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 Stéphane Dujarric, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General. 

Good afternoon.

**Afghanistan, Mosque Bombing

I have a statement from the Secretary-General on mosque bombing:

“The Secretary-General was shocked and angered to learn of the attack today on the Abdul Rab Akhundzada mosque in Kandahar, Afghanistan.  While the number of casualties is not yet known, it is clear that this was one of the most deadly assaults against civilians in Afghanistan in several years.  He is outraged by this senseless attack, all the more so as it was directed against a place of worship during a memorial service for a member of the clergy, who was himself assassinated two days ago. 

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns this heinous act of terrorism, and expresses his profound condolences to the Government of Afghanistan and the bereaved families of the victims.”

**UN Mission, Afghanistan

The UN Mission in Afghanistan today said it was shocked and outraged by the attack carried out at the Abdul Rab Akhundzada mosque in Kandahar.

The Mission says that, while the number of casualties isn’t yet fully known, this already qualifies as one of the deadliest assaults against civilians in Afghanistan in several years.  The gravity of the incident is further compounded by the fact that it took place in a mosque during a memorial service for Maulawi Abdullah Fayaz, assassinated two days ago.

And, we have copies of the Mission’s full statement available upstairs. 

**Côte d’Ivoire

Turning to Côte d’Ivoire, unidentified persons armed with machetes attacked and killed at least 41 people and injured 61 others in a village in the western part of the country, between Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, according to the UN mission.

Many people from the village and neighbouring localities have fled to the nearby town of Duékoue for fear of reprisals.  The UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) has reinforced its troops in the area with mobile patrols and stationary units so as to help the Ivorian Security and Defence Forces (FDS) to stabilize the situation in the zone.

The UN Mission strongly condemns the killings, which constitute a setback for reconciliation efforts that have been under way for over one month now in that area.  It urges the competent authorities to arrest the perpetrators and bring them before court in conformity with the laws in force.  The UN Mission has also sent a team of human rights experts to the area.

We have a press release available upstairs.

**Humanitarian Envoy, Southern Africa

James Morris, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in Southern Africa, met with Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe on the last leg of his trip to the region, as the region moves into yet another year of immense humanitarian needs.  Morris, who heads the World Food Programme, was on his way to Johannesburg, where he will give a press briefing shortly, according to the World Food Programme.

And, we will have more information available shortly, upstairs. 

**Iraq’s Constitution

Yesterday afternoon, we issued a statement announcing that the United Nations had officially received a request from the President of Iraq’s Transitional National Assembly, Hajim Al-Hasani, inviting us to help promote national dialogue between the Assembly's Constitutional Drafting Committee and the Iraqi people, and to help build consensus nationwide for the draft constitution.

A UN constitutional support team, led by Nicholas Fink Haysom of South Africa, has been in Baghdad since mid-April, already heavily engaged in preparatory activities.  The Secretary-General urges the people of Iraq to seize this historic opportunity, and to pursue the constitutional process in a manner that is inclusive, participatory, transparent and responsive to the key demands of all Iraqi political constituencies.

He hopes that every effort will be made to complete the drafting of the constitution within the timetable for Iraq’s political transition.

And, a full text of the statement is available upstairs.

**Burundi

Turning to Burundi, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in that country, Carolyn McAskie, at a press conference before the municipal elections, which will be held on Friday, reminded the political leaders of their responsibilities as the long electoral process is about to kick off.  She asked the Burundian political leaders to refrain from any fraudulent acts, and to respect the Code of Conduct.  And, the press release from the Mission is available upstairs.

**Security Council

Turning to the Security Council, France has assumed the presidency of the Council for the month of June.  Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sablière is holding bilateral meeting with Council members today on the month’s programme.  He will brief you tomorrow here after consultations with the other members of the Council on the programme of work for June.

**Security Council, Sexual Exploitation Issue

Also, on the Security Council, the President for last month, Ambassador Ellen Løj of Denmark, yesterday read out a statement on sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeeping personnel.

In the statement, the Council says it’ll consider including relevant provisions for prevention, investigation and reporting of misconduct cases in its resolutions establishing new mandates or renewing existing mandates for peacekeeping operations.  In this regard, the Council also calls on the Secretary-General to include, in his regular reports on peacekeeping missions, a summary of what’s being done to implement a zero-tolerance policy.

And, this statement was read out following a briefing by Prince Zeid, who has been the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on sexual abuse by peacekeepers, as well as Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the head of the Peacekeeping Department. 

