PRESS BRIEFING BY ESCWA EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

 

(Issued on 21 October 2004.)

The situation in Iraq and the occupied Palestinian territories was greatly impacting the socio-economic development of the wider Western Asia region, the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing today.

Describing the political environment in which the Commission carried out its work, Mervat Tallawy characterized Western Asia as a “hotspot of problems”.  In a small and interconnected region, the situation in one part of the region greatly affected the other.  Seeking to advance the region’s socio-economic development, the ESCWA had delineated four priority areas, namely water, globalization, technology and social policies.  Political instability, however, was having a great effect on the region’s development.

Continuing, she noted that the Security Council’s recent resolution (1559) on Lebanon and Syria had made the situation in Lebanon of concern.  Syria was also under a lot of pressure in regard to Iraq.  Syria and Lebanon were trying to cooperate with international demands, but it did not seem to be enough.

Regarding Council resolution 1559, she said it was necessary to understand that there were other elements affecting its implementation, including that there had been no final solution, from Lebanon’s point of view, on the Shab’a farms.  There was also the Taif Agreement, which endorsed the presence of Syria in Lebanon.  Another factor was the presence of half a million Palestinians on Lebanese territory.  The engagement of other partners was needed to solve the refugee issue and implement the resolution.

On the issue of Palestine, she noted that the ESCWA had recently held the International Forum for Rehabilitation and Development in Palestine, from 11 to 14 October in Beirut.  The purpose of the Forum had been to link Palestinians living under occupation with neighbouring countries.  The Forum had also provided civil society, the private sector and Palestinians in the Diaspora with an opportunity to interact with Palestinians under occupation.  Some 500 people had participated in the meeting, including some 200 from the occupied territories.  There had also been a large presence of Western and European non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as banks and funds in the region.

The Forum had resulted in eight initiatives, including a pledge of some $23 million to help the situation in Gaza and some $500,000 to replant one million olive trees uprooted during Israeli incursions into the area, she said.  Opening the channels of communication between those inside and outside the occupied territories had been perhaps the greatest outcome of the meeting.

Regarding Iraq, she said that the Commission had, prior to the March 2003 war, established a task force to monitor the situation in that country.  The ESCWA had been hosted by Iraq for eight years.  Training, as well as updating data lost during the war, was a major part of the Commission’s activities for Iraq.  The ESCWA would continue its training and capacity-building work, especially in the lead up to the coming elections.

A correspondent asked whether the Security Council’s presidential statement yesterday and the Secretary-General’s report on Syria and Lebanon were making her job difficult, particularly in Lebanon.

“Indeed, yes, not only for ESCWA but also for all the other United Nations agencies working there”, she said.  Working in Lebanon and maintaining the confidence of the authorities was difficult.  The Council’s actions were considered by some as interference in internal affairs.  The media was also critical of resolution 1559, especially given Israel’s daily violation of Lebanese air space and the daily deaths and destruction in Gaza.  It did make her work difficult, as she defended the United Nations and tried to make the people understand that the Secretariat had to follow the decisions of Member States.

Asked about Iraq, she said the news from that country was disturbing.  Attacks and casualties continued.  The ESCWA had heard from many Iraqi officials that the United Nations should be inside Iraq.  The Secretary-General, however, had the responsibility to protect his staff.  Not being in Iraq made it difficult to measure the impact that resources were having on the reconstruction in Iraq.  She hoped the situation would calm down, allowing the requests of the Iraqis to be answered.  Security was the problem and the United Nations could not risk putting people there.  Given the circumstances, the ESCWA was doing its best.

As to the likelihood of holding credible elections in Iraq, she said it was the wish of the Secretary-General to hold elections as soon as possible.  It would be risky, however, to hold elections in the current environment.  Police officers and security were being targeted.  Holding elections in only some parts of Iraq would also be dangerous.

Responding to a question on how many Palestinian homes had been destroyed since September 2000 and how much money was needed for rebuilding, she said the number changed daily.  Ten or 20 houses could be destroyed in one day.  A huge number of houses had been destroyed.  The four years of the Intifada and the excessive use of force had been a real problem.  The amount of money needed to rebuild had been estimated at between $4 billion and $6 billion.  With the ongoing daily destruction, it was difficult to calculate, she stated.

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