DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
| Press Briefing |
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
We’re going to start with a statement attributable to the Spokesman concerning the situation in the Middle East.
“The Secretary-General is alarmed by the deadly consequences of the two-day Israeli incursion into the northern Gaza Strip, which ended today. Among the Palestinian fatalities were reportedly at least 10 civilians, including five children under 15 years of age. The Secretary-General is aware that the incursion followed rocket and mortar fire against Israeli targets. However, he urges Israel to respect its obligations under international law as an occupying Power regarding the use of disproportionate force in civilian areas.”
**Iraq
The Secretary-General was asked by reporters this morning about the investigation into the “oil-for-food” programme, and said it was unfortunate that what has been overlooked is the fact that every household in Iraq was touched by the relief that the programme provided.
He noted that the United Nations set up one of the best distribution systems, to such an extent that some even suggested that the distribution cards provided by the UN be used for elections.
The Secretary-General hoped that the independent inquiry headed by Paul Volcker will provide a report as soon as possible, adding that if UN staff are found to be guilty, they will be dealt with severely. He added that he expects all staff members to cooperate.
Asked about the situation in Fallujah, he said he hoped the ceasefire and discussions that are going on would lead to a peaceful settlement.
The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has condemned the killing of children in the midst of the ongoing fighting in Iraq.
“The fighting in Iraq is exacting a heavy toll”, said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy, “and children are paying with their lives”.
**Secretary-General -- Cyprus
Following consultations yesterday, the Security Council held a formal meeting on Cyprus in which 14 members voted in favour of a resolution, but Russia vetoed it.
The Secretary-General today told reporters that he was gratified that those 14 countries had voted to reassure the Cypriots that the United Nations would support them in efforts to reunite the country. He said that, even though Russia could not join the consensus, it had indicated that its reasons for not doing so were technical and not substantive. We have the transcript of that press encounter upstairs.
**Security Council
The Security Council today adopted a resolution on children and armed conflict and a presidential statement on Libya, before it began its current open debate, on weapons of mass destruction.
In its resolution, the Council strongly condemned the recruitment and use of child soldiers, the killing and maiming of children, and rape and other sexual violence, among other violations.
It requested the Secretary-General to devise, preferably within three months, an action plan for a systematic and comprehensive monitoring and reporting mechanism on violations and abuses committed against children affected by armed conflict. It also called upon all States concerned to abide by their international obligations.
The Council’s presidential statement on Libya welcomed its decision to abandon its programs for developing weapons of mass destruction, and reaffirmed the need to seek to resolve proliferation problems by peaceful means.
The Council is currently holding an open debate in which States are discussing a draft resolution before the Council on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Fifty-one speakers are inscribed.
**Security Council - Brahimi
For your planning purposes, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser, Lakhdar Brahimi, is scheduled to brief the Security Council in an open meeting at 3 p.m. next Tuesday. Consultations are scheduled to follow that meeting.
**Kosovo – Shoot-out Service
In Kosovo today, a memorial service was held for the two US corrections officers killed in the shooting incident at Mitrovica detention centre last Saturday.
The ceremony, held at the UN Mission’s headquarters, was attended by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Kosovo, Harri Holkeri, as well as Kosovo’s President, Ibrahim Rugova, and its Prime Minister, Bajram Rexhepi.
Holkeri paid tribute to the victims of the shooting, and we have a release with his comments available upstairs.
One of the other correction officers injured in the shoot-out has been pronounced brain dead as a result of his wounds.
The investigation into the incident continues –- and the four Jordanian police officers detained in connection with the shooting are assisting investigators in their work.
**Darfur, Sudan
A UN human rights fact-finding mission to look into reported abuses in the Darfur region of the Sudan has arrived in Khartoum. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva said earlier this week that the Sudanese authorities had granted permission for the team to visit the Darfur region.
**Afghanistan
The UN Mission in Afghanistan says that electoral teams are now operational in 24 provincial centres, with offices open and work beginning to inform voters in those areas about the registration process. As of yesterday, 1.8 million Afghans had registered to vote. We have more details in today’s briefing notes from Kabul.
**Terror Attacks
The acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, condemned in the strongest possible terms the terrorist bombings that took place yesterday in Saudi Arabia and in Iraq. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of these heinous crimes. Ramcharan called terrorism an assault on the values the international community holds dear, and added that upholding the rule of law is essential in fighting this scourge.
**WHO/Malaria
More than 600 million people –- most of them children living in sub-Saharan Africa –- urgently need effective malaria treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) says existing, cheaper medicines are no longer effective in most places because the malaria parasite has developed resistance to them. WHO is urging countries where there is resistance to adopt new highly-effective treatment therapies.
But despite some progress, the new treatment has not become available as widely or as quickly as it needs to because of the cost involved. WHO is calling on donor countries to increase support for developing countries switching to more effective anti-malaria treatment. We have more details in a press release upstairs.
**OCHA
OCHA, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, today launched its newly-redesigned website, OCHA Online. The new user-friendly format highlights OCHA’s work in helping the most vulnerable people in the world.
Of particular interest to journalists is the News Centre, which contains press releases, situation reports on natural disasters and complex emergencies and speeches and statements by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland. You can access the Web site at ochaonline.un.org. And we have a press release upstairs on that.
**Press Conference Tomorrow
Press conference tomorrow, 11:15 a.m. in this room, Miloon Kothari, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on adequate housing, will be here to brief you on his missions to Afghanistan, Kenya, the occupied Palestinian territory and Peru. A media advisory with more information is available in my office.