**DSG, UN 21 Awards

A ceremony to honour the winners of the “UN 21 Awards was held this morning. The awards were established nine years ago, as part of the reform effort by the Secretary-General, to provide recognition to staff members for innovation, efficiency and excellence in the delivery of the UN’s programmes and services. 

The awards were designed to motivate staff members to participate in the Secretary-General’s reform of the Organization, and to help change the culture into a results-oriented one.  Deputy-Secretary-General Louise Fréchette, attended today’s ceremony, and we have copies of her remarks available upstairs.

**Stephanides Update

I know a number of you had been asking us for an update on the status of Joseph Stephanides, and I can tell you that, after a thorough review of all aspects of the case, the Secretary-General has decided that Mr. Joseph Stephanides be summarily dismissed for serious misconduct, in accordance with the United Nations Staff Regulations.  Mr. Stephanides was advised accordingly yesterday and was separated from service with immediate effect. 

**AIDS Events Tomorrow

A couple of items for tomorrow -- Peter Piot, the UNAIDS Executive Director, and Richard Feachem, the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, will be here, in 226 at 12:30, to brief you on the progress made towards meeting targets set during the 2001 UN Special Session on HIV/AIDS.  The Secretary-General is expected to drop by that briefing tomorrow.

Early in the day, the Secretary-General and Peter Piot will address the Health Ministers and other delegates gathered for the General Assembly’s High–Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS.  The day-long High-Level Meeting will review progress in realizing the commitments set out in the 2001 Declaration of Commitments, and we expect delegates from over 120 countries to take part.

And, there’s a press packet, both in English and French, at the door with more information, as well as embargoed copies of the Secretary-General’s message.

**Secretary-General at CUNY Event Tonight

And lastly, the Secretary-General will be at the GraduateCenter at the City University of New York this evening to launch the two latest publications of the UN Intellectual History Project.  The works are -- UN Voices:  The Struggle for Development & Social Justice, and The Power of UN Ideas:  Lessons from the First 60 Years.  The Secretary-General will deliver opening remarks, followed by Sir Richard Jolly, who will summarize the “Lessons of the First 60 Years.” 

And, we have more available on that upstairs.  Any questions? Yes, Nick?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  How frequently has the Secretary-General made such a summary dismissal, for one thing, and also, can you give us an update on where things stand with Benon Sevan and the third-party review against Dileep Nair?

Associate Spokesman:  On the number of summary dismissals, we’ve been told, since 1997, since Kofi Annan took the job of Secretary-General, there are records indicating that 40 staff members, including Mr. Stephanides, have been summarily dismissed.  And, one of those was on procurement-related issues. 

And, as for Mr. Sevan, a decision was taken to suspend actions against him until the independent inquiry into the oil-for-food programme has finished looking into Mr. Sevan’s activities. 

And, as for Mr. Nair, the report of the third party is with the Secretariat, and it is being reviewed, and as soon as we have an outcome to that, I’ll be able to announce it.

Question:  When was that decision made and why was that decision made to suspend action until Volcker is finished?

Associate Spokesman:  There are indications that Mr. Volcker is continuing to look into his activities and if administrative action is to be taken against Mr. Sevan, that it would be taken as a whole, instead of piecemeal.

Question:  When was that decision made?

Associate Spokesman:  I’ll have to check when that decision was taken.

Question:  In follow-up to that question, wasn’t Sevan’s contract extended, which was, I think, up yesterday?

Associate Spokesman:  I believe it was extended, and he remains on the dollar-a-year.. he remains suspended (inaudible).. exactly.  But, as Mr. Volcker’s work is continuing, Mr. Sevan’s contract was extended.

Question:  In a follow-up, in the case of Mr. Maurice Strong, I mean you said that his stepdaughter was employed in contravention of UN rules.  Do you know of many other employees who are relatives or wives or direct relatives employed by the United Nations?  Are their lots of wives and lots of relatives employed by the UN?

Associate Spokesman:  There’s nothing new on anything related to Mr. Strong, but I think you’d have to look at the staff regulations.  The issue was the regulations prohibit -- it’s an issue of reporting lines.

Question:  The Secretary-General is meeting with Terje Roed-Larsen today.  Can you give us an update on the implementation of resolution 1559, if there’s a readout on that?

Associate Spokesman:  Mr. Roed-Larsen continues as the Secretary-General’s Envoy for 1559.  His work on the implementation, as I think he reported himself to you, continues.  But, if there is an announcement on travel or anything like that, I will let you know. 

