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.

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

I had been questioned whether the Secretary-General had been personally involved in the issue of the hostage-taking of a Republic of Korea national in Iraq.  In fact, the Secretary-General had received a visit from the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea yesterday, who asked for his help.  We have the following statement attributable to the Spokesman:

“The Secretary-General is very concerned about the recent trend of hostage-taking in Iraq.   In the latest incident, Mr. Kim Sun-Il, interpreter from the Republic of Korea for a trade company, was taken hostage on 17 June.

“The Secretary-General condemns all such acts of hostage-taking, which can have no justification and are aimed at undermining international efforts to help restore peace and security in Iraq.  He strongly appeals for the immediate and safe release of Mr. Kim Sun-Il, as well as all other hostages being held.”

**International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB)

The International Advisory and Monitoring Board for Iraq just wrapped up a two-day meeting in Paris.  During this meeting, which is the Board’s seventh, members were given a comprehensive briefing by the accounting firm of KPMG on the status of its audit of the Development Fund for Iraq.

The Board is scheduled to receive the final audit from KPMG during the next meeting, which will take place in Washington in mid-July.  The Board will ensure that the audit reports and its comments thereon will be made public.

We have a press release on this subject available upstairs.

**Security Council

There should be a two-way dialogue between the United Nations and civil society, to ensure that their efforts complement each other, the Secretary-General told the Security Council in its open debate today.

Addressing the Council’s debate on the role of civil society in post-conflict peace building, which is being chaired by Philippine Foreign Secretary Delia Domingo Albert, the Secretary-General welcomed the Council’s efforts to strengthen its informal relations with civil society.  But, he added, the time may have come for the Council to deepen its dialogue with civil society groups.

He asked the Council to pay serious attention to the report released yesterday by the high-level panel on UN relations with civil society, adding that the Secretariat is studying the panel’s recommendations carefully.  The report, he said, offers many innovative ideas to strengthen the partnership with civil society in the UN’s humanitarian and development work.

The Council’s open debate is continuing now, with thirty speakers on the agenda, including the President of the Economic and Social Council and the Secretary-General of CARE International.

Then, at 5 this afternoon, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean Marie Guéhenno, will brief the Council in closed consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

**Democratic Republic of Congo

At yesterday’s briefing, I was asked to comment on reports that UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were using force against rebel groups, and siding with the Government.  Having looked into the matter, I can say that last Sunday a military patrol from the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) came under fire from rebel forces under the command of Colonel Jules Mutebutsi in Kamanyola, near the eastern town of Bukavu.  A UN helicopter was called in and warning shots were fired at the rebel forces, who then dispersed.  No casualties were reported.

This action was fully authorized within the United Nations mission’s mandate, which is under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, to take the necessary action to protect UN personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, and to ensure the security and freedom of movement of its personnel.

Also related to the DRC, the UN refugee agency reports that it is watching the DRC-Burundi border closely following the arrival in Burundi of some 31 thousand Congolese refugees since 9th June, and it is deploying emergency staff to the area to provide assistance.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, a group of 137 Congolese refugees returned voluntarily to the DRC from Rwanda.   They were mostly non-Banyamulenge, who were among those who fled to Rwanda following fighting around Bukavu in late May, and who expressed a wish to return home.   A second group of non-Banyamulenge will probably be repatriated today.

We have more in UNHCR’s briefing notes upstairs.

**Ingushetia

The fighting last night in the Russian republic of Ingushetia claimed the life of one local UN staff member, Magomed Getagazov, who was killed in a cross-fire in the Ingush capital, Nazran.  The UN Resident Coordinator in the Russian Federation said that he had been a much appreciated colleague, and would be deeply missed.

All other UN staff members are safe, and the United Nations has reviewed and enhanced its security arrangements for staff currently in the northern Caucasus.  It has also cancelled new missions to the northern Caucasus this week.

We have a press release upstairs with more details.

**Security Council Mission

The Security Council mission to West Africa is headed to Côte d’Ivoire this afternoon.  Upon its arrival in Accra, the mission leader Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry of the United Kingdom talked about the importance of West Africa for the Security Council and the United Nations. We have the text of his statement upstairs.

