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, 4 September -- Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, President of the World Conference against Racism, emphasized this morning that nothing is beyond negotiation, Conference Spokeswoman Susan Markham said at today’s daily press 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 Manoel De Almeida e Silva, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.  Sorry for the eight-minute delay.

**Secretary-General in Sweden

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.

3 September 2001

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

Midway through the World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa, Working Group I has adopted 12 paragraphs contained in the draft Declaration, Susan Markham, Spokeswoman for the Conference, said at the daily noon briefing 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.