Question:  Anything on the electoral team in Lebanon?

Associate Spokesman:  No.  They’re continuing to work with the Lebanese authorities on the handling of international observers, on coordination of international observers, and we’re also working with the Ministry of Information to help the media with a code of good conduct, in terms of covering elections.  So, we continue to work on those issues with them.

Question:  Can you elaborate on what is the code of conduct?

Associate Spokesman:  The code commits the media to providing objective and balanced reporting on the elections.  And, we’re working with them in the implementation of that code.

Question:  Another question -- the Secretary-General will be here, he will drop by tomorrow.  Do you think he will be able to take some questions other than on HIV/AIDS?

Associate Spokesman:  No, I do not believe so.  Tomorrow’s briefing will be focused on HIV/AIDS.  The exact mode of participation of the Secretary-General is still being elaborated.  So, soon we’ll know exactly if he’ll come in and introduce the guests and leave, but tomorrow’s briefing will be on HIV/AIDS.

Question:  I would like to raise one thing, since everything else is over.  This is on behalf of Reuter’s TV and photo people, as well as print service.  Using yesterday’s Security Council meeting as an example, I wondered if we could just make a renewed plea for a slightly better idea, ahead of time and during Council meetings, of who might be appearing, what the agenda items realistically are, names of people who speak in the Council and copies of their statements?

And, I want to give some examples.  Yesterday, I believe that none of us was aware that the Iraqi Foreign Minister was coming to address the Council.  None of us was aware that Ambassador Zeid was addressing the Council.  None of us was aware, until just before, that Mr. Guéhenno was addressing the Council. 

On the sex and peacekeeping item, the description in the media alert was something like, the Secretary-General’s letter of April 3^rd, 1942.  On the Iraq item, I don’t recall, but it had nothing to do with any understanding that it might have to do with the Multinational Force. 

I know that there is a large staff that runs the Security Council, and there seems to be a staff that runs the Spokesman’s Office, and I’m wondering if they might be able to get together and work out an arrangement so that we could get, on the media alert, or at briefings or whatever, some kind of realistic idea the evening before of what a Security Council meeting was going to be about, if some kind of interesting person like the Foreign Minister of Iraq was going to be appearing, and to make an arrangements so that copies of statements that were prepared could be given either to the document room or the Spokesman’s Office with the name of the person who speaks, so that this would enable us to do our job?

Associate Spokesman:  Understood.  I think on Mr…. I understand the whole gist of your comments.  On Mr. Zeid and Guéhenno, I think we had flagged it here at the briefing the day before; we had mentioned that this would be happening.  I know getting copies of statements from visiting dignitaries is always a struggle, and if their own press people are not proactive -- yesterday, on Iraq, we went down and we got the statement from Zebari’s people, who had it on a disk, so we’re trying.  And, on the media alert, Gary Fowlie is back here and he’s listening to you, and we will try to do a more user-friendly media alert.

Question:  The Security Council could ask its speakers in the letter sent to them on where they’re supposed to go and what time -- to prepare at least one copy of their statement.  It seems to be a reasonable request.  I know, my days in Washington at the US Congress, every person who spoke before a US congressional committee was required to have like 50 copies…

Associate Spokesman:  Maybe they have more discipline in the US Congress than in the UN Security Council.

Question:  It would be a very welcome reform, if that could be done.

Question:  While we’re picking it apart, I obviously agree with Irwin, you people are always scrambling after the fact because the Security Council has one of the worst publicity machines ever.  But, we also, I also want to talk about the AIDS thing.  I mean, I just got a press release from Geneva, not here, telling me that there’s a huge report tomorrow, on top of everything else, and all the speakers and everything, that the Secretary-General is going to release on AIDS.

There’s been, we have absolutely no literature -- the first was UNFPA this morning -- on what this conference is about -- I don’t know if it’s DPI, I don’t know if it’s UNAIDS.  But, suddenly we have all these speakers coming tomorrow, plus round tables, plus press conferences.  Nobody has a cast of thousands, and the preparation in our own minds and our own curtain raisers is zero.  And, I don’t know where the blame lies, but this is something that slipped totally through the cracks.  I don’t know what you think you have upstairs; there’s nothing in the document counter.

Associate Spokesman:  There’s somebody here from UNAIDS whom you can talk to about getting the literature.

Question:  Geneva’s nicely informed, but they’re not here having to cover this.  [inaudible discussion].

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