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 Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon,

**DRC - Developments

The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains highly volatile, following the taking of the town of Bukavu by dissident forces under the command of General Nkunda and Colonel Mutebutsi.  Bukavu is now reported to be relatively calm and the dissident leaders met today with the United Nations representatives to discuss the withdrawal of their forces from the city.  

However, violent anti-UN demonstrations took place today in Kinshasa, Kisangani, Lubumbashi and Kindu.  In Kinshasa, the UN headquarters, compounds and vehicles were attacked and it is reported that three demonstrators, who entered premises despite warning shots, were killed.  In the three other cities, UN buildings and property were looted and torched. 

In Kando, southwest of Goma, Mayi-Mayi elements kidnapped four UN military observers and three NGO workers but released them within hours.

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Jean Marie Guéhenno, recently returned from the DRC and he is following the situation closely.  He reported on it to the Security Council yesterday, and we have asked him to come to the briefing today to provide an update and answer your questions on the current developments.  He will be here in a few minutes.

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

The following statement is attributable to the Spokesman on the DRC:

“The Secretary-General was dismayed and deeply concerned at the news of violent demonstrations against the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, today and yesterday.  He spoke to President Kabila this morning and President Kabila assured him that both he personally and the Transitional Government fully support the United Nations in the DRC and, in particular, the UN mission there. 

“The Secretary-General strongly urges the military elements in Bukavu to respect the ceasefire.  He calls on the DRC’s neighbours to support the peace process and to use their influence to defuse the situation in the eastern part of the country.

“The Secretary-General was relieved that the United Nations and NGO personnel kidnapped this morning have been released.  He calls on all parties and individuals to show respect for and ensure the safety of all United Nations and NGO personnel and to engage in a process of reconciliation.”

**Security Council

At 10 a.m., the Council began an open meeting on Liberia, at which the Secretary-General’s Special Representative there, Jacques Klein, and Charles Gyude Bryant, Chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia spoke.

Jacques Klein says the peace process is now firmly on track and irreversible.  UN peacekeepers, he says, have significantly stabilized the country and the disarmament of combatants is making steady progress.  But he also warned of the numerous challenges ahead.  And we have copies of his remarks in my office.  And you may be able to catch him at the stakeout following this meeting.

**Security Council - Iraq

At 3 p.m., the Council is scheduled to hold consultations of the whole on Iraq, at which the Secretary-General will brief.

This is to be followed at 4 p.m. by an open meeting on the same topic, which Iraq's Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, is expected to attend.

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

Concerning the killings in Afghanistan yesterday, we have the following statement attributable to the Spokesman:

“The Secretary-General was distressed and angered to learn of the cold-blooded killing yesterday of five staff of Médecins sans Frontières on the road between Khairkhana and Qala-I-Naw, in Badghis province, Afghanistan.

“He strongly condemns the killing of these unarmed humanitarian aid workers.  And he calls on the Government of Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force for Afghanistan (ISAF), and Coalition forces to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of aid workers who are assisting the people of Afghanistan and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“The Secretary-General expresses his profound condolences to the bereaved families.”

**Darfur - Sudan

In Geneva today, the United Nations held a donors meeting on Darfur, Sudan, which Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, described as the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world today.

Participants appealed for $236 million, which covered the outstanding requirements to meet the emergency needs for those in Darfur as well as for the refugees in Chad for the remainder of this year. 

We have the transcript of the press conference on the meeting, which gathered some 50 delegations, including donor countries, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the Government of Sudan, some neighbours of Sudan and the African Union.  We also have a joint statement by the co-chairs, the United Nations, United States and the European Union.

**SG Letter/G8

Ahead of next week’s summit of the “Group of Eight”, the Secretary-General has called on the leaders of these countries to incorporate the Millennium Development Goals as an explicit priority in their respective government programmes and policies.

You’ll recall that the Millennium Development Goals set out yardsticks for measuring development progress by 2015, in eight areas of global importance including hunger, poverty and health.

In the letter, the Secretary-General also draws attention to the need for global partnerships between developed and developing countries, and calls on the leaders not to let their interest in Africa’s wider problems wane. 

We have copies of the letter upstairs, and it’s available in all six official UN languages.

**WHO Mental Health report

From WHO. Up to half of all people with serious mental disorders in the United States and several European countries aren’t receiving treatment, and the situation is even worse in some developing countries, according to WHO.

The findings come from the first of a series of WHO World Mental Health Surveys.  Data from 14 countries is included in the survey -- six less developed countries and eight developed ones.  WHO says the findings clearly show the high prevalence and burden of mental disorders globally which, despite available treatment, remain largely untreated.  We have more in a press release on this.

**Press Conference tomorrow

Press conference tomorrow at 1:15 p.m. Ambassador Luis Gallegos of Ecuador, the Chairman of the UN Ad Hoc Committee for a Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, will be in this room to brief you on the outcome of the two-week meeting of the Committee, which ends tomorrow.

**UNIS

And finally, the UnitedNationsInternationalSchool class of 2004 is graduating, and that graduation will take place in the General Assembly Hall tomorrow afternoon.  Fareed Zakaria, the editor of Newsweek International, will be the commencement speaker.  And this year’s graduates represent 41 nationalities and speak 32 languages.  We have a press release on that on the racks.

That’s all I have for you.  Yes, Abdurrahim?

**Questions and Answers

Question:   Fred, how does the UN explain the attacks on its offices in the Congo, and does the UN expect any repercussions from those attacks on the UN elsewhere in the world?

Spokesman:  I think you should ask Mr. Guéhenno, but it seems that there was an exaggerated sense of the UN’s capacity to prevent an attack in Bukavu.  As I think I said yesterday, we were never there to intervene in a civil war.  We were in there to assist the parties carry out a peace agreement and to support a national unity government.  So we are doing what we can to protect the civilians and we’re working with the parties to try to put back together the peace agreement as it applies to the eastern part of the country.  But I think, as I said, you’d get a fuller answer from Mr. Guéhenno, who should be here in a few minutes.

Question:   But how can the UN as a result of those attacks, for example, take measures to boost security for the UN elsewhere?

Spokesman:  We have already been reviewing security at every single installation we have worldwide, not in connection with these attacks in the DRC, but as a result of the international terror threat.

Question:   Just one more on the Security Council this afternoon. Can you give us a flavour of what’s likely to be said during the session with the SG?

Spokesman:  No, I don’t want to try to characterize it.  I think the Council’s intent is to get the Secretary-General’s assessment of how things went in Iraq for Mr. Brahimi’s mission.  Mr. Brahimi will be arriving in New York in time to join the retreat of the Security Council this weekend, where on Saturday afternoon they will be discussing Iraq, and he will be there for that discussion.

And then next week, there may be a further request from the Council to hear from Mr. Brahimi.  They’re hearing from the new Iraqi Foreign Minister today, that is, the Foreign Minister for the new Interim Government.  And I think once all the consultations with Mr. Brahimi are concluded, probably on Monday, we have asked him to come here to brief you, possibly on Tuesday.  Mark?

Question:   And is there any plan for the new Prime Minister to come here, perhaps to visit the Secretary-General?

Spokesman:  We have not heard of any request for the Secretary-General’s time.  And you’d have to ask the Security Council President whether they have heard anything from the new Prime Minister.  To my knowledge, no.  Mr. Abbadi?

Question:   On the DRC still, some elements have been asking for the resignation of the Special Representative.  Have they advanced any reasons?

Spokesman:  I don’t know about that.  I’d let Mr. Guéhenno answer that question.  Yes?

Question:   I know it’s an internal matter, but has there been any word or any reaction from the SG on the resignation of George Tenet today?

Spokesman:  No, that’s a domestic issue and there would be no reaction from the United Nations.  Yes?

Question:   Fred, concerning the (inaudible)...Special Representative... (inaudible)...to the Security Council?  What about... (interrupted).

Spokesman:  I’m sorry, the Special Representative of where?

Question:   Brahimi.

Spokesman:  Oh yes, okay.

Question:   Do you have any idea for the... what’s the date that that resolution will be brought for a vote?

Spokesman:  No, I cannot predict that.  You can talk to different Council members when they might expect it to be done.  I think you might get differing opinions, however.  Yes, Mr. Abbadi?

Question:   President Kabila has been saying that the elements that created the trouble are coming from Uganda.  What is the opinion of the Special Representative on this accusation?

Spokesman:  Well, again, I think you should ask Mr. Guéhenno; it’s two or three minutes until he gets here.  He’s just visited the region, and so I think he‘d be the best one to answer that question.

I understand he’s still two minutes or so out.  So, if you don’t mind holding tight for a couple of more minutes until he gets here.

Thank you very much. 

Stephane, do you want me to read this statement?

Stephane:   Yes.

**SG – President Papadopoulos

I do have a read out of the Secretary-General’s meeting with President Papadopoulos of Cyprus, if you’d be interested.  I’ll just read this into the record:

“At his meeting with President Papadopoulos, the Secretary-General, after listening to his visitor’s views, expressed his regret that a unique opportunity to solve the Cyprus problem had been missed.  The Secretary-General said he fully respected the decision taken by the Greek Cypriot people.  He also fully respected the decision of the Turkish Cypriots.  He saw little if any scope for a renewed good offices effort as long as the stalemate continued.

“The Secretary-General said that, after the decisive rejection of the plan by the Greek Cypriots, it would be for that side to explain clearly to the Turkish Cypriots, the United Nations and the rest of the world how they see the way forward.  The Secretary-General pointed out that he has advised the Security Council to stand ready to address concerns regarding security and implementation.

“He appealed to Mr. Papadopoulos to seize the initiative in responding positively to his appeal for States to cooperate to eliminate unnecessary restrictions and barriers to the development of the Turkish Cypriots.  This would signal that the Greek Cypriots wish to reach out to their Turkish Cypriot compatriots in the North and assist them and help facilitate the eventual goal of reunification.”

Jean-Marie, do you want to take this chair?

Mr. Guéhenno:     Thank you.

Spokesman:  Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, on the subject of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, welcome.

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