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

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.

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

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.

**Spokesman for the Secretary-General

**Secretary-General Visits Firehouse

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

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Manoel de Almeida e Silva, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.

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

AND BY THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.  

**Jan Fischer

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

      The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

** Guest at Noon Briefing

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

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

**World Conference Against Racism

The World Conference Against Racism closed early on Saturday afternoon in Durban, South Africa, after intensive and often difficult deliberations on a number of issues. 

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

DURBAN, 7 September -- The plenary has 111 NGO representatives listed to speak today, the final day of the World Conference against Racism, Susan Markham, Spokeswoman for the event, said at the daily noon briefing in Durban, South Africa.  However, it is unlikely that they will all have time to speak as discussion on this agenda item will conclude at 1 p.m. today.

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

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Manoel De Almeida e Silva, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Secretary-General

Good afternoon.  Thank you for coming.

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

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Manoel De Almeida e Silva, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Secretary-General visits Sweden

I'm going to start with the Secretary-General's visit to Sweden, where, as I mentioned to you, he arrived yesterday afternoon.

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

DURBAN, 5 September -- The two working group co-facilitators on the so-called difficult issue relating to the legacy of the past could not attend today’s noon briefing as expected because their negotiation group was holding a meeting at the same time, Susan Markham, Spokeswoman for the World Conference against Racism, said in Durban, South Africa, today.