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,

Vacation started early.  Sorry, I am a little bit late.  We’ll start with Iraq.

**Iraq

Speaking to reporters this morning, the Secretary-General said that with the upcoming elections, the Iraqis have, for the first time in a very long time, the chance to take their destiny in hand and to determine their own future.  He added that he urges the Iraqi people to reconcile and make every effort to follow a path of dialogue and not violence.

On the ground in Baghdad, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Ashraf Qazi, today continued his contacts with Iraqi officials and political activists regarding the political process in Iraq ahead of the country’s national elections scheduled for 30 January.  Qazi had discussions with the leader of the Iraqi Independent Democrats, Adnan Pachachi.  Talks focused on the efforts to advance the political process and ensure broad based participation in it.

Qazi held similar talks with Dr. Raad Maoulud Mukhlis, the secretary general of the Gathering for Iraq, and a number of activists from FallujaCity and Anbar Governorate as well as Baghdad and Hilla.  The UN Representative said it is natural that there are differences among political trends in Iraq but these differences must be addressed through political dialogue within a political process aimed at building a stable and democratic Iraq.

Qazi also met with Iraq’s Minister for Human Rights Bakhtiar Amin.  They discussed the ministry’s efforts to improve the human rights situation in the country.  Qazi pledged that UN human rights staff in Iraq will continue to work with the government and civil society organizations to build an environment conducive to the application of international human rights standards.

**Iraq -- Humanitarian

We also have an update on the UN’s humanitarian work in Iraq.  The UN has begun distribution of food and basic supplies to over 36,000 displaced families from Fallujah.  This is being done in a joint programme led by the UN refugee agency UNHCR, and its local Iraqi partners, including the International Organization for Migration.

The latest humanitarian effort by the UN, which got underway earlier this week, comes at the request of the Iraqi Interim government.  Throughout the recent Fallujah crisis, the UN has continued to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need, particularly internally displaced persons.  This includes continuing efforts by the UN Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization.

UN Envoy Ashraf Qazi said he stands ready to support the right of Fallujah residents to return home in dignity and safety.  The United Nations emphasizes the need for any return plans to be guided by civilian humanitarian principles and international Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.  And we have more information on that upstairs.

**Sudan

The Secretary-General, in response to questions at a brief press encounter about the UN’s response to the situation in Darfur, Sudan and his reaction to a suggestion that he make another trip there, said “quite frankly, our approach is not working” and he noted the need for an urgent re-assessment by the Organization and the Security Council on where to go from here.

He asked, “What can the Council do, working with the African Union and others, to accelerate the rate of deployment and ensure that we have more troops on the ground to assist?”  What other measures can we take, he went on, to put pressure on the parties and hold some of the individuals who are responsible accountable, hold them individually accountable, for us to be able to move forward?

He then answered, “These kinds of decisions and actions have to be decided here and taken here, and so, whilst a trip to the region may sometime be necessary, the re-assessment is urgent”.

We need to work together, he said, referring to the Security Council and the Secretariat, and stressed he was prepared to do so.

**Sudan -- Security Council

The Security Council, in a press statement on Sudan yesterday, said it is actively monitoring the situation and, in this regard, expresses its readiness to consider a full range of options to exercise pressure on the parties to ensure full compliance with UN Security Council resolutions.

**Security Council

The Security Council held an open meeting -- the last scheduled for 2004 -- during which the outgoing chairmen of committees and working groups briefed.

This afternoon at 3, the Security Council has scheduled consultations on three items -- Guinea Bissau, the Bougainville peace process and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  A formal meeting to adopt a resolution on the future mandate of Guinea Bissau is also planned.

We have asked Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, who will be briefing on the DRC, to talk to you at the stakeout microphone afterwards.

**Security Council -- Tuesday

And to recap, yesterday, the Security Council renewed the arms, timber, travel and diamond sanctions on Liberia, after determining that the National Transitional Government had not yet met the conditions for lifting the measures.

The Council also issued press statements on Sudan and Ethiopia and Eritrea following consultations on those subjects.  On Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Security Council said it was encouraged by recent movements towards a peaceful solution of the border dispute and now looks forward to the beginning of the border demarcation process.

