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 Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Secretary-General on Lebanon

This morning as he came into the Building, the Secretary-General was asked about today’s bombing in Lebanon, and said that every time there is a bomb in Lebanon, “it is a source of concern and worry”.

He noted that Lebanon has made progress, including the withdrawal of Syrian troops and the security apparatus and fair and peaceful elections.  But the situation is fragile, and we need to be vigilant, he said.  He added that the investigative committee headed by Detlev Mehlis is carrying on with its work, with all the support and cooperation that it needs.  And we are also expecting an official statement on Lebanon shortly, I hope.

**UN Reform

This morning, he was also asked by you about the prospects for Security Council reform, and whether the debate on Security Council reform was pulling Member States apart.

He responded that, so far, the discussions are at an early stage, noting, “One day of discussion doesn’t make a resolution.”  The Secretary-General said that all sides know what is at stake, and he hoped that no one would want to be blamed for a lack of progress.

The Secretary-General added that, although Member States may want to focus on Security Council reform, they should move on the other clusters, as well.  All aspects of reform are important, he said.  We have a transcript of his comments available upstairs.

**Security Council

Turning to the Security Council, members began an open debate today on the role of the Security Council in humanitarian crises, chaired by the Greek Foreign Minister, Petros Molyviatis.

The Secretary-General told the Council at that meeting that the UN’s task should be to prevent human suffering, but, “all too often, we fail to do so, because we do not recognize the gravity of the threat until it is too late”.  He said that Member States should recognize that, if a particular State is unwilling or unable to protect its citizens against extreme violence, the Security Council must assume its responsibilities.

He also drew attention to the challenge of peacebuilding, and the ways in which the different parts of the UN system need to cooperate to assist that process.  Ensuring such coordination, he said, is a role that he hopes will be filled by a new Peacebuilding Commission, if the Member States agree to such a body at this September’s World Summit.

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean Marie Guéhenno also briefed the Council about the problems of providing genuine security in a post-conflict situation.

His remarks, as well as the Secretary-General’s remarks, are available upstairs, and we are told by the Greek presidency that Foreign Minister Molyviatis will be available to take your questions at the stakeout as soon as their council meeting is done.

**MONUC Update

Yesterday, the UN peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo received reports that on the night of 9 July, a village in South Kivu, about 75 kilometres west of the town of Bukavu, was attacked by unknown assailants who killed some 39 civilians, mostly women and children.  After looting the village, the assailants locked the victims in their houses which they then set on fire, burning alive some 39 victims.  Seven civilians are presently being treated for wounds sustained during the attack.

A team of UN peacekeepers is currently investigating and the Mission is determined to shed light on these events and to bring the perpetrators to justice.  We have more information from the UN Mission upstairs.

Also on DRC, as we have been telling you, William Lacy Swing, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in the DRC, is on his way from Brussels to New York, where he is scheduled to brief the Security Council tomorrow.  We hope that you will have an opportunity to speak to him at the stakeout following the Council meeting tomorrow.

**Uzbekistan

A report out today from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights claims that eyewitness testimony suggests that security forces committed grave human rights abuses and violations during last May’s events in Andijan, Uzbekistan, in which large numbers of people were reported killed.  The High Commissioner, Louise Arbour, reiterated her call for an independent, international investigation of the incidents.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, today welcomed the release by Kazakhstan of Lutfullo Shamsuddinov, an Uzbek human rights activist who had been arrested at the request of the Uzbek Government.  Mr. Shamsuddinov and his family are being brought to a European country to prepare for resettlement.  A press release from both agencies is available upstairs.

**Niger

Turning now to Niger, the World Food Programme (WFP) today announced plans to almost triple the number of people being fed through its emergency operation there to over a million.

Facing critical conditions this year -- brought on by a poor rainy season and the worst locust invasion in 15 years – the WFP says it needs an additional $12 million to cover the rapidly rising costs of the operation.

For its part, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has allocated more than a million dollars to treat children suffering from severe and acute malnutrition.  This complements several early warning preparedness measures that the agency began taking in January.

**Hurricane Dennis

From the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA tells us that they have released funds to coordinate the emergency response in Cuba following Hurricane Dennis, as well as to buy relief items.  The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Cuba has been helping to facilitate the coordination of disaster response activities and information.

In June, the countries of the Caribbean held a regional workshop in Cuba to plan a strategy for this year’s hurricane season.  At that meeting, the head of the Humanitarian Office, Jan Egeland, said that his Office -- in partnership with the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the UN Development Programme -- was planning to establish a regional centre in Panama to help countries become more prepared for natural disasters.  A press release is available on that upstairs.

