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.

**Middle East

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

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

Welcome to the 24 news broadcasters from all five continents visiting here today.  Nice to have you.  Good afternoon.  We have a trip to announce.

**Secretary-General’s Trip

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

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

I thought you all would have left in disgust by now.  I am sorry.  We have a statement on the Middle East that held us up.  Anyway, here it is. 

**Secretary-General Statement on Middle East

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

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

Good Afternoon.

**Secretary-General Says Not Enough Done to Protect Civilians in Conflict

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

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

Good Afternoon.

**Secretary-General Returns to Headquarters

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

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

It’s a slow news day.  We can start the briefing late, right? Everyone’s relaxed.

**Secretary-General

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

This is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Manoel de Almeida e Silva, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Secretary-General/AIDS

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

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

**Release of UN Staff Held in Somalia

Good afternoon.  At about 9:25 a.m. EST today (or 4:25 p.m. local time), a UN plane picked up the last two UN staff members detained in Somalia -- Bill Condie, 61, and Roger Carter, 41, both nationals of the United Kingdom.

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

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

Don’t get spooked now, but there is a new robotic camera on the ceiling there.  We now have two shots -– one looking at me and one looking at you.

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

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

I thought it was 11 o’clock, no it’s 12 o’clock.  We’ll start with a statement attributable to the Secretary-General on the arrest of Slobodan Milosevic.

**Statement Attributable to Secretary-General