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.
**Guest at Noon
Our guest today is going to be Catherine Bertini, the Under-Secretary-General for Management. She will be here to talk to you about the Organization’s financial situation.
**Statement Attributable to Spokesman for Secretary-General
I have a statement attributable to the Spokesman here concerning the latest on Darfur:
“The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement made by the Government of Sudan that immediate steps will be taken to facilitate humanitarian access to the Darfur region, including the issuance of entry visas to all humanitarian workers within 48 hours and waiving permit requirements to travel to and within Darfur.
“The Secretary-General trusts that these measures will be implemented immediately, so that more than one million people affected by the crisis in Darfur can receive the aid they so urgently need. He also calls on donors to respond promptly and generously to the appeals for Darfur and for refugees in Chad, both of which remain severely underfunded”.
**Iraq
The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, Lakhdar Brahimi, is continuing his consultations in Iraq today.
He met with representatives of the Iraqi Arab Nationalist Movement, led by former Foreign Minister Sohbi Abdel Hamid.
He also had discussions with the leadership of the Dawa Party – Iraq Branch. And we may get a further update on his activities later today.
**Human Rights
Also on Iraq, the Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, said he was shocked over the deaths of some 40 civilians in Iraq as a result of an air strike by the US forces earlier this week.
In his statement, Ramcharan stressed the responsibilities of the occupying forces to ensure the welfare and safety of Iraqi civilians.
He also called on all belligerents to respect international humanitarian and human rights law and demonstrate, at all times, a paramount concern for the lives of civilians.
**Middle East Briefing
Earlier today, Kieran Prendergast, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, briefed Security Council members on the situation in the Middle East.
Since the Secretariat’s last briefing, Prendergast said, the situation has been characterized by the now all too familiar phenomenon of growing violence, destruction and despair.
Regarding the ongoing events in Rafah, he reiterated the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate halt to the military operation in Gaza, as well as his reminder to Israel that collective punishment is a grave breach of international humanitarian law.
He updated the Council on the recent meeting of the Quartet, but stressed that action by the international community is no substitute for steps taken by Israelis and Palestinians.
Surely, the people of Israel and Palestine deserve better news, and rays of hope, Prendergast told Council members. He stressed that a better way exists in the shape of the Road Map.
The Road Map is not new, he conceded, but it is viable, once the leadership on both sides have the vision and courage to start following it in good faith and with determination. As always, it is a question of political will, he said in closing.
Council members are now in closed consultations.
**Middle East - Rights
Continuing on the Middle East, the Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, said he is deeply disturbed about the consequences of Israel’s recent military operation in the Gaza Strip, especially in Rafah. He is particularly concerned at reports that Israel used helicopters and tanks to fire into a crowd of civilians during a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday, resulting in numerous deaths.
He calls on Israel to abide by its obligations as an occupying Power, and emphasizes that even when there are security-related considerations, there is no such thing as a licence to kill.
**Security Council - Other
Also in consultations, the Security Council is discussing a draft resolution on Burundi, and may vote after consultations end.
They are also expected to receive a briefing on Haiti by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi Annabi.
On the agenda this afternoon at 3:00 is a public meeting on a draft resolution regarding peacekeepers and the International Criminal Court. The meeting was requested in a letter signed by five non-Security Council members. Should there be a change in this agenda item, we will let you know immediately following consultations.
**Arab League
On the Arab League meeting getting under way, Mohammed Sahnoun will be representing the Secretary-General at tomorrow’s opening of the Arab League Summit in Tunis. Sahnoun, who is a Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, will deliver a message on the Secretary-General’s behalf.
We expected to have embargoed copies of the statement later this afternoon.
**Timor-Leste
On Timor-Leste, the Secretary-General has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Sukehiro Hasegawa of Japan as his Special Representative for Timor-Leste. Hasegawa, currently the Deputy Special Representative in Timor-Leste, would replace Kamalesh Sharma of India as head of the UN Mission in that country.
The Security Council is expected to provide a response to the Secretary-General’s letter concerning the appointment. We have copies of Hasegawa’s bio data upstairs.
**Guéhenno Arrives in Democratic Republic of Congo
The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, arrived in Kinshasa yesterday evening, on the first leg of a trip to the region, which will include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and South Africa.
On arrival, Guéhenno said that the peace process in the DRC remains a priority for the United Nations. He recalled that a year ago, there was a deepening crisis in Ituri, MONUC was not yet reinforced, atrocities were being committed in the north-east of the country, and the Government had not been established.
He noted that he was greatly encouraged by the progress achieved in the past year, but he stressed that much remains to be done to fully implement the provisions of the peace process.
Copies of a press release and a transcript of Mr. Guéhenno’s statement are available upstairs.
**Northern Uganda
From northern Uganda, reporting on the second attack on a camp housing internally displaced persons in less than a week, the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, described it as an outrage, condemned these attacks in the strongest terms and called on the Lord’s Resistance Army to stop all abuses against civilians immediately.
Meanwhile, Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF, is travelling to northern Uganda next week to examine the impact of the fighting on children, including the widespread fear of abduction that forces children to seek special shelter at night.
**Western Sahara
From Western Sahara, as of Monday, the UN refugee agency will open a new phone line linking Western Saharan refugees living in camps in Algeria with their relatives in the Territory of Western Sahara. The new line will be set up in the El Auin camp in southern Algeria.
The expanded phone service and the ongoing family visit flights are part of UNHCR’s recent confidence-building measures in the area.
UNHCR also hopes that the Moroccan Government will soon agree to let the agency start a mail service between the refugee camps and the Territory.
**Venezuela-Colombia
Hundreds of indigenous people from Colombia are seeking refuge in the Venezuelan border state of Zulia, as they flee fighting and massacres by illegal armed groups in Colombia. Over the past weeks, at least 30 people have been reported killed and 60 are still missing.