In Accra, President John Kufuor of Ghana, in his capacity as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), briefed the Council on the recent “mini-summit” in Abuja, Nigeria, convened to find ways to overcome the current impasse in the Ivorian peace process.

Upon arrival in Abidjan today, the Council delegation will meet with the leadership of the UN mission in Cote d’Ivoire and France’s Operation Licorne peacekeeping mission.

**Daily Sudan Update

The UN Children’s Fund or UNICEF today reports that a child has been paralyzed by polio in the Darfur region of the Sudan, a country which has not seen the disease in more than three years.  The virus is closely linked genetically to poliovirus endemic to northern Nigeria, which has spread through Chad in recent months.

The World Health Organization has found 521 suspected cases of measles in a displaced persons camp in north Darfur.   About two-thirds of those targeted, a total of over half a million people, have been vaccinated.  Challenges include inaccessibility and delays in commencing vaccination in some remote areas.

Meanwhile, the Deputy UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Kamel Morjane, was on the second day of his five-day visit to the Sudan, where he was discussing the potential return to south Sudan of some 600,000 refugees who fled to neighbouring countries during the 21-year civil war.  Tomorrow, Morjane plans to travel to south Sudan to meet officials of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, as well as UN agencies and non-governmental organizations working there, and see for himself how conditions are.

**United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)

The situation in the Golan Heights has remained generally quiet over the past six months, the Secretary-General told the Security Council in his latest report on the UN Disengagement Observer Force deployed in that area.

Nevertheless, he adds, the situation in the Middle East is very tense and likely to remain so, unless and until a comprehensive settlement covering all aspects of the Middle East problem can be reached.  Under the circumstances, he considers the continued presence of the UN peacekeeping mission to be essential, and recommends that it be extended for a further six months, until the end of December.

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on that Mission for this Friday.

**Haiti

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that, with the ending of heavy rain in Haiti, the immediate emergency phase is now winding down.  The focus is now shifting from emergency relief towards immediate reconstruction and rehabilitation, with continued attention to health, water, sanitation and nutrition.

However, the situation in Mapou, southeast of Port au Prince, is still considered serious:  access by road is difficult, reconstruction work is delayed and World Health Organization representatives are concerned about   possible epidemic outbreaks.

So far, over five thousand families affected by the floods have received food aid from the World Food Program, and the distribution of rice and biscuits will continue during the next three weeks.  The UN Children’s Fund is also providing medical assistance and nourishment to those affected.

**Western Sahara – Polisario to Release 100 POWs

The UN Mission in Western Sahara has welcomed yesterday’s announcement by the Frente Polisario that it intends to release 100 Moroccan prisoners of war.  The Mission hopes for an early release of all remaining prisoners of war, in compliance with international humanitarian law and calls on the parties to cooperate with the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross to resolve the fate of all those unaccounted for since the beginning of the conflict.

**Republic of Korea

You had asked me yesterday about the visit that Maurice Strong, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, had made to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea last month.

I just wanted to inform you that Mr. Strong did not meet with Kim Jong-il during the trip, which lasted from 18 to 22 May, but did meet with other senior officials, including Kim Yong Nam, the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, and Paek Nam Sun, the Foreign Minister.

The primary focus of his trip was to prepare to meet the DPRK’s economic and energy needs, as a necessary component of any settlement of the nuclear weapons issue. As on previous trips, humanitarian issues were also prominently discussed.

**World Food Programme – Southern Africa

Southern Africa is being weakened by the “death spiral” caused by the combination of HIV, food insecurity, the burden on public administration and the drain on human resources.  That’s the conclusion of James T. Morris, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in Southern Africa.  Morris is in the region on a seven-day interagency mission, which is reviewing how the UN system and the international community can strengthen their assistance to the region’s most vulnerable people.

We have more on the mission and Morris’ statements in a press release available in my Office.

**Polio - Africa

Epidemiologists of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have warned that west and central Africa are on the brink of the largest polio epidemic in years.

The Initiative is spearheaded by bodies which include the World Health Organization and UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund.  Its aim is to ensure that no child will ever again suffer the crippling effects of polio.

The warning follows confirmation today that a child was paralyzed by polio in the Sudan’s Darfur region, as I’ve already mentioned.  In addition, five times as many children in west and central Africa have been paralyzed by polio so far this year, compared to the same time period in 2003.

