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 will start with a couple of statements, the first on Lebanon.

**Statement Attributable to the Spokesman on Lebanon

Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of an announcement by Mark Malloch Brown, Chef de Cabinet of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and today’s noon briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Announcement by Mark Malloch Brown

Good 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 Stéphane Dujarric, Associate 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 Stéphane Dujarric, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

I have two statements to start off with, the first one on Lebanon.

**Statement attributable to the Spokesman on the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC)

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.

Good afternoon.

**Statement Attributable to the Spokesman on United States Institute for Peace Task Force Report

We’re going to start with a statement regarding the release today in Washington of the Mitchell/Gingrich report:

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.

Good afternoon.

**Secretary-General in Paris

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.

Good afternoon.  We’re going to start with a statement attributable to the Spokesman on Iran.

**Iran

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, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.  I’ll start off with an appointment today.

**Appointment

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. 

**Notes

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, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

**Statement on Ethiopia

I’ll start off with a statement from the Secretary-General on the situation in Ethiopia: