DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

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 Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Good Afternoon.

**Guest at Noon

I just would like to inform you that the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, is currently briefing the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in northern Uganda.  And should he get out while this briefing is still going on, he will join us here at the noon briefing.  Otherwise, if the briefing is over, he will go to the stakeout and brief you there.

I will let you know before the end of the briefing.

**Brahimi

Turning to Iraq.  The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser Lakhdar Brahimi briefed journalists in Baghdad a short while ago before returning to New York to brief the Secretary-General and the Security Council.

He said that, despite the security situation which limited his movements, he and his team managed to meet with a wide scope of Iraqis.  Brahimi also expressed once more his deep sorrow for the loss of life and destruction that has befallen Fallujah, parts of Baghdad and other parts of Iraq.

While his recommendations would not be finalized until a further trip to Iraq for more consultations, he outlined a number of preliminary observations and a few tentative ideas.

The current security situation, he said, makes it all the more urgent for the political process to continue.  Therefore, the election planned for January 2005 is the most important milestone for the country, he said.

Brahimi said he was confident that a caretaker government could be formed during the month of May.  He outlined that the Government should be led by a Prime Minister and constituted by men and women known for their integrity, competence and honesty.

Brahimi said he agreed with the suggestion that a large national conference be held to promote national reconciliation and consensus.  Such a gathering could be held in July, with the aim of electing a consultative assembly to serve alongside the caretaker government.

He noted that the security situation needs to improve for elections to take place in an acceptable environment.

Last, he said that many Iraqis had appealed to him regarding the thousands of Iraqis who are being detained without charge.  These people, he said, should either be charged or released and their families and lawyers should be given access to them.  He also noted that it was difficult to understand that thousands of sorely needed Iraqi professionals were dismissed during the de-Baathification process.

We have copies of his opening statement at today’s press conference upstairs.

Earlier today, Brahimi met with a wide range of Iraqi officials and professionals in Baghdad.  And you can have the list of those, if you are interested.

**Security Council

As I mentioned at the beginning, the Security Council this morning is holding consultations to review its programme of work for April, and under “other matters”, the Council received a briefing from Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland who is also the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, on the humanitarian situation in northern Uganda.

The President of the Security Council intends to read out a press statement on that situation once consultations have adjourned.

Egeland also discussed recent developments in the Darfur region of the Sudan in today’s Council consultations.

As I mentioned at the beginning, we hope he will join us at the briefing as soon as he is done.

**UNICEF/Child Soldiers

The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, facilitated the release yesterday of nearly  150 former child soldiers by the Tamil Tigers in eastern Sri Lanka.  This latest demobilization is the single biggest formal release of child soldiers by the Tamil Tigers.

UNICEF says it hopes that this release is the start of a new trend by the Tigers towards the large scale demobilization of child soldiers.  We have more in a press release from UNICEF upstairs.

**Road Safety -- Deputy Secretary-General Speaks at General Assembly

This morning, the General Assembly focused on road safety for the first time in its history.  Speaking at the opening meeting, Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette noted that until now the road safety crisis has been largely off the radar screen of public policy, which is surprising, given that 1.2 million men, women and children are killed in traffic accidents every year. 

She added that more than 80 per cent of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries and that most of them are preventable.

The Deputy Secretary-General called upon MemberStates and civil society to take action to use safety devices, improve the design of roads and vehicles, and take firmer action against speeding and those who drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Road safety is no accident, she said.  The less we do about it, the more lives will be shattered.  The full text of her remarks is available in our Office.

A press conference on road safety initiatives will be held in this room after the briefing.

**WHO/Botswana Polio

A case of polio has been reported in Botswana –- a country which had been polio-free since 1991.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus has been closely linked to polio virus endemic to northern Nigeria.

The WHO, along with the Government of Botswana, UNICEF and other parties, is currently preparing an emergency response.  We have more in a press release available upstairs.

**Efforts to Reduce Drug Abuse

Antonio Maria Costa, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, has called for greater community consensus in order to curb drug abuse.

Costa made the comments in Spain, at a conference of grass-roots and volunteer organizations involved in efforts to reduce drug abuse.