We have more on this in a press release upstairs.

**Press Conferences

Tomorrow, our guest at the noon briefing will be Mr. Palitha Kohona, Chief of the Treaty Section in the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs.  He will be launching the book “Focus 2004: Treaties on the Protection of Civilians”, co-published with the Department of Political Affairs, for the Treaty Event to take place during the General Debate here in September.

At 12:45 then, General Gunther Greindl, Chairman of the SHIRBRIG Steering Committee will brief on the Committee’s recent discussions.

Also, we understand that the Irish Foreign Minister, Brian Cowan, also at 12:45 tomorrow, will be at the Security Council stakeout to take your questions following his meeting with the Secretary-General.  Mr. Cowan is here representing the presidency of the European Union.

That’s all I have for you.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Has the Secretary-General been in contact at all with anyone regarding the hostage-taking of the South Korean businessman?

Spokesman:  I’m not aware of anything other than the meeting he had with the Permanent Representative yesterday.   And, of course, the statement I just issued today.

Question:  Are there any new developments in the efforts of the three African Presidents in mediating the conflict in DRC?

Spokesman:  I have nothing on that.  Sorry.  I can check, look in the cables afterwards to see if there’s anything, but I haven’t been given anything on that.

Question:  Can you say anything more on the Secretary-General’s trip later this month to Asia and the Middle East?

Spokesman:  I can’t say anything yet.  I have confirmed that he will be going to Africa, and as part of that trip, he will be visiting the Sudan. The other details, which also include stops in Asia and Europe – its going to be a long trip – we won’t make until closer to departure time.  As usual, for security reasons, we can’t give you any more right now.

Question:  On the statement you read about the DPRK and Maurice Strong.  Do you have information of any direct communication, other than a meeting, between Mr. Strong and the President, by telephone or otherwise, any agreements that might have been made in that direct communication? And is the United Nations receiving any information from North Korea on its economic situation, a kind of an economic report from North Korea?

Spokesman:  No, I don’t have any such information.  We would have to go back to Mr. Strong to ask those details.  We don’t get detailed reports on his activities.

Question:  The last part of the statement that you read talked about being there to help North Korea meet its energy needs.  Can you explain a bit more about the role of the United Nations in this arena?  We’ve talked about the humanitarian role, and this would seem to link, but how does that play into the political dynamics and the concerns over proliferation?

Spokesman:  I’m afraid I’m not briefed at all on the details of Mr. Strong’s activities.  The best I can do is try to ask him to come here the next time he’s in town, or else put you in contact with him by telephone.

Question:  You said something about the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB) just having their seventh meeting. There have been reports that the United States has been overspending.  Do you know if someone will be talking about that?  You said that they are going to release the report. Here?

Spokesman:  The report you’re referring to is a press report, which claims to have something in writing produced as an interim report by the Auditors.  The Auditors gave an oral briefing to the IAMB this morning, so I have no idea what this document might be that is quoted in one of today’s newspapers.  But I doubt anyone would comment on that before the final report is issued on 14 July.  They have promised that that report will be made public, so I expect that on the fourteenth, you’ll be able to read the full report for yourself.  I don’t know what press arrangements they might make, as far as taking your questions on the report.

Question:  Is that report going to be released here?

Spokesman:  My understanding is that the next meeting of the IAMB will be in Washington on the 14 and 15 July, so it looks to me like it’s going to be released in Washington, that the audit will be released in Washington.

Question:  Does the Secretary-General intend to visit India and Pakistan on his trip?

Spokesman:  Not on this trip.  The Asia swing of this trip is just to one country in the Far East.

Question:  Have there been any developments in the investigation of the Oil-for-food Programme, and what is Mr. Volker doing now?

Spokesman:  We don’t speak for him.  We can give you a telephone number where you could call his office.  We have not heard any specifics of his activities apart from an interview he gave recently, but that wasn’t to us.  So I honestly don’t know.  I think his latest press release announced appointments of staff, and so he’s getting on with it.

He’s probably been a month or so on the job and he’s mandated to do an interim report within three months.  So I think next time you’ll be hearing from him formally will be when he presents his three-month report to the Secretary-General.

Thank you very much.

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