And on staff matters, more than 2,700 UN Secretariat staff have so far signed a letter expressing their support for the Secretary-General at a time when the Organization has faced allegations about its integrity.

In the letter, the staff members wrote, “More than ever, we support the Secretary-General in his balanced, fair and substantive approach.  We also express our determination to continue to improve the workings and effectiveness of this Organization.  We can make the case for the UN and be resolute, while remaining true to our mission around the world –- dedication to peace and development”.

So, I think that’s a web site event and the signatures are continuing to come in.

That’s all I have for you.  Massoud?

Questions and Answers

Question:  Taking a cue from your last statement, there is like, a growing chorus asking for the Secretary-General’s resignation; today’s op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal, and there is a piece in The New York Times.  Do you see the Secretary-General at any point in time stepping down at all under this pressure?

Spokesman:  A few voices don’t make a chorus.  The Secretary-General is involved in this work on AIDS, as you heard from what I said today.  Tomorrow he passes to the General Assembly this very important High-Level Panel Report, which will determine the reform agenda for the United Nations for the next two years, which he intends to pursue vigorously.  His substantive agenda is strong.  He is committed to it.  He has heard no calls for resignation from any MemberState.  If there is some agitation on this issue on the sideline, that’s fine, that’s healthy debate.  But he is intent on continuing his substantive work for the remaining two years and one month of his term.  Betsy?

Question:  Fred, (inaudible)...few voices, but one of them is the Chairman of the Senate sub-committee that’s investigating the UN.  He says that Mr. Annan should step down because he sees that there is no possibility of a fair investigation while he is stuck here.  Can you respond to that in particular?

Spokesman:  The Secretary-General, as you know, and as we said many times, has turned over all documentation to Paul Volcker and his panel; has made available to the Volcker panel all UN personnel who worked on oil-for-food.  That investigation is continuing and until it is completed, -- and we have no reason to think that it will not be a full, fair and thorough investigation –- until it is completed, he will not rush to judgement.  And he urges others not to rush to judgement either.  Richard?

Question:  You did say it’s a healthy debate, but forget the resignation appeal.  Could you comment on Coleman’s charge that you can’t root out the UN’s own corruption while Mr. Annan is in charge and that there was mismanagement while the most expensive fraud in the history of the UN took place?

Spokesman:  No, everything on oil-for-food is being looked at by Mr. Volcker.  So, we’re not going to talk about that until Volcker finishes his work.  And as for judgement calls, I think it’s much wiser to wait for the full investigation to be completed before allocating blame.

Question:  Is Senator Coleman grandstanding?

Spokesman:  That’s not a judgement I’d make.  You’re welcome to make any judgement you like.

Question:  On the UN reforms, the panel does not set any criterion or any benchmark for qualification to become a permanent member of the Security Council.  But, is what is being suggested that financial contributions to the Organization or money given to the Organization are a criterion to become a permanent member of the Security Council?  Is that right? Or is there...(Interrupted)?

Spokesman:  Well, what they did recommend -- and I’d advise you rather to put this question to members of the panel; specifically the Chairman who will be here tomorrow -- but what they did recommend is that members should be chosen on the basis of their willingness to contribute to the peace and security efforts of the Council.  In other words, involvement in peacekeeping, peace-building, being an active contributor to these efforts certainly should be a criterion for selecting these members.  But these members, in any case, would be selected by the General Assembly.  So, this is merely a suggestion of criteria that Member States might consider in electing Council Members.  Betsy?

Question:  Fred, on this petition, can you tell us who is behind it?

Spokesman:  I don’t know, actually.  I’d have to find out.  I take it, it spontaneously arose from staff members.  I don’t know which staff members initiated it.

Question:  I know who sent the e-mail about it, but can you tell us; is it an official UN...(Interrupted)?

Spokesman:  No, it’s not official at all.  It’s a spontaneous staff action as far as I can tell.  And I honestly don’t know who is behind it.  I see the web site; I see the number of signatures growing daily.  But that’s about all I know.

Question:  Would it be fair to characterize it as 2,700 staffers in New York or?

Spokesman:  I don’t know whether...  You’d have to talk to the organizers of it, and I can’t tell you who they are.  So, I don’t know whether they are soliciting statements of support or signatures of support worldwide or just in New York.  Yes, Richard?

Question:  That was an excellent read on the tobacco control spread, by the way.  Since you won’t take on Senator Coleman, how about President Bush; though we know this question could be addressed to member countries.  Today he once again said he hopes the UN and other institutions will not be a place for endless debate for the sake of peace.  (Inaudible) of these bodies promise serious consequences; serious consequences must follow.  He didn’t mention oil-for-food exactly.  Any comment on it?