**SmallIslands Meeting

And a three-day meeting on small island developing States has begun here at UN Headquarters.

We have a press pack on the meeting available at the documents counter.

The meeting is part of the twelfth session of the Commission of Sustainable Development.

The current Chair of the Commission, Norway’s Environment Minister Børge Brende, will be our guest here tomorrow, to brief you on this session.

**Project LINK

And finally, 100 economists from 60 countries and several international organizations today opened a three-day meeting in Conference Room 5, here at UN Headquarters as part of Project LINK, a research venture organized by the United Nations and the University of Toronto.

Copies of the economists’ report, Global Economic Outlook 2004, will be made available to you today. The report’s contents are embargoed until noon tomorrow.

Also, tomorrow at 11:15 a.m., Nobel Laureate Lawrence Klein, the founder of Project LINK, will hold a press conference in this room to present the economic forecast.

And that’s all I have for you. Do you have any questions for me?  Yes, Akram?

**Questions and Answers

Question:   Dr. Brahimi in his trip to Iraq, has he been able to meet with Grand Ayatollah Sistani and others in Najaf or Karbala and other places?

Associate Spokesman:  As we’ve been reporting to you daily of Mr. Brahimi’s meetings plus his own press conference today, he is saying that he has been able to meet with a wide range of Iraqis during his now 11-day mission.  Specifically on your initial question; I answered that question the other day.  He was not on the list.  But we can provide you with a comprehensive list on the daily meetings he’s had.  Yes?

Question:   Again back to Mr. Brahimi.  His news conference today seemed to mark a milestone in his emergence as a figure in Iraq.  What does this say and what is the evolution of Mr. Brahimi and the UN role in Iraq?

Associate Spokesman:  You saw his press briefing today.  You have seen him speak to you on various occasions now.  He clearly, as you said, laid down a marker today a culmination of the various consultations that he has had on the ground there for the past 11 days.  As he said, he wants to now have those ideas discussed in Iraq and also come to New York to discuss them further with the Secretary-General, the Security Council, etc.  So, I think we should pose this question on his return and ask him his own evaluation of his role there.  Yes?

Question:   Marie, as a follow-up.  The Secretary-General yesterday sounded a very cautious note when talking about a road map, so to speak, for restoring stability in Iraq and for engaging UN’s role there.  Brahimi today sounded less cautious and he was much more forward-looking than the SG did yesterday.  Has the UN changed tone overnight?

Associate Spokesman:  I don’t think I want to make a comparison between what Mr. Brahimi sounded today versus what the Secretary-General said yesterday.  First, I did not see Mr. Brahimi’s press conference myself.  I was not able to watch him.  So, I can’t make that comparison at first glance.  I think the Secretary-General, in speaking to you yesterday, was responding to questions that were posed to him.  And these were questions about the security environment in which the UN was working, you know.  Given the security environment, what were the chances of the UN going back in large numbers?  I think he was responding to specific questions.  I think in terms of his overall thoughts on Iraq, he has made them clear on a number of occasions.  Even the statements over the weekend, as I said, emphasize the importance of the work on the political process given the violence.  I think Mr. Brahimi had an opportunity today to make a statement, and as I said, put down a marker at the end of a substantive visit there.  The Secretary-General yesterday was simply responding in a press encounter.  Yes,    Mr. Abbadi?

Question:   Ambassador Brahimi sees great merit in having the national assembly be held in Iraq and preferably committees set up to prepare the work of that conference.  Is he doing it in along the lines of the Loya Jirga in Afghanistan where he had (Inaudible)?

Associate Spokesman:  I think you’d have to ask him that when you see him next.  Yes?

Question:   When do you expect Brahimi in New York?

Associate Spokesman:  Probably towards the end of the month.

Question:   Secretary-General Annan’s statement notwithstanding, when we hear Mr. Brahimi laying out something of a vision; can we not say that the UN is taking a role in laying out what a post-occupation Iraq will look like -- a greater role?