**UNESCO

UNESCO is telling us that they have enrolled Nelson Mandela as their newest Goodwill Ambassador.  The former president of South Africa accepted the appointment today from Koichiro Matsuura, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.  The ceremony was held at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg.

**General Assembly

And from the General Assembly spokesman, they are telling us that this afternoon the General Assembly will continue to debate on the draft resolution on Security Council reform, tabled by the G4 countries, that is, Brazil, Germany, India and Japan, as well as 23 other countries.  Twenty-one Member States addressed the Assembly yesterday afternoon, including Brazil, China, Japan and France.  (France is one of the sponsors of the resolution). Twenty-two speakers are slated for this afternoon’s debate, including the United States, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom.

**Secretary-General

Lastly, to let you know, the Secretary-General will undergo an operation to repair a right shoulder injury on 15 July, on this Friday.  And that’s it for me.  Any questions?

**Questions and Answers

Question: How did he get this injury?  What happened?

Spokesman:  It was during a sporting accident that occurred during the winter.

Question:  So it is a continuing process?

Spokesman:  Yes, exactly.  Exactly.

Question:  What was the sport?

Spokesman:  Not pitching.  It was cross-country skiing.

Question:  Yesterday in an interview with Reuters, the Palestinian Foreign Minister called upon the United Nations to seek punitive measures against companies which are helping Israel to build the barrier.  Do you have any reaction to that?

Spokesman:  No, we do not.  I have not seen that interview.

Question:  He did give an interview.

Spokesman:  I can look at that for you.

Question:  Does the SG have any statements to make about the position of the Israeli Government to press ahead with the construction of this wall on occupied Palestinian land?  Javier Solana has made a statement saying that it was not legally proper and the Palestinians continue to be outraged by what has humanitarian consequences.  Does the Secretary-General have a position on this?

Spokesman:  The Secretary-General’s views on this are well known.  He has asked the Israelis not to go forward with actions that could create facts on the ground and could affect any future final settlement negotiations.  He fully recognizes Israel’s security needs, but would hope they would find a way to address those needs that would not severely impact the humanitarian situation of the Palestinians.

Question:  Does he consider the construction of this wall illegal?

Spokesman:  That’s all I have to say on that.

Question:  On 26 May, the Secretary-General appointed an expert panel to look into East Timor and whether the Indonesian militia and armed forces were being properly prosecuted for possible wrongdoing during their rampage, and the experts submitted a report to the Security Council more than two weeks ago saying that there should be an international tribunal named.  There seems to be some confusion among the Security Council members as to who is responsible for releasing this report.  It has never been made public and I am wondering, is it the Secretary-General’s decision to release the report, or is it up to the Security Council, or whom and is it going to be released, and if so, when?

Spokesman: I will check for you.  I will get some guidance on that and I will check for you.  [The Spokesman later said that it was up to the Security Council to decide when to release the report that they received last month.]

Question:  Concerning the investigation about Mr. Hariri, at what stage are we this moment?

Spokesman:  The investigation is going full steam ahead.  Yesterday, Ibrahim Gambari, the head of the Political Affairs Department, briefed the Security Council on some of the mechanics of the investigation and reported that Mr. Mehlis was getting good cooperation from the Lebanese authorities.  But obviously we have to wait until Mr. Mehlis feels that he has gathered enough information to complete an investigation to have any more information.

Question: Can you confirm that Mr. Mehlis has so far interviewed 68 people in connection with this investigation and he has one suspect?  And can you give us more information about this?

Spokesman:  Let me see what I can get you right after the briefing.

Question:  Also, on the team that has been sent to Syria to ascertain the withdrawal of Syrian troops, any developments on this front?  [The Spokesman later said that the team was continuing its work .]

Spokesman: I will check for you on that, as well.

And I do have an official statement on Lebanon which I will read into the record:

“The Secretary-General was appalled to hear, yet again, of a bombing in Beirut, which killed two people and injured the current Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Elias Murr, and several others.  He strongly condemns this terrorist act.  The Secretary-General reiterates his support, and that of the international community, for the right of the Lebanese people to live free of fear and intimidation.  He extends his sympathies to the victims and condolences to their families.

“The Secretary-General strongly urges the Government of Lebanon to exert every effort to bring to justice those behind this and previous such crimes that appear aimed at destabilizing the situation.  He calls upon all parties to work towards a united and democratic Lebanon.”

Thank you very much.

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