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 Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

**Secretary-General/Iraq Conference

PRESS BRIEFING ON POVERTY AND GENDER

 

Almost all the strategies aimed at eradicating poverty in Africa failed to address its root causes and to consult the most affected people at the grass roots, whom they were supposed to help, a spokesperson for the international network Social Watch said at a Headquarters press conference this morning.

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 Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.  Ms. Okabe was joined by Djibril Diallo, Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly, for the question-and-answer period.

Good afternoon.

**Secretary-General - Quartet

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 Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.  I’m sorry I’m a little late.

PRESS BRIEFING BY CIVIL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES ON GENERAL ASSEMBLY HEARINGS

“We don’t want decisions to be taken in small groups and behind closed doors”, Pera Wells of the World Federation of United Nations Associations told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.  “We want to see the United Nations come back to an open, inclusive decision-making process.”

PRESS CONFERENCE BY UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT FUND FOR WOMEN

Summarizing the first-ever civil society hearings with the General Assembly from a gender perspective, panellists at a Headquarters press conference today said there had been a strong recognition of the need to advance women’s human rights as a key to attaining the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals.

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 Stéphane Dujarric, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.  Just after we’re done with this briefing the Secretary-General will come down and introduce to you his new High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. António Guterres, and then Mr. Guterres will remain here and take your questions.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY NEW UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

 

Introducing the new United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), António Guterres, Secretary-General Kofi Annan told correspondents today that Mr. Guterres had been in the job for less than two weeks, but he had wasted no time in getting started in the field where the problems were.

Press conference by united kingdom on development financing

 

Today’s High-Level Financing for Development meeting was an important staging post on the way to the Millennium Summit in what was an extraordinary year for development, the United Kingdom Secretary of State for International Development told correspondents today at a Headquarters’ press conference.

Security Council members Ellen Margrethe Løj (Denmark), Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee; César Mayoral (Argentina), Chair of the Committee concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban; and Mihnea Ioan Motoc (Romania), Chair of the Committee to prevent access of non-State actors to Weapons of Mass Destruction, this morning updated correspondents on their Committees’ work during a press conference at Headquarters.