Spokesman:  I hadn’t seen that statement, but when he’s talking about the UN it sounds like he’s talking about the 191 governments, including the United States.  So, I don’t think that’s directed at the Secretariat, but at his fellow Member States.  Yes, sir?

Question:  Do you think there is a connection between recent accusations against Mr. Annan and his earlier declaration that the Iraq war was illegal?

Spokesman:  That’s for you to speculate about.  But I am not going to comment on that.

Anything else?

Question:  Just for planning purposes, Fred,...(inaudible) toward the end of year press conference with the Secretary-General.  Do we know when we can expect that?

Spokesman:  No, we haven’t talked about that yet.  But let me raise that with him and see if he intends to do that again this year.  And if so, we’ll try to fix the date.  Massoud?

Question:  There are certain provisions and certain recommendations in the report of the panel, which can be implemented without going to the UN General Assembly.  Will the SG be doing that soon?

Spokesman:  It’s a little too early for me to comment on that.  So, tomorrow, his cover letter will be attached to the report as he gives it to the General Assembly.  So, let’s wait and see what he says in that cover letter.  But there are administrative things, recommended by the panellists, that the Secretary-General could initiate on his own.  But if there are budgetary implications, as I think there almost inevitably will be, he would have to get General Assembly approval for the cost of making those changes.  Yes, ma’am?

Question:  Just one question on this staffers’ statement, the 2,700.  Did you say exactly when that was started, this letter of support for the Secretary-General?

Spokesman:  I don’t know.  A few days ago.  But, we’ll try to find out for you.

Question:  (Inaudible)...all the accusations, against allegations.

Spokesman:  We’ll try to find out more about it.  But, I am just seeing on the web site and reporting it to you.  Betsy?

Question:  One last Volcker question.  Do you have a date yet on the next interim report?  Do you have some sense of when the Volcker interim report...(Interrupted)?

Spokesman:  He has said that he next plans to report in January.  I understand that he now has a press person.  So, you could call his office, get the name of that person and get any specific details they’re ready to give out to you now.

Question:  Will the SG’s cover letter be available to us tomorrow?

Spokesman:  Yes, yes.  Lee?

Question:  Can we get a repeat of the letter that was sent from Geneva confirming their support of the Secretary-General and the amount of people that signed that?

Spokesman:  We’re trying to get someone who can talk to you about that letter and give you those details.  Okay?

Ready Djibril?  Thank you.

Spokesman for General Assembly President

Good afternoon,

General Assembly

The General Assembly this morning continues its consideration of agenda item 36 entitled “The Situation in the Middle East”.

After which the Assembly took action on the draft resolutions A/59/L.34.  That draft resolution is entitled “Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People”, L.35, L.36 and L.37 under the item “Question of Palestine”.  These four resolutions were adopted.

The General Assembly then reverted to agenda item 36 “The situation in the Middle East” to take action on draft resolutions A/59/L.39 and A/59/L.40.  These draft resolutions were also adopted.

Tomorrow the General Assembly will take up the report of the Sixth Committee and will act on various issues in the report of the Sixth Committee.

High-Level Panel Report

The fifty-ninth Session of the General Assembly looks forward to reviewing the report of the high-level panel on Threats, Challenges and change, entitled:  “A more secure world:  our shared responsibility”.

Assembly President Jean Ping will organize a special session for Member States on 8 December, with the participation of the Research Director, Stephen Stedman.  President Ping will then meet with you, UN correspondents, on 9 December, at 12:30 in order to give the General Assembly’s perspectives on the High-Level report.

Talking about reports, I would like to mention that the two other reports, which are in the radar screen of the General Assembly, which are borne in mind in its work.  One is Jeffrey Sachs’ Millennium Development Goals report, which focuses on the developmental dimension of the work of the United Nations.  That report will be presented in January.

And then in March, you have the Secretary-General’s own report that pulls together the two reports and provides a way forward on the two dimensions of the work of the United Nations:  Peace and Security on the one hand, and development on the other hand.

The final item has to do with World AIDS Day.  We have a message by the President of the Assembly, which is available to you on the racks.

President Jean Ping on this occasion called on Member States to do everything possible to stop the scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which threatens to wipe out the development gains of the past decades.  The Feminization of the epidemic is taking its toll on sub-Saharan Africa where 60 per cent of those infected are women.

That’s all I have for you.  Yes?

Question:  Do you have a date yet, when the GA is going to wrap up in December?

Spokesman for General Assembly President:  No.  I have to come back to you on that.

Okay, thank you.

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