DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

AND THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Djibril Diallo, Spokesman for the General Assembly President.

Spokesman for Secretary-General

**Statement on Iraq

I’ll start off with a statement on the events in Iraq today:

“The Secretary-General is repulsed and outraged by the deaths of a large number of children, among other civilians, in the latest suicide bombing today in Baghdad.  He condemns in the strongest terms this senseless act of violence.

“As the Secretary-General has said repeatedly, there can be no justification for the deliberate targeting of civilians -- much less children, who are our hope for the future.  Nothing will be accomplished by today’s killing of innocents.”

The statement is available upstairs.

**Middle East Statement

In a statement we issued yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the suicide attack in Israel, earlier that day, that took at least two lives, and wounded many others.  He is unwavering in his conviction that nothing can justify terror.

Now, and in the days ahead, it is critical that all measures be taken to ensure that such attacks do not reoccur, and that the admirable restraint recently observed be maintained, so that the violence does not escalate.  That statement was made available to you yesterday.

**DRC

This afternoon, the Security Council will hold consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Council members will receive a briefing from the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, William Swing, on the latest developments in that country.  Swing will meet with the press at the Security Council stakeout after his presentation to Council members.

Yesterday afternoon, following brief consultations, the Council President, Ambassador Vassilakis of Greece, read out a press statement which said that Council members unequivocally condemned the terrorist bombing that took place earlier that day in Lebanon.  Council members also expressed their condemnation of the terrorist attack in the Israeli city of Natanya.

**Sudan

Turning to Sudan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Sudan, Jan Pronk, has returned from a two-day visit to North Darfur, where he met with the rebel Sudan Liberation Army leadership.  Mr. Pronk said that he has “good reason to believe that the Abuja peace process is supported at the field level”.

Mr. Pronk is planning to intensify his meetings with other rebel groups with a visit to South Darfur.  These meetings will keep the parties informed of the preparations for the next round of Abuja discussions, which are to take place on 24 August.

Pronk will travel tomorrow to Asmara, where he will meet with Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki.  Next week, he will be in New York to brief the Security Council, on 22 July.  We are also trying to have him be available to speak with you at some point next week. 

**Sudan - UNICEF

Meanwhile, UNICEF has welcomed provisions in the Interim National Constitution which strengthen the rights of children and women.  But it also calls for the elimination of clauses which allow for the death penalty to be imposed on children under 18 years of age.

The agency also noted that the documents do not prohibit either the recruitment, or the voluntary signing-up into armed forces, of children under 18.  UNICEF urges that the final Constitution be brought into conformity with the international and regional conventions that Sudan has already ratified.

**Haiti

Yesterday in Port-au-Prince, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Representative in Haiti, Adama Guindo, praised the Transitional Government and international donors who have worked together on development projects in that country for the past year.

Guindo spoke at a press conference marking the first anniversary of the establishment of the Interim Cooperative Framework for Haiti.

Among the notable donors, he recognized, were Real Madrid football players Ronaldo de Lima and Zinedine Zidane who pledged $120,000 for programmes in Cité Soleil.

**Tsunami – Clinton

Former US President Bill Clinton, the UN’s Special Envoy for tsunami recovery, will address the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) tomorrow at around noon in the ECOSOC Chamber.

President Clinton will give an assessment of the tsunami recovery effort and highlight specific policy questions which need to be resolved.  Following that, he will engage in a question-and-answer session with delegates from the Member States.  More information is available in a press advisory upstairs.

Humanitarian Report

Out on the racks today is a report by the Secretary-General on strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance.  Among other things, it says that December’s tsunami showed that the world’s humanitarian system has considerable resources.  But such assets would be more efficiently used if they were deployed under or coordinated within the UN.  The report also stresses the need to observe humanitarian principles in peacebuilding missions.

**Security

Lastly, a number of you had asked us who the new Head of security would be at United Nations Headquarters.

Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security David Veness is pleased to confirm that Bruno Henn has been appointed as Chief of the Security and Safety Services at UN Headquarters in New York.  Henn had been the officer-in-charge of the Safety and Security Services in New York, replacing Michael McCann, since June of last year, and took up his appointment as Chief at the start of this month.  He is a former member of the German Police Service, with more than 23 years of experience in law enforcement and security management.  I think that’s it for me.  Any questions?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  About the surgery on Friday, where was the Secretary-General skiing and what is the operation for, something like a rotator cuff?

