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

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

Good afternoon.

**Security Council

The Security Council is meeting in closed consultations this morning to discuss its programme of work for this month.

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

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

Good afternoon. 

**Security Council/Middle East

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 Stephane Dujarric de la Riviere, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Briefing by Office of the Spokesman

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 Stephane Dujarric de la Riviere, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.

Briefing by 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 Stephane Dujarric de la Riviere, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.  Our guest today will be Olara Otunnu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, who will brief you on his recent trip to Ethiopia and Eritrea.

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 Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary General.

**Secretary-General

The Secretary-General is now en route, via London, to Beirut, Lebanon, where he will address the Arab Summit on Wednesday.

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 Farhan Haq, of the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Hello. Good afternoon.

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 Farhan Haq, of the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Secretary-General -- Financing for Development Speech

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

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of the noon briefing by Farhan Haq, of the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good morning.  We will be having with us shortly, hopefully in the next few minutes, Ralph Zacklin, the Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs.  He will be coming here to brief you on the Special Court for Sierra Leone.

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 Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Security Council

Good afternoon.