**World Chronicle
And the Department of Information asked me to tell you that World Chronicle programme no. 936, featuring Dr. Jim Yong Kim, Director of the HIV Department of the World Health Organization (WHO), will be shown today at 3:30 p.m. on in-house television channels 3 and 31.
That’s all I have for you. Yes?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Fred, what was the prudence or rather, motivation for the Secretary-General to name one of the judges from the war crimes tribunal, Mr. Goldstone, in the Commission to investigate the oil-for-food programme? And number two, do you have any expectations for how long this is going to go? For how long this investigation will last?
Spokesman: I think you might have heard Mr. Volcker say at the press conference yesterday that it wasn’t just Judge Goldstone’s experience on the International Criminal Tribunals that made him of interest as a co-panellist, but rather his work as head of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which dealt with allegations of corruption and fraud. Your second question was what?
Question: Any expectations for how long this will go on?
Spokesman: He took that question yesterday, too. His terms of reference call for him to report or to give a progress report after three months. He said he could not imagine that they would complete their work in three months. But he said he would continue as long as it would take. He wasn’t specific beyond that.
Question: Could it be (Inaudible) by the end of the Secretary-General’s mandate? What do you think?
Spokesman: The Secretary-General has said he hopes to get a report from them quickly. So, clearly the Secretary-General doesn’t expect it to drag on into 2006. But it is really the panel’s call as to how much time they need to do their work properly. Yes?
Question: Fred, last Wednesday I think, when we asked the Secretary-General what course of action he is thinking to suggest the Council to take on Cyprus, he said it’s not his business to make suggestions to the Council. Though, two days ago we saw him, heard him making a plea in the Council for a particular resolution. What changed within seven days on the ground in Cyprus to make the Secretary-General to ask for a particular resolution?
Spokesman: As you saw from the vote last night, 14 members of the Council supported the adoption of a resolution, which it was felt could reassure some of those who will be voting in the referenda on Saturday on the international community’s support for the plan and for its faithful implementation. The Secretary-General had that same interest and was working closely with Council members. So, it’s not that he never interacts with the Council in areas of common interest. Certainly, it’s his job to carry out Council mandates, to take initiatives in areas of peace and security. So, I think I would argue that the way he interacted with the Council on Cyprus was perfectly consistent with his role as Secretary-General. Yes, sir?
Question: Could you tell us something about the main topic of talking between Mr. Kofi Annan and the Foreign Minister of Italy, Mr. Franco Frattini?
Spokesman: We usually don’t give out that information before the meeting takes place. I think it’s over by now. We’ll see if we can get a read out for you. Akram? [He later said that their discussion had focused primarily on the Middle East and Iraq.]
Question: Concerning Mr. Brahimi’s report, do you think he is going to hand to the situation in Iraq and ... (Inaudible)?
Spokesman: I think he will be reporting on his most recent 10-day visit to Iraq. He has already said he expects to return to Iraq shortly to continue consultations with Iraqi parties and individuals to try to find a formula for a caretaker government. So, it’s a status report to the Council. And we’ll also see if he’ll talk to you either at the stakeout after he speaks to the Council, reports to the Council or some other time. But we’ll be asking him to speak to you and you can ask him in greater detail about his report to the Council. But, his initial report to the Council is going to be in an open meeting. So, you will hear that on the record. Then they will go into closed consultations with him, and then we would suggest to him that speak to you at the stakeout afterwards. Abdurrahim?
Question: On the Sudan, the Khartoum Government seems to be unhappy with both Egeland’s statements recently about ethnic cleansing in western Sudan. Nor are they happy with the role that western NGOs and human rights organizations have been playing in that part of the country. What are the chances that any future investigation or monitoring could be carried out strictly within the African Union?
Spokesman: You’d have to ask the African Union that. As for Mr. Egeland’s comments, as the Emergency Relief Coordinator, he feels an obligation to call international attention to a crisis and to describe as accurately as he can disturbing developments as he sees them. So, I don’t think we have any apology to make as to what he has said. The Secretary-General called attention to the situation in the Sudan in his speech to the Human Rights Commission. It’s been described as the worst humanitarian situation in the world. And I think it’s his obligation and it’s our obligation to call attention to it.
Question: Would the SG be happy that the African Union, strictly the African Union would carry out investigation and monitoring?
Spokesman: I don’t have guidance on that point, so I can’t with any authority answer it specifically, except to say I see no reason in principle why
that shouldn’t be acceptable. I think the Security Council might want to express its views, as well. Mr. Abbadi?
Question: The Secretary-General upon entering Headquarters this morning made a lot of comments on the oil-for-food programme -- two pages of transcript -- including the involvement of senior officers in this issue. Should the Secretary-General discuss a sensitive issue which is under investigation?
Spokesman: If you look at that transcript, he is responding to questions from journalists. He was asked about his meeting yesterday with Benon Sevan. Did Benon Sevan reiterate his declaration of innocence? He said he did. He said he expects Benon Sevan to cooperate fully with the investigation, as well as all other UN staff involved. These are all things, I think, he is free to comment on without in any way compromising the integrity of the investigation; calling on UN staff to cooperate, saying that he looks forward to the swift conclusion of the investigation, pointing out that the work that the UN did in Iraq had a very positive effect on mortality rates, caloric intake of every single Iraqi family and that that was the result of the very hard work of a large number of UN international and local staff in Iraq. And he said if there were, if there was wrongdoing by a few, we shouldn’t discount the positive effect of the work of the many and the very positive effect that the oil-for-food programme had on the well-being of virtually every Iraqi citizen. Thank you very much.
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