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,

**Guest at Noon

Joining us today will be Jan Pronk, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan, and he will brief you on the latest developments in that country.

**SG Leaves Tomorrow for Washington, Brussels

The Secretary-General will leave tomorrow for Washington, where he will have meetings on Thursday morning with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

He will then address a meeting at the Council on Foreign Relations on UN renewal and U.S.-UN relations, and he will be taking questions from the audience afterwards.

He will then fly to Brussels to attend the European Union Summit on Friday, after which he will return to New York.

**Security Council

The Security Council is holding an open meeting today on the subject of “Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict”.  Chairing the meeting for Algeria, the Security Council President for December, is Foreign Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem.

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, briefed on the subject.  Saying that humanitarian access to civilians in need lies at the heart of the protection response, he outlined the challenges and proposed responses to them.  Egeland says he has been deeply disturbed at the unacceptable incidence of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel over the past six months.

The Secretary General, he says, has set clear standards of conduct to which all staff must be held accountable, in his Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.  Egeland went on to say there is a pressing need to ensure that this is now rigorously enforced.  Saying that the active engagement of personnel-contributing countries is central to this process, he appealed to contributing Member States to give this issue their urgent attention and ensure that appropriate accountability mechanisms are in place.

He concluded his briefing by declaring that the status quo cannot be accepted.  “We must show that the United Nations, its Member States and its humanitarian and regional partners can safeguard the well-being and rights of men, women and children around the world whose lives are being shattered by armed conflict”, he said.

Egeland says he will brief correspondents at the stakeout microphone outside the Security Council, following the morning session.  A presidential statement is expected as an outcome of this meeting.

**Secretary-General -- Appointment

“The Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Mr. Terje Roed-Larsen as his Special Envoy for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559 (2004).  Mr. Roed-Larsen is currently serving as the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.

“Mr. Roed-Larsen’s new appointment will be effective on 3 January 2005 at the level of Under-Secretary-General.  He will assist the Secretary-General in the preparation of his semi-annual reports to the Security Council, which the Council requested in its Presidential Statement of 19 October 2004.  In carrying out this task, Mr. Roed-Larsen would consult with the Government of Lebanon and other interested Member States and the relevant United Nations agencies in gathering the information necessary for the preparation of the semi-annual reports”.

**Statement Attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

I have upstairs a statement attributable to the Spokesman on the High-level meeting of the Group of Friends for Georgia, which just concluded today.

**IAMB

This morning the International Advisory and Monitoring Board for Iraq issued its summary report on the activities of the Development Fund for Iraq from 22 May 2003 to 28 June 2004, the date of the dissolution of the Coalition Provisional Authority.

The audit of the fund conducted by the accounting firm KPMG, on behalf of the board, concluded that all known oil proceeds, reported frozen assets, and transfers from the oil–for–food programme have been properly and transparently accounted for in the fund.  At the same time the Board believes that controls were insufficient to provide reasonable assurance of the completeness of export sales and whether all Development Fund disbursements were made for the purposes intended.

At its most recent meeting in Washington earlier this month, the Board and the U.S. government agreed on the terms of reference for a special audit of sole sourced contracts granted by the Fund.  For more information, please see their press release and report, which is available on the IAMB’s web site.

**Sudan

The UN Mission in Sudan reports that, according to the latest Darfur humanitarian profile made available today, there are an estimated 1.65 million people displaced by the fighting.  And the number of conflict-affected persons is estimated at more than 2.2 million people.  It is also estimated that food was delivered to 57 per cent of the latter category, while 61 per cent received shelter and 43 per cent had access to clean water.

The report indicates also that increased banditry and the deterioration in the security situation continue to pose a major threat to improvement of the delivery of humanitarian assistance.  And you can read more about this in the update.

**DR Congo

Yesterday I mentioned that the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was appealing for calm following reports of fighting between armed groups in the locality of Kanyabayonga, in the province of North Kivu.  Today, the UN Mission sent a team to Kanyabayonga to investigate the reports.  The team is made up mainly of soldiers, and they’ll assess the situation there.

The investigators will stay in Kanyabayonga, which is about 160 kilometres north of Goma, for four days.  In addition to the investigative team, a company of UN peacekeepers from India began deploying today in Rutshuru, which lies about halfway between Goma and Kanyabayonga.

**WFP/DRC Food Shortage

And while on the topic of the DRC, the World Food Programme says that, unless it receives new funds for the country by New Year, it’ll be forced to cut by 30 per cent the number of people provided with life-saving food aid and reduce the remaining beneficiaries' food rations by half.

The WFP says it needs at least $10 million in fresh donations and that, without food aid, a sharp rise in malnutrition rates is expected in the DRC.  We have more on that upstairs.

**Côte d’Ivoire

The Secretary-General’s report on the UN operation in Côte d’Ivoire is out on the racks today, a day after Special Representative Albert Tevoedjre briefed the Security Council on it.  The Secretary-General, in the wake of the recent events in that country, says that priority needs to be given to ensuring the earliest restoration and consolidation of security and the resumption of dialogue among the Ivorian parties.

The African Union initiative, led by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and South African President Thabo Mbeki, is a most welcome step, to which the United Nations is prepared to provide all appropriate support, he writes.  He also recommended that immediate steps be taken to ensure that UN mission’s ability to implement its mandate is not unduly constrained.  The requirements to meet the mission’s emergency needs, he said, include:  one infantry battalion to provide a force reserve and additional air assets.

