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.

The guest at today’s briefing is Ahmad Fawzi, who, until he was appointed Spokesman for Lakhdar Brahimi, was Director of the United Nations Information Centre in London.  He’ll be taking any questions you might have about the talks.

**Afghanistan

PRESS BRIEFING BY SPOKESMAN FOR SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR AFGHANISTAN

The emergence of a formula to create a broad-based transitional administration in Afghanistan would be the measure of success for next week's intra-Afghan talks in Bonn, Germany, the Spokesman for Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Envoy for Afghanistan, said at a Headquarters press briefing this 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 Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.

Briefing by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

Welcome back from, what was for many of you, a long weekend.  We’ll start with a consolidated appeal.

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, and Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly.

Briefing by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

We're experimenting with new microphones here.

**Noon Guest

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.

Briefing by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

Good afternoon. Sorry for this delay.

**Today’s Guest

HEADQUARTERS PRESS CONFERENCE BY NEW YORK OFFICE OF UNAIDS

The world continued to face a worsening AIDS epidemic, according to Dr. Desmond Johns, New York representative for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), who briefed correspondents at Headquarters this afternoon on the launch of the new AIDS Epidemic Update:  December 2001.

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 and Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly

Briefing by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

PRESS BRIEFING BY OFFICE FOR COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS

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 Manoel de Almeida e Silva, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General,and Jan Fischer, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly

Briefing by the Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General

PRESS BRIEFING BY COORDINATOR OF IRAQ PROGRAMME

Originally envisioned as a temporary arrangement, but now entering its sixth year, the “oil-for-food” programme in Iraq was beginning to show signs of ageing, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Office of the Iraq Programme, Tun Myat, told correspondents this afternoon.