According to an assessment carried out last week by the UN refugee agency, some 300 indigenous Wayúu people have been registered as refugees, but the total number who fled may be as high as 500, according to indigenous leaders. The majority of the displaced are women and children.
We have more details in briefing notes from UNHCR upstairs.
**DPA Field Presences
The Department of Political Affairs is bringing together the heads of field missions and political advisers for a week-long meeting next week. And we have a list of all those participating in my office.
**Disability
On disability, the General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee, which is drafting an international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, will resume its work next Monday in Conference Room 4. It intends to work on a breakthrough treaty that would promote the rights of some 600 million disabled persons around the world.
The guest at Monday’s noon briefing will be the Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Luis Gallegos of Ecuador, who will talk to you about its work.
**Press Conference Today
One press conference to mention to you: This afternoon at 1:15, Ole Henrik Magga, the Chairman of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; Mililani Trask, Forum Vice-Chairwoman; and Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the Forum member-designate, will brief on the outcome of the third session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
**The Week Ahead at United Nations
And then we have the Week Ahead for you to help you plan your coverage of the UN next week.
Yes, Abdurrahim?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Fred, on the International Criminal Court resolution, does the SG think that the adoption of the resolution will contribute or undermine the (Inaudible)?
Spokesman: I gave you an answer to a similar question yesterday. When the Security Council is in the middle of taking action or deliberating, the Secretary-General is not going to interfere in that process by injecting his personal views.
Question: Another question on the raid on Chalabi’s headquarters yesterday. Given the important role played by Chalabi, positively or negatively, in Iraq, does the SG feel that the raid is good or bad for the future stability of Iraq?
Spokesman: He doesn’t have a view on that.
Question: Just one more if I may, on the situation of journalists in Iraq. Another Al-Jazeera journalist was killed in Iraq. Does the SG have any particular views on the difficulties faced by journalists in Iraq in general?
Spokesman: I don’t know why you put that question to me. The security of all persons in Iraq -– journalists, Iraqi citizens and others -- is the responsibility of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the occupying Power. Clearly, the Secretary-General hopes that all civilians would be perfectly safe in Iraq. And I think we all know that they are not perfectly safe in Iraq. But I think everyone’s collective effort is to restore security and get an interim government in place by 30 June. That’s what we’re all working towards. That’s what Mr. Brahimi is working towards. Yes, please?
Question: Are you going to make any statement about the global procurement hub in Brindisi, because the Secretary-General met with Berlusconi earlier this week, I don’t know, are you going to make any announcement or not?
Spokesman: I am not aware of any pending announcement. I’d have to check to see if we have anything to tell you about that hub. Yes, Edie? [The UN is currently conducting a comprehensive analysis of the merits of establishing a global procurement hub at Brindisi, Italy.]
Question: Fred, the Dutch news agency is reporting that four more women have filed complaints against Ruud Lubbers, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and I wondered whether you could confirm this?
Spokesman: Where did they say these complaints were filed?
Question: They were filed in Geneva and apparently the UNHCR in Geneva has referred all queries to New York.
Spokesman: Well, if they were filed with the High Commissioner’s office, then I would expect the High Commissioner’s office to confirm that fact. If they were filed with OIOS (Office of Internal Oversight Services), I would have to check with OIOS ... (Interrupted).
Question: People in Geneva who asked were apparently told to check with OIOS.
Spokesman: I’ll have to check with OIOS to see if they have anything to say on that. But I cannot confirm it. I have seen the same report that you have. Yes, John?
[The Spokesman later announced that all that can be said about the issue at this time is that an investigation is under way.]
Question: Following up on my question a month ago about the status of the Secretary-General’s high-level panel on the future of whatever the name is, can you tell us whether the panel has or intends to issue an invitation for views from universities, et cetera?
Spokesman: Okay. I can’t answer that off the top of my head. But we’ll have to check with Steve Stedman, who is the Chief of Staff for the panel and see what he’ll tell us. Yes, Akram? [The panel has met with civic groups, and individuals are invited to submit their views to a web site address.]
Question: Last week a group of people demonstrated at Times Square. Afterwards they presented the Secretary-General with a petition. Is there any response to that?
Spokesman: I don’t know what petition you’re referring to, Akram. Why don’t you come to me afterwards and give me the details and I’ll see what I can find out for you. Yes? [We accepted a petition on the Middle East by those demonstrators and will meet with their representatives soon.]
Question: On the Arab League meeting, last time around the Secretary-General planned to attend the meeting himself. This time around he’s sending Mohamed Sahnoun. Is that a statement on the importance of this meeting? Instead of himself going to the Arab League meeting, he is sending somebody else?
Spokesman: No. I think it’s a function of the difficulty of timing. When you have a date well in advance you can plan to attend. And when there is a sudden change in that date and then a new date is set, it was not possible for the Secretary-General to go at this time. It was (possible) for him to go on the original date. He did intend to go when it was originally scheduled and then postponed. Yes, Ricardo?
Question: Fred, is the SG trying to attend the meeting on the International Criminal Court -- whether the debate or the voting session, when and if it does take place?
Spokesman: I don’t know. I’ll check for you and get back to you after the briefing. Mohammed? [The ICC debate was postponed.]
Question: Fred, did Mr. Brahimi in his consultations with American officials in Iraq have any information about raiding Chalabi’s house, Chalabi’s headquarters?
Spokesman: I did not hear from Mr. Brahimi’s spokesman today that he had any discussions regarding the events in Baghdad yesterday and the seizure of documents, et cetera, from Mr. Chalabi’s home. So, I am not aware that Mr. Brahimi had any involvement, or any knowledge even, of that event.
Okay? Catherine, why don’t you come up?
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