**Côte d’Ivoire

On Côte d’Ivoire, the UN mission there reports that mixed patrols conducted by UN peacekeepers and Ivorian Security and Defence Forces started today in Abidjan in a bid to increase the level of security in that city.  Similar patrols will take place in other key towns and cities.  Meanwhile the situation is reported to be calm all over the country.  And we have a press release expected shortly from Abidjan with more details.

**Shortage of Anti-Malaria Drug to Continue Past March 2005

Last month I told you that the World Health Organization (WHO) was facing a shortfall of one of the most effective medicines used for treating the deadliest form of malaria.  WHO said that the shortfall was due to heavy demand for a key ingredient, and would last until at least March of next year.

The WHO now says that the shortage is expected to continue beyond March –- again, due to a continued lack of raw materials.  WHO says that only half of the 60 million needed doses of the drug are expected to be produced next year.  And we have more on that upstairs.

**Social and Economic Recovery Programme Launched in North Caucasus

The UN Development Programme –- together with the Office of the UN refugee agency, humanitarian partners, and the governments of North Ossetia and Ingushetia -– has launched a social and economic recovery programme in the Northern Caucasus.  The new initiative aims to facilitate the integration of displaced persons and refugees into host communities, through economic development.  Projects –- which include road repairs and improvements on schools, community centres and parks -- will generate some 250 temporary jobs.  We have a press release on that.

**Deputy Secretary-General

The Deputy Secretary-General will travel for an official visit to Mexico in early January 2005.  She is scheduled to address the annual meeting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the “Reform of the United Nations”.  The meeting will be attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Luis Ernesto Derbez, all Mexican Ambassadors and Consuls and other officials of the Mexican Government.

The Deputy Secretary-General will also meet with Ms. Patricia Olamendi, the Under-Secretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights.  And she will also meet with heads of United Nations agencies in Mexico.

**Secretary-General’s Security Package

The Secretary-General was very pleased that the Fifth Committee, working past midnight last night, agreed on the bulk of his proposed security package.  We understand that the Fifth Committee will formally vote on the measure this afternoon and that it will then go to the General Assembly for a vote tomorrow.

**UN TV

The UN TV programme “World Chronicle” will be shown today.  The topic will be microfinance, and the guest will be Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator of the UN Development Programme.  And you can watch it on in-house television channels 3 or 31 at 3:30 this afternoon.

**Statement by the Secretary-General

I have this statement that just came in by the Secretary-General:

“It is with very mixed emotions that I have accepted the long-standing request of my Chef de Cabinet, Mr. Iqbal Riza, to retire from the services of the United Nations effective 15 January 2005.

“Since 1978, Mr. Riza has served gallantly the United Nations in various capacities at Headquarters, as well as in the field, from Iran/Iraq, Nicaragua, El Salvador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in the Department of Peace-keeping Operations (DPKO).  He has served as my Chef de Cabinet since 1997 and has always provided me with wise and trusted counsel.  Mr. Riza has, throughout these years of service to the United Nations, carried out his duties with unflinching dedication to the ideals and the principles of the Organization.”

**UNCA

My last item for today is merely to congratulate the UN Correspondents Association’s new incoming president, Jim Wurst.  And Jim, we look forward to working with you throughout the next year in your new capacity.  And we wish you luck.

And as for your predecessor, Tony Jenkins, we’d like to thank him for the professional and efficient cooperation our office has had with him during the past two years as president of the Correspondents Association.  No doubt Tony looks forward to getting back to his real job.

That’s all I have for you.  Any questions on a sleepy Wednesday?

Yes?

Questions and Answers

Question:  Fred, first of all, congratulations.  I forgot last week.

Spokesman:  Thank you.

Question:  Do you know when Mr. Qazi is expected to be back in New York?

Spokesman:  I don’t have that information.  I’ll see if I can find out for you after the briefing.  Yes?

[The Spokesman later announced that there was no date set yet for Mr. Qazi’s return to New York].

Question:  Yes, this request on Dr. Andrew Thomson, the request from Senator Lugar for an investigation, a report and everything (Inaudible) why he didn’t get his contract renewed and so forth.  What’s... I mean, presumably you received the letter and what’s happened...(Interrupted).