Spokesman:  Yes, a torn rotator cuff.

Question:  Where was he skiing?

Spokesman:  It was on a winter holiday.  I don’t know where exactly he was skiing.

Question:  A month ago you said you were going to release a list of 40 people who had been sacked by the United Nations.  Has that happened?

Spokesman:  What we made available, which was in fact in public documents, was a list of the disciplinary actions that had been taken against people...which included what they had been accused of doing, as well as the disciplinary actions taken by the Secretary-General.  I have those documents upstairs and I can show them to you.

Question:  Were there 40 people who had been dismissed?

Spokesman:  I’d have to check, but I think the number was about right.

Question: On Benon Sevan, you were asked the other day where he was. Does the United Nations now know where he is?

Spokesman:  The main responsibility Benon Sevan has, as far as we are concerned is to cooperate with the Volcker committee and we have not heard that he has not made himself available to Volcker.

Question:  Also, I’d like some updates on the Maurice Strong case.  Has anybody been found guilty of any wrongdoing in the hiring of the relative?

Spokesman:  I have nothing further on Maurice Strong?

Question:  Have monitors been able to identify the perpetrators of violence in the DRC?

Spokesman:  No, they have not.  You are talking about the events yesterday near Bukavu?  No, they have not.  They are still looking into it.

Question:  There were extra security measures at the United Nations this morning.  Have you received any warnings or does it have any link to the (partially inaudible) which Grand Central…?

Spokesman:  I’ll check into it, but I am not aware of anything.

Question:  The New York Sun reports this morning that Donald Trump will testify before a US Congressional committee that the United Nations is paying roughly twice as much for the renovation as is needed.  Does the Secretary-General have any plans to meet with Mr. Trump to hear his ideas about how they can save money?

Spokesman:  Mr. Trump has already met with the Secretary-General over a year ago.  I guess we will have to wait to hear what Mr. Trump tells Congress and then I’m sure we’ll have something to say after he speaks. 

Question:  Where is the surgery going to take place here in New York?  And is it going to be under general anaesthesia?

Spokesman:  It will take place in a New York area hospital and that type of surgery is usually done under local anaesthesia.

Question:  What is the situation in Somalia?  The African Union has asked for the lifting of the embargo.  Have you talked about this?

Spokesman:  No, I have not.  But I can try to get you some information on that.

Question:  You don’t know about this?

Spokesman:  No, but I am happy to check for you.

Question:  Will the Secretary-General be meeting with President Clinton tomorrow?

Spokesman:  I don’t have his schedule yet for tomorrow, but as soon as I do, I will let you know.

Question:  Since all this Benon Sevan stuff is going to resurface at the end of the month, when Mr. Volcker puts forward his report, can you clarify for us the relationship between Deborah Nadler, former United Nations staff member and the Nadler family of Butros Gali’s wife?  Can you find out for us what her relationship was to that family?

Spokesman: If that has to do with the Volcker Commission, then I am sure they will report on it.  But I am not going to start investigating staff members’ family connections.  If it has to do with oil-for-food, then it is under the purview of Mr. Volcker and I am sure he will take a look at it.

Question:  It isn’t a question of oil-for-food.  It’s a question of whether there was nepotism in the United Nations.  Are you all interested in that issue?

Spokesman:  I am very much interested.  We are very much interested in reforming.

Question:  So, if you are interested, who in the United Nations is going to determine if there was a relationship?

Spokesman:  If you are talking about a case that was many years back, I’m not sure what can be done to look at that issue now.

Question:  So, your position is that, once people leave, there is nothing that can be done?

Spokesman:  What I am saying is that you are asking me this question and I am unaware of this person.  We are not going to start investigating people’s family trees.  There are strong rules against nepotism in hiring in place, which I am sure will be strengthened under the reform process.  If those rules are violated that will be investigated.  I don’t see what else I can add.

Question:  Well, you could add the answer to the question, which is:  What is the relationship between this former United Nations staff member Deborah Nadler and the Nadler family, which is Butros Gali’s wife’s family?

Spokesman:  I don’t know.