**Haiti/MINUSTAH Operation

The UN Mission in Haiti carried out an early morning operation in Cité du Soleil, a Port au Prince neighbourhood where armed groups have been active.  The aim of this operation -– which involves peacekeeping troops, UN police and UN aviation units –- is to restore law and order to the neighbourhood.

The area is currently under the control of UN forces which plan to establish a permanent presence there, although they’ll gradually transfer responsibility for law and order to Haiti's National Police.  No deaths or injuries have been reported so far.  And we have a full report upstairs.

**High-level Panel

The Secretary-General is meeting right now with the Ambassadors of the Latin American and Caribbean Group of Member States, to discuss the report of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.

Today’s meeting comes a day after the Secretary-General held similar discussions on the report with three other regional groups, from Asia, Africa, Western European and other states.

**WHO

Israeli and Palestinian health professionals -- supported by the World Health Organization -- have joined together to co-author a bi-monthly health magazine called Bridges.

It’s a unique publication, written, edited, produced and managed jointly by Palestinian and Israeli academics and health professionals to address pressing health concerns faced by the people in the region.  And for more information, please pick up a WHO press release.

** ICC Public Information

Finally, by the way, I would like to introduce someone who is in the room here, in the back, the Public information Adviser for the International Criminal Court, Christian Palme -- he is standing there.  And please feel free to consult him afterwards if you have any questions during his two days’ stay in New York, I think.

That’s all I have for you.  I see Jan Pronk is here. (To Mr. Pronk):  We’ll be getting to you in just a minute, sir.

Mark?

Questions and Answers

Question:  On the International Advisory and Monitoring Board, we know there is a lot of criticism in that of untransparent, poor contracting procedures, source of contracts –- all the rest of it.  Is the UN going to be taking, as one of the members of that board, a more sort of proactive stance in criticizing the U.S. and the coalition for its management of its funds and actually demanding a thorough and clearer accounting of them?

Spokesman:  I cannot speak for that Board.  And so, I would have to ask you to talk to one of the members of the Board...(Interrupted).

Question:  But you are, as the UN, one of the members of the Board.

Spokesman:  The UN Controller is a member of the board; and the UN Controller would have to speak for the board.  I cannot speak for them.  Yes?

Question:  There are some news outlets this morning reporting that the UN has stopped all humanitarian activities in Darfur.  Is it true?

Spokesman:  I... (Interrupted).

Question:  After the killing of two of the local employees.

Spokesman:  I don’t believe so.

Question:  Two days ago when one of them... (Inaudible) local violence...

Spokesman:  Has the UN suspended humanitarian operations in Darfur?  I don’t believe so, no.

Question:  Also, do you have any help that the African Union as the local African body is really able to convey peace between both parties?  The rebels now are publicly boycotting those negotiations that they were supposed to sign this week.

Spokesman:  On Sudan, why don’t you hold off for Mr. Pronk, who will be up here in just a minute?  He is the expert.  Yes, Massoud?

Question:  On Iraq, yesterday in the meeting of the Security Council with Mr. Qazi and while discussing the Secretary-General’s report, lots of members raised the point that, number one, you know, in order to make the elections more exclusive (sic), that the multinational force of the U.S.-led coalition forces should stand back and let the Iraqis do most of the work.  And also there was a point raised about raising the level of UN personnel over there through the help of other countries.  Can you comment on that?  Is that possible?

Spokesman:  I won’t comment on the first.  I think that really is a matter for the Iraqis to work out with the coalition partners.  On the expressed desire to see a greater UN presence, international presence, specifically for the election preparations, we as much as anyone else want to see those numbers go up.  We’re in the process of sending additional internationals in.  But the decision on how many go in is purely a function of the security situation as the Secretary-General assesses it.

Question:  One other thing that was suggested was that the UN can secure help from other missions who are willing to offer their officials who are there, already there on the ground in Iraq...(Interrupted).

Spokesman:  I believe we are already working with election personnel from other countries who have gone in independently of the UN mission.  Mark?

Question:  Iraq has announced that it’s going to be starting trials of former regime officials.  Is the UN in any way involved in this?

Spokesman:  No.  I believe that the court that they set up for this purpose was done independent of UN help.

Question:  And does the UN support it?  The process?

Spokesman:  Support what?

Question:  What the Iraqi government is going to be doing over the next few weeks?  Does it think that this is the right approach to justice and reconciliation?

Spokesman:  We consider Iraq to be a sovereign nation and, as you know, in other areas where we have special courts or tribunals set up, we also provide for the national courts to hold trials.  So, I think the only thing we would urge in this process is that international standards be followed, respected.  Yes?

Question:  Fred, is the Secretary-General going to meet anybody from the U.S. Senate or the Congress during his visit to Washington besides the members of the Administration?

Spokesman:  No.  He is in and out in less than a day.  And he’s just having these two meetings with the Administration and then addressing the lunch.

Question:  Is this visit earlier agreed, or can you in any way describe it as a damage control visit to Washington?

Spokesman:  No.  The invitation to address the lunch was long-standing.  He doesn’t meet U.S. officials every time he goes to Washington.  In this case the Administration expressed an interest in discussing Iraq with him.  And he would like to discuss with them a number of other issues that the UN and the U.S. are working closely on:  Afghanistan, Sudan, and Haiti.  So these are some of the issues we expect to come up in those two meetings with Secretary Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

Okay, let’s bring Jan Pronk up then to talk about Sudan (Issued separately).

* *** *