Spokesman:  No, I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Question:  I’m talking about yesterday.  There was a press conference here that said you said that Senator Lugar had sent a letter to the Secretary-General asking for an investigation into why Andrew Thomson –- you know who he is –- did not have his contract renewed, and to give him a full update on the writing of the whistleblower protections.

Spokesman:  I know nothing about that. Andrew Thomson violated staff rules by publishing a book without permission.  We assessed that violation of staff rules and judged that it was not a basis of dismissal.  One of the other co-authors of the book had her contract renewed since this controversy erupted.  So, the intention was not to fire him.  He was against an 11-month contract.  And for those of you who know how the UN personnel system works, when the 11 months is up, you don’t get renewed for at least a month.  There has to be a separation of service for a month.  So, that is just the nature of the game.  He knew that was the case when he accepted the contract.

As for the whistleblower rules, the Secretary-General addressed that in his press conference yesterday, saying that he has asked OIOS to look into ways of strengthening protection for so-called whistleblowers in the UN system.  And he expects that report to come out shortly.

[The Spokesman later confirmed that such a letter had been received].

Question:  So, is Louise Fréchette, that’s OIOS, it’s got nothing to do with the Deputy Secretary-General, the writing of these protections?  It’s OIOS?

Spokesman:  The Secretary-General did ask OIOS to look into this matter and he is expecting them to report shortly.  The Deputy Secretary-General tends to oversee all matters of administration for the Secretary-General.  So, yes, she would have been involved in any internal discussions we might have had on whistle blowing and the Thomson case.

Question:  So, the actual rules, are they put together over at OIOS?  I mean that sort of thing?  She was involved only in just, as you say, taking over the administrative part, which is basically just putting in the request for these rules?

Spokesman:  Yes.  We’re waiting for OIOS to give us their recommendations on how to strengthen protection in the UN system for what are popularly known as whistleblowers.

Question:  And when does that come through, those rules?

Spokesman:  The Secretary-General said yesterday he expects it shortly.

Question:  So, you know nothing about this request from Senator Lugar then?

Spokesman:  I have no knowledge... (Interrupted).

Question:  So, actually there is no request from him?

Spokesman:  Well, if a letter came in, I can check with the log and I can confirm to you afterwards whether or not we received such a letter.  But I was not informed that we received such a letter.

Question:  And to this one month of separation, but what does that suggest?  Is he going to be given another contract in a month or... (Interrupted)?

Spokesman:  No, he has been told very clearly that he is free to apply for other posts.  And in fact, he has applied for other posts.  So, just watch this space.  But he has not been fired and neither has Heidi Postlewait been fired, although both of them violated staff rules in a very fundamental way.  And letters of reprimand have gone into their files.  But it is not a basis for dismissal. 

Yes, sir?

Question:  Yes, Fred, did you receive any latest news from MINUSTAH in Haiti?

Spokesman:  I have nothing to report today on Haiti.  If you want to check with my office afterwards to review the cables to see if there is anything that we missed, but I don’t think we had anything to give you that we thought was worth reporting today.

Question:  Fred, can you tell me then why his contract, other than that it was an eleven-month contract which comes to an end, I mean, he has been here, you know, he has been doing it for like 11 or 12 years, as you know, why it has to come to an end this year?  Why he has to re-apply for other posts?  I know that particular post was filled.  But why wasn’t it as automatic as he says it was in the previous 10 or 11 years?

Spokesman:  He has been on peacekeeping missions for most of this time.  So, your employment in a peacekeeping mission is only as good as long as that mission is in existence.  There is no such thing as a permanent contract in a peacekeeping mission.  We have peacekeeping personnel who tried to get into permanently budgeted posts here in the Secretariat.  But many of them, in fact I think, roughly a third of the people working here at Headquarters are working on what we call “fixed-term” contracts.  And the rules of fixed-term contracts is you just can’t string them out one after the other to make a permanent job.  So, there is a minimum of a one month’s break in service required if you have an 11 month contract; which many of these people had, and which Dr. Thomson had.

Question:  And was this his first year at Headquarters, if you know?

Spokesman:  I don’t know that much about his particular case.  We can find that out for you afterwards.

Thank you very much.

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