Question:  Could you find out?

Spokesman:  I will not commit to finding out.  I will see what the situation is.

Question:  There are some 50 dead in Kenya.  Are there any details on the cause of this act?

Spokesman:  Is this the raid that you are talking about?  This is something that we are looking into.  It was very much a deplorable act.  [Later, OCHA Chief Jan Egeland said the direct targeting of a school is particularly reprehensible.  OCHA had convened an urgent meeting to coordinate the humanitarian needs.]

Question:  Do you have any representative at the resumed six-party talks on North Korea?

Spokesman:  No, the United Nations is not one of the members of the six-party talks.  We are following the issue closely with the staff in the Political Affairs Department.

General Assembly President Spokesman:

Spokesman:  As you know, the General Assembly resumed on Monday, consideration of agenda item 53, entitled “The Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership on the Security Council and Related Matters.”  The General Assembly had before it a draft resolution, again as you know, issued as document A/59/L.64.  Twenty-one speakers spoke on Monday and 21 spoke yesterday afternoon.

It is not determined yet as to when the debate will resume.  General Assembly President Jean Ping is scheduled to meet the Foreign Ministers of the G-4 Sunday afternoon and probably the debate will resume after that consultation.  In the meantime the President is encouraging Member States to continue their discussions and consultations.  President Ping also expects the African Union to submit a draft resolution on Security Council reform, possibly on Friday.  As soon as that draft resolution is available, we will make copies available to you, as well.

Another item -- we have received questions about -- has to do with the revised version of the draft outcome document.  This will probably be issued in the latter part of next week.  That’s all I have.

Question:  Where will President Ping be meeting with the G-4 Foreign Ministers?  Will it be here?

Spokesman:  We will come back to you.  The location has not yet been determined.

Question:  Is it going to be a face-to-face meeting?

Spokesman:  That is right, yes.

Question:  How many resolutions does the President expect to have tabled in addition to the current resolution and the African Union resolution?

Spokesman:  There will possibly be a third resolution.

Question:  From whom?

Spokesman:  I think -- I am going on slippery ground here -- possibly from the consensus group.  We already have a resolution from the G-4, the expectation of a resolution from the African Union and also possibly from the consensus group.  But that is subject to confirmation.

Question:  On the meeting of Mr. Ping and G-4 Foreign Ministers, do you know the time? 

Spokesman:  Sunday afternoon and we will come back to you about the time and the place.

Question:  (Partially audible, on African Union resolution, expected Friday).  Will it proceed with a debate?  Will the debate again be set after Monday?

Spokesman:  The sequence of events is that consultations are going on right now.  The President will meet with the G-4 on Sunday afternoon.  On Friday you will have possibly another resolution and the debate will possibly resume next week.

Question:  But you are not sure when?

Spokesman:  No, the timing has not been set.  But consultations are going on among Member States right now.

Question:  (Partially inaudible on possible call for further debate.)

Spokesman:  I am not aware of it.  You might want to ask the Secretariat of the AU.

Question:  By increasing the Security Council number, is there any change in the Charter needed or not?

Spokesman:  As you know, this item was already debated at the plenary meetings on 11 and 13 October 2004.  I would like to refer you back to that.  I can come back to you on the different scenarios that have been put on the table and that the President had also talked about here.

Question:  How many more nations have signed up to join in the debate on the G-4 resolution?

Spokesman:  I have to come back to you on that.  I just have the numbers on those who have spoken so far.

Question:  There are others who definitely want to speak?

Spokesman:  That is right, yes.

Question:  When each of the two other resolutions are tabled, there would be a similar debate like the one we are seeing now, so we would have another three days of debate on each resolution?

Spokesman:  Well, you had two days, or rather two half days.

Question:  There will be another one today, right?

Spokesman:  No, they have been suspended, so far.  I mean the consultations are going on, so the length of the debates will depend on the Member States themselves.  But because there is no General Assembly meeting in the General Assembly Hall, does not mean that the consultations are not going on.

Question:  On the consensus group, is my understanding they will not table the resolution.

Spokesman:  That is why, I am saying that I was on slippery ground.  I was not sure.  I know of two resolutions, so far.

Question: Inaudible procedural question.)

Spokesman: I have to check on the process for you. I am not sure.

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