Associate Spokesman:  Well, that’s precisely why the Secretary-General had asked Mr. Brahimi to go to Iraq to make these explorations and to come up with these proposals.  So, what Mr. Brahimi is doing is part of the Secretary-General’s wish to bring about the political process that Mr. Brahimi outlined today.  I don’t have anything further than that.  Yes, Akram?

Question:   We had a week earlier, a lot of Iraqi people and others involved in the uprising wrote to the United Nations and to the Secretary-General.  Is there a response to their correspondence?  Has anything happened to accommodate their questions?

Associate Spokesman:  I am not clear on your question.  Can you ... (Interrupted)?

Question:   The people of Iraq ...

Associate Spokesman:    Yes.

Question: ... during what is happening in Iraq, they have asked the United Nations to be involved and they wrote to the Secretary-General; they appeal to him a few times.  Any response to those views?

Associate Spokesman:  Well, the Secretary-General, as you know, issued two statements in the course of 48 hours -- on Thursday and again on Saturday during the violence -- in which he raised his grave concern for the lives of civilians in Iraq.  I have seen the reports that you’re mentioning.  RossMountain, who is the acting Special Representative for Iraq, issued a statement yesterday on the humanitarian access situation for places like Fallujah.

Question:   Are they available to the press?

Associate Spokesman:  There are three statements that were public statements.  Yes, Mr. Abbadi?

Question:   Is the electoral team in Iraq coming back with Ambassador Brahimi or are they staying longer there?

Associate Spokesman:  I can’t comment on how long either of these teams are on the ground for.  But we will let you know when they come out, as we have done up to now.

Question:   My try one more time on the evolution of the relationship between Mr. Brahimi and his team and that of the CPA?  The CPA is preparing to exit.  Is there an evolution of the roles of the relationship there that ... (Inaudible)?

Associate Spokesman:  I think Mr. Brahimi, by outlining his vision for the transitional government, I think he was also discussing the transition for the CPA as well.  And I think he was asked about relations with the United States and I think he says that they are in constant touch.  But beyond that I really don’t have much more beyond what Mr. Brahimi told the press conference, which all of you heard and now have seen.  Yes?

Question:   The group which is with Mr. Brahimi; are there specialists in some negotiations in military or in what kind of ... (Inaudible)?

Associate Spokesman:  They’re his aides.  I don’t think I can go further than that.  It’s a small team of his aides, just as the electoral team is a small team on the ground, as well.

One more question since Mr. Egeland has joined us.  I just wanted to point out that Mr. Egeland needs to go to another appointment.  So, if he can come up as soon as possible we can hear more about the briefing he just gave the Security Council.  Yes?

Question:   My question deals with something completely different, actually.

Associate Spokesman:  Yes?

Question:   With the Commission for Sustainable Development.

Associate Spokesman:  Yes.

Question:   You distributed here the small island/big sates envelope and I am reading here; “tremendous efforts need to be made by small islands to build expensive sea walls in situations where that would seem to be the only solution ...”.  Now, this Commission, this year is supposed to deal with water sanitation and human habitat.  Luckily, the subject of the SIDS (small island developing States) was added to this.  That is where there is the possibility to tackle questions like climate change.  And all these disasters that are actually the common ground for what is being discussed here today; which includes Iraq, which all these disasters really come from the subject of using oil.  Now, is the Secretary-General ready to tackle the subject of using oil as the common factor to the disaster impending of the small islands, developing independent States, Members of the United Nations; 43 of them; and all these other subjects?  Is there a possibility to see a common denominator?

Associate Spokesman:  I think you should probably raise this issue when the Chair of the Commission, the Norwegian Minister, comes to talk to you tomorrow and the noon briefing.  I think ... (Interrupted).

Question:   But I am asking actually about the Secretary-General; if he sees this common thread going between the different subjects?

Associate Spokesman:  I don’t have any specific comment on that now.

Question:   Could you ask him to comment?

Associate Spokesman:  I will certainly look into it.  [It was later announced that the Secretary-General’s High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and SmallIslandDevelopingStates is available for interviews in relation to any issues involving small island developing States.]

Question:   Thank you.

Associate Spokesman:  Mr. Egeland?

* *** *